PRACTICE: Bringing the Green Mountains to your yoga mat

Whenever I have the chance to unroll my yoga mat on the carpet of grass beside our Vermont barn, I take a moment to express gratitude for all that surrounds me ... and I long to bring the same full-hearted feeling back to the students I practice with in Massachusetts. So I decided to have a little fun with my classes this week and offer up postures that reflect many of the things I love about the Green Mountain State. And yes, Trevor Hall was on the playlist (I couldn’t pass up his beautiful, sweeping “Green Mountain State”) ;)

Because my classes tend to be conscious slow flows, I didn't include all of these shapes in every class I taught. And sometimes I just included aspects of certain postures. Because it's the intention that counts! 

Consider trying a few of these shapes today, mixing and matching so it works for your energy level and time:

Butterfly (supta boddha konasana): For the tiny, speedy lavender moths I see each spring but can't seem to catch with my camera to identify

Cat (marjaryasana): That time all those white kittens showed up at our house ...

Rock pose (balasana variation): Recognizing the stone walls meandering across our property

Sunbird (chakravakasana): I'm taking some liberties with this one, but we do have hummingbirds that I think are just as colorful

Gate pose (parighasana): Our pasture fences have several, for easy rotational grazing

Downward-facing dog (adho mukha svanasana) and upward-facing dog (urdhva mukha svanasana): Zoey, Barney, Cassie, Rubi, Barkley ... seems like almost everyone in the neighborhood's got one

Mountain pose (tadasana): Ephraim Mountain to our west, Mount Ascutney to the north, New Hampshire's Monadnock to the south, and little Pudding Hill to the east

Lightning bolt (utkatasana): Those summer thunderstorms ...

Downhill skier (utkatasana variation): Cross-country is more my style, but we see lots of vehicles with out-of-state license plates heading to nearby Okemo on the weekends

Locust (salabhasana): I actually prefer the fireflies but that posture (tittibhasana) didn't fit with this flow ;) 

Star (utthita tadasana): Because there are just so many in a clear night sky there

Horse (utkata konasana): Ann and Carla from Dancing Horse Farm always stop to visit on their rides by the homestead

Low cobra (bhujangasana): Well, more like garden snakes ...

Extended puppy (anahatasana): For Luigi, the soft maremma from Spring-Rock Farm who visits our farm neighbors on the regular

Lizard (utthan pristhasana): I'll always think the salamanders near our brook are lizards

Tree pose (vrksasana): Apples, and maples and pines ... 

Standing waterfall (anyone know the Sanskrit name for this nice, swinging release?): The Brockway Mills Gorge down the street boasts a sweet swimming hole

Rooster variation (kukkutasana): We didn't even attempt this advanced arm balance, but instead found the energy of Handsome the rooster--looking after his ladies in the Ephraim Mountain Farm barnyard--by mindfully grounding the hands into low blocks while in Butterfly

Eagle (garudasana): We watched one case the Black River last winter while running errands in town

Deer pose (mrigiasana): They're everywhere in Vermont, but every time I spy one I still think it's special

Bridge (setu bandha sarvangasana): It's how we get across the Connecticut River from New Hampshire

Cow-faced pose (gomukhasana): The peak pose, in honor of heifers (and social media stars) #Blossomthecow and #LouLou, the Simmental and Belted Galloway/White-Faced Hereford cross who now officially call our pasture their forever home

And don’t forget Savasana, because rest is just as important as movement … and the natural beauty of Vermont always encourages me to kick back and soak in my surroundings.

How was that? If you prefer seeing someone demonstrate and explain the shapes instead of reading about them, check out my FREE at-home mini retreat. I’ll send you a different class each day for five days, so you can explore a variety of styles while you practice along with me, on your schedule. You’ll get to enjoy a little more Green Mountain inspo as I share sequences from our gardens and porch, and with my Vermont friends.