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Hi Kelle,

I like to open up joints to warm up before asana. So, after opening with a seated breathing period, I typically ask folks to stretch out their legs while seated and bounce the legs around a bit to recirculate blood.

Then, start with toes - curl them over, without moving the ankles, like you are holding a pencil with them. Hold for a few breaths, unless you cramp - then let go earlier. Next, pull the toes back towards you, without moving ankles and stretch underneath. Then wiggle them all about and stretch them wide.

Ankles - point foot towards floor and hold, then flex and hold. Then circle ankles clockwise and counterclockwise. Breathe with movements.

Knees - pull towards you and then straighten. Breathe with movements.

Hips - lean to one hip, with that shin in front, and opposite leg bent and pulled back by opposite hip - hand on opposite hip flexor - press hip forward inhaling, and then try to bring sitzbone all the way back to the floor exhaling. Repeat lots. And then, if you like, either lay back on forearm and go for a more intense quad stretch there doing same forward and back movements, or come onto knees, and add opp. arm up, doing a great chest opener. Repeat several times.

Then do some rock-the-baby moves on both sides for side to side hip movements.

Pelvis - either sit in sukhasana or one leg bent in front of the other bent leg, hands on knees, circle torso, and reverse several times.

Spine - hands behind thighs, round back on exhale, chest to thighs arching into backbend on inhale.

Shoulders - Erich's series, and also single shoulder at a time circling forwards and back. Lots of options with more traditional shoulder stretches too.

Elbows - flex and bring hands to shoulders, and then extend all the way. Move with breath.

Wrists - fingers on ground, palms towards you, in front of crossed ankles - lean forward, so weight of hand gradually goes to knuckles, and then as close to wrist as is comfortable. Reverse by turning palms out and away from you. Be careful not to go too far. Circle wrists afterwards.

Fingers - bring one at a time as far in to the palm as you can and hold, breathing continuously. Gradually bring all fingers into a fist with thumb on the outside and hold for a few breaths , then spring open quickly - repeat.

Neck - look down exhaling and hold a few breaths. Look as far up as you can comfortably swallow still, and hold. head back to neutral. Look over right shoulder and hold, continuously breathing. To exercise eyes, make them look as far over shoulder as they can. Reverse. Tilt head right and stretch left side of sternocleidomastoid muscles - for more stretch take right hand and press on left shoulder. Reverse. Finally, head rotations in a comfortable, slow, smooth circle - clockwise and counterclockwise - with relaxed jaw and shoulders. And breath!

Sometimes, I start from the head down.

Sometimes, I have them massage their face, neck, scalp too.

Sometimes we lay on our backs and do a bunch of leg openers after breathing on our backs.

Sometimes we stand and do rise and shine, after winged breath.

Heck...I LOVE variety!

Good topic...thanks!

Susan

Yeah, I suspected I didn't write that down very well. Sorry!

Okay, let's try that again. If you are sitting with your feet flat on the floor in front of you, lean right onto your right hip. The right leg will automatically drop into the correct position, right knee in front of right hip, and right foot will now be in front of the left knee. Just fold that left foot in to the left side of your body to "tighten" it up a bit.

Did it happen for you? And do you need any more clearer language for the rest of that hip bit? So easy to do, but not to say.

For self massage, I go all over the body - everywhere, just about - depending on how much time I have and what I feel like doing. Here are a few specifics:

Scalp: Open up all 10 fingers, place on your head, and move the scalp around. Then reposition hands as many times as you want, to get it all covered.

Temples: Pointer and middle finger pads right on the temples - circle around - and then move along the hairline cicling to the top middle of forehead and then back. Then you can go all the way down to cheeck and jaw, and then chin if you want.

Sinuses: 3 middle fingers, with the 4th ones right near your nostrils - pull the skin outward towards your cheeks and inhale. Really great if you're blocked up.

Eyes: 3 middle fingers under eyebrow - pull up and look down (works eye muscles), then reverse to 3 middle fingers under eyes and look up.

Ears: flat sides of 2nd and 3rd fingers - 2nd behind ear, 3rd in front - go up and down. Caution folks with hearing aids to skip this. Then with thumb and pointers, grab lobes and then massage your way all around the outside of the ear.

Nape: Massage along the hairline again with 2nd and 3rd fingers, then take 4 longer fingers, and meeting in the center of the back of the beck, draw the fingers outward. Lots. Of. Times. AHHHHHHH.....

Upper back: Lift both elbows up and press 4 longer fingers deeply in, as far down the back as you can. Now SLOWLY drop the elbows and when you hit a spot that screams "I want attention" "NOW!", bring in the heel of the hand to the fingers and KNEAD. Better yet, grab the muscle between the thumbs and 2nd fingers and SQUEEZE. Ahhhhhhh x 2....

Thumping on chest with fingertips to activate lymph glands.

Groins: Lying on back, left foot on floor. Take right foot across thigh - folks with knee issues can flex right heel on top of left knee. Now take fingers on inside of right knee, and slowly press in and drag them down the length of your thigh. (Knee will open out more). When you get into the hip flexor/pelvis area, massage around. Most folks never touch themselves here, and are pretty surprised about how it feels. I personally like it.

You probably already know a lot of foot stuff, eh? I do lots of reflexology stuff here.....

So many wonderful body parts to touch and bathe in love!

Well, okay then, basta.

Sri

Good ones!

Susan