Kali, Shiva, and Raktabija

Used John's template from the TT manual for inversions to construct this sequence.

Told the myth of Raktabija the asura coming to conquer the city of the gods. Indra called on Shiva and Uma. He asked to awaken Kali so she could defend the city from the blood demon, who every time he was cut each drop of blood would grown into another demon, making him more powerful.

Shive released the power of Kali from Uma and she destroyed Raktabija and his demon army. She drank up the blood before it could become more demons. Once she destroyed the army she was continuing to destroy things and out of control. Shiva lay on the battlefield among the corpses in repose and when Kali stepped on him he drew her wild ecstatic destructive power out of her so she could return to her more auspicious, nurturing form.

So to in our practice we want to fiercely defend our highest and best intentions, but still ground the wild energy down when it no longer serves us so we can be at peace.

Invited student to contemplate what their city of the gods is, what that highest intention in their heart is that they would want to defend fiercely.

Everyone needs a block, a strap, a bolster, and two blankets. Starting out at the wall.

Surya Namaskar x4
-Tadasana - Volcano
-Uttanasana
-High Lunge
-Downdog - Plank
-8-point
-Cobra
-Plank - Downdog
-High Lunge
-Uttansana
-Volcano - Tadasna

Handstand - Ahdo Mukha Vrksasana
Pincha Mayurasana (hands clasped, level 1, palms pressed together, level 2)
Vrksasana - arms in Anjali Mudra and Stretchout out overhead
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana - Leg forward and out to side
Shoulder Opener @ Wall
Vasisthasana - Leg in kickstand/together
Wild Thing

child's pose - lift belly and fingertips to fully engage in repose
Low plank engaging core, then lower down to Belly and lay on a Blanket Roll - Abdominal restorative, talked about stuck energy in the body, anxiety and emotions and how they are natural and good instincts that can protect us, but we have to be able to discern when they don't serve us so we can release and transform it through our yoga practice.
Supta Virasana Supported on Bolster to open the knees for pigeon.
Pigeon - pressing back heel into the wall
Iguana - to open the hips for hanumanasana
Hanumanasana - use two blocks to come more upright, once settled, optional forward bend
Nadi Shodana Iin Ardha Padmasana (half lotus) careful not to retain the breath as that can kick up anxiety...let breath flow naturally. For inauspicious emotional releases remember that you are divine, you are worthy of love and you are Sri (you are beautiful).

Ardha Matsyundrasana
Setubanda Sarvangasana - lift the leg
Shoulder Stand - use two blankets
Uttansana - Shoulder stretch, hands clasped behind the back
Savasana - ground down any wild energy that isn't serving us that we've dredged up in our practice. Draw it down into the earth so the fire at the core can purify it and it can take on a more auspicious form.

Closing: A myth is an outright lie told in the service of a greater truth, and you are all of the characters.

We practice Yoga to be like Kali, fiercely defending our highest and best intentions, and to be like Shiva calmly grounding any energy that doesn't serve us so we can be at ease.

Notes: No concerns with injuries or other issues this class.

I had been helping my wife who had chicken pox this weekend, so I made sure to clean myself thoroughly before class and did not manually adjust or shake hands with anyone. I inquired and learned that there were only two people in the class who had not had it yet, so I was very careful not to make contact with them and to let them know that I had been in contact with chicken pox and had taken every possible step to prevent them from getting it. Since I do not have chicken pox the risk was supposed to be very low that I could transmit it.

After class I asked for future class suggestions. Told them I was planning to revisit their requests from last week. This class we did flow, inversions/hand balances, and pranayama. Next three classes I plan to focus a little more on each one. One student requested a longer flow sequence (moving with the breath) but with a little more technical instruction in the warmup and also more hip openers, so I'm going to incorporate those elements into the next class.

Spanda, the Dynamic Pulsation of the Universe.

Everyone needs two blocks and a bolster.

Theme: Spanda, the dynamic pulsation of the universe. Turn inwards to reflect on your highest intention and see where you are presently in the pulsation energetically, physically, and emotionally in your life. Look to see that the low points in life were doorways to new expansion and appreciate when you are at the top of a great auspicious wave or cycle in your life.

In yoga poses we don't want to just hang out when we get to the form of the pose or become a rigid statue, we want to pulsate with life and look at each moment and every breath as an opportunity to re-engage the body and new opening and place in the pose.

Talked about visiting my family last week now that they've retired. Also talked about how my parents have chosen to more deeply engage themselves in life by adopting more children to help them. Asked students to turn inward and find a compassionate place to thing about how they can better serve themselves or another (compassion is for the self as well as altruistic).

Cat/Cow - Alt Hands
DD-Cobra-Sphinx w/Thigh
Dolphin - Uttanasana
DD-Cobra-Locust
Uttanasana - use blocks to root to rise, everyone using blocks to engage more
Utkatasana - twist both sides
Padottanasana - use blocks to engage deeper and connect to warriors breath.. My dad has a sleep apnea machine that helps him breath while he sleeps. My mom jokes it makes him sound like darth vader, but it actually a similar sound to warriors breath. Connecting to the breath is one way we engage in intense poses so we can feel the dramatic pulsation in the body and the breath and be more fully embodied.
Warrior I - remember your highest and best intention for yourself.
Parsvakonasana - hand to floor
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Virabhadrasana II
Triangle
Parivrtta Trikonasana
Warrior III - lenthening the side body and softening the heart. My dad had his knee replaced and he goes for a two hour walk every morning to keep himself mobile and healthy, which is great, but I woke up one morning and my dad just got back from his walk and he was eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast as his reward. So had them engage fully in warrior III knowing that they will get a reward at the end, told them we're going to child's pose right after.
Child's pose
Demo - dolphin w/ block at the wall - connect your highest and best effort to your hearts desire, open the heart to make it a container to hold your offering
Partner - knees to open heart at the wall
Self at wall - pincha mayurasana - asked student to hold highest intention in their heart during this pose, to reconnect to their highest intention. Mentioned that the peacock embodies opposites in that it has beautiful colors, but not the most musical voice.
Child's pose
WLFB
Uttansana with hands clasped behind back
Sivasana - with spine supported on a bolster - to keep the mind more aware so they can open the heart, connect to the breath, hold their highest intention and then release everything down into the earth.

Everything in the universe moves. pulsation is life. If there's no movement then there's no life. Spanda is the dynamic pulsation of the breathing living supreme consciousness that surrounds us and creates us in every moment. In every moment we can tune into our bodies and our breath and realize the greater truth, that we and all things are connected and composed of the same divinity.

Closing: We practice yoga to connect to our breath and bodies so we can feel the spandic rhythm of the universe, and to make us more aware of the divinity in ourselves and others.

Concerns:

I had more twists and hip openers planned for this sequence, but working with the students on aligning and engaging the standing poses we didn't get to them. I felt good about the energy level, attitude, and pace of the class. People said they enjoyed it. I think I want to talk more about balanced action though. It seems like Spanda is a great way to talk about balanced action. We touched on recognizing pulsation and life, but I didn't mention balance at all. Will have to integrate that into future classes.

I asked the students what they wanted to see in the future and I had several suggestions to incorporate Pranayama, which I intend to do in moderation towards the end of the next few classes. Also we had a request for more inversion and balancing poses and another for more yoga flow. We did Surya Namaskar in the last class which is good for a warmup at a faster pace, flowing with less alignment instruction.

I'm going to speed up the warmup sun salutations to make it more dynamic and then slow it down to work on balances and close with pranayama.