Balance

10/24/10 Balance.

Began class with Nadi Suddhi Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing), which balances the left and right sides of our body.  Balancing the ida (left nostril - moon) and the pingala (right nostril - sun).  Pranayama conserves energy in the body and restores calmness to the mind.  Start by witnessing the natural rhythm.  Then inhale 4, exhale 4.  Form mudras with hands:  left thumb toucing index, last three extended (yoni mudra) and right hand form peace sign and touch forehead, thumb and ring finger to touch nostrils lightly.  Inhale both, exhale left, inhale left, switch, exhale right, inhale right, switch, exhale left, inhale left, switch, etc. Continue for several rounds completing with an exhale on the right.  Breath normally. 
3 Om's and Hari Om chant call/response. Short intro discussion about balance.  I'm in love with fall, but with the realization that all things change and I must balance my vision.  Fall in love with all the seasons.

Stand in Tadasana (mountain pose).  Hold the belt a little wider than shoulder width apart and "rip the belt" arm opener.  Inhale raise the belt, exhale lower.  Add the toes now.  Inhale raise the belt and come on to the balls of the feet (ankles pressing into one another), exhale lower the belt and heels to the ground.  Several rounds then stop feet.  Inhale raise the belt, exhale release the belt behind the back opening the heart, inhale raise the belt and exhale lower to starting point.  Next, inhale raise the belt come onto the toes and twist to the right, exhale lower, inhale rasie the belt and twist to the left, exhale lower.  Connect the breath to movement.  Be mindful and move like you are moving through water.  Tadasana.  Urdhva Hastasana (upward facing palms).  Uttanasana (standing forward bend), Ardha Uttanasana (halfway standing forward bend) - slide hands up the legs to the thighs, lift the sit bones, concave the back.  Uttanasana.  Tadasana.  Table, cat/cow, table balance, thread the needle.  Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) - lift hips to heaven and press heels to earth, strong foundation in hands pressing through the knuckles and fingertips.  Balasana (child's pose), table, Adho Mukha Svanasana inhale to plank 3x back and forth, moving with the breath.  Balasana.  3 legged table pressing into 3 legged dog, moving back and forth 2x.  Flow through the poses as if you were in water, slowly and full of attention - alert yet relaxed.  From table, inhale press you hands and one foot into the earth lifting the hips to the heavens, exhale return to 3 legged table.  Rest in Balasana and then sit back on heels and stand.
At wall now, Ardha Uttanasana - lift the sit bones and send them across the room, lengthen the spine, pressing evenly through both hands, look forward, ears between arms.  Virabhadrasana III (warrior III) both sides at wall - lift one leg any amount - hip level is ideal - flex your foot like crazy, toes point down - as if you could stand on the wall behind you.  Keep the hips level.  Tadasana. Stand on one leg for knee and ankle cirlces - both directions, both sides.  Vrksasana (tree pose), Natarajasana (King dancer pose) - press foot into hand and open like a bow.  The Vira Sequence!! Virabhadrasana (warrior) II > I > III > I > II.
Lie down on your back, hug knees into chest, rock side to side to release any lower back tension.  Pelvic tilts, Setubhandha Sarvangasana done in stages - hold goal of pose 2x, ankle to knee pose, happy baby pose, Pavanamuktasana (knee to chest pose), extend leg into belt around ball of foot exhale and bring the leg close to you any amount, exhale right, inhale center, exhale left.  Savasana (corspe pose) with guided relaxation - tense and release and body scan.  Coming out of Savasana I played the crown chakra crystal bowl, which uplifts our vibrations.  Reading in fetal pose from Tao Te Ching:

Lao Tsu and Taoism 
Lao Tsu, an older contemporary of Confucius, was keeper of the imperial archives and library at Loyang in the province of Honan in the sixth century B.C.  All his life he taught, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."  As he was riding off into the the desert to die (he was sick at heart with the ways of man), he was persuaded by a gatekeeper in northwestern China to write down his teaching for posterity.  This is the Tao Te Ching - 81 chapter - 5,000 words - 2,500 years of influence. 

#36
That which shrinks must first expand.
That which fails must first be strong.
That which is cast down must first be raised.
Before receiving there must be giving.
This is the perception of the nature of things.
Soft and weak overcome the hard and strong.

Class ended in Sukhasana (easy seat) - sit bones grounded, spine erect.  Hands touching together at the heart in Anjali mudra.  Om.  Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu.  Om.  May the entire universe be filled with peace and joy, love and light.  Namaste.