YOGA FOR ATHLETES Scott

progresso nella ​complessità ​degli esercizi: ogni protocollo sviluppa efficienza neuromuscolare, che ci
prepara per il prossimo livello. Il vostro sistema nervoso viene obbligato ad ​evolversi,​ a diventare più
“furbo” e più efficiente mano a mano che si progredisce. In aggiunta a ciò, il cosiddetto “Effetto
dell’allenamento complesso” –CTE in inglese, Complex training effect-, provvede ad un altro tocco
magico. Il CTE indica che quando si uniscono dei semplici movimenti insieme, l’effetto sinergico è
maggiore che non quando gli esercizi vengono eseguiti indipendentemente –come accade in tutte le
palestre piene di macchine specifiche per il petto, gambe, braccia etc…-
Questo concetto della scuola russa detto “Componenti dell’apprendimento” dice che ogni
movimento sia da “mattone” per il prossimo componente. Ciò permette durante l’allenamento ad
alta prestazione di fare delle progressioni o regressioni per meglio settare il sistema nervoso
autonomo sotto stress-sforzo.
Sotto un certo livello ,ipostress, non c’è adattamento. Sopra, distress, nemmeno. Solo se ci si allena
nella zona detta Eustress, è possibile evolversi migliorando. Questa “miglioria” accade non nei
muscoli ma nel metacircuito basale, cioè nel nostro cervello, e resta per sempre.
La scienza sottostante i protocolli NTS combina le influenze del Systema di allenamento russo con la
biomeccanica di ​Nikolay Bernstein ​(il padre della biomeccanica russa), che con la sua “Teoria dei
componenti di apprendimento” ci porta con prudenza da movimenti semplici a prestazioni fisiche
più evolute, sofisticate. Il sistema NST, piuttosto che allenare in modo “funzionale” o “crossfit”
rende funzionale al 100% il corpo poiché il sistema in questione stimola i percorsi neuromotori ed
energetici che permettono alla macchina umana di rispondere alla crisi, conflitto e stress.

Nell’applicare i principi dell’aeronautica militare – che richiedono una comprensione dell’effettività

in combattimento- ai movimenti corporei, Bernstein ha evidenziato che il corpo si muove in modo
molto più complesso di quello tridimensionale, poiché il corpo non si muove solo sui tre piani
–triplanare- e nelle tre dimensioni, ma anche in “rotazione”! Ciò da vita ai “6 raggi di libertà del
movimento” cioè i 3 raggi triplanari –ondeggiare avanti/indietro, sollevare alto/basso e oscillare
destra/sinistra-, + i 3 raggi di rotazione – slancio su/giù, rotazione destra/sinistra e rotolamento
orario/antiorario-.
I protocolli Tacfit coprono tutti questi raggi motori, non solo, ma ci permettono di lavorare
contemporaneamente con una gamma di differenti livelli individuali allo stesso tempo,
indifferentemente dal livello del praticante. L’intero gruppo può allenarsi insieme, dal combattente
MMA fino all’atleta da “ufficio”, soltanto aggiustando il livello del protocollo. Nessun è lasciato per
strada! E cosa ben più importante non si ha bisogno di attrezzi o macchinari. Tutto è fatto a corpo
libero!
Noi non vogliamo solamente muoverci di “più” –più peso, più tempo, più frequenza-, ma ​meglio​, e
per fare ciò si aumenta la sofisticazione del movimento. Più forte non sempre è sinonimo di meglio.
Più veloce non è meglio. ​Solo meglio è meglio!
Nell’aumentare il livello di sofisticazione, non solo si rende l’esercizio più interessante, ma si impara
una nuova abilità motosensoriale! Si stimola il sistema nervoso ad evolvere: è il vostro cervello che
diventa più potente! Ciò migliorerà non solo la vostra pratica ma anche la vostra vita.
La palestra deve preparare alla vita!
State migliorando la più sofisticata macchina che Dio abbia creato.

Ci si adatta allo stress fisico in due modi: aumentando la massa muscolare o per aumento
dell’efficienza neuromuscolare. Qualcuno si adatta più velocemente al primo modello altri, al
secondo, ma chiunque può adattarsi nelle due maniere se gli viene data la possibilità!
Sfortunatamente la maggior parte della gente non si allena con sufficiente stress per un lungo
tempo, oppure non riducono lo stress eccessivo per abbastanza tempo. Non è lo stress che ci fa
crescere, ma la nostra capacità di recupera da esso.
Più forte è chi recupera prima dallo stress, dalla fatica. Chi riesce a fare lo stesso lavoro con meno
sforzo
–efficienza-.

STOP STRETCHING - START STRENGTHENING Your body adapts to the movement you
don't make. It efficiently grows shorter to help you do less of what you don't do. When you
train to move through movement your body has shortened, nerve endings in your tissue will
send signals (pain) reminding you that you haven't been moving that way. But your body has
only changed shape, not potential. The ability to move through that range is always there.
You can retrain the nervous system to move in ways you haven't. Unfortunately, we are told
to stretch: to pull against shortened tissue to make them change shape. But you can't
change tissue flexibility. In fact, because of our erroneous belief, this pulling acts as a
resistance training exercise and makes the shortness stronger. We can use neurological
tools to retrain a deactivated movement: 1. Exhale into the shortened movement to switch to
the parasympathetic side of the nervous system and release the "relax" feel-good hormones.
By releasing dopamine, not only do you feel better, but this hormone also allows you to
increase motor control, including activation of lost function. 2. When holding the shortened
tissues across a bent angle giving them the potential to re-lengthen, actively contract the
opposite muscle. This "reciprocal inhibition" happens because your body acts symmetrically:
activate one muscle and it's pair turns off. Since flexibility happens when you neurologically
retrain a muscle to move through a deactivated range, this allows you to restore lost function
without worsening the situation by stretching.

A “yoga master” commented on one of my videos, “Actually, to do the pose correctly, you
must go deeper; align the index fingers, and direct the energy line downward in a spiral.” I
replied that, for those who are relatively balanced in anterior-posterior shoulder positioning,
this was a fine recommendation, when held in a static position. However, when performed in
transitional flow, especially by those with severely tight shoulders from wearing body armor,
these suggested modifications were unwise, unsound and unsafe. Deeper never means
“more correct.” What is deep when you are a 5 foot 4 inch, 127 pound yoga teacher with no
other responsibilities than teaching yoga, differs entirely from a 6+ foot, 200+ pound
professional warrior who must carry gear, armor and weapons and encounter violent threats
for very long hours on a near daily basis. (How you eat differs dramatically; yet, so many
people “preach” dietary styles as well, especially in yoga.) Just because you can, doesn’t
mean others should. Yoga is fantastic, but it’s not a thing. It’s a process. There’s no single
way for all people to do it “more correct” - especially when you define “deeper” as more
proper. Depth is determined by safety. If it cannot be exhaled through, then more depth
increases likelihood of inhaled, defensive bracing, and resulting fear-reactivity causing injury,
if not micro-trauma. Depth is individualized, and changes from day to day based upon your
sum total neural and biochemical stress load. (Again, if you’re a 20- something, tiny vegan
who teaches yoga a couple hours a day as your most stressful event, you shouldn’t be
mandating that what you do is what others should.) Most of my team love the yoga we do at
the end, because… the intense workout is the warm-up for the yoga. They couldn’t do the
yoga we do at the end, if it weren’t for the ass-kicking their tightness receives before it. The
tension they generate during the WOD pre-fatigues their tightness, so that by the time we
get to the yoga, they’re prepared for it. And even then, the yoga you get at my hands will not
be that which you’ll find in a classical yoga studio: it’s movement based, incrementally
progressive, and full of so many steps that by the time these Type-A hard chargers get to the
final 30 seconds, their nervous system is gratefully compliant and capable to ‘hold.’
Everything in the workout is a prelude culminating in those final 30 seconds. Yoga teachers
are great. I love yoga. I teach yoga. But there are as many yoga styles on the planet as there
are people. The goal of yoga is to identify your own style, and practice it in every moment,
on and off the mat. It changes throughout your life, and even throughout your week and day.
Remember your individualized process, and when someone tells you that the proper way to
do it is their way… invite them to return to the sanctity of the pretty, little castle they’ve built
in the sky, because there’s only room for one tenant.

3 ERRORI DELLO STRETCHING

1. No change will happen. 2. You will, as an isometric strength training exercise, strengthen
the tightness by holding it and forcing it (adding resistance); therefore, the tissues will grow
even shorter the more that you stretch. 3. Injury will happen as the tissue first suffers
microtears, and then eventually catastrophic rupture.

When it comes to your flexibility, the nervous system is driving the bus. by Scott Sonnon • • •
Everyone imagines that by stretching, you gain flexibility. That has scientifically been proven
to not be the case. In my book, FREE TO MOVE, I discuss the physiological myth of
“stretching for flexibility.” I won’t rehash that science here, and I’ll stick to discussing the facts
of how to increase flexibility, and why we should. Safety Padlocks You aren’t tight because
you did something wrong. You’re not immobile because you’re body is betraying you. Your
body has created a series of padlocks (as compensatory patterns) to prevent you from being
injured. It’s quite genius. Davis’ Law states that protagonist and antagonist muscles will end
up reciprocating each other: so a strong calf (gastrocsoleus) will result in a weak shin
(tibialis). You have one muscle which is compensating (strong) and one that is compensated
(weak). If you finish a workout, and don’t turn off the tension of it, the shortened state of your
muscles and fascia will adapt to remain that way; so, those that are shortened stay short,
while those that are lengthened remain long: the short one becomes stronger, and its
opposite, the long one, becomes weaker, creating a “compensatory pattern” to hold it all
together. For muscles (and fascia), shortened means activated or “having tone.” Lengthened
means deactivated or “lacking tone.” The ‘key’ is to unlock the padlocks: instead of thinking
about stretching the shortened muscles, reactivate the lengthened muscles. Instead of
imagining you must stretch the tightness, strengthen the weakness. This capitalizes on a
phenomenon in your body which exercise science calls: reciprocal inhibition, activating one
muscle turns off its opposite. So, if you strengthen the weak tibialis (shin), you turn off the
tight gastrocsoleus (calf). In the Circular Strength Training System, and its daughter, Prasara
Yoga - we achieve this through a process called “Compensatory Movement.” We perform
movements to strengthen the opposite “compensating” muscle to release the tightness of the
“compensated” muscle. “Progressive” Yoga is designed for the very tight individual in mind:
a step-bystep approach, using short duration, micro-movements to strengthen the functional
opposite - the (compensated) tissues, in order to restore resting length to tight tissues
(compensating) tissues.
What you do consistently trumps what you do occasionally. If you’re sitting in a car, behind a
desk or on a plane, most of the day, then you can expect your hamstrings and hip flexors to
get tight. So, a compensatory movement, throughout your day, would be to stand, and move
around at least 5 minutes every hour to avoid a compensatory pattern of shortness to your
hamstrings and hip flexors. More specifically, you could develop a 2 minute compensatory
routine of upward facing dog and downward facing dog yoga postures at the top of every
hour: one minute each, moving back and forth between the two. This is the first concept in
Progressive Yoga: turn the key on the padlocks.

Slow and steady wins the flexibility race

The basic contractile unit of your muscles are named sarcomeres, which move your
muscles, and produce force to overcome resistance of external objects. When a particular
tissue is inactive, your body adapts to make that position easier by changing cellularly so it
will require less effort. Therefore, if you sit in a car, behind a desk or on a plane for an
extended duration, the sarcomeres will actually decrease in order for you become more
closely shaped to the position you’ve adopted: in this case, unfortunately, the chair you’re
sitting in. Once that cellular change has shortened your tissue, stretching it will not cause
much benefit. You can’t change your cells by forcing them to adopt a new length... suddenly.
In fact, you can even make the shortness stronger by stretching it forcefully. Think of it as
isometric resistance training: if you hold weight, you will make those muscles stronger, just
like if you lift weight. So, if you feel like you’re forcing it, you’re probably making it worse.
Slow and steady challenges to the shortened muscles will have more benefit than fast and
dramatic. When you practice a compensatory movement routine to strengthen the weak-long
tissues, the strong-short tissues will experience a challenge as you shut off the excess tone.
Over time, you’ll change them at a cellular level. The old saying goes: you can’t get there
from here; sometimes you have to go around the world, to get around the block. So, there
should be simple, easy to access, steps which allow you to arrive at the end yoga pose.

What makes yoga... progressive?

Progression is an exercise “protocol” - a way of performing exercise: specifically, it means to

recover greater resting length of tight (strong-short) tissue (in this case by practicing 6
families of yoga poses, across 5 “rounds” of performance: thirty seconds per side, in circuit
format, for 30 minutes. Each step is designed to give you access to greater resting length in
tight tissues with two strategies: 1. As mentioned early, you first must use “reciprocal
inhibition” - strengthen the weak-long muscle to release the strong-short one. 2. Through
“thermogenic movement” - by moving to and around the tension but not through the tension,
by hovering around the tightness without forcing it. This generates internal heat. You will
sweat a lot when you do it correctly, because you’re skating over muscle tone that won’t
release, and that creates friction. Your tissues are thermogenic: they respond to heat. So,
when you create this heat, they adapt more quickly. This is why you will be moving through
and around traditional yoga “poses” rather than holding them, and only hold them for a short
duration at the end, in the final round. When you contract a muscle, you produce heat. This
keeps your body warm and also indicates active metabolic activity in the muscle tissue. (This
heat also “burns” fat.) Your tissues respond to heat: so when they get hotter, they change
shape faster. Therefore, Progressive Yoga uses the friction of movement (to strengthen /
activate the weak-long tissues) to create heat, which you will then use to release the tight
(strong-short) tissues.

OPENING THE PADLOCKS ONE AT A TIME:

To restore resting length to compensating, strong-short tissues, there is a step by step
process for “tight people” to follow: 1. Move shallowly between the two end ranges to
“inform” your nervous system where you’ll be moving: between the strong-short tissues and
the weak-long tissues. When you do this, remember that you don’t have merely one set of
compensatory patterns: when you move toward the weak-long tissue range, you’ll discover
other strong-short tissues which will try to alter your technique. Don’t force these either. a. In
Progressive Yoga, this will be the first six drills. 2. Incrementally move between one padlock
in short duration, simple drills. Once each padlock has been unlocked (meaning: once each
of the compensated, weak-long tissues have been activated and strengthened), then... a. In
Progressive Yoga, this will involve drills 7-12, 13-18 and 19-24. 3. Hold the compensating,
strong-short tissues for a short duration to “inform” the cells to change their shape, and to
assume greater resting length. a. In Progressive Yoga, this will be your final 6 drills (25-30).
4. On ANY day that you are feeling very restricted, do not go deeper. Stay at level one for all
five rounds if you must. Deeper isn’t necessarily better. Opening the padlock in front of you
is the only good, healthy and effective way to do Progressive Yoga. It changes from day to
day depending upon your sum total activities, inactivity, presence of distress (negative
stress), and absence of eustress (positive stress).

30 MIN MOBILITY/COMPENSATION
WARM UP
Kneeling Sidebend 1: Kneeling Tilt - 1 min
Wind Removing 1: Alternating Single Leg - 1 min
Kneeling Lunge 1: Alternating Step - 1 min
Standing Forward Fold 1: Sumo Squat - 1 min
Floor Triangle 1: Shinbox Twist - 1 min
Ball Wheel 1: Arched Roll - 1 min
Kneeling Sidebend 2: One Arm Tilt - 1 min
Wind Removing 2: Same Side Single - 30/30 sec
Kneeling Lunge 2: Forearm Drop - 30/30 sec
Standing Forward Fold 2: Extended Arm - 1 min
Floor Triangle 2: Shinbox Fold - 30/30 sec
Ball Wheel 2: Neck Pillow - 1 min

COOL DOWN
Kneeling Sidebend 3: Two Arm Tilt - 30/30 sec
Wind Removing 3: Double Lock - 1 min
Kneeling Lunge 3: Block Twist - 30/30 sec
Standing Forward Fold 3: Foot Grab - 1 min
Floor Triangle 3: One Side Long - 30/30 sec
Ball Wheel 3: Lower Back Release - 1 min
Kneeling Sidebend 4: Towel Tilt - 30/30 sec
Wind Removing 4: Hollow Body - 1 min Kneeling Lunge 4: Open Flap Twist - 30/30 sec
Standing Forward Fold 4: Reach Through - 1 min
Floor Triangle 4: Alternating Long - 1 min
Ball Wheel 4: Overhead Shoulder - 1 min
Kneeling Sidebend 5: Hold - 30/30 sec
Wind Removing 5: Hold - 1 min
Kneeling Lunge 5: Hold - 30/30 sec
Standing Forward Fold 5: Hold - 1 min
Floor Triangle 5: Hold - 30/30 sec
Ball Wheel 5: Wheel Press - 1 min

1.KNEELING TILT KNEELING SIDE BEND​ 1 DURATION: 1 MINUTE P

From a kneeling position, cross your arms over your chest. Step forward with one foot, and
pull your hips forward with the grip of the front, flat foot. When you cannot pull forward any
farther, tilt to the side of the forward leg. Exhale and resist your hips from rotating or your
pelvis from tilting. Concentrate the side bend on the space between the top saddle of your
hip and your ribs. Crunch back down until your shoulders are parallel with the ground, and
only then, step back to kneeling position, and then repeat on the opposite side.

2. ​ALTERNATING SINGLE LEG ​WIND REMOVING 1

Laying on your back, pull one knee up to your chest, moving it to the outside, completely
missing your ribs. Interlace your ten fingers including your thumbs, two inches beneath your
knee. Pinch your elbows to your torso and pull your knee as hard as you can, biceps flexing.
Kick your knee into your hands to try and arch your lower back off of the ground, but pull
your knee hard to mash your lower back flat at all times. Build the discomfort in your hip with
your exhaled pull. Activate your chin downward but not tucked, slide the back of your head
away from your toes to move your neck as flat to the ground as possible. Look down your
nose underneath your forearm. Release and extend the knee locked and place the leg down
so the calf, not the heel, touches first. Switch to the other side.

3.​ALTERNATING STEP KNEELING LUNGE 1

From a kneeling position, keep your elbows at your sides. Step forward with one foot, and
pull your hips forward with the grip of the front, flat foot. When you cannot pull forward any
farther, tilt to the side of the forward leg. Then, step back to kneeling position, and then
repeat on the opposite side, alternating back and forth between sides.

4 SUMO SQUAT STANDING FORWARD FOLD 1

.Standing with feet wider than shoulders width, ensure that your feet remain parallel to one
another, if not slightly pigeon-toed inward toward one another. Squat down with knees bent
until you can place your hands on the floor (or place them on a block or sturdy chair, if you
must). Then, exhale and bend your knees so that your hips lower as far as you can keep
your heels on the ground, without any strain to your knees, without any discomfort in your
lower back. Keep your head in neutral position. Release your hips back upward, but you
don’t need to lock your knees. Repeat the squat throughout the round.

5. SHIN BOX TWIST FLOOR TRIANGLE 1

Drop your knees over into a “shin box.” Rotate your midback to the direction of your forward
shin. Place the rear hand flat with the elbow high. Reach under with the front arm, with the
elbow locked. Let the underside shoulder fall down and backward toward the knee. Suck
your belly upward to give yourself room to rotate. Don’t let your elbow unlock. If you cannot
lower your shoulder far, exhale and let gravity do the work over time, but keep your elbow
locked and your shoulders packed down, so that you release the target area around your
waist and chest. Slowly unthread, switch your shinbox to the other side, and begin your set
up to twist in the other direction. Continue to alternate directions back and forth throughout
the round.

6. ARCH ROLL , PAsSIVE BACKBEND 1 . BALL WHEEL 1

With a dependable stability ball, sit down and place your feet flat about a little wider than
shoulders width. Cradle the back of your hand in your knit fingers, like you’re laying against a
pillow. Let your back arch into the ball, and your tailbone hug under the contour. Use your
midfoot control to carefully roll back against the ball. If you feel out of control, you’re going to
fast. Use your hands to steady yourself if you roll to one side. Go slowly and consider this
“practice” of balance. Let the pillow of your hands lower your head against the ball, but only
as far as you do not feel any pins and needles down your arms, and no pain in your neck.
Use your hands to carefully lift your head back into position (don’t crunch your neck down).
Lower your tailbone down, using your feet for control. Repeat for the round.

7. ONE ARM TILT KNEELING SIDE BEND 2

From a kneeling position, step forward with one foot, and pull your hips forward with the grip
of the front, flat foot. When you cannot pull forward any farther, lift your arm on the opposite
side of your front leg, and tilt to the side of the forward leg. Extend through the locked elbow,
driving from the pinky finger up and over in a crescent. Keep your shoulder off of your neck.
Drive your hips to the side of the lifted arm. Exhale and resist your hips from rotating or your
pelvis from tilting. Concentrate the side bend on the space between the top saddle of your
hip and your ribs. Crunch back down until your shoulders are parallel with the ground, and
only then, step back to kneeling position, and then repeat on the opposite side.

PROGRESSION2
1.SAME SIDE SINGLE ​WIND REMOVING 2
Laying on your back, pull one knee up to your chest, moving it to the outside, completely
missing your ribs. Interlace your ten fingers including your thumbs, two inches beneath your
knee. Pinch your elbows to your torso and pull your knee as hard as you can, biceps flexing.
Mash your lower back flat at all times. Activate your chin downward but not tucked, slide the
back of your head away. Bring the opposite knee to your chest as high as you can with an
exhale. Extend the knee locked and lower the leg as far as you can keep your lower back
flat. Remain on one side for 30 seconds. Then, switch to the other side.
2.FOREARM DROP ​KNEELING LUNGE​ 2
From a hands and shins position, lock your elbows and flatten your back. Step forward with
one foot. Exhale with one slow, controlled step. Place the instep of the foot tight to the pinky
finger, and the knee pressing tightly to the tricep. Keep your palms flat to the ground. Extend
and lock the rear knee, kicking the heel away, and keeping your hips parallel with the
ground. Exhale to lower the forearms toward the ground, elbows inward. Go as low as you
can keep the front shin perpendicular to the ground. Press back to elbows locked. Repeat on
one side. Place your knee back down on the ground. Switch to the opposite side for 30
seconds

3.EXTENDED ​ARM​ ​STANDING FORWARD FOLD 2 (AMS)

Standing with feet wider than shoulders width, ensure that your feet remain parallel to one
another, if not slightly pigeon-toed inward toward one another. Squat down with knees bent
and walk out your hands as far as you can keep your heels on the ground. Exhale and lower
your knees so that your hips lower as far as you can keep your heels on the ground, without
any strain to your knees, without any discomfort in your lower back. Keep your head in
neutral position. Release your hips back upward, drop your chest to the ground, biceps to
ears, but don’t let your shoulders shrug to your ears. Repeat the squat throughout the round.

4.​SHINBOX​ FOLD ​FLOOR TRIANGLE 2

Drop your knees over into a “shin box.” Rotate your midback to the direction of your forward
shin. Place the rear hand flat with the elbow high. Reach under with the front arm, with the
elbow locked. Let the underside shoulder fall down and backward toward the knee. Suck
your belly upward to give yourself room to rotate. Don’t let your elbow unlock. If you cannot
lower your shoulder far, exhale and let gravity do the work over time, but keep your elbow
locked and your shoulders packed down, so that you release the target area around your
waist and chest. Extend the rear leg, pointing the toes, and locking the knee. Kick your
instep into the ground to drive the rear hip downward. Slowly unthread, press yourself to
elbows locked and retract your rear leg back into the shinbox. Continue to repeat on one
side for 30 seconds.

5​.NECK PILLOW​. BALL WHEEL 2 PASSIVE BACKBEND

With a dependable stability ball, sit down and place your feet flat about a little wider than
shoulders width. Cradle the back of your hand in your knit fingers, like you’re laying against a
pillow. Use your midfoot control to carefully roll back against the ball. If you feel out of
control, you’re going to fast. Use your hands to steady yourself if you roll to one side. Let the
pillow of your hands lower your head against the ball, but only as far as you do not feel any
pins and needles down your arms, and no pain in your neck. Surrender the weight of your
head to gravity, so long as you feel no pain. Use your hands to lift your head back upward.
Then, repeat. Use your hands to carefully lift your head back into position (don’t crunch your
neck down). Lower your tailbone down, using your feet for control. Repeat for the round.

6.​TWO ARM ​TILT KNEELING​ SIDE BEND 3

From a kneeling position, lift both arms overhead. Step forward with one foot, and pull your
hips forward with the grip of the front, flat foot. When you cannot pull forward any farther, tilt
to the side of the forward leg. Extend through the locked elbow, driving from the pinky finger
up and over in a crescent to the titled side. Keep your shoulders off of your neck. Drive your
hips to the side of the lifted arm. Exhale and resist your hips from rotating or your pelvis from
tilting. Concentrate the side bend on the space between the top saddle of your hip and your
ribs. Crunch back down until your shoulders are parallel with the ground.

7.​WIND REMOVING 3​ .DOUBLE LOCK PAVANMUKTASANA

Laying on your back, pull both knees to your chest. Wrap and grab your elbows if you can;
your wrists if you can’t. Pull your knees as hard as you can, biceps flexing. Mash your lower
back flat at all times. Extend both knees locked and lower them as far as you can keep your
lower back flat. Pull your knees back to your chest and repeat.

8.BLOCKING​ TWIST KNEELING LUNGE 3 PARIVRTA PARSVAKONASANA

From a kneeling position, step forward with one foot. Block your knee with your hand on the
same side. Shoot your elbow through and across your thigh, and slide your ribs as close to
your thigh as possible, and your armpit as close to flush with your knee as you can. Take
your opposite arm and then wrap it around your lower back, with the back of your hand
touching your lower back. Slowly press your top shoulder with your bottom hand. Drive your
knee into your bottom elbow and equally, your elbow back into your knee, in order to send
your two shoulders in a line perpendicular with the ground. Block the knee with the rear
twisting arm, untwist the bottom arm, and slowly unwind. Switch to the opposite side for 30
seconds.

9. FOOT GRAB ​STANDING FORWARD FOLD 3​ PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA 3

Standing with feet wider than shoulders width, ensure that your feet remain parallel to one
another, if not slightly pigeon-toed inward toward one another. Squat down with knees bent
and grab the outsides of your ankles if you can (if you can’t go back to level 2). Exhale and
lower your knees so that your hips lower as far as you can keep your heels on the ground,
without any strain to your knees, without any discomfort in your lower back. Keep your head
in neutral position, and pull on your ankles, driving your elbows into your knees, as you
extend your knees. Don’t go farther than you can keep your forearms on your shins. Don’t let
your shoulders shrug to your ears. Lengthen your spine to the ground and exhale your chest
through your knees. Release and squat to repeat.

10. ONE SIDE LONG​ FLOOR TRIANGLE 3

Extend your legs locked in an “L” Rotate your midback to the direction of your forward shin.
Place the rear hand flat with the elbow high. Reach under with the front arm, with the elbow
locked. Let the underside shoulder fall down and backward toward the knee. Suck your belly
upward to give yourself room to rotate. Don’t let your elbow unlock. If you cannot lower your
shoulder far, exhale and let gravity do the work over time, but keep your elbow locked and
your shoulders packed down, so that you release the target area around your waist and
chest. Keep both knees locked. Kick the instep of your rear leg into the ground and drive the
rear hip downward. Slowly unthread, press yourself to elbows locked, switch to the opposite
“L” and twist in the other direction. Continue to repeat on one side for 30 seconds.

11.