Todd Norian 3

Now i can't remember the theme from this afternoon's class, Dang! oh well. I know we worked quite a bit with twists - twisted lunge, twisted pigeon. and particularly with opening the hamstrings (triangmukaipada with leg extended in hands then put the foot in the armpit, noose pose which i did for the first time on one side) revolved supta padangustasana with support. one partner braced the back with the shins then press the shoulder and the hip away from each other toward the floor, then they moved to between the legs and we squeezed our legs to them and they outer spiraled our top hips.
I balanced briefly with parvritta bakasana (Yay!) and we finished up with hanumanasana - wasn't quite down there today- and open leged supta padangustasana with bottom leg in badakonasana.

At the end when we were in savasana he offered a guided meditation moving through the koshas. I was out before the end of pranamaya kosha. I was sort of adrift between awake and asleep. I haven't been there in such a long time, it felt good to let go so deeply. Afterwards he led us in some kirtan so that was fun and life affirming/energy building.

Thinking of his guided meditation made me think i need to go back and really put some time and effort into learning those things like samskaras (THAT was the theme! Aha! creating positive samskaras by reinforcing good, moving towards the positive and ignoring negatives) like koshas and chakras. And as i'm writing i think i can help myself by learning it and making it a theme for my class. The theme is revealing layers of ourselves - like the koshas. So at the beginning teach about the koshas, how they are layers of the body, and then in class talk about layers of alignment. I think to teach this Anusara stuff i need to 1 give more time to my own personal practice in optimal Alignment 2 Practice and deeply plan and figure out what i want to work on each week... somehow allowing it to flow organically out of where i am in my teaching process, and where the students are that week and 3 STUDY study study all this stuff.

Todd is referencing a sacred Tantric text called The Splendor of Recognition this weekend. it is all about recognizing our true nature as Source. The universe in each of us. He says it is out of print, but i'll try to get it somehow. He says it is an understandable Tantric text which sounds like a good thing to me.

Then after class he approached me to ask how the classes are going. I said very good. I told him who I am, from Richmond, no teachers etc. I told him about my intention to start immersion in DC then come up to Massachusetts for his 2 and 3 immersions and follow that with his teacher trainings in 2008 to 2009. He said oh that would be great and he thought I'd be an excellent candidate. So that made me feel good. I was glad he spoke to me and we had that moment of connection. And i have to admit my ego was glad to hear I'd be an excellent candidate.

I'm thinking I need to give my students something to write in the journal about, just like THIS. So if i'm working from themes, the students have something to mull over until the next time. That is good. That is creating positive growth for them and for me. That is changing the world, one person at a time.