Articles About Ray Long


  • Interconnections of Ardha Chandrasana: Half-Moon Pose
    Interconnections of Ardha Chandrasana: Half-Moon Pose

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    The main story or the primary focus of Ardha Chandrasana is an intense stretch of the hamstring, gluteal, and gastrocnemius muscles on the back of the standing leg. A subplot is the balancing act that takes place in the pose. The actions of maintaining our balance and stretching the muscles on the back of the standing leg are interconnected. For example, contracting the quadriceps and hip flexors of the standing leg helps to maintain balance but also signals the muscles at the back of the leg that are stretching, the hamstrings and gluteals, to relax through the physiological process of reciprocal inhibition.
  • Vrksasana: The Story of Tree Pose
    Vrksasana: The Story of Tree Pose

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    Vrksasana is both a balancing pose and, secondarily, a hip opener. It also contains elements of movement that ascend while others remain rooted into the ground. Apply the concepts used in Tadasana to the standing leg in Tree Pose, beginning with the foot. Remember that changes in the pressure of the standing foot are transmitted to the pelvic core and vice versa. Connect the two regions in the mind. Try the pose in a setting where you can place the hand on a wall for balance (even if you can balance without the wall). 
  • Ustrasana: Classic Heart Opening in Camel Pose
    Ustrasana: Classic Heart Opening in Camel Pose

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    Ustrasana extends the back of the body to stretch the front. The shoulders draw back to link the hands to the soles of the feet, and the knees lever the body up and forward to deepen the pose. The thighs tend to drift backward in Ustrasana, decreasing the angle between the upper and lower legs. Contract the quadriceps to extend the knees. This brings the thighs perpendicular to the floor, deepening the backbend (especially when the hands are holding the bottoms of the feet). Review the section on facilitated stretches to see how isolated stretching of the fronts of the shoulders and hips can improve this pose.
  • Virabhadrasana II: Warrior II Pose
    Virabhadrasana II: Warrior II Pose

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    This pose embodies the spirit of a warrior and conveys readiness, stability, and courage. I place Warrior II after Trikonasana because it flows better biomechanically, according to the position of the pelvis. This creates continuity in the practice
  • Anatomy of a Pose: Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Lateral Angle Pose)
    Anatomy of a Pose: Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Lateral Angle Pose)

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    This pose represents a natural progression from Virabhadrasana II—another example of continuity between poses. Imagine that in Warrior II you are taking an exaggerated step in preparation to throw a spear. Utthita Parsvakonasana would be the “follow through” of throwing the spear. We go from an erect trunk in Warrior II to one that is laterally flexing in this pose.
  • Positioning Virabhadrasana I: Warrior I Pose
    Positioning Virabhadrasana I: Warrior I Pose

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    Warrior I illustrates the concept of creating stillness by balancing simultaneous movements in different directions. The front hip flexors and back hip extensors engage to descend and stabilize the pelvis while the chest lifts upward toward the sky. Similarly, the front hip and knee flex to create a sense of forward movement while the back hip and knee extend to constrain the rear foot onto the mat. As a result of these simultaneous movements, the body becomes a storehouse for potential energy, like a sprinter preparing to bolt out of the blocks.
  • Anatomy of a Pose: Janu Sirsasana
    Anatomy of a Pose: Janu Sirsasana

    Author Ray Long, MD, FRCSC

    The main story in Janu Sirsasana is an asymmetrical stretch of the posterior kinetic chain, including the muscles at the back of the straight leg and the back itself. Two subplots contribute to the main stretch. One is the action of the bent leg and the other is the action of the arms. In the bent leg, the femur flexes, abducts, and externally rotates, drawing that side of the pelvis away from the straight leg.