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Firefly
tittibhasana
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Highlights
Arm and Core Strength: Firefly pose requires significant strength in the arms, shoulders, and core muscles. It strengthens the wrists, forearms, biceps, triceps, and the deep abdominal muscles, providing a challenging workout for the upper body.
Flexibility: Firefly pose deeply stretches and opens the hips, particularly the inner thighs (adductors) hamstrings and spine in flexion.
Balance and Stability: Firefly pose requires balance and stability as you balance your body weight on your hands and lift your legs off the ground. It helps to improve overall body awareness, proprioception, and control.
Inner Strength and Focus: Firefly pose challenges not only the physical body but also cultivates mental strength and concentration. It requires focus, determination, and perseverance, helping to develop qualities of discipline and inner resilience.
Energetic and Emotional Release: Firefly pose is associated with personal power, self-confidence, and transformation. Practicing Firefly pose can help release stagnant energy, boost confidence, and bring about a sense of empowerment.
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Cautions
Wrist or arm injuries: Firefly Pose puts a considerable amount of weight on the wrists and arms. Individuals with wrist or arm injuries, such as sprains, strains, or fractures, should avoid or modify this pose until they have fully healed and regained strength and stability in those areas.
Shoulder injuries: Firefly Pose requires strong and stable shoulders. Individuals with shoulder injuries or instability should exercise caution and avoid or modify the pose.
Lower back or core weakness: Firefly Pose places a significant demand on the lower back and core muscles. If you have a history of lower back pain or weakness, or if you are working with a weak core, it's advisable to avoid or modify this pose until you have built sufficient strength and stability in those areas.
Pregnancy: Firefly Pose is an advanced pose that requires a high level of strength and stability. Pregnant individuals should avoid attempting this pose, especially as pregnancy progresses, due to the risk of strain on the abdominal muscles, pressure on the abdomen, and potential loss of balance.
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Preparation
Crow Pose (Bakasana) : helps develop arm and core strength, which are beneficial for Firefly pose.
Wide Leg Forward Folds : Standing or seated forward folds, such as (Prasarita Padottanasana) can stretch the inner thighs, hamstrings and improve hip flexibility.
Hip Openers: Poses like Malasana (Garland pose) and Frog pose can open the hips and prepare them for the open leg position required in Firefly pose.
Core Strengthening: Incorporate core-strengthening exercises like Boat pose (Navasana) and Plank variations to build strength and stability in the abdominal muscles.
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Cue In
1 - From a Yogi Squat, lift pelvis and thread arms in between the legs.
2 - Place your hands behind your hips on the floor,
3 - Sit back on the arms engaging your core.
4 - Lift your feet off the ground, and extend your legs forward.
“Begin in a standing position with your feet wider than hips“
“Bend your knees and fold into the legs.”
“Walk your hands backward, through the legs bringing them behind your hips”
“Plant the hands, fingers pointing towards your feet or outwards.”
“Push down into the hands and engage your core muscles.”
“Slowly sit back onto the arms.”
“Hug your inner thighs onto your upper arms and squeeze them inwards.”
“Lean your torso slightly forward.”
“Engage your core as your feet lift off the ground, extending your legs forward.”
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Adjustments
Hip Support: Stand behind the practitioner and place your hands in their hip creases. Lightly draw towards you as they sit back to provide stability and help them find a solid foundation as they lift their legs off the ground.
Balance Assistance: If the practitioner is struggling with balance, you can provide light support by placing your hands on their upper back or shoulders and help them from falling back. This can help them find stability and encourage alignment in the pose.
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Counter Poses
Reclined Hero Pose (Supta Virasana): Hero pose stretches the front of the body - abdominals, hip flexors, quadriceps, ankles. It can provide a gentle release for the lower body after the engagement of Firefly pose and open the chest and shoulders.
Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana): This twist gently releases the spine, opens the chest and releases tension through the arms. Also brings the legs together.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana): Bridge pose helps to open the chest, stretch the front of the body, and counteract the forward-bending action of Firefly pose.
Variations
"See the variations,
simple to complex"
1 Raised Wide Legs
2 Raised Pelvis
3 Block Shoulder Pressing Pose : Placing blocks under the hands provide support and elevation, allowing the student to focus on engaging the core and stabilising the pose.
4 Block Firefly : Bent elbows and lift the pelvis higher.
5 Block Firefly : Extended elbows and lower the pelvis.
6 Shoulder Pressing Pose
7 Firefly : Bent elbows
8 Firefly Extended elbows
9 Elephant (Eka Hasta Bhujasana) : In this arm balance, one leg wraps around one shoulder and the other leg extends forward.
10 Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana): This pose involves twisting the body and balancing on the hands, with one leg wrapped around the opposite upper arm.
11 One-Legged Firefly: This variation involves lifting one leg off the ground while the other remains on the upper arm as in crow.
12 L-Sit (Paripurna Navasana) With Block: L-Sit is a challenging yoga pose that involves lifting the legs off the ground while seated and balancing the body weight on the hands. It strengthens the core, arms, and hip flexors.
13 L-Sit (Paripurna Navasana): As above but more difficult without the block.
14 Wide Legged L-Sit : In this variation of L-Sit, the legs are spread wide apart instead of being together. It requires increased flexibility in the inner thighs and challenges the core, hip flexors, thighs and arm strength.
Firefly into Handstand: In this advanced variation, the practitioner transitions from Firefly pose into Handstand, requiring a seamless flow of strength and control.
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