Spine Like a Chain - Feel The Wave

Vertebra by Vertebra, from bottom to top and top to bottom

This past week’s lesson was another Awareness Through Movement classic: Spine Like a Chain. We did four variations of it in my training. And, in all honesty, I wasn’t that into it. Yah, yah, yah - we do this in yoga. No big deal.

But this is a very different lesson from yoga backbends and this time I got it. This time I found the power of lying on my back and slowly raising the spine, vertebra by vertebra. When I tried a backbend after taking the time to roll up from the pelvis and then down from the head - WOW. I’ll be using this as a swimming warm up.

The “Spine Like a Chain” lesson transcript is here.

If you have 15 seconds, here are a few practice suggestions:

• Stop Light Moment - sink your feet into the floor of the car, softly wave your spine from pelvis to head

• Lying on the Floor - cross one leg over the other, and lift your spine bit by bit, keeping it even and easy

Next classes are:

• Wednesday, June 5, Noon - 1:00 PM, Iyengar Yoga North at 23 Ammonoosuc, Littleton - FREE BONUS Class. All are welcome

• Thursday, June 6, 6:00 PM, Neskaya, Franconia - Receiving and Approaching - Exploring postures that affect our meditation intention and focus. Donations to Neskaya will be appreciated. Check Neskaya’s web site for travel suggestions around road work. Please be on time.

Weekly Thursday 5:30 classes at Balance Bethlehem and Wednesday Noon Iyengar Yoga North resume the week of July 1. I’ll be adding a Wednesday 9AM “Yoga Cross Training” at Iyengar Yoga North in July - stay tuned.

Also, please join me on Friday mornings in July for Awareness in the Sanctuary, an Awareness Through Movement® series hosted by Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation. Each 1-hour lesson will play with an aspect of prayer while seated in the Sanctuary. Members of all faith and non-faith communities are invited to join in.