Charter for Compassion – Karen Armstrong

This is over an hour long: great if you have the time. http://fora.tv/2009/08/14/Karen_Armstrong_Charter_for_Compassion

Well worth having a look at. I don’t think it takes you to be religious to see the sense in it.

This is her TED version (about 21min)

10 min plan – no.5

Adho mukha virasana

Starting as before: moving from AM virasana into AM svanasana repeat several times, before walking the hands back from AM Svanasana into Uttansana (check no.2 for reminders).  Take about 4-5min…take your time. Observe without judgement, without justification.

Virabhadrasana  II – 2min.  Start and finish in Tadasana. Be aware of what your body remembers from class, rather than remembering with your head. As before, if this is new to you, don’t hold it long (20seconds or less). Repeat it several times to the right and the left. Bring your questions to the class.

Virabhadrasana II

Utthita parsvakonasana

 

 

 

 

 

Utthita parsvakonasana

‘Intense  lateral stretch’  from the outside edge of the back foot right the  way thru to the fingertips.  Don’t forget the back leg. Try to find a way of working the legs that encourages the hips to open more…

Dandasana – as before. Sit on a  block if you need to. Bring the top of your sacrum forward and ‘grow’ your  spine. Sternum, collarbones and shoulderblades working as one unit. 

Viparita karani or savasana

Breakfast Club rests for autumn and winter

I think this has come to a natural end for this year. The last sunday in September was glorious, sunny and hot. The first sunday in October was a bit water-logged.

Let’s get back to it in spring. Give me a shout in spring if I’m not quick enough for you…

Green roofs save on carbon overheads

‘Green roofs are not just a load of greenwash. That’s according to a new study which has measured the amount of carbon absorbed by 13 different green roofs.

…

Getter’s team examined 12 existing green roofs and grew their own Sedum-covered roof. They found that the roofs absorbed up to 375 grams per square metre over the two years of their study.

That may not sound like much, but it adds up. If a city the size of Detroit, Michigan, with around a million inhabitants, were to switch to green roofs, it would remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as taking 10,000 mid-sized SUVs and trucks off the road for a year.

There is a catch…’

…from New Scientist [accessed 5th Oct 09 at 0840]

10 min Plan – no4: Trikonasana into Ardha chandrasana

Starting as before: moving from AM virasana into AM svanasana repeat several times, before walking the hands back from AM Svanasana into Uttansana.  Take about 5-6min…take your time. Explore. Enjoy.

Remember, if balance is an issue, find a bit of space on a wall and take the balance out of the equation (in fact, even if balance isn’t an issue, this is a lovely way to explore the asana).

So just a quick reminder: standing in Tadasnana – legs active, front body lifting and opening, back body moving in and descending. Jump or step your feet wide apart…

Into trikonasana: turn the back foot in a little and the front foot and leg all the way out. Does this sound familiar? We’ve done this a hundred times in class: don’t over-think it, let your body lead your head. If that doesn’t make any sense, think about it like this: instead of listing the different movements as single instructions in your head, just make the starting shape…

Yogi Pipeman - thanks for the demonstration

The coming into ardha chandrasana:  bring the top hand down, look down  to the bricks ahead of your foot and on  your little toe side…and so on. You’re aiming for this: