Supporting, Restorative Tabletop Pose
The benefits of this pose are that the abdominal area relaxes as the stomach relaxes on to the bolster. As hidden or obvious tension is released from the center, a natural feeling of letting go arises that brings relief to the lower back.
Cat Cow
Inhale, lifting, reaching your chest up. Look forward. Exhale, rounding through the upper back, mid back, drawing the belly organs in. Inhale, lifting the chest up, pressing the hands to the floor. Exhale, rounding, drawing the chin in. Inhale, lifting and pressing the toes into the floor. Exhale, rounding, and last one, inhale lifting the chest.
And then exhale, rounding. And from this position, pressing into the toes, lift the heels up and descend the heels. Five deep, long breaths here in down dog. Feel your sit bones lifting back behind you. Releasing through the head and the neck. Again, listening to the breath, bringing the right knee into the chest, and placing the right foot in between your palms.
Pressing into the back toes and releasing the back knee. Inhale, lift the chest up. Hands to the hips. Looking forward. Now releasing the left hip forward, keep your breath even and steady. Keep pressing the back toes onto the floor. Hands come to the floor. Bring the right foot back. Good. Releasing the hips, bring the left knee into the chest tight. Exhale, press the foot forward releasing the right knee to the floor. Inhale. Lift and bring the hands to the outside of the pelvis.
This time anchor with the left first metatarsal, and pressing the right hip slightly forward as you lengthen through the quadriceps on the right side. Soft face. And the hands to the floor. Inhale and exhale. Descend both heels to the floor, noticing your face is relaxed, jaws released. Releasing the knees to the floor. Bringing your hands and your feet to one side. Releasing onto your sit bones. Coming down into a supine position. Bring the knees into the chest, reach for the shins. Feel both sides of the sacrum pressing to the floor.
Child’s Pose
From hands and knees, inhale. And exhale, slowly bringing the hips back toward the heels. Releasing the forearms to the floor, facing the left side of the face to the forearms. Feel the back muscles releasing, receiving your breath, feeling the earth underneath you, support you as you inhale and lift up.
Supported Child’s Pose
Start by placing the bolster in between your legs and releasing your chest onto the bolster. Go ahead and hug the bolster, releasing one side of your face onto the bolster. Relaxing the jaw, facial muscles, releasing your hips back toward the heels. Feeling completely supported. And gently pressing your hands to the floor. And lifting.
Modified Plank Position
Lowering down slowly all the way to the floor. Releasing into sphinx pose. Sliding your forearms forward. Be sure to really press your hands evenly to the floor. As you anchor through the sacrum, releasing the sacrum deep into the pelvis, and lowering the chest coming into cobra pose here. Lifting through the chest, lift the head out of the shoulders. Opening up through the chest. Exhale, lowering, reversing the pushup, coming to hands and knees. And child’s pose. Release your third eye to the earth. Feeling a sense of ease through your whole body. Inhaling, lifting up to halasana. Hands to your thighs.
Supported Back Bend
Feeling your hips and your feet all on the floor here allow the natural arch that’s being created by the bolster to evolve underneath you, feeling the space in between the pubic bone and the rib cage opening and receiving the breath. Allow your shoulders to relax on the floor. Arms are outstretched. Deep, even breaths. As you exhale, allow the energy of the mid section to release down to the bolster. Breathing nice and deep.
Variation of Shavasana: Relaxation Pose with Legs on a Chair
Gently releasing your legs through the whole in the back of the chair, releasing your back to the floor, releasing your head to the blanket. Adjusting the blanket as needed. Arms are outstretched, palms facing up. And allowing the energy of gravity to help release the abdominal organs back toward the sacrum.
Elevated Supine Spinal Twist with a Bolster
Slowly bringing your knees over to the right, allow your legs to fully release to the floor, bringing your gaze to the opposite direction to which your legs are stretched. Inhaling and exhaling allow the natural traction that’s happening with the rumba spine. Breathing deep into the lower belly organs. Inhale. Press your arms to the floor, lifting your legs up into a double ninety degrees. Inhale and exhale, releasing your legs to the opposite direction. Stacking the feet, gaze into the opposite direction. And, again, feeling a sense of opening from the lower body to the upper body. The deep, internal hip flexors are opening here. Inhale, lifting the knees up. And exhale back to a double ninety.
Namaste.
Vajra Farnsworth, C.M.T., C.Y.I., Certified Wellness Coach, has been practicing Yoga for over ten years and has been teaching for the last seven years. She has directed two Yoga programs in Northern CA and is currently teaching privately and at www.bayclubmarin.com.
