Category Archives: Toe Stretch

Yoga basics @ LFF Tyrone 430 Tues

Hip Openers, Standing Strength, Toe Stretch

Subbing for Tee at LFF Tyrone.  It is a basics class so here we go back to the Yoga Sutras.

Pranyama: Shaja, Dirgha

Toe stretch, top of foot stretch, calf stretch, cat rolls

Sun Salutations: Basic salutation to look at safe movement from runner to Downward dog back to runner. Safe options for plank pushup to Cobra or upward facing dog.  Using blocks during this will help.

Standing strength: Wide Leg forward fold and looking at alignment of hips and feet. Triangle, side angle, Warrior 2, 1/2 moon, Deviasana, Skanda.

Balance:  Tree & Dancer  

Hip openers pigeon/swan with added thigh stretch, double pigeon, twists and forward folds.

Aromatherapy and Savasana

Aromatherapy blend is Shanti Blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan

Worshop overview from Chandra mon 530p

Spinal Flows, Standing Strength, Toe Stretch

Pranayama breath work:  Sahaja, Dirgha, Shining skull breath

Toe stretch, top of foot stretch, calf stretch with arm work. Cat bow 1 &2

Standing series. Prone work  moving from cat to facedown & extended child to facedown.  Forward folds and twist.  

Aromatherapy,  supine twist.

Aromatherapy  Relaxing  blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan

Pranayama after rolling up new pranayama from my 500 hour training.

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  😮

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)

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.

Doing Wheelies at Seminole Tues

Forward Folds, Heart Openers, Hip Openers, Toe Stretch, Yoga Moves

Pranayama over two blocks to open up the heart and side body.

Navasana flow to wake up the abdominals.

Toe Balance as well as a few jumps to get ready for frog (Bekasana).  Before Bekasana the now infamous hip openers to see it this will also open up frog for everyone.  Camel posture to develop the opening for the back bending practice.

Starting with Bridge work then moving onto the full Wheel see if done slowly with intention it opens up more fully. Doing Wheelies to Feel the flow of it 🙂  at least 3.

Some floor twists and stretches rolling up for a few more twists and forward folds to cool the mind.

Aromatherapy will be Yoga Nidra Blend from Yoga Flow Oils thanks Susan

Savasana.  Nadi Shodhana to calm and center the mind before going home.

The work of Master Teacher Karin Stephan Fri

Hip Openers, Standing Strength, Toe Stretch

Pranayama Dirgha, Nadi Shodhana.

Standing strength using a strap to find the side body. Runner with the new hip openers that seem to be working so well for everyone. Standing postures with holds.

Balance Tree with variations. Toe stretch

Twists and forward folds including Trianga Mukhaikapada Pascimottanasana. (Promised Karin I would teach this more 🙂 

Aromatherapy Pitta Blend from Yoga Flow Oils thank you Susan.