Phew

This is a challenging sequence.  Challenging but good.  I have found that once we finish parsvottanasana (side angle pose), it's time for a breather.  This always seems like a good time to rest in balasana (child's pose) and do a little side stretching, then some lunges then a little work in downward dog, although it's not officially on the agenda yet.  Then back to the standing poses and finishing with the inversions.

I see, hear and feel you all struggle through the class and I am aware that some of this stuff if pretty hard.  I see you challenge yourself and work harder than you think you can.  I also see the restful, peaceful faces when you are all done and getting ready to go home.

You can begin to gauge your progress by how much easier the poses feel over time and how much more you can work on a poses' finer points while you are actually in the pose.  This ability takes time, determination and effort but it will come.

Pixie says you're doing a great job and keep up the good work!

Programming Note

For the year 2010, go here:
Behold The Class - 2010

Preparing the Lesson Plan

I am going through the 30 week course, week by week as outlined in Light On Yoga.  As previously posted, I am making a little sketch of each pose in each week to help me both plan and teach these classes.

I am up to weeks 16-17 and, surprisingly enough, this is the first week that Downward Dog makes an appearance.  The first half of the practice is clearly focused on developing solid strength and beginning an inverted practice by introducing shoulder stand immediately.

I have been practicing weeks 1-2 for the past 2 weeks in my own practice.  I am finding that the little aches I typically have are dissipating.  This is good news and has helped me develop a plan for both the beginning and continuing classes.

In the beginning class, we will start right from the beginning of the course.  We will begin each class by warming up then we'll get right into the practice.  In the continuing class, we will also warm up, then we'll practice headstand before proceeding to the Course 1 practice.  Mr. Iyengar doesn't introduce headstand until late in the first half of Course One but since we have been working on it I don't want to regress.  However, there is no handstand in Course One so, for now, we will forego our handstand practice in class.  That inversion, however, will be replaced by shoulder stand.  I think we will find all the standing poses actually help bring a new sense of ease to head and shoulder stand.

Can't wait to get started.

P.S.  Pixie is practicing Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) which makes an early appearance in Course One.