In honor of Gurujis birthday, here is a sequence for all to enjoy. As always, be present in mind, spirit, and breath. If you know you need a brick/chair or even a wall for these standing poses please use it.
Bharadvajasana I
Marichyasana III and I
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Trikonasana
Parivrtta Trikonasana
Parsvottanasana-hands to bricks
Parsvottanasana-Classic asana
Uttanasana-Classic asana
Supta Tadasana
Supta Padangusthasana I, II, and parivrtta
Urdvha Prasarita Padasana 90 degrees only
Dandasana
Upavistha Konasana-use chair for head and arms
Janusirsasana-use chair for head and arms
Viparita karani with bolster
Savasana
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Happy Birthday Guriji. B.K.S. Iyengar is 93 and going strong.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sequence from Northglenn Wednesday
Standing Poses
Adho Mukha Virasana-twisting to the right, pressing outer left hip down to get extension through low back and sacral band, then to the left and pressing outer right hip down to get extension
Jathara Parivartanasana with knees bent (if you have a friend around, have them help you keep your opposite shoulder down and and 2nd person to help you move your top hip away from your shoulder)
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Uttanasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Parivrtta Trikonasana
Ardha Chandrasana
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana-move into this pose from Parivrtta Trikonasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Virasana-repeat that sequence from the beginning
Viparita Karani
Savasana
**Do all poses twice and focus on the revolving of the abdomen, but keeping the hips neutral. Notice the connection of the mound of the big toe and the movement of the outer hip to draw it in and back. Keep balanced in the revolved poses by pressing the back heel as much as the front big toe mound. Breath and have fun because you are doing yoga!
Adho Mukha Virasana-twisting to the right, pressing outer left hip down to get extension through low back and sacral band, then to the left and pressing outer right hip down to get extension
Jathara Parivartanasana with knees bent (if you have a friend around, have them help you keep your opposite shoulder down and and 2nd person to help you move your top hip away from your shoulder)
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Uttanasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Parivrtta Trikonasana
Ardha Chandrasana
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana-move into this pose from Parivrtta Trikonasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Virasana-repeat that sequence from the beginning
Viparita Karani
Savasana
**Do all poses twice and focus on the revolving of the abdomen, but keeping the hips neutral. Notice the connection of the mound of the big toe and the movement of the outer hip to draw it in and back. Keep balanced in the revolved poses by pressing the back heel as much as the front big toe mound. Breath and have fun because you are doing yoga!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sutra of the Week
II.28 yoganganusthanat asuddhiksaye jnanadiptih avivekakhyateh
*By dedicated practice of the various aspects of yoga, impurities are destroyed: the crown of wisdom radiates glory.
**Patanjali sums up the effects of yoga in this one sutra. He says that by regular and devoted practice, the impurities of the sadhakas body and mind are consumed, the causes of afflictions removed and the crown of wisdom is acquired. This wisdom and achievement keep the sadhaka innocent and free of pride. Yoga can cure or lessen our physical, mental, moral, and spiritual sufferings. Perfection and success are certain only if one practises with love and whole-hearted dedication.
-Light on the yoga sutras-BKS Iyengar
Enough said.
*By dedicated practice of the various aspects of yoga, impurities are destroyed: the crown of wisdom radiates glory.
**Patanjali sums up the effects of yoga in this one sutra. He says that by regular and devoted practice, the impurities of the sadhakas body and mind are consumed, the causes of afflictions removed and the crown of wisdom is acquired. This wisdom and achievement keep the sadhaka innocent and free of pride. Yoga can cure or lessen our physical, mental, moral, and spiritual sufferings. Perfection and success are certain only if one practises with love and whole-hearted dedication.
-Light on the yoga sutras-BKS Iyengar
Enough said.
Yoga for Bone Health
Here is a blog entry from my friend Lisa at Santosha yoga in Denver:
Did you know that bone loss normally begins at the age of 30? In the average population, 55% of people older than 50 years of age will have low bone density. Women are as likely to die from a hip fracture as from breast cancer. Men are more likely to have a hip fracture than prostate cancer. Yoga to the rescue!I am excited to share the results of a study done on bone loss and yoga. The study was conducted by Dr. Loren Fishman and Ellen Saltonstall, who presented the results in March of 2009. All participants in the study had already been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia (a pre-cursor to osteoporosis). Participants were an average age of 68, and had a bone density test done at the start of the two year study for a baseline . The control group made no changes, while the experimental group only performed ten minutes of yoga a day. They were given ten yoga poses, holding each pose for 20 to 30 seconds, with a 5 to 10 minute Savasana following the sequence. After two years, another bone density test was performed. The control group showed a T-score loss of -.12 of the spine, and -.07 of the hip. The Yoga group showed the average T-score improvement of .69 of the spine, and .87 of the hip. (Bone Mineral Density is measured in T-scores, as provided by DEXA scans, as well as blood and urine tests). We’ve all heard that impact exercises stimulate bone growth, but gravity is only second best to the action of muscles pulling on the bones. Yoga poses act on the bones by “applying forces of opposing muscle groups to them that greatly exceed gravity, stimulating bone cells (osteocytes) to create more bone.” Dr. Fishman also said, Yoga helps grow bone mass, but because yoga poses pull and stretch the bones from every conceivable angle, yoga also may stimulate the formation of a bone structure that is able to resist greater amounts of pressure, as well as many different types of challenges”. Dr. Fishman also found the bone stimulating effect was found to begin at 12 seconds of holding a pose, and continued to increase until 72 seconds, after which there was no increase in effect.In conclusion, yoga has been proven to be beneficial in stimulating bone growth, even in older patients already displaying bone density loss. Doesn’t it make you want to get your Down Dog on?
Did you know that bone loss normally begins at the age of 30? In the average population, 55% of people older than 50 years of age will have low bone density. Women are as likely to die from a hip fracture as from breast cancer. Men are more likely to have a hip fracture than prostate cancer. Yoga to the rescue!I am excited to share the results of a study done on bone loss and yoga. The study was conducted by Dr. Loren Fishman and Ellen Saltonstall, who presented the results in March of 2009. All participants in the study had already been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia (a pre-cursor to osteoporosis). Participants were an average age of 68, and had a bone density test done at the start of the two year study for a baseline . The control group made no changes, while the experimental group only performed ten minutes of yoga a day. They were given ten yoga poses, holding each pose for 20 to 30 seconds, with a 5 to 10 minute Savasana following the sequence. After two years, another bone density test was performed. The control group showed a T-score loss of -.12 of the spine, and -.07 of the hip. The Yoga group showed the average T-score improvement of .69 of the spine, and .87 of the hip. (Bone Mineral Density is measured in T-scores, as provided by DEXA scans, as well as blood and urine tests). We’ve all heard that impact exercises stimulate bone growth, but gravity is only second best to the action of muscles pulling on the bones. Yoga poses act on the bones by “applying forces of opposing muscle groups to them that greatly exceed gravity, stimulating bone cells (osteocytes) to create more bone.” Dr. Fishman also said, Yoga helps grow bone mass, but because yoga poses pull and stretch the bones from every conceivable angle, yoga also may stimulate the formation of a bone structure that is able to resist greater amounts of pressure, as well as many different types of challenges”. Dr. Fishman also found the bone stimulating effect was found to begin at 12 seconds of holding a pose, and continued to increase until 72 seconds, after which there was no increase in effect.In conclusion, yoga has been proven to be beneficial in stimulating bone growth, even in older patients already displaying bone density loss. Doesn’t it make you want to get your Down Dog on?
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sequence from Womens class
Adho Mukha Virasana
Baddhakonasana with brick in between feet at the wall, go thought all 3 sides to help open hips. Remember buttocks down, lumbar to wall, and thoracic spine in
Siddhasana-use blankets if it is difficult to press shins and feet to floor to help extend spine.
Adho Mukha Svanasana-heels halfway up the baseboards
Adho Mukha Svanasana with a yoga slave.....have them press the heels of their hands to the outer edges of your sacrum to help extend spine and straighten legs.
Ardha Uttanasana-hands as high as the hips, feet under hips. Press hands into wall to extend hips away from ribs to make the spine LONG! Legs straight.
Uttanasana-full pose with feet hip width
Uttanasana-full pose with feet together
Padangusthasana-full pose
Prasarita Padottanasana-full pose 3 min
Dandasana at wall, measure heels distance away for L-pose
L-pose, the 1st phase of a handstand. Hands are where the brick was, turned out. Take a short dog pose (the corgi!!) Then when you feel strong, walk the feet up the wall in line with the hips and breath ya'll.
Sirsasana with chairs
Purvottanasana with 2 chairs
Viparita Karani with bolster
Savasana
Baddhakonasana with brick in between feet at the wall, go thought all 3 sides to help open hips. Remember buttocks down, lumbar to wall, and thoracic spine in
Siddhasana-use blankets if it is difficult to press shins and feet to floor to help extend spine.
Adho Mukha Svanasana-heels halfway up the baseboards
Adho Mukha Svanasana with a yoga slave.....have them press the heels of their hands to the outer edges of your sacrum to help extend spine and straighten legs.
Ardha Uttanasana-hands as high as the hips, feet under hips. Press hands into wall to extend hips away from ribs to make the spine LONG! Legs straight.
Uttanasana-full pose with feet hip width
Uttanasana-full pose with feet together
Padangusthasana-full pose
Prasarita Padottanasana-full pose 3 min
Dandasana at wall, measure heels distance away for L-pose
L-pose, the 1st phase of a handstand. Hands are where the brick was, turned out. Take a short dog pose (the corgi!!) Then when you feel strong, walk the feet up the wall in line with the hips and breath ya'll.
Sirsasana with chairs
Purvottanasana with 2 chairs
Viparita Karani with bolster
Savasana
Senior Sequence of the week
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| Tadasana with belt around wrists to help straighten arms |
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| Uttanasana-lift knee caps to straighten legs |
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| Adho Mukha Svanasana with chair |
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| Balancing on one leg, outer hip in and lifted leg hip down |
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| Upavistha Konasana-use blaket under hips to extend spine if needed |
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| Viparita Karani |
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