The Yoga of Drawing

To draw is to look, examining the structure of appearances – a drawing of a tree shows not a tree but a tree being looked at.

John Berger – author of Ways of Seeing

This morning I sat down to “draw” which is something I rarely do. The desire often comes up but I freeze. Oh, it’s not because I don’t enjoy drawing, I do very much.  I am kept away because I layer the experience with subtle forms of judgement – critical thoughts, negative feelings and it leaves a bad taste with me.  So this morning I was surprised by my openness to sit down for a short still life exercise.

All was going smoothly until I began drawing the last object. I kept telling myself “I can’t see what it is,” and “I don’t know how to represent what I am seeing.” My lines were forced and stiff. I erased and reworked trying to get it “right”. I noticed tension in the body and shortness of breath – obvious clues that the fight or flight (or freeze) response was activated.

I stopped the pattern. I walked around a bit and then took a few smooth, deep breaths. Still, I hadn’t shifted my energy enough to return to drawing. So I asked my artistic husband for some help. He saw my situation clearly and suggested that I warm up. “Draw the shape of a pear, actually many pears, over and over again. Keep it simple. Just make the shape with one quick line. Don’t take your pencil off the paper.” he said.

I started with one pear and I engaged my whole self by first holding the pencil in a non habitual way and then keeping my eyes on the pear and not on the image I was drawing. With each “drawing” I kept my focus on the presence of the pair and let the pencil reflect the “structure” of what I was seeing.

The shape, well…drew itself. One after another. The ease of it was so refreshing. I drew 25 of that one pear before going on to drawing the others. The first ones for me showed an innocence, an unlaboured, immediate and playful attitude.

Playful Pears

Then I chose to use my non dominant hand to draw the next set. Wow, soooo engaging like putting pencil to pen for the first time. What a surprise! I’ve done this exercise before but it’s been many years. It really was a way to move from emphasizing left brain to the right brain. The experience took 100% of my attention.

Seeing Pears

I then randomly drew 1 of the 4 pears in front of me over and over 20 more times. Pears! I felt them, I saw them, I didn’t need to know how to “represent” what I saw. My body, face and hands were relaxed, calm and the essence of the pear came through.

The Yoga of Pears

Without the unnecessary, habitual, judgmental, outcome focused, thinking I could truly “look” and let that experience of looking in that one moment be expressed unencumbered. I tasted the joy of the yoga of drawing and it was delicious!

Waking Up by Studying a Counter Pose More Closely

Windshield wiper is a counter pose often used in Yin Yoga after hip openers such as Swan, Square or Straddle. It’s value is that it offers an internal rotation of the thigh bone in the hip socket – the opposite of what you do in the postures just mentioned. Because it’s a counterpose I don’t treat this posture with the attention it deserves, especially when teaching classes. (Sorry Classmates!) I realize I am often not “in my body” but distracted, my legs are limp and not energized. The pose is mindless and void of spirit.

Yoga is about being present and expanding consciousness to physical, mental and energetic areas that are asleep or habitual and automatic; to penetrate to the spiritual layer. I only realized my nonawakeness in the pose after looking at Judith Lasater’s book: 30 Essential Yoga Poses. Here is what I learned:

• Winshield wiper is one of the many variations of Jatara (belly) parivartan (revolved) asana (pose) which is done with two straight legs, bent legs or  with bent legs and feet wide apart as in windshield wipers. 

• In Yin this pose focuses on the hips and is used to twist the thigh bone in the socket the opposite way than the previous pose. Classically  with the legs straight or bent, the focus is on the spine, low back and waist. And it is done with the feet or knees OFF the ground – definitely the Yang version, a real abdominal or core workout pose. When it is performed with bend knees resting on the ground it transforms to a cooling, yin pose.

• But mainly what I learned is how to newly engage the pose to go more deeply and release any gripping and  holding in the external hip rotators.

What I used to do: Lie on my back propped up on my elbows or lying flat with my arms to my side.  My knees are bent with my feet on the floor close to the edges of the mat. Then I would flop my thighs over to the right and the left slowly or more vigorously – to bring circulation back into the connective tissue in the hips and stretch the external hip rotators. And I did it with a disinterested, mindless attitude. And as I look back my breath reflected that: it was short and shallow.

What I am doing now: (Pictured above) Same set up with legs but  I lie on my back this time. Then I slowly shift my hips to the right a little and then carefully drop my right inner knee toward my left foot instep. (It’s hard to see in the picture) It’s a long way down! I take my time and allow the thigh bone to move in the socket and the connective tissue to release slowly. I hold it for a good 10 smooth, steady breaths and then I do the other side. I’m “in my body”, I’m listening to the pose and opening to what it’s telling me – to be fully present.

So in a sense, studying this counter pose more closely in Judith Lasater’s book was a little wake up call. It helped bring my body, mind and spirit together and rather than do the windshield wiper (or in my case, not really do it) I became the pose.

All Life is here to inform me to wake up to the present, to realize the value in each moment. I hope one day I can  attend to each posture like each one is the Divine Goddess. For now it’s like gaining yoga literacy.  I’m still working on learning the poses and what they have to teach me about the deeper intelligence of Life. In this case what happens when I shift my attention toward slowing down and opening up to life vs quickly moving  through it –  I realize that my life is soooooooo rich in every moment just as it is – even in a counter pose!

Reflection: How have you woken up in a yoga pose – physically, mentally, energetically or spiritually? or What have you learned lately from doing … oh I mean being … a yoga pose?

5 Minutes + 1 Yin posture = ?

Did you do it? You can still do it you know? You can start right now or you can wait.

It’s been 10 weeks of 5 minutes doing one Yin yoga posture most days of the week at home. I am surprised how much I learned from just 5 minutes! I missed a few here and there but for the most part I did it. If you didn’t take part in our 10 week journey these personal notes may be lengthy and won’t really resonate – come back and read after you have taken the 5 Minute Home Yin yoga challenge.

I’d love to hear more from you, about your reflections and insights during the two and half months – go ahead start typing below! And just a little do over comment: I would preferred to have shared my reflections week by week – this summary below is a bit cumbersome and well – honestly, too much to read at once – even for me. That’s life. Seems to be how I learn, one drop at a time!

5 x 5 x 10: My Personal Notes

Week 1. Relaxation
Learning: Still the most nourishing posture for me to relax an active nervous system and cultivate natural awareness; to let go of thinking. In his book, Light on Life, B.K.S.Iyengar says, “Savasana (Relaxation Pose) is being without was, being without will be.  It is being without anyone who is.”
Reflection: What wisdom did this pose reveal for me today?  “Trust yourself, guidance is here.,” “Abide here anytime no matter where you are.”, “Love everything the same.” Just a few of the w h i s p e r s the Goddess of wisdom gave me.

Week 2. Butterfly
Learning: Cautiousness or shall I say unconscious fear and guarding arise in this posture for me. Having had back issues over the years I find unless I gradually and fully relax all my spinal related muscles, there’s risk of holding tension there and straining my low back and neck. That said, maybe I need to come out a bit or place my support higher when using it – start with head on seat of chair, and go down from there…a wise idea!
Reflection: What is my state of being before and after the pose? Before – outward, zoom-lensed focused. After – inward wide-lensed focused.

Week 3. Sphinx and Seal
Learning: This pose is still my savior before, during and after “back issues”. But this week I payed attention to the connection between my throat and the spine when doing Seal. I feel restriction and discomfort in what I think is my throat chakra area.  Hmm, this area is said to be related to will and being true to yourself in your self expression. (Pause) Yes that is true. I often put the white flag up to Fear and just follow it like a wet noodle. (It’s getting hot in here. I feel a wave of vulnerability coming on and Yes I watched  the Brene Brown vulnerability video!) But seriously, being honest and authentic with myself and with others is important. I want that . So I will be doing more Self-inquiry and Seal  posture after this thing is over.
Reflection: What am I holding on to? A sense of personal power, pride, “I want to be somebody special” feeling. That belief takes way too much work. And if I look underneath it, what I really want is to put that down and be what I am- whatever way it comes out.

Week 4. Shoelace
Learning: Pain is sweet! No I’m serious. The outer hip discomfort is one of the great training grounds for stretching my capacity to be with borderline pain and I’m a whiner so learning to mindfully be with discomfort  – that’s a good thing for me.
Reflection: Where is patience; how does it show up in my life? It shows up when I surrender the inner critic, when I slow down my thoughts and actions, when I am loving and caring and when I am present in the moment. (Wow that was clear!)

Week 5. Swan
Learning:  I seem to strive in this posture and want it to “look” good. (Vulnerability again and even Shame!) Only when I can close my eyes or take Sleeping Swan do I find the muscles in my hips and back and my sense of self-image let go.
Reflection: Notice your change in mood – Nothing – absolutely didn’t notice anything – disappointing but I’m OK with it. Q to self: Am I not fully opening up to what the pose has to reveal to me?

Week 6. Toe Squat to Hero
Learning: Toe squats are not meant to be held for 5 minutes! That’s the truth. Hero – I see why this is a meditation pose as my knees and ankles are opening, my pelvis can sit perfectly neutral and the spine can rise up in its natural curves. No back aches. So calming for the mind-body.
Reflection: How do I know what’s appropriate for me in a pose or in my life? Wait for the deeper inner signals to tell me. When I get “hooked” on the first bait of sensation or thought – “this is great”, “this is too much”, “I should do this”, “I want … I go down a path of “dukkha” or disatisfaction. If I wait a bit, breathe, let the winds of body-mind pass, I can discern better the wise, eternal, inner voice from the egoic, temporary voice. … I want to practice that more.

Week 7. Saddle
Learning: I love this pose I mean I love what it does to me: Opens me up and encourages loving energy
Reflection: What would my life look like if I opened up like this, especially when the impulse is to close? Tenderness, kindness toward myself and then toward others. I would probably listen more and talk less.  Joy and happiness being less conditional and more inherent. Love would lead and fear would follow. The illusion of “I can’t” becomes the reality of “we can”.

Week 8. Straddle/Dragonfly
Learning: I’m really aware of the earth in this posture, the earth as my body. As for the spine, unlike Butterfly, surrender here is less risky. I feel safer. I’m aware of my architecture – my bones and how they support this body, I’m grateful for my legs, that I have two and they are healthy for me to walk and run.
Reflection: What area in my life is asking for your acceptance? The inner Goddess of Wisdom and Creativity.  I keep thinking “I” have to make the choice, “I” have to be creative. Yet when “I” mind is quiet, it is clear that the wisdom for choice and the inspiration to create are already present. But like I found out in week #7, I’m not always open to it, I close my own doors. What a gift this week is to remind me of this!

Week 9. Reclined Twist
Learning and Reflection: What does scanning your body tell me during this pose? My left side of my body feels tighter; how freeing it is to be able to turn my head; twists help me focus and clear my head. Note to myself – do more twisting!

Week 10. Meditation
Learning: I practiced my 5 minutes of breathing awareness with a block under my shoulder blades and one for my head. This opening in my chest area was a friendly way to start the rest of my mediation practice. Before this week I never tried meditation that way. I’m glad I listened to my inner self!
Reflection: How does it effect the rest of my day? It is a reminder to come back to this breath, to right here. And in that vast, soft space of presence, I see clearly that there is room for everything. The “I me mine” can dance freely.  I can welcome and respond to whatever arises in my experience from a wider, wiser, kinder perspective.

Playing Your Edge

“How often in life we complete a task that was beyond the capability of the person we were when we started it.” Robert Brault

Intensity and pain. Where is the line? Where does intensity turn into pain? In Yin Yoga that place is called your physical edge. Erich Schiffman, a yoga teacher that I’m inspired by, wrote a fabulous article about Playing Your Edge, and says that an edge is the place in a stretch “just before pain, but not pain itself”. Pretty tricky. For me taking a yin yoga pose is an exploration of my outer limits, our edges, physical and mental.

This week we are creatively working with a pose that challenges many people to play with their edge. Interested? Read more about it in Week #6 of our 5 x 5 x 10 Home Yin Yoga Practice.

Learning to Meet Discomfort Through Mindful Yin Yoga

How do you deal with discomfort? Do you run away? Do you lash out? Do you shut down or distract?

Friendliness toward my discomfort and fears is a life project if you know what I mean.   Sitting with my mind, getting to know it better through mindfulness meditation is one way of befriending discomfort.  I have found that Yin yoga also is designed to help train us to meet life’s discomforts with more resilience. Yin yoga has three tenets in practicing a pose and within these are the tools for mindfulness with discomfort. Let me share them with you as I see it.

#1. Relate to discomfort with awareness, wisdom and kindness.

Moving with awareness teaches us to slow down. Everything is so much juicier and sweeter when we slow down, even our discomforts. We actually can taste the moment with our senses rather than settle for watching a projected picture of it in our mind.

When we move with kindness we are honoring a no harm policy toward ourselves, the basis for all relationships. We are asked to drop our defenses, let go of our tendency to grip, control or keep it together and to trust our experience in the moment even though we really don’t know where that will take us. Not easy.

We are a body-mind process not a solid separate body and mind. Since we use our thinking mind so much in everyday life both in mindfulness and yin yoga we practice using our felt sense more than the thinking sense to navigate how to respond and play with our edges, play with discomfort. Being embodied – aware of what’s going on inside – is key to living in harmony because most of our cues are coming from the” inside world” and not the “outside world”. Ever notice that?

Lets face it many of us don’t pay attention to messages from our bodies. For many of us there is a disconnect between the two. Yet even though we aren’t listening to our body very often it is informing our thoughts, moods and actions. By tuning into the discomfort of our body and being patient with it, we can let go of our ideas and projections about it and actually taste the experience of discomfort. When we are with our body in this wise way it can be unexpectedly transformative for our thoughts, emotions, actions, basically our lives.

#2. Rest from discomfort by stilling the body, quieting the breath, and quieting the mind.

Through the stress response,  the body is conditioned to move into action when under stress – real or “in our head”. In yin yoga and in mindfulness when discomfort arises, whether physically tangible or mental, we first notice it and accept the discomfort. Then back off, I mean we stop the doing anything about it. We surrender to it, soften and get still. We pause, we breath, we give the sensations of discomfort space to move and change while our body, breath, and attention try to remain still and quiet. We witness the discomfort with non judging curiosity. It takes lots of practice. I think I’ll always be a beginner at it.

Discomfort is part of life. It’s to be met and related with, not run away from, or controlled. (I have to remind myself of this all the time.) By allowing life’s discomforts, disappointments and fears, and giving space around them, my relationship with discomfort and dis-ease changes. My awareness heightens. That’s when rest rushes in. This is the gift, the insight about discomfort I see when I am willing to soften, surrender and be still while in my yin poses.

#3.  Do this for awhile and repeatedly, make it a habit, and discomfort might just become an ally.

If you sit with discomfort for awhile you go through lots of stages. Awareness comes and goes, kindness comes and goes, and stillness may not come at all. But in the end it’s about practicing seeing discomfort as just a fact of being human; seeing discomfort as the waves of changing sensations that they are; seeing our feelings about them as reflections of our reactive thought patterns that can be altered with our attention. And seeing that if we can learn to relate to our own discomfort we can better open our hearts and be flexible in our minds and be available to relate with others from this loving and receptive place.

That’s the kind of person I’d like to be: loving, tolerant, non judging, patient and clear minded. Meeting my discomforts in yin yoga with mindfulness is a small step in that direction. Just what I wanted!

Has yin yoga helped you deal with life’s discomforts? I’d love to hear about it.

Oh and check out week #5 of our 5 x 5 x 10 Home Yin Yoga Challenge.

Give our inner life more space to be just as it is

In the first week of the 5 x 5 x10 Yin Yoga Challenge we started with Relaxation or Corpse pose because it can be dropped in before, in between and at the end of any one or many yoga poses. Next we practiced a basic forward bend that opens the joints at the lower spine and the hips, the Butterfly pose. This week, #3 we are doing a little backbend, Sphinx pose.

Sarah Powers, co-founder of “Yin Yoga” writes about backbends and mindfulness in her book Insight Yoga:

While holding a backbend we may experience alarm as the minutes progress and we feel the sensations of compression in our lumbar spine. As we rest the mind on the sensations in our back and allow the feelings of trepidation to move through us, we literally give our inner life more space to be just as it is, without mental constriction. As a result, a curious thing occurs. The original feeling of something like fear is now also permeated with attention, producing a feeling of alert allowance. From this vantage point, we can authentically investigate the anatomy of any emotion.

Whether while you are practicing 5:00 Yin with us this week or not, let’s all use this mindful approach in our life of giving more space to the winds of sensations and emotion that swirl up inside and grab our attention asking us to react.

Instead we can simply pause for 1 second or 5 minutes and allow whatever it is to work it’s way through our inner landscape without “mental constriction”, then we can question our personal narratives and stories, see their fiction and return to a natural ease of being.

I know when I give my own inner life more space to be just as it is and forgive my own reactive tendencies, I am more likely to do that with my husband, my family, my friends. In that way the peace and love I find within myself spreads.

Happy Valentines Day!

Yin, Yang and Restorative Yoga

“The power or “yang-styled” yoga forms so popular in the West — with their fast shifts between poses and emphasis on sweat — have left a gap for more meditative, longer-held stretches”…Paul Grilley, one of the developers of yin yoga

 What are the main differences and similarities between these three types of yoga:

In Yang style yoga poses are

1. usually dynamic and tend to build and train muscles.
2. held in proper alignment by muscular action and a prop can be used to assist.
3. repeated and held for a relatively short periods of time usually less than 1 minute.
4. for the most part everyone since they can be performed gently and slowly or vigorously and powerful.

In Yin style yoga for the most part

1. the muscles remain quiet and stationary.
2. the connective tissue or fascia around the joints are stretched, compressed or twisted instead of the muscles and props are used to allow the muscles to relax so the connective tissue can be targeted.
3. poses are held for 1-10 minutes or more.
4. it targets people who have an active yang-style life or possess tight muscles and joints from being sedentary.

In Restorative yoga

1. the muscles remain quiet and stationary.
2. poses are supported and held in alignment with lots of props which “alternately stimulate and relax the body to move toward balance” – says Judith Lasater, the restorative yoga high priestess.
3. poses are held for usually a minimum of 10 minutes.
4. everyone is invited because we all need to “relax and restore” regularly.

I love them all, for different reasons and the different effects they have on me:

• Yang – I feel physically aligned, taller (I wish!), empowered mentally, joyful (unless I overworked it) and energized.
• Yin – I feel momentarily vulnerable, massaged (like someone was inside my joints), embodied (rather than living in my head!), and I have sense of self acceptance of being just as I am (awesome).
• Restorative – I feel open, calm, relaxed, restored (like I just got an hour sleep), still, clear, and receptive of the world (I become very present).

So I was wondering what kind of yoga do you love and why? What effect does it have on you?

Oh and I almost forgot, for you “yinsters” who are part of the Yin Home Practice Challenge – the second week is up check it out!

Join the 5x5x10 Club!

Can you make space for one 5 minute yin yoga pose in your everyday life?

One of my intentions for 2013 is to support and encourage people who take my yin yoga classes to start a home yin practice.  Here is one small step towards that aim. I’m calling it:

The 5 x 5 x 10 Yin Yoga Home Challenge:                                     

• To do one 5minute yin yoga pose a day,
• at least 5 days a week,
• for 10 consecutive weeks.

The Challenge starts Sunday, January 27 and ends Saturday, April 6. Studies show it takes 8-12 weeks to really form a habit. So if 8 weeks works better for you, I encourage you to shoot for 8 weeks!

Who is this for:
Though it is meant for people who are taking or have taken my yin yoga classes – anyone can join.

Precautions: If you are pregnant, have health issues or an injury this challenge may not be for you. You are your best teacher and healer. The yin shapes reflect your particular body that day. It is meant to start easy and over time progress. Backing off is always an option, pain, pinching, biting lips is not.  Read more about precautions at yinyoga.com.

How does it work:
Check out the weekly post: Sunday mornings starting January 27 I’ll post details, pictures,  about each week’s yin pose, yoga in general and of course my take on it. You can do the suggested pose for the week or pick your own yin pose at yinyoga.com. You can do a different pose each week or you can work on one pose for longer – its up to you. It’s your challenge! The only requirement is that it is one pose and you do it for 5 minutes. Share your experience: Write a thought or brief comment about your experience, your progress and share it with the group on this blog each week before the following Sunday morning. This isn’t required but what a great way to support each other!

Why do this:
Physically – If you have a pose that is difficult this is a perfect opportunity to soften it up. If you have an area like your back, hips, ankles that are stiff, you can pick poses that work those particular joints of your body more.
Mentally – If your like the rest of us humans and your stressful thoughts live in the cells of your body it’s a chance to release their grip!
Spiritually – It can connect you with the ground, your ground of being, by keeping quiet, keeping still and observing the ever changing inner landscape without our usual habitual reactions.

Where to do it:
That’s the best part – you don’t have to leave your house and you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it in your bedroom, bed, hey maybe the bathtub! Ok, that might be pushing it. (Actually no, for the record, that is legal!)

What do I need:
A few firm blankets, firm cushions and something like a block. A stack of books will do. And perhaps soothing music in the background.

Hope this is a good idea! And if you have some ideas please do contribute with your comments and thoughts below. I really want this site to be about community and supporting each other in using yoga and mindfulness practices to enhance our well-being and the well-being of all.

If you are interested, curious, just want to try it out for a week, sign up (go to the bottom of the page) by becoming a follower of this blog or check back here again next Sunday on the 5 x 5 x 10 page of my site. I’m looking forward to it and hope you are too.

Opening up to our heart’s yes opens us up to unexpectedly delicious experiences.

How do you know which voices to listen to?

Last night minutes before leading a Yin yoga class I found out the heat at the studio was temporarily broken and the temperature in the room would drop uncomfortably low. I was meant to leave a note on the door with the disappointing news for everyone, yet something in me said I need to tell them myself. So I quickly sent a text to a few people hoping to catch them before they left home and then waited. After a few people arrived I discovered it was clear everyone wanted their Yin – cold and all.

Yin Yoga is a synthesis of Indian Hatha yoga and Chinese Taoist yoga that emphasizes opening and balancing energy channels, (meridians in Chinese, nadis in Indian) aligning bones and reconditioning stiff joints. It is about marinating in a pose physically and mentally to let it effect the deeper connective tissues in the body, move stuck energy and quiet our 24/7, active mind.  It is generally a passive, stationary, floor based yoga where we hold poses as long as 5-10 minutes. I help facilitate this process with guided mindfulness meditation and soothing music.

My mind said a cold room, cold floor was not a good thing, and all my training said it too. Yet, when I heard everyone was up for it and we were all friends, my heart opened and said, “Let’s try a few and see what happens.”

I had been on retreats where in both the yoga and meditation rooms you could practically see your breath. At first the mind starts telling you everything “bad” about this situation and every cell in your body is bracing for hardship but soon Reality takes you by surprise. The mind-body internal generator starts burning and attention moves from the concept of “cold” to the actual experience of it which is always changing. The mechanism of yoga breathing is like tending a fire, and the power of meditation helps you move from the outer mental layer of “cold” to the inner core of being where “cold” is simply another concept. There you discover Reality finds contentment in ALL conditions.

What started as just a couple of poses turned into 45 minutes of deep tissue opening, parasympathetic stimulation – something we all needed after all the sympathetic nervous activity of the holidays.

Passive yin and a room without heat – that’s a rational recipe for a cold and unpleasant experience. Yet this faithful group discovered what we think about something is not the Reality. With a bit of loving, caring attention, a willingness to go within, and the joy of friends, we actually were pretty toasty and we all said our experience was delicious.

So with the first class of this year at Govinda Yoga I received a beautiful lesson: Listen beyond the mind. This year my intention is to live in my Heart and not in my head; to let my thoughts marinate and get soft so that I can bring flexibility to them; to pause and listen beyond the limited, smallish, chattering mind to the vast, limitless silent heart that is the Essence of us all.

Thank you Lisa, Claudia and Ludia for giving me this lesson and a deep felt intention for 2013! Happy, Heart-full New Year Everyone!

Caveat: One more thing about Winter and Yin yoga.  In spite of my beautiful lesson, I still want you to bring warm clothes to Yin class – hoods, hats, mittens, socks, even long johns! No foolin’. The fact is studios get cold even though we are burning our inner flame with breath and attention! Other hints – don’t eat for several hours before – otherwise your energy will be diverted to digestion rather than heating!

Finally, for anyone interested in what poses we did, here you go.
The focus of the class was on the kidney meridians so we started with a wide Saddle (Supta Vajrasana), sitting on our heels, feet together, knees wide apart and taking the head to the floor or some variation of. Then we set up for Sphinx. We repeated Saddle which was easier this time and then took Seal (Bhujangasana) for 1:00 intervals four times with rest in between. These backbends not only activated the kidneys but also acted as warming poses. I covered everyone’s backside with blankets for both poses to help the process.

Then we started a few forward bends focusing on the inner thigh where the Kidney meridian flows. Butterfly (Baddha Konasna variation) for was next and I asked everyone to wrap the blankets around them especially the kidney area and to cover their heads. Here is where the breath and meditation took over to keep the inner fire burning and mind moving inward where it is always warm.

We continued the surrender and stillness in Straddle (Upavista Konasana) with legs wide apart we folded right, left and center.

And for our Resting Pose (Savasana) we luxuriated in as many blankets as we wanted and then I wrapped a blanket around everyone’s head so just the skin of the face was peering through. I wish I would have taken a picture, they looked snug as bug in a rug!