Over the past several weeks, I shared Yoga Actions focused on creating space in the major spinal joints — sacrum-tailbone, lumbar-sacrum, thoracic-lumbar, and C7-thoracic. Using your awareness and breath to expand the space between these spinal vertebrae brings greater ease and joy into your yoga practice. The restorative sequence below provides the opportunity to let go of tension, striving, and/or inertia through practicing subtle rather than gross body actions.
For each pose in the following sequence, find and create space in each major spinal joint.
YOGA ACTIONS:
- Use your breath & awareness to locate each spinal joint and to expand the space between its upper and lower vertebrae.
- Find EASE & JOY in each posture.
1. SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA (5 minutes)
2. CHAIR SHOULDER OPENER (3m)
3. CHAIR SHOULDER OPENER (3m)
4. CHAIR CHEST OPENER — see below (5M)
1) hands hold belt ends with upper arms parallel, OR see 2) below
2) hands hold upper chair back with upper arms parallel (1M)
3) hands hold side joints of chair with arms open to side (3m)
5. SIRSASANA (3M) either option
To release: BALASANA (1M)
6. ACTIVE SETU BANDHA (2M)
7. CHAIR SETU BANDHA (3M)
8. CHAIR SARVANGASANA (4M)
To release: CHAIR BADDHA KONASANA (1m)
– release sacrum/pelvis to folded blankets and open knees wide
– fronts of ankles hook on chair joints
9. JANU SIRSANSANA (1m each leg)
10. KROUNCHASANA (1M ea)
11. CHAIR PASCHIMOTTANASANA (3M)
12. SAVASANA (5-15M)
1) PRANAYAMA — Supine Nadi Shodhana (5M)
2) REST IN THE STILLNESS & SILENCE (10-15M)
For more yoga actions and teachings, click here. Namaste.
