Soft Vinyasa: Feelin' It In The Bones: Thursday, August 28, 2014

Subbed this class for Betsy.

The breath and our bones support us and we used them to help us begin to practice seeing with Divine eyes.

heart opener over bolster
femur meditation
full body stretch
femur rotation

eye of the needle
supine pigeon
eye of the needle twist

rest
bone meditation
LAM

malasana
uttanasana
uttithatadasana
shoulder rolls
uttanasana variation
tadasana
LAM

guitar hero with freeform

tadasana

standing sequence:
lunge
warrior I
twisted lunge
low crescent
pigeon
downdog

other side standing sequence

downdog
sphinx
seal
bone rest

downdog

dancing shiva play

uttansana
downdog
puppy dog
balasana

side saddle stretch and twist

bridge x 2

twisted root

savasana

sit
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Thank you Bones! Wednesday, August 27, 2014

This devotional practice helped loosen the grip of the mind with gratitude to the bones and other divine sources of support.

Heart opener over bolster
femur meditation
long stretch with chinese circles
femur internal and external rotation
rest
YAM

eye of the needle
supine pigeon
eye twist


malasana
utthanasana
utktasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana
LAM

standing sequence:
lunge
side angle
triangle
standing triangle
peaceful warrior
pigeon

three leg dog
baby cobra
locust

downdog
other side standing sequence

downdog
baby cobra
cobra
balasana

plank
downdog
uttansanana
utkatasana
tadasana

tree
warrior III
tree

uttanasana
downdog

plank
baby cobra
locust
balasana

thigh torture

legs up the wall

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: Bone Zone: Tuesday, August 26, 2014

We used the bones as our primary focus tonight. The bones rumored to hold our soul and to have or magical potency.

Impressing the Heart
extension over blocks
femur rotation
rest

butterfly (4 mins)

balasana
dragon (4 mins)
swan (3 mins)
rest

twisted root (3.5 each side)

savasana

sit
namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Rest Your Weary Bones: Monday, August 25, 2014

The practice of yoga..abhyasa..is a continuous effort for a long time. New pathways and doors open up all the time. One of the jobs of the yogi is to be willing to recognize there is more than meets the usual eyes. As St. Paul is rumored to have said "eyes of the flesh see things of the flesh, eyes of the spirit". This continuous effort is never ending..as it is put in the Rig Veda neti neti!

We used the bones, primarily the femur, to tether our attention into parts not usually seen.

Heart opener over bolster
femur meditation
femur rotation
chinese circles

rest in the bones

eye of the needle
supine pigeon
eye twist

malasana
uttanasana
utkatasana

tadasana

guitar hero

tadasana
LAM

standing sequence:
lunge
side angle prep
triangle
standing triangle
peaceful warrior
pigeon

three leg dog
baby cobra
locust

other side standing series

downdog
puppy dog
balasana

downdog
uttanasna
utkatasana
tadasana

Tree
Warrior III
Tree

uttansana

( wanted to to thigh torture series but ran out of time!)

bridge

twisted root

savasana

sit
OM
namaste

Yin Yoga: The Miracle of Everything: Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Waterfall
Eye of the needle at wall
4 part breathing meditation

Sit

Butterfly

Balasana
Dragon

Sphinx or seal

Twisted root

Savasana

Namaste

Restorative Yoga: Yoking to Ease: Monday, August 18, 2014

windshield wiper with spleen and kidney meditation

eye of the needle

supine baddha konasana
side lying rest pose

supported twist over bolster
sit
other side twist
sit

supported upavista konasana

savasana

reclining Buddha

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Low Back, Easy Yoke, and Light Burden: Monday, August 18, 2014

We had a request today for low back relief. One of the first suggestions yogis make about how to relieve pain is Ishvara Pranidad, translated as surrender to the cosmos. In the Christian tradition in the story of Jesus walking on water and inviting the fisherman to yoke with him to rest..as his "yoke is easy, and the burden is light" (Matthew 11.30)

So we played with easing the low back and other pain in the alignments of ease and a lightened burden.

knees to chest
windshield wiper
full body stretch
rest

eye of the needle
supine pigeon
twisted needle
rest

downdog

low lunge with crescent

cat and cow

half frog

easy side plank

downdog
uttansana
malasana
uttanasana

tadasana
low back breathing into hands
uttansana

standing sequence
downdog
warrior I dance
parsvatadasana
pigeon
supine tree

bridge
supported bridge
supported shoulder stand

easy spine twist

supported savasana

sit
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: A Salute to the Sunshine Within: Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Tadasana

Uttithatadasana
Uttanasana
Malasana
Tadasana

YAM

Simple lunge salute
Puppy dog
Sphinx or seal

Lunge salute with side bend and hip opener

Downdog

Plank
Easy side locust
Harder side locust

Easy side plank

Plank
Downdog

Standing Sequence:
Lunge
Twisted lunge
Warrior 11 dance
Pigeon
Supine tree

Bridge

Other side standing sequence

Tree

waterfall legs up the wall
Upavista at wall
Balasana at wall
Twist at wall

Savasana


Sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: Abhinnivesha: Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Abhinivesha, or attachment to the status quo, also is commonly translated as fear of death. It seems what we fear most is the death of our thoughts.

Legs up the wall waterfall style
Upavista konasana at wall
Balasana at wall
Side twist at wall

Breath Meditation at wall

balasana
Dragon

Sphinx/Seal

Twisted Root

Savasana/Sit
Namaste

Restorative Yoga: Sat Chit Ananda: Monday, August 11, 2014

We endeavored to restore our awareness of Sat Chit Ananda.

windshield wiper

three part breathing pranayama

supine baddha konasana

supported twist with sukasana sit between sides

either supported upavista konasana or supported balasana

waterfall
sukasana at wall

sit or savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: The Open Heart of the Here and Now: Monday, August 11, 2014

We cultivated our capacity for an open heart with breath, mantra, asana and pratiprasaba wishing others happiness, and ultimately finding an open heart is in the here and quiet now.

sukansana with rounding center
pratiprasaba contemplation

seated janushirsasana with twist and side bending

sit with gratitude meditation
YAM

reverse windshield wiper
sphinx/seal

table top twist with cat cow

plank
downdog

uttanasana
uttithatadasana
tadasana
OM

lunge salutes #1 with low crescent
lunge salute #2 with side bending and high lunge

balasana
kneeling with May You Be Happy, May You Be Free meditation
OM

plank
downdog

uttanasana
tadasana

standing sequence:
lunge
twisted lunge
warrior II dance
pigeon variation
three leg dog
wild thing

downdog
baby cobra
locust

bridge
bridge or wheel
bridge, wheel or supported bridge

cool down:
eye of the needle
twisted root
Texas Star

other side cool down

savasana

sit
OM
Namaste

Yin Yoga: The Quiet at the Bottom Of The Exhale: Tuesday, August 5, 2014

It was one of the most beautiful summer nights with the perfect summer breeze. So we started with a short sit simply to take in the beauty. Once in our sit, the four parts of the breath meditation came in. This was the basis of our class, with emphasis on the bottom of the exhale, cultivating our willingness to surrender to the what is.

sit
4 part breath meditation

windshield wiper
eye of the needle

butterfly (4 mins)

balaslana (2 mins)
dragon (3.5 mins)

sphinx/seal (4 mins)
crocodile (2 mins)

twisted root (4 mins)

sit or savasana (15 mins)

sit
OM
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Surrender to the deeper Truth: August 6, 2014

Yogis tell us there is a deeper Truth that surface tensions allow us to see. In this practice we cultivated ease and stillness through pranayama and other practices. We took a lot of bite sized meditations today.

Sit
4 parts of the breath meditation

Sukasana forward fold and side bend

Sit

OMG with flying dog
Sphinx or seal

Downdog

Uttanasana
Uttithatadasana
Uttanasana
Malasana

Eye of the needle with hamstring stretch

Plank
Downdog

Uttanasana
Tadasana

Lunge salute 1
Lunge
With lie crescent
Downdog
Uttanasana
Utkatasana
Tadasana
OM

Lunge salute 2
Lunge
Side stretch
Low crescent
Hamstring stretch
Downdog

Baby cobra
Locust

Downdog

Uttanasana
Tadasana

At wall
Warrior II
Trikonasana

At mat
Warrior II
Trikonasana

Tree

Seated twist
Side stretch
Sit

Happy baby
Supine meditation

Rolling bridge play

Savasana

Sit
Om
Namaste

Sweet Vinyasa: Ease With The Way Things Are And Seeing Clearly Are Related: Monday, August 4, 2014

The niynama santosha helps to relax the grip so we can see more clearly. And as we begin to relax the grip on the unfolding of our life, ease comes more naturally.  These alignments feel subtle and deep and we let the breath help us stay tethered within to relax the mind.

Reclining Buddha

Eye of the Needle with twist

Sukasana side bending
seated neck stretches
sit

malasana
uttanasana
uttithatadasana
uttanasana variation


lunge salute #1 with low crescent
downdog

plank
reverse windshield wipers

locust variation play

plank
downdog

uttanasana
utkatasana
tadasana
OM

lunge salutes #2 with side bend and low crescent

downdog
baby cobra or cobra
plank
downdog

uttanasana
utkatasana
tadasana

lunge salute #3 with hamstring stretch

downdog
balasana

plank
downdog
uttanasana
tadasana

tree at wall
tree variation at wall

uttanasana
malasana

bridge x2

twisted root

sit
OM
Namaste

Private Yoga Session: Enjoy Where You Are: Saturday, August 2, 2014

Sequence for a private yoga session in Ojai, California for a seasoned pratitoner on vacation. Some kids also popped in for some of it.

Heart opener over bricks
Shoulder and full body stretch
Supine resting meditation

Cat and Cow
Barrel Roll
Balasana

Sphinx
Reverse windshield wiper

Easy side plank

Plank
Downdog

Uttanasana
Tadasana
Uttithatadasana

Tadasana
Shoulder Shrugs and Rolls
Standing Guitar Hero

Uttanasana
Malasana

Windshield wiper
Half happy baby play with rock the baby
Meditation rest

Downdog

Warrior I
Pigeon

Butterfly

Ardha Matsendrasana
Double pigeon with Eagle Arm stretch

Bridge
Bridge or wheel

Twisted root

Seated Meditation

Savasana

Sit
Namaste