Soft Vinyasa Saturday 9am

16 peeps

No real peak pose. Attention to internal alignment cues towards Half Moon. Hop Opening towards Half Lotus. Dharma Talk on Sutra 1.1. Preparing to Relax.

Opening
Supine Heart Opener with Shoulder Opening. See Online Yoga Video.
Lengthening the Spine. See online yoga video.

Easy Forward Folding and Side Bending in Choice of Cross legged Seat

Transition to All Fours

Easy Side Plank Both Sides
Childs

Plank
Dog

Sequence 1
Abdominal Lunge Curling
Twisting Lunge
Hammock
Crescent Moon
Dog

Repeat Sequence 1 Other Side

Plank
Sphinx
Rocket Cat
Plank
Dog

Uttanasana
Roll up to Standing

Sequence 2
Utthita Tadasana
Sun to Lunge
Side Angle Blueprint
Triangle
Side Triangle
Side Angle Pose
Lunge
Uttanasana
Roll up to Standing

Repeat Sequence 2 Other Side

Sequence 3
Utthita Tadasana
Sun to Lunge
Side Angle Blueprint
Triangle
Side Triangle
PP C
Tree Pose
Triangle
Half Moon
Standing Splits
Uttanasana
Roll up to Standing

Repeat Sequence 3

Tadasana
Sun to Dog

Seated Sequence
From Dog
Hip Opener
Pigeon
Revolving Head to Knee
Seated Sequence Towards Half Lotus Forward Fold

Transition Back to Dog

Repeat Seated Sequence Other Side

Baddha Konasana Yin Style

Transition to Supine
(not enuf time to do bridge)

Indulgent Windshield Wiper
Favorite Spinal Twist

Savasana

Teacher Training Starts Tomorrow

Tomorrow Night we kick off our "Teaching Yoga" 10 day course.  Totally excited and a little nervous.  

The teacher training is like a planned crisis.  Trying to share how you teach is a really difficult and fun challenge.  Cuz as soon as you attempt to shine a light on something, it moves.  And right on schedule, my teaching has been making a turn.

I am going to be meeting a lot of the peeps for the first time.  And they are going to be meeting each other.  Trying to feel into what the main points are that I want to hit.  The old notes do not seem relevant to this session.  Wondering what the group will draw out.  Cuz it all depends on who shows up.  

Yoga Basics, Monday 5:00pm

12 Peeps

I asked if there were any questions, etc. One woman asked what kind of yoga we were doing. This opened up a discussion around Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, etc...And it created talking points for the rest of the class. Got hit to move towards headstand early in the class so went with it. Each uttansana, emphasized allowing the head to drop and feeling into the weight rolling forward. Tried to bring a lot of awareness into the anatomy of the tailbone and pelvis to be able to access it if and when peeps were upside down. Also, the early question about the Hatha Yoga path allowed me the space to present the posture as a possibility but not an absolute.

Opening
Supine
Knees Bent, hands on belly
Breath Awareness
4 Parts of Breath
Hands around lower ribs to bring awareness to diaphragm
4 Parts of Breath Awareness

Knees to Chest
Roll up to Sitting

Easy Cross Legged Forward Fold
Chest Press
(Switch Legs and Repeat)

Transition to All Fours
Cat/Cow
Childs
All Fours
Plank
Dog
Childs

Demo

All Fours
Plank
Dog
Step Forward
Uttanasana
Roll to Standing

Interlaced Fingers Overhead Side Stretch
Interlaced Fingers behind back Forward Fold
Roll Up to Standing
Repeat Other side with Opposite Knuckle on Top

Swamp Monster
Hallelujah (formally known as Cactus)
A few Rounds

Inverted Sirsasana

Transition to Wall
Splat
Right Angle
Uttanasana
Roll Up to Standing

Shoulder Opener @ Wall
Splat
Right Angle
Uttanasana
Roll Up to Standing

Utthita Tadasana with Block

Forearm Wrap Work with Block (3 rounds)

Sirsasana Prep Posture
- one time with legs walking in (rest in childs)
- one time with leg lift

Many Layers of Practice tonight in class, so many options:
- Enough with the headstand work, legs up wall
- headstand prep or headstand with 3 blocks @ wall
- headstand into middle of room

I allowed enough time to be able to really be a wall and an assist to each person as needed. This is an unusual luxury and I was grateful for the myopic focus tonight that allowed it.


Legs up the Wall

Bridge Pose with Block Support

Easy Spinal Twist

Savasana

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