Udana Vayu

Udana Vayu is the uppermost current of energy in the body that nourishes the throat and head. It maintains the health of our sensory organs and encourages communication and clear thinking. This practice focuses on quiet and active practices to encourage the circular flow of udana vayu.

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Linga Mudra
Potency

Clasp hands with right thumb on top; hold left thumb with right thumb and index finger. Hold in front of abdomen. 
Benefits: Stimulates immunity
How it Works: The feminine left thumb (fire) is circled by the masculine right thumb (fire) and index finger (air) enhancing heat in the body to help it fight off infection. 
Practice Tips: Use when you have a cold or are constipated.

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Vowel Spiral

1. Ah at the Heart - keep the mouth and throat open for the fullest sound
2. Eh at the Throat – keep the mouth and throat open for the fullest sound
3. Oh at the Belly – create a wide circle with the lips and draw the vibration deep into the belly
4. Ee at the Head – create a wide smiling mouth to bring the vibration into the forehead and back of the head
5. Uu at the Tail – push the lips forward to create a deeply resonant sound in the pelvis
6. Mm at the Crown – keep the throat open and point the tongue toward the crown to resonate the anuswara the buzzing at the crown of the head.

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SOMATICS FOR THE NECK & SHOULDERS

These warm-ups can be done sitting in a chair or sitting cross-legged on the floor. Use as a stand-alone practice to keep the neck and shoulders feeling loose or before the more difficult postures. Somatic movements should be practiced very slowly using only the muscles absolutely necessary for the movement paying particular attention to any compensatory muscle movements. Repeat each movement five times with the breath; inhale as you are contracting the muscle, exhale as you are relaxing the muscle.

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Somatic Head Movements - No
Begin sitting in a chair or in a cross-legged position on the floor. Inhale as you turn head to the right, exhale head to center. Inhale head to left, exhale head to center. Repeat 5 times to each side

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Somatic Head Movements - Yes
Inhale as you lift chin up keeping entire neck long. Exhale and lift back of skull up as you tuck chin in towards throat. Keep careful control of the head during the movements. Repeat 5 times

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Somatic Head Movements – Tilt Side to Side
Inhale as you lift right ear towards ceiling. Exhale and return head to center. Repeat 5 times with the breath

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Somatic Shoulder Elevation & Depression
Inhale and shrug the shoulders towards the ears. Exhale relax shoulders down the back. Repeat each movement 5 times

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Somatic Shoulder Retraction & Protraction
Inhale and draw shoulder blades toward the spine. Exhale draw the shoulder blades away from the spine. Repeat each movement 5 times

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Somatic Shoulder Circles
Inhale as you draw shoulders up then back. Exhale as you draw shoulders down then forward. Repeat 5 times with the breath. Inhale as you pull shoulders back then up. Exhale as you move shoulders forward then down.
Repeat 5 times with the breath

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Somatic Opposite Shoulder Circles
Circle one shoulder forward and one shoulder back. Right shoulder forward and left shoulder back. Right shoulder up and left shoulder down. Right shoulder back and left shoulder forward. Right shoulder down and left shoulder up.
Repeat 5 times to each direction

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Somatic Shoulder Shimmy
Place hands on thighs and inhale turn the shoulders to the right sliding the right hand back to the hip, turn the head over the left shoulder. Exhale back to the center.
Inhale turn the shoulders to the left sliding the left hand back to the hip, turn the head over the right shoulder. Exhale back to the center.
Repeat 5-10 times each direction

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Somatic Scapula Release
Turn head to the left. Inhale and raise right shoulder blade up as you tlit head back to the right to meet it. 
Exhale and press shoulder blade down as you drop the chin towards the left shoulder.

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Somatic Accordion Sidebend
Place the right hand on the floor beside you. Inhale and tilt the body to the right keeping the head and shoulders in alignment. Exhale and return to center
Repeat 5 times with the breath on each side

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Somatic Heart Opener
Bring left hand behind head. Inhale and turn upper torso to left, keeping elbow and head in alignment. Exhale return to face the front
Repeat 5 times with the breath

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Somatic Seated Cat/Cow
Place hands on knees. 
Cat:  Exhale, round back and press tail bone forward, pressing navel towards spine. Repeat 10 times.
Cow:  Inhale, press tail bone back towards chair and lift chest drawing shoulders back.

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Eye Movements
Keep head completely still and move the eyes only in the following directions slowly with the breath. :
Finish each exercise by blinking eyes rapidly and closing them for a few seconds.

- Look up and down, 5 times slowly.
- Look left and right, 5 times slowly.
- Look diagonally upper right to lower left, 5 times slowly.
- Look diagonally upper left to lower right, 5 times slowly.
- Move eyes in a circle first clockwise 3 times slowly, then anti-clockwise.

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Reclining Supported Shoulderstand
Supta Salamba Sarvangasana 

Place a block on the first height against the wall and a bolster lengthwise in front of the block. Sit on the bolster facing the wall and lie back so that the upper shoulders and back of head reach the floor. Press feet into wall resting heels on the block. If low back is stressed, bend knees and place feet on floor. Hold up to 5 minutes then release by rolling to side.
Therapeutics: Good for upper back stiffness and opening the Psoas and quadriceps if legs are straight 

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Alternate Nostril Breath
Nadi Shodhana 

Inhale through right nostril, exhale through left nostril, inhale through left nostril, exhale through right nostril, repeat for 10 rounds at a time, monitoring the effects.
Psychic Method: Breathe in and out through alternate nostrils using your imagination. This method has a subtler affect but is easier to do lying down.
Benefits: Balances the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), increases communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

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