Help of Ojai, level 2 class

this morning i had the opportunity to sub tucker's elderly yoga (level 2) class. i have a relationship with most of the folks in this group, either from assisting or teaching at the help of ojai over the past year.

one distinct characteristic about working with older folks is that they are not afraid of silence. there is a grace about them, not necessarily in the way they move in their physical bodies (although many of them are incredibly graceful and coordinated), but in the way they carry themselves in the world. there is an inner strength and a confidence that comes with age...a sense of knowing who you are and not being afraid to show it. this is refreshing!

there is also a sincere desire to learn. they listen earnestly to instructions and take their time to pause and reflect. and i wonder, who is the teacher and who is the student? the teacher and student are one and the same. as kira reminds me, in the bhagavad gita, arjuna teaches us that no learning can happen without love.

heart opener on the bolster with knees bent and resting together.
option of baddha konasana
breath awareness

transition onto your back
knees into chest and rock
supine tadasana
arm stretches over the head and back down
arm reach- alternate sides
leg reach- alternate sides
right arm, left leg reach
left arm, right leg reach
repeat pattern 8x with breath

extend leg, internal/external rotation
hip opener twist with the option of a block under the foot
repeat pattern on the second side

windshield wipers

right knee into chest, extend thru the left heel
left knee into chest, extend thru the right heel
switch back and forth with the breath x8.

virasana with 2 blocks
pelvis/tailbone awareness
shoulder opening sequence
eagle wrap x2 both sides
release

tadasana

wide leg forward fold with the chair

demo
down dog with chair at the wall
lounge salute pattern alternating sides

rest in the chair
hip opener and self foot massage
both sides

demo
right angle pose pose with the chair at the wall x2
both sides

gentle spinal twist in the chair

tadasana
foot work: forward and back, side to side, balancing
tree pose x2

floor
knees into chest rock
gentle spinal twist
savasana