Ashtanga Teacher Training complete!

I'm "certified"! :) 40 hours of bliss. I can't wait to use it.








Highlight of the week? The boys came to meet David and Shelley. He was wonderful with answering D's questions.










David helped D into a couple of poses, including his favorite vasthistasana.

Ashtanga Teacher Training continues

Some more thoughts on the Ashtanga teacher training.

Every day we work through each pose: correct entry, correct breath, correct exit, adjustments.

Adjustments can be vocal, tactile, breath, visual. When looking at students, the key in adjustments is to adjust for dangerous positions first, tension in the body second, and last adjust for aesthetics.

Some adjustments are minor--just touch a spot gently to bring focus into that student's area. For instance, an outer side of the foot...swipe, like a credit card, under the foot, and say "press here". Sometimes, just walking by a student, breathing your ujjayi breath audibly can give them adjustment.

Other adjustments may be more involved--placing hands and hips on the student to move their lines of energy. Every day David says "think of the lines of energy in the pose."Opposing forces, lifting, lengthening, in both directions the body is moving while staying "still" in a pose. Six directions of these lines: up/down, left/right, forward/backward.

Adjustments: 0-10 rule
0 = no touch
10 = 100% of your force

Effort in pose "rule of thumb": Apply 85-90% effort in a pose.
This reduces strain and risk of over stretching. Allow the breath to relax the pose deeper.

Ashtanaga Teacher Training: random thoughts

Shelley and David emphasized something today I wanted to remember. The whole Ashtanga system has been developed so that each thing you do, each pose, helps your body prepare for the next pose. It's not one individual pose. It is pose by pose, layer by layer, we build from our foundation the structure of our practice. A structure that forms no ceiling if we allow ourselves to be open to the possibility that we can always gain new knowledge or insight, and experience new growth.

Ashtanga is a specialized sequencing of postures and focused breathing techniques. It becomes moving meditation to those that practice regularly. Primary Series is "Yoga Chikitsa" or yoga therapy. It's intention is a healing process to cleanse and tone the body, mind and senses with many forwrad-bending postures. The Intermediate Series is "Nadi Shodana" or nerve cleansing. It introduces the back-bending postures and twisting postures that encourage our spines to stay flexible, supple and healthy.

Ashtanga teacher training begins

Today began my 40-hour intensive Ashtanga teacher training with David Swenson. We did 45 suryanamaskar A....each person led the class through one.

The biggest take away from today: breath. As you teach, count the breath out loud (say the number after the EXHALE), make sure you leave time for a full breath, and keep the breath pace (don't teach to your student's breath, keep your cadence steady for the class). And remind students that no matter what you do in your practice, keep the breath flowing evenly and deeply, even if you can't do a pose. Ashtanga strongly emphasizes the continuum of breath and movement: vinyasa.

Another thing David told us about that I found interesting was a Surya Namaskar modification: use the wall. He had a student once with extremely weak wrists so he led her to a wall. Begin your surya, and when you lift to jump back, place hands on a wall. Chaturanga to the wall, up-dog, down-dog. 5 breaths. Finish to standing.

Kids Yoga

I have been interested in doing yoga for kids for a long time, since I began the teacher training.

Today, I have been given an opportunity to teach kids yoga! Starting in September, I will join a new yoga studio, Evolution Yoga. Fridays at 10:45am I will teach kids.

This. Is. Exciting!!

Another class!

Today I have been granted another class at The Edge! Starting next Tuesday, I will teach another Gentle Yoga class at Eastwood Terrace.

Yay me!