Wild Thing (Camatkarasana)
Wild Thing (Camatkarasana) is a vibrant and dynamic backbend that opens the chest, shoulders, and hips while strengthening the arms and core. It is often practiced as a heart-opening pose and a counterbalance to poses that involve forward folding or grounding. The pose exudes energy and can feel both freeing and uplifting, offering a great way to stretch the body while fostering a sense of joy and liberation.
Key Points
- Starting Position:
- Begin in Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), with your hands shoulder-width apart and feet hip-width apart, maintaining a strong foundation through your arms and legs.
- Press firmly into the ground with your palms and heels, lifting your hips high.
- Movement:
- From Downward Dog, shift your weight onto your right hand and rotate your body to the left.
- As you inhale, lift your left leg off the ground, bending your knee and stepping it over your right leg toward the back of the mat.
- Reach your left foot toward the ground behind you while simultaneously lifting your chest and opening your heart towards the ceiling, moving into a backbend.
- Reach your left arm over your head and let your fingers point toward the back of the room, creating an arch in your back.
- Engagement:
- Engage your core to support your lower back as you deepen the backbend.
- Press firmly into your right hand, keeping the right arm straight and active.
- Draw your shoulder blades down your back and away from your ears to open the chest.
- Lift the pelvis high and engage your legs to support the movement, avoiding collapsing your lower back.
- Focus:
- Focus on lifting your chest and opening the front body, particularly through the shoulders and hips.
- Keep your gaze soft and directed either up toward the ceiling or slightly forward. If you feel stable, you can gaze over your left shoulder.
- Keep the breath steady and expansive, inhaling into the chest to deepen the backbend.
- Breath:
- Inhale to lift the left leg and open your chest.
- Exhale as you move deeper into the backbend and stretch your left arm overhead.
- Breathe deeply into the chest and abdomen, maintaining fluidity and control as you hold the pose.