I have been doing a yoga pose I call "Winged Mercury" that has opened my upper back and spine a great deal. It has released a lot of tension in the muscles and bones, and allowed my body to relax into a more upright, balanced and comfortable posture when standing and walking. And it has allowed for greater circulation of kundalini thru the entire system.
It's a very simple and easy-to-do standing pose, kinda like a standing "camel" asana. Basically just letting the head fall back and flexing the neck, upper spine and back muscles into each other and into the spine.
Begin with prayer if you like and anjali mudra. As the head declines, raising the extended arms behind, as in pulling a cart, adds lift and leverage to increase the contraction of the upper back. The end pose presses the shoulder blades tightly into the spine.
I work into the pose carefully, taking time to relax w/no cramping or pain, then as the pose settles in comfortably, I increase the tension until I am pressing my neck into the shoulder blades as tightly as possible, constantly increasing the flex. As the pose progresses, I lift my arms higher and higher behind me, as if I was raising wings from my shoulder blades. Visualization of wings helps in this pose.
It feels so excellent! It feels so good to flex into the spine in any backbend pose, really "scratches that itch". While doing the pose, I stand legs straight, feet slightly apart, and tense the lower abs inward, and with some air in the lungs, I expand and tense the upper abs outward. This calms the diaphragm, allowing focus on the spinal flex w/o dealing with breath.
I call this pose a mudra instead of an asana, because it has a direct effect on the spiritual architecture and kundalini of the body. Sambhavi mudra, or brow vision, is recommended, and khechari mudra is an enhancement in this mudra. I like to do this mudra while gazing at the full moon. OM
With practice, duration can be increased. When finished, slowly return to anjali mudra, inhale again or not as you please, and enjoy the energy flowing in your head.
If you would like to see some video of this mudra, go here
http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?na ... sToFreedom (http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=WingsToFreedom)
and choose the vid in the top line with the droning geezer in the beard, kriyabrah. About halfway in, the mudra is shown.
Winged Mercury mudra is simple, fairly easy, feels great and improves posture a ton. Give it a try! :cool2
thanks, dendro.
the video helps and your guidance is cool
it looks like something positive to add into my day
Yes. Thanks for the info. I also have some slight problems with my back. I tend to sort of lower my chest and bend forward due to lazy posture.. But practice and yoga has helped a lot here.
Moderator stuff:
When people post in the mountain, could you please explain the more technical terms. There are many different systems of thought with each their technical vocab and logic, to push selfsame logic to its limits. (Yes, I assume that most here, on a board with interest in psychoactive plants, reads philosophy that tries to push logic to its limits and point beyond logic... ;-))
I for example don't know what anjali mudra is, or asana...
I am not sure if the sentences after the "anjali mudra" is the explanation, but then please clarify. Because I can't see if it is an explanation on a posture you can do with the mudra or the mudra itself.
I tend to forget this too. So when I forget, please make me aware of it too! :-)
I see what you mean, satori. I'll remember.
You know you're a yoga geek when you start talking sanskrit, as if everyone would know. :geek: :mrgreen:
OK, anjali mudra is just standing up straight with the palms together at the heart.
Asana basically means "posture', or "pose". Thus, "siddhasana", or perfect pose. Asanas are what hatha yogis do. Also refers to a pad, blanket or cushion devoted to sitting yoga, as in "seat".
Khechari mudra is placing the tongue above the soft palate into the naso-pharynx. This acts to connect the circuits from the top of the spine to the brow. This connection really helps during spinal breathing, root to brow and back.
Sambhavi mudra is focusing attention and vision slightly above and between the eyebrows.
Thanks for clearing that out. I am starting to do this easily now every morning. Luckily I have a friend who is also a Yoga-teacher, and he can make sure my back is ok. I am trying to get the right posture, but it still feels like I am putting too much tention on the part of the back just above the butt. (I don't know the english term for that part.)
And not to be a bitch about it, but mentioning some technical terms doesn't mean you are speaking in the language they are from :P It only means you are a geek :D :geek: :P
ya for this backbend, you want to limit the flex to the thoracics and cervicals, and keep the lumbars (the bones of the lower spine) fairly straight and relaxed. If you keep the legs fairly straight, and tense and pull the lower abs in, tension should be diverted away from the small of the back.
Other backbend poses flex the whole spinal column, and are true asanas. But this mudra really focuses the energy into the upper spine, so you don't have to lean back at all, making it easy on the lower back.
I have pushed this flex beyond good sense, just to see what would happen. Pushed it hard enough, to see if there was any potential for injury, but have been surprised that when I relax out of it and return to vertical, it just feels superfine. I haven't had any pain or strain yet, no matter how hard I have pressed the flex.
hmmm ya I guess only some brahmins actually speak sanskrit nowadays :geek: :tea:
Here, we can embed YouTube vids right in the post 8)
[youtube:3hkt426z]2UkosBZJiac[/youtube:3hkt426z]
Hey, Den.....
Was that the entire pose you showed in your yard?
lw
hey Kemp, thanks very much, very helpful! :cool2
Hey LW, no only the third pose shown is the "winged Mercury".
The first two poses are just goofing on backbends...