Sudokasana : Vajrasana Session 9

FIRST EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Sit in a kneeling position with your bottom resting on your feet, toes pointing backwards. Lean backwards to place your hands on the floor behind you, palms face down, fingers pointing forwards. Press into the hands enough to give you a sense of consciously pointing the knees downwards into the floor. Lift the pelvic girdle just sufficiently to allow you to tilt it so that its back moves towards the floor. Keep the head lifted so that your face remains looking forwards. Inhaling, imagine the breath entering into and expanding the chest, and encourage the breastbone to lift towards the ceiling. Exhaling & thinking in terms of maintaining the openness of the chest, squeeze the abdomen in towards the spine. Continue for several breaths before gently relaxing the legs, lowering the hips and then lifting the trunk to upright.
SECOND EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Continue in the kneeling position. Use your hands to check the shape of your spine – and adjust as appropriate. Have your arms by your sides, palms facing backwards. Inhaling, lift your arms forwards until pointing up towards the ceiling (and palms facing forwards). Continuing to inhale, move your arms backwards, allowing and encouraging your upper back to move into a backbend (face remains looking forwards). Start exhaling while squeezing the abdomen inwards to help lift the trunk back to upright and arms back to pointing upwards. Continuing to exhale, lower the arms forwards to your sides (palms now facing backwards), and then move the arms backwards squeezing shoulder blades together and reinforcing the abdominal squeeze. Continue for several breaths enjoying the long slow breaths and movement.
THIRD EXERCISE OF SESSION (2 minutes)
Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest. From here take your heels towards the ceiling – don’t worry if your legs don’t straighten completely, but do make sure the weight of your legs remains over your trunk (i.e. keep your heels over your hips rather than allow them more away from your trunk than this). Lift your arms up to point up at the ceiling, palms facing each other. Exhaling, bring your knees to your chest at the same time as lowering one arm sideways to the floor. Continuing to exhale, bring the hand of the still lifted arm across your body to the arm resting on the floor and at the same time lower your knees in the opposite direction as your arms and turn your head to look in the same direction as your arms. Inhaling, lift your top arm to vertical, at the same time as returning head and knees to centre. Continuing to inhale, lift the other arm to vertical at the same time as moving your heels towards the ceiling. Repeat to the other side. Repeat several times to each side before settling for relaxation.
FOURTH EXERCISE OF SESSION (4 minutes)
Lie down in a comfortable position and practise a relaxation method of your choice. You could try the following relaxation practice. Imagine a couple of cats lying beside you – one on either side of your trunk, snuggled against you. Imagine the cats beautifully relaxed and breathing softly – feel warmth from the cat radiating into your trunk and imagine that, with the warmth, comes nurturing love and enjoy. Imagine the cats enjoy lying beside you, and, feeling safe and content, start to purr – a soft gently purr – as though letting you know all is well and good in the world. Allow your mind to rest in the soft gentle purr of the cats – and enjoy. When you are ready, thank the cats for their company, warmth and purring and imagine them leaving you to go and give their company to another who could use their peaceful company 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.