Restorative 6.18.08

super hot day.
5 peeps showed up, including 3 from the TT.

this evening, teaching was the medicine.
class got off to a late start because we were casual about wrapping up the teaching training. peeps didn't seem to mind. the extreme heat slows down the pace, allowing for the spaciousness to pause and chill.

my voice felt stronger today. i felt more centered and connected. i'm observing my teaching patterns: when i'm more grounded i say less and my instruction tends to be more clear. when i'm tired, distracted, or feeling insecure about something, i tend to say too much and things get muffled. it's like overcompensating for my lack of clarity and ease. however, this evening i felt very much in the flow of Things. i've formed a sweet bond with the 3 TT peeps who came to class, so their presence inspired me to speak from the heart. when i speak from the heart it feels so good and natural.

here's a flavor of the class:

opening: short seated meditation to help ground and center us (3 to 5 minutes)

supported reclining pose with bolster lengthwise under the spine.
blanket to cushion the head. 2 rolled blankets, or a combo of bolster and rolled blanket under the knees.

guided meditation to relax the mind, body, and central nervous system.
we explored the 4 part breathing pattern and guiding the breath down towards to low belly, right below the navel.

this pose is very sedating. peeps always drop right in. the long supported back bend is a sweet way to begin the class. having the legs extended and supported in super relaxing.

transition onto side. side lying rest pose.

forward fold: supported baddha konasana or uppavista konasana- 5 min.

elevated twist on bolster- both sides.
transition into side lying rest pose for a moment. i emphasized allowing the transition to be an extension of the pose to help communicate with and sooth the nervous system. the pause in between the shapes allow the nervous system to assimilate the information and rewire, so to speak.

supported back bend. i offered the option of supta baddha konasana or supta virrasana. 4 peeps choose bk, 1 choose supta virrasana. that was interesting to note.

transition into side lying rest pose.

supported childs pose with bolster (10 min).
free form into savasana.

sit
namaste.