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Chair Yoga with Sherry Zak Morris Active
©Copyright 2013, YogaJP.com and YogaVistaAcademy.com 11
FINGERS – KNUCKLE KNOT This sequence was an eye‐opener for me, as it really pointed out how tight my hands and wrists really are. I know it is because of all the desk work I do, holding my hand stationery for very long periods of time, which creates tension and tightness in my wrists. I recruited Justine to do the sequence just to confirm that it is doable. This is a great stretch for anyone who works on the computer, or uses their fingers for micro movements for extended periods of time.
Bring your arms in front of you, parallel to each other.
Cross the right arm over the left.
Interlace your palms together, keeping the palms tightly connected.
Like your are threading a needle, bend your elbows and draw your hands under and then in toward your chest.
Bring the hands up towards your face, and bring your elbows together.
Finally, extend your arms lengthwise in front of you. Make sure you keep your palms touching.
Notice if you can extend your arms straight like Justine, or if you are “bound” up in your wrists or forearms.
Active Chair Yoga with Sherry Zak Morris
12 ©Copyright 2013, YogaJP.com and YogaVistaAcademy.com
Here I am doing the same Knuckle Knot, trying my best to keep my palms together as I thread the hands down and under.
And them bringing my hands up and through the “loop” in my arms with my elbows touching.
You can see that I cannot extend my arms straight, as my range of motion in my wrist stops me. What I noticed was when my dominant arm (right) is on the top, my range of motion was greater in the right wrist which enabled me to rotate further in the movement.
Now, why do I like this particular movement pattern? Because it first shows me that I am asymmetrical in my range of motion in each arm. This helps me be aware that my body mechanics and repetitive movements have most likely created that asymmetry. Secondly, because of my somatic awareness, I found the area that I am “bound up” in. It is the lateral movement of the wrist (think of a windshield wiper) and thus I know to make sure to include this range of movement into my yoga practice and ergonomic stretches. And lastly, it gives me another fun sequence to share with my students to help them tune into their bodies. And guess what, they take them home and share it with their family members!
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Gentle Yoga Therapy with Justine Shelton LUMBAR
©Copyright 2012, Justine Shelton and YogaVistaAcademy.com 5
LUMBAR DISC DAMAGE Unfortunately this is an all too common injury. It is important to know if a disc is bulging, it CAN heal through proper movement to increase circulation and getting the disc to retract. If the disc is herniated, the herniation is permanent ‐ however, there is much that can be done to increase space between the vertebral bodies and help to get the person out of pain.
SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA – RECLINED BOUND ANGLE I will never forget the first time I did this pose! My back was hurting, and I hadn't been able to lie flat on my back without pain in years. After repeating this , SLOWLY, three times I was able to lie on my back for savasana completely pain free. It greatly increases circulation to the low back. I call it a yoga band‐aid for low back pain.
For lumbar disc damage, or low back pain in general, cue to bring the pubic bone toward the belly button to lengthen the lumbar spine and stablize the pelvis.
If you would like people to notice the difference between the before and after, have them lie flat on their back first and take a mental snapshot of how their back feels. Afterwards, have them lie flat again and notice the difference. My first time was profound!
This pose can be taught several ways. The most important thing is that it is done slowly. Repeat the pose three times. It can be cued to do it three times taking a full minute to come together each time, or you can talk them through it, bringing the knees together first in halves, then thirds, then quarters ‐ a breath for each movement. It takes a while, but trust me ‐ this pose is worth it!
Gentle and Chair Yoga with Sherry Zak Morris ACTIVE MAT/CHAIR
©Copyright 2013, YogaJP.com and YogaVistaAcademy.com
BACK – LIGHTHOUSE This is the seated Chair version of one of my favorite Somatic Yoga sequences by James Knight. This can be done sitting on a yoga mat. It releases tension in the back by gently twisting the torso and hips in various directions, symmetrically and asymmetrically. If you are in a chair, start in seated Goddess pose, or a straddled position.
This sequence has a BEFORE and AFTER so that you can see the change in the mobility of the spine.
Place the left hand on the right shoulder. Turn the body to the right and stop when you have hit the “bumper”, or your edge. Notice where you stopped by finding a landmark on the wall. This is your BEFORE shot.
Start to turn the torso back and forth. Head and body moving in the same direction. Just like a Lighthouse – back and forth 3 times.
If you want to add more lower body mobility, lift up off the opposite hip and extend the leg on the twisting motion.
Next, move the body in one direction and the head and neck in the opposite direction. Continue this movement for 3 cycles.
Place the hand vertically under the chin, basically splitting the face into two sections. This will help you keep track of where your eyes will move laterally. When your body and head turn to the right, your eyes move to the left, and visa versa. Repeat 3 times.
Gentle and Chair Yoga with Sherry Zak Morris ACTIVE MAT/CHAIR
©Copyright 2013, YogaJP.com and YogaVistaAcademy.com
Place the hand horizontally under the chin, basically splitting your vision up and down. This will help you keep track of where your eyes will move vertically.
Lift your head and shoulders up, while you look down with your eyes. Move your head and shoulders down while you look up with your eyes. Repeat 3 times.
Go back to the original Lighthouse movement. Moving the body and the head in the same direction. Repeat 3 times.
On the last movement, turn the body to look over the shoulder and find your stopping point or “bumper”. This is your AFTER shot.
This is the BEFORE and AFTER shot of the sequence from a different angle. Notice the significant difference in the range of motion of the torso.
Most people improve their range by 30‐50%. And that makes them smile!