Yoga Retreat 29 Sept-2 Oct 2016

Join me for my 4-day yoga retreat in Sri Lanka this Sept 29th - Oct 2nd!

This retreat is for people who want to explore movement and yoga with fun and friends.

I will be teaching ways to use your internal power and energy to move gracefully and with ease, to move away from pain and towards free movement.

You will learn the importance of using active movements and how the key to better stability, mobility, and freedom is to learn how to firm parts that need to be firm and, significantly, relax what needs to be relaxed.  

In this retreat I hope to help you move closer to understanding and experiencing how this movement of energy will help every cell in your body to sing!

I have a lot of experience working with people with various injuries and I encourage you to contact me beforehand if you do have some sort of condition so that we can figure out if the retreat is appropriate for you at this time and how I might be able to help you.  

Because I am interested in you learning how to be your own best teacher, I will be offering sessions between the classes for questions and answers and for us to think deeply about particular issues or postures, so come along with some of your own ideas and questions and I can help make the retreat more personal for you. 

Check-in Thursday 29th Sept 1 pm- Depart Sunday 2nd Oct after breakfast by Noon

Venue: TalallaRetreat  http://www.talallaretreat.com/

Classes: Six 2 hour classes. First yoga class starts on Thursday afternoon at 4.30pm.  From then we will have 2 classes on Friday, 2 on Saturday, and 1 on Sunday.  

Aside from the usual yoga there is the opportunity to relax by the pool or at the beach, surf, get a massage, or just hang out.

Because there are limited rooms I am encouraging people to please consider sharing so that as many people can participate as possible.    Rooms need to be confirmed with full payment received by 29th August 2016.

The rate includes:

•   All yoga classes

•   Full board (tea/fruit before yoga; buffet style breakfast served at table; a la carte lunch (there is a menu to choose an item from), buffet style dinner)

•   Accommodation

You need to pay for any extra drinks or snacks you might have if the mega breakfast and dinner and light lunch still leaves you hungry!  

Normal timetable is as follows

6.30am                     tea/fruit (if desired)

7.00-9.00am         yoga

9.00                     breakfast

RELAX                  (have massage, swim, surf, read, have lunch around 1 or 2ish depending on how full you are after brekkie)

4.30-6.30pm         yoga

7pm                     dinner

The prices quoted below are based on 3 nights per person.   You need to find a person to share with if you opt for double or triple and Tilak can put you in touch with other people who may also want to share.  

Payment

Full payment is required by 29th  August.  You can make your booking directly with Tilak (tilak@antsglobal.lk +94-773-912-100) and pay Tilak directly or he can provide a Sri Lankan or Australian bank account details for you to transfer to if that is easier.

Retreat Rates are as follows:

Sri Lankan citizens or with those with a Sri Lanka Resident visa:

Single 3 nights                   Rs. 51,000/-

Double (share) 3 nights     Rs. 41,000/- per person

Triple (share) 3 nights       Rs. 38,000/- per person

Non-Sri Lankan citizens without a Sri Lanka Resident visa

Single 3 nights                   USD 670

Double (share) 3 nights     USD 570- per person

Triple (share) 3 nights       USD 540- per person

Look forward to seeing you!

Much metta,

Samantha

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com

www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com

10 Minute Practice: Twists in the Olives

I had the privilege of visiting Croatia again recently, to see a dear friend from way back when I lived and worked in Bangladesh.

Her talents and generosity seem boundless and, along with her partner, they produced this lovely video for me.

This is a ten minute sequence filmed by a lake amongst the olive groves that abound in Dalmatia.  The overall effect reminds me of practicing yoga in a Renaissance painting.

My friend, Mejrema, composed the music herself and it is from an album she produced while working with people with autism as part of an art in therapy project. It fit perfectly with the mood. It also fit perfectly with me since my full-time work is with people with autism.

I did not plan this sequence. We saw a beautiful scene.  We set up a camera.  I stood for a moment, took a few calm breaths, and practiced what came to me in the moment.

The sequence consists of some strong standing balances, but if you were practicing it you could modify it so you either kept your toe on the ground or you hugged your leg to your body, rather than straightening it as I do.

There are also some standing twists and side bends.  Again, you could modify these to your capacity.

When I reviewed the footage I loved how my knobbly arms and legs seemed to blend with the branches of the olives.

The olive is sacred to the people of this area.  I love how their silvery leaves sparkle in the breeze.

I smile when I see this video.  I hope you will too.

Happy and safe practicing!

Much metta,
Samantha

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com
www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com

Shoulder Opening Variations in Backbend

We introduced these tummy lying backbends in class recently.  There are a whole lot of things you can do with your arms in them.

This post is just for watching and not really for practicing until you come to class and I can talk to you and we can consider what is going on with your knees, spine, and shoulders and figure out what might be safe and comfortable for you.

Always remember you do not need to take your foot at all.  If you have troubles with your knees, spine, or shoulders you should talk to your teacher before you even consider it.  You can just bend the knee and reach towards your foot without actually taking it, as shown below.  For some people this will be enough.

Some other things to consider in the variations I show in the video is the shoulder is rolling out when you take it back.  It rolls in again in some variations and stays there or rolls back out again while possibly doing a variety of other things around the shoulder, shoulder blade and elbow joint complexes.

The point is, there is a lot going on around the shoulder joints and you really need to take extreme care before embarking on any of these variations.

For that reason I am just showing them here so you can maybe take a look in slow motion and have a visual memory of the movement patterns for when you come to class and we can discuss more in person.

The three shoulder variations I show in the video are shown below.  In all of these positions I am basically doing the same thing with my leg, which is to press my shin or foot away and then up. 

In these variations the hand can have a pulling action but I counter it with the pulling action of the shin and foot so that it is not just an arm pulling and tugging at the leg.  

I am mindful of how the knee is feeling and I don't feel squashing in the knee joint.  

I am mindful of how the shoulder is feeling and I don't feel over-stretching at the shoulder joint.

I am mindful of how my spine is feeling so I take action to ensure I am not bending through one part of my spine only.  In fact, I keep my pubic bone and lower ribs on the table, do a sit up in my tummy, and try to lengthen and wriggle my spine forward and up so that there is never squishing in my lower back and this pose ends up feeling great in my spine for all variations. 

I make sure I can breathe naturally (although the breath tends to quicken here).  I relax and soften my face.

These variations are tough.  They are not for everyone.  But remember the first option is also a good one (where you do not hold your foot) so you stay there as necessary.









Just for fun I also made this video of natarajasana on a table, which shows the same arm variations.  It is more tricky because you have to balance as well.

Learning on the table beforehand helps you sort out the feeling in your spine.

Happy and safe practicing.

Much metta,
Samantha

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com
www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com

Knees away, groins emerging for better back bends

This week I will be running a workshop delightfully titled 'Groins Emerging'.  Here is a little taster of Harry and I doing a little bit of synchronous work along that theme!

One of the key things we will be working on is the idea of softening and lengthening around the front of groin area as one of the 'tricks' to free the spine in back bending positions. I call this position knees away, groins emerging.  They don't get pushed or forced up.  They 'emerge' and soften as the knees move away.

This is slightly different to how many people are used to initiating a backbend.  To people newer to my class what I see are lots of pelvic curls and groins thrusting going on.  I don't want to suggest that this is a wrong movement.  But for my spine freeing purposes it can tend to jam you in the lower back.

So we will be working on figuring out some ways to first get length in your lower back.

Then we will move to some arms away and chest emerging, as shown below.

From there we might work towards combining those two elements (knees away, groins emerging and arms away, chest emerging) to see how it can support a possible spine lengthening back bend.

From there some people will possibly work on a bit more arms away and chest emerging to go deeper. But that is pretty tricky.  It is not for everyone.  

Harry and I went back up to our backbend to take a foot up.  But you could also do this (and we can try in the workshop) with the elbows on the ground like in the start position.  Maybe not.  I will be there to see what type of position will be helpful for you and it might be something different.  

We ended up where we started.  In our case this was on the road in front of what turned out to be the rubbish tip.  No wonder it smelled so bad.  Still, through it all we smiled and kept in touch with the core theme of knees away, groins emerging.  

Finishing up with a bit of eye contact, some shared laughter at our antics.  This felt beautiful to do together, almost like we were synchronised swimming yogis on the road.  

So join us for an extra special workshop on Good Friday if you are round, 9-11am (probably a bit later).  This is not for 'advanced' or 'extreme' back bending but for people who want to learn to move more freely in their spines, stop over arching their lower back and feeling all scrunched, and who want to hang out and share a few laughs.  

Happy and safe practicing. 

Much metta,

Samantha

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com

www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com

A Big Little Hip Sequence To Challenge You

Wow, what a title.  I must try and make it live up to its name.

Here I share with you a short sequence we are practicing at the moment in class.  It involves two basic postures although you transition through other positions to get there.

Most people will experience some sensation around their outer hip (outer or side butt area), which will be working and lengthening at the same time.  That can help you get stronger and more agile.

The standing leg is working strongly very deeply on the inside and outside of the thigh to help keep the pelvis stable as well.  This type of stability is essential for standing postures and especially one legged standing postures.

Remember, there is lots of goodness to be had here.  Just don't overdo it.

I will sequence the postures, layering additional movements.  Try not to 'lose' what you cultivated in a previous action by striving too hard to get to the next.  Do not be attached to a particular outcome. Be content wherever you happen to be.  Enjoy, sense, and experience.

Video
I have sped up the video below but you can play it at half speed to get the sense of the very slow movement I am doing.  It took 2 minutes for me to cycle through these two postures in real time while this video takes about 54 seconds.

Instructions
Below are step by step instructions.  Two key things I am focusing on throughout (they are not the only things you could focus on) are: 1) rolling front thigh out and back thigh in; 2) lengthening the back of the spine (doing a little back bend in my middle upper back) while keeping lower ribs hugged in.  This is not about a straight front leg.  If that straightens then so be it.  It is not about getting the back leg raised as high as you can either.  If it comes up then so be it.  Pay more attention to the two key things I just listed.


Standing to folding forward
Basics throughout include trying to unsquash front of groin and lengthen lower back.  Also, to roll the front thigh out (back thigh in).  To support these two ideas start in standing.  Sitting bones to heels, top of pelvis back (opens groins and lengthens lower back).  Roll both thighs out (you can start with big toes touching, heels apart and try to squash heels together if you like).

As you fold forward try to keep those actions.  It is not important that the legs straighten.  Push your front of groins forward as you lower.

 Stepping back, lengthening, rotating
Step a foot back.  As you step back be sure you do not drop or sink into the standing leg.  Try to feel you are pressing your outer hips towards one another.  The standing leg tends to swing out to the side so try your best to avoid that. The standing leg also tends to roll in.  That means your knee tends to drop towards the big toe side of your foot.  Roll the thigh out so it is pointing more to the baby toe side of your foot.  Firm your inner thigh.









 Straighten the back leg and roll the thigh in.  Lengthen in the middle back (try to do a backbend there) while keeping the lower ribs in.

Press your front of groins forward and lean forward.










If your back foot is feeling light, if your front hip feels strong and stable, then perhaps raise the straight back leg.  It is not important how high it comes.  It is not even important that it comes off the ground.  Just keep it straight and rolled in wherever it is.










From there, maybe you turn your navel, ribs, and chest.  Possibly take the arm up.  You could put that top arm on your hip.  The top arm is in a flat plane level with your upper back.








Two feet on the ground, lengthen, rotate
You basically repeat those same steps but this time with both legs on the ground, back heel grounded.  Some people will be able to reach the ground with their hands and front leg straight.  However, in this variation the front leg does not need to straighten, nor do you need to touch the ground.  For many people this will not be possible unless they compromise some other part of the posture.

Here I step back, raising my body and bringing hands to thighs.  You might raise higher.  See my front knee is bent.  I have my back leg a little bent here too until I sort my hips out.

Front thigh is rolling out, back thigh is rolling in.

 I keep my ribs into my spine but try a little back arch in my middle back to lengthen the spine.  It is not an arched spine but a lengthened one.  In fact, I am sort of doing a forward bending manoeuvre in my lower torso (a sit up in my tummy) while I try to do a little lengthening in the middle part. The net effect is a softening lengthened feeling of the back body.  I stretch the mat with my feet and straighten the back leg (I have somehow kept my own a little bent here).

I stay or turn.  In the video you see I turn first and then put the arms in place.  That is important.  I turn with my spine NOT by yanking myself into position with my hands.
















I possibly take my hands lower, without losing any preceding actions.

From there I maybe straighten the leg.  

And finally, I possibly take that hand over to the inside of my foot.  

I am calm and happy.  My neck is in a comfortable position throughout.

The end
This is not the only way to come into these postures.  It is one way.  You should feel challenged while doing this without strain.  If there is strain then do something else.  Remember, it is best to work with an experienced teacher rather than learn from the internet.  We all have out little niggles and differences.  Also, learning about movement is something best done with a living person in front of you.

Hey!  If you are free in April 2016 and able to join me then come to my Sri Lanka yoga retreat!  I would love to see you there.

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com
www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com

Groins Away: A Way To Firm The Tummy, Lengthen Spine, and Try Bakasana

This shape of spine is key throughout the sequence

Here I give you some key instructions that can support a beautiful transition from kneeling plank to down dog to bakasana.

Watch the video first.  You can see the a side view and the front view in the same video.  I have sped this video up so this whole sequence actually took 2 minutes in real life.  I am really trying to emphasis some good slow mindful movement. 

The instructions below should help firm the tummy and armpits while giving a sense of length in the spine (neither stretching nor tightening).  

The key instructions here are to push front of groins to armpits and armpits to front of groins.  Then, if you can add something else, press your hands forward and your knees back.  You should start with feeling relaxed in your tummy.  You should be able to breathe naturally into your belly throughout although it will become firm through the instructions (but not by sucking it in). 

Kneeling plank

 In this kneeling plank make sure knees are behind hips, shoulders over wrists.

Sitting bones move down towards backs of knees, front of pelvis lifts to the lower back to lengthen the lower back.

Lift lower ribs towards the back of chest to lengthen around the middle and upper back.

Press front of groins towards the armpits and armpits towards the front of groins without moving the body forward.  This should bring a postural firmness to your tummy.

If you can manage, press hands forward and knees back while you maintain groins and armpits moving towards one another.

Half child pose
Quite honestly I did not know what to call this position.  It is halfway between kneeling plank and balasna (child's pose).

I move very slowly back into this position.  I am not trying to get my bottom onto my heels.  I am thinking about maintaining the key actions I established in the previous position.  As I move back my challenge is to keep feeling as though I am moving my groins forwards.

See the spine stays the same shape.




Partial lift
Here I focus on keeping the groin-armpit connection then go back again to pressing hands forward but toes and heels backwards.  This combined effort causes my knees to become light.  They start to lift of their own accord.

Downward dog

I keep with those four actions:

• armpits to groins
• groins to armpits
• hands pressing forward
• feet pressing backward

Walk forward

Maintaining those actions (you might need to let up on pushing feet back because they start to be less on the ground), bend your knees and walk your feet forward.  I tip-toe forwards trying to stay as light on my feet as possible. 

Bakasana

If I keep pressing armpits to groins and vice versa, press hands forwards, lift knees up to chest, rest them lightly on the back of my arms, press elbows back and towards one another and just keep breathing and leaning forward then you might find yourself floating.  Maybe you stay on tip toes.  Wherever you are be happy wherever that is.  Keep working on being where you are and staying for a little bit longer until you feel comfortable moving to the next stage.  

Remember, nothing should hurt.  If you have not developed the correct strength and actions around the wrists then you need to work on clawing with your fingertips and pressing the wrists into one another and just have less weight on the wrists until you are ready to shift more weight there.

Have fun.

Remember, these videos are primarily intended for my own students so I can give adjustments and comments and personal feedback.  It is always best to go to an actual teacher rather than learn off the internet.


Oh, and don't forget about my retreat in Sri Lanka this April 2016.  Come along if you can!

Much metta,
Samantha

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com
www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com

Forward bend, handstand, backbend

Here I show the transition between forward bend, handstand prep, and backbend that we are practicing in our current sequence.  

Watch the video first then I highlight some key points.  In the video I do a lot of wriggling around.  It took me several takes to complete this video.  I have several rotated vertebrae along my spine which makes arm balances difficult as I tend to lean into one shoulder and it is not comfortable.  A part of my wriggling is me squirming around trying to get length wherever I sense a sense of 'dis-ease'. 

 

Key points

Bend knees and push them forward.  Push hips down and forward.  Push shoulder blades forward and up.  

Continue to come down by bending knees and pressing hips down and forward.  Who cares about straight legs?  It is not important here. 

Hands to the ground, knees can be bent.  

If possible and comfortable then...

..straighten the legs. 

One hand forward, other hand pressing into back of calf.  Toe tip back (same side as the hand that is forward).  Press the armpits in the direction they are facing (firm them).  Lean forward so the forward leg toes start to grip.  Press the sitting bone of the forward leg down and forward towards the front toes. Knee can stay bent.  

Keeping previous actions, bring knee to chest.  

Keeping previous actions, take knee towards the sky.  Be mindful not to let the sitting bones go up.  I keep an effort in pressing them down and forward.  Even though my knee is going up to the sky I still feel as though I am making an effort to bring it towards my chest. 

Straighten the raised leg.  The raised leg thigh turns in.  The grounded leg thigh is rolling out. 

Bring both hands to ground in front.  Firm the armpits. Keep lower ribs lifted into middle back.

Lean forward so hands come flat on the ground.  Bring knee towards chest.  You can keep more weight on grounded foot if needed and stay here. 

Or, keep leaning forward so more weight comes to the finger tips and the back heel raises.  Keep drawing knee to chest.  Look forward.  Try to bring the grounded leg knee towards your chest.  It probably won't go anywhere but get the feeling.  Stay here.  It is pretty intense.  Or...

Maybe there is a handstand.  Maybe not.  It is all good. 

Back down.  Knees bent.  

Press hips forward to stand.  Armpits forward. 

Keep pressing knees and hips forward.  Armpits forward and up as you raise the body. 

Arms straighten as you continue to press armpits forward and up. 

Begin to lengthen the front of the body without squashing the back. 

Keep lifting and lengthening the spine, hips moving forward.  Find your position.  It may not be the same as mine.  

This is pretty intense.  Happy and safe practicing.  Do not do anything that hurts.  Ask questions as needed!

Much metta,

Samantha

www.yogacafecanberra.blogspot.com

www.yogacafelk.blogspot.com