Yoga Basics, 5:15pm Monday

11 Peeps

1 New

The same group has been showing up for a while to the basics class so we have been able to "progress" towards a pretty sophisticated place.  So tonight when a total newbie, who has never inhabited his body showed up it shifted the pace.  

As a teacher, you are always dependent upon who shows up.  Managing the expectations of the regulars with the needs of the new kid is a high art.  My strategy seems to be to slow things way down and offer geeky details for the regulars that creates the space and time to connect with and assist the new person.

Opening

Supine

Low Back Sacrum Awareness

Breath Awareness

Apanasana

Hand to Big Toe Pose with Strap

Easy Cross Legged Seat

Sacrum Awareness

Forward Fold

Switch Legs

Repeat Other Side

Slumpy Dandasana

Chest Press Dandasana

Squat

Uttanasana

Roll up to Standing

Shoulder Shrugs

Transition to Wall

Splat Pose

Shoulder Opener at Wall

Splat

Right Angle

Uttanasana

Roll up to Tadasana

Tadasana with Ujayyi Pranayama

1/4 Salutes

Lunge Salute at Wall with Breath Focus

Splat

Right Angle

Lunge @ Wall

Tadasana

Repeat Other Side

Shoulder Awareness Sequence

Bow n Arrow Stage 1

Interlaced Hands over Head

Interlaced Hands with Forward Fold

Release and Roll Up to Standing

Repeat Other Side

Tadasana

Down Dog @ Wall Play

2 Rounds

(The emphasis was on finding the wrapping work in the shoulder in down dog.  I worked with the new guy on a chair).

Down Dog Standard with lots of emphasis on the shoulders

Childs Pose

Transition onto Backs

Windshield Wiper Pose

Bridge Pose Stage 1

Bridge Pose x 2

Knees to Chest

Eye of Needle

Easy Spinal Twist

Knees to Chest

Happy Baby Pose

Savasana

SWG Saturday 10:45am

7 Peeps, only one woman

Fathers and Sons

Regulars

Request for Down Dog Detailing.

Start Supine

Hand to Big Toe Pose with Strap to open hamstrings

Transition to all fours

Cat/Cow

Plank

Dog

Step forward to Uttanasana

Roll to Standing

Shoulder Openers with Strap

2 Rounds Easy Lunge Salutes with Dog Pose

Transition to Dog and Geeked out on the details, looking and discussing benefits of a shorter vs a longer dog.

Played with Plank and Pushups and Cobra here then transitioned back to standing and took a full round of Lunge Salutes without the blocks.

Squat

Play with lifting the body up off the floor in cross legged position.

Inserting forward folds and side bends in between to counter the effects.

Seated Spinal Twist

Forward Fold

Transition onto Backs

Easy Spinal Twist

Savasana

Wall Dog and Wall Lunge

Half Wall Dog
Step 1: Stand near wall and align hands with hips.

Step 2: Walk feet back, lining shoulders up with wrists and heals with hips. Bend the knees to allow tailbone to lift.

Step 3: Press into hands, reach back through sit bones to lengthen the back. Allow legs to straighten as hamstrings allow.

Step 4: To release, step back to wall




Wall Lunge
Step 1: Spread toes up wall so that the ball of the foot rests between the wall and the floor. If too painful, simply place foot near wall.

Step 2: Step opposite foot back and wiggle it back until appropriate distance for your thighs and groin. Play with tail bone, understanding that tucking it under increases the stretch in the thigh and lifting it up increases the compression in the low back.

Step 3: Press into the wall with fingers and lift the heart. With the tailbone tucked under, reach through back heal and slowly bend the front knee. Breathe and hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

Step 4: To Release, straighten front leg, release toes from wall and step forward. Repeat other side. Transition to Half Wall Dog and maybe Half Wall Dog One Leg Lift.

Saturday, March 31, Stiff White Guys 10:45am

12 Peeps
Regulars

This class is usually packed with injuries and new people, so I was able to take advantage of the intimate familiar group and offer a few new ideas. One of the students had been bitten by a DOg, so we agreed to do downdog. This surprisingly led us to work on headstand preparation.

Starting on the backs
1) Hip Rotation Awareness.
2) Eye of the Needle to Half Happy Baby. Repeat other side.
3) Supta Padangustasana with Straps.

Roll to Sitting

4) Squat
5) Utanasana
6) Tadasana

7) Side Waist Stretch with Fingers interlaced and Palms Facing Up
8) Forward Fold with Fingers interlaced behind back
9) Half Chair to Utkatasana
10) Tadasana

Repeat with emphasis on working the underside of the stretch.

11) Breath Awareness with Tailbone movement
12) 1/4 Suns
13) Half Suns

14) Splat at Wall
15) Half Wall Dog
16) Wall Lunge
17) Splat
18) Half Wall Lunge with Leg Lift
19) Utanasana

20) Down Dog with Hands at wall (2x) (Childs Pose in between)
21) Down Dog without wall
22) Sphinx

23) Seated Shoulder Awareness Exercise
Lift right elbow to be in line with right shoulder, creating a 90 degree angle. Roll shoulder back and down. Use left hand to press into right forearm and press right forearm into left elbow creating awareness of the strength under the shoulder blade. Repeat other side. Finish by holding both arms in front of you and working like you are trying to squeeze the elbows together but resist and don't.

24) Dolphin
25) Sirsasana (headstand) Preparation

26) Sirsasana Preparation with 3 blocks at the Wall
Played with lifting legs. Some people went up!

27) Childs Pose
28) Bridge Pose 2x
29) Spinal Twist
30) Savasana
31) Sit an OM