DIY

Here you will find some simple sequences that you can practise at home in between class sessions.

1. cat/cow - a gentle spine stretch + breath awareness

Get on all fours: shoulders over your wrists, hips directly over the knees. As you inhale look forward and extend both ends of your spine as if someone was pulling a thread through the crown of your head and the tailbone at the other end. Don't overarch your lower back and engage your core to keep your abdomen tight. On your exhalation tuck your chin in, look down and round your back (not just your shoulders and upper spine but the whole length). Repeat a few times.
Don't thrust your head back, especially if you have any neck problems. It's best to keep your head in line with your spine.

2. Vyaghrasana (tiger pose)

Get on all fours: shoulders over your wrists, hips directly over the knees. As you inhale look up (or forward if your neck is vulnerable) and extend both ends of your spine and lift your right leg up and extend it. Keep your hip down and lengthen the leg. On your exhalation take your right knee to your forehead and round your back. Repeat a few times on each side.
If you want to take it further, as you lift your leg up, bend your knee and direct your foot towards the crown of your head.
Don't thrust your head back, especially if you have any neck problems. It's best to keep your head in line with your spine.

3. Leg rising

Lie down on your back. Arms along your body, palms facing down. The left leg bent, knee pointing upwards, the right leg rises up on your inhalation leading with your big toe. Straighten you left leg on the floor on your exhalation, engage your abdominal muscles and on the inhalation lift your left leg up. Hold the right foot up and lower the left leg down on your exhalation leading with your heel. Pause just above the floor and lift it up on your inhalation. Repeat the left leg lifts a few time remembering to keep your abdominal muscles engaged. Then change sides and have the left leg up in the air and move the right leg up and down.
Not tensing your core may mean that you'd be putting too much pressure on your lower back.

4. Apanasana/spinal rocking - to relase the lower back.

 

Lie down on your back. Bring your knees over your chest and hug them. As you exhale bring your forehead to your knees. As you inhale move your knees away from your chest and gently place your head back down. As you exhale bring your head to the knees again and stay there for a few breaths gently extending the back of the neck and pressing the knees to your chest. Be careful as you are lowering your head - you should not put too much pressure on your neck.

As you are holding your knees close to your chest, rock gently from side to side taking your knees with you to the side.

You can also rock backwards and forwards. In this posture keep your head tucked in close to your chest. Try to involve the whole length of the spine and your abdominal muscles to swing up and down more.