http://www.melissawest.com/345/
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In this intermediate yoga class I will teach you step by step, pose by pose, how to come into backbending yoga postures. This class prepares your body spine through side bends and twists to be able to bend backwards with ease. We also use a mudra to increase circulation in your heart center to help with your backbends. The peak backbend is upward facing dog which helps to build upper body strength as well. Modifications and alternatives are given.
This yoga class was inspired by the poem by Dawna Markova for our Poetry in Motion Series. When we practice yoga, we move our body into shapes that “loosen our heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise” the effect of such movements on our body is that the seeds that are held in our body become a blossom and then go on as a fruit. Backbending yoga postures in particular open up our heart centers. In order to open our hearts, we must be rooted in legs and feet (in other words ourselves) and flexible in our spines. Backbending are postures of emergence and confidence. They help us to overcome doubts and fears about ourselves. By opening up the front of our body and strengthening the back of our body, we activate our innate ability to be present to life and to create – as the poem says.
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This week it is my intention to attune my practice and align with my work…The heart opening practice allows me to be open to that attuning…the practice became clear and effortless today
I loved this Melissa, thank you so much! It was a right timing for me for this kind of heart opening and visualizing a fruit and not just the blossom. Namaste <3 Lucy
Since you asked…..the only improvements I would like to see in the weekly yoga video is the continuation of modifications to get to the main pose. The moving downdog to upward facing dog is difficult on my arms . I did it but it was tough. Thanks for continuing the psoas stretches. It is helping me as I am seeing a physical therapist who approves of your yoga classes. I have a partner who may be interested in yoga also. The partnership yoga sounds interesting .
I really really loved this poem. I've been making small but significant steps through the procrastination to practise in several areas and the poem REALLY just soaked right in. Throughout this series Poetry in Motion, I have been drawing daily cards at the end of each yoga practise, and the threads running through and connecting the poems, my intentions, and the tarot are just so encouraging and affirming!! Much love to you all, Peace !! Sue
This was a beautiful class. Thank you:)
Nice twists and practice 🙂
Thank you for this class Melissa! It helped me realize that the reason why I was doing two lessons in a row was that I needed to upgrade to the intermediate level lessons 🙂
Personnally, I need to work on the rigidity of my lower back and while you're giving some explanations or reading a poem, I use this time to do some cat and cow or some cobra pose.
I wouldn't change the format of the lessons, I would just suggest some extra exercizes for those who would like to complete the class by doing some more.
Í've been following your lessons for more than two years now, really illegularly I must admit, but it is my main training during the week, and it helped me building inner peace, clarity of mind and keep my flexibility and my heart open.
Thank you for your teachings Melissa!
This class is really good for people who work in an office like me. Lots of backbends and hipopeners.
Your words seem to have new depth in this period we to through