stomach/spleen sequence

In this variation of child's pose, the knees are wide apart and the spine is (relatively) long, compared to rounded child's pose. Open the practice by holding this posture for 3-5 minutes.

The practitoner may choose to hold a single Dragon for 5 minutes, or multiple variations for approximately 1 minute each. Continue on to the next pose in the sequence (Swan) before performing this pose on the second side.

Baby Dragon: one hand is placed on either side of the front foot. At minimum, the knee is stacked above the ankle; as connective tissue around the hip, thigh, and groin softens, the posture may deepen so that the knee extends beyond the ankle. In Baby Dragon, the back knee is placed gently on the floor. Padding is optional, of course.

Dragon Flying Low: both hands come to the inside of the foot. Depending on experience and flexibility, student may rest on the elbows or forearms. Note that the knee is still pointing straight ahead in this pose.

Dragon Flying High: hands are interlaced and resting on top of the front knee or thigh. Arms are extended to a straight position if possible, and the hip flexor/groin continues to soften so that the knee slides forward beyond the ankle.

Twisting Dragon: one hand or forearm rests on the ground while the other hand presses the knee (gently!) out to one side. The spine lifts and twists as the hip turns out.

Winged Dragon: the hands or forearms rest on the floor as the knee presses away (laterally) from the midline of the body. Student may choose to come onto the side of the foot (shown), and/or slide the foot slightly farther away from the midline.

Achilles Dragon: this version of dragon is an overstretch for the achilles tendon. From a low dragon position, slide the hands forward and extend the knee well beyond the ankle. For maximum stretch, extend the knee and hands far enough forward so the heel lifts off the floor. Use the weight of the arm/shoulder on top of the bent knee to create additional sensation.

Fire Breathing Dragon: add some fire to the posture by lifting the back leg off the floor. Then try to look as serene as Yogi Emily while you stay and breathe.

The Yin equivalent of Pigeon pose. Student may choose to remain upright in the posture as shown at top; the hands extend forward for the sleeping variation at bottom. Experimentation here is encouraged: a prone position will bring greater sensation to the outer hip of the folded leg, while an upright pose will emphasize the hip flexor of the extended leg. Choose one or both variations and hold for a total of 5 minutes. Remember to give the legs a break before beginning the Dragon-Swan sequence on side two.

A brief transition into Downward Facing Dog or Child's Pose feels mighty nice between sides.

This pose offers a gentle, yet intense (huh?) compression for the lumbar spine. There is no real alignment prescription for the arms, neck, or shoulders. The student should experiment with different arm positions (walking the hands forward and back; turning hands in or out) and neck positions (dropping the head forward or back). The abdomen should draw softly towards the floor as the leg and buttock muscles relax. When the belly is off the floor, this pose presents a nice back bending option for pregnant practitioners.

To exit Seal pose, turn the elbows out to the sides and rest the forehead on the hands. Allow the spine to realign/neutralize for 1-2 minutes before continuing the sequence.

Round the spine gently over the knees, which are drawn in together. The rounded spine offers a counterpose to the previous back bend. Arms may be in any position that is comfortable.

Multiple variations of this pose are available, including an upright seated version that is not shown. In this version of half saddle, the student rests on the elbows/forearms. This pose is different from Virasana because the heel of the bent leg is next to, rather than under, the hip. The knee can either be in toward the midline, as shown, or angled away from the body--as long as sensation in the knee itself is neutral. This option presents a moderate back bend, and is a good place to start for all practitioners regardless of level of experience or flexibility.

The supine variation of half saddle presents a deeper back bend than the previous posture. To increase the intensity of sensation in the front thigh (of bent leg), the student can bend the knee of the extended leg and place the sole of the foot on the floor. To turn it up another notch, the student can interlace hands around the shin and gently draw the bent knee in towards the body. For the deepest stretch, the bent knee can be straightened so the leg points straight up in the air.

This pose can be taken as a gentle forward fold, rather than a back bend. Doing so will emphasize the hamstring of the straight leg over the quadricep of the bent leg. Be gentle here.

Practitioner's choice: either variation of Child's Pose (wide knees or knees together) will suffice. A wide-kneed variation will prepare the groins for the postures that follow.

Take the legs wide apart and rotate the torso over one of the legs. Gently round the spine forward and remain soft. To transition out, walk the hands through the center. Repeat the twist on the second side.

Completely optional, of course. One can still receive the full benefit of this open twist even without being able to hold the foot. Simply stretch the top arm overhead, smile, and breathe. Repeat the twist on the second side.

A seated, wide-legged forward fold with the torso facing straight forward, rather than twisting off to one side. The depth achieved in this posture is primarily determined by the student's skeletal structure, rather than degree of flexibility. Thus, three degrees of the pose are presented here. No one expression is more "correct" than the others.

Same pose; different depth.

The chest can come to the floor if the skeleton will allow it.

The backs of the knees may be particularly tender after holding variations of Dragonfly for 10-15 minutes. Bend the knees and use the hands to guide them in toward one another. Transition onto the back in preparation for Savasana.

The traditional purpose of Savasana is to cool the body down after a vigorous asana practice. In Yin Yoga, Savasana provides the body with an opportunity to neutralize, rest, and realign.