Sudokasana : Siddhasana Session 4

FIRST EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Place a soft thick folded blanket and sit on this on a couple of yoga blocks (or folded towels) with the soles of your feet resting on the floor a comfortable distance in front of your hips. Then take one arm to the inside of the leg (of the same side) and take hold of either the shin or ankle. Allowing the knee to lower sideways, draw the foot of this leg inwards until the back edge of the heel is in line with the centre of your trunk about an inch or so in front of your pelvic girdle – place the foot so that the outside edge of the top of the foot rests against the floor and the sole of the foot faces upwards. Similarly draw the foot of the other leg inwards – place this foot just in front of the other foot so that the outside edge of its top rests against the floor, the side of the heel rests against the ankle of the other foot and the back edge of the heel is in line with the centre of your trunk and the back edge of the other foot. Lean forwards to place your hands on the blanket (palms down & fingers pointing forwards), and walk your hands forwards so that your buttocks lift off the padding until your trunk and upper legs are in one plane and your shoulders are above your hands – your feet will lift off the floor, but do keep them touching each other. Keeping a sense of pressing through your hands and arms, allow your pelvic girdle to lower until your navel is about an inch off the floor, encouraging your chest to expand forwards – it is fine for your elbows to be somewhat bent. Hold for about 3 breaths, then slowly lift your hips and walk your hands backwards gently lowering your buttocks back to the padding. Use your hands to help you lift the knees back to their original position. Repeat to the other side.
SECOND EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Sit as for the previous exercise but without the padding (i.e. yoga blocks or folded towels) under the hips – then fold your legs inwards as described above. Slide your fingers between the calf muscles and the thigh muscles so that the heels of your hands rest on your thigh muscles. Attempt to draw your hands and arms backwards (in a perpendicular direction to the thighs), against the resistance provided by the fingers being curved round the thigh muscles so that the chest moves & expands forwards relative to the shoulders. Hold for about 3 breaths, with awareness resting on the breath and the shape of the spine. Relax and use your hands to help you lift the knees back to their original position. Repeat to the other side.
THIRD EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
As for the previous exercise, sit and then fold your legs inwards. Imagine your pelvic girdle is heavy and lean forwards to place your hands on the mat (palms down, fingers pointing forwards). Now walk your hands forwards a little, keeping your buttocks as close to your mat as possible – your buttocks may lift an inch or so, but if they lift more than this then you have walked your hands forwards a bit too far. Hold for about 3 breaths, enjoying the feeling of the trunk relaxing downwards when exhaling and an elongation from tail-bone to crown of head when inhaling. Then walk your hands backwards until you are able to lift your trunk back to upright. Use your hands to help you lift the knees back to their original position. Repeat to the other side.
FOURTH EXERCISE OF SESSION (4 minutes)
Either lie down in a comfortable position and practise a relaxation method of your choice or sit for some breathing or meditation. You could try the following as either a relaxation or a meditation visualisation. Imagine you are sitting or lying near to the sea. Listen to the sounds of the sea, enjoy the smell of the sea and the touch of sea breezes against your skin. After a while, notice the sea brings you gifts; with each wave the sea brings you a gift to accept if useful to you – gifts like peace, calm, energy, good health. All you have to do to accept any of these gifts is to accept them into yourself – take whatever of these gifts you feel you have a use for, that you feel would enrich your life. Thank the sea for its gifts and then spend a few moments thinking about how you will use the gifts to enrich your life and the lives of those around you. 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.