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.

Notes from Pune: Yogadandasana. February 2019

Yogadandasana. Drawings made from a class taught by Rajlaxmi at RIMYI, Pune.

Adho Mukha Sukhasana. Some students reached forward to the grill.

Sit in Upavista Konasana: extend your ankles toward your heels. Sit on a narrow fold blanket. Fold your legs into Baddha Konasana. Place a narrow brick between the feet.

If necessary, go to the wall and hold the ropes. Turn the brick, first onto its flat side, and then turn it to horizontal. Descend the knees.

Place your feet on top of the brick. Now place a folded mat under the brick.

Now sit on the brick. Remaining on the brick, extend your right leg out to the side. Press the Baddha Konasana knee down and turn that heel up.

Change legs. (If the brick is hard, sit on a vertical bolster). Extend both legs out and return to Upavistha Konasana.

Bend your left leg to Marichyasana position. Turn left toes back. Press arm against bent leg. Change sides. Now move back to Baddha Konasana. Now bend your left leg to Baddha Konasana, right leg to Upavista Konasana. Lift your pelvis, raise your heel and push it forward so you sit on the inner side of the big toe.

Change sides. The students are now on a four-fold sticky mat or vertical bolster or a block. Wedge a brick between heel and pubic bone.

You can come into the pose by sliding down the ropes. To bring your weight to the inner edges of the folded leg big toe, roll forward…

…and now roll forward on both legs. Rajlaxmi came right to the edge of the platform to roll forward even more. 

Place the feet on a flat block. Then turn the block onto its tall end. Press the knees down.

Paschimottanasana: if you are stiff separate your legs.

“Yogadandasana means the staff of a Yogin. In this pose, the yogi sits using one leg as a crutch under the armpit, hence the name” BKS Iyengar: Light On Yoga. Bend your right leg back into Virasana. Push your left foot back (see more complete instructions in Light on Yoga).

The pillar was used to support the lifted leg, while the students turned toward the Virasana leg.

The knee of the Baddha Konasana leg has to turn.

Change sides. Forward bends: Janu Sirsasana; Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana;

Triang Mukha Aika Pada Paschimottanasana; Marichyasana 1.

Paschimottanasana; Malasana; Uttanasana; Adho Mukha Svanasana; Parsvottanasana; Setu Banda Sarvangasana with a Brick and Tadasana legs. Some students used bolsters for Setu Banda. Move the shoulder blades deeper inside the back. Push the shins toward the shoulders, but at the same time, walk out with your legs.

Savasana.

© 2019 Bobby Clennell

Budapest: May 14 – 15, 2016.

Workshop at Amrita Jógaközpont

 

The invocation with Kevin Gardiner.

Forrai Reka translated my English instructions into Hungarian for the workshop. She also translated Yoga for Breast Care into Hungarian.

Vasithasana. Move the tailbone in. Keep the inner edges of the feet and big toes together.

To maintain the length of your biceps: rotate your arms out, and pull the arm-pit chest up.

My hosts, Erika Repassy and Kevin Gardiner in strong Salabhasanas.

With Kevin: roll the shoulders back and down. Turn the inner elbow up.

Parsva Dhanurasana. Turn the chest away from the shoulder that is wedged against the floor.

Urdhva Dhanurasana with hands on blocks. Press the heels of the hands into the blocks, turn the upper arms in toward each other, and move the chest toward the wall. Stamp your feet down open the backs of the knees: press calves down and raise the thighs up.

This combination, Baddha Konasana/Upavistha Konasana helps keep the hip sockets healthy and mobile.

Photographs: Jaya Chakravarty.

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.

Kids Love Yoga

These kids are serious yoga students!

Ivan Zabrodina, visiting us in Swanage, Dorset, UK, is carefully studying the poses in my book Watch Me Do Yoga. Soon he’ll be able to assist his mother Julia Zabrodina who teaches Iyengar yoga in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Utthita Hasta Padasana (Upright Hands and Feet Pose).

Adho Mukha Vriksasana (Tree Pose).

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose).

Simhasana (Lion Pose).

 

You are never too young to start practicing. Nuala, daughter of jewelry designer Maeve Gillies, is almost two and already into yoga.

Urdhva Hastasana (Arms Above the Head Pose) from Tadasana (Mountain pose). Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend Pose) with hands in Paschima Baddangullyasana (Hands Interlaced Behind the Back Pose).

 

Nicole de Jesus sent these photos of her five-year-old niece Malaya (“Freedom”), along with this note:

“I gave my amazing niece Malaya, a copy of Watch Me Do Yoga. She is already quite the student…and her toys seem to be benefiting from the method already!

Malaya is going through your book again and again. She’s going to bring it to her yoga class at school!

She and the animals practiced Bobby’s entire yoga book in my living room. Now she wants to make a yoga movie…!”

Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose).

Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose).

We are looking at a row of Malaya’s toys practicing some inversions.

Urdhva Dhanurasana (Bow Pose).

Maybe I’ll have her on my publicity team!

 

Meanwhile, Kaira, in Hangzhou, China has also been hard at work. Her mother Carmen, a yoga teacher in Hangzhou, writes:

“I just received Watch Me Do Yoga yesterday from Amazon, and my daughter Kaira just loved it. She was reading the book the whole morning, and insisted me teaching her all the asanas from the book”.

Vriksasana (Tree Pose).

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose).

Simhasana (Lion Pose).

Kaira is holding the book perfectly straight!

Text © 2015 Bobby Clennell. Photos used with permission.