Yoga Spinal Massage

Video Transcript

"The word spinal massage always sounds good, and it is one of the most comforting warm ups and, it's also a transitional move so you have to own your roll up before half roll and full roll up and, roll down before you practice this because we start off in a neutral position, we depress the shoulders retracting the scapula lifting up through the top of the head along getting through the spine and, were going to bring our ankles in feet, in towards the mid line of the body. Take a big inhale, and were going to come down nice and smooth and, controlled and come up and, hold. Now, if you need to put your feet down for balance go ahead. Especially starting off, that's not going to take away from quality of the movement if that's what you need to do to maintain integrity of the spine and keep your balance. So, your incorporating both, a spinal massage flexion and extension in the spine in a moving position as well as working on balance. Again, take a big inhale, relaxing the upper body, don't let the chin and the chest head move over the chest, hold and release, and hold just a second neutral, and before you release everything. Again, make sure hip flexors are out of the picture, come up, hold, nice proud chest, inhale, roll down and, hold, and you can do that maybe ten to twelve times but if you need to stop and take a break and put your feet down and relax and you can always make that more advanced by extending your legs out in front to what we call boat pose. But, when you're warming up its a good idea to just start with your knees bent and your feet in towards the mid line of the body."