Qualities of the Supreme: The Big "S" Self

Big S Self - the physical world is like a frozen ocean of
consciousness. We are the waves, separate and distinct yet still a
part of the whole. Over the next month we will talk about three of
the qualities of divine conscousness...Shri, Swatantrya, and Satya.
Beauty, Freedom, and Truth. We want to warm the frozen ocean with our
practice to create space for the Shakti to flow through us and align
us more fully with the greater divine self.

Uttanasana - CV
LL - CV
LL/Arm Up/Trikon/Ardha Chandra/Standing Splits
Pvott/PTrikon - CV
LL twist forearm/Hanumanasana - CV

Lion Pose - turn wrists out for stretch
Uttanasana - standing on hands
Partner Pose - massaging wrists
Vasisthasana - Demo/Self
Hand Stand at the wall

Child's pose - root down and create space
Thigh Stretch at the Wall
SI cobra at the wall
Virasana/Sivasana

Lila: Divine Creative Play

Theme: Talk about what role we play in the universe. Lila or divine creative play is why we are embodied. We thank our mothers for giving us the gift of embodiment.

Comfortable Seat on blanket, widen pelvis
Inhale arms up to anjali mudra, reverse
Cactus Arms, in/out, rotate, in out
Overhead, clasp fingers and stretch, roll, bend, pull, shake
Garudhasana arms/tea gloves

All Fours, forearms, lift hands drop head
Cat/Cow, alternating arms, then arms & legs
All Fours, twist and thread
Google Hips, kneeling Pvakon, iguana low squat
Downdog, knees down and wide, reach forward

Uttanasna
Warrior II, pvakon, archer
Google Hips standing, then WLFB, root and rise
Goddess Squat, turn open to each side
Warrior II bend knees root and rise

WLFB Seated
Janu Sirsasana
Hand on back/elbow
Firelog
Lay on side

Matsyendara - When Inauspicious Things are a Gateway to the Divine

Matsyendra is a legendary tantric sage. The legend of his life is
that he was cast into the sea at birth because of inauspicious birth
and lived in the belly of a fish that swallowed him. While in the
belly he overheard Shiva and Parvati in their undersea base practicing
yoga so he learned it over the next 12 years. Eventually he escaped
when he mastered yoga. So there are a lot of layers here, but
basically the message is about transformation.

Matsyendra's inauspicious birth was a gateway to his later becoming a founding tantra yogi. Talk about Tantra meaning weaving, leading with the heart through life.

Focus on side body long and skull loop

Cat/Cow/Lion
Surya Namaskar (LL Twist/HL Twist/Rev Trikon)
Chaturanga Vinyasa x12 (for the 12 years Mastyendra spent in the fish's belly)
Bakasana
Ardha Bakasana (level 2 Koundinyasana)

Dolphin with block Headstand prep (level 2 headstand)
Parighasana
Downdog Twist
Cross pose (fallen warrior)
Gomukhasana
Ardha Matsyendrasana

Sarvangasana
Plow
Matsyasana
Setubanda Sarvangasana supported with Block
Sivasana

Easter

Centering
Focus - open heart (review from last week), start to work with skull
loop a little (revisit next week in Matsyasana)

Surya Namaskar x3 (locust, flying cobra, dhanurasana)
Handstand prep at the wall (hop like a bunny)
Handstand in L at the wall (lift your rabbit ears up one at a time)
Partner opening heart in dolphin
Dolphin pressing head into block for headstand prep
Pincha Mayurasana with block at the wall
Headstand for those its appropriate for

Thigh Stretch at the wall (goddess Ostra?, Anglo Saxon Goddess of the
Dawn and Love).
Hanumanasana to Iguana and bow forward at the wall
Urdhava Dhanurasana holding partners ankles
Urdhava Dhanurasana with palms on the wall
Urdhava Dhanurasana with toes on the wall (level 2 step up, level 3
over to Uttanasana)

Partner stretch spa dog
Bridge, Shoulderstand
Seated in Circle - Ohm Meditation

Hanuman: The Diving Supporting Us

Theme: Hanuman
Action: Heart Opening

Talked about divine manifesting as Hanuman, a supporting character. Hanuman forgets divinity until he is reminded of his power, much like us in our yoga practice. The divine is never not supporting us, referencing invocation.

Surya Namaskar x4
Handstand Prep
Handstand at wall
Dolphin, partner opening heart
Pincha Mayurasana

WLFB - Trikonasana - Pvakon - Ardha Chandrasana
Iguana
Pigeon
Hanumanasana

WLFB
Navasana
Sivasana

Shiva Nataraja

Shiva's dance of bliss, ring of fire around him is Shakti, the universe as manifest energy. He dances blissfully through all adversity and difficulty. Shakti is the universe in motion, wild and dynamic. Shiva is the universe in balance, poised, and peaceful.

Surya Namaskar x3 - focus on opening to grace, finding the bliss in the fire
Practice Kicking up to handstand
Handstand
Pincha Mayurasana
dolpin partner pose with knees in back of partners heart
spadog
Thigh Stretch at the Wall...shoulder stretch at the wall

Vasisthasana/Wild Thing
Virasana
Virasana bowing forward
Natarajasana with Partner, then Urdhva demo

Setubanda Sarvangasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana x3
Uttanasana

Brahama, Vishnu, and Shiva

One year anniversary of my first class taught, so revisiting the theme of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

Story of how what we want to create in our lives and what we want to preserve are sometimes apparently in opposition to one another. When we bring the heat and fire of our breath and practice we can mold the two together, forging a stronger self. The story of Brahma and Vishnu also reminds us that even gods are not all powerful. Only Shiva who realizes that he is one with all things and thus cannot be better than
others (as he is in essence contained and embodied in all things) has the power to manifest immeasurable power as the pillar of fire.

Heating Warrior Breath

Child’s pose (knees/quads) – Downdog (hips) – Uttanasna (calves/thighs) – Volcano (side stretch)
Surya Namaskar (lift leg open hips, step to HL, Pvakon, Trikon, AC) press into friends palm for Pvakon
Surya Namaskar (lift leg open hips, step to War I, Pvottanasana, PTrik, PAC) support friends in Pvottan
Surya Namaskar (lift leg open hips, step to LL twist, HL,
Warrior III, Standing Splits) support friends in Warrior III
Star (hold), Padottanasana, forward bend

Volcano - half moon - bend back and bow forward
Vrksasana (supporting friends) Padangusthasana lift leg in front and hold 30 seconds, then out to side
Handstand with friends
Spa Dog

Hanumanasana, press into friends foot then pigeon
Firelog - Nadi Shodana
Supta Padangustasana
Eye of Needle
Happy Baby