Inner Spiral Class + Gratitude

I had a request for expanding (inner) spiral for my class at Sugar Space.

Principle of emphasis: muscle energy, inner spiral, outer spiral
Inner spiral is a rotation that happens on the vertical plane that creates an expansion on the horizontal plane. In Anusara we incorporate heart qualities and feelings into the alignment based practice.  In the beginning of today's class I encouraged my students to reflect on three blessings in their life for which they are grateful. So as they experience the expansion and widening that is created from the action of inner spiral they can fill themselves with the feeling of gratitude. At the end of the class I had them again think of three blessings either the same or new whatever came to mind first and I asked them to add themselves to the list. It was a great class. I had 2 students that were new to me and one of my students had a birthday so she demoed + rocked a handstand and we sang her happy birthday.

Dd-utt-urdhva hastasana-dd-vinyasa (lift one leg inner spiral pinkie toe to floor repeat)-cobra
Through utt:
High runners lunge- parsvot
High runners lung twist
Anjaneyasana
L.L twist quad
L.L quad - half hanumanasana
Pigeon (Inner Spiral to square off hips)
1/2 hanuman twist- twisted trik variation [block]
Anjaneyasana
W1
Handstands at [wall]
W3- twisted W3 foot on [wall]- s.s
Partner S.S - handstand
Twisted trik at [wall]
Twisted trik
Virasana/Supta Virasana
Hanumanasana
Partner janusirsasana [strap]
symmetrical pose
Shavasana

Talking About Body Image

I found an awesome blog post at http://hopeave.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/how-to-talk-to-your-daughter-about-her-body/ about talking to your daughter about her body. It really inspired me. I think the information was so good and SHOULD/COULD be applied to everyone. Men and women, boys and girls, family members, friends, and strangers. I already make a point about not commenting on someones weight because you never know how those comments are feedings a body image issue or cultivating one. But I am so grateful for the blog I recently found for giving me even more ideas. Here is a list I compiled from her blog and from my own thoughts about how I think we should talk or should not talk to everyone about weight and body.

• don’t talk to a person about their body, except in an educational way
• Don’t say anything if someone lost weight. Don’t say anything if someone gained weight.
• If you think someones body looks amazing, don’t say that. Here are some things you can say instead:
• “You look so healthy!”
• “You’re looking so strong.”
• “I can see how happy you are – you’re glowing.”
• Better yet, compliment them on something that has nothing to do with their body.
• Don’t comment on other people's bodies either. Not a single comment, not a nice one or a mean one.
• Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others.
• Don’t talk about how much you hate your body, or talk about your new diet. Buy healthy food. Cook healthy meals. But don’t say “I’m not eating carbs right now.” If we didn't talk like this we wouldn't cultivate the shame over what we eat. Shame about what we eat leads to shame about yourself.
• Encourage people to run because it makes them feel less stressed. Encourage people to climb mountains because there is nowhere better to explore your spirituality than the peak of the universe. Encourage people to surf, or rock climb, or mountain bike because it scares them and that’s a good thing sometimes.
• Remind people that the best thing they can do with their body is to use it to mobilize their beautiful soul.

If you did just three of the things on this list religiously imagine how the world would change. I think it would shift us from looking through body conscious eyes to soul conscious eyes.

You are BEAUTIFUL! Not becuase of the size of the jeans or the tone of your muscles but because you are YOU!

Sadhana

Sadhana is the term for spiritual practice and literally means “that which takes you to your goal”. One of my goals is to experience less tension + more ease and life and therefore experience more happiness. Well I learn through Anusara Yoga that I can reach these goals through practicing alignment. Sadhana is something that I can practice every moment. So in every moment I can work on enhancing my alignment. The hope is to that the more you practice good strong alignment on the matt and off of it those muscles that hold you in good alignment will get stronger and your body will naturally start standing in better alignment with less awareness on your part. The problem is… it FEELS easier to stand with poor alignment. For example it seems easier to stand and roll the shoulders forward and let the head come into the front plan of the body (this posture is called forward carriage in physical therapy and comes with a whole host of injuries + pain + discomfort). So in the beginning it takes a lot of awareness and smart alignment action to retrain the body out of this “lazy poor posture” into a “efficient beaming with happiness posture”.

I love looking at the cycles that are created in nature. One cycle you can look at is the results of your posture:

Lazy poor posture -> leads to pain in the body “ouch my neck is tight and hurts” (not only will bad posture enhance old injuries it will cause new ones)-> which leads to pain in the mind “I have headaches all the time” -> which leads to UN-HAPPINESS -> which leads to not enjoying life because you don’t feel up to it… because your in PAIN!

Good alignment -> leads to the body HEALING ITSELF (not only are you not accumulating more discomfort but you are healing past injuries and pain patterns) -> which leads to your body feeling TERRIFIC! -> which puts you in a WONDERFUL MOOD -> which leads to HAPPINESS -> which leads to wanting to enjoy all that life has to offer because you feel so GOOD!

SO how cool is it that our spiritual practice can be watching our alinmgnet on and off our matt and working to make it as optimal as possible. Another cool thing about yoga is that lines blurr so easily. You start focusing just on your physical alignment to help cultivate more happiness in your life and then slowly with or without noticing it you begin to start noticing how your actions, thoughts, emotions line you up with happiness. Maybe you start to notice that a cigirate, or food, or shopping, or negative self talk, or gossipling or whatever it is, is not leading your to your goal of happiness. This was my experience I started praciticng yoga because my back hurt I wasn’t interested in a higher power, or my relationship with myself others or the world. But slowly the lines blurred. I got hooked and as a result my life is 100x healthier and I experience so much more happiness and ease as a result of looking at my alignment in all ways and forms.

This is a longer discussion for another blog… moving on

Principles of emphasis:

Open to Grace = Side bodies long: lengthening up through the sides of the torso and up through the sides of the throat, into the dome of the palate. Lift your chin to help create a natural lordotic curve in the neck.

Muscle Energy= With Muscle Energy, the upper arms set back into the shoulder sockets, and this creates support in the shoulders

Expanding spirals of arms = when the arms are in the over hand plan like in down dog, handstand, pincha, Urdhva hastasana… the inner deltoids and arm pits broaden to the back plane of the body expanding around the neck. When they are in the lower plan like tadasana, cobra, bridge… the inner deltoids broad to the front plan of the body and continue to wrap around and to the back plan of the body creating again space around the head neck and shoulders.

Shoulder Loop= Shoulder Loop reinforces the lordotic curve of the neck. It begins in the soft palate and curls the head back. The muscles of the back of the neck, from the base of the occiput flow down toward the bottom tips of the shoulder blades and into the heart.

Skull Loop = it initiates at the soft palate and flows back toward the occiput, then lifts the back of the skull up and over the crown of the head.

Organic Energy ₌ there’s an extension from the active focal point first down into the earth and then up and out. From the back of the heart extend the arms out and fully straight. I have been noticing in class bent elbows so organic energy should straighten, but not hyper extend, the elbow joint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Virasana hands on shoulders elbows bent. Have elbows touch in the middle. Inhaling up exhaling down. 10X circles in each directions then 3x in each directions. Without taking a break take arms out to a “T” make firsts with hands and turn palms up and down flossing out the shoulder socket with the head of the arm bone. Take the arm in front of the body for a outer lat and shoulder stretch and then take elbow toward sky for a triceps stretch.

Succasana: neck stretch

Table

Puppy pose (work rotation of upper arm bones) -> DD

Tadansana -> half-moon stretch (thumb facing toward back of room bend elbows rotate inner deltoids and elbows toward back of room plug in muscularly from hands to back of heart and extend from back of heart and straighten arms as you take the side bend)

Cobra on finger tips (manual adjustment) -> normal cobra inner deltoids go toward front of room, out to the sides and toward the back of the room

PARTNER puppy pose -> dd -> cobra adjusting expanding spiral of arms

Lunge clasp hands behind back rotation of arms -> hands by sides palms facing out thumbs toward back of room -> circle arms toward sky thumbs toward back of room

L. L repeat same alignment actions as above

Cobra on finger tips -> shalabasana clasp hands

L twist -> L.L twist quad

Eka pada rajakapotasana clasp -> quad

Virachadrasana 2

Trikonasana

Handstands at wall

Partner handstands

Virasana clasp hands wrist circles -> wrist stretch (repeat in other direction and stretch other side)

Supta twisting core + shoulder work

Supta tadanasana -> zobie arms up toward ceiling praciticng loops plug shoulders in well and organically extend arms towards back of room thumbs only thing that come to floor if you can extend fully 3x

Shavasana

 

27 weeks

Week 27 ~ 7th Month ~ Third Trimester

27 weeks

Baby is the size of? Cauliflower

Baby’s development? This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (about the size of a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle. (babycenter.com)

Gender? Still a boy!

Food cravings? Mexican food.

What I miss? Energy.

What I love? Feeling baby move + nesting. 

Movement? Yes!!

Highlights of the week?

• My sister was in town for the week and it was really nice getting to see her.
• We have been crossing off a lot on the to do list for the baby shower. Tyler got the crib (still needs to be set up), got blinds (still need to be installed), I did lots of gardening, cleaned the house.
• I started sewing! My nesting has turned to me needing to be able to sew awesome burp cloths, bibs and blankets. So far I have busted out 12 burp cloths! So fun!! Its nice to feel like I am preparing for baby while sitting down.
• Went to a family members baby shower. I love being around baby excitement.
• Went to a good friends wedding.

burp cloths

 Symptoms? Third trimester symptoms are somewhat kicking my bum. Huge heart burn, leg cramps at night, horrible back pain. Huge baby movements :) excitement as we get closer to meeting this boy.

Exercise? Elliptical, swimming, weights, and yoga. I go through phases with yoga. Some weeks it doesn't feel as good and my yoga practice is me sitting down and stretching or doing some gentle down dogs to relieve back pain. This past week yoga has felt really good. It has been nice to do a more then stretching. I have come up with a really juicy hip opening series.

Mediation? Yes. It has been helping me stay calm and connect with my body and my baby.

Appointments? We have a midwife appointment next week.

Upcoming events? Our baby shower is Sunday! Ahhh nervous  + excited.

Inner Spiral + Life is GOOD

Here are some notes from the class I taught at Sugar Space on Saturday. (I teach at an Anusara-Inspired yoga class at Sugar Space every Saturday 9-10:30 by donations in SLC, UT). Strong leg alignment refinements leading to an open and a spacious lower back + yummy forward folds.

One thing I love about practicing Anusara Yoga is the intention behind it. In classical yoga one of the main goals is to still the mind. In Anusara Yoga our main intention isn't to still the mind (but that does happen and its a great side effect) our aim is to get moments of recognizing ours elf as part of the Divine. We have a deep desire to know our self more fully (chit) and what we are at our essence is delightful and blissful. True we might not experience bliss all the time but if we look, turn with in, practice yoga asana... we will get glimmers of the light that shine through us.

I know for me I can be having a horrible day totally caught up in little cares and dramas but after I practice on my mat I am reminded LIFE IS GOOD, that I am inherently good even when I make mistakes. I even leave my mat with a deeper appreciation for my sad darker days, because just like with light and dark we cant appreciate the light with out the comparison of it to the dark. I talked about this in class at Sugar Space. I asked the students to reflex on how they are feeling when they showed up to practice and to look for those "ah-ha" moments throughout class when the light shines through the clouds and they feel connected to source. At the end of the class I again asked the students to reflect on how the felt compared to when they came in and all the students felt better, more connected, and more plugged in after the practice.

Principles of emphasis: inner spiral +shins in thighs out[  + outer spiral
 

DD->Uttanasana  me/is/manual shins in thighs out

Tadasana 3 person partner [2straps]

Surya Namaskar A

Handstands

Through uttanasana:

High runners lunge-> Parsvottanasana

Lunge-> Parsvottanasana on pinky toe edge of back foot to exaggerated inner spiral

Parsvakonasana

through AMS: 

Pigeon prep (Sternum over foot) 3 person partner [2 straps]

Active Pigeon prep->quad->deep pigeon

Low lunge with quad stretch

Trikonasana-> scandasana->ardha chandrasana -> urdhva prasarita eka padasana

Anjaneyasana

Warrior 1 2x

5 mins in the next 3 hip openers:

Virasana

Model pose adductor work

Baddha Konasana: against feet together, with block: narrow, medium, wide, then feet together 1min each (push into feet or block, draw adductor muscles up toward hips as you stretch knees away from eachother stretching inner thighs. After the block work when you repeat feet together knees will be noticeably closer to the floor.)

Uptavista konasana

Janusirsasana partner [strap]

Kurmasana (tortoise pose)

Shavasana

Enjoy the strong leg alignmnet work in this sequence and juicy forward folds. This class will cultivate openness in the hips + hamstrings while strengthening the core + legs to hold the new found freedom in the pelvis. 

Strengthen Whats Weak

It is very common for people to have strong and tight outer hips + thighs and weak inner thighs. This causes lateral rotation of the femur bones and tuns the feet out like a ballerina. This lateral rotation of the legs causes the low back to flatten causing tightness and discomfort. In this scenario the outer hips/thighs are tight and strong and the inner thighs are weak.

In this mornings class at Avenues Yoga we focused on strengthening whats weak. We focused on the principles muscular energy to the mid line to strengthen the adductors (inner thigh muscles). Once the inner thighs are strong, and in particularly the back leg in asymmetrical pose, we practice expanding spiral drawing the inner thigh muscles in back and wide. This balances out the misalignment of the over exaggerated lateral rotation from strong outer thigh muscles cultivating space in the low back and creates a healthy lumbar curve in the spine with the sacrum going in and up. When the foundation of the spine moves into optimal alignment it will start to shift the other curves of the spine into better alignment as well. :)

It takes courage and willingness to look at our self. Both our physical poses as well as all parts of our selves to see where we can refine so we can become the best person we can be.

25 & 26 Weeks Pregnant

25 and 26 Weeks Pregnant

25 weeks belly

There I am in the back breaking out my sick dance moves at the wedding.

Headstand play at 26 weeks 5 days pregnant.

The belly shot that so many people have been asking for 26 weeks 3 days.

Clothes I got from a friend! + baby shower gifts

A yoga client of mine crocheted this fabulous monkey blanket and blanket along with matching booties and monkey hat (not pictured).

 

Baby is size of?

25 weeks= rutabaga avg 1.5 pounds

26 weeks= scallion avg 1.75 pounds and 14 inches

Baby development?

Week 25= Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — 1 1/2 pounds — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture. (babycenter.com)

Week 26= the network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches (about the size of a scallion) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days. (babycenter.com)

Food I am craving? Mexican food, ice cream.

What I miss? Absence of back pain.

What I love? Feeling the baby move. Baby boy is moving so much now it is so exciting to just sit with him and think about the future.

Movement? So much!

Best moments of the week?

·         My good friend Isabel got married in Deer Valley and we got a room up there for 2 nights. I got to see a lot of old high school friends that I haven’t seen in years + there was lots of excitement over my belly bump. I also had a great time with Tyler at the wedding. We got to be reminded of the vows we took and had some shared some pretty awesome dances.

·         It was our 4 year anniversary the day before Isabel got married and we went out to dinner and talked about our past, present and future.

·         We have been planning our baby shower and have started receiving gifts and have continued to put the nursery together which is so exciting. I will sit in the rocking chair in the nursery and think about how crazy it is that in 3 months I’ll be rocking my baby boy.

·         Tyler has also been killing it in house work. He has re done our baseboards, done electricity work, we are also having someone come in and redo our kitchen floor and a bathroom. It feels so nice for my long to do list to start getting checked off.

Tyler and I also went to a free movie under the stars which was a really fun outing.

 

 

Symptoms? Awful back pain, heart burn, uncomfortable, pregnancy brain and losing my graceful coordination.

Exercise? Yes I have been getting at least 30 minutes of cardio (hiking, elliptical or swimming) 5x a week and have been doing prenatal strength exercises for about 10 minutes 5x a week. I have been doing 30 mins of yoga 2-3x a week.

Meditation? Yes every day for at least 30 minutes. I aim for 2x 30 minutes but I don’t always get 2. After my midday meditation I have been taking a nap which has been very peaceful.

Appointments? We had a midwife appointment last week which went great. I had my glucose test checking for gestational diabetes which I passed! Baby was measuring one week a head which made me happy for a while he was measuring one week behind. My midwife also recommended I get weekly massage appointments to help with my back pain. I have another midwife appointment in 3 weeks and after that I will see her every 2 weeks and I have another ultrasound to check on placenta placement in 4 weeks.

Upcoming events? We have 2 wedding this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Tyler starts school full time at Salt Lake Community College in the Welding program on Wednesday and we are having our baby shower/ open house the following Sunday. This busy month is making time feel like it is moving faster which is nice because it felt like time was moving so slow for a while.

The end of the 26th week pregnant marks the beginning of the third trimester!!! less then 100 days til we meet our gorgeous boy.