Hip and Hamstring Heaven

There have been so many gifts from the opportunity to sub Uschi's class. One of them is that I've had room to experiment with things I've always wanted to teach but never had the guts to try. Part of that holding back  is a deep down fear that you will think I am  incompetent, perhaps even stupid. But what overrides that fear is a deeper desire to try to communicate some things that have felt so good for me in my practice. So little by little I've made my way to share sequences and series that come from the inside out.  Sometimes it turns out OK, and other times, not at all. What's cool for me personally is that I've learned from those 'not at all'  classes the most. I have to remind myself of that. Often. I oh-so-want to be perfect. And it feels oh-so-good to be getting over that nonsense. 

One of my current mini vinyasas from my private practice is to move from side plank, to one leg side plank and roll the top leg forward, over my head, and into Hanumanasana full splits. Its a little tricky; it takes balance, strength, flexible hamstrings and open hips. I've never put it on my class agenda because it isn't terribly accessible for a lot of folks. What could be worse that a 'bad sequencing' yoga class is one with bad sequencing coupled with poses so hard that you want to roll your mat right into the Goodwill donation bin after class.

Well this morning's class provided a golden opportunity to play with my new fav mini vinyasa. Just so happens that the locals were of the bendy type as were the four visitors in the room. We opened the practice with supine leg stretches and for the first time that I've ever taught, not a strap was necessary in the group. It was Hip and Hamstring Heaven! I was hit with a wave of 'should I veer off my plan, or should I carpe diem'. With these 'no strap required' yogis, I decided to go for it! 

Here is the class sequence:

Gentle Downdog (3 breaths)

Balasana (3 breaths)

kneeling side stretch

sukasana

seated neck stretch

seated cat/dog

forward fold palms up

tabletop

roll on to back

3 part leg stretch (great diagnostic for hips and hams!)

spine roll

stretching squat

uttanasana

tadasana

lunge

twisted lunge (option to deepen)

twisted triangle

parsvotanasana (arm options)

Eagle

lunge

vinyasa (focus on back bends)

Other side

Tadasana

uttanasana

jump (or step) back downdog

plank

side plank (both sides)

Downdog

side angle

trikanasana dance to bind

ardha chandrasana

dancer's pose option

vinyasa with option to rest in DD, balasana, or headstand

other side

Demo plank variations

From Downdog

Side plank to splits/variation play

vinyasa between sides

3 part pigeon

side stretch

ardha matsendrasana

cow face

roll back to eye of needle

release, roll to downdog

vinyasa

other side

releasing from eye of needle

shoulderstand/split play

plow

fish

gentle spine twist

savasana

All said and done, it felt like it had the bones of a pretty cool class. I'm going to play with it more on my mat, and put some more words to it,  and perhaps tone it down a beat so I can offer it to a multi level class.  I sense it is the start of something that's interestingly imperfect. After all, its all about practice, not perfection.