Spinal Warmup Yoga

Spinal Warmup Yoga Exercises – Free Book of Kundalini Yoga Poses & Kriyas – Ch 1

The first Kundalini Yoga Kriya we we will explore is a very handy set called the Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Exercises.

Kundalini Yoga Kriya #1 – Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Exercises


Video of Spinal Warm-up Series from the Free Online Yoga Video series. 

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Purpose of Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Exercises:

This kundalini yoga kriya is a very good set for doing as a warm-up before doing more advanced kriyas or doing independently if one is starting to put together their yoga practice.  It very effectively warms up the most important part of the physiology, which is the entire back and especially the spinal cord region.   Through the spinal cord runs the main subtle energy channel (shushumna nadi), which is considered the most important conduit for the movement of kundalini energy throughout the body.  Also, along the spine lie the primary energy centers (chakras) and as kundalini energy moves up and down the spine it activates and balances the chakras and the associated organs and glands of that region.

Spinal Warmup Yoga

Description of Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Exercises:

1. Yoga Stomach Grind: 

a. Guided Instructions for Yoga Stomach Grind: 

  • Sit up with your legs crossed.
  • Hold onto your on your knees.
  • Grind your stomach in a big circle counter clockwise for half the time of the exercise.  Visualize drawing a big circle with your naval.
  • Switch after half the time and grind your stomach clockwise.

b. Duration for Yoga Stomach Grind: 1-3 minutes

c. Benefits of Yoga Stomach Grind: 

  • Excellent yoga exercise for your digestive system as it gives all your important digestive organs a massage, forcing out toxins and waste into the elimination systems of the body.
  • Works on the ileocecal valve insuring the proper direction for the flow of nutrients and waste.
  • Warms up and loosens the lumbar area of the back.

d. Practice Tips for Yoga Stomach Grind: Make sure you are not leaning forward and back from the waist, this is the most common mistake people make.  You have to arch your lower back as you move forward and arch back as you move in that direction.

2. Spine Flex Yoga Exercise: (also called Yoga Camel Ride)

a. Guided Instructions for Spine Flex Yoga Exercise:

  • Sit up on your heels and rest your hands on your knees (rock pose).
  • Inhale and arch your back forward pushing your sternum out.  Exhale and bring your sternum in, arching your back out.
  • Continue at a comfortable pace and rhythm.

b. Duration for Spine Flex Yoga Exercise: 1-3 minutes

c. Benefits of Spine Flex Yoga Exercise:

  • Stretches the middle back and spine.
  • Opens up the solar plexus promoting better flow of energy between the lower and higher centers of the body.
  • Improved emotional balance.

d. Practice Tips for Spine Flex Yoga Exercise: If you have hard time sitting on your heels you can place a small cushion under your feet/ankles for added comfort.

3. Cat-Cow Yoga Exercise:

a. Guided Instructions for Cat-Cow Yoga Exercise:

  • Come onto your hands and knees, placing your hands shoulder width apart and knees hip distance apart.
  • Inhale as you arch your back by pushing your stomach down and bringing your head up.  Open your eyes and look upward. This is cow pose.
  • Now, while exhaling, arch your back up by pushing your stomach up and bringing your head down (like a cat).
  • Continue at a comfortable pace and rhythm going between the 2 poses.

b. Duration for Cat-Cow Yoga Exercise:  1-3 minutes.

c. Benefits of Cat-Cow Yoga Exercise:

  • Works on stretching your entire spine and strengthens all the nerve junctions that lie along the spinal cord.
  • Give your entire system a glandular tune-up.
  • Improves your eyesight and works on the optical nerve.

d. Practice Tips for Cat-Cow Yoga Exercise:  Make sure you are not rocking back and forth, but, that just your spine (and head) are moving.

4. Yoga Twist:

a. Guided Instructions for Yoga Twist:

  • Sit up with your legs crossed.
  • Hold your shoulders with your fingers in front and thumb in back.
  • Your elbows should be parallel to the ground and at shoulder level.
  • Inhale as you twist to the left, exhale as you twist to right.  Your head goes with your torso.

b. Duration for Yoga Twist:  1-3 minutes.

c. Benefits of Yoga Twist:

  • Promotes flexibility in the entire back.
  • Massages the inner organs.

d. Practice for Yoga twist:  The motion should be continuous and keep the pace at a level you are comfortable with.  Slow down if you start to feel dizzy.

5. Yoga Neck Rolls:

a. Guided Instructions for Yoga Neck Rolls:

  • Sit up with your legs crossed.
  • Open your mouth as if in a half yawn.
  • Roll your neck in a big circle going in one direction for half the time and then switch directions for the rest of the time.

b. Duration for Yoga Neck Rolls: 1-3 minutes.

c. Benefits of Yoga Neck Rolls:

  • Releases tension in the neck and shoulders.
  • Promotes better blood flow to the brain and higher centers.

d.  Practice Tips for Yoga Neck Rolls:  Spend additional time working on areas which feel particularly tight or knotted.

That concludes the Spinal Warm-up Kundalini Yoga Exercises.

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65 replies
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  1. Serah
    Serah says:

    During my meditation, automatically i am doing the above spinal warm yoga, what is it mean, I am not meditating and doing only a excersie? To note no one has taught me the above until I see your website

    Reply
  2. cynrqi
    cynrqi says:

    You are making a huge difference in this world!… As the saying go’s “want to see change be the change”. xoxoxo

    Reply
  3. Varun
    Varun says:

    Hi anmol

    great work!!
    what is the original source of these kraiys? Pitanjali yoga sutras does not mention all these techniques

    Reply
  4. Anna
    Anna says:

    Frank,
    I don’t know how often you visit this website, I noticed you posted your question 2 years ago, but I would still like to give you some advice on your panic issue that I’ve come across recently – who knows, maybe you’ll come back some day and it will help you then. :)
    I’ve done a lot of research on panic attacks and social anxiety disorder lately (I’ve been suffering from it for 17-18 years now and believe me, that’s more than enough) and what I found out was that the trick is not to fight or suppress the feeling of fear (which is the normal response, but never works as we know), but to observe it, feel it and accept it! I know this sounds crazy and impossible to do while having a severe panic attack, but that’s what has apparently helped a lot of people to overcome their anxiety. What’s interesting about it is that the logic is very similar to meditation techniques – when you notice some kind of disturbing sensation arise, observe it, give it your full attention, acknowledge it and let it “do its thing”, without trying to control it.
    Unortunately most of the systems out there that claim to have the ONLY answer to this problem (PanicAway, the Linden Method etc) are kept a big secret that can only be purchased for a fairly considerable amount of dollars (they are even registered trademarks, can you believe it!)… Which is rather sad really, considering that all these programs are developed by ex-sufferers from anxiety disorder – and now they want to gain from it… The only one that I found for free is this one: http://selftherapy.org/
    I haven’t yet had an opportunity to try this out on a real life situation, but I have to tell you, I cannot wait.
    Oh, and don’t forget yoga and meditation of course! :)
    Anmol suggested these excercises to me:
    https://anmolmehta.com/2009/06/01/treatments-for-stress-and-anxiety-disorder/
    https://anmolmehta.com/2009/01/15/anxiety-depression-help-4-helpful-treatments/
    I’ve managed to convince myself that all these methods combined should solve the problem.
    Hope this helps and you’ll overcome your panic (and I mine)! :)

    Anna

    Reply
  5. jhum
    jhum says:

    hello sir,
    for past 5 months i hav no periods..m married for las 2 years and trying to concive with no results as i m with pcod…pls suggest me proper yoga that ll help me…m 27 yrs.
    i wud really appriciate
    pls reply

    Reply
  6. Chris
    Chris says:

    Dear Anmol,

    thank you so much for this website. It’s great!

    I have a question concerning the Spinal Warm-Up Series: where exactly do these exercises come from? As far as I can tell, the Stomach Grind and the Yoga Twist do not seem to be classical yoga asanas. I ask this because I find them rather beautiful and elegant and I’d really like to know more about them. If there is a system which features more of these “dynamic asanas” I’d appreciate some pointers about where to learn more about it.

    Thanks,
    Chris

    Reply
  7. Divya
    Divya says:

    Dear Anmol,

    I found the information on your site very useful. Thank you!
    I have started practising the spinal warm up kriya set to start (resume) off my yoga. I find it refreshing and am comfortable when i do the set. Later, when i went to bed in the night, i felt a kind of discomfort in my lower back and spine, i felt warm and a burning sensation through my spine. why did i feel so ? Did i do anything incorrect during my practise. Today, i feel the same discomfort as i work(infront of computer).
    Could you please guide me ? Many Thanks!!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] Spinal Warm-up Yoga Exercises – Mastery of Meditation and Yoga – Purpose of Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Exercises: This kundalini yoga kriya is a very good set for doing as a warm-up before doing more advanced kriyas or doing … […]

  2. […] In the second version, which give you better range of motion, the hands are grasping the shoulder, with elbows up and at shoulder level.  The second version is described in the following article, where there is also a video demonstration for you.  It is called Yoga Twists and is exercise #4 of the great Spinal Warm Series. […]

  3. Introduction to Kundalini Yoga « Johnette Web Station says:

    […] will find many Kundalini Yoga Sets on this website and I am constantly adding new ones.  Please feel free to incorporate them into […]

  4. […] excellent to do and both consist of simple, but highly rewarding exercises.  These 2 sets are the Spinal Warm-up Yoga Set and the Basic Yoga Set for Beginners.  You can even do both sets if you like, with Spinal Warm-up […]

  5. Yoga Exercises for Lower Back Pain and Spine | Lower Left Back Pain Blog says:

    […] Yoga Exercises for Lower Back Pain and Spine February 18th, 2011 | Author: admin >https://anmolmehta.com/2007/04/22/book-of-kundalini-yoga-poses-kriyas-spinal-warmup-yoga-exercises-ch-1/ (free article with full details). An excellent set of yoga poses and exercises to help you strengthen your back and cure lower back pain. Improves the flexibility and health of your spine and entire back. […]

  6. […] Thankfully YouTube has extended the length of the videos one can upload to 15 minutes, so I have now been able to upload the famous Yoga Exercises for Lower and Upper Back to my YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/AnmolMehtaCom).  This set is also called the Spinal Warm-up Series, and is detailed in the following article: Spinal Warm-up Yoga Exercises. […]

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