Primary and 2nd in two hours?

This was a it of an experiment, I have a two hour slot to practice in after work, 6-8pm and wondered if I could fit in Primary and 2nd (I'm doing my regular slow Vinyasa Krama practice in the morning, Ashtanga in the evenings). They used to do them both together back in the day supposedly and it's common to add poses on up to Karanadavasana so why not,  a chance to tighten both series up, no time for faffing about.

So while I remember, this is for my notes rather than a blog post.



Started dead on 6pm

3 Sury A's, three Sury B's
Standing up to and including Utthita hasta Padangustasana then on into paschimottanasana (can't remember where I picked that up, am I right in thinking it's a common trimming of Standing when doing part of 2nd after Primary?).

Looked at the clock

...finished setu bhandasana at 6:45

I was surprised thought I had been going really fast but I think it's a little under Sharath's pace on his DVD, so a fair rate, felt OK a little fast for my taste but OK (just checked with Sharath's DVD, almost exactly his pace but then I did practice with this DVD for six months).

Came up from Kapo just as the birds tweeted on the clock upstairs, so 7pm.

First time ever going straight into Kapo without a pause or the slightest faff.

Leg(s) behind head felt the best in ages, no extra prep poses before them for the first time in a year.

Took three extra breaths after Karandavasana, only just managed to haul it back up

Five extra breaths after Nakrasana.

Finished dropping back (three UD's, three drop backs) at 7:20

Savasana at 7:40

(Just checked the timing on the Jois led intermediate from Yogaworks and I'm five minutes off the pace, those extra breaths after Karandavasana and Nakrasana perhaps, otherwise timing seems OK, lot faster than I usually practice but not overly fast going to splice the Yoga works primary and 2nd series together so I can practice along with Jois' count. OK, Just spliced them together comes out a 1:52 that's with all of standing  but no drop backs.).

Actually felt pretty good, quite a buzz on in savasana but 2nd felt kind of easier than when I've done it on it's own recently. Nice sweaty practice which helped in some place (Gharbha p.) not in others (Pasasana).

Tried to conserve energy where I could, Sharath jump thoroughs rather than high Kino's, skipped the lotus jump back's

74 degrees in the home shala tonight too, so not so hot, can't imagine doing them both together in the summer, but in the winter, practising at a faster pace it's OK.

Do I want to do it every evening? Might explore it for a while, quite in awe of the Ashtangi's who practice Primary to Karanda in a hot shala every morning let alone those who do 2nd and half of 3rd, the strength of will involved to look out on that from the end of your mat every morning, no wonder Friday's Primary and the odd moon day are beloved.

If your still working on Primary then Primary PLUS Intermediate series might seem a little crazy but I promise you, Primary gets a little easier. You learn to shift your weight better, know where the binds are so don't have to struggle for them so much. Engaging bandhas helps keep your body a little tighter so lifting up becomes easier as well, jump throughs benefit from the shifting the weight more efficiently. You breathe better, open the glottis more and suck in more air. A good inhalation makes all the difference, ask any runner. It all conserves energy, basically you end up burning less fuel which allows for those extra postures from 2nd to be added on. Also keeping it tight, not allowing any faffing about, keeps the rhythm going, the energy up, it all helps.