troy yoga short series

WINTER HOME PRACTICE

FIND A QUIET, WARM SPACE WITH NO DISTRACTIONS. YOU’LL NEED ABOUT A HALF HOUR FOR THIS ABBREVIATED PRACTICE.

START SEATED –
CENTERING AND BODY/MIND/EMOTIONS/ENERGY LEVEL SCAN

ARMS/SHOULDERS WARM UP –
HANDS IN PRAYER POSE, INTERLACE AND EXHALE STRETCH OUT IN FRONT, INHALE AND STRETCH UP, EXHALE RELEASE HANDS AND PRESS DOWN. PRAYER POSE, SWITCH HAND GRIP & REPEAT

CAT/COW STRETCH –
TABLE POSE, INHALE LIFT TAIL AND EYES TO CEILING, DROP BELLY. EXHALING, PULL BELLY BUTTON TO SPINE, PRESS HANDS INTO FLOOR, TUCK HIPS UNDER. FOLLOW BREATH RHYTHM AND REPEAT AS YOU LIKE.

HAMSTRING STRETCH –
STILL IN TABLE POSE, STRAIGHTEN ONE LEG OUT BEHIND, TUCK TOES UNDER AND KEEP THAT HIP FACING THE FLOOR. BREATH AND EXTEND. REPEAT WITH OTHER LEG.

FROG POSE-
FROM TABLE, MOVE HIPS TO HEELS, ARMS OUTSTRETCHED ALONG THE FLOOR, FOREHEAD TO MAT, AND BREATHE. THEN BOTH ARMS REACH TO THE RIGHT, HOLD AND BREATHE. REPEAT ON OTHER SIDE.
ROLL WEIGHT BACK ONTO HIPS, BRING KNEES TOGETHER
ROLL SPINE UP TO SITTING (KNEELING) IN VIRASANA
TUCK TOES UNDER ROLL UP TO STANDING POSITION

STANDING FORWARD BEND (UTTANASANA)-
INHALE ARMS UP OVERHEAD, PALMS FACING, FINGERS ORGANIZED AND REACHING FOR CEILING. LOOK UP BETWEEN HANDS & INHALE. BEGIN TO BEND FROM THE HIPS AS YOU EXHALE, LEGS STRAIGHT ARMS REACHING. WHEN FINGERS TOUCH FLOOR, BRING HANDS TO ANKLES, CALVES, OR HANG ONTO PANTS LEGS. KEEP STRAIGHTENING LEGS, LIFTING TAIL BONE TO CEILING – UPPER BODY IS RELAXED. BREATHE.

MODIFIED REVOLVED TRIANGLE –
FROM STANDING FORWARD BEND, RELEASE HANDS AND HEEL-&-TOE FEET OUT PAST LONG EDGES OF MAT, KEEP FEET PARALLEL. THEN BRING LEFT HAND TO OUTSIDE OF RIGHT ANKLE, SWEEP RIGHT ARM UP AND EYES GAZE AT RIGHT HAND. BREATHE, LEGS STRONG AND STRAIGHT, BELLY SOFT. RELEASE ON AN EXHALE AND REPEAT ON OTHER SIDE.

THEN BEND KNEES AND ROLL BODY UP TO STANDING
HEEL-&-TOE FEET TOGETHER
COME DOWN TO FLOOR ON BELLY AND PREPARE FOR COBRA SERIES

TWO-PART COBRA SERIES –
PREP POSITION: ON BELLY, PALMS PLACED DEEPLY UNDER SHOULDERS FINGERTIPS LINED UP WITH ARMPITS. ELBOWS ARE TIGHT TO THE RIBS, SHOULDERS STRONGLY PRESS DOWN TOWARD FEET. FOREHEAD ON MAT.

1. INHALE AND LIFT NOSE AND CHIN, GAZE ABOUT 12” IN FRONT OF YOU WITH SOFT EYES AND FACE. KEEP BREATHING AND LIFT CHEST JUST TO THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO LIFT HANDS OFF THE MAT. BREATH, THEN ON AN EXHALE SLOWLY LOWER DOWN AND REST CHEEK TO ONE SIDE, RELAX LEGS COMPLETELY.

2. COME TO PREP POSITION. INHALE AND LIFT NOSE AND CHIN, THEN WITH WEIGHT COMING INTO HANDS AND ELBOWS SOFT (NEVER LOCKED), LIFT BOTTOM RIBS FROM THE MAT. KEEP SHOULDERS DOWN AND BACK OF SKULL LIFTING. FEET AND LEGS STAY ON THE FLOOR, PELVIC BONE PRESSES INTO MAT. BREATHE. THEN ON AN EXHALE SLOWLY LOWER DOEN AND REST CHEEK TO OTHER SIDE, RELAX LEGS COMPLETELY.
ROLL ONTO BACK FOR SPINAL TWIST AND YOGA NIDRA (RELAXATION)

EASY SPINAL TWIST –
ON BACK BEND YOUR KNEES AND PLACE FEET ON FLOOR. CROSS RIGHT LEG OVER LEFT, REACH RIGHT ARM OUT TO RIGHT SIDE, AND USE LEFT HAND TO GUIDE LEGS TO LEFT. TURN FACE AND EYES TO RIGHT AND RELAX HERE. BREATH AND LET GRAVITY BRING YOU DEEPER INTO THE TWIST. INHALE AND UNTWIST, CENTER YOURSELF, THEN REPEAT ON LEFT SIDE, CROSS LEFT LEG OVER RIGHT AND TWISTING TO RIGHT. BREATHE.

UNTWIST, EXTEND BOTH LEGS OUT, AND PREPARE FOR YOGA NIDRA. COVER UP IF YOU FEEL COLD AND FIND A COMFORTABLE, SYMMETRICAL POSITION TO REST IN.

YOGA NIDRA-
FOCUSING ON THE BREATH, RELAX THE BODY FROM THE TOES TO THE HEAD. LET EVERY EXHALATION TAKE YOU DEEPER INTO THE STILLNESS AND SILENCE THAT EXISTS BEYOND THINKING MIND. FEEL THE MUSCLES AND BONES RELEASING AND THE BREATH DEEPENS, SLOWS, AND SMOOTHS OUT. WHEN A THOUGHT APPEARS, LABEL IT “THINKING” AND RETURN YOUR FOCUS TO THE BREATH. DO THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. STAY IN YOGA NIDRA FOR AS LONG AS YOU LIKE, SAVORING THE COMPLETE PEACE YOU FIND HERE.

NAMASTE!