Wild Thing (Camatkarasna)
Wild Thing, or Camatkarasana is a dynamic heart opening pose you might recognize from Hot Flow. If you’ve ever heard a teacher offer you to “flip your dog” before you come into your Downward Facing Pigeon, you know Wild Thing. As we flip into February, a month intrinsically tied to the celebration of all things heart centered and love loaded, this pose whose Sanskrit definition poetically translates to “the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart,” definitely fits the bill for Pose of the Month.
Camatkarasana is an invitation to keep your heart open to all possibilities, ready to receive. In Wild Thing, the rib cage presses up toward the sky, creating space around the heart and lungs. This pose encourages spinal flexibility, balance, and focus, as well as fostering a sense of vulnerability and openness.
This is also a great pose for opening and activating your Anahata Heart Chakra. Envisioning a healing green light spreading through your ribs, lungs, and sternum can draw a sense of peace and ease to that area. Opening the heart chakra is also known to inspire feelings of compassion, connection, and self love.
Let’s celebrate this month together by flipping our dogs, creating space in our hearts, and staying open to all the possibilities of abundance, beauty, and opportunity of the present moment. Wishing you a February filled with peace, LOVE, and yoga! <3
