Class Reports Plus Cupcakes!

I've been teaching a new class at 109 called Hot Flow, a combination of Bikram asanas and vinyasa flow sequences in a relatively hot space--nothing like a Bikram class, but it does get pretty hot in there. The first few classes I taught I approached it as a CPY fusion class--lots of vinyasas, core strengthening, and the Bikram asanas incorporated quickly and seamlessly with the flow. It was fine. I enjoyed it, and we all got good and sweaty.

Lately, however, I've been in a slower mood. I'm approaching all my classes and my personal practice with the same sense of balance and routine. With that in mind, here's the sequence for the last two heated flow classes. The peeps seem pleased with the slower pace. I've been chatting a bit in class about deepening the understanding of why we practice yoga, and how to process the experience of the minimum edge and maximum edge (thanks, Joel Kramer!), ie when we sit back into Bikram's Awkward Pose/Utkatasana for the first time our thighs burn and our arms cry out, but the second time we're aware of the burn and can process it as not an 'immediate danger', and therefore can come deeper. Understanding why we want to go deeper is subjective, and I have been staying away from really 'answering' that, but trying to put it out there. I don't want to force anyone to do anything, but just guide toward that maximum edge. Does that make sense?

In a ninety minute class, we open with: 

sit
ujayii/intent
cowface with arms x 2 second time reverse namaste
cat/cow/wiggle
dog
tadasana


in sixty minute class, we skip all that and open in:

tadasana
ujayii/intent
bikram style half moon x 2
bikram style utkatasana x2
standing forehead to knee balancing pose x2
dancer's pose x2
1/4 sun salute x 3
lunge salute x2
first flow sequence
step back right leg:
crescent lunge
parvotasana (forehead to knee with arms either behind back or hands clasped above the foot)
revolved triangle
baby vinyasa with floor bow
tadasana
step back left leg: same thing
baby vinyasa with floor bow
tadasana
second flow sequence
bikram style eagle for three breaths both sides
eagle
bound airplane (eagle arms with warrior III leg)
warrior III
standing splits
falling warrior
pigeon
three legged dog
dog
baby vinyasa
same side left leg
baby vinyasa

child's pose
camel x2 --second time we did the Scott Blossom way, pulling core back and using legs
rabbit(a bikram style variation on child's pose, i think. crown of the head comes to the floor and the hands reach back for the heels while pulling, which allows the hips to lift and the back to round quite intensely.)
paschimotasana
roll onto backs
knees into chest x3 breaths
supine twist both sides
savasana
sit
one round kali breath
om

So far I'm happy with it, I might play with it a bit more. Falling Warrior seems to be unfamiliar to most peeps, and I was thinking about scratching it, but now most of them are down with it so we'll see.

Also! I had the afternoon free this afternoon and to keep myself busy, I baked two different thing! Some vegan cornbread for Ben, and some vegan ginger cupcakes just to experiement--to be frank, I'm not a huge fan of gingerbread, but I so enjoy baking that its worth it to play around even though I won't eat it. In fact, I prefer baking this way--otherwise, I make orange vanilla cupcakes and eat them all before Ben gets home! I didn't take any photos because neither one really turned out very beautiful, but they sure tasted good!

I ran out of most of the ingredients called for in both recipes, but subbed olive oil for veg oil in the cornbread, and in fact like it better this way. It tastes a bit more moist. The cupcakes asked for things like soy yogurt and a half cup of maple syrup, which i had only about two table spoons of, and certainly no soy yogurt, and while they probably could be gooier, I'm happy with the results.

Cornbread recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, an awesome book, and the cupcakes from, of course, VEGAN CUPCAKES TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Recipe links in another post.