I was asked to provide a sequence I utilize for anxiety and moving through trauma. Below you will find many of my favorite tools from Katonah Yoga for measuring, referencing and restoring a state of equilibrium. As our senses are jostled by the pull of nature’s tides, adjustment is required; To that aim, we must first regain a sense of internal harmony. I hope you will find the following sequence of poses as helpful as I have in finding an entry point to engage with the balance between introspective digestion and the potential for extroverted expression.
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It may at first be appropriate to acquaint oneself with breath as a marker of time in the postures. Begin with 9 breaths which aim to slow down having the benefit of calming the nervous system and reducing potentially arising anxiety. When you are consistently able to slow the breath to where a posture takes 1 minute minimum to conclude, follow the times outlined below (breath counting can continue serving both as a meditative anchor and as a great measure for further progress and potentially advancing onto other various practices)
Level 1: 2 mins
Level 2: 4 mins
Level 3: 6 mins+
Poses:
Spherical Plow Pose:
From a supine position, one will bring the knees into the chest as a means to attempt to fit the knees into the arm-pits. This will allow for a symmetrical spinal position while in deep hip flexion.
Sandbags can be used to keep the feet rooted to the ground. If sandbags are unavailable, hooking the feet under a sofa or bed will work to “get over one’s self” and stay grounded.
If this position is too stressful for the back, one might work on happy baby (back flat on the ground and drawing knees to chest without rounding the back) as well as the standing forward fold as an entry point to the spherical plow.
Supported Bridge Pose:
From supine, with the legs belted at the thighs and the calves to restrict the legs from falling out and resting. We will root through the feet to lift the hips and place a block underneath the sacrum.
A block may also be placed between the feet and the thighs to maintain a symmetrical position throughout the hold (and minimize the tendency to move into familiar patterns).
The bridge serves as a counterpose to the spherical plow, in many senses: We will focus on the openness of the posture as a transition from the introverted and contained quality of the plough
Heart Bench with Butterfly Legs:
Continuing from the cocoon of the plough, to emerging in the bridge, we will climax with an opening of the heart as well as hips with this version of the heart bench.
The hips and legs might be belted to prevent a preferred side “opening” while the other remains stagnant.
One block will be between the shoulder blades at the thoracic spine. (this can be at whatever height is helpful for the practitioner: low for less intensity and high for more
A (higher) second block will be for the head (one might need multiple blocks if the block at the thoracic position was already at a maximum height.
Other props such as additional blocks for the arms/sandbags as pictured will help reduce strain on the shoulders (blocks) and open the hips (sandbags).
Next:
The sequence might end with savanna (lying flat on the back), while other practitioners will like returning to the spherical plow (or legs up the wall). This, (like any complex sequence), can/will be individual to the needs of the practitioner
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Blog Photos by: Barry Eichner except Bridge and Plough: taken crappily from my phone 😜