Flight & Freedom

Instructions

1. Stand at the center of your mat with your feet hip-width apart. Knees are soft -- slightly bent, never locked.
2. Let the arms hang completely relaxed by your sides. They are like ropes attached to your shoulders -- no tension, no holding.
3. Begin to twist gently through the torso, turning from side to side. Let the arms swing freely as you twist -- they will wrap loosely around the body as momentum builds.
4. The movement comes from the waist and hips, not from the arms. The arms are passengers, not drivers.
5. Gradually increase the range of movement. Let the twisting deepen naturally. The arms swing higher as the twist grows wider.
6. The head turns gently with the body -- do not resist the natural rotation of the neck, but do not whip the head around.
7. The feet stay planted. The knees stay soft. The belly stays relaxed.
8. Let a smile come to your face if it wants to. This is not serious work -- this is play.

Breath: Breathe naturally and freely. Let the breath match the rhythm of the swing. There is no forced pattern here -- the body knows how to breathe when it is allowed to move freely. If anything, the breath may become slightly deeper and more rhythmic on its own.

Duration: 1-2 minutes of continuous swinging. Start gently and gradually increase the range. In the final 15 seconds, slowly reduce the swing and come to stillness. Stand in Tadasana for a few breaths and feel the effects -- tingling, warmth, looseness.

Teacher's Note: This is a wonderful stress-releaser. Encourage students to smile, to enjoy the freedom of movement. Some students will be self-conscious about the looseness -- remind them that letting go is the whole point.

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Instructions

1. Come to a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Wrists are directly under the shoulders, knees directly under the hips.
2. Spread the fingers wide and press the entire palm into the mat -- especially the space between the thumb and index finger. This hand position is the same one you will use in Crow Pose, so begin building awareness of it now.
3. Start with a neutral spine -- the back is flat like a tabletop. Gaze is toward the floor between your hands.

Cow Pose (Bitilasana):

1. Inhale: Drop the belly toward the mat. Lift the chest and tailbone toward the ceiling. Gaze lifts gently forward and slightly up. The shoulders draw back, away from the ears. Feel the entire front body open.

Cat Pose (Marjariasana):

1. Exhale: Round the spine toward the ceiling. Tuck the tailbone under. Draw the chin toward the chest. Press the floor away with your hands -- feel the space between the shoulder blades widen. The belly draws in.
2. Continue flowing between Cow on the inhale and Cat on the exhale. Let the breath initiate each movement -- the body follows the breath, not the other way around.
3. Move slowly and with full awareness. Feel each vertebra articulating, one by one, like a wave traveling through the spine.

Instructions

1. Begin in a squat position (Malasana). Feet are slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Heels can be on the ground or lifted.
2. Place the palms flat on the floor in front of you, shoulder-width apart. Spread the fingers wide -- this is your foundation. The middle fingers point straight forward.
3. Bend the elbows slightly, angling them backward (not out to the sides). This creates a "shelf" with your upper arms.
4. Lift the hips high. Come onto the balls of your feet.
5. Place the knees on the backs of your upper arms, as close to the armpits as possible. The inner knees hug the outer upper arms.
6. Begin to lean forward slowly. Shift the weight from the feet into the hands. This is where trust matters. The tendency is to stay back where it feels safe -- but the pose lives in the lean.
7. As you lean forward, one foot will lift off the floor naturally. Then the other. Do not jump -- let gravity and the weight shift do the work.
8. Bring the feet together behind you, big toes touching. Heels draw toward the hips.
9. Gaze slightly forward -- fix your eyes on a spot on the floor about a foot ahead of your fingertips. Do NOT look down directly beneath your face -- looking down shifts the weight backward and causes you to fall.
10. Press the floor away with your hands. Round the upper back slightly. Engage the core by drawing the belly in and up.

Breath: Inhale to prepare in the squat. Exhale as you lean forward and lift. Once in the pose, breathe steadily -- shallow but continuous breaths through the nose. Do NOT hold your breath. Holding the breath creates tension and rigidity, which makes balance harder. Let the breath be like a bird on a thermal -- small, steady, and constant.

Hold: 5-15 seconds initially. This is an achievement -- celebrate it. Work up to 30 seconds over weeks and months of practice.

Instructions

1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) at the front of your mat. Fix your gaze on a single, unmoving point at eye level -- this is your Drishti. Do not let the eyes wander.
2. Shift your weight fully into the left foot. Root down through all four corners of the left foot. The standing leg is strong but not locked.
3. Bend the right knee behind you. Reach back with the right hand and grab the inner edge of the right ankle or the top of the right foot. The thumb points up.
4. Inhale: Extend the left arm straight up toward the ceiling. Reach through the fingertips. Feel the entire left side lengthen.
5. Exhale: Begin to hinge forward from the hip joint. As you lean your torso forward, simultaneously press the right foot firmly into the right hand. This pressing action lifts the right leg higher behind you.
6. Continue to hinge forward and press back until you find your depth. The left arm extends forward, parallel to the floor or slightly above -- reaching toward the horizon.
7. The right leg lifts higher as you lean forward -- the foot pressing into the hand creates a beautiful arch from the extended fingertips, through the chest, and back to the lifted toes.
8. Keep the chest open and the heart lifted, even as you hinge forward. The shoulders stay level -- do not let the right shoulder hike up.
9. Hold your Drishti. Breathe.

Breath: Inhale as you reach up -- the breath opens the front body. Exhale as you begin the forward hinge -- the breath supports the balance. In the hold, breathe steadily and evenly. Each inhale lifts the chest a little higher. Each exhale allows you to open a little deeper -- pressing the foot more firmly into the hand, extending the reach a little further.

Hold: 20-30 seconds each side.

Release by slowly reversing the process: inhale to come upright, release the foot, and return to Tadasana. Stand in Mountain Pose for a few breaths. Then repeat on the other side (standing on the right foot, left leg lifted).

Instructions

1. Lie face down on the mat (prone position). Bring the legs together, tops of the feet pressing gently into the mat.
2. Place the palms flat on the mat beside the lower ribs, fingers spread and pointing forward. The elbows are bent and tucked close to the body -- hugging the ribcage.
3. Press the pubic bone, the hips, and the tops of the feet firmly into the mat. Engage the thigh muscles.
4. Inhale: Begin to lift the chest off the mat. The lift comes from the back muscles first -- the hands are there for support, not to push you up like a push-up. Imagine someone gently pulling you forward and up by the sternum.
5. Straighten the arms as much as comfortable, but keep a slight bend in the elbows. The shoulders draw back and down, away from the ears.
6. The shoulder blades draw together and slide down the back -- like spreading wings.
7. Open the chest wide. Lift the sternum forward and up. The heart leads.
8. Keep the hips and legs on the ground. There should be no sharp compression in the lower back -- if you feel pinching, lower down slightly.
9. The gaze is forward or slightly upward. Keep the back of the neck long -- do not crunch the cervical spine by throwing the head back.

Breath: Inhale to rise -- a long, slow, deep inhale that matches the lift of the chest. Let the breath and the movement be one thing. In the hold, breathe expansively -- each inhale opens the chest wider, each exhale maintains the lift without strain. Feel the ribcage expanding with every breath, like wings filling with air. Exhale to lower with control -- slowly, vertebra by vertebra, chin comes down last.

Hold: 15-20 seconds per repetition.

Repetitions: 3 times. Rest for 3-4 breaths between each repetition with one cheek on the mat, arms alongside the body, toes turned inward to release the lower back.

Modification: Half Cobra (Ardha Bhujangasana) -- keep the forearms on the ground with the elbows directly under the shoulders. This is a gentler backbend that is appropriate for students with lower back sensitivity or anyone who needs a less intense version. It is equally valid and equally beautiful.

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Instructions

1. Lie on your back with the arms alongside the body, palms pressing firmly into the floor. The legs are together, extended long.
2. Inhale: Engage the core and use the abdominal muscles to slowly lift both legs overhead. Keep the legs straight if possible, or bend the knees slightly if needed to get the legs up.
3. As the legs pass over the torso, place the hands on the lower back for support -- fingers pointing up toward the ceiling, elbows on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
4. Continue lowering the legs behind the head until the toes touch the floor. Move slowly and with control.
5. If the toes reach the floor comfortably, you may release the hands from the back, extend the arms along the floor behind you, and interlace the fingers. Press the outer arms and the backs of the hands into the mat. This deepens the pose and opens the shoulders.
6. Keep the legs straight and active. The thigh muscles are engaged, the toes are tucked.
7. The chin naturally tucks toward the chest -- do NOT turn the head in this pose. The neck is in a vulnerable position under load. Looking to the side could cause serious injury.
8. The weight is on the shoulders and upper arms, not on the neck. Press the shoulders into the mat and lift the thoracic spine to take pressure off the cervical spine.

Breath: Inhale to prepare, lying on the back. Exhale as the legs lift and travel overhead. Once in the pose, breathe slowly and steadily through the nose. The compression of the throat naturally slows the breath -- this is calming and activates a gentle Ujjayi quality. Do not fight the slower breath. Welcome it. Each exhale settles the body deeper into the pose.

Hold: 30 seconds to 1 minute. For more experienced students, the hold may extend to 2 minutes.

Instructions

1. Sit on the mat with both legs extended straight in front of you (Dandasana / Staff Pose). If the lower back rounds or the hamstrings feel very tight, sit on a folded blanket to tilt the pelvis forward.
2. Flex the feet -- toes point toward the ceiling, heels press gently forward. The legs are engaged and active.
3. Place the hands alongside the hips and press into the mat. Sit tall. Feel the spine lengthen from the tailbone to the crown of the head.
4. Inhale: Sweep the arms overhead. Reach through the fingertips. Lengthen the entire front body -- create as much space between the hips and the ribcage as possible.
5. Exhale: Hinge forward from the hip joints, leading with the chest -- not the forehead. Reach the hands toward the toes, ankles, or shins -- wherever they naturally arrive.
6. Hold wherever your hands land. If you can reach the feet, gently wrap the index and middle fingers around the big toes (Yogi Toe Lock). If you can reach past the feet, hold the outer edges of the feet or wrap the hands around the soles.
7. Keep the spine as long as possible. Think of laying the belly on the thighs rather than pulling the forehead toward the knees. Length first, depth second.
8. Let the shoulders relax away from the ears. Let the elbows bend outward and feel heavy. Let the head be heavy.

Breath: Inhale to lengthen the spine -- imagine creating space between each vertebra, lifting the chest slightly. Exhale to fold deeper -- melt into the stretch. In the hold, breathe steadily and gently. Each exhale takes you a little further, like a tide that advances slowly. Never force. If you cannot breathe smoothly, you have gone too far -- back off until the breath is easy. The breath is your guide -- it will tell you honestly where your edge is today.

Hold: 1 minute. Let the minute be quiet and still.

Modification: Bend the knees as much as you need to -- the forward fold is the practice, not straight legs. Use a yoga strap or towel looped around the balls of the feet and hold one end in each hand, walking the hands gently down the strap as you fold. Sit on a folded blanket to elevate the hips and ease the fold.

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Instructions

1. Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position (Sukhasana) or in Vajrasana (kneeling). The spine is tall, the shoulders are relaxed, the crown of the head reaches toward the ceiling. Rest the hands on the knees.
2. Close the eyes. Take 2-3 normal, natural breaths to settle the body and the mind.
3. Begin the Bhastrika breath: take a forceful inhale through the nose, followed immediately by a forceful exhale through the nose. Both the inhale and the exhale are active, sharp, and equal in force -- like pumping a bellows.
4. The belly moves sharply with each breath -- the belly expands outward on the inhale and pulls inward on the exhale. The chest lifts slightly. The shoulders and face stay relaxed.
5. Start with 10 rapid breaths (10 inhale-exhale pairs) at a comfortable pace -- not too fast at first. Find a rhythm.
6. After the 10th exhale, take one deep, slow inhale through the nose. Fill the lungs completely.
7. Hold the breath gently for 5 counts. No strain. The hold should feel like a pause, not a struggle.
8. Exhale slowly and completely through the nose. Let the exhale be long and controlled.
9. This completes one round.
10. Breathe normally for 30 seconds. Observe the effects -- warmth, tingling, clarity, energy.
11. Perform 3 rounds total.

After the final round, sit quietly with the eyes closed. Breathe naturally. Feel the energy in the body. Notice the quality of the mind -- it should feel clear, alert, and alive, like a sky after a strong wind has blown the clouds away.

Caution: Students with high blood pressure, heart conditions, hernia, or those who are pregnant should skip Bhastrika and instead continue with normal deep breathing during this time. Teacher should announce this caution clearly before beginning. If any student feels dizzy or lightheaded, they should stop immediately and return to normal breathing.

Teacher's Note: Demonstrate the rhythm first -- let students watch and hear the breath before they begin. The most common mistake is doing only the exhale forcefully (like Kapalbhati). In Bhastrika, both the inhale AND the exhale are equally forceful. If students are doing it correctly, you should hear a strong rhythmic pumping sound from the nose, and you should see the belly moving sharply in and out.

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