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Level 1
60 min

Beat Slouch-Asana

Yin | By Felicia Tomasko on Jan 27 2011
Is slouch-asana your most common posture? Decompress, lengthen and grow taller with this practice that begins with the low back and hips and moves up to releasing tension in the neck and shoulders before settling down into the welcome mat of savasana.

Description

Is slouch-asana your most common posture? Decompress, lengthen and grow taller with this practice that begins with the low back and hips and moves up to releasing tension in the neck and shoulders before settling down into the welcome mat of savasana.

Comments

  • Kristyn Rousseau     Feb 23rd, 2013
    Arm pigeon is wonderfully delicious! This is one of my favourite Yin classes, thank-you Felicia.
    • Felicia Tomasko     Feb 24th, 2013
      Dear Kristyn, I'm glad to hear that this is one of your favorites! I know how you feel, because I love arm pigeon too and find it to be a powerful cross-training pose for my sometimes computer-bound body. I hope you get to practice this again as one of your favorites! Thanks for the note & look forward to seeing you again online soon. Felicia
  • Nadia Rqm     Nov 23rd, 2012
    Hi felicia,
    I noticed in most of your shoulder focused classes that you tend to do the sphinx pose. What does it do particularly to the shoulders? I have a very testy shoulder due to a disc herniation of the C5 and C6 and just curious about this pose and where specifically it works on. As always love your classes and the warmth you project while conducting the class. Namaste!
    • Felicia Tomasko     Nov 23rd, 2012
      Dear Nadia, First of all, thank you for your kind words about my class. Second, sorry to hear about your disc herniation. I can see how that would affect the shoulder. Specifically, in speaking about the sphinx pose--my rationale for including the pose in many sequences is as follows. Sphinx is a backbend and not many backbends are done in a yin-style practice, but they are valuable for overall extension of the spine. Sphinx is also a backbend where the floor/earth/or mat offers some measure of support. If we engage the lower abdominal muscles to support the spine, it can be valuable for the spinal extension. Additionally, when we gently draw the chest/heart/collarbones forward and roll the shoulders back, it is an opportunity to counteract the rolling in of the shoulders that is often a part of our daily pattern of usage in the body. So, it specifically works to help the shoulders roll back instead of rolling forward, which is important. We do need to be careful in the pose to not allow it to become a situation where we aggravate or tendency to slouch, so posture in the pose, alignment in the neck, and adequately supporting the spine are all important. Do let me know if I answered your question and thank you for practicing with us, Felicia
  • susana faria ponte     Jul 28th, 2012
    Truly amazing class. The arm pigeon...I also felt a release in my lower back...is their connection...Thank you. Susana
    • Felicia Tomasko     Nov 23rd, 2012
      Dear Susana, I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the class. I personally find that the arm pigeon often helps release other parts of the spine. While the pose specifically works the area of the mid- to upper-back, there is a connection down the entire length of the spine and releasing tension in the one area of the body releases another. Happy to hear that you had a good experience. Thanks for practicing with us, Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Apr 11th, 2011
    Dear Lesley,
    I understand what it is like to spend a lot of time at a desk and to use Yoga practice for cross-training for computer usage, which is why I plan several different types of practices with this in mind.
    Thanks for doing this practice,
    Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Apr 11th, 2011
    Dear Deborah,
    Wow! So glad to hear that this practice helped you have some Yoga when you couldn't do knee/leg issues. Enjoy your practice!
    Felicia
  • Lesley Ransley     Apr 11th, 2011
    The perfect practice for somebody like myself who spends most of the day at a desk, deep thanks Felicia
  • Deborah Carroll     Feb 5th, 2011
    I recently encountered a knee/leg issue. No yoga for a week. : (
    Came across this session today, had to do something, body crying out for movement but no downward dogs or standing poses wanted. This session fit the bill perfectly. Was able to get hip/leg/calf/foot stretches in as well as other good stuff.

    thanks a bunch felicia

    deborah
  • Felicia Tomasko     Feb 3rd, 2011
    Dear Anna,
    It is a gift to be able to share the practice and I feel grateful for your participation. Enjoy the day, and any time you need to come back to the practice, it is here for you.
    Thank you for your heartfelt comments.
    Love,
    Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Feb 3rd, 2011
    Dear Mara,
    So happy to hear that this practice helped to unwind the tension in your jaw and neck. It's amazing how that tension can bind up that part of the body and make headaches more intense. Keep coming back to your practice,
    Felicia
  • Anna Baca-Barnhart     Feb 2nd, 2011
    Exactly what I needed today! I am truly grateful for this time with you, Felicia. YouR guidance was a GIFT to me this morning, and throughout this coming day.
  • mara levarre     Jan 31st, 2011
    Really great class! I had a tension headache yesterday and this practice helped release all the tightness in my jaw and neck...love the shoulder pigeon pose!! Thank you :)
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 30th, 2011
    Dear Beth Ann
    Thanks for the love! Back at you!
    Felicia
  • Beth Ann Fischberg     Jan 30th, 2011
    Gratitude as always for another delicious class!
    love you,
    Beth Ann
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 30th, 2011
    Dear Cathy,
    Thanks for the note! Glad you enjoyed the practice.
    Stay open,
    Felicia
  • Cathy Benthagen     Jan 30th, 2011
    Feel very open and decompressd ... lovely practice...thank yuu Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 30th, 2011
    Dear Maria
    Glad this is helping you after a day of shoveling snow. Happy to hear that you're enjoying the ability to take the practices home with you on this site.
    Thanks for writing! Stay warm,
    Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 30th, 2011
    Dear Becka,
    I didn't take it that you were being snappy ;-) I understand that sometimes we need a perk and to wake-up! Glad you enjoyed this practice in the evening.
    I thank my teachers every day (and there are many of them).
    Glad to hear that Yin is helping you to sleep at night.
    We're adding new ones all the time, so stay with us. Happy to be with you daily!
    Felicia
  • Maria De santis     Jan 28th, 2011
    Wow ! Great instructor Awesome stretching twists after a long week of work and shoveling snow in NJ !!! My favorite for my first night on this site! THANKS
  • becka gagne     Jan 27th, 2011
    This is a great great practice, thank you! The arm pigeon is really amazing, i feel more broad already. Thank you and thank your teachers..
  • becka gagne     Jan 27th, 2011
    Not trying to be snappy Felicia, sorry, i must have jumped on it right when it came into the anusara file...i wanted to see how you would teach Anusara! Needed the perk early on, and very happy to try this class
    this evening. I tried an experiment two nights ago and decided to just read a little before bed and not do my Yin...Slept terribly. Keep adding classes, i'm here every night! (I don't mind doing them over and over either)
    Thanks again!
    Becka
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 27th, 2011
    Dear Sari
    thanks for your feedback. Since it's a pose I teach fairly often, I may have taken it for granted. Appreciate the reminder to keep adding more detail. You're right, it is an awkward pose (but it can be a great one). Maybe we'll do a shoulder pigeon tutorial....stay updated. In the meantime, thanks for the constructive feedback and hope the next time you practice (try the class again), it's more relaxing!
    Thank you for commenting and for trying out the practice,
    Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 27th, 2011
    Dear Joanna
    Nope, I definitely don't teach Anusara! Glad that label snafu was cleared up. I do practice in many of the Anusara classes and sometimes you can see me as a student (it's always good for all of us to remain students) in classes taught by Elena or Noah or some of the other teachers.
    Thanks for the note and being part of Yogaglo!
    Felicia
  • Felicia Tomasko     Jan 27th, 2011
    Dear Becka, Yes, this is Yin, but Yin doesn't always mean that you have to go straight to sleep. It's also a nice way to unwind and get back to your day without the pent-up tension.
    Thanks for the note!
    Felicia
  • YogaGlo     Jan 27th, 2011
    Hi Joanna - thank you for letting us know. It's now correctly labeled as Yin.
  • becka gagne     Jan 27th, 2011
    uh...this should be in the Yin category, no? i will do it before bed tonight, but i don't want to sleep now :)
  • Joanna Baron     Jan 27th, 2011
    Felicia teaches Anusara now!?!