Class extras for rexburgyoga.com

The first week of December we did a practice that discussed the red light reflex and poses that help us be aware of the muscles that are involved in the reflex and to notice if we have that hunched over posture in our yoga practice. Here is a nice article if you want more information about the red light reflex.

Shelly also gave some instruction and detail about the root lock or mula bandha. This second week of December Leslie will continue on the theme of mula bandha and here is a wonderful article discussing the PFM (Pelvic Floor Muscles). It is an explanation that is for the western mind and easy to understand and follow.

Here is what Leslie will share with the class and some of the info is taken from the above article:

The mula bandha or root lock contributes to a lightness and lifting action in the yoga postures, but it also contributes to the health and stabilization of the organs and systems in the pelvic region of the body. So when we add the mula bandhas to our practice, it’s beneficial on many levels, physically and energetically.
In English, that means, let’s do it, it’s good for us.

The pelvic floor muscles are a complex structure of both muscles and fascia but I will just refer to the whole structure as the pelvic floor muscles or PFM or mula bandhas. Mula means root – like the root of our spine, and bandhas means lock.

If your pelvis is a bowl the PFM are the bottom of the bowl, so visualize a suction action on the inside of the bottom of the bowl and you are lifting up and into the body. Its basically the kegel exercise or the same muscles you contract if you have to go to the bathroom very soon, but are without a bathroom.

There are two different ways to use the mula bandha during our practice. Tuesday will be this first way that I describe – a held contraction, and Thursday will be a stronger lift but relaxing with each breath.

For Tuesday: The PFM can get fatigued if we contract them strongly over the length of our practice, just like any other muscle would get tired from use. So rather than a strong lock at the beginning, and fatigue at the end, strike a balance by contracting the mula bandha about 25 % during the whole yoga practice.
First contract the PFM as much as you can, then relax by half, then by half again. This is what you want to feel as you hold each pose and breathe thru each posture.

For Thurday: With each inhale, allow the belly and PFM to relax completely. With each exhale, pull the belly in and up, contract strongly mula bandhas. Some postures make this strong mula bandhas very difficult because of the tilt of the pelvis or gravity pulling the belly down.

Pictures and audio for a 10 minute evening practice. It’s not perfect recording, but you get what you pay for! Enjoy!

Evening Yoga Page
mp3 file

If you want the script, here it is:

The intention of this short practice is to release the tensions of the day with some fullbody stretches and then some focused stretches for the shoulders, hips and hamstrings that will take advantage of the body’s warmth and mobility from the day You also might need a block or firm pillow

Begin standing in mountain pose. Take a deep breath and begin swimming the arms forward, draw big circles moving in the forward direction. Feel the complete rotation in the shoulder and breathe deeply into that sensation.
Now reverse and swim the arms backward while you breathe deeply into the sensation of the shoulders. Stand tall with the tail bone tucked under a little and the movement can extend clear down into the ribs and waist. Release the arms down to your side.

Allow the chin to come to the chest and continue to curl forward into a standing forward fold. You may have a soft bend in the knees. You may either release your hands to the floor or hold onto your elbows and remain in this ragdoll fold for a few more cycles of breath. Be mindful of the intention we started with – to take advantage of the warmth in the body from our day. Let your spine and torso cascade forward and release any need for effort. Release the head forward. Just breathe and relax into gravity.

Bring the hands to the floor, bending the knees as much as needed. Move into Downward facing dog by walking the hands and the feet apart until you feel yourself in that upside down V position. Feet are hip width apart. We won’t be here long, just enough to have a full body stretch and release tension along the spine and legs. Lift the sitbones, and press the thighs back. Spread the fingers and press the floor away from you. Reach downward thru the heels. One more big inhale then exhale and come to hands and knees and now relax into a wide leg child’s pose.

Wide Leg Child’s poseWalk the knees far apart and wiggle the torso down between the legs with the forehead resting on the floor or forearms. The wider the knees the more the stretch in the hips and groins. You may also choose to keep your big toes close or move the feet farther apart resembling frog legs. This works even more into the hip joint. Find a stretch that is appropriate to you this evening. The forehead on the floor brings a meditative quality to your evening poses. Allow the brain and mind to settle and relax. Breath a few more rounds. Nice slow breath.

Sit down on your bottom and stretch your legs out in front of you for a single leg forward fold. Bring the right foot into the inner left thigh with the right hip opening up. Move the right knee forward in order to keep the hips and torso to the front. Inhale and lift the spine long. Exhale and lead with the heart forward over the left leg. Keep the energy and fold moving long and forward rather than collapsed and rounded. You can grab the left foot or left leg with the right hand as you come forward to keep the torso in line. Energize the left foot, extending thru the heel. The head stays in line as a natural extension of the spine. Inhale and look up lengthening the spine. Exhale and use your hands on both sides of your left leg and push yourself back up. Stretch both legs out in front.

Bring the left foot into the inner right thigh with the left hip opening up. Move the left knee forward in order to keep the hips and torso to the front. Inhale and lift the spine long. Exhale and lead with the heart forward over the right leg. Keep the energy and fold moving long and forward rather than collapsed and rounded. You can grab the right foot or right leg with the left hand as you come forward to keep the torso in line. Energize the right foot, extending thru the heel. The head stays in line as a natural extension of the spine. Inhale and look up lengthening the spine. Exhale and use your hands on both sides of your right leg and push yourself back up. Stretch both legs out in front. Have your block handy.

Now sit crosslegged or Indian style. Roll the thighs inward with your hands and sit on the front of the sit bones. Inhale and sit up tall. Exhale and twist to the right. Bring the right arm behind you on the floor, left hand pressing on the outside of the right knee. Inhale and lengthen the spine even while twisting. Untwist and return to center. Inhale and sit up tall. Exhale and twist to the left. Bring the left arm behind you on the floor, right hand pressing on the outside of the left knee. Inhale and lengthen the spine even while twisting. Untwist and return to center.

Inhale and sit up tall. Exhale and walk the hands out in front of you as you lengthen out into a cross-legged forward fold. Lead forward with the heart, not the head and then after reaching forward as much as your hips will allow, you can round over and relax your forehead on the floor, your fists, a block or a firm pillow. Remember our intention of using the body’s warmth from the day to lengthen and stretch the tissues slowly in a relaxed way. Press yourself back up as you inhale.

Switch the cross of your legs. Roll the thighs in and sit on the font of the sit bones. Bring your hands behind you and draw the shoulder blades together. Lean back into the hands slightly as you lift the heart center and arch the spine. Lift the chin to the ceiling and feel the stretch in the front body. Come back to center. Exhale and walk the hands out in front of you as you lengthen out into a cross-legged forward fold. Lead forward with the heart, not the head and then after reaching forward as much as your hips will allow, you can round over and relax your forehead on the floor, your fists, a block or a firm pillow. Remember our intention of using the body’s warmth from the day to lengthen and stretch the tissues slowly in a relaxed way. Press yourself back up as you inhale.

Sit tall but in an easy and relaxed manner. Drop the right ear to the right shoulder, center. Drop the left ear to left shoulder. Center. Chin to chest. Center. Chin to ceiling. Center. Look over your right shoulder. Center. Look over your left shoulder. Center.

Sit quietly for a few breaths to end your practice.

Thanks for the class help with the script for 8 Morning Poses mp3. Its finished and posted up with pictures. Enjoy! Morning Yoga Page

Since the class is having a hard time finding the morning poses, it will be a permanent page on the blog.   Look over on the right hand side bar and you will see the category called pages.  Then you will find Morning Yoga Poses.  Enjoy!

I ran across the wonderful explanation of the difference between updog and cobra. Enjoy!

The most common cause of chronic knee pain and damage to the knee joint is misalignment developed over time. Yoga helps to strengthen and stabilize the knees by using the muscles of the quadriceps, inner thighs and hamstrings in a balanced way. Opening the hips and proper alignment of the feet also help to keep the knees healthy.

Single bent knee to chest 8-10X This pose warms up the lower back without compressing the knees. Hold underneath the knee as you pull the leg into the chest.

Knee to Chest extending out in levels–These movements loosen up the hamstrings and flexes the hips. Knee to chest, straighten leg to ceiling, knee to chest, bring leg down to the level of bent knee, knee to chest, bring leg down 5 inches away from floor. Repeat with other leg 5X

Reclined Mountain–point and flex the feet

Reclined Cobblers–This pose strengthens the muscles of the inner thighs as you slowly bring the knees together taking 60 seconds or more to close.

Bridge Pose with a block between inner thighs–The action of the block strengthens the inner thighs

Through the Hole Stretch–Keep the feet dorsiflexed! This pose opens the hips.

Seated Leg Raise or “Walk” –This pose strengthens thighs, psoas and the muscles of the legs that support the knees.

Seated Shins in Thighs out Inquiry

Sit with left knee bent.  Take left hand and press into outer left shin  and right hand into inner thigh.  Press firmly as you slide heel down into  an extended position.  Pull knee back up the same way.  Repeat 3X both  knees.

Here’s a photo example of the basic poses for the moon salutation.

If you enjoy this routine and want to change it every now and then, I recommend replacing standing head to knee with triangle then moving into half moon and then into side angle. If you want to add a twist into the routine, a good spot is while in the crescent moon on the legs, or doing threading the needle twist at the end before standing up.

This week we did some poses inspired by the 5 Tibetan rites. A more thorough explanation of what these are can be found here.