THE MORNING SERIES
Borrowed from Purna Yoga and shared by Debbie Jensen-Grubb for her class only
The Full Body Stretch – with your exhale reach your arms over your head as you push out through your heels. Keep your sitz bones and the lower back ribs on the floor. While stretching direct the energy from your hips out through your heels and from the lower back ribs up through your fingertips. Inhale relax and exhale stretch. Do this 3x.
Point and Flex – have your arms at your side and bring your feet together. Inhale be still and then, while exhaling, point and flex your toes back and forth keeping your heels on the floor throughout the exhale. Do this 3x.
Twist #1 – place your left Achilles (back of the ankle) on top of your right foot, between the big and second toe. Place your right hand on your left shoulder. Lower the foot to the right while looking over your left shoulder. Let the hip come off the floor. Breathe the complete breath 3x then switch. Do this 3x.
Twist #2 – do not shift the hips beforehand. Place your left foot over your right knee onto the floor and 'walk' it 6 inches out to the side. Extend your arms out even with your shoulders, palms up. Lower the knee to the right and hold it with your right hand while looking to your left. Breathe the complete breath 3x, then switch. Do this 3x.
One Leg Knee to Chin – lie on your back with your legs straight (if this is too much your knees can be bent). Inhale be still, exhale bring your right knee into your chest, holding it, and touch it with your chin. Inhale, head and leg down and exhale, repeat on the other side. Do this 3x.
Both Legs Knee to Chin – do the same as above bringing both legs into your chest at the same time.
Side Rolls – keep both knees into chest and, with exhale, roll to one side touching the elbow to the floor. Inhale up to center and, with exhale, roll to the other side touching the elbow. Do this 3x.
Supine Hand-to-Toe – strap your right foot around the heel and extend it straight (keep the 4 skeletal points on the floor). Bend your left leg. Flex the right foot while keeping the sitz bones on the floor. Imagine the energy flowing from knee to sitz bone and from the knee through the heel. Begin to straighten the left leg. Breathe the complete breath 3x focusing the breath into the hamstrings. Do this 3x.
The Full Body Stretch – repeat as above.
HELPFUL SITES
Here are some sites that I found that are pretty good in giving you ideas as to how you can practice at home. As always, listen to your body when following these instructions and don't do anything that causes pain or discomfort. Also, do savasana after your practice...sometimes it can BE your practice.;-) Namaste. Debbie
Here's a video that shows a balancing pose:
About.com: Yoga – Improved Balance Exercise with Leslie Nesbitt
Fitness Magazine – Try It Now: Yoga
Fitness Magazine – 6 Stretches for a Lean, Limber Body
Fitness Magazine – 8-Minute Workout: Yoga for Better Sleep
About.com: Yoga – Yoga Sequences
TIPS
Use Your Eyes in Your Poses:
Can you keep you head still when doing a forward bend? Notice how often you find yourself lifting your chin and crunching your cervical spine attempting to look forward as you go down or lifting your chin (rather than using your hips) when coming halfway up before folding forward again.
Try this: Keep your head still when bending into a forward bend. Your eyes will have to move instead and your spine will be able to stay aligned and long. It requires strength in the legs and core. Notice how the eyes are not used to following the head, rather the head usually always follows the eyes. Have fun playing with this.
Three Points of the Feet:
The 3 Points of the feet are the ball of the big toe, the ball of the little toe, and the heel. These are the three points to use to familiarize yourself with your feet. Whenever your feet on firmly planted be sure to have these 3 Points on the surface. Also, please don't lift your toes to get the weight into your heels, instead move your hips back. Keep your toes gently down on the floor and use them for balancing poses.
To practice, lie on the floor and put your feet on a wall. Be sure to have your heels on the wall as well. Now notice if you have all 3 Points pressing into the wall with equal weight. Most often pressing into your heels as much as the toes can be the challenge. Notice the difference between the left and right foot and how that translates up into the hips. Be sure to keep the knees slightly bent while doing all of this. Play with pressing into the different points of the feet and noticing where you feel it in your legs, hips, and torso.
Strengthen Your Legs:
Strong Legs are key in having a healthy spine. Strengthen your legs by practicing Lunge. Get into Lunge position, lift your hips buoyantly and move them back putting more weight into the front heel. Lower and lift your back knee up and down while pressing strongly into the front heel. You'll feel the back leg stretching and the front leg strengthening. Be sure to keep your knee over your ankle and aligned with the middle of your foot.
Note: Instead of lifting from the knee, think of pushing the heel back to lift the knee.
4 Points to Lengthening the Spine:
- Think of moving the front ribs back (this will broaden your middle and upper back)
- Move your head back (draw the chin into the neck slightly and lengthen the cervical spine)
- Draw your tailbone and shoulder blades down
- Keep your weight in your heels
Can you maintain this (or a combination of these) and move in your poses? For example, get into the Lunge position placing your hands on two blocks, lengthen the spine using the 4 Points above and now move the front leg forward without moving your head or spine, just the legs move in the hip sockets and arms move in the shoulder sockets. Move the same leg back and forth while keeping the head and spine still. Repeat on the other side.
Constructive Rest Post:
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Have the Four Points be heavy on the floor. Can you get your lower back ribs on the floor AND your tailbone AND keep your head level with the floor? Watch your breathing!
This pose was popularized in Liz Koch's The Psoas Book.
Four Points of the Body:
The Four Points of the Body to always be aware of: back of the head, lower back ribs (T7), hips, and heels. The focus is to always keep these four points in alignment while standing, sitting, even lying down.
Example: Stand against a wall and see if you can get these Four Points on the wall and still breathe naturally and have your head in a natural position for a conversation with a friend.
Neck Release:
Sit on the edge of a chair seat and look to the right and left noting where your nose is pointing with each turn. Lift your right arm up to shoulder height and hold just below the elbow with your left hand. Draw it across your chest, look to the right, and begin to push the arm against the hand and the hand against the arm. Hold for 3-5 breaths then look back to center, releae the arm down and look to the right to note the improvement in the range of motion in your neck.