Ananda Yoga Circle Page 1 Practical Restorative Yoga Home Practice 1 Mouna (Silence) Sit in a comfortable meditative postion, preferably crossed leg pose but sitting in a chair is fine too, just so long as the spine is straight. Use Chin Mudra (thumb and first finger tipping other fingers stretched out gently and facing upwards with the back of the hand resting on the knees). Observe silence for a minute or two. Opening your practice with OM Bring your awareness to the base of the spine, as you inhale draw your awareness up the spine to the crown of the head and as you exhale chant Aaaaaaa– Uoooooooo – Mmmmmmm and feel the Om cascading down over and through your body from the crown of the head. Chant Om three times and at the end of the third tune into the silence at the end of Om (usually perceived more easily just above the head). Asana Practice Savasana Lie down on your back with the legs separated and the feet falling out to the side. Arms are by your side, palms facing upwards. Made sure the spine is well aligned so that the nose is centre to the body. Allow the body to relax completely. Close the eyes lightly and bring your awareness to your breath, become aware of every breath that you take, if you mind wanders bring in back to the breath. Do not get frustrated with this, just accept that it is the minds nature to wander and that you are noticing this and bringing it back to the breath. Lie like this for a few minutes and then shift your awareness from the breath to your thoughts, try not to judge or analayse these thoughts or to get too caught up in them. Watch their speed and nature but without the story surrounding them. Begin to bring your awareness outwards again and gently move the body, stretching and relaxing until you feel ready to come to a sitting postion. Pawanmuktasana Series 1 Each of these should be practiced in the order given and up to 10 times each. Synchronise movement with breath and try to keep your awareness fully on the practice. 1 Prarambhik Sthiti - Staff Legs outstretched, palm on floor behind the buttocks, fingers pointing away. Back, neck and head should be straight with the elbows locked. Lean back slightly to ease the strain on the back allowing the arms to take the weight. © Alison Roberts 2014 Ananda Yoga Circle 2 Page 2 Practical Restorative Yoga Padanguli Naman - Toe Bending Exhale and curl the toes forward and then inhale while you stretch them back. (10) 3 Goolf Naman - Ankle Bending Exhale as you stretch the whole foot forward towards the floor and inhale as you stretch it back. (10) 4 Goolf Chakra - Ankle Rotation Separate the feet slightly and exhale as you rotate the ankles downwards clockwise, inhale completing the circle as you raise them up. Repeat 10. Then reverse the motion practising it in an anticlockwise direction (10) 5 Goolf Choornan - Ankle Crank Inhale raising bending the left knee placing the foot beside the right knee. Exhale allowing the knee to fall down and to the side into half butterfly. Clasp the left foot and raise it up placing the ankle unto the right thigh allowing free movement of the foot. Hold above the ankle with the left hand and rotate the foot using the right hand. 10 times in each direction. Exhale down—Inhale Up. Repeat right leg. 6 Janu Naman - Knee Bending Inhale bending the left knee, raising it towards the chest and clasping behind the knee. Exhale. Inhale straightening the leg and exhale bending it (10) Repeat right leg. 7 Ardha Titali Asana - Half Butterfly Inhale bending the left knee and placing the foot on the inside of the right thigh. Exhale allowing the knee to fall down and to the left. Place the hands lightly on the knees, straighten the spine and breath deeply. Then Repeat with right leg. 8 Poorna Titali Asana - Full Butterfly Inhale bending both knees placing feet as close to the body as possible, Clasp round toes and exhale as you allow the knees to fall out to each side. Raise the knees up and down (flapping the wings). Then relax the knees once more, straighten the spine and breath deeply. 9 Mushtika bandhana Hand clenching © Alison Roberts 2014 Ananda Yoga Circle Page 3 Practical Restorative Yoga Inhale raising arms up in front, exhale clenching fists, inhale stretching fingers out. (10) 10 Manibandha Naman - Wrist Bending Inhale raising arms up in front, exhale bending wrists forward, inhale raising them up. (10) 11 Manibandha Chakra - Wrist Rotation Inhale raising arms up, lose fist thumbs in, exhale rotating wrists downward and inhale raising up. Try to keep the movement synchronised. (10) Repeat in opposite direction. 12 Kehuni Namen - Elbow Bends Inhale raising the arms up in front , palm facing up. Exhale while bending elbows taking fingers to shoulder, inhale straightening. (10) 13 Skandha Chakra - Shoulder Rotation Inhale raising arms up, exhale bending elbow fingers to shoulder. Inhale raising elbows up in front and round, exhale taking them down the back. (10). Repeat in opposite direction. 14 Greeva Sanchalana - Neck Movements Sitting in staff position inhale deeply and exhale allowing the head to fall forwards chin towards chest, hold breathing gently allowing the muscles to relax. Inhale raising the head slowly up to the starting position. Exhale allowing the left ear to fall towards the left shoulder (not shoulder to ear!!) again relax. Inhale raising head to central point. Exhale lowing right ear to right shoulder, relax and hold breathing slowly. Inhale to centre. Exhale turn and look over your left should, take a few breaths feeling the stretch, inhale to centre, exhale and turn and look over your right shoulder, again breath and hold. Inhale to centre. Now raising the shoulders to the ears exhale and allow the head to tilt backwards chin towards ceiling—do not lose control of the neck muscles, be aware of the stretch, inhale to centre. © Alison Roberts 2014 Ananda Yoga Circle Page 4 Practical Restorative Yoga Pranayama Come to a comfortable meditative position, preferably sitting crossed legged but any comfortable upright position will be fine including sitting in an upright chair. Bring your awareness to your breath. Feel the breath originating at a point just behind the navel, at your centre. You may want to let the breath naturally lengthen and deepen. Feel it radiating out from that point in “sun bursts” as you inhale and allow your awareness to flow back into the centre as you exhale. Feel as if the whole body is breathing and allow the energy of the breath to flow through your entire being. Begin to allow it to expand your perceived boundaries. Feel it reaching out in all directions beyond your skin. Feel yourself supported by this energy. Awareness/Meditation Allow the body to breath itself. Bring your awareness into the mind space (Chidakasha), observe your thoughts, do not get caught up with them, simply observe. If you feel yourself getting caught up in your thoughts bring your awareness back to the support of the breath, Feel the whole body breath itself. Allow the body and mind to be supported by the natural breath. Stay awake, do not sleep. Chanting Om Bring your awareness to the base of the spine, as you inhale draw your awareness up the spine to the crown of the head and as you exhale chant Aaaaaaa– Uoooooooo – Mmmmmmm and feel the Om cascading down over and through your body from the crown of the head. Chant Om three times and at the end of the third tune into the silence at the end of Om (usually perceived more easily just above the head). Acknowledgments: With thanks to my teacher Helen MacBroom for sharing her knowledge and to her teacher and friend Swami Atmananda Saraswati and Guru Paramahansa Satyananda Saraswati for sharing theirs. Bibliography Asana, Pranayama, Mudra and Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati © Alison Roberts 2014
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