Tuesday 4.30p MS — Week 9 (October 27, 2009)

Focus: The shape of the body influences the spread of the breath and the flow of energy in restorative poses.

1. Invocation in Swastikasana
Sit on a rolled bandage to lift the spine up from the base. (LS)

2. Bolster Savasana
Simhasana Box Savasana with weight on thighs to allow the mind to descend. (LS)

3. Ujjayi I in Bolster Supta Baddha Konasana
a. Use a neck roll, and use arm support to prevent forcing open the chest.

4. Viparita Karani
a. Buttocks and upper back supported with bolster.
b. Belt thighs to Rope Wall to open chest and pull weight out of head and neck. Rolled washcloths beneath shoulders to move shoulders away from neck, decompress throat, and improve speech. Assistant lifted shoulders with fingers to free the throat until she could pronounce “fleece” in the back of the throat without slurring. (LS)

5. Rope 1 (LS)
a. Assistant pulls Rope Shoulder Harness down to prevent shrugging the shoulders towards the neck.
b. Shoulder blades down, head up.

6. Tadasana (Paschima Baddha Hasta arms) (LS)
a. Holding elbows, roll open from the sternum to the frontal shoulders. Descend the trapezius and shoulder blades, down, away from the neck, as in Sarvangasana to improve speech and penmanship. Retract the bottom tips of the shoulder blades closer to each other. Belt arms to increase opening of the front chest.

7. Tadasana (Paschima Baddhanguliyasana arms) (LS)
a. Same actions as with Paschima Baddha Hasta arms.