Live Your Yoga Off The Mat

Teaching Anusara-inspired yoga class at sugar space. 9-10:30am. By donation. Strong low body alignment and hip Openers as we practice expanding (inner spiral) ourself with yogic teachings and find the strength (outer spiral) and commitment it take to carry what we learn on the mat (physically, spiritually and attitudinally) off the mat and into the "real world"

Do you ever feel like you learn all this good alignment, good virtues, good attitude in yoga class but then when you are in the "real world" you forget all of that and act from your habitual patterns. In India yoga seekers are recruits they go dwell in caves and leave all their worldly responsibilities behind to fully live their yoga. In America that's normally not our path our. We are "house holder yogis" we have to live in the "real world" wth responsibility: families, jobs, taxes... It's easy to practice yoga and be all "yogic" in the class room. But how can we continue to embody these qualities when we roll up our mat and go into the world? In this class we are going to connect this yoga view with inner spiral. Yoga teaches us so much it expands us and so does inner spiral. For a moment think of some of your favorite teachings that expand you. For me it's:
 -rememberence of something bigger
-good posture that takes my body out of pain and prevents future pain
-to slow down and be patient
-to treat myself compassionately

We will work on holding inner spiral as we perform outer spiral. Outer spiral creates stability and strength holding the expansion creating in inner spiral. We will connect the strength + commitment it takes to carry what we learn on the mat it meditation cushion off the mat.

The cool thing about this is. The longer and more consistently you practice yoga and these alignment principles the easier it is. Just like the longer you practice yoga the easier it becomes to live your yoga off your mat.



-inner spiral to find cat outer spiral to find cow
-High runners lunge twist - warrior 2
-modified parsvakonasana
-ardha chandrasana
-cradle spread pinky toe towards outer heal notice that it rolls groins toward earth = inner spiral
-Pigeon (on front foot spread pinky toe for inner spiral broaden back thigh now scope front sit bone down and anchor through front knee shin and foot. feel psoas lift up. Front outer hip skin should flow back, to midline and to earth if it flows up your likely hood to tweak flexor is high. Front hip flexed and externally rotated when done passively created tension, tightens and can tweak iliipsoas.)
-low lunge twist quad
-L twist - Parsva ardha chandrasana-Eagle elbows touch below knees hip flexion flow - uttitha pada b prep
-trikonasana
-Uttitha pada B
-Handstand at wall
-hanumanasana (I've bee taking a ton of public classes lately and no teacher has taught hanuman. With proper alignment this pose is freaking awesome. Creates so much flexibility, is a backbend, is a forward fold, can root the femurs...)
-Warrior 1
-supta pada B
-Matsendrasana fish twist. Hug in. Back inner thigh broadens and widen. Fire bottom leg pinky toe to create inner spiral. Scoop tail bone pull front hip down. Twist from back body and  lift front psoas up.
-Janu. Hug midline.  Move back sitting bone laterally toward knee, top of sacrum moves in and lift belly twisting toward front knee. Scope front hip down, belly will rise. Use breath and extend leg bones longer.
-Baddha konasana pinky toes spread toward outer heels. Heels might lift away from floor a title to help till ground toward floor. Inner spiral. Notice which way the inner body is turning and do more inner spiral on that leg. Once the inner body is lined up scope tail bone and forward  fold
-fish prep
-shavasana