Soul Questions

The past ten  + years that I have been diving headfirst into spiritual evolution, one of the biggest tools I use is journaling. Pen to paper! It works when almost everything else fails. A great book I refrence and refer to others is An Artists Way. One lesson from this book is called morning pages where you journaling three big pages (or about 20-30 minutes) every morning free flow writing. The pen is always moving. This has helped me uncover and work through many issues and cultivate subtle and radicle change in my life. I highly recommend it.

 I also love using journal promps (An Artists Way) also includes many prompts. I am in a year  long apprenticeship program with Sianna  Sherman and Ashley Turner and was recently given these Soul Questions to write about. They touched me deeply and required deep thought and contemplation. I wanted to offer them to you. Enjoy!

Soul Questions:

• What fears are controlling you?
• Where are you hiding your power?  
• Where do you need to cut the cords?
• What do you want to protect or defend?
• Where are you staying too safe or complacent? 
• Where in your life are you ready to initiate change?

Forgiveness.... lower body loops of Anusara Yoga

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

Is this true? Is this appropriate? Class notes from fridays Anusara yoga c

Friday at Centered city yoga. This class can be streamed from forte You can access this class for FREE and all the classes on FORTË for a limited time! Just go to www.forte.fit, click "Join Our Tribe - Sign Up Now" and enter the invitation code: CCYOnline.
Theme: Right action creates harmony versus negative karma, peace instead of increasing conflict and the rememberence of grace in midst of chaos... inner listening.
right action is what is called doing one’s Dharma.
Questions to ask when getting still and listening for guidance? "Is this true? Is this appropriate".
What we are doing on the mat is so much more the stretching and strengthening muscles. We are bringing more harmoney into the world by bringing more appropriate action that is alignment with our truth. This is loving your dharma. Better your own dharma—your personal duty—even if unsuccessful, than the dharma of another done perfectly.”
Anecdote: thanksgiving dinner. I paused and listened inwardly many times. Is this true? Is this appropriate? And many times it was true and not appropriate and sometimes it wasn't even true. I am learning to hold my tongue, honor my true the and I can see the peace it brings to my life and the world.
Heart quality: inner listening, peace, harmoney
Apex: camel with quad
Universal principle of alignment: thigh loop (an aspect of inner spiral in BACK. wide) and pelvic loop (a part of outer spiral)

Warm up
Supta thigh loop vs. pelvic loop
Table ""
Table - shalabasana
Down dog
Basic
High runners lunge (hrl)
Hrl twist
Kneeling push-ups
Mod w2, mod mod parsvak (on knee like captain Morgan)
W2- rev w
Parsvak- rev warrior
Harder
Trikonasana - half moon - standing hip stretch
L.l quad - Lunge- W3
W3- standing splits - handstand hop
Virasana
Apex
Camel
Ustrasana: 1 leg in ardha bekhasana
Cool down
Crunches with block btw legs
Bridge
Symmetrical root
Happy baby
Shavasana

Discover your COURAGE

Theme: Discover Your Courage

Anecdote: In a Sioux Indian story about courage, the Great Creator gathers all living things together and presents them with a challenge. “I gave each of you courage,” the Creator says. “But it is something I want humans to work hard to discover. Where can I hide it?”

The eagle spoke. “I am not afraid to soar high into the sky. I will place it among the stars.” But the Creator said, “No. One day humans will fly into the skies and easily find this.”

The dolphin said, “I am not afraid to dive deep into the ocean. I will deposit it on the ocean floor.” But the Creator said, “No. One day humans will go far below the surface of the ocean and find it.”

Then a tiny gnat spoke up. “I cannot soar into the sky or dive deep into the ocean or dig into the ground. Even so, I have courage. Why not place it inside of humans? Then it will be up to them to discover it themselves.” And so it was.

Until you discover your courage, you will not be able to see how high you can soar and all of the things that you can accomplish.

I will seek the courage within me and use it to guide me in all that I do.

“Courage is only an accumulation of small steps.”

—George Konrad

Heart quality: courage 

UPA: muscle energy to the midline 

Apex: warrior 1 

Sequence: 

Warm up 

Cat /cow 

Table shalabasana 

Ams

Basic 

L - tree  L 

L- tree- eagle- L 

L twist - half moon 

W2- mod. Parsvak- rev w 

Malasana- crow 

Utkanana twist - L twist- anjaneyasana twist- add quad stretch 

Harder 

Eagle- Standing split - handstand hops 

Low lunge quad 

Active pigeon Cow face 

Apex:

W1 

L- tree- eagle- w1

Cool down 

Janusirsasana 

Janusirsasana twist STRAP 

Fish twist 

Baddha konasana 

Shavasana 

Have questions a my short hand? Just ask. These are just my quick notes some students have been requesting I post. 

Thanks for reading

Send out your heart intentions out into the world in an emPOWERing SKILLfull way!

If you have any questions about my short hand ask. I haven't been posting many blogs and some students have been asking for my notes. These are my ruff notes from Tuesday's Anusara class at metric yoga. 

Theme: let's send our heart intentions out into the world in an emPOWERing SKILLfull way by uniting our love (Anahata chakra) with our personal power (manipura chakra). 

Mantra: Aham prema = I am divine love. 

Visualization: pink flame in the heart of unconditional love and fulfillment. Remembering true fulfillment comes from being present and loving and seeing the beauty reflected in all things and acting from a place of unconditional love. Meaning you don't put any conditions on your love. (Seems simple much harder in practice) 

Anecdote: there is a lot of divide and fear in the world today. We are witnessing lots of action driven from fear. How can we act in alignment with the heart so our actions are skillful? This is how we follow our dharma by aligning our actions skillfully with the heart! This is how we empower ourself and others! 

Heart quality: LOVE 

UPA: shoulder loop + kidney loop (KL) + organic energy. Practicing shoulder loop the throats and arm bones curl back as the tip of the shoulder blades lift the heart and sternum and meet again at the top of the throat. This brings us into our heart. Into our power of love. However often when we practice this principle and dive deeply into our heart we lose our power and capacity to act. This can be seen in the physical body by the ribs sticking out, the kidneys collapsed and no tone in the belly. To connect to your power, from the heart press our through the hands ( the palms of the hands have little heat energy centers on them) as a way of initiating kidney loop which draws the floating ribs in with the power of the core and expands into the back of the kidneys. This is our manipura chakra, the energy center associated with our personal power  when this center is in balance we feel like we have the capacity to act and have confidence in ourself. 

Apex: eka pada rajakaptasana 

Warm up 

Supta blanket cactus twisting knees 

Supta blanket roll under heart sleep walking zombie arm plugs and reach over head 

1/2 sun 3x 

Half mood stretch

Basic 

Cat/ cow 

Kneeling Plank KL 

Push ups bolster KL 

L 

L twist 

Anjaneyasana 

Handstand prep hands on wall

Harder 

Handstand L 

Kick up handstand 

Pincha prep forearms on wall 

Pincha L 

Sirsasana 

Pec stretch at wall hand on wall "high 5"

W2- Lunge - twist lunge arms in T- rev Lunge- high runners twist Lunge

Ardha Supta virasana 

Supta virasana 

L.l quad 

Pigeon quad

Cool down 

Cow face 

Fish twist 

Shavasana 

My November Yoga Newsletter

November Anusara Yoga Offerings: Metric Yoga (88 Q St, Salt Lake City, UT 84103): Tuesdays & Saturdays 9:00AM Renaissance Ranch Treatment Center (CLOSED CLASS): Thursdays 6:00PM Centered City Yoga (926 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105): Fridays 9:05AM Burn the Bird Practice! Centered City Yoga 11/25/2016 9:05-11:05AM $20 in advance $25 at door After Thanksgiving we are stuffed full of delicious food and gratitude! Join us as we Burn the bird, while we continue to hold the flame of gratitude in our heart. This will be a strong all levels practice. With standing poses, twists, inversions, backbends, juicy restorative poses and meditation. Focusing on shoulder alignment reducing habitual tension in the upper body so we can strongly anchor in our grateful heart.

Saturday Series: Finishing The Eight Limbs of Yoga  November 6th: Dhyana 7th limb- the practice of meditation or contemplation. November 13th: Samadhi 8th limb- a merging with the divine... A state of ecstasy. ------------ I have LOVED reviewing these limbs of yoga with you! November 20th: TBD November 27th: Twists to detoxify from Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for the next series.  Centered City Yoga has teamed up with FORTË, a company that streams live fitness classes based out of New York. My Friday Anusara Yoga classes are being filmed and uploaded every week along with other terrific teachers in many areas of health, fittness and mindfulness. You can access for FREE all classes on FORTË for a limited time! Just go to www.forte.fit, click "Join Our Tribe - Sign Up Now" and enter the invitation code: CCYOnline. You can share this free access with you friends :)

'Tis the season to remember all there is to be GRATEFUL for in your life! i am a huge fan of writing gratitude lists in the morning or in the evening. Research has shown people who write a gratitude list at night even sleep better! For the month of November I will be writing on gratitude every day and sharing my thoughts on Facebook for the extra accountability. How to write a gratitude list? Simply write down what you are grateful for... (family, health, warm clothes, coffee, stars, curiosity, art work, flowers..) Want to take it farther? Here are some of my favorite gratitude writing prompts: What is different today than it was a year ago that I’m thankful for? What have others in my life done that I am thankful for? What is there about the challenges/difficulties I have experienced (or am currently experiencing) that I can be thankful for? (e.g., What have I learned? How have I grown?) What opportunities to help others am I thankful for? What accomplishments in your life have brought you the most happiness? Samhain, meaning "Summer's End" and pronounced saah-win or saa-ween, is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the coldest half of the year. In the Celtic Tradition and for many practitioners, Samhain marks the beginning of the spiritual new year. This is a powerful time of year for inner work, personal reflection and to look ahead and set intentions. Just as we plant seeds into the dark fertile soil let yourself be embraced and nourished by the darkness.  Request line OPEN! Do you have a request? Want to clarify some alignment? Working toward a specific posture? Want a more emotional focused class? Have a question?... I aim to teach a class geared to YOU! If there is anything you want more of, or less of in you practice PLEASE let me know!

Monthly Newsletter: Octobers's Anusara Yoga Offerings

Click here to view my October yoga Newsletter. Read about my Autumn Equinox intentions and learn more about your butt!