Coming up from UD and dropping back.
Now it struck me the other morning that I don't tend to show the whole story with regard to my dropbacks etc. I mean you don't want to see all the faffing about right, the coming and going, walking onto the mat, walking back to the camera to turn it off, your busy yogi's you expect a little editing, you just want the main event. And yet it struck me that it gives the impression that I just stand there, drop back, come back up, finish. And something else struck me, if that is how it appears watching the video then is that what, all you who are working on coming up and dropping back, expect. I think I just expected to come up one day and drop back first time. Actually I did dropback first time I tried but the second time, a week later, I landed on my head.
Now I can dropback cold and seven times out of ten come up first time but as a rule I tend to faff about a little. I stretch back and forward, wake my hips up..... well here's the whole story...
Actually there is a little more. I usually get on the mat around 5:30 AM and do ten - fifteen minutes of Tadasana and that includes a couple of light back stretches, which if you haven't seen them before are here here , 3 minutes into the video. Then it's into my backbend faffing about.
What happens in the shalas I wonder, does every one work up to, lots of swaying back and forth, etra little stretches here and there or is it just one, two three.....
PS. Just wanted to mention a blog many might miss in my blog list as it's in Japanese. have a look at this post on C's Practice, practice, practice blog. It's has pictures of a 2nd series led class and there's a video at the end of everybody dropping back . Complete opposite of my faffing about. Everyone drops back over a count of five and come straight back up on a count of three. Check it out here.
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4 comments:
"What happens in the shalas I wonder?"
When I was learning to come up from a drop back, I was going to AYL everyday. From memory, everyday without fail, I'd feel a pair of able hands just above my hips and was guided towards rocking, in an increasingly controlled fashion. I'd get whispered tips ('keep your head right back, shoulders tucked under, relax your butt, come up from the hips etc., etc.). Eventually my fingers started to peel off of the mat and at that point I got no more assistance BUT I'd still fall back, about one time in three. The final tip for me was when Hamish said "you're stopping the inhale". As soon as I focussed on making that inhale be what guides me back up, I never fell again.
At AYL there is no opportunity to use walls, soft landings or any other props and so I've never used anything at home either. Now, it's kind of natural and a really invigorating way to close my practice.
If I hadn't had that opportunity, I've subsequently found some great tips (like yours and Boodibas YouTube movies) and I'm sure that, with persistence and practice I could've nailed it BUT, being in shala where so many people drop back and don't even think about it also helped to keep the fear aspect at bay.
Loved the videos, you know this is my favorite topic these days, it was great to see you prepare and do (on the second video) those "one hand at the time back"... good idea.
In the shala I always ask permission to use the wall, then i just for for the preparations... I have seen people do preparations all the time...
If you were with Chris he'd yell at you. "Hands DOWN! Hands DOWN!!!" He hates all forms of faffing.
I love that word btw.
You can get away with all manner of things in JC's room and indeed my vinyasa has gone to hell. He's either not there or he's busy & he is a uni-tasker, ie if he's busy with one person he's not going to notice that you're making elaborate back bend preparations (or not).
C's intense focus and eyes-in-back-of-head remind me of descriptions of early Guruji actually.
So I haven't watched the clips yet but I will later. I must say you look very thin!
thanks Steve, like the bit about the whispering.
Hi Claudia, the prep seems to have become a little ritual now, even the three steps away from the wall. Kind of like it the gradually working into deeper and deeper, slower and slower dropbacks. like the forward bend bit too after half going back. Seems like faffing about and I call it that but I focus on the breath and and shift my attention around my body, focusing on getting the stretch from the toes to the fingers
Glad you like 'faffing Boodi, so much so you titled a post with it, amused me..
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