In the vein, I offered an hour of yoga to new preceptors up at the House on Tuesday evening.
We had a really nice hour!
There were 7 of us practicing, and I really wanted to focus the hour on the Bodhisattva Vow.
We started in Tadasana, rocked back and forth, side to side, did shoulder rolls, stretched the head side to side, inhaled to Upward Salute, stretched into Crescent Moon on both sides, rolled down in Uttanasana.
Relaxed in Rag Doll.
Inhaled up
to Tadasana, shook it out like jello and then repeated the Upward Salute, brought arms behind back, interlaced fingers and came into Yoga Mudra, bending legs.
Released, rolled up to Tadasana. Namaste! Repeated.
Gave ourselves hugs on both sides, dropping the chin to massage the thyroid, opened up into Yoga Mudra.
Came to sit in Easy Pose and directed the group in meditation, introducing the Lotus Mudra. I recited the Bodhisattva Vow, and "closed" the Lotus into the heart space, where it might root and take flower with our nurturing. At the end of the meditation, we re-opened the Lotus at the heart space, then extended our palms out of the mudra so that we could offer the intention to the world.
From here, directed a flow of Forward Bend, Sitting Spinal Twist, Seated Back Bend.
Repeated, and on the 2nd Seated Back Bend, focused on the Third Eye.
Stretched out legs in Staff Pose and did windshield wiper feet and rotated wrists.
Came into Table Top and did a Cat flow: Scairdy/Hollow Cat, Sunbird back to Table Top. Into Garland Pose, to the Rock, into Child's Pose, then up to Puppy Stretch.
Sat back into Hero's Pose, stretched out and rotated wrists.
Came back into Table Top and did a flow of modified Thread The Needle (arm between leg and other arm), then inhaled that arm out and up to the sky, opening up the side of the torso. Repeated a few times on both sides.
Came back to the Rock.
Then came to sit on our mats, rolled down to our backs.
Brought Knees to Chest, rocked a bit, and then stretched everything out in a Supine Upward Salute.
Went into a Bridge, exhaled down, went back to Knees to Chest and rolled.
Repeated the Bridge, this time interlacing hands beneath back. Exhaled down, interlaced hands and brought to support the back of the head. Did a Knee to opposite Elbow flow, then relaxed and gave ourselves a neck massage. Brought hands up to the crown of the head and massaged the scalp. Brought hands down to the forehead and continued a face massage, relaxing!
Namaste!
Rubbed the hands together briskly, brought the knees up, joined feet and did a nice long round of Happy Bug.
Everyone laughed!
Relaxed the legs down, brought the warmed palms to cover eyes and really relaxed in silence. Brought our hands to the upper chest, then the mid chest, then the lower tummy, taking plenty of time to notice the breath in the 3 part breathing.
Came into full Savasana.
And Namaste!
Finished with one long exhalation of OM, and it was very loud and energized!
This was a joy to lead, and I felt so positive about the session. I lost my words once or twice, trying to explain the motions in/out of asanas, but I knew most everyone was already a yoga practitioner and already knew what I meant. I also, for the first time, really paid a lot of attention to how everyone was doing. Not only did I ask once or twice, but I also watched. We laughed a lot, and I also found myself giving encouragement, especially during Sunbird, where I could see some people were wobbly.
After the hours, everyone thanked me and said it was really, really great!
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