In one of those crazy life moments when a thought suddenly coalesces into reality, I’m taking tennis lessons.
Tagged tennis, tennis lessons, tennis racquet, Yoga, yoga flow
Saluting the Spirit 2010 was a hugely successful event! 67 participants, 9 teachers and a handful of volunteers raised $30,000 for Pathways to Wellness and yogaHOPE.
Posted in Yoga
Tagged fundraising, saluting the spirit, sun salutations, Yoga, yoga classes, yoga flow, yoga poses, yogaHOPE
I love XKCD.
You may have noticed that things have been a little quieter over here at Perusals lately. Life has been getting in the way of blogging and as much as I love sharing with you all, that extra hour of sleep is winning out. [wink!] But just in case you were wondering, this new, busy, crazy life I’ve found/created … it’s GREAT!
It’s an incredible feeling to look back at the past few months, (since the beginning of 2010,) and see how much I’ve changed and grown. It’s been said by people far wiser than me that the Universe will send you the lesson you need to learn until you learn it. The rewards of finally getting a piece of clue cake have created the best past few months ever.
Life is good. Life is busy. Life is a series of joyful events that I am even more appreciative of and grateful for.
So whether this post is strong content, further building a relationship with you dear readers, or crazy filler because I’ve been a delinquent blogger, take your pick. 
Oh the sweet, sweet irony. Do Hipster Yogis earn double points when Hipster Hunting?
Check out the awesomeness here.
Thank you, Yoga Dork for the find.
With six classes and a full time job I’ve finally come to terms that there’s no way to keep up with blogging every single class, especially since I pretty much just operate with variations on a theme. So here’s this week’s core idea. I’ve tried to include moments where I played around with things and/or introduced new things. Let me know if you have any questions!
Classes taught this week:
Monday, 6:15am Prana Power Yoga in Cambridge, 75 minutes
Tuesday, 5:30pm Shad Hall, HBS, 60 minutes
Wednesday, 7:00pm, MAC, Harvard University, 75 minutes
Thursday, 6:15am Prana Power Yoga in Cambridge, 75 minutes
Thursday, 7:00pm Hemenway Gym, Harvard University, 55 minutes
rag doll
downward facing dog
down dog to plank x3
broken vinyasa
tadasana
intention setting
3 Sun As
3 Sun Bs
crescent lunge twist
warrior II
reverse warrior
side angle/extended side angle
reverse warrior
half moon
triangle
pivot to front
parsvotonasana (or warrior II/airplane)
standing leg split
balance sequence
OR
utkatasana twist with side crow
padangustasana/padahastasana
runners lunge
walk hands around to prasarita A/B
frog
half pigeon
three-legged dog with hip opener/flip dog
dolphin plank with block between thighs or leg lifts
inchworm pose
sphinx/cobra
2 locusts
2 bow
1 bridge
3 bridge/wheel combos
supta baddha konasana
happy baby
inversion
spinal twist
savasana
On Saturday I went to a great workshop led by Alex on creative sequencing. In the workshop we worked on ways to identify the ability and energy level of our students and how to sequence to meet those needs. We talked a lot about the five major lines of he body and which poses activated and opened those channels. Alex broke it down for us in a really simple pattern: Integrate, Awaken, Heat, Reset, Build, Rebalance, Restore. Following these “guidelines” will help build a sequence that will work for any class.
This week I’ve been trying to integrate that into my teaching. It’s a lot to taken in, though it builds really well on everything I learned in teaching training and what I’ve learned in the past year of teaching. I’ll confess, though, it’s hard when I’m operating on near burn-out level with teaching. Thank goodness this workshop came when it did. It’s re-inspired me at a time when I needed inspiration to carry me through this coming month and it’s given me a focus. I’m looking forward to having more time for my own practice through the summer to really sit with a lot of what I’ve learned and let it soak into my brain.
Teaching from this perspective, from a fully integrated flow, has made it easier to teach in certain respects. It’s mentally more challenging and now I REALLY can’t check out, however, the flip side of that coin is that despite my weariness I feel more checked in. It also makes it easier to cue anatomical adjustments and physical cues since the class is sequenced in a way that builds to a specific pose or energetic place. I know I learned all this back in teacher training, but having it hammered home again, with new language and a year’s experience makes a huge difference.
Teachers: how to you stay inspired? What is your current teaching methodology? Do you sequence for energetic balance? A specific pose? A bit of both? What do you find most successful?
Posted in Yoga
Tagged asanas, downward facing dog, handstand, hard yoga poses, headstand, inspiration, inversions, poses, sequencing, Yoga, yoga classes, yoga flow
Got my reading mojo back in April big time! Links take you to full reviews on Goodreads.com
Surrender of a Siren, Tessa Dare
3 stars
Ingenuous heroine meets reformed pirate in this high seas adventure. The romance is steamy and the seas are rough (har har).
What Angels Fear, C.S. Harris
4 stars
First in a new series featuring Sebastian St. Cyr, this story looks at the dark and seedy underbelly of Regency England – a glimpse of life rarely seen in the polished and bright historical fiction of today.
When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
4 stars
Second in the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series, this one follows Sebastian as he gets sucked into a murder investigation of a young woman found clasped in the arms of the Prince Regent. Following a trail of clues that lead deep into his own past, Sebastian is at risk for more than just his life.
The Likeness, Tana French
4 stars
Cassie Maddox in undercover again, this time posing as a dead girls of which Cassie’s a dead-ringer in looks. But Cassie has to be careful not only in flushing out the killer, but of getting too attached to her alternate life.
When Will There Be Good News, Kate Atkinson
4 stars
A multi-layered and multi-textured literary mystery, Atkinson weaves together disparate story lines into a cohesive and tense crime drama.
The Compass Rose, Gail Dayton
3 stars
This was a re-read that help up surprisingly well. Tread cautiously with this series if you’re at all upset by polyamory and magical sex.
A Touch of Scandal, Jennifer Haymore
4 stars
Kate and Garrett. Garrett and Kate. Meant for each other but the Big Misunderstandings just never stop coming. How the author works her way out of so many potential pitfalls is what makes this novel great.
What have you read this month that you really enjoyed?
Posted in Books
