Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Rembering Winter


 

·         Theme:  Remember the steadiness of winter

·         Heart quality:  Steady or stable (not sure which one I like more)

·         UPA Focus: Muscular Energy

a.      Feelings words of ME: 'solidness', 'strength', 'steadfast', 'connected', 'stillness', 'steadiness', ‘stable’ , ‘strong’,’solid’

b.      Antidote: I love spring and how alive and vibrant everything is! It makes me pause and reflect on the winter and the stability that the winter provides. During winter everything consolidates and gets dark. It is a time of rebooting of drawing into the stillness so in spring time everything can explode with life and flowers. Today we are going to remember the steadiness of winter and the nourishment that cultivated the beauty of spring. That is what we are going to work on today drawing in, getting dense and steady in ourselves so we eventually we have a place to extend out from. When I feel this stability within myself and remember that this energy is always present I feel so peaceful. We are about to sing our invocation and two of the words mean just that. Nisprapanchaya means always present inside of us and shantaya means this energy is deeply peaceful. As you draw in today and connect to this energy notice the peaceful feeling that comes with knowing this energy is always present in you, we just need to draw inside our self to feel it.

 c.       How I am going to tie  theme and antidote in throughout class:

                                                              i.      When I shift my awareness to notice the stability that is always present in ide. I feel grounded and alive. 

                                                            ii.      Lately as I look around and see the beauty of spring I am so reminded of the winter and the steadiness and nourishment which allowed for this beautiful expression.

                                                          iii.      I like to look at the flowers which are the plants organic expression and imagine what it was like when it was compressed and held tight in a seed. The potential and harnessed energy that lay in that seed is a powerful image. Tap into your seed potential. Know that it's the time spend as a seed, compact and getting nourished that allows for the most beautiful blossom.

                                                          iv.      During winter there is an element or stillness and quite. See if you can create those same qualities and you tone your muscles to the bone and get steady.

                                                            v.      When we draw in and connect inside we connect to the oneness that penetrates all of us. That internal, raw, seed energy. From this connection, from this oneness we can express our diversity outward.

                                                          vi.      One of my favorite things about winter is how it inspires so much introspection. I love drawing into myself and journaling what I observe in the winter. Create that same introspective focus here as you draw in with your muscles. From this internal connection, stretch out.

·         Statements focusing on muscle energy

d.      Tone your muscles and draw deep inside yourself, into the steadiness that is always present, from there reach out.

e.      Notice your breath and focus on the exhale. Feel that inner stillness and tranquility that accompanies the out breath. Now tone your muscle, hug into yourself and experience that same stillness and tranquility. From here expand out.

f.        Squeeze into the midline feel solid and connected keep this and reach out through your limbs.

g.      Squeeze your muscles to the bone with steadiness, from this inner connection reach out.

h.      Pull into the solid steadfastness of your center and feel connected.

i.        Squeeze into the midline feel compact and steady. Connect to that seed power and potential.

Beginning/ ending meditation: Sit up tall and expand. Turn your awareness inside. Notice your breath. Notice your inner stability, your inner strength. From your solid center think it is good to be alive! Today is going to be a good day!


Chit Ananda Statements:

j.        When I pause and remember this inner strength and connection, I feel a vibrancy that expands and explodes from inside out

k.      when I feel the steadiness that comes from this inner connection I expand with enthusiasm

l.        When I draw into myself and connect to the inner stability and strength that is always present it makes me naturally expand with enthusiasm.

m.    When I sit for mediation, turn in and become introspective I feel this inner stability. The more I notice this the more it grows until I feel deeply steady inside. This connection expands my heart with joy. 

n.      When we draw deep inside of ourselves we will find the source of energy that is always present. When we find this connection inside, we can stop searching outside of ourselves for it. This inner knowing bring deep happiness  to our heart.

o.      We sing this in our invocation. Nisprapanchaya: always present inside of us shantaya: this energy is deeply peaceful. When we remember (chit) that the source of ever present energy lies within us there is an expansion of peace and joy (ananda).

p.      When we remember that at our core resides the source of steady energy which is always present we expand with joy

·         Why does this heart quality/ theme matter? We don’t have to search outside of ourselves for a connection. We only need to turn within and we will find a stability that allows us to shine.


·         ME words that lead to OE words. Focus will be on ME words?

a.      ME words: steady, connected, strong, strength, steadiness, stability, anchored, solid, grounded, poised, and still.

b.      OE words: Alive, vibrant, energetic, and enthusiastic.  


·         UPA focus: Muscular Energy

a.      Muscle to bone

                                                              i.      “squeeze muscles to the bone” “tone your muscles to the bone” “firm your muscles to the bone evenly on all sides”

b.      To midline

                                                              i.      “squeeze your legs together” “press your hands together” ”pull to the midline”

c.       From extremities to focal point

1.      “From your feet tone your muscles up to the focal point in your pelvis in line with the bottom of the sacrum , from your fingers engage your muscles to your pelvic floor”

a.      Specific focal point locations:

                                                                                                                                      i.      Core of pelvis: in line with the bottom of the sacrum and the top of the coccygeal process.

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Bottom of the heart: top of the diaphragm in the core of the chest.

                                                                                                                                  iii.      Center of the upper palate: intersection of shoulder and skull loop.

d.      Energetic effects of muscular energy: engaged, connected, firm, secure, stable, support, toned, safe, centered,

e.      Physical effects of muscular energy: magnetism, integration, steadiness, strength, tone, contraction.

·         Active Passive Language:

                                                              i.      Active words that relate to muscle energy: engage, squeeze, tone, draw, contract, integrate, energize, hug, firm

                                                            ii.      Passive words that relate to heart quality:  steady, connected, centered, strong, strength, steadiness, stability, solid, and still

·         Active move/ passive feeling:

a.      Engage your muscles to the bone and feel supported.

b.      Squeeze the midline and feel stable.

c.       Tone your muscles and feel connected.
 

·         Demo:

a.       Side Plank / Vasisthasana

                                                    
1.      First time Clear & Concise Demo:  

a.      Name the pose – Side plank, vasisthasana

b.      Demo the pose  and concisely say Key points:  Engage your muscles feel steady. Squeeze your legs together and arm bones back and together. From this connection that is always present lift your hips up high and shine out.

2.      Second side -silent. (optional)

a.      Just say name of pose: vasisthasana

b.      Dramatic and Emphatic - Show, point emphatically, use facial expressions, tone of voice to inspire and impact.

                                                          iii.      Link with chit ananda: when I pause and remember this inner strength and connection, I feel a vibrancy that expands and explodes from inside out. Allow yourself to experience this in the pose. Pull deep into yourself, into your strength and stability from this place of connection shine out.

 


·         Notes from last time to remember:

a.      make more physical adjustments

b.      use more Sanskrit

c.       talk longer in the beginning

 


Seated Centering
 
 
 
 
Draw awareness in
Warm up
 
 
Table
 
 
Cat/cow
 
Move with breath
Cat variation- one leg one arm
 
Move with breath
Modified knee down side plank
 
 
Adho Mukha Svanasana
 
 
Standing pec stretch
 
 
Standing quad stretch
 
 
Uttanasana- parsvotanasana
 
 
Surya Namaskar
 
 
With Lunge, one leg at a time
Or just regular sun bs?
 
With Lunge hands clasped behind back, one leg at a time.
 
 
Standing Poses
 
 
Standing crescent
 
 
Tadasana
 
 
Vrksasana
 
5 UPA’s“settle into your feet, engergize the legs feel steady, move your thighs back, scoop your tailbone down, and like a tree grow out in all directions.”
Vrksasana - standing quad
 
 
Virabhadrasana 2- reverse Virabhadrasana 2
 
 
Parsvakonasana – ardha chandrasana- standing hip stretch
 
 
Hip opening
 
 
Eka pada rajakapotasana prep
 
 
Lunge- garudasana- Virabhadrasana 3 - Virabhadrasana 1
 
 
Virabhadrasana 1
 
 
Abdominals
 
 
On back squeeze block between thighs and ankles
 
Connect to midline power
Twisting core with blocks 2x
 
When we connect to our steadiness and our inner strength we can do challenging things.
Pec stretches/ backbends
 
 
On bely pec stretch
 
 
Vasisthasana
 
I demo: Engage your muscles, squeeze your legs together and feel stable and strong. From here lift your hips up and stretch out. This inner strength and stability is always available to us if we draw into it.
On belly quad stretch
 
 
Danurasana?
 
 
Wild thing
 
 
Apex
 
 
Vasisthasana with legs in tree 2x?
 
 
Twists and forward folds
 
 
Prasarita Padottanasana ?
 
 
Balasana
 
Turn into yourself. Into the dark darkness of winter. Of which spring blossoms are cultivated.
Ardha matsyendrasana 1 prep
 
 
Baddha konasana
 
 
Supta baddha Konasana
 
 
Happy baby- Supta self hug
 
 
Shavasana
 
 
Seated meditation
 
 

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...