Yoga for Meditators

In our July 2009 issue, four yoga teachers — Shiva Rea, Beryl Bender Birch, Richard Freeman, and Rodney Yee — each offer an asana to help you prepare your body and mind for sitting meditation. In this online excerpt, Beryl Bender Birch and Rodney Yee demonstrate and show you how to execute to yogic essentials that will assist you in your meditation.

Beryl Bender Birch: Downward Dog

Downward facing dog is a posture that I watch my five Siberian huskies do many times a day. It’s a great pose that stretches the legs, lower back, and shoulders, as well as strengthening the shoulders and arms—all of which are essential for happy sitting. I love the posture as it seems to clear the head and sinuses and put everything back into neutral.

From standing, take a deep breath, exhale and fold over, bending your knees and placing your hands on the floor. Walk your feet back a yard or so, depending on how tall you are, to create an upside down V with your body. Place your hands flat on the floor about shoulder width apart, with the fingers spread out. Your feet should be the same distance apart as your hands, balanced between rolling in and rolling out. Spread your toes and press down on the heels, which probably won’t touch the floor. Push your torso back toward your legs. Drop the chin toward the chest, pull in the belly and rib cage. Breathe.

Rodney Yee: Cross-legged Forward Bend

Too often our hips are unprepared for meditation and our torso gets dragged down by our legs instead of supported by them. Here is a simple solution.

Sit in cross-legged pose, with your right shin in front of your left. Place your knees right over your feet so that the legs almost form a square. Let your legs be heavy and grounded as your feet are slightly flexed and active. Place your fingertips on the ground behind your hips and press down as you lengthen the sides of your waist. Take all the weight out of your lower back. Slowly bend down, slightly rounding your back and walking your hands forward. Release the tension in your hips, back, and neck. If easy, rest your forehead on your hands. If you are not that flexible, place your head and hands on the seat of a chair. Stay for twenty-five breaths, inhaling in the direction of your hips and exhaling in the direction of the top of your chest. Inhale as you come up, and then change sides, placing your left shin in front of your right, and repeat the process. This posture is great before and after seated meditation.

From the July 2009 issue of the Shambhala Sun.

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