Yoga as if we had a Brain, Lesson 2

YOGA AS IF WE HAD A BRAIN, 2
More forward fold.

Why?

Because it's fun.

1) Bend forward and see how it goes. This is for starting first off in the morning, not a continuation of the other lesson, but a variation, another way of going about it. Anyway, lean forward and see where it is easy and where it is creaky.

2) Stand and push your feet easily into the earth, and breathe easily into the air and look easily into the distance. Feel the joy of being alive. Notice the creaky and easy areas in this position.

3) Play with your feet. Rotate forward and back on your feet and side to side on your feet until it is easy. Then make circles, one way and then the other until it is easy.

4) Interlace your fingers and put them behind your head. Lean forward and again notice the easy and the creaky areas. See if you can rotate in those creaky areas. For example, if your neck seems the creakiest area, rotate around your neck. If it's somewhere in the mid-back, see if you can rotate there. Same with lower back, though just do little movement there.

5) Stand. Let down your arms beside you. Sense your feet and your spine and add a smile. Breathe and enjoy breathing.

6) Put your arms straight out to the sides from your shoulders at shoulder height. As if you are flying. Start with your arms open and palms up toward the sky. In this position, start to fold forward as a slump, so your head and pelvis both come toward each other. In this slump / fold, let your arms rotate around the shoulder, so that the palms rotate from toward the sky, to forward, to down, and perhaps even toward behind you and even back up again. Then uncurl, unslump and go to the opposite, an arching where the butt is lifted toward your stomach comes forward and our back arches and your head arches back a bit and your arms rotate around your shoulders so the hands point forward, then up, and then back. Have some fun with this.

7) Stand. Rest. Breathe. Smile. Enjoy. Wait. Watch. Then do the slump and arch thing, but move your arms in the opposite rotation. This is too hard to describe on paper, no not really too hard, it just takes too long. You figure it out, it's the opposite of what easy seems. Do it this opposite way awhile and then go back to the easy way. Smile and breathe while you do this.

8) Come up. Stand. Visualize folding simply forward, hands down toward the ground. Then do this. And then come up and little and let your butt / pelvis do a little tucking and arching, without anything else, or without much else being involved. Have fun. Butt tuck, butt up into the air. Then fold forward, push your feet into the ground and your butt up into the air. If you have any creaky areas still, do little rotations in them and soften and release to the extend that is delightful and easy. Don't strain. Don't pain. Let the brain heart and joy bring the gain.

9) Stand and smile and breathe and delight in yourself. Yes.