The Joy of Exercise

Wide Knees (Inner-Thigh Stretch)

From supine rest position, draw one knee at a time up into the chest; the knees are wide to broaden the back of the pelvis, releasing the lower back, stretching the inner thighs and opening the hips.

1. Relax here, having a break from the breathing system, allowing the body just to sink and relax into the floor, directing the breath with the mind’s eye to where you feel the stretch.
2. Inhale to prepare.
3. Exhale, navel to spine allow the abdominals to sink down into the pelvic bowl, then gently widen your knees and relax the legs.

Variation

You can rotate the feet around the ankles in wide circular rotations. Limber and warm the ankles then reverse the rotation.

1. Inhale in one direction. 2. Exhale in the other.
2. 
3. This helps to pump the blood back a to the heart, aiding circulation in the lower limbs.
4. Twist rotation:
5. Inhale to prepare.
6. Exhale, draw the right knee towards you, pushing the left knee away; keep the knees bent and widen then hold for 3 breaths.
7. Inhale, come back to center and repeat other side.

This pose opens the hips, creating a twist and rotation of the lower back and pelvis.

Seated Pelvic Rock Series

Start sitting up tall, balancing on your sit bones with even pressure between the left and right buttocks to create length in the hips, waist, torso and neck, with extension through the crown and a slight tuck of the chin. The feet are 5-2 ft (45-60 cm) away from the buttocks; feet, knees and hips are in line. Think of lengthening through your spine.Sense the neutral spinal alignment with the three natural curves balanced in symmetry on top of each other and the head balancing in the middle.

1. Initiating the breathing system, inhale to prepare.
2. Exhale, draw navel to spine, tuck the pelvis, creating a crease, and fold across the abdominals and a C-curve in the spine, concentrating on breathing in between the shoulder blades.
3. Inhale and spring back up to neutral. Repeat 3 times.

Variation

1. Hold in the tuck position for 5 breaths.
2. Each time you exhale, scoop the abdominals deeper towards the spine, with the focus of breathing and
3. broadening the mid-back muscles. Sense this expansion in the back of the ribcage and breath into it.
4. Inhale, spring back to neutral, and push past neutral, tilting the pelvis away from you, arching the spine and presenting the chest. Hold it here, sensing the expansion in the front of the ribcage, and breath into it, opening your lungs.
5. Exhale and release back to neutral.

This pose mobilizes and rejuvenates the spine, creating a lumbar pelvic relationship, toning the abdominals and increasing the lung volume.

Oblique Curl-Up

Starting in supine rest position, ensuring the pelvis is in neutral, have one hand under the head, the other extended beside the body.

1. Simply inhale and hunch the shoulders up around the ears.
2. Exhale, draw them down activating the Thoracic girdle. This is imperative for the protection of the neck during this exercise.
3. Inhale, lift the elbow of the arm behind your head and drop the shoulder, preparing the neck for movement.
4. Exhale, sense the breastbone moving away from you as the ribcage compresses down, engaging navel to spine and the pelvic platform. Then lift the head to hover 2 inches (5 cm) off the floor, and sense the weight of the head in the hands.
5. Inhale with a small breath up into the ribcage.
6. Exhale, curl the head up, while twisting the upper body, working the shoulder to the opposite knee, getting a sense of ironing the ribcage flat with the abdominals as you crunch to the side.
7. Inhale, release back to a hover and exhale.

The oblique (side) abdominal muscles get a real workout during this exercise, creating the classic hourglass shape.

The rectus abdominis (known as the six-pack muscle) also gets toned while working with the deeper abdominals, enhancing core stability

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Category: Bodybuilding, Exercise, Relax, Workout, Yoga, gym

Tags: abdominals, away, back, back to neutral, breath, breathing, creating, draw, exhale, head, hips, inhale, inhale to prepare, knee, knees, navel to spine, neutral, pelvic, pelvis, ribcage, sense, spine, supine rest position, work