Think I'll be working up to this one:

http://blogs.yogajournal.com/challengepose/2012/07/hanumanasnana-in-pincha-mayurasana.html

WEEK 17

Monday, 9 july
6:15 class in the yoga room with cathy. Interesting pranayama in plank. Cathy recommended a teacher called Sadie nardini for core work.  Going to look her up now.


Definitely going to incorporate into my students' class on Wednesday.  Who am I kidding?  For a figure like that I'm going to start practising it tonight!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGSv3EnIego  

WEEK 16

Monday, 2 July Very very tired. Worked til 7 so didn't make my regular class. Forced myself on to my mat at home. Once I'd done a few surya namaskars I felt settled and practised for about 30 mins, based around the ashtanga primary series. Would happily have stayed in Sivasana forever, but eventually peeled myself off the mat for fear of falling asleep.  Another busy week ahead.

Tuesday, 3 July: 7pm class with Tony.  Very intense practice and left achingly tired.  Some interesting sequences:

·         Start in Ardha Mukha Svasana  to squat – repeated

·         Ardha Mukha Svasana to a low lunge with a bind, then a supported side plank with top foot placed on the floor in front of the lower leg.

·         Tadasana - Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) – then a variation holding back foot with both hands – extended raised leg to front and held.

·         Paschimottanasana

·         From supine prepared for half lotus. (padmasana)

·         Half Padmasana from sitting while reaching for opposite foot

•       Krounchasana (Heron Pose) - can't wait to try this on the boys!
• 
    
•  
• Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend)
•    Twist
•  Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)
• Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow or Wheel Pose)
• Sirsasana
• Shivasana – at last!

WEEK 15

Monday 25 June: Shattered after working all weekend and family stuff on Sunday night. And hay fever.  My great intention of going to the 7:45 class were defeated by the need to take my sneezy self to bed and sort out bank card-less boyfriend.

Tuesday, 26 June 7pm class with tony.  Things to remember: started lying down stretching  legs up I the air and curling one at a time into chest

·         Rolled in cross legged circles which made everyone giggle.

·         Practised hopping from cross legged to plank as a prelude to shoulder stands.

·         Little bunny hops to go into shoulder stand.

·         Few minutes free practice at the end in which I practised the side crow. Very very nearly there. Problem was placing my hands too far away from my hips.

Thursday, 28 June Exhausted after working in cork on Wednesday and flat out trying to catch up in Dublin today. Was doing a radio show at 8:30, so had a bare 20 minutes and zero energy for yoga. Worked through ciara's gentle Hatha sequence, with padagustasana (holding leg perpendicular from body? Is this the correct name?) from lying down using a strap so I could get a good stretch on my long suffering hamstrings. Sivasana was heaven. Had to peel myself off the mat before long for fear of falling asleep.

Away for the weekend so unlikely to get in any practice, but will try to compensate by getting the yoga anatomy book and turning my attention back to Donna farhi.

WEEK 14

Wednesday, 20 June Ashtanga with Joe. Really enjoy the ashtanga primary series. Decide to take the time to write it out (in Sanskrit, thereby realising how many of the names off-hand I don't remember / can't spell!).  Going to try a modified sequence with my students.

·         Surya namaskar A x 5

·         Surya namaskar b x4

·         Tad asana

·         Utthita trikonasana (r&l)

·         Parvitta trikonasana (r&l)

·         Utthits parvakonasana

·         Parvritta parvakonasana

·         Prasarita padottasna x 3

·         Parsvottanasana

·         Utthita hasta padagustasana

·         Arena baddha padottasana (standing fwd bend in lotus)

·         Virabhadrasana I

·         Virabhadrasana II

·         Vinyasa

·         Dandasana

·         Paschimottanasana (fwd bend)

·         Puvottanasana (upside down plank)

·         Setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge)

·         Urdhva dhanurasana (wheel)

·         Sarvangasana

·         Halasana

·         Paschimottasasirsane

·         Sirsasana ( hdstand)

·         Balasana

·         Svisaana

Thursday, 21 June:

Just RH and I this eve. I want to get a practice in too so we go through the primary series with some modifications and adjustments.  Rory is very pleased and enjoyed the more demanding practice. He's particularly pleased that he now finds down dog very comfortable (may have to stop teasing him about his 12 year old girl arms :p).

Friday, 22 June  6pm class in yoga room. I love the way Michael guides you into the poses.  Things to note: started in adho mukha svasana,

Sunday, 24 june Worked most of the weekend but fitted in a short and not particularly creative practice with a lot of surya namaskars.

Week 13:

Monday, 11 June: Endless wait for the bus so arrived late and flustered.  Not a great practice in terms of mindfulness as was more occupied by the hassles arriving and the many, many pulled muscles in my legs and upper arms courtesy of a vigorous dressage lesson on Sunday.  Aching a lot, think I might need to take tomorrow as a rest day. 

Wednesday, 13 June: Full house today for yoga in Bloomfield. 6 of whom 2 were first-timers and very bulky (slightly rowdy) rugby players.  Did a warm up on all fours. Followed by some modified surya namaskars and surya namaskars with lunges.  I had planned the class to target core and upper body for my long term students so we did dolphin, and leg lifts (which stopped the giggling).  As my rugby players have very tight hamstrings and hips I left out the more challenging hip openers I'd planned and did a seated sequence and some twists, finishing off with happy baby for giggles.

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June: Anatomy and physiology weekend.

Week 12: 4 June 2012

Tuesday, 5 June: Working at home on a wet and grey Tuesday, so decided to try out my local yoga school in Ranelagh.  Very disappointing, but some useful pointers about what not to do: (1) set out bundles of props for all the student – just messy; (2) speak softly – you are not a PE teacher; (3) surya namaskars should be guided to some extent – otherwise the students do different things and end up not knowing what direction to face or what side they are on when the S.N leads straight into another asana.  Only useful thing was an exercise to stretch the quads – knee on a soft block, leg bent back with the foot pressing against the wall at hip height.

Wednesday, 6 June: Rory H., S and G for class this evening.  I’m going to try to focus on shoulder strengthening exercises to help the boys with their Adho Mukha Svanasana. Grace is excellent and has been doing yoga for years so I assist her into a  handstand and we try out a few arm balances.

Thursday, 7 June: 20 minutes of self-practice before work.

Friday, 8 June: Caught in traffic because of the rain so eventually gave up on making the 6pm class and arrived home hungry and tired.  Short practice by myself so took the opportunity to practise the arm balances with which I continue to struggle. Just about got into a Parsva Bakasana (side crow) and a Bakasana (crow).  Somewhat like headstands I think it will just happen in a few weeks.

Saturday, 9 June: Up unusually early and out for 9.30 class in Yoga Room.  Really challenging practice with a substitute teacher whose name I missed.  Incorporated elements of kundalini and movement with the breath that I think would be a great warm up for my beginners – and has the added advantage that they will feel a little silly while doing it!  A much slower practice with poses held for longer, really felt the effects after.