Geeta's Intensive Day 10-"The Universe is in the Asanas"

"The Universe is in the asanas. Travel across that Universe from one end to the other." -Geeta

Our hearts were a bit heavy today knowing the ending was near. This intensive was really a celebration and commemoration of Guruji's life. There was not a day, he was not referred to or in our hearts. Not a day he was not loved and treasured by us all. Geeta said during Virabhadrasana I, "call on Guruji to help you, he will come." His strength is now our strength.

Now, Guruji is everywhere, his spirit spreads among us all and throughout the Universe. His spirit lives on through our practice and dedication. His inspiration and love of teaching will continue in our hearts and live on. May he guide us during obstacles and continue to teach us not to give up. May we always remember that yoga is part of our lives not something we 'do', a rhythm that we step into to heal loneliness and fear. A tune that we dance to that makes us feel we are part of something that invokes joy and helps us help each other. May the circle of Yoga continue!

Geeta's Intensive Day 9-"Silence is the Language of the Soul"

We all knew today would be backbend day. There are mixed emotions with backbends: excitement, fear. Geeta said Guruji never talked of moods, his moods did not effect his Yoga. I do believe in our relationships with Yoga and our moods can help or hinder us. It may take a lifetime or many lifetimes to get to the point where I moods are not part of our practice and we do have glimpses of that quietness which keeps us coming back to our mats. May we learn to be fresh with each pose!

We started out with an energizing pranayama practice to prepare for backbends. We learned in Savasana Pranayama, to put a rolled bandage under the dorsal (sternum) to lift the chest more. This is especially good for people with depression.

During asana we focused on spreading the collarbones, lifting the armpit chest, not compressing the cervical by clenching the shoulders at the sides of the neck. Notice what the dorsal is doing, then what is the lumbar doing? Keep the areas integrated!

After our classes with Geeta, we watched a concert and tears of heartbreak and joy came to my eyes. The singer reminded me of my dearest Aunt Kathy who died when I was 8 years old. I adored my Aunt Kathy, my family always said I was just like her. After she died, she used to visit me in various angel-like ways. I haven't been in spiritual contact with her for a few years. Then there she was when I was least expecting it! It was absolutely beautiful. My Aunt Kathy presented herself in human form for me to know she was happy, tears of unbelief rolled from my eyes. This singer had an amazing voice and tears welled up in her eyes as she sang. It was as if my Aunt was telling me her stories. When I had to leave, my heart was very heavy. I wanted to sit there forever and watch the beauty and feel what being with my Aunt was like. Yet, this is not how the story ends, we all have to depart at some point. Are we really departing?? That is the lesson of Yoga.

Geeta's Intensive Day 8-Darsana

Geeta talked about darsana-(direct perception) and using the image of Patanjali to make the Invocation more meaningful. She taught a pranayama discourse giving us the broad picture of practice. The idea is to align and open up space within the body and mind to tap into Universal Energy. We do need to be very cautious of this practice so we do not loose our minds or hurt our nervous systems. Remembering not to rush is important and to know what the effects of each pranayama is whether they warm, cool, induce sleep, awaken, etc.

Geeta was saying that when we start comparing various forms of Yoga or comparing ourselves to others, that is not a Yogic mind. There is a calling that we need to do to bring ourselves back to the Yogic state even when we are not practicing physically. Pranayama teaches us to tap into the Universal Energy that yokes us all together no matter what the physical or mental circumstances may be.

People from 57 countries came to Geeta's Intensive totalling around 1500 people. Representatives from various countries came up on stage to discuss the Universality of Yoga. The Art and Science of Yoga brings us together to share the challenges and peace that life entails.

Below is a photo of the United States attendees:

Geeta's Intensive Day 7-Marching is part of Yoga?

Geeta surprised everyone today by having the children's class come, they were very excited and so were we! Seeing the freedom in the children always brings a smile to my face!

Geeta taught and we were to do the asanas with the children. How stiff we looked compared to them, especially mind stiff! We started off by marching in place, then faster and faster. We were all getting thrown into a child-like mood. This was an entire Suyra Namaskar class. We acted out birds as our arms went up and down, then we went into Ustrasana using our bird arms sideways then back to reach our feet.

My favorites were: 
Supta Urdhva Hasta Tadasana---Urdhva Hasta Dandasana (repeating fast)

and...

Supta Urdhva Hasta Tadasana---Paschimottanasana---Halasana (repeating fast)

The children's part of the class ended with doing the Invocation 4 ways:
1. Padmasana-right foot in first
2. Padmasana-left foot in first
3. Virasana
4. Purvo Namaskar in Tadasana

After the children's class, our sequence was: Uttanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Ardha Sirsasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana, Sirsasana, Chatushpadasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, Bharadvajasana, Viloma I in Savasana, and Swastikasana with the Invocation.

Classes have been ending with the Invocation which is not normally done, this invokes a feeling of gratitude.

Geeta's Intensive Day 6: Pure Intelligence

Geeta told a story of how Abhijata's daughter reaches for her mom, that is her pure intelligence. We need to work this way in Yoga. What is your intelligence telling you? How are your back muscles working? Are they even? It is up to you to find out. Teachers are guides, but you need to do. Ultimately we use our individual intelligence to find out how the asana is best done for our own needs. How can we find joy in the asana? How can we find quietness? How can we approach death with calmness?

For example in Supta Padangusthasana, put the belt on the upper heel. Do you feel the femur bone plug into the hip socket? Now, move the belt higher up the foot and compare. Put the belt on the foot exactly where you feel the femur bone plug in, each person may be different.

We also worked on twists in an interesting way. We did Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana and Marichyasana, after twisting, we bent forward towards the floor. This action helps keep the deltoid soft, especially as you bring it close to the bent knee in Marichyasana.

For Pranayama, Geeta showed us many ways to do Jalandhara Bandha by taking the head down with the fingers in the ears, holding the jaw, holding the head, etc. We did comparisons to see what positions work best for our individual selves. This is the point of yoga. 

Through the past few days of pranayama work, I feel my chest spreading forward, back, and to the sides. From pranayama, my asanas have been much better. I can feel more flexibility in the intercostal muscles, more space in my shoulders, and the dorsal is opening. This is a motivator for all of you out there to start pranayama!!!! 

Geeta's Intensive Day 5-A Skeleton Vision

Day 5, the building blocks are penetrating. We started doing twists, my favorite! Parivrtta standing poses that included an in-depth Parivrtta Parsvakonasana. I cannot wait to teach this when I get home! Weight in the back leg, straight leg hip in, hips back, bottom chest extends! Do not compress the chest/abdomen or the heart gets compressed.

Geeta has been working our Sirsasanas with one straight leg up at a time which helps take the dorsal in. I have a theory about if students bend the knees to come into Sirsasana in the middle of the room, the dorsal goes out, then it is hard to balance which is why I think Geeta is having us come up with one leg at a time. Today's Sirsasana was unlike any other, I felt my spine actually extending upwards making space between the vertebrae. I could actually feel my shoulders lift, then my body lift up out of the shoulders. So content.

In Swastikasana, we are elevating the sternum and imagined a door in the sternum opening to the breath. Geeta uses many wonderful analogies. She talked about how we must have awareness and be open for new ideas. Just as married couples fight after a while, they stop paying attention to their own individuality. We must keep our awareness and journey towards the Soul.

Today, while sitting in Swastikasana at the end of class, I had a vision. It looked like an x-ray of my right shoulder where I have pain and migraines. I saw the bones and pulled the socket of the shoulder joint outwards to create space. I am hoping this is a signal of healing, that area has been stuck and completely in blackness. I saw the bones through scanning, a first step.

During Pranayama, I learned that if you are cold, you do long inhalations. With heat in the body (neurological issues, menopause), do long exhalations.

Lois and I took notes together after class. What a blessing it is to be here with her! So far, I am learning tons of cooking, cleaning, and showering tips. We have a cat named Ginger that lives with us.

Geeta's Intensive Day 4-Happy Banana Chest

So, if you are in Adho Mukha Svanasana and you roll the ribs back, the shape is like a banana leaf. The back chest spreads like the veins in a banana leaf and the outer edges of the chest go up. This is not an unhappy droopy banana leaf, it is one that has sun shining on it and the edges lift.

Today, we did the Invocation as a group, I missed Geeta's solo voice because hearing it through the crowd is hard. I am starting to feel more of a connection with Geeta. She helped me in Medical Classes 2 years ago, to have her teaching me again is such an honor. Her spirit shines with comfort and command, plus she has a great sense of humor. I am blown away by how her eyes see, she calls people up on stage and corrects people by shirt color, impressive for a group of 1,200!

A few friends and I were talking about how it hurts to raise our arms for so long. The neck gets sore, the shoulders hurt. Geeta says we need to soften the trapezius down. The dorsal skin goes down, the lumbar skin goes up. All these little details just build and build.

We are still working on keeping our dorsal spines in with standing poses and inversions. I am discovering a connection with the dorsal and bending the knees or bending at the waist, these actions can cause the dorsal to round. We must learn to keep the dorsal in with our actions and transitions!

Geeta's Intensive Day 3-The Most Comfortable Padmasana

Today I realized how one can meditate and do Pranayama in Padmasana. Geeta guided us through Upavistha Konasana, Baddha Konasana, Swastikasana, Padmasana. The Padmasana was the quietest I have ever experienced. I could have sat there for hours, everything was soft, my mind was quiet, my consciousness spread.

We don't always need to have props, if we do not use height for Dandasana, we can "be close to Mother Earth." How true and how often we forget. Yesterday, we did Sarvangasana with no blankets, Geeta kept telling us to not worry, just do it will be ok. We have to break these habits! De-condition!

Geeta's Intensive Day 2-Brilliant Rib Work!

We have to align the body to the soul, this is yoga. Geeta once again made my heart sing as I listened to the invocation. Her voice is just beautiful.

In terms of limitations of the poses, people talk about being stiff. Geeta is teaching us that we need to open the Nadi's which are spaces within the body. This gives us a different perspective, I will explore this more.

Geeta is the master at Sequencing. We are getting our dorsal spines in and had our arms overhead for a long, long time. One of my favorite actions of today was:

Adho Mukha Svanasana-lenghten side body, then roll the sides of the ribs/outsides of the shoulderblades back, then the dorsal goes in more naturally!!! Brilliant!!!! 

The action of rolling the ribs from front to back has completely blown my mind. When I was a beginner, I had to always try to roll my shoulder back. After time, my shoulders were able to go back, but my lower ribs started to protrude forward, so I have been working on that. Here at Geeta's, I learned to open the ribs from front to back to stretch the intercostal muscles between the ribs; this will change my practice. Now there is awareness in the rib area which will effect the dorsal. 

What are our habits? Our Prakrti (Nature) controls these habits. Fix the posture from the source: sitting, standing walking. We forget this, go slow and start from the Foundation.

Geeta's Intensive Day 1-Standing Poses and Arm Vitality

To remember Guruji is the highlight of the conference, I am glad right off the bat, we started that way.

Of course the first day is standing poses! Geeta is amazing at Sequencing and Linking. Each posture leads the next and the practice grows from there. The invocation that Geeta chants makes my heart dance, I just love it; absolutely beautiful. Geeta says to bow our heads down to Patanjali and Guruji.

Why do some people practice and others don't? Because of a deep samskara, and now Guruji has left us with one, so we must practice.

We started sitting in Dandasana and moved up the body. My biggest mind-blowing experiences has been with putting the weight in the back leg when the knee is bent in standing poses such as Parsvakonasana and Virabhadrasana I. This will also help align the spine.

Vitality is in the armpit. How many of us have tight armpits? Um, pretty much all of us. So extending the arms overhead and behind the ears gives access to this vitality. Some people stick their ribs and navels forward and need to draw that area back. Some people need to make side space in the ribs and actually take the abdomen forward and get the sides of the ribs to expand. This leads me to think about the connection of the spine and ribs. Through practice, make the chest expand while the ribs support the spine and the spine supports the ribs.