Jam Session 1, Saturday Afternoon

Wow, three hours goes by quick! My plan had been to start practice immediately and leave time to talk after but one of the peeps was late, so talked for 20 minutes first and then practiced. Ending with the Namaste. Homework was to write out the class and what we did to create a mindfulness.

My main intention with today's class was:
- Show some methods of grossly and obviously connecting people with their subtle energies
- Show a style of setting up cues that can be remembered and used through the entire practice and referenced as things get more difficult
- Pacing to allow a multitude of levels to participate
- Creating memories while things are still easy
- How to successfully lead people into touching and experiencing themselves
- Honor the request of playing with feeling more comfortable with chanting and touching
- Point at and start to develop a dialogue around how practicing rest is how we break the addictions. Creating more room in the pause. Feeling the moment of choice.


I did not know exactly what we were going to do. The sequence mirrors what I have been doing lately, with a few more layers pulled back.

Opening
Constructive Rest Pose
Mula Bandha Target Practice

Feedback: Al claimed that she could engage and release her pelvic floor more easily with the breath. This was great feedback. Am and J both explained that it was hard not to lift the hips which was good feedback cuz then I know that this might work itself into the cuing.

Hip Rotation Play to Eye of the Needle
With extra attention to the rest in between and staying present

Roll up to Sitting
Sen Channel Pressing on inner line of leg
Purpose was to again point at another gross way to start to touch ourselves with our awareness
Sharing of the feeling in the leg and words to describe it
"Breathing" "Lighter" "More Spacious" "Warmer" "Cooler" "Minty" Also the room to express no sense of difference.

We pressed up the inside of both legs.
Revolved Head to Knee Pose Both Sides

Malasana
Uttanasana
Roll up to Standing

Partner Mula Bandha Mudra Play
(I handed out VAYU diagrams at the beginning of class so that there was a connection with Apana Vayu, Prana Vayu and Samana Vayu). Everyone was able to experience the increase in strength by holding mulabandha. This is an awesome way to bring the theory of stopping the leak of Apana Vayu to increase the flow of prana in the body.

Partner Ujayyi Breath Play
We held each others ribs and breathed together, playing with breathing up and then down.
We talked about the theory of Ujayyi, the drawing down of the Prana to mix with the Apana in the Samana to create heat.

Tadasana
Play with the details of the Ujayyi using mulabandha.
I overloaded everyone when i started to differentiate between the breath and the prana. Too much. So awesome to be with a group that will tell you this!

LAM
Sequence 1
Sun to Lunge
Dog
Lunge Other Side
Uttanasana
Complete Sun to Standing

Tadasana
VAM
Sequence 2
Sun to Twisting Lunge
Dog
Twisting Lunge Other Side
Uttanasana
Complete Sun to Standing

Tadasana
Sequence 3
Utthita Tadasana
RAM
Sun to Crescent Moon
Dog

Dipping Locust Cobra Vinyasa
- plank
- 3 rounds dips ("girly" pushups with knees on earth and ankles lifted)
- little cobra to locust to cobra
- rest, windshield wiper
- rocket cat
- childs pose
- plank
- dog

Crescent Moon other Side

Dipping Locust Cobra Vinyasa

East Side Plank Both Sides
Rocket Cat
Plank
Dog

Uttanasana
Roll up to Standing

Tadasana
Palm Prana Awareness with Slinky Method
YAM
Sequence 4
Sun to Lunge
Hammock
Warrior 2 Dance
Warrior 2
3 Legged Dog
Dog

Chatarunga Locust Cobra Vinyasa

Repeat Sequence 4 Other Side

Chatarunga Locust Cobra Vinyasa

Side Plank Both Sides

Dog
Uttanasna
Roll up to Standing

Discussion here around the set up of actions progressively. How as postures got more difficult there were plenty of resources and cues to draw on. Spoke about the connection of the chakras with the particular postures. Spoke about the different routes. "Pulled back the curtain."

Tree Pose
Tadasana
HAM
Sun to Dog

Side Plank with Tree Leg Variation Both Sides
Rest Childs

Vajrasana

(Choice was to go to muladhara ajna chakra which had been the original intention or create a little more heat. Went towards creating more heat. And weaved it to the discussion around breaking patterns.)

Played with lifting ourselves off the ground using bricks and blankets.

Navasana play to Earth.

Supine
Windshield Wiper
Bridge Pose x 2

Easy Spinal Twist with Attention on the Ajna and a silent mental OM on both Sides

Knees to Chest

Savasana
ON way towards savasana, Awareness at top of Head, gentle opening and OM.

Sit.