Yesterday morning @jessdandy led #YxYY yoga practice. She had @staubin lead a vinyasa flow and asked me to instruct our class of about 15-20 in a step-by-step practice to do an arm balance (side crow) as I’d taught her the day before. Without preparation I led everyone from memory the steps I learned from my yoga teacher Jordan at Mission Cliffs. From standing, start with chair pose, and slowly deliberately take each of these steps as they feel comfortable, or stop, hold, and breathe when you feel like you’ve reached a limit. * from chair, put your hands together in front of your chest and twist your upper torso to the right. * side twist with hands together, knees still bent, left elbow to the right of your right knee, watching your knees to keep them aligned * then stretched apart, one hand touch the floor, the other reaching to the sky, looking up to it * both hands on the mat pointing to the side, keeping knees aligned * use your core to lift your thigs up higher, so they touched as high up on your upper arms as possible * then start to bend your elbows and lean over them, your upper arms supporting your stacked thighs, keeping your core strong while still breathing * gradually as you lean further, your feet should feel light then left off the floor as your elbows are bent eventually to a 90 degree angle and you’re doing side crow! Apparently about half the class was able to do it, and everyone took at least a few steps and found spots to stretch and practice. I had everyone unwind from the pose, stand back up, take a counter backbend stretch, and then do the same on the other side. That was a first for me — I’ve never led a group in any kind of yoga, and was grateful to have the opportunity to do so, as well as having been taught a series of small incremental steps to achieving side crow that I could remember and pass along. Teaching something to a group for the first time was itself a learning experience.

Yesterday morning @jessdandy led #YxYY yoga practice. She had @staubin lead a vinyasa flow and asked me to instruct our class of about 15-20 in a step-by-step practice to do an arm balance (side crow) as I’d taught her the day before.

Without preparation I led everyone from memory the steps I learned from my yoga teacher Jordan at Mission Cliffs.

From standing, start with chair pose, and slowly deliberately take each of these steps as they feel comfortable, or stop, hold, and breathe when you feel like you’ve reached a limit.
* from chair, put your hands together in front of your chest and twist your upper torso to the right.
* side twist with hands together, knees still bent, left elbow to the right of your right knee, watching your knees to keep them aligned
* then stretched apart, one hand touch the floor, the other reaching to the sky, looking up to it
* both hands on the mat pointing to the side, keeping knees aligned
* use your core to lift your thigs up higher, so they touched as high up on your upper arms as possible
* then start to bend your elbows and lean over them, your upper arms supporting your stacked thighs, keeping your core strong while still breathing
* gradually as you lean further, your feet should feel light then left off the floor as your elbows are bent eventually to a 90 degree angle and you’re doing side crow!

Apparently about half the class was able to do it, and everyone took at least a few steps and found spots to stretch and practice.

I had everyone unwind from the pose, stand back up, take a counter backbend stretch, and then do the same on the other side.

That was a first for me — I’ve never led a group in any kind of yoga, and was grateful to have the opportunity to do so, as well as having been taught a series of small incremental steps to achieving side crow that I could remember and pass along. Teaching something to a group for the first time was itself a learning experience.