Yoga for Recovery 7.30.09

I've been unusually busy the last few days and have gotten to bed late at night two nights in a row. Its been a real fun couple of days with a heavy social schedule and some very interesting people and places. So I was a little tired this morning, but not like a tired that makes me grumpy, but more like a tired of blissed surrender. Sometimes I get obsessed with planning what I'm going to teach in class, and lately its been an inside joke to myself because planning just goes so far. Teaching is becoming more and more in the moment, but nonetheless it challenges my issues of rigidity and control.

 

I'm a homework kind of gal. I find comfort in being prepared. But this morning when my head started with the yadayadayada and the mild panic of 'what are we going to DO during class this morning' started up, I was too tired to give the mild anxiety any energy. I sketched out the class in broad strokes, and went with the flow of who showed up and filled in the blanks as we went. 

I'd like to say that my ability to be spontaneous is in tune, but in all honesty I think that sleep deprivation had more to do it with today. Oh well, at least I got to a sense of surrender somehow. And it felt VERY cool.

Sit
Om Namo Gurudev Namo

roll back on bolster breath awareness
opening the heart

cat
dog
balasana with side stretch
1/4 dog

downdog

toe torture

toe stand

tadasana

shoulder openers with strap

side waist stretch with strap

lunge salutes with hip openers

lower to sphinx/seal

locust

bow play

warrior 1

peaceful warrior

side angle pose

peaceful

lunge

vinyasa

other side

camel play

YAM in between

seated spine twist

heart soothing breath and meditation

sit

'To Thine own self be True'

supported savasana

gratitude awareness

sit

Namaste!

Yoga for Recovery 7.28.09

Class turned out to be very flow-y and about gently moving the body. Had only one and I feel totally self concious chanting or talking much except physical cues. 

Seated

spine roll

forward fold

table top

switch sides

Baddha konasana with side stretch

lotus feet

toe torture

toe stand 

tadasana

shoulder openers with strap

lunge salute with hip opener

lowering to sphinx and seal

cat/cow

other side

Warrior I

eagle arms opener

eagle

Warrior III

lunge

pigeon

mermaid blueprint

slow vinyasa

other side

end in Balansana prayer

supine leg stretch and twist

bridge

viparita carne

plow

carne pedasana

other side

roll up to sukasana

soothing heart breath and meditation

gentle spine twist

supported savasana

sit

Namaste!

Strong Vinyasa 7.26.09

I've been attending a kundalini yoga workshop this weekend. Its been very interesting. One of the chants used in many kundalini classes really stuck a chord with me this weekend, like I'd never heard the concept before. Ong Namo Gurudev Namo, a call to the divine wisdom within. The chant as been ringing in my ears for two days and it was the first thing that hit my conciousness when I woke up this morning.  Followed up with a 'should I teach it?' , 'no I can't', 'yes you can it is totally in your heart', 'what was the exact translation?', 'wonder if I can chant it?' 'what it I'm totally off key and flat', 'forget it, its too much to deal with', 'but it might be kind of fun', 'wonder if I have any lemon-ginger tea left'. 

It wasn't until we were all seated and after 3 breaths and then I knew. We chanted!

Seated

Ong Namo Gurudev Namo

3 OMs

roll back on bolster

open the heart and breathe!

windshield wiper

supine connecting direct on the earth.

Make every breath count!

cat

cow

balasana

1/4 dog

downdog

leg lifts playing with balance and body wisdom

downdog

balasana

toe torture

vajrasana

toe stand

tadasana

YAM

uttitatadasana with side stretches

lunge

low lunge

tiger pose

low lunge with quad stretch

lower to cobra

locust

downdog

other side lunge salute sequence

tadasana

OM

side angle

warrior I

peaceful

side angle

vinyasa with revolved dog option

other side

balasana

slow summer camel play with breath

pigeon play

mermaid option

slow vinyasa option

other side

balasana with hands in namaste

vijrasana

unfold legs

foward fold

wide leg forward fold

seated janu sirshasana

ardha matsendrasan

cow faced

cow tipping

forward fold

other side

supine easy spine twist

savasana

sit

namaste!

Think the part after pigeon play might be more interesting and well rounded with some type of inversion play instead of more hips/shoulder poses.

One Breath at a Time 7.25.09

It came highly recommended to me to record my sequences as a practice, and I have loosely been doing this in my journal since Kira's TT in summer of '08. After a meeting with Kira a few weeks ago, she recommended that I step it up a bit, create a blog, and record every time. I have not been lead astray by K's recommendations, so I decided to make the leap, and give it a whirl, frankly not thinking it would have an important impact. And PS, it was just another thing 'to do'. But I am so deeply fascinated with yoga in all its names, forms and practices that I will stretch myself and try new things (especially when it comes from a good source!). Mahatma Ghandi once described his life as 'living experiments'. That philosophy works really well for me. So I've been experimenting and blogging right along.

Its only been a short while but it has come to be one of the most interesting new things I'm doing on my path to self discovery. Its a cool little routine I'm gotten into to; to sit down and write after teaching. Its a valuable piece of private reflection time. 

Last night after One Breath I went to a kirtan gathering so I didn't have time to write afterwards. I missed that part of the teaching arch a lot. It really made me grateful for this instruction that so loving and freely has been given to me. 

I am starting to trust on a deeper level the whole notion of divine order, and man is that a relief!

 I can't exactly remember what we did, but something like this:

Heart opener over bolster

breath awareness

windshield wiper

pausing at supine on the earth to check out the effects!

Cat

Cow

Balasana

1/4 dog

downdog

easy side plank

cat/cow

tadasana

lunge salutes

tadasana

side angle to standing

pelvis rotation exploration

Warrior II

forward fold

Trikonasana

forward fold

other side

Tree (asked them to look at tree outside to connect with the deeper sense of oneness with the world. It was all guys in the class tonight; I think they thought it was a little nana-nunu). 

bridge

easy spine twist

savasana

sit

Serenity Prayer

Namaste

It was very mellow and quiet and about noticing the effects of the practice. Not a lot of fluff outside the tree episode. 

Strong Vinyasa 7.23.09

I felt super lightheaded and dizzy while teaching. Maybe should have had a little breakfast before I left this morning but I thought it would go away. Eating before I practice and teach weighs me down and upsets my stomach so I opted for the lesser of two evils. Really focusing and staying present with the bodies in front of me helped keep my head from spinning to much. I was planning Natarajasana as the peak pose, and playing with backbends,  but the first student who showed up at the door said she was recovering from a back injury so I quickly reworked my plan which knocks me off balance somewhat but its getting easier because it happens a lot! Still kept emphasis on focus on the breath, slowing down, taking a look around and really seeing what's going on, keeping fascination and wonder in the practice and in this amazing thing called life. 

Supine on floor

knees to chest

3 deep breaths

windshield wiper

3 part supine leg stretch

cat 

cow 

balasana 

1/4 dog

plank

downdog

easy side plank

cat

cow

other side easy side plank

balasana

toe torture

toe stand 

tadasana

walk forward downdog

leg lifts

jump forward

tadasana

uttitatadasana

side stretch

forward fold arms interlaced behind back

Uttitatadasana

other side stretch

wide leg forward fold

hammock

headstand prep

tadasana

lunge

low lunge arms over head

tiger pose

low lunge with quad stretch

cobra

locust

downdog

other side lunge sequence lowering to

locust

dancing mermaid

sphinx

other side dancing mermaid

reverse windshield wiper

side angle

warrior II

trikonasana

standing

other side facing back of room

hammock

headstand prep/play

tree

tree with block

3 block method headstand 

headstand against wall (one preferred staying with 3 blocks)

BREATH

balasana

seated wide twist

side stretch

ardha matsendrasana

roll back eye of needle

other side

savasana

sit 

Namaste 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Yoga for Recovery 7.23.09

 All women this morning and total Goddess energy in the room. There was a lightness and ease in the room, with a sense of willingness, surrender, and play.  I felt particularly connected to the group today as they rest in savasana, and filled with a mystical awe of being in the presence of these lovely energy bodies. Today I personally feel more about the 'being' than the 'doing' of yoga. I didn't have much time before class for my asana practice, it was very chill but apparently, it was enough!

Heart opener on bolster

breath awareness

windshield wiper

supine on earth connection

3 OMs in supine

All fours

cat

cow

balasana

quarter dog

downdog

all fours

supine uttita tadasana

sphinx with neck rolls

reverse windshield wiper

all fours

tadasana

OM

uttita tadasana

1/4 suns with breath awareness

1/2 suns

lunge salutes

lower after second salute to

cobra

locust

locust variation with arms behind back

reverse windshield wiper

all fours with cat curl

tadasana

YAM

lunge

side angle with shoulder roll

up to standing facing side of the room

pelvis rotation exploration

Warrior II dance to standing

Trikonasana to standing

forward fold

other side

Tree

forward fold

malasana stretch

tree other side

wide leg forward fold with hammock

forward lunge

downdog

plank

lower 

cobra/upward dog

balasana

(just figured out that we didn't catch side angle with shoulder opener on other side. Gotta figure how to place that so that both side get the pose! Woops!)

Easy camel play

balasana

malasana

uttanasana

second side

eye of needle

easy spine twist

supine sacrum melt

supine back of the heart melt

supported savasana with bolters and blankets

sit 

Namaste!

Yoga for Recovery 7.21.09

Breath and Grace even when thrown off balance. Staying present in the moment, connected to the earth and source is key!

First time since I've taught at Lulu's that I didn't do the pattern of cat/dog/balasana/quarter dog as part of the warm up. Felt like I was naked. Well, maybe not naked but scantily clothed. Are these totally necessary every class? They feel fabulous and effective no doubt, but it is the only way to warm up? Breaking this pattern for me pushed me out of my comfort zone, but encourages me to begin to explore new ways of opening. I think this standing sequence has too much going on and is a little too long and repetitous. 

Sit

Breath awareness

Spine Awareness with breath

OM

roll back

Windshield wiper

roll up

paschimotanasana

switch legs

Kapabalti breathing

spine twist

other side

paschimotanasana

baddha konasana

spine curl/extension

forward fold

lotus foot rub

toe torture (intensity with breath awareness to soothe)

toe stand (balance with breath awareness)

tadasana

standing side stretches

forward bends to release

tadasana

1/2 sun salutations

lunge salutations

lowering to cobra

locust

dhanurasana

all fours

barrell roll

downdog

other side

tadasana

Warrior I

Eagle arms

step forward to Eagle

release to tree arms

step back to high lunge

Warrior I with eagle arms and dip

Peaceful warrior

vinyasa

repeat other side

2nd set add on from Peaceful

Warrior III

standing splits

lunge

pigeon

3 leg dog (option to revolve)

Downdog

Balasana body prayer 'loosen the grip'

other side

from Balasana 

vijrasana

windshield wiper

bridge x2

viparita carne to give the legs a rest and some love after all that balancing

plow

carne pedasana

savasana

sit 

3 OM's 

Namaste

Strong Vinyasa 7.19.09

Early Sunday morning at Lulu's in Ojai has great energy. There's something about the Farmer's Market right next door; the sounds and  the smells and the bustle (it's as close to bustle as Ojai gets) that creates a great sense of a loving community. I felt so grateful for the opportunity to sub for Uschi and participate in the Sunday morning Matillija Street going's on today. I found myself using the word 'delight' a lot! 

Heart opener on bolster

breath awareness

windshield wiper

Heart awareness on the earth

All fours

Cat, Cow breath play

Balasana with side stretch

1/4 dog

Plank

Downward facing dog

Tadasana

Shoulder opener with strap

Spine and heart awareness

YAM

Lunge salutes with balance

hamstring stretch

twisted low lunge 

vinyasa

other side

rest in DD, balasana, headstand (mixed bag on poses today)

flow through

Lunge

side angle

Warrior II

Peaceful Warrior

side angle

vinyasa with revolved dog

other side

second set, from side angle adding on

bound side angle

peacock

release to malasana

roll back windshield wiper

roll forward to badha konasana

lotus foot rub

demo peacock emphasising the breath and the grounding into earth for support to blossom the pose.

uttanasana

tadasana 

centering with OM

second set

releasing back from DD

vinyasa

Balasana

vijrasana with internal gaze into heart

Bridge

Bridge or Urdhva Dhanurasana

Twisted root spine twist

Savasana

sit 

Namaste!

One Breath at a Time 7.18.09

Hot Mama! In the year and a half that I've been teaching One Breath at Saturday nights at 6P, I've never experienced the studio so hot. It felt nice and cool when I first walked in, but once we started moving, it felt like a hot Bikram studio. So I had to ditch my 'plan' toute suite, as it became evident in lunge salutes that less would be more tonight. We started with legs up the wall, and I touched on how 'walls' can be our 'friend' as it creates the structure that can help us see ourselves a bit more clearly. After a minimal amount of lunge salute action and a few standing poses, we went back to the wall for some work in the hips with thigh torture. Eeeegaaads! Talk about heating! I started to panic because it was not a great choice, but then decided to use that 'wall' I ran into to talk about tapas and how powerful discipline and heat are for transformation. We released into some easy spinal twists, counteracting the intensity and effort of thigh torture with ease in a gentle spine twist and ended in a long supported savasana. A big black cat appeared at the back door during savasana and checked us out for a while. The room was super still, it really did look like a bunch of corpses; the cat didn't even dare to enter the stillness, and eventually cruised away. The inquisitive cat cracked me up but I didn't laugh, for not wanting to cause any ripple in the serenity and beauty of a sweet and peaceful savasana.

Here is the class sequence, best I can remember:

Legs up the wall 

Eye of needle against wall

Slide out long on backs on to mats

supine Uttitatadasana

Cat

Cow

Balasana with side stretch

1/4 dog

Plank

Downdog

Lunge salute right side

lower to sphinx

Lunge salute left side

lower to cobra

locust

Demo rolling into cobra

DD roll to plank (that's when I knew it was too hot to play with all this tonight)

DD to cobra play

Balasana 

Tadasana

Step out to Warrior II

Warrior II dance right side

wide leg forward fold

Warrior II dance left side

wide leg forward fold with arms interlaced behind back

Tree pose on brick

Tadasana

Prana ping pong

Thigh torture right side

release to balasana

Downdog

chair pose against wall

Wall forward fold

repeat other side

from forward fold to balasana

roll to backs

windshield wiper

spine twist with hip release

Supine body prayer

Supported savasana

sit

3rd Step Prayer

3 OMs

Namaste

Strong Vinyasa 7.17.09

Subbing strong vinyasa for Uschi while she is in India. Been thinking a lot lately about the idea of the 'perpetual quietness of the heart' as described in 12 step programs. What does this have to do with a 'strong' practice? Everything. In fact, it may be one of the strongest practices that I'm exploring right now, whether it be on the mat in a challenging pose, or in my daily life where my vrittis inevitably get rattled. Where's the "go-to" for relief? The breath! Today's practice was focused on the breath and staying in the present moment...no matter what!

Supported gentle backbend on bolster

Diaphramatic breath exploration

windshield wiper

roll off bolster to corpse pose

Concentration on the heart reveals the content of the mind-Krishnamurti

Cat

Cow

Barrell roll

Balasana

1/4 Dog

Plank

Downdog

Tadasana

Shoulder openers with strap

Utittatadasana

Side waist stretch focused on the 'underbelly'

Lunge salutes with twisted low lunge

Tadasana

YAM

Twisted lunge

Hammock pose

roll up to Warrior II

Peaceful Warrior

Side angle

vinyasa, offering to rest in DD, Balasana, or Headstand (everybody opted for Headstand today!)

other side

Tadasana

Twisted lunge

Hammock

Warrior II

Peaceful Warrior

Side angle

Bound side angle

Bird of Paradise

Uttanasana

Squat

Roll back to 'rest' between sets 

knees to chest/Happy baby

Roll up to 'Lotus Feet Rub'

Demo Bird of Paradise

Toe Stand practicing 'perpetual quietness of the heart' as prep for second side.

Second side of series

Releasing with slow, mindful, breath centered vinyasa.

Roll back

Eye of the Needle

Leg stretched with strap

other side

Bridge/Urdha Dhanurasana

Resting sage pose to connect sacrum and back of heart

Savasana

Sit

Namaste!