Standing against the wind
Visited family in the glorious state of New Jersey yesterday and today (including 95 year old Grandpa Manny). The day before there had been hurricane-level winds and intense rains; driving through, the damage was everywhere. A billboard, huge trees (some falling into houses), and power lines were down. Apparently, half a million folks are without power.
This sequence is for you, Jersey. It's still raining, still flooding, and, frankly, still Jersey. So, take the cats onto the second floor and hold tight. In the meantime, here's some yoga to be performed by candlelight.
This sequence is for you, Jersey. It's still raining, still flooding, and, frankly, still Jersey. So, take the cats onto the second floor and hold tight. In the meantime, here's some yoga to be performed by candlelight.
Standing against the wind
Begin the class in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Imagine the four corners of the feet grounding down into the mat or floor. Closing your eyes, try to find perfect balance in the feet without the sensation of swaying. As you exhale your feet to ground deeper past the floor, growing roots, inhale to extend the spine and gain length. Come back to this Tadasana throughout the sequence, noticing if the swaying sensation comes and goes or improves throughout the practice.
- Vrksasana (Tree Pose). Remember that if trees didn't sway in the wind, they would all break (and not just in New Jersey). Allow this pose to be fluid.
- Tadasana
- Vrksasana on other leg
- Uttanasana (Forward Fold Pose)
- Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hand Pose)
- Kripalu Ardha Chandrasana (Kripalu-style Half Moon), arms above head to bend to the side for a deep side stretch
- Inhale through center to repeat on other side
- Tadasana
- Step forward to Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
- Inhale to raise the arms and straighten the back leg, exhale to lower arms and gentle bend back leg. Repeat 10-12x
- Hold Virabhadrasana I
- Virabhadrasana II
- Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
- Utthita Tadasana (Five Pointed Star Pose)
- Prasarita Padottanasana (Standing Forward Fold)
- Repeat steps 9-15 on other side
- Utthita Tadasana
- Tadasana. Again notice balance in feet.
- Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
- Fold forward in easy pose, extending arms
- Change cross of legs and extend out again
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- Hold Bridge for 2-3 minutes. Notice what part of the body seems to be working hardest in this pose and how that might shift as you hold the pose
- Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side
- Savasana