Kali, Shiva, and Raktabija

Halloween story of Kali. The god's city is in trouble. Raktabija the blood demon and his army are marching on the city and each time Raktabija is cut, his drops of blood turn into more demons. They ask Parvati and Shiva to release Shakti to create Kali. Kali is like the incredible hulk, once she is turned loose she devours the blood of the demon, but she can't stop herself and begins attacking friend and foe alike. Shiva lies on the battlefield, pretending to be a corpse and when she steps on him he grounds her wild energy down into the earth so she can return to her clear, peaceful form as Parvati.

Meditation and centering: Imagine your thoughts as they arise as a ticker tape running from right to left and the thoughts you have just imprint on the tape and it runs off the the left to be burned and consumed in a fire. Let the thoughts just arise as pass and acknowledge them as they are. Let the fire cleanse them so they can find a more auspicious form.

Tantra yogi's viewed the thoughts as just mental residue floating in the ocean of conscious. Thoughts are the most transitory part of your being. Let those that don't serve you or cause distress float away. We'll do the meditation after we do some handstands and inversion and stir up some wild chaotic kali energy, then use the meditation to ground that energy back down into the earth.

Surya Namaskar A - focusing on proper alignment rising up into cobra
Surya Namaskar A - focusing on proper alignment rising up in plank and to downdog
Surya Namaskar B - Warrior II - focusing on alignment of the knees
Utkatasana - focusing on alignment of the knees

Partner pose, dolphin at the wall, with partner standing at wall pressing knees into back of heart to encourage heart opening
Partner pose, peacock using blocks for ideal hand distance, partner holding hips at the wall to help you kick up
Partner pose, handstand in the middle of the room with partner supporting hips and helping you kick up
Child's pose

Seated meditation to ground any energy that arose during the heating/inversions
Virasana with a blanket rolled under the thighs to encourage healthy knees
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Supine Windshield Wiper pose
Jathara Parivartanasana
Supported Bridge with block under sacrum to ground the energy down into the earth, cooling pose
Savasana

Ganesh, Obstacles and Inner Strength

Ganesh is the lord of beginnings and overcoming obstacles.
Tell Story of how he got his elephant head...
+he is the scribe that writes with his tusks
+he dances over a rat representing obstacles...can we view our
obstacles as rats (our fear is internal)
=use visualization to shift perception of obstacles
=use visualization to see past obstacles as doorways to your present success
=use visualization to empower yourself in a difficult pose, hold the
image of the elephant in mind to gain its strength

Cat/Cow - raise your elephant trunk up (make your obstacle like a rat
and dance over it)
SN - LL - life tusks up - iguana (iguanas eat rats)
SN - Pvakon - WII - Rev
SN - HL - twist

WLFB - Trikon - AC
Demo - Elephant with Blocks
Self - Setubanda Sarvangasana (urdhva prep)
Partner - Urdhva Dhanurasana holding ankles - strength of elephant visualization

Uttanasana - Downdog - Core work knee to nose
Navasana
Eye of the Needle - difficulty was doorway to another experience
Savasana

Sub for Gentle Yoga Class: Ganesh Lord of Obstacles

See problems like a rat, not that scary...joyfully dance over it.

Rise
Roll
Cactus
Eagle
Tea

Cat Cow - child
Google Hips - FB
Firelog - FB
WLFB
Hanuman

Supta Padangustasana - strap
Windshield Wipers
Jathara Parivartanasana
Supported Bridge - Block
Savasana

Organic Extension - Root to Rise

Cat/Cow
SNA x3
SNB - HL - Warrior III - shalabhasana clasp
SNB - Pvakonasana - locust superman

Partner - Vrksasana - Utkatasana - Natarajasana
Partner - Ustrasana rooting thighs
Partner - Dhanurasana rooting feet
Dhanurasana

Thigh Stretch at the wall, both sides
Cobra at wall to clear back then Spa Dog
Virasana - nadhi shodhana