5. ANJALI YOGA Series #3

Description

Start: Crown Anjali
1. Head Swings on Back
2. Rocking Baby & Wiggle
3. Leg Circles
4. Butterfly Wings
5. Grab Feet & Pull
6. Monkey Climbs the Coconut Tree
7. Rotate the Body
8. Twist the Hips
9. Walk on Clouds & Leg Scissors
10. Lower Back Circles
11. Abs Workout
12. Arc on Back
13. Crescent Moon on Back
14. Deep Breath on Back
15. Rocking Baby You

End: Crown Anjali

 

Start: Crown Anjali

• Bring your hands together in the Anjali Crown mudra
• Bow to others and to the Self.

 

<P> <GL-SL> <DB> <DB3> <RE>

 

1. Head Swings on Back

• From Crown Anjali, come to Ajna Anjali and Heart Anjali.
• Continue to brush the energy down the body until you touch the ground.
• Lie down on your back (supine or dreamtime position). Hands flat on your sides.
• Swing your head from right to left. Do one set of 9 counts. Keep the body straight.
• Switch to swing your head from left to right. Do another set of 9 counts.
• Now rotate your chin 9 times clockwise and 9 times counterclockwise.
• Coordinate your in-breath and out-breath with the swings & rotations.

2. Rocking Baby & Wiggle

• Bend the knees and bring your legs to your chest.
• Wrap your hands around your knees.
• Start to gently rock and wiggle your lower back & hips.
• Allow your torso, shoulders and head to follow the motion.
• Find your own gentle rhythm.
• ENJOY ROCKING yourself. You are your own baby. Feel love for yourself.

 

3. Leg Circles

• Put your hands on your sides, palms down.
• Keep your legs joined together (knees half-bent), point your feet and make large circles.
• Do 2 sets of 9 counts, first going left and then going right.
• Make the circles as large and as even as possible. Coordinate with breathing.
• Feel the stretch on your hips and lower back.

 

4. Butterfly Wings

• Place your feet flat on the ground close to your lower back, keeping the knees bent.
• Open your legs like a butterfly wing and do a set of 9 "flaps".
• When you come to the last flap, go very slow and let your knees flap out on their own, rebounding in a completely relaxed way. <DB>
• Do 2 other sets of 9 flaps.

5. Grab Feet & Pull

• Open the legs wide with your feet sole to sole.
• Grab your feet with your hands (fingers interlaced) and pull your feet towards your head.
• Do 2 sets of 9 pulls.

6. Monkey Climbs the Coconut Tree

• Grab your left foot (around the toes) with your left hand.
• Grab your right foot (around the toes) with your right hand.
• Extend your left foot (still holding the toes) as straight up as possible.
• Bring it down and extend your right foot up.
• Do 2 sets of 9 "climbing steps", taking a deep breath in between.
• Imagine you are getting to some beautiful coconuts on top of the tree.

7. Rotate the Body

• Stretch your legs down, lying on your back with your hands on the sides (palms down).
• Place your left foot on your right ankle.
• Keep your head fixed, look up straight above into your Triangle of Vision.
• Swing your hips left & right for 9 counts.
• Do 2 sets of 9 counts.
• Feel that the body is rotating around a straight axis going from your heels to the top of your head.

 

8. Twist the Hips

• Keep your right leg extended on the ground.
• Place your left foot on your right knee and your right hand on your left knee.
• Keep your left hand flat on the ground (palm down) and your left shoulder as close to the ground as possible.
• Start gently pushing on your left knee until it touches the ground. Find your own comfortable range.
• Feel the opposite stretch between your left shoulder and your left knee. Feel the twist on your hips and lower back.
• <DB>
• Switch to the other side and enjoy the stretch between your right shoulder and your right knee. Feel the opposite twist on hips and lower back.

 

9. Walk on Clouds & Leg Scissors

• Bring your knees to your chest. Your hands are flat down on the sides.
• Imagine there is a field of nice round clouds in the sky and you are going to talk a walk in that field of clouds.
• Just use your legs as if "walking" on the earth, except you are walking on clouds.
• Make sure you rotate your feet all the way around with each step.
• Do 2 sets of 9 counts.
• Come back to knees on the chest. <DB>
• Extend your legs in front and out.
• Move your legs laterally, in a "scissors" fashion, alternately crossing right and left legs.
• Push and extend the leg motion to a comfortable maximum.
• Do 2 sets of 9 counts.

10. Lower Back Circles

• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground close to your lower back. Your hands are flat down on the sides.
• Raise your lower back up until there is a straight slope between your knees and your head.
• <DB>
• Make 9 circles with your hips, starting on the left.
• Push on your feet and make the circles as wide and even as possible.
• <DB> Make 9 circles on the right.

 

11. Abs Workout

Front Pushes:
• Come back down on the ground, keeping your knees bent.
• Open your legs while keeping your lower back flat on the ground.
• Bring your hands together on your chest, right hand over left. <DB>
• Place your hands side by side with their backs up.
• Push your hands out front between the legs while raising your head and shoulders.
• Come back and turn your hands around (side to side with palms up).
• Push your hands out front between the legs. This is 1 count.
• Do 2 sets of 9 counts.
• Feel your abdominal muscles getting a workout.
• Bring your hands to rest on your chest, left hand upon right. <DB>

Full Swings:
• Straighten up your arms, interlace your fingers (with index pointing) and bring arms & hands all the way around and down on the ground behind your head.
• Swing your arms and point your index fingers between the legs.
• Do 1 set of 9 counts.
• Rest your body and arms <DB>.
• Do another set of 9 counts. Go for the effort.
• Come back down. Bring your arms alongside the body. Relax. <DB>

12. Arc on Back

• Raise your lower back.
• Turn your hands around to face the ground and place them by your shoulders.
• <DB> Push on your feet and hands to arc your body in a semi-circle.
• Try to lift your head from the ground as much as possible.
• Do small pushes, coordinating them with your breath.

 

13. Crescent Moon on Back

• Come back on your back with your knees raised.
• Grab you ankles with your hands.
• Pull your feet underneath your thighs with the soles up.
• Arch your back and push your head backwards as far as possible.
• Try to keep your knees together as they are touching the ground.
• Take a deep breath and relax in that posture.
• Lie down on your back in the dreamtime position. 

 

14. Deep Breath on Back

 

Deep Breath #1:
• Lie on your back and relax completely.
• Slowly take a deep full breath, counting 1 to 9.
• Fill up completely the belly, diaphragm and lungs.
• Hold on to your in-breath for 3 counts.
• Breathe out slowly, counting 1 to 9.
• Take 3 or more regular breaths (in and out) until your breathing is normalized.

Deep Breath #2:
• Slowly take another deep full breath, counting 1 to 9.
• Fill up completely the belly, diaphragm and lungs.
• Hold on to your in-breath for a little longer (6 counts).
• Breathe out slowly, counting 1 to 9.
• Take 3 or more regular breaths (in and out) until your breathing is normalized.

Deep Breath #3:
• Slowly take a third deep full breath, counting 1 to 9.
• Fill up completely the belly, diaphragm and lungs. And a little more.
• Hold on to your in-breath for 9 counts.
• Breathe out slowly, counting 1 to 9.
• Take 3 or more regular breaths (in and out) until your breathing is normalized.

Heart Breathing:
• Focus on your heart and feel your full regular breath drawing in the love from the universe.
• Do a few relaxed, expanded breaths bringing universal love into your heart and breathing out to the universe your own personal frequency of love.
• Feel the Peace and the Harmony.

 

15. Rocking Baby You

• Bring your knees to your chest.
• Interlace your fingers and hold your knees.
• Start rocking yourself in gentle, loving ways. Pat yourself like a baby.
• Acknowledge your human beauty and your spirit infinity.
• Come in a sitting position and slowly raise yourself to your feet.
• Touch the ground and unfold your spine vertebra by vertebra.

 

Completion: Crown Anjali

• Bring your hands together in Heart Anjali, Ajna Anjali.
• Come to compeltlion in the Anjali Crown mudra
• Bow to others and to the Self. 

NAMASTE!