Before Arising

Before arising in the morning, we do this series of gentle movements:

• breath out with a low humming sound until you naturally want to take in a big breath
• do the remaining exercises eight times each while chanting a two octave arpeggio or similar to use the high and low parts of your voice
• open and close each finger
• open and close your whole hand
• extend your arms along the side of your body then bend your arms so your hands move toward your shoulders than slide your elbows up then lower them then lower your hands.
• place the back of your hands on your legs then make and big arc to a yawning-stretching position then return
• cross your arms over your chess then uncross
• cirle your arms one move clockwise the other counter-clockwise
• circle your arms in the reverse direction
• turn your head to side then pull the back of your toward your shoulder, then do the other side
• move your hips from side to side
• move your hips up and down (as if making love)
• cirle your hips in one direction, then the other
• make as large a circle as you can with your right knee, leaving your foot dangling downward, repeat in the other direction and with the other leg
• turn over onto your stomach and, with your feet facing the ceiling, circle your hips while alternately pulling on the top of the bed and pressing your elbows into the bed, alternate you head from side to side every eight -- do this until your arms feel some fatigue
• continue this motion but with your feet hooked over the foot of the bed, pulling you down each time you press our elbows -- do this until your arms can no longer do it
• turn onto your back and do a similar motion to the previous but with the back of your hands hooked over the head of the bed remembering to circle your hips -- again go until your arms are exhausted
• do 'crunches' with a twist at the top and with alterating knees up and doing the opposing twist
• turn back on to your stomach grab your feet in your hands and rotate them in each direction, turn your head to the other side and repeat