APANASANA (Wind Relieving Pose)
- Begin lying on the back with the knees bent
- Draw both knees into the chest and clasp the
hands either around the shins or if that is too
difficult, behind the thighs
- Try not to lift the pelvis away from the floor so
that a natural spinal curve is maintained
- Therapeutics: As the name suggests, this pose
is helpful for relieving gas and also helps to
stretch the lower back
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MOVING APANASANA (Wind Relieving Pose)
- Begin lying on the back with the knees bent
- Exhale: Draw right knees into chest and clasp the
hands around shin
- Inhale: Return to Constructive Rest
- Exhale: Draw left knee into chest
- Inhale: Return to Constructive Rest
- Repeat pattern with the breath for up to 3 minutes
- Therapeutics: Specifically good for constipation as this awakens the intestinal peristalsis.
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CAT/COW TILTS
- Begin on the hands and knees, toes pointed
- Inhale: Lift the sternum forward and drop the
pubic bone back between the legs to arch the spine
- Exhale: Round the back and drop the head
and tail bone towards the floor
- Repeat with your breath 10 times
- Therapeutics: Massages the internal organs and
warms-up the muscles along the spine
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CONSTRUCTIVE REST
- Lie on the back with the knees bent and feet on the floor
- Resting posture or beginning posture for many of the supine warm-up poses
- Therapeutics: Relieves tension in the lower back
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HALF CIRCLE POSE
- Begin standing on knees
- Straighten left leg out to side and bring right hand to floor to the right of the right knee
- Inhale left arm up and either circle arm or hold it statically
- Repeat to both sides
- Therapeutics: Opens the side chest and if you move the arm it also awakens the lymph nodes at the armpits
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PARIGHASANA (Gate Pose)
- Begin kneeling
- Straighten left leg and press toes towards floor to
prevent hyperextension of knee
- Exhale and side bend over left leg bringing left hand to
block behind knee or to floor
- Reach right arm overhead and keep tail bone long
- Hold 5-10 breaths then release and change sided
- Therapeutics: Stretches side body, armpits and lower
waist
- Preparation: Supta Padangusthasana I & II
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PUPPY POSE
- Begin on the hands and knees, feet flexed
- Reach the hands forward and press the hips back
so that they are directly over the heels
- Extend through the sides of the body being
careful not to arch to back
- Therapeutics: Provides traction for the spine and
warms up the shoulders
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SUPTA PADANGUSTHASANA I, II & III (Reclining Big Toe Pose)
- Lie on the back with the knees bent
- Variation I: Draw your right knee into your chest
and lengthen the left leg onto the floor
- Wrap a strap around the ball of your foot and
extend the leg into the air
- Reach the hands up the strap until the elbows are
straight but the shoulders are still grounded
- Variation II: Hold the strap in the right hand and
place a block on the outside of the right hip
- As you exhale, lower the leg directly out to the
side so that the outer thigh rests on the block.
- Extend the foot into the strap and reach the left
arm out to the side
- To release, use the inner thigh to draw the leg up
to center
- Variation III: Hold the strap in the left hand and
slowly bring the leg across the body as you twist
- To release, drop the right hip into the floor and
allow the leg to follow
- Hold each variation for 10-20 breaths
- Therapeutics: Stretches the hamstrings, calves,
inner thigh, outer hip and buttock; also releases
tension in the lower back
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THREAD THE NEEDLE
- Lie on the back with the knees bent
- Cross your right foot over the left knee and flex
the right ankle
- Variation I: If you are very tight, gently press the
upper inner thigh away from your belly
- Variation II: If you are a bit more flexible, draw
the legs to the chest and clasp the hands behind
the left thigh (right hand between legs, left hand
on outside of left leg)
- Hold 10-20 breaths then release and change sides
- Therapeutics: Opens the outer hips and provides
traction to the lower back
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ANJAYNASANA to RUNNER'S LUNGE (Pose of Devotion)
- Begin on all fours and bring right foot between hands
- Inhale: Sweep arms forward and up overhead pressing pelvis forward
- Exhale: Touch floor on either side of foot as you press pelvis back evenly
- Repeat to both sides 5 times
- Therapeutics: Stretches hip flexors and strengthens legs
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BALASANA to BHUJANGASANA (Child's Pose to Cobra Pose)
- Begin in Balasana
- Inhale: Keep hands where they are and move torso through arms to come into a backbend with pelvis pressing towards floor
- Exhale: Return to Balasana
- Repeat 5-10 times
- Therapeutics: Alternately stretches and strengthens front and back of body
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BALASANA to VIRASANA (Child's Pose to Hero Pose)
- Begin in Balasana
- Inhale and lift chest, raise arms overhead and press pelvis forward
- Exhale sit back on heels and fold forward bringing hands beside feet
- Therapeutics: Alternately stretches and strengthens the muscles of the torso front to back
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HIGH-LOW LUNGE
- Begin on all fours and bring right foot between hands
- Inhale sweep arms forward and up overhead pressing pelvis forward
- Exhale and touch floor on either side of foot as you lift left knee off floor
- Repeat to both sides 5 times
- Therapeutics: Stretches hip flexors and strengthens legs
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LUNGE - PARSVOTANNASANA (Intense Stretch of the West)
- Begin on all fours and bring right foot between hands
- Inhale sweep arms forward and up overhead pressing pelvis forward
- Exhale and touch floor on either side of foot as you lift left knee off floor and straighten both legs
- Repeat to both sides 5 times
- Therapeutics: Stretches hip flexors and strengthens legs
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SUNBIRD
- Begin on all fours
- Inhale right arm overhead and left leg behind you
- Exhale draw right arm to your side and left leg into chest as you round the back
- You may also hold the extended posture while engaging the belly
- Repeat 5-10 times each side
- Therapeutics: Builds postural strength diagonally across the back body
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| TABLE TWIST |
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WAGGING THE TAIL
- Begin on all fours
- Inhale: Lift left foot a few inches off floor
- Exhale: Move left shoulder and hip together as you swing right foot to the left
- Inhale: Center
- Exhale: Move right shoulder and hip together as you cross right foot over to the right
- Inhale: Center
- Repeat 5-10 times each side
- Therapeutics: Builds postural strength laterally especially in the Quadratus Lumborum
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Z-POSE
- Sit with right leg externally rotated, left leg internally rotated with left toes in line with right knee
- Inhale arch back and tilt tail back, belly forward
- Exhale round back engaging lower abdominals
- Therapeutics: Re-balances the musculature and energy of the pelvis
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Photos by Izzie Rezucha-Brown, © 2011 |
