Happy New Year, everyone and welcome to the first week of the Year of Yoga. Here are your practices for the week. Remember that these are just suggestions, so adapt them according to the time you have available. The Friday and Monday practices are restorative. If for any reason you feel unable to do the active practice on a given day, substitute one of these two, or rest completely.

Please consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine and do not attempt poses that you have not been taught in class by a competent instructor.

Tuesday, January 1

Quiet Practice:

• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) with breath awareness (5 min)
• Child’s Pose over bolster with breath awareness (5 min)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Active Practice:

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana Downward Facing Dog pose) (2 min)
• Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Pose) (2 min)
• Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
• Utthita Parshvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
• Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
• Bharadwajasana 1 (Bharadwaja's Pose)
• Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (Hand Stand)
• Salamba Shirshasana 1 (Head Stand) (3 min)
• Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose) (3 min)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (3 min)
• Salamba Sarvangasana 1 (Shoulder Stand) (3 min)
• Halasana (Plough Pose) (3 min)
• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) (3 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Wednesday, January 2

Quiet Practice:

• Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) over bolster with breath awareness (5 min each side)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Active Practice:

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) (2 min)
• Uttanasana (Intense Stretch pose) (2 min)
• Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
• Parshvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch pose)
• Prasarita Padottanasana 1 (Wide Spread Feet Pose)
• Bharadwajasana 2 (Bharadwaja's Pose)
• Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (Hand Stand)
• Salamba Shirshasana 1 (Head Stand) (3 min)
• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose(3 min)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (3 min)
• Salamba Sarvangasana 1 (Shoulder Stand) (3 min)
• Halasana (Plough Pose) (3 min)
• Viparita Karani (Upside Down Pose) (3 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Thursday, January 3

Quiet Practice:

• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) with breath awareness (5 min)
• Child’s Pose over bolster with breath awareness (5 min)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Active Practice:

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) (2 min)
• Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Pose) (2 min)
• Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
• Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
• Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose)
• Bharadwajasana 1 (Bharadwaja's Pose)
• Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (Hand Stand)
• Salamba Shirshasana 1 (Head Stand) (3 min)
• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) (3 min)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (3 min)
• Salamba Sarvangasana 1 (Shoulder Stand) (3 min)
• Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) over bolstert (1.5 min each side)
• Halasana (Plough Pose) (3 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Friday, January 4

Quiet Practice:

• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) with breath awareness (10 min)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Restorative Practice:

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) (2 min)
• Jathara Parivartanasana (Belly Turning Pose) (1.5 min each side)
• Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) over bolster (1.5 min each side)
• Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) in chair (3 min)
• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) (3 min)
• Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose) (3 min)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (5 min)
• Viparita Karani (Upside Down Pose) (5 min)
• Ujjayi 4 in Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (5 min)
• Ujjayi 8 in seated position (5 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Saturday, January 5

Quiet Practice:

• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) with breath awareness (5 min)
• Child’s Pose over bolster with breath awareness (5 min)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Active Practice:

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) (2 min)
• Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (Hand Stand)
• Salamba Shirshasana 1 (Head Stand) (3 min)
• Viparita Dandasana (Inverted Staff Pose) on chair (3 min)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (3 min)
• Salamba Sarvangasana 1 (Shoulder Stand) (3 min)
• Halasana (Plough Pose) (3 min)
• Ardha Adho Mukha Padmasana (Downward Facing Lotus Pose) (1.5 min each side)
• Ardha Baddha Padma Pashchimottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Intense West Stretch Pose) (1.5 min each side)
• Janu Shirshasana (Head of the Knee Pose) (1.5 min each side)
• Pashchimottanasana (Intense West Stretch Pose) (3 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Sunday, January 6

Quiet Practice:

• Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) over bolster with breath awareness (5 min each side)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Active Practice:

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) (2 min)
• Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (Hand Stand)
• Salamba Shirshasana 1 (Head Stand) (3 min)
• Viparita Dandasana (Inverted Staff Pose) over chair (3 min)
• Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
• Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose)
• Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
• Parshva Dhanurasana (Side Bow Pose)
• Ushtrasana (Camel Pose)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (3 min)
• Salamba Sarvangasana 1 (Shoulder Stand) (3 min)
• Halasana (Plough Pose) (3 min)
• Paschchimottanasana (Intense West Stretch Pose) (3 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Monday, January 7

Quiet Practice:

• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) with breath awareness (10 min)
• Meditation Practice (15 min)

Restorative Practice:

• Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) (5 min)
• Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) (5 min)
• Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) on chair (5 min)
• Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) over bolster (3 min each side)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) with breath awareness (5 min)
• Ujjayi 4 in Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (5 min)
• Viloma 1 in Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (5 min)
• Ujjayi 8 in seated position (5 min)
• Viloma 4 in seated position (5 min)
• Nadhi Shodhana 1b (5 min)
• Shavasana (Corpse Pose) (10 min)

Another new addition to the Forward Extensions section of the site:


Level: Intermediate

Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.

This pose is also known as Marichyasana E in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.

Organizing the pose

• From Dandasana (Staff Pose) draw the right leg back as if for Triang Mukhaikapada Pashchimottanasana (Three Limbs Facing Intense West Stretch Pose).
• Draw the left leg back, as for Marichyasana 1 (Marichi's Pose 1). Sit up on blankets or a block if necessary.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, fold forward and wrap the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the knee.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.

Practice Points

• Draw both inner thighs deeper into the body.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Move the inner face of the sacrum back away from the pubic bone and soften the buttocks.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the raised knee and the navel back towards the mid-line of the body.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.

Tags: Forward Bends

Another new addition to the Forward Extensions section of the site:


Level: Advanced

Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.

This pose is also known as Marichyasana B in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.

Organizing the pose

• From Dandasana (Staff Pose) draw the right leg back into Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus Pose).
• Draw the left leg back, as for Marichyasana 1 (Marichi's Pose 1). Sit up on blankets if necessary.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, fold forward and wrap the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the knee.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.

Practice Points

• Draw both inner thighs deeper into the body.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Move the inner face of the sacrum back away from the pubic bone and soften the buttocks.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the raised knee and the navel back towards the mid-line of the body.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.

Tags: Forward Bends

The most exciting thing about spirituality these days is the debate about the existence of God. Actually it's not much of a debate. It's a pretty binary condition. Either you believe there is a God, or you don't. (Or you're undecided, but it's not like there is a third alternative between the two.) The beautiful thing about the discussion is the emergence over the last year or so of some very high-profile, well-written pro-atheist tracts, such as Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Christopher Hitchens' "God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

I should say here, in the interests of disclosure, that I find myself in what might seem a peculiar position given that I am a practitioner and teacher of Yoga. I do not believe in an over-arching consciousness that creates and/or directs the material world, though I do believe in deeper structures of subjectivity, consciousness and connection, not unlike the stance of Buddhism. From my perspective, it always cracks me up that those who state the case for god and religion find it impossible to believe that an atheist can have any kind of moral code, or that their inner life is somehow crippled.

This recent interview in Salon.com (thanks to the very excellent Souljerky for the link) is a lot more benign and balanced than most, but theologian John Haught puts forward the idea that hope is not justifiable in a world devoid of god. Here is Haught's response to the interviewer's question "But why can't you have hope if you don't believe in God?"

You can have hope. But the question is, can you justify the hope? I don't have any objection to the idea that atheists can be good and morally upright people. But we need a worldview that is capable of justifying the confidence that we place in our minds, in truth, in goodness, in beauty. I argue that an atheistic worldview is not capable of justifying that confidence. Some sort of theological framework can justify our trust in meaning, in goodness, in reason.

From a yogic point of view, I would suggest that the worldview he envisions is nothing more than a fluctuation of consciousness that, held onto too tightly, might prevent one from seeing what is actually there. Anyway, I am neither a theologian nor a professional philosopher. Here and here, also from Salon.com, are two interviews with Richard Dawkins from two and a half years ago to offer the other side's perspective.

And here is a very entertaining skeptic's perspective from performer Tim Minchin:



Related Posts:
Richard Dawkins: "The Root of All Evil"
Teaching Them To Accept The Snake

Here is a new addition to the Forward Extensions section of the site.


Level: Intermediate

Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.

This pose is also known as Marichyasana A in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.

Organizing the pose

• Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose), elevating the pelvis on blankets to help you extend forward if necessary.
• Take hold of the back of the left thigh and draw the knee in, keeping the muscles of the left leg as soft as possible.
• Plant the left foot flat on the floor with the heel in line with the sitting bone.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, reach the left arm forward to take hold of the inside of the right foot.
• Inhale and lengthen out through the left side.
• Exhale, roll the trunk to the right, away from the left thigh.
• Bring the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and roll the trunk to the right once again. Turn the head to look at the left knee.
• Inhale open the trunk to the right once again.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the shin. Allow the left sitting bone to lift up off the floor as you lean forward.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.

Practice Points

• Draw both inner thighs deeper into the body.
• Spread the back of the knee of the straight leg and anchor the outer knee ligament down into the ground.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Balance the weight between the heel of the bent leg and the sitting bone of the straight leg.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the bent knee, the navel toward the straight knee.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.

Tags: Forward Bends

I am really not a fan of Yoga Journal these days. Over the past few years it has become more and more unreadable, with only the occasional article and Julie Gudmestad's anatomy column worth spending the time on. In its heyday, in the eighties and nineties, it was a wonderful resource of valuable information, but now it's mostly full of puff pieces with recipes and beauty tips and some occasionally very bad practice sequences. Every so often, however, some good stuff gets through, especially on the website, where they have an excellent page and newsletter ("My Yoga Mentor" which you can subscribe to on the teacher's page) geared towards teachers.

This month's newsletter includes an interesting article about sequencing by Richard Rosen, a Piedmont-based yoga teacher, contributing editor to Yoga Journal and author ("The Yoga of Breath" and "Pranayama Beyond the Fundamentals"). It features a short discussion on how to sequence, plus the following sequences:

• 45-Minute Beginners
• Advanced Beginners
• Headache
• Menstruation
• Depression
• Groins
• Shoulders
• Forward Bends
• Backbends

Check out also, from a few years back, this excellent article: "The Principles of Sequencing" by Donald Moyer.

The newsletter also features a great short piece from Ms. Gudmestad about setting yourself up for Shavasana (Corpse Pose), and a piece by Sara Avant Stover about different approaches to the pose, "Sink Into Stillness" and a short Q&A with John Friend.


Related Posts:
Modes of Sequencing

Tags: Yoga Journal, rag roundup

Here's a great list of 12 cold weather remedies over at Andrew Weil's Website.

Thanks to Kevin Rose for the link.

"In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg" is a wonderful show on BBC Radio 4 in the UK where they discuss some of the very big ideas in (mostly) Western history, science and culture. It's well worth checking out as topics are extremely varied and are well put forward by experts in the field. You can listen to it through the BBC Radio Player, or by podcast.

This most recent episode is about the Four Humours of the body and temperament, an old idea with interesting parallels to the three doshas of Ayurveda.

Click here to get the realplayer stream.

I have an ambitious plan that I hope you’ll join in with me. I’m going to organize the bulk of the practice posts for 2008 into a year-long practice cycle, building on some of the long-term sequencing ideas I outlined in “Sequencing Over a Period of Time.”

This cycle will consist of 3 trimesters: two of approximately four months, one of two months. Each of these trimesters will include an “easing-in” preparatory phase, a consolidation phase where we will cycle through all the various poses that are standard for the intermediate practitioner and a progression phase where we will get to play with some of the more complicated poses. This will then be followed by a recovery phase where the practices will shift into a quieter mode to give you a chance to rest and integrate for a couple of weeks. July and August will be a super-long recovery phase, encouraging you to get out and enjoy the weather and to do other things with your body so that the practice does not become stale.
Read More...

I'm starting a Q&A feature on the blog for all things related to yoga, so send in your questions! Depending on the response, we'll see how often it will run, probably monthly or weekly to begin with.

Send your questions via the contact page.

This is where the art of sequencing can get really juicy. If, like me, you do not take class very often (I take only about 8 weeks of classes in a year) you will find you need some greater sense of direction in your practice, or else you can start to feel lost. The mistake is to think you should be doing a massive practice every day. The body simply is not designed to do that. Even professional athletes are not at their competitive peak all year round. Pushing yourself constantly can quickly lead to exhaustion, burnout and even injury.

To allow for your fluctuating energies, it is important to always include a balance of different energetic levels of practice: active practice, quiet practice and restorative practice.

Read More...

This mode of sequencing is the crudest, but no less functional for it. With a goal of either endurance or flexibility the student can select a given body part and focus on that, in much the same way that one might organize a workout at the gym. Arms, legs, hip-openers, core strength, shoulder openers, simply choose your focus and practice poses that mainly work on those areas, bearing in mind these pointers:

Endurance

Begin with one or two simple warm-ups, perhaps a couple of rounds of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) or a few hip and shoulder openers. Take care not to tire yourself out before you even begin.

Read More...

In this mode of sequencing a practice is constructed around the theme of an anatomical action, say the outward turning of the thigh bone in the hip socket or the elongation of the sides of the trunk. This can be an extremely versatile way of sequencing as the theme can be simple or advanced.

When organizing such a practice, it is important to think of the level of complexity of the action in the poses you wish to practice.

Step 1: Find a way to isolate the action in the simplest set-up possible, preferably in a quasi-restorative mode so that rest of the body is fully supported so the student does not have to concentrate on anything else. Find a pose where the action is extremely clear and then simplify the pose as much as possible. If you select Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) as the quintessential pose that expresses the action, for example, then do "Half-Dog" in a right angle with the fingertips at the wall, the feet flat on the ground and the hips stacked up over the heels.

Step 2: Introduce your quintessential pose, but take the time to explore the action so that the students fully understand it and can execute it well. Use props or partner work to further break the pose down. With our Adho Mukha Shvanasana, for example, you could do the pose on ropes. Or the students could help each other by putting a belt around the hips and gently drawing them back.

Step 3: Play with the action and master it in a variety of different poses where the action is still fairly accessible, usually in standing poses and simple inversions or floor poses.

Step 4: If you, or your students, have mastered the action in simpler poses, you are then able to add more complexity by doing poses that are more challenging. If you find that the action gets "lost" in the pose, go back to simpler poses to recapture it.

Step 5: Integrate the action in a restorative pose. Here you want to be completely supported and passive in the pose so that you can observe the effect of your work up to this point in the body. As you move towards Shavasana (Corpse Pose) and the breath begins to settle, you can observe how the body part you have been working on relates to the whole and to the breath.


Related Posts:
Modes of Sequencing
Sequencing For Balance Within A Practice
Sequencing By Category Of Poses
Sequencing By Progression Deeper Into The Body
Sequencing By Progression According To Pose And Counter-Pose
Sequencing By Energetic Quality
Sequencing By Physiological Quality

This mode of sequencing is the heart of therapeutic yoga. In the Iyengar tradition, this kind of knowledge is a jealously guarded secret, only open to teachers who have gained a particular level of certification. There are different ways of approaching this kind of yoga, depending on the condition you are dealing with and the desired effect. The overall intention would be to support the body and promote healing without taxing the student. Thus, much of therapeutic work can be more restorative in nature.

There are three main areas where therapeutic yoga can be effective:

• Injuries and structural problems.
• Organic support.
• Amelioration of symptoms. Read More...

There are several ways of approaching this mode of sequencing. One would be to ensure a generalized energetic balance to a practice, as we looked at in the previous post: Sequencing For Balance Within A Practice. By allowing for the overall effects of a class of poses it is possible to structure a practice is such a way as to energy or pacify the body and mind, while also achieving a soothing energetic journey.

Asana and Ayurveda

In Mira Mehta's wonderful, and unfortunately out of print, book "How To Use Yoga" she builds practices according to the effect on the doshas, the three Ayurvedic constitutions:


Read More...

Some styles of yoga focus heavily on the pose/counter pose idea. Iyengar uses this sparingly, usually only applying the idea to cooling down after Back Bends, but there are some other applications.





Read More...

At the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, the home base of B. K. S. Iyengar in Pune, classes are organized around a monthly progression. Each week a different category of poses is focused on, leading the student deeper into the body. The first week of every month is standing poses, the second forward bends, the third back bends and the fourth is devoted to restorative poses and Pranayama. This idea can be taken further to include all the other categories, making it possible to structure a practice along those lines. Here are the ten categories of poses arranged in order of depth of penetration:



Read More...

Because of their particular physical, physiological and energetics effects, each category of pose needs to be placed thoughtfully within the framework of the balanced practice. Though, of course, any pose can be placed anywhere within a sequence, here are some general guidelines.

Standing Poses

Opening Poses
Standing Poses
Seated Poses
Inversions
Restorative Poses
Shavasana
Read More...

A well-rounded practice shoulder feature a variety of different categories of poses sequenced to lead smoothly from one to another without any jarring energetic transitions. Each category of pose can be thought of as having one of three general energetic effects:

Pose Qualities

Activating - these poses rev the body up, stimulating the flow of energy. (+)
Balancing - these poses rev the body up when sluggish and calm it when energized. (=)
Settling - these poses calm the body when it is energized or over-stimulated. (-)

Read More...

I'm about to co-teach a course on sequencing in the new year for the teacher training we're running at Yogasana which is making me organize my thoughts about the subject.

Each of these modes are not necessarily exclusive. A given practice could be organized to take into consideration multiple modes simultaneously.

1. By Balance Within A Practice

A practice structured to have a balanced energetic flow.
For example: A practice that emphasizes back bends, but which includes multiple other categories to provide a “complete” practice session.

2. By Category

A practice structured to feature a specific category of pose.
For example: a practice that features standing poses.

3. By Progression Deeper Into The Body

A practice sequenced according to the level of intensity and depth of penetration into the body: standing poses, seated poses, forward bends, reclined poses, twists, core poses, arm balances, back bends, restorative poses.
For example: A back bend sequence that runs standing poses, inversions, back bends, twists, restorative poses. An arm balance sequence that runs reclined poses, core poses, twists, arm balances, inversions, restorative poses.

4. By Progression According To Pose And Counter-Pose

A practice sequenced with attention paid to balancing out the muscular effects of different groups of poses.
For example: A back bend sequence that ends with gentle twists and restorative poses. A forward bend sequence that ends with a short, light baby back bend series. Many of the sequences in the back of Light on Yoga.

5. By Energetic Quality

A practice sequenced to maximize a particular energetic effect.
For example: A vigorous standing pose sequence to ground and energize the body. A supported back bend sequence to relieve anxiety or support depression.

6. By Physiological Quality

A practice sequenced to maximize a particular physiological effect.
For example: A sequence for insomnia or migraines. A menstrual sequence.

7. By Action

A practiced organized around highlighting and developing a particular anatomical or bio-mechanical action.
For example: A sequence to work on dividing the abdomen, or deepening the eyes of the chest.

8. By Body Part

A practice sequenced to develop a particular part of the body.
For example: A hip opening sequence. An upper body strengthening sequence.

9. Over A Period Of Time

Sequencing a series of practices over an extended period of time: a week, a month, a quarter, a year.

Related Posts:
Sequencing
Sequencing For Balance Within A Practice
Sequencing By Category Of Poses
Sequencing By Progression Deeper Into The Body
Sequencing By Progression According To Pose And Counter-Pose
Sequencing By Energetic Quality
Sequencing By Physiological Quality
Sequencing By Action
Sequencing By Body Part

December is upon us and, here in New York City at least, it finally seems to be winter. Here is a look back at the posts of the last couple of months:

• The Intermediate Pranayama Cycle: 28 days of 1-hour breath awareness and pranayama practices.
• A response to Pamela Paul's article "When Yoga Hurts" in Time Magazine.
• 4 new poses added to the Reclined Poses section.
• 5 new poses added to the Forward Extensions section.
• Notes from Tom Myers' Body Reading 101 workshop at the Breathing Project: links 1, 2, 3, & 4.
• A Multi-Level Core Practice.
• "Yoga in Action," a evotion">15 part series on the Observances and Disciplines from Patañjali's Yoga Sutra.