IT'S THURSDAY !!!

What happens on Thursday?  I write (and you read) about Wednesday's Wisdom Warriors practice.  Simple.

So, let's get started:

Short chat to begin the practice, where Desiree talked a bit about last week's raw food dinner/demo.  It was good and another is planned for the future sometime.  In the meantime, we are adding a monthly lunch to our 'practice routine'.  This lunch will not be on a Wednesday; it will be on a Monday (probably).  In October, it will be October 8, at a restaurant in Fashion Valley (YES! I rarely get to a mall these days).  At this time I can't remember the restaurant name, but - it's on our Facebook page; if you're interested, check it out.

Enough about social activities of the group; what about the yoga?  Let's just say my arms, hands and upper body got a significant working; not to mention the hips and hamstrings.  An all-over forward fold, arm balancing practice, with hip work thrown in.  Sounds fun, doesn't it?  It was.

The moment for me? Becoming better acquainted with Sirsasana 2 (tripod headstand).  A pose that I have avoided, mainly because when I kick up my neck feels vulnerable -- as in, not supported by anything (which is different from the headstand where your hands and forearms are on the floor, stabilizing head).  What made the difference?  2 things:  a competent partner, and ribs & belly in (a mantra in this group now).

The competent partner is simply a trust thing - she stepped in, sounded authoritative, said the right things, and I got into the pose - simple. It's something I try to teach when asking students to partner with one another. It takes time and practice to cultivate good partnering skills, and - unfortunately - many teachers do not have people partner much or, if they do, they are watching the end result, not the dynamic between the two partners (enough).

The ribs & belly in -- well, it's something I began to experience from Desiree several years ago, then forgot. She has re-birthed it for me in my practice and it is powerful. Important to remember that it's just ribs and belly moving in; lumbar and cervical curves are still there. If we are familiar with 'kidney loop', it is very similar.

How to learn it?  Well, when I first experienced 'kidney loop', it was winter and I was skiing regularly. When I learned to ski, my Mother (a ski instructor) repeated to me: 'when you want to turn, bend knees - lift up - bend knees (visualize a down-up-down action), and turn'.  So, I went back to this, as I was skiing, and practiced my down-up-down, incorporating ribs & belly in -- more emphatically on the down action.  OK, OK, OK, we're not winter yet and - at least in Del Mar - there will be no skiing. So, how do we learn it?

Stand in tadasana, draw lowest ribs together and move your belly back towards spine.  There, keep that, as you continue to extend your spine up, and gently move your shoulder blades onto your back and lift your heart space. Basically, rather than letting your lowest ribs flare, you are containing that energy -- saving it for the work to come; and it is proving to be very effective.

That said, we did all manner of arm balances.  At one point, Desiree was even to heard to say "I'm worn out!".  I am not sure you hear Desiree utter that phrase much.  But, even after saying that, she kept going -- kind of like that bunny -- pose after pose, finishing with Hanumanasana.

So, what about the rest of my week?  Monday's Library class numbered 30. The summer lull is over perhaps.  Tuesday's Gentle/Therapeutic was attended by some strong and capable yoga practitioners, so we worked a bit harder than usual for that class -- even making it to a forearm "L" pose using the wall.  And, today?  Teaching 3 classes.

Hope you have a great Thursday!