Stealth Merkins

Stealth Merkins

On this All Saint’s Day, 9 pax shook off the sugar coma from last evening and gathered to stretch out the stretchy parts and lengthen the shortened parts, those parts shortened by our considerable efforts six other days per week.  Notable, 5 pax pre-warmed all those various parts with a pre-run.

Turning the convention of the past year of Gumby workouts 90 degrees counter-clockwise, with some pax (& Q) confusion and disorientation, mats were laid and the pax put through the following paces:

The Thang:

Savasana

Devotional – the Divine Treasure Map, by David Bernthal

Gentle warm-up:

• Hip bridge – double, then single leg
• Cat, Cow, Check your six
• Makhtar N’Diayes
  • Audible to add:  J Lo – ’cause, why not?
• Sun Salutations:
  • Forward fold
  • Halfway lift
  • Forward fold
  • High plank
  • Low plank
  • Up dog
  • Down dog
  • Hop to top of mat
  • Halfway lift
  • Forward fold
  • Rise up, arms overhead, to Mountain, prayer hands to heart
  • Repeato 3x

Balance work:

• Chair
• Tree, left leg bent
• Chair
• Tree, right leg bent
• Chair, twist left then right

• Dancer, left leg held
• Eagle, left leg over right
  • during the less than fluid move from Dancer to Eagle, YHC remembered to offer the Disclaimer of non-professionalism
• Pyramid
• Triangle
• Half moon
• Warrior 3 to Airplane
• Mountain
• Repeato on the Right

Vigorous warm-up:

• Mountain
• Forward fold – ½ lift – forward fold
• High plank – low plank – high plank (#stealthmerkin)
• Down dog
• Rise to Warrior 2 – Left leg forward
• High plank – low plank – high plank
• Down dog
• Rise to Warrior 2 – Right leg forward
• High plank – low plank – high plank
• Down dog
• Jump to top of mat
• ½ lift – forward fold
• Rise to salutation
• Repeato 3-4x total

Lunge series:

• (Left leg forward)
• Low lunge
• Balancing low lunge
• Crescent low lunge
• Optional: quad stretch
• Prayer twist from lunge
• Groin stretch from lunge
• Runner’s lunge, toes down, then toes up
• Kneeling toe/plantar stretch
• Repeato on Right

• Pigeon, forward fold, then back bend – left leg forward
• Pigeon, forward fold, then back bend – right leg forward

Corpse pose (savasana)

Devotional encore – excerpt from Susan Wright

Time

COT

Announcements:

1. Let them Soar 5k – this Saturday, 11/4, at Christ Covenant Church – Speed for Need will run two chariots there as well
2. Area 51 Christmas Party – Friday, December 8 – Seaboard in Matthews
3. Join Swiss Miss at a joint F3/FiA yoga workout tomorrow, 11/2, at corner of Providence & Sharon Amity in the underground garage.  Meets bi-weekly.

Fluid moleskinne:

It was great to get back among the Gumby pax today, as YHC has been using Wednesdays for recovery (sleep) recently.  Perfect weather too (not that it matters so much indoors).

YHC picked up the “vigorous warmup” section from a power yoga class attended a few weeks back.  (Pro tip:  think twice about doing a heavy strength workout before a power yoga session #shaky.)  Madison correctly called out that the high-low-high planks were just a stealth merkin.  #cantgetanythingpastthatguy

Additional background links on Martin Luther and the Reformation:

• Indulgences
• Luther posted his 95 theses inviting scholarly debate
• Martin Luther
• Note: there are many more great resources but these seemed most succinct IMO

Thanks, as always, for the opportunity to lead today.  It’s an honor.

Aye.