There are at least 5 Ways to begin your yogaSOMATICS class to help your students come HOME to their bodies.

STANDING

LAYING ON BACK

QUADRUPED

SEATED

LAYING ON BELLY

Following are a few progression suggestions - from different orientations with gravity - that can help you to begin your classes in different and responsive ways. Remember, the goal is not that you NEED to do it different every time . . . these suggestions are just to help you diversify . . . and have a wide reaching response for you and your students needs from day to day. The following progressions COULD be useful for the first 10-15 minutes of a class.

1. Uttanasana - Malasana - Milking open backs of legs to CLOUD HERDING (Standing)

2. Constructive Rest (Spiaggiasana) - making the “foot prints”

3. Cosmic Cat - Burrowing - Balasana (with vase breathing)

4. Seaweed Sitting with hand at navel - Vase Breathing

5. Belly Kissing Earth - Rolling Sphinx - to Balasana

HOMEWORK WEEK 5:

  1. Watch and Practice with the “Cloud Herding” Video. This is a lovely way to bring your attention back to yourself and is a really good way to start a standing or seated class. Share your reflections of the practice and also if you have shared it with any of your classes.

  2. Read and complete the questions in the PDF - exploring how we can begin our classes or practice times with different orientations with gravity - standing, sitting, laying down, quadruped. If you have tried with any of your classes or students, do you notice when it is good to use different starts . . . when is it good for you to begin in a familiar way?

    Please submit your reflections in doc or pdf format by email to ateekayoga@gmail.com by Wed 2 April 2025.

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