Collected works and current thoughts
Mind Map from Elwanda Klucik
Science of Stretching Mind Map
Common
Closing
- Return to a seated position
- Spend time on 4:4 breathing, through the nose
- This will help wake people up after all of that 4:8 breathing.
- Right hand over heart, left hand over belly button (for Tai Chi, center of palm where middle finger touches, the lao gong, centered about 2 fingers directly below belly button, to align with your lower Dantian, the pelvic floor where the reproductive organs are)
- Say, “May this practice heal my mind and my body” x 2
Down Dog Twist - transition - x2
- Transition into a down dog
- On your knees, tuck toes, push up into a down dog
- Reach your right hand over to the outside of your left ankle and hold on
- Look in the direction of your arm and then a bit up and back.
- Hold for a few seconds
- Release your hand and return to down dog
- Reach your left hand over to the outside of your right ankle
- Do this a few times, hold long on the last hold.
Options:
- If gripping your ankle is too much, move your hand up your leg.
- (Guess) If you grab higher, do not use your knee, well above/below your knee, do not pull your knee!
Establish Breathing
- Come to any seated position
- Begin by breathing in your nose, and out your mouth, making an “ah” sound
- Breath in to a count of 4, 1, 2, 3, 4
- Breath out to a count of 8, 7. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
- Repeat this once
- Say something like “continue breathing at your own pace.”
- While your students breath, consider giving some background, such as (don’t say all of this stuff, or any of this, feel the room)
- Breathing out longer encourages your parasympathetic nervous system to turn on
- This helps us relax, and it helps reduce your body’s resistance to stretching
- About 50% of what we are doing is training our brain
- You are about to do some uncomfortable, by using your breath, you are telling your body “I know, this isn’t familiar, but it is OK.”
- You are strengthening your executive function, weakening your monkey mind, and this may translate into the rest of your life.
Moon Squats
We’re going to continue (just established breathing) with an all body warm up.
- Stand in the middle of your mat
- Place your feed hip-width or a bit wider apart
- Turn your feet out a bit, say 12 degrees
- Reach up, breath in, spread your fingers
- Now exhale, stick your bum back as you go down, down, down, down
- Reach up, take in a big breath, reach up, spread your fingers
- Look up, things are looking up
- Exhale, and sit down,
- Make fists and cross your wrists
- Sink your head into your wrist
Generally 3 sets of 5, but mix it up
Plank Pose - transition
- Place your shins on your mat, hip width apart
- Place your hands on your mat, directly under your shoulders
- Curl your toes and press up into a plank
- Do this a few times
- On the last one, hold to a count of 5
Rag Doll
Props:
- Stool, chair, coffee table
- Blocks
Instruction:
- Place your stool at the top of your mat
- Stand close to your stool, your hands should float over your stool
- Spread your feet hips-width apart
- Align the outsides of your feet parallel
- Bend your knees, rest your ribcage on your bent knees
Options:
- Knees bent, arms on stool in front of you
- Lower your hands to blocks on the floor
- Free hang, and grab your elbows with your hands
- If you’re not feeling it, consider getting close to a wall and put your bum on it
- Start a bit away from the wall to avoid
Back Pinching?
- Bend your knees more
- Raise the pose
- Use a bench
Restore Breathing
Sphinx - transition
Table Top - transition
Happy Hips
Establish Breathing
see above
Moon Squats
see above
Blaster - x2
Sphinx - transition
see above
Butterfly
Table Top - transition
see above
Pigeon - x2
Camel - transition
Double Pigeon - x2
Plank Pose - transition
see above
Jack Knife Blaster - x2
Down Dog Twist - transition - x2
Passive Squat
Restore Breathing
see above
Closing
see above
Happy Back
Establish Breathing
see above
Moon Squats
see above
Standing Side Body Stretch - transition - x2
Rag Doll
see above
Reclining Hero
Cat Cow - transition
Sphinx - transition
see above
A-Frog
Down Dog Twist - transition - x2
Shoulder Pow - x2
Arrow Pose (toes tucked) - x2 - is this a variation of pins and needles?
Cliffhanger
Thread the Needle - transition
Restore Breathing
see above
Closing
see above
Hamstring Freedom
Establish Breathing
see above
Moon Squats
see above
Rag Doll
see above
Plank Pose - transition
see above
Side Leg Stretch - x2
Wild Thing
Wide Leg Stretch - x2
Table Top - transition
see above
Plough
Paschimottanasa (is this also called block head?)
Seated Heart Open - transition
Short Dog
Seated Twist - transition
Flamenco 1 / a - x2
Flamenco 2 / b - x2
Flamenco 3 / c - x2
Restore Breathing
see above
Closing
see above
