Bird Of Paradise

Sanskrit Name:	Svarga Dvijasana
Similar Pose Names:	Svarga Dvidasana
Category:	Standing
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Pose Directory

Membership Category:	Yoga Lesson Planner
Sub Category:	Standing
Types:	Balance, Strengthen, Stretch, Chest Opener, Hip Opener, Standing, Animal, Object
Anatomy:	Arms & Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps, Core, Hamstrings, Hips, Lower Back, Psoas, Wrists & Arms
Chakras:	Base, Sacral Centre, Solar Plexus Centre
Therapy:	Confidence Building, Leg Congestion, Varicose Veins
Drishti:	Tip Of Nose
Dosha:	Pitta, Kapha

A. Stand tall. Lower into a Forward Bend. Step feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Reach right arm between legs. Actively reach for back wall with your right hand. Bend right elbow around back of right leg. Place top of right hand on lower back (palm facing up). Reach left arm behind. Clasp hands. Gaze at point on ground. Come up onto ball of right foot. Shift weight onto left foot. Slowly raise up to stand. Maintain bind around right leg. Keep right knee bent. B. If you feel steady extend right leg fully. Flex right foot. Press shoulders back. Feel openness through the chest. C. To release, bend right knee. Fold forward over legs. Bring right foot down to mat (Forward Bend). Release the bind. Repeat on other side.

Strengthens standing foot, ankle, knee, thigh. Improves focus, balance, concentration. Stretches hips, groin, hamstrings. Opens shoulders, chest. Massage organs.

Use a strap instead of binding with hands. Practice near a wall at first to prevent a fall. Raised leg on back of chair. Extended hand to big toe pose. Straightening the lifted leg is the final flourish (be patient with your hip and hamstring flexibility; straightening your leg may take months or years of practice).

Back injury. Shoulders should be pulled back, not hunched.

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Yoga Lesson Planning Made Easy

Watch George Create A Yoga Lesson Plan With Bird Of Paradise As The Peak Pose: Includes Free Lesson Plan

Photo Of George's Bird Of Paradise Plant

Peak Pose

Peak pose themed lesson plans are the most popular types of plans created by Yoga teachers. We love them. And for good reason. They are easy to create, and allow students to get to the know the pose at a deeper level.

Watch George

Click here to look over George's shoulder as he creates the Bird Of Paradise peak pose themed yoga lesson plan using the Yoga Genie Lesson Planner.

Free Plan

Click here for the Bird Of Paradise themed yoga lesson plan that George created during the screencast video (see video above).

Teaching Tips

Below are some teaching tips for creating a yoga lesson plan with Bird Of Paradise Pose as the peak pose.

Weave

At the beginning of class say something like...

“Bird Of Paradise Pose, Svarga Dvijasana in Sanskrit, is going to be our peak pose today. This pose refers to the plant called Bird Of Paradise. It flowers rarely, but when it does, oh boy, it's a thing of beauty. You will rarely hold this pose perfectly, because it's a really tough balancing pose. And that's okay. But when you do, it'll be a thing of beauty, well worth waiting for (perhaps might have to wait years)."

Then throughout the class, keep bringing up the Bird Of Paradise theme. Constantly weave the theme into the class. You can’t overdo it. It’s impossible to overdo it. Allow yourself to weave away!

The Plant

The Bird Of Paradise pose doesn't refer to a bird (though there is a bird that goes by that name in New Guinea). The pose refers to the plant of paradise. The bird-of-paradise flowering plant (Strelitzia reginae) is a member of the banana family that originates from South Africa. This plant is named for the exotic shape of its vividly colourful flowers, which resemble the beak and elaborate head plumage of the bird-of-paradise birds. When moving into our cottage in West Wales, the previous owner left their bird-of-paradise plant (in a large pot in the cottage). It rarely flowers, but when it does, it's a thing of dazzling beauty.

Bird Of Paradise Symbolism

Below are some of ways to weave Bird Of Paradise theme into the class. Using symbolism will create images that will stick in the minds of your students for years after the class finishes. I personally think that using "vivid imagery" is the most powerful teaching tool a Yoga teacher has in their toolbox.

Plant Patience: Straightening the lifted leg is the final flourish. It symbolises the eye-popping orange and purple bloom of the Bird Of Paradise plant. That bloom might only happen once a year, and only last a few days. It's a patient plant. And you need to be a patient human. Be patient with your hip and hamstring flexibility. Straightening your leg may take months or years of practice, but the bloom will be well worth the wait.

Split Leaves: The split leaves that give the Bird of Paradise plant its bird-like morphology is scientifically believed to be purposeful leaf tearing to reduce drag in the wind. They have evolved to create splits along their lateral leaf seams to allow the wind to pass by. In doing so, they eliminate the risk of being snapped in half by a strong wind. Symbolism that you can weave into the class for your students is that all of us are "split". The human condition is that we are all slightly damaged, slightly neurotic, and slightly split. But those splits have a purpose. They enable to have compassion for our fellow humans, because we know that, like us, are split.

Plant Royalty: The plants scientific name commemorates Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen consort and wife of King George III. Queen Charlotte was a patron of the arts and an amateur botanist, and helped to expand Kew Gardens. Symbolism that you can weave into the class for your students is that they'll feel like Kings and Queens when practicing this pose (even if they topple a lot).

Opening Petals: When the birds sit to have a drink of nectar, the petals open to cover their feet with pollen. Symbolism that you can weave into the class for your students is be open to "giving" and "receiving". Too much of either isn't healthy, and will shrivel your inner plant.

Flowering Plant: Bird Of Paradise pose symbolises a flowering plant. When holding the pose you'll feel a liberating openness through the chest, like a plant opening up to the sun. The leg you're balancing on will feel as stable as the roots of a plant in the Earth. Grounded. Stable. Strong.