Sudokasana : Dandasana Session 9

FIRST EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Come into a version of Dandasana - sitting with legs stretched in front of you, feet hip-width apart, spine long, vertical and essentially straight. See previous sessions on Dandasana for guidance on how to achieve this position. Check your spine is vertical and essentially straight using the backs of your hands. Have your arms close to your sides, straight and with your palms facing forwards – have your arms as close to your sides as is consistent with having your fingertips just off the floor. (That is those with long arms relative to their backs will need to have their arms further away from their sides than those with relatively short arms and those sitting on blocks). Have a sense of an elongation from the shoulders, through the arms to the fingertips and beyond. Imagine elongation from your spine sideways to shoulders and beyond. Imagine you can draw the bottom corners of the scapulae inwards towards the spine. Inhaling, lift your arms sideways as far as feels comfortable or until pointing upwards, keeping the arms in the same plane as your trunk throughout. Exhaling, lower the arms sideways. Continue for several breaths, enjoying slow long breaths. Then pause with arms in the lowered position.
SECOND EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
From the position of the previous exercise, interlock your fingers in front of your abdomen and with palms face up make a loose curve / circle with your arms. While inhaling, lift your arms forwards until your hands are above your head (palms now facing downwards). Using the fact that your fingers provide resistance, engage muscles as though trying to draw your elbows as much sideways as you can – this will tend to encourage the chest to open. Maintain the sense of trying to keep elbows as much sideways as possible in the flowing arm movement. Exhaling, draw the backs of hands up to ceiling (i.e. arms straighten) and imagine your tailbone sinking down towards the floor. Inhaling, draw hands downwards to crown of head with a sense of the elbows being pulled sideways. Repeat for a few breaths, then lower hands forwards, interlock fingers the other way and repeat. Note: Those with high blood pressure or reason not to elevate their blood pressure are recommended to avoid holding an arm lifted overhead – if this is the case for you simply omit this part of this exercise sequence.

THIRD EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Still in Dandasana, bring your arms to your sides and your hands parallel to the floor with fingers pointing forwards. Those with long backs or who are sitting on blocks may find that their hands don’t reach the floor in this position – in which case press your hands down as though into an imaginary hard surface. Those sitting directly on the floor and with shorter backs (relative to arm length) may well be able to place their hands on the floor. In this case, place your hands sufficiently to the side of your hips with elbows slightly bent so that when you press down through your hands you are not lifting your hips up. Either way, the heels of your hands should be in the same plane as your hips. Have a sense of your elbows and heels of your hands sinking downwards – and, if your hands are resting on the floor, also imagine the outside edge of your hands sinking. Exhaling, very gently and slowly take one ear towards the shoulder on the same side and at the same time imagine the hand of the other side sinking downwards. Inhaling, very gently lift the head back to centre. Repeat to the other side. Repeat 2 to 4 more times to each side. Then wrap your arms around your shoulders and enjoy giving yourself a loving hug for a couple of breaths.
FOURTH EXERCISE OF SESSION (4 minutes)
Either lie down for relaxation or breathing practice or contemplation while in a sitting position. You could try the following from sitting or lying on your front. Imagine sun shining on the back of your neck and shoulders – imagine love, light and warmth being poured into your neck and from there flowing down your back and arms into the earth. Imagine that the light and warmth loosen and dissolve tensions and “impurities” and then carry them on into the earth for transformation. Remember not to rush sitting up and standing after practising relaxation as it causes the blood pressure to fall, which can cause dizziness if one moves too quickly.