Tuesday 4.30p MS: Week 6 (Feb 10, 2009)

Emphasis on shoulder opening and calf stretches both to improve gait mechanism and as a preparation for Virabhadrasana I.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Rope 1
a. Assistant pulls Rope Shoulder Harness down to prevent shrugging the shoulders.

2. Brick Tadasana
a. Keep thighs back to take weight more towards the heels.

3. Parsvottanasana (upright, hands on wall)
a. Turn left leg in but resist inner left knee to keep it straight.
b. Push hands on wall to take right hip back and left hip forward. Stretch the left calf.

4. Calf Stretcher Tadasana
a. Soles on wooden stretcher, back to wall.
b. Soles on inverted chair seat, facing wall and holding lower ropes. This continues and increases the stretch in Parsvottanasana, to emphasize heel strike in gait and prevent walking on tiptoes.

5. Wall Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
a. To rest legs (BR). Forearms on bricks.
b. Hands touch the floor with interlaced fingers. No bricks.

6. Wall Parivrtta Trikonasana
a. To unbind hips to make gait more fluid.
b. Left hand pulls rope hook; right hand pushes wall.

7. Supta Baddha Konasana (BR)

7. Chair Sarvangasana (MF)