10 minute challenge – last 2 days!!

Hello all!

Well? Nearly there! Are you ready for a big finish? Just today and tomorrow left to go! I feel like we should have a party…

Maybe we should…what about Wednesday night? Click here.

I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have and continue doing a daily 10 minutes as often as possible. I feel all fired up about my personal practice: I hope you feel the same

If you can make it to the Western tomorrow night: I look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers all,

Keith

Halfway through!! Congratulations! (and keep going)

Well done guys! I don’t know about you, but this 10 minutes is really getting me enthused about doing some personal practice. Yoga is a real multiplier: the more often you do it, the more beneficial it becomes. Keep up the good work.

10 Minute Plan No 7 – Audio-ish

Ok. The stick men are in the post below. I have promised a friend an audio version of the 10 minute plans and I finally did one…kinda.

The usual disclaimer: this just an aide-mémoire to what you know already. I’ve tried to do it in real time (interestingly for me: the 10 minute session was originally 20 long…I’ve choped it down to 14).

Halfway there! Keep up the good work…let your disappointments fall away and get back on your yoga mat tomorrow.

Namaste

Keith

10 minute plan #7

Based on post on Day 2, I’ve had the time to put some more stick figures together. The usual disclaimers apply: I’m certainly no artist. But hopefully the stick figures will be enough to remind you of the detail from class:

I mixed up and repeated the first 4 for about half the time them spent a bit of time on the other asanas. I was enjoying it, so I let it take more than 10 minutes…up to you.

Tadasana
Big toes together…you know the drill. Let your body take up the shape, let it evolve. Don’t follow an internal list, or lead with your head…

Tadasana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urdhva hastasana – front ribs to back ribs. Everything stays in Tadasana – only the arms move

Urdhva hastasana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uttanasana – or half Uttanasana to a worktop (this is underused by students: novices want to push thru to the final pose – the half is excellent for development)

Adho mukha svanasana

Half uttanasana to worktop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho mukha svanasana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chataranga Dandasana - remember your hips stay low in the full pose. In the modified one, if you hips are to high or too low, it’s easier – you’ll feel it. Find the tough bit in the middle.

Chataranga dandasana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or modified version with straight arms:

Modified chataranga dandasana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trikonasana

Trikonasana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supta padangustasana – straight legs: no compromise

Supta padangustasana with belt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Savasana – on the floor (in case you’re wondering about the drawing)

Savasana

10 min plan no. 6

I wanted to add something new. Having scanner issues, so will add more diagrams when sorted. Also getting close to the dissertation deadline, so I’ll probably not add the detail it deserves until the end of April. Enjoy

I don’t know what’s going on with the formatting: any advice, please feel free to leave a comment…

Tadasana

Urdhva hastasana

Uttanasana

Uttanasana

Trikonasana

Trikonasana

Ardha chandrasana

Ardha chandrasana

Prasarita padottanasana

finish with:
Supta baddhakonasana

ok, so this is not 10min: 15-ish. stick to the bold for 10 min…

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

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:

 

10 min plan – no.3

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.

Virabhadrasana II

Virabhadrasana II – 2min.  Start and finish in Tadasana. Be aware of what your body remembers from class, rather than remembering with your head. 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.

 

Dandasana

Dandasana. 1min. This is like the  tadasana of seated asanas: all seated asanas start and end here. Sit on a block if you need to. Work the legs strongly: lift the thighs and press the backs of the knees into the floor. Move the sacrum forward and lengthen the spine upwards. Lift your sternum, widen your collarbones and move the shoulderblades down the back and towards the centre.

Viparita karani / savasana 1-2min. I’ll leave the choice up to you. If I’m doing my practice early in the day, I might choose to do viparita karani rather than savasana. Try both (maybe not in the same session) and decide for yourself.

10min Yoga plan – no.2

10th Aug onwards

If this is new to you: start with week1 for a few days before moving onto this.  Please also remember these instructions here are not designed to be in depth: just sufficient to spark a memory of what you’ve covered in class. As ever, if you need further guidance, consult ‘Light on Yoga’ or speak to me in person…

Adho mukha virasana

Spend a couple of minutes moving from Adho mukha virasana

Adho mukha svanasana

into Adho mukha svanasana (see Week 1) building a little more into downward dog each time.

 

 

Then, from the last AM svanasana, walk the hands back towards the feet: into Uttanasana. Arms folded, hanging below the head. Pull on the inner elbows. Co-ordinate it with an exhalation. Lengthen along the side ribs. Lengthen into the points of the elbows.

Tadasana. Don’t throw it away. Take the time to activate the legs. Lift and open the front body. Keep the front ribs moving back. Shoulder blades moving in and down the back. Tailbone long. Take the weight towards the back of the heels. I’m saying too much here: feel your way into it – we do it all the time, your body knows what’s expected. One last thing: try it standing back to an inward pointing corner so that the back of your head, your dorsal spine (between your shoulder blades) and tailbone/sacrum are in contact with the corner. And soften….

Then jump or step 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. 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…

Do both sides twice and return to Tadasana.

Spend a minute in savasana to finish.

10min Yoga Plan – no.1b

(the instructions are designed to aide memiore for things we’ve done in class) -Week beginning 3rd August

Adho mukha virasana

– big toes together, knees apart.

Sit back into the heels. If you can’t reach the heels, use a block.

Rest the forehead on the floor. If you can’t reach the floor, use a block.

Adho mukha svanasana

-sit bones are the highest part of this pose.

Think equilateral triangle.

Rotate the inner crease of the elbows towards the front and the groins moving directly behind you.

Everything stretching.

Lift the fingers and thumbs, lift the toes too.

Spend 6 min moving between AM virasana and AM svanasana

The walk the hand back towards the feet into…

 

Uttanasana

Fold the arms above the  head and keep the upper arms in line with the ears.

Use the thumbs in the crook of the elbows to stretch the arms (think armpit to point of elbow) and lengthen along the side ribs. Stay here for a couple of minutes

 

Supported savasana

Savasana using a layer of 2 blocks (lengthways and end to end, up the middle of your mat) and another layer of 2 blocks on top (same way) shifted 10cm to the  top of the mat. Sit ond the ground: bottom on the floor and mid/upper back and head on the blocks. Chest open, extra support for the head is needed. Palms face up. Yada, yada, yada…Stay here for a couple of minutes.

10min Yoga Plan – No 1

It’s more beneficial to do a little everyday rather than one or two big sessions a week (well, that’s my opinion).

This week begins with the breakfast club on Sunday morning, the 19th. This is just a suggestion for students coming to classes if you want to start your own practice and maybe just don’t quite know where to start.

Take your time. Use your breathing to become more aware of what’s going on on the inside, and try not to anticipate:

Tadasana
Uttanasana
Trikonasana
Dandasana
Savasana

See light on yoga for specific instructions if you can’t remember them from class.