Sense Your Self

The lesson of this warm up is to sense our self without trying to emulate someone else’s ‘shape’. We go as far as we need to experience our sensation. At that point of sensation we integrate our awareness of what it feels like to be alive in our bodies and mind while consciously relaxing and breathing fully. There are some variations at #’s 12. 13. & 14. I recommend beginning with the simplest version (12.) and on consecutive repetitions of the warm up try the other variations depending on the level of the students.

1. Crossed Legs, Sukhasana: right shin front.

2. Bow forward: feel the back of your neck as you lower your chin forward.

3. Bowing forward further: roll forward just enough to feel your upper back and middle back.

4. Bow Deeper: just enough to feel your lower back and then your hips. Intergrate all of your sensation from the neck through the hips.

4. I Don’t Know: shrug your shoulders up high near your ears.

5. Release Arms Out: to shoulder height.

6. Side Bend: right arm up.

7. Sit vertically: right arm open.

8. Twist Right: right hand on left knee, left hand behind on floor.

9. More Twist: bring right shoulder closer to left knee.

10. Deepen Twist.

11. Christina’s World: turn right knee in for side saddle facing back left corner of mat (or however far you twist).

12. Christina’s World Variation One: left foot is just inside the right knee. Then lower your chest towards the floor.

13. Christina’s World Variation Two: left foot is now in front of the right knee. Thread your right arm across your chest before lowering it to the floor.

14. Sit Up: walk hands closer to hips.

15. Circle Right Arm: to floor behind you.

16. Boat: with bent knees.

17. Boat: with left shin on top of right.

18. Crossed Legs, Sukhasana: left shin in front to begin second side.

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