Selections from practice that are suitable for integration into many areas and situations Selections from practice that are suitable for integration into many areas and situations Examples for integrating the spirit and practice of yoga into everyday lifeExamples for integrating the spirit and practice of yoga into everyday life
Keep your chest lifted; slightly bend your head,
chin towards the throat, keeping the throat soft. If
this causes stress in the neck or throat, keep your
head upright. Keeping the mouth closed, slightly
lift the upper teeth and the palate away from the
lower jaw. Keep your pelvis slightly tilted forwards
when you pull your lower abdomen towards the
lumbar spine and the diaphragm. Maintaining this
stable pelvic position, lift your side ribs, sternum,
and upper ribs. All these adjustments in posture
prepare you for correct breathing. Feel the slow soft
flow of breath in your nostrils first. Slightly lifting
yourself from your lower abdomen, feel the inhala-
tion from your lumbar area and costal arches to your
middle and upper chest. Be aware of the lifting of
your upper chest at the end of inhalation and main-
tain this lift while you exhale. This gives you a good
upright posture for exhaling and calms the exha-
lation. Practice for 5–10 minutes. If you have less
time you will benefit from doing even a few breaths
like this.Conscious standing
Conscious standing with some fine adjustments can
be integrated whenever you have to wait or queue
up. To perfect the following fine adjustments,
you need comfortable shoes. The foot work may
need to be modified slightly.- Stretch your toes; rest your toes straight on the
soles of your shoes. - Distribute your weight evenly between the
left and right foot, and the front and hind feet,
putting slightly more weight into the heels. - Balance between lifting the inner and outer
ankle, the inner and outer arches of your feet,
keeping the base of the toes on the sole of the
shoes, and lengthen your toes. - From this position feel the upward movement
against gravity in your legs. - Straighten your knees, ease off a tiny bit, make
your quadriceps muscles firm, and pull your
kneecaps up. - Move the front of your thighs towards the
back of your thighs, and the groin slightly
backwards.
7. Adjust your pelvis to the neutral position; lift
from your lower abdomen.
8. Maintain the neutral pelvic position while you
lift your chest.
9. Relax your shoulders.
10. Gently turn your arms inwards; feel the space
between the shoulder blades.
11. Gently turn your arms outwards; feel the space
in your front chest and the subtle stretch over
your upper ribs and clavicles.
12. Let your arms hang naturally.
13. Maintaining the position of the chin, slightly
move the back of your head backwards parallel
to the floor and away from the neck.
14. Relax your face as if smiling slightly.
15. Breathe naturally.
You can combine the upward movement from the
arches of your feet with the upward movement from
your knees, pelvis, through your spine, chest, and
head. Add any of the fine adjustments described in
points 1–15 as appropriate.
Conclusion
The exercises with their fine adjustments explained
above can be practiced in many settings. Even if you
cannot practice yoga in between classes, improving
your sitting or standing posture as often as possible is
of tremendous value for your health. Posture signifi-
cantly affects bodily function. In a compressed trunk
the fluid transport and nerve supply to all tissues
and organs are compromised. A poorly lifted spine
also affects the functions of the central and autono-
mous nervous system. Good posture improves the
function of all connected tissues and organs.Examples for integrating the spirit and
practice of yoga into everyday lifeIn bed
To relax, lie on your back and use a support for
your head and a bolster underneath your knees, if
necessary (see Chapter 7, āsana Śavāsana with props).