Tuesday 4.30p MS — Week 5 (December 1, 2009)

Focus: Opening the armpit chest to sit more upright.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Discussion: What is Prana?
Prana is energy, the life force. It is the Seer that permeates all forms of matter. The breath is the instrument of prana. [See Monday 6.30p Asana I — Week 9 (April 27, 2009) for details.]

1. Invocation in Swastikasana

2. Swastikasana
a. Back to the wall, sacrum against wall and upright, and open armpit chest.

3. Savasana with crosswise blanket
a. To further coil open the armpit chest to make sitting in Swastikasana easier. Recline, resting the shoulder blades on a blanket trifolded lengthwise (like a pranayama pillow) with each end of the blanket protruding from the armpit, over the biceps. Rest the head on a trifolded blanket.

4. Swastikasana
a. Keep the armpit chest more open by belting the arms as in Sarvangasana. Then rest the hands on stacked blankets on the thighs, so that the hands are above the elbows, to descend the triceps. Then the backs of the upper arms will feel heavier, the shoulder blades will descend, and the frontal chest will be able to lift more. This prevents the drop of the rib cage onto the abdomen.

5. Savasana with crosswise blanket
a. Repetition is less dramatic since the armpit chest has already coiled open.

6. Setubandha Sarvangasana
a. Shoulders on top of crosswise bolster, buttocks on a second bolster, with bent knees, push with the feet to draw the shoulder blades down, towards the tail bone.
b. Shoulders on the two inches further forward.
c. Shoulders on the leading edge of the bolster.
d. Shoulders on the floor in full Setubandha.

7. Savasana on spinewise blankets
a. Fold two blankets in half lengthwise and use a third blanket for the head. The blanket support allows the anterior trunk to ascend from the pelvis to the top chest. Bolster weight on thighs.

b. Pratyahara, withdrawing the senses from the sense objects. Eyes recede deeper back. Ear drums going deeper inside. The tongue resting on the lower palate. Remain silent and quiet, the front brain going towards the back brain.