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CAT POSE with BELT AROUND ELBOWS #1
Place a tied belt
(the measurement of the forearms) around the forearms just below the
elbows. This will keep the elbows
straight – bone-over-bone. Kneel in the
Cat Pose, with both feet close to the
wall and the toes tucked under. Observe
the hands – spread wide the fingers so
you are as wide and broad as possible
in the Base of the Hands. |
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CAT POSE with BELT AROUND ELBOWS #2
On
Exhalation, Arch the whole Spine – On
Inhalation , Round the whole Spine. Repeat this action with the breath
for 10 repetitions. Be conscious of the
elbows supported by the Belt and not
allowing the Elbows to bend at all. Also
see that the elbow creases are facing
each other. The bones of the upper
arms must be directly over the bones of
the lower arms. Feel the shoulder
blades pressing out away from the
spine, as the elbows resist out into the
Belt. |
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HALF VERSION – FULL ARM BALANCE
Continue to use
the Belt to support the forearms – it is very important that the
arms are STRAIGHT! Continue to spread wide the fingers of
the hands. From kneeling in the
Cat Pose, with both feet close to
the wall and the toes tucked under,
on exhalation breath, lift the pelvis
up into Downward Facing Dog
Pose. Feel the support of the belt
and resist the forearms out into the
belt keeping the elbows very
straight. Walk the feet up the wall
until the backs of the legs are parallel to the floor and the back
is parallel to the wall. Let the head hang freely and lift the
weight of the pelvis and the legs up using the strong muscles
of the back and elongate the spine. Hold 5 –10 deep breaths.
Walk the feet down the wall to come down and rest in Child’s
Pose. Repeat 3 times with rest in Child’s Pose between each.
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FULL ARM BALANCE at the WALL #1
Using a Belt around the
forearms, just below the elbow crease; place the hands near to the
wall (3 - 4 in. / 8 – 10cm) as in Cat Pose. Take a moment to observe
the hands and spread wide the fingers as far
as you possibly can. Lifting the knuckles
slightly helps to bring the weight onto the
pads of the fingers so the weight is
distributed equally throughout the hands, and
not just on the wrist part of the hand. On
exhalation , Lift the pelvis up into Downward Facing Dog Pose.
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FULL ARM BALANCE at the WALL #2
Take
one big step forward with one foot and push off from that foot at the
same time throwing the other leg up STRAIGHT to the
Wall. The bottom leg will follow, but it is important to
really throw the weight of the leading leg up to the
Wall, as this momentum will bring us up into the Full
Arm Balance.
Once up at the Wall, let the heels contact the Wall. Lift(!)
the entire body weight up and out of the hands – let the
heels move UP the Wall! Make sure you are not leaning
at the wall, except for the heels, and attempt to bring the
body forward slightly from the wall and over the Hands.
Come down, one leg at a time and rest in Child’s Pose. Repeat
2 – 3 times.
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SUPPORTED HEADSTAND with the USE OF 2 CHAIRS
Place a yoga mat on the floor parallel to the wall. Bring 2
folding chairs (or other simple straight edged chair) to the wall
on the mat with the 2 chairs facing
each other, about 6 – 8 inches (15 –
20 cm) apart. The sides of the chairs
should be resting at the wall. The
mat placed below the chairs on the
floor will keep the chairs stable.
Place the hands on the sides of the
chair and let the head drop into the
space between the seats of the
chairs. Bend the knees and let the
hips rest back at the wall. Slowly straighten both legs up and
rest the legs against the wall behind. Squeeze the inner thighs
together to come into the quiet still midline. Flex the feet,
pointing the toes down toward the floor to receive a greater
stretch to the backs of the legs. Let the head hang freely. This
supported headstand variation allows the beginning student to
practice balance in inversion without any danger to
compressing the neck. It is a good preparation for Sirsanana,
Headstand.
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HANDS-IN-NAMASTE
This is a good Shoulder-Opening
Practice as Preparation for
Headstand with the use of a
chair. Bring chair close to Wall.
Kneel with elbows resting just on
the forward edge of chair.
Variations:
- Bring Palms flat together – Press the palms together
and at the same time, visualize the Scapulae
separating apart, away for the Spine. Observe the
volume of the Inhale as the lungs spread wide into
the side ribs at the peak of the inhale.
- Bring thumbs down to Inner Shoulders – Let the
thumbs bury down into the inner shoulders – like a
massage – soften the inner shoulders down from the
ears.
- Bring both palms flat to the Upper Back and press
downward toward the waist. Remember to keep the
lower Back neutral throughout this series – Lower
back should remain parallel to the floor.
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PREPARATION for HEADSTAND at the WALL
Kneeling
with feet close to Wall, as in Cat Pose, Place the
forearms into an EQUILATERAL
TRIANGLE on the Floor. It is
important that the elbows are not too
wide, as this causes the Base to be
unstable. The upper arm bones
should be vertical with the forearms
forming the triangle base on the floor.
From this positioning of the forearms, Lift the pelvis (as in
Downward Facing Dog Pose) – Lift the entire body weight UP
out of the forearms. Let the shoulders (armpits) open, the
Chest to open, and feel the weight of the pelvis moving higher
and higher Up! Let the head hang freely. This gives us a sense
of where the lift must come (from the strong Trapezius muscles
of Upper back) so that the head can hang and the neck is free.
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DOLPHIN POSE at the WALL
From the above preparation for
headstand at Wall – On Exhalation, let Head,
shoulders and Upper Back press through the
“window of the arms” nearer to the Wall. On
Inhalation, Lift the head up and look just beyond
the hands – but only come as far forward as the upper arm
bone is Vertical. Keep lifting so strongly from the muscles of the
upper back (Trapezius), that the head is lifting off the floor the
whole time. Hold 3 Deep breaths in each position. Repeat 5 –6
times. Rest in Child’s Pose.
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5-BREATH POSE
Begin in Downward Facing Dog Pose with
heels in contact with the Wall behind you. Throughout this
series it is imperative to keep the Pelvis Lifting! To keep the
Core Lift!
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Step 1
Exhale- Downward Facing Dog
Pose – Lift Pelvis, Engage Core Lift – Keep Heels down |
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Step 2
Inhale- Lift the head up and look
forward of the hands |
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Step 3
Exhale- Keeping the head up,
Bend the Elbows down toward the floor but keep Lifting
Pelvis, Engage Core Lift! |
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Step 4
Inhale- Keeping the head up,
Straighten the Elbows up from the floor and keep Lifting
Pelvis, Engage Core Lift! |
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Step 5
Exhale-Return to Downward
Facing Dog Pose |
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HALF- HEADSTAND SUPPORTED at WALL with CHAIR
Carefully place the forearms into the Equilateral Triangle
base for Headstand. Lift the pelvis, Lift the strong muscles
of the back and even lift the heels
coming up onto the tops of the feet to
re-ignite the Core Lift. Maintain this
Core Lift as you walk the feet forward
to the Wall and then onto the seat of
the Chair placed in front of you. (You
may need a partner to place the chair
the correct distance for you). With the feet on the seat of the
Chair, Lift the whole Spine, Pelvis, and weight of the Legs. A
block may be placed directly at the backs of the thighs to
train the bones of the legs to Lift!
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HEADSTAND SUPPORTED at the WALL
Carefully place the
forearms into the Equilateral Triangle base for Headstand.
Lift the pelvis, Lift the strong muscles of the back and
walking the feet closer, lift the heels coming up
onto the tops of the feet to re-ignite the Core
Lift. Maintain this Core Lift as you walk the feet
forward to the Wall. Keep opening the
shoulders toward the center of the room.
It is important to keep the
upper arm bone VERTICAL! Keep the weight
equally placed in the Triangle Base of the
forearms and lift the upper back so that there is
less weight on the head. Lift the weight of the legs and come
up to Vertical with the heels in contact at the Wall…Lift!!!
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