Friday April 10, 2009

This morning Abigail and I had a long session--we ended up talking and practicing Asanas for and hour and a half!

Where to begin???

We started in Tadasana, after I described the four important points of contact on the sole of each foot, and asked Abigail to bring awareness to the soles of her feet on the floor without a yoga mat.  I directed her  to go pidgeon toed, curl the shoulder forward and inside, curl the pelvis forward and simply stand and note the breath in this position, especially in the ribcage.  I asked her to consider how this pose makes her feel emotionally.

Then we opened the feet out to the side and felt how this outward rotation opened the knees and thighs outward, also opening the pelvis and hips.  Rolling the shoulders back, I asked her notice how the chest opened and lifted, and to stand, again noting the breath in the ribcage, and how this position made her feel emotionally.

So we talked about the internal and external presentation on the body energy in these 2 poses.

I asked her to find a balance between these two energies and to stand in her own Tadasana.

We then did a series or upward salutes, exhaling, bending knees, namaste.

Inhaling lower arms together in front of the face.  Inhaling further up to upward salute, palms together.

Interlaced hands, turned palms up.

Exhaled arms behind back, interlaced hands, bent knees and went into Yoga Mudra.

Inhaled up to a long Chair, then back to Tadasana.  Namaste.

We practiced balancing using the forward-backward Qigong flow, arms up on the inhalation, back on the exhalation, then raised the foot with each pass.  Shook it out.  Switched sides, and noted if there was a difference between the two sides.

From Tadasana, we balanced down on our toes in Namaste.

Came into Garland pose, then into Table Top.  We did a series of Cat/Cow, focusing on the spine.  Then came into Child's pose, then into the Rock.  Back up to Table Top, where we did a Sunbird series.  

Came from Table Top to sit on our mats in Sukhasanna.  I directed Abigail in the Mudra Meditation, touching each finger tip with the thumb at the bottom of each exhalation.

We then went into Savasana, where I did a little guided visualization for further relaxation.

We talked a lot through out the practice, which really helps Abigail.

I like practicing with her one on one.  We really have an interesting connection.

Namaste!