HATHA YOGA PROGRAMME

1. Centering (10 m)

Commentary

• Hello again, I'm Janet, filling in while Ian has his op
• Let me know if you have any health problems or physical difficulties
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali visualisation
• Do only what feels right for you and your body
• If anything is not clear, please ask

• Stretch out your legs, rock them from side to side
• Now use hands to rock them, feel how relaxed they are
• Rest on elbows and slowly lie back, close your eyes
• Check that you are lying symmetrically
• Rotate your legs in, let them fall out, feet open
• Do the same to the arms, have them away from the body, palms up, fingers loose
• Move your head from side to side to centre it, keep the back of the neck long
• Stretch yourself out, so that the spine rests on the floor, shoulders down
• Let gravity embrace you, feel your weight pulling you deeper into relaxation, melting your body into the floor

• Breathe normally, just let it happen
• Visualise a colour that means calmness for you
• Observe your breathing, notice the length of the in- and out-breath, notice any natural pauses between breaths
• Make each breath smooth, soft, rhythmic, similar volume
• On each out breath, become aware of heaviness in your body as your muscles relax
• On each in breath, become aware of lightness as you relax your mind
• Clear your mind of any worries, leave them outside the room, instead, concentrate on your inner self
• Centre your awareness inside yourself, observe what your body is doing and think how it feels
• Notice how the breathing becomes slower

• Now take control of the breath, deepen your breathing, without straining
• Keeping the breathing slow and deep, make it continuous, with no pauses (saturation breathing)
• Take three more breaths, then sit up

2. Limbers (10 minutes)

• Stand tall, feet together, hands in prayer position
• Breathe deeply, ending with out breath
• Think of the sun, focus on it, visualise it
• In – raise arms straight above head, go into backward bend
• Out – do standing forward bend, bring palms to floor
• In – step back with right foot, head up
• Out – raise hips and push up into downward dog

• In – lower hips and push up into cobra

• Out – raise hips and push up into downward dog
• In – step forward with right foot, head up
• Out – do standing forward bend, bring palms to floor
• In – raise arms straight above head, go into backward bend
• Out – stand tall, hands in prayer position
• Repeat to other side
• This is one complete cycle
• Carry on to your own breathing rhythm

3. Vinyasas and Asanas (70 minutes)

• Lie face down, separate legs, feet pointing out
• Place fingers on upper arms with forearms parallel below shoulders so that chest is off floor
• Place forehead on forearms, neck relaxed
• Notice how abdomen rises and falls with this diaphragmatic breathing
• Rest, breathing freely

• The aim is to relax the back and let it bend, relax legs
• Lie prone, supported on elbows with palms flat on floor, fingers pointing away and spread out
• Let head drop forwards, neck relaxed
• Raise head slowly
• Look over right shoulder, then left
• Repeat a few times
• Now push on the hands and straighten the arms, relax the back, breathe freely
• Return to the floor
• Repeat 3 times

• Sit on your heels in the thunderbolt
• Bend arms and hold elbows at sides palms facing, fingers lightly curled
• Inhaling, take elbows back and head back
• Exhaling, take elbows forward and head forward
• Repeat twice
• Relax

• Sit back on your heels, rest your forehead on the floor, place your arms palms up on the floor beside your legs this is the child pose, a relaxation posture
• Feel your shoulder blades relaxing, moving closer to floor
• Rest in this position, breathing freely

• This is the preparation for the headstand, hands and head are in the same position for headstand
• But if you are taking medication for high blood pressure or a heart condition, remain resting in the child or the swan posture
• Place forearms parallel on floor in front of knees

• Leaving elbows where they are, interlock fingers and rest them on the floor

• Place the head on floor, adjacent to fingers, so that fingers clasp head
• On an in breath, raise seat, breathe freely
• Practice these postures to strengthen the neck muscles

• Return to the child pose

• Start in child pose
• Place the crown of your head on the floor just in front of your knees

• Place your hands on your shins/ankles
• On an in-breath, raise your seat, breathe freely
• Get used to the feel of the weight on the head
• Lower the seat

• Interlock your fingers behind your back
• On an in breath, raise your seat and move your hands upwards away from your back, keeping your head on the floor
• This puts more weight on the head, but is very stable
• Hold and breathe freely
• On an out-breath, return to child pose

• Sit back on your heels, rest your forehead on the floor, place your arms palms up on the floor beside your legs this is the child pose, a relaxation posture
• Feel your shoulder blades relaxing, moving closer to floor
• Rest in this position, breathing freely

• Sit on your heels in the thunderbolt
• Clasp hands behind head, elbows out to sides, inhale
• Exhaling, bend to right
• Inhale to centre
• Exhaling bend to left
• Repeat for two more cycles
• Push back with head and forward with clasped hands, then relax, repeat a few times
• Relax

• We are now going to do the cat with variations
• If you have any knee problems, put a pad under your knees
• If you have wrist problems, put knuckles on floor instead of palms
• Come up onto all fours, with the hands shoulder-width apart and the knees hip-width apart
• Start with the thighs and arms vertical, point the hands forwards, the feet backwards
• Breathing in, hold the spine and the head in a straight line (the ‘neutral’ position)

• Breathing out, move the body slightly back and raise the middle of the back, opening out the dorsal spines at the back of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, so letting the inter-vertebral discs expand at the back
• Contract the abdomen, keep the head down with the chin on the chest, contract the buttocks and lock the anus, bring the shoulders and hips towards each other
• Hold for a count of 3

• Breathe in and return to neutral, thighs vertical

• Breathe out and moving slightly forward hollow the back, head up, tail up
• Stretch the throat, open the chest, stretch the abdomen, squeeze the lumbar region
• Hold for a count of 3

• Repeat this cycle three times with the breathing
• Visualise your spine flexing backwards and forwards, becoming more flexible
• There are 33 vertebrae in the spine: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 fused in sacrum, 4 fused in coccyx – imagine them flexing dorso-ventrally

• Next time you raise the back, breathing out, also bring the right knee and the head closer to each other
• Return the knee to the floor as you breathe in
• As you hollow the back, breathing out, also raise and straighten the right leg behind you, keeping the pelvis level, head up
• Return the leg to the floor as you breathe in
• Then do the same with the left leg
• Repeat the full cycle three times

• Then do 3 cycles with opposite arm raised at same time as leg is raised

• Then 3 cycles with both hands on floor but raise and bend one leg, moving foot across body, place it on floor, twisting hips to side and opening out lower body
• Repeat to other side

• Then 3 cycles with both knees on floor but raise arm straight up high above head, opening out upper body
• Repeat to other side

• Now 3 cycles raising leg and arm of same side
• Repeat to other side

• When you have finished, lie back and rest in corpse

• Sit on your heels in the thunderbolt
• Keep the back straight, head and eyes level
• If you can, your knees should be together, toes touching, with heels apart
• Rest your palms on your thighs
• Relax and breathe for a few minutes

• Separate knees as far as possible
• Try to sit on floor with toes just touching behind buttocks
• Keep back straight, chest out, head level
• Place backs of hands on knees
• Breathe

• From frog, stretch forwards from hips with straight back
• Try to stretch arms further forward, as in swan
• Let shoulders relax
• Breathe
• Bend fingers of right hand, tense hand, claw towards body like a cat sctraching
• Relax hand and arm
• Repeat to left
• Repeat 4 times
• Return to frog
• Relax and shake out arms and legs

• Kneel, thighs vertical, hip width apart, tail in
• Put hands on hips and push hips forwards a few times
• Raise right arm, put left on left heel, push hips forward, breathe freely
• Repeat push 3 times
• Repeat to left
• Do with both arms, holding for 3 breaths

• Curl your toes under, push with your hands on your thighs and come into a standing position
• Shake out the legs
• Place the feet parallel and close together, spread the toes, distribute your weight evenly on both feet
• Let the arms hang at your sides, palms facing thighs
• Stand tall, tuck the tail in, keep the spine vertical, shoulders back, chin in and eyes level
• Breathe freely
• Tadasana is the starting position for many standing asanas

• Stand in Tadasana, arms straight behind back, clasp hands
• Step out to the side, feet pointing slightly to sides
• Bend forwards to horizontal, then raise clasped hands behind body away form body
• Move from side to side

• Repeat with feet parallel, bend towards floor with head
• Raise clasped hands away from body, have trunk, head, hips facing right

• Turn left leg 60 degrees in and right 90 degrees out
• Bend towards right knee
• Raise clasped hands away from body
• Repeat to left

• Stand in Tadasana
• Stretch arms forwards and straight up, palms together over head
• Keeping heels down, bend the knees to 60 degrees, bending ankles and hips to "chair" position
• Hold and breathe
• Return to start
• Repeat twice

• We are going to do a balancing posture, the tree
• I’ll demonstrate it first, then visualise yourself doing it, before you actually do it
• Take the weight on the right foot

• Place left foot on top of right, hands on hips
• Put the palms together, fingers pointing upwards, and push the hands down so that the forearms are in a line parallel with the floor – this helps balance
• Now concentrate on raising the arms above the head, keeping the palms together in the midline
• Breathe freely

• Bend the left leg, knee out to the side, and place the foot against the inside of the leg at any point that is comfortable
• Put hands in prayer position and raise them above the head
• Breathe and balance

• Place left foot on top of right thigh, breathe freely
• Put hands in prayer position and raise them above the head
• Breathe and balance

• Lower the arms and the leg
• Repeat standing on the left leg, then relax

• Lie on your back in Savasana, legs slightly apart, feet falling open, arms a little away from your sides, palms facing upwards, fingers loose, head centred, spine lengthened

• Lie in Savasana, arms at sides, palms down
• Bend elbows and arch back, place hands in small of back, wrists touching
• Let head fall back gently
• Push chest upwards, open throat, hold, breathing freely
• To recover, push down on elbows, raise upper body and lie back in Savasana

• Lie back, bend knees over chest
• Hold knees and do squeeze curls
• Rock from side to side on lower back to massage the spine and back muscles
• Relax in corpse until breathing returns to normal

4. Breathing(10 minutes)

• Put on extra clothing so that you will be warm
• Sit in any way that you are comfortable
• Rest the hands on the knees
• Keep the spine upright

• Breathing is called Pranayama
• Prana = life force or vital energy, essential to life
• Yama = control
• Close your eyes
• Lengthen the back of your neck and let the chin drop a little
• Breathe normally
• We are going to visulaise colours at the 6 chakras or nerve centres of the spine as we breathe
• Start at base of spine and move up to head
• Yogis think of this as raising the vital energy (prana)
• If you prefer, just use it as something to concentrate on to help you relax, it stops the mind wandering
• Base or Root = red
• Pelvic (abdominal) = orange
• Solar plexus = yellow
• Heart = green
• Throat = blue
• Eyebrow = white (light, at top)
• At each one breathe in and out 3 times
• Repeat for a few minutes

5. Relaxation (10 minutes)

• Lie on your back in Savasana, legs slightly apart, feet falling open, arms a little away from your sides, palms facing upwards, fingers loose, head centred, spine lengthened
• Or if you prefer, lie semi-supine, with your knees bent up
• Close your eyes

• Let your body settle into your mat, feel where you are in contact with the floor, supported by it
• Feel the weight of your body, allow gravity to help you relax, melting your body into the mat

• Relax and breathe normally

• Focus on the area of the Root chakra at base of spine
• Visualise red spreading from the root chakra
• The red releases tension in your thighs, knees, shins, calves, ankles, feet, toes
• . . . . . .
• Now your whole body from the top of the head to the toes feels released from tension
• Your whole body and mind feel relaxed

• Your body feels rested and rejuvenated
• Your mind feels revitalised and refreshed

• Become aware of your body lying on the soft but firm surface of your mat
• Become aware of this room and the people in it
• Take some deep breaths
• Begin to move your feet and your hands
• Stretch your arms above your head, stretch arms and legs in a star shape
• In your own time, roll onto your side, open your eyes, and push up into a sitting position