Warming up to yoga

As you leaf through this book you'll see a wide variety of yoga sets, or kriyas, and yoga poses. Many require some flexibility and should not be done "cold." As you choose different yoga sets, refer back to this chapter for essential warm-up poses and practice them for at least 10 minutes before you move on. Choose between the Spinal Warm-ups and Kneeling Sun Salutation, or do both for an especially satisfying experience. These exercises and poses loosen up your spine and back muscles, all the way from your tailbone to your neck. Rotating joints is key, as is stretching the nerves and muscles in the arms and legs. You will be able to accomplish all this in just 10—15 minutes.

Spinal warm-ups

The following exercises prepare the body, and specifically the spine, for the rest of the yoga in this book. Although they need not all be done each time you practice yoga, the key point is to begin at the base of the spine and work your way upward toward the neck.

Lower spine flex

In this exercise you are loosening the vertebrae of the lower spine. The spinal fluid and pranic life energy in the lower spine are also activated and begin to circulate upward throughout the spine.

1: Start in Easy pose: sit on the floor with your legs crossed and tucked in. Straighten the spine by pressing the chest slightly forward and lifting the rib cage. Relax the shoulders and slightly tuck the chin in.

2: Now take hold of your outside ankles with both hands. Inhale and flex your spine forward. The chest lifts and the shoulders drop back. Keep your head upright as you move your spine.

3: Exhale and round the back, slump the chest, and let the shoulders fall forward. Continue in a rhythmic forward and backward manner Feel your pelvis rock forward and back as you flex, and each vertebra of your spine curl and uncurl. Pick up the pace for 1-2 minutes, then inhale deeply, hold, exhale, and relax your breath and the pose.

Upper spine flex

The vertebrae of the mid-spine are flexed in this pose, and digestion is stimulated. Energy is circulated throughout the middle and upper back. The head moves in tandem with the spine in a fluid motion.

1: Sitting in Rock pose, grasp your knees with your hands and straighten your elbows. Inhale and stretch your body forward. Your chest should be lifted, the shoulders back and relaxed, the chin slightly tucked in toward the neck.

2: Exhale and slump the spine as far as possible, shoulders rounded forward. Keep your elbows as straight as possible throughout the exercise. Focus your awareness on the areas from the mid-spine up through the shoulder blades. Feel each vertebra flexing. Begin slowly and as you go, pick up the pace for 1-2 minutes. Inhale deeply and stretch the chest out. Then exhale and relax the breath and the pose.

Twists

The entire spine is loosened and the vertebrae are adjusted. This active spinal twist massages all the organs of the torso, improves digestion, and tones the lateral and abdominal muscles.

1: Sit in Easy pose, stretch the spine up, chest out, and bring your hands up to grasp the shoulders with the fingers in the front and the thumbs in the back. Keep the upper arms parallel to the ground.

2: Twist as far as you can in each direction, swinging freely from side to side. Inhale to the left and exhale to the right Breathe rhythmically and powerfully for 1-2 minutes.

Shoulder shrugs

Shoulder tension is common in the fast-paced life most of us lead, and it often contributes to tension headaches as well. In this exercise, the tension in the shoulders is pressurized as you squeeze upward, and then released as you drop the shoulders.

1: Sit in Easy pose. Straighten your spine and bring your neck and spinal vertebrae in line. Keep your hands relaxed on your knees. Inhale and lift your shoulders straight up.

2: Exhale and let your shoulders drop down. Use a powerful breath and continue Shoulder Shrugs for 1-2 minutes. Then inhale deeply, stretch the shoulders up and hold for a few seconds, then exhale, relaxing down. Feel a warm energy circulating throughout the shoulder and neck area.

Neck rolls

In the previous exercises, spinal fluid and pranic life energy have been stimulated and circulated from the spine upward. This exercise releases the tension in the neck, allowing the energy to flow into the head.

1: Keeping your jaw relaxed and your mouth slack, gently drop your head forward, and as you inhale begin to rotate the head around to the left shoulder your chin will come over the left shoulder as you inhale and your head will slowly circle in a smooth, continuous motion.

2: As you exhale, your head will move over the right shoulder and back to the front. Move meditatively and slowly. After 3-4 circles, reverse the direction. Inhale to the right, and exhale as the head comes around to the left. Continue for 3-4 circles, then inhale and bring your head to the front. Exhale and relax.

Spread stretch

This exercise increases flexibility. It stretches and strengthens the hips, lower spine, and lateral muscles from the upper chest to the pelvis. The sciatic nerve is strengthened as the leg muscles receive a beneficial stretch.

1: Spread the legs as far apart as is comfortable. Place your hands by your hips and lift your body slightly so that you are up on your buttocks and your lower spine is straight.

2: Inhale as you stretch your arms straight up overhead, lengthening the spine and lifting the rib cage.

3: Exhale and reach for the outside of your left foot with your left hand, and the left toes with your right hand. If you cannot reach this far reach your ankle or calf Keep your chin parallel to the ground. Inhale and lift up to the center.

4: Exhale and stretch over the right leg in the same manner as for the left leg. Then inhale up to the center again, and continue the stretching pattern for 1-2 minutes.

5: Inhale and lift up to the center and exhale down. Then stretch your hands out toward each ankle and bring your chest close to the floor lengthening the spine as you do so. Hold the downward stretch and begin either deep breathing or Breath of Fire for I minute. Then inhale and hold the breath for a few seconds.

6: Exhale and slowly sit up. Push with your hands on the ground to bring yourself back to a sitting position to avoid straining the lower back.

7: Inhale deeply as you return to the upright position. Then exhale and relax out of the position. Only stretch as much as feels comfortable in this exercise if you are not flexible.

Kneeling sun salutation

This series of postures is a modified version of the classic Sun Salutation. By regularly practicing the Kneeling Sun Salutation, you will find it easier to practice the Moon Salutation. The Kneeling Sun Salutation will flex your spine in every direction, stretch your limbs, deepen your breathing, and enable you to experience a place of peace.

When you move from one posture into another in a set — inhaling into one pose, exhaling into the next, and so on — the set is referred to as Vinyasa. This dynamic style of yoga practice allows your body to get used to the postures gently and gradually. As you move, the Vinyasa allows you to focus your breath on different parts of your body and heighten the intensity of the effect of each movement. Once you get a feel for it, it becomes a beautiful yoga dance of your body and your breathing.

1: Sit back on the heels in Rock pose and place your hands on your thighs. If this is uncomfortable, kneel up so that your body forms a straight line from the knees upward.

2: As you inhale, kneel up slowly and lift your arms out in front of your body and upward. As you complete your inhalation, kneel fully up with your chest lifted and arms extended overhead. Pause the breath for a few seconds. For those with lower back difficulties, sweep your arms out to the sides of your body and then upward.

3: As you begin to exhale, slowly sit back on the heels once again while you bring your arms back down in front of your body. As you near the end of your exhalation, dome the back and bring your forehead to the ground in an extended Child's pose, with your arms stretched out in front of you on the ground. Hold the exhale and remain still for a few seconds. To protect your lower back, sit back onto the heels before bringing the arms down just in front of your knees, then as you bring your forehead to the ground, stretch your arms out in front of you and finish the exhale.

4: Inhale and lean into your arms as you lift your body forward onto your knees and hands with your buttocks up. Your spine curves toward the ground and your head is lifted with the shoulders relaxed. Lengthen your spine and press the tailbone back as you complete the inhalation. This is called Cow pose.

5: As you exhale, keep the hands in place while you come onto your feet and hands in Downward Dog. Your body forms a triangle with your buttocks at the highest point. Straighten the legs and press the heels to the ground. Stretch your spine away from the ground. Your hips will move toward the ceiling and back away from your hands. This will give your arms, spine, and legs a deep stretch.

6: Either go on to step 8 or move into Upward Facing Dog: position your feet a few inches further back as you begin inhaling. Lower your body down until it is a few inches from the ground. Press into your arms and lift your chest and head in Upward Facing Dog pose as you finish the inhalation. Keep your movements fluid.

7: Exhale as you return to Downward Dog, lifting the pelvis upward and pressing it back. You may need to adjust your feet again, bringing them forward a few steps.

8: Begin to reverse the order of the Vinyasa: as you inhale, gently come onto your knees into Cow pose.

9: Then exhale back into the extended Child's pose, following the sequence described.

10: Inhale and exhale into Rock pose - back to step I - to end one round of Kneeling Sun Salutation. Inhale and repeat the sequence from step 2 for as many rounds as you like.