Daily Practice

Flexibility and the Spine

This is not a beginner's set. It is for the practitioner who has already earned a working flexibility and wants to drive the old poisons and drugs out of the muscle tissue where they hide. Run it every morning for six months and it re-seats the spine so completely that the chiropractor becomes unnecessary. The spine is the channel kundalini climbs, so when you free the spine you free the road home.

Pose 1

Archer Pose. Stand with the right leg bent forward, knee stacked over the toes. The left leg is straight back, foot flat on the ground, set at a 45 degrees angle to the front foot. Raise the right arm straight in front of you, parallel to the ground, and close the hand into a fist as if you are grasping a bow. Draw the left arm back as if pulling the bowstring to your shoulder. Feel the tension stretch across the chest. Face forward and fix your eyes above the fist, out to the horizon. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes, then switch legs and arms and repeat on the other side.

Time: 3 to 5 minutes

Pose 2

Come down immediately and lie on your back. Bring the heels together and lift both legs two feet off the ground. Hold for 1 to 3 minutes with long deep breathing.

Breath: long deep breathing
Time: 1 to 3 minutes

Pose 3

Locust Pose. Turn over and lie on your stomach. Make fists with both hands and place them on the lower abdomen, inside the front hip bones near the groin. Keep the heels together and the legs straight, then lift the legs as high as you can. Hold for 3 minutes.

Time: 3 minutes

Pose 4

Bow Pose. Stay on your stomach. Reach back and grip both ankles firmly. Arch the back up off the ground, balancing yourself by pulling against the ankles. Hold for 2 to 3 minutes.

Time: 2 to 3 minutes

Pose 5

Stand up straight and spread the legs two feet apart. Bring the right hand down to touch the floor in front of the left foot while the left arm points back behind you. Switch sides and keep the motion flowing, alternating with long breaths. Inhale and rise all the way up, exhale and touch the toe. Repeat 25 times on each side.

Breath: inhale, rise up completely; on the exhale touch the toe

Pose 6

Stand with the legs 6 inches apart. Bend forward and place the palms flat on the ground as you exhale (6A). Inhale and rise up, stretching backward with the arms overhead (6B). Continue for 25 repetitions.

Pose 7

Stand with the legs 6 inches apart. Bend to the side, stretching the arm over the head. Move smoothly from one side to the other, inhaling as you go down and exhaling as you come up. Do not let the body tip forward or backward. Continue 25 times on each side.

Pose 8

Sit down and extend the legs out in front of you, spread wide. Hook the forefingers around the big toe of each foot, thumb pressing the toenail. Holding that grip firmly on both toes, inhale and arch the spine up straight. Exhale and bring the head to the right knee. Inhale back to the upright position, then exhale down to the left knee. Keep alternating these knee touches, 25 times on each side. Then inhale, hold the breath, and exhale.

Breath: Inhale to the original position, and exhale down to the left knee

Pose 9

Stay in the same seated position, but now bring the legs together while keeping hold of the toes. Inhale and arch up, exhale and pull the head down to the knees. Continue this pumping motion 25 times. 10) Plow Pose. Lie flat on your back. Slowly raise the legs up and over the head until the feet touch the floor behind you. The arms reach over the head, pointing toward the toes. Keep the knees straight and point the toes toward your head, stretching the heels back. Rest in this position for 5 minutes, then slowly lower the legs back down to the ground.

Breath: Inhale and arch up, exhale and pull the head down to the knees
Time: 5 minutes

Pose 10

Shoulder Stand. Enter by raising the legs straight up toward the ceiling (11A). Support the spine with your hands so it stands perpendicular to the ground, letting most of the weight settle on the elbows. Hold for 3 to 5 minutes. Then lower the legs down behind the head as in plow pose, but this time spread the legs wide apart (11B). Move slowly from this position back into shoulder stand 4 times. Lower the legs and spine and rest on your back.

Time: 3 to 5 minutes

Pose 11

Come into plow pose with the arms along the ground behind the spine (12A). Alternate from plow pose down to lying flat on the back (12B). Continue for 50 complete cycles. You may use the hands to help lift the legs up and back. Relax for 3 minutes. 13) Sat Kriya. Sit on the heels with the arms stretched overhead and the palms pressed together. Chant Sat and pull the navel point in, chant Nam and release it. Continue powerfully with a steady rhythm for 5 minutes. Then inhale, apply mul bandh, and draw the energy up the spine to the brow point. 14) Immediately fold forward into gurpranam. Place the forehead on the ground and stretch the arms overhead, palms still together. Meditate at the brow

Time: 3 minutes

Pose 12

Sit in rock pose. Inhale and raise both arms overhead, bringing the backs of the hands together (15A). Exhale and lower the arms until just the fingertips touch the floor (15B). Continue this motion for 5 minutes. 16) Stand up and extend the arms straight forward, parallel to the ground (16A). Begin 25 deep knee bends into crow pose, keeping the spine straight and the feet flat (16B).

Time: 5 minutes

Pose 13

Cat-Cow. Come onto the hands and knees. Arch the spine down and lift the head as you inhale (17A). On the exhale, arch the spine up and drop the head (17B). Continue for 5 minutes.

Time: 5 minutes

Pose 14

Relax deeply on your back for 15 to 30 minutes. Cover the body with a blanket so you do not get cold.

Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Pose 15

Stand up and extend the arms straight forward, parallel to the ground (16A). Begin 25 deep knee bends into crow pose, keeping the spine straight and the feet flat (16B).