Short practice to pop the bubble

Ever have a bubble in your throat? You know the desire to scream, bitch, cry, drop the diplomacy and just spill it sista! Yeah... that's pretty much my Thursday(s). The small gnawing behind my eyes that was just an annoyance on Monday has matured into what will be a  thumping menace by end of day Thursday. Aargh!
Relax. Friday is coming.
And the following morning flow helps pop the bubble and keep my filters somewhat intact.


1. Tadasana
2. Standing yoga mudra
3. Hands to floor - Forward fold
4. Tadasana
Repeat 3 x
-------

5. Tadasana
6. standing yoga mudra
7. hands to floor - forward fold
8. rag doll
-------
9. from rag doll spread feet a bit more than hip width apart
10. bend knees - hands on thighs - lengthen into a jackknife back
11. Standing cats & cows - 3- 5x
12. wide stance tadasana
13. drinking bird - legs straight, hinge forward into a flat back, arms beside hips*
14. rocking horse - deeply bend knees - lift body up - arms beside ears*
15. drinking bird
16. standing cats & cows 3 -5x
17. catcher's twist - hands to thighs, knees bent, long spine - twist through belly, chest to look over one shoulder, then the other.  - 3 - 5 x
18. Tadasana
______

19. Downward dog
20. Plank
21. Downward dog
Repeat 3 x holding each posture for 5 breaths.

___

22. Downward dog
23. lift rt. leg, bend knee, stack rt hip on top of lft.
24. extend rt. leg up into 3 legged dog
25 ease onto lft. knee
25. modified side plank

26. Hands and knees
27. thread the needle
28. down dog
Repeat on other side

_______

29. From down dog - hero's posture
30. breath of fire - 2 minutes
31. sphinx - lion's breath
32. puppy stretch
33. cobra - lion's breath
34. puppy stretch
35. upward dog - lion's breath
36. crocodile - deep sigh
37. Downward dog
38. Cobblers pose w/twist.
39. Sitting meditation.

Breathe.

OM SHANTI

*This video demonstrates "drinking bird" and "rocking horse" and is also a sweet little flow.

In just a few minutes - Move

New job has got me wearing big girl shoes in an effort to appear more professional. Big girl shoes are wreaking havoc on my feet and legs.


I needed just.10.minutes. (which is good because that's really all i had). So, here is my 10 (maybe 15 minute practice)

1) 2 minutes of breath of fire in Thunderbolt pose on a block
2) Cat & cow - how ever many feel right

3) leg stretch on hands & knees - extend one leg out, point & flex  toes take ball of foot to floor. stretch thru heel and calf.
4) step foot through to low lunge -
 5) extend front leg into half monkey pose  - bend knee back into low lunge -rotate body and lift outer arm into a twist
then back to low lunge
half monkey
Repeat 3x ending w/resting in half monkey for a few cycles of breath.
6) low lunge to gate posture
7) back to low lunge.

8) cat & cow
9) knees/chest/chin
10) cobra
11) 3 legged dog (unstretched leg lifted)

12)Hands and knees
Repeat steps 3 - 12 on opposite side.
From 3 legged dog

13) Downward dog
14) Forward fold
15)Mountain

16) Arch building  exercises -
      Spread the toes wide
      Roll to the outsides of the feet ***VERY IMPORTANT to press into the outsides of the feet and NOT
      roll into the ankles.***** Keep the pinky toe active and walk from the front to the back of the mat on
      the outsides of the feet.
      Repeat on the insides of the feet ****
      Alternate the inside of one foot and the outside of the other - then switch feet.

17)Mountain
18)Lift heels and arms then rock back lifting toes and dropping arms.
19)Goddess squat with eagle arms  - both sides.
20) Sitting meditation or savasana.

Confessions of a cranky yogi

Deep breath in.

Let it out.

K. Here goes.

My name is Jennifer, & I am a cranky yogi. Right now i am anyway and ... well, often I am.

This is a difficult post for me to write. However, as i move into the next phase of life, i simply wish to live authentically. First, i need to figure out what exactly living authentically means ... or means for me anyway.

I mean, yoga people are expected to be .... what? Eternally internally mellow and externally fit? Oozing wisdom &  spirituality?

I would love to be a floaty yogi. You know. The ones who have starlight shining from their eyes and sunbeams shooting from their heart chakra. They have the yamas and niyamas down! In fact they climb all over the 8 limbs like circus performing children on monkey bars. Bitches! (see, cranky) They are simply oozing harmony and unity. So much so that Monarchs come to rest on their shoulders attracted by that sweet smelling sweaty nectar of equanimity and non-judgement.

But, I am not all that. The fact of the matter is there is this dark place where i tend to hang out frequently. Whether this place was inherited from my ancestors, or whether it was constructed from conditioning, it can be a  pretty dark place.  Sometimes, it's a place of solace and sometimes a place of deep sadness & loneliness.

My therapist tells me i am depressed. Yes. I said therapist. Because everybody needs someone to talk to sometime. & if i pay someone to listen, at least they'll act like they're listening & not interrupt. Yes?

Deep breath in.
Let it go.


But, here is the thing .... the other side of darkness is light. And honestly, spending too much time on either side is not healthy, in my opinion.  Overly happy people need to calm the hell down and overly sad people need to get over themselves (yeah, i'm including myself in that group).

So, my goal for the year is to work that balance... to take a seat in that space between darkness and light. To bask a little bit in those warm  golden rays of contentment.  Sometimes, in my area if you get to the lake at just the right time, you can see the night sky rolling in from east to west. And there is a moment of time where you are standing right in between night and day. Darkness on one side & light on the other. It's not as though the points are divided so much as they are simply working together. But it's a very comforting and powerful moment for me. And that is kind of how i define contentment - as a resting space between the happiness & sadness.  And i think to live authentically is to be content. Not complacent ... but content. and detached. contentedly detached .... balanced.

So, this is my journey.  Honestly, my chest is a little tight from pangs of anxiety as i write this. I am really a rather private person.  But the first step to anything, really, is accepting the present moment. And maybe there are others who are splashing around in a similar psychological mud pit. And, maybe, just maybe ... i can be of some use after all.


Deep breath in.
Let it go.

Music for digestion :)

Happy Thanksgiving.

Get a Core! Perfect Posture Stand Up Straight! with Psalm Isadora

Hello. 

Just wanted to real quickly share this video from Psalm Isadora about the simple act of standing. 

I say "real quickly" because honestly, this post has been a draft for at least a week. If I don't get it posted now, i never will. 

Good posture is not just for the yoga mat. Good posture, or a "strong  mountain," on the mat will eventually translate to a "strong mountain" in the grocery line, if you let it. 

Take a minute to practice along w/Psalm. 

Notice how you feel as you stand connected to your center. 

See if you can bring this posture into your day. 

& just for grins & giggles, notice how stress affects how you stand and move. 

Personally, when my day gets rough, my right foot tends  to turn outward. I sink into my hips & drop my belly forward. My shoulders, especially the left one, begin to round & my chin kind of juts out and down. And i begin to just hurl myself forward, kind of like a boulder tumbling down a hill picking up all kinds of muck becoming heavier and well.... muckier.

The really interesting thing is, the more I hunker down, the less I am aware of what is going on in my body. I can stay low to the ground and thrash my battle axe around, than wonder why my shoulders & arms hurt so damn much.

I guess, this is what I feel that I am:

Found here

Except.... you know, without the armor & .... the boobs & not nearly as cute. 

Not that there is anything wrong with being a dwarf my Tolkien friends. & in no way, NO WAY, is this intended to be malicious towards little people. 

A fantasy style dwarf is just what comes to my mind when I try to define how  my posture changes under stress. I just bear down and stomp about. & I have arthritic toes and popped ligaments and all around crazy feet problems to prove it. 

And really, the inner me is just more elfin. 

Like this:

http://www.wallfox.net/Abstract/Fantasy/water_fantasy_rocks_fairies_elf_sprites_1280x1024_wallpaper_28543

O.k. Maybe more like this: 

http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/elf-10-10-sm.jpg

At any rate, bringing awareness to how my posture really changes when I am stressed has helped me to truly feel how I am physically being affected as opposed to being a victim to the after effects of a day filled with mindless bolting to & fro. 

 This awareness allows me to work on regaining and maintaining the quiet strength of my center. 

I would like to say that I frequently stop and practice this itty bit of breath work. But I can say that i do so more often than i used to & when i do, I am happy that i did. 

Upon noticing the effects of stress on your posture -  

 - inhale acknowledging

 exhale accepting those feelings as they are in that moment 

(easing tension in the feet, facing toes forward & resting on the 4 corners of the feet)

inhale accepting 

exhale remembering that all is impermanent.

(relaxing my knees, internally rotating my thighs, scooping my tailbone, engaging my abs)

Inhale surrendering to the feelings

Exhale sending positive energy to others who may be feeling the same as I in that moment. 

(sliding my shoulder blades down, lengthening and softening my neck, relaxing my jaw, easing my gaze)

Inhale - welcoming energy from earth & sky into the core of my body

(lowering my ribs, re-scooping and connecting through tail bone and core)

Exhale sending that energy back out

Of course, I don't always get through all of the above. lol

However, the process is interesting if nothing else. 

If you have minute, give it try. See what is going on. & if you feel inclined to do so, share your findings in the comments. 

Would love to hear from you. 

Peace

another short morning sequence

This morning I found this cool online meditation timer. It's simple and, best of all, free.

My personal practice has fallen by the wayside of late. But this morning, instead of saying "screw it" to doing something good for myself because I have places to be and things to do, I said "screw it" to those places and things & took a few moments for myself. I mean, shoot! I am worth a few moments of my day. Aren't you?

And I fit a very nice simple practice into about 10-15 minutes w/the help of the online timer. It chimes a start, midway and ending tone. The midway chime is very helpful because I tend to lose track of time and either end up lopsided or running very very late into my day.

And man, did that short sequence of stretches feel gOOOOD.

So, I will share that sequence with you.

Mountain
Bring hands to low back, interlace fingers, stretch arms down the spine.
Release the hands bring arms overhead.
Fold forward.
Jacknife 3x
Step back into low lunge.
Exhale into arda hanumanasana
Inhale - low crescent lunge
repeat 3 x
High lunge
forward fold
Mountain
Repeat on other side

Mountain
forward fold
plank - 5 breaths
cobra - 5 breaths
downward dog - 5 breaths
forward fold
Mountain

Raise arms overhead interlace fingers, palms turn up & pinkies turn away. Stretch up from soles of feet to palms of hands. Keeping shoulders away from the ears. 3 - 5 breaths
standing crescent moon to one side.
Switch the hands so the opposite index finger is in front.
Repeat.

Tree - 3 - 5 breaths on both sides

Qi gong twist - dragon slithers up the column ( I practice this a bit differently than described here. But the link provides sufficient instruction)
4 x - holding on the last for 3 - 5 breaths.

2 minutes of tantric power breath

2 minutes meditation.

Aaaaaaaahhhh. That's better.

Yum-delicious Yellow Springs

A few weeks ago I had the good fortune to spend a couple of days in the sweet little town of Yellow Springs Ohio and attend a workshop w/ Angela Farmer & Victor van Kooten. And finally, I have a minute to talk about it.

Yellow Springs was a fascinating place to me. Granted, I do not get out much so I am easily impressed w/places outside my neighborhood. But Yellow Springs seems to be a small bastion of art and liberalism. An oasis for free thinkers in a mostly conservative area of a mostly conservative state. (Don't let the fact that Ohio voted blue in the past 2 elections fool you.).

During the breaks I was able to explore this place a little bit. After the workshop, I tended to go back to my motel and crash. Tuning into your inner body can be quite exhausting.

I stayed at The Springs Motel, a very cute and colorful 1950's styled motel that sits about 5 minutes outside of downtown.  Loved this place! The new owner, Kat, is incredibly accommodating and makes a killer spiced tea.

And it's so freaking adorable!

The room I had was one of their larger rooms, but it was pretty tiny by most hotel standards. However, I did not feel claustrophobic or boxed in like I usually feel in a motel. The decor was homey and had personality. And most importantly, the place was very very quiet. Some of the rooms are dog friendly as well.   Of course, I didn't think to take a picture of the room.

 This lovely reminder to respect was hung beside the door. 

I definitely recommend staying here. 

Yellow Springs is a very small town of about 4,000 people. There are plenty of places to hike and bike including the Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve (which sounds de-lovely but does not allow pets) and the Little Miami Scenic Trail. There are bike rental places in town too if you don't want to bring your own. 

Downtown is a gathering of art stores and eateries. The coolest thing about this town is that it seems that every restaurant has vegetarian options - & not just a grilled cheese and french fries. Ha Ha's Pizza offers a tofu calzone. ( This tasted better the second day than the first & I don't know that I would order it again.). & there was an ice cream place .... can't remember the name ..... but they have vegan ice cream.

Yep. Just as the sign says - all flavors available in vegan. They also had a very delicious sounding veggie quesadilla that I didn't get. 

Should've written down the name of the place but it's right next door to here. 

Yeah. That's right! Indian food cooked in a beat up trailer in a parking lot. Goddess bless Yellow Springs. 

So this one guy cooks all the food to order and from scratch. The wait time can be extreme. There were quite a few people in front of me. So, I just ordered soup and nan. Freaking delicious and just enough. I had the feeling some of the people in front of me were put off by the wait time, but it's really part of the experience and well worth it to enjoy some tasty Indian cooking. 

While you're waiting for your Indian food, you can check out one of the many artsy shops in Yellow Springs. Too many to name or describe. I am not a big shopper, more of just looking arounder. And I tend to get overwhelmed easily when in an area with a bunch of cool stuff to buy.  So.... I didn't go into too many places. 

The coolest thing to me about the town is the number of people who have dogs. Loved this. Dogs dogs everywhere. Hanging out with their owners in front of coffee shops. Milling about the streets. And it appears that many of the stores allow dogs. 

In fact, I complimented the gentle nature of a woman's black lab. She indignantly told me about just being kicked out of the glass store. I watched as the lab's tail swished side to side & thought about the horror of taking my own waggy butted lab mix into a glass store.  I asked her why she asked to leave. "Because he has a cat in there. My dog would never hurt the cat." Hahaha.  I love this place. 

The workshop was good and interesting and all that. I will write more about it at a later time. 

my take on lululemon

Saddened but not surprised by the latest lululemon nonsense. It seems that they feel that money from  average sized women is not good enough for them.

I can honestly and with great pride say that I have never shopped at Lululemon. I can barely remember how to spell the name, have no idea what the proper pronunciation is, and was not aware that there was a store in my area until a few months ago. I just really really have no interest whatsoever.

To be honest part of my non-interest may be because I think it's ridiculous to spend so much money on clothes & would feel the same even if  I had that kind of money to spend. $98.00 for a pair of pants? 50.00 for a tank top? Really?

The company has been around since 1998. I seem to remember a couple of people sporting their gear around that time, but I think that I really wasn't aware of what they did until the whole ann rand thing. Not that one has to be liberal or conservative to practice yoga. But  consider that the ideas of unity & harmony and opening your heart to unconditional love are pretty common themes in the practice. And then there is that whole ahimsa thing.... I mean....I wouldn't call Atlas Shrugged yogic reading. But that's just me.

Then recently there was that see through yoga pants thing. I don't know. I think stuff like this makes a mockery of yoga. But that's what we do in our western culture - we make mockery of things.  Goddess forbid we start to go to deep.

I recently met a gentle man from India. I could not help but ask him if he practiced yoga. He said "sometimes I sit and breathe. And, you know, that is yoga. It is different here." Yes. It is different here.

I guess the real reason I am disturbed by this latest foolishness is because yoga is an inclusive practice. Anyone, any size, any capability can have a yoga practice. And through that practice  that beautiful inner energetic self is awakened.  When that Self is awakened, When Awareness is roused, we realize that it doesn't matter what you wear to your mat. One's inner beauty, inner brightness begins to shine. And we begin to gain acceptance of our bodies. We begin to appreciate ourselves. Not that we don't work towards self improvement, towards better physical health, but we begin to walk there with more gratitude for ourselves.

As Christina Sell says in her book, Yoga From the Inside Out, "When we accept our bodies and lives in present moment just as they are, we complete the ritual exchange of prasad. Acceptance is the way we open the gift we have been given, use it to its fullest potential and say "thank you."

However, when the major cool kid yoga clothes supplier begins to exclude those of a certain body type, the practice of yoga is debased, in my opinion. There are already enough people out there who are hesitant to start the journey because they feel that they would "look foolish." Do we really need to support a company that is basically saying to them, "yes, we think you would look foolish too. So much in fact that we are not going to allow you to shop in our overpriced pretentious store."

I don't think we need to support this at all. I know I don't.

Namaste.

what's up with the dog thing?

I understand that my business card may be confusing. 

Is it yoga? Is it dog training? 

Whaaaaat? 

& if you aren't a dog person, it may even be a little off putting. 

But this cartoon begins to explain the reasoning behind my decision to put "Laughing Dog Yoga" on my business card. 

credited to www.georgiatoons.com

A short stretch for after gardening

After working in my yard for the better part of the day yesterday, i needed to stretch out a bit.

On a whim, i decided to record some of my after gardening practice.

Something i did on a "whim" ended up being quite a project, but i have a somewhat better understanding of my computer's audio and video programs - kind of.

Anyway, this is basically just me practicing. There are a lot of silent spaces because.... well, i was practicing. And the whole thing can best be described as "organic." lol.

But, here ya go.

Namaste

more reasons to practice

thanks to Hearts Expanding

Created by Danielle at http://www.designbydanielle.wordpress.com

Yoga and Weight loss

People frequently ask if yoga can help with weight loss.

Well..... yes. Yes it can. But not in the way one might think.

The practice of yoga, like weight loss, is a journey.

This article found at Elephant Journal is an interesting one. 

I especially like her reminder about our words. I rarely get colds. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I also think it has something to do with the fact that I never say that I feel as though I am "catching" a cold or "coming down" with something. The cold is trying to catch me. For some reason, once i changed my  verbage i felt more empowered to be proactive when those little germs started circling and can usually head them off at the pass. (Sometimes they still sneak up on me though).

Also, when I became a non-smoker, i was doing just that ..... becoming. Not quitting, or giving up. Becoming.

Becoming

a simple sequence for the back and shoulders

Here is a simple restful warmup sequence that i find helpful to ease an achy back and cranky shoulders.

Let me know what you think. Feel free to leave comments.


Remember - practice safely & mindfully. And check with your doctor before venturing into any exercise program.

Peace.


Lie on your back. Bend the knees and line the heels up w/ the hips.
Place your hands on the hip bones. Let the back surrender to the floor, the shoulder blades sink with heaviness.
Breathe.
Inhale deeply filling the belly. Exhale relaxing the spine.
Notice the movement of the body, the gentle rocking of the pelvis with the breath.
And deepen the breath.
As you inhale, the belly inflates, the lower back arches as the pelvis tilts towards the back of the body.
As you exhale the lower back rests into the floor as the pelvis tilts towards the front to the body and the tailbone lifts ever so slightly.
Be here. Coordinating movement with breath. Pausing at the top of the inhalation and at the bottom of the exhalation.
Stay with this movement as long as you wish.

When you are ready, move back to the starting point.
Separate the feet a bit more than hip width apart. Let the arms fall away from the body.
 Begin to slowly move the knees from side to side. There is no goal of getting a knee to the floor. Simply relax into the  feeling of the hips beginning to open.
Again, let the breath guide the movement.
Stay with this movement as long as you wish

Bring yourself back to the starting point - knees bent and heels in line w/the hips.
Place the hands, palms down, on the floor beside the hips.
As you inhale, press evenly into the feet and begin to peel the spine off the floor inhaling up just a little bit vertebrae by vertebrae. Then exhaling down the same way.
As you feel comfortable, you can roll up a little higher working up to the shoulder blades.
Allow your breath to guide this movement 6 - 8 times

Lifting the spine with the inhalation again, this time lifting the arms and bringing them to rest beside the ears.
Exhale - roll the spine to the floor and bring the hands beside the hips.
Repeat this motion 3 x.

Again, peel the back off the floor & bring the arms beside the ears with the inhalation. With the exhalation move the spine to the floor and the hands beside the hips. This time, at the bottom of the exhalation, bring the knees into the chest then roll the chest & chin up towards the knees. Take a breath here. Follow the inhalation back into bridge posture - lifted spine and arms beside the ears.
Repeat 3x

Once more lift up through the back and bring the arms up beside the ears.
Then hold the posture.
Press down evenly through the insides and outsides of the feet. The thighs should be parallel with one another.
Lift up through the fronts of the thighs and the pelvis, moving the chest towards the chin. Keep the neck natural.
Stay here in this variation of setu bandha sarvangasana bridge posture  for 5 breaths.
Slowly lower down.

Drop the hands away from the body just a little bit. Spread the feet a little wider than the hips and rock the knees side to side.

Draw the knees back to center line the heels with hips. Reach the arms up towards the ceiling. Bend the right arm and hold it right above the chest then bend the left arm and place it on top of the left (think of making a "basket" with your arms.) Keep the arms connected as you drop the left elbow towards the floor and the knees to the right. Hold here for about 5 deep breaths.
Then move back to center. Switch the arms and repeat - dropping the right elbow towards the floor and the knees to the left. And hold here.

Pull back to center. Release the arms. Roll the body to right as though you are rolling over in bed. Mindfully lift yourself  and come into simple sitting, sukhasana. Bring the hands to the knees and rotate the body 3x in one direction & 3x in the other.

Come back into the quiet of  sukhasana. From here you can continue on with your practice or sit quietly for few minutes then continue on with your day.


Namaste

Stress & you

I found this article on Huffington Post. I think it's worth a gander. In my opinion, it's another reminder of why a regular yoga practice is so important. If yoga is really not your thing, try Qi gong, tai chi, tensegrity, walking mindfully, laughter or whatever will bring your body & mind together in a compassionate mindful way. No time for movement? Then simply try sitting and breathing for 5 minutes.

If we don't learn how to manage our stress, our stress will manage us. Stress has been linked to a horde of conditions including Alzheimer's. This is what the aforementioned articles says about the hippocampus and its function:

"This is a crucial area of the brain that helps with memory -- it doesn't actually store all the memories, but decides where you will store what. "It's the director of the orchestra," Sood says. But when excessive cortisol (a stress hormone) is in your system, it can kill the hippocampus nerve cells, causing memory problems (that's why you can never find your keys when you're perpetually frazzled). The good news is that you can get those nerve cells back. What works? Meditation, relaxation, a generally healthy lifestyle and cultivation of compassion, gratitude, forgiveness and acceptance."


"The good news is that your can get those nerve cells back." 

The good news is that we don't have to be victims of our hectic lifestyles. 

If you allow it,

the practice of yoga will open your soul 

as well as your hips. 

About "Fierce Medicine"

 I have been wanting to sit and write about Ana Forrest's book Fierce Medicine for a while now.  I have started posts but have always felt too wordy or unclear in my message.  I was afraid that someone would be misinformed or I would look like a gibbering idiot. This is why I don't get a lot of stuff finished.

But enough about that. Bottom line is this: Fierce Medicine is not an airy faery book about whistling through your 3rd eye and dancing in your heart with unicorns. This is the gritty story of Forrest's life and how she became who she is today. She shares practices that can help one realize her fears & speak her truth. She also shares some wonderful meditations, breathing exercises and ceremonies to assist with releasing those deep emotional ouchies that never seem to heal. And if you are not into going that deep with your practice, she offers great stretches to open through the neck and shoulders, build up the core and ease back pain.

Forrest's writing style is simple and honest. She evens drops the f-bomb a couple of times - but only a couple. This is a book for the common person. I did not get a Lulumon, hard tail, shiny bamboo floor feeling from her writing.  But I got the feeling that maybe what I am looking for in my own practice and life - healing, strength, courage - Kali ferocity - is attainable. And maybe I am worthy of it.

a practice for a quiet mind

One my biggest challenges is simply rolling out my mat then stepping onto it. For the longest time I felt that if I did not have a complete hour or longer to dedicate to asana & pranayama, the practice simply wasn't worth doing. However the "hour" rarely, if ever presented itself.  & I found myself just getting tighter & crankier. 

So, practice, whether it consists of 5 minutes of pranayama & 5 minutes of meditation or holding one pose then a counterpose on both sides of the body is still practice - & very beneficial.


So, here is a suggestion for a short 15 - 20 minute asana practice to help you ground, center & quiet your mind for the challenges of your day or to unwind after a busy day. 


*As always, practice with compassion and gratitude for your physical abilities. Please consult your doctor before practicing asana, pranayama or any exercise  
program. 




1. Tadasana(mountain) - finding your posture - acknowledging your breath - grounding down through the feet, lengthening up through the side body, opening the heart center, quieting the mind - breathing in gratitude, compassion & acceptance.


2. standing yoga mudra holding for 5 breaths 


3. uttanasana(forward fold) - place hands on shins or thighs - inhale lengthen/straighten through the spine - exhale uttanasana - 3x


4. Rishi's posture - hold for 3-5 breaths each side - relax into uttanasana in between left and right side


5. uttanasana 


6. Inhale to tadasana - moving into a slight backbend


7.chandrasana (standing crescent moon)- both sides- 3-5breaths


8. uttanasana


9. Rt. foot steps back - high lunge arms overhead - 3-5 breaths


10 exhale into low lunge. Move w/the breath, straighten the front leg w/the exhalation & bend w/the inhalation 5x


11. Low lunge - arms overhead


12. High lunge


13. Rotate into utkata konasana (goddess pose)


14. In utkata konasana, inhale arms overhead, straighten legs. Exhale into goddess with hands on thighs - kapalabhati breath. Inhale arms overhead, straight legs. Repeat 3x


15. Tadasana


16. Steps 8-13 on opposite side. Hold utkata konasana for 3- 5 breaths


17. Tadasana


18. vrksasana (tree pose) - rt. knee bent - 3-5 breaths


19. Step back w/right foot - lunge. Move through a sun salutation slooowly. Hold each element for 3 - 5 breaths.


20. Tadasana


21. Steps 18-20 opposite side


22.malasana (yogic squat)


23. baddha konasana (cobbler's pose)


24. Navasana (boat pose)


25. Move from navasana into baddha konasana - 3 - 5 x


26. baddha konasana - relax forward w/a straight spine.


27. supta baddha konasana (reclined cobbler's pose) relax here as long as you need.


28. Savasana


Namaste