Recorded Classes for You

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Anusara Yoga

Mosaic Yoga:
975 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT
Tuesdays Anusara Yoga 9:15-10:15ish
Sign up for in person classes via www.mosaicyogaslc.com or join us Live on Mosaics FB page.
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84755472278
Meeting ID: 847 5547 2278
Password: YOGALOVE

From wherever I am:
Saturday Anusara Yoga 9:00-10:30 am
I am loving teaching these Saturday classes at home and potentially from remote camping sites. I might offer up my backyard for some students and also live stream. Send me a message if you are interested.
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/975635708
Meeting ID: 975 635 708
Password: YOGALOVE

Kundalini Yoga

My Backyard
Message me to reserve spot and get address
Thursdays 9:00-10:15ish

Here are some videos I have made for you:

I sometimes use blocks (or soup cans) and a blanket.

In this class we will move through a practice to release physical, emotional and mental tension we hold in the neck and shoulders. In yoga teachings there is a Sanskrit word granthi , which means “knot” or “doubt” and also means “an especially difficult knot to untie.” These knots bind our soul and prevent us from experiencing freedom.

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to find all the barriers you have built up against it"- Rumi

In this class you will LEARN about your psoas and the chronic holding pattern that it has on your skeletal structure potentially causing lots of health problems. You will learn how to lengthen your psoas in every posture! In yoga we set conscious intentions. Which means we want to hold a specific vibration through our organism: body, mind and heart. In order to do this we need to release chronic tension that keeps us operating with unconscious or subconscious patterns: physically, mentally and emotionally.

In this 60 min Anusara Yoga class we will create space and steadiness for our self so we can train our mind to not chase pleasure and avoid pain but instead serve us on our dharmic path.

In this class we focus on playfulness, lila. Lila is a Sanskrit word that means playfulness. The teachings of Lila is that life is a play. A spontaneous play that has unexpected twist and turns (anyone seeing this show up in their life ). A question I pose myself is how do I want to engage life? With anger, pessimism and seriousness or with love, curiosity and playfulness. This takes practice because the inevitable challenges of life and pressure from society can harden us. Our yoga practice is just that... PRACTICE for what we want to cultivate.

In this class I talked about dual vs non dual yogic philosophy and how we can use our body (matter) to connect with spirit. Engaging to expand. In this class we work some bound poses. A block (for raising the floor), a strap (for extending the arms), and a blanket (for sitting) can be useful but not required. Anusara Yoga is an integrated approach to hatha yoga that is both spiritually inspiring and grounded in a deep knowledge of precise physical bio-mechanics and inner body alignment. It can be therapeutically effective and physically transformative. Each student's various abilities and limitations are respected and honored. Class includes yoga postures, alignment principles, yoga philosophy, heart-oriented theme, breath work, mantra and meditation.

In this class we focus on untangling our SELF from the chatter of the mind to discover we are so much more vast. This class is stretchy, twisty, with lots of standing poses and an arm balance. It will get your heart rate up and let you touch the part of yourself that is infinite. (Check out my previous class to learn more about the mind and its function that can help liberate your or imprison you). “The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not “the thinker.” The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought, that thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence. You also realize that all the things that truly matter – beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace – arise from beyond the mind. You begin to awaken.” Eckhart Tolle
In this class we discuss the cycle of the intellect which is utterly fascinating. We will put this info into practice so we can have an experience. I find these so empowering in my life off the mat.  (90 mins). 
In this class we will be tending to our inner fire and working with the Anusara principles of muscular, drawing into our center, and organic energy, extending out from our center. (60 mins)
In this class we focus on lengthening the hamstrings while looking for the ever present BEAUTY within and without.(90 mins)
In this class we go over the third limb of yoga which is asana, the positions. Cultivating a position that is both stable and comfortable. (1 hr)
In this class we focus on the Anusara Principle of shins in thighs out (you don't need to know what that is or how to do it, I will talk you through it). This will help chronically tight hips open and release physical, emotional and mental tension. (80 mins)
Anusara Yoga: Head, Neck and Shoulder Alignment. Feel Spacious. Anusara Yoga live class. Playing with upper body alignment bringing cohesion to our head and our HEART. In Anusara words skull loop and shoulder loop. I have found when I can come into my heart space I can be patient, open, compassionate and forgiving. I have also found its very hard for me to anchor into my heart space when my head is leading the way and justifying or over intellectualizing my feelings. I remind myself that my brain is a great tool when it serves my heart and my mission but when I am a slave to my mind I suffer more. (90 mins)
Niyamas second limb of yoga a short lecture.
Yamas first limb of yoga a short lecture.
Anusara Yoga Class working with Inversions. I am the best... I suck... instead finding I AM. Playing with some handstands and forearm balances as a way to access connecting to the part of us that is unchanging and deeply peaceful. Ending with one of my favorite meditations, Kirtan kriya. (90 mins)

Anusara Yoga Class- Stretch More Space Into Your Whole Self (Fast forward 4 mins). In this Anusara yoga class we work with the alignment principle inner spiral to draw into our self and create the experience of more space. When we create more space in our physical body we also create more space in our mental, emotional and energetic bodies. The apex pose of the class is working towards hanumanasana (doing full hanumanasana not required).

This is a video I was supposed to teach at 21st yoga for Spring Equinox however with covid 19 it got canceled.Learn to maintain good health by counterbalancing the environmental conditions with awareness and alignment of your body and mind. Expect to build up heat through yoga poses, practice breathing techniques to clean out the lungs and learn Aryuvedic principles to help you transition into a new season with ease and lightness. (1.45mins)
This is the first video we recorded live at Inbody on Tuesday. The focus was on creating stability, working the foundation of hands and feet. From the stability we create we also have the ability to feel more expanded, ability to handle more. I put some things in here to throw you off so we have the ability to practice how we respond to the unexpected. Apex: Dancer Pose. Alignment focus: Foundation and Root to Rise. (75 min practice fast forward first few mins until the class starts)
This is a video going over our nervous system and how to use the breath to help you feel calm. I go over paradoxical breathing and how to do long deep breaths. I made this video very shortly after we experienced the earth quake on Wednesday. (8 mins)
This is a video that focuses on long deep breathing that I taught in the video above as well as left nostril breathing. (11 mins)
This is a video I made for the teacher training at the University of Utah. I share a story about Patanjali and the Vyaghrapada and talk about the power of perspectives. Alignment focus: Root to Rise. Apex pose side arm balance. (15 min lecture 60 min practice)
This is a video I made at InBody. Bee where you are and extracting the nectar that is there. Props strap or towel. Apex: Bound Side Angle Pose/ Parsvakonasana. Alignment Focus: Breath, Stability and the mid line. (90 mins)
This is a video of kids yoga a friend and I made for my kids school. (35 mins)
This is a video from 2014 I made about building strength for handstant. Bonus baby Sage is in the video. (10 mins)

"In a pandemic, self-isolation is called quarantine. In Buddhism, it is called retreat. From the cave of our home, like the meditators of ancient times, we can consciously kindle the lamp of compassion and connection." Lama Willa Miller

Face Everything And Rise

October is the month of we intentionally scare ourself and physically put on masks. I thought this would be a perfect time to focus on being fearless, taking off the masks, seeing yourself and letting yourself be seen.

Here are two acronyms of the word F.E.A.R:
F*ck
Everything
And
Run

Or

Face
Everything
And
Rise!

Which do you choose?

Usually when we get afraid, our nervous system kicks in and we fight, flee, or freeze. We put on our armor trying to protect ourselves from whatever we think is going to hurt us in fear of losing what we have or getting something we do not want. 

However, our attempts to protect ourselves do not lessen the fear. Rather than becoming free from fear, we harden ourself and become more set in our ways.

If fear hardens us. Fearlessness is about softening ourself. The best way I have found to do this is to develop a compassionate friendship with myself.

To develop a deep friendship with yourself you must do the scary work of STAYING with yourself instead of shutting down, or running away or putting on the armor (all the natural tendencies of fear). It means keeping your heart open when your feelings seem to overwhelming, unpleasant, or painful.

When we put our armor on to protect ourself we develop an “iron heart.” When we cultivate a friendship with ourself, the iron heart softens. It becomes a vulnerable heart, a tender heart. It becomes a genuine heart that is willing to stay present for all the experiences of life without shutting down.

Non-dual Tantric teachings that inform Anusara Yoga remind us that everything is one energy. Every experience internal or external, joy-filled or grief-filled can be an opportunity to learn, grow and connect on a deeper level IF you engage the experience SKILLFULLY. If you learn how to STAY.

The biggest lesson I have learned from practicing this is, if I can open up to staying with myself and not putting on my armor or distracting myself or numbing myself... I can allow myself to feel into these feelings, open and move through them enough to see that although fear is present (or anger, boredom, insecurities, sadness...) that COMFORT is also always within me too.

Another huge teaching in Tantra is that this one energy is at the core of our being, deeply peaceful and always present. Being able to connect to that part of myself while staying with the less pleasant feelings allows my fear to soften tremendously.

Learning to be with fear and not shutting down. Choosing to soften instead of harden. That is FEARLESSNESS. It is not the lack of fear. Instead it is not allowing my habitual reaction of fear to take over.

This isn’t a practice we do one time and then our heart becomes fearlessly open and genuine. It becomes a practice of returning to softness when we feel ourself harden. We go through it again and again. In this way, fear can become our teacher and a reminder to turn back to our practice.

Brahmacharya class plan

Theme: Brahmacharya      

“One who sees divinity in all is a brahmachari.”  –B.K.S Iyengar

translated many ways: “To walk with God,” “To move in truth,” “To merge with the one.” “moderation” “walking in awareness of the highest reality,” “remembering the divine”

Behaving with love and integrity without selfishness or manipulation (previous yamas).

think about where we’re putting our energy – sexual or otherwise. And, if we’re expending it in useless places, to figure out how to redirect it.

brahmacharya is about allocation: using your resources effectively to achieve your aspiration… conserve and not waste energy on things that do not serve our purpose.

we always have a choice to use our energy on not-so-purposeful actions (and thoughts and worries), and directing them towards those that will serve us better and lead to more happiness, purpose, sense of union.

Theme: Brahmacharya continued

We can practice Brahmacharya in yoga by:
*Practicing focus and redirecting distractions
*Not bringing sexuality into the classroom (think about: what you’re wearing, how ego influences how you move into poses, and maintaining professional boundaries)
*Redirecting excessive energy towards something greater (intention, mantra, breath)

We can practice Brahmacharya in life by:
*Redirecting excessive energy towards something greater (intention, mantra, breath, a cause you believe in)
*Direct energy to focus on what’s important (notice how much time you’re spending online, on your mobile device, watching TV—what else could you being doing with your precious energy?)
*Noticing where in your life you could practice moderation (drinking too much? eating too much? spending too much time on social media? not doing enough yoga?)

brahmacharya is a call to use our energies mindfully, wisely, so that we may experience how exquisitely interconnected we are with all of life.

Heart Quality: mindfulness

How are you using your energy?

the practice of brahmacharya is being mindful of the highest reality, remembering the divine, or practicing the presence of God. (1^st principle, OTG)

Being mindful of the preceding yamas: practicing non-violence, non-lying/ manipulating and non-stealing we respect this one energy that precedes all form and we build up more inner energy to be used for seeking connection with the divine or a higher purpose.

Anecdote

Personalize the teaching with some connection to your own experience or insight making it relevant to your students

Judging other people.

FEAR! Being in fear about past WORRING and about future (violent, not true, stealing moment from myself, wasting my energy and not connecting to divine)

Being selfish wanting what I want and not anting what I don’t want… now I pray to remember a higher source and I try to be useful to others.

PLUGGING INTO MOTHERBOARD/ WATER PARTICALS IN OCEAN

Alignment focus

alignment element tied in through all of the poses

Foundation of feet/ hands

Connecting with the earth through the four corners of the hands and the feet.

How are you connecting with the world? Are you acting from a place of depletion or radiance? Do you have energy to give and offer up to a higher source or a purpose you believe in?

Focal points

There are three possible focal points, which one is active depends on which is most weight-bearing. The focal point in the pelvis, is active when you’re primarily weight-bearing on the legs, as in all standing and seated poses, as well as in supine poses. The heart focal point, is active when you’re more weight-bearing on the arms, as in downward-facing dog, handstand, forearm stand, and most arm balances. And the palate focal point, at the juncture where the soft and hard palate meet, is active when your weight-bearing on the head, as in headstand and shoulder stand.

Muscle Energy to a focal point

 draws together the upper and lower parts of ourselves bringing integration and stability

How do you draw into yourself to regulate your energy? How do you take the world in with moderation and boundaries to not get overwhelmed? What self-care practices do you have that cultivates your life force energy?

Organic Energy from a focal point

Organic Energy first grounds from the active focal point into the earth and then it stretches up and out toward the sky.

How do you extend your life force energy to the world? Do you deplete your outgoing energy with drama, fear, tv… or do you extend your life force energy into a bigger purpose, with deep intention?

Heart quality = Mindfulness. Can you use mindfulness on and off the mat to notice the pulsation of your energy so you can allocate your resources to up level your offering to the world?

Sequence

Mediation/ Chanting

meditation

Warm up 

Standing tad side stretch 

Utt- Ardha utt 3x 

Ardha utt- tad 3x 

Sun A 3x 

Table shalabasana 

Basic

Ams 

Active pigeon side stretch 

Prasarita padottanasana 

W2

Mod. Parsvak 

Trikonasana- half moon - trikonasana 

Harder 

Bridget's cross 

Ams 

Upright L 

L pose 

Handstand upright or modify 

Quad stretch at wall

Apex: 

Hanuman at wall 

Cool down  

Bridge 2x

Supta pada A, B, C 

Root femurs 

Shavasana/ meditation

Apex: hanumanasana 

Intelligent therapeutic sequencing building to apex

Hip/ hip flexor openers

Quad openers

Hamstring openers

Calf openers

Modifications:

Ardha hanumanasana

Blocks

Remember Action over form!

Asteya: Yoga Class Plan

This week in my weekend for InBody Yoga Teacher Training we are continuing our exploration of the yamas, from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. This week we are on the third yama which is non-stealing. I show the students how I link a theme to an anecdote, universal principle of alignment, apex pose, heart quality and a therapeutically designed sequenced. It is my hope that this will open the teacher trainees minds to see how they can come up with a cohesive therapeutic class plan that let their students connect deeper with their heart while aligning their body with health biomechanical actions. I always remind the students that this way a planning a class is not the only way. Take what you want and leave the rest. Here is a video I made to prepare the class for this weekend:

Basic Elements that are in every class of mine:

•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?

HEAL! DON’T STEAL! Theme: Asteya 

•“To one established in non-stealing, all wealth comes.” —Yoga Sutra 2.37

•Do not steal from others

•Do not steal the moment from yourself (distraction), experiencing life as it is. (avoiding messy)

•Do not steal others reputation by gossiping.

•Do not steal health from yourself.

•Do not steal from future generations/ Use only what you need. (plastic bags 10x out)

Gandhi also saw how important the practice of ‘non-stealing’ was and considered it one of his '11 Vows', in which he expanded beyond the physical act of stealing – importantly – that ‘mankind’s greed and craving for artificial needs are also stealing’.

Asteya on the yoga mat

Do you push yourself beyond healthy boundaries because:

A.You will hurt your body, stealing health from yourself.

B.You think you are not “good enough”. You intrinsically good enough no posture decides that. Remember action over form. Let how you treat yourself and others (ahimsa/ satya) give you the experience of enough.

C.Experience yourself open and accepting of exactly what is unfolding in that moment. Taking actions to keep yourself safe and present.  Do not rob yourself of experiencing life as it is

Having strong desires brings ‘dukkha’…In each moment, we have the opportunity to experience a vast array of emotions and sensations – yet we tend to cling only to those which seem pleasant and enjoyable. This aspect of clinging a little too tightly to pleasurable experiences is known as ‘raga’, and although the experience itself may be one of joy of happiness, the action of trying to hold onto it out of desire ultimately creates more suffering or ‘dukha’.

Heart Quality: Self worth/ non-stealing

‘desire or want is the cause for stealing’ Swami Sivananda

The root cause of Asteya = “I’m not good enough….”

The need to steal essentially arises because of a lack of faith in ourselves to be able to create what we need by ourselves

Exercise: Practice Abundance

Practicing knowing that we have enough, and we are enough, is the key to wanting and desiring less, and therefore feeling a lot more whole and happy within ourselves.

Anecdote

•Missing the experience of life because I am distracted.

For example: being on my phone instead of being present with my kids. Being so in my head biking I miss the beauty of nature.

•Missing the experience of life because I want to avoid the messy parts

For example avoiding the feelings of life that are not enjoyable like grief and loss. 
Alignment focus

•Foundation of  feet:

•Root down through four corners of feat evenly and toe pads while lifting inner/ outer arch of feet.

•Related to theme: Getting present. How are we stealing from our self and others?

•Muscle Energy

•Using the muscles to draw into our self creating stability and setting up for inner and outer spiral.

•Related to theme: Getting stable. How can we heal instead of steal?

•Inner Spiral

•Starting at the big toe mound draws an energetic EXPANDING spiral up the leg moving the inner heels, inner knees, inner thighs and pelvis IN + BACK + WIDE

•Related to theme: Turning deeply in. Where and how can we take action? How can  we cultivate self worth?

•Outer Spiral

•Starting at the top waistline engages the power of the hips drawing an energetic CONTRATING spiral down the leg lengthening the tailbone, narrowing the sit bones, pressing the thighs forward, widening the knee and ending in the outer edge of foot.

•Related to theme: Powerfully extend out. How can we act to others to up level healing vs. stealing?

Sequence
(IS= Inner Spiral OS= Outer Spiral  AMS= Adho Mukha Svanasana EPRK= Eka Pada Rajakapotasana )

Mediation/ Chanting

•Inhale- how can I heal myself? Exhale- how can I heal with others/ the world?

Warm up 

•Surya Namaskar A 3x

Basic

•Tadasana extend leg backwards notice natural tendency to outer spiral instead IS

•Tadasana ""- Lunge IS- tadasana balance 3x standing pigeon manual IS 

•Table IS/OS - cat/cow- neutral

•Table shalabasana 

•AMS leg lift 

•High runners lunge IS- high runners lunge twist [block]

•Virabhadrasana 2 

Harder 

•Hero [blanket] 

•Virasana 

•Parsvottanasana [blocks] manual IS turn foot to pinky edge- plant foot IS 

•Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana - natarajasana

•Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana - Garudasana

•Dolphin

•Active EPRK prep

Apex: 

•Straight leg Virabhadrasana 1 prep- bend knee Virabhadrasana 1

•Virabhadrasana 1

Cool down 

•Janusirsasana 

•Janusirsasana twist 

•Upavistha Konasana root femurs 

•Baddha konasana 

Shavasana/ meditation

Apex: Virabhadrasana 1

Action over form!

•Open hips

•Asymmetrical standing poses, pigeon, Virasana

•Open shoulders

•Cobra, eagle, AMS

•An understanding of how to use MUSCLE ENERGY to protect the knees and allow the actions of inner/ outer spiral

•Standing poses

•An understanding of how to use INNER SPIRAL to square up the hips

•Standing tadasana leg extensions, asymmetrical standing poses, cobra

•An understanding of how to use OUTER SPIRAL to protect low back, root down and drive spine up.

•Asymmetrical standing poses, cobra, pigeon