Sunday at Noon - Level One Hatha Yoga

4.24.11 Easter Sunday at Starseed Yoga and Wellness of Montclair

"Rightly the lily is the flower of Easter.  It lies buried in the ooze of pond or stream.  There is nothing in the grave of the dead lily that appeals to nostril or eye.  But silently the forces of life are working in the dark and the damp to prepare a glorious resurrection.  A shaft of green shoots upward toward the sun.  This is followed by a cluster of tiny buds.  One day the sun smiles with special warmth upon the dank, black ooze, and there leaps into the light a creature of light and beauty; it is the lily, an angel of the earth, whose look is light."   - Author Unknown

Sequence:  Seated in Sukhasana (easy seat) 3 OM's, centering and breath awareness.  Urdhva Hastasana (upward palms facing pose), spinal twist.  Neck circles, eye movements up, down, left, right, circular in both directions (relax jaw).  Tabletop, cat/cow, Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), three legged table > dog, Balasana (child's pose) > Ashtangasana (eight pointed pose).  Bhujangasana (cobra pose) > Adho Mukha Svanasana - bend knees and lift tailbone - begin to develop inner body awareness, especially in the spine and tailbone region.  Uttanasana (standing forward bend) - again, bend knees and lift tailbone in this pose now, slowly straighten the legs and let your hands touch the floor or your shins, the head is heavy like a bowling bowl - let go.  In forward bending keep the legs active, like in standing poses, keep the kneecaps lifting.  Tadasana (mountain pose) > Urdhva Hastasana > Gomukasana arms (cow face pose). Surya Namaskara (sun salutes with locking thumbs technique - begin with hands in Anjali (offering) mudra, open the hands like a book pinky sides come together, then bring the back's of the hands together, thumbs lock with all other fingers extended, and hands lift up towards the heaven and then sweep down to the earth). 

Balance series: Students came to stand about an arm's distance away from the wall, to be able to reach out and touch the wall if they felt shaky or off-balance at any moment.  Begin by bending one knee up for ankle circles in both directions, then knee circles in both directions, Vrksasana (tree pose), Supta Eka Padangusthasana (hand to big toe pose) with a belt, Garudasana (eagle pose).

Yogi choice of inversion, Viparti Karani (legs up the wall, bolster supporting sacrum) or Halasana (plough pose) with a chair to rest shins on.  Setubhandha Sarvangasana (bridge pose), Apanasana (yoga hug - knees into chest, rock from left to right, massaging the lower back), Sucirandhrasana (ankle to knee pose), Jathara Parvrittasana (reclining twist), Paschimottanasna (west back stretch), Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose), Savasana (corpse pose) with guided relaxation.  Played the root chakra crystal singing bowl (RED - C - Survival needs) coming out of Savasana.  Fetal pose to transition to comfortable seated position to observe the effects of today's yoga.  End with 3 minutes of Nadi Suddhi Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing).

Ending Peace Chants
Asaato Maa Sad Gamaya Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya Mrityor Maa Amritam Gamaya
Lead us from unreal to Real.  Lead us from darkness to the Light.  Lead us from the fear of death to the knowledge of Immortality.
OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!
Lokaah Samastaah Sukhino Bhavantu
May the entire universe be filled with Peace and Joy, Love and Light
Namaste.