Welcome back to our second video in the set of yoga for new practitioners.
We have done some movements last time with the idea of how to move the body,
how to move your breath with it and how to be aware of the movements of the
breath moving with the body. So this
flow of a awareness with the breath and body makes a combination of mind moving
with the breath and moving with a body. Then it will make the body, breath and mind
into a harmonious union.
That is yoga. That harmony is yoga.
So we look into that a little more today.
But again I am reminding you two things. First, be aware of your limitations and do only as much as you can. And second, it is not a substitute for a live class. So whenever you get a possibility to go to your class or your teacher go and learn with that live teacher.
I was never a fan of YouTube yoga teaching videos but this is the best option now, the best alternative: that's why I am doing this. So whenever you get the next chance go to a live
teacher there's no substitute to that because I cannot correct you if you are doing wrong from this video but being in front of the teacher is the best way to do the I practice.
So okay, we will move to our practice now.
What we have done before. I will just go through that once more.
First, coming out of your sitting position and stretching your legs one by one:
stretching to the heel and relaxing the spine. one by one: and then
comes the dog. Breathing in, tail up, head up: breathe out, tail rolled down: the
sacrum rolled back and down between your legs and the head down between your
shoulders. Breathe out. Breathe in and breathe out.
Breathe in and then sitting back you can spread
your legs out sit down on your heels and deop forward.
The Child's Pose:
This set we have done already.
So we add a little more movement to this. Before that we have to move our lower part a bit more. Lower part of the body connected to your hip and the upper part of your body connected to the hip too. So this hip, lower part upper part combination is a very important idea.
So we have to move that: we have to clear that.
So first, you sit back and keep the arms close to your buttocks and straighten up and stretch your feet back. Stretch back, stretch the feet towards you and keep breathing and relax. Stretch forward, like pointing forward and keep breathing.
And you can bring the toes down one side or the feet down to one side, both of them, keep breathing. Then roll them into you and keep breathing.
So, feel the stretch or the tightness that you feel there and keep breathing with it: that's all
You have to do.
Then bend your knee, one of your knees, hold it so that you can bring the heel
close to your buttocks and hold around as if you are hugging your knee.
It is good to have a hug there: breathe in and breathe out.
And bring the knee down to the side keep the back straight as much as possible you can use
your support to keep the back straight. If you cannot sit straight on your own, support that and then move: so, relaxing and moving the lower part of your body: the thigh connected to our hip joint: let's move there, feeling that movement.
The same with the other leg: hold around: breathe out to come close to your knees which you never do because knees are always down there: so now it is facing you. These are very important joints that are doing a big job for you. So appreciate that and say thank you
once in a while! And drop to the side so that you can dance at the sides.
So, that is moving the thigh in the hip. So that way, we have moved the toes, the ankles,
the knees, and the thigh in the hip.
So, there that is done.
Yes, after that you have to do a little more opening of the hip too -
for that, keep one of your leg straight simply stretch and then bend the other one
over the bottom one and the knees if possible in line with each other.
Hold it.. don't hold it up just hold it down.. and see that this foot is out if it is possible so that
it creates an opening here. And breathe. When you breathe feel the stretch at
the side of your thigh. Keep breathing feeling the stretch…breathe in, feel the stretch and breahe out, feel the stretch. After two three breaths you may feel something happening with
your stretch: breathing with the stretch: breathe in breathe out feel the stretch.
Okay so that is a way to release some tightness that you have here: don't force it, breathe through it.
The other one: feel the stretch releasing a bit if you have a little more observation, awareness of
what is happening there. And release it.
So this is a way to release the hip a bit so we will add more to this in the coming sessions.
Now come out to the earlier practice once more. Sitting back,the Vajrasana. Breathing into the dog, out to the cat…in to the dog. Now we add one more movement here: instead of sitting back directly to the child's
pose, now, we straighten both the knee. We have straightened one knee at a
time, you know that. So instead of moving
the leg out and straightening we keep the feet wherever they are, the toes
wherever they are, and just straighten the knees.
Breathe into the dog out.. going up with your tail.. that's called the mountain..down on your knees.. relax the spine back to the dog, breathing in and sit back and breathe out in the child’s
pose. And sit up.
So, I'll show you this once again.
From here, breathing into the dog, out to the cat, in to the dog and going up and down to the mountain.. keep breathing here.
Down to your knees, into the dog and sit back and relax the Child’s pose..and Sit up.
This can be an additional movement you can add to the mountain but see that you need not pull your heels down too much: you just drop to your heels and the stretch will come and
breathe with it so that the stretch can release; don’t fight with your body just open up and breathe and let go.
So that movement added to what we have done before. This much of body movements and breathing with it and being aware of it.
Now we add a little more to this..a breathing practice called Pranayama moving the prana..that is
the idea of pranayama: by moving the breath. So breath is a tool to move the life force in you, that is a basic idea of pranayama.
Now we'll see how we can do that. One Pranayama called an energizing pranayama.. called
Bhastrika.
It is just breathing in and out…with a little strength.. in.. out, in.. out
So that movement of breath. But if you do just breathe like that you may feel a little dizzy there and so we add a little more movement from the body to it.
So when I bring my arms up you may not be seeing my arm up so I this is just bringing the arm up and down so it is like this. Starting position is like this; the loose fist in front of your shoulders so it's it is neither loose or tight, like that. Loose the fist, loose the shoulders, loose the elbows. Relaxed, just they're free. And when you go up with the arms breathe in, you open the palms when you are up there your palms will be like this. So breathing in; and out when you come down bring your palms the arms down making the loose fist, no tight like that.
So it's like this; in out in out in out in out in out; maximum ten then you relax in this relaxed posture. the arms down on your lap. Palms remains like this our open on the knees and feel the sensations of the body, in the body, feel the breath and feel how are you. So you can do this
three times, three rounds of ten to twelve each and see the resultant state of the body. Is the body's more alive and energetic and the breath which is deep and long naturally and the mind which is settled and calm: the ideal combination of energetic body deep long breath and a
calm mind is the recipe for success. You see that we have done so that it's all
in side in the body in our breath in our mind in our energy. So nothing outside has contributed to that so it's our own practice that did it see that that is a aim of yoga to be awake and
alert and focused. See that it is there. Staying in that state for some time; a meditative state of being is yourself that is the practice. So see that you add a little more to your earlier practice
to this I will just show this once more. what we have done so far.
before going up first we stretch our legs and put the feet back, toes opened keep breathing and
the toes out to the sides and in; you can stay in all these positions for two three breaths I'm just going through what we have done. Bend your knee hold it around and breathe out so that you can bring up and bring the thigh close to you; down to the side and move it; keep breathing all the time; and the same with the other leg; bend the leg close. I'm just going through it so we can stay in every position for sometime, for some breaths and move it release it and then always relax in
between all these movements. And bend one knee and bring it back the foot back so that you get a stretch here. and stay with it breathe in and out; don't hold the breath. you can hold the position of the body but don't hold the breath and see how it affects the tightness or stretch that you feel in the body breathing in and breathing out; the same with the other okay? then the next one so then we come to the Vajrasana, the first sitting position; the first sitting position of us. And then,
breathing into the dog and out to the cat; in to the dog and out; legs stretching back; other leg,
bring it back into the dog out to the cat and to the dog; always breathe with it and straighten both legs keeping the toes wherever they are and out to the mountain; breathe out there you can stay in the mountain for 2-3 breaths; come down to the dog breathing sit back and relax.
And you can repeat this set for three to five times and then sit back in your comfortable sitting position.
and we do go for the Bhastrika; and loose fist in front of your shoulders back straight, chest open, shoulders relaxed; breathe in and out. when the arms are going up breathe in and out
back to the fist. 10 to 12 times and relax after that; with the state of you; the state of your body, the state of your breath, the state of you inside; that is state of meditativeness; staying that as
long as you feel like this is a way to come to you and feel good.
All the best for your practice stay home stay safe