Loved how Ramaswami introduced this series on the course. He said that these poses were tapas postures. Tapas postures are those you use to gain the attention of the gods. In the Mahabharata, Amba says she stood on one toe in the snows of the Himalayas for eleven years....can't complain about three to six breaths then then.This is an evil series and balance poses have always been one of my weakest areas and yet it's grown on me, these poses have grown on me. I'm less excited by the fancy arm balances these days, give me the classical natajarasana or a half decent, steady uttita hasta padangushtasana.
Oh, I was just reading the Darby's interview in the Guruji book and they said Uttita hasta padangushtasana used to be introduced with intermediate poses, back in the day. That interview is worth the price of the book alone, Joanne Darby! Think that was the interview unless I've mixed them up, twenty- thirty interviews, twenty-thirty Ashtanga's, all different and all the same and all the better for it.
So one leg sequence
Ch IV. On One leg Yogasanas p87
44. trivikramasana p97
Highlights for me, engaging bandhas deeply in Bhairatasana, the squats in Vrikasana (also the low point, agony) Supposed to be able to come back up with control as well, you can see me try for a moment before bailing and putting my hands down.
I like the squat in Uttita hasta Padangushtasana, when I practice at home after coming up I let go and hold my leg out alla ashtanga (utthita hasta padasana), don't do it here because I'm trying to stick to the book and it's not in VK.
Virabharasana...... not good at it, Ramaswami made us go lower on the course, I try at home but played safe for the shot here. I like it when you come all the way up and get it just right, everything in a line, feels good.
Natajarasana is only hinted at in the video below as I hadn't done any backbend prep. I've done it better in the link above but can still only hold it for a breath or two, love the thought of one day being able to hold it for ten long, slow, steady breaths.
Durvasana, love the idea of it. I'm used to getting into it from seated, can't get my leg far enough over from standing without hopping all over the mat, played safe again here just to hint at it.
So, as evil as the triangle sequencee ( it too has lots of one leg squats ) but with more charm about it, no wonder the gods would pay attention. Didn't Siddhartha stand on his leg all night outside his fathers room so he would be allowed to leave the palace in Hesse's book.
One more thing, this is presented as a sequence and you can practice it like that, all in one go or you can divide it into subroutines as above and practice just one or more as part of your regular practice, perhaps rotating the subroutines over a week or so.
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2 comments:
I sweat & ache just watching those one leg squats!
Out of interest, is there the option to do the reaching up parts with clasped & up-turned palms? I had a revelation a couple of days back when I did that as I was hanging back (preparing for drop-backs in primary). The shoulders, being unable to close in, did something absolutely fantastic to the breathing channels, and my lower abdomen & back opened further than ever before. The booked payed for itself in just 5 seconds!
Steve, the interlocked fingers, palms out is pretty much everywhere, doesn't that show up in the videos, perhaps the frame cuts my hands off. YOu raise your armes interlock the fingers and stretch, stretch, stretch ( as R would say). It's in most of standing but also in seated and asymmetric before entering a pose, it's what insures the whole lifting out of the pelvis thing.
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