Dissolution

Theme:  The five acts of Shiva/ Grace. Focusing on Dissolution. 

Anecdote: we are in the transition between fall and winter. The bright orange, red and yellow leaves are falling. The vital vegetation is turning brown, dry and cold. This is a process of dissolution which is part of the five acts of Shiva/ Grace. The five acts are: Revelation, Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, and Concealment. By knowing how Grace acts we can align with her. So instead of avoiding dissolution or concealment (which is common in the parochial system) we can embrace these parts of life, knowing they are part of the cycle of Grace. We experience Graces pulsation through these 5 acts in our breath, through the start and end of our day, through our interactions, over long periods of time and short periods of time. These five acts of pulsation vibrate through every aspect of our life!

 In the midsts of this transition to winter I am reminded of dissolution. The importance to let go, get settled with in myself and prepare to rest (concealment). Another aspect of nature that I have been observing dissolution is the cycle of the moon. She is currently last silver crescent, the final stage of waning (dissolution) before going dark (concealment) to when she will begin again with the new moon (revelation). *Sigh* These cycles are so beautiful to me and when I observe them happening around me and inside of me I feel so CONNECTED and in alignment with Grace, which is our main intention in Anusara Yoga. 

UPA emphasis: inner spiral (turning within, and expanding to let go of what we don't need like tension in the hips) 

Heart Quality: stillness, silence, quite!

Props: 2 blocks, blanket, bolster 

• Surya namaskar 3x In cobra pose: lift one leg hug to the midline, from the outer foot up through the outer ankle, shin and hip turn in, back and wide (inner spiral) then extend foot out from hip and place back on floor. Repeat on other side. Then curl cobra. 
• Prasarita padottanasana with twist
• Lunge to standing quad stretch to lunge 
• Parsvottanasana to Urdhva prasarita eka padasana to handstand hops 
• Handstand partner press up into handstand by holding the top leg powerfully to the midline pressing into the resistance provided by partners hand 
• Parsvakonasana to high runners lunge with twist add quad stretch 
• Tree to standing hip stretch to Virabhadrasana 1
• Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
• Parivrtta Trikonasana
• Brigid’s Cross
• Anjaneyasana with thigh stretch
• Hanumanasana
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
• Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana 
• Virasana/Supta Virasana
• Triangmukhaipada pascimottanasana/Krounchasana
• Agnistambhasana
• Janu Sirsasana
• Pascimottanasana

Anusara Yoga SPOOKtacular Halloween Class

Anusara Yoga SPOOKtacular Halloween Class Plan + Theme + Sequence

Halloween is a time of courage! Where spooky things often jump out at us, our heart quicken and we feel alive! What can be even more scary then a haunted house or a scary movie is unveiling the masks we wear on a daily basis. These daily masks we wear to protect ourself let's us feel safe. Taking off our masks, being vulnerable, authentic and honest takes courage, connects us to our heart and let's us feel alive! Alive and real. It's scary but a quote I love is "magic happens outside of our comfort zone". While everyone else is dressing up for Halloween in todays yoga class let's dress down. Let's push ourself outside our comfort zone, take off our masks and unveil the magic and beauty of our hearts. 

Theme: Magic happens outside our comfort zone 

Anecdote: Halloween 

Heart quality: courage 

Apex: drop backs 

UPA: Open To Grace (opening ourself up to something bigger then our comfort zone.) Muscle Energy (drawing into ourself to find courage and stability) Shoulder Loop (courageously opening out heart) 

Sequence: 

Warm up:

Tadasana half moon stretch 

Utkatasana 

Lunge with side stretch 

Lunge bend and straighten back leg 3x- Anjaneyasana with side stretch 

Basic:

Upright EPRK prep

Prone pec stretch 

Anjaneyasana twist with quad stretch 

Lunge twist - high runners lunge twist 

Goddess- prasarita padottanasan hands clasp behind back

Malasana- bakasana

Rev warrior - parsvakonasana  

Lunge eagle arms- eagle- standing backbend 

Harder:

Dolphin hands turned out on wall 

Pincha mayurasana

Quad stretch at wall 

Ustrasana against wall 

Danurasana - side- side 

Setu bandha sarvangasana 

Apex:

Urdhva danurasana 2x

Drop backs with partner

AMS with partner

Cool down:

Double pigeon 

Upavistha konasana

Twist 

Supta symmetrical root femurs 

Shavasana 

Closing: 

Meditation 

Soft and Kind

Theme: practice life on the mat. When fasted with different poses (circumstances) practice being soft and kind. 

Antidote: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us

so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid,

or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder.

We always have the choice.

Dalai Lama

Heart quality: kindness 

Poe: outer body soft (1st principe) 

Apex: hanumanasana

Warm up: 

Sun a 3x 

Sun b 3x

Basic: 

Hrl- tree- eagle 

Hrl twist- w2- rev w

Parsvakonasana 

L.l quad- Trikonasana 

Hrl twist - scandasana- half moon

Harder:

Standing pigeon

Utkatasana twist - Side crow  

Half hanuman 3 positions of front leg to target each hamstring muscle (straight forward/wide/ and across) - standing splits-handstand hop 

Heros pose with blanket roll 

Uttanasana on blanket roll

W1  

Parsvotonasana with ankle loop- s.s- tad balance- w3 3x- w1

Apex:

Hanumanasana

Cool down 

Root femurs 

supta twist 

Supported child's pose with bolster and block 

Supported shavasana with bolster and block 

Full Moon

Theme: experience your fullness

Antidote: Super Blood Moon eclipse on night of September 27 2015 +

Story of Ganesha breaking the moon into 16 pieces (phases we experience of the moon) with his tusk

Heart quality: Joy

Universal principle of alignment focus: First Principle. In tantric belief they say the sun is in your solar plexus and the moon is in your feet and crown of head. We will use our foundation (feet) pressing down lift our crown up toward the sky lengthening our sides bodies and performing inner body bright. These three actions (foundation, side bodies long and inner body bright) make up first principle, Open to Grace. 

The moon phases remind us of the beauty and joy that come from revelation and concealment. If something we love, like a favorite food (from Ganesh's story) was alway available and eaten at every meal it would no long be a favorite and we would start to dislike it. Or if the moon was always full it wouldn't be as magical. Our body won't always be held in perfect alignment or feel super open but I when it is we can recognize the fullness and find the joy in it. We can also remind ourself of this when we are faced with moments of concealment, remembering something wonderful is yet to be revealed.  This is a lesson the moon constantly teaches me as it pulsates into and out of fullness. 

Moon details: It’s the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon, or full moon nearest the September equinox. It’s the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring. This Septembers full moon is also called a Blood Moon, because it presents the fourth and final eclipse of a lunar tetrad: four straight total eclipses of the moon, spaced at six lunar months (full moons) apart. This will be the first supermoon eclipse in 33 years and the next such event will be seen in 2033. The Earth's shadow will begin to dim the 'supermoon' at 8:11 p.m. EDT on Sept. 27, which will also be a harvest moon, according to NASA. The total lunar eclipse will start at 10:11 p.m. EDT, giving the moon a reddish tinge, and will last an hour and 12 minutes.

Sequence: 

•  5-7 min -  Centering seated. 5-7 min.

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

Childs 

Cat/cow 

AMS - Tadasana 

Standing half moon side stretch 

Sun A 3x 

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

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

Lunge with side stretch- tree with side stretches 

L T arms twist- W2- reverse warrior 

L T arms twist- rev- hrl twist- low lunge quad stretch with twist

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

Parsvakonasana - ardha chandrasana  chapasana 

Trikonasana 

Wild thing- falling Trikonasana 

Handstand 

Pincha manyurasana

Sirsasana

Pec stretch at wall

•  5 - 10 min Apex Pose 

Camel block on chest to encourage side bodies long 2x 

Urdhva prep on bolster 2x 

Urdhva danurasana or bridge 

•  10 min -  Counter & Cooling and quieting poses 

Root femurs 

AMS head on bolster 

Baddha konasana twist- bow- supta on bolster 

•  7+ min Savasana

•  2- 5 min -  Meditation

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Slowly become aware of the space between your eyebrows. Within this space, visualize a full moon in a clear night sky, shining brightly on the waves of the ocean. The full reflection of the moon penetrates the deep waters, and the cool shade of moonlight catches the tops of the waves as they dance.

See the image clearly and develop an awareness of the feelings and sensations that are created in your mind and body. Slowly let the visualization fade and again become aware of the whole body.

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 

Forgiveness

Tuesday 

Props: bolster, block, strap 

Theme: forgiveness 

Actively engaging the forgiveness process begins a journey toward deeper understanding and the rememberence that everything happens for a reason. When we can gain wisdom from past drama and traumas we gain knowledge. And looking back we can cultivate gratitude for the things that happened to us for helping us to grow, become more aware and bringing us to where we are now. 

Antidote: I watched a Maya and the Bee last night with my son which reminded me of this bee fun fact: when a bee gathers pollen to make nectar. The bee actually take a little poison along with the pollen, and when it's brought to the hive the poison becomes carefully transformed into nectar. This is like learning to turn a negative situation into wisdom and compassion. 

Quote: forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. - Mahatma Gandhi

I forgive, heal and release everything that consciously or unconsciously could delay or block the complete evolution of my being. - Mario Liani

Heart quality: forgiveness and compassion 

Choosing to forgive is an act of discipline with compassion for both yourself and anyone else involved. It's choosing to live more open and with ease instead of being weighed down with anger and regret. 

We can relate this to the Anusara alignment principle shins in thighs out (S.I.T.O), which we will be focusing on in tomorrow's class with an emphasis on the upper body so technically forearms in upper arm bones out. Just like it's an act of compassion to forgive, bringing lightness to our heart. Practicing S.I.T.O in the upper body is an act of compassion we take for ourself. The expansion we experience in the upper body releases held tension so, just like with forgiveness, we can experience more ease. 

How many years have you walked around holding a grudge because you didn't want to forgive a situation, and in doing so you were the one who held that poison and it made you sick. You might have been sick in this way for so long you don't even realize your sick. Just like with chronic tension in the body created by habitual posture. I know I walked around for years holding my body in a way that accumulated more tension in myself especially around my neck. I was so used to feeling so uncomfortable I didn't even realize the freedom I was missing until I discovered the blessing of alignment based yoga. Anusara to be exact. :) 

As you move through this class with compassion let yourself open up, release and forgive. Do you can move forward with more knowledge, ease and gratitude. What situation in your life can you bring some forgiveness to? For me a big person in my life who needed my forgiveness was myself. 

Warm up:

Sun a 3x 

Tadasana block sito arms 

Tadasana step back to lunge with block sito arms 

Table- AMS 

Basic:

Partner down dog sito 

L clasp- L twist 

Dolphin block and strap 

Mod. Parsvak partner 

W2 clasp hands behind back- bow- Parsvak 

Harder:

Anjaneyasana clasp opst elbows above head - Anjaneyasana quad 

Handstand at wall

Pincha at wall 

Dancer at wall sito arms 

Danurasana 

Bridge strap around forearms 

Apex:

Urdhva prep with bolster under back- head 2x

Cool down: 

Root femurs 

Cow face with arm and Kidney loop 

Fish twist with kidney loop 

Baddha konasana 

Shavasana optional supported supta Baddha konasana with bolster and 2 blocks 

Tension is a Theft

Anusara yoga class! I offer Anusara Yoga Tuesday Thursday and Saturday @ 9am in SLC, UT at Metric Yoga

Theme: What are you offering?consciously respond vs. instinctually react. 

Antidote: "tension is a theft" - Vanda Scaravelli 

How often do we instinctually respond from a place of stress, fear or doubt. This sends tension throughout our body and into our life. On the mat make it a practice of being aware of the kind of energy you are sending out. When we are conscious of what we send out we can choose to send out ease, love and patience.

This is a daily and often a moment to moment effort. Noticing how you are responding to life, what energy are you offering and how is it effecting you and those around you. 

*Can you make your offering on the mat a practice for the way you offer yourself in your life, off your mat? 

*So often we blast our words, gestures,actions from a place of doubt, worry, fear. Instead can we consistently and softly assess and respond to what is really happening? This practice helps us turn away from tension of perceived problems and stay steady in reality with ease. 

*consider a current situation in which is causing you stress and draining your energy. In this pose practice evenly sending out energy of ease and peace with that situation in your mind. 

Heart quality: peaceful 

Upa: muscle and organic energy emphasis on focal point 

Sequence:

Warm up

AMS- plank 3x expansion 

Pigeon Active. Organic energy strongly blast energy clearing out the body 

Lunge

Tadasana 

Vinyasa

Basic 

AMS- 1/2 moon- w2- rev warrior 

3 leg AMS - high runners lunge- standing splits- handstand hop- lunge

Utt tippy toes handstand prep- handstand 

Pigeon- quad stretch 

AMS- half moon- w2- rev warrior- parsvakonasana  

L twist- L 

Dolphin 1 min 

Utt- clasp hands- tad clasp bands  

Harder

Danurasana prep knees bend hands clasp together 

Siraasana 1 min 

Childs pose 1 min 

Pigeon twist quad stretch 

Supta threaded needle 

Bridge 

Bridge extend leg

Urdhva dhanurasana 

Urdhva danurasana extend leg 

Cool down 

Supine T arm twist 

Supta root femur bone 

Shavasana 

Notice the stillness, the evenness in your body. 

Centering 

In all we do may we consistently refine how we offer ourselves.