Practice suggestion - Topsy, Turvey World

This practice suggestion incorporates material covered in the sixth session of the Yoga Course for Beginners. Download Yoga Practice - Topsy, Turvey World as a WORD document.

Warning! Inversions (taking the head lower than heart) are contra-indicated for some medical conditions e.g. uncontrolled high blood-pressure and heart conditions. If you are unsure as to whether you should do inversions please check with your health care provider or yoga teacher. If you have neck injuries then omit the headstand and rolling.

Lie on your back on the floor with your legs bent and the feet hip-width apart (semi-supine).

Take a big breath in. Let it go with a sigh and allow yourself to release any tension that you may be holding.

Bring your attention to your breathing. Watch the breath move in and out of the body for a short while.

Upper body rock. Cross your arms taking your hands behind you (towards your shoulder blades) as if you were giving yourself a big hug. Raise the right shoulder and lower it then raise the left shoulder and lower it. Repeat a few times rocking the upper body from side to side. Swap the arms over so that the other arm is on top and rock from side to side a few more times. (The hips stay down.)

Roll onto your side and push up onto your hands and knees. Take the hands further forwards. Press the balls of the hands into the floor and draw the hips back while keeping the thighs moving forwards. This is the little dog position. Stay wide across the shoulders.

Modified Parsvottanasana From kneeling, place the left foot on the floor level with the right knee (the feet are hip-width apart and shin-length apart). Raise the right knee. Keeping the left leg bent and the weight forward open the right knee (avoiding hyper-extension of the knee). The right heel is going down and the shin forward. After a few breaths in this position come out and repeat on the other side.

On all-fours Think quadruped! Let the weight go into the arms and hands as if they were legs and feet. The shoulders are coming forwards and the underside of the knuckles is in contact with the floor.

Downward facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana) Starting from the all-fours pick up the knees and lengthen the legs without hyper-extending the knees. The hips and shoulders are wide. The balls of the hands are down. The weight, shins and thighs are moving forwards and the heels are going down. Think quadruped! Drop back down onto all-fours.

From the all-fours position come back into a squat (it’s OK for the heels to be up to start with) and then open the knees to come into a standing forward bend (uttanasana). The feet are hip-width apart. Keep the weight forwards. Allow the knees to open without hyper-extending (locking) them or without lifting the knee-caps. Rest and repeat.

Handstand (adho mukha vrksasana) preparation. Come into standing forward bend and place the hands on the floor in front of you. You may need to bend the knees to do this. The knees look straight ahead and not at each other. Bring the shoulders forward and the weight into the hands. Don’t lock the elbows.

Elbow balance (pincha mayurasana) preparation. From the all-fours position drop the forearms to the floor so that the elbows are beneath the shoulders and the forearms are parallel and then proceed as if coming into dog (it’s OK to have the knees bent). The work in the arms and shoulders is the same as in the dog but you are supported by the forearms rather than by the hands. The head is not on the floor or weight bearing!

Headstand (sirsasana) preparation. From the all-fours position drop the forearms to the floor so that the elbows are beneath the shoulders and then bring the hands together to form a triangle. Drop the top of the head to the floor in between the forearms. RELAX! Root the wrists firmly into the floor and then proceed as if coming into dog (it’s OK to have the knees bent). The work in the arms and shoulders is the same as in the dog. The weight drops into the elbows. There is some weight on the head.

If your floor isn’t too hard try some rolling! From a sitting position roll back onto your shoulders and then roll forwards to return to the sitting position. Straighten your legs and/or take the arms overhead as you roll onto the shoulders to prevent you rolling too far.

Two-foot support (dvipada pitham) Lower your arms to your side and turn the palms of your hands to the floor. Place the feet on the floor close to the buttocks and hip width apart. Relax the buttocks and abdomen. Press the feet in the floor to lift the torso and come onto the shoulders. The direction of movement is through the spine towards the head. It is not a pushing of the hips/abdomen to the ceiling. Pause, lower and repeat 5 more times.

Sit cross-legged (sukhasana) with the legs crossed mid-shin so that each foot is under the knee of the opposite leg. Use your hands for support and bring the sacrum forward and, keeping it forward, release it downwards away from the lumbar. Relax the buttocks, abdomen, throat and face. Sit a while and watch your breathing.

Stretch out the legs and relax in savasana for as long as you wish.

 

This practice suggestion is not intended as instruction. It is given to encourage students to develop a practice. Use it and other practice suggestions given on this website until your practice is established and then leave them behind - when you’ve used the boat to cross the river put it down don’t keep carrying it. If any of the postures listed in this suggestion are contra-indicated for you then please omit or replace them. Likewise, make any modifications that are appropriate for you and your body. If you are unsure about any of the material please consult your teacher. If you have never done yoga please go to a competent teacher who will show you how to perform the postures safely and intelligently.

 

Download Yoga Practice - Topsy, Turvey World as a WORD document.