Mostly backbends this time

I know I said we'd twist, but I'm planning a twisting practice for my morning home practice and I really like the work we did with the rope wall in this Brooke Myers class I took in NYC and want to take advantage of the rope wall. So here's a backbend sequence with a few twists added in.

Back Bend Sequence based on a Brooke Myer Level 3 class I took in NYC Saturday afternoon. Additions are my own marked by (A).


AMVira with support for hands and head.
AMS with blocks for hands.
Utt concave back turn arms back ala swati (A)
AMS with blocks again.
AMVrk various attempts kicking up one and both legs, trying to balance, pretend wall is closer than it is, come down if you hit the wall.
PM with belt, block and blanket roll.
Sirsasana,
Parsva sirsasana
Parsva sirsasana in virasana
Rope I static and moving (A)
Rope back bend, supported in middle rope with blanket for back, long rope on bottom rung, reach over to get strap and walk hands in. did for a while.
Back bend over a chair, back of chair toward wall, build up height as needed with blankets on back of chair, feet on base of chair, coil over and bring hands to the wall. Then lower hips and walk hands down more, then raise hips, then repeat several times.
Chair dwi pada (A)
Dwi pada on floor elbows near wall but don’t have to touch wall, bring elbow wide at first and slide it in. then used blocks for elbows to give more room to pump chest.
Push up and down between dwi pada and urdva D a few times.
Chair twists
M3 (A)
Ardha Matysendrasana (A)
Halsana
Parsva Halasana
Sarvangasana
Eka pada sarvangasana
Parsva eka pada sarvangasana
Long savasana.

see you Friday.

No practice today

Hi Everyone,

I'm in NYC and Devon is busy moving to her new house, so no practice today. We'll practice next week. Twists again!!!

Twists again

Here's what we will do this week. This one courtesy of Karen's notes on a Patricia Class in May.


Twists
Swastikasana – place your hands on your armpits – lift, place your hands on your chest – lift, keep and take hands to namaskar
Adho Mukha Svanasana – hands at wall, move the top 3” of thigh back, again: feet at wall heels down as much as possible
Uttanasana – ft wide apart, concave, then hands back extend down
Supta Padangusthasana 1 – ft into wall, bend knee hold big toe, shin perpendicular, bring knee down as close to floor as possible then leg straight to sp1 use strap if needed, don’t press lumbar into floor but lengthen lower back towards buttocks the top of the sacrum should lift slightly
Supta Padangusthasana 3 – hold ankle of ft, same side arm goes under shin to hold leg with kindness, raise ft and rotate thigh away, this pose is prep for padmasana, other side
Baddha Konasana – sit on mat, hands behind to lift not to lean on, then hands around feet trying to lift ft but don’t
Parsvakonasana with ft high on wall – stand with side to wall, place ft on wall (around hip level or higher) toes face ceiling, other leg wide stance (not perpendicular to floor) but not so wide as to straighten the lifted leg, bend the lifted leg deeply, take arm inside lifted leg, hand inside ft on wall, we are working the area where the thigh and pubic bone meet, move the outer thigh into the hip then buttocks under, lot of instruction for the outer thigh into hip including using our other hand to move skin from knee to hip, bend knee more as parsvakonasana, the ribs rest on thigh, upper arm on inner knee, femur into hip socket and under, keep leg bent
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana with ft high on wall – stand facing wall, lift foot high on wall (seemed higher than last pose) still standing leg is not perpendicular but not quite as wide as previously I don’t think bend the knee, lift opp arm exhale twist and place armpit or elbow on knee, move the knees away from 1 another, close the space between the ribs and the thigh, don’t look down which collapses the torso, move ribs and eyes toward wall
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana with ft on chair seat – stand facing chair foot on chair seat, back leg wide stance foot toward wall, inner knee of back leg moves back, sharp exhale turn, armpit on knee, other hand on hip, armpit close space on knee, right shoulder back, heel down
Middle of room
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana with back leg knee down – bend front leg, back leg knee/shin/top of ft all on floor, raise opp arm, sharp exhale twist, eyes go toward wall at top of head, rib cage toward head like concave uttanasana
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana => Ardha Matsyendrasana => Parivrtta Parsvakonasana => Ardha Matsyendrasana –go to 1st stage of parivrtta parsvakonasana as above with knee/shin on floor, twist close space, take awareness to back ft, turn ft for ardha matsyendrasana then sit on ft keeping twisted (go ahead and place blanket on ft in p parsva and block behind ft if needed for ard matsy) come back to par parsva keeping twist, come back to ard matsyendrasana, she said geeta teaches this not for beginners and eventually this will become graceful
Marichyasana 3 – 3 actions: twist, lift, move in – arm into knee to twist
Baddha Konasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana – for sirsasana so to lengthen armpits, use blanket to support head this gives more armpit length
Sirsasana – lift upper arms/shoulders, now take more weight on head without letting arms/shoulders change
Halasana – stay for 2 min, lift, legs are doing adho mukha svanasana can you move top 3” of thigh
Sarvangasana – restore, come down, slide off blankets, head/back on floor, legs in baddha konasana on sarv blankets, grab legs and pull in toward pelvis
Savasana

Here's a sequence for Friday

Lois said that one practice a week should be devoted to twisting, so let's get on that this month.

Here's a PW twisting sequence from April at the Abbey. See you at 4:30 Friday. Can't wait.

Day Three Twists


Pre Supta Baddha konasana
Sukasana
AMvirasana with legs in regular virasana position
AMS
Uttansana
Urdhva Prasarita padasana thirty times.
Jathara Parivar anasana shifting the hips, did three or four sets worked on legs doing at angle toward hands, then keeping in line with hips, then all the way up to hands. Last set not shifting the hips worked with motion did fast several times.

AMS

Utt worked on engaging obliques in concave position and while we were pulling head toward shins but then release that work as we extended the head down.

Parsva utthita hasta padasana work on turning the abdomen away from turned leg and extending opposite arm just like in Jathara

Trikonasana Did twice

Parrivritta go into pose quickly from parsva.
Partner work strap on pelvis lift pelvis up and back a little to get out of the sinking feeling in the hips.

M3 foot at wall, no clasp work in whatever way you need to to get in. Lifted bent leg foot up to help bring it in closer. Then extended back arm away just like Jathara walk up the spine like we do in backbends and pranayama to create space.

M3 back arm to the wall. Hand a little above the shoulders. Start with palm up and then turn arm externally and turn fingers. Press elbow against knee to help with the turning.

Ardha Matsyendrasan prep (start sitting on foot then move foot out to gomukasana legs. Settles the outer hip.

Ardha Matsyendrasana back arm to wall, working the same way.

Pasasana (do first stage of malasana to prep) work to keep knees even and really descend the groin of the leg you are turning away from. Back hand to the wall.

Then moved back to middle of the room.

M3 working on clasp. First time clasp with the arm around the knee, second time clasp but do the behind the back arm first, then the front arm.

AMatsyendrasana clasping. Twice same thing, work arm around knee first time then work back arm around first and then front arm.

Ardha Padma padmottasana.


Ardha matsyendrasana II.

Prep for Marichyasana IV. One leg in padmasana the other in marichyasana but don’t cross the foot over the knee.

Bharadvajasana II if possible, If not BI. Feel twist in lower spine and move all the way up through the nadis try to feel the Chandra side of the nose, make eyes soft notice which eye is looking harder and then look with the other one.

Matsyasana flat on back legs supported if they don’t go down with flat spine.

Halasana

Sarvagasasana.

Urdhva Padmasana in sarvangasana if possible. If not, Upa vishta (legs straight up) and BK.

Savasana.

Here's Anne's Public Yoga Schedule for this Fall

Yoga with Anne in Austin this Fall


Austin Yoga Festival.

Saturday October 8 12:30 Get upside down the right way.

Austin School of Yoga.

I am subbing Peggy’s Advanced class Saturday 8 AM on Oct 8 and Nov 5 $18 drop in rate.

I am teaching a Rope Wall Class Nov 5 3-5 cost $40.
I am teaching an Inversion class Dec 3 3-5 cost $40.

Castle Hill Fitness.

I am subbing Focus on Form at 9:30 on the Following Dates.

10-11, 10-13, 10-18, 10-25, 10-27, 10-31 (check this date to be sure) 11- 4

Clear Spring Studio.

I co-lead an advanced practice most Fridays at 4:30-6:30. Cost $10.
Dates for the practices are Oct 7, 14, 21, 28 Nov 4, Dec 2, 9, 16.
Check website (iyengaryogainaustin.blogspot.com)

I am teaching a restorative workshop Dec 17 3-5 cost 40.

San Marcos School of Yoga

Monday’s 5:30-6:45. Two more classes in this session. New six week session starts Nov 7. $60 for the whole series or $15.00 per class.


Sam Rice and I will co lead a thanksgiving practice from 10-2:30 cost $20.00


I am also available for Private lessons $70.00 in my home. $85.00 at other locations. Contact me via email at AnneBowery@yahoo.com

Here's Anne's Public Yoga Schedule for this Fall

Yoga with Anne in Austin this Fall


Austin Yoga Festival.

Saturday October 8 12:30 Get upside down the right way.

Austin School of Yoga.

I am subbing Peggy’s Advanced class Saturday 8 AM on Oct 8 and Nov 5 $18 drop in rate.

I am teaching a Rope Wall Class Nov 15 3-5 cost $40.
I am teaching an Inversion class Dec 3 3-5 cost $40.

Castle Hill Fitness.

I am subbing Focus on Form at 9:30 on the Following Dates.

10-11, 10-13, 10-18, 10-25, 10-27, 10-31 (check this date to be sure) 11- 4

Clear Spring Studio.

I co-lead an advanced practice most Fridays at 4:30-6:30. Cost $10.
Dates for the practices are Oct 7, 14, 21, 28 Nov 4, Dec 2, 9, 16.
Check website (iyengaryogainaustin.blogspot.com)

I am teaching a restorative workshop Dec 17 3-5 cost 40.

San Marcos School of Yoga

Monday’s 5:30-6:45. Two more classes in this session. New six week session starts Nov 7. $60 for the whole series or $15.00 per class.


Sam Rice and I will co lead a thanksgiving practice from 10-2:30 cost $20.00


I am also available for Private lessons $70.00 in my home. $85.00 at other locations. Contact me via email at AnneBowery@yahoo.com