Advanced Practice: Wrists, Hands, Shoulders and Breath Free (Pranayama and Inversions)
This advanced practice behind with Shavasana (Corpse Pose), breath awareness and reclined pranayama to free the ribcage, shoulder girdle and arms. It follows with seated pranayama in which the practice is to maintain that freedom in the upright. After that comes an inversions practice with an awareness of the breath and organization of the arms, shoulders, back and chest.
Basic Practice: Lengthening the Inner Thighs and Softening the Outer Hips
In this sequence, think of lengthening the inner thighs, as in the previous practice, while softening and widening the buttocks, the outer hips, outer thighs and lower back.
Think of softening and widening the entire side body from the outer hips all the way up to the highest point of the armpits.
Thanksgiving Special: The Digestive Bliss Practice
This quiet practice is designed for later in the day, after the big meal, or perhaps the next morning. It is a quiet, supported practice, designed to open the abdomen and to create space for digestion to happen.
Later on, perhaps even the next day once you’ve had a chance to digest, repeat The Fire in Your Belly Practice.
5 Alternatives to Shoulder Stand
Perhaps you have your period and don’t want to invert. Perhaps you want to give your neck and chest a rest. Perhaps you want all the benefits of Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) without doing the actual pose itself. Perhaps you need to counter Salamba Shirshasana (Head Stand) and don’t have the props to do shoulder stand. Then one of these five poses might be for you:
1. Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) over a bolster
This is the perfect pose to do if you need a gentle chest opener as a preparation for pranayama. It also works great as a counter to abdominal poses. Done with the feet elevated to the same height as the back, it is a perfect substitute for Sarvangasana when you have your period. (Feet on the floor would be to much of a stretch for the abdomen and the organs.)
Basic Practice: Twisting in the Heat
This week temperatures are soaring above 100°F in New York City, so I had to come up with a practice that wasn’t too challenging without being restorative for my gym classes. I came up with this sequence in which the class never gets too far up off the floor. As you go through the poses think about the following points:
- Keep the back soft and wide, especially the back of the neck and the space between the shoulder blades. This will help to counter the adverse effects of the sympathetic nervous system as it deals with the stresses both of the class and the heat in general.
- Lengthen through the sides of the torso to keep the spine long.
- In the twisted poses, turn the chest/rib cage in one direction while turning the hips/pelvis in the opposite.
- Take your time going through the sequence, with plenty of rest in between the poses. (more…)
Restorative Practice: Releasing the Organs 3
In our third practice focused on supporting the organs, we will turn our attention to the heart and lungs.
- Allow the abdomen to soften and open, releasing away from the chest.
- Allow the chest and front ribs to soften and widen.
- Follow each exhalation al the way to the very end.
- Allow the ribs to soften and drape down the length of the body every time you exhale.
- Allow the lungs to gently deflate inside the rib cage with the exhalations.
- Allow the heart to settle back towards the spine as you exhale. As the breath rolls back in, allow the lungs to fill and gently wrap around the heart, gently cradling and supporting it.
Restorative Practice: Releasing the Organs 2
This week our focus is on creating softness and space around the kidneys and bladder.
The Sequence:
- Take a few moments to gather the mind and body up into the present moment, letting go of the day that’s been and releasing any anticipation or apprehension over the time to come.
- Become aware of the movement in the torso as you breath. With the exhalations it empties, narrowing and lengthening. With the inhalation it fills, widening and deepening. Become aware of the inner volume of the body, the chest and abdominal cavities, and the way it changes as you breathe.
- Become aware of the movement of the abdomen and the lower back. With the inhalation, the diaphragm moves down and the abdomen and lower back expand. With the exhalation, the diaphragm moves up and the abdomen and lower back narrow. Observe the contents of the abdominal cavity and the way they move and are reshaped with the breath.
Restorative Practice: Releasing the Organs 1
For our next restorative theme, we are going to be working with releasing the organs. In this practice, our focus will be on the stomach, the liver and the intestines.
The Sequence:
- Take a few moments to gather the mind and body up into the present moment, letting go of the day that’s been and releasing any anticipation or apprehension over the time to come.
- Become aware of the movement in the torso as you breath. With the exhalations it empties, narrowing and lengthening. With the inhalation it fills, widening and deepening. Become aware of the inner volume of the body, the chest and abdominal cavities, and the way it changes as you breathe.
- Become aware of the movement of the abdomen and the lower back. With the inhalation, the diaphragm moves down and the abdomen and lower back expand. With the exhalation, the diaphragm moves up and the abdomen and lower back narrow. Observe the contents of the abdominal cavity and the way they move and are reshaped with the breath.
Restorative: Movement of the Breath 4
In this practice we will begin by observing the movement of the breath in the torso. From there we will delve deeper to observe the movement of the organs, particularly the lungs, the heart, the stomach and liver, the kidneys and the intestines.The Sequence:
- Take a few moments to gather the mind and body up into the present moment, letting go of the day that’s been and releasing any anticipation or apprehension over the day to come.
- Become aware of the movement of the ribcage as you exhale, following each breath to the very end, allowing it to be soft and free: the ribs soften and drape down the length of the body. Allow the lower back the abdomen to remain soft and wide as the sides of the waist gently narrow. Watch to see if you are reaching for the next breath, even at the most subtle level, and let that go if you are.
Restorative Practice: Movement of the Breath 3
In this restorative practice, we continue our exploration of the movement of the breath in the torso by observing the diaphragm itself. In particular, we are going to observe the exhalation, when the diaphragm releases and is drawn deeper into the rib cage by the deflating of the lungs. This particular emphasis will help the entire body to soften, surrendering to gravity.
© 2010 Witold Fitz-Simon.
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