Saturday, March 2, 2013 All Levels - Tree Class

Sat Nam! This is the practice we did in All Levels Saturday, March 2: We've been chanting the lokha mantra for 5 minutes at the start of class. 1. jaw releasing: bite the wrist, either vertical or horizontal; let jaw hang on the wrist bone; bite the other one; then with a wide open mouth, inhale and exhale three times; finally begin ujjayi somewhere in the next 5 breaths; sense space and lightness in the mouth 2. tadasana: we rolled our weight forward and backward on the feet, paying attention to where "center" was; vines of light growing from souls of feet to core of earth and back up through feet again, connected to mulha bandha 3. urdvha hasatasana: ribs opening and lifting on inhale; mulha bandha meets receding navel on exhale Carrying what we've learned in tadasana to the following standings: 4. tree 1 and 2, one minute each, x2 sets, with time in tadasana in between (we moved from arms up to tree to maintain lift and belly awareness); 1/2 bind in tree 2 5. triangle 6. warrior 2 7. parsvakonasana 8. prasarita padottanasana 9. twisting triangle 10. twisting parsvakonasana 11. prasarita padottanasana 12. natarajasana x2 13. tree 2 again, moving into 1/2 bound one legged forward fold and then into toe stand 14. uttanasana *All standing postures held 1-2 minutes 15. bridge with block on long side, running along sacrum; straighten legs; then viparita karani on block; back to bent knee version *All held 1-2 minutes or longer 16. lie flat for a minute; then hug knees to chest 17. Nada Sanchalana (See March newsletter for directions) inhale up front of spine; hold at bindu; exhale OM down back of spine; we did about 8 rounds in class 18. savasana (I read David Whyte's "Mameen") Enjoy the sequence!