First video attempt – let me know if it’s helpful or what I can do to make it better!

I was listening to the Gaiam Yoga Club’s Tadasana/Trikonasana audio lesson and – while the direction was really good if you know what you’re doing – I kept thinking about all the things that WEREN’T getting said. Don’t get me wrong – for a 29 minute file, it did a nice job of taking you through the positions and had some really great instruction about the use of feet. Well, other than ‘broaden your heels’. Seriously? WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN. But I digress.

Triangle is probably considered a “foundation” pose rather than “beginner” but that all seems to bleed together when you’re talking about people who are new to yoga. The problem with this is that, without correct explanation, you can seriously fuck up your lower back in Trikonasana. Personally, I always teach extended side angle (utthita parsvakonasana) first in order to avoid the problems inherent in triangle.

1. Without a strong leg base, including proper knee position, you’re going to be in trouble. The legs provide most of the support in this asana – note that I said MOST because this ALSO involves core strength. Side angle allows you to bend the knee first to check the position before putting the knee into a ‘weaker’ position. Colleen DID make a point in the audio about checking the knee position before triangle in this way, so kudos for that.

2. The idea in triangle AND side angle is that your torso and hips remain in one plane. Now we all know that that’s not exactly how the human body works and without CLEAR explanation of this, people’s asses go poking toward the back of the room. Then, when they lean/fold into triangle, their backs are all out of whack and twisting. Triangle and side angle are NOT twisting poses (though they do have revolved/twisting versions).

The biggest problem with this from triangle rather than side angle is upper body support. With side angle, you can use the hand or elbow to help support the torso and prevent too much pressure being exerted on the lumbar vertebrae while you (or a teacher) correct the stance. Starting with side angle allows you to safely introduce the motion of triangle without blowing out a disc.

3. Both side angle and triangle require core strength because, while you’re lifting with your feet and legs you ALSO have to lift with the torso. The most common problem I see in side angle and triangle is a collapse of the side body toward the leg. By this I mean that while you are standing, both of your sides (or sidebodies) are nice and long and (usually) even. As you lean to the side, there’s a tendency for the lower shoulder to collapse toward the lower hip, so that the side looks like a C rather than a |. A collapsing side coupled with twisted spine multiplied by all of your body weight = BAD BACK.

4. So my key points for triangle:
Use your feet. Spread out your toes. You should be able to press down through the ball of the foot below the big toe and pinky, feel the inside and outside edge of your heel in contact with the floor, as well as press through the outside edges of the feet in order to lift the instep of your foot away from the mat. This is the solid contact base.

Lift with the back leg. Pressing down through the outside edge of the back foot will help, but think about actively lifting with your thighs and glutes. Lift with the front leg. While there should always be a slight bend in each leg (NEVER lock the knees), you want the front quadricep to be active – the kneecap should be drawing up toward your thigh and if you wanted to wiggle it between two fingers, it shouldn’t slide much.

Tuck the tailbone under slightly. This helps to keep the hips in the same plane as the chest and also builds the base of the core lift. Draw the abs in and think about lengthening the spine.

The tricky part to describe: Keeping the chest long and tall, slide the hip of the back leg BACK – this will automatically cant your torso forward. Keep the abs drawn in and think about lifting with the low (leaning toward the front leg) side of your torso. Start by placing your forward hand on your forward thigh. Slide the hand down as far as you can while keeping the side of you body long and your hips and torso in the same plane (as though you were pressed up against a wall).

Initially keeping the back arm flat to your side will help mantain that planar balance – it becomes a physical guide for your thigh, hip and ‘top’ side to stay in line. If you feel comfortably balanced, you can lift that arm straight up toward the sky. The key is that your entire torso weight is NOT in your lower hand, rather evenly balance between hand, torso and legs. That’s what gives triangle a kind of floaty feeling.

5. That’s just the leg/abs part. To make it more even bodywork, pull the shoulderblades down your back and slightly together – this keeps the shoulders active. At the same time, reach out through both sets of fingertips and it will maximize the amount of muscle work you can do. Arm work is always optional and you should ALWAYS listen to your body. You can do triangle without involving the arms at all, if you like.

MOST importantly – Your mileage may vary. I haven’t discussed foot positioning because I really think I could make that a whole post, which leads me to my next point…

I think these things are often difficult to explain in text and I’m thinking about making a video demo of what I’m talking about. In the age of Yoga Journal (which I love) people think they should look like the picture rather than do what the asanas are intended. YJ doesn’t always take the time to point out that everyone’s physical structure is a little different and – contrary to popular yoga verbiage – there are things that you may NEVER be able to do, no matter how long you practice. It all depends on how your ligaments and tendons are built, where they attach and how your joints are put together.

Possibly my favorite thing about the audio so far is that Colleen emphasized not taking it too seriously, enjoying it and being able to laugh as well as NOT getting competitive with yourself. I think every class should start this way. Like I said, if you’ve been practicing – or have been to a class – this would be a great way to start taking apart postures on your own at home.

So the awesome news is that I now have lots of random yoga workouts to go through and help with some motivation.

Not so awesome, Spouse is sick. He’s actually been sick for several days and doesn’t seem to be getting much better. As a result I’m trapped on the couch watching what is possibly one of the top five worst movies of all time: Land of the Lost. My only explanation is that he’s sick and a bit delusional and that’s what is making this steaming pile of shit entertaining. To him.

Meanwhile, I’ve got TWO DAYS OFF IN A ROW. If I didn’t have a metric asston of stuff to do, it would almost feel like a weekend!

Okay- another peeve maybe. In talking about Down Dog, Yee is all about legs and ignoring the arms. I’ve found if you engage your shoulders, you’re less likely to get arm fatigue and more easily can keep weight out of the wrists. You do that by sliding your shoulder blades down your back (imagine dragging the tips of your scapulas toward your hipbones) as well as imagining you’re holding a golf ball in each armpit. That causes external rotation of the biceps/triceps and pulls the arm into the shoulder socket. There’s more muscle support for the INCREDIBLY DELICATE shoulder joint which helps to prevent injury. It’s also great upper body strength building but FEELS far more solid when you’re lurking in Down Dog. Also, very little emphasis pushing down through the fingers and fingertips rather than letting the weight sit in the base of the palm (bad for the wrist).

Last nit: Dear Colleen, it’s STANCE not STRIDE. Stride means that you’re MOVING rather than STANDING STILL. Thanks. Yg

That said, vacation was a kick in the ass. Time to refresh everything all over, albeit without nearly as much rain as Seattle sees, and I started today. Woke up, finished reading a book, cleaned up the kitchen and then started on our bedroom. Dusted and swept everywhere, got up the rugs for washing, stripped the bedding and mattress pad for washing (which it’s doing right now) and as soon as that room’s done I’ll move to the next.

The basement bedroom, like two of the upstairs rooms, has a mirrored set of sliding closet doors. It’s also much larger than any of the other rooms (with the exception of the basement living room and the kitchen/dining area) and I noticed today that I could probably make a decent yoga space in there. It’s got laminate flooring and high enough ceilings that I don’t have to worry about barking my hands or feet. It’s also cool enough (being the basement) and has a fan so that I should be able to work as hard as I like, comfortably. That’s going to be my new spot then, at least until we get one of the upstairs rooms converted into a real workout space.

One of the things I love about yoga is its malleability. I can tailor my workout to whatever feels appropriate at the time, focusing on whichever areas I’d like. Unfortunately that is also one of the things that stumps people about having a “home practice”. With so many options, how do you keep track of where you started or what you’ve done? I think it’s one of the things people really like about Bikram and the ashtanga series – there are proscribed movements in a particular order such that you’ve always got the next step in front of you. While that sounds nice in theory, I think I’d get bored with it.

I generally start with the Sun series and modify it however I’d like. It’s infinite if you add in Warrior II and Chair (Sun B) and can be modified to include almost anything – triangle, side angle, revolved variations of both, twisting chair, Warrior III, pyramid and about a dozen different ways you can modify Downward Facing Dog. I’m tempted to do audio posts about the variations just so that people can try them if they’re interested. Everyone approaches yoga a little differently and one of the reasons I love taking classes is because I can hear how other people change things up.

So I guess MY spring goal is thirty days of yoga posts. If I can squeeze in classes I will, but it will primarily what I do at home and on the road (we’ve got some overnighters this month). I think my plan will be to work through the Eye of the Tiger practice – it’s pretty comprehensive but too long for everyday. I can attack parts of it and digest what I like and don’t.

Below is the Eye of the Tiger workout – I can’t recall what site I found it on but it’s an Anusara practice.

Eye of the Tiger Practice

The Eye of the Tiger practice is designed as an ultimate daily practice routine to maximize strength, stamina, and flexibility in all the major parts of the body. It covers all the main classes of asana including: Surya Namaskar, standing poses, handbalancings, inversions, backbends, hip-openers, forward bends, and twists. The entire practice can take over 4 hours to complete, so in order to abbreviate, perform a few poses in each category moving down through the lists from top toward the bottom. During a week’s practice schedule be sure to attempt the poses that you might have skipped in previous practices.

Invocation

Surya Namaskar – 10-108x or 10-20 min.

Handstand – 1-5 min. ea. 1-3 X

Pincha Mayurasana (feathered peacock) – 1-5 min. ea. 1-3 X

Standing Poses – 30-60 sec. ea./ side
Vrksasana (tree)
Parsvakonasana (extended side angle)
Trikonasana (triangle)
Virabhadrasana I (warrior I)
Virabhadrasana II (warrior II)
Anjaneyasana (crescent lunge)
Ardha Chandrasana (half moon)
Virabhadrasana III (warrior III)
Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle)
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (revolved half moon)
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle)
Parsvottanasana (intense side stretch/pyramid)
Utkatasana (chair)
Garudasana (eagle)
Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged forward fold)
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (extended hand to big toe)
Pada Hastasana (hands to feet)

Handbalancings – 1-2x ea./ side
Lolasana (pendant)
Vasisthasana (side plank)
Eka Hasta Bhujasana (elephant’s trunk)
Astavakrasana (8 angle)
Bakasana (crane)
Eka Pada Bakasana II (one legged crane)
Eka Pada Bakasana I (one legged crane)
Visvamitrasana (pose dedicated to visvamitra)
Eka Pada Koundinyasana II (pose dedicated to Koundinya)
Dwi Hasta Bhujasana (two-handed legs over arms)
Bhujapidasana (shoulder pressing pose)
Titthibhasana (firefly)
Parsva Bakasana (side crane)
Eka Pada Koundinyasana I
Eka Pada Galavasana (flying crow)
Kukuttasana (cock posture)
Parsva Kukuttasana (revolved cock posture)

Abdominals – 30-50x ea./ side
Crunches
Criss-Crosses
Navasana (boat)
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (raised stretched out foot)
Jathara Parivartanasana (spinal twist)

Supta Virasana (reclined hero) – 5 min.

Hip-openers – 1 min. ea./ side
Baddha Konasana
Janu Sirsasana
Parsva Upavistha Konasana
Upavistha Konasana
Triang Mukhaikapada
Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana prep.
Bharadvajasana II

Inversions – 30sec.– 1 min. variations
Sirsasana
Parsva Sirsasana
Parsva Sirsasana in Virasana
Eka Pada Sirsasana
Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana
Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana
Padmasana in Sirsasana
Parsva Padmasana in Sirsasana
Pindasana in Sirsasana
Sirsasana II
Mukta Hasta Sirsasana
Baddha Hasta Sirsasana
Prasarita Hasta Sirsasana
——————————————
Sarvangasana
Sarvangasana II
Eka Pada Sarvangasana
Parsvaika Pada Sarvangasana
Halasana
Supta Konasana
Parsva Halasana
Karna Pidasasana
Parsva Karna Pidasasana
Parsva Sarvangasana in Padmasasana
Parsva Sarvangasana
Setubandha Sarvangasana

Backbends
Eka Pada Supta Virasana
Bhujangasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I prep – one leg in Bhekasana
Dhanurasana
Parsva Dhanurasana
Ustrasana
Purvottanasana – bent knees
Backbends with chair
Urdhva Dhanurasana – (5-25x)
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana
Viparita Chakrasana
Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (head up)
Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana
Headstand Drop-overs – (5-25x)
Mandalasana – (3-25x)
Urdhva Dhanurasana – drop-backs – (5-108x)
Vrischikasana I – feet on chair
Kapotasana – pigeon droppings – (3-10x)
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana IV
Valakhilyasana
Padangustha Dhanurasana
Natarajasana

Twists & Forward Bends – 30 sec – 1 min. ea./ side
Uttanasana
Virasana – twist
Baddha Konasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep
Janu Sirsasana
Upavista Konasana
Parsva Upavistha Konasana
Agnistambasana
Ardha Baddha Padmasana Paschimottanasana
Marichyasana II
Triangamuhkaipada Paschimottanasana
Krounchasana
Bharadvajasana II
Compass
Yogadandasana
Pascimottanasana
Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana I & II
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Malasana I
Pasasana – one leg
Padmasana
Hanumanasana
Ardha Matsyendrasana II
Marichyasana IV
Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana
Parivrtta Paschimottanasana
Kurmasana
Somakonasana
Eka Pada Sirsasana
Bhairavasana
Chakorasana
Durvasana
Uttanasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Balasana

Meditation – 10 min.

Savasana – 10 min.

Edited to add reference links so you know what I’m talking about.

Before we left, I did some internet research on yoga studios that would be close to where we were staying. I found about four that sounded like they’d be a good fit for my needs and one of them had a pretty sweet intro deal. Being on budget and in a new city, yoga deals are important. I can go on about this ad nauseam but I think yoga is an oddly interpersonal form of exercise, one that can be shaped entirely by your teacher/instructor and your reaction to him/her. Just because you don’t care for a particular teacher or class doesn’t mean the studio won’t be a good or even great fit for you – it just means you haven’t had a chance to find out yet. For this reason, having a deal on classes or even free classes for new students is an incredibly valuable resource for studios – it gives you a chance to sell how awesome you are.

For those reasons, I made my first stop at Urban Yoga Spa. 1. Love their site. Clear, concise and no pictures of hot bods to make you feel self-conscious about showing up. Especially love that you can turn the music off, as it’s my least favorite thing about the site. 2. No woo woo. When you read the class descriptions, you get a sense that it’s going to be a thorough, energetic and relaxing experience. No chanting required. 3. Even though I was just in town for a visit, they gave me the unlimited yoga for a week for $25 deal. I wasn’t sure they would since I’m not local but it was a sweet deal and it’s what decided me on their studio for the week.

I am not generally a fan of hot yoga. Rather, I like hot yoga up to a certain temperature. My ideal max temp is about 85 degrees (Forrest-style) and Urban Yoga Spa is a little hotter – 90-105 degrees. I have mentioned before that I sweat like a center for the Detroit Lions; it’s hot enough there that I started sweating the minute I walked into the rooms. That said, I didn’t find the temps at UYS to be unbearable. Don’t get me wrong, it was HOT but not to the point that I felt uncomfortable, light-headed or any of the other stuff you don’t want to have happen. In addition, the rooms were clean and avoided that whole ‘stank’ that can sometimes happen with a hot yoga place. One studio is full of mirrors and the other doesn’t have any – in case that matters to you.

First class was 90 minute Hot Hatha. I didn’t wear my glasses, what with the sweat, and I think the teacher was maybe Amber? I don’t remember if she introduced herself or not. As I frequently forget that when I teach, I’m not casting any stones. It was a solid 90 minute class.

• Things I loved: Clear and concise verbal cues, modifications starting slow and getting harder, encouragement to take breaks, encouragement to ENJOY the class and laugh/smile, logically formatted classes so that no one was trying to do headstand at the end of class when their arms are cashed, SUPPORTED BACKBENDS. Omg, y’all I was SO HAPPY about that. Wheel is a pet peeve of mine, especially in mixed-level classes.

• Things I didn’t love: Savasana was weird. As if it was supposed to be an unguided on-your-own relaxation, except that as soon as the instructor was out of the room people started packing up and leaving. Not sure about you, but it’s hard for me to stay focused when 15 people are packing up their stuff and leaving because it’s pretty much impossible for that to happen quietly. As far as negatives go, this one ain’t that big.

Second class: Hot Hatha Hour with Bret (if I remember correctly). Very similar in structure and content to the 90 minute Hatha class. Same great directions, same unwillingness to take the class so seriously. The class was a bit pared down to fit the hour but still a nice, thorough workout. I remember the savasana being a little more directed or maybe it was just that everyone didn’t pack up as soon as the class was over. Loved it.

Third class: Power Vinyasa Hour with Drew.

• Things I loved: Dude. If I had my own place, this is how teachers would teach. Drew – like the previous two instructors – had GREAT verbal cues, kept it light and encouraged smiling and taking it as easy or hard as you wanted/needed. Same practical class structure and super helpful adjustments.

• Things I didn’t love: Nothing. Really great class.

By this time I was wearing out my yoga clothes where wearing out = sweating ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEM. I had to take a day off to wash and let dry my yoga pants, as I’d brought less of them than shirts for some reason. Clearly wasn’t expecting to want a full week of hot yoga.

Foursquare told me that Restorative on Friday was a great class but that I should get there early. Getting there early was DEFINITELY a good tip.

Restorative with Jennifer:

• Things I loved: It was a nice solid stretching class, low key, relaxing.

• Things I didn’t love: The verbal cues were a little… odd. Several times I had to look up to figure out exactly what we were doing – and this stood out only because I hadn’t had to do that in any of the prior classes. Because of that, I’d say maybe not the best class for a beginner. Also, a little woo woo. I don’t mind woo woo, when I’m in the mood for it/the class is billed as such. Other than that, when I’m not EXPECTING yoga philosophy I generally don’t love it. *shrug* Your mileage may vary.

Studio in general:

• I loved that they had very reasonable water/mat rental/towel rental prices. Totally forgot to bring water with me to the first class. Whoops.

• I loved that I saw people of all sizes, shapes and ages in every single class. You can tell from the instruction in the individual classes that everyone is encouraging of making yoga accessible to EVERYBODY. That’s my biggest thing and it was fantastic.

• Everyone was very friendly. The person who was working the desk at my first class made a point of talking to me when she saw me in a different class that we were both attending. It was a really nice welcoming atmosphere.

• Music! There was music in each class, a kind of nondescript and low key new-agey thing that was totally non-intrusive.

• Chanting – there really wasn’t any some optional Oms at the end of a couple of the classes and I totally appreciated how the instructors were VERY CLEAR that they were optional. Also done in a matter-of-fact and non-woo woo sort of way so as to be generally appealing. Well done.
• They have donation classes on the weekend. I love that. Yoga accessibility is really important if we want to help people improve their health and well-being. It sounds corny but I believe it to be true. I love when studios not only say it, they back it up. If you’re not convinced you want to try a week of yoga there, definitely hit a donation class. You won’t regret it.

Honestly the only thing I didn’t love was the heat and that – along with any aforementioned nits – is  MY PERSONAL experience. There are people who love the super hot classes, I’m just not one of them. There are people who love woo woo, when I’m not expecting it I’m not one of them. I actually enjoy a good Om or two but I’m not much for chanting in classes so this stuff suited me fine. I’m a sucker for great direction and safe classes – both of those things were in spades here.

If it tells you anything, I recommended this place to no less than three locals while I was in town.

How about this: I’m watching I Hate Valentine’s Day and I think maybe the only thing Nia Vardalos has changed since My Big Fat Greek Wedding is her eyebrows. Alas, it’s not a change for the good. I find these eyebrows or the makeup or something about it to be weirdly distracting.

Books! I finally finished Finch. While I enjoyed the story I loathed the fragments. I will not reread it and I won’t be looking for more of VanderMeer’s work. Also finished The Year of the Flood, Atwood’s latest and I really enjoyed it. In fact, it made me want to reread Oryx and Crake (again) and then YotF right behind it. I didn’t though – I read Silver Borne, the latest Mercy novel from Patricia Briggs. Pretty happy with the whole novel but I think I put more details on my 2010 reading list page.

I’m also in the middle of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Not sure if I just hadn’t heard anything about it but I was expecting something really different. Thus far, engaging protag and interesting story.

Our flights were uneventful. Against what must be the largest number of odds, on each flight I was seated next to someone who was going to be visiting our new hometown in the near future. I really loathe seating process of Southwest. Frankly I don’t see anything wrong with being able to check and and get my seat assignment early, INCLUDING a spot next to my spouse, rather than depending on the kindness of strangers allowing me to sit next to him. Add unnecessary seat-partner anxiety to all the least fun parts of air travel (cattle call loading and unloading) with a dose of ‘whoever gets there first, wins’ and yeah, it’s not my most enjoyable travel. I was also not enamored of the Southwest/Kevin Smith debacle, where they were dicks and he was unjustly thrown off a flight. Those things mean I’m not sure we’ll be flying Southwest again.

Seattle was lovely as are my long-distance friends. Probably I’ll upload some pictures soon and then get on with the whole yoga post.

No one is perfect and that’s why I’m a bit iffy on the whole ‘guru’ thing. For years in the yoga community, if you didn’t have a guru you weren’t considered “legit.” Yoga was like an apprenticeship. If you were like me in the blue-collar sticks, good luck finding your guru. It’s one of the things that I thinks makes the Yoga Alliance great (and terrible) that schools have cropped up all over so people can get training if they want it. Unfortunately, if you want ANY training with some big name attached to it be prepared to shell out upwards of $3,000.

I was very lucky in that I had a great local teacher and found a phenomenal studio in the metro Detroit area (only a couple of hours commute) where I could complete teacher training. My experience is that those schools aren’t faring so well in the current economy and it’s a shame because they provided AFFORDABLE and THOROUGH training – both things that factored largest in my search for further education. Rising Sun Yoga helped me become a great teacher without indoctrinating me to any one ‘true’ way to do yoga or teach a yoga class. My education was heavy on anatomy and physiology with a solid grounding in other yoga practices (chanting, mantra, pranayama, philosophy). I left feeling PREPARED and I didn’t have to fly across country or spend thousands of dollars to do it.

My training was great and I love teaching but it’s made it harder for me to take classes. I’m reluctant to go to local classes because enough people know that I teach that it might be weird. I’ve also been in classes where I heard teachers say things that were just flat-out physiologically incorrect or where they don’t offer modifications for people who may need a break or not be ready for the practice. While I would LOVE to not notice those things, it’s difficult – especially as I like to do modifications during my own practice. When I do my own thing, it can throw off the teacher or other students and while I’m not going to sacrifice my body, I’m sensitive to the fact that it can be wicked uncomfortable to have someone not going with the flow.

It’s because of those things that I’ve always placed a lot of emphasis – A LOT – on my students working at their own pace and providing all sorts of modifications (easier as well as harder) all the time. I’m a big believer in Choose-Your-Own Yoga.

This is all a long way of getting to the fact that I’m NOT teaching 5 days a week, like I used to. I miss it and I miss the regimen that helped to keep me on board with my own practice. It’s been a while since I’ve done a regular 5-day-a-week hourlong practice but I’m trying to get back on the horse. While a rigid routine (Bikram, Ashtanga) might be helpful, I get bored. I like to be able to adjust to whatever feels right in the moment. In keeping with that, I’ve added barefoot running to my routine as well as some Pilates. I picked up an at-home rubber-bandlike reformer at work and I’m kind of stoked about breaking it out today.

Yoga isn’t about perfection or even the pursuit of perfection: it’s about trying to be BETTER. Nothing more, nothing less.

As a teacher with more than 200 hours of training and certification, AND as someone who TAUGHT at a gym, the bottom line is that any class is only as good as your confidence in (and comfort with) the teacher. If you are a beginning student, I’ve posted about good ways to begin your practice and find a good class but ultimately every student has different needs.

I’ll break it down in bullets:

1. Call the gym/studio and ask about the classes. They’ll be honest.

2. If you feel uncomfortable in/during a class, tell the instructor.

3. NOTHING SHOULD BE PAINFUL.

4. Ask the teacher about their training/certifications.

5. Ask other students.