Choose Joy

Certification Video Review Class Plan

Theme: Choose joy.

Heart Quality: Joy

a.       Joy: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

                                                              i.      Synonyms: free, uplifted, blissful, delight, joyful, rejoice, happiness, bliss, ecstasy, enjoy, and savor.

 Antidote:  I have been reflecting on the past year and I have noticed that my fuse is shorter. I am quicker to anger and frustration (maybe from sleep deprivation). That’s not what I want. I don’t want to be experiencing those feeling and send that out into the world. When I catch myself doing this, I pause and remember that I can choose how I feel I can sit in this and spread it or I can choose joy. Joy is always inside of me. It’s just a matter of how I focus my attention and co participate with my emotions to determine how I feel. And the more I choose joy the easier it is to choose joy.

a.       Supporting antidotes:

                                                              i.      Driving my car: Driving in my car is one place I will get frustrated. What’s the option, to sit and stew in anger because of the way people drive or work at cultivating joy. Driving becomes an opportunity to practice my attitude.

                                                            ii.      Virus: Our family got sick a few weeks ago. It started with our baby, spread to me, to my husband, to my dad. Who knows who each of us spread it to (hopefully not a lot). This is like our attitude and how it snowballs. Do we want to send a ripple of bad energy out into the world or do we want to send a joyous ripple out into the world.

                                                          iii.      Life isn’t always great: My uncle has had a crazy story with cancer and been in remission three times. As time goes on, he finds more and more joy and not only does he find it but he spreads it. Its amazing to watch. Life did not deal him a good situation. His mom recently died from the same cancer but still he finds that sliver of joy and makes it bigger and chooses to spread that instead of self-pity and anger. Looking at him you can see the joy shinning out of his skin and eyes. It is so inspiring!  (I don’t want the class to come off as life is always good, so be happy. Everything isn’t always dandy but we can still find joy with in those no good situations).

Why does heart quality and theme matter? The more we practice choosing a happier attitude, even when we are stuck in a traffic jam, it strengthens the habit allowing us to be more adaptable and happy during the ups and downs of life. No matter how bad a situation gets, there is always at least a sliver of joy and we can draw into that joy make it bigger and shine it out (like my uncle).

 How does it relate to chit ananda? We are all connected to something Bigger than our self which is always present. This is what allows there to always be joy inside of us even during hard times. When we remember this connection and support joy bubbles up and expands within us.

UPA Focus: 

a.       Organic Energy with emphasis on focal points.

        Demo’s: Camel Pose

                                                              i.      Key points:

1.       1^st time: First I am going to engage my muscles and now I am going to press from my hips through my legs and from my hips up through chest. (first demonstration I will keep my hands on my hips).

2.       2^nd time: Watch my chest lift up as I stretch out from my pelvis… I’m going to Press down, stretch up and shine out joy. Could you see the difference? Any questions? (second demonstration I will move my hands to my heals).  

a.       “Connect to the joy inside of you and shine it out”

 

-centering-	I have been reflecting on the past year and I have noticed that my fuse is shorter. I am quicker to anger and frustration (maybe from sleep deprivation ; )). That’s not what I want. I don’t want to be experiencing those feeling and send that out into the world. When I catch myself doing this I pause and remember that I can choose how I feel I can sit in this and spread it or I can choose joy. Joy is always inside of me evening when I am steaming with frustration, it’s just a matter of how I focus my attention and co participate with my emotions to determine how I feel.
-warm up-
Tadasana- uttanasana- ardha uttanasana – high runners lunge one hand down twist- uttanasana- ardha uttanasana – tadasana (repeat on second side)
Tadasana- uttanasana- ardha uttanasana – warrior 2- uttanasana- ardha uttanasana – tadasana (repeat on second side)
Down Dog
Lunge	5 UPA que
-basic-
High runners lunge twist- warrior 2
Lunge twist- warrior 2- rev warrior
Warrior 2 - Modified Parsvakonasana	Driving my car: Driving in my car is one place I will get frustrated. What’s the option to sit and stew in anger because of the way people drive or to look around and think about all the things that make me smile.
Mod. Parsvakonasana- Parsvakonasana
-harder-
Trikonasana- ½ moon
½ moon quad stretch – trikonasana
Lunge- dancer- standing hip stretch- warrior 1
Warrior 1	5 UPA que
Low lunge quad stretch	Life isn’t always great: My uncle has had a crazy story with cancer and remission. As time goes on he finds more and more joy and not only does he find it but he spreads it. Its amazing to watch. Life did not deal him a good situation. His mom recently died from the same cancer but still he finds that sliver of joy and makes it bigger and chooses to spread that instead of self-pity and anger. It is so inspiring!  (I don’t want the class to come off as life is always good so be happy, because everything isn’t always dandy but we can still find joy with in those no good situations).
Pigeon hands on hips
Pigeon quad twist
-apex-
I demo camel with block
Camel with block 2x
Hero pose	Pause and feel that happiness buzzing inside of you. You didn’t create that from scratch you tapped into it, expanding it and now are shinning it out.
-cool down-
Supta mod. Pada A with strap leg 45 angle (to help re set femur bone)	Breathe into your back body and feel grounded. Chit- Ananda we always have joy inside of us because we are all connected to something bigger, in remembrance of this connection and support we expand from the inside out with joy.
Supta mod. Pada A with strap- supta pada B with quad stretch and strap
Supta pada A hands interlace behind thigh
Symmetrical pose
-shavasana-	Passive organic energy
-closing-	Breath work inhale to lengthen exhale to expand then add in emotion. Inhale joy and exhale shine joy out.