Basics

Tonight’s class was a good time. We continued with the weeks them of asteya and shins in thighs back and wide. I maybe took to great of liberties with the yama but it really just felt appropriate tonight. Asteya is non-stealing, and I essentially said that the way that we were going to practice that in class tonight was by just celebrating how great we each are, how complete each one of is, and how it is really so unneccasary to covet what another has because we are all so infinitely worthy anyway. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be here. Yes, a stretch I know. But feels relevant. And Inspiring. Anyhow, it was fun. And folks really worked their shins so well and started to really make sense of getting space in their hips and pelvis. I am just having so much fun teaching this class. Everyone comes each time so open to learn and even though we are only meeting once a week, there is such a dramatic improvement week to week. So great. Truly.

Wednesday’s Basic Class

• Tadasana
• Uttanasana
• lunges
• All 4’s with a block to
• Down Dog
• Parvottanasana 2x
• Uttkatasana 2x
• Anjaneyasana 2x
• Shalabasana
• Bhujangasana 2x
• Jatara Parivartanasana (w/ block)
• Suki Randrasana
• Savasana

Cleansing

This morning was a fun class, even though we were missing a few folks. It feels like forever since last weeks classes, I think due in part to the “journey” that Pancha Karma was for me and really continues to be. Many folks in town are doing a spring cleanse and it is always so interesting how we think that we are cleansing our physical system, and yet what is really being revealed, stirred up, and ultimately cleansed, are the deeply rooted beliefs of the mind. So when we start feel discomfort in the process we often chalk it up to the detox instead of the actual unhinging of the minds attachments to different faucets of identity.

My PK experience all in all was wonderful. That is not to say that it was not at times very uncomfortable, and in some particulars, continues to be, but really it was the best cleanse and rejuvenation ever. I feel so good, so like myself, in my best form. I would love to do Pancha Karma twice a year. Love it. Just for all the oil alone. Totally worth it. And the Ghee. Don’t forget the ghee.

Class this week is focusing on an off shoot of muscle energy, shins in, thighs out. Which will actually segway us smoothly into 3rd principle, inner spiral. I am trying to be more fluid in the way that I teach the principles than I have in the past. We shall see how it goes. The Yama for the week is Asteya, or non-stealing (also non-coveting). Today I focused primarily on how this is an invitation to look for the good in our own practice and really celebrate the ability and achievements of other in theirs. Like always it comes back to the mind. Can we aspire to discipline the mind to not perpetually want what we do not have, it is like the seduction of duality. “They can do that, they must be better than me, if I can do that or be them or whatever, maybe I will be more worthy too.” And on and on. Why not just for a minute, or better yet the 90 minutes of your yoga class, just consider that we hold each other up. That the most accomplished person offers just as much as the newest person in the class. We commit to riding the energy together, being inspired by one another and cultivating compassion along the way. We learn to feel full in the moment and then we stop wanting what we do not have. Even for a minute, that is pretty great.

Tuesday Morning Sequence

• 3 Surya Namaskar
• Virabhadrasana 1
• Vira 2 to Parvakonasana
• Trikonasana
• Parivritta Trikonasana
• Uttkatasna (with a block)
• Ardha Chandrasana
• Pigeon prep
• Dhanurasana 2x
• Setubandha 2x (with a block)
• Ustrasana 2x (again with a block b/t the shins)
• Anjaneyasana
• Baddha Konasana
• Ardha Matseyandrasana
• Janu Sirsasana
• Pascimottanasana
• Savasana

Namaste!

Week Overview

OOps, I found the other post right before I wrote this. Sorry for the repeat!

Looks like I just deleted my last post, which detailed the themes of the week, along with Tuesdays class. I also wrote about Pancha Karma, which I am on day 6 of. I hope to rewrite some of this, but for now I am just going to put up the sequences from all 3 classes.

We worked with the Balance of Muscular and Organic Energy, and the Yama Satya, or truthfulness. Again, I hope to write more on this soon. I am headed to Milwaukee for PK treatments today so we shall see.

Tuesday, Level 2:

3 Surya Namaskars, with lunge variations

Downward Dog

L pose at the wall

Virabadrasana 3 (legs at the wall)

Utthitta hasta Padangustasana (at the wall)

Vira 3 to Ardha Chandrasana (at the wall)

Vrksasana

vinyasa

Anjaneyasana (2x)

Pigeon thigh stretch

Bhujangasana (2-3x)

Childs Pose

Bharadvajasna 1

Savasana

Wednesday Night Basics:

Tadasana

Urdhva Hastasana

Uttanasana

Lunges at the wall, holding a block with the knee (2x)

Lunge with heel at the wall

Parvakonasana (back heel at the wall)

Parvakonasana (one foot on a slippy blanket)

Uttkatasana

Anjaneyasana

Shalabasana

Sukhasana (folding forward and twisting)

Supta Padangustasana

Savasana

Thursday Morning Level1:

3 Surya Namasakars

Tadasana, Uttanasana, Down Dog (all with a block between the shins)

Down Dog (with hands on a blanket, then feet)

Cobra (with a block b/t the legs

Lunge (with a block at the knee at the wall) 2x

Lunge with the heel at the wall

Uttkatasana with a block

Trikonasana

Anjaneyasana (2x)

Eka pada Bhekasana

Bhujangasana

Setu Bandha (block b/t the shins, thighs)

Setu Bandha with a partner holding thighs

Baddha Konasana

Janu Sirsasana (2x)

Savasana

PK

Hey there. I have not meant to be lazy on the blog scene, but I am doing Pancha Karma this week, and those of you who now me also know that I do love a good cup o’ chai or black/green tea. And anyhow, it has been interesting not having any this week. (Not to mention all the other things that I am not having any of…) But for me, now if a really perfect time to cleanse. I have wanted to do pancha karma (pk) for several years and have not had the appropriate resources or life circumstances to make it a reality. Now I do. So I am. Even though I did try to come up with quite a few reasons not to. That is another story.

Pancha karma is the seasonal cleansing in Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Panch karma means the 5 actions. It is generally 8 days long, the first 5 days being purva karma, a time for preparing the body for several days of treatments. During this time I stick to a mono diet (think veggies and grains, kitcheree), do a daily abhyanga (oil massage), and in the mornings down an increasing amount of medicated ghee in milk. In general, try to take it slow, not schedule much, and spend a lot of time in reflection and quiet. Really just what I need right now. Today is the 4th day for me. On Friday I head down to Milwaukee for my 3 days of treatments, roughly 2 hours each day. More abhyanga, shirodhara, some good sweating and also I will have ghee pored in my eyes. I think there are some other things but I cannot remember. All in all it is a good time to set forth some larger intentions, which like I said is perfect timing for me as i really have some large choices up in the air right now.

So that is the long version of what is up for me. And an explanation of why there have not been more entries here.

I have not gotten into the studio much in the last week. But it has been nice when I have gotten there. I hope to practice with some friends this weekend while I am down in SE wis. We shall see. I will miss practicing with folks up here, but will look to plan something the weekend after this coming.

In classes this week we are working with Balanced Action, specifically muscular and organic energies. Primary Flows. I love this stuff so much. To me, primary flows of energy are so exciting because they are relatively easy to feel in your body, and when the beginner can get a hit pretty quickly of that energy, it really opens up the door to a lot of great learning and discovery.

The Yama that we are working with is Satya, or truth. I am attempting to present this information in a way that is clear and specific but that also leaves room for the students own understanding and experience. Because that is really how it works for me. I am the definition of an experiential learner (thank you Prescott College) and when I take something in I start by taking it all, dogma and all. I chew on in for awhile, digest it, and eventually reshape it into something that has context in my life and yet has not lost the integrity of the initial form. After all, I do love form. So with Satya, I just find it endlessly interesting that it follows Ahimsa. That the very first moral guideline is non-harming. Then it is honesty. As if to say that a truth that causes harm is missing the point, has become self-indulgent. Sally Kempton wrote a very interesting article in this months Yoga Journal that touches on this a bit. Specifically on the 4 gates of speech, which I have taught before in classes and directly applies.

Anyhow, the way that I have been connecting these 2 themes is through the use of the middle place, the mudhya or hrdyam, the place of the heart. Balanced Action after all, is all about the expansion of the middle in a sustaining and intentional way, and the heart is really the seat of Truth. Pretty fun stuff.

Tuesday’s class:

3 Surya Namaskars (with lunge variations, vira 1 and twists)

Downward Dog (with muscular and organic energy breakdown)

L pose at the wall

Virabhadrasana 3 (legs at the wall)

Utthitta Hasta Padangustasana (at the wall)

Vira 3 to Ardha Chandrasana (legs at the wall)

Vrksasana

Anjaneyasana (2x)

Pigeon thigh stretch

Bhujangasana (3x) partner arm assist

Balasana

Bharadvajasana 1

Savasana

Wednesday night and Thursday morning

Last nights class was very fun. It was great to see some familiar faces and also to welcome some new folks. What I have always loved about the basics is that there is such an authentic desire to really learn whenever folks come to a beginning level class. Everyone already has beginners mind so you never have to remind anyone of it. We continued with the themes of Open to Grace and Ahimsa, really focusing on how both bring us back in to the flow of the Absolute.

The sequence:

Tadasana and Urdhva Hastasana (letting the breath lead the way)

Uttanasana

Lunges

Prasarita Paddottanasana (wide-legged forward fold) 2x

Virabhadrasana 2 (warrior 2) 2x

Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose) 2x

Uppavista Konasana (wide angle pose)

Parsva Uppavista Konasana

Marichyasana 1 2x

Bharadvajasana 1

Savasana

Before this mornings level 1 class, I looked through the introduction of Light on Yoga to see what B.K.S. Iyengar has to say about Ahimsa. What really stood out to me was how he related non-violence to freedom from anger and freedom from fear. So these self imposed limitations or afflictions are really the catalyst for violence, to ourselves and others. I love this, because, as I talked about all week, the tendencies for harm really does begin in our own head. In the dialogue inside that often tells us that we are either not worthy and are bound to fail (fear based), or that it must be the fault of someone else who is holding us back or oppressing us in some way (anger based). Sound a little like Vata and Pitta imbalance?

Todays class:

Sun Salutes with some lunges, bhujangasana, and one really great twisting dog variation.

Prasarita paddottanasana

Virabhadrasana 2

Parsvakonasana

Vrksasana (tree pose)

vinyasa

Vrksasana (with arms in Garudasana)

vinyasa

Parvottanasana

Uttkatasana

vinyasa

Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog)

Sukhasana (easy pose) 2x

Uppavista Konasana

Parsva Uppavista

Janu Sirsasana 2x

Marichyasana 1

Bharadvajasana 1

Balasana (childs pose)

Savasana

Enjoy!

one last thing…. The registration forms are out for Christina Sell’s workshop the 20-22 of June. You can sign up for all or part, and there is a reduced rate if you sign up before the end of May (the exact date is on the flyer). As this is the first workshop that Align with Nature is hosting, it would just be so spectacular to be busting at the seams with folks. We will be in a different space for this event, so for those of you that may have been concerned about space in the studio, no worries.

First Week of Classes

The Tuesday morning class is transitioning into a level 2 class. This is very exciting and also means that during this 1st session we are going to work on getting very solid on all of the poses that lead up to level 2. Also it means that we are going to review the principles in a way that directly applies to these specific postures, in addition to the loops and some basic nuts and bolts philosophy.
This week we are working with 1st principle: open to grace as well as the 1st yama: ahimsa.

Open to Grace is the foundation of Anusara Yoga. It embodies a Tantric worldview of stepping into the currents of Grace. It holds within it both setting the foundation and inner body bright. Both of which have everything to do with intention. Setting the foundation not only means the mindful placement of our feet on the sticky mat, but it also means the mindful placement of our hearts into the flow of Grace, into the seat of our intention. Inner Body Bright is a filling up from within, both with the breath of shakti and the rememberance of our essential self. The Self who is perfect and complete and innately worthy. So this is where we begin our practice from and also where we begin each subsequent pose. For all effective purposes, Open to Grace is the beginning, the middle, and the end.

Ahimsa is non-harming or non-violence. It is very similar to the Christian commandment ‘thou shalt not harm’. Ahimsa is the undercurrent for many animal and human rights advocate groups. In fact Jivamukti is a great champion of ahimsa for a vegan lifestyle. Already you get the idea that this is a much more complicated concept than meets the eye as it becomes an issue of personal morality. Personally, my take on the whole cruelty to animals thing in particular has much more to do with context than content. But I am also fortunate to live in an area where I live very close to and often even know the farmer who is raising the meat that my family chooses to eat. And a large part of why we make the choice that we do is because of the intimacy of that relationship. Because we can be confident that we are not contributing to the poor treatment of livestock. (It really goes hand in hand with the willingness of the community to take a stand against proposed confinement farms in our area).

However, the aspect of ahimsa that I work (and struggle) with most in my own practice is in my head. Am I being non-violent, am I not causing harm to myself within my own thoughts and self-critical dialogue. This is a tough one, but maybe the most powerful. After all it is so much easier to be kind to others when I am loving myself. It is such a fine line between pushing myself appropriately and beating myself up. So Ahimsa. For the head.

Onto the sequence of the day:

• Sun Salutes
• Chaturanga
• Bhujangasana
• Virabadrasana 1
• Lunge Twist
• Vira 1
• Parsvottanasana (hands on hips)
• Standing quad stretch
• Pigeon
• Pigeon thigh stretch
• Bhujangasana
• Purvottasana (eka hasta variation) 2-3X
• SetuBandahasana 3X
• Eka Pada Setu Banda
• Dwi Pada Yogadandasana
• Savasana

namaste!

More to Come

So I have jumped back into my own practice after a little break and it has really been fantastic so far. I feel some momentum building, and that coupled with the sweet familiarity of breath and prayer through movement is just really beyond description. It is funny because when I try to describe it to Chris, who is in the fitness industry and is a very powerful athlete, he immediately goes into the whole you need to rest and rebuild concept that applies to sports and and exercise. And that makes sense, really it does, but to me yoga has always just seemed very different from all of those other pursuits and so the same principles do not seem to apply. But maybe they do. It is interesting because I can feel both stronger from the rest and yet really unable to touch certain postures or even actions that were flowing for me before I took the rest.

This is really just a tangent.

Saturday morning, Kae and I did a repeat performance of what Kristina and I worked on Wednesday, and that was fun. That sequence is so great (Desiree’s article from the most recent Yoga Journal- Noah is her model) and so effective and I was really happy to have such a solid warm up for some deep backbends. Not to mention some more practice on V. C.

This morning Kristina and Kathy joined me for a little while for a much more mellow time. Lots of hips, twists and inversions. Not so glamorous but very juicy and I hit up against some internal obstacles which I have to say I may love just as much as the breakthrough, mind blowing experiences because the obstacles always seem to point the way for me head. And generally speaking that way is always inside. The obstacle (I am really resisting using the word wall instead because, lets face it, it is just not that permanent) is generally sprung from some internal dialogue of lack or ineptitude. And the remedy, 9 times out of 10, is for a softer approach. One with more love, more compassion, and more breath. Prayer and meditation. So I love it, because for me it is yet another invitation to remember God, and Chit Ananda.

Classes begin on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing everyone soon.