Saturday 10:30a Intro: Week 3 (Jan 17, 2009)

13 students – one on her menstrual period.

1.) Tadasana / Samasthiti
Tada = mountain, asana = posture
Sama = same, sthiti = stable

— Foam brick at inner knee to awaken thighs & learn lift;

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

— In brick Tadasana;

3.) Virabhadrasana 2 (2x)
Virabhadra = warrior

— In middle of room; second time into…

4.) Utthita Parsvakonasana (several times)
Utthita = extended, Parsva = side, Kona = angle

— Emphasize back leg action: lift inner knee where brick was in Tadasana; extend outer heel down;

— Take short ends of mats to wall for repeated work on Parsvakonasana with back heel at wall so students can get the lift of inner back knee;

— Work on lift of frontal hip of the bent leg, to “levelize” pelvic “bowl”; sit the top of the thigh down; buttock bone moves towards the back of the knee to sit;

5.) Rope Utkatasana
Utkata = mighty, powerful

— Hold ropes, straighten arms dropping bottom towards floor in a “seated” position to give traction stretch to side body and armpits; roll upper arms from outside in (external rotation) to spread at upper back;

6.) Utkatasana

— With sacrum at the wall; learn to keep pelvis level with lift of pubic plate;

7.) Parsvottanasana (2x)
Parsva = side, Uttan = extended

— Front heel up on two bricks: one on wide flat side, short end 2 – 3 inches from wall; the other propped at an angle on edge of long side;

— Bring both hips parallel to wall; front leg: draw hip away from wall, stretch back and side of leg; back leg: hip draws towards wall & calf stretches; lift both knees;

— First time, hands on wall & lift chest;

— Second time, hands move down wall towards bricks;

8.) Viparita Karani (10 min.)
Viparita = reverse; Karani = process

— “Legs up the wall” pose; buttocks & lower back supported with bolster; blanket under shoulders & another under head (optional);

— Menstruating student take Supta Baddha Konasana (Supta = supine, Baddha = bound, Kona = angle);

9.) Savasana (5 min.)
Sava = corpse

— Sliding off bolster from Viparita Karani, rest back chest & buttocks on floor; cross legs or extend straight; eyes closed.