Create Space

Upa focus: Inner spiral. In. Back. Wide. 

Heart quality: spaciousness 

Theme: create space for yourself. In a moment, day, between a negative emotion or situation 

Warm up: 

Table 

Cat cow 

In: 

Table shalabasana 

3 leg ans 

Parsvot pivot back heal in back and wide until the outer edge of the food is in the floor (pinky to firing into the floor) 

Back: 

Hrl 

Lunge hands on front thigh - w2 

Wide: 

Table isometrically pull knees away from each other to widen thighs 

Parsvak prep fingertips on floor inside of front foot settle into back foot and draw foot isometrically toward front foot to provide resistance to broaden the the wide 

In back and wide: 

3 leg AMS 

W2

Mod. Parsvak 

Parsvak 

Pigeon 

L.l quad

Trikonasana 

Half moon 

Standing pigeon 

Urdhva prasarita eka padasana (I don't like saying the English name "standing splits" because it's intimating) 

Dolphin- pincha 

Handstand 

Uttanasana 

W1

W1

Bridge 

Bridge top leg in pigeon 

Bridge or urdhva eka pada 

Cool down:

Supta root femurs 

Twist 

Symmetrical pose 

Shavasana 

Meditation 

Self Love

Upa: 3 aspects of muscular energy 

Apex: ashtavakrasana 

Theme: use your practice to deepen your relationship with yourself and cultivate self love 

Antidote: muscular energy is a contraction, an embrace a self hug 

Heart quality: self love 

Anusara

-warm up-

AMS 

Tad- utt- ardha utt- high runners lunge fingers in line with front heel lift back thigh root front thigh- AMS- vinyasa- second foot steps forward through high runners lunge - utt - tad 

"" low lunge twist

"" anjaneyasana 

-Teach 1st aspect of muscle energy: muscle to bone-

Tad- star 

W2 feel front leg how it is easier to engage all sides of thigh and engage back leg 

Star straight legs engage all sides of leg toning muscle to bone feel with hands- prasarita padotonasana (we practice self love self care by never stretching  without actively engaging first)

Utt

Utk knee caps lifting isometrically drag heels back to engage hamstrings 

Standing hip stretch 

 vinyasa 

AMS 

W1 

-teach second aspect of muscle energy: to the midline-

Supta block btw thighs inner edges of feet touching hug midline

Twisting core 4x

Tadasana midline 

Standing crescent 

Tree 

Utk

Eagle - w1 - AMS- vinyasa - tad 

-teach third aspect of muscle energy: from periphery to focal point-

Tadasana lift up one leg apply other two aspects of muscle energy then inhale draw from foot to focal point at the core of the pelvis then exhale extend from focal point at pelvic floor back out through foot 3x  Tadasana feel deference btw legs then repeat 

Uttanasana 

Lunge finger tips in line with front heel focus on back leg pulsate with breath inhale to focal point exhale back to foot 

Active pigeon 

High runners lunge forearms on floor- shoulder under 

- putting it all together -

Anjaneyasana 

W1

Hold outer edge of foot sit up like your having a tea party- eka hasta bhujangasana 2x 

Lean back on forarms feet off floor cross legs, firm muscles to bone, sqeuze ankles, knees inner thighs together, draw from feet to pelvis then extend legs straight 2x 

eka hasta bhujangasana-  ashtavakrasana

-cool down-

Janusirsasana 

Windshield wiper (just like we take care of ourself by always engage when we stretch we also alway engage when we twist) 

Bridge 

Self hug 

Supta Tadasana legs together hands at side firm muscles, draw to midline, pull to active focal point at hips. With this full engagement this embrace of yourself allow your breath to expand 5 breaths 

-shavasana- release arms at 30 degree angle feet relaxed outer hip distance wide 

Key ques:

*yoga is a practice of self care of self love.

*you are worthy of your love 

*spread fingers brightly, make your hands feel alive press into knuckles. 

*when muscles burn it's like the smoke from incense that is an offering to yourself. 

*Lovingly hug muscles to bone 

*embrace yourself as you embrace life. 

*anusara philosophy says, life embodiment is an expression of love 

Manifest your Goals

Anusara class plan and sequence 

Theme: tap into your Shakti (manifesting) power to stir you in the direction of your goals in 2015

Antidote: thinking about our intentions or goals it's important to look at the actions we are taking and see if they are helping to drive us toward our goals. One of my continuous goals is to drink more water but when I look at my actions they don't help manifest that goal. I have gotten in the bad habit of leaving my water bottle at home. I need to use my power to bring my water bottle to help manifest my goal of drinking my H2O. 

Much like in yoga we need to look and say I want my yoga practice to help my body feel better. But then i look and see I have gotten in a bad habit of keeping my low back rounded so I need to use the power of alignment (in this case inner spiral) to help create a curve and more space in the low back and hips. 

Upa: inner spiral (special emphasis on inner spiral of back leg) inner spiral has three actions it turns the thighs:

1. In

2. Back 

3. Wide. 

When these actions are taken in the back leg they act like a rudder on boat and help the inner body on the direction the thigh is turning. For example lunge with the right foot forward. You would perform more innerspiral on the back left leg (because front legs natural have more inner spiral). You would engage the leg and turn it in, back, wide and that will twist the inner body towards the right. In this way we are using the power of the back leg to stir us in the direction we want to go. 

Sequence: 

-warm up-

Tadasana teach inner spiral: in back wide 

Uttanasana "" 

Table leg shalabasana inner spiral in back wide 

AMS with leg lift 

Hrl

L

Anjaneyasana

-basic-

Cobra lift leg one at a time and inner spiral 

L.L quad- Urdhva prasarita eka padasana 

W2 focus on the back and wide of inner spiral on back leg 

Parsvak - rev w

Standing hip stretch - w3 prep - L 

-harder-

Upright AMV at wall- w3 at wall 

L AMV wall 

L- Tree- w3- s.s- handstand 

Pigeon 

Camel block btw thighs 

-apex-

Bridge block 

Eka pada bridge 

-cool down-

Janusirsasana upright manual Inner spiral of back leg 

Janusirasana fold "" 

Baddha konasana 

Supta padangustasana femur root hands behind thigh- twist 

Symmetrical Pose: supta Baddha konasana 

-shavasana-

-centering-

Full of Power= POWERFUL

Science is now confirming what Socrates said in Europe and what the ancient rishis in India said thousands of years before that. Science (except for the medical field) is moving from Newtonian concept, everything is matter, to quantum physics, everything is energy. Quantum physics says within the workings of an atom there is just energy waves which emit electrical energy. 

We are of course made up of atoms. Every cell in the body has an atom, about 50 trillion to be exact. And each cell emit 1.4 volts of energy not much, but when you multiply by the number of cells in your body (50 trillion) you get a total voltage of 700 trillion volts of electricity in your body.

How cool that science is now confirming that we are made of energy! There are even types of technology that can show this energy in the body like kirlian photography. 

Know we have scientific proof that we are made of energy. That we are FULL of POWER. That we are POWERFULL! Just because we know this doesn't mean we always feel it. In tomorrow's yoga classes we will be working with the second universal principle of alignment, muscle energy to help us feel powerful on our body. 

-Class plans-

UPA focus: muscle energy 

Theme: we are full of power. Powerful 

Antidote: science 

Heart quality: pow·er·ful. adjective: having great power or strength.

Synonyms: able, capable, commanding,dynamic,  effective,  energetic, forceful, mighty, potent, strengthy, sturdy, vigorous, weighty

Antonyms: impotent, incapable, ineffective, unable, weak

Anusara 9-10:30 

-warm up- 

Table Shalabasana 

Table- Shalabasana - airplane - mod. Side plank 

Urdhva hastasana- half moon side stretch 

Utt:

lunge 

W2

-basic- 

Dolphin 

Partner phinca midline 

Sirsasana/ pincha legs together 

Sphinx 

Forearm plank with cobra legs lifted belly 

Cobra

-harder-

Parsvak- half moon- tree

Hrl - knee up 3x Eagle - w3 - w1

W1 clasp hands 

Sphinx quad - kick foot back

Trikonasana 

-apex-

Side plank tree legs or option full vashistasana

Side plank tree legs to wildthing 

-cool down-

Janusirsasana 

Ardha matsyandrasana prep 

Baddha konasana

FUNdamentals:

-warm up-

1:2 sun 3x

Lunge 3x

AMS 

-basic- 

Sphinx - lifted plank version 

Cobra 

W2

Mod. Parsvak 

Tree

-harder- 

Eagle 

Sphinx quad stretch 

Pigeon 

-apex-

Trikonasana 

-cool down- 

Ardha hanuman 

Frog 

Supta pada a b c 

Don't Let Life Get You Down

For the next month I will be subbing for my teacher Adam While he teaches some Anusara series in China! So cool. I am so honored I get to sub for such an amazing teacher. This is my class notes from this mornings practice. I felt very confident while teaching and I had several students come up after class to thank me and ask me questions. I am looking forward to subbing for him this month.

Class: Anusara at Centered City Yoga on Monday
Theme: Don't let life get you down instead rise up.
Antidote: on Sunday I had some plans: hike, garden, outdoor wedding reception to name a few. So when I woke up to a down pour of rain I thought what will me, my husband and my toddler do. Then I remembered that saying "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond " we ended up going on a long drive and then doing some finger painting Halloween themed crafts. It was a great day. We can't control that life and gravity pull our physical body into a slouch. But we can control how we respond to that. Today in class we will respond by utilizing gravity pressing into our foundation so we can rise up!
Heart quality: co participate
Poe: first principle. Root to rise
Apex: Ustrasana
Props: 2 blocks, strap, blanket

-warm up-
Mod surya B with L one leg at a time 4x
-basic-
Lunge fingers clasp in front of heart- standing hip stretch
W2 fingers clasp in front of heart
Lunge clasp hands behind back- standing hip stretch
W2 - falling Warrior
Anjaneyasana- lunge
-harder-
2 blocks chat arm work
Hrl twist- w2
Mod. parsvak- Half moon chapasana
Lunge- tad quad- tadasana dancer
-Apex-
Pigeon quad
Danurasana
Blanket roll : Danurasana on belly
Blanket roll: danurasana on thighs
AMS
Ustrasana upright
Eka pada Ustrasana upright
Ustrasana full 2 blocks
-cool down-
Hero
Dandasana
Supta twist
Supta passive femur bone root

In A Rut?

Thursday's anusara class
Poe. First principle: side bodies long, collar bones broad. Muscle energy: arm bones back
Theme: someone asked the question on Tuesday: why is it hard to start new healthy habits and easy to stay in bad habits? Answer: Samaskaras
Antidote: rut in the road

Like a deep groove or rut in the road, a samskara is a tendency/habit/path that we keep tracking into. It is easy, comfortable, and our tendency to steer toward and fall right into it. There are only two ways to break out of a well dug samskara. First, we have to be aware of and acknowledge our tendency or habit and second, we have to create a new pattern. This is easier said then done. Think about this deep groove in a road, that is not only hard to get out of but to create a new groove is also hard. On top of that the new groove won't be as deep as the old more used one so to not slip back out of the new and fall back into the old is hard. It takes patience, perseverance and playfulness (because I don't like taking myself to serious).

A pattern I have been working with recently is anger. Lately when I have been getting angry I visualize I am digging my anger samskara rut deeper. I don't want it any deeper! I work to redirect my emotions and attitude to be compassionate, understanding, and patient.  I again visualize but this time I'm seeping the rut of this new pattern. That visualization helps me to realize that I don't want to stay stuck in this unhealthy pattern. I want to form a deeper groove for health and happiness.  It’s up to us to step into the yoga and make better choices as we apply our awareness and willingness to be choose which pattern we step I to and reinforce. Are we staying in a negative habit that we are comfortable in or can we move into unknown creating the known in a new way.

In this class we will notice our natural tendency to shorten the spine and round the shoulders forward. These tendencies are strength with lazy posture. This is a very deep samsakara for many of us. Today we will be awareness and then action into creating and deepening another option: side bodies long, colar bones broad, head of arm bones back.

Sequence;
Mod surya B one side at a time with lunge

Lunge clasp hands
Anjaneyasana- L- standing hip stretch
Hrl twist- w2
W2 - rev W
L- Quad stretch - Dancer

Pigeon quad twist
L.l quad- ardha hanuman
On blocks chat prep sbl, broad, abb one side at a time then both
Pec stretch at wall 3x
Pincha manuyrasana 3x

Camel
Camel quad
Natarajasana strap 2x

Fish crunches
Table press into one hand at a time then both to activate kidney loop while maintaining low back curve
AMS
Supta twist
Thigh bone rooting passive symmetrical

Vegan Basil Pesto + Roasted Veggie Recipe

Yummy Dinner

*Roasted Sweet Potato and Parsnips Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes peeled chopped
2 parsnips peeled chopped
1/2 red onion (optional)
1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp basil pesto
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. toss veggies with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake about 25 minutes, until golden and tender, turning once or twice. Let cool a little bit. Mix pesto with lemon zest and juice (optional). Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons over sweet potatoes, serve the rest alongside.

*Vegan Pesto:
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1 to 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbs nutritional yeast

Instructions:
Place the basil, walnuts or pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Pulse to combine, until the mixture is coarsely ground. Turn the motor on and drizzle the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the sea salt, pepper, lemon, and nutritional yeast, and pulse a few more times to combine.