Soft Vinyasa: Aligning with Satya: 8.28.12

We used the mantra So Hum, breath and asana to help us find our alignment with ourselves.

sit
So Hum meditation a la Ravi style
OM

easy side plank with balasana variation, inner thigh stretch
flying cow
other side

balasana

sphinx/seal

plank
Downdog

uttanasana

cowboy negociation w twist option

uttanasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs
shoulder rolls
uttanasana variation
uttithatadasana
tadasana

YAM


lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
horse
lunge
downdog
baby cobra
locust
plank
downdog
other side with skandasana after horse

downdog
plank
cobra
locust variation

supine shoulder opener sequence

balasana with ajna meditation

plank
downdog

Dancing Shiva

uttanasana
malasana

paschimotadasana

seated janu shirsasana with twist and side bend

sit (3 mins)

windshield wiper
savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center: Permission to Feel Our Whole Selves: 8.27.12

Part of learning to break the habit of reaching outside is noticing the magnificence within. We explored inner workings of hips and hamstrings and the resulting freedom of giving them our breath and attention.

Eye of needle
Sukasana side bending x2
Tadasana
Uttanasana w hamstring stretch
Uttitha tadasana side bending play
Tadasana

Lunge
Low crescent
Hamstring stretch

Tadasana

Other side

Balasana
Sphinx

Easy spine twist

Savasana

Sit
Om
Namaste

Soft Vinyasa: Thankful for yoga! 8.23.12

We experimented in feeling the practice, for real, and receiving the gifts with open hearts.


Janushirsasana with twist and side bend

Sukasana
Mary Oliver's 'real prayers are not the words, but the attention that comes first"
Om

Cat
Cow
Balasana
Sphinx

Barell roll

Plank
Downdog
Uttanasana
Tadasana
Uttithatadasana
Tadasana

Standing Shoulder support w neck stretch
sutra 1.2

Lunge
Twisted lunge
Hammock
Warrior II dance
Low crescent
Tadasana

Other side

Downdog

Baby cobra
Locust

Balasana

Hula dog

Plank
Downdog
uttanasana
Tadasana

Lunge
Warrior II
Trikoasana
other side

Tadasana w prana play

Uttanasana
Downdog

Baby cobra
Locust
Locust variation

transition to supine

Bridge
Eye of needle
Twist
Other side

Savasana

Sit
Om
Namaste

Soft Vinyasa: Surrender to a deeper Self: 8.21.12

We played in the concept of the Anandamaya kosha and the mantra Sat Chit Ananda, through movement, breath, mantra, but mainly by finding stillness and quiet.

Something like this...was trying to be in my body than in my head today so might have left a few things out in this sequence detail....

Impressing the heart with shoulder openers
OM

all fours grounding hands
easy side plank with inner hamstring and flying cow

balasana
sphinx

plank
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana with breath
tadasana
YAM

lunge
side angle prep
trikonasana
low crescent
lunge
tadasana
LAM
other side

downdog
cobra
locust
locust variation

balasana

plank
downdog

tadasana

tree play on brick (with YAM second side!)

downdog
sphinx/cobra

eye of needle
twisted root
rest
other side

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center: Meeting ourselves. 8.20.12

After taking a summer break, we are back at Prototypes.

Many new faces so we began to meet each other and ourselves.

Intro with name and how you are feeling. It came up that not one word can really catch it..and sometimes there are two opposites (like happy..and also sad, grateful but also anxious).

Marma point exercise on the left arm
pause and feel the effects of paying attention to your own touch and awareness. Expression of words like 'tingley, connected, alive'...

Yoga/yuj/connection.

Sutra 1.12 Yoga chitta vrittis nirodahah. Offering various translations of nirodahah, with emphasis on 'mastery'.

Intro to sutra 1.33 offering 'friendliness' as a possible way to connect/master with our interior landscape
The exercise to feel 'friendliness' was somewhat accessible to a few..we didn't have time to explore very deep but we did communicate the idea that 'whatever you're feeling/or not is OK to begin to cultivate a safe environment to talk about what we are really, truly feeling and experiencing on the inside.

Namaste

Soft Vinyasa: Grounded in Joy. 8.16.12

We used the grounding feeling tone of the legs to help establish a home in the heart, and through breath, movement, mantra, and poetry, found more room for what we see.

windshield wiper

supine pada gustasana and twist with strap
gratitude meditation
OM

easy side plank with flying cow

plank
downdog

uttanasana
gorilla pose
uttitha tadasana

shoulder shrugs
shoulder rolls
uttanasana variation

standing shoulder openers with strap
uttanasana variation

uttithatadasana with breath
tadasana
YAM

tadasana
lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
low crescent
 lunge
tadasana
other side

downdog
baby cobra
locust variation
balasana

downdog with plank feet

side plank play

downdog

uttanasana

tadasana

Dancing shiva play

uttanasana
downdog
baby cobra
locust
balasana

ardha matseydrasana
box
other side

sit

Hafiz Tripping Over Joy
What is the difference
Between your experience of Existence
And that of a saint?

The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God
And that the Beloved
Has just made a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, "I Surrender!"

Whereas, my dear,
I am afraid you still think
You have a thousand serious moves.



Savasana

sit

OM

Namaste
 

Soft Vinyasa: Attention is a key ingredient in Love: 8.14. 12

Today's quote from Ravi Ravindra, taken from his recent lecture series in Montana, inspired our movement practice.

Reclining Buddha with quad stretch and shoulder opener
OM

sukasana side bending with tipping Buddha
gratitude meditation
YAM

cat
cow
barrel roll
sphinx/seal

plank
downdog
uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana
shoulder shrugs
shoulder rolls
uttanasana variation
tadasana
YAM

lunge
warrior I
low crescent
tadasana
other side

downdog
baby cobra
locust
locust variation
plank
downdog

tadasana
standing neck stretches

tadasana
lunge
warrior I
peaceful warrior variation
pravatadasana
warrior III
pigeon
other side

from pigeon
paschimotadasana

happy baby
bridge

twisted root with rest

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Santosha, Gratitude and Connection: 8.13.12

Subbing this Monday morning for Kira.

We practiced putting some effort towards ease and a spacious heart by practicing contentment and gratitude, and noticing the resulting connection to ourselves and to the world. Some of the principles to help guide us were sutra 1.12, santosha, avidya, and Rumi's poetry (or task is not to look for love but to find the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

Reclining Buddha with quad stretch and shoulder opener
OM

sukasana side bending with tipping Buddha
sukasana
YAM

cat
cow
barell roll
sphinx

plank
downdog
uttananasana
tadasana
uttithatadasana
uttanasana variation
tadasana
OM

lunge
low crescent
utkatasana (not the best pose by the way for a hot summer day)
tadasana
other side

tadasana
gratitude meditation

lunge
warrior I
peaceful warrior variation
parvatadasana
warrior III
pigeon
three leg dog
vinyasa with baby cobra and locust
other side

from pigeon
paschimotadasana

bridge x2

twisted root

savasana
sit
OM
Namaste

Swimming in Love Retreat, Bimini, Bahamas: Opening the Heart in Unusual Ways: 8.02.12

 We celebrated finding open hearts and practiced staying is a place of ease.


Reclining Buddha

Eye of needle

Sukasana side bend and straighten
OM

Tadasana
Uttanasana
Tadasana

Swamp monster
Hallelujah

Neck stretch w shoulder rolls
Neck w shoulder rolls and wise guy

Tadasana
YAM

Lunge
Warrior 1 dance
Parsvatadasana
Tadasana
Other side

Uttanasana

Downdog

Balasana

Sphinx
Locust
Locust variation

Balasana w ajna meditation

Easy spine twist

Receptive savasana

Sit
Om
Namaste

Swimming in Love Retreat, Bimini, Bahamas: Maitri. 8.1.12

Maitre: A note from our friendly dolphins. Image of the dolphin eternal smile help us access Maitri.

Sit
4 part OM

OMx 3

Janushirsasana with twist and side bend

Sukasana
Gratitude meditation
OM

Tadasana
Uttanasana
Uttitatadasana w Breath
Tadasana
OM

Shoulder rolls
Uttanasana variation

Tadasana
Yamx 2

Standing neck stretches

Lunge salutes
Lunge salutes w hamstring stretch
Balasana w kidney meditation

Sphinx/seal

Crocodile

Easy spine twist

Savasana

Sit
OM
Namaste

Swimming in Love Retreat, Bimini, Bahamas: Send Love: 7.31.12

It is said dolphin are telepathic. We prepared ourselves to feel love, and to send love. (Practicing especially to our dolphin friends!)

Sit

Om

Sukasana forward fold with two way side bend.
"What we receive in contemplation we give out in love" Krishamutri





Cat
Cow
Sphinx/ seal

Easy side plank

Malasana
Uttanasana

Tadasana
gratitude meditation

Lunge salutes

Bridge

Sit

Savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Swimming in Love Retrea, Bimini, Bahamas: Relax, Allow, Receive: 7.30.12

Inspired by our swim together on the first day, Amlas suggested "relax, allow, and receive" to swim with our dolphin friends. We practiced these feeling tones using breath, movement, and mantra.

windshield wiper

eye of the needle

sukasana side bending

tadasana
uttanasana with hamstring stretch

tadasana
YAM

guitar hero arms

warrior II dance

tadasana
YAM x 2

Downdog

balasana
puppy dog
barrel roll

sphinx/seal
crocodile

bridge x2

twisted root or easy twist

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Soft Vinyasa: Love is where I am not. 8.9.12

This quote by Krishamurti "Love is where I am not" set the tone for our practice of freedom from the feeling tone of the klesha asmita (attachment to the small). And we played with half moon andtrusting the support of the heart to help us open.

windshield wiper

eye of the needle

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

easy side plank with balance play

plank
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana
OM

balance play on brick

tadasana
1/4 sun salutes
tadasana
YAM

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
pigeon variation

vinyasa with baby cobra and locust
balasana

plank
downdog

other side lunge salute sequence

tadasana
lunge
side angle prep
half moon
tadasana
other side

tadasana
uttanasana
downdog
plank
baby cobra, cobra

balasana

ardha matseydrasana
paschimotadasana
other side

baddha konasana

bridge
bridge

savasana with OM entry

sit
OM
Namaste

Soft Vinyasa: The Ocean Within. 8.7.12

We used gentle movement, breath and mantra to find the barriors to MA within.

sit
OM

sukasana side bend
sukasana watery side bending

cat
cow
balasana
sphinx

plank
downdog

uttantasana
tadasana
uttithatadasana side stretch

standing neck stretches

tadasana
YAM

lunge
hammock
three point twist
warrior II dance
lunge
low crescent
hamstring stretch
three leg dog

vinyasa with baby cobra
balasana

other side with shoulder openers in hammock

vinyasa with low cobra and locust variation

gomukasana Scott Blossom style 'second heart'
downdog
other side

vinyasa with locust variation

twisted root
rest
other side

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste