This is not your usual relaxation yoga video. It combines yoga (breathing and gentle stretching) with somatics (a system of neuromuscular re-education). The movements are all done lying on the floor, and are slow-motion tensing and relaxation of muscles, and gentle twists, which are meant to wake-up habitual muscular tightness—what Thomas Hanna called “sensory-motor amnesia”. Somewhere, I read a review that "its not real yoga" and I disagree with that statement. When breathing and body awareness are in unison, that's yoga to me.

For more information about somatic movement, see “Somatics” by Thomas Hanna. Chapter 14 of the book details his exercises, many of them have been re-named, and are done in the video.

The video has two 20-minute segments, first Lower Body, then Upper Body. There are 4 other participants, and they are positioned in a circle, on a carpeted area. You hear Christa’s voice in voiceover. It sometimes looked like synchronized swimming. Here are the names of the movements:

LOWER BODY
1. Tighten and release
2. Propeller Feet
3. Shorten side of body
4. Psoas Release
5. Sloshing
6. Marionette legs
7. Sloshing
8. Arch and Curl
9. Side Head and Ankle Lift—lying on right side
10. Piriformis stretch—lying on right side
11. Side Head and Ankle Lift—lying on left side
12. Piriformis stretch—lying on left side
13. Sloshing
14. Infant development movement
15. Star-Gazing Arch and Curl
16. Twisting—to right and left—knees crossed
17. Twisting—to right, knees crossed, bottom foot off floor.
18. Twisting—to right—ankle on knee, bottom foot off floor
19. Arch and curl—ankle on knee
20. Twisting—to left, knees crossed, bottom foot off floor
21. Twisting to left—ankle on knee—bottom foot off floor
22. Arch and curl—ankle on knee
21. Seaweed legs.

UPPER BODY
1. Shoulder blade squeeze
2. Propeller arms
3. Arm Rolls
4. Combine arms rolls with arch and curl
5. Wring arms like a towel
6. Wring Arms like a towel –with knee rolls
7. Star-gazing Arch and curl
8. Neck rotation—to the right
9. Neck rotation—to the left
10. Rhomboid release
11. Side neck release
12. Trapezius release
13. Relaxation

Instructor Comments:
Christa Rypins’ website is:
http://www.yogaopenings.com/index.html

She has a very pleasant, clear, and calming voice, and it really is yummy yoga.

Katie W