HOME SHOP GURU RATTANA LEARN KUNDALINI YOGA PRIMER

Site Search >>

Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest Email Favorites

More 62

Lesson 9 - Flexibility of the Spine

An Introductory Course, Designed and Written by Guru
Rattana, Ph.D.
Previous Class

The yogis say that a person's age is determined by the flexibility of

his/her spine. The most basic goal of Kundalini Yoga is to take care
of the spine. This lesson offers a series of exercises (a kriya) to
activate, align and loosen up the spine.

Lower back pain and upper back stress are some of the most common health
complaints of adults. The best way to avoid backaches is to take care of your
spine on a daily basis. There are no quick fixes for back pain, but this exercise
set is an effective maintenance program.

To Begin
Sit quietly and be with your breath. Consciously slow down the breath and
breathe from the belly. Be with the sensations in your body. Tune into your own
rhythm. Allow a few minutes to calm down, center yourself and create your own
space.

Tuning in
Before beginning Kundalini Yoga practice, always "tune in" by chanting the ADI
MANTRA - See lesson 3.

Rotate the Pelvis

Sit in easy pose. Place the hands on the knees. Deeply roll the pelvis around in a
grinding motion. Relax into the movement. Make it a moving meditation.
 Do 26 rotations or 1-2 minutes in each
direction.

Benefits: This exercise opens up the energy

in the lower spine, massages the internal
organs and aids in digestion.

Spinal Flex
Sit in easy pose. Grab the ankles. As
you inhale powerfully, flex the spine
forward, keeping the shoulders
relaxed and the head straight. Do not
move the head up and down. Exhale and relax the spine back. Continue
rhythmically with deep breaths. As you inhale feel the energy go down the spine.
As you exhale feel it come back up to the third eye. Mentally bring SAT down and
NAM back up the spine.

1-3 minutes or up to 108 times.

To end: Inhale deep, hold the breath, apply rootlock (mulbhand) (lesson 8),
exhale and relax. Sit quietly and feel the energy circulate in your spine and
throughout your body.

Benefits:This exercise stimulates and stretches the lower spine.

Spinal Flex On Heels

Sit on the heels; place the hands
flat on the thighs. Continue spinal
flex as above with a powerful
breath.

1-2 minutes.

Benefits:This exercise works on the

mid spine and heart chakra

Neck Rolls
Sit with a straight but relaxed spine.
Adjust the head so that you feel like it is sitting on top of the spine by slightly
moving the head back and bringing the chin down slightly. Roll the neck slowly in
one direction and then in the other. Let the weight of the head move the head
around. Do this very methodically so that you
go slowing through tight spots and work out
areas of tension.

At least one minute in each direction.

To end: After this exercise, sit quietly and be

with the sensations in your body and spine.

Benefits:This exercise removes tension in the

neck and stimulates the thyroid.

Side Twists
Sit on the heels. Place the hands on the
shoulders, fingers in front and thumbs in
back. Inhale, twist to the left. Exhale, twist to
the right. Twist your head to each side as
well. Gradually feel an increased rotation in
your spine. Keep elbows parallel to the
ground, allowing the arms to swing freely
with the body. This exercise can be done
standing up,

Continue 1-2 minutes or 26 times.

To end: Inhale center, hold the breath, apply rootlock, exhale, relax and feel the
energy circulate, especially at the level of the heart.

Benefits: This exercise opens up the heart center and stimulates the upper spine.

Side Bends
In Easy Pose, clasp hands behind neck in
Venus Lock (fingers interlaced) and bend
straight sideways at the waist, aiming the
elbow toward the floor beside the hip. Inhale
as you bend left, exhale right. Don't arch or
contract the back. Bend sideways only. This
exercise can be done standing.

1-2 minutes or 26 times.

Benefits: Side bends stimulate the liver and

colon and increase spinal flexibility.

Shoulder Shrugs
Still on the heels or in easy pose, shrug both
shoulders up on the inhale and down on the
exhale.

1- 2 minutes.
 To end: Inhale up, hold, apply rootlock, and relax.

Benefits: This exercise loosens up the tension in

the shoulders and relaxes upper back

Cobra Pose
Lie on the floor with the palms on
the floor under the shoulders. As
you inhale, slowly arch the spine
up, leading with the nose, then chin, then pushing off with your hands vertebra
by vertebra, until you are arched back as far as possible with no strain in the
lower back, concentrating on a. good stretch from the heart center up. Breathe
long and deep or do Breath of Fire.

2-3 minutes

To end: Inhale, hold, pull the energy up the spine with the root lock. Exhale very
slowly and come down one vertebra at a time. Relax. 1-3 minutes.

Benefits:This exercise strengthens the lower back. Removes tension in the back
and balances the flow of sexual energy with navel energy.

Rock and Roll on the Spine

Bring your knees to your chest,
grab them with the arms, and rock
back and forth on the spine,
massaging it gently from the neck
to the base of the spine. Make sure
you have a soft surface.

1-2 minutes.

Benefits:This exercise circulates the

energy and relaxes the spine.

Alternate Leg Stretches

Spread the legs wide apart, grasping the toes or any other place on the legs
where it is possible to keep the knees straight. Inhale center and exhale down to
the left leg, inhale center and exhale down to the right leg. Move from the hips to
open the pelvis. Avoid simply bending and arching the upper spine. Keep the
spine comfortably straight and get a good stretch in the back. Loosen up the
muscles, but do not strain them. Continue with powerful breathing. 1-2 minutes.

To end: Inhale center, hold the breath, apply root lock and then relax. Bring the
legs together and bounce them up and down a few times to relax the muscles
and massage them.

Benefits: Opens up the pelvis and

stretches the leg muscles.

Life Nerve Stretch

Legs outstretched, bring right foot into left
thigh, and slowly bend over the left leg to
grab the foot or ankle (or wherever it is
comfortable), keeping the leg flat on the
ground. Breathe long and deep or do Breath of Fire. 1-2 minutes each side.

To end: Inhale deeply and exhale several times deepening the stretch. Then
slowly come up. Bounce the legs and massage them. Switch sides and repeat.

Benefits: This exercise stretches the leg muscles and loosens up the lower back.

Cat Cow
Come on the hands and knees, knees
shoulder width apart. Inhale as you flex
your spine down and bring your head up.
Exhale as you flex your spine up in an
arched position with the head down. Keep
the arms straight. Continue rhythmically
with powerful breathing, gradually
increasing the speed as your spine
becomes more and more flexible.

1-3 minutes.

To end: Inhale in saggy cow, hold, pull

the energy up the spine with the root
lock. Exhale and relax on the heels. Sit
quietly and let the breath slow down. Feel
the energy circulate. Concentrate at the third eye.

Benefits:This exercise is known as the Kundalini chiropractor. Done regularly it

loosens up and adjusts the spine.

Pick Me Up Exercise
Lie down on your back and simply relax for a moment. Then bend your knees
and draw the heels up towards the buttocks, keeping the feet flat on the floor.
 Grab your ankles and holding on to
them, slowly raise the hips up, arching
the lower spine and lifting the navel
towards the sky. As you lift up, slowly
inhale through the nose. Hold the
breath as you gently stretch up, lifting
as high as is comfortable, then slowly
relax down again as you breathe out
through the nose.

Slowly repeat this lifting up and down

movement a minimum of twelve times,
synchronizing the breathing with the
movement of the hips, for a maximum
of 26 lifts. To go from the minimum
number of 12, to the maximum number
26, increase your total 1-2 lifts per day.

To end: Inhale up, hold the breath for ten seconds, pull in the navel and apply
the root lock. Then relax down, stretching the legs out. Totally relax and feel the
energizing effect of the exercise.

Exercise Tips: If you can't grab your ankles, let the arms be at your side and lift
up using the arms to help push you up. People with any history of lower back
pain should check with their doctor before beginning. Try to let your breathing do
the work--inhale the hips up and exhale them down. This exercise will
automatically get you to breathe deeply. Keep the eyes closed throughout this
and other exercises so that you can feel your body move rhythmically, without
visual distractions. Rest on your back for two minutes after the exercise and just
enjoy its vitalizing effect!

Benefits: This exercise releases abdominal stress! It gives you an immediate

boost of energy throughout your body that lasts well into the day. It also
stimulates your thyroid. It allows you to breathe deeper and adds to your energy
level. It moves the energy from the lower spine to the upper spine.

Relaxation
Deeply relax your back, hands to the side, palms facing up. Simply be with the
sensations in your body and enjoy the feelings.

Meditation
Sit quietly and meditate. Be present to
the sensations in your body. Increase
your awareness to include every part of
your body and spine. Consolidate your
presence by feeling all your sensations
simultaneously for at least one minute
at the end.

2-5 minutes or as long as you like.

To end: Inhale and exhale deeply 3

times. Raise your arms above your
head, stretch your spine, shake your
arms and send blessings to the world.
Carry this feeling of blessings and
gratitude with you throughout your day.

Goals of Spinal Exercises

The goals of the spinal exercises are:

to develop an AWARENESS of your spine

to establish the spine as a FOCAL POINT for your attention

to ACTIVATE and open the energy flow in the spine

to ALLOW the energy to move and align itself.

In later lessons we will experience the specific energies of each of the chakras.
First we want to establish a baseline of spinal awareness.

Benefits:
This series of exercises works systematically from the base of the spine to the
top. All 26 vertebrae receive stimulation and all the energy centers receive a
burst of energy. These exercises increase the circulation of the spinal fluid, which
contributes to greater mental clarity. Regular practice of this series will give you
increased vitality, help prevent backaches, reduce tension, and keep you young
by increasing the flexibility of the spine.
 Exercise Set for Maintaining a Flexible Spine is one of over 100 sets and
meditations from the book Relax & Renew by Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Next Class

Top of Page

This Website and our Free Online Training are sponsored by Guru Rattana
Online

YOGA TECHNOLOGY, LLC - PO Box 443, Sunbury, PA 17801 USA

Toll Free: 1-866-YOGATEC (1-866-964-2832) Overseas: 1-570-988-4680 (24 hours) Fax: 1-
570-988-4640

For any questions, comments or suggestions of a technical nature, please contact Webmaster. We would especially
appreciate reports of any problems you may experience while accessing this site.

All our products have been approved by Guru Rattana, Ph.D., for the purposes of instruction in, and the daily practice of, the
ancient and time-tested technology of Kundalini Yoga. They reflect her own unique perspectives and insights, inspired by a
lifetime study of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, and of Sikhism and other spiritual disciplines.

This site is updated on a daily basis. Copyright © 2017 - Yoga Technology, LLC. All Rights Reserved.