Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

7

Chapter

Selected āsanas for integrating the aims and principles

Selected asanas̄ Selected āsanas

Selected asanas̄ Selected āsanas

Being in the posture: basic work

1. Press the outer edges of the soles of your feet
   together to activate the outer thighs towards
   your hips; this helps release the inner thighs
   from the groin to the knees.


2. Balance your pelvis between tilting backwards
   and forwards so that your spine is lifting with
   ease.


3. Slightly pull your lower abdomen inwards and
   upwards while you lift your chest and move it
   slightly forwards between your arms; adjust the
   arms and the hold of the hands on the feet so
   that this is possible.


4. Relax your shoulders.


5. Bring your head in line with your spine.


6. Breathe naturally.

Being in the posture: refined work

1. Slightly move the centers of your inner arches
   away from each other; feel your knees coming
   closer towards the floor.


2. Relax the area of your groin and your inner
   thighs to bring the knees further down.


3. Feel your sitting bones moving slightly apart with
   an inhalation.


4. With an exhalation slightly pull your lower
   abdomen inwards and upwards and the center of
   your pelvic floor upwards; feel your trunk lifting
   and your legs letting go towards the floor.


5. Maintaining the neutral lumbopelvic position
   
   lift your upper chest while moving your
   shoulder blades into the back of the thorax.

Finishing the posture

Stay for 5–10 breaths in the posture. With increasing

practice you can stay up to several minutes; this is a

very beneficial posture for the whole pelvic area.

To come back, move both feet one foot length

forwards; bring your knees together, slide your heels

away to straighten your legs, the heels touching the

floor exactly in the center, the feet pointing towards

the ceiling. Stay there calmly for a few breaths.

Suggestions for modifications using

props

•    Sit    on  a   folded  blanket or  on  a   brick,  to  gain    

enough height so that the neutral pelvic

position is easier to adjust and to maintain.

•    Sit    close   to  a   wall;   put a   long    pillow  or  a   rolled  

blanket or mat between your spine and the

wall; the back of your pelvis and the area

between your shoulder blades is touching the

pillow (Figure 7.72).

•    Support    the bent    legs    with    folded  blankets    or  

pillows (Figure 7.72).

Figure 7.72