Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

Selected aSelected asanas̄̄sanas Selected aSelected āsanas̄sanas

Being in the posture: basic work

1. Close your eyes gently so that the pupils are
   not disturbed.


2. Feel the back of your head on the floor.


3. Release your upper neck towards the floor.


4. Relax your face, your forehead, cheeks, lips, and
   chin.


5. Keep your nose in the center.


6. Look towards the center of your chest.


7. Your shoulders are broad and sinking into the
   floor.


8. Relax your arms onto the floor, the thumbs
   moving closer towards the floor.


9. Relax your palms and fingers.


10. Relax your middle ribs and the area of your
    navel.


11. Relax your abdomen and lumbar area.


12. Let the back of your pelvis rest on the floor.


13. Keep your buttocks relaxed.


14. Relax your thighs and your calves towards the
    floor.


15. Let the outer edges of the feet sink more
    towards the floor.


16. Breathe naturally and evenly.

Being in the posture: refined work

1. Relax your eyes; learn to keep your eyes soft
   during not only exhalation, but also inhalation.


2. Release your forehead from the center to the
   sides.


3. Keep the skin of your face soft; keep your
   temples soft.


4. Release your cheeks away from the sides of your
   nose.


5. Keeping your mouth closed and the lips soft,
   gently release your upper teeth from your lower
   teeth and your lower teeth from your upper teeth.


6. Release the outer corners of the mouth towards
   the sides.
   7. Keep your tongue soft.
   8. Release your tongue away from the palate;
   feel the relaxation of your jaw joints and your
   ears.
   9. Let your breath be so subtle and smooth that the
   nostrils are hardly feeling it.
   10. During exhalation and inhalation your whole
   body and mind are calm.
   11. Experience the calming effect of the exhalation,
   particularly at the end of exhalation.
   12. Without moving the head adjust it so subtly that
   the neck and throat are relaxed.
   13. Feel your inhalation from your inner chest to the
   skin above your clavicles.
   14. Keep this area relaxed as you exhale.
   15. Keep your abdomen and lumbar area soft.
   16. Keep your groin soft.
   17. Relax your front thighs towards your back thighs.
   18. Relax your shins towards your calves.
   19. Feel both heels equally on the floor.
   20. Keep your feet relaxed.
   21. Be aware that the floor is carrying you.
   22. Feel the relaxation in your skin, your eyes, ears,
   mouth, and nose. Feel the inner calmness. Let
   the breath be subtle and smooth. Be aware
   of the inhalation and exhalation and the tiny
   pauses between inhalation and exhalation and
   exhalation and inhalation. Get deeper into the
   inner calmness in these pauses.

Finishing the posture

Stay in Śavāsana for 5–15 minutes. In the beginning

you may fall asleep easily. With increasing practice

you will stay awake in deep relaxation, recovering

more than when falling asleep.

Method 1

Slowly open your eyes, remain still for a few breaths;

maintaining the silence of your mind, turn to one

side, remain still for a few breaths; then turn to the

other side, remain still for a few breaths, and come

back to sit.