Monthly Archives: August 2011
Marichyasana C
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Marichyasana C – The first seated twist in the Primary Series. Twists are important asanas for spinal health; they keep the spine flexible (a rigid spine is more prone to injury as it … Continue reading
Marichyasana D
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Marichyasana D – The final pose of the Marichyasana series—at least in Primary series (the advanced series has a Marichyasana E,F,G, and H!) This twist is a challenging pose to get into and … Continue reading
Navasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Navasana (boat pose)– nava means boat, it is pronounced na-wa as most ‘V’ sounds in Sanskrit are pronounced as a ‘W’. Everyone’s favorite pose! Boat pose is about developing strength, core strength. The … Continue reading
Bhujapidasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Bhujapidasana (pressure on the shoulders pose) bhuja means shoulder or arm pida means pressure, or to squeeze, so we are literally squeezing our shoulders with our legs, developing strength and heat for the … Continue reading
Kurmasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Kurmasana (Tortoise Posture) and Supta Kurmasana (Reclined Tortoise) kurma means tortoise and supta means reclined. Kurmasana is one of the core postures in Primary series, it benefits are many. The previous pose, Bhujapidasana … Continue reading
Garbha Pindasana & Kukkutasana
this now points to a custom URL! (Embryo in the womb) Garbha means womb, pinda means embryo. Indeed we are making ourselves like an embryo in the womb in this posture! This posture is particularly good for females as it … Continue reading
Baddha Konasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Baddha means fixed, restrained, or bound, Kona means angle. The pose helps to prepare our body for the lotus positions, when we can get our legs into a nice tight lotus position and … Continue reading
Upavishta Konasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Upavishta means seated, Kona means angle. It is said this posture helps balance the vayus (the five pranas) within the torso. These 5 pranas are responsible for taking in energy (in the forms … Continue reading
Supta Konasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Supta means sleeping or reclined, Kona means angle. This is the first of the inverted poses. By inverting you are turning your body upside down, seeing your world from a whole new perspective … Continue reading
Supta Padangusthasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Supta means sleeping or reclined, Pada means foot and Angustha means thumb, so reclining foot to thumb posture. This is the same posture we do standing, now we get to repeat it lying … Continue reading
Chakrasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Chakrasana means wheel posture. This is not an actual posture, but a transition or a vinyasa from lying on the floor to Chaturanga Dandasana. If you have neck issues consult with your teacher … Continue reading
Ubhaya Padangusthasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Ubhaya means both Pada means foot Angusthasana means big toe. In this posture you take both big toes with both of your hands. You enter this pose from an inverted position with a … Continue reading
Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Urdhva means upward, mukha means face, paschimo means west, uttanasana means intense stretch, so upward facing intense west stretch (the west being the back side of our body). This is the same posture … Continue reading
Setu Bandhasana
Download a guide to this pose. (PDF) Setu can mean a causeway, dam, or bridge, when combined with bandha it means the forming of a bridge. This is an advanced posture—you should not try it alone but with a teacher … Continue reading
January 2010 – Ashtanga Yoga IS for Beginners
Ashtanga Yoga IS for Beginners This topic is spurred by a very good newspaper article that came out in the Harrisburg area last week. Although the article was good, it gave an overview of the different types of yoga and … Continue reading
February 2010 – Changes
Changes Parinama is the sanskrit word for change–ironically the translation is closer to transformation than change . . . Change is the natural state of the universe as it creates, preserves, and destroys refining our lives. Usually our response to … Continue reading
March 2010 – Maui Retreat :)
Maui Retreat 🙂 I want to share some of the fun and discovering we did at our first annual Maui retreat. What a special treat to re-”treat” in Maui! One of the benefits of taking classes at Nancy’s studio in … Continue reading
April 2010 – Breathing and Bandhas on and off your mat
Breathing and Bandhas on and off your mat Breathing Habits on and off your mat! By being aware of our breath throughout our days we control the stress in our lives and even reduce our risk of heart disease–just by … Continue reading
May 2010 – Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois This month’s topic is Pattabhi Jois, this month is the one year anniversary of him leaving his body. I know many of you have heard me talk of him but I want to make sure those … Continue reading
June 2010 – The Ashtanga Yoga System
The Ashtanga Yoga System In talking about Guruji last month, I feel what would be most important to him is that we continue to practice yoga and to preserve the system to which he dedicated is life, that of Ashtanga … Continue reading
July 2010 – Balancing of Energies
Balancing of Energies Ashtanga Yoga can easily be stripped of its femininity; because of the vinyasa element (and other arm balances and strength work) it is easy to focus on the strength work and make the practice too masculine. Ashtanga … Continue reading
August 2010 – Karma
Karma I decided on this month’s topic after our movie night, we watched ‘Enlighten Up’. The last guru interviewed, Gurusharanananda–a guru from Northern India where the yoga is devotional based (no asana), spoke about what matters most is what is … Continue reading
September 2010 – Misc Meanderings from 2nd Series Adjustment Clinic with Nancy
Misc Meanderings from 2nd Series Adjustment Clinic with Nancy Bristol, VT Aug. 24-29 THE BEAUTY OF THIS SYSTEM IS THE TEACHER LEARNS HOW TO SPEAK WITH THEIR HANDS. In this practice we do not give a lot of verbal cues. … Continue reading
October 2010 – Ashtanga around the world
Ashtanga around the world Nice to be home 🙂 But it is so fun connecting with the Ashtangis all over the world. There are pockets of ashtanga communities all over the world, traveling and finding theses communities is very grounding … Continue reading
November 2010 – Stress, Pain, Injuries . . . and your yoga practice. How to deal?
Stress, Pain, Injuries . . . and your yoga practice. How to deal? All of us at one time or another are going to be faced with a pain or an injury. It just seems to be a part of … Continue reading
December 2010 – Don’t feed the Monkeys
Don’t feed the Monkeys The phrase “monkey mind” comes from a Buddhist description of the mind of a person who is not in the present moment. The mind of such a person is said to be likened to a monkey … Continue reading
January 2009 – Cultivating Will
CULTIVATING WILL Developing a Daily Practice “The major crisis of our culture is not one of IQ—intelligence quotient. The problem we face individually and collectively is one of WQ—will quotient. –Leonard Perlmutter Will Power = your power of choice! The … Continue reading
February 2009 – Energy Movement
ENERGY MOVEMENT Prana, chakras, blood, and nerves . . . In yoga language Prana is the word for energy, it is a Sanskrit word that means moving always (pra means moving and na means always). There are many different ways … Continue reading
March 2009 – Yoga Lifestyle
YOGA LIFESTYLE Yoga 24/7 😉 There are many ways we can incorporate our yoga into our moment to moment daily lives. By doing so we will keep our stress levels minimized and make the conscious effort of how we want … Continue reading
April 2009 – Nauli
NAULI Uddiyana Bandha and abdominal churning Nauli (in Sanskrit Nauli = Churning) The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that Nauli stimulates the digestive fire, thereby removing toxins, indigestion, and constipation. It is considered a Shat Karma (6 actions), which is an … Continue reading
May 2009 – Detoxing Your Kitchen
DETOXING YOUR KITCHEN Just coming back from Maui where I lived on fresh foods, locally grown, and picked the day I ate them I am compelled to talk about food this month . . . And with the government trying … Continue reading
June 2009 – Ayurveda
Ayurveda The Science of Life Ayurveda (pronounced eye-yer-vay-duh) is the art of healthy living that enables you to create harmony in daily life by applying self- knowledge and self-care. The word, Ayurveda, is from the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, and … Continue reading
July 2009 – Sanskrit
SANSKRIT TOPIC OF THE MONTH July 2009 & May 2012 SANSKRIT The asana are better described by their Sanskrit names. Sanskrit is an ancient language, dating back as far as 1500 BCE with the Rig Veda. Sanskrit was never really … Continue reading
August 2009 – Mysore
MYSORE The best way to practice! This months topic is Mysore, I want to talk more about it in hopes of removing some of the mystery or fear many have about coming to a Mysore class. Mysore is actually a … Continue reading
September 2009 – Tristana
Tristana Tristana means three places of attention or action. The union of these three places of attention is the practice of ashtanga yoga. The three places of attention are: Breath and Movement Synchronicity (vinyasa and asana) Bandhas Drishti These three … Continue reading
October 2009 – Ashtanga Yoga is not Militant
Ashtanga Yoga is not Militant Just getting back from a “world tour” of types 🙂 I feel compelled to share a bit about Ashtanga Yoga and what I saw in some of the places in Europe I visited and taught … Continue reading
November 2009 – Drishti
Drishti Gazing points The Sanskrit word drishti means to “gaze” or “view”. Drishti comes from the root drsh which means “to see”, “to understand” or “to perceive”. . . so drishti is not just our sight, but our perceptions and … Continue reading
December 2009 – Maui Reflections
Maui Reflections Just coming back from a month the Nancy in Maui I would like to reflect on some of my experiences. It is always very enriching for me to be around Nancy and at her studio. My first week … Continue reading
January 2008 – Staying connected to your Practice
Staying connected to your Practice This time of year most of us make time to reflect on the past as well as look ahead and make resolutions for our betterment—ways we want to behave or habits we want to improve. … Continue reading
February 2008 – S(s)elf
S(s)elf “Suddenly I remembered that I had forgotten to remember myself!” Ouspensky Many schools of psychology and beliefs refer the self as our conscious personality of who we are. Yoga philosophy talks of the lower self and the Higher Self. … Continue reading
March 2008 – Nutrition
Nutrition Yoga is a lifestyle. This being understood, what we put into our bodies greatly influences our health and well being. My topic this month is spurred by the new “all natural organic cheetos”! Organic is good, but cheetos are … Continue reading
April 2008 – Yoga as Therapy
Yoga as Therapy There is only one disease . . . STRESS. The root of most all diseases and illnesses has been linked to stress! The A#1 tool we have for keeping our bodies, hearts, and minds stress free is … Continue reading
May 2008 – Natural Products
Natural Products I would like to share information that I have been learning over the past couple years about more natural personal care products. Most of us show the desire to use more natural products and yet they are hard … Continue reading
June 2008 – Q&A
Q&A Are there techniques or strategies to stay present? (Donna M.) You are here now—you are present even if you don’t think you are! Actually there are many books and meditation techniques written on this—most of them in my opinion, … Continue reading