Florida: January 21 – 22 and 24 – 26, 2020

Workshop at Miami Beach Iyengar Yoga Center

Another workshop, another Pincha Mayurasana, this time with the outer edges of the wrists pressed down into the floor.

Workshop at Community Yoga, Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Adho Mukha Svanasana with a long yoga belt. Abhijata Iyengar in her online workshop in May 2020, extolled the importance of working with props especially during the pandemic we are living through..

Adho Mukha Svanasana. This set up helps the student understand where she is stuck: when she bends forward, her lower back tends to pop out.

Uttitha Trikonasana. Correcting knock knees. It takes seven years!

Uttitha Trikonasana. Do this with a partner, and observe how much the space opens up in the pelvis. This student couldn’t be persuaded to take her legs a little further apart.

Mulabandasana, one leg at a time.

And now for six smiley faces….

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6) Use the slant board to press the heels away from the pubic bone. 

Raising the feet facilitates a greater extension through the inner thigh muscles, and therefore more mobility in the hip joints.

Chair supported Sirsasana.

This is important: Press the shins against the wall, and the toes toward the floor.

Roll the outer elbows in.

© 2020 Bobby Clennell

Taipei: December 13 – 16, 2019

Workshop at Shelly Yoga.

The Iyengar Yoga Institute of China made this t-shirt to commemorate the Chinese translation of Watch Me Do Yoga.

This variation of Prasarita Padottanasana helps reduce scar tissue, and therefore (along with other poses) helps deal with endometriosis.

Prasarita Padottanasana. Press the outer edges of the feet down. Raise the inner thighs; cut the tops of the inner thighs back and move the inner knees forward (so that the knees stay facing straight ahead).

Adho Mukha Swastikasana with forearms on blocks. Extend from the outer hips all the way through the side trunk, shoulders, wrists and hands.

Baddha Konasana. Why does this variation always make everyone smile?

A group photo, Taiwanese style, with bunny rabbit ears.

Halasana. Raise the anterior spine.

Lining up for a booksigning: Yoga for Breast Care, the Chinese translation!

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Kamakura-City: December 6 – 8, 2019

Three day retreat in Kamakura-City.

These three pictures of Fuji San were taken from a moving train. When you see her for real, you understand why she has Goddess status.

Fuji San.

Fuji San.

Baradvajasana with my translator and friend, Kyoko Atsumi. When turning to the right, press the  right side waist in, toward the left side waist.

Jathara Parivatanasana, with knees bent. As you turn to the right, press the left shoulder to the floor. Pull the knees right up inder the right armpit, and at the same time, lengthen the front and inner groins away from you.

Jathara Parivatanasana, this time with a helper pressing the opposite shoulder. Observe, her hand is turned back away from my armpit.

Passasana. This student is moving her left side ribs and her abdomen to her right, while keeping her knees level with each other.

If your heels do not touch the floor, with the feet together, working with a slant board this is a good starting point for either Malasana, or Passasana.

To keep the front spine moving forward, rather than having the back rounding just above the lumbar, train your body, slowly over time, by practicing Janusirsasana with a chair. To bring awareness to the movement of the spine, and to prevent the body from sinking onto the right thigh, practice Janusirsasana with a chair and rolled blanket.

Parivritta Janusirsasana with a Chair. Move your left waist forward and roll your right side waist and ribs up and back.

A much revered healer.

Dessert.

With Kyoko, and on the extreme left and right, two of her students. And let me tell you, the best hair-cutters in the world are Japanese!

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Kobe: November 30 – December 2, 2020

Workshop at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Kobe, Japan.

 

I’m helping this student realign her elbows. Her carrying angle will hamper her efforts to lift all the way up through her shoulders and hips. When I remove my feet from her elbows, she has to move them back toward the wall herself. She also has to move her shoulders forward.

Gripping her hips firmly between my feet, I am rolling this student’s shoulders back.

Amit Pawar,  Prana Homoeopathy Yoga Center, Pune, shows us how its done! He instructs one of his teachers how to make a similar adjustment, but here he draws the upper torso forward as he moves the student’s shoulders back. She is less likely to jam her lumbar spine this way.

Roll your upper arms in and pull your arms back into the shoulder sockets as you allow your pelvis to slide down the wall.

Maintain the entire backs of the legs from pelvis to heels, parallel to the ceiling.

You get more leverage when your feet are against the wall, and you can hold onto some ropes. Press your feet into the wall and move your inner groins back.

Krounchasana. Stay toward the middle of the sit bones and raise the anterior spine.

Eka Pada Sirsasana. Keep your hips level with each other as you bring one of your legs forward and down.

Sarvangasana. To get a better, sharper grip, spread your fingers and thumbs, palms facing the floor, place them between two ribs, and lift!

In addition, clip the outer shoulderblades in and roll the outer, upper arms down.

 

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Beijing: November 21 – 24, 2019

Workshop at Iyengar Yogashala, Beijing, China.

Adho Mukha Svanasana. Work this way to roll the tops of the inner thighs back, draw the anterior lumbar spine back and up, and release the posterior lumbar spine down. This is extremely helpful for those with low back compression or pain.

Adho Mukha Baddha Konasana with Three Blocks. This is the biggest hip opener ever!

The wide leg poses access space in the pelvic region, facilitate mobility in the hip joints, and supports health for women’s reproductive systems.

Half Padmasana with a figure of eight belt holding it all together.

Nirlamba Sarvangasana is particularly helpful for women. It reduces hot flashes, helps relax a tense throat and stimulates the thyroid.

The Chinese Translation of Watch Me Do Yoga! The English text is retained along side of the Mandarin.

Ming’s nieces practicing their version of Padmasana.

Tadasana with attitude – practicing along with my book.

Kids the world over love Lion Pose!

Yoga for Breast Care – Chinese translation!.

The Chinese students are enthusiastic about selfies, and will stop at nothing to get their picture taken with the teacher.

This Chinese “mudra” means love, I think.

My favorite pic of all time. This young student took my entire workshop in that outfit.

 

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Urumqi: November 13 – 16, 2019

Workshop at Iyengar Yogashala, Urumqi, China.

Arriving in Urumqi.

Looking at the midline in Janu Sirsasana with Chair and Block.

Practice Uttanasana with a Blanket Roll to soothe the lower back. Drop this into a post-menstrual sequence.

Women municiple workers, clearing the snow.

They do this running.

…still running !

Snowy view, with the mountain range at the top, from the yoga studio.

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Jakarta: November 1 – 3, 2019

Workshop at C Studio Jakarta.

Stage one of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana. Allow the knee to decend, so that eventually, it aligns with the hip.

Parsva Hasta Padasana with belt and block.

Uthita Trikonasana with a belt and block. Resting the foot up on the block like this helps awaken the arch. Curl the toes toward you. Press the outer edge of the back foot firmly into the floor. Move the inner back leg knee toward the outer back leg knee.

Supported Paripurna Navasana with a Chair and a Wall.

Chair Kapotasana. Use all the support you need so that you get the most out of this pose.

The best way to recover from Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana through a Chair..

Recovery Prasaritta Padottanasana with a chair.

Roll forward into Halasana.

Halasana with bolster and blanket.

 

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Hangzhou: November 7 – 10, 2019

Workshop at Iyengar Yogashala, Hangzhou.

Post menopause. Time to sharpen up your practice.

Ardha Chandrasna is the quintessential woman’s pose. Practice it (and the other lateral standing poses) with the back to the wall to reduce pelvic rigidity. It gives freedom in the pelvis and spine; spreads the torso and pelvis horizontally and therefore cools. Practicing it facing the wall with a chair is helpful for women with fibroids because you can soften the abdomen. It also helps those with low back issues. To elongate the lumbar spine and to prevent it from falling forward (and therefore compressing), move the standing leg buttock toward the wall. Turn the hips up, and lengthen the tailbone away from the head.

 

Urdhva Dhanurasana from a chair. To develop enough strength to push up into the pose, start on a chair. You are already half way there – all you have to do is push the reast of the way up. The chair also helps keep you orientated. To avoid swinging backward or forward, keep your pelvis centered above the chair seat as you come up.

Cool down with Supported Halasana. Place enough support between the thighs and chair seat to maintain an upright spine.

 

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Singapore: October 26 – 28, 2019

Workshop at Cocoon Studio Pte Ltd.

Between classes: these two teachers were getting lots of lumbar spine and pelvic traction on the ropes.

Virabadrasana II facing into the wall with block.

Parivritta Paschimottanasana. As you revolve to the left, in order to maintain the feet and knees parellel to each other, pull the right thigh back into it’s hip socket

Pausing in the center before “walking” around to the left, and taking hold of the left foot for Parivritta Janusirsasana.

Slice a mango into three along its length.

This is how you get rid of the stone!

Happy Diwali from Singapore’s oldest Shiva Temple.

 

© 2020 Bobby Clennell.

Panama: October 4 – 5, 2019

Workshop in Panama

Ardha Chandrasana with a chair. Move the standing leg buttock forward and revolve the torso up to the ceiling.

”Focus on keeping the spine straight. It is the job of the spine to keep the brain alert”. BKS Iyengar.

Working with a long belt – tugging it down –  to re-educate tight trapezeum muscles. Counteract this action by moving your tailbone in and rolling your inner thighs back.

 

© 2020 Bobby Clennell