YOGA TODAY
Yoga in the Age of Social Distance: A Practice for Un-Hugged Arms ...continued from page 13
tually pat the lungs when they cross, which is reminiscent of Qi Gong, and stimulates the lungs a bit). Shoulder Shrugs and Rolls (repeat the first exercise) Rotations with Extended Arms: Parts A & B (pictured on page 13) Part A: This is a variation of the one mentioned in Joints and Glands . With your palms facing outward, move your straight arms up to the sky as you in- hale. As you exhale, bend the elbows and place your hands on your shoul- ders, and then let the arms move down by your side. Repeat this a few times before part B. Part B: Lift the arms as in part A, but this time leave the hands on the shoul- ders and make circles with the elbows slowly, in both directions. Shoulder Shrugs and Rolls (repeat first exercise) Standing Side Bend Sweep the left arm up as you inhale and allow the torso to lean to the right; take several breaths. Keep the knees bent and the legs about three feet apart. Straighten back to center and lower arm. Repeat on side two. Supported Torso Rotation Place your hands on your lower back
Although there are several steps, it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to do all of the exercises, depending on how long you want to remain in the Yin Yoga Poses. As with any exercise pro- gram, it is imperative you consult with your physician prior to starting this if you do have specific health issues. If you have low blood pressure or blood pressure issues, or structural issues in the spine, please use caution and do less, but always check with your doc- tor first. Do each of these starting moves for about 30 seconds: Shoulder Shrugs and Rolls From a standing position, lift one shoulder, then the other, and then both. You can alternate this with Shoulder Rolls. This shrugging and rolling mo- tion will be used in between some of the other exercises, too. It serves as a type of base line for the standing part. Vertical Arm Swings: Parts A & B Part A: Simply stand, legs about hip distance apart and knees slightly bent. Made sure you have enough room to swing your arms, and do so. Swing the arms from the front to the back plane of the body. I also suggest you feel free to
by Swami Rama of the Himalayan In- stitute, combined with certain poses from the Yin Yoga tradition set forth by Paul Grilley, an American teacher of modern Yoga. Some of the moves I’ve just developed myself to heal my own frozen shoulder; and in some of the moves I am taking the theory of Yin Yoga plus joints and glands and com- bining them to make a kind of moving Yin Yoga pose. My own recovery has been success- ful, and I have had reports from several of my students that they are getting over some of their upper body issues as well. What I am noticing more than anything else is my students have be- come stronger and more dedicated to their practices, showing up consistent- ly to our classes. It’s become apparent to them that Yoga is a lifeline; it is more essential now than ever before for re- storing a sense of health and normalcy. This is why I am witnessing my stu- dents getting stronger—energetically stronger. The Sequence This sequence can be done by any- one and does not require any physi- cal prowess or effort; in fact, the more effortless you make it, the better. The main point is to do this consistently.
Butterfly Pose
“flick” the hands and wrists a bit while going at it, especially if you have sore wrists. Part B: Make a light fist with both hands, turning your palms to face your body, then swing the arms forward and back making a pull and release motion. So, the elbows bend on the “pull” mo- tion, and then the arms straighten on the “release” motion. Feel the warmth in the shoulders. Horizontal Arm Swings Raise your arms to about shoulder height, palms face down, and swing them across the chest so that one arm crosses over the other. Alternate the crossing of the arms with each swing. The chest expands when the arms swing out, and the chest is slightly compressed when the arms swing in and cross. (I like to have the arms ac-
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PATHWAYS—Spring 21—15
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