Vinyasa Basics: Willd and Precious Life: 8.31.10

Mary Oliver's "What will you do with your one wild and precious life" inspired the practice today. We played with finding space, breath, ease, and grace in a bind.

sukasana
breath awareness
angeli mudra
intention
OM

supine hamstring stretch with twist using strap

heart meditation with "what will you do with your one Wild and Precious life?"

easy side plank
balasana

plank
downdog

tadasana
catcher's arm shoulder opener
shoulder opener with strap
forward fold shoulder opener with strap

lunge
hammock
other side
sphinx/seal

lunge
hammock
trikonasana with extension
side angle
three leg dog with twist
downdog
other side

downdog
plank
baby cobra
locust
cobra
windshield wiper
balasana

demo the bind

lunge
hammock
trikonasana
1/2 bind side angle
(towards) full bind

downdog
malasana

downdog
other side bind sequence

from vinyasa roll to backs

easy eye of the needle
rest
easy eye of the needle
rest with heart meditation and sutra 1.1
twisted root

sit
OM
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center: Ujjayi Breathing: that "breathing thing". 8.30.10

There is a big turnover in the house and a large influx of new women. The energy of brand newly sober peeps and 'Oh my God I'm in rehab' anxiety is thick. Clearly there was one thing to teach today..to breathe deeply.

Some of the women who have been arounda while are starting to catch on. At the beginning of class one of them said, "hey! Do that breathing thing you do, SHE (pointing out a newer woman who was in tears) really needs it".

"We all need a little ujjayi breathing in our lives", I said. And with that, we began our practice together today.

Supine
3 deep breaths to land
invitation to be a yogi scientist

slow supine shoulder openers with breath

tailbone awareness (I need to learn more language around this, or hold it for later in the practice...very vulnerable spot for newbys)
neck awareness up and down
neck awareness side to side

easy eye of the needle
rest and notice. Asked for language.
other side
rest

sukasana side bending

uttanasana with hamstring stretch

tadasana

ujjayi breathing
vagus nerve
ujjai breathing with hands at ribs
ujjayi breathing in angeli mudra

1/4 sun salutations

lunge
low lunge
low twisted lunge
balasana
other side
balasana

tadasana
warrior II dance with ujjayi breathing
wide leg forward fold
other side

malasana

windshield wiper
easy spine twist

Message from a Deer meditation
savasana

sit
yoga scientist reports
Namaste

1:1 sign and return schedules

Strong Vinyasa. Moving with Grace. 8.29.10

Sukasana
breath awareness
intention

supine leg extensions and twist with strap

easy side plank

toe stand
tadasana

downdog
lunge
high lunge
twisted lunge
other side

cobra

plank
downdog
tadasana

lunge
hammock
trikonasana
extended trikonasana
side angle
twisted lunge
other side

cobra
locust
bow

plank
downdog
tadasana
OM

lunge
hammock
headstand
trikonasana
bound side angle
bird of paradise

uttanasana

other side

vinyasa

tadasana
tree
tree with extended leg variation
dancing shiva

bridge
wheel

walking wheel play
wheel variation

viparita karani or shoulder stand

plow
fish pose

twisted root
rest
twisted root
rest

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Yoga Blue: Love as tool of transformation. 8.28.10

Class tonight as a special fundraiser, followed by kirtan. The generosity of those who showed up helps others and I am grateful for their support.

Heart opener over bolster
breath awareness
Love meditation
Krishnamurti "When you feel in the heart this extraordinary thing called love, for you, the world is transformed"
OM

supine rest

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog
plank

easy side plank

plank
downdog

lunge
hammock
cresent
other side

baby cobra
locust
cobra
windshield wiper

tadasana
YAM
meridian massage

tadasana
lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
other side

downdog
plank
cobra

supine

bridge x2

twisted root
rest
twisted root
rest

supported savasana

sit
"think of your fellow man
give him a helping hand
put a little love in your heart.
And the world will be a better place"

Namaste.

break

Kirtan!

Prototypes Women's Center. Be kind to yourself. 8.23.10

Peeps were really in their heads today, and there was a lot of resistance when we got started. I have to pick my battles, and some of them I just let sit in chairs on the sidelines and breathe.

It took 30 minutes to get into a zone. I kept cueing deep breaths and it helped to show ujJaii breathing with hands wrapped around the ribs so they could feel it. Warrior III also helped, as it was fun as well as challenging. They were really in it!

Got most of the talking points in towards the end when the room energetically cleared. We talked about thoughts being the number one source of toxicity; we breathed in kindness and love, and exhaled out 'anything that doesn't serve'..fear, anger, jealousy...

Lead into savasana with a meditation on feeling supported and feeling connected to the earth.

Supine with 3 breaths to land.
breath awareness and purpose of the inhale is to promote the exhale
windshield wiper

sukasana side bending

uttanasana with hamstring stretch
tadasana

crazy 8's
tadasana with emphasis on heart lifted, tailbone rooted
ujaii breathing with hands at ribs

lunge
low lunge
other side

uttanasana
tadasana

step back to:
Warrior I
parsvatadasana
Warrior III

tadasana
malasana

other side standing

bridge
sacrum rest
back of heart rest

twisted root
rest
other side

savasana

sit
Namaste!

Yoga Blue: Syncing to the Anahata. 8.21.10

Practices for the heart, from the heart.

Heart opener over bolster
YAM
12 petal meditation
windshield wiper

supine rest

sukasana side bending
table top
paschimotadasana

sukasana with hrydai mudra
gratitude mediation

uttanasana
uttitha tadasana
tadasana

heart tapping with subtle energy play

tadasana
YAM

lunge
low lunge
cresent
tiger
other side
sphinx

downdog
uttanasana
uttithatadasana with YAM
tadasana
angeli mudra

lunge
hammock
three leg dog
other side

cobra
revolved twist
other side

supine rest
back of heart meditation
YAM

balasana

virasana with tonglen

wide leg forward fold

straight leg seated twist
knee pile with forward fold
other side

legs up the wall

savasana
mantra: "I am in sync with all of life. I am blessed"

sit
OM
Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Shoulders. 8.17.10

Request for shoulders today!

Sukasana side bending

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

easy side angle

even cowgirls get the blues

virasana with shoulder shrugs

plank
downdog

lunge
cresent
other side

baby cobra
locust
cobra

locust
locust variation

rocket cat
plank
downdog

tadasana
lunge
hammock
warrior II prep with eagle arms
warrior II with arms/finger stretches

vinyasa

other side

balasana

hindu pushups x 6

balasana

downdog
tadasana

lunge
side angle prep
trikonasana with heavy arm
bound side angle

vinyasa

other side

vinyasa
balasana

pigeon
supine tree
bridge

pigoen
spine tree
bridge/dhaurasana play

resting buddha with shoulder stretch

ardha matseyendrasana
cow tipping

supported savasana

sit
Namaste!

Prototypes Women's Center: Brillant, Gorgeous, Talented, Fabulous. 8.16.10

in the therapy group I lead directly before yoga class, an incident inspired a sharing of Marianne Williamson's "Our Deepest Fear". I used this a a theme for our yoga class today. We played with feeling the subtle energy and practiced feeling our light.

supine 3 breaths
supine shoulder openers

sukasana side bending x 2
uttanasana with hamstring stretch

crazy 8's

heart tapping, subtle energy awareness
heart/hand connection

tadasana with grounded feet and optomism in the heart
ujaii breathing

easy lunge salutes

lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
trikonasana

tadasana

other side

uttanana
balasana

Navasana play

windshield wiper

bridge x 2

spine rest

"Our Deepest Fear" reading

"Brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous" meditation

guided savasana

sit
Namaste!

1:1

Vinyasa Basics: Easy does it. 8.12.10

Teachings behind me, student in front of me. Mini 'private' towards urdha dhanurasana.

Tadasana
uttanasana

downdog
plank with circle play

baby cobra
locust
cobra

balasana

cat/cow
barell roll

downdog
uttanasana
uttithatadasana with breath

repeat

repeat to balasana
low lunge with twist
pigeon
3 leg dog

repeat

thigh openers on bricks
even cowgirs get thte blues

lunge salutes with bricks and baby backbends

cobra hands under shoulders
locust
locust variation
cobra hands beside ribs
cobra hands under shoulder

windhield wiper

bridge x2
bridge with urdha dhanurasana hands

urdha dhanurasana with lobster claw hands at wall

legs up the wall
wall eye of the needle
wall wide leg rest
other side eye of the needle
wall baddha konasana

sukasana
sit

slow vinysasa

balasana

supported twist

supported savasana

sit
Namaste!

11th Step Meditation: Offering: Unravelling the Intellectual. 8.12.10

Holding patterns in the body, holding patterns in the mind. Belief systems were explored and further revealed, unravelled, and discarded through the practice today.

janushirsasana with twist and side bending
sukasana
spine rolls
forward fold

seated mini backbend

other side

sukasana third step prayer
OM

pigeon with downdog counterpose

cobra
windshield wiper

balasana

sit 20 min

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Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Chitta: Heart-Mind. 9.10.10

Ravi Ravindra translates chitta as 'heart-mind". Similarly, Krishnamurti teaches, 'concentration on the heart reveals the contents of the mind'. Today we aligned with our heart center.

Played with finding Natarajasana on the floor before we practiced it standing. Need to work more on communicating where the opening/stretch/tight spots/ etc are.

Heart opener over bolster
YAM
windshield wiper
supine rest

Eye of the needle

sukasana side bending
table top
paschimotadasana
other side

uttanasana with hamstring stretch

uttitha tadasana
tadasana

lunge salute
baby cobra
locust
cobra

lunge salute other side

swimming floor bow play

balasana with ajna rest

tadasana
YAM
angeli mudra
lunge
warrior I dance
eagle wrap
eagle

tadasana

Natarajasana play

uttanasana
malasana

other side

vinyasa

balasana

side saddle stretch and twist

bridgex2

supported savasana
OM

sit
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center. Buddha MInd. 8.9.10

Setting up for class, one of the women said, "I always forget to breathe", so our focus today was all about practicing breathing with ease. No matter what!

Supine
4 part breath awareness

Eye of the needle with breath in the tight spots

Sukasana side bending

Uttanasana
Uttithatadasana
Tadasana

Lunge
low lunge
low cresent

other side

balasana

Sphinx

tadasana
lunge
side angle prep
trikonasana
extended side angle
lunge
twisted lunge

balasana
other side

windshield wiper

Relaxing Buddha

sit (2 min)

Namaste!

1:1 sign out

Yoga Blue: Quieting the Heart. 8.7.10

Heart opener over brick and bolster
OM

Shoulder openers over brick and bolster

Supine rest

sukasana side bending

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana

lunge salute
sphinx
other side
baby cobra
locust
cobra

cobra/frog series

balasana

tadasana
side angle
triangle
other side

downdog
plank
cobra

starfish

3 part bridge
supine baddha konasana
gratitude meditation
bridge
rest

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Call of the Heart. 8.5.10

I played with not so much physical, but rather emotional alignment cues. It is incredibly beautiful to watch people align from the inside out.

Sukasana
breath awareness
chin mudra
OM

side bending

cat/cow

barell roll

balasana
puppy dog

cow
sole stretch

plank
downdog

uttanasana with twist

cowboy negociation with heart opener

other side uttanasana twist

uttithatadasana
tadasana

YAM

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
low lunge with 3 part hamstring stretch

other side

baby cobra
locust
cobra
windshield wiper

balasana with ajna meditation

cobra

tadasana
meridian massage

tadasana
lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
trikonasana

lunge
3 leg dog

vinyasa

other side standing sequence #2

starfish
YAM
Anahata bath

twisted root
rest
twisted root
rest

legs up the wall
supported baddha konasana
savasana with sole support

Sutra 1.1

sit
OM
Namaste!

11th Step Meditation. Suffering: Cause and Cure. 8.5.10

Grounding practice to hunker down and open the back of the heart, said to be the place in the body holding our capacity for self-love.

Baddha Konasana spine rolls
Baddha Konasana yin style

Paschimotadasana with Body Tapping

Sukasana
3rd Step Prayer

seated side bending
seated eagle arm stretches

windshield wiper
Eye of the Needle

Twisted root
rest
other side

Sit

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OM
Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Space for Ahimsa.8.3.10

Nobody moved for 20 minutes after Namaste!

I am liking teaching in silence. I am teaching about finding space for ourselves in our entirety. My part in the practic is, as a teacher, to allow for that silent space for peeps to explore in class. Part of the practice as a teacher is to have direct experience of this myself..on and off the mat.

Standing.
Halleluja breaths

Standing side bending

uttanasana with twist
malasana
cowboy negociation with heart breath

windshield wiper with effort and ease stretch

cat
cow
balasana with side stretch
puppy dog

plank
downdog

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
low lunge
hamstring stretch

other side

sphinx/seal
windshield wiper

tadasana
meridian massage

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
warrior II
trikonasana

baby cobra
locust
cobra
downdog

other side standing sequence #2

rolling to supine from cobra

twisted root

legs up the wall
supported baddha konasana
savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Yoga Blue: Let Love Align You. 7.31.10

I think a twist before we went up the wall would feel good. Next time!

Played with letting awareness and kind thoughts open and align us. Ahimsa, gentleness in the kidneys (Taoist Cycle of Creativity), gratitude.

Sukasana
breath awareness
spine awareness
chin mudra
OM

body tapping

janushirsana with twist and side stretch

table top
pashimotadasana

uttanasana with twist

uttithatadasana
tadasana
OM

simple lunge both sides

lunge
high lunge
twisted lunge
low lunge with hamstring stretch

downdog

other side lunge sequence

baby cobra
locust
cobra
balasana

tadasana
meridian massage

lunge
warrior I dance
standing separate leg forehead to knee pose
warrior III
standing splits
uttanasana

tadasana
angeli mudra
YAM
other side

pigeon

windshield wipers

bridge
rest with gratitude mediation
bridge/wheel
supine baddha konsasana

legs up the wall
supported baddha konasana at the wall
ajna awareness, silent om, chin mudra

supine rest
crown chakra mediation

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!