Lessons of the Student Teacher

Thursday, 1/21 provided a unique setting for a mat yoga class, on the Coral Princess cruise ship as we motored further into the Great Barrier Reef. While most of our tour group went ashore, two students practiced breath awareness with centering and 3 part diaphragm breaths. We focused moving small areas of the lower back and hips with pelvic lifts and drops, S-I joint opening and closing, and then hip opening while reclining. Bridge Pose was developed in steps, from mini (raised pelvis) to half (raised lower back up to the ribs) to full (supported across the shoulders). The boat significantly pitched side to side, generating a massage effect on our backs. We moved to Table as a starting point for the Downward Dog Series ( the joyful 1/4 for a side stretch, the 1/2 for a back stretch, and full for a back and leg stretch). Modified Plank tested core strength and Mini-Cobra further engaged the abdominal muscles. We arose to Mountain Pose as our preliminary balance pose, as the ship’s movement was a challenge to negotiate. From there, we developed lunge movements into our own Sea Warrior Pose. We rested with our legs up against the wall to regain our “Sea Legs” and relax our nervous system.