Welcome to Season 2

Welcome to season two of Step by Step. In this series of classes we're going to dive into several poses, review the names, some benefits, some contraindications, reasons why you might not want to play in this pose today. We'll move progressively into the pose and as we're into the pose we'll talk a little bit about the energetics in there. But we'll move safely in, so progressing from little bite-sized pieces into the full pose. So ultimately the shapes of these asanas, the shapes that we are creating with our body, they're simply tools, right? So it's not about this glorious pose that we put out there, the shape that we put into body, it's a tool to first create some flexibility and strength in our body and to create a piece, a place to focus, right? And ultimately it then becomes a more of a meditative state, a way to clear our mind and find stillness. So keeping this in mind no matter what pressly position that we get ourselves into, it's not an automatic button to enlightenment, it's just part of the path. So all of these poses that we're going to be doing today end with asana. Dhanurasana, ustrasana, urdvadhanurasana. So asana often translates to pose. How I learned asana is translating to seat and to me it's just this beautiful reminder of ultimately what all of these postures are for. To find a way to create a container to be able to sit in our own stillness. So every time I hear that, every time I say that, the word asana, dhanurasana, ustrasana, urdvadhanurasana, it's just a reminder of the deeper meaning of what we're doing on the on our mats with our practice. So all of us have, although we might look similar from the outside in terms of overall structure, we're all built a little differently. We all have tightnesses in certain places, we all have openness in certain places. So I'm going to ask that throughout these classes you honor your body, you listen, and if something doesn't feel right, back off a little bit. Great.

And then I ask that you be willing as we go step by step and taking these bite sized pieces that you're willing to back up. Take two steps back before moving an inch forward. It's often this backwards to brass forwards. So I hope you enjoy look forward to seeing you in class. Namaste.