Margot's Workshop - Sunday

This session focuses on the opening of the chest and the pelvis.

One important thing to consider in many asanas is the action of the arms and legs. Strong arms and legs allow the organic body to be quiet and to extend. An example would be sucking in the outer hips - the flesh of the outer hips moves towards the femur. I really felt this effect doing Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (see below) - concentrating on extending through the heels and sucking in the hips helps the abdomen to stay relatively relaxed and allows the torso to lengthen. Another example would be to extend the arms up (Urdhava Hastasana) strongly. Moving the outer elbows towards the inner elbows opens up the area in between my shoulder blades.

Chest Openers
Start out lying down - you will need two wooden blocks
1.Two blocks on the long narrow sides down. Lie with your shoulder blade tips touching the lower edge of the one block, the other block is underneath your head. Opens shoulder and chest. Stay here for a few minutes.
2. Two blocks (upright - i.e. small area on the ground - longer smaller side along the spine) - the other block underneath your head - Opens shoulder and chest II. Stay here for a few minutes.

Tadasana Urdhva Hastasana
move the shoulder blades towards each other, then a little bit apart to find a balance, stretch, move the outer shoulders towards each other

Downward Dog
1. legs and hands wide apart (mat wide apart) - move around
2. Regular Downward Dog

Virasana Modifications:
1. sit on your heels - on a foam block (between buttock and heels) - note: knees are pointing forward; arms - eagle pose: elbows and forearms 90%

2. put a rolled map behind your knees - sit on a foam block - hands in Urdhva Baddha Hasasana (fingers interlaced - palm stretching up). Great opening for the knees (which I need!)

Supta Virasana on two blocks (two blocs as in chest openers above). Tailbone moves towards the feet. Lift sternum.
Supta Virasana Modification: lift your chest - rest the crown of the head on the floor - if the crown of the floor touches the floor - put your hands above the hand and hold your elbows. Elbows are moving away from the shoulders and towards the ground.

Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Plate 278-279 LoY)
Lie on the ground - legs 90 degrees (towards the ceiling). Suck in the outer hips - keep the abdomen quiet. Lower to 60 degrees, then 50 degrees. Hold. Use the arms and legs to get an extension in the spine.

Uttana Padasana (Plate 292 LoY)
with arms and legs in a 50 degrees angle - suck in the outer hips

Navasana
from lying on the ground - get up into boat pose

Resting Pose
lie on the ground - legs extend towards the ceiling - have a strap loop around your feet and at the base of your scull - head and shoulders off the floor - relax head into the strap - relax shoulders - the legs are firm. Great for neck and shoulders!

Sirsasana

Backbends on a chair:
1. Feet against the wall, lower part of shoulder blades against the edge of the chair. Grab your elbows and move elbows away from the torso towards the floor.
2. Feet flat on the floor. Crown of the head touches the floor. Arms in Sirsasana. Elbows move towards each other and press into the floor.

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (Plate 516)
Variations: 1. knees are bent. 2. knees bent and together

Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana (Plate 521)
Modification: with a partner - the partner holds up a strap - that goes around the middle of the buttocks to support the backbend - knees are bent - knees are together - lift one leg towards the ceiling.


Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Plate 98 - gem for women)
Shoulders rest on 3 blankets - hands in the same position as in shoulderstand - legs parallel to the floor - feet against the wall.

3x twist on a chair - to neutralise the backbending action.

Supported Shoulderstand on a chair and bolster
lift chest - legs together - supported on the chair

Supported Forward Bend with a chair
Sit with your legs apart in front of a chair - rest the head on the chair

Savasana with legs supported on a chair (knees 90 degree angle)