"You had the power all along..."

Theme: You have had the power all along. If I tell you that you are strong and powerful most likely you will not believe me. You have to learn it and feel it for yourself to recognize that you really are so fierce and strong.

 One of the many blessings of being a yoga teacher is to see student’s surprise themselves by recognizing their own strength. Their eyes light up like “holy cow I can’t believe I did that” sometimes this is followed by “it most have been a fluke” but the more they repeat finding this strength in yoga postures instead of being surprised they cultivate an inner knowing + remembrance. Then they start showing up to class with confidence in their eyes because they have experienced this inner strength and believe it is there. I believe they take this confidence with them out of the studio and into their life knowing what power they have inside.

Antidote: Wizard of Oz

Dorothy: Oh will you help me? Can you help me?
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North: You don't need to be helped any longer. You've always had the power to go back to Kansas. You've had it all along.
Dorothy: I have?
The Scarecrow: Then why didn't you tell her before?
Glinda, the Good Witch of the North: Because she wouldn't have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.
The Tin Man: What have you learned, Dorothy?
Dorothy: Well, I - I think that it - it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em - and it's that - if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!"
Glinda: Home is a place we all must find, child. It's not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing. Knowing your mind, knowing your heart, knowing your courage. If we know ourselves, we're always home, anywhere.

Principle of Emphasis: Muscle Energy, Expanding Spiral, Contracting Spiral, Organic Energy

Heart Quality: Believe in yourself

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THE SEQUENCE:

Table/shalabasana leg work to bring power and awareness to the muscles of the legs

Modified forearm plank to bring power and awareness to abdominal muscles

Uttanasana- DD- Prasarita Padottanasana- Urdhva hastasana with side stretch: in all of these poses bend the knees slightly (center of knees tracking over second toes), isometrically hug the midline engaging the inner thighs (muscle energy), draw inner thighs in back and wide (expanding spiral), scope tail bone down just enough to feel belly lift (contracting spiral) and extend from hips out through heals and move the legs toward straight (organic energy)

[Partner] Down Dog-> handstand

[Partner] Plank -> Handstand pike knee pulled into belly

Virabhadrasana 2- Rev. Vira

Parsvakonasana

Trikonasana- Ardha chandrasana

Brigid’s Cross pelvis is the foundation here so to stabilize it draw the inner thighs towards each other creating muscular energy then broaden inner thighs working to create a lumbar curve in low back, scope your tail bone under so belly tones to hold that alignment and stabilize pelvis. Then twist your belly and torso without the pelvic bones turning.

Anjaneyasana- quad stretch- hanumanasana

Tiriangmukhapadapascimottanasana- krouchasana- baby cradle get one leg into virasana and then more through these three poses on one side and then repeat on second side. If virasana isn’t available to you do a janusirsasana leg. In all these poses strong legs, inner thighs roll toward floor creating an in and up sacrum and little scope of your tail bone to tone belly, root into the floor and lengthen spine.

Surya Yantrasana ones you have a leg over your shoulder hold your flexed food with your opposite hand. Pause and tug on your foot with your hand and press your foot into your hand to help create muscle energy in both the leg and arm. Next roll your inner thighs toward the floor bowing your chest and broadening your inner thighs in back and wide. Scope your tail bone to bring strength and power to the core and from your pelvis root down into the earth and from your pelvis extend your leg and lift your chest toward the sky.

Parivrtta Janu Sirasana same alignment ques as above. Strong legs and arms, broad inner thighs, strong core and tons of extension from pelvis (focal point) out through legs, arms and torso as you twist up toward sky.