Quick here he comes, switch it to red.

“With that big festival on, there will be no where to park” Dawn says as we pull on to 8th street where the Yoga studio is located. It had been a quiet week on the Yoga front. Class attendance down for no obvious reason, other than it’s a full moon. Sorry that is the best I can come up with

Getting to my first Samaagama on time had been a challenge. Every light was against me on the way of course, that goes without saying. Somewhere in a master traffic control center, the Saturday evening shift is having fun. They plan the traffic light sequences to cause the most disruption to those of us in a rush. I feel like I am on the set of “The Italian Job (2)” as each light in front of me changes to red. We are already late, as I forgot the rug and we had to go back and get it. One more light now and it’s freeway all the way.

This evening hwy 280 is reduced to 2 lanes as they prepare to resurface the other two. Lanes which appear, to me, to be perfectly fine. Shouldn’t this crew really be one freeway over? Go check 101 guys, even the lunar rover has trouble on that one.

“How about I park there” I say pointing out the one free parking spot within a 10 block radius. It is right in front of the studio, our first break. Setting up is a breeze, but would anyone come?
The day had been hot, too hot to do anything. Fall out rate on acceptances for Yoga classes is worse than Hotel booking or airlines flights. There was no where to park. Apparently there is a flu bug going around. Oh and I hear a rattlesnake epidemic is also trapping people in their homes in many cities. All good stuff to soothe the ego if this turns into a disaster.

"Honey, we will have to stay home this evening"

The brave, the few, battled rattlesnakes, heat, parking, the flu and the entire night shift of San Mateo county traffic control to make the evening something special. Not only did we raise a tidy sum for the victims of San Bruno, everyone had a great time in the process.

It was not without its rocky start of course. “Can the music go any louder” a Samyama regular asks, “I’m giving it all she’s got captain, she can’t take any more or she’ll blow” I reply offering my best Star Trek impression. The sound system was wound up to maximum and the iPhone too. Weird though, it sounded louder when I tested it earlier this week. It was only later that I discovered there was one more click on the iPhone volume I could have used. Apparently the volume cannot be adjusted once the iPhone is secured in the docking station. Thanks Steve!

I'm giving you all shes got captain.

We have a wide range of abilities in the room ranging from;  Never done yoga before through, I have been learning for 4 weeks; To “OK my leg is behind my head and I am balancing on one hand, now what?”

There is something about the loud music and self practice that allows you to let go fully. I always get deeper in these sessions. So much so, I find it disappointing how “undeep” I am usually. How come it’s only when it’s pitch black that my best Yoga comes out?

People are singing to the music too. How cool is that? I must remember to throw in enough tracks that are familiar in future playlists.

When the music finally brings us into land, unprompted, we all migrate to the mat and sit eating the fruits by candle light. We discuss everything from the music to favorite poses and even favorite teachers, and why. We sat there for ages talking under the candlelight. Unbeknownst to me, a cleaning lady had arrived to tidy up after us. (Wendy keeps the studio looking in peak condition at all times) It reminded me of one of those film scenes where the couple is sitting in the restaurant long after the place has closed. Waiters desperately hover in the background waiting for them to leave, the couple oblivious. That was how great it was, at least for me.

I had decided to call the evening Samaagama not Samyama. There is already a well known event on the Peninsula called Samyama. It is orchestrated by a good friend of mine. Although this was not dis-similar it was not meant in anyway to compete, but rather find it’s own “oldmoonyoga” spin on the concept. Samyama “refers to the flowing of attention, awareness and energy in meditation that occurs so spontaneously and effortlessly as to be said to be nearly simultaneous.” (I found that quote on line ) Samaagama has a less lofty goal. It means a union, a gathering, a coming together, and that is exactly what happened.

How close to Samyama were we? Well I left the side door open to the studio we were in. At some point a colleague from my office came into the room dropped of a donation and left. None of us was aware of her presence at all.

Your best yoga is done to candlelight

Will we do it again? The group seemed keen, and so am I. I am not concerned about the numbers that turn up now. It’s not the quantity afterall, it’s the quality that counts . I see the gathering gradually expanding over time as people discover it’s magic. A little like Yoga classes themselves.

Many thanks to all of you that came last night. I am thinking that my next playlist could be exclusively Elton John. Plenty of singing opportunities there, what do you think? For those who could not make it, sorry no pictures, what happens at Samaagama stay at Samaagama!

Ganda Bherundasana - Fierce bird handstand

“I want to teach a level 2-3 class” this was the mantra from me and several others in my teacher training group. Teaching beginners is much harder, was the general opinion amongst us. In an advanced class you can just call out the poses and everyone knows them. Last week, after 18 months of patiently waiting (ok you can substitute “pleading and begging” there if you like ) , I eventually got my opportunity to teach a more advanced class.

Kapinjulasana - The Bird that Feeds on Raindrops

Why are studios reluctant to bill 2-3 classes, especially to new teacher? I think the answer is largely to do with class numbers. I had never really realized this before but the rating of the class is a big consideration for most of the potential students. As I start to spread the word about my new 2-3 class reactions are largely polarized. “Oh 2-3 I don’t think I can do that” or “Good I only do 2-3 classes.” Many yogis see the difference between the two classes similar to that of moving from a beginning class to a 1-2. This makes perfect sense, I had just never thought of it that way until now. The larger cross section of the population is going to be of 1-2 ability so it makes more sense to favor that level. So, as with new radio stations, a second pop station gets you a bigger audience than starting a channel for classics.

There are no real rules about what makes a level 1, 2 or 3 class. The reality is that one teacher’s level 2 is another’s level 3. I have been in 2-3 classes where the poses were too hard even for the teacher. A teacher tumbling sideways out of peacock twisting their wrist and hitting the ground hard is not the best way to inspire new Yogis to “have a go”. I have also been in 2-3 classes where we did nothing but the classic standing and seated posed. No arm balances, or inversions. “You can make a Yoga case for the advanced class being about the breath after all.” Yeh right! In my experience yogis want harder more challenging poses, and ok, we can do a little breathing at the end to indulge the teacher.

With this in mind I have set out to make my three different class levels stepping stones. You get the same basic format for each class. Only the poses and flow get increasingly more challenging. For example we do sun salutation A in all my classes. However, I never do Chataranga in my beginner class, we do Cobra instead. In the 1-2 I introduce Chataranga, and in the 2-3 class I assume it.

Fierce Bird Preparation, now up dog and down dog with that leg in the air

The idea being that, at least within one teacher, you will get some consistency.

So trying not to scare too many people off, I decided to let rip with some challenging poses for the 2-3 class this week. Making it a similar step up from 1-2 as 1-2 is a step up from beginner

During the warm up I introduce “Fierce Bird” preparation. Not the full arm balance with the chin on the ground, but doing vinyasas with one leg in the air. That’s chataranga, upward facing dog, and downward facing dog all with the leg in the air.

Then sprinkled through the class the following little challenges

• Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose)
• Kapinjalasana (The bird that feeds on raindrops)
• Eka Pada Galavasana (Flying Crow Pose)

Astavakrasana - Eight Angle Pose

Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose) This pose builds on the simpler arm balances and strength built through charangas in the 1-2 classes. This is the “must have in my portfolio” pose for teachers. Don’t forget to smile at the camera in this pose.

Kapinjalasana (The bird that feeds on raindrops) builds on a solid down dog and balance developed in the beginner and 1-2 classes. I usually manage to stay in this pose about 1 second before falling out. For some reason on Friday I managed to stay much longer when I demoed. Not pushing my luck I just demoed on one side

Eka Pada Galavasana (Flying Crow Pose) builds on both the standing balances and arm balances such as Crow of course.

So teaching beginners is harder huh? Not so, there is teaching to be done at every stage. In this sequence none of these are poses you can just “call out” and expect people to do. There is plenty of instruction and demonstration to give here. No free ride for this yoga teacher, I am exhausted. Luckily I did not slip and twist a wrist though.

Eka Pada Galavasana (Flying Crow Pose)

Which classes do I like teaching the most? I can’t decide, I love teaching them all, and especially love seeing people progress from beginning through 1, 2, 3, but I guess that is what drives every teacher.

Oh and the 2-3 Yogis said they liked the step up this week, but will they come back next week? We will see

Pigeon

This week marked my 500^th hour of teaching since being let loose on an unsuspected public by the Yoga Alliance. It was about 18 months ago they deemed me certified Like the true Silicon Valley nerd that I have become, I have every statistic you could possibly imagine to go along with this 500 hour fact, including total number of yogis taught, average class size and even seasonal trends. It has been an exciting and eventful 18 months, culminating in my recent opportunity to teach a prime Saturday morning slot at Nandi Yoga.

Nothing magical happens at 500 hours. I don’t suddenly become competent, acquire the ability to chat or even sing ‘Om”. At 500 hours Yoga teachers are eligible to take an additional certification. Presumably the theory is that you have learned enough about teaching, and that you are ready for the next level. I don’t have any plans to do this. I am still learning from my current classes. This week I discovered a new technique for “Bird of Paradise” which it makes it so easy, so much more enjoyable if you struggle with that pose. It was so obvious too; I don’t know why I had not thought of it myself.

Last week, I learned to never leave pigeon out of a class. This rule stood me in good stead this week. Not a riot in sight. So here is

Old Moon Yoga’s guide to pigeon.

• Get ready. I like to come into pigeon from down dog splits. That’s down dog with one leg in the air. Take the right leg up behind and swing the leg through and across the midline. The right heel ending up somewhere close to the left hip. The right knee still on the right side of the body thigh facing forwards. I have noticed that all but the very stiff can achieve this pretty easily.
• 

  Breathe deep here

  Get Set. Ok here is where the challenge comes in. For a lot of people their hip is not on the ground. So their butt is floating around in mid air. “Get something under your butt” I repeat for the umpteenth time. With nothing under the butt the knee is under strain, the body is tensed up and therefore won’t stretch. So any Yogi is this position is in danger of blowing their knee out and in no danger of improving the stretch any time soon. I explain all this and implore people to get a blanket, a block, two blocks, a bolster what ever your need. “You body will release and you will stretch quicker” I suggest to try to counter the ego or stigma that seems to surround the use of any props in a vinyasa class. I scan the room, there are right butts as high as 6 inches off of the floor. With rising doubts as to my communication skills or my ability to finish class on time, I move on to the second phase.

• Get Set (and I do mean it this time ) “Everyone pick your hands up off of the floor. “ I suggest in the next phase of my cunning plan to get people safe for pigeon. “If you tip over like this…..”, I demonstrate how unstable the pose is if that butt is not on the floor. “…. you need something under your butt”. People smile and stare but try desperately to stay balanced while their right butt hovers, the floor tantalizingly close, about a blocks distance actually.
• Get Set (moving on) If your butt is on the floor and you want more, inch worm your back (left) foot way from you. This gradually brings the front (right) shin parallel to the front of the mat. This approach is far easier, and safer, than the technique most Yogis adopt, which is to yank on the front foot trying to pull it forwards as they jerk their body up and back.
• Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose) Come upright and try to tuck the butt under. This tucking is more of a feeling than a movement. This lets you get the back straighter, more upright. If you are very upright you may even be able to interlock the hands behind the back and reach for the floor behind you in a little back bend. This is a great place to take a couple of long slow deep breaths before …
• 

  A Twisted Pigeon Variation

  Coming forward. Releasing the hands now just come straight forward with a flat back. I like palms up, Yin style, as it offers even more release. Try to sink down into the hip. This should be all about the hip and not the knee. The hips coming down to the ground parallel and even. All those Yogis whose butts were floating on mid air have now come forward with hips leaning over to one side. The body preferring to move away from the stretch of course. From my vantage point I can see them all loosing out on the benefits of the pose.

• Adjustments. Adjusting in pigeon is a very delicate affair. It is too easy to put pressure on someone’s knee. As always the first task is to find the right Yogi. The one in a good position for adjustment. Sorry all of you yogis with floating butts, no adjustment for you. Finding someone with parallel hips, I offer just a small adjustment here with one hand on the sacrum the other on spine between the shoulders. It is more of a lengthening of the spine than a push down into the hips. The yogi usually does the deepening themselves.
• Want more? After stretching for a while lift up the chest and place in on the thigh. Reach the left arm forward and across stretching all down the left side of the body.
• Still want more? Taking this a little further lift your left elbow and place it outside of the right thigh. Bring both hands to prayer position at the heart and push them towards the center of the breast bone in a twisted variation of pigeon.
• Still want more? Bring the left arm across the front of the mat, the right hand to the right knee opening up a twisted pigeon.
• Still want more? (Are you one of those “Type A” people?) Take the right hand behind your back and reach for the big toes of the front (right) foot. Finding a full twisted pigeon
• Still want more? You are in luck, we have to do the other side now.

King Pigeon

Butt off of the ground is correct in this pose

Every wondered why it’s called “one legged king pigeon pose”? Actually there is a “one legged pigeon pose II” leading up to the final pose King Pigeon. Ironically this pose is done kneeling so the butt is way in the air. I have included pictures so you can see where we are headed. King Pigeon is a humbling pose that certainly puts the floating butt into perspective, there’s no rushing Yoga. I can’t see me achieving King Pigeon unless reincarnation really happens

Reincarnation is my only hope

One last loose end, that wonderful new technique for Bird of Paradise, darn I am out of time. Here I go starting on my next 500 hours, sometime during that period I will share this insight, for sure.