Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sunday Morning

I got home from the advanced intensive on Friday, took some rest and then went to Breath and Body to teach the final weekend of our Immersion. The advanced intensive was really amazing this year. John wrote a letter that was sent out to the participants outlining the protocol for the three days: He wanted everyone to treat the practice space as a temple, or mandir and observe silence while we were in the practice hall. There were some other instructions about not chatting, not leaving the room unnecessarily and he asked people if they could not perform an asana to simply stand in tadasana or sit quietly doing japa.

So we all came with those instructions and on the first day John was standing near the entry way, personally greeting each participant and welcoming us. And once the workshop began, once we entered the mandir, he really held a strong focus and maintained a very lovely discipline in the classroom. Noah and I were in the front row and had so much fun being right up where he was and practicing together. It was really like old times. I kept thinking, "Wow, this is the John we met all those years ago, but somehow, even better." I loved it. I loved his focus, i loved the formality, I loved the measure intensity, I loved where it took me physically and attitudinally. It was really the best advanced intensive I have been to in years.

He used the theme of The Goddess and worked with Kali iconography on day, Saraswati the next and Lakshmi on the final day. I was only there for two days as I had to come home to teach but the two days were more than worth it.

Here are his sequences:

Day One
A.M. Sequence

uttanasana
uttanasana- ext. spine
right leg to lunge
AMS
chataranga
cobra
AMS
lunge forward with right leg
uttanasana
urdhva hastasana
All standing poses with slow vinyasa between:
parsvakonasana
triangle
Vira 1
Ardha Chandrasana to trikonasana
handstand
uttanasana
pinca mayurasana
pinca with partner to really get the melt
Vira 2
Vasisthasana 2 - backbended
hands clasped in uttanasana
bird of paradise prep
bhujapidasna
uttanasana
chatargana-up dog- AMS
clasped parsvakonasana
clasped trikonasana
clasped ardha chandrasana
vajrasana
bakasana
sirsasana 2- bakasana
sirsasana 2- bakasana- handstand
supta virasana
push up out of supta virasana
eka pada raja kapotasana with quad stretch, top arm up
eprk, grab back foot and begin to swivel shoulder
Urdhva Danurasana 10X
drop backs
dwi pada viparita dandasana- head up variation
balasana
uttanasana
lunge with a twist
uttanasana

(no savasana!)

Day One
P.M. Sequence

uttanasana
right leg back to lunge with forearms down
uttanasana
left leg back to lunge with forearms down
AMS
eprk- forward bend
dandasana
janu sirsasana
uppa vistha konasana
parsva uppavistha konasana
siddhasana
Ujayi Pranayama
triang mukaikapadapascimottanasana
ardha matsyendrasana
pascimottanasana
agnisthambasana
Ujayi pranayama with kumbhaka
japa- Om Namah Shivaya
janu sirsasana
parivritta janu sirsasana-2X
hanumanasana- 3X
uttanasana

(no savasana!)

Day Two
A.M. Session

uttanasana
right leg back to lunge- jump switch
AMS
uttanasana
Urdhva Hastasana
vinyasa
AMS
parsvakonasana
trikonasana
Vira 2
Vira 1
Ardha Chandrasana
parivritta trikonasna
parivritta parsvakonasana
parivritta Ardha chandrasana
twist in cobra
handstand
pinca
supta virasana
eka pada supta virasana- up and out to the side
urdhva danurasana 3X
eka hasta urdhva danurasana
pushing up to urdhva with one arm
eka pada urdhva danurasana
drop backs- 10
one arm drop backs
dwi pada viparita dandasana
headstand dropovers
ekapadaviparita dandasana
ekapadarajakapotasana 1, 2
hanumanasana with a thigh stretch
eka pada rajakapotasana 3, 4
scorpion
uttanasana
parsvottanasana
uttanasana
balasana

(no savasana!)

Day Two
P.M. Session

balasana
uttanasana
deep lunge, forwarms down
eprk
eprk
eprk, twist over front foot
viloma pranayama
Om mantra
dandasana
janu sirsasana
uppavista konasana
agnisthambasana
agnisthambasana with twist
supta padangusthasana 1,2
half lotus prep in supta
supta padmasana
supta padmasana opened up
AMS
sirsasana- eka pada sirsasana, parsvaikapada sirsasana, padmasana
sarvangasana- eka pada sarvangasana, parsvaikapada sarvangasana, padmasana, parsva sarvangasana in padmasana
triang mukaikapada pascimottanasana
krouncasana
bharadvajasana 2
yogi dandasana
eka pada sirsasama
skandasana
durvasansa
uttanasana

(no savasana!)

Think LONG HOLDS on all these sequence. Like 2 minutes each side. Slow burning fire, nothing quick, nothing crazy, nothing fast. Just long, diligent work in the basic postures that took us to some pretty deep places. Very nice indeed.

More soon.







10 comments:

Jeremiah Wallace said...

Aw man. That sounds marvelous.

Aimee said...

Thanks so much for sharing this, Christina. Sounds like it was awesome! Did John give a reason for not doing Savasana and/or what are your thoughts on that? Thanks!

mark said...

Wow

Meg said...

That sounds GREAT! I feel like you are totally conveying the heart of Anusara as I know it. You know what I mean. I feel all warm and fuzzy. I look forward to hearing more soon.
Love.

Hannah E said...

Wow is right. That sounds like a much different vibe from what I experienced a few years ago. Very cool!

Olga Rasmussen said...

Thanks for posting this Christina! I have been dying to know about the sequencing. I get the vibe from everyone that it was incredibly special. Blessings to you! See John next week at Immersion 2!

Christina Sell said...

I do not think "no savasana" had any significance beyond time constraints. do not read anything into it!

Seriously, it was a totally amazing event. Very different in tone than the last few years. Focused. Measured. Dynamic. Disciplined.

Emma said...

thanks for posting the sequences.. would you mind if i link to this posting in my blog (thejoyofyoga.blogspot.com)?

cheers,

emma

Christina Sell said...

link away

Jana Renee (Derges) Roemer said...

Hi Chirstina!

Thank you so much for posting the sequences! I actually meant to introduce myself to you while we where there - and couldn't find you on the third day. After reading this - I know why!

I've been studying with Karen Sprute-Francovich for the Immersions and in the process of figuring out timing and teachers for the TT. Where I live (Edmonton, Alberta - there are no Anusara teachers, so it's been a couple years of travel for this aspiring Anusara teacher.

I see you and Karen are teaming up for the third part of the TT in Cd'A. Perhaps we'll meet in the future :) In the mean while - I'll keep checking in on your blog!