Intermediate Class on Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Here's what we did on Wednesday (and what we'll likely do tonight in the Lewisville class).  Happy Practicing!

Swastikasana - keeping the groins soft, draw outer knees to outer hips to pin the femurs ino the hip-socket and lift the trunk, open the chest

Adho Mukha Virasana - keeping forearms and upper arms lifted, take dorsal spine in and move sternum forward

Adho Mukha Svanasana - keeping forearms lifted, take dorsal spine in, lift and press the thighs back to lengthen the trunk

Uttanasana - press outer edge of foot down to lift and pin the femurs into the hip-socket, press inner heel and big-toe ball-joint down to lift and move inner thighs back, keeping that take the dorsal spine in and lengthen the trunk down

Supta Padangusthasana I - begin in Supta Tadasana and extend the inner heels and big-toe ball-joint forward to move inner thighs down, keeping the left inner thigh down bend the right knee into the chest and belt the foot, reach the right inner heel forward into the belt to move the right front groin forward, pin the femurs in, keeping the right groin moving forward and femurs extend the inner right heel up to straighten the leg, pull upper arms into sockets to open the chest. (change sides)

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana - keeping the left (standing leg) back, bend the right knee and belt the foot, keeping the left thigh back press the foot down and into the belt to descend the right groin, draw from the outer knees toward the hips to pin the femurs into the hip-sockets, extend thru the inner heels and straighten the right leg, extend the trunk up and draw the upper arms into the shoulder-sockets to open the chest. (change sides)

Parsvottanasana - press outer left heel down and press right big-toe and inner heel down to lift the thighs up, pin the femurs in and extend the trunk, keeping the leg actions, extend the trunk forward, take the upper arms into the shoulder-sockets and the dorsal spine in, then extend the trunk forward and down

Parivrtta Trikonasana - same leg actions as Parsvottanasana, place hand on brick and roll opposite shoulder back to turn trunk, take upper arms into shoulder-sockets and open the chest

Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana - from Parivrtta Trikonasana, bend the front leg, walk the hand out  and pin the femurs into the hip sockets, keep this as you lift the back leg and straighten the standing leg, extend thru the heels. Lift the outer pelvis of the lifted leg up, press your hand down onto the floor, and roll the opposite shoulder back to twist the trunk

Virabhadrasana I  - press feet down to lift thighs up and pin outer femurs in, extend up thru the trunk and descend the buttocks away from the lumbar, maintain the pinning of the femurs as you bend your knee into the pose

Virabhadrasana III - from Virabhadrasana I, keep the femurs pinned, extend the trunk over and onto the thigh, step in with the back foot and pin the femurs in again, maintain that as you lift the back leg and extend thru the inner heels to straighten both legs, extend the trunk and arms forward

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (on chair) - slide back until the armpits are in line with the edge of the chair-seat, pull the upper arms back into the shoulder-sockets and coil the chest over the edge of the chair, extend the inner heels into the wall, roll the thighs in, and press the thighs down, keeping the buttocks lengthened away from the lumbar spine, tailbone in

Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana (on chair) - loop a belt around the right foot and keep the "tail" of the belt over your shoulder (for safekeeping); hook the right knee over the chair back and go thru the chair as in Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana, coil the chest over the edge of the chair and extend the left leg into the wall, straighten the right leg up and pin the outer hips in, holding the belt with both hands extend the arms overhead and towards the floor, resist the right front-thigh toward the chair-back. (other side)

Hanumanasana - place your right heel on a folded sticky mat and your left knee on a blanket on the floor (not on sticky mat), with your hands on blocks slide the left knee back, keeping the trunk upright, roll the left inner thigh up toward the ceiling, and extend thru the right inner heel, pin the femurs in.  Keep moving in this manner: 1. roll the back thigh in, 2. pin the femurs in, 3. slide the left knee back, 4. repeat. (other side)

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana on brick - press the upper arms down to lift the chest up, lengthen the buttocks away from the lumbar spine, extend inner heels forward to straighten the legs, roll thighs in and press thighs down

Savasana

Pranayama Class on September 1, 2010

Here's the sequence from last night's pranayama class.  Please reference Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing by BKS Iyengar for information on the specific pranayama techniques we practiced.

Swastikasana - bring the mind to the present by relaxing from the outside, in.  Beginning with the annamaya kosa (physical sheath), relax the skin and muscles of the face: the forehead, eyebrows, temples, bridge of the nose, eyelids, hinge of the jaw, lips, throat.  Then continue relaxing the sense organs (pranamaya kosa or physiological sheath) by softening the eyes, inner ears, sinuses, and root of the tongue. Observe the quality of the mind after this deliberate relaxation of the face and senses.

Savasana with feet at the wall, trunk on a bolster, head supported on a tri-fold or bi-fold blanket - attain relaxation (of the face, throat, diaphragm, nerves...) Notice the depth of the chest and the separation of the armpit-chest from the armpit-arm.

Savasana same as above, adding a looped belt around the upper humerus of both arms behind the back (like a jacket)

• Ujjayi I - attain relaxation, observe the improved opening of the chest that the the belt gives, observe the breath without altering it, at any time if relaxation is lost, go back to the practice of attaining relaxation
• Ujjayi II (inhalations) - perform Ujjayi I first, then exhale normally, feeling the abdomen recede toward the spine. Bring your awareness to the bottom of the rib cage and inhale slowly, smoothly, and deeply from the bottom ribs up the trunk, expanding the mid-ribs and top-chest.  Then, exhale normally with awareness on the abdomen receding inward.  Take 3 to 5 normal, recovery breaths to regain any relaxation that was lost.

Savasana with feet at the wall, trunk on a bolster, head supported on a tri-fold or bi-fold blanket (no arm belt)

• Viloma I - perform Ujjayi I first, then exhale normally, feeling the abdomen recede toward the spine. Bring your awareness to the bottom of the rib cage and inhale slowly into the bottom ribs, pause, continue to inhale into the mid-ribs, pause, inhale into the top-chest, pause, then exhale normally with awareness on the abdomen receding inward.  Take 3 to 5 normal, recovery breaths to regain any relaxation that was lost.

Swastikasana with the back to the wall, thighs supported on blankets, hands supported on blanket - keeping the chest open by moving upper arms back into the wall and moving the shoulderblades into the back-body, lift the chin and take the base of the neck down and into the body (C-7); keeping C-7 in, lower the head into Jalandara Bandha.

• Ujjayi inhalations - same as in supine position, with awareness on keeping the lift of the trunk and chest
• Brahmari - exhale normally, feeling the abdomen recede toward the spine. Bring your awareness to the bottom of the rib cage and inhale slowly, smoothly, and deeply from the bottom ribs up the trunk, expanding the mid-ribs and top-chest.  Then, exhale creating a humming sound, vibrating the mask. Take 3 to 5 normal, recovery breaths to regain any relaxation that was lost.

Savasana, flat