Sat Nam. It's been a while.

With it being October, we've been considering the seasons of harvest, gratitude, and generosity - October, November, and December. This is the month of Lakshmi, prosperity, and her blessings make it possible for these seasons to be so rich.

Class started with kapplabhati and nadi sodhana. Nadi sodhana was done in rounds of 4-2-4-2, 6-3-6-3, 8-4-8-4, then 8-8, 6-6, 4-4. When the breath is broken up into its parts - inhale, retain, exhale, hold, the feeling is receiving, percolating, surrendering, and dropping in. This was a very centering practice which brought us all together as one.

We used the breath pattern in chakravakasana. Then we stood and practiced urdvha hastasana, utkatasana, and uttanasana with the breath patterns, which created a deep uddiyana bandha practice.

Next we did a variation of surya namaskar B. After virabhadrasana 1, we went into vira2, leaned back over the straight leg, and into parsvakonasana, lifted to vira 2 again, and then continued through the vinyasa. After a few rounds led, I left them on their own for a few more.

Later we did a take on surya namasker C, adding a "lean-back" where you straighten the lunging leg and lie down over it, a straight leg lunge, a pyramid variation, and then back into a deep crescent moon pose, and continued through the vinyasa. On the last round we took hold of the back leg in crescent lunge, and then slid into hanumanasana, the splits.

3 versions of standing forward bend followed, after which we rested in child'spose. Then we returned to chakravakasana and the breath work.

We finished with shoulderstand, plow, bow, apanasana, a reclining twist, and other back releases. The loveliest part of teaching at noihgt is how dark it gets now! I blew out the candle just to "drop in" to the dark and quiet space around us.
We celebrated Michelle's birthday with chocolate pound cake at the end!