Happy new year! We’ve found the perfect way to launch yourself into 2015 – with our Zamasana of the Month for January, Wild Thing. Also known as Camatkarasana (say ‘cah-maht-kah-RAHS-anna’), Wild Thing is an invigorating chest-opening pose that will give you the sensation of stretching and reaching towards what is to come this year, in a motion of power and grace.
How to practice Wild Thing:
- Start in Downward-facing Dog, lifting your left leg in the air for Three-legged Dog.
- Stack your left hip over your right, bending your left knee so that your heel is near your buttock.
- Take a breath here, then shift your weight into your right hand.
- Slowly lower your left toes to the ground beside your mat as your flip yourself over and extend your left hand, reaching forward.
- Push down through both feet and your left hand as you lift your hips upwards towards the sky. Keep reaching your right hand forwards and slightly down.
- Find a backbend by drawing your shoulders towards your back and letting your head hang back, looking towards your extended hand.
- Come out of the pose by flipping yourself back over into Three-legged Dog.
- Repeat on the other side!
Let yourself be upside down and look at the new year from a different perspective as you practice Wild Thing! And maybe during this month you could set a personal challenge to connect to the ‘wild thing’ that is in all of us – something spontaneous or courageous, an act of bravery, or perhaps taking of your shoes and running through a field. You can be anything you want to be!