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Exercise
Set for
Maintaining a Flexible Spine
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(See
also our Sample Kundalini Yoga Sets & Meditations)
We offer you
here, an exercise set to introduce you to Kundalini Yoga (KY).
One of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy body
is a flexible spine. The yogis say that youth is determined by
the flexibility of your spine.
Low back pain
and upper back stress are some of the most common health complaints
of adults. The best way to avoid backaches is to take care of
your spine on a daily basis. There are no quick fixes for back
pain, but this exercise set is an effective maintenance program.
To Begin
Sit quietly and
be with your breath. Consciously slow down the breath and breathe
from the belly. Be with the sensations in your body. Tune into
your own rhythm. Allow a few minutes to calm down, center yourself
and create your own space.
Tuning in
Before beginning
Kundalini Yoga practice, always "tune in" by chanting
the ADI MANTRA. Click
here for full details
Exercises
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Rotate
the Pelvis
Sit
in easy pose. Place the hands on the knees. Deeply roll
the pelvis around in a grinding motion. Relax into the movement.
Make it a moving meditation.
Do 26
rotations or 1-2 minutes in each direction.
Benefits:
This exercise opens up the energy in the lower spine, massages
the internal organs and aids in digestion.
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Spinal
Flex
Sit in
easy pose. Grab the ankles. As you inhale powerfully, flex
the spine forward, keeping the shoulders relaxed and the
head straight. Do not move the head up and down. Exhale
and relax the spine back. Continue rhythmically with deep
breaths. As you inhale feel the energy go down the spine.
As you exhale feel it come back up to the third eye. Mentally
bring SAT
down and NAM back up the spine.
1-3 minutes
or up to 108 times.
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To end:
Inhale deep, hold the breath, apply rootlock
(mulbhand), exhale and relax. Sit quietly and feel the
energy circulate in your spine and throughout your body.
Benefits:
This exercise stimulates and stretches the lower spine.
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Spinal
Flex On Heels
Sit on
the heels; place the hands flat on the thighs. Continue
spinal flex as above with a powerful breath.
1-2 minutes.
Benefits:
This exercise works on the mid spine and heart chakra
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Neck
Rolls
Sit with
a straight but relaxed spine. Adjust the head so that you
feel like it is sitting on top of the spine by slightly
moving the head back and bringing the chin down slightly.
Roll the neck slowly in one direction and then in the other.
Let the weight of the head move the head around. Do this
very methodically so that you go slowing through tight spots
and work out areas of tension.
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At least
one minute in each direction.
To end:
After this exercise, sit quietly and be with the sensations
in your body and spine.
Benefits:
This exercise removes tension in the neck and stimulates
the thyroid.
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Side Twists
Sit on the
heels. Place the hands on the shoulders, fingers in front
and thumbs in back. Inhale, twist to the left. Exhale, twist
to the right. Twist your head to each side as well. Gradually
feel an increased rotation in your spine. Keep elbows parallel
to the ground, allowing the arms to swing freely with the
body. This exercise can be done standing up,
Continue
1-2 minutes or 26 times.
To end: Inhale
center, hold the breath, apply rootlock, exhale, relax and
feel the energy circulate, especially at the level of the
heart.
Benefits:
This exercise opens up the heart center and stimulates the
upper spine.
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Side
Bends
In Easy
Pose, clasp hands behind neck in Venus Lock (fingers interlaced)
and bend straight sideways at the waist, aiming the elbow
toward the floor beside the hip. Inhale as you bend left,
exhale right. Don't arch or contract the back. Bend sideways
only. This exercise can be done standing.
1-2 minutes
or 26 times.
Benefits:
Side bends stimulate the liver and colon and increase spinal
flexibility.
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Shoulder
Shrugs
Still on
the heels or in easy pose, shrug both shoulders up on the
inhale and down on the exhale.
1- 2
minutes.
To End:
Inhale up, hold, apply rootlock, and relax.
Benefits:
This exercise loosens up the tension in the shoulders and
relaxes upper back
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Cobra
Lie on
the floor with the palms on the floor under the shoulders.
As you inhale, slowly arch the spine up, leading with the
nose, then chin, then pushing off with your hands vertebra
by vertebra, until you are arched back as far as possible
with no strain in the lower back, concentrating on a. good
stretch from the heart center up. Breathe long and deep
or do Breath
of Fire.
2-3 minutes
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To
end: Inhale, hold, pull the energy up the spine with the
root lock. Exhale very slowly and come down one vertebra
at a time. Relax. 1-3 minutes.
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Benefits:
This exercise strengthens the lower back. Removes tension
in the back and balances the flow of sexual energy with navel
energy.
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Rock
and Roll on the Spine
Bring your
knees to your chest, grab them with the arms, and rock back
and forth on the spine, massaging it gently from the neck
to the base of the spine. Make sure you have a soft surface.
1-2 minutes.
Benefits:
This exercise circulates the energy and relaxes the spine.
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Alternate
Leg Stretches
Spread
the legs wide apart, grasping the toes or any other place
on the legs where it is possible to keep the knees straight.
Inhale center and exhale down to the left leg, inhale center
and exhale down to the right leg. Move from the hips to
open the pelvis. Avoid simply bending and arching the upper
spine. Keep the spine comfortably straight and get a good
stretch in the back. Loosen up the muscles, but do not strain
them. Continue with powerful breathing. 1-2 minutes.
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To end:
Inhale center, hold the breath, apply root lock and then
relax. Bring the legs together and bounce them up and down
a few times to relax the muscles and massage them.
Benefits:
Opens up the pelvis and stretches the leg muscles.
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Life
Nerve Stretch
Legs outstretched,
bring right foot into left thigh, and slowly bend over the
left leg to grab the foot or ankle (or wherever it is comfortable),
keeping the leg flat on the ground. Breathe long and deep
or do Breath of Fire. 1-2
minutes each side.
To end:
Inhale deeply and exhale several times deepening the stretch.
Then slowly come up. Bounce the legs and massage them. Switch
sides and repeat.
Benefits:
This exercise stretches the leg muscles and loosens up the
lower back.
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Cat
Cow
Come on
the hands and knees, knees shoulder width apart. Inhale
as you flex your spine down and bring your head up. Exhale
as you flex your spine up in an arched position with the
head down. Keep the arms straight. Continue rhythmically
with powerful breathing, gradually increasing the speed
as your spine becomes more and more flexible.
1-3 minutes.
To end:
Inhale in saggy cow, hold, pull the energy up the spine
with the root lock. Exhale and relax on the heels. Sit quietly
and let the breath slow down. Feel the energy circulate.
Concentrate at the third eye.
Benefits:
This exercise is known as the Kundalini chiropractor. Done
regularly it loosens up and adjusts the spine.
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Pick Me Up Exercise
Lie down
on your back and simply relax for a moment. Then bend your
knees and draw the heels up towards the buttocks, keeping
the feet flat on the floor. Grab your ankles and holding
on to them, slowly raise the hips up, arching the lower
spine and lifting the navel towards the sky. As you lift
up, slowly inhale through the nose. Hold the breath as you
gently stretch up, lifting as high as is comfortable, then
slowly relax down again as you breathe out through the nose.
Slowly
repeat this lifting up and down movement a minimum of twelve
times, synchronizing the breathing with the movement of
the hips, for a maximum of 26 lifts. To go from the minimum
number of 12, to the maximum number 26, increase your total.
1-2 lifts per day.
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To end:
Inhale up, hold the breath for ten seconds, pull in the
navel and apply the root lock. Then relax down, stretching
the legs out. Totally relax and feel the energizing effect
of the exercise.
Exercise
Tips: If you can't grab your ankles, let the arms be at
your side and lift up using the arms to help push you up.
People with any history of lower back pain should check
with their doctor before beginning. Try to let your breathing
do the work--inhale the hips up and exhale them down. This
exercise will automatically get you to breathe deeply. Keep
the eyes closed throughout this and other exercises so that
you can feel your body move rhythmically, without visual
distractions. Rest on your back for two minutes after the
exercise and just enjoy its vitalizing effect!
Benefits:
This exercise releases abdominal stress! It gives you an
immediate boost of energy throughout your body that lasts
well into the day. It also stimulates your thyroid. It allows
you to breathe deeper and adds to your energy level. It
moves the energy from the lower spine to the upper spine.
Relaxation
Deeply
relax your back, hands to the side, palms facing up. Simply
be with the sensations in your body and enjoy the feelings.
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