Fountain
2. Slowly raise the clasped hands over your head and bend as far back from the waist as you can manage. Hold for a few seconds.
3. Move your body in a circle from the waist up by bending to the left, to the front and then to the right. Stop at each point and hold for a few seconds.
4. Relax and repeat counter-clockwise. Breathe normally throughout exercise.
5. Repeat twice more in each direction.
Back to Table
Shoulderstand
2. Slowly lift your legs by tensing the abdominal and leg muscles, until they are perpendicular to the floor.
3. Press on your hands, making them hollow or tent-like.
4. Raise your buttocks and lower back and grasp yourself around the waist, with thumbs around the front of the body. DO NOT let your elbows flare out.
5. Straighten the legs and tuck the bottom in as much as balance permits.
6. If you are balancing well, then grasp yourself up higher on the rib-cage and tuck your bottom in.
7. Stretch your legs and point your toes. hold the position for 10-60 seconds-for a beginner. Work up to 3 minutes.
Back to Table
Bow
2. Bend your knees and bring them close to your buttocks.
3. Grasp your legs at the ankles, one at a time.
4. Lift your knees off the floor by pulling the ankles away from the hands.
5. Lift your head at the same time as you are pulling away.
6. Hold the postion for 5-10 seconds at first, increasing to 30 seconds.
7. Slowly relax body to start position.
8. Repeat twice more.
Back to Table
Plough
2. Slowly lift your legs by tightening the abdominal and leg muscles.
3. Push down on your hands, making them hollow or tent-like and raise your buttocks and lower back.
4. Bring your legs over your head, attempting to touch the floor behind you with the toes, by bending at the waist. keep your knees straight.
5. Hold the position, even if your feet are nowhere near the floor, for as long as you comfortably can or up to a minute.
6. Breathe normally.
7. Slowly come out of the pose by bending your legs, but straighten them as they become perpendicular to the floor.
8. You can aslo try some of the variations shown below to the right.
Back to Table
Fish
2. Pushing down on the elbows, raise your chest off the floor, really arching the back.
3. At the same time pull your head under until you are resting on the very top of it or as close as you can get to the crown.
4. Shift your weight so that the brunt of it is being borne by the buttocks.
5. Hold the position for 5-60 seconds or until you start to become uncomfortable. Breathe normally.
6. Slowly come out of the asana.
Back to Table
Abdominal Lift
2. Bend forward to place hands just above the knees and shifting your weight onto them.
3. Inhale and then EXHALE FULLY and do not breathe again throughout the rest of the exercise.
4. relax the abdomen and pull it inward and then upward as though your navel was going to touch your spine. This creates a hollow.
5. Hold the inward pull for one second and then bang the abdomen out in a sudden motion.
6. Repeat this in and out motion with your abdomen for a total of 3-5 times.
7. Relax, gasping for air.
8. Do three sets of the above.
Back to Table
Pump
2. With legs outstretched and together, push down on your palms.
3. Slowly raise your legs, keeping the knees straight.
4. Hold and rest with the legs up.
5. Lower them just as slowly, really slowing it down and tensing your abdominal and leeg muscles the closer you get to the floor.
6. repeat twice more, or more often if you are really concerned about flattening the tummy.
NOTE: A variation on this exercise is to hold your legs at 30 and 60 degree angles throughout your asana for 10 seconds at each angle.
Back to Table
Twist
2. Spread your legs and then bring your right foot against the left thigh. Press the side of the right knee against the floor.
3. Bend your left knee and, leaving it sticking up in the air, bring the left foot over the right knee.
4. Set the sole of the left foot squarely on the floor. The further back you can bring the foot the better.
5. Using both hands for support, shift your weight well forward onto the pelvis, to prevent tipping.
6. With the left hand behind you on the floor for support, raise your right arm and bring it between your chest and the left knee.
7. Twist your body so that your right shoulder is resting against the left knee.
8. Now make a fist of your right hand and move the right arm poker straight over the right knee that is lying on the floor.
9. Attempt to get hold of the toes of the left foot.
10. Levering yourself against the left leg with the right arm, now twist to the left.
11. Bend your left arm and bring the back of tehhand against the small of your back.
12. Turn your head to the left and look as far left as you can.
13. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds.
14. Slowly unwind and repeat on other side.
Back to Table
Posture Clasp
2. Bring your left hand behind your back, palm facing out and try to wriggle it up your back as far as it will go.
3.Lift your right hand straight up and bend it at the elbow, bringing the hand to the center of the back.
4. Try to get the two hands close enough together to interlock with the fingers, by gently inching them together.
5. Hold the position for 10-30 seconds and try a gentle upward pull with the right hand, then a downward pull with the left.
6. Repeat on the other side and twice more on both sides.
Back to Table
Alternate Leg Stretch
2. Bend your left leg and , keeping the side of the knee on the floor, bring your left fot against the right thigh, close to the body.
3. Stretching the arms out, slide them SLOWLY down your leg as far as you can reach, bending forward with a curling motion of the spine.
4. Grasp the leg; this may be at the knee, calf or ankle, depending on your flexibility.
5. Bend the elbows out and down, gently pull yourself forward and down. Avoid strain by making this a smooth, not jerky, motion.
6. Go only as far as you comfortably can and then hold the position 5-30 seconds. Breathe normally.
7. Straighten up slowly and repeat on the other side.
8. Perform three times on each side.
Back to Table
Cat Stretch
2. Rocking slightly back first, lower your chest in a sweeping motion, trying to rest the Adam's apple on the floor.
3. Hold the position for 5 seconds, with most of the weight on the arms,
4. Return to the first position and arch the back in an upward motion rather like an angry, spitting cat.
5. Hold for 5 seconds.
6. Now bring the right knee towards the head and touch it if you can.
7. Stretch the leg out and up in back, keeping it straight.
8. Return the leg slowly to the head. Hold.
9 Relax. Repeat the whole series on the other side.
10. Repeat the entire series once more on each side.
Back to Table
Chest Expander
2. Bring the arms behind the back in a wide circling motion, knifing the shoulder blades together. Clasp the hands.
3. Letting your head fall back, bend backward as far as you comfortably can, pushing the pelvis forward.
4. Push the clasped hands up toward your head and hold this position for 5 seconds.
5. Now, staying in the same position, bend slowly forward from teh waist, letting the head hang down. Let your body weight pull you down, but do not jerk or bounce.v 6. Hold this position for 10 seconds and keep pushing the hands up towards the head.
7. Straighten slowly, relax, and then repeat twice more.
Back to Table
Cobra
2. Bring the hands, palms down, under the shoulders, a shoulder's width apart.
3. Lift your head SLOWLY, looking up at the ceiling.
4. When the head is up as far as it will go, and only then, lift the upper shoulders and back, making the muscles of teh back do most of the work, rather than the hands.v 5. Continue lifting the trunk until you can go no farther and still keep the pubic area on the floor. There should be a good arch in the lower spine, but the arms need not be straight.
6. Hold this position for as long as is comfortable.
7. Slowly come out of the Cobra position, feeling the action of each vertebra rolling against the next, and leaving your head uo to the very last.v 8. Repeat twice more, breathe normally while holding.
Back to Table
Child Pose
2. Rest your buttocks on the heels and the top of your hands on the floor, pointing back.
3. Lower your head slowly to the floor, the hands sliding gently back palms up, to lie beside the body.
4. rest your head, turned to the side, on the floor and relax completely with the chest against the knees.
5. Hold for any length of time, the longer the better.
Back to Table
Forward Bend (Standing)
2. Raise your hands slowly above your head.
3. Bend forward slowly from the waist in a curling motion, dropping your head first and then unfurling each vertebra until you can go no further.v 4. Keepping your arms beside your ears, let your body hang forward by its own weight for a few seconds.v 5. Grasp your ankles, or whatever you can comfortably reach, and dig your chin into the neck.
6. Bend your elbows to the side and give a gentle downward and inward stretch, attempting to get your head as close to teh knees as possible.v 7. Hold for 5-30 seconds.
8. Straighten up very slowly, keeping the arms beside the ears and curling the spine up.
9. Repeat twice more.
Back to Table
Hands-to-Wall
2. Place your palms against the wall, fingers pointing toward each other and barely touching.
3. Move an arm's length away from the wall.
4. Keeping your body in a perfectly straight line throughout, slowly bend the elbows. 5. Press only the palms, rather than the whole hand, against the wall and slowly lean forward resisting the whole time. Slowly bring the forehead against the wall. Be sure that you do not bend at teh waist, pushing the buttocks out, but that your body remains an unbroken, straight line.
6. Hold for 5-15 seconds and return just as slowly, resisting with the movement, pushing with the palms.
7. Relax.
Back to Table
Knee and Thigh Stretch
2. bend your knees to the side and bring the soles of your feet together.
3. Clasp your fingers tightly around the toes and gently pull the feet as close to the body as you can, possibly touching the perineum.
4. Now with a great effort of will, widen the thighs and attempt to bring the knees to the floor by pulling up on the toes.
5. Hold teh position for as long as you can-- from 5-30 seconds. The secret lies in breathing normally as you are holding.
6. Relax by stretching the legs out and shaking them if you wish.
7. Repeat twice more; or 4 times more if you are really concerned about your health problem or flabby inner thighs.
Back to Table
Leg-Over
2. Lift your right leg slowly until it points straight up. Do not bend the knee throughout.
3. Move the leg to the left across the body and try to lower it to teh floor.
4. make sure that both shoulders stay on the floor, even if you have to grip a chair leg with your right hand.
5. When the leg has gone as far as it will go, turn your head to teh right.
6. Hold teh position from 5-20 seconds.
7. Slowly bring the leg up and tehn lower it.
8. Repeat with the other leg.
9. Then repeat with both legs together.
NOTE: A variation of this would be to bend both legs at the knee and bring them to the side.
Back to Table
Lion
2. Spread the fingers and slide them forward till the tips touch the floor.
3. bend your body forward, buttocks off the heels, arms straight.
4. Open your eyes as wide as possible.
5. Stick your tongue out as far as it will go, attempting to touch the tip of your chin.
6. Hold 15 seconds.
7. Sit back, pull in your tongue and relax completely.
8 Repeat twice more.
Back to Table
Mountain
2. Bring the palms of both hands togetherin front of your chest, as if praying.
3. Pressing the palms firmly together, slowly stretch the arms above the head.
4. Stretch the finger-tips toward the ceiling in a tremendous stretch.
5. Hold the posture for 5-30 seconds, breathing normally.
6. slowly bring the hands down.
7. Relax.
8. This can also be done as a deep breathing exercise.
Back to Table
Neck Rolls
2. Let your head drop slowly until it hangs limply as a rag-doll's. Hold.
3. Bring the head up and , keeping shoulders straight, let your head fall back. How far you can bring it back depends on how tense you are.
4. Keep mouth closed, teeth together. Hold.
5. Hang your head to the side, looking up. Hold. Repeat on the other side.
6. Pretending to be a rag-doll, let your head droop and roll it gently, but firmly, first to the right and then to the back, to the left and forward again. There should be no conscious control, just a limp lolling of the head in a full circle.
7. Repeat on the other side. Repeat the full circle several times.
Back to Table
Rock n' Rolls
2. Clasp your hands under the knees.
3. Bring your head as close to the knees as you can and keep it there throughout.
4. Rock gently back onto the spine, keeping the back rounded and the legs together.
5. Establish an easy rhythm in rocking back and forth.
6. Repeat 12 times or up to a minute.
7. Remember to breathe.
Back to Table
Spread Leg Stretch
2. Place your hands on your legs and slowly slide them down toward your toes. Keep legs straight.
3. Bending forward from the waist, in a curling motion, bring your hands as far as they can go, then grasp that part of the leg you can comfortably reach.
4. Let your head hang down and bend the elbows to give a good forward stretch. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Relax, slowly return.
5. Repeat twice more.
Back to Table
Sponge
2. Point your toes away from you and hold for 5 seconds. Relax.
3. Pull the toes up towards the body, bending at the ankle. hold. Relax.
4. Pull your heels up two inches on the floor and then straighten the legs, pushing the back of the knees firmly against the floor. Hold. Relax.
5. Point the toes toward each other and pull the heels under and up, keeping the legs straight. Hold. Relax.
6. Pinch your buttocks together. Hold. Relax.
7. Pull your abdomen in and up as far as possible. Hold. Relax.
8. Arch the spine back, pushing the chest out. Hold. Relax.
9. With arms straight by your side, palms down, bend the fingers up and back toward the arm, bending at the wrist. Hold. Relax.
10. Bend the elbows and repeat step 9, bending the hands back toward the shoulders. Hold. Relax.
11.Make a tight fist of your hands, bring the arms out to the sides and move the arms up perpendicular to the floor. Move very slowly, resisting the movement all the while to make the pectoral muscles of teh bust stand out.
12. Pull the shoulderblades of the back together. Hold. Relax.
13. Pull the shoulders up beside the ears. Hold. Relax.
14. Pull down the corners of the mouth. Hold. Relax.v 15. Bring the tongue to the back of the roof of teh mouth. Hold. Relax.v 16. Purse your lips, wrinkle the nose and squeeze the eyes tightly shut. Hold. Relax.
17. Smile with the lips closed and stretch the face. hold. Relax.
18. Yawn very slowly, resisting the movement.
19. Press the back of the head against the floor. Hold. Relax.
20. Frown, moving the scalp forward. Hold. Relax.
21. Go through the eye exercises.
22. Pull your head under and against the shoulders without moving anything else.
23. Relax, melting into the floor, for up to 10 minutes.
Back to Table
Locust
2. Raise your head and place the front of teh chin only on the floor.
3. Make fists of your hands and place them under the thighs near the groin.
4. INHALE, stiffen the body and pushing down on the arms, bring the legs up in back, as high as they will go.
5. Hold the pose for 5-10 seconds, holding the breath as well.
6. EXHALE, lower the legs slowly and relax. Rest for awhile.
NOTE: Two variations as shown in the diagrams to the right, would be to raise only one leg at a time, or to lay your hands palms up instead of with fists clenched.
Back to Table
Peacock
2. Bend forward and place the hands, with fingers pointing back towards the body, close together, on the floor. Press the elbows together, the little fingers touching.
3. Bend the elbows and press them against the body (near the diaphragm) resting the chest on the upper arms. The face will be close to the floor.
4. Straighten the legs out in back one by one, resting on the top of the feet, the feet together.
5. EXHALE, shift your weight onto the hands and stretch forward, slowly raising the legs in back.
6. Hold this position from 5-30 seconds, breathing hard. Increase your holding time gradually over a matter of weeks.
7. EXHALE, slowly lower the body to the floor, head first and relax for some time.
8. Repeat, if you only hold it for a short time.
NOTE: A variation would be to go into the Locust from a Lotus position.
Back to Table
Push-Up
2. bring the hands beside the chest, fingers pointing forward.
3. EXHALE, push down on the hands and raise the whole body in a straight line a few inches above the floor.
4. Hold the pose for a few breaths.
5. Now slowly slide the whole body forward, shifting the weight onto the hands, until you are resting on the top of teh feet.
6. Hold for as long as you can or 10-30 seconds.
7. Slowly lower the body and relax.
Back to Table
Staff
2. EXHALE, bend the elbows, lean slightly backwards scooping out your stomach and slowly raise the legs, the knees straight.
3. Concentrate fiercely, as in any balancinfg exercise, and attempt to bring the feet on a level with the head.
4. When you have established balance, slowly bring the hands parallel to the floor, the palms facing the legs.
5. Hold the pose fro as long as you can, or 10-30 seconds.
6. The breathing rhythm should be one Inhale, exhale, hold a little, inhale,etc....
7. EXHALE, lower the legs and relax.
8. Repeat two more times.
NOTE: Two variations would be pictured in the bottom two photos to the right.
