Tuesday's Anusara Yoga class at metric Yoga
Theme: forgiveness
We all make mistakes, cause wreckage and have a history. Let go of blame, guilt and shame and open that space up to LOVE and UNDERSTANDING. Forgive! Forgive!
It has been said that “to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” When we hold onto resentment, whether we realize it or not, it becomes a deep pain within us. That pain can manifest itself in different ways that can negatively impact our lives. Whatever you are holding onto tightly, let it go, and forgive! Forgive! Forgive! Forgive! Yourself and others. Don’t let hate be the story of your life. Choose to forgive.
The first paragraph of Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts, teaches us to discern between hate and forgiveness, no matter what the circumstance. “It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while i was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized somehow through the screaming in my mind that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness I was still free, free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them. It doesn’t sound like much, I know, but in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it’s all you’ve got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life.” Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram
Ancedote: Martin Luther King day
Apex: hanumanasana
Heart quality: forgiveness
More quotes:
- "I forgive, heal and release everything that consciously or unconsciously could delay or block the complete evolution of my being." Mario Liani
-“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.” Dale Carnegie
-"We must developand maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies." Martin Luther King, Jr
Principle of emphasis: lower body loops. Ankle loop (creates arches, sets foundation for rest of body) ankle loop (times calf, prevents higher extension) thigh loop (governs health of low back, creates lumbar curve) pelvic loop (tones low belly, stabilizes and maintained lumbar curve, grounds energy)
1. Ankle Loop – Starts at the base of the shin bone just above the ankle. It moves down the back of the heel, forward along the bottom of the foot, then back up through the center of the arch to the front of the shin.
2. Shin Loop – Starts at the back of the shinbone just above the ankle. It moves up the back of the calf muscle to the top of the shins just below the knee, forward through the top of the shin, then down the front of the shin back to the base of the shin.
3. Thigh Loop – Starts at the top of the thighbone in the core of the pelvis (pelvic focal point). It moves down the back of the thigh to the top of the calf muscles, forward through the top of the shin, and then up the front of the leg through the lower abdomen back to the Focal Point.
4. Pelvic Loop – Starts in the core of the abdomen in line with the middle of the lower spine and a place just below the navel. It moves down from the middle of the lumbar to the buttocks in line with the bottom of the sacrum, forward through the floor of the pelvis (pelvic focal point) to the top of the pubic bone, then up the lower abdomen to just below the navel. The Pelvic Loop has the same direction of rotation as the Thigh Loop. However, they have opposite effects on alignment of the body. The Thigh Loop moves the top of the thighs back. While the Pelvic Loop moves the top of the thighs forward in opposition.
Sequence:
Warm up
Sun salutation one legged from down dog- Lunge- urdhva dandasana- tadasana 4x
Basic
Tadasana lower body loops demo
Tadasana- half moon stretch
High runner lunge twist - scandasana
Parsvotonasana- manual AL- standing splits- handstand hops TL
Uttanasana AL SL TL (bend legs- work loops- keep actions- straighten legs) 3x
Harder
prasarita padotonasana (bend legs- work loops- keep actions- straighten legs) - Trikonasana (bend legs- work loops- keep actions- straighten legs) - half moon (bend legs- work loops- keep actions- straighten legs)
High runners lunge - urdhva dandasana- warrior 3- standing splits - handstand hops TL
Pigeon- add quad stretch
Apex
Half hanuman - hanumanasana
Cool down
Bridge
Bridge wall feet out TL PL windshield wiper
Seated Dandasana
Pachimotonasana
Partner supta loops partner stands on yogis upper thighs to root thighs back (thigh loop) yogi bends elbows and presses elbows into ground to lift heart (shoulder loop)
Supta loops
Shavasana
Meditation
