Very rarely do I plan what asanas to bring to my yoga students anymore. I have learned that most class plans go awry. A nice hip opening sequence will be greeted with a class filled with achy shoulders. These days I just try to follow the flow of my students' energy. & usually I do not remember what I offered to them after the fact.
But the following practice is one that was somewhat planned and somewhat remembered. & now it is yours for the taking.
*remember to consult your doctor before undertaking any exercise program.
Neck & Shoulders - 9/20/10
1)Opening Breath – In sukhasana (simple sitting)
Draw hands to hips, elbows pointing out.
Bring your awareness to your lower belly as you inhale. Allow your belly to inflate as you breathe in & compress as you breathe out. Rest at the top of your inhalation. Holding the breath inside you for a few seconds. Then release. Take 5 breaths in this manner.
Inhale spread the arms wide. Exhale hands in front of chest – fingertips lightly touching and palms facing down. Draw your awareness to the front, back, & sides of your chest. 5 breaths – resting at the top of the inhalations.
Inhale raise the arms up. Exhale hands to upper back. Elbows are pointing straight up. Draw your awareness to your upper chest, neck and throat. 5 breaths – resting at the top of each inhalation.
Sit quietly. Feeling your breath move through your body. Resting down into the present moment.
2) Slowly begin to circle your head in a clockwise direction. Move slowly. Coordinate the movement with your breath. Be careful to not drop your head back.
Begin to bring this circling motion to your shoulders and upper chest. Keep your pelvis grounded, sit bones connected, tailbone tucked.
Draw this motion down to your lower belly and into your hips. Again keep your pelvis grounded.
Imagine the tensions of your day, any unnecessary mind talk, any fears, worries unraveling and spiraling down your spine and releasing through your tailbone.
Begin to rotate the body in the opposite direction starting from the base of the body moving up. Imagine drawing in safety at the tailbone, creativity at the navel, courage at he solar plexus, compassion at the heart, truth at throat center. End with slow rotations of the head.
Sit quietly resting with the breath.
(For added core strengthening, move into dandasana (staff posture) for the following movements.)
3)Exhale & turn your head to the left taking the chin towards or over your left shoulder. Rest here for about 5 breaths. Inhale head to center. Exhale head to right. Rest here for about 5 breaths.
4)Inhale lift right arm up. Exhale fingertips to the top of the head. Inhale. Exhale, draw right ear towards right shoulder. Right hand is simply resting on the head, not pushing. For a deeper stretch drop the left hand to the floor beside its hip. Hold for a few breaths. Release
Repeat on the other side.
5)Inhale, draw arms up. Interlace the fingers. Turn the palms up towards the sky. Lengthen from the tailbone up through the palms. Work on maintaining space between the shoulders and ears. Breathe deeply.
Drop the hands to the back of the head. Exhale and press hands into head, head into hands. Hold for 5 – 10 breaths. Exhale & relax chin towards chest allowing elbows to move towards one another. No pushing. No pulling on the head. Just release.
Inhale back to center. Draw arms up. Fingers still interlaced. Exhale hands to forehead. Press hands to head, head to hands for a few breaths.
Inhale hands over head. Exhale left hand to left leg, right hand to the right side of head. Press hand into head, head into hand. Hold and breathe.
Repeat on the left side.
Release the neck with a few slow circles of the head.
Sit quietly noticing any sensations that may arise.
6) Inhale arms over head. Exhale arms down in front of the body. Roll forward moving yourself into a squat. From here, press up into Tadasana (mountain).
Inhale arms over head. Exhale hands to hips, round the shoulders, bend the knees and move into a gentle forward fold. Let the crown of the head move towards the floor. Relax the neck. Nod your head yes. Shake your head no. Relax. Inhale. Roll up to mountain.
Repeat 3X.
7)In tadasana, inhale arms over head. Exhale tip yourself to one side. Hold here.
Inhale back to center. Exhale to the other side. Hold here. Inhale back to center.
Return to tadasana.
8) With a yoga strap – hold strap by both ends. Arms a bit more than shoulder width apart. Keep the arms straight and the shoulder blades engaged as you inhale the arms overhead then exhale the arms behind the back. If one or both of your elbows bends, slacken the strap by moving your arms farther apart until you can keep the arms straight. Repeat this motion 10-20 X or what is comfortable for you.
Still holding the strap, bring the arms to the front of the body. Lessen the slack of the strap by moving the hands towards its middle. Inhale, raise the arms over the head. Exhale, drop the arms behind you just a bit as you keep the shoulder blades engaged. Your arms should not move very far down your back & there should be a feeling of opening in your armpits. Stay here for 5 – 10 breaths or whatever is comfortable.
Exhale – drop body to the right, - hold for 5 breaths. Inhale back to center – exhale to left. Hold here. Then return to mountain.
9) Fold the strap until you are holding both ends and your arms are shoulder width apart. Inhale the arms overhead. Exhale –pull the arms down so that the strap ends up behind your head at neck level. Engage the shoulder blades and with resistance raise the arms. Repeat 5 – 10 x.
Drop the strap.
10) From mountain - Inhale lifting arms to sky and rolling up onto the balls of the feet. See if you can keep the heels lifted as you exhale into a squat –hands to heart. Inhale- press back up into mountain. Repeat 3x
11) From mountain exhale into a squat. Then move into a kneeling position. Bring left hand to lower back. Inhale right arm up by right ear. Engage the shoulder blades. With an exhalation, begin to reach to the ground. Keep the arm by the ear as you stretch and reach forward. Bring fingertips to the floor. Shoulder blades stay engaged. Inhale. Exhale turn the head toward the right arm. Inhale back to center. Exhale the head in the opposite direction. Inhale head to center. Exhale. Relax. Inhale back to kneeling, Repeat 3 x on this side.
Move to opposite side. Do the movement 4 x.
12) Move into child’s pose. With the breath turn the head to the left and right.
Relax into child’s pose.
13) Inhale into table. Exhale into cat pose. Inhale into cow. Repeat 5x.
14) Extend the right leg out behind you. Move into modified side plank by dropping the inside of the right foot to the floor. Draw the right hand to its hip and open up through the chest. Draw the right arm alongside the body but not touching the body. Move the right shoulder up towards its ear. Slide the shoulder away from the ear and the shoulder blade down the back. Open up through the right side of the chest. Spiraling the chest towards the ceiling. Hold for 5 breaths.
15) Move back into child’s pose
16) Repeat 13 -15 on the opposite side. Move back into child’s pose.
17) From Child’s pose, slide forward into sphinx. Gently bob the head up and down. Release tension from the neck. Then hold for 5 breaths.
18) From sphinx, move back into down dog or stretching puppy. If in down dog, again release tension from the neck by nodding and shaking the head gently. Hold for 5 breaths.
19) Walk the feet and hands towards one another into a forward fold.
20) From forward fold, move into an easy squat, then into a sit. Then mindfully roll to your back.
21) Bring the heels in line with the hips. Extend the arms wide. Exhale & drop the knees to the right while gently turning the head to the left. Hold for 5 breaths. Inhale back to center. Repeat on other side.
22) Relax into savasana.
Namaste.
