Bob’s Yoga

Morning

Doing a little most mornings helps.

• Sit well
  Sit in the middle of a hard chair like your folding chair. Have your shins vertical. Feel your feet square on the floor, barefoot or in socks. Have your knees at a width that takes no effort to hold stable. Rest your palms on your thighs and let your upper arms hang straight down at your sides. Firm your abdomen. Look straight ahead. Focus and feel the firm press of your weight on your sit bones. Adjust the tilt of your pelvis slightly forward to feel some press at the base of your crotch (mula). Hold the pose for most of a minute. Feedback from the three-point press will begin to help the curves of your back.
• Neck rotations × 3
  Turn your head all the way to one side, as far as comfortable, do not push it. Pause briefly, feeling the position, then slack the pull very slightly. Focus on the pull in your scm muscle on the front of your neck opposite from the direction your turned your head. Hold the pull for roughly 20 seconds. Smoothly bring your head to face forward and pause. Then turn your head the other direction in the same way. Then do both directions again in the same way twice.
• Standing supported forward fold (ardha uttanasana) × 2
  Stand barefoot or in socks facing one of your bar stools. Tilt your torso forward at your hip joints and press your palms on the seat of the stool. Have your arms straight and your shoulders directly above your wrists. Pull your shoulder blades toward your butt. Press down on your palms, take some of your weight on your arms. Took straight down at the seat of the stool; look in such a way that your neck feels straight. Focus on letting your back sag and the pull through your butt and the back of your thighs. Hold gently for at least 20 seconds. Bend your knees and lower your butt, bring your torso upright as you take your hands off the stool, then straighten your legs. Then do the forward fold again.
• Doorway balance
  Have a clock or watch you can see. Stand in the doorway of the bathroom near your front door, barefoot or in socks. Feel your feet square on the floor. Slightly soften your knees to engage your thigh muscles and stabilize the joints. Rest your hands lightly on the door frame. Shift all of your weight to one leg and lift your other foot a little off the floor. Hold for 30 seconds then put your foot down smoothly. Then do the other side, then do both again.
• Standing lunge on chair (toward warrior 1) × 2
  Stand barefoot or in socks facing the seat of a dining or folding chair. Smoothly step one foot up on the seat. Slightly soften the knee of your straight leg and focus on feeling that foot square on the floor. Press your pubic bone forward a little to feel a gentle pull along the front of that thigh and hold for roughly 20 seconds. Smoothly step your foot down from the chair and pause. Do your other side in the same way then do both again.
  

Next Time

• Seated warrior 1

• Stand + yoni mudra

• Getting up

• Pyramid rest

• Knees up

Future

• Mula bandha