Winter Solstice, Kali, and Transformation

Theme: fiercely cut away the old leave it in the darkness and move forward free with the light. 

Anecdote: winter solstice and Kali 

Kali the dark mother is portrayed fiercely dripping with blood, tongue out, wearing a garland of skulls, a belt of severed arms, and holds many weapons. She is the destroyer that brings transformation and shows us the importance of cycles that we see everywhere in seasons, relationships, moods.... We are reminded of this with winter solstice. That out of the darkness comes new light. Change can be scary and it is Kali who transforms our fear into freedom as she cuts away negative habitual patterns inside of us. During Yule, ask yourself: what do you want to leave behind in the darkness? What do you want to grow with the light? 

A mantra to honour Kali within you is: Om Sri Kalyai Namaha - Om is the cosmic sound, Sri the divine mother, Kalyai, the remover of obstacles and Namaha is a way of embracing these aspects within us all.

UPA: shins in thighs out (SITO) Her fierceness and intensity is seen and felt with shins in and the freedom and transformation is felt with the thighs out. Thighs out is part of inner spiral, it is the widening aspect. Shins in is from outer spiral and helps keep the knee tracking over the second toe. 

Heart quality: transformation and freedom 

Apex pose: bound Parsvakonasana 

Pranayama: Kali's sword breath Benefits: Revitalizes the spirit, enhances mental clarity, recharges the subtle body, releases stuck energy. 

To begin: take a wide Goddess Pose stance and visualize you have Kali’s swift sword of freedom and detachment. This dynamic pranayama has three strong inhalations followed by a full exhalation through the mouth—Kali-style, tongue out. First inhale: Bring your hands together below your navel, drawing them up the front of the body overhead. Second inhale: from overhead position, expand your arms out wide to the sides and up. Third inhale: Bring your hands back together below your navel, drawing them up the front of the body overhead again. Full exhale: pull your hands fiercely down the front of your body, leaning forward, and exhaling through your mouth with your tongue out. Visualize yourself cutting away negative habitual patterns and freeing yourself from false concepts that imprison you. Surrender into your heart and call forth the essence of Kali within you to transform fear into love. REPEAT Complete 10 rounds of this breath practice to honor the form of Kali with 10 arms. (This breath technique is from the wonderful Sianna Sherman) 

Sequence: 

Warm up

Uttanasana- ardha uttanasana 3x 

Uttanasana manual SITO hands press on outer shins 

High runners lunge manual SITO front leg- high runners lunge twist 

Basic

Warrior 2

Mod. Parsvakonasana - Parsvakonasana 

Warrior 2- reverse warrior - Parsvakonasana - w2 3x 

Scandasana - half moon - standing pigeon 

Goddess pose with Kali Sword Breath- wide leg forward fold- flat back work SITO action in legs - clasp hands behind back

Harder 

Pincha manyurasana 

Anjaneyasana quad - Anjaneyasana twist with quad- half moon - eagle 

Bound Parsvak (apex) 2x

W1 - twist 

Cool down 

Double pigeon 

Compass pose 

Partner Uptivista konasana partner uses their feet to yogis ankles to provide resistance for shins in while yoga then does thighs out 

Ardha matseyendrasana 

Baddha konasana

Shavasana

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Forgiveness = Freedom

Theme: experience the freedom that comes with forgiveness 

Anecdote: the new moon 

As we move into a new pulsation with the new moon, it is important to look ahead instead of looking back. Resentments toward others and ourself can keep us weighted down and stuck in the past. Cultivating forgiveness is freeing! Take a deep breath and allow the goodness and love to expand inside of you and to penetrate into your soul as a result of forgiving and letting go. Honor that today is the first day of the rest of your life. How do you want to live it? Have the strength (Shins in) to let go of the old and to welcome the new (thighs out). 

UPA: shins in thighs out

Heart quality: forgiveness + freedom

Apex: Parsvakonasana 

Quotes: forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. - Mahatma Gandhi

I forgive, heal and release everything that consciously or unconsciously could delay or block the complete evolution of my being. - Mario Liani

Props: block, strap

Warm up 

Table cat/cow

Table shalabasana bum work (extend leg to back of room: flex and extend leg. Move knew toward same side wall keep knee flexed: abduct and adduct thigh. with thigh abducted: flex and extend leg toward side wall) 

AMS - Lunge

Basic 

Tadasana manual SITO with block around shins and strap around thighs - sun 3x 

Uttasasana manual sito with hands

L hand on outer front shin pressing in 

Vinyasa 

Hrl twist - scandasana 

Prasarita padottanasana hands interlaced sito arms 

Harder

Handstand 

Pincha 

Table sito - pigeon very short back knee almost touching front ankle sito- move back knee further back for deeper pigeon 

W2

Parsvak 

Ardha chandrasana- Standing pigeon manual thighs out with hands to inner thighs - Eagle 

Apex 

Parsvak ultimate freedom asist (one person in parsva the partner stabilizes back foot with there foot buts a hand to their outer shin pressing "in" and then their other hand/forearm to the yogis back inner thigh pressing "out" the out is most important because it lets yogi feel stable. An additional assist is to move lower hand off shin and onto hip to root down with organic energy while yogi scopes tail bone and extend out)

Cool down: 

Double pigeon hands press into feet (shins in) to give resistance to broaden thighs out 

Ardha matseyendrasana

Pranayama

 meditation/ shavasana

Self Care with Endurance

Tuesday

Theme: endurance in self care. 

Anecdote: the holiday season. It is a time of giving and sometimes when we give, give, give and don't take time to fill our own cup and take care of ourself we end up sick, tired and depleted. Last week we talked about cultivating endurance in giving. Being able to give consistently and we linked this to the universal principle of alignment of organic energy. Today we are going to remember the importance of self care before we give. Not that we give ourself a little self care and attention but that we can give ourself this comfort with endurance! Because like anything consistency is key! 

UPA: muscle energy (with endurance) 

Apex: hanumanasana 

Muscular energy is a terrific alignment focus when working toward hanumanasana, full splits, because the muscular engagements gives comforts to our proprioceptors so we can go deeper into the pose while keeping our body safe. I like to think of proprioceptors as little alarms spread throughout the muscles and when these alarms monitor a stretch the alarms go off which seize the muscle up to prevent injury. However if you engage your muscle consistently for 30 seconds (minimum )those proprioceptors are reassured that the muscle is not in danger and the muscle can move deeper into a stretch. So we can't just engage are muscles for a moment and then stretch that's not enough, we have to have endurance in our self care and hold that embrace of ourself so we can give and stretch without getting injured, sick or overwhelmed. So get ready to give your self some comfort and some hugs with your muscles, you deserve it!

Sequence: 

Warm up 

Uttanasana engage muscles- ardha utt 3x

Utt- hrl twist 

Utt- standing hip stretch- standing quad - L

AMS 3 hops forward to utt 

Basic 

Utt blanket roll under balls of feet- parsvottonasa - Malasana blanket roll under heals

 paschimotonasana blanket roll under 

sit bones 

Hero with blanket roll btw calves and hamstrings moving from knees to heels in small increments 

Cow face 

Pigeon quad 

Dolphin leg lift 

Harder

AMS- Parsvak hop switch Parsvak 

AMS- trikonasana hop switch trikonasana 

Utt- hrl- parsvot 3x - s.s- hop 3x 

Apex

Tad- knee to chest- w3 - 3x- hanumanasana - AMS hop forward

Utt- standing splits- hanumanasana - AMS hop forward 

W1- twist 

Cool down 

AMS 1 minute hold 

Double pigeon 

Wide leg forward fold 

Supta root femur 

Dissolution

Theme:  The five acts of Shiva/ Grace. Focusing on Dissolution. 

Anecdote: we are in the transition between fall and winter. The bright orange, red and yellow leaves are falling. The vital vegetation is turning brown, dry and cold. This is a process of dissolution which is part of the five acts of Shiva/ Grace. The five acts are: Revelation, Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, and Concealment. By knowing how Grace acts we can align with her. So instead of avoiding dissolution or concealment (which is common in the parochial system) we can embrace these parts of life, knowing they are part of the cycle of Grace. We experience Graces pulsation through these 5 acts in our breath, through the start and end of our day, through our interactions, over long periods of time and short periods of time. These five acts of pulsation vibrate through every aspect of our life!

 In the midsts of this transition to winter I am reminded of dissolution. The importance to let go, get settled with in myself and prepare to rest (concealment). Another aspect of nature that I have been observing dissolution is the cycle of the moon. She is currently last silver crescent, the final stage of waning (dissolution) before going dark (concealment) to when she will begin again with the new moon (revelation). *Sigh* These cycles are so beautiful to me and when I observe them happening around me and inside of me I feel so CONNECTED and in alignment with Grace, which is our main intention in Anusara Yoga. 

UPA emphasis: inner spiral (turning within, and expanding to let go of what we don't need like tension in the hips) 

Heart Quality: stillness, silence, quite!

Props: 2 blocks, blanket, bolster 

• Surya namaskar 3x In cobra pose: lift one leg hug to the midline, from the outer foot up through the outer ankle, shin and hip turn in, back and wide (inner spiral) then extend foot out from hip and place back on floor. Repeat on other side. Then curl cobra. 
• Prasarita padottanasana with twist
• Lunge to standing quad stretch to lunge 
• Parsvottanasana to Urdhva prasarita eka padasana to handstand hops 
• Handstand partner press up into handstand by holding the top leg powerfully to the midline pressing into the resistance provided by partners hand 
• Parsvakonasana to high runners lunge with twist add quad stretch 
• Tree to standing hip stretch to Virabhadrasana 1
• Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
• Parivrtta Trikonasana
• Brigid’s Cross
• Anjaneyasana with thigh stretch
• Hanumanasana
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
• Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana 
• Virasana/Supta Virasana
• Triangmukhaipada pascimottanasana/Krounchasana
• Agnistambhasana
• Janu Sirsasana
• Pascimottanasana

Anusara Yoga SPOOKtacular Halloween Class

Anusara Yoga SPOOKtacular Halloween Class Plan + Theme + Sequence

Halloween is a time of courage! Where spooky things often jump out at us, our heart quicken and we feel alive! What can be even more scary then a haunted house or a scary movie is unveiling the masks we wear on a daily basis. These daily masks we wear to protect ourself let's us feel safe. Taking off our masks, being vulnerable, authentic and honest takes courage, connects us to our heart and let's us feel alive! Alive and real. It's scary but a quote I love is "magic happens outside of our comfort zone". While everyone else is dressing up for Halloween in todays yoga class let's dress down. Let's push ourself outside our comfort zone, take off our masks and unveil the magic and beauty of our hearts. 

Theme: Magic happens outside our comfort zone 

Anecdote: Halloween 

Heart quality: courage 

Apex: drop backs 

UPA: Open To Grace (opening ourself up to something bigger then our comfort zone.) Muscle Energy (drawing into ourself to find courage and stability) Shoulder Loop (courageously opening out heart) 

Sequence: 

Warm up:

Tadasana half moon stretch 

Utkatasana 

Lunge with side stretch 

Lunge bend and straighten back leg 3x- Anjaneyasana with side stretch 

Basic:

Upright EPRK prep

Prone pec stretch 

Anjaneyasana twist with quad stretch 

Lunge twist - high runners lunge twist 

Goddess- prasarita padottanasan hands clasp behind back

Malasana- bakasana

Rev warrior - parsvakonasana  

Lunge eagle arms- eagle- standing backbend 

Harder:

Dolphin hands turned out on wall 

Pincha mayurasana

Quad stretch at wall 

Ustrasana against wall 

Danurasana - side- side 

Setu bandha sarvangasana 

Apex:

Urdhva danurasana 2x

Drop backs with partner

AMS with partner

Cool down:

Double pigeon 

Upavistha konasana

Twist 

Supta symmetrical root femurs 

Shavasana 

Closing: 

Meditation 

Soft and Kind

Theme: practice life on the mat. When fasted with different poses (circumstances) practice being soft and kind. 

Antidote: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us

so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid,

or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder.

We always have the choice.

Dalai Lama

Heart quality: kindness 

Poe: outer body soft (1st principe) 

Apex: hanumanasana

Warm up: 

Sun a 3x 

Sun b 3x

Basic: 

Hrl- tree- eagle 

Hrl twist- w2- rev w

Parsvakonasana 

L.l quad- Trikonasana 

Hrl twist - scandasana- half moon

Harder:

Standing pigeon

Utkatasana twist - Side crow  

Half hanuman 3 positions of front leg to target each hamstring muscle (straight forward/wide/ and across) - standing splits-handstand hop 

Heros pose with blanket roll 

Uttanasana on blanket roll

W1  

Parsvotonasana with ankle loop- s.s- tad balance- w3 3x- w1

Apex:

Hanumanasana

Cool down 

Root femurs 

supta twist 

Supported child's pose with bolster and block 

Supported shavasana with bolster and block 

Full Moon

Theme: experience your fullness

Antidote: Super Blood Moon eclipse on night of September 27 2015 +

Story of Ganesha breaking the moon into 16 pieces (phases we experience of the moon) with his tusk

Heart quality: Joy

Universal principle of alignment focus: First Principle. In tantric belief they say the sun is in your solar plexus and the moon is in your feet and crown of head. We will use our foundation (feet) pressing down lift our crown up toward the sky lengthening our sides bodies and performing inner body bright. These three actions (foundation, side bodies long and inner body bright) make up first principle, Open to Grace. 

The moon phases remind us of the beauty and joy that come from revelation and concealment. If something we love, like a favorite food (from Ganesh's story) was alway available and eaten at every meal it would no long be a favorite and we would start to dislike it. Or if the moon was always full it wouldn't be as magical. Our body won't always be held in perfect alignment or feel super open but I when it is we can recognize the fullness and find the joy in it. We can also remind ourself of this when we are faced with moments of concealment, remembering something wonderful is yet to be revealed.  This is a lesson the moon constantly teaches me as it pulsates into and out of fullness. 

Moon details: It’s the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon, or full moon nearest the September equinox. It’s the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring. This Septembers full moon is also called a Blood Moon, because it presents the fourth and final eclipse of a lunar tetrad: four straight total eclipses of the moon, spaced at six lunar months (full moons) apart. This will be the first supermoon eclipse in 33 years and the next such event will be seen in 2033. The Earth's shadow will begin to dim the 'supermoon' at 8:11 p.m. EDT on Sept. 27, which will also be a harvest moon, according to NASA. The total lunar eclipse will start at 10:11 p.m. EDT, giving the moon a reddish tinge, and will last an hour and 12 minutes.

Sequence: 

•  5-7 min -  Centering seated. 5-7 min.

•   5 - 10 min - Dynamic Warm ups - movement with breath, no holds, not technical, large muscles

Childs 

Cat/cow 

AMS - Tadasana 

Standing half moon side stretch 

Sun A 3x 

Moon Salutation 2x (Tadasana- uttanasana- Anjaneyasana - knees/chest/chin- AMS- Anjaneyasana- uttanasana- Tadasana) 

•   10 min - Poses that safely and effectively open hips and shoulders easier to perform, teach the actions

Lunge with side stretch- tree with side stretches 

L T arms twist- W2- reverse warrior 

L T arms twist- rev- hrl twist- low lunge quad stretch with twist

•  10 - min Climax - poses that require the most strength, stamina and flexibility.

Parsvakonasana - ardha chandrasana  chapasana 

Trikonasana 

Wild thing- falling Trikonasana 

Handstand 

Pincha manyurasana

Sirsasana

Pec stretch at wall

•  5 - 10 min Apex Pose 

Camel block on chest to encourage side bodies long 2x 

Urdhva prep on bolster 2x 

Urdhva danurasana or bridge 

•  10 min -  Counter & Cooling and quieting poses 

Root femurs 

AMS head on bolster 

Baddha konasana twist- bow- supta on bolster 

•  7+ min Savasana

•  2- 5 min -  Meditation

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position. Slowly become aware of the space between your eyebrows. Within this space, visualize a full moon in a clear night sky, shining brightly on the waves of the ocean. The full reflection of the moon penetrates the deep waters, and the cool shade of moonlight catches the tops of the waves as they dance.

See the image clearly and develop an awareness of the feelings and sensations that are created in your mind and body. Slowly let the visualization fade and again become aware of the whole body.