Genevieve Oswald in Agnistambhasana, by Zoe Zimmerman for Sundara Studios 2013
Fire in the yogic tradition is a catalyst for transformation and is at the heart of all that is alive and vibrant. We use fire and the heat it generates to purify our bodies through the asana practice and the breath practices, and in turn this purifies our minds and spirit bodies as well. Some postures innately build more heat than others. Agnistambasana, fire log pose, gets its name from the position of the legs, as they look like logs of wood stacked and ready for burning. Do not let this deceive you; just as the name and basic form may be simple, the great inner fire that results can generate complexity in a moment’s experience and its result.
Begin seated, propping up your self on a blanket or two if needed. Bend the left knee so that the shin is parallel to the front of your mat. Stack your right knee over your left ankle so that the right foot is hanging off the left knee. It is a common misalignment to place the foot on the inside of the knee and sickle into the ankle — do your best to avoid this. (“Sickling” is an action of the tarsus, with the outer anklebone pulled into misalignment away from the mid-line of the body, toe pointing in.) The shins will now look like stacked fire logs.
Inhale to lift your spine tall. The opening you experience in your gluteal muscles and hips will determine how deeply you choose to go into a forward bend. Begin to bow forward with an exhale as you root your hips and tailbone into the floor. Breathe deeply into a relaxed belly and stay for as long as you can stand the heat. Inhale to rise and switch to the second side.