And, of course there is that fine line between demonstrating a pose (this is where we are headed) and showing off in a pose (this is tittibhasana motha fuckers! oh, and you should move so i don't kick you in the face).  Charlotte Bell has a great post on this at Hugger Mugger.

But, the asshat who made me get out of my pose to demo a pose that NO ONE in the class was even close to getting got me thinking about my own motivation when I demo those poses.  Is it for the sake of teaching or for the sake of ego?  Honestly, probably both.

A pose that I have all my students working toward (note: toward) is eka pada koundinyasana II.

Photo from Yoga Journal

This is a great pose to work up to bit bit.  Little bit by little bit and then holy fuck: you're there!  It might take a few years...but that is the part of yoga that I like to show my students.  It is possible.  

Obviously, this is a pose that I won't be able to get everyone into.  But there are stops along the way that are huge victories.  Maybe it is with the back knee down and just rocking that front foot.  Believe me, that feeling of accomplishment when the front foot lifts for the first time, even if it is barely off the floor, is HUGE.

So, what are my reasons to demo this pose? If no one is even close to the pose do I still demo it?

My reason for demoing this pose would be to show where we are headed.  This is a hard one to verbally explain, "so then we'll be balancing on the hands and the right leg will be headed toward me and the left leg will be headed to the back of the room!".  Does that even sink in?  WTF?  Maybe it is better to just show it.  

If no one is close?  Well, I've never told anyone to move so I don't kick them in the face...

Self study is a son of a bitch.

Yup.  I've demoed it when there is no way that anyone is getting there.  My intention behind it?  Probably to serve myself.  In what way?  I don't know.  I feel like a moron.

I have one piece of DIY art on the little ledge at the front of the studio.  I made it in illustrator, printed it out on nice paper at Office Depot and threw it into a white frame from Ben Franklin.

• printing: 49 cents
• frame: $5
• time: about 20 minutes messing around in illustrator

Here is the finished product.  Photo by Jessi Bennion.

Yesterday I whipped up another piece of DIY "art".  The inspiration came from this post which I, of course, found on Pinterest.

I bought a canvas at Ben Franklin and a can of spray paint.  I then drew an OM symbol and cut it out as a stencil.  I glued that to the canvas and went to work with the spray paint. Voila! 

This little corner of the studio is quite dark, so I thought some art/light would be nice.  However, my canvas was too small for the massive string of white lights that I had.  Plus, there would have been a huge light "tail" and the outlet is right behind the super powerful and uncontrollable radiator...so I had to improvise.  

I looked for all sorts of options at Lowes.  There are some neat LED lights that serve as under cabinet lights that are really thin.  But, they still had the "tail".  I found some battery operated LED night lights.  I hung three of them to the wall and hung the canvas over them.  I can easily turn them on and off.  They don't provide a lot of light, but there is a nice glow.

I'm pleased with how it turned out.  I did make a big mistake though...my spray adhesive was out.  I was too lazy to walk two blocks to get some more, so I taped my stencil down with masking tape.  The overall effect is neat, it isn't stark white but a little smudgy looking.  However, the tape marks are stark white and glaringly obvious.  I always have big crafty ideas and rarely have the patience to pull them off!

This piece was a bit more of an investment and I bet I could have found something on Etsy or in a thrift shop for less.

• canvas: $32
• paint: $8
• lights: $8
• batteries: $10
• time: 10 minutes for the stencil, 5 minutes painting, 30 minutes looking for lights

Good sequencing is an art.  I love this article from Charlotte at Hugger Mugger.  In a well sequenced practice your body will be singing and there should be a certain "residue", something that remains from your practice that gives you a calm energy or that "yoga glow".  

Bad sequencing will have your nervous system doing spirals, scattered, unfocussed energy.

Teacher trainings talk about sequencing, pose and counterpose, how to build up to and down from a peak pose...but I really don't think good sequencing can be taught.  It is something you learn how to develop from hundreds and hundreds of your own practices and trial and error.  

I never, ever have students do a pose just because we haven't done it in a while.  I am never just throwing poses into a hat and drawing them out:  tada!  totally wasted nervous system!  

Every little movement we do, be it a shoulder roll or a floating of toes has a reason.  There is a reason for that small movement in the sequence.  It might help you open somewhere that needs to be open for the next pose.  It might be to let go of something that you don't even realize you are holding onto.  

I take copious notes of my yoga classes.  What we did that day.  Who is where.  Why a pose didn't work for someone or why a pose worked brilliantly for someone.  Yes, I am your friendly yoga teacher STALKER.  This is me doing my job.  I want you to feel great after a class.  I never want you to feel beat up, beat down, and discouraged.  I have been to those classes.  The bad sequencing.

There will always be a certain type of yoga that will appeal to you.  And, we're lucky there are so many variations so we can find that perfect fit and perfect teacher for us.  That isn't what I'm trying to explain here.  I'm trying to explain sequencing or a class that just makes you feel...tired, drained, wound up, spun out.

For example, remeber back in February when I took that aerial yoga class?  Cool class.  Fun concept.  Horrible, horrible sequencing.  Plus the floating in the air, the going upside down, working to headstand out of a swing with no real indication where we were headed...and savasana in the air.  Which (savasana in the air) some might find divine.  I felt like I was gonna throw up.  No grounding.  Seriously, ask Anna what I was like when I knocked on her door for lunch right after class:

hi anna omigod i just got back fromaerialyoga and itwassoooamazing i was hanging upsidedown and then we did headstandsandtonsofcoreworkandiwassweatingandmymatwassoslipperyandtherewasthisguywithabrokencollarbone (gulp for air) andireally needtoeatsomethingoriamjustgonnafloatawayandireallywonderificouldpossibleytalkanyfaster?

It was like taking 50 shots of espresso and then standing on my head and then being spun around blindfolded.  That is bad sequencing.

So, notice how you feel after your next class.  How is your nervous system?  How does your body feel? If you feel frazzled take note.  If you feel divine take note.  If you constantly feel frazzled after a class, talk to your teacher.  And, hey, maybe try a different class.