Arriving in Urumqi.
Looking at the midline in Janu Sirsasana with Chair and Block.
Practice Uttanasana with a Blanket Roll to soothe the lower back. Drop this into a post-menstrual sequence.
Women municiple workers, clearing the snow.
They do this running.
…still running !
Snowy view, with the mountain range at the top, from the yoga studio.
© 2020 Bobby Clennell.
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
Workshop at Yoga Estudio Granada in Spain.
Parivritta Sukasana at the wall. Before you rotate, first lift your front spine to the maximum.
This modification of Adho Mukha Svanasana with feet on blocks teaches us how to fold at the hips without rounding the back. Don’t be in a hurry to teach your body the language of Iyengar Yoga. It takes patience and persistent practice. Workshops give us an opportunity to work with partners.
Uttanasana with the head up, arms in Paschima Baddhanguliyasana, and chin supported. The helpers are not forcing the arms, just supporting.
Supported Janu Sirsasana with wall and bolster support. Align the center, mid line of the torso with the mid line of the head.
Sarvangasana with Chair Support. Pick up your shoulders and roll them back one-at-a-time and press your shoulder-blades into your back so that the breast bone comes to an upright position.
Granada is without a doubt, one of the prettiest places I have ever visited.
The local gypsies had traditionally lived in caves in the mountains surrounding Granada.
This spirited performance….
….was performed in a restaurant/theatre that was a renovated cave, dug deep into the rock.
© 2016 Bobby Clennell.
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.
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.
Kids sometimes have their own unique and interesting ways of working with props. 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.
From Ann Van Regan in Ottawa does yoga with her 5-year-old grand-daughter, Darrah Boudreau: “Using a strap in Paschimottanasana. Elbows high.”
“Janu Sirsasana… needs to flex her foot. She’s enjoying learning to open her chest.”
Older sister Padmé Boudreau “after seeing a pic of one of Sri Iyengar.”
22-month-old Adrian Wells from Ottawa doesn’t need to run to get blocks when he practices Uttanasana — he uses the floor. Photo by his mother, Christine Benedict.
Ann Van Regan’s grand-daughter has an interesting way of working with blocks. She “likes to bring out every prop when she comes to visit. She makes long paths that meander from my yoga space int the kitchen. Little yogini’s get hungry. This is her version of Savasana… a bit hard on the neck, but comfy on the foam blocks.”
We use props to help us achieve the pose. Or the couch.
“Mama, can I help you?” Valerie Chai is helped by her 6-year-old son, Min. Valerie teaches at Maha Yoga, Kuching (near Kampong Tabuan), Malaysia.
And sometimes the only prop you need is a helping hand from a friend.
Bobby Clennell 