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 has its origins about 4000 years ago i.e. about same age as Stone Henge
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali be steady and comfortable = perfected posture
• 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
• Recall the colour that you associate with calmness

• 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)

• Lie semi supine arms at sides palms down, exhale
• Inhaling raise arms above head
• Exhaling lower arms
• Repeat for several cycles

• Exhaling bring knees over chest
• Inhaling return feet to floor
• Repeat for several cycles

• Exhaling bring knees over chest pushing down on arms
• Inhaling return feet to floor and raise arms over head
• Repeat slowly for several cycles

• Lie semi supine arms at sides palms down
• Inhaling slowly raise the seat while raising arms over head, push the seat up higher
• Exhaling slowly lower the seat, put the vertebrae down on the floor one by one while lowering arms
• Repeat slowly for several cycles

• Now join the two sequences together
• Lie semi supine arms at sides palms down
• Exhaling bring knees over chest pushing down on arms
• Inhaling return feet to floor, raise seat while raising arms over head
• Exhaling lower seat and arms, bring knees over chest
• Repeat slowly for several cycles

• Lie back, straighten the legs and relax in Savasana

• Sit with knees bent up, feet flat on floor
• Clasp hands behind knees
• Round the back, bend the head down to knees
• Rock backwards while breathing out, and forwards while breathing in – close eyes if you like
• Gradually increase the rock until the feet touch the floor behind the head, do it 10 times
• This exercise massages the spine, releasing stiffness and it stimulates the internal organs
• It is a necessary precursor to the headstand, as a safety precaution

• Lie semi-supine, resting on bent elbows and forearms
• Bend right knee over chest, breathing out }
• Straighten leg at same level, breathing in } x 6
• Bend right knee over chest, breathing out }
• Straighten leg vertically, breathing in } x 6
• Repeat with left leg, then both legs

• Now with upper body lying flat, make big circles with the legs, one leg at a time, both legs alternating, both legs together
• first in one direction, then in reverse

• Bend right knee, clasp back of lower thigh
• Rotate ankle only, one direction, then the other
• Rotate lower leg only, one direction, then the other
• With inside of arms clasped round shin, push right knee towards right arm pit, then left arm pit, onto floor if possible
• Repeat with left leg

• Put arms out from sides of body in a T shape, palms down keep shoulders in contact with floor throughout
• Bend knees, feet together on floor near buttocks
• 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 together near buttocks

• On an out breath, lower both knees to the floor on the right of the body and turn head to the left, hold & breathe
• Now straighten legs to side, hold & breathe
• On an in breath, raise upper leg to vertical, followed by lower leg and bring head back to centre
• Bend knees and put feet on floor
• Repeat to left
• Do 3 cycles
• On an out breath, straighten legs and rest

• Raise head and look at feet
• Slowly raise spine, vertebra by vertebra and come up to sitting position

• 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

• Squat on parallel flat feet 12 to 18 inches apart
• Rest armpits on knees grasping upper arms
• Hold and breathe

• Point feet and knees out to sides
• Press palms together, bend elbows and place them inside knees
• Inhaling look up, press knees apart with elbows
• Exhaling extend palms forwards, arms straight, and press knees towards each other, head down
• Repeat several times
• Sit with legs out straight and shake out the legs

• Sit in Dandasana
• Separate legs and roll them outwards
• Bend the right knee and place the foot at the perineum
• Let gravity take knee towards floor
• Now reverse the legs
• Then repeat with the "worst" leg and bend the other leg so that the other foot sits on top of the first
• Insert outer edge of upper sole between calf and thigh of lower leg, let knees go towards floor
• Concentrate on your breathing, making the inhalation and exhalation continuous (saturation breathing) and silently saying puraka and rechaka

• Sit in Dandasana hands by hips back upright
• Bend both knees out to sides and place soles of feet together
• Relax, breathe, let knees fall out

• Now take hold of feet and pull while pushing knees down
• Relax, breathe, let knees fall out

• Now also use elbows to push down on inner thighs

• Relax, breathe, let knees fall out

• Now raise arms over head and bend forward from hips with straight back, looking up
• Return to upright, straighten legs and relax

• Sit in Dandasana
• Bend right knee to side and press heel into perineum
• Inhaling raise hands over head
• Exhaling bend forward from hips with flat back moving towards left foot
• Hold left shin/ankle/foot and inhaling pull trunk upwards and forwards
• Exhaling bend down over outstretched leg, head towards knee
• Breathe freely sinking lower on exhalations
• Repeat twice
• Repeat to left
• Return to upright, straighten legs, relax

• 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

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

• Sit on your heels and put your forehead on the floor
• Exhaling, stretch your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to each other, palms on the floor and press your shoulders down close to the floor

• Bend neck forward lowering head
• Bend neck backwards head back
• Bend neck to right head on shoulder
• Bend neck to left head on shoulder
• Circle head slowly in one direction, then the other

• Start from the upward kneeling position hands on hips with fingers and thumb pointing forwards, elbows back
• Put the right foot flat on the floor with knee at right angle
• Exhaling, lunge forwards, stretching back with the left leg and keeping the body upright
• Hold and breathe

• Repeat but rest right elbow on right knee and take left arm to horizontal pointing backwards over left leg, face backwards
• Exhaling, lunge forwards, stretching back with the left leg and keeping the body upright
• Hold and breathe

• Repeat but raise both arms to horizontal, right arm forward, left arm back, face forwards
• Exhaling, lunge forwards, stretching back with the left leg and keeping the body upright
• Hold and breathe

• From start position, straighten right leg and push right hip back, then return to start hands on hips
• Repeat lunge but rest left elbow on right knee and place hands on hips, face backwards

• Repeat kneeling on right knee, left foot flat on floor

• 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 with feet about one foot apart
• Inhaling rise up onto toes and hold for 3 breaths, then exhaling lower
• Repeat twice
• Repeat raising arms straight forwards up to vertical palms forward on inhalation, lower on exhalation
• Shake out the legs

• We are going to do some warrior postures they are quite strenuous: make sure that you are steady and comfortable, use the breath and relax into the postures, don't strain beyond your capacity; it is better to do less and do it right than to try to do more and do it wrongly
• Stand in Tadasana
• Take 2 or 3 breaths to calm the mind and energise the body
• Inhale and step out 4 feet to the right, raising arms sideways to shoulder level, palms down
• Turn right foot 90 degrees, left 15 degrees
• Turn head to the right and look down the right arm
• Exhale and bend right leg to right angle, shin vertical, thigh horizontal
• Breathe
• Avoid unnecessary tension e.g. in face, throat, abdomen – tension causes strain and wastes energy
• Return to Tadasana

• Stand in Tadasana
• Inhale and step out 4 feet to the right, raising arms sideways to shoulder level, palms down
• Turn right foot 90 degrees, left 15 degrees
• Exhale, bend right knee to a right angle, place right elbow on right thigh left hand on hip breathe
• Extend left arm over head in line with body and look up at left hand breathe
• Return to Tadasana

• Repeat, but place right hand flat on floor behind right foot

• Now repeat Warrior II and extended lateral angle to the left side

• Stand in Tadasana hands on hips
• Step out to right 4 feet
• Turn left foot 60 degrees in and right foot 90 degrees out, hips facing right, elbows to sides
• Raise arms out sideways to horizontal palms down
• Bend right knee to right angle and turn trunk to face right arms straight out to sides
• Return to start

• Repeat, then turn trunk to right and place left elbow on right knee, palms together in prayer position, face right
• Return to start

• Repeat, then place right hand on right hip with right shoulder back
• Return to start and repeat to left
• Return to start and relax

• Stand in Tadasana
• Keeping heels down, bend the knees to 60 degrees, bending ankles and hips to "chair" position
• Hold and breathe
• Return to start
• Repeat twice

• Now repeat again, stretching arms forwards and straight up, palms together over head

• Shake out legs, rotate shoulders to relax

• 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)

• 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
• Place the backs of the hands on the thighs
• Breathe normally, until fully recovered from postures

• Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils, mentally say Purakaonce
• Hold the breath in, mentally say Kumbhaka once
• Exhale slowly, mentally say Rechaka once
• Hold the breath out, mentally say Kumbhaka once

• Imagine the flow of breath healing the body
• 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

• Feel the weight of the cover on top of your body, you are warm
• Feel where your clothes touch your skin, you are comfortable
• Feel where you are in contact with the floor, you are supported
• The floor comes up to meet your body, like being in a lift going up
• Surrender to that support, relax your muscles, feel them soften, melt into the floor
• Take your awareness to each point of contact and give in to the support, release, relax
• Feel the support at your right heel. . . .back of head
• On each out breath relax further, let go
• On each in breath feel lightness, warmth, buoyancy
• You feel steady and stable and calm
• Now you are floating above the ground, flying freely in the open air
• There are lush green fields below you
• It is summer and warm
• There is a blue sky with small white fluffy clouds above you
• You can feel the soft warm air flowing past your skin
• Now in the distance you can see a city, a silver city
• You are above bon Accord Square, number 8, this room
• You have landed, you are supported by the floor

• Now feel the whole body
• The whole body is drained of tension
• The muscles of the whole body are soft and melting

• The body and mind feel rested and refreshed

• Bring your attention back to the body, lying on your mat in this room
• 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