Before You Begin

Principle: Wet Noodle - relax, let gravity to the work
Principle: Passive Tension over time (2 - 5 minutes)
Principle: Breathe to Relax (4:8 breathing)
Recommendation: Joint Pain/Stabby pain Bad, back off(slowly)
Recommendation: Focus on how the stretch feels, and where it is, not what it looks like

Calm Mind / Warm Spine - 3 minutes

Pose	Time
Establish Breathing	1 minutes
Circle Walking	2 minutes
Moon Squats	2 minutes

Flip Flop Shoulder Squash - 15 Minutes

Pose	Time
Rag Doll	3 minutes
Arch your back, chest to the sky	integrate
Cliffhanger	3 minutes
Elbows under shoulders, push your shoulders up	integrate
Pretzel Right	3 minutes
Head on hands, rest and feel	integrate
Pretzel Left	3 minutes
Head on hands, rest and feel	integrate
(Reset) Phoenix Shoulders	1 minutes

Thoracic Fantastic - 10 Minutes

Pose	Time
Wide Dog	5 minutes
Hands on opposite shouldrs, give yourself a hug	integrate
Noodle	3 minutes
Stand up and shake it out	integrate
(Reset) Shoulder / Waist	1 minute

Open the Door to the Pelvic Floor - 13 minutes

Pose	Time
Hero/Lightning Bolt	3 minutes
On hands and knees, point one leg back at a time	integrate
Twister Right	3 minutes
Pause for moment, notice any differences in your lower back?
Twister Left	3 minutes
Pause for moment, notice any differences in your lower back?
(Reset) Supine Washer Knees	1 minutes

Options: Replace Twister with:

Side Leg Left/Right
Wide Leg Left/Right

Closing in Opening - 10 Minutes

Pose	Time
Blaster Left	3 minutes
Child’s pose back and forth	integrate
Blaster Right	3 minutes
Child’s pose back and forth	integrate
Bound Butterfly	3 minutes
Legs front, hands behind, fingers pointing back, heart to sky	integrate

Root And Gather Energy

Pose	Time
Wu Chi	1 minute
Engaging Pelvic Floor	1 minute
Gathering Clouds	1 minute
Bathing in the Spring	1 minute

Video	This Page

Pose Options

Remember, when we are working on deep flexibility, going deeper might actually reduce the effectiveness of a pose. Your target is 7/10 if you uninjured. How do you know you are 7/10? A rough suggestion is that if you can communicate without too much effort, you are not too deep. If you struggle to talk, probably too deep, come back.

In general, start higher up, and work your way lower as you practice pose over multiple sessions.

For example, I use a bench or table for Wide Dog. I can hold the pose with my hands on the floor, but I tend to target the backs of my legs. To get my shoulders targeted, I can externally rotate my arms, but then my arms are yang, and the rest of my body is yin, I’m confusing my nervous systems.

A key idea: It’s how it feels, now how it looks. Going deeper is often exactly what you do not what to do.

Blaster

The front leg is in flexion, stretching the hamstrings. Back leg is in extension, stretching the quads.

Option: Use pillows, or a blanket under your chest for support
Option: Use a bench in front of you
Option: Use a pillow under your back leg
Option: Arms locked out to support you
Option: Lower to your forearms
Option: Lower to your chest, arms reaching forward

Bound Butter Fly

Both legs are in external/lateral rotation, souls of feet together. This opens up the pelvis.

Option: Use pillows under both knees
Option: Use pillows or block under your bum to be able to lean forward and get your weight into your lap

Cliffhanger

This is an intense pose targeting your shoulders and thoracic spine extension.

Option: Two Blocks, shoulder width, elbows up on blocks, hands in prayer, thumbs to spine
- Blocks offer three different levels, on the lowest level, you might reach your third eye to the floor
Option: Kneeling next to a wall, fingertips just touching the wall, place your hands up the wall and fall in to your shoulders and spine
Option: Laying on your stomach, with a pillow under your chest
Option: Laying on your stomach, up against the wall

Hero / Lightning Bolt

This is a both a hamstring stretch, and it might target your knees. And your spine. Compound (multiple stretches), and complex (more than 6 muscles).

Option: Sit on a low bench, place your legs on the sides, feet back, pointing
Option: Put a rolled towel under your ankles, pillows between your bum and your feet
Option: Sit on your heals
Option: Spread your feet and allow your bum to eventually rest on the floor

Bum soundly on floor Knees feel good Note, Lucas mostly does not go to final option.

Option: Bum soundly on the floor, put your hands behind your, fingers pointing back, and lean back a bit
Option: Bum on floor, reach arms behind you, lower to your elbows
Option: Bum on floor, leann back onto your elbows, using a pillow on your back
Option: Bum on floor, lay onto your back, knees might float up, muscle spindles - don’t fight it!!!

Noodle

This is a passive back bend trying to target the thoracic spine. Use more as many pillows as you need to be comfortable and get a nice gentle arch in your back. Adjust to avoid pinching in your lower back.

Option: Blocks under your back with several pillows
Option: Use a bench/stool with several pillows
Option: Use the arm of a couch, again several pillows

Pretzel

An asymmetrical pose that might stretch your shoulders, and your shoulder blades.

Option: Lay on your stomach, with a pillow under your chest
Option: Lay on your stomach

Rag Doll

This is targeting the back of your spine, and it may target the back of you legs. If you feel any pain in your lower back, bend your knees. Regardless, keep your knees bent.

Option: Bench/chair/coffee table/couch to support your arms
Option: Place your hands on blocks
Option: Use a wall, place your bum on the wall

Twister

An asymmetrical passive twist, to really release your lower back.

Option: Legs crossed, up against a wall/chair/coffee table
Option: Legs crossed, as many pillows as you need to relax
Option: Legs all the way to the ground

Wide Dog

This might target between your shoulder blades. This might target the back of your legs.

Option: Use a bench/chair/coffee table with a pillow
Option: Blocks on the floor
Option: Hands on floor

Science of Stretching for Tai Chi and Bagua