a center for
personal and planetary
awakening

Mystic River Yoga
214 Crosby St.

Arlington, MA 02474

781 643-0117
info@MysticRiverYoga.com

Introduction

12 Principles of Awakening

Spiritual Foundation

Scientific Foundation

Embodying the Practice

Collective Awakening

                 Beginning Yoga Course

                            7th Practice Theme:

                Arms, Hands and Shoulders

   Our upper limbs are very analagous to the lower ones. Hands are like feet, wrists compare to ankles, elbows to knees and shoulder girdle to pelvic girdle. Originally weight bearing limbs, the neurophysiological memory of this remains present in the human upper limbs and in yoga practice we access this weight bearing possibility in a variety of ways. But the human upper limbs have been evolutionarily adapted for non weight bearing actions and thus the joints are more delicate than those of our quadripedal cousins. We will begin in non-weight bearing situations to establish healthy integrated pathways for the energy to flow through the bones and protect the delicate wrists and very flexible shoulders and then gradually add weight to develop strength. Remember that movement determines alignment. In other words, the possible patterns of movement available to the upper limbs will lead us to a felt sense of integration when the arms are suspended in the stillness of a yoga posture. Safety and security are foundational.

                   Hands to Feet, Feet to Hands.

    In wall tadasana, start with the hands on the wall just above shoulder height. Feel the contact of the wall through the skin of your palms and allow the shoulders to hang down away from the hands, away from the ears and neck. Relax down into your feet, rise up onto the roots of the metatarsals and receive the lift in your hands and arms. Let them ride up the wall. In the beginning, as you lower your feet, your hands will come down as well. In time the hands will remain rising even as the feet descend back. Repeat again and again until the hands and feet work togeher.

                    Hands and Fingers Stretch
.

Interlock your fingers as in photo #3. Extend the fingers and palms, but flex the wrists.

Now turn your hands around as in photo 4. Smile!

Rotate a bit more to the position in photo 5.

As you extend your elbows, reach from behind your shoulders out through the roots of your fingers. Do not push out from the wrists or in from the elbows

                   The Forearms and Elbows

                   The Arms are for Hugging

              A Deeper Look at the Shoulder Girdle

The Science Cells and Tissues Neuronantomy Fluid Systems   The Practice: Practice Themes for Beginners Practice Themes for Intermediates Practice Themes for advanded students Essays on Teaching

photo 1 wall tadasana

photo 2  hand close up

photo 3 hand stretch 1

photo 4 hand stretch 2

photo 5 hand stretch 3

photo 6 hand stretch 4

photo 6  radius and ulnar

photo 7 shoulder girdle