Kids practice

It all starts by joining in with mom or dad.

Adho Mukha Svanasana — This is Tal Messica’s two-year-old daughter, Malaya, who spends a lot of time in the yoga studio with her parents, imitating, in her own creative way, the poses she sees. Tal teaches at and owns the Iyengar Yoga Center of Ojai, California.

Paschima Namaskarasana in Vajrasana.

Adho Mukha Virasana.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana. Good job Malaya!

 

Supta Virasana — a mother/daughter team.

And soon they are teaching others.

Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana — Photo by Suzie Dodd of her daughter Fern. “We call it Bobby Clennell Pose”.

After a long day’s practice…

… it’s nice to kick back and relax.

Thanks to everyone who has sent me photos of their kids who were inspired by my book, Watch Me Do Yoga; please keep sending them in. I try my best to correctly credit all the photos, but if I’ve fogotten your child’s name, please send it to me, and I’ll update the post.

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.

Guadalajara, Mexico

Workshop at Practica Yoga.

This student’s shoulder blade was completely “winged” out, causing her shoulder to roll forward.

Understanding the movement of the shoulder blade is important. My adjustment is providing her an imprint so she can remember how to press the inner edge of her shoulder blade in, and move the top of her upper arm back.

Another way of working: interlace your hands and hook them over the top of the trestler.

Can you raise the front armpit chest higher than the back armpit chest — without pushing the lumbar spine forward?

Here in Halasana, the elbows need to be grounded more than they are here. If this student propped her feet on a chair or on bricks, she would be able to ground the elbows and be more stable.

Shoulder stand is one of the best poses to help maintain breast health. Here in Parsva Halasana I am asking this student to further lift up through the spine and walk her feet around even more. The combination of the inversion and the rotation stimulates the internal organs. At the same time, along with the change in blood flow, a healthy stretching occurs in the right breast — all important factors for breast health.

Guadalajara

Wonder where this leads to?

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.

Mexico City

Workshop at Yoga Espacio COYOACÁN.

Ardha Uttanasana with the outer wrist bones hooked over the back of a chair. Activate the knees by pulling up the quadricep muscles. Extend out through to the tips of the fingers.

Halasana with The Feet Supported. Press the outer edges of the feet against the sides of the chair as if you were trying to break the chair. Press the outer, upper arms down. Lift up through the inner groins and sit bones until the spinal column is completely absorbed into the back.

Mexico City

I loved the colors of Mexico City.

At La Casa de los Azulejos….

…..The House of Tiles.

More from La Casa de los Azulejos (The House of Tiles).

Frida Kahlo

From Frida Kahlo’s kitchen.

Drawing by Diego Rivera.

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.

Merida, Mexico

Workshop at Namasté Yoga.

This student came into class with a migraine.

While the rest of the class followed the workshop program…

….she practiced a series of seated forward bends: Adho Mukha Virasana, Adho Mukha Sukhasana, and Janu Sirsasana with long holdings. These three simple forward bends (start with the head supported on a level with the chest) are very effective when dealing with migraine headaches.

In the menopause workshop, we practiced Cross Ropes Adho Mukha Svanasana, placing the crown of the head on a support to keep the brain quiet and cool.

Uttitha Trickonasana facing the wall. Sciatic pain is very common during menopause as the groins can become hard and the abdominal muscles tense at this stage. To avoid sciatica, open the front leg pelvis toward the wall and roll the pubic bone up. Facing the wall provides support so that the pelvic organs can be brought into alignment — this is also helpful for those with fibroids, ovarian cysts or endometrial scar tissue.

Uttitha Trickonasana, with back to wall. This variation provides support from behind, so less energy is expended and less heat generated (such as hot flashes or the heat generated during menstruation). Brings life to the spine and hip joints. Facing out is helpful for women when menopause is over to avoid osteoporosis of the spine, shoulders and hip joints. Open the back leg hip and chest toward the wall.

Set up for Sarvangasana with three or (or four for a greater lift) blankets.

Sarvangasana. Come first to Halasana. To avoid collapsing at the base, clip the outer edges of the shoulder-blades in.

Press the outer, upper arms to the floor and lift the cervical spine away from the floor.

Sarvangasana: align the side body along the midline.

My host, Beatrize, with a student in Baddha Konasana in Hanging Sirsasana.

Merida

Pretty doors.

Weddings say so much about the culture of a place. The reception was held at the family ranch.

Grand living in Merida.

© 2015 Bobby Clennell.