Autumn Equinox: Balance

Theme: moving toward balance 

Antidote: fall equinox the mark of equal hours of night and day 

Heart quality: balance 

Universal principle of alignment emphasis: muscle and organic energy. balanced action root to rise 

Yippie it's Autumn Equinox! This time of year always reminds me of balance. In yoga we call balance Satva. Satva is one of three gunas  (qualities) the other two called Rajas and Tamas. Rajas is like the summer—hot, full of energy, and dynamic. Tamas is like the Winter—slow, low energy, and inert. Satva is the perfect balance between the two. Balanced just like we experience on the equinox when there is an equal number of night and day time hours. 

With the shift of the seasons, we can also work with the equinox as a reminder to cultivate balance on every level of self: mental, emotional and physical, remembering that what's balanced for one person is not for another. 

When we talk about balance I love to look at the doshas in Ayurveda which tells us we are composed of three different qualities: vata (windy, creative) tamas (earthy, steady) and rajas (firey, passionate).   We will each have a unique combination of these three that make up our individuality. When we move toward balance we are working with our individual composition of these qualities.  For example, I am a fiery person, my balanced state will never look like my husband who is a very an earthy person but we will both be able to do certain things to make ourselves balanced in relationship to the way we are composed. (I hope that make sense. That was a big ah ha I had that helped me stopped chasing other people's balanced state.)

This is very similar to a yoga posture we will all be performing the same actions just like we are all composed of the same qualities but the amount we do each action is going to be largely based on our personal individuality. I am gonna scoop my tailbone a whole lot more then someone else who doesn't have my body .  

Happy equinox 

• 5-7 min -  Centering seated. 

•   5 - 10 min - Dynamic Warm ups - movement with breath, no holds, not technical, large muscles

Sun a salutations 3x 

Sun b salutations 2x 

Moon salutation 2x (Tadasana- uttanasana- Anjaneyasana- AMS- knees/chest/chin- Anjaneyasana- utt- Tadasana)

•   10 min - Poses that safely and effectively open hips and shoulders easier to perform, teach the actions

High runners lung- standing hip stretch- tree

AMS press into foundation and lift up 1-2 limbs 

Plank and handstand work At ledge in studio feet on ledge. Pressing feet down to lift femur bones up. 

Partner plank stacked on top of each other 

W2

Modified Parsvak- warrior 2- reverse warrior

•  10 - min Climax - poses that require the most strength, stamina and flexibility.

Reverse warrior- parsvakonasana 

Ardha chandrasana 

Pigeon 

High runners lunge- standing balance modification of Tadasana- w3 3x- w1

•  5 - 10 min Apex Pose

Handstand partner hand on foot for OE 

Pincha manurasana 

•  10 min -  Counter & Cooling and quieting poses 

Uttanasana (maybe sitting on block)- reverse plank 

Baddha konasana now forward (place bolster on floor behind back maybe use bolster to elevate hips) 

Supta Baddha konasana on bolster 

Twist on bolster 

AMS head on bolster 

•  10 + min Savasana

•  2- 5 min -  Meditation