Sweet Vinyasa: Cooperating with Yoga. Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Both effort and surrender are required to be sensitive and aware of the yoga that is. We leaned into sutra 1.12 and Buddha's advice of bringing mindfulness in the body to see our sacred selves more clearly.

sukasana circles and rolls
sukasana side bending

heart opener over bolster
rest
YAM

cat/cow
OMG
easy side plank

plank balance play
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana stretch
uttanasana variation
other side

standing sequence:
lunge
warrior I
warrior II
trikonasana
three leg dog
wild thing
balasana

repeat standing sequence

from downdog

floor sequence:
pigeon
rolling pigeon
sleeping pigeon
supine tree
bridge

downdog
repeat floor sequence

twisted root

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: Dharma, Yoga and Yajna: Tuesday, June 25, 2013

We played to discover the feeling tone of dharma through attention to the heart in our practice tonight.

Sit (5 mins)

Butterfly (4.5 mins)

reverse windshield wiper
Sphinx/Seal (4 mins)
Crocodile

cat/cow/barrel roll

lunge (3.5 mins)
pigeon (3 mins)
texas star

twisted root

sit/savasana (10 mins)
sit/savasana (3 mins)

namaste

Alano Club: Cultivating the skill of internal peace and quiet: Monday, June 24, 2013

We spent some time cultivating internal peace and quiet so we could tap into the skill set as we make our way into the world. We leaned into one of the definitions of yoga as "Yoga is Skill in Action" offered by the Bhagavad Gita, as well as sutra 1.2 Yoga Chitta Vrittis Nirodaha "Yoga is the quieting of the mind" and the suggestion of Buddha to bring mindfulness in the body.

windshield wiper

shimmy

cat/cow

OMG
balancing table
easy side plank


eye of the needle

sphinx
crocodile

reclining Buddha

savasana or sit (10 mins)
savasana or sit (5 mins)

gratitude meditation
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center: the feeling of Gratitude: Monday, June 24, 2013

We played with the idea of gratitude and the feeling tone of gratitude and made some observations about each. We considered also that feeling gratitude was easier that making a gratitude list and thinking about "what we are grateful for" because it eliminated the limited vision of what gratitude should feel like.

Gratitude list

Meditiation #1 with one person/place/ thing
Meditation #2 with another person/place/thing

Discussion

BREAK

Asana practice:
the asana practice today was designed to assist in cultivating a feeling tone of gratitude and support to assist in creating internal ease.

Dolphin
Supported dolphin
Downdog

Uttanasana
Tadasana

Guitar hero

Lunge salutes

Supported tree at wall

Legs up wall
Eye of the needle at wall

Seated twist

Sit (3 mins)

Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Yoga is Skill in Action: Monday, June 24, 2013

We honed in on the yogi skill set of peace and quiet while playing into being a yogi in the world through action. Feeling into the idea that it less about what you are doing and more about how you are doing it. We leaned into the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

We also played into the more subtle realm of feeling supported even though it might not be easy to see but with practice it gets easier to see because its true (Brahma is Truth from the Upanishads).

heart opener over bolster
3 part breath
supported windshield wiper

supine rest

cat/cow
balasana

tabletop
OMG
tabletop balance
easy side plank

balasana variation
arch torture with downdog

downdog
uttanasana
uttithadasana
tadasana with shoulder rolls

uttansana
lunge
warrior I
warrior II
trikonasana
hammock
three leg dog
baby cobra
locust
other side

vinysasa with rolling plank
demo
rolling plank to updog

downdog

tadasana

supported tree at wall
uttanasnaa at wall
malasana at wall

tadasana
malasana

eye of the needle
twisted root

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Slow down to see more: Wednesday, June 19, 2013

We practices somewhat familiar sequences to allow for a backdrop to move in a manner of shaking up habitual pattens of holding. This is harder than it seems because the mind tends towards distraction and unconscious patterns of holding. We did our best to quiet the mind through movement, breath and mantra to allow the IS to come into view.

The texts have various ways of describing the IS-ness of us. We leaned into the the feeling tone of the Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7 as one possibility today.

Now the light which shines above the Heavens, above all, above everything, in the highest worlds, beyond which there is no higher, verily this is the same as the light which is here within a person. 

windshield wiper

eye of the needle with half happy baby play

reverse windshield wiper

sphinx/seal

cat/cow

balasana

puppy dog

balasana variation

plank

downdog

uttanasana

uttithatadasana

tadasana

second set standing stretches

tadasana

YAM

lunge

twisted lunge

hammock

warrior II dance

low crescent

tadasana

other side

downdog

balasana

prayer meditation

OM

navasana play

bridge x2

twisted root

savasana

sit

OM

Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Dance in the wobbly of your Life: Monday, June 17, 2013

Through breath, movement and mantra we explored the light within as described by the Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7. We played in savoring the binds and wobbles that lead us deep within.

seated janushirsasana with twist

paschimotadasana

downdog
puppy dog

downdog

easy side plank

downdog
simple lunge salutes with dips

downdog
uttanasana
uttitha tadasasa
tadasana

YAM
gratitude meditation

lunge
side angle
trikonasana
bound angle
pigeon variation
three leg dog
wild thing
vinyasa with baby cobra and locust

balasana
prayer to the earth
OM

other side

tadasana

natarajasana play

bridge
eye of the needle
twist

other side

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Dive in with sutra 1.12: Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sometimes quieting the mind is referred to 'reversing the flow' because the ordinary mind tends towards distraction and dispersion. This takes equal parts practice and surrender (sutra 1.12).

windshield wiper

supine pada gustasana with twist using strap

cat/cow
barrel roll
balasana
puppy dog

balasana variation

plank
downdog
uttanasana
tadasana

one leg tree variation on brick

lunge salutes with low crescent and dips using bricks

tadasana
YAM

lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
trikonasana
vinyasa with baby cobra and locust variation
other side

balasana

bridge x2

eye of the needle
twisted root
other side

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: loving the layers of you Tuesday, June 11, 2013

We leaned in on Patanjali's yoga sutra 1.35 and the Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7 for assistance in aligning us in the peace and quiet.

supine
4 part breath awareness

windshield wiper

baddha konasana

swan

balasana
dragon


sphinx/seal

twisted root

sit/savasana 13 mins
sit/savasana 4 mins

namaste

Prototypes Women's Center: OM and the layers of the Self: Monday, June 10, 2013

We played with the 4 sounds of OM as a practice to explore the layers of the self and a light asana practice to begin to tap into the wisdom of Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7.

What is mantra and do you think "Protection of your own mind" can be useful?

Discussion of OM

A
O
M

OM x3

discussion of results

guitar hero
Prototypes Hokey Pokey

Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7

Now the light which shines above the Heavens, above all, above everything, in the highest worlds, beyond which there is no higher, verily this is the same as the light which is here within a person.

discussion

homework: write you own personal mantra

Sweet Vinyasa: Tapping into the light of the Heart: Monday, June 10, 2013.

This mantra from the Chandogya Upanishad continues to play for me. So we used this as a way to consider a deeper relationship to self.

Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7. Now the light which shines above the Heavens, above all, above everything, in the highest worlds, beyond which there is no higher, verily this is the same as the light which is here within a person.

roll supine
side waist stretch
knees to chest
windshield wiper

eye of the needle
half happy baby

cat/cow
OMG variations
easy side plank variation

plank
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana

shoulder rolls and shrugs

tadasana
OM

lunge
low crescent with side bending

downdog

baby cobra
locust

downdog
tadasana

heart tapping and prana play

tadasana
YAM

lunge
warrior II
ardha chandrasana
pigeon
supine tree
bridge

rolling to downdog
other side

from bridge
cosmic rest
OM
twisted root

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Strong Vinyasa: standing in your light: Sunday, June 9, 2013

I haven't taught strong vinyasa for over four years. To my surprise I had a lot of fun prepping for this class and found it in many ways closer to my own personal practice style, as I often take the stretch of simpler poses into deeper places that what I normally offer to a 2/3 class. Then at 3:30 AM, mantra 7 from the 3rd chapter, 13th verse of the Chandogya Upanishad litterally woke me out of a sound sleep. So I wanted to share it because I love it so much. This was the inspiration for a 'strong' class.


Chandogya Upanishad 3:13:7 (translation by Ravi Ravindra in his 2012 course on the Upanishads, Ojai, CA at Krotona.

Now the light which shines above the Heavens, above all, above everything, in the highest worlds, beyond which there is no higher, verily this is the same as the light which is here within a person.

Since the mind tends towards dispersion and distraction, it seems to me the strong practice is about staying centered and in the "light" described in the Chandogya Upanishad 3.13.7 even as things appear more complicated. Here is our sequence:

sit (3 mins)

sukasana or box forward fold and two way side bend

cat/cow/barrel roll
balasana/puppy dog

OMG variations with flying cow (forgot easy side plank transition..)

toe torture
toe stand

plank
downdog

downdog play to lunge
low crescent with side stretches
hamstring stretch with hanamunasana offering
other side

downdog

uttanasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs and rolls with uttithatadasana stretch and uttanasana variation

tadasana
YAM

heart tapping and anahata stretches
prana play

lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
warrior II with heart tapping
ardha chandrasana with heart tapping
standing splits
lunge
three leg dog with wild thing or wheel offering

downdog
uttithatadasana
tadasana

other side
lunge
hammock with skandasana
headstand play
warrior II with dance and heart tapping
ardha chandrasana with heart tapping
standing splits
lunge
wild thing/wheel

side plank

downdog
pigeon
mermaid
seated twist
box with forward fold
bridge or wheel
other side pigeon or seated sequence

twisted root

savasana

sit
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Sutra 1.2 Yoga Chitta Vrittis Nirodaha. Wednesday June 5, 2013.

One of the definitions of yoga is offered by Patanjali as "the quieting of the mind". Our practice today was a play of staying quiet. Buddha assisted us with his wisdom of aligning with "mindfulness in the body", and Patanjali's reference to inner radiance in sutras 1.36 and  1.37.

We also practices several "happy baby" poses because I just became an aunt again yesterday and lots of joy for this new gift of life in my family is front and center on my mind!

windshield wiper with side stretch
happy baby

supine janushirsasana and twist with strap

supine spaciousness meditation in legs, heart and mind

cat n cow
balasana
puppy dog

arch torture
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs

guitar hero

shoulder openers and uttanasana variation with strap

tadasana
YAM

lunge
twisted lunge
hammock
warrior II dance
low crescent with dips
tadasana
other side with skandasana in hammock

downdog
baby cobra
locust
balasana

eye of the needle and twist

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: Practice looking with Divine Eyes: 6.4.13

We practice seeing more clearly by cultivating the elements of water and fire.

Sit (5 mins)

Butterfly

Swan
windshield wiper with side stretch

Dragon
balasana

Sphinx
reverse windshield wiper

twisted root

sit/savasana 10 mins
sit/savasana 5 mins

Namaste

Alano Club: Comfortable in the Unknown: 6.3.13

We used St. Paul's "the body is the temple of the spirit" and Buddha's "mindfulness in the body" wisdom to assist us tonight in our practice of feeling safe in the unknown.

sit (5 mins)

janushirsasana with twist and side bend
YAM
sit (2 mins)

eye of the needle

manipura meditation

cat/cow play

low crescent

sit (11 mins)
sit/savasana (3 mins)

Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Body is the Temple of the Spirit: 6.3.13

We used St. Paul's wisdom "the Body is the Temple of the Spirit" as our primary alignment tool today, and leaned in on Patanjali's play of avidya and asteya to help guide our way.

sit
OM

gentle cat/cow

OMG variation x2
flying cow

plank
downdog
uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs and rolls
tadasana

uttithatadasana variations
uttanasana variation
tadasana
YAM

lunge
low lunge with windmill

puppy dog
barrell roll

downdog
plank
baby cobra
locust

downdog
uttanasana
tadasana

standing neck stretches

tadasana
lunge
warrior I
parsvatadasana
warrior III
pigeon
wild thing

baby cobra
locust variation
other side

supine knees to chest
twisted root

(wanted to do heart opener at wall but ran out of time)

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste