Here is the restorative sequence we did in the Beginner Class last night:
Swastikasana - observe the quality of the mind, relax the facial muscles and features, soften the sense organs, then re-observe the quality of the mind
Supta Virasana - 3 minutes
Adho Mukha Virasana - 3 minutes
Supta Baddha Konasana - 5 minutes
Cross-Bolsters Setu Bandha Sarvangasana - 5 minutes
Chair Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (head supported) - 5 minutes
Uttanasana with bolster over chair back in hip-crease - 3 minutes
Chair Sarvangasana - 8 minutes
Savasana, feet into a bolster at the wall - 10 minutes
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mixed Level on Sunday, August 29, 2010
Today's class focused on seated poses and opening the joints of the feet and ankles. Enjoy!
Swastikasana - maintain even lift of the front and back of pelvis as you extend up through the sides of the trunk
Adho Mukha Virasana - keep heels on buttocks as you extend the trunk forward
Adho Mukha Svanasana - reach down through the outer heels and back through the inner heels as you take your thighs back to lengthen the trunk
Uttanasana - feet mat's-width apart, concave spine, then head down
Tadasana
Virasana - keep shins facing straight down, draw outer ankles in as you sit between your feet on the floor or support, observe sensations in feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back
Supta Virasana - from Virasana, extend trunk back, lengthen buttocks away from low back, observe sensations in feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back
Vajrasana - sit on the heels with the knees and feet together
Supta Virasana - observe sensations in feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back and compare to previous attempt of the pose
Lolasana - from hands and knees, cross top of one shin just above calf of opposite leg, keep both feet pointing straight back as you sit on your heels, place hands next to mid-thighs and press hands down as you round your shoulders, low back, and raise your kness to your chest and heels to your buttocks
Gomukhasana - from hands and knees, cross one knee completely behind and to the outside of opposite knee; keep feet pointing directly back as you sit on your heels, lowering hips evenly down; add support under buttocks if necessary and then complete the pose by performing Gomukhasana arms
Baddha Konasana - roll shins forward and down toward the floor
Mulabandhasana - join big- and little- toe ball joints, slide hips down wall to sit on block, with hands move heels forward as the knees widen, lower block as you are able
Vamedevasana
Paschimottanasana
Savasana
Swastikasana - maintain even lift of the front and back of pelvis as you extend up through the sides of the trunk
Adho Mukha Virasana - keep heels on buttocks as you extend the trunk forward
Adho Mukha Svanasana - reach down through the outer heels and back through the inner heels as you take your thighs back to lengthen the trunk
Uttanasana - feet mat's-width apart, concave spine, then head down
Tadasana
Virasana - keep shins facing straight down, draw outer ankles in as you sit between your feet on the floor or support, observe sensations in feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back
Supta Virasana - from Virasana, extend trunk back, lengthen buttocks away from low back, observe sensations in feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back
Vajrasana - sit on the heels with the knees and feet together
- Belt around ankles with toes pointed straight back
- Belt around ankles with toes tucked under
- Feet crossed, top of one foot in the arch of opposite foot
- Belt around ankles with toes pointed straight back, toes on rolled blanket
Supta Virasana - observe sensations in feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back and compare to previous attempt of the pose
Lolasana - from hands and knees, cross top of one shin just above calf of opposite leg, keep both feet pointing straight back as you sit on your heels, place hands next to mid-thighs and press hands down as you round your shoulders, low back, and raise your kness to your chest and heels to your buttocks
Gomukhasana - from hands and knees, cross one knee completely behind and to the outside of opposite knee; keep feet pointing directly back as you sit on your heels, lowering hips evenly down; add support under buttocks if necessary and then complete the pose by performing Gomukhasana arms
Baddha Konasana - roll shins forward and down toward the floor
Mulabandhasana - join big- and little- toe ball joints, slide hips down wall to sit on block, with hands move heels forward as the knees widen, lower block as you are able
Vamedevasana
Paschimottanasana
Savasana
Monday, August 2, 2010
Mixed Level on Sunday, August 1, 2010
Swastikasana - extend from inner thighs to inner knees and draw back from outer knees into outer hips to compact the hips and lift the trunk
Siddhasana - roll the thighs and calf flesh from inside out as you place the heels in line with the pubis; extend from inner thighs to inner knees and draw back from outer knees into outer hips as you press the thighs down to lift the trunk; pull on the knees with the hands as you plug the upper arms into the shoulder sockets as you draw the shoulderblades down and into the back-body to open and lift the chest
Baddha Konasana - sitting on 2 folded blankets, roll the thighs out, extend from inner thighs to inner knees, widening the knees, as you pull from the outer knees back into the outer hips, press the thighs down and the outer heels together to further widen the knees apart, press hands down to lift trunk and draw upper arms into the shoulder sockets to open the chest, repeat with the block between the feet (all 3 widths) and with block under the feet (all 3 heights), then do classic pose flat on floor (or on blankets if the knees are higher than the hips)
Supta Padangusthasana II - draw the front thigh down into the hip crease and draw from the outer knee back into the hip socket, compacting the hips, as you extend from inner thigh to inner heel, keep sacrum even on floor
Virabhadrasana II - back foot at the wall, roll thighs out, press outer heels down to draw up from outer knees to outer hips, compacting the hips, press more into the bent-leg heel to lift the pubis up and away from the inner thigh of the bent leg
Utthita Parsvakonasana - in Virabhadrasana II: place a block between the wall and the head of your bent-leg shin, step the back leg back until the shin is vertical and the thigh is horizontal, press the inner knee into the block firmly and pull the outer knee away from the block, roll the back leg out and move the femur into the hamstring, press the bent-leg heel down to lift the pubis up and away from the bent leg, extend trunk toward wall into Utthita Parsvakonasana, keeping the actions of the legs, especially pressing the inner knee into the block and pull the outer knee away from the block to bring the outer thigh into the hip socket
Ardha Chandrasana - 1st time: place lifted-leg's foot on the wall with the standing leg vertical, hand on a block. Press the outer heel of standing leg down to firm outer thigh up and into the hip socket, then press inner heel down to move the inner thigh forward, bringing the standing-leg hip underneath you more, lift the top hip up, press hand down onto block and roll opposite shoulder back to turn trunk. 2nd time: with a partner, same as above, partner places belt around the top of the thigh of the standing leg and pull the outer thigh back toward the wall, moving the thigh back and turning in outward
Utthita Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana - classic asana, same actions as above with special attention to keeping the hips compact just before lifting into Ardha Chandrasana
Salamba Sarvangasana
Eka Pada Sarvangasana
Parsvaika Pada Sarvangasana
Halasana
Karnapidasana
Savasana
Siddhasana - roll the thighs and calf flesh from inside out as you place the heels in line with the pubis; extend from inner thighs to inner knees and draw back from outer knees into outer hips as you press the thighs down to lift the trunk; pull on the knees with the hands as you plug the upper arms into the shoulder sockets as you draw the shoulderblades down and into the back-body to open and lift the chest
Baddha Konasana - sitting on 2 folded blankets, roll the thighs out, extend from inner thighs to inner knees, widening the knees, as you pull from the outer knees back into the outer hips, press the thighs down and the outer heels together to further widen the knees apart, press hands down to lift trunk and draw upper arms into the shoulder sockets to open the chest, repeat with the block between the feet (all 3 widths) and with block under the feet (all 3 heights), then do classic pose flat on floor (or on blankets if the knees are higher than the hips)
Supta Padangusthasana II - draw the front thigh down into the hip crease and draw from the outer knee back into the hip socket, compacting the hips, as you extend from inner thigh to inner heel, keep sacrum even on floor
Virabhadrasana II - back foot at the wall, roll thighs out, press outer heels down to draw up from outer knees to outer hips, compacting the hips, press more into the bent-leg heel to lift the pubis up and away from the inner thigh of the bent leg
Utthita Parsvakonasana - in Virabhadrasana II: place a block between the wall and the head of your bent-leg shin, step the back leg back until the shin is vertical and the thigh is horizontal, press the inner knee into the block firmly and pull the outer knee away from the block, roll the back leg out and move the femur into the hamstring, press the bent-leg heel down to lift the pubis up and away from the bent leg, extend trunk toward wall into Utthita Parsvakonasana, keeping the actions of the legs, especially pressing the inner knee into the block and pull the outer knee away from the block to bring the outer thigh into the hip socket
Ardha Chandrasana - 1st time: place lifted-leg's foot on the wall with the standing leg vertical, hand on a block. Press the outer heel of standing leg down to firm outer thigh up and into the hip socket, then press inner heel down to move the inner thigh forward, bringing the standing-leg hip underneath you more, lift the top hip up, press hand down onto block and roll opposite shoulder back to turn trunk. 2nd time: with a partner, same as above, partner places belt around the top of the thigh of the standing leg and pull the outer thigh back toward the wall, moving the thigh back and turning in outward
Utthita Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana - classic asana, same actions as above with special attention to keeping the hips compact just before lifting into Ardha Chandrasana
Salamba Sarvangasana
Eka Pada Sarvangasana
Parsvaika Pada Sarvangasana
Halasana
Karnapidasana
Savasana
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)