Tuesday, September 6, 2011

"Grow Your Practice" and "Meditation & Prana"

SUMMER YOGA!
Yogis and Yoginis,  
We are on for "Grow Your Practice" and "Meditation and Prana (Breath)" on Wednesday, September 7th  from 5:45-7pm and 7-7:30pm at Sports Club LA in the Water Studio.

Overall Theme: TBD next week! For now you have your sequences from the past two weeks. Be mindful and focus on one breath at a time as you practice. ENJOY your Labor Day weekend and I will see you next week. 
                                 
EVENTS: Please email me (kristen@BostonPowerYoga.org) if you are interested in knowing more about the events below. 

YOGA IN MAHO BAY, ST. JOHN, VI
DECEMBER 5-10TH, 2011 
We are calling this Yoga Bliss. This is time to empty and reconnect to your inner teacher before the close of the calendar year. Namaste. 

YOGA IN HAWAII!
FEBRUARY 5TH -12TH, 2012 ON THE BIG ISLAND overlooking the ocean and near the Volcano 
http://www.stilesandsturgesyoga.com/ for pricing and www.kalani.com for more information about Kalani. 
Our concept is to have an invigorating practice in the mornings and a more restorative practice in the evenings with plenty of time for you to have fun and explore the island during the day.

Tias and Surya Little IN BOSTON (well, Somerville, but it's a lot closer than Santa Fe, NM!) hosted by Yogini Stiles (me!)
The Armory of the Arts
Tias and Surya Little will be at The Armory in Somerville May 18, 19, 20 focusing on the myofascial sheaths paired with the koshas (we have been working on this!) 
Save the date; it would be wonderful to see you there and for you to meet Tias and Surya!

What we want to dig deeper into! Here are your ongoing responses ~ we will work these into class 
Twists, arm balancing (side crow parsva bakasana, crow bakasana and jumping into crow!, jumping through to seated from downward dog, revolved scissors eka pada koundinyanasa), supported arm balances to have the sensation of the full pose with support, facing our fears in arm balances and inversions, standing balances, and inner balance, inversions (classical headstand sirsasana in the middle of the room), backbends (wheel urdhva dhanurasana full scorpion vrischikasana at the wall), alignment and refinement of more familiar poses. ribs relative to the pelvis, being more peaceful, understanding sanskrit names for poses. Opening hamstrings, hips, shoulders, chest (pectoralis) and strengthening serratus anterior.
Please continue to share your interests, your questions, ideas, hopes for class and your practice on and off the mat.

What we did 8/31/2011: A Mindful transition into Labor Day. 
Asana Focus: Finding the relationship of shoulder action among AMS, Bakasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana  followed by some YIN, a SATYA practice for the shoulders
Meditation: "Ambition is the thief of the spirit" ~ Kirpal Singh, Twentieth-Century Indian Saint
Bandha: Uddiyana Bandha 
Anatomical Focus: Serratus Anterior, Psoas, Inner thighs
SATYA: On side with lower elbow bent under head, reaching top arm away to stretch under scapula on exhale and then up and back (twist for spine & opens pectoralis) on inhale

Intro: Finding Serratus Anterior & Psoas
Check-in (everyone seated in Broken Toes Pose): NAME, injuries

Asana Sequence: 

Supported matsyasana (block on second highest height under back just below scapulae and second block on lowest height under head) 
Psoas stretch with block on lowest height under sacrum, legs extended forward reaching through inner heels,  arms extended overhead, fingers interlaced and stretching through inner wrists
"Flowing" setu bandha sarvangasana to organically find uddiyana bandha
Uttanasana with uddiyana bandha focus
Utkatasana
Malasana (using blanket under heels) and drawing inner knees to outer shoulders
AMS (bending elbows and wrapping them in towards one-another, engaging serratus and trying to engage the biceps in attempt to broaden shoulders. As send hips back and up, elbows extend but still a microbend.) 
Balasana 
AMS (same focus as above) into plank 
Balasana
AMS (same serratus focus) into plank and chatturanga
Bhujangasana 
UMS (as though rings of a gymnast under underarms and really need to use serratus, microbend elbows again) 
AMS -> Plank -> Chatturanga -> UMS -> AMS using same shoulders as described above. This is very intense.  
Anahatasana to stretch the area under the underarms where we were working 
Long Cat Pose
Sphinx
FLOW Sequence 3x: Utkatasana (Inhale) ->Urdhva Hastasana (Exhale) -> Look up (Inhale) -> Drop head back MINDFULLY (Exhale) -> Utkatasana (Inhale)->Low variation (Exhale)->Fingertips by toetips (Inhale) ->Uttansana (Exhale)  
Trikonasana using block under lower arm. Lower arm just like in UMS, externally rotate shoulder 
Ardha Chandrasana repeating same lower arm as in Trikonasana. Emphasis on inner thigh of standing leg working
Prasarita Paddotanasana with a twist (R arm down, L arm extends out and up. L palm as though agains pane of glass and fingers walking higher up the glass!)
Malasana repeated this time without blanket, practicing uddiyana, and drawing inner knees to outer shoulders, using inner thighs
Supine: 
Knees bent feet flat to floor, glide back ribs down towards pelvis and feel belly drop, uddiyana 
Happy Baby Pose -> interlace fingers behind head, bring heels as close to sit bones as possible and lift hips, uddiyana
COMBO, Bakasana on your back, UDDIYANA
Bakasana 2x staying low, rolling forward, heels in tight towards hips as move elbows forward and begin to straighten. Combing serratus action from AMS and Uddiyana. 
Salamba Setu Bandha Sarvangasana with block under sacrum. 
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana with fingers interlaced and walking the shoulders in 
Urdhva Dhanurasana 3X (To crown of head first, wrap elbows in, send head of upper arm bone towards hips and wrap shoulders like in AMS and Bakasana, press into feet as though going to stand up and find space behind the knees as lift up)
- Try with feet wider apart and see how that feels
- Concept...Psoas is what governs coming to stand from this pose
Gentle SATYA knees side to side to release lower back. 
Viparita Karani with pelvis elevated on bolster and legs up the wall for ultimate relaxation 
SAVASANA.
SATYA Sequence from top. 

What we did 8/24/2011:  Emptying the bodymind for radical openness into grace
Asana: Raja Kapotasana I (Or I like to call it Intense Bhujangasana/Cobra pose)
Bandha: Uddiyana Bandha in back arch with emphasis on lifting up from base of the pelvis 
Breath: Natural Body Rhythm and ujjayi
Meditation: "With empty hands, I take hold of the plow." ~ Mahasattva Fu
Meditation Poses: Supta Baddha Konasana with bolster long way under spine, savasana, seated meditation on bolster

Class Check-In: Names, injuries, concerns/questions

Asana Sequence:
Baddha Konasana pressing R them against inner R thigh to press psoas towards knee and twist in opposite direction. Repeat other side. 
Supported matsyasana (blanket roll height appropriate for your backbend under back just below scapulae and head resting to floor, stretching chest and throat) 
Psoas stretch with blanket under sacrum, legs extended forward reaching through inner heels,  arms extended overhead, fingers interlaced and stretching through inner wrists
Supta Padangusthasana with pelvis still elevated on blanket (R knee in with fingers interlocked around knee and pressing knee into fingers, L Leg high and then hover it above floor reaching through inner heel for psoas lengthening and extend R leg to ceiling) 
"Flowing" setu bandha sarvangasana to organically find uddiyana bandha
Vadrasana (Broken Toes Pose) 
Virasana (Interlacing fingers at low back) 
Sphinx 2-3 min focus on uddiyana bandha here (Challenging)
AMS
AMS -> plank->Chatturanga->UMS ->AMS
Runners Lunge
Crescent Lunge to stretch psoas
Virabhadrasana III prep with hands on blocks
FLOW Sequence 3x: Utkatasana (Inhale) ->Urdhva Hastasana (Exhale) -> Look up (Inhale) -> Drop head back MINDFULLY (Exhale) -> Utkatasana (Inhale)->Low variation (Exhale)->Fingertips by toetips (Inhale) ->Uttansana (Exhale)  
Vrksasana
Trikonasana 
Prasarita Padottanasana 
FLOW Sequence
Virabhadrasana I lifting low belly up and out of pelvis to feel uddiyana. 
FLOW Sequence
Return to Sphinx
Ardha Dhanurasana 
Ardha Bhekasana 
Paryankasana 2 min
Supta Virasana 2-3 minutes
Dhanurasana with belly bolster (just below iliac crest for support in lower abdominals) 
Bhujangasana II/Raja Kapotasana I  with belly bolster and finding same uddiyana and energetic lift of torso so NOT crunching lower back at all!
(Intense cobra pose holding as close to knees with hands as possible and straightening legs behind you!)
Balasana with blanket roll btw belly and thighs
SATYA knees side to side (releasing low back) 
Constructive rest
Sirsasana using blanket under head
Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose) 
Viparita Karani with legs up wall
Savasana holding bolster lengthwise along front of body

SAVASANA

Peace and big love,
Yogini Stiles

Kristen (Darci) Stiles 
Yoga Teacher

My class schedule:
Mondays
6-7 am Flow Yoga, Sports Club LA at the Ritz
1:15-2 pm Vinyasa, Fisique at 50 Congress
4:15-5:30pm Exhale Vinyasa 2, Exhale Back Bay
6:45-8 pm Power Yoga, Equinox in Back Bay
Tuesdays
6:30-7:30 am Yoga Espresso!, North End Yoga
12:30-1:30 pm Power Lunch Yoga, Sports Club LA at the Ritz
Wednesdays
6:15-7:15 am Vinyasa, Om Warrior
12-1 pm Vinyasa, North End Yoga
5:45- 7 pm Grow your Practice, Sports Club LA at the Ritz
7-7:30 pm Meditation and Prana, Sports Club LA at the Ritz
Thursdays
6:30-7:30 am Yoga Espresso!, North End Yoga
12:30-1:30 pm Power Lunch Yoga, Sports Club LA at the Ritz
Fridays
12:30-1:30 Music Yoga Flow, Exhale Battery Wharf
North End Yoga: www.northendyoga.com (drop in!)
OmWarrior: www.omwarrior.com (drop in!)
Sports Club LA at the Ritz: www.thesportsclubla.com (call club for a complimentary pass!)
Equinox Back Bay: www.equinox.com (2 locations ~ call club for a complimentary pass!)
Equilibrium: www.theeq.com (30 Congress in Financial District near Post Office Square ~ call club for a complimentary pass!)
Exhale: www.exhalespa.com
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