Source

• Alexander Yanai Vol 4
• Reel 12, Track 4, Lesson 1

Synopsis

1-3 sentences.

Lesson Outline

1. Lying face up, feet standing, knees wide: tilt R knee to inside to lie on the floor; other side; alternate.
2. Same position, place R knee on floor between legs. Stand L foot on middle of R lower leg. Bring the L knee to the floor too.
3. Other side.
4. On this second side, with both knees on the floor, interlace hands and place them behind your head: lift head. Change legs and do the non-habitual interlacing: lift head. After each, repeat the single knee to the floor as a reference.
5. L knee sunk between legs, leaning on elbows and forearms behind. Protrude abdomen to bring R knee to floor. Leave knees down, and see-saw chest and abdomen.
6. Other side. Protrude first.
7. Then see-saw. (I.e. second side same as 5, but with a rest in the middle).
8. L knee sunk between legs, R foot on L leg: sitting and leaning on hands behind. See-saw with chest and abdomen. Let your head hang backwards, and see saw. Then lean on elbows/forearms and sink knees.
9. Other side.
10. Lying, R knee lying on floor between legs, L foot on lower R leg. Face R and lift head with L hand behind R ear.
11. Other side.
12. Same position as 10 but with arms extended long, on the floor, overhead. As you lower L knee to the floor, notice shortening of R hand: instead, lengthen R hand at the same moment.
13. Other side.
14. Wow. L knee lying on floor between legs, R foot standing on L leg. Lift shoulders with hands/elbows so you can lean with the top of your head on the floor, and see-saw, lower R knee to floor. Change legs.
15. A spell in flexing to counteract: interlace hands behind head, bend knees: lift knees and elbows towards one another.

Cautions

• Cervical Region Challenges/cautions:
  • Steps 8/9, Steps 10/11
  • Steps 12/13
  • Step 14 (Balancing on crown of head, arms up) – extremely challenging for cervical. One person noted a mild headache for hours after.

• Twisting the spine using the weight of the legs
• “Strain” (make effort, or contract) the back.
• Which hand/elbow you lean on more powerfully. (5-end)

Related ATMs

• Tilting on knee on back in Mia Segal-Gaby Yaron Evening Class Notes might be a useful preliminary.
• Stopping the Breath, AY 172, also deals with changes in the cervical area. Maybe do it after this one.
• Coordinating Flexors and Extensors
• Tag See-saw-breathing
• See Also Theme Yoga
• Tag Knees-inward

Resources

Share Your Insights (ideas, principles, strategies, experiences, …)

Add your thoughts about the lesson here.

• one way to think of this lesson is as sequential twisting:
  • using the weight of the legs as a kind of “anchor” to systematically suggest twists in the spine. Each step invites a twist higher up the spine, until the twist is at the top of the cervical spine
• Another way of thinking is the challenge to transfer weight from the spine to the legs
  • many of us habitually hold weight in the low back/abdominal area, thus limiting freedom of the legs. In this lesson, by gradually increasing the height of the center of the arc, the system begins to let go of the habitual holding and finds new ways of allowing the weight to travel to the floor
• A third experience is that of opening the chest — increasingly demanding/offering the chest to open as a consequence of the weight of the legs and where the bending is happening in the back (the “arc”, mentioned above)
• Another experience is the more direct one of finding more “length” in side-flexion of the hip (sorry, my anatomy knowledge is abysmal). The knee is drawn away from the pelvis on the outside of the leg – hence creating more freedom in the actual socket of the femur.
• Note: I don’t think the entire lesson needs to be taught — depending on the ease of movement of the class. Even steps 1-4 will generate welcome changes.
  – rblack Dec 9, 2017 Rob Black
• Differing viewpoints are welcome and desired!

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