How do you show up?

Thursday Anusara Yoga Class
This class was fun. We worked on engaging the muscles piraticularly the adductor (inner thighs) so inner spiral would widen the back of the pelvis helping us square off in first warrior pose and the outer spiral to create freedom in hip flexor sand extension of spine

Theme: Show up
Antidote: part of the story of Virabhadra
Apex: Virabhadrasana 1/ first warrior pose
Principles of emphasis: using lower body alignment (inner and outer spiral) to adjust the pelvis and support + extend the spine better (open to grace)
Heart quality: steadfast + patience

Lunge
High runners lung twist - w2
Active pigeon
Parivrtta Eka pada raja quad prep
Eka pada raja quad
Ardha hanumanasana
parivrtta ardha hanuman block
Virabhadrasana 3 prep - standing pigeon
Lunge- virabhadrasana 3 prep- lunge
Virabhadrasana 3 wall hands -L 3x
Virabhadrasana 3 wall foot
Handstand L
Handstand kick
Virabhadrasana 1
Virabhadrasana 1
1/2 vira 1/2 pachimo- Krouchasana
Hanumanasana
Matsyandrasana

The Nag

Tuesday. Anusara-inspired Yoga
Stay With Me A While

I lived with her night and day--
the Nag.

I don't mean my wife or mother-in-law,
they are both angels.

I am talking about that voice in me that would not
let me hold each moment
as I did my son when
he was born.

How to slay the Nag?

I am afraid I have become fond of you,
dear student,

if I spoke the answer,
you might
run.

~Kabir

Theme: what is your nag? My Nag is the voice of distraction – anything that pulls me away from the enjoyment of the moment.  It’s my own voice, with its priorities screwed up. plugging into the moment, looking for the good.

Sucasana arm bone plugging
Sucasana inner/ outer spiral
Sucasana twist is/os
Supta arm bone plugging
Supta root femur bone strap
Supta pigeon/fish
Supta pada a- b strap
Tad- lunge 2x
Lunge- anjaneyasana - ardha hanumanasana 2 blocks
Parsvotonasana 2 blocks- standing splits
Funky parsvotonasana - standing splits- 1/2 moon - standing pigeon
Tree
Star:
Mod. Parsvak
Wide leg frwd fold- trik block
Trikonasana- parsva trik block wall
Handstand wall 3x upright, L, kick
Hanumanasana
Supta pigeon - femur rooting
Supta pada a- b- c strap
Supta twisting core
Bridge

Ahismsa: Nonharming

The yamas and niyamas are the first 2 branches of Patanjalis 8 limbed path (ashtanga yoga). They are like the do's and donts of yoga that promote inner and outer peace and bliss. John Friend said, "they create harmony within you, and in relationship to your environment and to others. Where there is harmony, consciousness can expand, they lead us to a natural revelation of insight into the nature of being, and joy naturally arises." They also provide a mirror in which to observer our practice, giving us infinite opportunities to transform our Self. I find when I am in alignment with the yamas and niyamas I experience more peace, truth, abundance, harmony, contentment, self-acceptance, and love.

Ahimsa is the fist yama, This word is usually translated as non-violence or non-harming. If we break down the Sanskrit we learn that "himsa" can be translated as "lion" and "a"  is a negating prefix. So "ahimsa" can be translated as "not like a lion". I love this. It reminds me to come from a place of calmness and the heart instead of the impulse of anger and causing harm.

Violence happens through our words and thoughts as well and can be just as harmful as physical violence. To practice ahimsa is to be so aware with our interactions with ourselves, our thoughts and our interactions with others. To incorporate ahimsa into your life, look at all the attitudes you have that might be keeping you from feeling at peace. Write down your five most negative thoughts, these thoughts themselves are a form of violence.  Just noticing the negativity will help you stop feeding the thoughts and will lead you toward peace.

Ahimsa tells us not to hurt other people, the planet, animals.. The law of karma tells us that when we hurt another that that suffering in which we inflict will inevitably will come back and hurt us. When I think of ahisma I am so reminded of the hurt I can inflict on myself. How often do we physically, emotionally and spirautally beat up on ourselves. I know I can be ruder to myself then I would someone I hate. This yama is a reminder to love thy neighbor and to love thy self.

We will be talking about ahimsa in my Saturday classes this week and will continue to over through the yamas and then the niyamas over the next 8 weeks. Ahmisa fits so beautifully with anusara yoga because we do a lot of harm to our bodies with our habitual posture and we can also do a lot of violence to our self with our yoga practice not practicing alignment. We can practice self love with a good strong alignment based practice.

Sage

It was brought to my attention that after having blogged in detail through out my pregnancy I haven't even posted a picture of Sage let alone an update... Turns out this motherhood thing is time consuming so I don't have much time to write. Sage Steven Hoggan is amazing. I am so beyond in love. Here are som pics of my cute little dude at 6 months

HAPPY BABY

All dressed up for my sisters graduation

Back bending sequence

Saturday anusara-inspired sequene. This class was a lot of fun. We talked about devotion and being a powerful server of love.

here are some pics of me doing this sequence at home

Dharma
be that which nourishes and sustaines ea
Root femurs
Supta pada A
Root femurs
Bend knees lift feet crunching twist, working top of abdomen, exhale lift and twist – bicycle
Bridge- hold shin bones lift up heart
Supta pigeon hamstring stretch grab bottom leg over head
Supta pigeon bridge
Supta pada A
Rock n roll up- navasana
dd-utt
½ moon stretch
½ moon stretch one leg
Utt- vinyasa
Lunge- with ½ moon side stretch both ways- Anjali twist open arms to T rev lunge twist hand on upper back forearm behind head- fingers to floor high runners lunge twist- l.l twist quad on outer edge of front foot, kick foot into hand backbend, then move foot to butt for deeper quad stretch
Shalabasana clasp hands- parsva shalabasana rock over onto one side lift top leg poption grab back foot with hands and kick- back through center switch clasp hand other finger on top rock over to other side- center- cobra lift up hip look toward
belly power in belly then lower hips and open chest
Mod. Parsvak
Bow w2 finger on floor inside- trik
Bound [strap] parsvak- bound trik- parsvak
Anahatasana
Dolphin
Anjaniasana reach hands to side turn palms up grab mat for power
Handstand wall
Pincha up wall
Pincha front knee bent
Hanumanasana fold frwd or to midline to inner spiral hanuman calls on our devotion to love
Bridge hands under hips extend legs out straight feet flat on floor, neck lifted
Urdhva Danurasana heels up
Urdhva or bridge leg lift
urdhva 2 walk or bridge legs out together straight
Root femur bones
Twist both knees bent- gallopers twist
Succasana twist

This to will pass. Thursdays sequence

Thursday:
This to shall pass
Thinking a situation is permanent
Antidote: the flu
Our position specifically the shape of our spine
P.o.e: inner spiral, outer spiral

Lunge- step forward tad knee up2x
Half sun 3x
Standing pigeon
Standing pigeon
Tree
Warrior 2
Warrior 2
Mod. Parsvakonasana
High runners lung twist- w2- mod. Parsvak
Mod. Parsvakonasana - half moon
Scandasana- half moon- standing pigeon
Standing wide leg forward fold
Trikonasana
Handstands
Supta baddha konasana legs up wall
Janusirsasana
Half double pigeon
Double pigeon block
Double pigeon
Wide leg forward fold to side
Wide leg forward fold
Supta baddha konasana