Something New

We are working on standing poses and Sun Salutaiton this session.  One of the hardest parts of Sun Salutation is the transition from downward dog to a lunge.  Stepping one foot up is extremely difficult for students, especially beginners.

I have stumbled upon a technique which recruits the abdomen "a lot" during that transition, using it's strength to wave the spine forward, lift the knee high and get that foot up.  We will begin working on that technique tonight.  It is challenging to be sure but worth the effort.

Overall, we begin the transition by lifting the leg that will step forward back and up.  We then begin to tuck the tailbone, allowing the back to round, pulling the abdomen in towards the spine and up, moving the shoulders forward over the wrists and keeping the hips high.  The knee of the leg stepping forward will tuck high towards the chest first, before the foot steps down.  This lift in the hips and strong abdominal pull in and up creates a lift for the leg and some nice momentum for the leg to come forward.  We'll try it and see if it helps.  I think it will.

Fall Session 2009-1

This fall we will be working on standing poses and sun salutation.  I have posted very little about sun salutation, so to get us started, Pixie has kindly agreed to let us see a lovely overview of the poses commonly involved in Sun Salutation:

Pixie is practicing a typical Sun Salutation sequence.  She will repeat this sequence, stepping the opposite foot back (#4) and again, that same opposite foot forward (#9).  

Sun Salutation can be modified, practice quickly or slowly, and done as a stand-alone, complete practice.