Tuesday, 14 August:  First resolution helped by the arrival of the excellent ‘Yoga Anatomy’ by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews and Donna Farhi’s, ‘Bringing Yoga to Life’ – which I’m hoping will help me with me mental block on all things sutra related. Both available through amazon through the Book Depository.

Week 21

First of all I can’t believe it’s been 21 weeks!  Now that I’ve recovered from module 3 and my brief hatred of my yoga mat, it’s time to make some resolutions before the final module and exams.

1.       Read more consistently and attentively, especially the stuff I don’t like.

2.       Practise the module quizzes.

3.       Learn off the important muscles and exercises to strengthen them.

4.       Do a headstand without the wall and get into Pincha Mayurasana and Adho Mukha Vrksasana without support.

5.       Buy a new mat – one without biro and highlighter stains. This may be my reward for finishing the course!

Monday, 13 August: First class back.  Would have been a lovely practice if I hadn’t pulled my triceps, hamstrings and groin having an argument with a horse on Saturday.  Vira II was agony!  But a lovely sequence and worth taking down some notes:

Started with pranayama

Came to lying on backs to stretch lengthways and towards the ceiling.  Loosened out by shaking limbs in the air – aptly described as insect stuck on its back pose.

Rock and rolled from Halasana to Dandasana several time and came to squat. Rolled up to Tadasana.

·         Unusual variations on S.N. repeated 3-4 times:

o   Arms wept out to Uktasana,

o   Uttanasana,

o   step right foot back to high lunge,

o   Chaturanga,

o   Urdhva Mukha Svanasana,

o   Adho Mukha Svanasana,

o   step left foot forward to low lunge,  

o   Step right foot to meet left, Uttanasana

o   Uktasana

·         Vira II sequence:

o   Vira II

o   Revolved Vira II

o   Vira II

o   Trikonasana

·         Balancing sequence

o   Vira I

o   Vira III

o   Pavritta Ardha Chandrasana

·         Balancing sequence II:

o   Vira I

o   Vira III

o   Sweep elevated leg forward and take hold of foot, Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana

o   Extend leg and sweep back to Natarajasana (King of the Dancers pose)

·         3 point Sirsasana (headstand) into a balance that was new to me, with one leg crossed along back of forearms. (some googling later I believe it was Eka Pada Galavasana (Flying Pigeon))  Needless to say it did not look like this when I attempted it, but I was pretty happy to do a passable 3 point Sirsasana:

Two good friends on the way to the US and Canada this month so taking advantage of them to stock up on nice yoga clothes.  My lulemon list is getting pretty long, but after a VERY tough teacher training module I feel like I need some retail reward.  Especially liking this bag to carry my may.

Also, want to invest in a new mat as my current one is decorated with ink stains and purple highlighter from the training modules.   Any recommendations?

Day 8 of sharon-flu' and sadly out of practice 2 weeks before my next training module, but this has cheered me up:

8 Dirty Little Confessions of a Yoga Teacher

By Erin Motz

Just when you thought you knew what I was thinking during yoga class :)

1. That mini page of “notes” at the front of my mat? Actually, it’s my grocery list. Oops - must have been a long day! And that vinyasa we just powered through? Invented on the spot.

2. I’m going home to eat a half-pint of Ben & Jerry’s after class… and not even that froyo healthy version. We’re talking Double Fudge Brownie goodness!

3. Even for me, savasana can be a challenge. Unfortunately, that 200-hour teacher training doesn’t provide an “off” button for a highly-active monkey mind.

4. Sometimes, I step out of a pose to “make adjustments” because my legs are burnin’ in that Warrior II we’re holding! I’m cruel, I know...

5. Contrary to the popular belief that all (or at least, most) yoga instructors are vegans or vegetarians, I happen to feel that burgers, red wine, carbs (especially the sourdough variety) and rich cheeses are sensational.

6. When I practice at home by myself, I’m all about the restorative, easy going, OMG-that-feels-amazing style of yoga. In other words, you won’t catch me sitting in Chair or holding any crazy arm balances for longer than a breath or two.

7. The more laughs, heavy sighs, and deep exhales I hear in class, the better I feel. When you’re working, relaxing and having fun, I’m a happy little yogi.

8. Never, not even once, have I ever taught a class and wished I could be doing something else. We say it about pizza and sex, but in this case, even a “bad” yoga class is still pretty awesome in my book. If I’m totally honest with you, I practice to feed my teaching, but I teach to feed my life.

The bends

Reading a fascinating section about back bends in Donna Farhi's book, yoga, mind, body and spirit. Seemingly there is a muscle, called the hyoid, that connects the back of the base of the skull with the top of the sternum. So to create a long neck and to avoid compressing the cervical spine you need to keep your chin level. Donna Farhi also has a lovely instruction for back bends that could be applied to pretty much all core work. You imagine that you are drawing your intestines and stomach in towards your spine so that they support your spine rather than hanging off it. Very useful for plank, chaturanga and pretty much any balance.

Tuesday, 10 July: Started off with Sadie Nardini’s core work.  Excellent warm up, really like her practices. 

Wednesday, 11 July: 2 for class today.  Started with the Sadie Nardini core work then moved into a few Surya Namaskar A.s with variations (lunges / vira I) and some seated exercises.  Spent some time focusing on Adho Mukha Svanasana positioning. Students were beginning to look a bit puffed so finished with a restorative of legs up against – well - the balcony door and sivasana.

Saturday, 14 July: Practised for an hour at home, starting with some surya namaskars and moving into a vira II, trikonasana, Ardha chandrasana sequence that I like. Then decided to do something I don't like:padagustasana.  Using the strap for my yoga mat made it possible to do a reasonable straight leg version, but reading Donna Farhi on seated postures this evening I realise that my problem may lie in the relationship between femur and pelvis as I bend/ raise my leg.  Apparently the femur should descend and can be encouraged down by placing a thumb in the crease of the hip. Going to practise during the week.

Think I'll be working up to this one:

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