Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 11 (May 14, 2009)

Focus: Week 7 of syllabus. New standings and add Sarvangasana with variations. Vimanasana leg actions in Parivrtta Trikonasana and Ardha Chandrasana. Because there are no new students, this offers a rare opportunity to begin work on Asana I poses. Just as we worked for about a month on Week 4 during the prior two month session, we’ll work a month or longer to master the Week 7 poses in a step-by-step fashion.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Tadasana/Samasthiti

2. Utthita Trikonasana

3. Virabhadrasana II
a. Omitted by mistake.

4. Vimanasana
a. As last week, using the intelligence, “fill up” the inner back knee to straighten it, then turn the inner calf out. Then strongly, rajasically, lifting the front and back thigh, pull up the entire thigh into the hip socket. Connect it so that, with only sattvic intelligence, you can easily lift the pelvis. The lift of the left thigh helps lift the pubic plate. Take the buttock flesh down.

b. Then extend the spine from the tail bone to the crown of the head.

5. Parivrtta Trikonasana
a. With the right side thigh at the wall for stability, learn the lift of the Vimanasana left leg to prevent left knee from locking backwards. (TD) The ascending action powers the turning and extension of the spine. It is prayatna saithilya , effortless effort. Then the mind exists in a sattvic passive state.

b. Support the left hand with as high brick as necessary to learn the leg action
.
c. Pin the hips to prevent falling.

6. Ardha Chandrasana
a. With the back to the wall, learn the stages of the pose to prevent falling due to lack of balance. Keep the inner edge of the right foot down.

b. Ascend the leg as in Vimanasana to extend the spine. Hand on floor.

7. Uttanasana

8. Padangusthasana

9. Virasana (Parvatasana arms)
a. Sit on brick. Be on the center of the shins. Will work on in more depth next week.

10. Adho Mukha Virasana
a. Sit on brick. Feet apart and extend forward.

11. Adho Mukha Svanasana

12. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
a. Omitted for time and difficulty. Will start work on it in two weeks.

13. Forward Extensions
a. Omitted for time. Will start work on them next week.
Dandasana
Urdhva Hasta Dandasana
Padangusthasana Dandasana
Paschimottanasana
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana

14. Sirsasana Cycle
a. Ardha Sirsasana
Omitted for time and difficulty. Can only begin when Sarvangasana is firm.
Rope 1 and all Urdhva Hastasana arm variations are good preparations.
Next week: Stool Sirsasana?

15. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sarvangasana

b. Ekapada Sarvangasana
Foot on chair seat.

c. Halasana
Feet on chair seat.

d. Chair Supta Konasana
Omitted for time. Will start work on it next week.

e. Chair Karnapidasana
Omitted for time. Will start work on it next week.

16. Adho Mukha Swastikasana (forehead on chair seat)

17. Savasana (5 min)