Montréal: June 15 – 17, 2018

Workshop at Planet Yoga in Montréal.

Pincha Myorasana with block. Lift from the inner body – the inner deltoids/trapezium and spine.

Half Supta Baddha Konasana, combination, half Supta Padangustasana.

Another hip opener: Parsvakonasana with a chair.

This student was a professional socker player. We were all so happy when she began to get the hang of Supta Padangustasana 3. To begin with, she was tipping over toward her head, causing her left leg to lose it’s connection with the floor. A folded blanket under her back remedied the situation.

Padmasana in Setubanda Sarvangasana over a brick.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

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Almancil, Portugal: April 20 – 22, 2018

Workshop at Solviegasyoga Studio in Almancil.

First drop back from Sirsasana to the wall and learn how to flip over back to the floor from there. Keep your legs together, otherwise you will jam your sacrum!! Next, walk down to the chair back, and flip over from there.

When you are ready, drop straight back onto the chair seat. This student dropped over with control (raise your shoulders and press the shoulder-blades forward)so the photographer was able to capture that moment just before she lightly touched the chair.

© 2018 Bobbly Clennell.

Denmark: May 4 – 6, 2018

Workshop at Studie Yoga in Denmark. Props, and Drop-backs.

Ardha Chandrasana with Chair and Wall. Grip the standing leg buttock onto the pelvic bone and move the upper hip and elbow up and back.

Curving back over an upturned chair. Revolve the upper arm skin in, toward the head. Observe, she is not gripping that slant-board – it’s resting lightly in her open palms.

Dropping back to the wall. Move the tailbone in, raise the back ribs away from the lumbar spine and move the shoulder-blades down. You can walk down the wall, and also onto a chair. To come up, stamp down through the outer edges of the heels and feet and propell your back ribs forward and up.

For those unable to raise the shoulders or press the shoulder-blades in, or who have compromised cervical discs, Sirsasana with two poles.

Delicious Danish hors deurvers. Mine, in the small bowls at the bottom of the picture, was gluten free.

© 2018 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.

Oxford, UK: April 14 – 15, 2018

Workshop at Oxford and Region Iyengar Yoga Institute.

Virabhadrasana 1. The outer hips should be parellel to each other: descend the bent leg hip. Move the tailbone in. Compress into the hip sockets.

Here Virabhadrasana I is combined with a deep back bend. This student is not just leaning back to touch the wall behind him. His spine is upright.

Warming up for Hanomanasana in Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana with chair and belt.

In Hanomanasana, the work is similar to that of Virabhadrasana 1.

OH, to be in England now that April’s there
And whoever wakes in England sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England—now! Robert Browning.

Ustrasana. Keeping the navel against the wall, lift the lumbar and dorsal spine, coil the back ribs, and place the crown of the head on the support. Move the outer elbows to the inner elbows.

Urdhva Dhanurasana from a chair. Lift!

How many Iyengar Yoga teachers does it take to cut Guruji’s birthday cake? ORIYI events secretary, Evelyn Crosskey, who organized the workshop and party, looks on.

On the evening of the last day of the workshop, there was a party to honor the one-hundredeth year since Guruji’s birth. My film Yantra was played on a loop: http://bobbyclennell.com/yantra.html.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Saddle Street Farm, Dorset, UK: April 10, 2018

The plan for this afternoon.

Keep your heels pressed firmly against the chair legs and then lift your pelvis so that it doesn’t drag. This is a chest opener, but while curving over the chair, in order to help maintain a healthy bone density squeeze your tailbone and grip the gluteal muscles onto the pelvis.

When there is no tall stool available, a chair and three bolsters works almost as well. Observe the difference between the two poses: Guruji has supported his chest so that it opens to the maximum.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

London: April 7 – 8, 2018

Workshop at Oakside Yoga Studios, London.

Adho Mukha Virasana: rest the sides of your torso on the inner thighs. If you are stiff, take the thighs wider.

Push the floor away with the hands. Press up through the inner edges of the soles of the feet, especially at the base of the big toe. Roll the outer edges of the feet down.

Move the head of the shoulder blades forward (away from the wall), and the bottom of the shouder blades back to the wall.

Savasana with your bolster accross the thighs quiets and softens the pelvic area.

Photos by Dave Dayes.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Hakone, Japan. DEC 2 – 5. 2017.

 

Keiko Yamada was my host in Kobe (where the previous workshop was held). She attended my second workshop in Japan – Hakone, and that’s where this photo was taken.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Beijing: November 21 – 25. 2017

Workshop in Beijing, the Iyengar Yoga Institute of China.

Another city, another “L shaped” Wide Leg pose. The slant board provides support and lift for the chest.

Pincha Mayorasana.

…now the guys.

Vasisthasana. Align the soles of the feet so they remain on one plane. 

This motorized rickshaw was the transport of choice from the train station to the Institute for these two every morning.

Parsvottanasana at wall with blocks. Cut the front leg hip back. 

Parsvakonasana: learning to pound the back heel into the ground.

Ustrasana: Press shins and ankles down onto the narrow fold blanket. Keep your pelvis close to the wall. Coil and ift your back ribs. Move your shoulderblades down! Broaden the buttock flesh.

Paryankasana with blocks provides tremendous space for the lungs and heart and and stretches breasts and armpits.

Setu Banda Sarvangasana: The student’s feet are up on blocks and she is holding the sides of the mat.

Baddha Konasana in Chair Sarvangasana. This group has accomodated their long spines by making the chair seats taller.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Kobe: November 29 – 30. 2017

Teachers workshop at Iyengar Yoga Institute of Kobe, Japan.

In order to accomidate a long spine, this student places her feet up on blocks.

Trying to convince this hyper flexible student that this is not the best way to proceed. Hit the inner thigh flesh back!

Ah! That’s better.

Pincha Mayorasana, Move the inner thighs back.

We had so much fun in this props class.

Pariankasana with a simhasana box.

Bringing circulation into an injured knee, without further aggrivating it.

Supta Virasana heals knees, but care has to be taken not to over bend it. Over time, decrease the height of the props.

Sirsasana with chair.

And did I tell you about the food?

Presentation…. 

…is…

…(almost)…

….everything. 

 

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.