best "mini yoga" asana routines

[Yoda]

So I've been doing 5 Tibetans for maybe 8 months... very nice, but nothing miraculous thus far. I'm still optimistic for some extraordinary results as seen in the reviews at amazon and so forth.

 

But I especially like the compressed portability of it.

 

AYP has a simple routine: twist right and left, lean back, vacuum breath, and touch the toes as a premeditation routine. I dig that too.

 

I just found Makko Ho, a Japanese 5 move system. I'll check it out.

 

Am looking to try out other mini routines if anyone can recommend any.

 

Thanks!

Yoda

[spyrelx]

I've been doing Sifu Wong's 8 brocade for about 5 or 6 months now and I like it. A few observations:

 

Generally only do it once a day (mornings) for 10-15 minutes, whereas he suggested twice a day.

 

Haven't been sick once then (whilst many around me have had colds/flu, etc)

 

Have not really felt the great increase of energy that he and all these other systems claim.

 

It has a nice calming effect and I feel pretty good about doing it.

[Eric23]

From Yinyoga.com...

http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_anahatasana.php

http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_butterfly.php

 

Somebody here posted the link to this site several months ago, don't remember who, but I am so, so grateful. I've incorporated these 2 asanas into my routine and the results have been significant. I do my healing sounds while in the butterfly. Usually hold the poses for 4-5 minutes. I know Yoda likes stillness, these should be right up your alley.

[Trunk]

AYP has a simple routine: twist right and left, lean back, vacuum breath, and touch the toes as a premeditation routine.

"The One-Minute PreMeditation Warm-up".

* sweet *

 

I'm all for a "Best Shortest Routines" thread... is this it????

Nothing over 5 minutes qualifies.

[Yoda]

Eric,

 

That reminds me, I do yin yoga w/healing sounds for standing toe touch at the end of the mini AYP routine. Poses held for awhile plus healing sounds are groovilicious.

 

Yoda

[Mal]

So I've been doing 5 Tibetans for maybe 8 months... very nice, but nothing miraculous thus far.

 

Hi Yoda,

 

I've been doing them for 3 months. Good fun and they help me wake up in the mornings. I haven't noticed any "special" effects either. I'm 33 so I don't expect to look any younger, but I would enjoy it if they stoped my hair from thining I'm not doing the 6th Tibetan, are you.

[el_tortugo]

there is always the sun salute (surya namaskar), which has several variations and levels.

[Yoda]

ET, I've never been able to get into the SS. I keep trying every so often. It's perhaps the most well reviewed mini system in existence.

 

Mal, after reading all those reviews I'm still hanging out waiting for a miracle (reversing the beginning of grey hair at age 38). I did do the 5 Tibetan rites for about a year in my mid 20s and around that time an emergent grey situation was reversed. I don't know if the 5T had anything to do with it, but I'm hoping it did and will do it again.

 

Sometimes I think that those reviews were written by total couch potatoes that would have experienced total life transformations if they just walked around the block once a day.

 

Other times I feel that the 5T is really a very special routine even when compared to other excellent asana systems. Peter Kelder is still alive and well, after all. I'd imagine he's in his low 100s presently.

 

I'm hungry for another mini system or two to do on a regular basis. So far Makko Ho isn't really floating my boat. There's Chia's morning meditation routine which is essentially a shortened version of Intuflow which I enjoy. It includes vacuum breathing.

 

Btw, Kelder, per my memory of the most recent book, says that vacuum breathing (rite 6) isn't as controversial as he thought when writing the book back in the 30s. Also, total celibacy isn't as big of a deal either.

 

I've been phasing in a few vacuum breaths a day usually in the AYP mini routine b4 meditation and I only do a very moderate level of sexual restraint usually.

[mYTHmAKER]

I did the 5 Tibetans for maybe 2 years about 20 years ago.

Doesn't turn your hair from gray to whatever or grow hair.

I have a friend whose done the 5T for over 15 years

and she has a lovely head of grey hair.

It might be a nice routine but that's about it.

All these miracles belong on Urban Legends.

We are born - we live - we die.

At some point we have a good hair day.

[Yoda]

I did the 5 Tibetans for maybe 2 years about 20 years ago.

Doesn't turn your hair from gray to whatever or grow hair.

I have a friend whose done the 5T for over 15 years

and she has a lovely head of grey hair.

It might be a nice routine but that's about it.

All these miracles belong on Urban Legends.

We are born - we live - we die.

At some point we have a good hair day.

 

You could well be right. I can't decide if your experience is the bottom line or if results may vary. Plus my grey did disapear, but maybe it was due to a change of diet or something.

[mYTHmAKER]

You could well be right. I can't decide if your experience is the bottom line or if results may vary. Plus my grey did disapear, but maybe it was due to a change of diet or something.

 

And I could be wrong

[DanC]

Yoda there are a couple of books on Amazon on Makko Ho, I also googled and found a website which detailed 4 stretches, I love routines and systems that are short and to the point, I might actually buy the Makko Ho book.

 

Daniel

[Yoda]

DanC,

 

4 stretches? I thought it was 5. 4 is even better! But why buy a book about 4 stretches? If you do, let me know if you learn anything.

 

Yoda

[DanC]

Yoda, do you know of any other mini routines?

[Yoda]

I was just reading the Anatomy of Hatha Yoga and situps/leglifts while focusing on a full exhale is a great stand alone system in itself per the book. He mentions Muhammad Ali used zillions of situps as his secret weapon against George Foreman... it activates the pelvis/gut powerhouse of the body both physically and energetically. And says it's a great pick-me-up. Pilates seems to be 101 ways to do a situp also comes to mind.

 

I'll give it a shot. Sounds nice and simple. Can do in front of the TV.

[Spectrum]

Isn't an Asana routine more properly called Vinyasa? (ie when the asana connectively flows through itself and you end where you began?)

 

<taking a number for my place in line> This is a good thread. I had a training partner in the mid 90's put together "menu's" for himself where he did routines composed of 30 second intervals for 5 minutes based around what he needed that day. I have used this concept many times over and have even used it to combine elements of the 108 into mini forms that isolate principles.

 

From the perspective of "warming up" or in the interest of chi gung'ers "staying warm"... is my main reason for "menuing" or conducting short "warmups" before chi gung or tai chi practice. There is a certain "feeling" associated with being warm that is condusive to proper chi gung or taiji practice.

 

 

 

I will edit this reply to include more information...

 

<physiology of practice vs. intelligence of forms>

<sunsalutations>

<taoist jogging>

<breath isolations>

 

Spectrum

Edited April 8, 2007 by Spectrum

[Yoda]

Okay, I'm going with MM's vote and bagging on 5T. 9 months of 5T didn't get rid of the grey hair plus I'm sometimes not in the mood for it, so it's gone. But I still want to have a dog in the grey hair fight, so I googled up the mighty shoulder stand!! (who knows, who cares, but I still want a project on this front. smile.gif It would be fun to brag if I succeed.)

[mYTHmAKER]

Okay, I'm going with MM's vote and bagging on 5T. 9 months of 5T didn't get rid of the grey hair plus I'm sometimes not in the mood for it, so it's gone. But I still want to have a dog in the grey hair fight, so I googled up the mighty shoulder stand!! (who knows, who cares, but I still want a project on this front. smile.gif It would be fun to brag if I succeed.)

 

Not to burst your bubble but take a look at accomplished yogis.

Swami Satchadananda comes to mind - long flowing beautiful gray hair.

Iyengar also comes to mind.

BTW the shoulder stand is a good practice in and of itself.

[Smile]

Makko Ho book in e-book format for those who don't want to wait.

 

A video with five of the exercises:

A translated German site showing seven exercises: HERE

Edited April 16, 2007 by Smile

[Yoda]

I bow to your google powers!! Great links!

 

I hadn't realized it, but Makko Ho seems to incorporate the postures of India with the meridians of China.

[Spectrum]

"BTW the shoulder stand is a good practice in and of itself."

 

... and inverted pushup position and headstand tripod. I think in the shoulder stand is often put at the end of a series or circuit to reverse the energy flow before concluding practice.

 

Spectrum