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I find that Erica’s wording is by far the best part of her classes – (although her vinyasas ain’t bad either). She has fantastic wording, with great imagery, and playfulness, throw in some spirituality, and top it off with a commanding presence – she is an authority of Yoga!

So on the 13th of April I sat about and took notes on her wording. I attempted to combine both what vinyasa/asana Erica put the class in + the wording used to describe the experience.

Much of what I recorded is in quote-style interspersed between the vinyasa flow stick figures. Enjoy!

“changing mental and emotional energy to the physical”

“Exhaling all the air as the Head drops”

“Space between both the ribs and Pelvis opening”

“It’s a cooperation not in mediocrity but into brilliance…Go…”

“Pelvic floor rising”

exhale

“Press back with the abdomen”

“Let all of the body be shaped by the abdomen”

“Drawing the abdomen up through the sky – folding in”

“Qualities, pathways and movement”

“Rather then be sculptors from the outside, the focus is inside”

“Male – clarity, compassion

Female – wisdom, listening, understanding”

“Not seeing opposites as a problem – it is two sides of the something”

“Reach the pubic bone back ~ feel the beautiful arc through the belly”

+

“Rise up through your head ~ opposites unite”

+

“What does it feel like to feel the skin opening across the lungs”

+

“Feel the floating up”

“Repeat 3 Times ~ be willing to Drop”

“Don’t be Afraid of the rhythms you create”

“Love that life energy”

“Inhale Commitment / Exhale Listen”

“Inhale Commitment / Exhale Learn”

“It is going to be challenging to practice Balasana while the heart is galloping”

“Shoulder Blades imprinting on the back”

“Energize your fingertips”

“Bring your arms aligned with verticality”

“Ready or Not, Life has put you in a place where Warrior 1 would be helpful”

“Feel the cylinders of your back rolling and opening”

“Standing as a line segment with lineage of space-time, with a sense of energy continuum, stemming from the center of the earth”

“Feel the arc you create ~ Carry the energy up your spine ~ Study yourself in this new territory ~ The hands meet in the distance ~ There is a witness”

“Find the elegance of the union”

+ + ++

“Palms open up from a rolling of the center of the chest”

“feel yourself standing actively”

“Draw the Left leg up capturing the Big Toe extending out only as far as you can go”

“Don’t think Shape-oriented rather energy-oriented”

“Natrajasana – balance between the material and the mystical”

“Feeling the relationship of back foot and head”

“Dancing with unity -> Reach extend, exhale, release”

“you are playing, you are challenging yourself ~ you know it to be”

“bring the Ribs toward that leg, elbows toward the earth”

+

“See the energy of the expansion going through great strength”

+

“Actively draw your Elbows down and hang”

” Expanding and going and expanding and going and expanding and going

“dropping the weight of the head ~ opening the heart”

+

“What do you focus on in the pose called corpse”

“So aware of body and mind ! you can let go of them ~ not to die but to open up to something else”

“Quick wash through of the physical inventory”

“release the weight of the toes into the earth ~ let weight give into the skin ~ it melts”

“fluid release n the knees ~ they relax”

“thighs filled with beauty & fluidity ~ relax”

“pelvic floor filled with energy ~ relax”

“Pelvis carrying energy ~ reservoir of the belly”

“Middle body, Upper Body ~ relax”

“Ribs, lungs, shoulders ~ Relax

“Chest, back ~ Relaxing”

“elbows all the way down to the wrist, hands, fingers ~ Relax”

“everything shaped ~ floor rising into you ~ opposites uniting ~ feeling the shoulders roll with ease”

“shaped by the fall, you release ~ floor rising into you ~ opposites uniting.”

“feeling the shoulders roll with the ease”

“Can you feel gravity on the centers of your eyes nose, mouth”

Singing Bowl Resonates

“Letting it ride right through you ~ no obstacles”

“Point of clarity beyond words ~ a deeper knowing”

- Chime -

“Reverbs beyond the impact of my touch ~ so does the practice reverb and influence beyond this class”

Namaste

- Hola Shanti everybody –
I wanted to share what i drew up from our Vinyasa Jam Session during our last intensive. We did an awesome job at creating some unique vinyasas. Let me know if any of them are confusing in the way that i drew them.

*note some times I had to draw the asana from a better angle so you can tell what it is – it is not (necessarily) indicative of a direction change

My friend sent this to me… funny

I found these odd pictures of presumably “housewives” from the mid 20th century. Some of the moves may not actually constitute a Yoga classifier but whatever.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

A couple days ago, I happened upon an in chair asana practice online. I think its a good wake-me-up en lieu of sitting on my “assana” and not doing anything. I’m also hoping that we can convince Erica to do a more well rounded version of chair yoga. Anyway here is the link.

http://www.soundtells.com/YogaSitting/Online/index.htm

Lîla Yoga™ Teacher Training

with Erica Kaufman

Analyzing Asana prepared by:  Ian Callanan with feedback from Erica

“The amount of energy awakened through the asana is in direct correlation to the amount of extension the practitioner engages into the root, through the energy line and out through the expression points.” ~Erica

Rising Sun to Fingertips (there is no Sanskrit name)

Step-by-Step Instruction:

The asana begins in a lunge stance. To actualize this position (on the left side) we will start in plank pose bringing your left foot between your hands. Allow your right heel to remain lifted. Feet should be aligned in a (near) linear position i.e. one straight line from you right foot to your left foot. Maintain a parallel left thigh and vertical left shin, whilst pushing into your right heel. Your heel will not touch the ground. Excite energy into your legs by engaging the muscles. Peel the upper body up, while keeping your fingertips piercing the ground with little to no weight in them. Move your shoulder blades down your back and invite your chest to bloom open to greet the rising sun. Seek harmony between the lower body and the upper by riding the energy pathways through your legs as your chest blooms. Bring attention to how your ribcage expands across the horizon.

Energy Pathways:

Most notable is the energy source is from the back leg—heel pressing back to establish the root ; the energy pathways travels up the leg, centers at the pelvis and continues up the spine and out through the Sternum. The secondary energy line rises from the forward heel and travels up the shin and into the roof of the mouth.

Milder version:

Allowing your back knee to release to the ground will add stability for this asana. Toes can be tucked under or untucked. Back knee should be behind your hips such that your back thigh is on an angle. Upper methodology remains unchanged.

A chair can also be utilized as an alternative variation. It is recommended to use a chair that is low to the ground. The hip of the forward leg should rest on the seat of the chair. The back leg will be fully extended with toes tucked under. You may be less able to touch the ground with your fingertips in this variation. Instead focus on blooming your chest open and visualize your fingertips touching as you seek to move closer to the ground.

Timing:

This move requires some mobility and therefore is recommended for the early/middle part of the class. It is advisable to do ‘earth touch’ or similar moves to awaken the hamstring and the hips. Do Upward Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) as well to open the chest.

Benefits:

The move is entitled Rising Sun to Fingertips because your Solar Plex is rising from the horizon of your hips. You will be exploring how the energy can be sourced from your feet, up your legs, and out through your heart.   It increases circulation, strengthens the legs and back, helps improve posture, and helps sensitize you to the energy web that we are all part of.

How to Assist:

Open the student’s chest by riding fingers up the spine but also touch so that the student’s shoulders expanding through the side space. Take your palm to the heel of the back leg and push encouraging the student to push into his/her heel. Remind the student to lower their forward thigh striving to make parallel with the ground.

Additional assists include: spreading the students’ chest by pulling back on the shoulders; coaxing the shoulder blades to ride down the back; move the back hip forward to align both hips.

One of our first assignments for LYTT was to analyze an Asana. Mine was Rising Sun to Fingertips.

The move:

The move begins in a lunge stance. To actualize this position (on the left side) we will start in plank pose bringing your left foot between your hands. Allow your right heel to remain lifted. Feet should be aligned in a (near) linear position i.e. one straight line from you right foot to your left foot. Maintain a parallel left thigh and vertical left shin, whilst pushing into your right heel. Your heel will not touch the ground. Excite energy into your legs by engaging the muscles. Peel the upper body up, while keeping your fingertips piercing the ground with little to no weight in them. Move your shoulder blades down your back and invite your chest to bloom open to greet the rising sun. Seek harmony between the lower body and the upper by riding the energy pathways through your legs as your chest blooms. Bring attention to how your ribcage expands across the horizon.

Energy Pathways:

Most notable is the energy source from the back leg up into the sacrum. Additionally energy rises from the forward leg up the shin and along the thigh. The exit points for this energy is through the solar plex and down through your fingertips.

Milder version:

Allowing your back knee to release to the ground will add stability for this asana. Toes can be tucked under or untucked. Back knee should be behind your hips such that your back thigh is on an angle. Upper methodology remains unchanged.

A chair can also be utilized as an alternative variation. It is recommended to use a chair that is low to the ground. The hip of the forward leg should rest on the seat of the chair. The back leg will be fully extended with toes tucked under. You may be less able to touch the ground with your fingertips in this variation. Instead focus on blooming your chest open and visualize your fingertips touching as you seek to move closer to the ground.

Timing:

This move requires some mobility and therefore is recommended for the early/middle part of the class. It is advisable to do ‘earth touch’ or similar moves to awaken the hamstring and the hips. Do Upward Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) as well to open the chest.

Benefits:

The move is entitled Rising Sun to Fingertips because your Solar Plex is rising from the horizon of your hips. You will be exploring how the energy can be sourced from your feet, up your legs, and out through your heart.

How to Assist:

Open the student’s chest by riding fingers up the spine but also touch so that the student’s shoulders expanding through the side space. Take your palm to the heel of the back leg and push encouraging the student to push into his heel. Remind the student to lower their forward thigh striving to make parallel with the ground.

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