Theme: Working in Sun Salutations. Talked about healthful effects of the sun. Also talked about how the sun gives its energy freely to the world without asking for anything in return, so through our practice of Surya namaskar we want to learn to more fully embody that quality so we can cultivate power that we can give back out to the world.
Breathing exercise...breathing in through the back body from spine to crown and exhaling, shining out through the heart/softening the heart.
Surya Namaskar x2 (once on each side...first time faster, second time slower - observing changes in the quality of body, breath, and consciousness). Flowing with the breath and using inhalation/exhalation. In between the two sun saluations, had the students observe how the physical and energetic body may have shifted and see if there's any dust kicked up in the process mentally or emotionally. We're going to work on our spring cleaning to make way for summer and let go of anything that's not serving our highest and best intentions moving forward.
Surya Namaskar
-Anjali Mudra
-Tadasana
-Uttanasana
-Llunge
-Plank
-8-point
-Cobra
-Downdog
-Llunge
-Uttanasana
-Tadasana
-Anjali Mudra
Shiva Twists
Natarajasana
Utkatasana w/ Twist
Malasana ...do squat pushups
Bakasana
Shoot back to Plank
Do a cobra
Cobra demo
Cobra with partner, lifting with hands above the chest/below clavicle to open heart
Cobra by self as part of Suya Namaskar...with emphasis on Bujanghasana at the heart of the sequence.
Requests? Students wanted to do another vigorous Surya Namaskar, flowing with the breath.
Google Hips...observe is any baggage or dust needs to be cleaned off the mirror because the thighs and hips are where we sometimes store mental and physical baggage that can be released.
Ardha Mandalasana (half wheel)...mind they are placing the hand on the calf or floor not the knee.
Parighasana (gate)
Ardha Matsyendrasana (half lord of the fishes)
Slow Surya Namaskar flowing with the breath gently, as you would do at the end of the day to prepare for bed and to calm the nervous system. Ancient practice was to do up to 108 sun salutations a day. Gave the students handouts so they could do the remaining 103 sun salutations at home on their own on their own time :) The image is attached. I found it on a google search (url: http://gabbyinbrownstudy.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/surya-namaskar.jpg)
Janu Sirsasna turning heart open toward the sun
Windshield Wipers
Eye of the Needle
Sivasana
Closing: We practice yoga to be more like the Sun. We cultivate greater power through our practice so we can take the extra energy that we don't need to live and shine it back out into the world, without expectation of anything in return.
Concerns: I had a student in uttanasa who was not touching the earth with his fingertips. I offered him blocks and he refused them saying that he had heard that "flexion" or bending forward in uttanasana was not good for the body. I told him to listen to the teacher in his body and honor any boundries he felt. He left the class. I would like to have offered him more. In retrospect, I would have liked to have inquired more about where he was specifically feeling discomfort and see if there was an alternate pose or perhaps have him try bending his knees to get the hands on the floor to make him still get some benefit from uttanasana without discomfort.
Progress: I had a student from last weeks class return that had knee issues. She asked about taking an alternate pose to Utkatasana and others with deep knee bends and I told her she could work in Uttanasana with the hands on the floor, just slightly bending the knees to a comfortable limit. In that pose, I told her it may be easier to bring more weight onto her hands and protect the knees if she feels they are bending too deeply or is uncomfortable.
Much more community involvement socializing and interaction on the partner pose this time. The cobra was much more accessible than the handstand.
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