I currently have a Ganglion cysts on the top of my left wrist making jump back and through as well as Sun salutations uncomfortable at best. I was reminded of these alternatives to sun salutations from my friend Simon Borg-Olivier.
I occasionally used to do the standing version as a warm up and am now practicing this daily in place of my Surys. I tend to practice Simon's spinal movements, his sun salutation alternative ( the third one on the video below 2:44) followed by Simon's short on one leg sequence. I'll then practice a few standing postures before moving on to a short Vinyasa krama Seated and Asymmetric sequence (along the lines of the first half of Ashtanga primary but without transitions) and finish with head and shoulder-stands and finally Simon's Pranayama and a Sit.
As for the ganglion Cyst, it should go away on it's own.
*banging with a book, supposedly not recommended.
Third Sun salutation Alternative method.
"
METHOD 3:
Standing 'Salute to the Sun' (Supta Surya Namaskar):
This is potentially the simplest version of the 'salute to the sun' but it may be the best for most people to practice as it is the safest and least stressful, yet it safely moves the spine through its full range of flexion and extension movement and thus nourishes the spine, trunk and internal organs".
Tricky to get the snapshots just right but this should give the idea. Captions from Simon's YouTube notes - see my appendix 2 for the full notes.
samasthiti
(standing erect with neutral spine)![]()
Ekam,
inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)![]()
Dve,
exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion)
![]()
Trini,
inhale, lolasana (raise the head and perhaps lift the feet off the floor to handstand) (trunk in flexion, neck in extension)
![]()
Chatvari,
exhale, chataranga dandasana ('push-up' position) (straight trunk)
![]()
Pancha,
inhale, urdhva mukha svanasana ('upward-facing dog' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)
![]()
Shat,
exhale, adho mukha svanasana ('downward-facing dog' posture)
![]()
Sapta,
inhale, lolasana ('jump' or 'balance on arms') (trunk in flexion, neck in extension)
![]()
Astau,
exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee'' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion)
![]()
Nava,
inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)
![]()
![]()
*
Appendix 2
Along the lines of the one leg sequence I do for the hip joint complex, part 10 of 28
I occasionally used to do the standing version as a warm up and am now practicing this daily in place of my Surys. I tend to practice Simon's spinal movements, his sun salutation alternative ( the third one on the video below 2:44) followed by Simon's short on one leg sequence. I'll then practice a few standing postures before moving on to a short Vinyasa krama Seated and Asymmetric sequence (along the lines of the first half of Ashtanga primary but without transitions) and finish with head and shoulder-stands and finally Simon's Pranayama and a Sit.
Link to Simon and Bianca's Yoga Synergy website here.
As for the ganglion Cyst, it should go away on it's own.
*banging with a book, supposedly not recommended.
Third Sun salutation Alternative method.
"
METHOD 3:
Standing 'Salute to the Sun' (Supta Surya Namaskar):
This is potentially the simplest version of the 'salute to the sun' but it may be the best for most people to practice as it is the safest and least stressful, yet it safely moves the spine through its full range of flexion and extension movement and thus nourishes the spine, trunk and internal organs".
Tricky to get the snapshots just right but this should give the idea. Captions from Simon's YouTube notes - see my appendix 2 for the full notes.
samasthiti
(standing erect with neutral spine)
Ekam,
inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)
exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion)
inhale, lolasana (raise the head and perhaps lift the feet off the floor to handstand) (trunk in flexion, neck in extension)
exhale, chataranga dandasana ('push-up' position) (straight trunk)
inhale, urdhva mukha svanasana ('upward-facing dog' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)
exhale, adho mukha svanasana ('downward-facing dog' posture)
inhale, lolasana ('jump' or 'balance on arms') (trunk in flexion, neck in extension)
exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee'' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion)
inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)
Dasa,
exhale, samasthiti (standing erect with neutral spine)
Link to Simon and Bianca's Yoga Synergy website here.
Simon's own page here
All the courses there are excellent but check out too Simon's courses on Omstars, his yoga fundamentals is I think an excellent overview and introduction to his approach
*
Appendix 1
Appendix 1
This Vinyasa Krama lead-in to dandasana option is perfect for moving to seated practice although I don't turn the hands out so much with the cyst. from my earlier post on coping with wrist pain
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2015/10/practicing-with-wrist-strain-how.html
*
Appendix 2
from Simon's yoTube post.
from the youTube post
Along the lines of the one leg sequence I do for the hip joint complex, part 10 of 28
...and a later example/demonstration of these hip movements at 1:24 in this excellent video shot by Alessandro Sigismondi ( https://alessandrosigismondi.com/about/) for https://www.ohmme.com/
*
Appendix 4
Appendix 4
Below this is from a year ago and seems to be the practice (with some degree of refinement I hope after a year) that I keep coming back to. It includes one of these sun salutation variations 13 minutes in.