Teachers: Shine and Refine

April 23

How do you express your compassion?
   - Through my voice. Volume and tone can have a powerful effect.
   - Being calm & centered in yourself. Then you can really listen.
   - Listening and relatedly meeting people where they are.
   - Empathic listening. Listening with every part of me.

How can we increase our compassion?
   - When I am in the habit of meditation my compassion increases.
   - Work at listening. Thoreau has a quote about how we look at things all the time, but don’t really see them.
   - Becoming aware of my habits, things I do to numb painful feelings which in turn lessen my ability to be compassionate. Being aware of my breathing.
   - Increasing length, width and depth of my Sushumna nadi.

Sukhasana Warm Up:
   Prayer hands
   Open arms to side at shoulder height – unfolding first shoulders, upper arms, elbows, wrists, hands and fingers, palms face forward.
   Big rounding of spine with arms circle forward – hug an imaginary stability ball.
   Fingers interlaced, arms overhead
   Twist left, arms still overhead
   Cactus arms, elbows level with shoulders, forearms perpendicular to floor, wrists netural
   Right hand down to left knee, left hand behind
   Face forward, bring left arm on top to hug. Compassion starts here at home.
   Eagle arms, left arm on top
   Eagle with bent leg boat
   1/2 boat, arms unfold forward
   Rock the body, while maintaining the distance between the legs and the torso
   Rep 2nd side

Bird Dog & Friends: All Fours
Here we looked at each other closely to observe and assist alignment of back leg. We can’t see the back leg extended behind us, so we are working to develop our awareness from an inner sense.
   Right leg back at hip height
   Bend right knee, thigh still parallel to floor, lower leg vertical, ankle circles
   Extend right leg
   Dog at Hydrant, right leg bends and moves to side – hip, knee and shin all equidistant from the floor…
   Place right foot down, Parighasana
   All fours: Knees, Chest, Chin
   Shalabhasana, holding edges of mat
   Anantasana, lying on left side, with top leg extended
   Keeping side of left leg grounded, swing top leg back behind your hips, toward 90 degree angle with long left edge of mat, hands/torso walk toward right off mat. Angela Farmer called this Dead Warrior.
   Legs together on abdomen
   Balasana

Down Dog

Lunges:
   Airplane arms, chest on thigh
   Big contraction/rounding of spine, arms circle around imaginary stability ball (fingers reach under front leg),
   Lift hands above front thigh, interlace fingers and press palms upward,
   Straighten back leg for high lunge
   Parvottanasana
   Rep 2nd side

Uttanasana
Down Dog
   Lunge right
   Keeping right leg straight, bend back knee to ground
   Turn out right leg, for lateral hamstring stretch
   Bend right knee for turned out deep lunge, hands walk forward onto elbows possibly
   Hands under shoulders, straighten back leg and lower heel back heel, turn front toes forward,right hands flat down on inside of right foot
   Parsvakonasana, peel open left arm
   Vira 2
   Trik
   Rep 2nd side

Handstand
   Lower one knee to chest, straighten leg
   Rep 2nd side

Supta Baddha Konasana

Savasana

Time flies when your are having fun!

April 16

What to say (do or feel) when our students believe that they lack the ‘appropriate’ range of motion and say that they’ll never be able to do the pose fully.

- Think of yoga as a process.
- Work with inner dynamics in the present moment.
- Work on the mechanics.
- “I have seen that and felt it in myself”.
- Break down the pose into steps so that the student can feel successful in part of it.
- Work intelligently with what you have.
- Offer compassion and your presence.

Supine Calisthenics:
   Shoulder flexion
   Hip flexion – Bicycles
   Inner thigh adduction, starting parallel and moving open with turned out legs. Closing legs back to parallel.
   Twist with Shoulder circle

Sukhasana Warm Up:
   Bow head to shine crown chakra forward. Continue to fold forward, third eye chakra turns in and down. Soften throat, then heart center beginning to walk hands forward. Release solar plexus, navel and pubis. Breathe.
   Lift crown up like a turtle coming out of its shell. Lift third eye, throat. The lift of the heart chakra begins to lift us upright. Lift solar plexus, navel and pubis. Sitting in Sukhasana in a slight back bend.
    1/4 turn crown chakra to side bend to right. Right hand on top of left hear for neck stretch. Continue to side bend, right hand releasing to floor and left arm overhead.
   Return to vertical.
   Left hand across body to right knee for twist to right.
   Return to center for 2nd side, changing crossing of legs.

Bird Dog:
   Extend right leg back
   Bend back knee up, circle right ankle
   Extend right leg back
   Extend left arm forward
   Bend back knee up again, circle ankle
   Lower knee & hand
   Circle right arm back, then up to twist, preparing for
   Thread the Needle

Lunges:
   Deep lunge
   Parsvottanasana

Down Dog:
   Here we took a look at the places that we tend to sink/sit in our pose.

Urdhva Hastasana Arm Swings to Forward Bend, with bent knees 3X

Standing Balance:
   Right knee to chest
   Ankle circles
   Extend right leg
   Turn out right leg
   Tree Pose
   Kickstand Tree Pose
   Roll forward through sequencing as in Sukhasana Warm Up. First crown, then 3rd eye, throat, heart center, begin to reach hands to floor or blocks, solar plexus etc.
   Standing Hip sink and lift
   Reverse: lifting crown first. Though we came up to a slight backbend in the Sukhasana Warm Up, here we want to return to neutral

Standing Poses:
   Vira 1
   Swing arms into Parsvottanasana
   Vira 2, with body hug around and imaginary stability ball in front of belly/chest
   Trik

Standing Quad Stretch

Toe Stretch with belt around heels:
   Flexed feet

Pinca Mayurasana

Toe Stretch with belt around heels:
   Toes pointed

Pinca Mayurasana

Ustrasana a la Angela Farmer:
   Begin in Child’s pose
   Lift crown, 3rd eye, throat (shoulders begin to retreat), heart center (body begins to lift), solar plexus (hands reach back towards heels or blocks), navel & pubis.
nbsp;  Reverse, lowering pubis first (pelvis lowers), then navel, solar plexus, heart folds forward, throat soften & closes,3rd eye and finally crown lowers.

Choose your neutralizing pose before

Savasana
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

April 9

Do we need to be able to do every yoga pose that we teach?

* One teacher said that she mostly avoids teaching the poses that she cannot do. Though she does sprinkle them in occasionally.
* Another said that it is all a process.
* From another teacher, “I fluctuate between hiding from my students what I can’t do and fully revealing to them my version of the pose in progress whatever that may look like.
* My thoughts: being challenged in poses, then figuring out how to do them – will make us better teachers. We’ll develop the precious skills to communicate what we have learned.

Chakra Warm Up:

   Rub hands together, creating warmth
   Place palms over eyes
   Move hands down to throat
   Heart center
   Solar plexus
   Navel
   Pubis
   Top of thighs
   towards knees
   OM

Sukhasana Warm Up:
    Fingers interlaced, palms press front, then up
    Tricep stretch: right elbow up, left elbow down at side, fingers still interlaced but palms face in towards body
    Side bend, left
    Extend arms forward, cat back
    Tricep stretch, left elbow up and side bend right
    Return to vertical, release arms down
    Right arm winds up and swings across body to left knee for vertical twist to left. Second time through, winds up to release right elbow to outside of left knee, turn your spine/chest to fold over left knee – left fingertips on floor support turn.
    Forward bend, walk arms forward
    Walk back up to vertical
    Rep 2nd side

All Fours:
    Bird Dog Plus
       Right leg back
       Small circles with right leg
       Keep circling right leg, add left arm extension
       Circles with arm and leg

Lunges:
   Deep lunges alternating with Parsvott

Surya Namaskar: a la Sondra Loring
   including toe work for DD to UD toe roll over

Standing Poses
   Vira 1
   Parivritta Parsvakonasana
   Vira 1
   Trik Prep
   Rev. Trik with top arm in Gomukha variation (Tricep stretch from Warm Up – left arm up first time with right foot forward)
   Rev Warrior, extend arms
   Trik
   Parsvakonasana
   Visvamittrasana
   Eka Pada Koundinyasana
   DD
   2nd side, end in Child’s pose

Hip Opening & Fun Stuff:
   Baddha Konasana
   Mulabhandasana
   Hold heels for Upward Upavista Konasana
   Ankle to Knee pose, attempting to get there without using hands

Savasana
   
   
   
   

April 2

If something is therapeutic, does that mean it feels good?

   *One teacher said that she followed the ‘no pain no gain’ philosophy. If something is therapeutic, it should hurt.
   *Another teacher said that when she first started practicing yoga – eveything hurt: her back, her knees. That was all part of her path. Now she feels differently.
   *It seems some students feel that yoga should be relaxing and easy. They can be very cautious and won’t go to their edge where the possibility for change exists.
   *How DO we know when to back off and listen to our body, and when to go forward with discomfort or even pain?
   *Asking for the opinion and guidance of a trusted source could be a helpful step.

Supine:
    Shoulder flexion
    Hip flexion, with hamstring stretch
    Garuda legs: in & out
    Garuda legs in boat
    Rep 2nd side

Sukhasana Warm Up:
    Arms up
    Gomukha arms with forward bend
    Twist
    Side/Twist/Back bend
    Rep 2nd side

All Fours:
    Bird Dog, forever
    Parighasana Prep
    Figure 8′s for hip
    Child’s Pose
    Rep 2nd side

Down Dog
Plank
Knees Chest Chin
Sphinx
Shalabhasana
Side lying Shalabhasana

Lunges
    Deep lunge to Parsvottanasana several times before holding Parsvott.

Utt

Standing Poses
    Vira 1
    Parsvott. Prep with Gomukha arms
    Pari Trik
    Twisted Child
    Vajrasana
    DD with twist
    Vashista
    DD to jump forward
    Rep 2nd side

Handstand

Hip Opening a la Glenn:
    seated one knee flexed foot flat, opp leg ext like Upavista
    Rep 2nd side
    Squat

Ardha Urdhva Dhan with Shoulder Opening
    Shoulder flexion
    1/2 wheel with shoulder flexion
    Lower torso, one vert at a time, with arms overhead
    Urdhva Dhanurasana or rep Ardha Urdhva Dhan

Jathara Parivarta

Savasana
    to You Can Close Your Eyes by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs

Monday, March 26

Buddha said – (Anguttara Nikaya III 248):

There are five advantages of listening to the dharma. What five?

   One hears things not heard before,
   clarifies things heard before,
   dispels doubts,
   straightens one’s ideas,
   and one’s mind is delighted.

On Monday afternoons, among other things yogic that are taught in the little Kids classes, we attempt to teach listening. Often there is a continual clammer and humming. The Kids need to be heard and need to hear themselves. So, we listen to the sounds in and around the studio. This creates a blessed moment of quiet. Is it possible to hum and listen at the same time? How do we practice listening? Listening like relaxation will take practice. So, we practice.

Sukhasana:
    Broaden back of thighs/internal rotation
    Find ease, lift, lightness
    OM – listen to the beautiful sound

Standing Warm Up: to the short song, Treasure but Thievery Corporation
    Shake hands, elbows, shoulders, twist, hips, knees & ankles

Shoulder Opening with Strap: big pec stretch
   with Utkatasana
   fold strap, lat pull & side bend
   Rodney’s party trick

Down Dog, plank, baby cobra, Anantasana with Tree variation

Lunge – Deep lunge – Lizard lunge – Parsvottanasana

We looked at each other in lunge, attempting to open the top of the back leg thigh. No more wrinkles…?

Utt

Parsvott Prep with flossing strap action:
    One arm is forward and up/externally rotated, the other is back and down/internally rotated. Using a pulling action deepen each arm stretch one at a time.
Utkatasana with twist
Rep 2nd side

Standing Pose Sequence:
    Tadasana, hugging arms around shoulders, then extend arms up
    Step left leg back – Vira 1
    Prayer hands to floor on inside of front foot
    Turn left for Prasarita, back of hands on floor through legs, then return to vertical
    Vira 2, right leg forward
    Clunky transition to back of mat for Tree Pose, right leg up
    Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, right leg extended
    Standing ankle to knee – right ankle across left knee, forward bend & straighten standing leg
    Lower right ball of foot, still externally rotated, to outside of left foot
    Pivot – walk hands counterclockwise to back of mat, lift left heel, continue to pivot on balls of feet, walking hands to face long right edge of mat – Uttanasana
    Continue walking hands 1/4 circle more to prep for Side Crow
    Extend for Vashistasana on left hand
    Down dog, jump to Utt, 2nd side.

Handstand

Prone Savasana
    with weights at top of thighs

March 12, 2012

Paradoxes of Teaching:

   While we are all busy teaching, as teachers we seem to be starved for the time to practice ourselves.

   We teach, yet we are often the ones who are really learning.

   We attempt to teach our students the ability to be present, yet sometimes they don’t seem present to receive this teaching.

   How can we stay open and generous, when we see that over-concentrated look on our student’s faces that makes them look angry and mean?

These paradoxes are part of the complex puzzle of our lives, our teaching and our practice. We relax our abdominal muscles and then work on our core… Both! These paradoxes are nature doing it’s thing – all part of our process.

Core Work:
    Seated Low abdominal engagement:
        Reverse curl, using rolling ball as a visual/manual cue
    Supine Upper abdominal engagement:
       Pilates Rib/Arms

Proprioception Work for Ankles:
   Supine Supta Padangustasana (no belt)
       Ankle circles with awareness of sole of foot’s relationship to ceiling and hip.

Lunge Sequence:
   From All Fours: Lunge, Parsvottanasana, Uttansana, Uttanasana with one foot on block, Uttanasana, Parsvottanasana. Rep 2nd side.

Standing Poses:
Garudasana
Vira 2
Trik.
Ardha Chandrasana
Standing Split, Quad stretch, Lifted/Turned out
Ardha Matseyendrasana
Bunny Rabbit prep for Gomukhasana
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Deep lunge:
   with one foot on block
Uttanasana
   with one foot on on block
Uttanasana
Rep 2nd side.

Handstand

Legs Up Wall:
   Ankle to Knee
   1/2 Happy Baby

Savasana

March 5, 2012

Ah, not be cut off,
not through the slightest partition
shut out from the law of the stars.
The inner – what is it?
if not intensified sky,
hurled through with birds and deep
with winds of homecoming.
     -Rainer Maria Rilke

Sukhasana

    Funnel breath, Lift Ribs & OM

Sukhasana Warm Up:

    Shoulder opening-
        Interlaced arms up
        Interlaced behind back
        Back of hands to side waist and one elbow at a time toward knee crease.

    Open right leg out to side, fold forward

    Bharadvajasana, facing left corner of mat: twist and side bend with undulating arms (pulling shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers down)

    Sole of Foot Massage (right), then thread fingers of left hand through right toes, lift hand and dangle foot.

   Ankle to Knee, right on top.

   Boat and half Boat twist variation

Leg Work:

   Lunge (right leg front)

   Parsvottanasana, then with a twist-
        Place both hands on the inside of the right foot. Bend front knee to snuggle right shoulder inside right thigh, reach back with right hand to the outer thigh of the back leg. Straighten right leg. Those who are very flexible can reach right hand lower towards the outer shin. Lift onto the fingertips of the left hand and bend the left elbow slightly. Peek under left arms with your head as you twist left, opening your chest towards the left. Bend the front knee for a lunge with airplane wings (right arm stays under the right thigh). Hold right ankle with both hands and kiss your right foot, maybe. Descend onto on all fours. Repeat 2nd side.

Dd
Utt
Standing Child’s Pose
Utt
Tad

Shoulder Opening:
    Arms up, palms facing front, thumb tips touching.
    Interlace fingers behind back, elbows bent.
    Namaste hands behind back

Standing Poses:
    Parsvottanasana, with Namaste hands behind back
    Vira 2, with same Namaste hands behind back
    Trik, ” , then spread your wings.
    Parsvakonasana, top arm undulates.
    Prasarita Padottansana
    Standing Split, with airplane arms

Wrist/Hand Work (Peacock Prep):
    Chaturanga hands at wall
    Chaturanga hands, fingers turned out
    Chaturanga hands, fingers turned downward
    Peacock prep – hands together & elbows bent placing elbows into gut
    Leaning into wall on elbows, reach one leg back
    Lift that knee up and outward towards shoulder
    Repeat last two actions with 2nd leg

   Inversions:
    Handstand at wall

    Shoulder work a la Glenn Black: for Pinca Mayurasana, sitting in Vajrasana –
       Lift elbows to shoulder height, bring elbows, forearms & hands together
       Separate hands wide enough to hold a block in your palms at the widest width, keeping your elbows together (or or as close together as possible).
       Place arm position including block on floor.
       Release hands to chin.

    Pinca Mayurasana

Kurmasana
Swastikasana
Vamadevasana –

Savasana

From a Shining Teacher:

I’ve been enjoying class immensely and hope to keep coming.
I’m so happy to have your expertise in my weekly landscape!

Do you listen to your inner voice? When?

We want our students to listen to their inner selves. The only way to do that is to connect with our inner teacher.

   One teacher finds her inner voice when she relaxes her abs.
   I hear my inner voice, get annoyed by it and shut it out for a few days. Once I cool down, I can register what that message might be.
   Other teachers finding synchronous events happening in their lives understand that they are on a path of wisdom.

And we all line up with our teachers, who have given us so much, to honor them.

OM

We identified pelvic landmarks again. Then worked on zipping the tail toward the pubis and then the navel for deep abdominal energy and support. The radical leg alignment incorporated balancing both bellies of the calf muscle.

Sukhasana Warm Up

All Fours
    Cat/Neutral
DD to Plank
    using strong cat action
Vashistasana Prep
    with Slalom Feet
DD
   knees almost to floor, then to plank
Lunge
   back knee bent for zipping up the pelvic floor

Surya Namaskar from Vrksasana

Vira 1 – Parsvottanasana rep 3x
Vira 2

Prasarita Padottanasana Prep
   with shoulder opening
Garudasana

Handstand
Upavista Konasana
Parivritta Janu Sirsasana Prep
Parighasana
Parivritta Janu Sirsasana
Siddhasana

Savasana

Natalie Levin, who is starting a new course of study – the Jungian Seminar for Advanced Studies at the Jungian Institute of Philadelphia sent me this quote:

“An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child”
Carl Jung

I always thought that the words appreciation and gratitude were synonymous. Who knew? Thank you, Natalie for reminding us to honor our students feelings and to be warm.

Warm Up: beginning in Prone Savasana – face down
    We reviewed a trick of how to remember the difference between supine and prone. Well, supine is just super.
    With a partner, we practiced a hands on adjustment to deepen internal rotation of the thighs.
    Breathing: Notice the pressure of the front of the body on the floor, then bring your attention to the inside of the body.
        Side lying, legs bent at 90 – continue to notice breath along surface of side touching the floor, and the inner sense of the breath.
        Quad stretch, top leg – sense both your breath and your thigh stretch.
        Externally rotate the top leg, placing the top foot on the floor just in front of the bottom knee.
        Twist – hips continue face side, with external rotation of top leg in the same position, place forearms parallel, as in Pinca Mayurasana with chest & arms facing to front of the mat. Here we discovered that some ab action/cat back is useful.
        Ankle to Knee, seated facing the long edge of mat, fold forward.
        Boat with bent knees, circling ankles then wrists.
        Bharadvajasana feet toward back of mat, twist toward front of mat
        Side Bend towards back of mat.
        Lie prone to begin second side.

DD, Cat to Plank – sensing each chakra connecting to each other, Knees/Chest/Chin, Baby Cobra, DD

Leg Work: with two blocks and one strap. Leg alignment work is helpful for everyone. This is especially good for people who feel discomfort behind the knee from poor tracking – alignment between upper and lower leg. Face wall, two feet or so away from wall.
    Place one block between upper thighs to remember internal rotation. 2nd block is between lower legs with the strap looped around middle of the shins bones. The strap/block for the lower legs draw the lower leg bones underneath to support.
        Tadasana
        Down Dog: hands up wall
        Uttanasana
        Utkatasana
        Tadasana
        Side Bends: facing profile to wall, outside arm lifts up towards wall.

Surya Namaskar:
    Step Backs including Knees/Chest/Chin without the knees touching the ground
    Jump Backs with Vashistasana

Standing Poses: from DD
    Vira 1, with a twist
    Vira 2 – straighten legs, then bend both knees with shoulder stretch to reverse namaste
    Parsvakonasana – with namaste elbow hooked onto inner front knee, extend top arm
   Vira 2
   Trik
   Deep lunge, with quad stretch
   Uttanasana
   Vira 3
   Eagle
   Tadasana

Virasana
Supta Virasana, with arms circles/core work
Uttanasana
Squat
Handstand
Shoulder Stand
Savasana
    song – Mahima by Susheela Raman on the CD – Salt Rain. I love this whole CD!

From a shining teacher who e mailed me after class: “thanks Jennifer. lots of new data to process from this morning’s class!”

The week of teachings with Geshe Michael Roach on the Bhagavad Gita has been intense. I have received so much valuable info. In pondering what to bring into my teaching right away, I focus on my genuine concern for the well-being of my students.

This morning in Shine & Refine, each teacher generously shared what was happening for them, what was hurting or interesting. Questions arose as well. What do we think of Positional Therapy when the muscles are slackened? How to validate a student who is injured and making modification on their own? We talked about Healing Back Pain by John Sarno.

Sukhasana Warm Up
— with right shin forward, interlace fingers and lengthen arms up
— twist right – left hand on right knee
— fold forward
— sit vertically, make eagle arms (right arm is on top)
— side bend with eagle arms, then unwind and side bend with right arm down
— circle the top (left) arm back to stretch the pecs,
— sit side saddle facing the long left edge of the mat
— unfold into forearm plank facing back
— sphinx
— baby cobra
— child’s pose
— all fours
— lunge right leg
— hamstring stretch with right leg straight
— Parighasana making a 1/4 turn to face right long edge of mat
— all fours, cross shins (right on top) to sit in Sukhasana to repeat the other side.

A question about Parighasana – what to do about the feeling of bone on bone restriction on the working leg (the straight leg)? Is that okay or even necessary to work on it? How to modify that for beginners? The question of stretching the ligaments/soft tissue vs muscles came up. We re-aligned the standing leg to take pressure of the working leg. We talked about different ways to lift up on the standing hip.

DD
— curling the tail like cat to come to plank 3X
— Knees, Chest, Chin
— Baby Cobra
— DD
— Uttanasana

Surya Namaskar
— Step Backs with deep lunges
— Standing Side Bends
— Jump Backs

Standing Poses
— Vira 1, from deep lunge
— Vira 2, T shirt arms
— Parsvakonasana
— Trikonasana
— DD

Walk in Place, with Standing Side Bends
Core Work from Tadasana
— Utkatasana
— Malasana
— Navasasana
— Halasana
— Malasana
— Utkatasana
— Tadasana

Shoulder Opening
— hands interlaced behind back, circle hands around buttocks
— Garudasana arms

Garudasana
Vira 3 with Garudasana arms, then arms reach forward
Standing Split, then move leg to side at hip height.

Virasana
Supta Virasana with block under shoulder blades for Sit Ups
Urdhva Dhanurasana arms prep, one at a time
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Sukhasana

Simple Supine Twist
Savasana
— with the song from Music From The Coffee Lands, Kothhbiro by Ayub Ogada

Such a sweet comment that I received via e mail:
“I am loving the class and truly feel like I am shining and refining. It feels great to be back in your loving, teaching arms.”