Thanks to Down Under, I am lucky enough to be able to study with Natasha Rizopoulis. Natasha is a true teacher's teacher: I was honored to be practicing with Jane Cargill, a wonderfully compassionate instructor and truth seeker in the Boston area, right next to me. (Jane introduced me to Love Without Conditions, which has since become one of my favorite books).
What I love about Natasha's class is its unapologetic, authentic and organic commitment to both intensity and alignment. That's my favorite kind of practice, and the kind that seeds lasting change within me. Natasha is incredibly personal and constantly in the process of interacting with and adjusting her students. That lends a sense of creation in the moment to the class, that the class is coming in and out of the interaction, and the framework of alignment is occurring as observances are made in class.
Some points of class today (and what I can remember from a few weeks ago):
-In bhujangasana (cobra), make sure that your wrist is slightly above your elbow, this will give you the leverage to pull your elbows back and open your heart.
-In all poses where you interlace your hands behind your back: don't pull your hands down, this may have the negative effect of jutting your shoulders forward. Instead, pull the hands back.
now tuck the tailbone. engage the core, lower ribs in....
-In crescent lunge, press the heel of the front foot into the ground to engage the core and tuck the tailbone.
It makes me think about how paradoxical yoga is. I used to think of it as mildly amusing: you move quickly in order to relax the mind, you accept things in order to change them, the list goes on. But it really hits hard when it comes to alignment. You straighten your back leg and your lower ribs jut out, you pull them back in, then open your shoulders, that makes you stick out your tailbone, so roll it back down.
A constant process of noticing, correcting, overcompensating, correcting, noticing....
sounds like life : /
Love.
Showing posts with label Down Under Yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Down Under Yoga. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Justine's @ 5:30
Points to heart opening:
1. Tuck the tailbone....bend from the middle back
2. Use the core....engage the core through abdominal exercises, then tighten the core to pull the pelvis forward, tailbone down, and lengthen the lower back.
3. Pull the shoulders back....notice how there is a paradoxical opposition between tucking your tailbone and your shoulders jutting forward. Now, pull your tailbone back.
4. Rotate the inner tights towards each other, this spreads the sacrum.
We then moved into warrior 1 and reverse warrior, before moving into this fantastic partnered backbending series. One partner held the other's ankles (thumbs on the inside), as she or he moved into bridge or wheel.
It felt like someone cracked open a safe in my chest. Love.
1. Tuck the tailbone....bend from the middle back
2. Use the core....engage the core through abdominal exercises, then tighten the core to pull the pelvis forward, tailbone down, and lengthen the lower back.
3. Pull the shoulders back....notice how there is a paradoxical opposition between tucking your tailbone and your shoulders jutting forward. Now, pull your tailbone back.
4. Rotate the inner tights towards each other, this spreads the sacrum.
We then moved into warrior 1 and reverse warrior, before moving into this fantastic partnered backbending series. One partner held the other's ankles (thumbs on the inside), as she or he moved into bridge or wheel.
It felt like someone cracked open a safe in my chest. Love.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Backbends
Oh my god, backbends.
Every time I take Chanel's class, I feel like I just learned about ten new poses or variations; I love learning how infinite the body's potential for various movements is.
This class was special. For many, many reasons.
1. The "being" sun salutations. That's what I loved so much about the last class but forgot to blog about! The central idea is that intent of the next sun salutation is going to be "I am empowered". So, you do a sun salutation with that in mind.
I am empowered, one flow,
I am free, another flow,
I am brave, I think I remember, but I'm not sure. Perhaps I am courage- I am confident? I am bold? Identity crisis :)
I absolutely love these- they are such affirmations and mantras. The power of saying something, is huge, but imagine the power of committing yourself to a sequence of actions while consciously trying to eminate that type of being.
2. An intense backbending series. I love backbending. It is incredibly detoxifying, mentally and physically, and yes I had traces of that headache that informs you that, though you may have been a bit toxic lately, at least it's coursing through you instead of stuck. We did shower pose, then heart opening back-bends with the thighs against the wall, and camel. Incredibly intense, I was exhausted afterwards.
3. Lastly, and more personally, for the first time, EVER, in class, I paused in a momentary handstand on my way to utanasana from downward dog. I've been able to do this in my home practice, but never in class before. It's scary for a few reasons: 1. Accidentally hitting someone in the head with your feet. Awkward.... 2. A subtle fear of appearing attention-grabbing. I think this is a cowardly thought- if a friend mentioned this to me, I would reply, "but it's yoga, no one cares what you are doing and B. if it is not your intent, and you have no other reason to believe you would be perceived as such, why would you worry?". Eating one's own words is important...
Every time I take Chanel's class, I feel like I just learned about ten new poses or variations; I love learning how infinite the body's potential for various movements is.
This class was special. For many, many reasons.
1. The "being" sun salutations. That's what I loved so much about the last class but forgot to blog about! The central idea is that intent of the next sun salutation is going to be "I am empowered". So, you do a sun salutation with that in mind.
I am empowered, one flow,
I am free, another flow,
I am brave, I think I remember, but I'm not sure. Perhaps I am courage- I am confident? I am bold? Identity crisis :)
I absolutely love these- they are such affirmations and mantras. The power of saying something, is huge, but imagine the power of committing yourself to a sequence of actions while consciously trying to eminate that type of being.
2. An intense backbending series. I love backbending. It is incredibly detoxifying, mentally and physically, and yes I had traces of that headache that informs you that, though you may have been a bit toxic lately, at least it's coursing through you instead of stuck. We did shower pose, then heart opening back-bends with the thighs against the wall, and camel. Incredibly intense, I was exhausted afterwards.
3. Lastly, and more personally, for the first time, EVER, in class, I paused in a momentary handstand on my way to utanasana from downward dog. I've been able to do this in my home practice, but never in class before. It's scary for a few reasons: 1. Accidentally hitting someone in the head with your feet. Awkward.... 2. A subtle fear of appearing attention-grabbing. I think this is a cowardly thought- if a friend mentioned this to me, I would reply, "but it's yoga, no one cares what you are doing and B. if it is not your intent, and you have no other reason to believe you would be perceived as such, why would you worry?". Eating one's own words is important...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tom Hogan
A solid short post about a solid short class:
Tom Hogan has found the way to be knowledgable and confident without the slightest trace of ego, a sense of complete acceptance, respect and humility. I'd love to ask him, what's your secret? How do you impart such an accepting awareness with precise alignment?
I was also impressed by an energy shift he picked up on in class. "it seems like I'm picking up a vibe- you guys want to do core work". It's easy to imagine someone saying this sarcastically, I know, but this wasn't the case- Tom was not being sarcastic. There was indeed this restlessness pervading the front row- at the time, I felt the intense urge to go running. After some corework and pidgeon, I relaxed a little.
What I loved about Tom's class was that there was no throwaway pose, everything we did was imbued with such meaning. I never felt we did a single down dog as, oh you know, as an expected part of class. There were so many sun salutations, and some how each one felt completely unexpected. Energy liberated from the snow.
Down Under Yoga: Lunch Flow: Tom Hogan. Immediate post-class thoughts.
Tom Hogan has found the way to be knowledgable and confident without the slightest trace of ego, a sense of complete acceptance, respect and humility. I'd love to ask him, what's your secret? How do you impart such an accepting awareness with precise alignment?
I was also impressed by an energy shift he picked up on in class. "it seems like I'm picking up a vibe- you guys want to do core work". It's easy to imagine someone saying this sarcastically, I know, but this wasn't the case- Tom was not being sarcastic. There was indeed this restlessness pervading the front row- at the time, I felt the intense urge to go running. After some corework and pidgeon, I relaxed a little.
What I loved about Tom's class was that there was no throwaway pose, everything we did was imbued with such meaning. I never felt we did a single down dog as, oh you know, as an expected part of class. There were so many sun salutations, and some how each one felt completely unexpected. Energy liberated from the snow.
Down Under Yoga: Lunch Flow: Tom Hogan. Immediate post-class thoughts.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Double Luck
I wonder how many posts I could write about Chanel before the temptation to title them with her last name as a pun over whelms me. Lucky again? Double Luck?
Waves come in three, so of course I get hit again with a strong and gorgeous dose of flow yoga, which I am convinced is the perfect cure. I'm a bit sad that I waited to write this post instead of blogging immediately, because although the impression the class made on me was profound, it is difficult to pinpoint the precise points. I think what's more telling is the way that I've been incorporating the hip and shoulder joint mandala into my daily morning practice, and how I've found freedom in mandalas. I also want to use the child's pose shoulder manadala in my opening sequences- I'll ask about that Saturday. I like asking permission and crediting inspiration, yes,I know no one "invented yoga", but it's nice, you know.
Again, my love of Chanel's seamless sequence, that tricky lunge where the top of the floor remains on the floor while you lift the knee. I take every opportunity to become more fluid in a pose, to get a little bit uncertain. This time I got the savasanah I wanted. And so much more : )
Taking class Saturday morning again. I'll write down the details right away next time.
Waves come in three, so of course I get hit again with a strong and gorgeous dose of flow yoga, which I am convinced is the perfect cure. I'm a bit sad that I waited to write this post instead of blogging immediately, because although the impression the class made on me was profound, it is difficult to pinpoint the precise points. I think what's more telling is the way that I've been incorporating the hip and shoulder joint mandala into my daily morning practice, and how I've found freedom in mandalas. I also want to use the child's pose shoulder manadala in my opening sequences- I'll ask about that Saturday. I like asking permission and crediting inspiration, yes,I know no one "invented yoga", but it's nice, you know.
Again, my love of Chanel's seamless sequence, that tricky lunge where the top of the floor remains on the floor while you lift the knee. I take every opportunity to become more fluid in a pose, to get a little bit uncertain. This time I got the savasanah I wanted. And so much more : )
Taking class Saturday morning again. I'll write down the details right away next time.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Chanel Luck
I found yoga Down Under.
That's not a poorly executed pun, it's a studio. And a brilliant one at that.
If one could read the underlying current at Down Under it would sound something like this: genuine respect for students, love between instructors, joy for the practice and my favorite: community. They started in 2004, and now have master teachers that including Patricia Walden and Shiva Rea.
I had intended to take an Iyengar class (their Iyengar program was very strong), but the temptation to take a "Flow 2/3" class was overwhelming.
...and so worth it. I love vinyasa. I really, really do. I took Chanel Luck's class and it was everything I love about vinyasa: dynamic, fluid, challenging and inspirational and soothing all at once. I felt incredibly comfortable in her presence (which may explain why I flipped/fell over so frequently....I have the greatest Falls Per Class ratio of any yoga student I have ever met!). There were a bunch of poses I loved, too, that I normally don't work on.
1. Lizard pose with dynamic movement, and reaching forward with the right arm and bringing it to the side- the effect is the the shoulder is above the kneed. If one had the balance, they could even move into a bind.
2. This low lunge...not anjaneyasana....it's when you're in a lunge similar to the ones you would do in gym class....I will have to ask about it tomorrow, and I'll update this post then.
3. Another gym-class reminiscent pose. I actually heard a teacher call it just that...when you cross your feet and bend forward. I noticed a greater possibility to activate the bandas and pull one's navel in, allowing a more powerful forward bend.
4. Playing with one-legged crow.
It was a perfect class. I would have wished only for a longer savasanah, and that I can do only own afterwards :)
That's not a poorly executed pun, it's a studio. And a brilliant one at that.
If one could read the underlying current at Down Under it would sound something like this: genuine respect for students, love between instructors, joy for the practice and my favorite: community. They started in 2004, and now have master teachers that including Patricia Walden and Shiva Rea.
I had intended to take an Iyengar class (their Iyengar program was very strong), but the temptation to take a "Flow 2/3" class was overwhelming.
...and so worth it. I love vinyasa. I really, really do. I took Chanel Luck's class and it was everything I love about vinyasa: dynamic, fluid, challenging and inspirational and soothing all at once. I felt incredibly comfortable in her presence (which may explain why I flipped/fell over so frequently....I have the greatest Falls Per Class ratio of any yoga student I have ever met!). There were a bunch of poses I loved, too, that I normally don't work on.
1. Lizard pose with dynamic movement, and reaching forward with the right arm and bringing it to the side- the effect is the the shoulder is above the kneed. If one had the balance, they could even move into a bind.
2. This low lunge...not anjaneyasana....it's when you're in a lunge similar to the ones you would do in gym class....I will have to ask about it tomorrow, and I'll update this post then.
3. Another gym-class reminiscent pose. I actually heard a teacher call it just that...when you cross your feet and bend forward. I noticed a greater possibility to activate the bandas and pull one's navel in, allowing a more powerful forward bend.
4. Playing with one-legged crow.
It was a perfect class. I would have wished only for a longer savasanah, and that I can do only own afterwards :)
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