As promised for those of you who missed training sessions, here is what we talked about and practiced over the last two Sundays. I passed out two handouts, one from Sara and one from me, we ran out of Sara's handouts so be sure to pick her's up when she leads the training session this Sunday, if you can't make it I'm sure she will be happy to email it to you.
For the Half Mala here is how it's going to work. I asked everyone to bring with them 54 beads, rocks, or anything of that sort with them to class (I'll bring some fish rocks if anyone forgets) we are going to use two cups by the sides of our mats, every time we return to Uttanasana (forward fold after completing a single Sun A) we will grab a rock or whatever you have chosen and place it the other cup. I asked everyone to do some journal work so we can dedicated each set of 10 in celebration of what we have discovered in our journals, please bring your journal and or paper(s) with you on the big day. No one will be asked to share anything they don't want to share. I will cue the class but everyone will be free to move on their own breath pattern, no one will be made to stop if they are really in the rhythm, likewise everyone will take balasana (child's pose) or any other resting pose whenever they need it.
Everyone will also be able to keep going once there cup if full if they choose too and we will cheer them on as they do so, if it's just one person I will join them. Whoever chooses to go on will simply do the same thing and refill their first cup up and do as many as they feel is right for their own bodies. Our practice will be a celebration in every sense of the word and we will support each other all the way.
I will be playing call and response music and we will get into our groove together with call and response (don't worry I'll make it easy for you to let go and enjoy it, we will sit with our eyes closed if your inspired to do more than go with it, it's super fun) my guess is that the full mala group will be inspired to come join us for call and response party before Savasana. If you play an instrument and want to bring it please do, I will bring a few drums if anyone is inspired to play they will be there for you. You'll find that if you sing from the heart it doesn't matter what you sound like, and I so do not have the gift of singing but I will put my heart out there and lead you in this beautiful experience, I promise you will love it!)
Below is the what the training sessions incorporated as well as the questions I asked everyone to take the time to write out on a piece of paper or in a journal.
Questions to write a response to be honest, be positive, be brave. Try for at least 5 answers but don't force yourself to a place that is less than honest.
1. What did you accomplish in any realm of the world in 2010 that you feel really good about?
2. How has your practiced grown or changed in 2010?
(remember your practice is not limited to the time you spent on your mat in asana practice)
3. What is really GREAT about you your truest self?
(be courageous believe in your own greatness just as you believe and see it in others and use positive sentences, so it's not I'm trying to be... or I'm sort of...., it's I AM KIND, I AM COMPASSIONATE, etc)
4. How do you want to grow your practice on and off your mat in 2011?
(here is where your going to want to start making resolutions, instead I encourage you to set intentions in a positive sense) Example: It's not I want to quit eating junk food, it's I want to make more healthy choices in my diet. It's not I want to quit smoking, but I want to be a non-smoker. Those are just two examples of what tend to be the two biggest new years resolutions made)
5. How can this community at TRY and in this room support you in your growth in 2011, and in turn how can you support your friends on the mat next to you?
(this i will encourage you to share with us, but will not put anyone on the spot, so I won't go around the room pointing fingers, I'll just ask everyone who wants to share to do so, and I will happily go first)
6. What is your pose for 2011?
This can be is simple as understanding and practicing Ujjai breath, entering Savasana in a different way, understanding a certain pose and the work it takes to go into it and/or out of it, or doing the work to achieve a pose you don't feel like you have mastered but you really want, it may also be holding a pose you already have but want to be able hold for longer.
Of course this is all optional, but we will be using the 6 questions above as our focus for each set of 10 sun salutations.
Training Sessions for the last two Sundays Went as followed
1. Surnamaskar A (obviously) first set of five just to warm up and for me to observe.
2. Next set of 10 in front of the mirror, so we could observe chattarunga and Bhujangasana (cobra pose) and learn to move the arm bones back, some also practiced up-dog and we focused on keeping the lumbar safe and moving the arm bones back and of course bending from the place on our spines that is most resistant to bending, right behind the breast bone.
3. We then practiced Dolphin pose to build strength of the back forearms to the ground, melt of the heart walking in as far as we could without losing the melt, remember the melting of the heart is the stability of pulling the shoulder blades together.
4. Another set of 5 Sun A's now we were at 20 down.
5. From there we took that to Pincha Mayurasana (forearm balance) some practiced the prep work (side body long, melt of the heart, walking in as far as we could without loosing the melt. Some kicked up and some just did the prep work, they are both incredibly strong work for the back and the prep work is just as good for you as far as building strength goes as kicking up to the pose (for everyone that was there, that was obvious :)
6. We then did another set of 5 Sun A's facing the mirror and then finished with another set of 5 without the mirror.
7. We then did chattarunga pushups on the knees just to hit the marks and finished with another set of 5 Sun Salutations for a total of 35 but with a lot of longer holds than usual and the other strong work in the back in between.
8. A few chose to work their backs and rotater cuffs on the reformer for just a few minutes after Savasana. To build more strength in those areas.
