Thanksgiving Practice 2010

I had the honor of leading a practice this year at Spectrum's Rogers Ranch location. The theme for class was Thankfulness and Giving. It was an open to grace class with a little bit of emphasis on the actions of ME/OE and shoulder loop.

I asked the class to step outside of their comfort zones from the get go and I was lucky to have such a class full of willing spirits even though what I was asking for is deeply challenging and can often feel very uncomfortable.

I introduced the class by reminding everyone that even though we tend to think of thanksgiving as a time to reflect on the people and the love of others that the practice of yoga is and has always been about the self and that that would be the place we would start from. I asked everyone to partner up and go sit together and face each other sitting on one of the partners mats. I then asked them to share with each other 5 heart qualities that were Great about themselves. Realizing that this was very difficult for people to do, I started and spoke out load to the entire class. Isn't it interesting that you can ask a room full of people anywhere to tell you what they want to change about themselves and they could and would go on and on, but when you are asked to speak about what is really wonderful about yourself things get very difficult and uncomfortable? Here is what I think I said:

1. I am very good at inspiring changing in others.
2. I am a very good mother.
3. I am very caring and do a lot of work in the area of dog rescue.
4. I am a generally happy go lucky, friendly and happy person.
5. I am open minded, open heart-ed and accepting of those around me.

I then asked everyone to introduce themselves, look their partners in the eye and share 5 great things about themselves, and asked the listening partner to only interject when they heard their partner say something less than a fully positive statement. (i.e.....I'm trying to be kind, I'm sort of a good friend, like that) We had an odd number of students so I was lucky enough to have a partner who is nothing short of a pleasure to teach and joy to be around. It was wonderful to hear her find her own voice and tell me the wonderful things about her.

We then returned to our own mats and did my standard 1-8 poses to get the class warm; I also used it as an opportunity to introduce the action of muscle and organic energy as well as inner spiral.

1. Balasana = child's pose
2. AMS = downward facing dog
3. Uttanasana = forward fold
4. Arda Uttanasana to Uttanasan 4x = spinal extension to forward fold
5. Anjeli Mudro = Hands together at heart center
6. Tadasana = Mountain Pose
7. Crescent
8. Suranamaskar A (3x) = Sun Salutations A

We then returned to Tadasana and Anjeli Mudro to reconnect with our breath and call back upon our 5 truest heart based gifts and dedicated the next round of poses to the belief of those gifts, allowing ourselves to know them as the truth.

9. Surnamaksar B (3x) = Sun Salutation B
with Vira 1= Warrior 1, Vira 1 with Shoulder loop, Vira 1 Variation = with shoulder loop
10. Anjaneasana
11. Anjaneasana with shoulder loop
12. Vira 1 to Vira 2 = Warrior 1 & 2
13. Parsvokanasana = Side Angel Lunge
14. Vinyasa to Tadasana

Pause at Angeli Mudro to close eyes, reconnect and call upon 3-5 ways that we give to others on a daily basis as parents, siblings, children of aging parents, friends, in our work, with random acts of kindness, etc. We practiced the next set of standing balance poses as a tribute to the ways we give of ourselves every day.

15. Vrkshasana = Tree Pose
16. Natarajasana = Dancer Pose
17. Guardasana = Eagle Pose

Pause to give thanks for 3-5 gifts that we had been given by others. The gifts of love, parenthood, our own parents and extended families, the gift of a helping hand when we needed it most, etc. We then dedicated the next set of poses to the gifts we had received from others.

18. EXP = Pigeon Prep with Shoulder Loop
19. EXP = Pigeon Prep with heart melt to fold
20. Prone Thigh Stretch

Pause to think of a person or persons that need us to give up our energy in their honor now. A family member, friend, anyone who is struggling in anyway...dealing with illness, injury, personal turmoil, etc. We dedicated our back bends to those people in our lives who needed our energy at this time.

21. Septubandasana = bridge pose with hands interlaced to open shoulders
22. Urdva Danrasana = I've heard it called wheel but that's another pose, full back bend
23. Final Backbend = Either of the above
24. Counter Poses = Returning focus to our own divine gifts
Spine Stretch, Happy Yogi, Hamstring Stretch, Kidney and Sacrum Massage

I then asked the class to return to their partners face each other, look in each others eyes, touch palms, feel, sense and see each others beauty and then tell their friend 5 great things they can see and feel in them. I asked them to speak honestly from the heart and to be open to receiving the praise they were worthy of.

My Partner Elizabeth:
1. Lights up the room with her eyes every time she walks in.
2. Her energy is contagious and inspiring.
3. She treats people with such kindness and compassion that I Know that she is a great mom.
4. She feels deeply and shows her love easily and readily.
5. She is an absolute treasure to have the honor to teach, open heart-ed, excellent studentship.

I hope I conveyed all of that to her as much as I believe it to be true!

25. Savasana
26. Closing Blessing - may you find ways to give thanks for your own gifts so that you are able to give more, feel more, believe more.

It was beautiful to watch students who practice next to each other every week, connect on such a deep level. I only hope that everyone left feeling better than when they walked in, I'm pretty sure they did.