Beginner Class on Monday, July 19, 2010

The focus of this class is "concave spine" by taking the upper arms back and the shoulderblades away from the neck and in towards the back-body.

Swastikasana - bring hands into Hasta Vakrasana (arms like a cactus - Hasta means arms and Vakra means crooked or bent) and tip fingers back and move the shoulderblades into the back-body to open the chest. Keep the shoulderblades cutting into the back-body as you join your hands in Namaskarasana.

Dandasana - Press thighs and hands down to lengthen up through the sides of the trunk. Roll the outer upper arms back to bring the shoulderblades into the back-body to open the chest.

Padangustha Dandasana - holding a belt around your feet, press the thighs down to lift the trunk up and pull the upper arms back into the shoulder-socket to bring the shoulderblades and dorsal spine into the back-body to open the chest.


Adho Mukha Virasana - press the hands down and lift the undersides of the arms up, keeping the arms lifting away from the floor move the shoulderblades and dorsal spine down, into the back-body, and forward to open the chest


Adho Mukha Svanasana - charge hands down and forward as you pull the roots of the thighs back to lengthen the trunk, keeping the arms lifted, bring the shoulderblades into the back-body


Uttanasana - concave spine - press feet down to lift thighs up, press thighs back to lengthen trunk forward, pull hands as if to pull the floor toward you to move shoulderblades toward the waist and to take the chest forward


Padangusthasana - concave spine - press feet down to lift thighs up, press thighs back to lengthen trunk forward; pull on big toes or belt to plug upper arms into the shoulder-sockets and take shoulderblades deeply into the back-body to open chest


Prasarita Padottanasana - concave spine - same actions as concave spine Uttanasana


Parsvottanasana - concave spine - same actions as concave spine Uttanasana


Adho Mukha Svanasana - feet at wall - 1st time: press heels back and into wall to take thighs back; 2nd time: partnes hold blocks against the backs of the hamstrings just below the buttock bones, press your hamstrings into the blocks to take the thighs back to lengthen the trunk; 3rd time: same as the 1st time but working as if you were still pressing into the blocks.


Chaturanga Dandasana - feet at wall - press heels into the wall and lift hamstrings up toward ceiling, move buttocks away from the lumbar spine and bring tailbone deeply in between legs, press hands down and roll outer upper arms up toward ceiling, cut shoulderblades into the back-body, keeping all of these actions, press hands and feet down to lift trunk off of the floor.


Bhujangasana - roll thighs in, manually adjust pubic bone forward and move tailbone in, join legs.  Press feet, tailbone, and hands down as you roll outer upper arms back and cut shoulderblades and dorsal spine into the back-body. Press hands down and forward to lift chest, pull floor toward you as you did in Prasarita Padottanasana to move chest forward.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - 1st time: toes tucked under as in Chaturanga Dandasana and hands on blocks, press thighs up, press tailbone down and forward, as you press the hands down to lift the trunk, roll the outer upper arms back and cut the shoulderblades and dorsal spine into the back-body. 2nd time: toes pointed.  (What do these different foot positions offer? Practice and see!)

Ustrasana - knees hips'-width apart at wall - 1st time: press shins down and back to bring hamstring forward and up and tailbone down and in. Move the buttocks away from the lumbar as you walk your bottom front ribs up the wall.  Keeping the ribs at the wall roll the outer upper arms back and cut the shoulderblades and dorsal spine into the back-body. 2nd time: same as 1st time, then coil chest back, keeping it well-lifted and pubic bone at the wall, press hands down on heels or bolster and open chest furthur.


Parsva Uttanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Virasana

Adho Mukha Vajrasana

Salamba Sarvangasana - press outer upper arms down and lift the shoulderblades up and into the back-body to lift and open the trunk and chest. Move buttocks up and away from the lumbar spine and stretch up through your inner heels.

Savasana