Rodney and Colleen's Sequences

COLLEEN'S SAT MORNING SEQUENCE 12/12

More is not always better.  The right amount of traction is good.  How do you decipher that?

• On back with double straps (releases lower back, creates traction, draws energy into the central channel). Buckles away from skin.  Have as much of your body on the mat.  Find the right amount of traction.  Put a little more reach in the bottom leg.  Corkscrew the legs to get the balance of the inner and outer spiral.  Then settle in the middle.  Nothing in the head, nothing in the neck.  Roll your head around, release the jaw, soften the lips.  After the release of the thigh, notice the difference in the leg that's on the floor as opposed to the leg that was on the floor before.  Change sides.
• Bend your knees.  Step on your feet.  Lift your right leg into the air.  Take your right leg over your left knee and bring your left knee into your chest.  
• Step your left foot down.  Hug your right knee into your chest.  Interlace hands behind leg, straighten it up.  Hug back in.  Straighten out left leg.  Take left hand to right knee and move into a twist.
• Come back to center.  Change sides first with left leg on right knee and then move into supine twist.
• Come back to center.  Interlace fingers behind left leg, straighten the leg up. Extend right leg up to meet it.
• Spread legs wide.  Hands are trying to pull the legs back.  Thighs are trying to go all the way to the floor.  Let there be a push, pull.  Then take hands to inner thighs, trying to push the inner thighs to the floor.  Draw the legs in.
• Bend knees, step on your feet.  Pick up your hips and place brick underneath sacrum at lowest height. Bend elbows, palms face each other.  Press arms down, let chest lift.  Press your heels down.  Little bit of a rocking with the heels.
• Rock around the clock with the hips.  Articulating the sacrum.  Clockwise.
• Rock around the clock. Counter clockwise.
• Move block to next height. Same arm placement.  Heels down, push, pull.
• Rock around the clock.
• If possible move block to highest level.  Only if it creates no stress in the breath, no hardness in the belly.  Take hands to hip points and push towards belly.  Rock around the clock.
• Pick up hips, slide block away.
• Roll over to side.  Come up to sit.
• Badokonasana.  Forward fold.  Drop chin to chest (jalandarha bandha), keep head dropped as you walk your hands in.  Let chest lift but keep the head dropped.  Take thumbs to armpits.  Lift armpits but drop chin like you're going to pick up a marble from the middle of your sternum.  Lift head on exhalation.
• Draw knees together.  Flex feet, straighten legs.  Bend legs, cross at the feet.
• Child's pose. Walk hands forward.
• Virasana.  Heel of hands into top of the thighs.  Lean forward any amount.
• Lean back on your hands.  Some of you can lower down onto elbows.  Chin dropped to chest.
• Hands and knees.  Cross shins.
• Badokonasa.
• Open legs to wide straddle (upavista konasana).  Blocks on inside of thighs.  Push block into thighs.  Use elbows to push blocks into abductors.  Blocks closer to groin than knees.
• Badokonasana
• Dandasana
• Draw right knee in, fold and see if half lotus is an option.
• Draw left knee in to butt, fold and see if full lotus is an option.  Otherwise simple cross-legged or half lotus.  Push hands into thighs.  Drop chin to chest as though trying to pick up a marble.
• Seated breath work.  Begin to count the breath. Find yourself in sama vriti.
• Badokonasana
• Dandasana.  Pump thighs.
• Draw left knee in.  Half lotus.
• Draw right knee in.  Full lotus.
• Walk hands forward, release head slightly.
• Keep head down, walk hands in, place palms face up on thighs.  Breath does not need to be deep.  It just needs to be directed to lower ribs, side ribs.
• Inhale, pause, inhale, pause, inhale pause, smooth exhalation.  Send exhalation and inhalation through the back of the throat.
• Badokonasana
• Dandasana, smear back of the legs into the floor.  Bounce legs into mat.
• Shavasana with blanket rolled under knees.                                                                                    

                                                                   submitted by Nicole Shahida

Rodney's Saturday Morning Sequence (12/12)

How do you receive the prana?

• Start in dandasana with legs together and back against the wall.  Do three things:  press down, press together, press long.  Face relaxed, look at the toes, spread the toes, sharpen the legs.
• Uttanasana with legs against the wall.  Use hands to push back thighs.
• Lying on floor with feet against the wall, arms overhead with palms face up.  Then arms under the head like headstand.  Then reach arms long.
• Handstand against wall.  Pull legs together.
• Uttanasana
• Handstand against wall.  Release one leg out, switch leg release.
• Child's pose
• Forearm balance against the wall.
• Virasana
• Forearm balance with padmasana legs.
• Sit back on curled toes with reverse namaste arms.
• Prasarita Padatonasana with head on block.  Arms in headstand position.
• Tadasana with headstand arms.  Lift right leg forward, left leg forward.  Then right leg out to side, left leg out to side.
• Pyramid twist to one side, pyramid twist to other side.
• Kneel with twist to each side.
• On back in lotus or with cross legged feet, turn head, waist to each side. Then through center with crunch.
• On back, straddle legs holding big toes.
• Second side of lotus with head and waist turn and crunch.
• Legs straight up.
• Release legs down for tadasana on back.
• Down dog with feet against the wall.  Right leg up for Eka pada.  Switch legs.
• Virasana
• Headstand with all above variations of leg, waist movements.
• Child's pose
• Child's pose with chin on block, medium level then high level.
• Halasana
• Shoulder stand
• Shoulder stand with all leg/waist variations.
• Halasana 
• Karnapidasana
• Release legs down, move shoulders back, knees together, arms overhead.
• Supported paschimottonasana
• Shavasana with top of the head against the wall or a block.      

Friday Afternoon Sequence, 11/20

Group Restorative Sequence

Theme: creating more internal space

From Friday's afternoon session:

Supported Child's Pose (bolster under body, blanket between calves/thighs)-

Balasana or Adho Mukha Virasana

Side Laterals (bolster supporting body, block under extended arm) lying on side, knees bent, arm extended over head

Supported fish pose (bolster horizontal to mat under torso, sandbag on thighs, head support if necessary)-

Supta Uttana Padasana

Supine, lying belly down on mat to neutralize, hands along body's sides or under forehead

Supported turning the belly pose, top leg bent, bottom leg straight (bolster for top leg and arm, with blanket for head if needed)-

Supta Jathara Parivartanasana

Forward bend with legs crossed (sitting on blanket, blanket around ankles supporting legs, resting head and folded arms on chair)-

Adho Mukha Swastikasana

Legs up the chair, lying on floor (bolster under pelvis, legs on bolster up the chair, belted thighs & eye pillow)-

Viparita Karani

Supported Crow Pose (sitting on chair, legs apart with feet on floor, rolled up blanket for belly on thighs, blocks shoulder width between feet for hands to rest) fold foreward-

Supta Bakasana

                                                                                           ~Denise McClellan

Friday Morning Sequence 11/20

Supta Padangustasnana 1, then 2, then lift head and shoulders (waters of belly soft)
Table top
Adho mukha svanasana
Uttanasana
tadasana (arms wide)
Urvha hastasana
Uttanasana (with block between legs, move block back)
Ardha Uttanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Block under hands, lowest)
Plank, chaturanga, push up to plank (with blocks still)
cat/cow
adho mukha svanasana (with blocks?)
plank, urdvha mukha svanasana, plank
uttanasana (hand to hips)
tadasana
Surya namaskara A
utkatasana
Surya namaskara A
*trikonasana,
Utthita parsvakonasana (on other side)
Ardha Chandrasana (first side), to trikonasana,
uttanasansa (interlace fingers behind back) tadasana
step to front of mat
sun salutation to down dog (5 breaths)
*Other side (ending in full sun salutation)
 utkatasana
adho mukha svanasana
**virabhadrasana 1(with hands on ground, weight to back heel)
virbhdrasana 1 both legs straight opposite hands to elbows, then full warrior 1?)
utkatasana (bounce on one leg and then the other)
virbhadrasana 3
**other side
Tadasana at front of mat

3 oms (quietly) Pranayama and sequence

- Jazmin

Thursday back bending class, Rodney, 11/19

• sun salutations x2
• tadasana
• trikonasana 
• uttanasana
• utthita parsvakonasana
• uttanasana
• cobra
• adho mukha svasana
• plank
• chaturanga
• urdhva mukha savanasa
• adho mukha  savasana
• setu budha saragasana
• supta virasana
• dhanurasana
• matsyasana
• ustrasana
• virasana
• urdha dhanurasana
• baddha konasana
• dandasana
• happy baby
• septa padagustasana series
• savasana

Manna Lu (hope that is correct)

*after mahamudra   

Rodney's Thursday backbending class (take 2) 11/19

Lay with over long strip of accordion folded blanket, blanket supporting hips
badrasana (hands on thighs at hip crease)
Lay over blanket lengthwise, ball at smooth end of blanket in pelvic belly (drapping, watery, settle)
TV watching pose, then head down
sphinx (cervical and lumbar equal arcs),
then head down, turning neck and head
virasana, hands to thighs (press toes to unjam achilles)
backbend over bolster, head on blanket, arms overhead on floor, groins deepen
tadasana
natarajasana (same feeling in belly as with the blanket, head of femur bones back)
supta virasana with bolster (on way out belly cavernous, groins deep)
sphinx> ardha bekasana (both sides), constructive rest
sphinx> virasana over bolster (lift arms 3 inches to plug shoulders
TV watching pose
bekasana
5 cobras
2 more cobras, 1st time originate mvnt from feet, 2nd from head
tadasana (arms wide, interlace fingers in front, lift into urdhva hastasana and back forward 16 times!)
salamba sirsasana
handstand
pincha mayurasana
adho mukha svanasana, with head on block
shalabasana, with hands on blocks
interlace fingers under belly, lift legs> viparita shalabasana
pincha mayurasana> elbowstand
urdvha danurasana (5xs?)
dwi pada viparita dandasana (kapotasana?)
eka pada rajakapotasana
natarajasana
drop backs, and back up
supta padagustasana (strap in large loop, under chest and over foot) right foot, left foot, both feet
savasana
 *we would have done more neutral poses, shoulder stand, more warm down, and restorative before a long savasana if we had more time...

 Thursday morning 11/19, Colleen’s sequence for Pranayama:

Three rounds of kapalabhatti

Prasarita padottanasana with block at forehead

Walk feet halfway in, fold forward again

Adho mukha svanasana w/with block at forehead

Balasana

Eka pada raja kapotanasana – walk hands out, fingers domed

Adho mukha svanasana

Uttanasana

Utkatasana

Tadasana

Vrksasana

Uddiyana bandha w/simhasana x 3

Urdva hastasana

Uttanasana

Adho mukha svanasana

Balasana

Baddhakonasana

Dandasana

Janu sirsasana w/hasta bandha

Supta padagusthasana with strap, include 2 sit-ups each side

Setu bandhasana on block

Setu bandhasana on block w/vrksasana legs

Baddhakonasana

Malasana

Uttanasana

Utkatasana

Tadasana

Uddiyana bandha with simhasana x3 (release belly BEFORE inhale)

Tadasana

Restorative back bend over blanket or bolster

Setu Bandhasana

Janu sirsasana w/strap (sit on small blanket), not coming forward, legs & arms creating suspension:

Inhale retention

Expand chest

Draw in belly

Drop the brain

Inhale a bit more

Release belly

Repeat

Exhale lie on belly

Viparita kirani

Savasana w/rolled blanket under knees

Wed Pranayama  11/18

• Seated position with rolled blanket under the ankles
• lower the head
• inhale pause, inhale pause, inhale pause, exhale
• soften the groin, move towards the sit bones
• inhale towards lower back ribs
• heavy the tail bone, inhale into back of heart
• uplift sit bones to the throat, "nodule"
• inhale into the collar bones

(Pranayama prepares for Twist class.  Breath work prepares the body to move deeper into the twist.)

 Wed Sequence: Twist  11/18

• recline twist with bolster x2
• recline twist with opposite leg on bottom x2
• supta buddha konasana
• child pose with bolster
• downward facing dog, crown of head on bolster
• Bharadvajasana
• upavistha konasana, walk the hands over the right and left leg
• Bharadvajasana
• Bharadvajasana with side bend
• Dandasana with a twist
• Marichyasana A, hug the bent knee
• Marichyasana C
• Dangle
• Thread the needle
• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Modified Vasisthasana 
• Adho Mukha Svanasan lifting the legs
• walk the feet forward
• Uttnasana,  elephant trunk
• Utthita Parsvakonasana
• Prasarita Padotanasana
• Uttanansana 
• Step back right foot
• Kapotasana with a twist
• Adho Mukha Svanasana with hip open
• Ardha Matysyendrasana
• Ardha Padmasana
• Ardha Padmasana with straight leg
• Bhadrasana
• Dangle
• Ardho Mukha Svanasana
• Ardha Padmasana
• Ardha Padmasana with straight leg
• Dandasana
• Baddha Konasana
• Dangle
• Marichyasana 4
• Pashimottanasana
• child's pose
• lay on belly
• Spinx pose
• supported bridge
• Savasana

Note: Rhythm of the breath going in and out of the twist, grounding, lengthening, creating space, soften/open  the opposite groin of the twist, open kidney band of opposite side of twist (swipe kidney after the twist).  Allow prana flow in the pose.

Manna Lu-Wong 
Tuesday Pranayama + Meditation 11/17

Constructive rest
Supported bridge
Sukhasana with thumbs in the armpits
Sukhasana fold - walking hands with the breath, longer exhale on the fold forward
Seated breath awareness with attention on lengthening the exhale in jalandhara bandha
Seated meditation
Savasana

Tuesday Chair sequence with partners 11/17
- Cat and cow seated on chair - partner places hands on tops of feet close to ankles to feel the "front of the heel"
- Fold forward between thighs head drops towards the floor, option to put head on block - partner places thumbs in hip creases to drop the femurs
- Hamstring stretch with heel on the bucket of the seat, fold forward wrists/forearms rest on the chair back - partner palpates psoas channel with a hand on the opposite kidney
- ankle to knee - partner externally rotates the thigh with a hand in the knee crease and plug in the femur bone, extend the leg forward into partner's hand or abdomen
- foot on seat of the chair with knee at 90 degrees, forward fold with thumb deepening the hip crease, step to uttanasana --> utkatasana to feel the sensation of the groins releasing. (repeat other side)
- hold the back of the chair recreate deepening of the groins for natarajasana prep (runners quad stretch)
- sit sukhasana in front of chair, fold onto chair - partner deepens hip creases and palpates the spinal processes
- Upavista konasana seated on a blanket rest head on chair
- Legs on the chair
                                   -C.C.

Monday Sequence Design 11/16

A spine-safe template that encourages endless variation:

1. Sun Salutations
2. Open twists and laterals
3. Backbands
4, Nuetralizing Poses
5. Closed Twists
6. Forward Bends
7. Arm Balances
8. Inversions
9. Constructive Rest
10. Savasana

Monday's full sequence 11/16:

Tadasana
Urdva Hastasana
Uttanasana/ Ardha Uttanasana
Plank
Cat /cow; side cat/cow
Bent knee DD
Plank
Sphinx
TV Watching
Jump forward to DD
Surya A simple
Standing side stretches
Surya A through Up Dog
Modified vasisthasana
Trikonasana
Vira 2
Full vasisthasana
Baradvajasana
Revolved Janu Sirsasana
DD
Vira 1 w elbow clasp
Salambasana
Dhanurasana
Wild Thing
Utkatasana
Natarajasana
Ustrasana
Lie on belly chin on folded hands
Pond Pose
Constructive rest
Supta padagusthasana
Bent knee reclined twist
Marichyasana 3
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana
Navasana
Baddha konasa
Malasana
Halasana
ConstructiveRest
Savasana