Today I attended 2 workshops by this anusara teacher Desiree Rumbaugh. She is not only a great yoga teacher but she is a person with alot of heart and energy about her. I really enjoyed her class and learned alot from this fantastic lady.
In the morning, the workshop was on backbends and arm balancing. And in the evening it was on yoga therapy for the upper body, mainly the shoulders and neck.
What was so enjoyable was her insights on yoga, her humor and her positive energy (she cracks everyone up with her jokes and her wild poses that she taught). And most importantly she is just so helpful and sincere to everyone. You can see in her that she really wanted to help everyone and share whatever she knows. For me a great teacher is one who just goes all out to help everyone and at the same time enjoy herself while she teaches. She is just so strong and beautiful in person and her poses are powerful with grace and strength.
My recollection of what we did during the 2 workshops ( in no proper order, this is as i picked off the top of my head ) :
Morning Workshop
-Wild thing ( side plank, top leg bent behind, focus on the hips, lift as high as possible, lengthen, open and then extend backwards )
-handstand ( soften the heart, lengthen the ribs, internal rotate the legs, keep legs active, squeeze like something in between legs), once away from -wall with partner, next on your own against the wall and do the ‘L’ shaped with your legs up in hand stand ( one leg on the wall, the other leg 90deg from the other, then drawn each legs towards the centre to find the balance )
-down dog extend yr sides of the waist, soften heart
-down dog, put block in between hands and press against the block as u extend your waist and press down to the heels
-cobra (extend into the back and up, using the pecs side muscles, use fingers at the armpits and then squeeze )
-partial trikon
-trikon
-dropback, wild funny posture, hands extended, butt pushed out, chest up, shoulders back, knees bend
-how to turn head to left with shoulders pulled back
-pushing inner fingers (thumb and index fingers) down strongly during down dog when wrist is hurt ( will help alleviate the pain )
training for handstand, lie on back , put legs up, use block put in between legs ( thigh, easiest; knees, more difficult; shin, more difficult; ankles, most difficult ) then lift body off the floor ( squeeze block at legs), anohter set is to keep arms out and then twist legs to right side without lifting your left shoulders as far as possible, do same for the other side
-pigeon, square hips, internal rotation of thigh muscles alot, ok to be lifted in the hips in the pose, then lengthen sides, again open chest ( head not back ) , then slowly backbend
-reverse paradise bird
-dancer pose against the wall one side, and then extend backwards
Evening Workshop
-Focus on working on the shoulders and neck, got people with shoulders and neck problem to help them. Desiree had shoulder problem too and she has used all the different techniques to help gain back her shoulders.
-using breath to open the heart, lift the chest
-how breathing helps to open, walked around with puffed chest…haha
-pulling shoulders back
-cactus, arms in cactus, partner put hands at shoulder blade and push into the back while u stretch and lengthen the side of waist
-put one arm against wall and turn outwards
-headstand ( wrist, lengthen waist, soften heart ) 12 fingers from the tip of the nose is the center of crown. what u want is the curve in the neck, not all weight on the forearms, head can take some of the weight, lift one leg up by rotating inwards and then naturally the other leg will just float up
-wheel ( how to pull shoulders back ) if shoulders having problems, can put hands slightly out to the sides to come up
before going into wheel, to do bridge and put shoulders under, helps open
-sun salutation, plenty of opportunities to work shoulders back and chest lifted
-corpse pose, also great opportunity to keep shoulders on the floor engaging the shoulder muscles ( push head against the floor also to create a natural curve at the backof the next )
-rounding of back, stand up striaght, then without bending, push your spine back into rounded back ( like muscle man flexing arms ), keeping the curve, bring shoulders back, lengthen side of chest, tailbone tuck – best natural position.
-warrior one, put one hand on the bent knee ( same side ), then with the other hand raise, pull shoulders back, lengthen sides, open heart ( head extend, do not pull back at first, just lengthen ), then stretch hand out and go into bend slow
-crow, after doing the round of back, rem the rounding of back, go into crow, squeeze knees on the shoulders
-training of your neck muscles ( desiree has such strong muscles there! )
Do check out her website : www.desireerumbaugh.com
