Tuesday 4.30p MS — Week 7 (October 13, 2009)

Focus: Shoulder poses, keeping the spine erect, leading up to Chair Sarvangasana.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Upper Wall Rope Utkatasana [Substitute for Urdhva Hastasana]
a. Sitting in a chair facing the wall, use the weight of the body to create a traction counter balance to open the shoulders and elongate the spine in line with the arms.

b. Externally rotate upper arms to relieve shoulder pain (JM).

2. Traction Supta Urdhva Hastasana
a. Assistant pulls arms into traction.

3. Wall Ardha Uttanasana
a. Keep the arms fully elevated, as in Urdhva Hastasana. Hands high enough on wall to open the shoulders and elongate the spine in line with the arms. Don’t drop the head — keep the ears in line with the arms. Don’t hunch the back — extend the paraspinals, along with the spine, towards the buttocks. Externally rotate upper arms to relieve shoulder pain (JM).

b. Corridor Ardha Uttanasana (variation)
Standing in a three foot wide corridor, press the hands into the wall to stretch the spine and push the buttock bones into the opposite wall. This variation is easier when the legs are unstable.

c. Rope Wall Ardha Uttanasana (variation)
Press ulnar wrists down into rope hook pockets to open chest.

4. Door Frame Rope 1
a. Standing in the middle of a door frame, with the hands at shoulder height on the jambs, lean the sternum forward to open the chest. Elbows forward to externally rotate the arms. For stability, you can take one foot forward as in Virabhadrasana I, but do not throw the pelvis or lower back forward to compensate for not opening the chest.

5. Gomukhasana arms in Chair Tadasana (3X)
a. Ardha Gomukhasana arms: Sitting erect in a chair, take the right arm up, bend the right elbow. Hold the right elbow with the left hand and bring the elbow behind the head. Open the armpit and stretch the side chest.

6. Paschima Baddhanguliyasana in Chair Tadasana
a. Trapezius down, shoulder blades down, lift the chest, and free the neck.

7. Urdhva Hastasana in Chair Tadasana
a. Lift the outer shoulder blades, inner shoulder blades down.

8. Chair Sarvangasana
a. On three blankets folded in half to prevent over-flexing the neck or experiencing a choking sensation. Rolled hand towels under trapezius on both sides of the neck to lift C7 and to take the outer deltoids down. (JC, LS, BR)

b. Caution: When there are pre-existing neck and shoulder problems, perform only under direct supervision of an experienced teacher. The appropriate method of set up and individual adjustment are the keys to doing the pose effectively and safely. If there is any sharp pain or choking sensation that cannot be resolved by adjustment, come down immediately.