Centering...talk about the battlefield
Arjuna the archer is your courageous spirit. Krishna is your divine nature. The Kauravas are all your familiar bad habits and past pains.
CV demonstrating keeping shoulder loop through chaturanga transition to cobra
Cat-Cow/Gomukhasana
SN - Low Lunge/Twist/Thigh Stretch
SN - Warrior I/Parvottanasana/Parivrtta Trikonasana
SN - Pigeon turning knee open from LL/FB on ridgetop cobra/Thigh Stretch
Lay on a blanket roll
Badda Konasana
Childs Pose Ahdo Mukha Virasana
Virasana - Supta Virasana (legs in alignment means amazing things happen, out of alignment disaster waiting to happen)
Blanket Roll - Sitting back on roll, toes tucked then toenails down, stand on blanket roll in Uttanasana
Paschimottanansa supported on bolster
Janu Sirsasana supported on bolster
Jathara Parivatanasna
Supported Bridge
Savasana
Closing: We practice yoga to skillfully engage in battle to overcome our injuries and pain that holds us back, so we can free ourselves to align with our hearts.
Success!/Concerns: Had some students with knee issues so spend time showing everyone how to properly and safely align legs in virasana with invisible line through second toe, heel, and knee.
Had several students after class with questions about using some specific poses to relieve chronic back pain. Pointed out poses we already did today that they can do at home to help. Also gave them a few other options.
Next week we're having mind/body weekend at the Y so my class will be a 1 hour workshop called Yoga Technigues for Anxiety & Stress Management.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Arjuna and his brothers, the 5 Pandavas
Last week talked about Krishna, this week Arjuna and the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita or Song of God is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna about right and wrong, and takes place on a battlefield.
War doesn’t seem very yogic, but we’re going to explore how this setting is actually appropriate and represents the inner world of every being as they often struggle with themselves to come to terms with what their own highest and best potential is in life.
Centering – focus on the five pandava brothers, the five principles in comfortable seated position. Talk briefly about cosmic headrest in the chariot to briefly introduce skull loop.
Tadasana/Utanasana/Downdog – engage the five principles in each pose, Arjuna is one of the five virtuous Pandava brothers, all heroic half gods.
Plank, knee to nose six times each leg, 12 for years in exile, childs pose for last year in hiding. The Pandavas are tricked by their cousins, the evil half demon Kauravas, into gambling away their kingdom for 13 years.
SN – HL/Warrior I/Parvottanasna/Warrior Seal – Krishna is Arjuna’s brother in law and his chariot driver, but Arjuna doesn’t know that Arjuna is actually the 8th avatar of Vishnu. Arjuna tells Krishna he wants to give up the fight rather than kill his relatives.
SN – HL/Parsvakonasana/Warrior II/Reverse Warrior – Krishna reveals himself as the 8th Avatar of Vishnu, an embodiment of the divine and demands that Arjuna fight.
SN – HL/Utkatasana Twist/Ardha Uttanasana/Warrior III – Arjuna decides to fight
Dhanurasana/Ardha Dhanurasana – eyes closed, Arjuna practiced in the dark. Used skill at festival to win the hand of his wife Draupadi. Her father the king suspended a wooden fish high above a pool of oil. The fish rotated around and the archers had to hit it in the eye looking only at the reflection to aim. Arjuna won this contest and claimed her as his bride, though he was in disguise at the time because it was his 13th year of hiding.
High Lunge/Twist/Revolved – on the 13th day of battle. Arjunas son Abhimanya is killed in chariot battle by the evil king Jayadratha’s forces. They violate the rules of warfare by luring him into a trap, disarming him, smashing the wheels of his chariot, and crushing his skull when they get him on the ground. He fights valiantly killing many Kaurava warriors before he is slain.
Padottanasana/Star – Arjuna tries to confront Jayadratha, but he hides behind his army. Krishna summons the nightfall, calling on forces of stars and moon to darken the sky.
Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana - Krishna finishes using his yoga powers to invoke the darkness so the days battle will end and Jayadratha will be lured out.
Urdhva Dhanurasana (right leg then left leg up) – Arjuna shoots his celestial arrow at Jayadratha when he comes out of hiding, believing that night has fallen and he is safe. Remember that Arjuna practiced shooting in the dark…oops, Jayadratha didn't know about that. So Arjuna is very angry at Jayadratha and passionate about avenging his son's death. Krishna encourages Arjuna to use his passion and anger instead of renouncing it and to break the traditional rules of engagement in battle, just as Jayadratha did to them when his forces killed Ambhimanya. So too, we want to transform our emotions and passions into a force for good, and not be bound by any rules as we pursue what's in the best interest of ourselves, our family, and our community.
Supta Padangustasana – leg extended
Savasana
Next week – talk about ujayi breath work toward Supta Virasana in restorative class with many twists.
Success!/Concerns: The students I spoke with really enjoyed the story and message of confronting difficulty. We'll continue with our discussion of the Gita. The class has consistently been around 24 students for the past several weeks with many more returning students. Also, they are communicating that they are remembering principles we discussed in previous classes and I'm seeing regular students developing by applying loops and principles. No injuries or conditions mentioned before class. Very inspiring.
One thing I would have changed with the sequence is that Warrior Seal was too early in the sequence. I should have put that in the second or third sun salutation so they could warm up the shoulders a little. A couple students remarked that it was really cold this morning and they really felt that opening. I showed them how to apply the principles in tadasana to relieve any residual discomfort they felt from this opening after class.
War doesn’t seem very yogic, but we’re going to explore how this setting is actually appropriate and represents the inner world of every being as they often struggle with themselves to come to terms with what their own highest and best potential is in life.
Centering – focus on the five pandava brothers, the five principles in comfortable seated position. Talk briefly about cosmic headrest in the chariot to briefly introduce skull loop.
Tadasana/Utanasana/Downdog – engage the five principles in each pose, Arjuna is one of the five virtuous Pandava brothers, all heroic half gods.
Plank, knee to nose six times each leg, 12 for years in exile, childs pose for last year in hiding. The Pandavas are tricked by their cousins, the evil half demon Kauravas, into gambling away their kingdom for 13 years.
SN – HL/Warrior I/Parvottanasna/Warrior Seal – Krishna is Arjuna’s brother in law and his chariot driver, but Arjuna doesn’t know that Arjuna is actually the 8th avatar of Vishnu. Arjuna tells Krishna he wants to give up the fight rather than kill his relatives.
SN – HL/Parsvakonasana/Warrior II/Reverse Warrior – Krishna reveals himself as the 8th Avatar of Vishnu, an embodiment of the divine and demands that Arjuna fight.
SN – HL/Utkatasana Twist/Ardha Uttanasana/Warrior III – Arjuna decides to fight
Dhanurasana/Ardha Dhanurasana – eyes closed, Arjuna practiced in the dark. Used skill at festival to win the hand of his wife Draupadi. Her father the king suspended a wooden fish high above a pool of oil. The fish rotated around and the archers had to hit it in the eye looking only at the reflection to aim. Arjuna won this contest and claimed her as his bride, though he was in disguise at the time because it was his 13th year of hiding.
High Lunge/Twist/Revolved – on the 13th day of battle. Arjunas son Abhimanya is killed in chariot battle by the evil king Jayadratha’s forces. They violate the rules of warfare by luring him into a trap, disarming him, smashing the wheels of his chariot, and crushing his skull when they get him on the ground. He fights valiantly killing many Kaurava warriors before he is slain.
Padottanasana/Star – Arjuna tries to confront Jayadratha, but he hides behind his army. Krishna summons the nightfall, calling on forces of stars and moon to darken the sky.
Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana - Krishna finishes using his yoga powers to invoke the darkness so the days battle will end and Jayadratha will be lured out.
Urdhva Dhanurasana (right leg then left leg up) – Arjuna shoots his celestial arrow at Jayadratha when he comes out of hiding, believing that night has fallen and he is safe. Remember that Arjuna practiced shooting in the dark…oops, Jayadratha didn't know about that. So Arjuna is very angry at Jayadratha and passionate about avenging his son's death. Krishna encourages Arjuna to use his passion and anger instead of renouncing it and to break the traditional rules of engagement in battle, just as Jayadratha did to them when his forces killed Ambhimanya. So too, we want to transform our emotions and passions into a force for good, and not be bound by any rules as we pursue what's in the best interest of ourselves, our family, and our community.
Supta Padangustasana – leg extended
Savasana
Next week – talk about ujayi breath work toward Supta Virasana in restorative class with many twists.
Success!/Concerns: The students I spoke with really enjoyed the story and message of confronting difficulty. We'll continue with our discussion of the Gita. The class has consistently been around 24 students for the past several weeks with many more returning students. Also, they are communicating that they are remembering principles we discussed in previous classes and I'm seeing regular students developing by applying loops and principles. No injuries or conditions mentioned before class. Very inspiring.
One thing I would have changed with the sequence is that Warrior Seal was too early in the sequence. I should have put that in the second or third sun salutation so they could warm up the shoulders a little. A couple students remarked that it was really cold this morning and they really felt that opening. I showed them how to apply the principles in tadasana to relieve any residual discomfort they felt from this opening after class.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Krishna, Cowboy Demon Slayer
This week we are introducing Krishan, next week we talk about Arjuna and the Gita.
Krisha
8th incarnation of Vishnu the god of preservation
Embodiment of love and divine joy
Born to Devaki, the daughter of a cruel demon king Kamsa
Prophecy said Kamsa would be killed by his nephew, so the king killed the first six children. The 7th escaped, and Krishna was secretly swapped with a cowherd’s daughter
Centering - softening outer body and heart opening, hold something you love in your heart, reflect back on that thing during the practice.
Cat/Cow - focus on shoulder loop and melting the heart - krishna was sent to hide among cowherds
Chaturanga Vinyasa x5 - Krishna mastered the 5 headed demon snake Kaliya that was poisoning the holy river Yamuna.
Vrksasana - he defeated the beast by jumping down on it from a tree and dancing on it's heads.
Natarajasana
Surya Namaskar - Parsvakonasana/Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana - dancing with milkmaids, Krisha separates self into many versions of himself…represents the diving show up to dance with everyone equally. Sometimes you find you might be checking out in a tough pose, but to experience the divine all you have to do is show up to the moonlit barn dance. The divine supports us all equally…no one is ever left standing by the punchbowl.
cobra pose - The demon king kansa sends five demons to defeat him. One of them was the giant demon snake Aghasura who pretended to be a cave and swallowed many cowboys until Krisha saved them.
Shiva Twists - a whirlwind demon Trinivata came to get him when he was a baby, Krishna became large until the whirlwind couldn’t hold him up and fell to earth
Malasana/Bakasana (melt the heart) - an enormous crane demon Bakasura attacked him down by the river when he was playing with his friends, Krishna pulled off his beak.
Plank/Cow/Gomukasana w/ shoulder opener - demon disguised as a calf Vatasura to sneak up on the cowboys, Krishna threw him up into a tree
Ustrasana - the monsterous horse Keshisura, Krishna stuck his hand down its throat and choked the demon
Mayurasana prep (level II try balancing on hands) - Peacocks dancing in the forest, enjoyed his flute playing and gave him a feature to wear as a gift.
-Downdog/Uttanasana/Tadasana - Krisha taught the cowherd to stop giving sacrifice to Indra for the rain. Held Govardhan hill over their heads to shelter them from the rain Indra sent as his wrath until he gave up.
-Virasana - seated mediation, for pranayama, nadi shodana, breathing prana into the body, your nostrils are like the holes in the flute.
-Setubanda Sarvangasana - arms clasped underneath, lift hips high, alternate legs
-Jathara Parivartanasana - shoulders onto the mat
-Navasana/Savasana (romantic boat ride of radha and krishna) - krishna restores his great uncle to power after defeating Kansa, and he becomes and influential prince in court. This is how he meets Arjuna, the hero of the Bhagavad Gita
Closing: We practice yoga to boldly defeat any demons that cross our path in life, and we show up to the dance every day to experience the divine.
Concerns/Success!: I think people really enjoyed the theme. Got a lot of great feedback. Largest class so far (24+ students). Gave feedback from Stacey about student with jaw pain to the student who asked about it last week. Will follow up later this month or early next to find out if there's progress. I gave her several techniques to try out, from grounding her shoulders and opening the heart and laying on blocks to relieve tension in the neck (and jaw). We'll work on skull loop next week when we talk about Arjuna.
Krisha
8th incarnation of Vishnu the god of preservation
Embodiment of love and divine joy
Born to Devaki, the daughter of a cruel demon king Kamsa
Prophecy said Kamsa would be killed by his nephew, so the king killed the first six children. The 7th escaped, and Krishna was secretly swapped with a cowherd’s daughter
Centering - softening outer body and heart opening, hold something you love in your heart, reflect back on that thing during the practice.
Cat/Cow - focus on shoulder loop and melting the heart - krishna was sent to hide among cowherds
Chaturanga Vinyasa x5 - Krishna mastered the 5 headed demon snake Kaliya that was poisoning the holy river Yamuna.
Vrksasana - he defeated the beast by jumping down on it from a tree and dancing on it's heads.
Natarajasana
Surya Namaskar - Parsvakonasana/Trikonasana/Ardha Chandrasana - dancing with milkmaids, Krisha separates self into many versions of himself…represents the diving show up to dance with everyone equally. Sometimes you find you might be checking out in a tough pose, but to experience the divine all you have to do is show up to the moonlit barn dance. The divine supports us all equally…no one is ever left standing by the punchbowl.
cobra pose - The demon king kansa sends five demons to defeat him. One of them was the giant demon snake Aghasura who pretended to be a cave and swallowed many cowboys until Krisha saved them.
Shiva Twists - a whirlwind demon Trinivata came to get him when he was a baby, Krishna became large until the whirlwind couldn’t hold him up and fell to earth
Malasana/Bakasana (melt the heart) - an enormous crane demon Bakasura attacked him down by the river when he was playing with his friends, Krishna pulled off his beak.
Plank/Cow/Gomukasana w/ shoulder opener - demon disguised as a calf Vatasura to sneak up on the cowboys, Krishna threw him up into a tree
Ustrasana - the monsterous horse Keshisura, Krishna stuck his hand down its throat and choked the demon
Mayurasana prep (level II try balancing on hands) - Peacocks dancing in the forest, enjoyed his flute playing and gave him a feature to wear as a gift.
-Downdog/Uttanasana/Tadasana - Krisha taught the cowherd to stop giving sacrifice to Indra for the rain. Held Govardhan hill over their heads to shelter them from the rain Indra sent as his wrath until he gave up.
-Virasana - seated mediation, for pranayama, nadi shodana, breathing prana into the body, your nostrils are like the holes in the flute.
-Setubanda Sarvangasana - arms clasped underneath, lift hips high, alternate legs
-Jathara Parivartanasana - shoulders onto the mat
-Navasana/Savasana (romantic boat ride of radha and krishna) - krishna restores his great uncle to power after defeating Kansa, and he becomes and influential prince in court. This is how he meets Arjuna, the hero of the Bhagavad Gita
Closing: We practice yoga to boldly defeat any demons that cross our path in life, and we show up to the dance every day to experience the divine.
Concerns/Success!: I think people really enjoyed the theme. Got a lot of great feedback. Largest class so far (24+ students). Gave feedback from Stacey about student with jaw pain to the student who asked about it last week. Will follow up later this month or early next to find out if there's progress. I gave her several techniques to try out, from grounding her shoulders and opening the heart and laying on blocks to relieve tension in the neck (and jaw). We'll work on skull loop next week when we talk about Arjuna.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Samskaras, Making Use of Suffering
Samskaras are ruts or behaviors, and they can be both pleasurable and painful. Samskaras are part of the armor that builds up when emotional and physical trauma gets trapped in our bodies.
In Hatha yoga we cultivate a heat and power to purify our body of this energy to achieve Moksha, or liberation to act and engage freely in the world around us (we'll talk more about Moksha later this month. So today we're focusing on cultivating enough power to climb out of our rut and form a new habit. To buff away the scratches in our armor.
Centering - breathing into kidneys with partner holding hands over them - explain that kidneys are power plant of the body
Cat/Cow
Lion's breath
Chaturanga - Vinyasa - kidney loop
Until I practiced yoga I never knew how miserable I was. You don't noticed dirt and scratches on a car that's already beaten up. As you start to buff out the dings in your armor that you've accumulated through life, you'll become more sensitive to the smaller imperfections. Cultivate an awareness of this so that it doesn't distress you and you can keep your perception of these in proper proportion. Don't sweat the small stuff, just keep working on transforming it.
Surya Namaskar - HL twist/center/LL thigh stretch, skip the cobra, move on to next...
Surya Namaskar - Iguana bow twist open & thigh stretch - shalambhasana x3
Surya Namaskar - HL/Warrior II/Trikon/Ardha- dhanurasana x3
Vasisthasana/WT/Childs pose actively inflating kidneys with the breath
Lotus or Agnistambasana - Pranayama Kidney breathing several minutes to cultivate a fire, burn up the samskaras in your body, use that dead energy as fertilizer for new growth. Power your body up with pranic energy, the vital lifeforce of existence. talk about how a lotus grows up from the mire, so now that the stuck energy is unstuck what do you do with it. How do you make the best use of that suffering? With yoga we transform energy into something more auspicious.
Hanumanasana - FB then curl back opening the heart
Pigeon - FB then come to upright and open the heart
Setubanda - leg lift/urdhva dhanurasana/uttanasana
Shoulderstand - Read John Friend excerpt about Tantric philosophy in Foreward from Douglas' book "poised for grace".
Happy Baby
Savasana
Meditational Reflection:
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, was a Swiss-born psychiatrist, a pioneer in Near-death studies and author. From Daily Love.
Closing - If you desire to master the art of living better, make the best use of your suffering. Create a fire in yourself to burn away the Samskaras, and transform that energy into fertilizer for new growth.
Concerns/Success!: One student had a question about jaw tension, but I'm not very familiar with that, so I offered to talk to my teacher about it. Gave several students alignment instructions to relieve discomfort before and after class. Good results on immediately relieving discomfort by applying the principles. A few students left class early. I had a chance to speak with all of them briefly and they all said they were feeling well and just had to leave early for their schedules. I'm been trying to make sure no one leaves class uncomfortable and thus far haven't had anyone indicate that they felt anything bad going on in their bodies, though I can't always catch everyone on their way out.
In the coming weeks we are going to continue exploring the Gita from a Tantric perspective. We'll be introducing some of the characters in the story like Krishna and Arjuna and talk about how the battlefield represents the landscape of our hearts and embodiment. I had a request for shoulder and heart opening asanas so I think next week we'll do heart opening and talk about Krishna.
In Hatha yoga we cultivate a heat and power to purify our body of this energy to achieve Moksha, or liberation to act and engage freely in the world around us (we'll talk more about Moksha later this month. So today we're focusing on cultivating enough power to climb out of our rut and form a new habit. To buff away the scratches in our armor.
Centering - breathing into kidneys with partner holding hands over them - explain that kidneys are power plant of the body
Cat/Cow
Lion's breath
Chaturanga - Vinyasa - kidney loop
Until I practiced yoga I never knew how miserable I was. You don't noticed dirt and scratches on a car that's already beaten up. As you start to buff out the dings in your armor that you've accumulated through life, you'll become more sensitive to the smaller imperfections. Cultivate an awareness of this so that it doesn't distress you and you can keep your perception of these in proper proportion. Don't sweat the small stuff, just keep working on transforming it.
Surya Namaskar - HL twist/center/LL thigh stretch, skip the cobra, move on to next...
Surya Namaskar - Iguana bow twist open & thigh stretch - shalambhasana x3
Surya Namaskar - HL/Warrior II/Trikon/Ardha- dhanurasana x3
Vasisthasana/WT/Childs pose actively inflating kidneys with the breath
Lotus or Agnistambasana - Pranayama Kidney breathing several minutes to cultivate a fire, burn up the samskaras in your body, use that dead energy as fertilizer for new growth. Power your body up with pranic energy, the vital lifeforce of existence. talk about how a lotus grows up from the mire, so now that the stuck energy is unstuck what do you do with it. How do you make the best use of that suffering? With yoga we transform energy into something more auspicious.
Hanumanasana - FB then curl back opening the heart
Pigeon - FB then come to upright and open the heart
Setubanda - leg lift/urdhva dhanurasana/uttanasana
Shoulderstand - Read John Friend excerpt about Tantric philosophy in Foreward from Douglas' book "poised for grace".
Happy Baby
Savasana
Meditational Reflection:
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, was a Swiss-born psychiatrist, a pioneer in Near-death studies and author. From Daily Love.
Closing - If you desire to master the art of living better, make the best use of your suffering. Create a fire in yourself to burn away the Samskaras, and transform that energy into fertilizer for new growth.
Concerns/Success!: One student had a question about jaw tension, but I'm not very familiar with that, so I offered to talk to my teacher about it. Gave several students alignment instructions to relieve discomfort before and after class. Good results on immediately relieving discomfort by applying the principles. A few students left class early. I had a chance to speak with all of them briefly and they all said they were feeling well and just had to leave early for their schedules. I'm been trying to make sure no one leaves class uncomfortable and thus far haven't had anyone indicate that they felt anything bad going on in their bodies, though I can't always catch everyone on their way out.
In the coming weeks we are going to continue exploring the Gita from a Tantric perspective. We'll be introducing some of the characters in the story like Krishna and Arjuna and talk about how the battlefield represents the landscape of our hearts and embodiment. I had a request for shoulder and heart opening asanas so I think next week we'll do heart opening and talk about Krishna.
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