NoLa
New Orleans, end of our first full day in the city. We'll be here until Wednesday. I'm hesitant to write too much about it, as I'd rather be out and about exploring and spending time with Nicole and Kyle (my old housemates, who we're staying with).
This is my day one observation: New Orleans feels like a mix between Paris and Detroit. Of course, there are some parts of Paris that might feel a bit like Detroit. We're going with the stereotypes here, for imagery's sake. Some of the weirdest images of my day were the hyper-modern, sleek Brad Pitt houses in the lower 9th (built for Katrina survivors who lost their homes) interspersed with houses that were indescribably devastated. Definitely no solar panels on the latter, much less windows. And then, a quick bike ride away, the French Quarter. Never flooded, with kumquat trees in front and courtyards in back.
This is a sequence of polar opposites.
NoLa
Begin by lying on the ground on your back. Relax your breath, breathing in and out through the nose, if you can. Progressively tense and release each part of the body. Feet, legs, back body, stomach, glutes, chest, arms, hands, face, neck, etc. Feel the extremes between tension and relaxation. The opposing force of tension can work to create more relaxation, connecting the opposites.
- Still in back, curl body into tight ball, exhale
- Inhale, release body into a snow angel shape
- Move between steps 1 and 2 multiple times
- Roll onto stomach, breath deeply on stomach
- Roll onto back, breath deeply on back. Notice difference with breath between positions
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) raises. Lower and raise torso with breath
- Hold Setu Bandhasana
- Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose). Rock gently side to side
- Taking hands under knees, roll back and forth along spine
- If possible, use energy generating by rolling to come to standing
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Feel opposite between vigorous movement and stillness.
- Hold Tadasana 6-12 breaths
- Swing your arms like empty coatsleeves, gently hitting your own back as they move side to side, exhaling "Ha!" as you twist
- Again return to Tadasana to feel difference in breath
- Hold Tadasana 6-12 breaths
- Kripalu Ardha Chandrasana (Standing Side Stretch, or Kripalu Half Moon Pose)
- Repeat other side
- Standing twists, taking one hand to sacrum, other to hip
- Repeat other side. Noticing how different stretches feel in the side body
- Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold)
- Purvotanasana (Reverse Plank Pose)
- Taking one leg and crossing it above the opposite knee, forward fold (Ardha Padma Paschimottanasana variation)
- Ardha Virasana (Half Hero). Fold forward, if possible
- Repeat steps 22 and 23 on other side
- Supta Matsyendrasana (Reclined Twist). Repeat other side.
- Savasana
