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Ages 18 and over
STANDING HEAD TO KNEE POSE – 4 parts
How to perform the posture:
- Stand with feet together, shift body
weight to standing leg (leg closest to the judges) and lock the knee
(leg straight and thigh muscle contracted). Pick up the other foot,
interlocked fingers, thumbs with the index finger, holding underneath
the ball of the foot. Look forward.
- Kick the heel of the raised foot
forward until leg is straight and parallel to floor. Arms straight,
eyes focused forward, body weight distributed evenly throughout
standing foot. Lock both knees.
- Wrists straight, bend the elbows down
towards the floor. Keep the elbows touching against the calf muscle,
and extend the elbows below the calf muscle. Both legs straight, both
knees locked. Eyes still focused forward.
- Tuck the chin to the chest and bring the
head down, rounding spine, touch the forehead to the knee, both knees
locked. Maintain balance for at least 5 counts.
- To reverse – bring head up, look
forward. Re-straighten arms, both legs locked, focus forward. Bend
kicking leg and release foot to floor. Pause long enough to demonstrate
control in each step as you exit the posture.
 
NOTE: The competitor chooses which leg to stand on, standing leg must be closest to the judges.
What the judges will look for:
- Connection between mind and body – ability to keep mind under control as well as body.
- Forehead touching the knee, as high up the leg as possible.
- Roundness of spine. The higher the arch of the spine the better.
- Relationship of elbows and calf muscle. For full points elbows must drop below the calf muscle.
- Wobbling, shaking, standing foot moving, readjusting, moving in the posture.
- Standing on the proper leg, so the judges can see the inside of the body.
- Knees locked, thigh muscles contracted.
- Wrists straight, not bending, when elbows are below the calf muscle.
- If the forehead doesn’t touch the knee, the posture is incomplete and receives a zero.
- Final position should be held for 5
counts and the competitor should demonstrate control in each position
entering and exiting the posture.
STANDING BOW PULLING POSE
How to perform the posture:
- Distribute body weight evenly on the
standing foot, farthest from the judges. Straighten and lock the
standing leg knee. Grab the inside of the other foot at the ankle with
all five fingers together and inside of elbow facing out.
Simultaneously, bring the other arm straight up by the side of the
head.
- Kick the foot back and up with toes pointed and extend the leg as high as possible.
- Stretch the free arm forward as far as
possible so that the chin is touching with the shoulder, extend the
other arm back so that the two shoulders are in one line from the
side. Bring the abdomen and chest parallel to floor so that the two
feet are in a straight line from the side.
- Focus out over fingertips.
- The posture is complete when thetop foot is over the bottom foot, two feet in one line, and the chin touches the shoulder.
- For full points both legs straighten
and both legs lock to achieve a standing split. Maintain this position
for at least five counts.
What the judges will look for:
- Chin touching the shoulder. Two feet in one line from the side.
- Grip at the ankle without letting the hand slide.
- Two shoulders in one line from the judges’ view.
- Chest and abdomen parallel to the floor.
- Fumbling with picking up foot or picking up wrong foot and correcting. Leg closest to the judges is the kicking/top leg.
- Kicking/top foot lines up in the center of the head from the front view.
- Stillness in the final posture for at least 5 counts, rather then continuously deepening the posture until finished.
BOW POSE
How to perform the posture:
- Lie on abdomen, chin forward, side of the body facing the judges.
- Reach back and grab the outside of both
feet 2 inches below the top of the toes. Five fingers together, wrists
straight, toes pointed. Six inches between the knees and the toes.
- Kick both legs up and back.
- Balance body weight between pelvic bones and lowest rib so that the toes are in the center from the side.
What the judges will look for:
- Grip – 2 inches below the toes not gripping above the toes.
- Straight wrist.
- Toes in the center of the body from the side – like a teardrop.
- Knees and feet even from the side and the front.
- Balance on the center of abdomen.
- Wrists and knees 6 inches apart – knees/feet should not open wider then shoulders as they get higher.
- Stillness in the final posture for five counts, no rocking back and forth.
RABBIT POSE
How to perform the posture:
- Sit on heels with knees and feet together. Tops of feet on the floor. Side of the body towards the judges.
- Grab the heels with the thumbs on the outside, fingers on the inside.
- Tuck chin to chest, round forward and touch the forehead on the knees, the top of the head touches floor.
- Pull on the heels, lift hips up, and
roll forward. Arms straight, elbows locked. Entire spine stretching
from the coccyx to the neck. Lift the shoulders to the ceiling. Thighs
perpendicular to floor.
What the judges will look for:
- Spine completely and symmetrically rounded.
- 90 degree angle at knees – thighs perpendicular to the floor.
- Maintain contact between the top of the head and the floor. Stay on the top of head not rolling on the back of head.
- Forehead touching the knees.
- Wrists straight – okay to have thumbs touching with index fingers.
- Shoulders lifted away from ears.
STRETCHING POSE
How to perform the posture:
- Sit with spine upright and both legs fully extended forward, feet together.
- Grab the big toes from the top, with the middle and index fingers, palms facing each other.
- Pull on the toes. Feet together and flexed. Legs straight, knees locked and heels in the air.
- With a flat back, stretch upper body
forward from the lower spine. Touch the elbows on the floor along side
the calf muscles. Bring the body down, stomach on the thighs, chest on
the knees, forehead reaching towards the toes.
What the judges will look for:
- Continuous stretching from the coccyx to
the forehead. For full points, the forehead touches the big toe (not
the thumb or hand/wrist).
- Legs straight and thigh muscles contracted – minimum gap between back of the knees and the floor.
- Feet together.
- Feet flexed.
- Spine straight.
- Stomach on the thighs, chest down.
- Elbows on the floor.
- Forehead in line with the toes, face down, eyes looking forward.
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