Beginner Class on Monday, January 10, 2011

I really enjoyed last night's class and feel like my personal life is finally settling down a bit, so I'm back to blogging sequences! Last night we worked on increasing hip flexion!


Swastikasana - press sitting bones straight down and lift up thru the trunk and crown of the head, roll upper arms back and move the shoulderblades into the back ribs

Adho Mukha Virasana - join big toes and widen knees, sit on your heels (or blanket on your heels), maintain contact of the buttocks to the heels (or blanket) as you extend your trunk and arms forward

Supta Padangusthasana I - bent leg variation

1. Extend the "down" leg thigh and inner heel forward to descend the leg into the floor, keeping that leg down, bend the opposite knee into the chest
2. Same as above but with a long belt around the extend leg heel and bent leg groin to maintain the levelness of the hips

Adho Mukha Virasana

Malasana - sacrum at the wall - press your inner heels down and descend your thighs as you lift up thru the sides of your trunk, pull the upper arms back to broaden the chest

Malasana - heels on blanket - work down from two folded blankets to as low as possible - same actions as above

Adho Mukha Virasana

Supta Padangusthasana I - extend "down" leg thru the inner heel, keeping that thigh low, bent the opposite knee to chest and belt the foot, press foot into belt to move hip and femur forward, keeping that action extend the knee (don't take more belt than you need!)

Adho Mukha Virasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana -

1. heels at the wall: press your heels down and back into the wall to lift the thighs and move the front thighs into the back thighs
2. hands at the wall with a partner holding blocks into the upper hamstring: stongly press your hamstrings into the blocks 
3. hands at the wall independently

Adho Mukha Virasana

Marichyasana I - twist only

Paschimottanasana

Savasana - feet into a bolster at the wall, head supported on a folded blanket

Restorative Class on Monday, August 30, 2010

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

Restorative Class on Monday, July 26, 2010

This sequence is adapted from a John Schumacher class that you can purchase from www.ihanuman.com.  Check it out!

Swastikasana
Adho Mukha Virasana (5 min)
Adho Mukha Svanasana, head supported (2 min)
Uttanasana, head supported (2 min)
Sirsasana  (5 min) or Prasarita Padottanasana, head supported
Chair Sarvangasana (7 min)
Supta Baddha Konasana, on at least two blankets, thighs supported (10 min)
Supta Swastikasana, on at least two blankets, legs belted (5 min per side)
Savasana, (10 min) heels into a bolster at the wall, head on a folded blanket

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

Beginner Class on Monday, July 12, 2010

On Monday, we focused on hip flexion!

Here's the sequence:

Swastikasana - balance the pelvis by coming to the center of the buttock bones; feel the length and lift of both the front of the pelvis and the lumbar spine
Adho Mukha Virasana - press hands down and forward to maintain contact of hips to heels
Ardha Uttanasana with hands at the wall - press heels down to lift thighs up, press root of thigh back and hands forward into wall to lengthen trunk
Tadasana - press heels down to lift thighs up and move root of thigh back; lift the front of the pelvis up maintaining the thighs back
Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana - keep thighs lifted and root of thigh back as you raise your arms; lift the front of the pelvis up maintaining the thighs back
Utkatasana - keep weight in heels, descend thighs and lift front of pelvis up so there is length on both front- and back-bodies
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana preparation - standing near a wall for balance, bend the right knee and hold the big toe, lift left thigh up, move root of left thigh back, and pressing the right foot down into your clasp, lower the left buttock bone toward the floor, maintaining the lift of the left thigh and root of left thigh back.  Keep outer left hip in toward the mid-line of the body. (perform other side)
Virabhadrasana I - keeping outer right hip in toward the mid-line of the body, press heels down to lift front of pelvis up to lengthen the trunk up
Prasarita Padottanasana - concave phase only; maintain lift of thighs and root of thighs moving back as you lengthen the trunk (including the pubic bone) forward
Uttanasana 
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Malasana  - heels on blanket roll, press heels down, release thighs down, lift trunk up
Marichyasana I - both hands holding foot, press root of thigh and foot down to lift and lengthen trunk forward
Paschimottanasana - press roots of thighs down
Adho Mukha Virasana
Savasana

Beginner Class on Monday, June 21, 2010

We worked on keeping the length of the front body by moving the front ribs away from the abdomen and towards the chest and lifting the chest by bringing the upper arms into the shoulder sockets, moving the trapezius away from the neck, and bringing the shoulderblades into the back body. Enjoy!

Swastikasana (invocation)
Adho Mukha Swastikasana: with rolled blanket in hip creases, lift bottom front floating ribs up and over rolled blanket, extend trunk and arms forward, move floating ribs forward away from blanket roll and toward the chest (the blanket roll should help prevent the ribs from moving backwards toward the abdomen)
Adho Mukha Vajrasana: (knees and feet together) with blanket roll (same as above)
Adho Mukha Virasana: big toes together, knees apart, no blanket roll but same actions
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Uttanasana (concave spine): pull floor toward you to extend the sides of the trunk more, bring arms into shoulder sockets and move shoulderblades into back-body to open and move chest forward
Tadasana
Urdhva Hastasana: stretch up thru front of arms and pull down thru back of arms so trapezius moves away from the neck and draw the shoulderblades down and into the body to open the chest
Urdhva Baddhanguliasana: stretch up thru front of arms and pull down thru back of arms so trapezius moves away from the neck and draw the shoulderblades down and into the body to open the chest
Ardha Paschima Baddha Hastasana: hold one arm behind the back with the opposite hand, just above the elbow, roll your outer upper arms back and move the shoulderblades down to open the chest
Gomukhasana (arms only): move both upper arms back and draw shoulderblades down to open the chest
Chatushpadasana: press heels down to lift thighs and bottom of buttocks up; press outer upper arms down to lift shoulderblades up and lift shoulderblades up more to lift chest up
Uttanasana (concave spine): move shoulderblades into back-body like in Chatushpadasana to open chest more
Chatushpadasana
Padangusthasana (concave spine): pull on toes to bring arms into shoulder sockets, move shoulderblades toward waist and into the back-body to open chest forward
Chatushpadasana
Prasarita Padottanasana: hands on hips, come over half way maintaining concave spine, sneak hands to blocks (or floor) without disturbing trunk, pull blocks back toward you to move upper arms, trapezius, and shoulderblades toward your waist to open and bring chest forward
Chatushpadasana
Salabhasana: arm action only, roll outer upper arms toward ceiling and stretch hands back toward feet to open chest
Bharadvajasana I: roll upper arms back and bring shoulderblades down and into back-body to open chest
Dandasana, Urdhva Hasta and Urdhva Mukha phases: press thighs and hands down to lift trunk, extend arms up without diminishing the lift of the trunk, hold belt around feet, pull belt to bring arms into shoulder sockets, bring shoulderblades down and into back-body to open chest
Savasana

Beginner Class on Monday, June 14, 2010

It is my hope to encourage all yoga students to begin a home practice. Hopefully, you will find this helpful in guiding you!

So here's what we did on Monday evening:

Swastikasana
Adho Mukha Virasana: keeping hips descended to heels
Tadasana: bend the knees, press the sole of foot and heels down as you lift the thighs to straighten the knees, extend the trunk up, descend the buttocks down, open chest by rolling shoulders back
Urdhva Hastasana: without disturbing the legs and trunk in Tadasana
Gomukhasana (arms only): without disturbing the legs and trunk in Tadasana
Utkatasana: buttocks descending
Garudasana: facing wall for balance, legs only, then arms only, then both together, keeping the buttocks descending
Parsvottanasana (concave spine): As in Tadasana earlier, bend the knees, press the feet down and lift the thighs up to straighted the legs, maintain the work of the legs throughout the pose
Prasarita Padottanasana (concave spine): leg focus as Parsvottanasna
Adho Mukha Svanasana (hands at wall)
Virasana and Urdhva Baddhanguiliasana in Virasana
Gomukhasana: buttocks descending
Chatushpadasana (on Sarvangasana setup)
Savasana