Basic Practice 1b
Review the exercises from 1a before doing this next set of exercises.
Table Top
The next exercise focus on the shoulders, spine and legs first in isolation then together as an integrated action.
While sitting, place your hands on the floor behind you with fingers pointing forwards.
Bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor about shoulder width apart in front of you.
- Retract the shoulder blades. Feel your hands press into the floor.
- Relax the retraction.
Repeat a few times then:
- Retract the shoulder blades
- Bend the lumbar and thoracic spine backwards (you can lift the sacrum as you do so)
- Then relax both actions
Repeat a few times then:
- Retract the shoulder blades
- Bend the lumbar and thoracic spine backwards
- Press the feet down to lift the pelvis a few inches off of the floor.
- Lower the pelvis and relax
Repeat a few times then:
- Lift the pelvis gradually higher while keeping shoulder blades retracted and chest open.
- Lower and repeat a few times, then hold.
While holding see if you can reach your chest/front ribs backwards, away from your pubic bone and towards your chin.
Start with shoulders relaxed.
Retract shoulder blades.
Then lift and open chest (bend thoracic spine backwards).
Then lift the hips.
If you have trouble with any of these steps, then practice that step in isolation. i.e. for retraction practice relaxing shoulders then retracting shoulder blades. Repeat until you are comfortable with the action.
Boat Pose Hip Flexion 1 & 2
This next exercise focuses on active hip flexion one leg at a time while balancing on the buttocks.
You can also think of this as bending the hips forwards.
While sitting upright with knees bent and feet on the floor hip width apart reach your arms forwards and then lean your torso backwards keeping your spine “straight.”
While balancing on your butt with both heels on the floor:
- Lift one foot and pull the knee to the chest (keep the other foot on the floor.
- Then lower the leg.
- Lift the other foot, pull the knee to the chest (while keeping the chest lifted)
- Then lower the leg.
Repeat 3 to 5 times for each leg, alternating legs each time.
Lean back and reach the arms forwards (keeping the chest open.)
Lift one knee and pull it back towards the chest (without collapsing the chest.) Lower the leg and repeat with the other leg.
Rest for a few breaths and then do the same exercise but straighten the knee after pulling it towards the chest.
- Lift one knee
- Straighten that knee
- Put the foot down
- Repeat with the other leg.
Lean back keeping chest open.
Lift one knee and pull it towards your chest using your hip flexors.
Keep the knee pulling backwards, straighten the knee. (Then release and repeat on other side.)
Repeat two or more times on each side.
Seated Twist
This next exercise focuses on assisted spinal twisting.
Sitting cross legged with your hands on your waist or together in prayer in front of your chest, turn your ribcage to the right.
Hold the twist:
- gradually bend your thoracic and lumbar spine backwards and deepen the twist.
- slightly bend your thoracic and lumbar spine forwards and relax the twist a little.
Repeat a few times then switch the cross of your legs so that the other shin is in front and repeat the twist to the other side.
While bending forwards you can relax from the twist a little.
While bending the spine backwards work at deepening the twist.
Rolling Squat
The next exercise is to from a seated position to a squat. This is simply a way to transition from sitting to squatting (or standing).
- With feet lifted and knees spread apart reach your arms and chest forwards between your knees and try to roll to a squat.
- If you need to, start on your back and use momentum to first roll up to sitting a few times, then try rolling up onto your feet.
- You can also hold on to your knees when rolling up.
(If you have difficulty, try sitting on a yoga block and then rock forwards onto your feet.)
Work towards the point that you can slowly roll from your hips to your feet.