Sweet Vinyasa: Taste your own grass: Wednesday, October 9, 2013

We played with the story of the rogue cow whose remedy to not eat other peoples grass was to taste his own sweet grass.

Windshield wiper
Janushirsasana and twist with strap

Cat  and cow play
Balasana

Downdog

Omg and flying cow to side plank

Downdog

Uttanasana
Tadasana

Shoulder rolls and shrugs
Standing shoulder opener w strap

Tadasana

standing sequence:
Lunge
Side angle prep
Triangle
Standing Texas star
Hammock
Lunge
Three leg dog
Downdog

Plank
Baby cobra
Locust
Balasana

Other side standing sequence

Shoulder opener with strap
Standing neck stretch

Tree at wall

Tadasana
Uttanasana

Side plank play

Twisted root

Savasana

Sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: Practice Peace and Quiet: Tuesday, October 16, 2013

We practice embodying peace and quiet so we could know it beyond the mind.

upside down chair at wall
Bramarhi variation breath sssss

butterfly (4.5 mins)

swan (3.5 mins each side)

balasana (2 mins)
lunge (3.5 mins)

sphinx/seal (3.5 mins)

twisted root (3.5 mins each side)

sit  or savasana (10 mins)

Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Surrender and the path of the Heart: Wednesday, October 16, 2013

It takes practice to surrender the will to the path of the heart. It can feel unsettling since the mind tends towards distraction and dispersion. All spiritual practices assist us in turning over our normal ego/asmita tendencies to the heart which requires surrender of what we "know".

upside down chair at wall
Bhahmari variation ssss breath
eye of the needle at wall

cat/cow
balasana

flying cow
easy side plank

plank
downdog balance play
uttanasana
malasana
tadasana

standing sequence:
lunge
side angle prep
trikonasana
standing texas star
hammock
crescent
three part hamstring stretch

downdog
rounded plank
updog
downdog

other side standing sequence

balasana

downdog
lunge
hammock
crow play

tadasana

downdog
lunge
hammock
tripod headstand play

rolling updog

bridge
cosmic rest

twisted root

savasana

sit
YAM
Namaste

Alano Club: Stop thinking so much: Monday, September 7, 2013

The biggest surface tensions are the thoughts we have, so sages for a long time have suggested we stop thinking so much. We logged some time in the ananda of connection (God, beauty, truth, the Divine...)

Sutra 1.2 yoga chitta vrittis nirodahah, yoga is the quieting of the mind. Some of the skills we cultivated was a willingness to see more clearly, kindness, wonderment, and curiousity.

sit

janushirsasana with twist and side bend

pea pod

cat/cow
balasana

lunge
low crecent

bridge
cosmic rest

twisted root

sit or savasana (10 mins)

sit
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Seeing the Unseeable: Monday, September 7, 2013

We played in the realm of seeing what we don't usually see and into the unknown and the invisible using the story of Swetukatu from the Chandogya Upanishad as a reference and our breath as a teacher.

We found different versions of side plank to help us tune to the "something" in the invisible that supports and guides us with love all the time.

sit circles
sit central channel stretch
sit

janushirsasana with twist and side bend

malasana
uttanasana
tadasana with side stretch

downdog
easy side plank

balasana variation

plank
downdog
uttanasana
tadasana
YAM

standing sequence:
lunge
side plank
trikonasana
low crescent
downdog
plank
baby cobra
locust
downdog

other side standing sequence

tadasana
neck stretches

tree at wall

tadasana
uttanasana
downdog
updog
downdog
side plank

balasana
demo three suggestions for side plank
 
plank play

downdog
baby cobra
crocodile

twisted root with Texas Star

savasana

sit
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Curiousity, Compassion and Sat Chit Ananda: Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The practices of yoga help us see what is not 'usually' seen, and encourages us to hone our attention to the less visible as a way to quiet the mind. As the mind quiets we can easier touch the "Sat Chit Ananda" that is always here.

Since there are many layers of the self, and as Buddha is reported to have said "within this very body one can discover all the gods and all the demons", we emphasized compassion, curiosity, and a willingness to be surprised as we found alignment with the deepest self (ahimsa).

sit
OM

cat and cow
balasana
puppy dog
barrel roll

sphinx
reverse windshield wipers

OMG play with side plank variation

plank
downdog with inner and outer channel play

uttanasana
tadasana

shoulder shrugs and rolls
uttanasana variation

tadasana
YAM

standing sequence #1
lunge
low crescent
hamstring stretch

other side standing sequence #1

tadasana
prana play

standing sequence #2
lunge
high lunge
prayer lunge
warrior II dance
trikonasana
hammock
lunge
downdog

plank
baby cobra
locust
cobra

downdog

other side standing sequence #2

side plank play

balasana
rolling plank
rolling plank to cobra

demo
rolling plank
rolling plank to cobra

balasana

cool down floor sequence:
eye of the needle
eagle wrap twist

repeat cool down floor sequence other side

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: What Self Are You Studying? Tuesday, October 1, 2013

On the path of self discovery, one discovers many layers of the self. Yoga is a practice of studying the whole self. Its not that the outer layers or the less pleasant aspects of self aren't valid and important, but the deeper and quieter places help the alignment of joy and ease.

windshield wiper
eye of the needle

butterfly (4 mins)

upavista konasana (using bolster) 4 mins

balasana
dragon (3.5 mins each side)

reverse windshield wiper
sphinx (3.5 min)
crocodile

twisted root (3.5 each side)

sit or savasana (12 mins)

sit (2 mins)
Namaste