8 Minute Exercise routine
HEART OPENER (BACK BEND)
BEST PRACTICES:
• Don't try advanced back bends unless you are well warmed up
• In a beginner's Surya namaskar, remain happy with cobra --> moving into Upward Dog with time and spinal length.
• Cat/Cow is a great simple back bend to promote breathing and opening
• For deep backbends -- please insure your body is warmed up
• Sphinx and cow and bridge can be down with minimal warm up.
• Allow cervical vertebrae to continue in the natural arc from the spine. Do not force the head back at the top of the bend. (i.e. don't "deepen" your backbend by tilting at the neck)
• Hips, legs, stomach all come forward -- I see this as a VERY opening, courageous pose.
• YES : Strength through legs, strength in core -- helps support lower back
• Do not force lower back to bend -- Focus upon opening the heart.
BENEFITS:
• Opens heart
• Relieves stress
• Spine flexibility
• Builds energy
• Strengthens core
• Reverses normal forward bending energy of our culture. Expansive
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
• Do not hyper extend low back. The focus of the back bend is on opening the thoracic spine and strengthening the core, (NOT on seeing how far the lumbar vertebrae can arch)
• Do not bend the neck backward. Allow the natural arc all the way up the cervical vertebrae to the skull.
• Do not force the head back at the top of the bend. (i.e. don't "deepen" your backbend by tilting at the neck)
EXAMPLES:
• BEGINNER - Sphinx, Cat/Cow, arms over head (subtle), Cobra
• ADVANCED - UpDog, Bridge, Wheel, Camel, Locust
ENERGIES:
Invigorating, Strengthening, Expansive, Opening, Opens Heart
NOTES:
Opposite of "standard" and counteracts our typically forward bending culture of seated work and shoulders rolled forward.
Quick tip -- Put your hands on your hips and gently bend backwards without feeling like you are compromising your low back. Breathe deeply as you stare toward the heavens with the focus being upon opening your heart and rib cage (not upon how much you can "bend your back"
INVERSIONS
BEST PRACTICES:
• Headstand -- I think people should have a solid dolphin practice before attempting headstand to protect the neck muscles. The forearms should be supporting all of the weight (not the neck muscles) Ideally you can lift your head 1/8 inch off the ground (even simply energetically) and use just your forearms to support this pose.
BENEFITS:
• Reverses normal blood flow
• Massage organs with blood
• Less energy to saturate brain with blood
• Invert blood flow, massage organs with blood, less energy to saturate brain with blood.
• Reverse gravity
• Reverse blood flow (supports circulatory system) -- Heart doesn't need to beat as hard
• Enhances immunity (supports lymph system)
• Generally turns our world on its head.
• Clear benefits to the circulatory system via gravity
• Calming inversions settle the nervous system and heating inversions energize the nervous system
• “Put your feet up” — stimulates the lymphatic system thus invigorating the immune system
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
• Nobody should do headstand who cannot support their weight easily in dolphin. Neck strains in headstand are common.
• Shoulderstand -- take care to never turn the neck and support the spine in shoulderstand. Do not force this practice as it is very strong.
• Unmedicated high blood pressure, some heart conditions, neck injuries, recent stroke, detached retina, glaucoma, and epilepsy, menstruation
EXAMPLES:
• Beginner -- viparita karani, standing forward fold
• Advanced -- headstand, shoulderstand, handstand
ENERGIES:
• Invigorating or Calming depending on the inversion (headstand / handstand—> energizing; shoulderstand and viparita karani —> calming)
• Dynamic
NOTES:
Headstand and shoulderstand (king and queen of asanas) with handstand are the most obvious and are advanced yoga poses. Care should certainly be taken as these highly advanced postures are relatively simple to get into. They make an attractive aesthetic for people who don't have a solid practice.
Headstand is perhaps the most dangerous position because people who have no business doing it can often do it for long periods.
Morning Routine
In this 9 and a half minute video, I talk about some of the major patterns of exercise that I highly encourage and offer a simple 8 minute routine to start your day:
- Twists
Forward Bend
Heart Opener/Back Bend
Core Strengthening
Inspiring Traditions
Surya Namaskar -- Yogic
8 Piece Brocade -- Taoist
5 Tibetans -- Tibetan
7 Primals -- American
FORWARD BEND
BEST PRACTICES:
• Lengthen through the spine. Find the space between the vertebrae.
• On inhalation, discover length and spaciousness
• On exhalation, allow a deeper settling into the pose.
• Don't lock your knees. Quads are engaged to support knees. Hamstrings are releasing and stretching.
• Don't round the back
BENEFITS:
• Stretches Hips, Hamstrings, Calves
• Creates space, flexibility and strength in the spine
• Calms the mind
• Mild core work (abdominal)
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
• Low back pain/injury
EXAMPLES:
• Standing forward fold
• Seated forward fold
ENERGIES:
Introspective, Submission, Humbling
NOTES:
Standing forward bend -- can come up with straight back or rolling up the spine. It is more strengthening to internally rotate through quadraceps/engage core and lift with straight back. Be very mindful and bend your knees if you roll up one vertebrae at a time.
TWISTS
BEST PRACTICES:
• When in a twist, lengthen the spine on an inhalation and deepen into the twist on the exhalation
• Maintain spines natural arcs and flows. (Lumbar = lordosis / Thoracic = hunchback/ Cervical = lordosis)
• Begin twists near the hips and move the twist enegy upward to the neck
BENEFITS:
• Massage internal organs
• Aids digestion
• Relieves lower back pain
• Spinal flexibility -- Release tensions surrounding the spine.
• Draw energy up the spine.
• Open the breathing.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
• Spinal injuries
• Herniated discs
• Pinched nerves
• Rib injuries
• Hip Replacements
• Abdominal surgery
• Pregnancy
EXAMPLES:
• Chi Gong -- Kidney slap
• Simplest -- lying on the floor and put one leg over
• You can do a twist from almost any yoga pose
• Common Yogic Twists :Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated twist), Parivrtaa Parsvakonasana (standing sided angle twist), Natrajasana (lying down body twist with one leg over or both), Katichakrasana (standing twist)
ENERGIES:
Flexibility, Detoxifying
CORE WORK
BEST PRACTICES:
Careful of doing twisting core work before your core is strong. Twisting and lifting is a common cause of hernias.
Start simple with a few sit ups or a comfortable amount of time in plank slowly working up reps and time.
Taking it to the edge several times a day is more effective than pushing too hard once a week.
BENEFITS:
Reduce back pain.
Improve posture and balance.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
hernia, herniated disc
EXAMPLES:
• Squat
• Sit ups
• Plank
• Swimmer
• Navasana -- Boat Pose
• Side Plank
• Leg Lifts -- one at a time or both together (can do with opposite arm as well)
• Bicycle the legs lying on the back -- can do elbow to opposite knee
• Superman
ENERGIES:
Engaging, Stimulating
NOTES:
Core muscles include much more than abdominal or 6-pack muscles. From the psoas insertion on the thigh and the pelvic floor muscles all the way up our erector spinae to our neck and shoulders, an around the sides of our body, our entire pelvis, hips, and abdomen rely on our core muscles for strength and mobility.