Monday 4.30p Intro — Week 15 (June 15, 2009)

Focus: Continue to review and refine Sarvangasana for blood pressure. Spreading soles of feet to prevent the contraction of plantar fasciitis.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Tadasana/Samasthiti

2. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Spread soles of feet, especially right foot.

3. Utthita Parsvakonasana
a. Soles of feet spread automatically spread more than Trikonasana.

4. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Soles of feet spread automatically after Parsvakonasana. Keep the same amount of space as in Trikonasana.

5. Rope Wall Uttanasana (5 min.)
a. With the buttocks at the Rope Wall, loop a long nylon belt around the lower rope hooks and the thighs to belt the upper thighs, just below the groins, tightly to the wall. This provides space in the groins, and, thus, the abdominal organs, and makes the thighs recede posteriorly when extending forward, increasing range of motion. Head on blanket stacked on bolster on chair seat. Stand on bricks if 5’-6” or less so belt is across upper thigh, not hip bones or waist.
b. Front thigh to femur to back thigh, into wall, to prepare for Adho Mukha Svanasana.
c. Begins blood pressure sequence.

6. Adho Mukha Svanasana
a. Because of arm weakness and leg stiffness, sequenced after Uttanasana.
b. Uttanasana leg actions.

7. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Ardha Halasana
Feet on chair seat. To prevent choking sensation, elevate shoulder on more blankets, use rolled hand towels under trapezius at neck to create space in neck, and use the “reverse bra” belt. Also, get more on top of shoulders, and extend from shoulders back through arms.

b. Salamba Sarvangasana

c. Ekapada Sarvangasana
Foot on chair seat.

d. Chair Supta Konasana
Omitted for time.

e. Chair Karnapidasana
Omitted for time.

8. Forward Extensions
Inserted after Sarvangasana to keep mind cool and calm. Also relieves nausea and cold sweats due to inability to get on top of shoulders in Halasana, which restricted the breath.

Bolster Adho Mukha Virasana
a. Bolster on brick support under chest. Brick beneath sternum to elevate the spiritual heart, quiets the mind. Blanket beneath arms, even more quiet, because the softness and warmth of the blanket encourages the skin to relax, and then the muscles can relax. It leaves an imprint of a mind as calm as a “still lake.” Weight on sacrum releases the shoulders and pull the weight off of the brain.

b. Poses are icons, says B.K.S. Iyengar. To master the pose, study it and take on its attributes rather than trying to conquer it.

c. When the buddhi, the intelligence, is yoked to the Self, the yogini frees herself of the pain of duality. When the body is aligned with the Self, it is skill in action. See Asana — aligning the body with the Self [Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 6 (April 9, 2009)].

9. Savasana (5 min)