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Theme: Remember the steadiness of winter
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Heart quality: Steady or stable (not
sure which one I like more)
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UPA Focus: Muscular Energy
a.
Feelings words of ME: 'solidness', 'strength',
'steadfast', 'connected', 'stillness', 'steadiness', ‘stable’ ,
‘strong’,’solid’
b.
Antidote: I
love spring and how alive and vibrant everything is! It makes me pause and
reflect on the winter and the stability that the winter provides. During winter
everything consolidates and gets dark. It is a time of rebooting of drawing
into the stillness so in spring time everything can explode with life and
flowers. Today we are going to remember the steadiness of winter and the
nourishment that cultivated the beauty of spring. That is what we are going to work
on today drawing in, getting dense and steady in ourselves so we eventually we
have a place to extend out from. When I feel this stability within myself and
remember that this energy is always present I feel so peaceful. We are about to sing our invocation
and two of the words mean just that. Nisprapanchaya means always present inside
of us and shantaya means this energy is deeply peaceful. As you draw in today
and connect to this energy notice the peaceful feeling that comes with knowing
this energy is always present in you, we just need to draw inside our self to
feel it.
i.
When I shift my awareness to notice the stability that is always present
in ide. I feel grounded and alive.
ii.
Lately as I look around and see the beauty of spring I am so reminded of
the winter and the steadiness and nourishment which allowed for this beautiful
expression.
iii.
I like to look at the
flowers which are the plants organic expression and imagine what it was like
when it was compressed and held tight in a seed. The potential and harnessed
energy that lay in that seed is a powerful image. Tap into your seed potential.
Know that it's the time spend as a seed, compact and getting nourished that
allows for the most beautiful blossom.
iv.
During winter there is an
element or stillness and quite. See if you can create those same qualities and
you tone your muscles to the bone and get steady.
v.
When we draw in and connect
inside we connect to the oneness that penetrates all of us. That internal, raw,
seed energy. From this connection, from this oneness we can express our
diversity outward.
vi.
One of my favorite things
about winter is how it inspires so much introspection. I love drawing into
myself and journaling what I observe in the winter. Create that same
introspective focus here as you draw in with your muscles. From this internal
connection, stretch out.
·
Statements focusing on muscle energy
d.
Tone your
muscles and draw deep inside yourself, into the steadiness that is always
present, from there reach out.
e.
Notice your
breath and focus on the exhale. Feel that inner stillness and tranquility that
accompanies the out breath. Now tone your muscle, hug into yourself and
experience that same stillness and tranquility. From here expand out.
f.
Squeeze into
the midline feel solid and connected keep this and reach out through your
limbs.
g.
Squeeze your
muscles to the bone with steadiness, from this inner connection reach out.
h.
Pull into the solid steadfastness
of your center and feel connected.
i.
Squeeze into the midline
feel compact and steady. Connect to that seed power and potential.
Beginning/ ending meditation: Sit up tall and expand. Turn your
awareness inside. Notice your breath. Notice your inner stability, your inner
strength. From your solid center think it is good to be alive! Today is going
to be a good day!
Chit
Ananda Statements:
j.
When I pause and remember
this inner strength and connection, I feel a vibrancy that expands and explodes
from inside out
k.
when I feel the steadiness
that comes from this inner connection I expand with enthusiasm
l.
When I draw
into myself and connect to the inner stability and strength that is always
present it makes me naturally expand with enthusiasm.
m.
When I sit for mediation, turn in and become introspective I feel this
inner stability. The more I notice this the more it grows until I feel deeply steady
inside. This connection expands my heart with joy.
n.
When we draw deep inside of ourselves we will find the source of energy
that is always present. When we find this connection inside, we can stop
searching outside of ourselves for it. This inner knowing bring deep happiness to our heart.
o.
We sing this in our invocation. Nisprapanchaya: always present inside of
us shantaya: this energy is deeply peaceful. When we remember (chit) that the
source of ever present energy lies within us there is an expansion of peace and
joy (ananda).
p.
When we remember that at our core resides the source of steady energy
which is always present we expand with joy
·
Why does this heart quality/ theme
matter? We don’t
have to search outside of ourselves for a connection. We only need to turn
within and we will find a stability that allows us to shine.
·
ME words that lead to OE words. Focus
will be on ME words?
a.
ME words: steady, connected, strong, strength,
steadiness, stability, anchored, solid, grounded, poised, and still.
b.
OE words: Alive, vibrant, energetic, and
enthusiastic.
·
UPA focus: Muscular Energy
a.
Muscle to bone
i.
“squeeze muscles to the bone” “tone your muscles to the bone” “firm your
muscles to the bone evenly on all sides”
b.
To midline
i.
“squeeze your legs together” “press your hands together” ”pull to the
midline”
c.
From extremities to focal point
1.
“From your feet tone your muscles up to the focal point in your pelvis in
line with the bottom of the sacrum , from your fingers engage your muscles to
your pelvic floor”
a.
Specific focal point locations:
i.
Core of pelvis: in line with the bottom of the sacrum
and the top of the coccygeal process.
ii.
Bottom of the heart: top of the diaphragm in the core of
the chest.
iii.
Center of the upper palate: intersection of shoulder and skull
loop.
d.
Energetic effects of muscular energy:
engaged, connected,
firm, secure, stable, support, toned, safe, centered,
e.
Physical effects of muscular energy: magnetism, integration, steadiness,
strength, tone, contraction.
·
Active Passive Language:
i.
Active words that relate to muscle
energy: engage,
squeeze, tone, draw, contract, integrate, energize, hug, firm
ii.
Passive words that relate to heart
quality: steady, connected, centered, strong,
strength, steadiness, stability, solid, and still
·
Active move/ passive feeling:
a.
Engage your muscles to the bone and feel supported.
b.
Squeeze the midline and feel stable.
c.
Tone your muscles and feel connected.
·
Demo:
a.
Side Plank / Vasisthasana
a.
Name the pose – Side plank, vasisthasana
b.
Demo the pose and concisely say Key points: Engage your muscles feel steady. Squeeze your
legs together and arm bones back and together. From this connection that is
always present lift your hips up high and shine out.
2.
Second side -silent. (optional)
a.
Just say name of pose: vasisthasana
b.
Dramatic and Emphatic - Show, point emphatically, use
facial expressions, tone of voice to inspire and impact.
iii.
Link with chit ananda: when I pause and remember this inner strength and connection, I feel a
vibrancy that expands and explodes from inside out. Allow yourself to
experience this in the pose. Pull deep into yourself, into your strength and
stability from this place of connection shine out.
·
Notes from last time to remember:
a.
make more physical adjustments
b.
use more Sanskrit
c.
talk longer in the beginning
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Seated Centering
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Draw awareness in
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Warm up
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Table
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Cat/cow
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Move with breath
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Cat variation- one leg one arm
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Move with breath
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Modified knee down side plank
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Adho Mukha Svanasana
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Standing pec stretch
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Standing quad stretch
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Uttanasana- parsvotanasana
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Surya Namaskar
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With Lunge, one leg at a time
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Or just regular sun bs?
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With Lunge hands clasped behind back, one leg at a time.
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Standing Poses
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Standing crescent
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Tadasana
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Vrksasana
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5 UPA’s“settle into your feet, engergize the legs feel steady, move
your thighs back, scoop your tailbone down, and like a tree grow out in all
directions.”
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Vrksasana - standing quad
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Virabhadrasana 2- reverse Virabhadrasana 2
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Parsvakonasana – ardha chandrasana- standing hip stretch
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Hip opening
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Eka pada rajakapotasana prep
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Lunge- garudasana- Virabhadrasana 3 - Virabhadrasana 1
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Virabhadrasana 1
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Abdominals
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On back squeeze block between thighs and ankles
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Connect to midline power
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Twisting core with blocks 2x
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When we connect to our steadiness and our inner strength we can do
challenging things.
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Pec stretches/ backbends
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On bely pec stretch
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Vasisthasana
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I demo: Engage your
muscles, squeeze your legs together and feel stable and strong. From here
lift your hips up and stretch out. This inner strength and stability is
always available to us if we draw into it.
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On belly quad stretch
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Danurasana?
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Wild thing
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Apex
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Vasisthasana with legs in tree 2x?
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Twists and forward folds
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Prasarita Padottanasana ?
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Balasana
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Turn into yourself. Into the dark darkness of winter. Of which spring
blossoms are cultivated.
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Ardha matsyendrasana 1 prep
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Baddha konasana
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Supta baddha Konasana
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Happy baby- Supta self hug
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Shavasana
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Seated meditation
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