Monday, December 14, 2015

Last Morning - Prashantji's class

Construction complete!

we attended Prashantji's class this morning, it was brilliant, breath awareness into the back

Prashantji in New York ready for bed, in Europe sound asleep, here ready for Yog...all the embodiments in a different time and space can you bring the body to the same time and space everywhere from big toe, spine, little finger, eyes...

I am not teaching Yog, I am initiating you in Yog

We have given plenty for the database, yet all you want is more for the database, the database is full you just want to add, it should be how are you using the database :)

Yesterday everything you learned was ignorance, today is learning, yesterday was ignorance today is knowledge, tomorrow todays learning will be ignorance , this should be the mindset

Guruji brought the same energy to teaching innocent children, beginners, intermediate students, advanced. not me, dont ask me to teach the childrens class, but he did not feel helpless hapless

Ropes I static - hold ropes behind palms down step forward on toes, head back, then go to knees on bolster still holding rope behind feet at wall

upavistha konasana - straight head back

utthita hasta padasana - foot at window holding rope both hands
parsva hasta padasana - foot at window holding belt leg side hand

baddha konasana - lean back on cup shaped fingers slightly behind back, head back

sirsasana

adho mukha svanasana - block for head, rope at groins, hold block in hands behind back still rope at groins

ardha chandrasana - changing sides many times, foot at wall, hand on block, we have previously dont the vertiacl back this is horizontal, what is the backosophy, the philosophy of the back, is the back smarter than you, backosophy, backism, backography...

this practice prepares you for bakasana and others

bharadvajasana - exhale as turn 3x, exhale completely then turn 3x, inhale turn 3x, inhale completely then turn 3x, see the difference

savasana

leaving for home this afternoon, thank you so much to all the wonderful teachers we have experienced on this adventure - Arunji, Prashantji, Geetaji, Gulnaaz .. what an amazing experience




Gulnaaz Class and Guruji's Birthday Event

We attended 2 classes this morning with Gulnaaz, in the 7am class she had us roll from halasana to uttanasana several times, we woke up! At the 8am class she worked on us not just knowing where the groins are but really feeling the groins, an amazing class, 1 thing we did was going from prasarita padottanasna moving the buttocks straight down to the floor sliding the feet to go straight to upavistha konasana back to prasarita padottanasana => upavistha konasana mine was a more awkward clumsy bend my knees and sit down but it was fun.

shopping at a store at the hotel

 We went by the institute on the way to the birthday event

 At the event

Hiroko used my camera to get a couple of great shots of Geetaji and Prashantji

 several people spoke about their personal experiences with Guruji, it was very touching











Back at the hotel the gingerbread house construction was underway





Sunday, December 13, 2015

Last Day Of Yoganusasanam 2015

The USA Group Pic


 Texans - Melissa, Rose, Peggy, Pauline, Tatyana and I
 The event ends after amazing teaching from Geetaji


 and the help of so many teachers and volunteers
 Prakash said we had to see Sinhagad fort but he didn't say we had to see Sinhagad fort on a weekday and to never ever never go on a weekend like a sunday perhaps - we got stuck on the hill no cars moving up the hill and no cars moving down the hill
 so Tatyana and Rose jumped on a motorcycle for a spin while we waited
 the view in the mess was fantastic


we became the tourist attraction
 the community helping our driver get down the hill - cmon plenty of room this way
 rikki tikki tavi, a mongoose along the way
 actual flowers in Pune, this is a very rare sight, i see them in baskets but not growing
 neck strength

Saturday, December 12, 2015


Supine

Tatyana is very popular with the puppies when carrying food for them

 Rita, Tatyana's friend from Russia, and Max - Max is a regular at Yoganusasanam, Rita was pregnant with him at last years event
 Tatyana Rita and Max
 Supine practice to prepare for pranayama - the following setup was used for all the supta asanas, 2 foam blocks stacked vertical (spineways) with a folded blanket on top of top foam and a blanket for head
Supta Swastikasana - on setup, arms beside torso/foam
Supta baddha konasana - on setup, 2 belts 1 on each ankle/upper thigh, arms beside torso/foam
Supta Virasana -  on setup

Upavistha Konasana
Padmasana - from upavistha konasana take right leg in, place foot toward inner thigh at the groin crease but toes should be on top thigh
Parvatasana in Padmasana - interlock fingers, arms up
Padmasana - other cross
Parvatasana in Padmasana

Matsyasana - supta padmasana on setup, hands interlock arms overhead, lengthen, then keeping arms overhead palms face each other, extend, come up other cross, extend arms overhead interlock then palms face each other

Sirsasana - no variations, she is tired of saying mid buttocks forward, the fear complex is there

Halasana
Eka Pada Sarvangasana - from halasana, lift right leg, lift left leg
Sarvangasana - no variations, take hands away from back, buttocks in lift back body, hands back on 
back
Halasana

Setu Bandha on Height - 2 foam blocks stacked, 4 blankets triple fold stacked, sit on edge bring shoulders to mat, straighten legs be on heels
Virapaksha demoed this for me :)

Savasana

Friday, December 11, 2015


Twists

Our driver Prim being loaded down with bags from our shopping last night - he is so nice!
Class
 Don't die to do, do until you die so when you are at the end and cannot continue any longer at least you have done
this is not music this is yoga, you must deal with yourself and this is difficult

Adho Mukha Svanasana
Uttanasana - feet mat width, hands on floor by outer feet elbows bent
Eka Pada Uttanasana - left hand to right ankle, right hand on floor outside right outer foot, head to shin

Parivrtta Trikonasana

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana - may have heel up if needed, but the heel should be down because to get the twist and arm placement the movement is from the foot to the head, but once you have the placement you move from the head to the foot, also head moves forward when placing arm so should move the head back after arm placed, back leg lift kneecap

Adho Mukha Virasana
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Uttanasana

Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana - imagine Guruji is standing behind you, he kicks your dorsal 3x kick! move the dorsal in

Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana

Maichyasana III - put fingers behind knee to create space and spread patella, having something behind the knee does this for you, the arm on the knee stays with the elbow bent no wrap, other hand on floor or block but does not cause you to lean on the hand , the hand pushes the torso towards the bent knee

Ardha Matsyendrasana

Supta Padangusthasana I - belt on front heel
Supta Padangusthasana II - great after twists

savasana


Rose Kathleen and i

 Kavita is feeding Tatyana very well, today Boha a flat rice with tumeric and vegetables...yum
 hanging out

Thursday, December 10, 2015


Backbends Pranayama and Shopping

Today was backbends

She will show how to prepare for backbends with no props, normally she would use chairs but they dont have them here

Tadasana - backarch in all arm positions, lift the sternum chest, look at the ceiling, eyes open
1 paschima namaskar
2 hold upper arms behind back above elbows - arch back, if there is dizziness, straighten the head re-extend the cervical neck and take the head back
3 gomukasana arms - arch back the top arm should be behind the ear

Parsvottanasana - paschimo namaskar, upright only, arch back look at the ceiling

prasarita padottanasana - concave only

Tadasana - prone on belly, extend the arms over the head palms down, extend through the armpits, then the palms face each other, extend through the little finger side of the hand

salabhasana - extend legs, interlock fingers behind back , take arms back beside body, don't take the legs way up so maintain the buttocks spreading

bhujangasana - she is teaching it because everyone says its not taught so there now it has been taught

eka pada dhanurasana - 1 hand on floor other hand reaches back to grab ankle, other arm

dhanurasana - both arms, lift higher

adho mukha natarajasana - continuing the work of gomukasana,  belt foot/ankle with looped belt, bend leg, reach the legs hand forward and do the upper arm of gomukasana to reach back and grab belt loop, other hand presses down, press hand down lift up, straighten the arm holding belt loop, knee comes off floor, bring floor hand in closer lift, straighten arms, lift  again: make belt loop smaller



 
 now both hands, grab belt, straighten arms, knee lifts from floor



 sirsasana
parsva sirsasana
parsvaikapada sirsasana
upavistha konasana in sirsasana

ustrasana - people can bend the spine backward/forward but the body is narrow, you need to give space, spread the buttocks lift the sternum go back touch heels 3x

urdhva dhanurasana - 2x  stack 2 foam blocks vertical (spineways) add folded blanket on top, lay torso on stack head off feet on floor, go up, be on legs,
(the above pic is the setup we are using for seated pranayama, only horizontal, 2 foam blocks with a blanket on top as shown above)

sarvangasana - no variations
no savasana - short break then pranayama, she started with savasana

savasana - roll 3 blankets, large roll place on foam for knees , another foam for heels, blanket for head

 supine pranayama setup - 2 foam blocks stepped, blanket for the head, ignore everything else in the pic


 Music presentation in the afternoon which was wonderful, Geetaji was sitting right by Winnie and Tatyana

 Tatyana's Russian friend Katya

 Tabla and Violin

Shopping at Either Or and Fab India then back to the hotel for dinner

a wonderful day