Gentle Yoga, Subbing for Tucker Adams

Whenever Tucker asks me to sub her Friday morning "Gentle Yoga" class at Sacred Space, I say yes. There were 5 people in class this morning. Everyone in class was 60 to 70 years of age. It's always an honor to work with this population. Most of them are living with a combination of osteoporosis, hip or knee replacements, arthritis, or shoulder injuries. The primary focus was on the breath, shoulder/hip opening, pelvic awareness, and balance.

They all began in virasana with a block, so I took advantage of them upright and opened our practice with meditation, breath awareness, and centering.

transition: leg stretch on each side

supine baddha konasana over bolster with support under the head
gentle windshield wipers

release onto backs
knees into chest
hamstring stretch with strap: hip opener, easy twist, abs
"release, pause, notice"

repeat pattern on both sides

supine tadasana
arm stretches
right knee into chest/leg knee into chest x8

all fours
pelvic tilt and spinal movement
childs pose

virasana with blocks
shoulder opening
rolls forward and back
arm press
give yourself a hug stretch x2
eagle wrap x2
arm press

transition: leg stretch on each side

standing
tadasana with block in between thighs
pelvic tilt/awareness
tadasana "handstand"
tadasana "headstand"
release hands and block

at the bar:

shoulder opening with block (same action as in tadasana "headstand") x2

at the wall:

standing twist with chair at wall
supta padangustasana (foot on the chair) with option of arms overhead
release into "dancers pose" aka quad/thigh stretch

repeat pattern on the second side

tadasana
balance/foot work
balance with knee into chest (both sides)
take a stroll around the room
tree pose (both sides)

transition onto back
knees into chest rock
bridge pose x2 with block under sacrum for support
gentle spinal twist (both sides)

rainy savasana