Formless Yoga

ENERGY LEVEL

Your energy level should be dictated naturally. If you feel tired, go slowly and gently. If you have lots of energy, go for more challenge or more speed.

ASANAS

1. Find a posture that stretches the part of the body you want to loosen. Important: Be very careful when stretching your spine. Stop immediately if you feel any pain.
2. Using only your muscles, extend the body part to stretch it.
3. Relax.
4. Repeat 2 and 3 until you can stretch no further.

1. Find a posture that challenges your balance. Tip: If you find you can't balance on one foot, use a wall or a chair to help you.
2. Using only your muscles, extend you four limbs and your spine outwards.
3. Hold the posture until you lose a balance or start to feel uncomfortable.

1. Find a posture that puts the desired amound of weight on the body part you wish to strengthen. Tip: If you are not strong enough to use the floor as resistance, sit on a chair or stand and use a wall.
2. With as little external(i.e., visible) movement as possible, press that body into the floor by extending and lengthening your muscles.

1. Bend over at the waist so pressure is relieved off your internal organs. Tip: If you have trouble bending over, try releasing the muscles of your lower back.
2. Hold as necessary. Remember to breathe!

1. Breathe. Initially you may find it more comfortable to take several breaths, but you should try to take just a breath in here.
2. Take a posture.
3. Relax.
4. Breathe. Initially you may find it more comfortable to take several breaths, but you should try to take just a breath out here.
5. Repeat as necessary.

MUDRA

Experiment with touching the ends of one or more of the five fingers and the center of the palm(s) to each other.  Also experiment with wrapping and holding the fingers of one or both hands in various configurations. If you find a pleasant configuration, hold it. This creates your freeform hand mudra.

Experiment with touching the ends of one or more of the five fingers, the "crane's beak" (all five fingers conjoined in a cone or beak shape) and the center of the palm(s) to various acupuncture points such as the center of the palm (laogung), the Bubbling Well (between the big and second toes immediately behind the ball of the foot) on the foot, the seven chakras on the torso, and any points on the body that feel strange or painful. If you find a pleasant configuration, hold it. This creates your freeform body mudra.

MANTRA

Start singing your favorite song. Now distort the words into nonsense. This is called "The Secret Language," whose meaning is known only to you and God.

Start with the word "Aum." Now play with it, adding consonants in the beginning, and changing vowels. However, you should always end your word with an "m" sound. If you find a comfortable word, stick to it.

PRANAYAMA

At first, you will probably use compression breathing — fast, with the lower abdomen going in on the in-breath and out on the out-breath. As you strive to move from challenging to comfortable, your breath should become slow, deep, and natural (unregulated by conscious thought.)

Imagine the tension in your muscles releasing, just like releasing a tight fist. Imagine the tense energy flowing down your body into the center of the Earth.

MEDITATION

Imagine a circle with a dot in the middle. The dot represents the areas occupied by your energy (prana), while the circle around it represents where your energy is not present. Be aware of both. If you become distracted, simply notice the distractions, then let them pass. Do not hold on to them. If you do hold on, become aware of it, let go, and continue on without criticizing yourself.

Once you get the hang of the Eye of Ra, imagine that it is always on, keeping you calm and aware, even when you are going about your daily activities, or sleeping. This is done by letting the Eye of Ra be controlled by your subconscious.