Why go wide

Where action begins: Kylie in Trikonasana, applying the heel position.

In the studio this month, we’ve been working regularly with lateral āsanas, such as Utthita Parsvakonasana and Trikonasana. These are postures recommended for beginners by B.K.S Iyengar in Light On Yoga because they build up strength in the legs.

What’s clear to me from my own Iyengar yoga practice of these lateral āsanas is the fundamental importance of the heel position to create effective action.

The postures start from the front foot. Therefore, the heel must be positioned wide enough (see picture below) so that the structure of the leg, buttocks and pelvis can come onto the foot.

Starting point: Use the heel position to build up relationships in these āsanas.

Once the correct position of the front foot is attained, the inner heel can then be pressed. This is the primary point of action. From the heel, the weight can then projected forward into the ball of the foot.

Using this first point of action as a beginning, Iyengar yoga students can then follow a sequence of feeling through these lateral āsanas. From the front foot and leg into the pelvis and the base of the spine and then down into the back leg and foot.

The precision that comes from allowing the inner heel to “go wide” and projecting the weight forward to the ball of the foot creates a foundation for the front leg to come onto.

Conversely, if the heel tucks in (see picture below), the weight is more likely to roll to the outside of the foot. This is a less stable place. Interestingly, in lateral āsanas, without the heel width, the foot no longer has a point of resistance to work from.

No stability: If the heel tucks in, effective action cannot be applied.

According to our Australian-based senior teacher Peter Thomson (see image below) in his essay Action and Method, understanding where the first action begins in any āsana is crucial for practicing Iyengar yoga that supports structural integrity.

“BKS Points are not a series of independent random points... they are actions in an integrated system,” writes Peter. “Actions, as opposed to motions, always exist in relationship with (or against) other actions. Āsanas are systems or configurations of interrelated and interconnected relationships.”

Peter Thomson

In practice, when we “go wide” with the inner heel placement in lateral āsanas, we are creating a strong foundation for the heel to be pressed and effectively deliver a first action that informs the relationship between the foot and the lower leg.

Says B.K.S Iyengar, “Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action.”

Ready for action? Join me to learn Iyengar yoga...