Musing: Tadasana

Dearest tadasana. You sneaky, sneaky posture.
The all the dorsal muscles in my shoulders ache. The lats ache. The hamstrings ache.The psoas have curled up into a little ball in protest.

Lots of things to note but in terms of my posture my tadasana is being picked apart (esp yesterday). Doerthe often in class, John on Friday, and Lisa Walford today have all given me the same adjustment- drawing the tops of my shoulders back and down. I think I'm getting them where they need to be but apparently they can go further.

Then my thighs are drastically drawing forward - Marla would adjust them back in line with my ankles and my pelvis/tailbone will drastically anteriorly tilt and pretty much bring my torso with it.  Drawing my tailbone in towards the front body is definitely a chore that feels like a losing battle with getting my femur heads over my knees over my ankles.  

Carolyn said that she was trying to work with me on all of this ages ago.
Did I hear her then? Nope.

Feel much more inept than adept.


Seriously questioning my 5-yo self's decision to quit pre-ballet.

VK 004: practice plan 2015.10.16/ Hybrid

Ding-namaskara
Surya namaskara
Marichyasana sub-routine
Konasana Sequence (entire)

Bharadvajasana I
Marichyasana III
Ardha matsyendrasana I

Headstand 5min
Shoulder stand 3min
Paschimottanasana 5 min
Maha Mudra 5/5 min
One leg standing asana 5/5min

Kaphalabhati 108
Nadi sodhana - 72 at  4:16:8:4

YS 1.1 - 1.2

VK Rest Day 003

Tadasana Sequence
10 min supported sirsasana (iyengar 4 block set-up)
3 min slack sarvangasana
3 min salamba sarvangasana
5 min paschimottanasana
5/5 maha mudra

108 kapalabhati
20 min vilhoma

study.

Musing.

There are so many things to work on...so little time, actually, it's more my energy levels, but also time. It's always about finding the balance and channeling the energy where it needs to be. I left my job to work on getting healthy and focus on art. I'm giving a lot more time to yoga asana and the other aspects than I had planned.

That being said, there are physical things I would love to figure out how to work on...here's the check list:

padmasana w/o hands
smooth drop over and back up to shoulder stand
a solid/stable/easy 10 min free standing headstand
handstand (wild dream of press)
L-sit/lolasana/jump through/back

I'm sure there are more, these are the ones at the forefront.

These all take time to train the body and the mechanics. There are some similarities in these movements, postures. Just need to figure them out.  Feel like muscular control and time are what is holding my body back...

RtB 010: 2015.10.14

Skill work: Pistols aka one leg purna utkatasana
lots of lunge stuff in there.

Front Squat
5 x 5 (PR on last set 75lbs)

4r(4Q)
4e single leg box squat
8e slow step-up
12 hollow rocks

TMYK 003: Props

{[Props are addictive - use props to make the pose accessible, not comfortable]}

Iyengar Level 2-3 : 2015.10.13

dhandasana
--> lift chest, open back of the knees to the floor

 bharadvajasana I
--> great for lateral twisting of the spine; lift up from base of spine and rotate in pelvis, keep shoulders even chin in line with spine, use block at the base of the sacrum to help pull torso around

dhandasana

marichyasana III
--> w/o wall, block at sacrum to assist rotation of the torso; reach arm diagonally across and down  body, rotating opposite side to outside thigh, pull calf away from hamstring to create more space in hip and increase rotation in the side body



dhandasana

ardha matsyendrasana I
 --> key is to sit on heel, makes the posture a bit of a balance pose, bring extended leg in as close to the body as possible, creating a "tadasana" leg to press into the floor; turn trunk 90 degrees, bring arm pit over the knee, back hand continues to use block to aid in torso lift and rotation, (in LOY the hands are bound first) move top of first hand to under knee opening up wrist, again, pull calf away from hamsting.

adho mukha svansana
--> heels press down and back, edges parallel, open backs of thighs and draw up on shins

ardha uttansana
--> concave spine, drawing shoulders down and into the back

samasthiti/tadasana

virabhandrasana I :||
--> step back from tadasana, classic foot heel/arch alignment; rotate and even hips, extend up through spine; forward fold over bent leg to extend spine, slowly raise up keeping length in the spine.

parsvottonasana --> parvritta trikonasana
--> step back from tadasana, strong rotation of back foot, both legs straight; press through back heel and around to outside of back foot, keeping extension of the hamstrings, draw back hip around to front and even hips, both hands to ground, move to parvritta trikonasana, adjusting hips as necessary.

salamba sirsasana

nirambla sirsasana (prep)
--> start with arms for sirsasana II, legs for wide ams, extend up through crown of the head drawing shoulders down back, hands to ropes, then lifting up through finger tips, one hand down at a time.

urdhva muhka svasana :|| 3
--> 2 times on balls of feet, 1 time on top of feet

ustrasana :|| 3
--> narrow feet as move through progression, lift chest to ceiling draw shoulders down the back, opening collar bones.

sarvangasana to setu bhandasana with wall
--> new coordination to work on, drop overs and back to shoulder stand. hop down wall, key is not to settle into the bottom of the movement. not so bad at finding my position in space just the engagement/coordination in the front body.

chair supported halasana to karnapindasana
--> knees either side of ears, bend knees to drop towards floor.

savasana
--> with tip of cone rolled blanket under tailbone to broaden and settle sacrum from back bending.