Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 2 (November 12, 2009)

Two new students.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Focus: Apply back leg actions in standings from the Purvis workshop. Shoulder work in preparation for Sarvangasana.

Discussion: Patanjali Yoga Sutra I.2-4, What is Yoga?
Patanjali Yoga Sutra II.29-45, What is Astanga Yoga?
[See Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 2 (November 10, 2009)]

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Tadasana/Samasthiti

2. Tadasana (Paschima Baddhanguliyasana arms)

3. Tadasana (Paschima Baddha Hasta arms)
a. Inadvertently omitted.

4. Tadasana (Gomukhasana arms)
a. Ardha Gomukhasana arms: Right arm up, bend the right elbow. Hold the right elbow with the left hand and side bend to the right to stretch the right side ribs.

5. Tadasana (Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana)
a. Omitted for time and emphasis.

6. Urdhva Hastasana

7. Utthita Hasta Padasana

8. Parsva Hasta Padasana

9. Virabhadrasana II
a. Left outer edge of the foot at the wall. Press down the left outer foot and then take the inner left thigh towards the thigh bone to move the thigh closer to the wall to take more of the weight on the back leg.

b. Holding the lower wall rope does three things:
It prevents the mind from going with the motion, and keeps the trunk in the middle, perpendicular to the floor. Then the mind is more stable.
It keeps the rip hip lifted up to provide space to bend the right knee from the hip joint.
It prevents taking all the weight towards the right knee, in combination with keeping the left outer foot down.

c. Lift the toes of the right foot, ball down, to lift the inner arch, shin and knee.

d. Lift the pubic plate.

10. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Turn right leg and knee out.

b. Move the right buttock bone in line with the trunk to extend the hamstrings while coming into the pose.

11. Utthita Parsvakonasana
a. Inadvertently omitted.

12. Tadasana (Gomukhasana arms)
a. Right arm up, bend the right elbow. Left arm in Paschima Namaskarasana to complete Gomukhasana arms.

13. Wall Rope Urdhva Hastasana
a. Press wrists into upper wall rope to open the armpits and to lift the armpit chest. Opening the armpit chest gives access to the vyana vayu, the energy that circulates throughout the entire body.

14. Tadasana
a. Just as a farmer prepares the soil and plants the seed, which removes the obstacles to allow the plant to grow unimpeded, so does the chest lift automatically, with much less effort, as a result of previous leg and arm actions. [Patanjali Yoga Sutra IV.3]

15. Virabhadrasana I
a. Press wrists into upper wall rope to open the armpits.

b. Press wrists into imaginary upper wall rope to open the armpits.

16. Parsvottanasana (hands on chair seat)
a. Pull back on chair seat to take the shoulder blades down towards the tail bone and to move the right leg back.

17. Prasarita Padottanasana
a. Concave back: Hands on the hips. Lift from the eyes of the sternum, not just by throwing the head back.

b. Extended phase: Head down on a brick. Fingertips in line with toe tips. Arms in Sirsasana II position.

18. Forward Extensions (omitted for time)
a. Dandasana
b. Padangustha Dandasana

19. Chair Sarvangasana

20. Savasana