~ Namaste ~

Archive for the ‘Sequencing’ Category

Popped down to New Haven to take & teach a class at Fresh Yoga under the lovely eyes of Forrest Yoga mentor Heidi Sormaz.
Two distinct bits of feedback stand out for me.
1) Forrest Yoga focuses on opening & supporting the joints.  When teaching it, prioritize giving cues that help with that very significant aspect of [...]

The past few days since I last posted were defined by a short visit to Fresh Yoga (www.freshyoga.com) in New Haven to see my mentor, the lovely & talented Heidi Sormaz.  
Here’s Heidi, being fabulous:

It’s also been good to take a little time NOT trying to put everything into words.  Words are great.  I love words.  But by defining & structuring [...]

Okay, got the duct tape out for the computer one more time (figuratively speaking… or not… & have the chance to type up today’s sequence. I like poses that get people warmed up for Astavakrasana & also enjoyed mostly leaving out chatarangas. It was a small class with injuries that didn’t [...]

Today I did a very nice melty two hour practice.  Tomorrow I have am practice here, then will drive to Providence, RI with Beloved Husband for an Ana weekend at Raffa Yoga!  Too awesome.

Here’s Monday’s class sequencing, btw.  It was a fun day.  I love Monday holidays because attendance at a mid-morning class goes way up & everyone is quite happy to be playing on a school day, as it were.     It’s also fun to keep pointing out during an inversion class that any pose that brings your head below the level of your heart counts to inversion “quota” & turns the world upside down. 

Theme: Connect with what joy feels like in your body.  Use the energy generated from the poses to feed that joy & in turn, feed your spirit.

Props: Block, roll, blanket

Pranayama: inhale, hold, exhale into uddiyana, hold

Seated roll backs with a block, warming up the spine

Abs with a roll

Leg circles

Bridge over a block, adding leg circles

Rolling like a ball

Down dog, with leg lifts & circles

Rag doll

Classical suns (use blanket for back knee)

Agni sara in horse stance, 4 sets

Forward bend with neck traction

Wall: 

Down dog at wall, adding leg lift & optional circles

Chair at wall (block)

Handstand 

Forward bend at wall

Dolphin at wall

Bridge

Forearm balance or handstand, adding agni sara optional

Returning to center:

B series into

WII, Reverse warrior, extended side angle, bird of paradise or standing leg extension

Ostrich, Head to ankle variations

Seated cross-legged twist or half lotus spinal twist

Shoulderstand (blanket) or bridge at the wall (for neck tweaky)

Eagle legs spinal twist

Savasana

Monday’s class!  I like this one because it was largely created on the fly & went well overall.  I had a friend in class request hips/shoulders, & I’ve been obsessed with directing breath, especially into the ribs/back when the stomach is working.  That theme starts in this class with the rollbacks & climaxes with crow/scissors variations.

Theme: Recognize breath is life.  And that life force (yours!) is precious.  Cherish each breath & send it where it’s most useful!

Technique: Directing breath into areas of the body

Props: Block

Seated pranayama: Sivananda breath

Kneepile, shoulder shrugs & circles

Rollbacks (Pilates move) with a block, adding twist after first few sets

Figure 4 back release

Bridge with figure 4

Down dog, with hip opening

Rag doll

Surya namaskara A, 4

Surya namaskara B, 2 — add variations of leg reaching out in DD, also knee to chest

Own choice of A or B series, 1-2x

SN B to:

WII; Reverse Warrior, Extended warrior

Plank with knee to outside of elbow

SN B to:
WII; Extended warrior variation (half bind) into standing pigeon OR full bind into Easy Bird of Paradise

Chair, twisting chair

Crow or Squat

SN B to:

Ostrich; Head to Ankle variations

Demo crow/scissors variations

DD into crow/scissors variations OR repeat Head to Ankle variations

Half lotus spinal twist

Reclined spinal twist

Savasana: guided meditation directing breath into chakras, using hands on chakra areas to help

After some knee tweakiness that kept me doing a mellow hour at home yesterday, I was back at sweaty studio for 2 hrs & it felt reeaallly good.  I loved New Haven, but the studio heat was not enough.  My body this winter is craving heat like nobody’s business. 

Said as the snowstorm approache Boston…

Classes today were diverse & entertaining.  Did hour at sweatlodge 0630-0730 to warm up to teach 9-1030 at BBY, then “warmed down” *hee! not so much!* with Vanessa’s Hip Hop class.

Today’s lesson plan is below.  It uses a lot of uddiyana & joint circles to get folks in touch with core stabilization, then finishes up with peak poses at the wall.  If you’ve never done arm/leg circles in a balance or uddiyana/agni sara while in a forewarm balance, do try it!!  It will crack ya up.

Theme: not forcing through poses, letting things move
Technique: Uddiyana bandha & joint rotations
 
Demo uddiyana standing

Uddiyana on back, knees parallel, internal & externally rotated
 
Still lying down, thigh circles manually
Figure four cross, extend leg, point/flex foot, circle ankles
Extended full leg circles (pilates)
Double straight leg with block
Elbow to knee with block & extend leg straight to ceiling
 
Kneeling cat cow, uddiyana in neutral tabletop
Neutral tabletop again: opposing arm/leg reach; add circles & uddiyana option
Down dog – extend leg, circle bent knee, circle ankle, circle straight leg
(can also be done on hands & knees)
 
Rag doll with side bend;  soft forward bend, hands down, back long with uddiyana

SN A x 4/5
 
SN B to Lunge with arm circles; Easy twisting lunge with uddiyana
 
SN B to Side plank; option to add arm circles 
 
SN B DD into WII; Reverse: Side Angle
 
SN B to Side plank; option to add leg circles or both arm & leg
 
Vinyasa from there out can be left out, or done with side planks instead of chat/backbend

Chair with uddiyana; Twisting chair (optional uddiyana)

WII; Triangle; Half Moon — option to add upper arm or leg circles
 
 
Tree with shoulder circles
Standing bent knee twist with uddiyana
Repeat standing balance of choice

 
Wall:

Down dog on wall — opt to lift & circle leg;

Chair with block, uddiyana or agni sara

Dolphin at wall – opt to lift & circle leg

Bridge at wall

Forearm balance &/or Handstand with uddiyana or agni sara
  
Bridge or Viparita at wall; headstand; shoulder stand choice
  
Reclined twist
 
Sava — legs up wall option

Awesome awesome awesome day.  Hiked through wind & snow to snuggly Back Bay.  Taught 9-10:30, took Vanessa’s Hip Hop 10:30-12 & then did Peter’s Freedom Joy Yoga workshop 12:30-2:30.  Phew, I’m a wee bit tired now!  

Today’s class was a very lungey backbending class.  Mostly improvised at the time with a basic jist of intention– I’m experimenting with working more intuitively somedays though I do love having a class at least lightly planned.  Focus was on opening hip flexor/front of thigh as well as lifting and breathing into the ribs, both to help facilitate backbending.  I have become obsessive on prep for healthy backbending.

Props: block, strap, blanket

Technique: Telescope ribs, tuck tailbone

Theme: Pick spot in body that needs more freedom or healing

Pranayama: Kapalabhati, 1 round of 25, 1 round of 50, 1 round of 75-100

Abs: Elbow to knee, twisted root (both stages)

Down dog with lifted leg into knee-to-chest, knee-to-elbow, knee-to-opposite elbow

Rag doll

Classical Suns, 3 together, 2 on own (use blanket to pad knee in lunges)

B series into:

- low lunge; low lunge with hands at hips telescope ribs

Wall work:

- Down dog at wall; Chest opener at wall; Handstand; Lunges at the wall

B series with held backbends (boat/low cobra/cobra or up dog) into:

- Lounge lunge

Chair/twisting chair/side crow or twisting scissors

B series with held backbends (boat/low cobra/cobra or up dog) into:

- WI, long hold, add in hands at hips to telescope ribs then into WI backbend

Dancer either holding foot or using strap

B series with held backbends (boat/low cobra/cobra or up dog) into seated

- Bridge with Block; Bridge/Wheel (optional)/Bridge

Repeat backbend of choice: boat, low cobra, cobra, up dog, dancer, bridge or wheel for 10 breaths

Unwinding the back:

- Elbow to knee with extended leg going straight to ceiling

- Pigeon each side

- Supine bent knee twist

Savasana

It was nice teaching on the solstice.  I was thinking about it on the way into the studio & came up with the theme on the T ride. 

I find it intriguing & comforting that the shortest day of the year marks the turning point towards spring.  The darkest of times heralds a new beginning, even if it’s not obvious for some time.  Long before the frost melts & the flowers come out, change has occurred.  So we set the intention of finding renewal, even (especially!) in the midst of darkness. 

Class plan was focused physically on neck, hips, shoulders.  Kinda went like this:

Pranayama, cross-legged: Inhale, hold; exhale to uddiyana, hold

Unlocking the hips in Baddha Konasana

Rollbacks with block between thighs

Figure four hip/back release with leg extension

Twisting abs with a roll

Bridge with a block, figure four

Dolphin with one leg up

Classical Suns, 3 together, 2 alone

At wall: Dolphin, Chair with block, Forearm balance, Twisting Chair alternated with standing forward bend

Center: Twisting chair alternated with standing forward bends

B series into:

1) WII; Reverse warrior with neck release; Extended side angle variation with half bind

2) Triangle; Half Moon; Standing Splits

3) WI; Ostrich; Head to ankle prep; Head to ankle

Down dog to seated

Half Lotus Spinal Twist (strap modification)

Closing pose choice: Shoulderstand; Headstand; Pigeon

Savasana

Did Peter’s class after my own.  Up WAAAY early tomorrow to practice before our flight.  Cross fingers!!!

This morning’s class at Back Bay was quite mellow (for me .  I figure during the weeks going into the holidays, people’s lives are rough enough & there’s no need for buttkicking in yoga.    Focused on neck, hips, shoulders — it’s a classic Forrest physical focus, as is picking a specific spot to work on during class. 

The non-Forrestisms include the rolling bridge (Pilates based move there), abs with a block between the feet (that’s also a Pilates  move, specifically a variation on Double Straight Leg), hips circling in cat/cow/Down Dog, stepping back from a twisting chair into a twisting lunge, oh and the externally rotated lounge lunge especially with the back knee coming in.

Folding over a roll in child’s pose & a forward bend, using a block for the elbow to knee variation as well as the use of the strap for birdwing are my own devices, but I think are quite within the Forrest paradigm.   Pigeon with the back knee in while forward folding is quite Forrest & fab, btw.

Theme: Pick an area that is tense or shutdown & needs to release & open

Technique: Relaxed neck, use of roll, uddiyana

Props: Strap, block, roll, blanket

Crosslegged — set theme; Pranayama – Nadhi Shodhana

Kneepile: Shoulder shrugs; birdwing with a strap; side bend with neck release

Abs: Elbow to knee, feet down first then with knees over hips.  For the second variation, hold block with thighs & do Elbow to knee variation with opposite leg straightening to ceiling (in order to start opening hamstring & easier on back)

Rolling bridge

Abs 2: Hold block at ankles, leg straight to ceiling (ish).  Lower legs a few inches (low back presses on mat) then lift SLOWLY to a count of 5 or so

Held bridge, with block support as needed.  Add leg extension each side.

Cat/Cow/ribcage & hip circles

Child’s pose over a roll

Down Dog with leg up: ankle, then hip circles

Rag doll over a roll

Classical Suns — slowly, blanket down to protect knees.  Go from boat, to low cobra, to cobra.  3 together, 2 on own.

Horse stance with uddiyana/Wide leg forward bend, hands clasped/Horse stance with agni sara/Wide leg forward bend with neck traction

Chair to twisting chair to forward bend, each side

Twisting chair; step back to twisting lunge; knee down, low lunge; externally rotate front foot, bend back knee into buttock, slight twist & back bend, each side

Vinyasa into:

- Warrior II; Reverse warrior with neck release; Extended Side Angle

- Warrior I; chest opener; Ostrich; full bind; Easy bird of paradise (or standing pigeon if not binding)

- Pigeon; pigeon with back foot in

Shoulderstand, variations welcome or Viparita karani

Plough (optional)

Karnapidasana (optional)

Support fish using roll at back of shoulderblades & block under head

Savasana

After class, took Peter’s noon hour-long Journey to the Core & just did some light stretching.  Have to say, getting warmed up this morning was tough after a day off!

Well, due to a variety of reasons, my turn as an assistant at Back Bay looks to be complete.  I mourned last night and today am focusing on moving on;  resetting my schedule a bit and working on setting up a volunteer gig.  Hopefully there will be more on that soon!

Also taking the time now to give some general guidelines for how a Forrest class gets put together.  These are pretty top-level, basic things & I hope to give a more nuanced discussion later since I get toset the groundwork today.

Generally speaking, a Forrest class runs like this:

1) Centering/theme/intention/grounding

2)  Pranayama

3) Warm up pose or two, like a side bend, gentle twist, neck stretch, hip or shoulder opener

4) More warming/strengthening stuff.  For example,  a Dolphin/Dog variation follwed by Abs, then Bridge.   Or maybe Abs, then Bridge (to stretch abs out & lengthen low back as well as backbend prep) followed by Dolphin/Dogs.

5) Maybe more Ab work in the form of standing Uddiyana/Agni Sara/Nauli.  Maybe it’s wall time.  

6)  Moving into the “Hot Zone.”  Can start with Classical Suns.  Or go into B Series with 2-3 Standing pose variations put in.  Or a Standing Serie (5-15 standing poses done in a row on each side; no vinyasas)

7)  Perhaps wall work if not already done.  Can put wall work in lots of places.  Personally, I love it after the first warm up stuff or after doing Suns, before the meat of the Hot Zone cuz folks aren’t too tired yet.  But if the Apex pose is at the wall, it would go after everyone is nice and hot.

8 ) Apex pose.  The class ideally has been working up to this all along, warming up, getting technique & alignment set.  Depending on the class, this might be something as simple as a pigeon variation or deeper backbend, ranging on up to Scorpion or some other funky arm balance or perhaps a lotus entanglement.

9) Warm down.  Depending on the apex pose, warming down might include more abs (great for warming down!  really!), even standing poses in a simpler series (also great! really!), that wall work, or it could be more “traditional” warm downs like slow hip openers, forward bends, shoulderstand & variations, twists etc.

10) Savasana, then seated closing.  Yummmm.

That’s the jist/outline of a Forrest practice.  It gets more complicated, of course, and has lots of variations but that’s a start! 

Today’s practice has me off to Back Bay for Nicoline’s morning class & hopefully Kate’s nooner as well.   Got a good feeling about it.