Saturday 10:30a Intro: Week 2 (Jan 10, 2009)

13 students – no new students; two with headaches:

— Sinus headache, put in Adho Mukha Virasana (Adho = downward, Mukha = face, Vira = hero, otherwise known as child’s pose) with bolster support under chest until pain subsided (most of class), later in Baddha Konasana (Baddha = bound, Kona = angle) with back at the wall;

— Tension headache, fell on her front stairs the week earlier, bruising shoulder; didn’t have pain until we began arm work in class, then in Adho Mukha Virasana for the rest of class;

1.) Tadasana / Samasthiti
Tada = mountain, Asana = posture
Sama = same, Sthiti = stable

2.) Urdhva Hastasana
Urdhva = upward, Hasta = hand

— Take arms up in stages: first at shoulder height, palms up, widen at neck/trapezium by extending from armpit to fingers; raise arms to a “V” and repeat until arms are above head;

— Arm actions: bicep extends towards shoulder AND tricep extends towards back of hand; both pull in to “hug” the humerus (upper arm bone);

3.) Supine Urdhva Hastasana (students in groups of 3)

— “The rack” traction: partner #1 supine on mat, buttocks near end of mat; arms extended over head, fingers interlaced around partner #2’s lower calf/upper ankle; partner #3 stands over #1, straddling waist just above hip bones to “block” pelvis from moving with arms; partner #2 moves foot away from #1’s head, dragging forefoot on sticky mat to extend their arms more and stretch sides;

4.) Urdhva Hastasana

— Repeat to feel effects of supine stretch;

5.) Namaskarasana
Namaskar = prayer, greeting

— Palms together at center of chest;

6.) Urdhva Namaskarasana (4x)
from Urdhva Hastasana

— Feet together;
— Feet apart;
— Upper arms belted together across forehead;
— Student’s choice;

7.) Utthita Hasta Padasana
Utthita = extended, Hasta = hand, Pada = foot

8.) Parsva Hasta Padasana
Parsva = side, Hasta = hand, Pada = foot

Utthita Hasta Padasana and Parsva Hasta Padasana are poses in and of themselves, but they are also a means to get into the side-to-side poses; their importance is not to be minimized and it should be understood that they usually precede the side-to-side poses unless otherwise noted, even if their listing is not repeated.

9.) Utthita Trikonasana (2x)
Utthita = extended, Tri = three, Kona = angle

10.) Virabhadrasana 2
Virabhadra = warrior

11.) Utthita Parsvakonasana
Utthita = extended, Parsva = side, Kona = angle

— Actions of upper arm are the same in Utthita Trikonasana and Virabhadrasana 2 as in the first stage of first Urdhva Hastasana with arms shoulder-height;

— The upper arm in Utthita Parsvakonasana has the same action as both arms in full Urdhva Hastasana;

12.) Dandasana (4x)
Danda = staff or stick

— Feet together;
— Feet apart;
— Urdhva Hasta Dandasana, take arms up;
— Padangustha (= big toe) Dandasana;

13.) Savasana
Sava = corpse

— Rest on back, blanket supporting head; palms up, arms & legs relaxed; eyes closed.