Vinyasa Basics: Santosha. 4.28.11

Last night after yin class, I parked a little to close to the edge of the road and almost toppled over the hillside! I was able to get out of the car safely, checked to see if it would be alright for the evening, and went inside to go to sleep. Of course, the experience and the agitation of not knowing if my car would still be there in the morning, if I'd done irrepairable damage to the wheel base, etc, etc. etc. felt like a deep slumber was doomed.

In my head appeared Uma, who counciled us to pick just one of the niyamas and yamas as a practice. I've been looking at santosha contentment). My car troubles gave me much to practice about.

Amazed, in less than a quarter hour, I felt calm, I knew life would carry on fine...with or with our my Mercedes Benz. I am immensely grateful to my teachers who have guided me to these powerful teachings of yoga.

So, today we practiced playing with Santosha. Not just finding it, but also to stay connected no matter what.

sukasana spine rocking
seated overhead stretch with 2 deep breaths
sukasana neck stretch
sukasana side bend
other side

padagustasana revolved pada with strap

cat
cow
hip circles
balasana

cat
plank
downdog with 3 leg dog stretch

plank

sphinx/seal

cat
balasansa

toe torture

plank
downdog

tadasana
OM

lunge salutes with cresent
vinyasa with locust variations
cat
balasana
plank
downdog

walk back to uttanasana
tadasana

walking meditation
YAM

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
trikonasana
pyramid

vinyasa
balasana

downdog
tadasana
gratitude meditation
OM

other side

bridge x2

abdominal curls with extended legs

eye of the needle

twisted root with rest between sides

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

11th Step Meditation. Jaya Ganesha. 4.21.11

Inspired by Uma, we tried some chanting this morning. I used the CD of kirtan by the Sivananda Ashram and distributed the words We did the daily chant (a little 'too much') and Ganesha Saranam, which was easier. We had an extended sit of 30 mins after chanting, and do feel chanting has some interesting aspects to explore.

Standing uttithatadasana freeform sway

forward fold with hamstrings stretch

malasana

eye of needle

sukansana with neck stretch and side bend

Chant

Sit

Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Stable and Balanced. 4.26.11

Through feeling support, we played with finding balance and an open heart. We used sutra 1.36, the calming force of attention at the 'sorrowless light' to help.

I used some of the techiques I'd practiced in SWG on Sunday with Kira, as well as some of the teachings illuminated by Uma at Krotona in the past few weeks.

At wall
heart opener over bricks
shoulder opener over bricks
supine uttithatadasana over bricks

supine rest

windshield wiper
padagustasana and revolved padagustasana at wall with strap

tadasana (think cat/cow would have been a nice transition)
utanasana
malasana

tadasana

little tree
tree

lunge salutes

lunge
hammock
crescent
downdog
sphinx/seal
balasana
other side

uttanasana
utkatasana
tadasana
OM

lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
tree
warrior III
pigeon

three leg dog
vinyasa

tadasana
other side

from balasana

bridge x2

ardha matsendrasana

baddha konasana

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Prototypes Women's Center: Sensing Peace within. 4.25.11

Fresh off the yoga philosophy lesson, I was grateful to have an asana practice to offer to put emotion and a feeling tone into the teachings. I think it helped begin to connect to some of these concepts.

Talking points: asana, pranayama, pratyahara, and ahimsa, and sutra 1.2.


Supine
3 part breathing
Supine shoulder opener with breath
Supine uttithatadasana


Eye of needle

Cat
Cow
Balasana

Plank
Downdog

Uttithatadasana
Tadasana

Crazy 8's

Lunge
Crescent
Downdog
Sphinx
Windshield
Balasana
Plank
Downdog

Tadasana

Other side

Navasana x2

Shimmy

Twist or twisted root

Savasana

Namaste
1:1 sign papers

Brain and Addiction: 8 limbs. 4.25.11

The Easter weekend was the big buzz around the house so we started with a check in about the weekend:

Check in with a word to describe how Easter felt.

What do these feeling words have to do with the brain and recovery?
perception and awareness

How does the brain and emotions work?

Yoga Chitti Vrittis Nirodahah-sutra 1.2

A map for the emotions: Yamas and Niyamas

Intro to eight limb path to give context. It was rocky. Got stuck in pratyahara. But we made it through, although a few were challenging me, a few were blank, a few were interested, and a few fell closed their eyes and folded their arms. I think the sanscrit is way to foreign. Perhaps introducing the concept first, and then saying..."and the yogi's call this..." might be a better approach.

I feel the yamas and niyamas could be of assistance so I'll continue to offer this information. When I first stared the 4 agreements, I had equally difficult time, and today they are common language. I have hope for the yamas and niyamas.

My teachers encourage me to start somewhere. So today, we started.

Yoga Blue: Ishvara Pranidad. 4.23.11

Sutra 1.12 and Ishvara Pranidad, Third Step, and OM.

Baddha konasana yin-ish style

seated padagustasana with twist and side bend

malasana
uttanasana
tadasana
OM

1/4 sun salutes x3
1/2 sun salute
tadasana
HAM

simple lunge salutes
lunge salutes with low crescent
downdog
sphinx
balasana

downdog
uttanasana
tadasana

shoulder opener at wall

supported bridge
supported heart opener rest

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Vinyasa Basics: Inviting Grace. 4.21.11

Supine Heart meditation
OM
supine Padagustasana and twist w strap

Shimmy

Cat
Cow
Balasana
Puppy dog

Plank
Downdog

Utanasana
Malasana

uttithatadasana
tadasana
OM

Lunge
Twist
Hammock
Crescent
downdog
baby cobra
locust
balasana
other side

Side plank

Tadasana
LAM
YAM

Lunge
Side angle
Trikonasana
Half moon
standing splits
three leg dog
downdog
plank
locust
locust variation
balasana
other side


Cobra frog twist with cobra release

Vinyasa

Frog play x3

bridge x2

Windshield
Heart meditation
OM

Supported savasana

Sit
OM
Namaste

11th Step Meditation. Practice. 4.21.11

Sitting together is working!

Baddha konasana

Janushirsanana twist, neck, and side stretch

Extended sukasana with pranayama

Eye of needle

OM

Sit

Read

OM
Namaste

Vinyasa Basics: Prana and Priya. 4.19.11

Heart opener over bolster
pranayama
OM
shoulder openers
windshield wiper

rest

eye of the needle

shimmy

cat/cow
balasana
puppydog


plank
downdog

easy side plank

plank
downdog
uttanasana
malasana with wrist circles and palm press
uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana
OM

guitar hero shoulder opener
shoulder opener with strap
garudasana arms with wise guy

tadasana
OM
YAM
lunge
crescent
hamstring stretch
downdog
baby cobra
locust
other side lunge sequence

balasana

plank play

vinyasa

navasana play

twisted root

sit
OM
Namaste!

Prototypes Women's Center: Bliss within. 4.18.11

I lost time and accidentally ran over 10 mins, but the entire group was 'IN" it. This was a first!
We practiced finding the feeling tone of delight, joy, and bliss within, and creating new memories for recovery.

Supine
3 part breath

Shimmy

Sukasana side bending

Malasana w cowboy negotiation

Uttanasana w hamstring stretch
Uttihatadasana
Post shimmy tadasasa

Hokey pokey

Tadasasa
OM

1/4 sun salute
Lunge salute
Downdog
Sphinx
Balasana
Lunge salute w crescent and hamstring stretch
Baby cobra
Locust
Balasana

Navasana play x2
One leg ab curls

bridge x2

Windshield wiper

Savasana

Sit
OM
Namaste

Brain and Addiction: Prototypes. Intro to the mind. 4.17.11

Why is it important/useful to study brain?
Awareness

What are thoughts and what are emotions?

Nature of mind:
Contributions of Freud, Jung, Maslow.
Yoga as psychology of happiness.

Exercise: made a list of 8 things we like about ourselves. Homework:
espand that list to 16!

Why do we suffer?
Addiction as a 'disease of perception'

Pyramid of unconscious, conscious, supraconscious. Recovery is
transformation of pyramid.

Question in our group about anger and triggers.
List of tools to make more room for the emotion of anger.

Yoga Blue. Priya. 4.16.11

According to Vedanta knowledge (Mandukya Upanishad), all creation has five properties: Nama, Rupa, Asti, Bhati, and Priya. In Uma Krishanmurti's workshop she said yoga psychology is a practice to find priya (loveable) in everything. Of course, this means us. Upanishadic teachings (both Uma and Ravi emphasized this point) teach God is in each and every one of us.

Tonight was a practice of finding the feeling tone of Priya within.

heart opener over bolster
pranayama
OM
windshield wiper
supine rest

eye of the needle

shimmy

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog

uttanasana
uttittha tadasana
tadasana
YAM

xi gong standing twist

simple lunge salutes

lunge salutes with cresent
sphinx
balasana
plank
downdog
uttanasana
utkatasana
tadasana
RAM
other side with locust and locust variation

guitar hero arms
shouder opener with strap
garudasana arms stretch

uttanasana
malasana

seated twist

baddha konasana

supported savasana
pranayama
savasana

Aham Priya

sit
OM
Namaste

Vinyasa Basics: Bathing in the Subtle. 4.14.11

Pranayama and tracking the subtle energies as primary techniques to quiet the mind.

Heart opener over bricks
Pranayama
Rest

Shimmy

Sukasana side bending

Cat
Cow
Balasana
Hip circles

Plank
Downdog

Uttanasana
Uttitha tadasana
Tadasana
OM

Half sun salutes x 3

Tadadana
LAM

Lunge
Low lunge vinyasa
Crescent
Hamstring stretch with hamstring exloration
Downdog

plank
Baby cobra
Locust
Balasana

Downdog
Other side

Tadsana
Lunge
Hammock
Horse
Squirt
Prasarita padatadasana
Warrior Ii dance

Vinyasa with locust variations

Uttanasan
utkatasana
Tasasana
Other side

Bridge x2

Twisted root

Supported baddha konadana
Supported sanasana

Sit
OM
Namaste

11th Step Meditatation. Breath as link. 4.14.11

We shared our experience with the breath and our internal world, as well as dipped our big toe into the theory and possibility of, as Ravi Ravindra writes, "Psychology and cosmology become one seemless science", which is the basis, he says, of many sutras in the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras.

spine rocks in seated baddha konasana
baddha konasana yin style

seated twist in sukasana

windshield wiper
eye of the needle

sukasana side bending x2

shoulder shrugs
neck rolls

sit (20 mins)

read sutra 2.49-2.51 Ravi Ravindra The Wisdom of Patangali's Yoga Sutras, p105-106.

share

OM
Namaste!

Sweet Vinyasa: Quieting the MInd, Seeing with the Heart. 4.13.11

Kneeling on 2 bricks:
OM
A
U
M
OM

cat
cow
barell roll
balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog

uttanasana
malasana with cowboy negociation

uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs
guitar hero shoulder opener
shoulder opener with strap
forward fold with shoulder opener

tadasana
YAM
simple lunge salutes
lunge salutes with crescent pose

tadasana
OM
lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
twisted lunge

downdog
locust variation x2
other side
uttanasana
utkatasana
tadasana

(meant to do tree but forgot! Wondered why I had so much time on the floor, so went with the cloudy day slow and mellow vibe)

sun salute
downdog
sphinx/seal
balasana

side saddle stretch and twist

paschimotadasana

windshield wiper

bridge x2
gratitude meditation

eye of needle
twisted root
rest
other side

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Journey towards freedom. 4.12.11

Freedom from what? Ravi Ravindra says freedom not for ourselves but
from ourselves.

Yoga Sutras offer the kleshas to better understand how we are attached (specifically 2.3)

Overcoming these obstacles requires a ceaseless practice!


Windshield wiper

Padagustasana with strap

Sukasana side bending with neck stretch
Shoulder rolls

Malasasa
Cowboy negociation
Uttanasana
Uttithatadasana

Tadasana
OM

Guitar hero shoulder stretch
Shoulder opener w strap

Tadasana
Lunge
Crescent
Downdog
plank
Sphinx
Balasana

Downdog
Cat/cow release
Other side w crescent arm variation
Uttanasana
Utkatasana
Tadasana
YAM

Lunge
Twisted lunge with hip opener option
Hammock
Trikonasana
Exteneded side angle
Vinyasa with locust variation
Other side

Balasana

Eye of needle
Twisted root
Rest
Other side

Sit 5 mins

Supported savasana

Sit
Ajna meditation
Om
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center. It is true? 4.11.11

During check in, most women reported being in a state of agitation. We've talked a lot about the breath (and 'taking a deep breath' is found in many of the coping skills workshops offered here), but today we checked out, for real.

Sutra 1.34 prachchhardana vidharanabhyam va pranayama
The mind is also calmed by regulating the breath, particularly attending to exhalation and the natural stilling of breath that comes from such practice.

We OM'ed for the first time! The women were fascinated on how much longer they could exhale with OM. Would have like to have offered a bridge, but we didn't have enough time.

We worked in a balance of playfulness and introspection, and connected deeply with the value of sutra's 1.34's suggestion.

Check in

Supine
3 part breath
Discussion

Sukasana side bending

Malasana
Uttanasana w hamstring stretch
Uttithatadasana
Tadasana

Shiffman Hokey Pokey

Grounding Tadasana
OM to lengthen the breath

Lunge salutes with crescent

Tree

Malasana

Navasana play (per request)

Easy spine twist

Guided relaxation meditation
Savasana

Sit
Namaste!

Yoga Blue: A practice of looking. 4.9.11

Sutra 2.4 states the root cause of suffering is avidya. We practiced 'seeing' , not with the eyes, but with our feeling tones, noticing things as they are. We incorporated a short meditation at the end to take our looking practice deeper than the body.

Uttanasana
tadasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana
OM

uttanasana
malasana with cowboy negociation

paschimotadasana

seated twist w/one leg extended
seated side stretch

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog

uttanasana
tadasana
OM

lunge
hammock
low crescent
low crescent with quad stretch
hamstring stretch
downdog

sphinx
balasana
downdog
other side

uttanasanaa
utkatasana
tadasana
RAM

walkabout

tadasana
OM
uttanasana
lunge
warrior I dance
parsvotadasana
warrior III
standing splits
lunge
pigeon

three leg dog
downdog
plank
low cobra
locust
locust variation
cat
balasana

plank
downdog
other side

from locust

bridge x2

seated meditation (5 mins)

twisted root

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Prototypes Women's Center. At the speed of Yin. 4.7.11

1st time to offer a yin practice at Prototypes. It was a late afternoon session so the energy was more receptive than our early afternoon classes, and all who attended were willing to try a new style of practice. There were only 6 today, and all have attended my groups before. Having a history together and a relationship helped, I think.

When I first mentioned we were to practice yin, immediately one woman said "yin? Like yang?". This question came from something she had heard of more than had expereince or knowledge about, but it was a useful starting point to talk about the elements of yin, in comparison with our more active practice. However, their eyes began to soon glaze over with that look of "what is this woman taking about", so I quit talking, and put them into their first pose. Spent talking points on just the physical and breath. Towards the end of practice I spoke about the elements of surrender and grace.

I asked a lot of questions between sets and sides and the women used words like "felt my hip, my ankles ached, it feels tingly on my right side". In general the women described feeling into their physical bodies, until the end were there more emotional words like lighter, calmer, more awake, comfortable, heavier (grounded). At the end of class nobody moved and continued to try to put words to this experience of 'not doing very much and feeling different'. The general consensus was the practice was "Rad", which I think is a positive term (?), and they said they would like to practice yin again.

Butterfly
rest

Swan (they loved this name!) or eye of the needle at wall
rest
other side
rest

sphinx/seal
rest
balasana

twisted root
rest
other side
rest

sit/check in

Namaste

11th Step Meditation. 12 Steps as Posture. 4.7.11

The reading of Ravi Ravindra's translation and commentary on Sutra 2.26-2.48 (The Wisdom of Patajali's Yoga Sutras, pp.103-105) lead us in an interesting discussion of the similar process of asana (physical posture) and working the 12 steps. Some similarites are ongoing practice, more will be revealed, effort and ease, attitude in alignment, connecting to higher source, and feeling more comfortable in our own skin.

windshield wiper

eye of the needle
twist

sukasana side bending

downdog
uttanasana

tadasana
shimmy

sit (20 min)

Read

share

sit (3 mins)
Namaste

Vinyasa Basics: Alignment and Attitude. 4.7.11

Inspired by Ravi Ravindras writings about Sutra 2.46. Sthira-sikham asanam, particularly that right posture and alignment is not to be taken only in the physical sense. The suggestions of 1.33 can be useful when finding tight spots. Although asanas, the third limb of the eight limb path, refer to physical posture, the mental and emotional postures are also important in the ongoing search for right aligment.

We spent some time feeling into earth energy and the muladhara chakra to ground in our asanas in an effort to deeply feel emotions rising from the heart. We played with the air element of the heart as spaciousness.

sit

sukasana side bending
paschimotadasana
other side

malasana
uttanasana
uttithatadasana

tadasana
LAM
lunge
hammock
tiger

downdog
sphinx
cat
balasana

other side
uttanasana
utkatasana
tadasana
YAM

lunge
warrior I dance
three leg dog
revolved dog

baby cobra
locust
balasana
other side

downdog

plank play both sides

vinyasa

pigeon

ardha matsendrasana
paschimotadasana
other side
supine prasarita padottadasana

bridge
supine baddha konasana
bridge
sacrum and heart gratitude meditation

twisted root

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: Hanging out beneath the breath. 4.5.11

Heart opener over bolster
YAM
windshield wiper

supine rest

eye of the needle

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog

uttanasana with hamstring stretch

uttithatadasana
tadasana

lunge
twist
low crescent
downdog
plank
baby cobra
locust
cat
balasana
three leg dog
lunge
other side

uttanasana
utkatasana

tadasana
RAM

lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
vinyasa
other side with OMing W2 release

pigeon
mermaid prep
supine tree
bridge

vinyasa
other side pigeon seqeunce

gratitude meditation

twisted root
rest
other side

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center. Addiction and the Brain: Disease OF Choice. 4.4.11

Watched Dr. Kevin McCauly's film "Pleasure Unwoven" with comments and
questions afterwards. Some of the points of interest were

Places of the brain: particularly mid brain (reptilian) and frontal
cortex.

Is addiction disease or choice? Is it a disease OF choice?

Episode of the Madeline and pleasure system gone a rye.

Hypofrontality and loss of insight.

Genuine suffering of craving.

Recovery happens!
Stop dopamine surges (abstinence)
Manage craving
Stress management
Frontal cortex recover
Hedonic system resets