Classes with Prashant How do you approach your practice? Do you try to remember the sequence from class? Do you focus on a pose and work on its ‘points’? Do you focus on categories of poses each day? Do you rely on a book or a tape? These are all good methods and can be helpful, ... Read More »
A View Into The Window
Each week in my classes I try to introduce a quote or thought that is relevant to yoga practice. This ‘blog’ is a place for me to expand on the ideas and for community participation. The philosophical concepts underlying yoga are complex; I certainly have no claim to understanding them well. But as a group perhaps we can come to a deeper level of knowledge. Sue
Sunday Brunch
Marriott Hotel: Sunday Brunch 2/9/2014 Stephanie invited several of us to brunch today at one of the two Marriott hotels here. Its quite an affair; there are four buffet areas, one an Asian Station, one Mexican, one India, and one Western, and then a desert station. Needless to say all are India ... Read More »
A Week of Classes
Continuing On 2/3 - 2/8 Three classes with Prashant and three with Geeta, including last night’s pranayama. The week has flown by. The classes with Prashant meet Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7:00 am. But to get a place where I have a chance to hear much I need to get there about 6:35, ... Read More »
First Days In India, 2014
Arriving and Settling In: 1/31- 2/2/2014 Has India changed? No, and yes. The aroma in the air is familiar even before the plane lands, it is distinctive. I find I recognized the airport and how to negotiate through customs while bleary eyed and jet lagged. This can be no small feat; trying to keep ... Read More »
Coordinating the Mind and Body
Stand in Tadasana. Then bring the arms to Gomukasana, first holding the palms with the fingers pointing downwards. Stay there. Keep the shoulder bones relaxed and rolling forward, the elbows relaxed for now. Press the palms together evenly and spread the wrists, lengthen the thumbs. After a few ... Read More »
Today’s Practice
"A paradox is only the truth standing on its head to attract attention." - - - G.K. Chesterton ... Read More »
Effortless Effort
Sutra I.47 prayatna saithilya ananta sampattibhyam Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached. B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sutras p 159 Earlier in the fall our classes looked at the second ... Read More »
Winter Solstice
What a joy it is to come to the Winter Solstice and know that the sun is returning. The short, days can be hard to live through, often we feel that there isn't enough time to get done what we want and the short daylight only exasperates the feeling. I think there is also an inner need to hibernate ... Read More »
Stillness
Be in Adho Mukha Virasana (child's pose), supported well with your head and buttocks on the same level, rest your hands next to your hips. Let yourself go. "All movement is derived from and returns to stillness. The quiet breathing body folded over itself in a forward bend is an expression of ... Read More »
“If the root is weak, the tree cannot be strong.”
"When you are over stretching somewhere to get the optimum movement, have you ever noticed that you are also giving too little attention to other parts of the body? That disturbs the body and makes it shake. If the root of a tree is weak, the tree itself cannot be strong." _ _ B.K.S. Iyengar The ... Read More »