Practice Notes - 2/2/2026

FEBRUARY 2 2026 - “The Energy Without”

This week, we continued our exploration of the yogic concepts of sound and breath and how these two elements can combine to create a deeper, more energy-rich movement practice. In previous classes, we worked with ujjayi breath, playful partner work, and root to rise (R2R) to explore how we amplify energy in ourselves, as well as with the vibrational sound of breath itself as a means to connect with those around us. In this practice we added the concept of shabda, the sound/vibration/energy of the world external to us. We made the comparison between shabda and forest bathing (shinrinyoku) in that we can be in a constant relationship of mutual energetic nourishment with the world around us.

We began lying on our backs in a supported position with the intent to breathe fully into the 360 degree container of the lungs and rib cage. From there, we:

• Rocked along the sacrum in each direction.

• Stretched our hamstrings by looping a strap around one foot while keeping the other knee bent or extending out along the mat.

We began warming up with:

• Ujjayi breathing review

• Spinal movements in table top - flexion, extension, and circles

• Side bending with our hands behind our heads, and using our abs to change sides

• Downward dog, forward fold, and half forward fold to warm our legs and glutes

Afterwards, we explored a lunging and triangle series:

• A knee down lunge to open our hip flexor muscles (the front of the hip)

• A long lunge (knee up) with our hands on a block and then twisting and rotating

• The triangle (trikonasana) series began with warrior II (virabhadrasana II), in which we practiced R2R by pulsing in between a straight and bent knee position. From there, we went into triangle itself, using R2R in our front leg to add more height and rotation to the pose.

• Afterwards, we practice temple pose, a balance posture in a turned out squatting position where we lift and lower the heels.

• The next triangle pose we did at the wall, exploring the upper body. We lined up our front foot close to the wall to find the distance to the wall where we could extend our elbows fully and then pushed into the wall to find both length in the spine as well as the powerful extension of the back leg.

Our last posture before cool down and breathing was locust pose (salabhasana). We partnered up again to find more height in the pose.

We then moved into partnered breathing work by sitting against our partner’s back and synchronizing our ujjayi breath with the other’s, feeling the movement of the rib cage against each other and listening for their breath. It seemed to go over well :) Then we had a nice long savasana.

Saprema (with warmest affection) everyone. Thanks again for being there!

Practice Notes - 1/26/2026

JANUARY 26, 2026 - Yoga is a “Serious” Business

This week’s practice again focused on ujjayi breathing and how we observe this practice breath in our own bodies. It leaves telltale signs: lifting and lowering the belly and ribs in the front body, lifting the sides of our ribs out and up and lowering them back in, and expanding our back ribs behind us and then relaxing them back in. This is the reality of the breath in our lungs. The lungs expand and contract in all directions and our bodily structures follow in turn.

We began with breathing lying on our backs, looking for the front, side, and back body rhythms responding to the breath, followed by a review of ujjayi breath in a seated position, a position that was adapted for our individual bodies. From there, we began our movement practice:

• Seated warm-ups, including spinal flexion/extension, rotation, and side-bending with rotations. Pushing hands down in thighs to rise. More warm-ups in four-point position moving into downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana).

• Forward fold (uttanasana) led us into an exploration of root to rise (R2R), the act of pressing downwards into the floor to increase length and allow other parts of the body to rise up.

Our standing poses came from the warrior series:

• Warrior II (virabhadrasana), side angle pose (parsvakonasana), and then half moon pose (ardha chandrasana) with floating foot on the wall. We examined R2R in each of these poses - back foot and front foot. Remember, before our half moon, we took a lunge parallel to the wall with fingertip pushes to prime our balance (great to do at home!).

• We moved into the gate pose series (parighasana), looking at both active/muscular and relaxed variations by exploring both side-bending and rotations.

From there, we transitioned into our final class of postures: back bends.

• We prepared for our final pose with a small series of modified cobra (bhujangasana) poses. With the help of our friends, who rooted our legs down into the mat by pushing on our calves, we rose up into locust pose (salabhasana).

To cool down and transition into savasana, we practiced ujjayi with an uneven rhythm - four counts inhale, six counts exhale. This is intended for relaxation, but also exposed some of us to the feeling of air hunger.

Contemplatively, we built on the concept of yogic sound (energy) as a creative force that exists not only in our observable world, but also the energy that we experience without looking for it. Energy that appears to us as insight or revelation or delight. It’s inexplicable, but absolutely true. This too is a generative force in our lives. Due to the playful nature of our class, we talked about how play invites the unexpected into our lives and invites to surrender some control. It’s a great first step to come into contact with that invisible energy. As my teacher Douglas says, “Yoga is a serious business, but we don’t have to take it so seriously.

Thank you all! And thanks to Evi and Seth for donating their bodies to yogic science! :)

Practice Notes - 1/19/2026

Hello all.

This page is meant to be exactly what it says: notes on practice. Here, I’ll summarize and sometimes elaborate on what we covered in the Monday evening class, Yoga - A Complete Practice. This is intended to help those of you wanting to revisit or continue what we practiced in class. As always, reach out to me directly if you have more questions or want clarification.

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JANUARY 19, 2026 - The Sound of the Practice

This week’s class focused on sound as one of the foundational elements of yoga, particularly as a generative force as we begin or return to our practices. Sound, in Hindu/yogic metaphysics, might be equated to our scientific understanding of energy/atomic theory. Sound is vibration is energy. As creatures capable of creating sound, believe yoga practitioners, this implies our own possibility to create and generate new possibilities and realities for ourselves.

We began by practicing ujjayi pranayama (trans. “rising/upwards breath control”). This breath forms the basis of movement practice. It’s lightly energizing yet also soothing for the nervous system thanks to the addition of a soft, whispering sound (like an ocean wave or fogging up a mirror). From there, we began our movement, or asana (trans. “posture). In asana, we explored:

• Seated warm-ups with the four spinal movements: flexion (bending forward), extension (bending backwards), side flexion (side bending), and rotation (twisting).

• Some of the basic postures of asana practice: cat/cow, cobra pose (with fingertip variation), downward- facing dog, forward fold, half forward fold, lunging poses (side bending and twisting variations), and bridges.

• We focused on balancing and thigh stretches, starting with a balance exercise on blocks and working towards balancing thigh stretches with straps (at the wall).

• We cooled down with hip stretches and twists lying down.

We practiced pranayama for about ten minutes, continuing to practice ujjayi breath with the intention of refining the sound of the breath, making it quiet and audible only to our immediate neighbors. We also worked on equalizing the duration of the breath, inhale and exhale. Then savasana. About ten minutes. :)

See you on the mat!