Friday, August 11, 2017

Satya: Yoga Class Plan for InBody Academy Yoga Teacher Training 200 hr GE





Theme (What insight or teaching do you want to weave through the class that is life affirming and can be taken off of the mat? That connects with the heart quality/ apex?)

Sat= truth ya= to be, to activate

       Dishonesty=lying, gossiping, expectations? stories, manipulation, cheating, making assumptions

       “To be established in truthfulness, actions and their results become subservient…“the state of fearlessness comes. One need not be afraid of anybody and can always lead an open life.” Sri Swami Satchidananda’s

       “Whenever we are not telling the truth, we deepen our separation from this inner self. In this gap, shadow grows. The larger we make the gap through living falsehoods, the more the shadow takes over our life, and this shadow shows up psychologically (negative, hostile or destructive thoughts, hypocrisy and pretension), emotionally (non-positive states such as fear, depression, anger, etc.), and physically (pain, illness, and even accidents).” Brad Waites,

       Is telling the truth always the best?

       remember to think about satya in context with the other yamas: Though each stands alone individually, there is indeed a hierarchy of sorts. If telling the truth has the possibility of causing harm to anyone, it’s no longer truth, as it is unable to uphold ahimsa – non-violence. there is a dynamic interplay between them… In a sense, they incorporate a system of checks and balances.

       Can we be honest with our self? In a lot of ways, it’s simpler to live truthfully by others; but being honest with ourselves is often trickier, and less pleasant. Satya asks us to look at the shadow with our self even when it’s not easy. One of the goals of yoga is freedom from the “sufferings” in our lives – and to be free from them, we first be aware of them. Satya means being truthful and real about our shortcomings, our messes, and the places where we can grow and transform. Yoga is about transformation. Some people might think yoga is leading to some ecstatic blissful state, more likely, union is about waking up into your mess and connecting to the divinity within that! Looking honestly at parts of ourselves without self-judgment, it’s easier to address the internal issues (the “mess”) that we may have ignored in the past.



Anecdote (How will you personalize the teaching with connection to your own experience and make it relevant to your students? )

       Personal story I tell myself:

       I am always tired. I never get to rest.

       I am not smart.

       Gossiping

       Making assumptions (3rd agreement)

       Lying -> calling myself out



Alignment focus (What alignment element will you tie in through all of the poses? That plays a key role in the peak pose? That connects to the theme/ and heart quality?)

       Foundation of hands:

       Creases of the wrist are parallel to the front of the yoga mat, with the fingers spread, second and third finger should line up with the center of the wrist, center of the elbow and up to the center of the shoulder. Root down through the four corners of the hand and create an arch under the heel of the hand.

       Foundation of feet:

       Feet hip distance apart, second and third toe line up with ankle, knee, hip. Root down through four corners of feat and top pads lift inner/ outer arch of foot.

       Muscle Energy

       Using the muscles to draw into our self creating stability

       Shoulder Loop

       Side bodies long

       Inner body bright

       Arm bones back

       Tips of shoulder blades lift heard up

       Kidney Loop

       Draws the lower ribs in, lengthens the side bodies and expands into the back of the kidneys

       Organic Energy

       From a place of stability reaching out through the limbs



Heart Quality (What do you want the students to feel?)

       Truthfulness

       How  theme relates to heart quality truthfulness

       Foundation of hands and feet

       Are the hands and feet places in good alignment? Is that true?

       Muscle Energy

       Drawing in. How to I tell the truth to myself?

       Shoulder Loop

       Getting clarity in my heart, what is my truth? (anahata chakra)

       Kidney Loop

       Connect to my personal power (manipura chakra) as I speak and act from my truth honestly

       Organic Energy

       Extending out. How do I live and speak truthfully with others?



Apex (What pose are you building too?)

Pincha Mayurasana Modification Dolphin

       Intelligent therapeutic sequencing building to apex

       Open and integrated shoulders with shoulder loop

       Opened back of the legs (hamstring and calves)

       Connected core with kidney loop and bridges cross

       Cooled down with opening the chest/ lengthening the core, rooting femurs, twist and asymmetrical pose

       What's more important? Doing final expression of the pose or performing the actions in a modified version of the pose?



Sequence (How will you intelligently guide students through the postures?)

Mediation/ Chanting

       Inhale- how am I honest with myself? Exhale- how am I honest with others

Warm up 

       Sun A 3x

Basic

       Table (shoulder loop and kidney loop)

       Lunge (isometrically press hands forward then engage core)

       Virabhadrasana 2

       Forearm Plank – Dolphin (shoulder loop + kidney loop)

       Supta twisting core (shoulder loop + kidney loop)

       Prone Pec Stretch Prep

Harder 

       Prone Pec Stretch- Sphinx with Quad Stretch- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana 3x

       High Runners Lunge Twist (with hand down)

       Modified Parsvakonasana

       Chataranga 3x - Drunken Bhujangasana

       Bridget’s Cross

       Block behind shoulder blades reach arms up and over grab sticky mat

Apex: 

       Pincha Mayurasana (Modification Dolphin) 

Cool down 

       Meditation

       Setu Bandha Sarvangasana 3x  (maybe Urdhva Dhanurasana)

       Supta asymmetrical root femur - twist

       Symmetrical root femur

Shavasana/ meditation







Youtube video of me explaining how I plan a yoga class a summary:


Youtube video of my home practice of this sequence with narration


Saturday, August 5, 2017

Teacher Training Course: How to plan a yoga class so it is theraputic and carries the teachings of yoga off the mat.


Here is some notes from a teacher training weekend I taught for InBody Yoga Academy. I taught a public class the immersion students took and then we meet and discussed the way I plan my classes. The 6 elements in every class and how I intelligently sequence for a therapeutic experience. When I was coming up with the format of my time with the teacher trainees these round I thought of what I wish I got in some of my teacher trainings and I would have loved to get into my teachers brains and found out how and why they prepare their class.  

Yoga Class Plan
By Kimberly Achelis Hoggan
Anusara® Yoga teacher, E-RYT 500, LMT

Basic class elements

Heart Quality: What do you want the students to feel?
Alignment Focus: What alignment element will you tie in through all of the poses? That plays a key role in the peak pose? That connects to the theme/ and heart quality?
Theme:  What insight or teaching do you want to weave through the class that is life affirming and can be taken off of the mat? That connects with the heart quality/ apex?
Anecdote: How will you personalize the teaching with connection to your own experience and make it relevant to your students?
Apex: What pose are you building too?
Sequence: How will you intelligently guide students through the postures?

Basic Class Outline

Intro: Introduce the class theme and alignment principles that will be used
to augment it and weave them throughout the class
Meditation/ Chanting
Warm Up: Easy, dynamic, not held long, and opens the body.  Use few instructions and bigger movements.  Connected to heart quality in initial warm-up poses.
Basic: More dynamic warming up muscles. Easier to practice the alignment emphasis.
Harder: More challenging requires, more strength and flexibility. Harder to practice the alignment emphasis.
Apex: Build the sequence into one peek focus pose
Cool Down: a warn-down sequence with gentle twists and forward bends
Shavasana/ Mediation
Conclusion: Wrap it up with a brief summery of the theme, its relevance and how it can be applied off the mat


Theme

Linking a teaching or insight throughout the whole class
Ahimsa- Cultivating kindness in our thought, words and actions toward our self and others on and off the mat.
"Who will be the happiest person? The one who brings happiness to others." -Swami Satchidananda
"If you seek enlightenment, or even if you seek happiness, go to the cause. Nothing exists without a cause. The root cause of happiness is compassion." -H.H. Dalai Lama
"Vocal injury is more serious than physical, and mental injury is most serious. By physical injury one can destroy only physical forms. By vocal injury one can destroy both physical and mental forms. By mental injury one can destroy even the form of spirit." -Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, The Textbook of Yoga Psychology
“We are not going to change the whole world, but we can change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is contagious. If we smile at someone, he or she will smile back. And a smile costs nothing. We should plague everyone with joy. If we are to die in a minute, why not die happily, laughing? (136-137)”
― 
Swami SatchidanandaThe Yoga Sutras
ahimsa pratisthayam tat sannidhau vaira tyagah II:35
For the one who is firmly established in non-violence all hostility ceases in the presence of that one.
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning non-violence. The opposite of ahimsa is himsa, which means harm or violence. There are three classes of himsa, or ways to cause harm:
1. Physical, by hurting someone's physical body.
2. Vocal, by speaking against others, hurting their feelings.
3. Mental, by thinking negatively about others
Physical harming is only one way to harm, and it may not do the most serious harm.

Anecdote

Personalize the teaching with some connection to your own experience or insight making it relevant to your students
Choosing depth of pose over alignment, I view as a form of self violence.  
How can I practice non violence to my children? Not snapping,.
How can I practice non violence to my husband? No negative self talk.
How can I practice non violence to myself? No negative self talk, positive affirmations, nourishing food, alignment based yoga.
How can I practice non violence to others? No negative talk, criticizing, gossiping,  

Alignment focus

alignment element tied IN THROUGH all of the poses
Foundation of Hands 
Foundation of Feet
Muscle Energy (shin loop)
Outer Spiral (knee over ankle) 
How it relates to theme/ heart quality
Violence= Poor alignment in the hands and the feet when they are weight bearing can lead to injuries. Non-Violence/ Kindness= Intentional alignment of foundation.
Violence= practicing without integration and hyperextending knee. Non-Violence/ Kindness= supporting yourself with your muscles and using your muscles to keep your knee in a safe ROM.
Violence= when the knee twists it is very damaging to the joint. Non- Violence/ Kindness= using your muscles especially the glutes to widen the knee over the second toe.

Heart quality (list of possible heart qualities)

Steadfastness
Right effort
Integrity
Boldness
Vitality
Stillness
Patience
Steadiness
Truthfulness
Purity
Confidence
Fortitude
Silence
Forbearance
Resolution
Faith
Courage
Aspiration
Vigor Quiet
Simplicity
Willpower
Trust
Fearlessness
Intention
Equipoise
Tolerance
Self-harmony
Joy
Celebration
Acceptance
Non-harming
Non-stealing
Devotion
Discrimination
Creativity
Generosity
Happiness
Surrender
Love
Compassion
Contentment
Reverence
Gentleness
 Playfulness
Prudence
Enthusiasm
Renunciation
Kindness
Sensitivity
Mindfulness
Gratitude
Humility
Softness
Opening
Yielding
Friendliness
Non-clinging
Wisdom
Freedom
Modesty
Willingness to serve

Heart quality: Kindness

How it showed up in class
Physical body= using alignment as a form of self care and practicing kindness to self.
Mental = bringing awareness to violent self talk and cultivating kind positive self talk
Vocal= noticing negative talk about self and about others and practicing talking kindly about others and self. Positive affirmations.

Apex:

Intelligent therapeutic sequencing building to apex
Trikonasana
Opened Hips
Lengthened Spine
Opened& Strengthened hamstrings, calves and quads to avoid hyper extension and twisting of knee.
Strengthen quads
Strengthen foundation of feet
 
How it showed up in class:
Avoiding hyper extension & knee twisting is a form of self kindness.
Being awareness of mental chatter is it negative or positive.
Practicing Ahimsa.
Using muscles to give a self hug.
 

sequence

Mediation/ Chanting
Self Love Meditation inhale compassion for self, exhale kindness for others
Warm up 
Tadasana foundation of feet (muscle energy to activate shin loop) 
Table foundation of hands 
Table- Shalabhasana- Airplane- Gomukhasana teach about muscle energy to protect wrists/ knees 
*AMS- 3 leg AMS - Airplane 
Basic
Lunge- Standing Balance 3x- Garudasana
 Virabhadrasana 2 knee over ankle
Modified Parsvakonasana - Ardha Chandrasana -Standing Pigeon with Mod. Parsvakonasana Arms can you practice kind alignment actions in a more challenging posture?
Parsvakonasana 
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana active
Harder 
Anjaneyasana with Quad Stretch  
Ardha Chandrasana - Reverse Virabhadrasana 2 
Ardha Chandra Chapasana
Parivrtta Lunge twist- Parivrtta  High Lunge – Parivrtta Anjaneyasana with Quad Stretch 
Ardha Hanumanasana 3 ways
Utkata Konasan with Side Stretch - Spine Circles
Prasarita padottanasana - Trikonasana 
Apex: 
Trikonasana 
Cool down 
Glute Massage 
Agnistambhasana - Baby Cradle - extend leg twist 
Upavistha Konasana root femur 
Shavasana/ meditation

namaste

For more examples of class outline visit:
Youtube video of me explaining how I plan a yoga class a summary:
kachelis@Hotmail.com

Monday, July 10, 2017

Handstand Class, tips for pushing your boundaries and using fear to empower you

Apex: handstand 
Principles of emphasis: open to grace (foundation, breath), muscle energy (stability), shoulder loop (shoulder integration), kidney loop (core integration), organic energy 
Heart quality: playful, courageous 
Theme: lila having fun while pushing the boundaries of our comfort. Using fear to empower us but not make us reckless. 
We have to know boundaries going to far and not going far enough. If you don't practice going to far you'll be afraid. We don't want fear to scare us but to empower us! It's not the absence of fear but courage in the face of fear. But It's not wrecklessness. 
Anecdote: learning a handstand. I had to learn what wasn't enough of a hop and what was to big it a hop. I had to be curious and courageous to find the just right spot with stability. I had to confront my fear instead of reimagining to scared to try but I also had to honor my fear so I didn't get hurt. 
Having fun (lila). Having to much fun getting into trouble. I definitely pushed this when I was little. Vs. Not having enough fun.... which is not fun. 
Disciplining my children. I am constantly in this process of what is to little discipline and get walked all over and having utter chaos in the house and what to much discipline is that also doesn't serve our family. I have to be in touch with my deep compassion and remain courage on this parenting journey of raising loving, kind, useful humans. I need to have the fear knowing there are some things I can never do like spank or something that will damage them but there is also fear that if I don't do any discipline they won't know how to cooperate with this world. Just like handstands I need to find that sweet balance of discipline with compassion. 

Handstand Tips:
Arms straight for power (muscle energy, organic energy)
Integrate shoulders press from core engage upper ab muscles (shoulder loop and kidney loop) 
Leg straight for power (muscle energy, organic energy)
Kick from hip not heal (thigh loop)
Bending in arms is loss of will power and often leads 
Dd lift armpits lift more weight at front of hands so you get lighter on heals of hands 
Sequence:
-Hand theraputic work (flex wrist back see budge (flexor retinaculum) compress around wrist and retinaculum while moving hand. Engaging the muscles with good foundation in hand weight baring poses will prevent wrist/elbow/shoulder injuries and keep the retinaculum hugging in
-Table foundation of hands (hands outer shoulder distand apart index fingers facing forward. Melt heat to integrate shoulders)
-Table shalabasana keeping straight joints. Flex front wrist like a handstand index finger facing up. Don't bend bottom arm repeat. Focus on arms legs straight 
-Sit ups with lordotic curve activating upper core (kidney loop)
-Cat/cow (alternating between shoulder integration/ shoulder loop and core integration/ kidney loop)
-Table shalabasana again same as first time but add the support of the core muscles
-Uttanasana- ardha uttanasana 3x
-Tadasana - urdhva hastasana interlace hands palms up, integrate shoulders, integrate core. Look up straighten elbows arms vertical. If your elbows bend in handstand you'll dump weight into heals of hands. 
-Optional jumping butt to wall 3x in pike
-Sun A 3x 3x with like jumps and string foundation in hands 
-Tree- w3 prep- lunge- sanding splits- uttanasana
-Eagle- w3 prep- lunge- standing splits - uttanasana 
-Standing pigeon- w3 prep- w3- lunge- half moon 
-cartwheel middle of room (deliberately  let the momentum carry you past midline and over. Go both ways. Swing through vertical midline. Not like downdog. This teaches us how to eat out of handstand. Shift weight pivot and turn out of it. Learn to fall out like that comfortably. We want to get comfortable falling out of handstand in the middle of the room. When we get it comfortable we can balance and remove the fear.)
-Hero blanket rolled up between calf and hamstring start and knee join and move back towards sit bones and heels)
-anjaneyasana quad- standing splits- handstand hops 
-Torture pose anjaneyasana knee in floor shin up wall (kidney loop)
-Supta handstand feet on wall, thighs down, ribs in, shoulders integrated, extend
-Kick up handstand at wall. Practice kicking up with both legs. 
(If still can't get up put 2 bolsters stacked on top of each other at wall get a running start and through yourself up wall straight arms and top leg. Takes intense amount if courage and energy once you get up you can start taking some if the power out.)
-Cow face wrist massage, bind with strap keep working shoulder and core integration
-Double pigeon 

-Shavasana on 2 blankets zilophone folded with blanket used to support cervical curve

Friday, June 30, 2017

Alignment Theme for July

This month we will focus on the upper body. Due to the way we habitually live our life, the upper body tends to have certain areas that are chronically tight, which can be called "locked short" and corresponding areas that are chronically stretched and weak, which can be called "locked long".
  • locked short muscles: pectoral muscles, anterior deltiod, upper trapezius and levator scapula.
  • locked long muscles: rhomboids, serratus anterior, posterior deltiod, neck flexors. 

To bring balance to the upper body we need to strengthen what is weak/ "locked long" and lengthen what is tight/ "locked short". 'Tis the month of freedom, so I remind us: this is our choose! We are free to choose to stay stuck in our habits that bring us dis-ease, injuries, stress... or we can choice with our freedom to co-participate with life by mindfully aligning our body, mind and heart.

Top 10 books I love

💜Shakti Meditations and Meditation for the Love of it by Salley Kempton
💜The Mists of Avalon series
💜From Fear to Fearlessness pema chodron
💜A Return to Love Marianne Williamson
💪Warrior Goddess Training Manual by HeatherAsh Amara
💜May I be Happy by Cindi Lee
💜Joyous Body myths and stories of the wise women archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
💜Carry on Warrior by Glennon Melton
💜Peaceful Parent Happy Kids by Dr. Laura
💜 A New Earth and Power of Now by Elkhart Tolle
💜 The Bhagavad Gita any and every translation.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Privates


I am opening up my schedule for PRIVATES!


Yoga Sessions: Private yoga sessions are customized and tailored to meet each student's individual needs.  A Private Yoga class is a great way to work on your individual needs.  Whether you are new to Yoga, working with a specific injury /condition, looking to advance your practice, or to start a home practice. A one on one class is tailored to your specific desires of what you want to achieve out of  your practice. With an attentive eye and focused support, you can reach new milestones with a Private Yoga session. 

Thai Massage: Performed on a mat, on the floor, wearing loose and comfortable clothing. I like to think about it as passive yoga. You lay there relaxed, while I move your body through passive yoga postures. 

Reiki and Crystal Healing: Performed on a mat, on the floor, wearing loose comfortable clothing. I use light hands and crystals on your body to activate the natural healing processes of your body and restore physical, metal and emotional well-being.

Women Wellness Coaching:  We will work with where you are to get you to where you want to be. Using the cycle of the moon, the elements and the archetypes (queen of death, wise women, midwife, visionary, mystic, warrioress, lover, muse, mother, wild women, healer and lady of balance) to create personal autonomy. Our work together will help you to understand yourself better, identify where you are already strong and what attributes or functions within you that are less skillful. Move into balance! Move into healing! Move into transformation! So you can stand in yourself and in your life with more strength, confidence, love, and ease.  Whatever you are going through, I can work with you to help remove the obstacles and self limitations and mirror back to you a deeper understanding of yourself. Knowing that you are worthy and you don't need to look outside yourself for validation.

Yoga Mentoring: Recommended for yoga teachers or teacher trainees. We will work one on one to help you grow as a teacher! Looking at what is working well, what needs refinement, fears and blockages standing in your way, intentions you want to cultivate and goals you want to achieve as a teacher.  

60 minute sessions in person or via Skype.

Contact me for more details kachelis@hotmail.com

Inbody Yoga Academy

This month I taught alignment and biomechanics for InBody Yoga Academy. We discussed how as a yoga teacher I believe the goal is to facilitate our student in moving toward optimal alignment within their body, mind and heart. We are fluid being and we are always moving toward optimal alignment or away from optimal alignment.
Optimal alignment is the state of being in balance physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Moving toward optimal alignment= more EASE, heal old and prevent future injuries in the body, focused and stable mind, peaceful and joy filled heart.
Away from optimal alignment= more DIS-EASE, injuries and discomfort in the body, foggy and unstable mind, heavy heart.
We find optimal alignment (sattva/ just right) = dynamic balance between STABILITY and FREEDOM (three gunas)

To much stability (tamas/ to little)

Body= stiff, uncomfortable, negatively influences physical alignment. Distracts from a clear mind and happy heart.

Mind= slow/ stuck on one thought. Addiction. Hard to be vibrant in heart and body.

Heart= stuck in an emotion, little energy. Hard to be focused in mind and enjoy body.

To much freedom (rajas/ to much)

Body= hyper mobility, negatively influences physical alignment. Distracts from a clear mind and happy heart.

Mind= over-activity, lack of direction, stress. Hard to experience vibrancy in heart and body.

Heart= depleting, instability, rapid changes in mood. Hard to be focused in mind and enjoy body.




We did lots of journaling and exploring of what it feels like when we are moving toward optimal alignment and what it feels like when we are moving away from optimal alignment. This concept transformed my life as a yogi. Realizing that every action I take or do not take brings me either towards my goals of health, happiness and harmony (optimal alignment. sattva) or sadness, anxiety and fear (away from optimal alignment) and that I am free to choose my actions and I can choose to co participate in this process so I can continue to move toard optimal alignment!











Intention and Testimonials

Testimonials & My Intention

My Intention It is my intention as a yoga teacher to help you bring more health and vibrancy to your body, ease and alertness to your mind...