Homework for December 13, 2006

Hi All.

Your homework for this week is to come up with any questions or topics you want me to cover next Wednesday, which will be a review session.

I was hoping to bring Adreinne Jamiel in to do something, but we had a scheduling conflict. We'll bring her in next year for something special during the Winter or Spring trimesters.

Here are the wonderful haikus that were sent in last week:



lift the pelvic floor
soften sphincter but keep the lift
say mula banhda

exhale round the spine
lift shape change without unhaling
say uddiyana

drop the chin to chest
lift front throat to back throat no breath
say jalandara


Ujjayi support
deep cavities as you bend
pressure for the spine


Alicia Ohs


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from the ground up
mula roots, uddiyana lifts
steady and energetic


sustainable and focused
ujayyi stabilizes the core
warming our pliable structure


Eileen O'Sullivan

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Inner energy
supporting. Stabilizing
bandhas: one, two, three.

Internal pressure,
Subtle hissing, larynx braced,
Stabilize the spine.


Jaymie Meyer

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Mula uddiya
Stability from your root
Creates space above


Breath like a whisper
Helps the rib cage stabilize
To protect the back

Lauren Ohayon


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energy grounding
I glance down and fly through space
open and stable

sounds like the ocean
a valve to monitor breath
gives my spine support



Leah Thomas



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Pulling up the root
to fly is so much trouble--
better to crawl along.


Holding back the breath
like slow drinking when thirsty--
I prefer to gulp.


Tim Regan

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Stable root below
gives support to upward flight...
...mula - uddiya.


Leslie Kaminoff


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Draw base up and in
Feel inward strength give ribs lift
Let chin and chest meet

Streaming the breath brings
Longer inhale and exhale
Supporting the spine



Weena Pauly


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Homework for December 6, 2006

Hi All.

Here are some homework questions:

1. How would you BRIEFLY explain the bandhas? Pretend a beginning student heard the term in class and was confused by it, and you're trying to help clarify.

For extra credit, try a haiku. Here's mine:

Stable root below
gives support to upward flight...
...mula - uddiya.

2. How would you BRIEFLY describe the relationship of ujjayi breathing and support for the spine? Pretend a beginning student heard the idea in class and was confused by it, and you're trying to help clarify.

For extra credit, try a haiku. Here's mine:

Ujayyi's a valve
that stiffens my cavities
to protect my spine.


3. Click on the following link to a charming BBC website that contains a discussion relevant to our "scared shitless" question:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A641206

Be prepared to discuss.

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I'm REALLY looking forward to next week, when we will explore the upper airway structures of breath and voice, and experience the thrill of Sanskrit phonetics. This is definitely one of my favorite things to teach, so be prepared to have fun with sound!

Have a great weekend.


Leslie