HATHA YOGA PROGRAMME

1. Centering (10 m)

Commentary

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

• Lie on your 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
• Breathe through the nose: the nasal passages warm and moisten the air as it is drawn down into the lungs via the larynx and trachea
• Observe your breathing, notice the length of the in-breath and the out-breath, notice any natural pauses between breaths
• Make each breath smooth, soft and rhythmic, of 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 and deeper, the air is taken further down into the lungs

• Now take control of the breath, deepen your breathing, without straining
• Keeping the breathing slow and deep, make it continuous, in and out with no pauses (saturation breathing)
• This will help to expand the air sacs at the extremities of the lungs, so that there is a better exchange of gases – oxygen entering the bloodstream and carbon dioxide diffusing out – so as to energise the body prior to the exercises
• It also helps the air sacs retain their elasticity and makes them less likely to become clogged with fluid
• Take three more breaths, then sit up

2. Limbers (10 minutes)

• Child exhaling
• Salute (upward kneeling back bend, arms up) inhaling
• Swan exhaling
• Cat (neutral position) inhaling
• Upward dog exhaling
• Cat (neutral position) inhaling
• Swan exhaling
• Salute (upward kneeling back bend, arms up) inhaling
• Child exhaling
• Continue for several rounds

3. Vinyasas and Asanas (70 minutes)

• Lie back, bend left knee, raise right leg and hold
• Bend and flex right foot
• Grasp right ankle or foot and ease leg towards body
• Repeat with left leg
• Repeat with both legs straight one flat one raised
• Repeat raising both legs together

• Lie in Savasana
• Bend your right leg and cradle it with both arms, move the leg from side to side and back to front, to get the full movement of the hip joint
• Make circles with the knee, first in one direction, then the other
• Try to put right knee under right armpit, hold stretch
• By exercising like this, the joints are being lubricated with synovial fluid and any roughness is being gently smoothed, so increasing flexibility
• Now repeat with the other leg
• When you have finished, lie back and relax

• Put arms out from sides of body in a T shape, palms down keep shoulders in contact with floor throughout
• Bend knees, feet on floor near buttocks, a good hip width apart
• On an out breath, lower both knees to the floor on the right of the body and turn head to the left hold
• On an in breath, raise knees and bring head back to centre
• Repeat to left
• Do 3 cycles
• On an out breath, straighten legs and rest

• Bend knees, feet about a foot away from buttocks
• Cross right knee over left

• On an out breath, lower both knees to the floor on the right of the body and turn head to the left, hold & breathe
• On an in breath, raise knees and bring head back to centre
• Cross left knee over right
• Repeat to left
• Do 3 cycles
• On an out breath, straighten legs and rest

• Lie in Savasana
• Bring legs together, arms to sides
• Bend knees, feet about a foot from buttocks
• Cross right thigh over left and wrap foot around left shin
• Cross left arm in front of right and wrap wrist around left forearm, put palms together
• Exhaling, raise upper body and hold
• Inhaling, lower upper body
• Repeat twice
• Next time bring knees towards elbows too and hold
• Repeat twice

• Lie on your side in a straight line, head resting on hand, with other hand flat on floor in front of body
• Raise one leg and hold, breathing freely, then lower
• Raise the leg again, this time rotate the leg and point the foot down towards the floor
• Now raise both legs together
• Repeat to the other side

• This is a stronger version of the previous posture, it strengthens the muscles of the hips, lower back, abdomen and thighs, and it massages the abdominal organs
• Lie on your side in a straight line, head resting on hand, with other hand flat on floor in front of body
• Raise the upper leg, bend the knee and bring it forward, then backwards
• Repeat 3 times
• Repeat with both legs together raised off the floor
• Repeat to the other side

• Come to a semi-supine posture, knees bent
• Place palms on thighs
• On an out-breath, slide palms up thighs, fingers beyond knees, raise head, push and hold
• Come down on an in-breath
• Repeat five times

• Sit up with your legs out straight in front of you, feet at right-angles to legs, toes pulled towards your face
• Keep the back straight. Imagine the vertebrae of the spine stacked one on top of the other
• Keep the abdomen firm, the chest out, the chin in
• Place the hands on the floor on either side of the hips, fingers pointing towards the legs
• Breathe slowly and deeply
• This is an example of a static posture
• It is the starting position for many sitting asanas

• Separate legs as wide as possible, feet upright
• Inhaling, stretch arms above head, palms forwards
• Exhaling, bend forward from hips, keeping back straight
• Place palms on floor and use breath to bend further
• Drop head and upper body towards floor and hold
• Alternate head up to flatten back and head down
• Walk hands to right and hold
• Walk hands to left and hold

• Start in Dandasana
• Bend the right knee and place the right foot flat on the floor close to the right buttock, keep bent leg upright throughout

• Put the right shoulder to the inside of the right knee and with the right hand clasp the outside of the left leg near the knee or shin, pulling forward to help the turn on the upper body to the left

• Left hand is on left hip, look down forward arm at right foot
• Take three breaths

• Bring trunk to the upright, sliding right arm to outside of knee of left leg
• Place the heel of the left hand flat on the floor behind you, fingers pointing away
• Try to twist so that the shoulders are parallel to the outstretched leg
• Turn your head to the left and look to the left also
• Feel the spine being twisted, in the region of the lower back (lumbar vertebrae), chest (thoracic vertebrae) and neck (cervical vertebrae)
• Hold for three breaths, trying to increase the turn

• Face forwards in same direction as trunk and take arms behind back, clasp hands if you can, or use towel/sock, and pull to retain upright posture and turn
• Take three breaths

• Return to Dandasana, then repeat to the left
• When you have finished, lie back and relax

• We are now going to do some backward bends the sphinx is a good preparation
• 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
• Push on the hands and straighten the arms, relax the back, breathe freely
• Return to the floor
• Repeat 3 times

• To do the bow, use the muscles in the legs: the back remains relaxed and the arms are passive (straight)
• Because of the increased intra-abdominal pressure, the effect is to tone up all the viscera, especially when deep breathing (diaphragmatic) is done as well

• Lie prone with upper body resting on right forearm
• Bend right knee and grasp ankle with left hand, finger and thumb on same side
• Inhaling, push the foot back and up as far as possible
• Hold and breathe
• Exhaling return to floor
• Repeat twice

• Repeat to left

• Lie prone, chin on floor, hands alongside body
• Bend left knee and grasp ankle with left hand
• Inhaling, raise leg as far as possible
• Then raise right arm and right leg, straight
• Hold and breathe
• Exhaling return to floor
• Repeat twice
• Repeat to other side

• Lie prone, chin on floor, hands alongside body

• Bend knees, knees may be apart, but toes are touching
• Grasp ankles and push feet vertically upwards – feet always higher than head
• When you reach full height, try to bring knees closer
• Hold and breathe, then relax in prone position

• 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
• But if you are not comfortable sitting on your heels like this, you can put a pad behind your knees, or separate the knees, for the next few exercises
• Rest your palms on your thighs
• Relax and breathe for a few minutes

• Inhaling, raise both shoulders up to ears
• Exhaling, let them drop
• Repeat a few times
• Place finger tips on shoulders and rotate elbows, first one direction, then the other
• Relax shoulders

• Put pad under knees if necessary
• Kneel, thighs vertical, tail in, hands in prayer position
• On in-breath, stretch out right leg to side while raising arms to shoulder height

• On next in-breath, turn right leg and foot out, rotate arms so that palms face up
• Raise left arm to vertical, right hand rests lightly on right leg
• Take three breaths, then return to the start

• Tilt body to side bending from hip, left arm over head, right sliding down leg, look up to left arm
• Take three breaths, then return to the start

• Bend upper body to left, arm over head, bring palms closer together, head dropped to side
• Take three breaths, then return to the start

• Repeat to left
• Return to thunderbolt

• Curl your toes under, push with your hands on your thighs and come into a standing position
• 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, feet slightly apart
• Raise both hands to shoulder level
• Inhale, keeping arms straight, rotate arms outwards, turning them at the shoulder joint
• Exhale and rotate them inwards
• Repeat several times

• Inhaling, raise the arms forwards to shoulder level
• Exhaling lower
• Repeat several times

• Inhaling, raise the arms forwards and up to vertical
• Exhaling lower
• Repeat several times

• Inhaling, raise the arms forwards and up to vertical
• Exhaling, take them over the top and down again in a large circle
• Repeat several times, first one direction, then other

• Stand in Tadasana, hands on hips
• On an in-breath, step with the right leg about 3 feet to the side, feet parallel
• On the next in-breath, turn the right foot 90 degrees out and the left foot 15 degrees in
• Keep the hips facing forwards, but move them a little to the left
• Tilt the trunk sideways down to the right, slide the back of right hand down the leg
• Breathe freely and hold for three breaths
• On an in-breath, raise the trunk and return to centre
• Return to Tadasana

• Repeat, but when in position raise left arm to vertical, palm forward, and look up at left hand

• Repeat to left

• Stand in Tadasana hands on hips
• Balance on the left leg, bend right leg and cross right thigh over left, wrap right foot around left shin
• Extend trunk upwards
• Balance and breathe
• Return to Tadasana

• Repeat, but also cross left arm in front of right (left arm nearer face), wrap right wrist around left forearm and bring palms together
• Extend trunk upwards
• Balance and breathe

• Repeat standing on the left leg

• Lie down
• Bend the knees, place the feet flat on the floor close to the buttocks, a hip-width apart
• Place your arms at your sides with palms down
• Tuck your tail in and tilt the pelvis so that the sacrum in the small of the back is flat on the floor
• On an in-breath, slowly raise the seat
• Breathe freely, on each in breath, push the seat up higher
• On an out-breath, slowly lower the seat, put the vertebrae down on the floor one by one
• This exercise flexes the back, especially the lumbar vertebrae and sacrum. It strengthens the muscles of the back, abdomen and thighs

• Repeat raising arms above head at same time as seat is raised

• Lie back, straighten the legs and relax in Savasana

• Lie back, bend knees over chest
• Rock from side to side on lower back to massage the spine and relax back muscles
• Squeeze the bent legs towards the sides of the chest
• Relax in corpse until breathing returns to normal

4. Breathing (10 minutes)

• We are going to sit in the easy posture and do some deep breathing, before relaxation
• This will help remove any excess lactic acid and urea that may have built up in the muscles
• If this is not removed, the muscle fibres tend to stick together – this is what causes stiffness
• Put on extra clothing so that you will be warm
• Sit in Dandasana
• Bend the legs and cross one shin over the other
• Rest the hands on the knees
• Keep the spine upright
• Be sure you are comfortable – if this posture is not comfortable for you, try sitting on your heels, or stay in Dandasana with your legs out straight

• 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, until fully recovered from postures

• Bend index and middle fingers of right hand
• Exhale, close right nostril with thumb, inhale left
• Close left with ring finger, exhale right
• Inhale right
• Close right, exhale left
• Continue with circular breathing: in-left, out-right, in-right, out-left
• Try to take the same time (e.g. 4 secs) for each stage
• Imagine the flow of breath cleansing and balancing the energy channels (nadi)
• Concentrate on your breathing 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

• Bring attention to right arm, from finger tips to shoulder
• On inhalation, raise right arm a few inches, clench fist and tense muscles of whole arm
• On exhalation, release, let in drop with a thud, surrender it to gravity, let it melt into the floor
• Repeat with left arm, right leg, left leg
• Now bring attention to trunk and spine, from pelvis, up spine to head
• Mentally scan trunk and spine, surrender it to gravity, let it melt into the floor
• Now the whole body feels soft and relaxed, melting into the floor
• Use the breath: on each exhalation feel the body softening further and melting into the floor
• Feel the floor coming up to meet your body and support it

• The whole body feels rested and refreshed

• Now start to deepen your breathing
• Become aware of the weight of your body lying on your mat, supported by the floor
• Become aware of this room and the other people in it
• Slowly begin to move and stretch
• When you are ready, roll over onto your side, open your eyes and sit up