Ep 84: Are YOU Listening? A 90 min Level 2-3 Yoga Class

Have you ever had someone ask for help and they just won’t listen?

This is what this week’s yoga class is all about.

I have a friend that I love dearly. This friend (let’s call him Pete) is kind hearted, he is giving, he is committed, he is loyal, and he has so much to offer the world. He comes to be for advice recognizing that there are some things within his life that are not working. I offer my advice. He seems to take it all in, quietly listening to me, at times even writing notes 😉 and yet…a couple of weeks later, Pete comes back to me with the same issues.

I was wondering if I was missing something?

Was I not being clear?

Nope, I was plenty clear.

What did I have to do in order for Pete to actually listen to me and accept the advice that I was giving?

This really bothered me, and it almost made me want to stop offering help completely. In fact, I did pull away from being available.

As I sat with this situation I began to see a pattern emerge within me. I became utterly conscious of what it takes for someone to truly listen and to accept and act. I chose to look at the way that I did this in my life.

Boy was I in for a surprise!

Well dear ones, I write to you to tell you that I DO THE SAME THING THAT PETE DOES!

Holy cow.

Now there was a realization.

I’ve been complaining, and mulling over very specific issues in my every day life. I’ve received very actionable and highly auspicious advice from people that I love and respect- OFTEN. I have heard them and chosen not to listen to them.

Why? Here are some reasons that I came up with.

Why do we choose not to listen?

• The answer that I was getting was not the answer that I was looking for.

• I had already decided on the answer, I simply needed confirmation.

• I did not want to work hard nor have to step out of my comfort zone.

• I didn’t want to truly look at myself and take responsibility for my own actions.

hmmmmmm

This situation has helped me recognize that listening is an artform that requires great humility and honesty. At times recognizing and accepting the truth that is revealed to you is a far greater challenge than maintaining the facade. Once you choose to see it, there’s no going back, you must transform.

Transformation requires skilled action, and at least for me this was the hardest part.

I am now listening, with all of myself, and taking the time to digest and discern (another key teaching) while taking appropriate action when necessary. I feel stronger, I feel calmer and most of all I feel a great sense of joy. It has even helped me be better at being a friend as now I get the opportunity to watch Pete discover listening again, at his own time, in his own way.

Do you listen?

I’d love to hear from you! :

• email me- eyogaclass (at) gmail (dot) com

• leave me a message- 310 651 6238 (I’d love to play you guys on the episodes! Plus you can promote your stuff that way!)

• or comment on this blog!

Other ways to connect with me:

Elsie’s Yoga Kula Facebook Group!!!

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This week’s online yoga class

I made the peeps at Yoga Matrika work a bit for this one! I did a few demos and lots of handstand work, which I have to say that I did my best to cut out. It doesn’t do well for audio classes 😉 I’ve also posted a little video that gives you a bit more info into getting the culmination pose- Vishvamatrasana! Needless to say, this is a more advanced yoga class.

If you are in Pittsburgh, come on by Yoga Matrika on Monday nights at 6pm for some Anusara Inspired Yoga 🙂

The Yoga Class Sequence

Downward Facing Dog

Twisting Downward Facing Dog

Straight Legged Lunge

Downward Facing Dog

Plank chattarunga x 3

Wide legged uttanasana

Bending one leg then the other in Uttanasana

Wide legged uttanasana

Parsva wide legged uttanasana

Tadasana

Surya namaskar

Silent Surya Namaskar x 3

Handstands

Eka pada handstands (check me out doing this video)

More handstands

Deep lunge

Trikonasana

Salabasana with arms interlaced behind the back

Trikonasana

Vinyasa

Bound twisting uttanasana

Parsvakonasana bound

Pigeon

Vashistasana

Parsvakonasana bound into trikonasana bound

My demo: Corresponding Video

Vishvamatrasana

Teeny Tiny Vishvamatrasana Tutorial from Elsie Escobar on Vimeo.

paschimotanasana

pavrita paschimotanasana

supta tadasana

supta padangustasana sequence

knees to chest

savasana

Ep. 80 Memory As The Precious Gift of Meaning: A 90 min Level 2-3 Yoga Class

Remembering our little gift 🙂

I don’t think that I can truly convey how moved I was when I heard Dr. Dienstag relay his experiences leading a creative writing course for people who had been diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s. What gripped my heart was the importance of the patients physically writing down memories and as they left the class, gifting the physical memories to the teacher, as the majority of those folks would forget those memories the next time that they came to class.

That absolutely hit me.

They entrusted their memories. They gave them away, never to have them back.

Remember and Celebrate

I had never viewed memory as something alive and tangible. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever thought about memories as ‘gifts.’ As I thought about this concept I realized that when I remember something from my childhood or come across a scent I hadn’t smelled in a long time, or find an article of clothing I haven’t worn in a long time, it is like receiving a gift. Those memories are gifts I get to open every time I encounter them. They always serve to remind me of what I give value to in my life.

One answer that emerged from the Lifelines group is that we should surround people who are forgetting with acts of remembering. People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease are in danger of forgetting that they can still remember, as are those of us who work with people with Alzheimer’s. – Dr. Dienstag

Something affected me about this sentence. Yes, it is about folks that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but did you catch the last little bit of that quote:

as are those of us that work with people with Alzheimer’s.

To me that means everyone.

Then it becomes about something completely different.

How about you? Are you in danger of forgetting that you can still remember? Are you surrounding yourself with acts of remembering?

This episode’s online yoga class is a Level 2-3 class.

The yoga class is a journey of imprinting your mat with those memories. Writing your desires, your deepest wishes, your meaningful longings with your body, NOW. May we acknowledge and gift them NOW, as the blessing of memory is just that, a blessing.

The class itself is more energetically paced than usual. The first half of the class involves lots of standing poses and vinyasas. It is also accompanied by yours truly chatting up a storm (imagine that!) 😉  I was deeply inspired by the subject matter. My energy grounds as the class goes on, as the quiet grows.

Something else to note about the class: I ran out of batteries for my H2 Zoom recorder during savasana, so you will have to bring yourself out of the pose on your own! 😀

Dr. Dienstag’s article is a fantastic read . If you are interested in listening to the entire interview with Dr Dienstag you may check it out here.

This class was recorded at BYS Yoga Studio in Pittsburgh on May 13, 2010

Remember to listen to the podcast to get the 15% off coupon code for Prancing Leopard Organics my magical sponsors 😉 and go shopping!

The Sequence of Yoga Poses for this online yoga class:

Downward Facing Dog/Eka Pada Downward Facing Dog/ Spiderman Lunge

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana

Surya Namaskar C Variation (without vinyasa)

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Vinyasa

Parsvakonasana/Virabhidrasana II

AMS

Plank

Chattarunga (hold)

Bhujangasana

Side Angle Pose/Warrior II

Vinyasa

Trikonasana/Triangle with side angle arm

Uttanasana

Utkatasana

Uttanasana

Vinyasana

Virabhidrasana I (with arms interlaced behind the head)

AMS

Warrior I (with arms interlaced behind the head)

Vkrsasana

Garundasana

Eagle arms in Tadasana/Uttanasana with Garundasana arms

Baby Dancer

Uttanasana

Pigeon

Ekapadarajakapotasana prep with thigh stretch

Downward Facing Dog on tip toes/Plank on tip toes/Upward Facing Dog/Downward Facing Dog

Uttanasana vinyasa to Tadasana

Urdhva Dhanurasana with or without blocks at the wall x 3

Knees to Chest

Supine Twist

Balasana

Downward Facing Dog

Uttanasana

Tadasana

Savasana

Ep. 79 Nourish the Culture of Your Body: A 90 min Level 2-3 Yoga Class

Copyright 2007 Alan D. Coogan, All Rights Reserved

It’s when we are about to loose something that we hold dear that we choose to step in fully to do something about it. Why is that? Why must we wait until the situation is dire before choosing to fully engage in our lives, our relationships, our environment, our bodies, our hearts, etc?

Move back into the culture of your body, cultivate it and grow it.

This was the theme of this week’s episode. Inspired by a conversation from one of my favorite podcasts Speaking of Faith . It was regarding manuscripts and the “monastic library that rescues manuscripts from across the centuries and across the world. And there are worlds in this place — on palm leaf and papyrus, in microfilm and pixels — stories of ordinary life as well as the rise and fall of civilizations….In their lives as in this work, the relevance of ancient manuscripts to people of the present and the cultural cargo of the past itself are revealed in a new light.” – Krista Tippet

I don’t have a particular affinity for manuscripts themselves, in fact I haven’t ever really thought about them, but after listening to this episode they were revealed to me as yet another expression of the sacred in the every day, and how there are so many many treasures that often times we overlook within our every day lives

.

The treasure that I speak about in class specifically is the treasure of our bodies, and the way that we loose sight of the beauty of it’s culture until it begins to unravel.

Step into the challenge of Truth and get Healthy

Keeping on this same topic, I am launching an in depth 3 part eCourse. I’ve had requests from the online yoga community, from my Pittsburgh yoga community AND from my own desire to create this. It employs empowering simple practices that you can incorporate toward your optimal health and wellness.

Everything You Need You Already Have
Learn How to Recognize, Cultivate and Sustain a Healthful Lifestyle: A Three Part Heart eMmersion

The first stage is all about turning inward and BREATHING! I’d loooove to have you join in. Space is VERY limited. I am only accepting 3-5 participants each time that I offer the program in order to make sure that I can truly serve you and your commitment. Learn all about it by clicking on the following link! It begins June 6th and goes until July 3rd.

Stage 1: Start By Breathing

Gifts for Elsie’s Yoga Class Podcast listeners!

Two awesome little presents for my online kula members!

One of them is a special coupon code from my newest show sponsor Prancing Leopard Organics. I’m THRILLED that they are giving this to you guys! The coupon code is mentioned on the podcast as I really want to honor those of you that have been my loyal students so listen up 🙂 So awesome!

The second is a FREE DOWNLOAD from the magnificent Donna De Lory. I am so honored that I get a chance to share the track Sanctuary with you guys from her latest album of the same name 🙂 Just click on the link below and snag away 😀

DOWNLOAD Sanctuary

It’s a beautiful track. I’m sure that you will enjoy it 🙂 If you are interested in more you are more than welcome to sign up for Donna’s mailing list HERE

Please feel free to join the community over at the Elsie’s Yoga Kula FB Page 🙂 plus, remember that I have a fancy pants yoga iPhone/iPod Touch Podcast app that rocks! If you buy the app you won’t even have to download the Sanctuary MP3 as you can simply download it straight from the app itself, plus, get the Prancing Leopard coupon code right away. How fun is that? It’s only $3.99 and it absolutely supports my endeavors to serve you more fully 😀

This week’s online yoga class is a Level 2-3 Class!!!

Wow! Long time coming no? Yes, finally a more advanced yoga class 🙂 I’ve finally grown my Pittsburgh Yoga Anusara community enough with the basics that I can now start to play a little more 😉 I hope you enjoy the class and the sequence!

This class was originally recorded at Yoga Matrika in Point Breeze on Monday evening May 10, 2010

The yoga posture sequence

Downward Facing Dog

Straight legged Lunge into Straight Leg

Plank hold (bending elbows one inch)

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x 3

Tadasana

Surya Namaskar A (Slow)

Sun Salutation A x 7 (Fast)

Tadasana

Utkatasana

Crescent Pose/Crescent Pose Twist

Chattarunga Dandasana

Salabasana with arms interlaced behind the back

Crescent Pose/ Pavrita Parsvakonasana

Vinyasa

Vashistasana

Swaying Tree/Warrior III/Pavrita Ardha Chandrasana

Uttanasana

Downward Facing Dog

Vrksasana in Vashistasana I variation

Vrksasana in Plank

Vrksasana in Chattarunga

Vrksasana in Cobra

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Child’s Pose

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep 1

Pigeon with Thigh Stretch

Downward Facing Dog

Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana

Urdhva Dhanurasana x 2

Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana

Balasana

Hanumanasana

Agni Stambasana

Easy Supine Twist

Episode 55: The Harvest Moon, Level 2-3 75 min Yoga Class

The Sequence:

Downward Facing Dog

Uttanasana

Uttanasana/Ardha Uttanasana x 3

Surya Namaskar x 5

Parsvakonasana

Trikonasana

Ardha Chandrasana/Ardha Chandra Chapasana/Standing Splits Variation into Handstand prep

Deep Lunge on Forearms

Parsvakonasana Bound/Trikonasana Bound

Tree/Warrior III/Tree

Malasana

Pigeon

Squat on tippy toes w/ a twist

Parsva Bakasana

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana with a thigh stretch

Anjane Asana

Urdhva Dhanurasana x 3 (the last backbend is yogis choice!)

Agni Stambasana/Agni Stambasana with a twist

Supine twist

Savasana