Substitute for teacher interview: class plans for yoga classes with a special theme

Transcription

1 Living Yoga Teacher Training Program Study pack #3 Name: Andrea Richter Time needed to complete study pack: 9h Substitute for teacher interview: class plans for yoga classes with a special theme 1.) Surya lesson (comment: most suitable for a(n) (early) morning class): Different kinds of surya namaskar, a lot of backbends to energize the body and mind for the rest of the day in combination with activating the solar plane or solar points in the body (1.75-2hrs) Short introduction for those who are new to yoga: explain what yoga s main aim is (yoga means union: connect body and mind/soul, connect the flow of asanas with your breath, connect with yourself with your boundaries, your good and bad sides, ), explain ujjayi-breath and the bandhas and how they work and how they are activated; tell them that this class is designed to stimulate the solar plane of their body (medially situated sagittal plane) and solar points in their body which results in stimulating their organs and energy flow. Meditation: center yourself and arrive in the here and now, concentrate on your breath Find a comfortable and upright position: you can roll up your map under your sitting bones to give your pelvis the opportunity to tilt forward a bit, giving the spine more length and the lungs and abdomen the chance to take in as much air as posssible; you can choos sidhasana, sukhasana, or even ardha padmasana if you have the flexibility in your hip joints; during meditation only apply mula bandha which means with an inhalation you lift your perineum, activate the muscles of the pelvic floor and this way keep the enrgy in your body, awakening kundalini at the bottom of your spine; but still grounding your sitbones into the floor: breathing down into your pelvis helps to root yourself (esp women often do not feel rooted); feel how your breath gets slower and deeper and how taking your breath as a focus helps that you are not distracted by your thoughts that keep coming into your mind Slowly start moving: slowly apply uddhyjana bandha (draw navel to the spine and a bit up towards your sternum to engage your deeper and very deep abdominal muscles) and enter ujjayi breath Lifting the arms along the side closing them into atamanjali mudra in front of your sternum; with an inhalation lifting hands straight up into the air, with an exhaltion lowering the bottom of the hands in atmanjali mudra onto the fontanella anterior ( one of the solar points in the human body), crown of the head (seat of sahasrara, the 7 th chakra) respectively, inhale: lift arms again overhaed, exhale: lower to the front of sternum again; repeat this cycle 5 times then with an exhalation lower your body over legs towards the floor, still extending your arms in atmanjali mudra overhead. Stay here for five deep breaths, then put your hands below your shoulders and press up into sitting Start with surya namskar: Choose two or three kinds of the surya namskar versions from the sheets below and do them three to five times each, eg the kneeling SN and then the classical one ( ie one of the simpler ones, like the kneeling one to slowly warm up the muscles and prepare body and mind for a more complicated one like the classical or the jivamukti SN); in the more complicated one start to hold poses for three to five breaths, especially focus on backbends to energize the body and open the chest and stimulate anahata ) Legend to the sheets: In/ex: (below the arrows) inhale/exhale keep the arches of your ribs closed to avoid any compression in the lumbar spine instead whenever you want to open up your chest, get the opening effect by expanding your chest and opening your shoulders in order to stimulate your anahata. Start to insert asanas into surya namaskar A, amount and difficulty of asanas depends on the length and level of the class; eg: o Standing/kneeling: Virabhadrasana a, b, c, parsva virabadhrasanab Ardha malasana, ev utthita ardha malasana Anjaneyasana Ustrasana parighasana Utthita padangusthasana, ev parsva /prasarita utthita padangusthasana Natarajasana Utkatasana, ev parivrtta utkatasana!!! counter pose with eg: uttanasana, adho mukha svanasana, balasana o on the floor: on your belly: Shalabasana (Ardha) dhanurasana bhujangasana I, II urdhav mukha svansana (ardha) bhekasana - 1 -

2 sukha gherandasana!!! counter pose with balasana, sasankasana, adho mukha svanasana reclined: supptha upavishta konasana supptha Utthita padangusthasana, ev. supptha parsva /prasarita version!!! counter with happy baby pose, supptha balsana sitting: purvottanasana, ev keep knees bent to lighten the pose upavishta konasana: upper body straight, reaching sternum forward baddha konasana, sitting upright ev sligthly bending back ubhaya padangusthasana krounchasana, ev ardha baddha krounchasana navasana parivritta siddhasana/sukhasana bharadvajasana I, II, III utthita parivrtta pashimottanasana vira parighasana eka pada rajakapotanasana ardha padma matsyendrasana!!! counterpose with pashim(ottan)asana arm balances: eka hasta bhujasana astavakrasana bakasana, ev parsva version titthibasana bhujapidasana vasisthasana!!! counterpose in balasana inversions: setu bandhasana, ev urdhva dhanurasana (ev eka pada version), urdhva dandasana or kapotasana uttana padasana matsyasana sarvangasana only for advanced students: o pincha mayurasana o (salamba) sirsasana o adho mukha vrksasana o!!! counterpose with balasana, pindasana twists: (utthita) jathara parivartanasana supptha Utthita padangusthasana, ev supptha prasarita utthita padangusthasana savasana: o yoga nidra: relax the body step by step, starting with the toes and slowly moving up to the head o so-hum meditation/relaxation: so hum ( I am or I am that ) is a mantra used in the traditions od vedanta and tantra that flows with the breath and so also repets itself effortlessly: sit in a comfortable seat (siddhasana, sukkhasana, or ardha padmasana or even padmasana if you have the flexibility in your hips do not strain your knees); close your eyes and only use the muscles in your body that you need to keep your seat stable and your spine elongated); hands in jnana mudra index finger and thumb touching, resteing the back of your hands on your knees; say so in your head with your inhalation and hum with your exhalation; let your mind and body be absorbed by the the sound of your breath and the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body, letting the sound of so hum become the only thing you focus on I am that, I am that, arrive in the here and now accept who you are, what you are, how you are; accept yopur favorite sides and also the things you do not value so much whenever your mind starts to drift off (meaning: thoughts come up that draw you away from your focus) come back to the mantra o mind traveling or visualization (imagining you are on a beach, in a forest, ) o five-senses meditaion o calm heart meditation etc. chant om three times to close the circle of the class (ev: chant shanti, shanti shanti om alone) feeling the difference between chanting at the beginning of the class and now - 2 -

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5 2.) Chandra lesson: different chandra namaskar with a lot of forward bends and activation of the lunar plane or lunar points to help the body and mind center and relax ( hrs) (class is best to hold as an evening class ) Short introduction for those who are new to yoga explain what yoga s aim is (yoga means union: connect body and mind/soul, connect the flow of asanas with your breath, connect with yourself with your boundaries, your good and bad sides, ), explain ujjayi-breath and the bandhas and how they work, their purpose and how they are activated; tell them that this class is designed to stimulate the lunar plane of their body (medially situated frontal plane) and lunar points in their body which results in calming their mind and body relaxing and centering. Eventually rest in savasana to center Meditation: Find a comfortable seat, elongate your spine with an inhalation, with the exhalation let your sitting bones drop into the floor, inhale lift your perineum, exhale let your shoulders flow away from your ears Chant om three times. Inhale bring arms along the side up to the ceiling until they are parallel, exhale let them float down again 3-5x, next time: rotation: parivrtta version of siddhasana or sukhasana etc: rigth hand behind sacrum, left hand rests on the knee to intensify the rotation hold for 5 breaths then change side Slowly come to standing: Start doing one version of chandra namaskar: slowly build up one version step by step, inserting piece by piece then hold the posiitons esp. forward and side bends, first in standing an come down to the floor slowly Standing: o Come down into Malasana o o Padahastasana, ev ardha padma padmotanasana From uttanasana: lift leg to the side keepin the leg in the lateral planeand hips level, drishti to big toe or if balance is good: drishti:knees On all fours: o Cat cow o Utthita balasana On the stomach/sida: o Nakrasana o anantasana Sitting: o Janu sirsasana, ev parivrtta version o Upavista konasana o Parsva upavista konasana o Folding forward in baddha konasana o Marichyasana A, B o Folding forward in padmasana o Supta padangusthasana, ev parsva version o Supta kurmasana or prep. o Matsyendrasana, ev ardha padma matsyendrasana Inversions: o Sarvangasana, ev variations (eka pada s., parsva s., supta kona s., urdhva padma s., urdhva padmasana, niralimba s.) o Halasana o Karnapidasana o Salamba sirsasana Savasana; rest in: o Viparita karani o Savasana o Accompanied with: yoga nidra: relax the body step by step, starting with the toes and slowly moving up to the head so-hum meditation/relaxation: mind traveling or visualization (imagining you are on a beach, in a forest, ) five-senses meditaion calm heart meditation imagine your heart being a lotus flower or a warm red light as your heart, or a cave lightened with a bright red light; read this from the upanishads: Bright but hidden, the self dwells in the heart. Everything that moves, breathes, opens and closes lives in the self the source of love. Realize the self hidden in the heart and cut asunder the knot of ignorance here and now. etc. chant om three times to close the circle of the class (ev: chant shanti, shanti shanti om alone) feeling the difference between chanting at the beginning of the class and now - 5 -

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8 3.) Yoga class to ease mild depression, anxiety or insomnia Mild Depression ( min): Relaxation: Come into savasana to fully relax and arrive in the here and now; let your muscles get free from tension; relax your pelvis: feel how it drops into the floor and gets rooted. Relax your head into the mat, relax the muscles in your face and let the skin become smooth and soft Now come to your breath: enjoy the sensation that with the inhalation, the puraka, your breath comes from the head down to your pelvis, all along the front of your spine, filling your abdomen and your chest; with the exhalation, the rechaka, feel your chest deflating and how your navel sinks towards the spine, how the air runs out of your system along the back of your spine, taking everything with it what you do not need anymore, all your fears and doubts everything that forces your to hold back rest here for a few circles of breathing and enjoy the rhythm of your breath Slowly start to wiggle your toes and fingers, then bring your arms along the side up towards your ears, palms facing up, feet are flexed stretch your whole body, from the tips of your fingers down to the heels Meditation: Sit in a comforatable seat (roll up your mat to elevate your pelvis, only your sitbones are on the edge of the mat to ensure that your pelvis gets this slight tilt forward so that your spine can elongate to a maximum; sit in sukhasana, siddhasana or even padmasana only if your hips ar flexible enough); fold your hands to atmanjali mudra, let the side of your thumbs press against your sternum close your eyes, send your thoughts to your heart center, your anahata and emagine a nice, bright and warm, green light shining in there feel how the warmth and intensity fills your body with energy enjoy the sensation now let this light become verbal energy chant om three times Slowly start moving, with the inhale move left arm to the ceiling, exhale lean over to the right, stretching the left side of your body, the heart side inhale coming up to center and lifting the right arm up, exhale lean over to the left side and stretch the right side of your body Come into standing; do five surya namaskar a and then five surya namaskar b (or choose two other versions of surya namaskar from the sheets above), then start inserting these poses into surya namaskar a, holding for about 5 breaths (or longer if you feel that it does you good) and resting/counterposing in between (counterpose or resting position in brackets) Urdhva hastasana (uttanasana, padahastasana) Prasarita padontanasana Bhujangasana/urdhva mukha svanasana (adho mukha svanasana) Baddha konasana, hands in atmanjali mudra, slight backbend to open chest Janu sirsasana (purvottanasana) Ustrasana (utthita balasana) Adho mukha vrksasana / pincha mayurasana (balasana, pindasana) Setu bandhasana / urdhva dhanurasana (paschimottanasana, apanasana) (salamba) sirsasana (balasana) Salamba sarvangasana (matsyasana) Savasana / salamba suptha baddha konasana or virasana / viparita karani in combination with deep breathing (sama ortti pranayama): breathe slowly through your nose concentrate on your belly and the lower parts of your lungs first breathe deeply into the lower parts of your lungs, fill your whloe ribcage and your belly with air the fill the upper parts of your lungs then hold your breath for about 5 seconds, then exhale completely, let all the air out repeat this four to five times in your own pace then just let your body, your soul relax let your breath flow Meditation: Comfortable seated position, hands on your upper thighs, palms facing up, pull the thumb towards the root of the small finger, then close the other four fingers to cover your thumb (this is tse mudra), while you are doing this, inhale deeply; exhale through your mouth in four steps, open your hands and shake them out rhythmically; repeat this sequence at least 7 times. Then close your eyes and remember a moment of happiness and bliss inhale this feeling completely and with each and every pore of your body Ganesha mudra: Put your left hand in front of your chest, palm facing away from you, thumb pointing down; curl your fingers and grab your right hand with your left one; keep your hands about the height of anahata. Breathe slowly and deeply and keep pulling your hands away from each other; with the next inhalation losen up your grip after three more breaths, change the positioning of your hands so that your right palm is pointing away from you; repeat the same thing after three breaths with the palms of the hands facing up and down, respectively. To finish the meditation place your hands softly one above the other right beneath your anahata; the hands should not be placed one over the other breathe into your palms - 8 -

9 Chant om three times Before you say namaste: Say yes to the moment. Devote to whatever there is. Say yes to life and look how life suddenly starts working for you instead of against you. (Eckhart Tolle) Shortly before the sun is rising, the night is darkest. (Selma Lagerlöf) Value and honor the goddess/the divine in you. Anxiety ( min): Meditation: Sit in a comfortable position, be sure that your spine is erect and you can breathe fully into your belly get rooted and feel the energy flowing from your muladhara up to your sahasrara inhale and feel how your prana goes into your body and your prana shakti flowing down into your pelvis feel your spine getting longer; with the exhalation, feel how prana leaves your body and how your prana shakti makes you become more rooted with the floor Hands in Ganesha mudra (see above), which boost your energy of life Chant om three times. Asanas: To warm up the body: Parvatanasana (ev with a sidebend and dynamically; inhale center, exhale bend to the side) Come to standing: Urdhva hastasana Choose one type of surya namaskar, do two/three cycles to warm up the body and then start inserting some/all asanas: Uttanasana Utthita trikonasana Ardha chandrasana parsvotanasana Prasarita padotanasana (ev with a twist: parivritta version) dhanurasana Virasana / siddhasana /sukhasna with light backbend or suptha version (bend forward to counterpose) Paschimottanasana Janu sirsasana Setu bandhasana Sirsasana Savasana: either in savasana or viparita karani or salamba supptha baddha konasana; let your body fully relax and feel how energy fills your body with every inhalation how the front of your body opens to the sky with every inhalation and the back of your body roots deeper and deeper to the floor with the exhalation Meditation: comfortable sitting position with atmanjali, ksepana or deep relexation -mudra: close your eyes, and bring your inner focus to the root of your nose, the third eye or ajna chakra;bring thumb and index finger of each hand together so that they form a cycle and then bring the hands together so that also the tips of the other fingers touch; the circles touch at the touching points chant om three times to close the yoga the union greetings you coulds say before you end the lesson with namaste: Open yourself to new opportunities that life offers you and be proud of yourself when ever you take one of these challenges. Life is precious and you are a wonderful and unique being so enjoy life and enjoy yourself. Being in the present deletes time, and without time, suffering and negativity cannot survive. (Eckhart Tolle) - 9 -

10 Insomnia ( min): Relaxation: Come into savasana to fully relax and arrive in the here and now; let your legs, feet drop to the side, let your arms go away from your body so that even your elbows can rest on the floor, the backs of your hands can form roots into the floor let all your muscles get free from tension; relax your pelvis: feel how it drops into the floor and gets rooted. Relax your head into the mat, relax the muscles in your face and let the skin become smooth and soft Now come to your breath: enjoy the sensation that with the inhalation, the puraka, your breath comes from the head down to your pelvis, all along the front of your spine, filling your abdomen and your chest, giving you the sensation that your are elongating your spine ; with the exhalation, the rechaka, feel your chest deflating and how your navel sinks towards the spine, how the air runs out of your system along the back of your spine, taking everything with it what you do not need anymore, all your fears and doubts everything that forces your to hold back feel with every exhalation how you are more and more connected, rooted to the ground; rest here for a few circles of breathing, enjoying the rhythm of your breath let your mind relax thoughts that come up, notice them and then feel how your exhalation helps to drift away so that you do not hold onto your thoughts Slowly start to wiggle your toes and fingers, rub the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet to wake up even the most peripheral cell then bring your arms along the side up towards your ears, palms facing up, feet are flexed stretch your whole body, from the tips of your fingers down to the heels OR Meditation: Tratak meditation with a candle: First focus on a burning candle standing in front of you try to not to see anything else, do not concentrate on anything else Then close your eyes and focus on the third eye, imaging that the candle is burning there Always stay with your breath, inhale, exhale slowly also be aware of how the picture of the candle inside you starts to change Sanmukhi Mudra (san means six and mukha means mouth; sanmukha is the name of the six-headed god of war, also known as kartkeya aslo known as Yoni (the womb, source), sambhvi, parangmukhi (facing inwards) mudra) in Padmasana/siddhasana etc: Raise the hands to the face; lift the elbows to the level of the shoulders, place the thumbs on the ear-holes so as to cut off external sounds. If the thumbs on the ear-hole cause pain, push the tragus (the small prominence at the entrance of the external ear) over the ear-holes and press it with the thumbs. Close the eyelids, but turn the eyes up. Place the index and middle fingers on the closed lids so that the first two phalanges only press the entire eyeball. Do not, however, press the cornea. Pull the eye-lids down with the middle finger. Push the upper part of the eyelids below the eyebrow upward with the index fingers. Gently press the eyes at both corners. Eqaul pressure should be maintained on the ears and the eyes. With the tips of the ring fingers press both nostrils equally. The nasal passages are thus narrowed for slow, deep, steady, rhythmic and subtle breathing. The little fingers are placed on the upper lip where they can check the rhythmic flow of the breath. Stay in this position as long as you can, drawing the vision inwards. (the posture prepares the practitioner for the fifth stage of yoga pratyahara, the withdrawal of the senses Shakti mudra (index and middle finger hold them thumb which is bent towards the center of the palm, ring and index finger are straight and stretched out and the corresponding fingertip touches the one of the other hand) Padmasana/siddhasana etc. OR Pranayama: Nadi Sodhana Suryabedhana Pranayama chant om three times. Asanas: Choose one kind of chandra namaskar and after completing two cycles, start inserting or holding, respectively a few or all of the following asanas: Uttanasana virasana Prasarita padontanasana Adho mukha svanasana Janu sirsasana Paschimottanasana Salamba sarvangasana

11 (ardha) halasana Salamba sirsasana Savasana/viparita karani Meditation(preferably in savasana or in sitting): try affirmations that go with your breath Inhale: let, exhale: go Inhale: re-, exhale:-lax Inhale: body, exhale: relax; Inhale: mind, exhale: relax; Inhale: soul, exhale: relax (repeat as often as you feel completely relaxed ) Chant om three times