Yoga Notes
I like this definition of yoga.
Yoga is truly a mind/body experience of exercise. The mind focuses on the body, the body responds to the mind and the breath bridges the two. Through this conscious process, your whole being becomes integrated.
Joy, bliss, ecstasy – whatever you want to call it – is yoga’s big payoff. No matter who you are, no matter what has happened to you in your life, you have the capacity for joy. Deep inside you, bliss waits for you to find it. With relentless persistence, yoga can help you find that joy and release it.
But make no mistake: It isn’t easy to release your inner delight. A body that is undisciplined and weak saps all your inner energy just to keep it maintained. A mind fraught with chaotic thought is too absorbed on the surface level to delve deep enough to find inner joy. But with a persistent yoga practice, the body becomes strong, controlled, flexible and disciplined. The mind becomes quiet, calm and tranquil. In time, a restless body that once struggled and a mind that regularly wandered without purpose, now both respond with focus and commitment.
I took a private yoga session with Rochelle Sheik at Bikram SLO and it was amazing. Here are the notes she gave me.
Breathing Exercise: Set your mental focus and concentration for class by
listening to your breathing vs. listening to internal dialogue. Like a
light switch, turn the thinking/analyzing frontal lobe part of your brain
off and travel into the back of the brain which is sensing and feeling.
Physically in this pose, good job with a long spine now “tuck your pelvis
under so the tailbone is pointing down and push your hips more forward so
you have a perfectly straight spine.”
Half Moon: same thing with the hips, tuck your pelvis under and suck your
stomach in, practicing 80/20 breathing. You are doing a great job with
alignment and stretching this pose. Final adjustments, squeeze your palms
as much as possible, suck your stomach in and energize your pose.
Backward Bending: Be brave and be smart by supporting yourself and squeezing
your legs, pushing your hips MORE forward while arching your whole spine
back. BREATHE! Coordinate breath and movement for example- inhale chest up
exhale arch back inhale push hips forward exhale look back more.
PadaHastasana Hands to Feet pose: Beautiful! Final adjustments- hips more
forward to the mirron and stretch your spine down, sliding your face down
your shins and getting your top of the head closer and closer to the top of
the feet
Awkward: More belly in on the 1st one-practice seeing your abdominal muscles
contracting while still breathing more into the lungs. 2nd part- Tuck your
pelvis under, suck your stomach in very tight, 3rd part- straight spine like
you are leaning against a supporting back wall, pelvis under and belly in!
This is great for building muscular strength and mental strength
(concentration).
Eagle: A great pose for stretching the joints. Think to yourself
Squeeze your legs and stretch your hips
Squeeze your abs and stretch your spine
Squeeze your arms and stretch your shoulders
More melting into the pose
Standing Head to Knee: Press your foot down into the floor to spread out the
weight evenly vs. pulling the foot up. Less squeezing your hips and MORE
squeezing your quadricep muscle as much as possible as hard as possible like
you are trying to create a cramp on the top of the thigh. GREAT alignment
as you kick out!
Standing Bow: Think directions. CHARGE your upper body FORWARD, KICK your
leg BACK, DROP your body DOWN, KICK your leg UP! Now all at the same time
while stretching your hips instead of clenching them and like I am pulling
your toes up and your fingertips foward. Take up as much space in the room
as possible and most of all BE VERY NICE TO YOURSELF. ENCOURAGING YOURSELF
LIKE A GOOD FRIEND. TELL YOURSELF YOU CAN DO IT. STRONG MIND WILL LEAD YOU
TO A STRONG BODY.
Balancing Stick: Wonderful alignment. Now energize more by stretching
foward and back as much as possible like a natural human tug of war and
BREATHE!
Standing Separate Leg Stretching: Every 1st set touch your forehead to the
floor by spreading your legs out more and more and more until it touches.
Hips more forward like PadaHastasana (4th part half moon) and hips relax and
stretch. Squeeze your quads, stretch your hamstrings, squeeze your biceps
as you pull, stretch your hips, squeeze your abs and stretch your spine!
Triangle: Good! Now master the pose by Everyday you have to TOUCH THE
TOES, TWIST YOUR SPINE AND BREATHE TWICE AS DEEP AND TWICE AS SLOW AS YOU
ARE WHEN YOU FIRST START THE POSE! Feel the opposites- for example: first
side bend your right knee and feel right elbow pressing right knee back,
right knee back and left hip forward, left hip forward and left shoulder
back, left shoulder back and right shoulder forward, right shoulder forward
and right knee back. Got it? Twist and stretch up!
Standing Separate Leg Forehead to Knee: Balance by pressing the metatarsals
(bones of your foot under the toes) DOWN, keep your throat choked the whole
pose (especially as you go into it) and energize by pressing your hands more
against the floor, pressing your forehead more against and knee and sucking
your stomach in very very tight!
Tree: Very good. On days when knee feels ok, slowly gently guide your knee
back to have two shoulders, two hips and two knees all in a straight line,
the same plane. Belly in and stretch up!
Toe Stand: You can do it! Don’t do this pose on days when the knee is
cranky. The key to the pose is focus and concentration. Focus one point
and don’t even blink your eyes as your practice.
Savasana: Inhale: Slow Down (physically and mentally) Exhale: Let go (of
physical tension of reoccuring thoughts)
Wind Removing: Practicing mind body connection, roll weight to opposite side
if right leg is up make sure left shoulder, hip and calf muscle are all on
the floor.
Cobra Series: 80/20 breathing. Keep practicing it! All the postures
themselves are very good. Now master the breathing and concentration (which
are the most important parts)
Fixed Firm: CHEST UP! ok to separate knees on cranky knees days, otherwise
keep them together.
Half Tortise: Never daydream this pose. Always 100% relax and listen to
your breathing. Try to feel your back muscles become as comfortable as
possible. Great job keeping your hips down!
Camel: Focus with your eyes and coordinate breath with movement like in
standing backward bending. Inhale Chest Up, Exhale push hips forward,
inhale chest up, exhale look back and arch back, etc. Beautiful pose.
Breathe!
Rabbit: PULL ON YOUR HEELS AND SUCK YOUR STOMACH IN AND STRETCH WITH LOTS OF
ENERGY! PULL ON YOUR HEELS, PULL YOUR BELLY IN AND STRETCH!
Forehead to Knee: You got it! Next step forehead higher on your knee,
listening to your breathing and feeling your breath as it moves through your
body. With both legs: Pull on your toes and visualize creating more space
between each and every vertebrae in your spine from the coccyx to the neck.
Pull your toes and stretch!
Spine Twist: Imagine belly button to point to back or front wall depending
on leg and twist your spine without clenching hips and back too much.
Breathe and twist and breathe and twist. Good spine stretching up. Exhale
more at the end to deepen the twist.
Kapalbhati: 10x harder exhale and SNAP the belly in. Focus one point in the
mirror. COMPLETE concentration. Detox the lungs and mind completely so you
are fully cleansed for your final relaxation.
Savasana: When you feel like you are ready to go. Stay and take 10+ more
deep breaths. Always!
Hip Opening Series:
Lying on back hold all stretching minimum 30 seconds and up to a couple
minutes
1) Lift straight leg up and To go deeper, bend your elbows and relax your
hips and leg. Switch sides.
2) Wind Removing: Right leg, left leg and both
3) one leg down one leg over for twisting hip stretch. Both shoulders on
floor, look the opposite way your leg is going, and completely surrender
this pose. Stop trying to do it and let your body melt into it. switch
sides
4) Happy Baby Pose: relax your hips more, lengthen your hamstrings, gently
pull down, back flat on floor
5) Bridge: feet close the seat and feet parallel to each other, push your
hips up to the ceiling and feel a stretch on the front of the hips. Don’t
sink, squeeze your glutes and push your hips UP. To come down lift your
heels up and lower vertebrae by vertebrae from the neck down.
6) Place soles of the feet together and let your knees drop open.
Completely relax hip and knee joints as well as the lower back. Deep
breathing
7) Roll over and get into downward dog 
1/2 pigeon- completely relax your hips and lower back. Stay for awhile
this one really melting into it and peeling away any resistance. Come up to
dog and switch sides
9) keep left leg bent and bring right leg on top trying to stack the knees
for cow face pose. With knees stacked, fold forward with a long spine
touching stomach to thighs, chest to knee and relax your neck with your head
heavy. Breath into your outer hips and completely relax. Come up slowly,
rock the baby and stretch with your shins stacked and come forward. Take a
couple breaths, go forward one more inch, etc. Switch legs and do cow face,
rock the baby and shins stacked go forward
10) straddle stretch with legs open, slowly fold forward completely relaxing
your leg muscles and hip joints (perfect TV pose)
Book Recommendation List:
Light on Yoga by Iyengar (great authentic description of yoga)
Sivananda Companion Book (great with pictures and descriptions of postures
as well as a good introduction to meditation, a yogic diet, history of yoga,
breathing, alignment, etc.)
Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope (great for spiritual,
psychological awareness of what happens in a yoga practice and addresses
some of the road blocks people come across and talks about the importance of
balance)
Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra (great book for going deep
into the symbolism of things we practice in yoga and how they relate to our
life/lifestyle- i think of this book a lot)
Journey into Power by Baron Baptiste – (highly recommended for you more than
any of the others so far because he does a great job explaining the do’s and
don’t of a yoga practice and making it very accessible for the curious yoga
student. great book text wise and all the postures from vinyasa are in
there, which I think would be a good supplement to your bikram book and
training).
Anusara Yoga- when you mentioned exploring more spiritual aspects of yoga,
this style came to mind for me to share with you if you haven’t already
heard of it. It’s a beautiful style talking about aligning the body,
aligning with your spirit and God and having a physical goal of softening
your heart in every posture. I believe they have a book out or at your next
yoga conference, check it out!
Blessings Roxy! You are so beautiful and sincere. I wish you all the best
on your yoga path. Please keep in touch!