Monday, December 15, 2008
Last Friday Practice for the Year!!
We'll start with virasana, adho mukha virasana, Adho mukha svanasana, Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Pincha, and the start in with the sequence which is pretty much the sirsasana cycle, the sarvangasana cycle, some forward bends a bunch of padmasana things, twists and ending with Urdhva dhanurasa 6 times then savsana.
We'll resume practices on January 2nd of the new year.
Come Join in the Fun! As always, donations cheerfully accepted to defray cost of studio rental.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sarvangasana Workshop with Anne January 3rd 2009
A Fun-filled workshop on the Sarvangasana Cycle!
B.K.S Iyengar writes, “The importance of Sarvangasana cannot be over-emphasized. It is one of the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages. Sarvangasana is the Mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony and happiness in the home, so this asana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system.”
What? Sarvangasana Workshop.
With whom? Anne-Marie Bowery, Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor
When? Saturday, January 3 3:00-5:00 PM
Where? Clear Spring Studio, 605 Copeland Street
Copeland Street is just off South First Street, across from The Texas School for the Deaf. Directions are also online at www.clearspringstudio.com
How much? $25
For information and registration please contact Anne directly at
AnneBowery@yahoo.com or 254-744-7157
Monday, December 8, 2008
Practice Sequence for this Friday 3:30
Utthita trikonasana
Utthita parsvakonasana
Padangusthasana
*Parivrtta utthita hasta padangusthasana
*Ardha baddha padmottanasana, classical pose
*Jathara parivartanasana, legs straight
*Bhujapidasana
*Malasana
Upavistha konasana
*Parsva upavistha konasana
*Parivrtta (parsva)upavistha konasana
*Parivrtta janu sirsasana
*Kurmasana II
*Parivrtta paschimottanasana
Adho mukha svanasana
*Adho mukha vrksasana (palms back, 1.5 ft)
*Pincha mayurasana, palms down and up
Salamba sirsasana (also *sirsa II?)
Parsva sirsasana
Ekapada sirsasana
Parsvaikapada sirsasana
*Parivrttaikapada sirsasana
[Adho mukha virasana]
Matsyasana flat on floor in padmasana
*Dwi pada viparita dandasana without chair
Elbows against wall, feet on blocks
Away from wall, feet on floor, bent knees
*Urdhva dhanurasana I from ground
Salamba sarvangasana
Ekapada sarvangasana
Sarvangasana II
Parsvaikapada sarvangasana
*Urdhva Padmasana in sarvangasana
*Pindasana in sarvangasana (blocks under
Knees
*setu bandha sarvangasana coming up to sarvangasana
*Ardha matsyendrasana I (arm to foot)
*Marichyasana II (pl. 145-7)
paschimottanasana full pose
B.K. S Iyengar Birthday Celebrations
he 90th Birthday Celebration for Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar
Date: 13 December 2008, Saturday
Time: 3-6 pm
Location: 1122C South Lamar Boulevard
Information: 923-4643
Admission: free will donation to the Bellur Trust*
Schedule of Events:
3-4 pm Showing of "The Ultimate Freedom" a dvd recording of Iyengar's lecture/demonstration in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1976.
4-4:45 pm 108 Surya Namaskars in Honor of Guruji Iyengar
5-6 pm Cake and Chai
Please Come and bring a tealight candle holder!
*ABOUT BELLUR
Proceeds from this weekend's festivities will be donated to the Bellur Trust, established by BKS Iyengar for the benefit of the village of Bellur.__BKS Iyengar was born in the rural South Indian village of Bellur in 1918. Over the years, the people of Bellur have had to endure poverty, lack of education and sanitation, illnesses, and drought.__In 1967, Guruji built the first primary school in the village, dedicated to the memory of his parents (his father was a teacher). In 2003, he established the Bellur Trust, with the aim of addressing the educational, social, health, and cultural needs of the people of Bellur._Recent achievements of the trust include the construction of a water storage tank to provide clean drinking water, the establishment of a special high school for girls, the building of the Yogacharini Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Hall (used for yoga classes, as a classroom, and for social gatherings), the opening of the Smt. Ramamani Sundararaja Iyengar Hospital, and the building of the first temple dedicated to Sage Patanjali. Plans for the future uses of the funds from the trust include establilshing cottage industries so that the villagers can better support themselves. The Trust will also create medical camps for screening villagers to help them maintain better health. Bellur has become a model for the reformation and development of rural villages in India. In the spirit of maitri (friendliness) and karuna (compassion), we invite you to honor BKS Iyengar by donating generously to this important project.
Shanti,
Peggy Kelley
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Practice Sequence for this Friday 3:30
Next week we will be working with a practice sequence Devon wrote that works in most of the poses on the Junior Intermediate III syllabus. I'll post that one next week.
As usual, there is no cost for the practice, but Devon will happily accept donations to defray the cost of reserving the studio space for us.
AMS
Uttanasana
Ams
cataranga dandasana
urdhva mukha
repeat 2x
ams w/ heels on blocks at wall
vira 1
supta padangustasana
ams middle palm on edge of blocks at wall
vira 1 to 3 w/ pams together
abdomen balanced and up, armpits down, leg up
sirsasana
virasana
eka pada virasana reaching leg back
parivritta eka pada
AMV working w legs together and straight
pinca mayurasana- balance
+++Add in some scorpion poses here and other assorted arm balances
lunge w/ 1 leg in virasana (eka pada raja prep)
resist virasana leg back
viparita dandasana on chair, feet flat on floor, arms over head, legs
straight
ekapada viparita dandasana chair
Urdhva dhanurasana 3x from chair
ekapada u. dhanurasana 2x
down leg hip lifts up and up leg hip draws down
ustrasana drop backs to wall
arms coming to shoulder blade level
ekapada viparita dandasana
sirsasana drop backs and coming up w/ wall
ustrasana drop backs to floor
hanumanasana
ekapada rajakapotasana w/ back leg at wall
ekapada raja II
hanumanasana
sarvangasana
eka pada
parsva eka pada
badda k
padmasana
savasana
Monday, November 24, 2008
No Friday advanced practice this week, but next week we are on
Lots of people from a variety of yoga traditions showed up for the fun filled backward bending sequence.
Anne, Gillian, Rachel, and Devon from Iyengar Land, Terry and Mike and Gigi from Ashtanga land, and Pam, Jeremiah, Jeff from Anusara land. It was really great fun! Just what an advanced practice should be.
No practice this Friday due to Thanksgiving Holidays, but we'll resume the following friday with a backward bending practice largely a Patricia Walden sequence from feathered pipe with a few additional arm balances added in.
I usually am there by 2:45 hanging on the rope wall if you want to come a bit early to "warm up/ prepare yourself as Prashant would say," but the sequence itself will start right at 3:30.
Here it is Patricia sequence from Feathered Pipe aug 1, 2008
AMS
Uttanasana
Ams
cataranga dandasana
urdhva mukha
repeat 2x
ams w/ heels on blocks at wall
vira 1
supta padangustasana
ams middle palm on edge of blocks at wall
vira 1 to 3 w/ pams together
abdomen balanced and up, armpits down, leg up
sirsasana
virasana
eka pada virasana reaching leg back
parivritta eka pada
AMV working w legs together and straight
pinca mayurasana- balance
+++Add in some scorpion poses here and other assorted arm balances
lunge w/ 1 leg in virasana (eka pada raja prep)
resist virasana leg back
viparita dandasana on chair, feet flat on floor, arms over head, legs
straight
ekapada viparita dandasana chair
Urdhva dhanurasana 3x from chair
ekapada u. dhanurasana 2x
down leg hip lifts up and up leg hip draws down
ustrasana drop backs to wall
arms coming to shoulder blade level
ekapada viparita dandasana
sirsasana drop backs and coming up w/ wall
ustrasana drop backs to floor
hanumanasana
ekapada rajakapotasana w/ back leg at wall
ekapada raja II
hanumanasana
sarvangasana
eka pada
parsva eka pada
badda k
padmasana
savasana
Friday, November 21, 2008
Changes at Castle Hill
As many of you know, Heide Grace is moving back to New Orleans. We'll all miss her greatly. She's a great teacher, great student, great person to practice with, and super fun to boot.
Gillian is taking over most of her classes at Castle Hill. I went to Gillian's class for the first time yesterday. I really enjoyed it. Gillian has a very warm teaching presence and uses great imagery, like making yourself into a wine bottle opener to pop up the cork of your chest. I also enjoyed her sequence. She interpersed various standing poses with a return to Adho Mukhasvanasana and Uttanasana and it was a good practice to see how the standing poses influence those poses.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sequence for Practice on Friday
Here's the sequence we'll be working with.
Adho mukha svanasana 5min
Adho mukha vrksasana
one legged
two bent legs
two straight legs
pincha mayurasana wall and free balancing
prep only for vrschikasana I
vrschikasana II
salamba sirsasana 5 min
variations 5 min
vrschikasana I, full pose, 5-10x
urdhva dhanurasana over chair backs at wall 5x
drop over preparation on chairs at wall 5-10x
urdhva dhanurasana 5-10x
dropping over to urdhva dhanurasana from tadasana 5-10x
dropping over to urdhva dhanurasana from adho mukha vrksasana 5-10x
supta virasana on blocks, going toward kapotasana
kapotasana 5x
eka pada rajakapotasana preparation or full pose with chairs and belted foot and walls 2-3x each side
natarajasana on stools or with help 3x each side
hanumanasana 2-3x each side
upright
forward bending
parsva uttanasana, cooling down
bharadvajasana I
pasasana
supported halasana
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sequence for Practice on Friday
NB: poses in brackets are not in the original sequence Joan offered us.]
Supta padangusthasana I, 2x
SPG II
First , side leg at 90 deg angle, then up toward ear, foot level with floor
SPG III, 3x each side
SPG II, now leg even higher to ear level
AMS
Upavistha konasana
Move toward samakonasana
Baddha konasana
Bharadvajasana I, 2x
[Bharadvajasana II]
Upright eka pada virasana at wall
Ardha baddha padmottanasana, by stages:
Bring foot up and hold; press padma foot on standing thigh; then facing wall, ardha uttanasana concave back; then going down to full pose facing wall; then full pose facing into room . Standing leg straight always, always.
AMVrks 2x
Sirsasana I and any variations we want
Supine prep for Akarna dhanurasana I
Eka pada sirsasana
Akarna dhanurasana I
Akarna dhanurasana II
Janu sirsasana, urdhva mukha and adhomukha, 2x each
Upavistha konasana to all sides: r, l, center
Parivrtta upavistha konasana
Prvt. Janu Sirsasana variant: from upavistha konasana, bend torso straight forward into the angle between thighs and then walk it around to bent leg side; then roll the chest open as you move to the straight leg side: Parivrtta janu sirsasana.
Parivrtta janu sirsasana classical
Kurmasana and variations
[Marichyasana I and III, Ardha Matsyendrasana I and II, Bharadvajasana II, Pasasana, any and all of these we like]
[Urdhva dhanurasana, 5 x, to clear the spine]
[Sarvangasana and variations]
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
New Iyengar Class Saturdays 12:30 Starts Nov 8
I'll be teaching an all levels Hatha class there Saturdays at 12:30.
Very Exciting.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Advanced Practice Session Starting Friday Oct 31 3:30
This is not a class or an open practice in the sense that you just come and do what you want in the studio. It is open in the sense that everyone is welcome and no registration or reservation is necessary. Just show up and do yoga every Friday afternoon.
How does the advanced practice work? Each week, Devon or Anne or another regular participant, will select a sequence from Pune or from a recent workshop or make a sequence and we will all do the sequence together. We are there to help each other and to motivate each other to work hard and to keep a sense of humor while working on difficult poses. We'll post the sequences here.
What does advanced mean? You should have a regular inversion practice, be able to do padmasana or be working toward it and be able to do Urdhva Dharusana and other unsupported backbends, and be interested in working on arm balances.
There is no cost for the practice, though Devon would gratefully accept any donation you cared to make to defray the cost of reserving the studio space.
Some Upcoming Events at the Austin Yoga School
October 25-27, Iyengar Yoga Assessment at Austin Yoga Institute
We need volunteers! Our National Iyengar Association conducts assessments at centers like ours during assessment season, approximately August through November. We are the lucky ones in Austin this year. As a volunteer in 40 minute classes, you will receive excellent instruction from teachers from far and near who have been teaching for at least 3 years. They have been preparing diligently for a long time for this test. Also, you will have an opportunity to snack on organic fruit, nuts and juice. We like for volunteers to do TWO of the forty minute classes, and not to do two SESSIONS in a row, so you are fresh for the teachers. You may, however, volunteer for Saturday morning AND afternoon, or for a session Saturday and Sunday both. Please contact Peggy to sign up:
info@austinyoga.org or 512-440-1269.
November 8, Texas Yoga Retreat at Barsana Dham
Peggy will teach on Sunday, two sessions
Early?10:30 to noon, Applying Ayurveda and Ecology to Yoga Practice, a combination of lecture, demonstration and practice (Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation), open to all levels.
Later?2-4 pm, Advanced arm balances and back bends. Experienced students only. No wrist, elbow, shoulder or low back problems, please!
For more information, see http://www.texasyoga.com
Saturday, December 13?Iyengar?s Birthday and
Austin Yoga Institute Re-naming Party
Come celebrate B.K.S. Iyengar?s birthday a day early, but not early according to international time! He will be 90, a very auspicious year for yogis. Most importantly, he is still practicing yoga! We will do 108 sun salutations in his honor and view the film ?Ultimate Freedom?.
Also, we will be re-naming our Institute the Austin Iyengar Yoga Institute. For decades our teachers have been devoted to his teaching, and it is time to let our name reflect that devotion. Please join us anytime between 3 and 7 pm. Sun salutations at 4.
Ongoing Events:
Two Beginners Series in November!
Patti Gagne on Saturdays 10:15-11:45. November 1 through December 13, no class on Thanksgiving weekend.
If you are new to yoga, this is a perfect series for you, and if you have let your practice lapse, please bring a friend and you BOTH get 10% off the fee.
Call Patti for more information?415-0743.
Beth Heffernan on Mondays, 6 ? 7:30 pm, November 3 through December 8.
If you are new to yoga, this is a perfect series for you, and if you have let your practice lapse, please bring a friend and you BOTH get 10% off the fee.
Call Beth for more information?563-4439.
Restorative Yoga on Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 pm by donation
Peggy has re-dedicated herself to a weekly restorative class on Thursdays. Pay is by donation. Restorative yoga is essential to a balanced practice, especially at this time of year, when life can become so frenzied!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Devon is teaching a backbend workshop tomorrow
It will be tons of fun!
Check it out.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Lift the Contents of Your Brain!
Special Inversion Workshop Suitable for All Levels.
I'll be teaching a 2 hour workshop on INVERSIONS at Clear Spring Studio.
Saturday November 1, 2008 2-4 PM.
$25.00
To register Contact Anne at AnneBowery@yahoo.com or 254.744-7157
Friday, October 3, 2008
A Week of Iyengar Yoga in Austin
Wednesday Afternoon I went to Devon's Hard Work class at Clear Spring. I normally go to this class, though lately since I've been doing Christina's Anusara Class at Seventh Street and going to the Happiness Class on Mondays. The hard work class is just that, two hours of hard work in yoga. We did a few standing poses utilizing the ropes, really working on getting openness in the chest. and some inversions, full arm balance, sirsansa (where we reinforced some of Lois' points about the actions of the fingers). Then we had a very long foray into the vasisthasana group of arm balances. (HARD WORK) and ended with a lovely sarvangasana.
Thursday and Friday Morning I went to Heide's class at Castle Hill. She taught pretty much the same sequence both days. Standing forward bend work really working on the concave back extension of the front body and then carrying that action into the seated forward bends. An added bonus of taking classes there, the great prop wall. We used all sorts of belts and bars which greatly facilitated the necessary upward extensions.
I really liked the repeated sequence, another chance at cultivating the various actions in the poses. I kind of liked knowing what was coming up. Heide has excellent pacing. There's enough time to have your own experience with the pose, but not so much time that you feel bogged down with mastering every extruciating detail.
I also subbed Christina's class Thursday afternoon and we worked on inversions (see teaching philosophy and yoga blog for a description).
And still the weekend coming up. I'm teaching at YY South Saturday at 9 and I plan to make Heide's advanced class on Sunday.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Seva's Classes at St. Edward's University
Upcoming posts on Peggy's Advanced Class and the Lois Workshop.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Devon's Yoga for Happiness Class
A truly wonderful experience. Come check it out.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Anne's Saturday Class at Yoga Yoga South
SO somewhere between 6-10 people show up. My boyfriend, Jeff, some of Christina's students like Jeremiah, Lisa, Ari come and then people just showing up for an early hatha class with a range of experience from 6 months to 6 years. There is not much Iyengar Yoga at Yoga Yoga since Jessica Montgomery left and so even people who have practiced for a while are new to Iyengar. I follow the first week standing poses, second week forward bending, third week backward bending, fourth week pranayama/restorative/ things that support a pranayama practice schedule.
It is a fun low key class with lots of individual attention, instruction. the class would be great for beginners though it is small enough that I can give refinements to advanced students as well. I look forward to seeing how the class grows.
Come check it out.
Lois Steinberg Workshop Next Weekend
Yoga in the Iyengar Tradition
With Lois Steinberg
September 26-28, 2008
Austin Yoga Institute and Clear Spring Studio welcome Lois Steinberg, from Urbana, Illinois, an advanced level certified Iyengar Yoga teacher for her first workshop in Austin.
Lois has nearly 30 years of yoga study, practice, and teaching experience; she has studied extensively with the Iyengars in their general and medical classes. She organized the International Women's Intensive with Geeta S. Iyengar, and is the author of numerous articles and manuals. Her most recent book, "Geeta's Guide to a Woman's Yoga Practice", is the first of a two-volume set that provides comprehensive instruction for the study and practice of Iyengar Yoga. This inspirational book includes over 800 photographs and detailed notes on the use of props, positioning, actions, and benefits for each pose. It is an essential reference for all teachers and serious practitioners. Lois travels annually for two months' study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institue in Pune, India. For more information about Lois visit her website at www.yoga-cu.com
Workshop Schedule: Note different location for Sunday classes
Note: Friday and Saturday classes to be held at Austin Yoga Institute, 1122C South Lamar in Lamar Plaza;
Sundays classes at Clear Spring Studio, 605 Copeland off South First south of Barton Springs Road. See maps at www.austinyoga.org/about.html and www.clearspringstudio.com
Friday 4-5:30 pm Using Iyengar Yoga to rest the Knees, Low Back, Neck and Shoulders
6 - 8 PM Asana . These classes held at Austin Yoga Institute.
Saturday 8:30 - 9:30 AM Pranayama
10:00 - 12:30 Asana
4:00 - 6:00 PM Asana. These classes held at Austin Yoga Institute.
Sunday 9:00 - 11:30 AM Asana
Noon - 1:30 PM Recuperative/Pranayama, Sunday?s classes held at Clear Spring Studio.
Cost: Entire workshop: $280, $260 if paid by 9/1/08
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Heide's Class at Castle Hill
Here's an example:
This morning I went to Heide's All Levels Class at Castle Hill. What fun! It was everything that traditional Iyengar Yoga has to offer. Great sequencing. We worked on backward bends lots of attention to getting the chest and shoulders open and the legs engaged. Detailed instruction and good solid corrections. Lots of props.. we used blocks, the rope wall, chairs, blankets. Heide has a forceful, yet very friendly, teaching presence. She did a great job giving students at various levels options that were appropriate and she was also very skillful at giving instructions about the inner body and the physiological effects of poses.
Castle Hill has a lovely yoga room. The rope wall has easily adjustable ropes, inversion swings and even cushy handles so your fingers don't get crushed in the ropes. I even liked the chairs though they are a bit oddly shaped. Very tall backs which made for a very intense backbend on the chair top but a bit smaller than usual seats so I actually felt like I fit better in the chair for dwi pada.
I thoroughly enjoyed the class and recommend it to anyone looking for a great yoga class . I love that back bending adrenaline rush in the morning.
Peggy Kelley workshop in Corpus Oct 10-11
Iyengar Yoga Community News
Developing a home practice & staying inspired to continue
an Iyengar Workshop with Peggy Kelley
Friday-Saturday, October 10-11
5830 McArdle @ Airline, Corpus Christi TX 78412
Peggy Kelley is a certified B.K.S. Iyengar yoga instructor since 1986. She began studying yoga in 1967 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1970, she began teaching her own classes while attending college in British Columbia, Canada. On moving to Texas after finishing an English and Biology B.A., Peggy continued teaching yoga.
In the late seventies as Peggy's interest in B.K.S. Iyengar's approach grew. Peggy studied at the San Francisco Iyengar Institute, at Feathered Pipe in Montana with Angela Farmer, and at various workshops with Judith Hanson Lasater, Ramanand Patel, Patricia Walden, and Gabriella Guibilaro. Peggy was certified to teach the Iyengar method in 1986, and has continued her studies at Iyengar's Institute in India in 1989, 1996, 2000, 2004, & 2007.
In 1990, Peggy and other yoga teachers incorporated Austin Yoga, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public in the qualities of life that yoga embodies in its practice and philosophy. When the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S. was formed in 1991, Peggy served on the initial board of directors, and continued to serve in that capacity after a national election. Today she serves on the regional Iyengar Yoga Board. Peggy appreciates and teaches the precise approach and therapeutic benefits of the Iyengar method. Her teaching is enhanced with the influence of other teachers with whom she has studied (Swami Sivananda Radha, Sri Pattabhi Jois, & others).
Since living in Austin, Peggy has completed a master's degree in English, a teaching certificate, and a law degree. She is also a registered massage therapist.
Please register as soon as possible as spaces for this fabulous event are limited.
Class Times:
- Friday, October 10: 6-8pm
- Saturday, October 11: 10am-12:30pm and 2-5pm
Registration Fees:
- Entire Workshop $95 if registered by October 1.
- Entire Workshop $115 after October 1.
- $40 per class if not registering for entire workshop.
For any questions please call Paula or Gretchen at Crossroads Yoga (361-992-1111), or email Paula or Gretchen.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Heide Grace Upcoming Events at AYI
Friday, September 12, 2008
Iyengar Workshop in Alpine Texas
Okay, this is not Iyengar Yoga in Austin, but Randy Just is a good friend of mine, owner of BKS Iyengar Studio of Dallas, and a great teacher really dedicated to the Iyengar method. This workshop he's doing in Alpine looks to be really fun. Consider making a weekend get away out of it.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Joy Moves has Iyengar Yoga
Gillian and Heide both teach at Castle Hill and I found out that Gillian also teaches at Joy Moves as does Eleanor Harris, another Certified Iyengar Teacher. So, there are now four more class offerings listed on the Public Class Schedule.
Joy Moves looks like a lovely space to practice yoga in. I plan to check out the Intermediate Class on Friday.
Christina Sell, my sister, is an Anusara teacher. Her classes are great. I'd highly recommend her for the Iyengar Yoga enthusiast as she has extensive background in Iyengar Yoga. You can find her schedule at christinasell.blogspot.com
Monday, September 8, 2008
Upcoming Workshops and Events in Austin
Iyengar Yoga with Lois Steinberg
September 26 - 28
at Austin Yoga Institute and Clear Spring Studio
for more information call Peggy at 440-1269
Lois specializes in therapeutic Iyengar Yoga and is especially gifted at working with women's problems.
Iyengar Yoga workshop with Jaya Waters Clear Spring Studio October 18. For More information, see the Clear Spring Studio Website.
Jaya returns before returning to India for another six months of direct study and practice with the Iyengars. A fountain of information and insight!
Iyengar National Association of the United States Assessment
October 24 - 26
at Austin Yoga Institute
Regular classes will be cancelled Friday and Saturday. Contact Peggy at if you would like volunteer, to be a student in these classes or to help out the teacher training process. For more information call Peggy at 440-1269