The Joy of Exercise

Balancing on your sit bones, this time the feet and knees are pressed together, activating the inner thighs for extra stability.

Holding your hand towel, slide your shoulders down into the mid-back with the Thoracic girdle active and the neck long, lengthening through the spine.

1. Inhale to prepare.
2. Exhale, draw navel to spine, tucking the pelvis under, start to roll down through the spine, with abdominal control, articulating each vertebra into the floor as if you are laying down a string of pearls.
3. As the head touches the floor, inhale the arms up in line with the shoulders.

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Child (Balasana)

Folding the body into the pose of the child, the arms are relaxed by the sides of the body. There is no tension in the neck and shoulders.

This pose is grounding as it rests the bodily systems. It relaxes, restores and cools the body, so is an excellent one to add intermittently throughout your practice to rejuvenate you for the next pose.

To come out of Child pose, draw the navel to the spine and slowly start to curl the body up to sitting, moving the spine back to neutral. Reload the weight of each vertebra on top of vertebra, restacking the ribcage, with the head and shoulders the last to come back up on top. (more…)

Band Single Leg (Straight)

Working from the Single Leg 45°, inhale, taking the leg straight up into the air, maintaining the foot position.

• Exhale, navel to spine, float the leg toward the floor, hovering it just off the floor; squeeze the buttocks.
• Inhale and spring the leg straight back up in line with the hip.
• Exhale and repeat 10 times.
• To release, hold the leg high and release the foot back into a flex position, extending through the heel and releasing the back of the ankle and leg.

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Band Oblique Curl

Using the same position as for the C Curve exercise:

• Inhale to prepare.
• Exhale, navel to spine, again engaging the pelvic floor, tuck the pelvis under and roll to your comfortable C Curve position.
• Hold it here, maintaining abdominal control.
• Inhale, release band tension through the right arm only, allowing the body to come in to a slight rotation (left shoulder to right knee).
• Exhale, drop back with control into the C Curve.
• Repeat other side, alternating 5-10 times between each side.
• Inhale, slowly release back up to neutral, keeping the abdominals in. Again sense how they want to push out, but keep them drawing in.
• Exhale, this time curling like a ball over your knees.
• Inhale, spring back up to neutral.

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Paschimottanasana

Sitting up out of the hips, extend the legs out in front of you and flex the feet. It is important to become aware of your pelvic alignment.

NOTE: Work with the visual of rotating and taking the pelvis forward, lengthening out of the hips. As you bend forward the pelvis will come with you.

NOTE:Lift your pubic bone up towards your face. Maintain this alignment as you bend forward.

“Place your strap around your feet, keeping your elbows bent. (more…)

Saw Spinal Rotation Twist

Begin by sitting up tall, legs opened wide, feet 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m) apart. Try to keep the kneecaps pointing directly up towards the ceiling. If you find you are tight in the inner thigh, do not have the legs so wide.

Flex your feet and push through your heels, anchoring the back of the legs into the floor for stability.

1. Inhale, raise both arms up to the sides in line with the shoulders.
2. Exhale, draw the shoulders down away from the ears.

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This stretching sequence prepares the mind and body for relaxation and is a vital component to your practice.

It is extremely important to stretch the body and the muscles after a workout. During exercise, a natural waste product called lactic acid is produced within the body. This lactic acid can be thought of as a thick toxic glue which, if ignored, can clog the muscles, causing muscular fatigue and soreness. Stretching the body helps to thin the glue, breaking down and removing the lactic acid, detoxifying the system, and restoring the muscles to an elastic, healthy state. (more…)

Additional Lateral Movements

OTHER DUMBBELL SIDE RAISES

This exercise can be done from a variety of angles. Standing upright stimulates the sides of the deltoid muscles. Bending at the waist, whether seated or standing, and doing a lateral movement (Bent-Over Lateral Raises) affects the rear portion of the deltoids. Raising the dumbbells to the front of the body stimulates the front deltoid. (Most men don’t need this movement, as the front deltoid is also heavily stimulated during Chest Press exercises and can easily be overworked and injured.) (more…)

Additional Rowing Movements

DUMBBELL

These can also be done one side at a time. Rest one bent leg on a flat bench, gripping the bench with one hand and a dumbbell in the other, and follow the above stretch-and-contraction sequence.

PULLEY MACHINE

The Low Pulley Row is a standard whole-back builder. Be sure to keep the knees slightly bent, and don’t lean back to move the weight; use the back muscles to exert the force. (more…)

Space invaders

This continues working the inner and outer thighs but introducing a more intense upper-body movement for the deltoid muscles over your shoulders, as well as the pectorals and latissimus dorsi in your chest and back.

Keep your feet and knees pointing straight to the front this time as you take four steady side-steps to your right, four to your left. Bend your elbows and on every step raise and lower them at your sides and back again chicken-style.

• Posture-check! Your neck and shoulders should be nice and relaxed and your stomach and buttocks tucked in.
• Bend your knees when you step out to the side, and keep them just off lock when they’re together.

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