Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 1 (November 3, 2009)

Focus: Arms and legs in standings.
4 new students in class.

Discussion: Patanjali Yoga Sutra I.14, What is Yoga Practice?
Practice can be simply summarized as the effort, energy and enthusiasm to still the mind. See Thursday 9.30a Asana I — Week 34 (October 22, 2009) for a more complete discussion.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Tadasana/Samasthiti

2. Urdhva Hastasana

3. Tadasana (Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana)

4. Tadasana (Paschima Baddhanguliyasana arms)
a. Added to bring mobility to the Urdhva arm positions.

5. 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.
b. Left arm in Paschima Namaskarasana to complete Gomukhasana arms. For rotator cuff injuries, do not do this side. Instead, concentrate on upper arm lift, as in Ardha Gomukhasana, to lift the collar bone up and externally rotate the upper arm away from the injury site.

6. Utthita Hasta Padasana
a. When landing from the jump, keep the knees bent and land on the toes to prevent jarring the spine.

7. Parsva Hasta Padasana
a. Align the knee cap by turning out the entire leg.

8. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Turn the right leg out more to bring the right femur more into the socket. Connecting the femur into the socket supports the pelvis and trunk.
b. Move the right buttock bone in, anteriorly, to prevent the right knee from wandering in anteriorly.

9. Tadasana/Samasthiti
a. To straighten the knee, lift both the kneecap and the back thigh up, away from the knee, to make the knee light. Don’t just throw the knees back. This prevents indentations at either the top or bottom knee.

10. Virabhadrasana II
a. Turn the right leg out more to bring the right femur more into the socket. Connecting the femur into the socket supports the pelvis and trunk.
b. Move the right buttock bone in, anteriorly, to prevent the right knee from wandering in anteriorly.
c. Lift the right pelvic rim up, off of the thigh, to bring more freedom to the hip joint when bending the right knee. Keeping that up, then sit the right buttock down.

11. Utthita Parsvakonasana
a. Turn the right leg out more to bring the right femur more into the socket. Connecting the femur into the socket supports the pelvis and trunk.
b. Move the right buttock bone in, anteriorly, to prevent the right knee from wandering in anteriorly. Then, from there, turn open the chest.

12. Utthita Hasta Padasana
a. Jumping is easier because there is more freedom in the hips, which facilitates a more graceful rhythm.

13. Parsvottanasana (hands on wall, concave back)
a. Right foot on brick, toes up the wall to pull right hip back, left hip forward.
b. Second time: Straighten left inner knee. Keeping the left shin back, turn the left calf from inner towards outer to bring the left hip forward.

14. Prasarita Padottanasana (concave back)
a. Omitted for lack of time

15. Forward Extensions
a. Omitted for lack of time & flexibility

16. Savasana