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.

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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.

Hangzhou: November 15 – 18. 2017

Workshop at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of China in Hangzhou.

Helping this student touch base .

To reach the floor with the fingers, coil and firm the back ribs.

Practicing in the lunch hour, I am on the left. Unbeknown to me, my translator is copying me – she’s on the extreme right, and her friend, facing in toward her  is copying her!

Workshop finished and going to dinner, feeling happy.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Guangzhou: November 8 – 11. 2017

Workshop at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of China in Guangzhou.

Parsvottanasana. We started with the arms and hands facing forward, then turned them back. See what you gain and see what you lose with each variation.

This “wide leg” class addressed menstrual problems.

‘L’ shaped Upavistakonasana.

Upavistakonasana at the ropes.

Ming contributes so much more than just a literal translation.

More from “Wide Leg Poses” class.

….Upavista Konasana in Sirsasana.

From the Anxiety class, although I have to admit, this student doesn’t look very anxious.

After every workshop theres a group photo.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Taipei: November 2 – 5, 2017

Workshop at Shelly Yoga in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Parivrtta Trikonasana

Parivrtta Trikonasana with wall rope, blocks and partner enables this student to lengthan his front spine and move his breast bone forward. Note: this pair who are helping each other are certified Iyengar teachers under my strict supervision. Observe, the only place they touch each other is at the heal of the hands.

Preparing for Parivrtta Parsvakonasana.  Take the time to get the rotation first, before straightening the back leg. Move the right back ribs toward the spine, and the left back ribs toward the waist. Roll the left side waist over the right side thigh.

Parivritta Parsvakonasana.

Art and Yoga are alive in Taipei!

Ardha Sirsasana with a channel.

Makarasana.

This is a really effective way to warm up for Kapotasana. Grip the mat, and maintaining the roots of the arms into the sockets, slide the tail bone away from the back waist.

Toward Kapotasana: practice taking your tail bone in, moving the trapezium and back ribs away from the head and lengthening the lumbar spine before walking the hands onto the blocks.

Lifting and opening the spine before taking the hands to the floor.

Getting closer….

This student did eventually place his hands on his feet – although we didn’t manage to get a photo of his final pose.

©2018 Bobby Clennell.

Maryland: October 7 – 8, 2017.

Workshop at Susquehanna Yoga & Meditation Center.

Ardha Matsyendrasana with a bolster, a wall a belt and an assistant: With the help of a belt (although a rope works better) , I am lifting and spinning Suzy Pennington around to the left. The double belt is looped around my right wrist as I press her shoulder-bone with the heel of my hand. I am slighhtly above her which helps her find the upward movement.

© 2018 Bobby Clennell.

Props Workshop in NYC: September 24, 2017.

Props: Awakening The Intelligence

I recently taught this workshop at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York. Props both inform us and ground us, holding the body secure and providing needed support. We explored the possibilities the props can unlock within the body in both familiar and lesser known set-ups. Here are just a few of the poses:

Adho Mukha Svanasana with rope. In this version, a small foam block was also used. Place the knot or small block where it is needed – where the intelligence needs to be bought to bear on area – and then slowly straighten the legs.  Not for beginners.

Parivritta Parsvakonasana toward the trestler.

Marichyasana III. The Simhasana (heart) bench provides help with the seated twists. I.e., provides access to the top of the sacrum so it can be lifted and moved into the body.

Marichyasana III again. Pushing against the curve of the viparita dandasa  bench to provide a fulcrum from which to lift the anterior spine.

Paryankasana with the simhasana bench.

Pariankasana with simhasana bench and platform.

Being dropped back to the viparita dandasana bench.

Parivritta Janu Sirsasana with a weight and trestler.

We were all very happy that Kevin Gardiner dropped by!

We finished with Bhishmasana.

Click to read my blog post about Bhishma.

© 2017 Bobby Clennell.

 

Two workshops in the UK for teachers, April, May. 2017.

Iyengar Yoga Studio: East Finchley, London. Ropes Workshop.

Kapotasana on ropes with a partner.

Yogawest: Bristol UK. Toward Drop-backs.

Sirsasana into Viparita Dandasana. Make the shape of a wheel without loosing control of your shoulder blades.  Let your navel roll forward  before dropping back.

Stamp your heels down and press your tailbone up. Move the backs of your thighs toward the buttock crease, press your calves down and move your knees toward your chest. And most important, press your forearms into the floor, and don’t let your shoulder drop!

© 2017 Bobby Clennell.