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Samskara can mean many things, in this sense it means the process by which we refine something. Move from the grossest sense to its essence. Samskara is a methodical practice, like refining a diamond from coal.
Vikalpa means the way that we see the world.
Here he has applied Vikalpa Samskara to the loops! These secondary currents/refinements that enhance the UPAs.
Back body=inner transformation
Front body=outer manifestation
Initiate from back body, but don’t forget front body!
inner edge of foot=universal
outer edge of foot= individual
from Paul Muller Ortega, description of Vikalpa Samskara
“Vikalpa Samskara reveals the sequence of liberative attainments, of penetrations into the meaning of anything whatsoever, beginning with contracted, unclear and limited states of awareness and thought, it leads progressively and systematically toward the liberative attainment of both the most clear, expanded and refined levels of thought.”
DOWNWARD DOG
kidney loop
- puff kidneys up, top of sternum moves down toward belly
- kidneys lift you forward to plank
thigh loop
- tops of the thigh bones move back in space
- firm DOWN the back of the hamstrings
- lift forward through top of shin bones
- quads reach up towards top of thigh bones
- this resets the femur back, ending at the top of the thigh bones
LUNGE
pelvic loop
- inhale back thigh up
- tuck tailbone strong under front seat, like putting a stool under your butt
- front belly lifts away from front thigh
- pelvic loop has to move faster on that front leg
HANDSTAND
kidney loop
- fingertips to wall, kick up
- bring kidneys to wall, sternum lifts up towards ceiling
PIGEON PREP
inner spiral/pelvic loop
- lift back knee up, inner edge of leg widens out out out, outer hip of back leg rotates around to floor
- lower knee, tuck tailbone, belly lifts off of front thigh
VASI PREP (SIDE PLANK)
- hips stay facing the side while heart spins up
USTRASANA
- press toes into mat (like reverse ‘lift and spread toes’ in tadasana)
- look down at thighs, top of the thigh bones move back, tailbone lifts up to pubis
- puff up kidneys, sacrum flows down, head of the arm bones back, heart forward, reach back
HAPPY BABY
- hands give active muscular energy to legs by drawing outer edges of feet down
- organic energy reaches up through inner edges of feet, big toe mound
Personalize: talk about podcast On Being about Rumi (http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2010/rumi/)
Rumi- Sufi poet from the 13th century, discussing different themes in his poetry:
I think one idea or major concept that the Sufi tradition and Rumi in particular have to contribute to our current culture is value in perplexity, the fact that not knowing is a source of learning, something that propels us forward into finding out. Longing, perplexity, these are all very valuable things. We want to unravel things and get answers and be done, but as far as he’s concerned, it’s a continual process. We can’t be done, and that’s good.
Contextualize:
So much of our cultural focus is about completing and arriving at an end. Dieting until you attain the perfect weight, finishing the race, getting the degree, the job, the relationship and house… Yoga, like the themes of Rumi’s poetry is a practice that is never complete. I’ve been practicing for over a decade and still feel that I’m in so many ways just a novice, just beginning.
Universalize: We can choose to see our incompleteness/unknowns/perplexity as lack OR we can use it as fuel for our longing to connect more and more with our deepest essence and live our best life. Our philosophy affirms the old cliché that life is about the journey, not the destination. In the heart-space can we live the truth of this cliché?
Even in our longing, we are already full. Purnatva in Sanskrit means fullness, it’s where we get the root for English perfect. Purnatva- One of the attributes of the divine- that the divine is full and lacking nothing. When hold the paradox of our inherent perfection and our longing to be even more full alongside one another, this creates magical momentum for our practice of awakening.
Context Statements:
– the separation and the longing themselves are a kind of arrival.
– destination is the journey itself. So there isn’t a point where you say, ‘OK, I’m here, I’ve reached, I’m done, I’m perfect.
– New moon/Chinese new year- honor the incompleteness and even a sense of emptiness. It is inherent in that incompleteness, in the process of going forward, that you make yourself better and better. So the separation or incompleteness is the powerful force that keeps you going. If you ever felt that, ‘I have arrived, I’ve reached, this is it,’ then you wouldn’t go any further.
– Not knowing is a necessary and even creative state
– What is the deepest longing in your heart?
Open Lvl Class Plan
Focus: sbl/ shoulderblades on back (shoulder loop). Melt heart=longing
Demo: contrast “lack” posture (rounded/hard upper back) to “longing” > sbl, melt heart/SBOB
All fours- SBL/SBOB
Dog
Plank
cobra
Dolphin> plank
Lunges w/ jump switches
Inverted L
Standing poses with side planks btwn
Quad stretches
Abs
Puvottanasna
Bridge pose
Swaying bridge
Bridge> urdva danurasana> danurasana
Dog> Utt> Parsvottanasana> reclining> Savasana
The Song of the Reed – on Rumi’s birth anniversary
Listen to the song of the reed,
How it wails with the pain of separation:
“Ever since I was taken from my reed bed
My woeful song has caused men and women to weep.
I seek out those whose hearts are torn by separation
For only they understand the pain of this longing.
Whoever is taken away from his homeland
Yearns for the day he will return.
In every gathering, among those who are happy or sad,
I cry with the same lament.
Everyone hears according to his own understanding,
None has searched for the secrets within me.
My secret is found in my lament
But an eye or ear without light cannot know it..”
The sound of the reed comes from fire, not wind
What use is one’s life without this fire?
It is the fire of love that brings music to the reed.
It is the ferment of love that gives taste to the wine.
The song of the reed soothes the pain of lost love.
Its melody sweeps the veils from the heart.
Can there be a poison so bitter or a sugar so sweet
As the song of the reed?
To hear the song of the reed
everything you have ever known must be left behind.
— Version by Jonathan Star
“Rumi – In the Arms of the Beloved”
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997
From Sianna’s teacher training
ANKLE LOOP
Review: Ankle loop starts in the core of the ankle, flows down the back of the heel, comes up the middle of the arch in the foot and enters at the front of the ankle/base of the shin bone. Ankle loop roots the back of the heel down, lifts the arch and takes the base of the shin back. This creates length in the back of the ankle, as compression there can be a problem for some.
Poses: Uttanasana with a Blanket Roll, Malasana
-teach utt on blanket roll as a contrast to reg utt. bring them in, then step ball mounds onto roll, add muscle and organic energy, then step off and feel the difference
-for malasana have people bring a folded blanket under their heels if their heels don’t go all the way down, also make sure that their knees are facing the same direction as the toes (people with tighter hips can bring the feet wider apart and might even turn the toes out, so knees will face out too)
SHIN LOOP
Review: Shin loop starts at the top of the shin bone, flows down the back of the calf, through the bottom of the shin bone, and then back up the front. It brings the top of the shin bone BACK and the bottom of the shin bone FRONT.
Poses: Parsvotonasana with a Blanket Roll, Trikonasana
-in parsvo, lift and spread the toes, and drag the heel back to create shin loop. Bring the hand to the back of the shin and press it forward. Then create muscle energy to keep the shin in place, release the hand.
-in trik, remind people of what it felt like to have their hand pressing their shin forward. ask them to bring that energy now to the front foot, as they drag the feet toward each other.
THIGH LOOP
Review: Thigh loop begins in the centre of the body, in between the navel and the middle of the lumbar spine. It travels out at the base of the sacrum, flows down the back of the thigh, and brings the bottom of the femur/top of the shin bone forward, then travels back up the front of the thigh and enters back in at the navel. It has the effect of rooting the femur into the hip socket, though the loop itself arises from deep inside the body, rather than starting at the top of the thigh bone, which is a common misunderstanding.
Poses: Downward Dog, Prasarita Padotannasana
-in DD, squeeze the shins in, keep them squeezing and then root the femurs back into the hamstrings
-in prasarita, root the top of the thigh bones back
PELVIC LOOP
Review: Pelvic loop begins in the same place as Thigh Loop (core of the pelvis between navel and mid-lumbar) and it travels down the back of the buttocks, comes in and forward at the pubic bone and enters at the navel. It has the effect of drawing the flesh of the buttocks down, lengthening the low back and lifting the low belly. Hmmm, i am confused about this because it seems like pelvic loop and thigh loop overlap. Need to look this up in the manual, not sure if I have it correct.
Poses: Cobra, Anjaneyasana
-in cobra, root the tailbone, lift the low belly and feel the flesh of the buttocks flow down
-in anjaneyasana, possible adjustment, stand behind and root the hips down (OE)
KIDNEY LOOP
Review: Kidney Loop has the same origin as pelvic loop, it flows back and up and enters at the bottom tips of the shoulder blades and flows down the front of the belly, entering back in at the navel. It has the effect of puffing up the kidney area, and making the front of the torso softer as the belly flows down.
Poses: Parsvakonasa, Bakasana
-a way to come into bakasana for people who are less open in the hips – start in uttanasana, place hands a bit forward, bring feet together, lift the heels, widen knees, and bring the mid shin as high up on the upper arm as possible. then lean forward. this is more accesible for people who find it hard to come into a full squat.
Remember to approach assists/adjustments with SSA – Sensitivity, Stability and THEN Assist. (I thought it was a funny thing to say to approach adjustments “Ass backwards” – because SSA is literally ASS, backwards! I didn’t share this with the group, but I might tell Sianna, maybe she’d find that amusing)
These can be taught to students as partner exercises, if they are comfortable and sensitive enough to do it. These can also be given by the teacher to students to give them more delicious experiences/spontaneous revelations!
1. Downward Dog – creating inner spiral with a strap
-this is great to give people an experience of widening thighs in, back and apart in downward dog
-gives them an experience of the articulation, also feels really good!
-one person takes downward dog, the other person stands behind them, lays strap over the widest part of their hips, threads strap around hips, in between thighs and out the back
-assistant places one foot between the person’s feet, uses strap to widen thighs in, back and apart, and then leans back into back foot!
2. Spa Dog
-this is downward dog with a friend rooting your hips down, giving a nice shot of organic extension down the legs
-one person takes downward dog, friend stands with one foot between the person’s hands, the other foot to the side
-assistant places hands just below the persons sacrum (or “above” depending on how you look at it) and then the action is pressing up towards the sitting bones, and then rooting the legs down
3. Parsvakonasana
-this is great for clearing the psoas!
-one person takes parsva
-friend stabilizes person’s back foot with one foot, then places one hand on the outside of the back shin, and one hand (or forearm) on the inside of the back thigh
-give the person an experience of Shins In, Thighs Out (don’t have to press on shin too much, can overdo it, so be sensitive)
-widening action is most important here so that the person feels really stable
-encourage them to tuck the tailbone strongly and extend up
**additional action is take hand from the shin and bring it to their hip and really root down their back leg, giving a shot of organic energy! Sianna called this the “ultimate freedom” assist.
4. Child’s Pose
-stand behind person in child’s pose, bring hands to hip creases and root the top of their femurs down
****this is contra-indicated for people with knee injuries or recent knee surgery because there is too much pressure on the knee joint
5. Uttanasana
-standing behind the person, make sure their outer hips are flowing back, then root them straight down with organic energy Leena where would you say you place the hands? I’m not sure what to call that placement. I don’t want to say “butt” 🙂
-ONLY do this if the legs can straighten and the lumbar spine is lower than the top of the sacrum
-if person is on the edge, the low back is not quite below the sacrum, then really work SITO to see if the lumbar curve comes down —> if it does, then you can give the assist
6. Prasarita Padottanasana Shoulder Opening Assist
-one person takes prasarita padott. with hands clasped behind back, folding forward and bringing clasped hands towards floor
-friend places one hand on the sacrum to root them down/stabilize, then brings their other forearm to the base of the humerus bones and gently presses the arms forward
-to come out, keep the hand on the sacrum and inhale, hold person’s clasped hands and help them to come all the way up
7. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Assist
-one friend takes the pose, the other straddles the person’s torso, reaches underneath the shoulderblades and draws shoulderblades together and lifts the heart up
-then moving back to the person’s knees, hold the outer lower thighs, near the knees, and give organic energy through the leg bones and down into the feet nas the person curls deeper into the upper back and lifts their heart up
(make sure that the feet are lined up and the shins are vertical with knees right over the ankles)
8. Salabhasana Shoulder Cupping
-see if they need a strap in this pose – when their arms are clasped behind them and they lift up, if the arm bones are pushing forward, a strap will help them get more of an experience of openness and allow their arm bones to plug in/lift up more strongly
-straddle their hips, cup their shoulders from the front, sweep forward to create side body long and then lift them up, bracing your elbows on your bent knees
-instruct them to melt their heart. oh deliciousness
9. Salabhasana Calf Rooting
-let person come into salabhasana first by themselves to get an experience of it
-standing over their shins, take the whole hands to below the knee, on the calf, and root the calves down
-person in the pose roots the tailbone and comes up!
-you can also pull back on the heels or press down on the tailbone to get an experience of organic energy in this pose, play with freedom of coming up
10. Cobra Shoulder Assist
-straddle your friend in cobra, bring your knees into their shoulder blades, cup their shoulders from the front, lift and lengthen to create side body long and then press your knees into their shoulders as they curl back
11. Cobra Organic Energy Assist
-to give them an experience of the energy split from the focal point DOWN AND UP, draw the hip bones in and way back towards the feet and instruct them to really draw their belly strongly forward and drag their hands back, softening through the heart
12. Anjaneyasana Organic Energy Assist
-root their hips down so they can really rise up
13. Parsva Parsvokonasana Assist
-i tend to call this pose twisted lunge – the general form is a lunge with the torso twisted over the front leg, hands in prayer, back heel up
-one person takes the pose, for example, twisting over the right leg. the assistant approaches from the left side of the person facing their back, and places their left foot diagonally facing their pelvis. take a slight lunge as you will be supporting the person from behind. encourage strong legs, stable muscle energy. take the right hand to their top armpit and the left hand to the hip. the right hand draws the shoulder up and onto the back (head of the armbone back) and encourages a deeper twist. the left hand draws the outer hip back and roots it down. the person’s back will be really leaning into you and their spine will stack right up and over their front thigh. they may ask you to marry them. beware.
14. Ardha Chandrasana Assist
-one simple assist for teachers is to stabilize the top hip (gently) and hold the top wrist
-one fun assist is to bring one forearm under the ankle and one forearm on top of the shin (of the top leg) and press forearms into the shin, creating an experience of shins in. encourage a big scoop of the tailbone and organic extension. then the person can play with bringing the bottom arm off the floor and extend it forward! fun.
15. Urdhva Dhanurasana Assist
Team of three. One backbender and 2 strappers!
Place two straps under the backbender to start. One is under the hips the other is under the mid back. One strapper stands at the person’s head (backbender holds their ankles) the other strapper stands at the person’s feet. Both strappers hold the straps (obviously). Backbender brings their hands to the strapper’s ankles (take a wide stance here so they can have room to play in their shoulders) and then as they come up, strappers stabilize them with the straps. Really emphasize plugging the heads of the arm bones in and strong muscle energy.
Theme: Exuberant expression of the heart! Inspiration: Michael Jackson
Heart Quality: Exuberance/Expressiveness
Action: Shoulder Loop, Organic Extension
Pinnacle: WILD THING
Intro:
The theme is: Michael Jackson! Ok maybe unconventional but let’s take a look: Michael Jackson has been a huge inspiration to me as a performer. He was such an incredible innovator and dancer, and what touched me most about watching him was the way he just gave everything away when he was onstage. Everything he did was totally FOR his fans. There is one stance he would take, where he would throw his arms out to the side, thrust his chest out and yell “AAAAAHHHH” and wind would blow and ruffle his shirt. And that could have been a really arrogant gesture. But I always experienced it as incredibly humble. I always saw that as an expression of “This is all for you. Everything i do is for you”. So I want to look at that as inspiration for some backbends we are going to do today. To cultivate that kind of energy, that kind of exuberance, where we can give it all away. And this relates hugely to our core purposes in yoga: Chit – Remembrance and Ananda – Celebration. Remembrance is tapping into the deep core of who we really are, and then once we’re connected to that, to celebrate it, Ananda, to express our hearts with exuberance. So let’s dance!
Centreing: Where does exuberance come from? It’s an expression of the heart. As you breathe, begin to expand the torso on all four sides, creating a real sense of space around the physical heart. And as we drop into our hearts, really occupy and move from that space, we can begin to feel that exuberance arising.
Sequence:
WARMUPS
-sun breaths
-uttanasana folding
-SN – straight leg lunge, gentle twist
-SN – hip opener>holy ham, full stretch
-partner stretch – palms touching, SBL, HAB, squeeze bottom tips together, then lift heart and press into hands
-cobra x 3
STANDING
-utka>prayer twist
-parsvakonasana
-triangle>ardha chan>standing split
-vira 1>vira 3
-baby dancer
-side plank
-wild thing
COOL DOWN
-pigeon
-setu bandha
-janu sirsasana (if you have conflicting feelings of michael jackson, lets make this pose an expression of compassion for him and for yourself)
-ardha matsey
SAVASANA
For the next two weeks we’re going to work on actions to align a healthy spine, particularly low back. In yoga we look at our alignment from the ground on up so the alignment of the feet, knees and thighs has a lot to do with how healthy and well aligned our spine is. ASK: What do you think of as promoting health in the spine?
(…Has freedom, stability, moves with the breath, flexibility.)
I think of health coming from balance- not one extreme or the other, the balanced place in the middle. And so today we’re going to focus on finding a health in the spine through a balance of stability and freedom ( ❤ Q). This relates to our lives also, when we have a sense of security, groundedness or our mind isn’t so totally scattered and stressed we have more freedom to be creative, flexible, and expressive. If you don’t have that stability you’re just focused on having those basic needs fulfilled and you’re under a lot mental/emotional stress and thus you can’t devote energy to more creative, expansive pursuits. So our yoga practice is also about coming into a place of balance in all parts of ourselves so that we can expand into our full potential as manifestations of beautiful, divine consciousness.
SITO
– Warm ups, include hands to shins, thighs back and apart. SN x2, side stretch…
- Emph on stability in legs and freedom of breath. Balanced, clear mind.
– Low back Lab: investigation- feet parallel vs turned out feeling study. + SITO w/ block and strap
– Utkatasana w/ hands on knees
– Lunge- hand on front outer shin > twisted lunge
– Prayer-twisted utkatasana > twisted lunge
– Dog pose- feet wide, knees, shins in and big inner spiral
Recreate CURVE FIRST THEN LENGTHEN
– Prasarita (jump feet out)
– Parsvo
– Triko – hand down to inside edge (shin hug in and then take thighs way back)
– Triko- hand to outside edge shins in then scoop TB, elongate spine.
– pigeon – emph back shin
– Upavistha with a friend (feet to inside of shins)
- Blanket under hips if you can’t sit with legs straight and low back in
– Janushirasana
– Ardha Matsyendrasana
Mary Oliver Poem- Bless the fingers, for they are as darting as fire. Bless the little hairs of the body, for they are softer than grass. Bless the hips for they are cunning beyond all other machinery. Bless the mouth for it is the describer. Bless the tongue for it is the maker of words. Bless the eyes, for they are the gifts of the angels, for they tell the truth. Bless the shoulders for they are a strength and a shelter. Bless the thumb for when working it has godly grip. Bless the feet for their knuckles and their modesty. Bless the spine for it is the whole story. –Mary Oliver
Steadfastness on our path
– HQ: Steadiness and freedom Actions: ME/OE (HABB and SBOB)
Continuing my yoga training- some obstacles to getting into a training that I really want to be part of. First felt disappointment, uhh I should just do something else, but then I remembered how much I care about studying yoga and how I want to stay dedicated and true this path that I love.
In yogic philosophy the Ganesh, the elephant god, represents that aspect of consciousness that helps us to move through obstacles and blocks in our life. It’s significant that this aspect of consciousness is embodied as an elephant. If you think of the qualities of an elephant they are earthy, huge, live for a long, long time… qualities remind me steadfastness. And this quality is crucial in moving through obstacles, both in terms of life circumstances, but also obstacles in our inner relationship with our selves, with out spirit. So in our practice today we’re going do embody that quality steadfastness of Ganesh in order to move more deeply into our poses and subsequently also experience more freedom and expansiveness in the practice.
Meditation: Even breaths.
– Warm ups: lunges and jump switching
– Cactus arms (retract arms in, SBOB then expand)
– Utkatasana with arms retract and then extended
– Lunge twist
– Utka> Prayer twist > step back > twisted lunge> holy hamstring stretch
– Chatturanga push ups with blocks under shoulders (don’t touch block, keep HABB/SBOB)
– Parsvo
– Trikonasana- 1st- remember IBB lengthen, HOTBB (ME), extend (OE))
– TRIK partner: hand on friends pelvis (root down) and crown of head (extend)
– Shoulder opener
– Pigeon prep
– Setu bandha
– Twist
– Savasana
– Chanting to ganesha
from Betsy
Theme – drawing into your power to make life affirming choices. Drawing in to trust your guidance, you can figure it out and you’re being supported. Extend and share it generously, shine out.
You are a unique manifestation of consciousness. You are powerful to make choices, shine out be authentic.
Action- Kloop and OE
KL- buoyant in back body, use power in front body to connect with universal. Use individual to serve universal
Back body represents- bigger energy, kula, that what we cannot see, support
Table- wrists in front of shoulders if any wrist/shoulder problems.
One legged dog- take both thighs back, seat femur, without lifting foot
Slouch exercise- partner slouch like a teenager. Assistant press down on shoulders- imagine this is a stressor, align and press again.
– great to use for first class- don’t teach KL- explain this is optimal blueprint, powerful yet at ease at once. This is goal of yoga, this is why we align in yoga.
– inhale into your back body to remember you’re connected to a bigger energy
– DFD- fire hydrant (or in table for beginners), full kidneys
– Pigeon
– Utkatasana and fists> vira 3
– Side note- erving dardick looks at heart rates and those in best shape can go up and down easily, trains parasympathetic nervous system- make waves in classes
– Standing hip opener at the wall, one leg high, wrap
Limiting factors for arm balancing:
– hip flexibility- can’t get leg high enough on arms
– eka hasta bhujasana- leg over shoulder pumps to get lubed up! Float kidneys back
– assist- hold arm under leg so it can’t slip, and then hold toes with other hand
– other option- wrap strap around arm
– asa vakrasana – crocked in 8 places pose- leg over shoulder, opt arms straight or chatt arms
– bakasana- like a bird puffing to lift off a branch, draw little toe back (shins in)
– helper- 2 blocks lifts the floor, good esp if ppl have short arms. Lean over to engage abs and activate kidney loop.
– Back body philosophy- hidden/universal, breath into back body, lift heart- KL and SP pulsation.
– Titibasana- if they can do upavista well
More on Themes:
– they take practice!
– Keep it simple in the beginning, stick with one heart qual not pulsation.
– Integrity, compassion, love, trust, sensitivity, joy, worthiness
– Theme is an explanation of the heart quality- gives meaning to it.
– What’s my message, what am I trying to offer? Sometimes have to get on back for it to become clear as you practice. Embody it!
– DFD bend arms push ups, don’t go all the way down if can’t keep arms symmetrical.
– dips on edge of chair, make sure to keep head of humerous back.
– Wall- toe push ups, walk back to make it harder.
– Plank, knees down, side bodies long, melt heart, keep body straight as your lower
– Next, knees down, chest and chin down, dog tail up, makes it more weight bearing.
– Plank- lower knees, chest and chin simultaneously.
– Build strength- plank chat, plank, dog. Add two to practice measurably strengthens arms and shoulders in 3 weeks when you practice 4 days wk or more. (DO THIS IN MY PERSONAL PRACICE!!) You build strength through range of motion not stagnant.
– Strength training for women increases confidence
dancing with the universe 