Vinyasa Basics: Let every Heart Prepare Him Room. 12.22.11

Inspired by the holiday hymn Joy to the World, and the stanza 'let every heart prepare Him room". Similar to what the yogis say the techniques of yoga prepare us for tapping the spaciousness inside. Upanishads suggest the mantra Aham Brahma (I am vastness, as translated by Ravi Ravindra). We played with this, breathing, asana, OM and YAM.

sit
heart meditation
OM

cat/cow
balasana
sphinx/seal
reverse windshield wiper

easy side plank

plank
downdog
uttanasana
cowboy negotiation with heart opener

utanasana
uttitha tadasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs
shoulder rotation
uttanasana variation
tadasana
YAM

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
low crescent
three leg dog
other side with low crescent variation
downdog
plank
baby cobra
locust
locust variation

gratitude meditation

windshield wiper
rocket cat
balasana

toe torture

plank
downdog
uttansanasana
tadasana
LAM

bow and arrow arms

tadasana
lunge
side angle prep
trikonasana
parvatadasana
twisted triangle
lunge
pigeon
three leg dog/wild thing
plank
baby cobra
locust
rocket cat
other side

from locust
roll supine

eye of needle
twist root odd side
twist root other side
rest
other side

savasana
Joy to the World meditation

sit
OM
Namaste!

Vinyasa Basics: The Feeling tone of Love. 12.6.11

Felt like I went on a huge limb to even attempt to touch the feeling tone of love. But in my personal practice lately, particularly playing in pratyahara, the feeling, sounding, tasting, smelling, and seeing word that keeps coming to me is love.

I was in the such a zone that the standing sequences took us to the end of class. Used the unusual transition to savasana to liken the busy mind to the quiet mind, which is the place the yogis suggest we have a deeper opportunity to touch the feeling tone of love.

Used waterfall pose and Rumi's quote "Love is the water of life" to set the stage, and 'Aham Brahma', asmita, sutra 1.2, and the elements of earth, fire, water, and air as talking points.

Waterfall pose at wall
v pose
eye of the needle at wall
baddha konasana at wall

sukasana side bending

cat cow
barell roll
balasana
childs

plank
downdog
uttanasana
uttithatadasan
tadasana
YAM

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
low crescent
other side

cobra
locust
locust variation
balasana

plank
downdog
utkatasana
tadasana
RAM

lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
peaceful warrior
side angle
tree
tadasana

uttanasana
downdog
rolling cobra x2
other side

tadasana
uttanasana
malasana

savasanna

sit
OM
Namaste

vinyasa basics: Asmita. 12.1.11

Inspired by Rumi's poem "our task is not to seek for love but find the barriers within we have built against it". One of the barriers to love, as suggested by the yogis is Asmita. We played with the feeling tone of Asmita, as translated by Ravi Ravindra as 'attachment to the small'.

Thought we'd do camel play, but we didn't even get close....!!!!


heart opener over bolster
OM
windshield wiper

rest

sukasana side bending

cat
cow

easy side plank

plank
downdog

tadasana
YAM

lunge
hammock
low crescent
other side

sphinx
crocodile

balasana

uttanasnaa
tadasana

shoulder rolls
swamp monster
halleluja

lunge
hammock
horse
warrior II dance
twisted lunge
vinyasa with cobra and locust
other side wiht swimming locust play

eye of the needle
twisted root
rest
other side

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste.