Truth

Setting the theme/tone: Truth is something that we all search for in one way or another.  Some of us find it through religion, spirituality or experience, but all the many paths lead to one only truth.  The ultimate truth is our relationship in relation to God/Spirit.  Kabir, a great Sufi poet, refers to God as the Guest inside you and says; “When the Guest is being searched for, it is the intensity of the longing for the Guest that does all the work.”  So this longing for truth is everything we need to find it.  J. Krishnamurti says; “to truly find out what is truth there must be great love and a deep awareness of  man’s relationship to all things - which means that one is not concerned with one’s own progress and achievement. 

Asana: talk a lot about the breath and how it can tell you whether you are pushing too hard, need to step it up a notch or are just right.

Starting in Supta Badokonasana

Core with Chin Mudra: Index finger folded in under the thumb.

Supine Spinal Twist

3 x Sun A

In last Sun A have them go all the way down to ground from Chatarunga & have them come into Superman and roll forward & back chanting Sat on uplift (rocking back), Nam on Downfall (rocking back).  A mantra is a verse, hymn, chant or phrase that holds a special meaning and can  elevate ones level of consciousness.  SAT NAM (Saht - Nahm) is one of the most widely used mantras for calling upon truth and awakening the soul.

4 x Sun B:

3 xs guided and 3 on their own: Crescent lunge (Anjane Asana), arms flow open to right, left and to airplane 3 xs, open to WII (Virabhadrasana II), Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) to Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana) to Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana) to Revolved Half Moon (Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana) to Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III).

1 x Sun A to Pranayama: Lions Breath in Sphinx pose staring up through third eye with eyes focused or even crossed.  Back to down dog.  Half Pidgeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana).  While they are in half pidgeon talk about first two noble truths on right side, second two noble truths on left side: “The four noble truths, the first teachings of Siddhartha Buddha, deal with suffering.  The first noble truth is that suffering is part of being human and the second is that we suffer when we resist change.  The third is that suffering ends when you let go of resistance and the fourth is that we can use everything we do, from the moment we are born to our last breath, as a tool to realize our oneness with all living things.” then Runner’s Lunge after 1/2 pidgeon on both sides, after both sides step up into Garland’s Pose (Malasana)

Backbends: 5 rounds (options: bridge, wheel, scorpion or scorpion to wheel)

Plow to fish ending

Meditation:

Start seated & have them connect index fingers and curl in other fingers.  Have right palm facing out and left palm facing in & bring fingers in front of the third eye.  Two strokes in through mouth and two strokes out through nose.  Gaze at fingers through the third eye.  Go for one long song, preferably one that has sat nam or wahe guru chanted throughout it.

“The search for truth gives an explosion of creativeness to the mind, which is true revolution, because in this search the mind is uncontaminated by the edicts and sanctions of society.” - J. Krishnamurti

“There is a single truth but the wise call it by many names.” (Rig Veda 3000+BC)