Vinyasa Basics 5.13.10

Intimate group with a request for neck and shoulders. Pulled out the harmonium for some OM's to help open the throat to begin. (As a record this class it dawns on me that some HAMS would have been appropriate for chanting during the practice!)

Practiced one of my favorite neck openers..supported shoulderstand (lowering to heart opener).

Sukasana

3 OMS

wide leg sit with extended arms
seated circle dance

janushirsanana with side stretch and twist
sukasana with twist

forward fold
table top
paschmotadasana

other side


uttanasana

tadasana
OM

shoulder opener with strap
forward fold

standing side bend with strap
forward fold

lunge
cresent
hamstring stretch

sphinx
cobra
cobra/frog

downdog

other side with cresent OM

vinyasa

tadasana

lunge
side angle blueprint
trikonasana with shoulder opener
side angle

downdog
vinyasa

balasana

other side

roll to backs

bridge
sacrum rest

supported bridge/supported shoulderstand

heart opener over blanket

supported savasana

sit
OM
Namaste!

11th Step Meditation. 5.13.10

Was a little tired this morning. Tapping really helped invigorate the flow of energy. I am grateful for this sangha, and my gratitude extends to all the people in my life. The movement towards feeling connected, truly and divinely connected, is growing.

Played with the idea of pain and illness as blocked prana and using our bodies and our minds to unblock our flow. A bit of movement, breathwork, prayer, fellowship, scriptual study, speaking, and meditation is powerfully effective.

Baddha konasana with forward fold
3rd step prayer

seated Baddha konasana

3 deep breaths with arms extended overhead

pashimotadasana
tapping (legs, low belly, low back, heart)

easy eye of the needle with twist

starfish

sit

read

share

Namaste!

Vinysasa Basics 5.11.10

Patricia Sullivan's workshop this weekend was incredible, mainly because it was Patricia Sullivan. I love the way she teaches as much as what she teaches. I love that she takes her time, I love that she allows so much space, I love her autheticity. She is teaching me to relax more into not only the teachings, but also the fun of being a teacher.

Kira's use of working the feet and LOOKING at the feet in yin class last night inspired the theme of avidya.

YAM'ed more than usual. I am intrigued with sound.

lotus foot rub

janushirsanana with twist and side bend
sukasana with twist

3 breaths

other side

cat
cow
active balasana
puppy dog

plank
downdog

tadasana
angeli mudra
gratitude meditation
YAM

lunge salute with cobra and YAM
lunge salute with cobra, locust

tadasana
lunge
twisted lunge
warrior I
eagle arms
eagle
tadasana

vinyasa

other side


standing sequence #2 adding on
lunge
twisted lunge
warrior I
eagle
warrior III
standing splits

vinyasa

balasana
back on the heart breath

other side sequence #2 with silent YAM in Warrior I

from cobra, lowering.
YAM

Roll to backs:

starfish

bridge
sacrum rest

twisted, twisted root (feeling the 'wierd side' first)

savasana

sit

3 OM's
Namaste

Prototypes Women's Center 5.10.10

It was so nice outside, we took our mats to the front yard to practice. Rooting and feeling into the earth energy was delightful. I learned the term "chin to chest", so often used in yoga to create a jalandara bandha as well as to protect and lengthen the back body, is a heroin "using" term. One of the women pointed that out to me. She said she was learning to associate 'chin to chest' with yoga, not heroin, but I wonder how many women the term triggers.

I feel I should reword that action..maybe 'chin towards the heart' or 'lower your chin', something like that?

I was a little late in finishing, but even so, nobody ran off right away. This is progress I think.


Sukasana 3 breaths
earth energy, springtime blooms and new beginnings

Sukasana side bending

windshield wiper

tiger balance pose with twist playing with support

tadasana

lunge salutes with cobra, locust play

tree

bridge

twisted root

savasana

sit

1:1 signout

Yoga for Recovery 5.8.10

Lulu's is an amazing place to teach. Add to the natural good energy a workshop lead by Patricia Sullivan, and voila, teaching a class was pure delight! I didn't have a sequence planned, so I did some of my personal favorites.

Usually I don't endeavor to teach something I just learned until I bake it in for myself, but I really connected to the way Patricia taught sphinx/seal. I love the feel of the elbows pressing in to the earth in sphinx, and then pulling the palms towards you as you draw the heart forward to open. Then lift the elbows a few inches and press the palms away and feel the feet reach back towards the back of the mat (yummy extension and expansion). To lower, pull the palms forward again. Yeah yeah!

Connecting to the springtime energy of blooming and new growth, new beginnings. Trusting, Faith, relaxing into the earth.

Heart opener over bolster
breath awareness
finding support
OM

windshield wiper over bolster

supine rest on earth

cat
cow
balasana
puppy dog

balancing tiger

plank
downdog
uttanasana

tadasana
YAM

lunge salute with twist
(Patricia) sphinx/seal
lunge salute with twist
cobra/locust

tadasana
lunge
side angle prep
trikonasana
extended trikonasana
extended side angle
lunge
twisted lunge

vinyasa

other side

lowering to pigeon
3 leg dog
other side

vinyasa
rolling to supine

starfish

bridge
baddha konasana
bridge
sacrum rest

savasana

sit
Namaste!

Prototypes Big Bear Retreat 5.5.10

We began at 6.30AM. The day before I found a beautiful spot by a mountain stream with a large granite rock which sloped downward just enough to provide a gentle hip opener. Perfect! We took a 1o minute hike to do our yoga/meditation session here. The movement practice was about 25 minutes, and we sat for 15.

Hike to Stream

Tadasana
Uttithatadasana
3 breaths

¼ sun saluations

½ sun salutations

malasana
cowboy negociaton

uttanasana

tadasana

sukasana
side bending
seated twist
other side

alternate nostil breathing

sit

Namaste

Prototypes Big Bear Retreat 5.6.10

Yoga and meditation on this retreat was an optional activity. I was delighted at the number of women who requested to practice and expressed an interest. Today we held our movement practice in the meeting hall and then hiked to the stream for meditation. The sun peeks over the trees during our sit and warms the rock where we sit. It is nice and toasty by the end of the session. It was lovely.

Like yesterday, we stayed after meditation for a short chat and hung out on the rock by the stream.

Tadasana
Uttithatadasana
3 breaths

¼ sun saluations
½ sun salutations
lunge salutes with low cobra

windshield wiper

sukasana

side bending
seated twist
other side seated series

Hike to Stream


Sit
Breath awareness



Namaste