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Level
1 Difficulty. This is a relaxation
that will allow you to deeply relax and let go throughout your hips,
abs, lower back, body, shoulders & neck. It's actually an offshoot
of the early steps in learning how to do the Shoulder Stand - so,
while you're in it, you can relax in the knowledge that you're also
on the way to doing demanding poses. : It's one of the few poses
in Serenity Yoga where we use props. In this case - a wall
or a sofa can do the job. When you're in the pose, you can choose
whatever breathing strategy you like. Allow us to recommend: Step-by-step
Relaxation, The
Sponge, Relaxed
Breath 1 or 2
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3
- plus
any of the Orange
Level Breathing Themes,
(especially Sacral Breathing and Breathing
with the Back of Your Chest), Breathing
Theme 17 &
18, 22B
(Spine Awareness). Finally, it's
a good meditation position for those who are easily uncomfortable
in the traditional ones. Enjoy! |
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| You
will need a wall that has no windows or doors in it for at least 6 feet
along its length. Or, you can use a sofa. (The wall is preferred.) (Note,
no matter how much you want to practice this pose, doing it against a bookcase
or a door just won't work. You need something that will give you steady
support. Your supporting surface cannot have any looseness or jiggle in
it.) |
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Position
yourself along side the wall, (or along the front of the sofa), with
one side of your hips and one of your legs against it. |
| Tip
You
will need to have the side of your body fully in touch with the wall
(or sofa) for the next steps to work well |
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Lie
back. |
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Then, if
you're using a wall - swivel your hips around so that the bottom
of both hips are now in touch with the wall and your legs are now
resting up along the wall, aiming upward toward the ceiling. You
can use your hands against the wall to assist in this movement.
If you're
using a sofa - swivel your hips around so that the bottom of
both hips are now in touch with the front of the base of the sofa
and your lower legs are now resting on the cushions. You can use
your hands against the wall to assist in this movement.
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Next
Wriggle your hips closer to the wall or sofa to completely close
any gap between your hips and the wall / sofa. |
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| Tip
If you started off in good contact with wall or sofa to begin with,
you will be able to fine tune your position by wriggling a little.
However, if you were too far away from the wall to begin with, no
amount of wiggling will set you up in full contact with the wall.
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You
will need to have the bottom of your hips fully in touch with the
wall (or sofa) - no gaps at all - for the next steps to work well.
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Your body
will now be perpendicular to the wall or sofa, (forming the
letter 'L' with it). If using a wall, your legs will be running
up along the wall.
Note
If using a wall, your legs can be as straight as is comfortable
for you.
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| Take
time to adjust your body so that your legs, hips, spine, shoulders,
neck and head are lined up with each other. |
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Take a moment
to adjust your neck:
- * Draw the
base of your head slightly away from your shoulders, stretching
out your neck slightly.
- * Adjust
your chin up or down so that you have the best air flow at the
back of your throat.
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Now you are
in position.
- * Take a
breath to allow the weight in your legs and body to fully sink
into the floor.
- * Feel the
weight in your lower back spreading across the ground.
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Now
that You're Here, What Do You Do?
You'll find this position is deeply relaxing in itself - the longer you
stay in it, the less you'll want to leave! Here are some things you can
do to explore your practice further with this 'pose'.
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Breathe
and Relax
Simply feel your body sinking deeper and deeper into the ground
as you breathe out, (Breathing
Theme 1 or 2).
Step-by-step
Relaxation
With each breath out, feel your body letting go and sinking down,
piece by piece, (Breathing
Theme 3).
Start with your feet - feeling their weight sink down your legs,
into your hips and into the floor.
After 3 - 6 breaths, move up to the next body area, (your legs,
hips, lower back, etc).
Address each body area one by one, including your head and face.
Notice
which Body Areas Relax Especially Deeply in This Position
Lying back in this way allows some body areas to relax and let go
more than they normally might. You'll notice this particularly as
the movements of breathing affect that area.
Key areas to notice are: abdominals, lower back, sacrum, spine,
shoulders and jaw.
Also check in with areas of your body that have been injured or
are often tight. Some of them will let go in this position. Noticing
this will help you relax them during ordinary moments of your day,
which can speed their healing.
Practice
Better Breathing
Using your Orange
Level Breathing Themes, pick an area and spot
train the breathing muscles there: abdominals, sacrum, front of
your chest, sides of your chest, back of your chest. This position
is especially good for learning to breathe into your sacrum or into
the back of your chest.
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Practice
Softening Your Breath
When in this position, you'll notice your abdominal muscles can
relax to an unusual degree. This gives you the opportunity to practice
softening your Abdominal
Breathing,
using Breathing
Theme 6 or 17.
Similarly, you might find your lower back and sacrum letting go
more, or your upper back and shoulders. See how softly they can
open up as you breathe. Notice how much more they are willing to
expand when they feel 'soft'.
When you're
in this position, you can also get maximum progress from the
Relaxed
Breath 1 or 2
or 3
breathing exercises.
Noticing
Your Spine
Breathing in, feel your breath traveling up the length of
your spine.
As you breathe
out, notice the weight in your body sinking down into your spine
and into the floor.
The
Sponge
Lying back in this position, it's very easy to slip into The
Sponge visualization. For many people, that's
all they need out of this pose!
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| Main Benefits:
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Calms the mind,
helps you fully relax, helps you learn better breathing. |
| Body
Parts Used by This Posture: |
Not
many - or all of them, depending on how you look at it. ;) |
| Compensating
Pose (Follow Up with a Brief Repetition of): |
Leg Fold |
| Warms You
Up for / Builds You Up for: |
Shoulder Stands,
better breathing, ability to more deeply relax. |
| Good for These
Practice Goals: |
Arthritis; heart
conditions; breathing difficulties, (asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia,
lung surgery); better sleep; calm; deep relaxation of lower back,
abs, sacrum, shoulders, neck; frozen shoulders; IBS; diverticulitis;
pregnancy, (first half only); seniors; sleep difficulties; chronic
stress; mind races; restless legs; whiplash; energy healing; clearing
& cleansing of all chakras. |
| Recommended
for These Health Conditions: |
Chronic lower
back injury, IBS menstruating (having your period) at the moment of
doing your routine, pregnancy yoga, sciatica, high blood pressure,
chronic stress, calm, hyperactivity, trouble sleeping. |
| Avoid Under
these Health Conditions: |
Last half of
pregnancy. |
| Best
Breathing Theme Matches: |
1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 7b, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22B |
| Best for Flexibility
or Strength: |
Flexibility,
(through the ability to deeply relax and breathe well). |
| Best if Movement
Oriented or Static: |
Static |
| Traditional
Pose Type: |
Restorative |
| Energy Center
Used: |
Root, Belly (Sacrum),
Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye. |
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