For Mental Balance
(Owner’s Manual for the Human Body, p. 31)
Bow Pose. Lie on the stomach, bend the knees, and reach back grabbing either your ankles or the tops of your feet, keep the toe joints together and the knees wide. Pull the legs away from the head and the body will arch up like a bow. After 2 minutes stick out your tongue as far as possible and breathe heavily through your mouth. (This breath is called “breath of the lion.”) Continue for 1 and ½ minutes more.
Camel Pose. (For Beginners: Begin by kneeling with your thighs at right angles to the floor with your weight on your knees and the bottom surface of your flexed toes. Place the hands on the hips, fingers down. Stretch the pelvis forward, keeping enough tension in your thigh muscles to keep you from falling backward. At this point, look and reach back with one hand, swinging the other hand forward for balance, grabbing the top of the heel (or ankle, if it is easy for you). Do the same with the other side. To come out of this position, push up asymmetrically from one side. It is harder to come up on both thighs at the same time. When you can come in and out of this gracefully, either one side at a time or from both sides at the same time, then you can do Camel Pose with the toes extended and the tops of the feet on the floor. (An alternative way to come out of Camel Pose is to sit down through the position and lift the head.) While in Camel, concentration should be on lengthening the entire spinal column rather than letting your head hang down which can strain the neck. Camel Pose opens the diaphragm and chest. It energizes the navel and heart centers and adjusts the internal organs. Do not have the knees too far apart in Camel. It is better to have the knees approximately two fists apart.)
Stick out your tongue as far as possible and begin the “Breath of the Lion.” 2 minutes.
Frog Pose. Squat down with your buttocks on your heels. Your heels are off the ground but touching each other. Your fingertips are on the ground between your knees and your head is up. Inhale and straighten your legs, raising the buttocks high while keeping your heels off the ground. The head goes toward the knees. Exhale and return to the squatting position. Continue for a total of 108 repetitions.
Relax for 5 minutes.
Celibate Pose. From a sitting position on your heels move your heels out to the sides so that your buttocks are resting on the floor. Spread your knees as far apart as possible. Clasp your hands behind your back. From this position lower your torso forward to the floor and rise back up, moving your shoulders from side to side weaving “like a snake.” Continue this up and down and side to side motion for 3 minutes.
Lie on your back. Bring your knees to your chest and lock your arms around your knees. While holding yourself in this position, bounce your body up and down on the floor for 7 minutes. (This exercise was used by yogis in ancient times to eliminate sexual imbalances.)
Sit in Easy Pose. Rest your hands on your knees. Inhale and powerfully exhale the breath so that the sound of the breath leaving the nostrils sounds like “Har.” Pump the navel so that the exhalation goes from the navel to the nostrils. The rib cage will lift with the power of the breath. 3 to 5 minutes.
Relax on your back for 10 minutes.
Comments: Regularly practicing exercises one and two for three minutes each and doing 108 Frog Poses as in exercise three can achieve a clean bill of health, mentally and physically.
This kriya was taught by Yogi Bhajan on October 16,. 1985.