28/04/2020
Wednesday morning zoomers see you tomorrow 7:30! Anyone wishing to join us get in touch.
Itinerary below
Luggage: Any type of chair with a back. Brick for hands. 1 or 2 blankets for Dandasana (staff pose), strap. Bolster for Supta Badha Konasana ( reclining bound angle to begin).
Travelling to: Supta Badha Konasana (Bound Angle), Adho Mukha Virasana (forward/downward facing hero), Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog). Tadasana (Mountain Pose) Trikonasana (triangle) Ardha Chandrasana (half moon), Dandasana (staff pose), padangustha Dandasana (hands to feet or belt) Urdhva Mukha Dandasana (upward facing staff), Paschimottanasana (sitting forward to the west). Finally to Savasana – co**se pose.
Focus: an experiential involutionary journey compared to an external destination requiring unessential travel to be ‘knocked off’.
Theme: Cultivation of observation versus Colonisation
Alert: Work to your capacity – Effort can bring tension. Similarly absence of effort and staying in a comfort zone has consequences.
As some horses sniff the ocean and bolt down the rocky ridge to gallop on the beach others may wander off to find an apple.
Notice your own inclinations.
Asana or poses are the third limb.
The yamas and niyamas are the first and second limb and include universal principles of non violence, truth, non avarice, cleanliness among others.
The yamas and niyamas underpin the practice of asana providing a strong foundation.
If the eyeballs are popping out of their sockets or there is any gripping in the jaw, tongue, lips you may need to reign yourself in or come down a gear to practice non violence.
Notice also whether there is an inclination to stay in a comfort zone identifying with obstacles of the physical body or personal preferences. Inaction can produce a different form of violence.
1. Start in Supta Badha Konasana – ( reclining bound angle pose) lay back over bolster or blankets feet together knees out to side
Allow the body to settle
Observe the rhythm of the breath
Bring attention to any gripping in the face and soften quieten the eyes, jaw, lips tongue.
Notice if eyes are drawn outward can you keep them still rest the gaze on a point whether on the ceiling or behind closed eyes
Use this time to transition into the practice. Departure lounge - Leaving where you’ve been to be in the practice resisting focus on future destinations. Be here now.
Settle.
Listen for the sound of the breath and follow the route of the breathe as it touches your body.
2. Adho Mukha Virasana
Downward facing hero pose
Extend arms at shoulder width spread fingers and palms press finger mounds into the solid surface of the floor
Press index finger and feel shoulder tips move away from ears
Feel broadness across shoulder blades as shoulders move back and down
chest lifted
Lengthen the sides of the trunk as you anchor into buttocks at heels and extend into hands arms long - fingers spread
3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog)
Come forward over hands tuck toes and come up to downward facing dog
Check alignment of feet – parallel to outer edge of mat toes slightly in to ensure inner thighs are moving back
Press into hands to move front thigh to back thigh
Press into big toe mound to lift knee caps up open the backs of the knees firm the thighs
Inner thighs back
Lengthen sides of trunk
4. Walk in bend knees come up to tadasana (mountain pose)
Inner edges of feet together unless working with back injury today or menstruating have feet hip width apart make sure outer edges of feet are parallel to mat so inner thighs are moving back
Lift toes and ground weight into heels - lengthen toes forward big toes into centre line and little toes spread out to side as you place them back down.
Trace from big toes mound to inner heel and inner heel to outer heel
Weight evenly balanced on feet - feel the 4 corners of the feet
Trace from arches up to crown of head
Lift knee caps press into feet inhale up front body as front body lifts up p***s to navel and navel to chest
and exhale back body descends – trapezias descends, buttocks descend to heels.
Shoulders back and down, shoulder tips back chest lifted
Hands to hips
Maintain tadasana firmness in left leg Bend right knee lift right heel while you maintain tadasana stability in left leg
As you return right leg trace from big toe mound to inner heel
Do same on left
Trikonasana (triangle)
Ardha chandrasana (half moon)
Have a block to access beyond right foot at narrow edge of mat at right end
Chair for stability - have the chair with its back legs in line with the right foot and back of chair facing you seat out to the front. Seat away from you so you can take hand to top of chair.
Turn feet and right thight to right.
Step out to wide leg pose (utthita hasta padasana) hands to hips lift knee caps chest lifted shoulder tips back
Feet to right – (parsva hasta padasana) extend arms out reach into finger tips extend arms away from each other open the chest.
Right buttock tucks into central line - feel weight on inner edge of front foot
Back buttock rolls towards back heel feel weight on back heel – feel weight on back outer heel
Bend right knee - reach forward as you step back foot in and place hand beyond front foot
Firstly touch weight bear with firm back leg foot touching floor
Second round or if capacity raise the leg. You can stay with keeping back toes on the ground if you choose (feels like a sideways lunge)
Whether foot touching on the floor or up – trace the foot from the big toe mound to the inner heel. Open the sole of the foot and feel life in the foot. Firm the back leg.
Dandasana (staff pose sitting legs extended forward)
have folded blanket and strap available around side of feet
Sit on folded blanket If hamstrings are in development phase you may need another blanket or if sacrum does not go in.
Legs can be hip width apart
Press inner thighs down inner edges of feet move away outer edges of feet move towards you
Firm the thighs press them down to get lift in spine
Take hands by hips and eyes level head atop spine keep chest lifted
Sacrum in chest lifted
Hands pressed down or on finger tips arms straight if bent walk hands back
Padangustha dandasana (hands to feet in staff pose)
Raise arms up - lengthen sides of trunk lengthen side body open armpit chest
Fold forward and reach forward to strap or feet straight arms pull shoulders back
Urdhva Mukha Dandasana ( upward facing staff pose)
Pull on feet or strap – inhale eyes up chest up
shoulders pulled back
Then exhale bend elbows out to sides and keeping chest lifted move chest towards feet
As you reach your capacity head faces down with flat back . You can pull the chair in and rest your head on the chair or look down with a straight concave back.
Savasana co**se pose
