Repeat 6 times, adding a ten-second hold on Yoga poses to stretch hips the last two. As your strength improves, hold the bend position longer before returning back Yoga poses to stretch hips to the starting position. If your have knee problems, limit the bend until your legs get stronger. 17 BEGINNER 2nd Position Grande Plie BENEFITS: Strengthens and lengthens the hamstrings back of thighs and quads front of thighs, as well as sculpts the butt. Stand in front of the ball in a wide dancer second position, legs turned out from your hips. Use your hands to hold the ball directly behind your hips. Use your abs and back to keep a neutral pelvis with upward lift. As you bend your knees into a deep plie tracking each knee out on line over the second toe use your arms to roll the ball behind with straight elbows.
Devastating Turkic Muslim raids commenced around 1000 AD culminating with the Delhi Sultanate established itself in Northern India about 1200 AD. It was at this point that Gorakhnath and his Kanphata yogis were founded – allegedly one of the main originators of hatha-yoga. So the emergence of hatha-yoga was probably conditioned by the Turkic Muslim invasion. How could this have happened?
In the first centuries the invaders raided and destroyed towns, palaces and temples where existing power and wealth was accumulated. The invaders settling in existing Northern Indian power centres forced surviving Tantric Saivites elites out of many temples and urban areas. Those fugitives were forced to settle in the countryside and provinces. This emigration meant new social interaction and habits for the elites. In this process they could have mixed with rural religious institutions and groups like the Siddhas and other Tantric and Saivite milieus.
