Align & Flow Sequence: Head, Neck, Shoulders to Headstand

75 Minute Friday Morning Class at Binghamton Yoga

Following last Friday's successful Barre Integration class, I came to the mat knowing that I wanted to do something very different so that last week's class could stand apart from this week's.  I find the best way to do that is to approach the body from a different angle.  So, having attended Sheila's Gathering Between the Shoulders, I decided to explore the shoulders in my own way. 

Most of the yogis who come to this class practice 1-3 times weekly.  Many of them also engage in other workouts, such as cross-fit and running.  They're generally women between 25-65, which is a wide range with many different abilities and goals.  I know that most of them suffer from tight necks, shoulders & chests - and that they always enjoy working in those areas.

So I crafted a class that begins with the head, neck, & shoulders, introduces chest opening, moves down the body toward full-length spinal activation, and then begins a strong but short flow which transitions into inversions.

The props we use are 2 mats, 2 blocks, 1 chair, 1 strap, and whatever blankets one needs to sit.  The second mat is folded into quarters and placed on the chair for nearly the entire class.  This will make the chair easier & more comfortable to use.

Head & Neck Opening

• Seated in chair, facing forward with mat on floor and mat on chair
• Close eyes and relax...let the tongue soften away from the top & sides of your mouth. - begin to wiggle the jaw left & right, open & close, forward & back
• Head center...tip then CHIN-TO-CHEST on an exhale and then RAISE CHIN TO SKY on inhale - repeating
• Head center...turn head to one side several times on breath going deeper each time
• Head center...drop head forward - then create half circles with head
• Gentle SHOULDER ROLLS
• Head Center...head to one side several time on breath going deeper each time
• Interlace fingers around head back of neck and rotate head & neck while massaging

Chest & Shoulder Opening

• Stand & move chair away - pick up strap
• Hold strap wide and lift both arms straight over head and then behind - moving with breath up & down to open chest
• Narrow the strap a little and return to straight arms up over & slightly behind - then drop one arm while the other stays up and feel the two pull in their own directions
• Narrow the straps to shoulder-width - perform shoulder-press type activity with strap - it's a grueling shoulder exercise
• Narrow the strap for the last time and loop it around the wrists behind the back - place palms on waist and push out into the strap to pull the head of your arm bone into socket
• Release the strap to the ground
• Clasp the hands behind the back and press them into the Sacrum then slowly lift & straighten the arms
• Eagle Arms - Work the action of rounding into the Eagle Arms and Dome Forward
• Come to wall
• Stand with one arm up the wall sideways & open the underarm to the wall - swivel a little the outer foot forward and turn tiny-bit toward wall to really get into this area.  If students don't feel anything then ask them to push into the wall & pull with the hand down the wall to engage the body & find the feeling
• Same thing again, but this time we bend the elbow against the wall for tricep stretch (Cowface). This can be greatly enhanced by dragging the tricep down the wall a bit and pressing the meaty part of the elbow into the wall so that it nudges the shoulder-blade down the back. Only consider binding hands when people are fully involved.  Again, if someone doesn't feel it then they need to find their muscles by pressing into it to lift them up.

Spinal Activation

• All-Fours - Cow / Cat
• Elongated All-Fours - Gentle Cobra / Long Puppy Dog
• Lay flat on belly & extend arms for SPINAL TRACTION
• Pull Elbows back & under shoulders for SPHINX - hold - then consider looking back slowly over one shoulder & then the other
• Child's Posture

Flow

• Down Dog --> Eka Pada -->
• Lunge Knee Up Fists on Ground Work the Length & Strength -->
• Drop back Knee for Turbo Pigeon Lunge --> Plank --> Other Side

• Down Dog --> Eka Pada --> 
• Lunge Knee Up Fists on Ground -->
• Drop back Knee for Crescent Lunge Hands Clasped Behind
• Plank --> Other Side

• Setup for Anusara-Style  Cobra Back Bend - Doing Several Reps
• Relax on Belly then stretch arms into a T with palms down - roll over to one side maintaining arm and pause - when ready initiate neck stretch
• Relax on Belly
• Setup for Salambasana - Chest first - then arms into wings - lift feet - HOLD - then sweep arms back along - finally clasp hands behind & lift way up - HOLD

• Puppy Dog --> Down Dog
• Lunge...Lay Chest on Leg and Float Forward into Airplane Virabhadrasana III
• Repeat on Other Side

• Transition to Egg at end of second side and walk back to sit on butt
• Place Hands & Feet for Reverse Table Top - HOLD
• Coming down, put blocks under soles of feet then lay back for a modified Setu Bhandasana with the blocks making the legs higher to really find hamstrings

Inversions

• Come to floor
• Preparing shoulders with Dolphin on All-Fours using Block between Thumb-L's - Dome & Hollow
• Come to Wall with 2 mats
• Sirsasana - HOLD
• Come back to middle of the room and set up for Shoulder Stand with mat, 2-3 blankets, 1 block
• Salamba Sarvangasana
• Balasana
• Child's Fish - Kneeling with Hands under Chin to Stretch Neck

Savasana

• Place lower leg over chair and relax on back