All posts by Nancy MacDonald

Finding the Warrior(Hero) in us then adding a twist. Tues

Standing Strength, Toe Stretch, Yoga Moves

Pranayama: Dirgha (long breath), Nadi Shodhana (channel clearing breath) Anuloma Viloma.

Advancing the toe stretch with one leg in squat other leg/foot in toe stretch, buttocks can be on block.  Gently lowering the torso back to come onto the elbows.  On one side I use a block under my elbows (that floor is lower on one side I think ha ha 😛 )  Top of foot stretch  adding in the thigh stretch.  Calf stretch with arm work.

Cat rolls for the flow of the spine. Up to standing.

Standing strength: Warrior work.  I made some confusion a few weeks back with this warrior series so we are going to break it down and do it a couple of times.

Standing, upward salute, forward fold, flat back extend, runner back knee down, crescent warrior, raised crescent warrior, sweep through runner to warrior 3, warrior 1, revolved triangle, revolved 1/2 moon, revolved triangle, inhale to lift up into chest expansion, Parsvottanasana,  Downward facing dog, vinyasa, flow to standing and other side.  We may do each side 2 times  alternating sides to really feel the flow.

Balance: been leaving this out toooo much.  Knee to chest, balance stick, star, knees to chest add twist.

Forward fold to squat 1 for alternating leg lifts, hand balance to floor.

L-seat forward fold, Janu Sirsasana twist toward straight leg, twist away from straight leg, L-seat Forward fold and other side.  Cobbler, sukasana.  aromatherapy oils    Savasana

Aromatherapy tonight will be Ananda Blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan

Watching the breath flow with the Asanas mon

Core Work, Hamstrings, Hip Openers, Toe Stretch, Yoga Moves

Having a blended class tonight with beginners class, Tri Yoga class, and Wanda’s advanced class all together in one room….. what fun.  😉

Pranayama: Dirgha (long/complete breath)  Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril/channel clearing breath)  Anuloma Viloma (Nadi Shodhana with holding the breath in at top of inhale for count of 3).  Observing the quality of the breath and just allowing the body to receive the breath. 

Toe Stretch with arm movements as well at top of foot stretch.  Noticing how these relate to our asana postures.  Toe stretch  we see in Plank, Raised Runner, Balance and even just our normal walking gate pattern.  Top of foot stretch will stretch the whole top of the foot. The whole top of the foot should be able to come to the floor. This is needed for many postures a few are: Vajrasana, Virasana, Camel, Cobra, Cat, reverse plank, triangle, headstand, handstand, shoulderstand etc…..

Calf stretch with a little look at arm work similar to what we do in TriYoga with Cat Bows.  Cat rolls with fire hydrant hip circles.  Reverse table work adding in the harder work of cradle with the legs if this was what your body called for tonight, this adds more work to the hamstring of the opposite leg (as many of you discovered). 😮

Abdominal work of Navasana (Boat) and Ardha Navasana.  The abdominal bent knee twist Continue reading Watching the breath flow with the Asanas mon →

Breath, Hips and Hamstring Fri

Hamstrings, Hip Openers, Toe Stretch

Back from training and I learned how important it is to open the hips using the breath. I usually don’t have enough time in an hour class to do hip work, but we will try to open as much as possible.

Pranayama will start with Dirgha the complete or long breath.

Toe stretch with sun breath with a short hold at the top to get a little charge of prana.

Calf stretch with an added arm work to help build strength in the arms.  Side body stretch and Marjariasana (cat) rolls.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) with a little stretch added in.  Adho Mukha Svanasana variation to Raja Kapotasana  variation (King Pigeon Variation, or Swan) add blocks and thigh stretch.

The new hip openers are brought back for one last week then Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) to Marjariasana (Cat) with hip circles.  Anajeyasana (runner) with twists.

Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide leg forward fold) with added twist perhaps Skanda will flow into here.

Tri Yogas penguin & frog with squashed frog 😛   Wide Leg Tortoise (Tri Yoga), Balasana (child),  Baddha Konasana (Cobbler), Upavista Konasana (seated wide leg forward fold) seated Malasana( squat 1).

Apply aromatherapy of Ananda blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan.

Roll down to Supta Padangusthasana (reclined hamstring stretch with strap)

Ananda Balasna (happy baby),  Apanasana (knees to chest), Jathara Parivartanasana (reclined twist), Apanasana (knees to chest), Savasana  😮

Breathing deep into the hips and hamstring. Tues

Hamstrings, Hip Openers

After 6 days of pranayama teacher training we will be breathing deeply into the stretches tonight.  With deep hip openers the need  for deep breaths will be apparent.  Slow  deep work tonight.

Pranayama:  over 2 blocks,  Dirgha (long breath), box breath

Starting on the back with Jathara Parivartanasana (supine twist) to cradle with a twist, hip rotations. Finding the abdominal  muscles with Tias Little work that we haven’t explored for awhile.  Roll up then roll like a ball.

(Purvottanasana variation (reverse table) work and seated cradle work (Raja Kapotasana variation). Cross squat to Marjariasana (cat), cat rolls.   Raja Kapotasana variation (Swan or king pigeon), Anajeyasana (runner) with hip openers.   Tri Yogas penguin & frog with squashed frog 😛  Balasana (child),  Sukasana variation (pelvis leveler).

Aromatherapy oils here before continuing with the openings. Supta Padangusthasana (supine hamstring stretch) with a weight plate on the other thigh to hold it down.  Ananda Balasana (happy baby),  Supta Baddhakonasana (supine cobbler), savasana (tranquility).

Aromatherapy: Open Heart by Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan.

TRIYENGAR is a hit let’s keep it up Mon

Core Work, Heart Openers, Spinal Flows, Toe Stretch

Keeping the mix of Tri Yoga  & Iyengar.

Pranayama:  Dirgha, Kapalabhati slow

Opening the feet with toe stretch, toe balance and top of foot stretch. Working on inner thigh and leg inversion & eversion. Reverse table adding in dips.  Navasana flow for abs.

Standing strength  adding in  some  extended cat work for legs, abs and back.

Revisiting Karin Stephan’s dowel work at the wall for back bends.  Wall chair for strength then to the floor for strengthen building in the back with Cobra work & opposite arm and leg. 

Releasing the back with bridge, bridge lifts.  Apanasana, Spider, Hip side stretch.

Aromatherapy tonight will be Yoga Nidra from Yoga Flow Oils thanks Susan.

Tri Yoga mixing it up with Hatha blend Thurs

Hip Openers, Shoulder Openers, Toe Stretch

Subbing Sandi’s class today.

Pranayama practice over 2 blankets to open the shoulders, heart and chest.

Leg lifts and hip rotations, supine twist to feel how the external hip muscles are doing. Cradle work with a twist. Fingers in the sand shoulder opening.

 Spinal rolls,  a flow of Cats, Downward Dogs, thread the needle and side bends. Standing neck & shoulder openers.  10 churnings to Doug Keller shoulder work on wall. Releasing the shoulder work with shoulder openers using a strap to assist.  Polishing off the shoulders with Karin Stephan’s back bending using a dowel. Chair on the wall to build strength in the legs.

New hip openers to really open the external hip rotators yum yum yoga 😮

Twists, Forward folds.

Aromatherapy: Relaxing Blend from yoga flow oils thank you Susan. 8)

Moving and grooving to yoga flows. Fri

Hip Openers, Spinal Flows, Upper Body Strength

Pranayama: Dirgha, Nadi Shodhana

Opening the feet right away along with the shoulders, mind and heart.  😛

10 churnings, Sun Salutation with dolphin planks added in to strengthen the upper body, side planks with twists. Balance standing padangusthasana 2 times holding the foot if possible.

Warrior 1 to Warrior 3  moving to Revolved Triangle, Revolved 1/2 moon, Pyramid posture interal leg work as well as twists.

Cobra work for the back and abs this also help the shoulders from rolling forward. Re-balances the body. Facedown shoulder stretch.  Double pigeon and 1/2 cow face to finish the open hips

Aromatherapy: Shanti Blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan

Savasana

Stirring up the body with 10 churnings and more Thurs

Hip Openers, Standing Strength, Toe Stretch, Upper Body Strength

Pranayama  Dirgha, Sun breath 😀

Sun Salutations with Swan, Hip openers, Warrior 1 with breath and twist.

Balance: Shiva dance

Standing strength tonight will have some balance in it with 1/2 moon. The we will do the upper body strengthener from a squat to extended leg stretch.  Hand balance.

Double pigeon and a few twists and forward folds

Aromatherapy tonight Relaxing Blend from Yoga Flow oils thank you Susan.

Let’s twist again then balance for fun. Tues

Core Work, Hip Openers, Standing Strength

Prananyama: Dirgha, Kapalabhati slow.

Opening the shoulders before Wild Thing and Belly of the Dragon.  One more week of the hip stretches that every one loves and makes faces at. 🙂   Working the core with Dolphin and side planks with twists to really work the whole abdominal area including the obliques.

Standing strength the regular series with 1/2 moon for balance. Then we are going to deepen the balance aspect by working into Warrior 3, Warrior 1, Revolved Triangle, Revolved 1/2 moon.  These are difficult postures that one must have an inward focus to find your breath and freedom in the posture. Where is the edge between opening and force, the line between stretch and too much effort? The mind and body will serve up a feast of feelings, each breath another chance to deepen and release into the posture or time to back out.

More twists.

Aromatherapy will be Dharma from Yoga Flow Oils.. thank you Susan

Savasana           See you all in 2 weeks.  Many blessings

TIYENGAR what is that? TriYoga & Iyengar mixed Mon

Heart Openers, Hip Openers, Spinal Flows, Standing Strength, Upper Body Strength

Pranayama: Dirgha worked with Doug Keller’s Dirgha breath for complete breath work. Bringing much more awareness to the mid-lung breath. I encourage everyone to try this at home to see if it brings peace to the breath work. Slow Kapalabhati breath with inhale holds.

Bringing two of my favorite styles of yoga together with TriYoga- meditation in motion- and Iyengar- detailed work with holds to open the body for movement and meditation.

cat rolls to open the spine, few jump out to pyramid and back to toe balance. Karin Stephan’s wall work then to TriYoga’s wall work to open the side body, heart, back and legs. Yum!! Spent time with this as everyone really needed the side body work.

On to standing strength and flowing with the breath.

To supine to stretch the hips and twist the body to release any toxin that were in there. Slowly moved through these postures with assists and adjustments so everyone felt yummy.

Aromatherapy will be Shanti from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan.

Savasana