Abhyasa Ashram - Joints and Glands Exercises

Joints and Glands Exercises

The practices outlined here were presented to us by Swami Rama as a traditional way to
prepare for meditation. They emphasize simple movements, which facilitate the functioning
of the glandular systems and flexibility in the connective tissues, which are the tendons,
ligaments, and fascia.
Tendons and ligaments are strong bands of fibrous connective tissue that connect muscle to
bone and are capable of withstanding tension when muscles contract. Fascia is connective
tissue that surrounds muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together
somewhat like plastic wrap can be used to hold sandwiches or other foods together. The
fascia has several layers: superficial fascia, deep fascia, and subserous (or visceral) fascia.
The connective tissues extend from the head to the tip of the toes without interruption. These
connective tissues are particularly concentrated in the area of the joints. Exercises
emphasizing flexibility in the connective tissue are far more helpful for helping the body sit
in meditation than are more vigorous exercises that may emphasize strength or mass in the
skeletal muscles.
The glands of the lymphatic system are found throughout the body and are an important part
of cleansing the body to facilitate immune system functioning. The oval shaped lymph nodes
are packed with white blood cells called lymphocytes and macrophages, which serve a major
role in fighting off disease. Movements that facilitate cleansing and overall health of the
glands are quite beneficial to sitting in meditation.
To practice even a brief series of joints and glands exercises can be an excellent preparation
for meditation that is easy to notice for yourself just by running your own experiments. For a
more thorough practice, repeat each of the exercises three times, although once is okay too.
Be aware of your breath and follow the natural exhalation and inhalation with each of the
movements.
These exercises can be used with great benefit by almost anybody, regardless of his or her
level of physical fitness. Experiment with these in a way that is gentle and loving toward
yourself. As you learn and practice these joints and glands exercises you will naturally adjust
the sequence in small ways that match your comfort level, and will blend in your own choice
of other stretches and yogasanas.

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FACE! 3
Forehead and Sinus Massage! 3
Scalp and Forehead! 3
Half Face Squint! 3
Full Face Squint! 3
Eyes! 3
Mouth! 4
Lion! 4
Face Massage! 4

NECK! 4
Forward and Backward Bend! 4
Chin Over Shoulder! 4
Ear to Shoulder! 4
Turtle! 5
Neck Rolls! 5

SHOULDERS! 5
Lifts! 5
Rotations! 5
Rotation with Hands to Shoulder! 5
Horizontal Arm Swing! 6
Shoulders and Arms! 6
Shoulder Wings! 6

ARMS, HANDS AND WRISTS! 6

Up/Down! 6
Sides! 6
Rotations! 7

ABDOMEN and TORSO! 7

Overhead Stretch! 7
Sideways Stretch! 7
Side Bends! 7
Torso Twists! 7
Taking In and Out of Stomach! 8
Abdominal Lift (Uddiyana Bandha)! 8

TORSO and LEGS! 8

Standing Forward Bend! 8
Twisting Bend! 8

LEGS and FEET! 9

Leg Kick! 9
Knee Swirl! 9
Dancing Knees! 9
Knee Bends! 9
Ankle Squat! 9
Ankle and Feet! 9
Toe Balance! 10

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FACE
Forehead and Sinus Massage
Sit comfortably with head, neck, and trunk aligned. Make a loose fist and press your thumbs
against the forehead. Massage the forehead with a circular motion. Follow the bones above
the eyes and continue across the temples. Then rub with the thumbs below the eyes along the
sides of the nose. Finally, open the hands and use the undersides of the thumbs to gently rub
along the upper rims of the eye sockets, outward towards the temples. Then massage with the
index fingers along the lower rims of the eye sockets. All of these movements begin at the
center of the face and move outward, as if pushing all tension out and away.
Scalp and Forehead
Keeping the eyes focused straight ahead, raise the eyebrows and tighten both the forehead
and the scalp. You may also feel a slight motion in the ears as you do this. Do this smoothly,
without and quick jerks, tightening as high as you are comfortably able. In one smooth
movement release the tension from the scalp, forehead, and eyebrows. Repeat this a few
times.
Half Face Squint
Placing the palm of your right hand over the right side of your face and your right eye,
slowly squint the entire left side of your face, leaving the right side completely relaxed.
Repeat this with your left palm over the left side of your face, squinting the right side. After
becoming comfortable with the exercise, do the exercise without placing the palms of your
hands on the face.
Full Face Squint
Similar to the half face squint, but here you squint all of the muscles of the face in one
smooth movement, as if all of the facial muscles are pulling towards the center, towards your
nose. Then release and repeat again.
Eyes
With head remaining straight and stationary, and the eyes looking forward, turn your eyes to
the left as far as is comfortable. Hold for a moment and then return to the center. Then repeat
to the right side, still leaving the head straight and stationary. Again starting from the straight
and stationary position of the head, look up, back to center, then down, and back to the
center. Now look to the upper-left corner, back to center, to lower-right, and back to center,
pausing for a moment as before. Then look to upper-right, back to center, to lower-left, and
back to center. Finally, look downwards and then begin a circular motion clockwise, all the
way around, and then reverse, making a circular motion in the counter-clockwise direction.

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Mouth
Clench the teeth lightly and firmly tighten the lips in a wide open grin. Allow the muscles of
the neck to tighten along with the grin, allowing an exaggerated stretch from the shoulders up
through the mouth. The mouth should be as wide open as possible, looking somewhat like
the letter O. Then relax and repeat as you wish.
Lion
From a sitting position (such as kneeling if that is comfortable), open the mouth as wide as
possible, thrust the tongue out and down, and make a loud exhaling sound (like a lion) from
deep in the throat. The whole body should be tensed in doing this, as if the whole body is
making one audible expression. Release and sit back in a comfortable position, letting go of
all the muscle contractions.
Face Massage
Use the heel of your hands to massage your entire face, both left and right sides at the same
time. Follow the contour of the bones around the forehead, eyes, cheeks, and mouth,
smoothening the muscles and the skin. This will reduce any tension left from doing the
previous exercises. It will also reduce any wrinkling in the skin if you have a habit of holding
tension in your face.

NECK
All of the neck exercises are done with the head, neck, and trunk in alignment. The spine is
straight, allowing the natural curves. The shoulders are stationary, with only the neck and the
head moving.
Forward and Backward Bend
Exhale slowly, gently bringing the head forward, tucking the chin in towards the chest. Feel
the stretch at the back of the neck. Then, inhale slowly, bringing the head up and back so that
the head tilts towards the back, feeling the stretch in the front of the neck. Exhale again
slowly, bringing the head to either a vertical position if you are finished with the practice, or
fully forward towards the chest if you want to repeat the exercise.
Chin Over Shoulder
From a position of the head straight, slowly exhale and turn your head as far to the left as you
are comfortably able, in such a way that your chin is reasonably in line with your shoulder.
The neck turns, but does not bend sideways to the left. Inhale as you turn your head back to
the straight forward position. Repeat to the right side.
Ear to Shoulder
From a position of the head being straight, slowly exhale and lean your head as far to the left
as you are comfortably able, in such a way that your left ear is moving downward toward
your left shoulder. The neck bends to the left, but does not turn in the way it did in the

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previous exercise. Inhale as you raise your head back to the straight forward position. Repeat
to the right side.

Turtle
Keeping the shoulders stationary, exhale and thrust your chin and head as far forward as is
comfortable, keeping your mouth closed and your teeth together. Pretend that you are a turtle
sticking its head out of its shell. Then, while inhaling, draw your chin and head back into a
straight position, doing so in such a way that your chin somewhat tucks in towards your
throat. Repeat the exercise as you wish.
Neck Rolls
Lower your chin towards your chest and begin to slowly rotate your head in a wide circle to
the left, in a clockwise motion. The motion should be very smooth and very slow. Inhale
when lifting the head upwards and exhale when bringing it downward from the top of the
roll. When the roll is completed, gently reverse the direction and inhale into a counter-
clockwise rotation, and then exhaling as you complete the roll. Repeat the cycle or bring your
head back to a comfortable forward-facing position.

SHOULDERS
Lifts
Stand erect with your arms hanging loosely to your sides. Without moving your head, tighten
and lift your left shoulder upward towards your ear, allowing your arm to still hang by your
side. All at once, relax and drop your shoulder. Then do the same thing with your right
shoulder. Then very slowly raise both shoulders in a similar fashion. Hold the shoulders for a
few seconds and then slowly relax them completely.
Rotations
Stand erect with your arms hanging loosely to your sides. Begin a rotation of your left
shoulder by moving it forward and in towards the center of your chest, then moving it
upward towards the left ear and back, trying to touch your shoulder blade to the spine, and
then back to the starting position. Rotate three times in the same direction using the left
shoulder. Then reverse the direction, still rotating the left shoulder. Do the same rotation for
the right shoulder, first rotating forward and towards the center of the chest, then moving it
upward towards the right ear and back, trying to touch your right shoulder blade to the spine,
and back to the starting position. Do this three times and then reverse the direction, still
rotating the right shoulder.
Rotation with Hands to Shoulder
Stand erect with your arms stretched out in front of you at chest height, and with the palms
upward. Rotate the shoulders forward and up, while raising your palms high above you, and
then bringing your finger tips down onto your shoulders. Your elbows will have gone up and

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then back down to about shoulder height. Reverse the rotation, bring your palms up above
you, and allowing the elbows to go up again. Then, stretch the arms out in front of you to the
original position. Repeat the whole process again, but this time having the palms down
throughout the movement. Then repeat again, but with the palms facing one another. Repeat
each variation up to three times.
Horizontal Arm Swing
Stand erect with your arms at your sides. Extend, raise and stretch your arms out to the sides
at shoulder level. Exhaling, swing the arms forward crossing the left arm over the right arm.
Keeping the arms straight, bring the left arm as far to the right as possible, and the right arm
as far to the left as possible. Do this as if the shoulders would meet in the front (though they
wont, of course), expanding the shoulder blades apart from one another as far as possible.
Inhaling, swing the arms back out to the sides and behind your back, expanding your chest
and bringing your shoulder blades together. Repeat several times, alternating left arm over
right, and right over left.
Shoulders and Arms
Stand erect with your arms extended straight out to the sides. Exhaling, swing the arms
forward, stretching the shoulders forward and allowing the palms to come together lightly.
Inhale, bringing the palms to the chest, with the elbows still at shoulder level out to the sides.
Exhale again and straighten the arms out in front of you as before. While inhaling and still
keeping the arms straight, swing them out to the sides and back behind you, throwing the
shoulders back and fully expanding the chest. Repeat the whole process several times.
Shoulder Wings
Bend the arms in front of you at the elbow and place the finger tips on the shoulders. Leaving
the fingers on the shoulders, stretch the elbows out in front, raise them while inhaling and
then rotate them to the sides and back, pulling the shoulder blades together. Then, without
stopping, exhale and continue the rotation of the elbows downward and back to the front.
Stretch and rotate several times in this direction and then reverse the direction, repeating the
same number of times.

ARMS, HANDS AND WRISTS

Up/Down
Stretch the arms out in front of you with the palms down and the arms level with the
shoulders. Keep the fingers together and straight, and bend at the wrist so that the fingers are
pointing upward and you are looking at the back of your hands. Then bend your wrists so that
the fingers are pointing straight down. Return your fingers to the center.
Sides
From the same position with arms stretched out in front, bend the wrists sideways, pointing
the fingers to the left. Keep the fingers together and straight, and the palms down. Relax and

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return to the center. Repeat to the right. Then relax and return to the center. Do this several
times in each direction.
Rotations
From the same position with arms stretched out in front, rotate the hands at the wrists, with
the left fingers in a clockwise direction, and the right fingers in a counter-clockwise
direction. Keep the arms straight without allowing the forearms to move. Reverse and rotate
the same number of times in the opposite direction. Then rotate both hands together in a
clockwise direction, and then repeat the same number of times with both hands in a counter-
clockwise direction. Repeat the cycle with your fingers spread apart. Then, repeat the cycle
again with your fingers in a claw position.

ABDOMEN and TORSO

Overhead Stretch
Stand erect with your feet firmly on the floor. Inhaling, stretch your arms straight above your
head. Place your palms together with the fingers pointing up. Without lifting your heels,
stretch up towards the ceiling as high as you can, stretching the whole body. Press your palms
together and your upper arms against your ears. Feel as though you are lifting the trunk off
the pelvis. Exhaling, relax the arms completely and let them drop down to your sides.
Sideways Stretch
Stand erect with your feet firmly on the floor. Bring your arms up, stretching to the sides and
level with the shoulders. Inhaling, stretch your arms out to the sides as far as you can, as if
you could touch two walls to your left and right with the tips of your fingers. Feel as though
you are stretching the elbows, wrists, and fingers. Exhaling, bring your arms back down to
your sides and relax them.
Side Bends
Stand erect with your feet firmly on the floor. The legs should remain straight and the body
should remain in an even plane front and back, as if you are standing with your back against
a wall. Inhaling, raise the left arm out to the side with your palm facing down. When your
arm reaches shoulder level, rotate the palm upward and continue the upward movement until
your arm is extended above your head and your upper arm presses agains your left ear.
Exhale, bending at the waist to the right, sliding the right hand down along the right leg. Feel
the muscle contraction at the right side of the waist and the stretch all along the left side of
the torso. Inhale, keeping your left arm next to your head. While exhaling, straighten your
body, bringing the right arm back to your side, while also lowering the left arm to your side.
Repeat on the opposite. Repeat as you wish.
Torso Twists
Stand erect with your feet firmly on the floor, about two to three feet apart. Place your hands
on your hips. Exhale and lean forward. Staying within your comfortable capacity, begin a

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clockwise rotation, first moving to the right side, then to the back. As you rotate through the
position to the right side, transition into inhalation, through the position at the back. As the
rotation moves through the position to the left, transition into exhalation, coming back to the
front. Repeat three times, and then repeat the whole process three times in a
counterclockwise direction.
Repeat this entire sequence, but with your arms above you and your hands clasped far above
your head. Then, once again, repeat the process with your hands on your hips. Then do it
again with your hands clasped above your head.
Taking In and Out of Stomach
Sitting on the floor, on your heels, bend forward with your hands on your knees. With
exhalation force the stomach up and in. With inhalation, let it fall passively. Repeat this as
many times as is comfortable. Please note that this simple exercise is not the same as
agnisara, kapalabhati, or uddiyanabandha.
Abdominal Lift (Uddiyana Bandha)
Stand with your feet about two feet apart. Keeping your spine straight, bend you knees
slightly and lean forward from your waist just enough to place the palms of your hands on
your thighs just above your knees. Exhale completely, pushing all of the air out by pressing
inward at your upper abdomen. From the inside, pull your navel and upper abdomens inward
and up so that it is sucked inward, up towards the inside of the chest cavity. Do the exercise
several times within your comfortable capacity. This exercise can be difficult to do initially
without personal demonstration. Please note that uddiyana bandha is different than a simple
abdominal lift where the abdomen is lifted (as in the first part above), but does not include
this last part where the upper abdomen is sucked inward and upward. Women should not
do these practices during their menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.

TORSO and LEGS

Standing Forward Bend
Stand erect with your feet two to three feet apart. Inhale and raise your arms over your head
with your palms facing forward. With an exhalation, begin to bend forward, moving the arms
and shoulders in a way that imitates a swimming motion. After exhaling with the forward
motion, inhale with the returning motion. As you alternate left and right, allow inhalation and
exhalation to naturally flow with the movements.
Twisting Bend
Stand erect with your feet two to three feet apart. Inhaling, raise your arms straight out to
your sides. With an exhalation, bend forward and, twisting the trunk, touch your right hand to
your left foot, and turn your head so as to look up at your raised left hand. Inhaling, slowly
return partially to standing and repeat to the right, with your left hand touching your right
foot, turning your head so as to look up at your raised right hand. Repeat several times within

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your comfortable capacity. Return to standing posture slowly so as to not become light-
headed.

LEGS and FEET

Leg Kick
Stand firm and place your hands on your waist. Lift your left foot, bring it forward slightly,
balancing on your right foot. With a sharp movement, kick your left leg back so that your left
heel touches your left buttocks. Let your leg return to the starting position, leaving the left
foot slightly off the floor. The calf, ankle and foot should remain relaxed during the kicking
motion. Shift your weight to your left leg and repeat the kick with your right leg and heel.
Repeat each several times.
Knee Swirl
Stand firm and place your hands on your waist. Raise your left thigh to a horizontal position,
allowing the left calf, ankle and foot to hang loosely from the knee down. Gently swing the
leg in a circular motion from the knee, first clockwise and then counterclockwise. The calf,
ankle and foot should remain relaxed during the rotation. Come back to a standing position
and repeat with the right leg. Repeat as you wish.
Dancing Knees
Stand with your feet spread slightly. Tense and lift all the muscles of the thigh and around the
left knee cap, raising the knee cap. Relax and let it fall back into place. Do this several times,
alternating with your left and right knees.
Knee Bends
Spread the feet about a foot apart and keeping the feet flat on the floor, exhale as you squat
down with the buttocks near the floor. Rest the hands on the floor in front of you. Inhale and
raise the hips up, straightening the legs, but let the hands remain on the floor or close to the
floor. Then exhale and squat again between the knees. Repeat several times.
Ankle Squat
Spread the feet about a foot apart and, keeping the feet flat on the floor, squat down with the
buttocks near the floor. Become balanced in this position. The arms can rest over the knees or
can come forward slightly and rest with the back of the upper arms against the shins. Remain
in this position for up to a minute.
Ankle and Feet
Stand erect with your hands on your waist. Keep the left leg straight and lift it six inches off
the floor. Bending at the ankle, lift the foot up, pointing the toes toward the ceiling. Relax the
foot. Then point your toes downward as far as possible. Then relax your foot.

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Without turning or twisting the leg, turn the foot and ankle to the left, pointing the toes as far
out to the side as possible. Return to the center. Turn the foot inward, pointing your toes
towards the right. Bring it back to the center position.
Rotate the foot (so that only the ankle and foot move) first to the left, then up, to the right,
and down, touching the four points. Rotate three times in each direction, clockwise and
counterclockwise.
Bring your foot back to the floor. Relax completely in a standing position, and then repeat the
same movements with your right foot.
Toe Balance
Stand straight with your feet together and hands on your hips. Inhale and raise up on your
toes. When the inhalation is complete, exhale and lower your heels back onto the floor.
Repeat this several times.
Raise up onto the toes as above and remain in position for thirty seconds or to your capacity.
It helps the balance if the gaze is fixed on an object or point out in front of you. After
becoming steady in this position, perform the same movement with your eyes closed.
Stand erect with your feet close together. Inhale and simultaneously raise up onto your toes
and raise the arms straight out in front of you, level with your shoulder, with your palms
turned downward.
Keeping your trunk, arms, and head stationary, exhale and turn to the left as far as you can,
twisting from the waist and continuing to balance on your toes. Inhale and come back to the
center. Then turn to the right in the same manner. After proper balance is achieved, perform
the above movements with your eyes closed.

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