My asana practice this morning is dedicated to my students, whose devotion to practice, to the study of all the limbs of Yoga and to the Iyengar’s teachings astonishes me regularly.

Friday practices are usually chock full of fun and fabulous backbends with a group of practitioners who also assist at the Iyengar Yoga Center of the Lehigh Valley but due to the current state affairs I found myself practicing at home…and alone (insert sad face emoji with one tear leaking out of one eye).

Feeling thoroughly sorry for myself, I sat down to “settle down,” as Prashant Iyengar would say.  “What good will come of this?” I thought, while experiencing a longing for connection to my fellow practitioners/students that was thoroughly uninspiring.  After a long time of being and breathing, a wave of sadness washed through me and I heard Guruji tell me to “turn [my] disappointment into an appointment.” 

Armed with this divine mandate I visualized all of the students who fill the studio each week felt my heart swell with courage and with love.  I started to chant, first quietly with my inner voice, then aloud, with my outer voice, and finally with my body as I moved through the following sequence. 

Hari OM Tat Sat. All that is the truth. 

Love,
Holly

 

Adho Mukh Virasana > Adho Mukha Svanasana > Uttanasana (head supported, 3-5 minutes each)

Tadasana and the following hasta murdra (arm work):

  – Urdhva Hastasana > Baddha Hastasana (holding elbows overhead)

  – Salabhasana arms in Tadasana to Paschima Baddha Hastasana

  – Gomukhasana

  – Paschima Namaskarasana

Supta Padangusthasana I, Parsva (leg out to the side) and Parivritta (leg across to the opposite side)

Utthita Trikonasana

Parsvottanasana

Parivritta Trikonasana

Ardha Chandrasana

Virabhadrasana III

Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana from Parivritta Trikonasana

Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana from Parivritta Parsvakonasana

*Note: all of the above standing poses were done with traction belt @ front leg hip and back leg heel

Prasarita Padottanasana I, II

Sirsasana

Eka Pada Sirasana > Parivrittaikapada Sirsasna  > Parsvaikapada Sirsasana

  – all at once and with traction belt on left heel and right hip

  – come down, change interlace of fingers and placement of belt

Upavistha Konasana > Parsva Upavistha Konasana R > Upavistha Konasana > Parsva Upavistha Konasana L > Upavistha Konasana

  – 3x and in stages: upright, urdhva mukha (concave) and adho mukha (convex)

Eka Pada Koundinyasana I & II

Chair Viparita Karani > Baddha Konasana in Chair Sarvangasana > Chair Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, heels on two bolsters at wall

  – take one leg through the chair while other leg is in Baddha Konasana on the chair, then change sides, then full Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

*Note: observe the difference in the body via the breath in the above inversions … the touch of the breath in the nostrils is different when the leg is in Baddha Konasana vs chair Setu Bandha Sarvangasana … let me know what you feel/find!