Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 31 (September 29, 2009)

Focus: Safe inversions for shoulder and neck pain. When there is restricted movement, practice more quickly, with motion, to allay the fear complex and increase range of movement. [Geeta Iyengar: Pune July, 2009]

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.


1. Invocation in Swastikasana
a. Soft, slow, smooth inhalation. Soft, slow, smooth exhalation. The energy, prana, that you generate through the inhalation and the exhalation should reach even the remote areas of the body. Sit erect to create space, height, width, and depth to drench every area of the body with the breath. So let that annamaya kosha [physical sheath] of the body become completely a pranamaya kosha [energetic sheath], as though every cell of the body is receiving that energy. [Geeta Iyengar: Pune July, 2009]

2. Rope 1— Adho Mukha Svanasana to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
a. Heels up on wall.
b. Go faster to get movement to relieve shoulder and neck pain.

3. Wall Rope Sirsasana

4. Adho Mukha Svanasana

5. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana I
a. Foot on rope hook pocket.

6. Chair Sarvangasana
a. Neck pain: add additional blanket beneath shoulders to reduce neck flexion and to prevent aggravating reverse cervical curve. Also add rolled towels beneath shoulders to free C7.
b. Feet on wall reduces load on neck and shoulders.
c. Turn arms out and hold back rung of chair to roll open the shoulders more.