Yoga Class Notes Day 10 Final Review
Final Exam is Tuesday 8am!
Chakras:
Chakra 1. Root Chakra (red) earth, found in bones, skeletal structure, pelvic floor
Chakra 2. Sexual Chakra (orange) water, found in sexual organs, bladder, circulatory system
Chakra 3. Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow) fire, found in diaphragm, digestive system, muscular system
Chakra 4. Heart Chakra (green) air, found in heart, chest, lungs, circulation
Chakra 5. Throat Chakra (blue) vibration, found in throat, ears, nose, teeth, mouth, neck
Chakra 6. Third Eye Chakra (indigo) sight, found in eyes, base of skull
Chakra 7. Crown Chakra (violet) thought, found in upper skull, cerebral cortex, skin
Sun Salutation A reminder: FOREWARD FOLD=UNICORN
Safety: To avoid wrist injury when in downward dog, plank, or side plank pretend hands are Suction Cups by spreading fingers.
Sun Salutation A variations 2 &3 reminder: Exhale in chaturanga. Inhale in updog pose. Chaturanga comes before updog pose.
Final Review
1.Mantras are repeated phrases/chants that are used for meditation.
2. Om Shanti mantra is peace.
3. Mudras are hand positions for meditation.
4. Conch Shell Mudra provides protection/safety for anyone who feels threatened/unsafe. Wrap right hand around left thumb and touch right thumb to left middle finger. Other left hand fingers act as roof on top of right fist! Solar side is protecting lunar side.
5.Inversions are postures where hips and legs are over the head. They reverse gravity. Examples: headstand, hand stand,etc
6. Inversion practice benefits are reverse gravity, release swelling, bring blood to the brain, slow aging, promote courage, flipping perspective, overcoming fear, feet are relieved, and decrease aging. Inversions also for getting quick solutions/better ideas.
7. Favorite inversion is HEADSTAND. Cross arms like a genie with opposite arms holding onto opposite elbows. Knees hip width apart. Put genie arms on ground. Make hands into triangle without moving elbows. Go on ground. Triangle hands become basket for back of head while thumbs are up. Crown of head on ground while back of head is held by basket hands. Core should be doing all the work here. Make sure elbows are on ground while crown of head is also on ground. Go into Downward facing dog and lift favorite leg. Use core to lift body to wall. When coming down, release one leg from the wall slowly, bring legs down using core one at a time, and go into child’s pose.
8. Advanced Asana is headstand. But personally advanced asana is BRIDGE POSE. Lay on back, raise arms, bend knees, make sure legs are parallel, make sure arms are parallel, raise bottom and lower back, don’t let bottom touch ground, clasp hands, still make sure that legs are not in cowboy pose (injuries can result), raise entire back, keep inhaling/exhaling while behind/butt is in the air and legs/feet/ forearms are parallel. To go back slowly let behind and back gently land on the ground.
9. Sun Salutation A variations 2 and 3 are both advanced. SUN SALUTATION A VARIATIONS 2 AND 3 ARE DIFFERENT DESPITE BOTH REPLACING BABY COBRA WITH UPWARD FACING DOG.
SUN SALUATION A VARIATION 2 IS NOT JUMPING.
SUN SALUTATION A VARIATION 3 HAS JUMPING.
Sun Salutation A Variation 3 (advanced variation). Stand up straight and raise arms to mountain pose. Inhale. Go down into ragdoll pose. Exhale. Go into forward fold pose=unicorn pose. Inhale. Go down into ragdoll. Exhale. Put parallel hands on the ground and walk legs to plank pose. Inhale. Go down into chaturanga pose (knees and belly are straight without touching ground like a Western push up but hands are shoulder width apart). Lower the chest (without touching ground). Exhale. Go up into upward dog (toes point back while knees and belly never touch ground). Inhale. Jump back into downward facing dog. Exhale. Jump both feet to the front while hands are still on floor. Inhale. Go down into rag doll pose. Exhale. Stand up straight while arms go up to mountain pose. Hands go into Anjali mudra/ Prayer Pose. Inhale.
10. Therapeutic health benefits of regular yoga practice are less stress, lowered blood pressure, better health, good cardio, and longer life span.
11. Kumbhaka is an Advanced Pranayama technique. Kumbhaka=GOURD! “LONG STEM OF BREATHING’ like a pumpkin. RETAIN INHALE or RETAIN EXHALE. Good for people with asthma and collapsed lung but also for professional snipers, dancers, divers, and singers. Also good for BEING CALM WHEN SHIT HITS THE FAN IN LIFE!
BHANDA=ENERGETIC LOCK
BHANDA AND CHAKRA ARE DIFFERENT.
3 BHANDAS: 1ST BHANDA IS MULANDHARA (located at pelvic floor) same location as 1st chakra
2ND BHANDA IS UDDIYANA (located at solar plexus) same location as 3rd chakra
3RD BHANDA IS JALANDHARA (located at base of throat) same location as 5th chakra
TO LOCK BHANDAS: LIFT CHIN UP AND OVER (PRETEND THAT YOUR NECK IS HOLDING AN IMAGINARY ORANGE)!
TO RELEASE BHANDAS: STRAIGHTEN NECK AND DON’T HOLD AN IMAGINARY ORANGE!
FOR Retaining Inhale start with normal breathing, Inhale as much air as possible, lift chin up and over (hold imaginary orange with neck) to lock all 3 bhandas, straighten neck (stop holding imaginary orange with neck) to release all 3 bhandas, then Exhale!
FOR Retaining Exhale start with normal breathing, Exhale/Blow out as much air as possible, lift chin up and over (hold imaginary orange with neck) to lock all three bhandas, straighten neck (stop holding imaginary orange with neck) to release all 3 bhandas, then Inhale! Good for being calm WHEN SHIT HITS THE FAN!
12. An advanced meditation technique is a combination of mudra (hand posture) and mantra (repeated phrase). A good combination is Dhyanna mudra (“closing circuits in body”, right hand goes cupped in left hand, active side is inside passive side, body is in circle, thumbs touch) and Om Shanti (“I am peace”) mantra.
13. Advanced concentration technique is when you meditate upon a specific goal. Start off in corpse pose and take relaxing breaths from head to rest of the body. Think about a goal. INHALE THE GOAL AND EXHALE ALL OBSTACLES! This CONCENTRATION EXERCISE IS GOOD AND POWERFUL!
Repeatedly INHALE THE GOAL AND EXHALE ALL OBSTACLES! Meditate for any amount of time. Then return to the present moment with calming breaths and slowly open eyes.
14. Favorite yoga asana is Rockstar Pose! In Rockstar Pose start from downward dog, inhale, exhale, lift one leg (left or right), bend lifted right leg, point leg opposite direction, raised right foot points left, put lifted right leg on left ground, inhale, raise one arm to look like a dancer, right arm and right hand face forward, make sure that the supporting leg on the floor is straight, and lower supporting leg must stay in side-plank pose for safety. Go back into full side plank while inhaling. Make sure right foot goes back into side plank. Exhale. Then move into regular plank pose. Inhale. Move into downward facing dog. Exhale. Then inhale into child’s pose!
15. Benefit of integrating chakra system is balance, focus, and reaching full potential.
16. Om mantra is beginning, middle, and end. It is used to open/begin yoga practice/session and to close/end yoga practice session.
17. DEDICATION is the THEME OF THE YOGA PRACTICE. It is dedicated to any positive word or trait. Example: “I dedicate my yoga practice to compassion, resilience, etc…”
18. First point of concentration from the beginning of the summer semester is the BREATH! If mind wanders, get back to concentrating on the breath.
19. Child’s pose is the safety pose in all of yoga!
20. Vinyasa is different from other styles of yoga because it is universal, for the modern practitioner, isn’t religious, no bullshit. Vinyasa is also different because it LINKS BREATH WITH MOVEMENT WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING PRESSENCE!
21. The approach to breaking down a specific asana is through using step by step instructions with the breath. Telling people when to stretch, use muscle, and how to breath is how we break down an asana!
22. It is important to focus on breath during yoga asana because our lives depend on it! If no one breathes then they can die. The breath also helps with circulation and resilience during all asanas (body poses). “breath or die” lol
23. One benefit of a lifelong yoga practice is decreased stress/ comfort with discomfort/ flexibility.
SUN SALUTATION A VARIATION 2 DOESN’T HAVE JUMPING
SUN SALUTATION A VARIATION 3 HAS JUMPING
CONCENTRATION EXERCISE THAT IS POWERFUL AND BENEFICIAL=INHALE GOAL AND EXHALE ALL OBSTACLES!
