Instruction
1.Extend the heels and stretch through the hamstrings; gradually, it may be possible to take any under-the-knee support away.
2.Draw the trunk up tall; engage the pelvic floor and the abdominals.
3.Place the arms down on the floor firmly or with fingertips, or on supporting blocks or bricks. The whole body should be strong and taut.
4.Hold for a number of breaths (that can gradually be extended), then experience release and softness on letting go.
A version can also be offered from a chair with a couple of possibilities:
1.With knees bent and feet parallel, be aware of sitting up on the ‘sit’ bones. Hold the sides of the seat and raise one leg straight, lower it, and then try the other leg. This way we can notice whether we have one side more responsive or stronger than the other. Try both legs together.
2.Use two chairs facing each other and spaced so that straight legs can be supported. Raise the legs to the chair in front, as you would if you were on the floor (but take care that you are safe enough to sit this way).
Teaching focus
•Inner strength, core muscles active.
•Long spine.
•Feeling the strength of the ground and connecting to that, through the base of the spine.
•Move attention to, and root through, Muladhara.
•Breathe up through the spine, and grow tall.
•Offer ‘hands-on’ guidance for straightening the spine, placing your lower leg behind the student’s spine to assist uprightness without pushing too much, so that they can feel what ‘upright’ is like.
•Offer hands-on assistance to ease the shoulders down, or to even up lopsidedness.
The posture can be progressed by extending the time it is held. You can add levels of difficulty with arm lifts. Lifting the arms in parallel while engaging the pelvic floor and abdominals will build strength and improve posture. Holding a block widthways and actively engaging the subscapularis and teres major, drawing the shoulders down, is another strength-building postural-improving move.
Inner core awareness in semi-supine
Instruction
1.Lying with the knees parallel and bent, place a supporting block under the head to keep good neck alignment.
2.As you exhale, pull the navel towards the spine, engaging the abdominal muscles, This will enable the back of the waist to press into the floor and the pelvis to tilt, as the pubic bone moves toward the head.
3.Release, and create a small natural arch under the waist on the inhale breath.
4.Practise this pelvic rocking action.
5.Actively use the abdominal muscles to initiate the movement, and tuck the tailbone under, and then release and feel as if you are rolling the tailbone out along the ground.
Teaching focus
•Offer this movement regularly so that students become accustomed to the feel of this muscle action.
Working the core in Cat Pose (or Cat/Cow Pose)
Instruction
1.Balance on all fours with the hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Check that the spacing is enough to let the spine move.
2.Begin to inhale and lift the tailbone, hollow the spine and lift the head.
3.On the exhale, draw the tailbone under, arch the back up and at the same time pull up the pelvic floor and draw the abdomen in.
4.Hold, and release on the inhale breath.
5.Repeat to become familiar with the action of the inner core.
MOVEMENTS OF THE SPINE
The spine can move in the following ways:
•Extension: back bending, maximal in lumbar, but also in cervical.
•Flexion: forward bending, maximal in cervical, but also in lumbar area.
•Rotation: twisting maximal in the upper thoracic.
•Lateral flexion: sideways bending, lumbar and cervical regions.
•Circumduction: swaying and circling.
To keep the spine mobile, we need to offer practices that cover the wide range of movements that the spine can make. By observation, we can assess where our students have rigidity or weakness. This does not necessarily need to be at the level of an osteopathic or medical examination. As a yoga teacher, you will ‘see’ where your class are struggling, and be able to plan a programme accordingly.
Instruction for some of these simple movements for mobilising the spine can be found on page 40 and pages 49–50.
Extension: back bends
Back bends are useful for keeping the spine strong and flexible, and for combating the ‘simian’ posture in Parkinson’s. For MS students, they will be invaluable in maintaining strength in the spine. Standing and kneeling back bends have more possibility for bad technique. Gentle seated back bends offer a passive method of gaining flexibility and lying, where the floor provides good support for starting to build both flexibility and strength in postures such as Cobra and Locust.
Prone/face-down postures
This is a useful group of postures essential for strengthening the back and ensuring good shoulder positioning and strengthening for the upper thoracic. Encourage students to work within their own physical limits and within a pain-free range. Age, injury and kyphosis will all add limitations.
A folded blanket placed under the hips will offer comfort and support. Check whether the feet are able to lengthen and the top of the feet can rest on the floor. Offer a rolled blanket under the ankles for ease if this is not the case.
Be clear about the intention and goal of the posture – that is, to combat round shoulders, bring extension into the upper back, strengthen the muscles of the buttocks, lower back and core. The aim is not to lift up as high as possible, or to create as big a back bend as possible.
If you demonstrate the posture, do not show the best you can do – show what you expect your class to do.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Cobra Pose is an amazingly strengthening posture that helps to maintain an upright strong spine; it aids in combating round-shoulderedness and stooping postures. Start with the simplest version so that people can gain confidence and feel that there is a level that they can achieve.
Instruction
Begin with Sphynx version:
1.Lie with the elbows placed under the shoulders and the forearms on the floor, providing a supported lift and curve to the upper back. In this position feel the active movement of the shoulder blades, down and back.
2.Keep the spine extending, so that the posture becomes active.
3.Follow with a release of the head that can hang forward to stretch the base of the neck.
4.Repeat this movement a few times. It can provide good loosening of the neck that is often held in tension.
For Cobra Pose:
1.Lie face down, bring your hands under your shoulders, draw the elbows back and the shoulder blades down your back; keep the legs parallel, feet pointing away.
2.Exhale, draw in the abdomen and engage the pelvic floor.
3.Let the nose travel forward and then lift the head away. Don’t push the chin out, compressing the back of the neck; keep the back of the neck long.
4.Feel that the