Reflective Asana and Pranayama 6

         (Standings/Forward Extensions/Pranayama)

     “Body breath and Mind in Perfect Oneness”

Concepts

          “Body as a container for the breath”

          Virasana (find personal support/review last week)

Sitting  (Touch/Breathe/Resonance)

          Preliminary Udiyyana Banda

Asana

         Cat/Cow -> “Pointer” pose (mild Udiyyana Banda action in stomach)

Dandasana (thighs down, lift chest, passive abdomen

Konasana

Paripurna Navasana

Bolster/belt support

Bolster/drop belt

Without bolster (full pose with variations of belt support)

AMS (find belly/chest action). Chest to thighs, Hips up, thighs back (to deepen

          abdomen)-> Plank (3x)

Bent leg (lunge) exercise

          Kneeling on one leg, one leg forward, open front of rear thigh (hands on

                    blocks)

          Variation: raise arms (kneeling Virabhadrasana I)

Standing (stepping back from blocks)

          Virabhadrasana I

          Parsvottanasana (to blocks, then deepen)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (hands on blocks, then w/o)

Tadasana/Utthanasana

Padangusthasana (with belt as needed)

Surya Namaskar (repeat 2-3x)

          Tadasana

Urdhva Hastasana

Utkasana

Utthanasana, (step back to …)

Lunge (as in Virabhadrasana I/Lunge exercise above), (step other leg back to…)

Adho Mukha Svanasana, (forward to..)

Uttanasana,

          Urdhva Hastasana, Tadasana

Virabhadrasana I

Transition & Pranayama

Rope Sirsasana (observe abdomen/breath profile/compare to Udiyyana Banda)

Panjarasana/”Bishimasana”

          @ wood blocks, 2 bolsters, blankets for block cushioning/adjustment

          Ujayyi I

Pranayama/Savasana Set-Up

          Ujayyi 2 (extend exhalation; compare to shallower “meditation” breath”)

Savasana/Close

         Om Shantih Shantih Shantih

“Body breath and mind in perfect oneness

I send my heart along with this bell”