Hiawatha, Iowa: May 31 – June 2. 2020

Workshop and retreat with Friendship Yoga

If getting up into Urdhva Dhanurasana feels out of reach, here’s one way of developing your strength and getting off the ground. Propped blocks placed at an angle help provide some leverage. Plus It’s easier to get up when you are already half way there. Now push down into the hands and feet, and lift your hips and trunk off the chair!

Beginners sometimes begin by supporting their back at the waist. As strength develops, and experience is gained, the student becomes better able to move the hands further down the back, press those back ribs in and raise them completely up off the floor.

With a little help the student can now walk her hands toward her shoulder blades.

My host, Nancy Footner made these beautiful plates.

© 2019 Bobby Clennell.

Pietrasanta: April 27 – 29, 2018

Workshop in Pietrasanta, Italy, with Vicki Vollmer.

I taught in this wonderful space amongst this privately owned collection. Back left, art by Yehudit Sasportas. The figures on the right are by Robert Longo.

The pose: Viparita Dandasana with Chair. Press the upper thighs down, move the heels toward the wall and extend the legs fully to lengthen the pelvic muscles and alow the pelvic organs to breathe. The wall sculpture is a George Segal.

I didn’t get the name of the artist who created this work. Anyone?

Gilbert and George, of course! Chair Sarvangasana with chair and bolster. Sometimes you just need to hold Sarvangasana quietly, with minimum effort.

To maintain strong abs, and if your back is strong, lift your shoulders and come out of Sirsasana slowely.

Another view of the space. The large wire sphere on the platform is a Mona Hatoum. Sirsasana: back brain to the floor, front brain to the feet: BKS Iyengar.

A closer view of this strong piece by George Segal. In contrast, Viparita Karani. Trust me, this seemingly simple pose calms the nerves and balances hormone levels like no other.

I taught a day of Pancha Vayus which are differentiated from the Pancha (five) Pranas. Sorry, I can’t immediately find the photo of the Pancha Vayus poster used in this workshop.

How to look styish without even trying. Vickie’s dogs.

This is the life!

A close-up of the Yehudit Sasportas piece.

A closer look at the Robert Longo.

Look at the Roig Bernardi!

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Latvia: April 15–17

Workshop at Yoga Center Shakti.

Urdhva Danurasana with hands supported on blocks: Turn your upper arms in. Press your hands into the blocks, and your feet into the floor and lift your pelvis and torso off the floor. Place the crown of your head on the floor. Firmly establish this preliminary phase of the posture: connect the heels-pressing-down action with the tailbone- lifting action; lift your shoulders up, and curve your back ribs in until your sternum bone faces the wall. Then, using your shoulder-blades and pelvis in equal measure, push up into the pose.

Urdhva Danurasana with the feet supported on blocks. Start with your feet on the blocks, crown of head on floor, and spread palms of hands pressed into the floor. Roll your elbows in, parallel with shoulders. Bring your knees to the wall. Firm your back ribs and shoulder-blades into your back to fully open the chest. Then, pressing your heels and hands down, push up into the pose.

Saints Boris and Gleb Cathedral in Daugavpils is the largest Orthodox church in Latvia.

Outside the Mark Rothko Art Center. Mark Rothko was born here in Daugavpils.

Mark Rothko painting.

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.

Utrecht: April 1– 3

Workshop at iYoga Utrecht

Supta Padangusthasana 2, with one leg bent: To maintain an even weight on both sides of the pelvis and torso, and to extend the inner thigh muscles evenly, place a thinly folded blanket under the straight leg.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. Spread the fingers and press the hands down.Move the upper arms and shoulders back, and the inner elbows forward.

Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana: without disturbing the central position of the head or the hands, twist the spine in the direction of the front leg. When turning to the right, hook the right shoulder-blade deep into the back.

The bicycle parking lots in the city were overflowing.

Hidden in the historical centre of Utrecht, and right next door to iYoga Utrect is the Saint Willibrordkerk church. Its rich ornamentation is stunning.

Another decorative column in the Willibrordkerk.

© 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.

Geneva & London; April, 2015

Book Signings

Signing books at YOGALAC in Geneva, Switzerland.

caption

Book signing, English style, with biscuits and tea at Oakside Yoga Studios in South London.

I go back a very long way with my old friends Barbara Hicks and Dave Dayes, who run Oakside Yoga Studios in South London, UK.

Workshop at North East London Iyengar Yoga Institute, a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to assist and support the development and provision of Iyengar yoga, and to provide a focus for those studying Iyengar yoga in the local area (north and north-east London).

Getting those trapezium muscles down.

You need a long belt for this. Drop the ends of the belt over your shoulders.

Take a hold of the belt and pull the crossed ends down at the back. Anchor the diagphramatic band to the lumber: “Docking the boat”  (which means, don’t make a back bend).

Sit in Virasana. Prepare for Pariangasana over a tall block, by lifting the chest and extending the spine.

Confidently maintaining your extension, sentivily lower the spine over the block, which should be positioned on the thoracic spine, directly behind the breast bone.

 

Curve over the block without tipping it. Press the sit bones straight down (no tucking!). The arms can be straight or folded. Some students may feel the need to support their head.

© 2015 Bobby Clennell.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Do Yoga Festival at Jakartadoyoga

There were five of us yoga instructors at the Do Yoga Festival; myself, Marcia Monroe (author of Yoga and Scoliosis) from New York, Henryk Lieskiewicz from Poland, Melodie Batchelor from New Zealand, and HS Arun from Bangalore, India.

Marcia Monroe working with a student with scoliosis.

Marcia and I took photos of each other on the terrace. Marcia demonstrates supported Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III).

Marcia in Supported Anantasana to extend the side of the spine that is compressed.

I am enjoying the mental peace that comes about from Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) with head supported. I had belted my arms to align my forearms with my upperams and side trunk.

Arun is a master of making the poses accessable for students. Here is shown a student in one of his classes practicing Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana (Half-Hero in Seated Forward Bend Pose) with a block and wall.

Also from one of Arun’s classes, Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana (One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose) with strap, chair and block.

Out and about in Jakarta

These street artists will paint anything you ask of them for a small fee.

Many of these illustrations featured Barack Obama. The people of Jakarta are very proud that he went to grade school here.

© 2014 Bobby Clennell.

Penang, Malaysia

Workshop at Yoga Plus

This is Valerie who flew in from Borneo for this workshop, practicing Pinchamyorasana (Forearm Balance) . Unlike Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Full-arm Balance), which requires an understanding of the bones and skeletal alignment, Pinchamyorasana requires an awareness of the muscles. Move the triceps in as close to the upper arm bone as possible and slide them up onto the deltoid muscle. “Fix” the deltoid muscle up into the shoulder girdle and beyond onto the shoulder blades. This secures the pose where the upper arm meets the back, and allows for a steady balance.

Utthita Hasta Padasana  at the wall, with the hands on the waist. Press down into the outer edges of the feet. Pull up through the inner thighs, all the way to the breast bone.

Chatush Padasana (a variation of Bridge Pose). Move the knees back toward the head. Press the heels to the floor and push the tailbone up.

Out and about in Penang

An old Morris Minor.

Penanag is famous for it’s vibrant street art.

Their juxtoposition of painted and sculptural elements is a lot of fun.

All of the metalwork drawings depict historical events. Here’s where Jimmy Choo got his start!

Cannon Street.

Cat…

…and mouse — very Banksy!

© 2014 Bobby Clennell.

Fourth Yoga Rahasya cover

Here’s a sneak preview of the last of the four Yoga Rahasya covers that I designed this year. I painted it many years ago as background material for my animated short Yoga Yantra. As it turned out, I did not take Yoga Yantra to complete color production, so this painting was never used. I’m happy now that it’s found a good home.

I took this photo, used on the back cover of Yoga Rahasya, in my garden in New York.

Painting and photo © 2011 Bobby Clennell

My new Yoga Rahasya cover

Vol. 19 No. 3; 2011. Photo © 2011 Bobby Clennell