Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama Yoga at Home

Mantra Pranayama -Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami February 2012

2012-02-01T20:00:00.000Z

Visit this blogs Pranayama page above for pranayama practice sheets, translations, Ramaswami's mp3 mantra tutorial, my pranyama videos and now also the newsletter below.

February 2012 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami---Mantra Pranayama
After a four month stay in Chennai, India I am planning to come to USA
by middle of February. Thanks to the good efforts of Roxana Letechipia
who attended my last Teacher Training Program at LMU, Los Angeles, I
will be teaching three programs in Mexico City during the last week of
February. There will be two weekend workshops and a week long
certificate program, “Core Vinyasa Krama Yoga”. My next newsletter may
have a few Spanish words.

MANTRA PRANAYAMA
Considerable amount of literature is now available on Pranayama (from
ancient and contemporary yogis), an important anga of Yoga, even
though a smaller and smaller number of Hatha yogis do a smaller and
smaller number of pranayamas. In fact according to Brahmananda who
wrote an important commentary of Hathayogapradeepika, Hatha yoga is
indeed Pranayama. Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras succinctly gives the
parameters of pranayama along with the benefits. Hathayoga pradeepika
and several other hatha yohga texts talk about a variety of pranayamas
with different ratios in considerable detail and as I said enough
literature is available on pranayama. However since it is also the
anga prior to the antaranga or meditation, parts of yoga pranayama has
been used to prepare oneself for meditation. If in pranayama you can
introduce some noble thoughts for meditation like an uplifting mantra,
bhava thought or an image such pranayamas are called sagarbha
pranayama or pranayama pregnant with lofty ideas. Sri Krishnamacharya
in his “Nathamini's Yoga Rahasya” says that sagarbha pranayama is
several times more beneficial; more than the mechanical pranayama done
generally by hatha yogis.

Sagarbha pranayama done with pranayama mantra from the vedas, which
also includes the potent gayatri as a part of it, has been in vogue
since the vedic times. Sri Krishnamacharya in his yoga work
“Nathamuni's Yoga Rahasya” gives a number of instructions for doing
pranayama towards the end of the first chapter. He commends the use of
Pranava and the pranayama mantra with gayatri while doing pranayama
practice. Usually pranava (OM), the most potent mantra and the mother
of all mantras, as a stand alone mantra is used by renunciates like
consummate yogis and advaitins. And the gayatri impregnated vedic
pranayama mantra is used by householders and others in all pranayama.
In fact Manu in his famous Manusmriti says that the pranayama mantra
which consists of prnava, the seven vyahritis, the gayatri and the
head or siras portion should be recited while holding the breath in
Kumbhaka three times to be called as pranayama. Sri Krishnamacharya
also emphasizes the need to meditate on the meaning of the mantras
like the suggestion of Patanjali in YS.

Most people who do ritualistic pranayama in India use the pranayama
mantra referred to earlier. Manusmiti says as follows

“sa vyahritim sa pranavaam
gayatriim sirasa saha
trifpateth ayataf pranah
pranayamassa uchyate”

Here is the translation“Pranayama is that in which the seven vyahritis
(bhuh bhuvaha...) each preceded by pranava (OM) then the gayatri, then
the siris are (silently) recited.”

It should be chanted (silently) while holding the breath (kumbhaka).
When it is done three times it is called panayama. The pranayama
mantra is 64 syllables and takes about 20 seconds to chant, more or
less. The verse quoted above says three times and some interpret it as
chanting the mantra three times while holding the breath, but
generally it is chanted once and three such pranayamas will make one
bundle of pranayama. If you try to do the chant thrice in one go it
would taken a minute and holding the breath for one minute could be a
real challenge to most and so most people stick to the earlier
option.

What about the duration for inhalation and exhalation? Sri
Krishnamacharya says in Yoga Rahasya that it should be vishamavritti
indicating that the time duration for inhalation exhalation and breath
holding would vary. So many go by the 1:4:2 ratio.

One may inhale for 5 seconds then chant the mantra during internal
holding for 20 seconds and then exhale for 10 seconds. The breath
holding after exhalation is considered a hathayoga practice and many
orthodox people who do pranayama as part of the Puja or Japa ritual
dispense with bahya kumbhaka and the bandhas. The quickie pranayama is
three times but it is recommended that on should do 10 times the
samantra pranayama. (Contrast this with the hathayoga approach of
going up to 80 times mantraless pranayama).

Since children sometimes as young as 5 were initiated into vedic
studies, it becomes obligatory for them to do sandhya and hence mantra
pranayama and silent gayatri chant. But then because they are young
they may not be taught to do calibrated pranayama. Usually in course
of time they would learn to do long inhalation and exhalation say in
nadishodhana. Later they will be taught the whole vishamavritti
pranayama as explained earlier.

So the mantra is chanted silently in pranayama. But most people just
chant the mantra without the pranayama--they may merely touch the nose
but not do the pranayama. So we have one set of people who do
pranayama without mantras as most hatha yogis do and another group
especially in India who chant the mantra faithfully but do not do the
prnayama at all and thus both lose out. It even led the much revered
previous Sankaracharya of Kanchi to remark that if only Indians would
hold the breath (kumbhaka) rather than just touch/hold the nose they
would all become great yogis and spiritual persons.

My Guru also said that when doing any mantra in japa, in pranayama or
meditation, one should think of the meaning or import of the mantra.
That makes it lot more powerful and meaningful. What does this mantra
signify, many times we get initiated into a mantra routine without
knowing what it means. All yogis know that Patanjali insists on
contemplating on the meaning of pranava when doing pranava japa to get
the grace of Iswara.

“Om Bhuh, om bhuvah, om suvah, om mahah, om janah, om tapah, om
satyam; then the gayatri and then the siras which runs like this, ”om
apah jyoti rasah amrtam brahma bhurbhuvassuvarom” is the pranayama
mantra. This mantra appears in Mahanarayana Upanishad, the last
chapter of Yajur veda. This upanishad also contains several beautiful
mantras used on a daily basis like the offering to the five pranas
(before taking food), meditating within the heart etc. I got the whole
chapter (about 45 minutes of continuous chanting) recorded some 25
years back by “Sangeetha” and I believe it is available in some stores
in Chennai, India. You may learn the pranayama mantra—visit my website
www.vinyasakrama.com/chants and click on the “Learn Pranayama Mantra
chant” tab.

So what is the meaning of this wonderful pranayama mantra? Again there
are different interpretations. The conventional meaning for the seven
vyahritis is seven different worlds starting with the world we live in
to six other higher worlds. But the word loka is interpreted in a more
esoteric sense by a few scholars. They say that the words loka and
look are derived from the same root . And the seven lokas are the
seven perceptions of the ultimate reality which is Brahman the pure
non changing consciousness.

So this approach which gels with the advaita philosophy would be as
follows: According to the Upanishads, Brahman in its pristine state is
alone and there was no time or space (aksha and avakasha) in
contention. The Brahman once thought that it should become many
(bahusyam praja yeyeti). Then in the next stage It deeply contemplated
as to how it should create the universe and make many microcosmic
individual consciousness. This state was known as the stage of tapas
of the Brahman (sa tapo tapyata). Then after deep contemplation and
planning It created the entire Universe (idam sarvam asrujata). After
this creation the Brahman entered and permeated the entire Universe
(tat eva anupravisat) and every being as the individual Self.

The seven vyahrutis are considered as representing the seven states of
the same consciousness four at the microcosmic level and three at the
cosmic level. So when doing pranayama during breath holding
internally, one would say 'om bhuh', contemplate on the consciousness,
represented by pranava or 'om during the waking state. Then as the
second vyahriti 'om bhuvah ' is recited, one would think of the same
consciousness being aware of the individual dream state.

'om suvah” would refer to the same consciousness witnessing the deep
sleep stage. Om mahah, the fourth vyahriti is the consciousness beyond
the three earlier mentioned known amongst the vedantins as the fourth
state of the mind (turiya) or the yogi's kaivalya state. The same
consciousness now is identified with the Brahmana that created the
Universe (Om Janah). Then the next mantra, the sixth “Om tapah” would
represent the Brahman as one deeply contemplating and finally the
pristine state of consciousness “Om satyam” the one and only Brahaman.
With this the abhyasi is able to identify and meditate upon the same
one Brahaman as seen in different states. The theory that there is
only one consciousness that exists both at the cosmic and at the
microcosmic level is the bedrock of the advaita (No two
conciousnesses) viewpoint. So an advaitin while doing pranayama is
able to reinforce the advaitic conviction.

Then the second part of the pranayama mantra is the gayatri mantra. It
again refers to the ultimate reality as the inner light. Just as the
sun with its lustrous orb lights the entire world, the Brahman/Self
lights the entire chitta or the internal world of the meditator, so
that the chitta vrittis are experienced or 'seen' in the mind's eye .

The last portion known as the siras or the head, is an encomium to the
ultimate Brahman. It refers to It as OM., pure consciousness, the
universal light, the essence of the entire Universe, immortal
(unchanging), the source of the universe, and is known to the
individual as the inner Self during the three states of waking, dream
and deep sleep.

This meaning of the pranayama mantra is vividly brought to the mind as
the pranayama mantra is recited silently during antah kumbhaka. Then
it is known as samantraka or sagarbha pranayama. According to Manu
this samantra pranayama is the greatest Tapas/meditation.

It is said that those who are well versed in the chakras are able to
identify the seven vyahritis with the seven chakras in the body using
the respective bijakshara or seed mantras. Some make an effort to
visualize the cosmic Brahman in the seven chakras in the microcosm
itself.

There are other types of mantras used. For instance saivaites tend to
chant the siva mantras as they hold the breath as mentioned in the
Tamil Saiva classic “Tirumandiram”. The mantra “sivasiva” of four
syllables is chanted 16 times during one breath hold corresponding to
64 syllables as in the pranayama mantra referred to earlier.

Here is a pranayama for renunciates:

While doing puraka or inhalation the thought would be that the entire
universe is ultimately drawn into the Brahman. Then while in
antahkumbhaka the contemplation would be that the outside Universe and
I are no different from the Brahman. Then while exhaling the ego “I'
with the entire Universe is discarded as nothing but an illusion, not
real, not significant. And in bahya kumbhaka one would contemplate
that pure Brahman alone is real, It alone exists.

Those who believe in the reality of world and the trinity (Brahma,
Vishnu and Siva), would use pranayama to reinforce their faith.

Inhaling through the left nostril one should think of the four faced
Brahma the creator aspect of the trinity and of blood red hue (rajas
guna) while chanting Om 16 times. Then closing both the nostrils and
holding the breath in kumbhaka one should think of the white colored
(satva guna) Hari, the protector/sustainer chanting pranava 64 times.
Then while exhaling through the right nostril one should meditate on
Siva of dark color (tamo guna) chanting pranava 32 times. Then one
should start inhaling through the right nostril for 16 matras chanting
pranava 16 times and continue the pranayama for a predetermined number
of times with both mantra and bhava.

Different smritis and very old yoga texts refer to a variety of
pranayamas with and without mantras. Almost all the puranas have a
section on yoga which describe different asanas and pranayamas. (I
think with all this evidence one may say with some conviction that
Yoga is more than 100 years old). For more information on pranayama
you may consider referring to my book “Yoga for the Three Stages of
Life” pages 189 to 211.

Sri Krsishnamacharya's Yoga teachings were unique and very rich. In
Vinyasakrama asana practice, breath synchronization with slow
movements is an essential element. One would start the movement with
the beginning of inhalation or exhalation and complete the movement
with the completion of that breathing phase. The time taken in actual
practice may be between 5 to 10 or 12 seconds depending on one's
capacity and control. If it goes below 5 seconds one would stop the
practice and rest to regain the vinyasa krama acceptable breath. My
Guru, Sri T Krishnamacharya would say 'breathe with hissing sound' (a
la cobra, refer to ananta samapatti in YS) or 'with a mild rubbing
sensation in the throat'.

In this way, with long deep inhalation and exhalation, the intercostal
muscles are stretched and toned up and by the time pranayama is
started the accessory muscles of breathing are well exercised so that
one has a well oiled breathing apparatus for a very productive
pranayama practice. And while doing pranayam introduction of mantras
and bhavas helps to bring the mind to a focus which will be of
considerable help when one starts the meditation process. Thus Sri
Krishnamacharya following the tradition of yoga described in old yoga
texts like the yoga sutras, the puranas, smritis and other ancient
texts helped to understand and achieve the best of an outstanding
ancient system called Yoga.

You may access the earlier Newsletter by visiting my website
www,vinyasakrama.com and clicking on the Newsletter tab. Any comments
or suggestions please e mail to
info@vinyasakrama.com

Best wishes

Sincerely
Srivatsa Ramaswami

Ramaswami's Newsletters are now available in three volumes, 2009, 2010, 2011 FREE on Kindle and Pdf

Ashtanga Rishi Approach Eighth (last ) day

2012-02-01T19:53:00.003Z

Krishnamacharya

First the intro one more time...
A series of posts exploring the the 'Ashtanga Rishi Series' mentioned at the end of Nancy Gilgoff's Article (see link below) and outlined in a reply by David Willams on his forum below (the headings in block capitals are mine).

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

'...Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd. It can be done once or twice a week. One does the "salutations" and then starts going thru the series, holding each posture for as long as comfortably possible. Notice which postures could be held for 50 breaths. The next time you practice this way, the postures which you could hold for 50 are omitted and new ones are added at the end. One gradually works thru the series, dropping and adding asanas, still doing 10 asanas per session. I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficiall'.

Ashtanga Rishi Series

'Then, once one has mastered all of the asanas, one can practice "the rishi series", the most advanced practice. One does the 10 postures that one intuits will be the most beneficial and appropriate for that day, holding each posture for up to 50 comfortable breaths'.

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C
Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Eight Day Pinchamayurasana to the seven headstands (below)

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Eighth Day (2nd series).

Sury A x 3/ Sury B x3

Pincha mayurasana (25 Breaths) Alignment could be a lot better so found this challenging, I used to be a lot straighter in this posture, will need to work on that if I want to explore longer stays here.

Karandavasana (10 Breaths) An experiment, managed to lower and hold my lotus for 10 breaths before it slipped off, part of the problem was a lack of preparatory postures, lotus wasn't as tight as usual plus I've only just come back to including Karandavasana in my practice after three months on the Subroutine book.

Mayurasana (10 Breaths) Managed 10 breaths, considered going up again as with Navasana but thought a long stay here is too much strain on the wrists.

Vatayansana ( 25 Breaths each side). First side with the foot flat second side on the toes. Flat seemed more stable but found it hard to stretch up into the posture, again lack of preparation. Next time I'll try this and Karandavasana after a couple of janu sirsasana's and half lotus postures. A reminder of the benefit of Vinyasa Krama subroutines.

Parighasana (25 Breaths each side). Comfortable but am used to long stays here from Vinyasa Krama

Gomukhasana A + B (25 breaths in each and each side) Again comfortable, some slight circulation problems in B on the second side, this is a meditation posture so well suited to long stays.

Supta Urdhava pada Vajrasana A + B (25 breaths in each and each side). I was expecting circulation problems from the bind but it was quite comfortable. Again these are Vinyasa Krama postures so longer stays are familiar

Mukta hasta sirsasana A, B, C. (50 breaths in each) Seemed comfortable enough at the time although the arms began to ache afterwards.

Baddha Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C, D (50 breaths in each) D was the only tricky one, just a case of maintaining focus, fifty breaths in all of these would certainly be possible.

-----------------------------------------
An interesting experiment that I plan on doing again next year and perhaps look at Advanced A and b postures after getting back into those series when the warmer weather comes on. Struck more than ever of the benefit of the Vinyasa krama subroutines. Being thrown into these postures cold makes them even more challenging, much better to build the subroutine around them, preparatory postures and variations.

To reiterate the plan. The idea is to run through Primary and Second series with the Ashtanga breath, equal inhalation and exhalation, take a note of how long I'm staying in the asana and then revisit the asana with the Vinyasa krama breathing. Here I'll reduce the number of breaths by lengthening the inhalation and especially the exhalation and employing breath retention where appropriate. So the same time in the pose but perhaps half or a quarter the number of breaths. This seems a more interesting approach to me than just staying in the asana for 25-50 breaths, if we're going to be in the posture that long it seems to make sense to explore the breath as fully as possible.
---------------------------------------------------
Going to take a break from blogging for a while, perhaps quite a while. I'm tired, been practicing five years this month and blogging for four of them, time to go cave yogi for a while and focus on taking my practice and studies further.

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Seventh Day (2nd series), leg behind head..

2012-01-31T14:28:00.003Z

Patanjali

*Three posts today, this one another 'Dear Nancy...' post and the full 45 minute 1938 Krishnamacharya movie.

First the intro bit again...
A series of posts exploring the the 'Ashtanga Rishi Series' mentioned at the end of Nancy Gilgoff's Article (see link below) and outlined in a reply by David Willams on his forum below (the headings in block capitals are mine).

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

Ashtanga Rishi Series

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C (below)

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Seventh Day (2nd series).

Sury A x3 / Sury B x 3

Ardha badha padma paschimottanasana (25 breaths each side) Added this as a preparation for the LBH asana to come.

Eka pada Sirsasana A & B (25 breaths each in A and B and each side). Spent a little extra time trying to get a deeper placement in preparation for the longer stay. Haven't practiced 4th series for awhile so my Buddhasana has left me and I can't get my leg as far down the shoulder as I used to. Eka pada A was comfortable enough (especially on the second side) but B is tough as your having your face squished between your knee and the foot behind your head, more irritating than anything else. on the second side I included a quick Purvottanasana between A and b to stretch out the neck. Fity breaths in A would be OK with improved leg placement but I'm not sure about B.

Dwi pada sirsasana (25 breaths) Still haven't worked out how sharath manages to keep his legs so far apart on off the neck, i think it's something to do with the placement of the second foot as if he gets it furth down the first leg, I have a go at it here but still haven't managed it. the 25 breaths felt OK but I'm hunched not looking up and seem to get a little more hunched as time goes on.

Yoga Nidrasana (50 breaths). I was looking forward to this, it's sleeping yogi, yu should be able to stay for a considerable time. It felt comfortable. I was expecting circulation problems but it was fine and I could probably have stayed for twice as long. dristi was the back of my eyelids.

Tittibhasana A (25 breaths). I normally point my legs up higher for this but went for a more horizontal position thinking it would be better for the wrists. As Arm balances go it's quite secure perhaps because you have the counterweight of your feet and backside, could probably stayed longer but 25 seems plenty for an arm balance. the Titthibhasana series has always been a weak area for me, haven't worked out out to jump my arms as far round my arm as I'd like.

Tittibhasana B (50 breaths). Fifty, but short ones. Don't think I've ever posted a video of this one, bit embarressed or at least self conscious about it, have never seemed to be able to straighten my legs enough and get my body through. So I was surprised to notice half way through that I was pretty deep and had a very clear view of my ...mula bandha, perhaps the long stays in the previous postures have paid off. Again, had expected circulation problems because of the bind but either I've worked it out now or it's not such an issue in this particular bind.

Tittibhasana B walk (50 steps). Was feeling playful, how can you not with this charming but ridicullous asana so went for fifty steps, ten up ten down etc.

Tittibhasana C (50 breaths). My least favourite asana in any series, give me 50 breaths in Kapo any day.

Sarvangasana (50 breaths).

Sirsasana (50 breaths).
-----------------------------------------------------
To reiterate the plan. The idea is to run through Primary and Second series with the Ashtanga breath, equal inhalation and exhalation, take a note of how long I'm staying in the asana and then revisit the asana with the Vinyasa krama breathing. Here I'll reduce the number of breaths by lengthening the inhalation and especially the exhalation and employing breath retention where appropriate. So the same time in the pose but perhaps half or a quarter the number of breaths. This seems a more interesting approach to me than just staying in the asana for 25-50 breaths, if we're going to be in the posture that long it seems to make sense to explore the breath as fully as possible.

UPDATE
Not sure what it was about that practice this morning, something to do with the a foot pressing against the back of my head but I've been feeling triply all day. Pranayama was buzzy, meditation Janaesque and I had a craving for a coke afterwards that had me heading off up the road to get a caffeine fix and something cold and fizzy .

Just finished my evening practice, 2nd series up Supya ardha matsyendrasana, some more pranayama and a short sit and still ....tingly. What's that all about.

Dear Nancy.... head up/down, jalandhara bandha, 'guruji said...'

2012-01-31T09:47:00.000Z

Another note from Nancy Gilgoff following on from the previous posts. Earlier we had discussed the head being up or down. It's down for example in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda and Pattabhi Jois has his head down in the forward bends in Yoga Mala though Sharath has his head up looking at his toes, padhayoragrai. In Ramaswami, representing Krishnamacharya's later teaching, the head tends to be down in forward bends, (forehead to the knee as in Nancy's description below) in most asana in fact (In Ramaswami's teaching) the chin is tilted slightly down, not full jalandhara bandha but perhaps a hint of it. However in Ramaswami's teaching Ujayii breathing is employed and retention after the exhalation is often applied in asana thus the availability of jalansdhara (some postures it would be engaged more fully). Ujayii is also referred too in Yoga Makaranda.

That's the background to our conversation/email's see the posts below.

Dear Nancy the breath in 73
Nancy Gilgoff Article 'Yoga as it was'
--------------------------------------------------------
Hi Nancy, Can't thank you enough for your reply, really clears some things up for me. I think now that perhaps your right that it's a mistake to compare Ashtanga to Yoga Makaranda too much and yet it does make one wonder why they are so different and how we account for that. Perhaps the clue is in the 'breath follows movement', with such a flowing practice maybe it would be a mistake to include breath retention plus there's the need to keep the energy up so equal inhalation and exhalation and again the head up to maximise the inhalation all help to carry you through the practice. Guruji seems to be more of an innovator than I imagined.... or just, perhaps a VERY good teacher.
-----------------------------------------------------
aloha anthony....one more comment from me......guruji always taught me to go into and come out of the forward bends, with my head down so my forehead is the first thing that touches my leg....the neck is not straight unless it can slide out on the leg.....the dristi changes to nose if the head stays tucked. no jalandhara bandha does not mean the head is up. this is a misunderstanding of the method. after the forehead touches the leg, the chin can slide out but always stays connected to the legs. this method develops uddiyana bandha very naturally.
there are MANY different yoga methods.....with different breathing methods. each has it's reason for being the way it is taught.....to achieve a particular state of being the methods will vary. some hold the breath, some use open mouthed, others closed mouth. same for eyes....guruji taught to keep them open....other practices keep them shut. so how one is practiced depends on what the practice is meant to achieve. mixing them up, in my opinion, is what is causing the confusion amongst the yogis of today. so it is very good that you want to know the origins of this practice and what we are wanting to achieve through doing it. guruji said he thought this method was the fastest to attain good health which helps us in the other aspects of practice (pranayama, meditation) and in our life.
it is meant to heal the body so it is not a hindrance to advanced practices......n

The full 45 minute Krishnamacharya (and Iyengar) 1938 silent Newsreel

2012-01-31T08:41:00.006Z

Nice to sees new version of this in full, up till now it's been in five sections. Are there some bits that I don't remember from the chopped up version? Iyenger jumping straight into Vatyanasana for example at 29:09, at first I thought he was going for lotus but got it wrong. Got to try that.

Enjoy

Had to give it go, first side is just about OK but the second side a struggle, don't manage to get the foot high enough into the groin, cute party trick though, nice play a bit after such a heavy practice this morning.

This is a 'freestyle' approach to Vatayanasana As opposed to this one which is closer to the Ashtanga approach 'Working on getting my vatyanasana back'.

Should also add that it's perhaps something to think twice about before trying at home as your messing with your knees. I've spent quite some time playing with the hands free getting into lotus and hop to lotus jump through,

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Sixth Day (2nd series).

2012-01-30T08:45:00.010Z

Vashistha

Everybody gets this is an experiment right? Still doing my regular straight Ashtanga practice in the evenings, this is temporarily taking the place of my morning VK practice thus the VK influence. Not suggesting anyone should replace their practice with the rishi approach but rather that it might be interesting to explore, extrcurricular as it were. If not ten asana then perhaps five or three.

It's looking at what is and perhaps isn't doable or advisable, what modifications might be called for, which asana benefit from a longer stay and which don't, what a longer stay shows up in a posture, in your technique, circulation issues for example.

'I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficial.' David Williams

First the intro bit again...
A series of posts exploring the the 'Ashtanga Rishi Series' mentioned at the end of Nancy Gilgoff's Article (see link below) and outlined in a reply by David Willams on his forum below ( the headings in block capitals are mine.

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

Ashtanga Rishi Series

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Sixth Day (2nd series).

Sury A x3 / Sury B x 3

Ardha badha padma paschimottanasana (25 breaths each side) Included this as a warm up for Supta vajrasna

Supta vajrasana (25 breaths) Dropped back and stayed for 15 breaths but had to come up due to the circulation in my arms being cut off, went back down again managed only five and then again for five more, circulation is a real problem with the bind, might be something to do with dropping back over the bolster.

Bakasana (25 breaths) Kind of a cross between the squeezing the thighs against the outside of the arms and the balancing approach wanted to make the most of both techniques so the squeezing in the beginning to take some of the weight off the arms and then just balancing as my legs became too tired to squeeze. Arms aren't as straight as in the regular version. if I was still doing 3rd then I might be strong enough for fifty breaths but at what cost to the wrists, not sure of the value of long stays in the arm balances.
Nicer floaty entry HERE, name of the game in this one is conserving energy, Sharath is excellent at that by the way, check out his Primary DVD in my post yesterday morning.

Bharadvajrasana (25 breaths each side) Was looking forward to this one, nice asana for a longer stay, could have stayed for fifty each side if I had more time.

Ardha Matsyendrasana (25 breaths ) As Bharadvajrasana above.

Pincha Mayurasana (15 breaths) Wanted to leave all the leg behind head postures for tomorrow and thought I'd do a trial run of Pincha M., hard, only managed 15 breaths before I dropped out of it.

Sarvangasana (50 breaths)

Salabhasana A & B (25 breaths in each) As counter to the shoulder stand. Re recent discussion in comments to day 5, I'm approaching a long stay in an asana differently than in the short stay, think 100m and 1500 or 5000m, still running but different approach. These salabhasana are less ...engaged (see HERE for my regular Salabhasana and the new approach I'm having success with lately), we're in for the long haul. Also, I use the Vinyasa Krama drishti for this asana here (looking straight ahead), don't see the point of looking up and squishing the back of the neck for five breaths let alone 25.

Sirsasana (50 breaths)

Pranayama.

---------------------------------------------

To reiterate the plan. The idea is to run through Primary and Second series with the Ashtanga breath, equal inhalation and exhalation, take a note of how long I'm staying in the asana and then revisit the asana with the Vinyasa krama breathing. Here I'll reduce the number of breaths by lengthening the inhalation and especially the exhalation and employing breath retention where appropriate. So the same time in the pose but perhaps half or a quarter the number of breaths. This seems a more interesting approach to me than just staying in the asana for 25-50 breaths, if we're going to be in the posture that long it seems to make sense to explore the breath as fully as possible.

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

Ashtanga Rishi Approach fifth day (2nd series)

2012-01-29T19:14:00.007Z

Vyasa

I know, I know I said I was going to take a break from this for a couple of weeks and work on the Vinyasa Krama version instead.

The thing is, the Vinyasa Krama 'Rishi approach' is to do the asana and then do it again for the same amount of time but with, say, half the number of breaths. The idea is to use fewer and fewer breaths but also to keep them smooth and steady. So it's useful doing the Ashtanga version first and getting an idea how long fifty breaths take so that I can then stay in the same asana for the same amount of time but start reducing the breaths, lengthening the exhalation, including retention where appropriate etc.

Even if the Rishi series/approach turns out to be a myth.

I kind of like the VK version better, feel there's more of a point to the long stays when your working with the breath, just staying for 50 breaths seems more like tapas, OK perhaps I get a boon from the gods and the poses do open a little more but it seems a wasted opportunity.

Anyway a reminder of the Rishi approach...

First the intro bit again...

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

Ashtanga Rishi Series

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Fifth Day (2nd series).

Sury A x 3 / Sury B x 3

Pasasana (25 breaths each side) First side was OK, just made 25 but was slipping off one knee after 23. the second leg I placed a towel over my leg for grip. Needed to really lay on the bandhas to anchor myself, can't imagine doing fifty a side.

Krounchasana (25 breaths each side). Nice, gets easier and settle into the posture more as it goes on.

Salabhasana A (50 breaths). Both A and B were OK with the pelvic tilt engaged, really trying to push down and up through the mat. Used the belly button holding a pea technique as well (no not a real one). these techniques have been revolutionary in my approach to these bow sequence postures, much easier, makes the long stay possible and more of a stretch too, quite proud of my Salabhasana's now.

Salabhasana B (25 breaths). See A. above

Bhekasana (25 breaths). As Salabhasana A and B above with the pelvic tilt and pea techniques but I can't say I was pressing my feet down equally throughout, relaxed them a couple of times.

Dhanurasana (25 breaths). Bit lame, the will was weak and I baled after 25 breaths, fifty is possible with the above approach I think, perhaps if I did it first

Parsva Dhanurasana (25 breaths each side). Took both sides easy I have to admit as i knew kapo was coming up and I wanted to relax my quads a little.

Ustrasana (25 breaths). Fifty is doable but I wasn't sure how the kapo would go so wanted to save myself a little for that, nice to spend the time working on the pelvic tilt and pushing hips forward.

Kapotasana (25 breaths). And so Kapo which was hanging over the whole practice as ever, the elephant in the room. I'd done a trial run of this earlier in the week but had only held the side of my feet. Perhaps the good work in Ustrasana on the tilt and getting the hips forward allowed me to catch my heels, not from the air as I used to be able to do but then I haven't worked at kapo much for some time.

The long hold was difficult, no panic and I managed to keep the breath regular but I started to get all tingly and a little numb. Couldn't think of anyway I could be cutting off circulation as in Marichi D say, so figured it was psychological and stuck with it. Was tempted to carry on past 25, to 40 perhaps and then see but wanted to be sure of coming up so settled on 25 and just a couple of breaths in B.

Interesting experience though, did iyengar REALLY stay 15 minutes in kapo? And what about that picture of Krishnamacharya standing on the young Patthabi Jois while he was in Kapo, that was in the 30's took forever to set up a photo in those days.

Sarvangasana (50 breaths).

Sirsasana (50 breaths).

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The next section of 2nd series should be OK, Dwi pada Sirsaasana is where I expect problems but that would be on the following day, the 7th day. Whether I explore that will depend on whether we manage to work out Sharath's Dwi pada secret.

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

Sharath's Primary Series DVD Plus his Dwi Pada entry to Sputa K also Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana exits

2012-01-29T06:30:00.004Z

So we've been wondering about Sharath's, frankly quite marvellous, Dwi pada Sirsasasana. How does he manage to get into the posture and look so darned comfortable. In my previous post I showed you my own, hunched up, version but also Iyengar's, a little hunched too it has to be said (which made me feel better). However, If I want to consider staying in the posture for 50 breaths re the Rishi Approach (see my previous posts), Sharath's version is called for. In fact if even if your just staying for the regular five breaths you really donut want to be hunched and have any pressure on the back of the neck if you can help it.

Sharath's DVD is of Primary series so it doesn't cover Dwi pada sirsasana (2nd series asana) but it does include the dwi pada entry to sputa Kurmasana.

Unfortunately it's not that much different than my own, what does he do different for the 2nd series version where you stay in the posture for five breaths, is there different placement or did he just get better at it?

The DVD is excellent by the way, beautifully produced. Back when I first started Ashtanga and for quite some time, I was doing the shorter, forty minute David Swenson version of the practice offered in the back of his Ashtanga book and on his video 'Ashtanga Short forms'. Sharath's DVD goes at quite a pace, the whole practice in just over an hour and yet it never seems rushed. I practiced along with this video for a long time, it allowed me to practice the full series before rushing off to work.

Later I just got up earlier and would slow the practice down as much as possible, back then though when I thought I only had an hour to practice, Sharath's DVD was a godsend.

Here's another preview, this time of Utkatasana to Virabhadrasana showing the exits Sharath was encouraging us to use in conference recently.

Utkatasana exit

Virabhadrasana exit

Here's my attempt at these in slowmo, I seem to remember somebody saying that Sharath would make you hold the lift for a bit before letting you take it back to Chaturanga. What I'm trying to show here is how you shift the weight forward, shoulders above the hands even a little in front of them. I take the leg up a little high in the virabhadrasana and pointing the foot would make it a little more elegant but you get the idea.

Here's what they have to say about Sharath's DVD on the KPJAYI website

Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series with R. Sharath was filmed in New York City during Pattabhi Jois’s 2002 world tour. Our mission was to convey the essence of Pattabhi Jois’s Ashtanga Yoga: continuous movement, dispassionate action, performed with focus, agility and strength. Sharath has been instructed in the practice and teaching of Ashtanga Yoga by Pattabhi Jois (his grandfather) for most of his life. What better place is there to learn, than from the source of Ashtanga Yoga?

What you will see in this DVD is a continuously filmed, three camera shoot, done with a minimum number of edits. We have added a few extra shots, such as an overhead angle, and a few close-ups to present a complete picture of the practice. Three digital camcorders were used in the film sequences, and a digital camera for the stills. You can see all three cameras angles in the ’split scene’ sequences. The colors are rich and beautiful.

The DVD is designed as a led class; Sharath calls out the practice in a voice over track as he demonstrates, uninterruptedly, the primary series on screen. The DVD menu design allows you to skip to individual asanas, or to play the whole practice. The subtitle track lists the asana names. This DVD will prove to be an important reference work that one can return to again and again when questions arise about specifics of the Primary Series.

Produced and Edited by Dominic Corigliano
Set Direction Caroline Laskow and Mary Wigmore
Cinematography Ku-Ling
Graphic Art Design Saskia Vidler

For more information and for purchasing the dvd, visit www.ashtangaproductions.com

Ashtanga Yoga Class, Primary Series with Sharath Rangaswamy

Audio CD; Length 72 minutes.

Deleting a blog

2012-01-28T05:22:00.002Z

Bit thrown yesterday when I heard that one of my favourite blogs had been deleted, a well loved and respected voice gone in a moment....OK it came back a moment later in a slightly different form but that's not the point.

I'm sure most of us who've been blogging for a little while think about doing the same. I've taken a break a couple of times, often think about quitting altogether but rarely consider deleting the whole thing.

It's no so much that think this blog is important, of any value but rather that I kind of feel I don't have the right to delete it, as if I don't have ownership. I know in the past a couple of you have felt the same re comments "How dare you delete my comment", so perhaps not such a strange idea.

This is no criticism of my friend who deleted her blog, I kind of admire her for just going ahead and doing it like that, cutting it loose, non attachment, it can feel like a stone around your neck sometimes.

Still, it kind feels a bit like Karma Yoga, not exactly or at least not always selfless, it has been helpful to my practice to work things out here, post videos of my practice, reflect on it, view it with a more objective eye but there is the sense of giving something back to the community, offering a little support and encouragement especially to other home practitioners and at times a questioning voice, saying out loud what many of us have been thinking ( I know others have been thinking the same thing because they tell me in direct emails).

Every time I've started to think privately of giving up the blog I've tended to to receive a couple of emails asking for advice or thanking me for a post, often telling me that they're a home ashtangi too and that that the blog helps them get on the mat in the morning.

Sometimes I think I'm intentionally provocative to trying to push everyone away, not always, sometimes I'm just being an arse. I think the expression is to burn it. Funny thing is though, although many stop following the blog it then seems to become more popular, more hits, more followers, it has a life of it's own I swear.

Apologies to anyone I've offended in the past.

And of course I've received so much from the blog in return, support, encouragement for my own practice, a little extra push by saying I'm going to do something here and feeling obliged to follow it through, the karandavasana or drop back challenge say. And the friends I've made ....I'm the least social person I know, the interaction here is probably good for me. So thank you to everyone for of that.

So it kind of feels like it's not so much my blog as the communities, I've posted 1026 times but there have been 5353 comments, is it fair to delete all those? Down the bottom of the blog there's the 'followers' box 172 profile pics of people who've wanted to keep up with the posts enough to click the follow button. Then there's the long blog roll list over on the right, I'm sure many come here just as a place to jump off to other blogs love seeing that in the feedjit widget down the bottom left that shows where people come from and where they go off to, I started collecting the different flags a while back, still amazes me the global nature of our blogs, love that.

So here are some stats and screenshots of the community that builds up around a blog, not just my blog, any blog.

Visits 392164

1026 posts

5353 Comments

Visiters come from over, just some of the flags I've collected, when I've remembered.

Love seeing where visitors come from and the blogs they go off too

Still can't get over the global nature of our practice

I remember when i used to have 13 visitors and how amazed I was when it reached 30

....and yet I'm tired, wonder if there's a domino effect and a bunch of us who have been blogging for a little while and thinking about calling it quits will do so.

I've been thinking about it for some time but there's always something else.... I wanted to raise the profile of Vinyasa Krama a little and find a way to balance VK and Ashtanga and then the book project and trying to make VK more approachable and Rishi which I see as somewhere where Ashtanga and VK meet.

Enough is enough perhaps. I think it was five years ago this month or next month that I started practicing yoga or at least Ashtanga and four years of that I've been blogging about it.

Kind of fancy going caveyogi and just getting on and practicing and not writing about it anymore.

The other thing, for some reason so much that surrounds Ashtanga irritates me, need to seperate that from the aspect I love, the bit on the mat.

Finally got to a place where I can balance the two practices peacefully, VK in the morning, Ashtanga in the evening and yet already in the last couple of weeks with the Mysore post, Rishi I've felt like washing my hands on the whole practice.

So I guess that's it after all. Won't be deleting the blog, might trim it sometime or other to make it easier to find stuff that might be useful and possibly add one or two more Rishi posts to tie up the loose ends.

No shortage of wonderful blogs at the moment.

Straight friday primary after Rishi week and Dwi pada sirsasana

2012-01-27T08:30:00.003Z

After a week of the Ashtanga Rishi approach, working through Primary series fifty breaths (almost) in every posture I was looking forward to Straight Friday primary, curious to see if felt any different.

Yes and no.

It was a joy, as ever on a Friday, to fly through it, get lost in the flow and familiarity of the series. I was struck by something iIcan only describe as a closer... intimacy with the postures. That's perhaps to be expected, fifty breaths in Marchi D, Navasana etc, bound to feel you have... history. Felt like I'd found more space in many of the postures, everything felt a little more comfortable.

I was asked about my joints, tendons, ligaments if they feel more 'stretched' after the long stays, feels something like that, not exactly an ache but you know you've worked them there's a sensation, not unpleasant a kind of awareness of ligaments you took for granted, a parallel to the 'muscles didn't know I had' type thing.

I've decided to take a bit of time, a few weeks, before starting on the Rishi approach to 2nd series. I included most of the backbends from the first part of 2nd after the shoulder stands last week, they felt OK and I did a trial run of twenty five breaths in pasanasa and kapotasana but I'm very aware of the fact that I've only just reintroduced 2nd series. While revisiting all the Vinyasa krama subroutines in the mornings over three months for the book I was mostly practicing Primary in the evenings, My 2nd is OK but it could be better. Dwipada sirsasana for instance.

A friend mention on FB that Sharath had given her dwipada the treatment ( though then preceded to give her the next pose so it couldn't have been that bad), bit of a hard time about not having her feet far enough apart, directing her attention to his own picture on the wall of the Mysore Shala (see above). I'm sure all of us doing 2nd were particularly conscious of our own Dwipada next practice, I know I was.

I just had a look at it after this mornings practice.

Here's my first one, OK admittedly it's winter, it's cold in the home shala, I'm not very sweaty and the legs aren't moving into place. i haven't been doing 2nd that much but I always include the dwipada entry to Supta kurmasana so no excuses. As you can see the feet are very close together, i was so proud of my fantail too and that I wasn't hooking them anymore, oh well.

In the next picture you can see I've made a conscious effort to get my first leg further over my shoulder and the second leg further over the first to bring the feet further apart.

What, you can't see that... No, me neither. Part of it is the lack of sweat I need to be able to come further through my waist roll over the calf on the second leg to allow me to draw my second foot down the first leg. That in turn will stop the second leg pushing through the first and pushing my head down.....I think I know what I should be doing.... I also need to get my legs lower, my leg tends to go quite nicely over my shoulder in eka pada, even to allow buddhasana (see my profile pic) but it's that second leg...think I need to draw the knees back too, perhaps try and push the knees up which will bring the legs down... hmmm.

You can see perhaps why I want to put 2nd series Rishi off. if I'm going to stay in Dwipada for 50 breaths I want it more like Sharath's than mine above, no pressure at all on the head.

I enjoyed the Rishi experiment, the first day was the best though, where I was exploring the vinyasa Krama breathing in the longer stays. Just staying in a pose for fifty breaths feels more like a tapas challenge. I want to inhabit the posture, explore the breath. I accept the argument for equal inhalation and exhalation in Ashtanga, the lack of breath retention, medium length breathing, makes sense in the context of a flowing practice but If you going for long stays, a less energetic practice then perhaps it allows for more sophistication in the breathing practice. That's something Vinyasa Krama offers, staying in a posture for ten minutes, same as Ashtanga rishi but instead of taking fifty breaths aiming to take just ten. jun slow breaths, retention, longer exhalation, it makes sense to me.

That's another experiment for another day.

Oh here's the Rishi approach 50 breath sunpta kurmasana again with the phone call from the wife. It includes, 1 minute in, the dwipada sirsasasana entry.

UPDATE
Think I'm going to explore the Vinyasa Krama 'Rishi' approach next week. I have a good idea of how long the 50 breaths took in all the postures, want to take that time and then quarter the number of breaths, so five minutes in Supta kurmasana but only 12 long slow breaths with retention rather than the 50. Or perhaps stay in 10 asana for ten minutes each (where realistic) aiming for a twenty second breath cycle rather than the Ashtanga ten.

2nd UPDATE
Still want to work out Sharath's secret but not feeling as bad about mine now.

The Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Fourth Day

2012-01-26T12:48:00.002Z

Durvasana

First the intro bit again...

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

Ashtanga Rishi Series

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Fourth Day

Yesterday I stopped at Badha konasana

FourthDay

Sury A x3 / Sury B x3

Paschimottanasana (50 breaths). Included Paschi to warm up the hamstrings, didn't want to go straight into konasana

Upavishta konasana A (50 breaths). Familiar from Vinyasa Krama where we do long stays but with less prep here it took 25 breaths before my shoulders dropped to the mat.

Upavishta konasana B (50 breaths). Have had trouble with my coccyx in the past so put a folded equal towel underneath. Toes feel a bit strained half way through, stretching up through the heels helped

Supta konasana (50 breaths). Again, familiar from Vinyasa Krama, drawing the belly in, the inhalation shorter than the exhalation, comfortable.

Supta hasta padangustasana (25 breaths each side). I did these 25 breaths each side ,in this and Supta Parsvahita below, in the usual order. SHP is the tricky one as there's strain on the neck, really need to engage the bandhas and stretch on down through the trailing leg to take the pressure off.

Supta Parsvahita (25 breaths each side). See above

Ubbaya padangusthasana/Urdhava mukha paschimottanasana (50 breaths, 25 in each changing hand position). Again an extra towel beneath to protect my coccyx as there is a bit of waving back and forth as you try to keep balance for such a long time. Changed hand position after 25 breaths.

Supta Bandhasana variation ( 25 breaths) This seemed insane to even consider such a long stay but I remembered a vinyasa krama variation where the elbows are on the floor and hands on the thighs so less pressure on the neck, 25 seemed plenty.

Sarvangasana (50 breaths).

Ushtrasana (25 breaths ). As a counter pose to the shoulder stand.

Sirsasana (50 breaths).

Nice practice, not as tough as the section of Primary I practiced last night. Was thinking how useful Vinyasa krama is for the prep poses in the subroutines these postures appear, especially as they are taken out of the context of the full primary series.

Tomorrow it's on to 2nd series, Pasasana to Dhanurasana, pasasana is the one I'm worried about.

Re the Breath

I can see the arguments for simplifying the breath from Krishnamacharya's Ujayii of the Yoga Makaranda to the 'medium' breath with sound of Ashtanga. It seems to make sense for the series for the particular style of Ashtanga but I wonder with regard to the Rishi series. This is supposed to be an advanced practice and without the jumping about perhaps there's no need to simplify the breath. I wouldn't like to do the long ujaii breaths in every posture perhaps but there are some, upavishta konasana to name just one from this morning, where the more sophisticated breathing patterns can be explored, that's how I learned it in Vinyasa krama.
Ramaswami posted this on FB this morning
'VINYASAKRAMA ASANA BREATHING: In Vinyasakrama asana practice, breath synchronization with slow movements is an essential element. One would start the movement with the beginning of inhalation or exhalation and complete the movement with the completion of that breathing phase. The time taken in actual practice may be between 5 to 10 or 12 seconds depending on one's capacity and control. If it goes below 5 seconds one would stop the practice and rest to regain the vinyasa krama acceptable breath. My Guru, Sri T Krishnamacharya would say 'breathe with hissing sound '(a la cobra, refer to ananta samapatti in YS) or 'with a mild rubbing sensation in the throat'--. Some hints about breathing in asanas as per vinyasa krama which will be discussed in my Teacher Training program in July/Aug 2012 at LMU.
http://registration.xenegrade.com/lmuextension/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=1430'

I'm reminded too of this from Ramaswami and an advanced Vinyasa Krama approach to the long stays in postures. It's a different approach from Ashtanga Rishi series, In Rishi we're aiming to stay for more breaths (Fifty) but in the VK approach below the idea is to stay for same length of time but to take perhaps a fifth of the breaths, slowing them right down.

'When one is able to stay in the posture (utkatasana) for three to six breaths, then one should slowly increase the time to complete a stipulated number of breaths. Thereafter, one should remain in the posture for a predetermined number of breaths chosen by the practitioner or teacher, or for a fixed persiod, say three to five minutes. Then one's practice should be aimed at reducing the number of breaths while remaining in the posture for the same duration. for instance one may take a total of twenty breaths while in the posture. Later on, it may be possible to remain in the posture steadily and comfortably (sthira and sukha) for five minutes with perhaps only ten breaths. This is one method for attaining asana siddhi (perfection in posture) that one can test of oneself. Having achieved this level of comfort in the posture, one can then introduce the band has, which will increase the time taken for each breath'.
Ramaswami Yoga for the Three Stages of Life P 127

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

Is this a bad time to call ?

2012-01-26T06:45:00.001Z

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Third Day

2012-01-25T22:05:00.002Z

Vajrasana

First the intro bit again...

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

Ashtanga Rishi Series

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Third Day

First a couple of thoughts on The Rishi Series. It's been brought into questions, as indeed it should, pointed out that nobody talks about the rishi series these days, nobody seems to practice it before moving on to advanced, the senior teachers don't seem to teach it or even talk about it.

And I have to admit that when I first read that line at the end of Nancy's article,

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

I thought perhaps Pattabhi Jois was pulling David William's leg, keeping him interested. I imagine David asking him about it the next time he visited Mysore and getting the description of the practice he relates above, a spur of the moment answer.

But think about it...what else did you think was going to happen after Advanced B or 6th series as we call it now. How long are you expected to practice six series a week, what happens when you reach your 50's, 70's are you still expected to to be doing, 3rd or even 2nd, jumping back between sides in primary? Yes it's possible but think yoga for the three stages of life. It makes sense that a point comes where you practice differently, where you take ten appropriate postures and stay in them longer than usual, fifty breaths, why not and perhaps even deeper breaths or dare I say Ujayii breaths in preparation for pranayama proper one of the main focusses of yoga in later life. The rRshi series, it makes sense ....doesn't it?

Wonder if Sharath practices it...don't suppose anyone is brave enough to ask him about it.

This evening was tough, really tough. Just happened to reach a group of postures that were always going to be a struggle. Yesterday I got as far as Navasana.

Sury A x3 / Sury B x3

Bhuja Pindasana ( 50 breaths) An arm balance so hard work, the feet soon began to rest on the mat, iIallowed that, the hardest thing though was having your chin on the mat that long, even resting it as lightly as I could. Plus there's a strain on the neck having the head tilted up for so long, important to keep drawing the shoulder blades down the back.

Kurmasana (50 breaths) My right hamstring was a bit tight so I was being careful, didn't risk trying to raise the feet off the ground. Not much forward bending prep building up to this either but otherwise it was OK.

Supta Kurmasana (50 breaths) There's a video below showing some of the problems of an evening practice. Again a bit stiff and not very sweaty so tricky getting the legs behind the head but then of course half way though the feet get sweaty and want to slide out of the bind, requires a lot of focus. The inhalation is shallower her because your so bunched up so the 50 breaths took less time. Notice how stuttering the full vinyasa's are after these long holds.

Garbha Pindasana (50 breaths) My arms still ache from this an hour later. Again not sweaty enough to get the arms through so had to use the spray. The legs are very tight on the arms, squeezing them, quite uncomfortable. I did twenty five breaths upright and then the other twenty five rolled on my back.

Kukkutasana (25 breaths) I cut this short after twenty five breaths, the lotus was sliding down the arms and I was a little worried about my wrists, more bandha focus and it would be doable but perhaps the arm balances aren't a good idea for such a long stay.

The rest are pretty much the same as the previous days.

Badha konasana

Sarvangasana

Bhekasana ( 50 breaths) Continuing the backstretch them after shoulder stand that ramaswami recommends and that I'm used to. Didn't push the feet down as hard after the first twenty five breaths. As with salabhasana it helps to really tilt the pelvis forward into the mat.

Sirsasana.

Tomorrow, Upavishta Konasana to Setu Bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

Dear Nancy... the breath in '73

2012-01-25T12:02:00.002Z

The Context.
In Krishnamacharya' Yoga Makaranda of 1934 (free download here) Krishnamcaharya employs Ujayii breath, long exhalations are mentioned, there is breath retention after the exhalation, the forehead is down in most postures and there is no mention of drishti.

In Jois' Yoga Mala (1954) , Pattabhi Jois' forehead is down in his pictures also (though not in Sharath's introduced in the later English translation) but there's no mention of Drishti, Ujayii isn't mentioned either nor breath retention.

Why the questions? Well, I'm curious of course, about where and how the Ashtanga method as we know it now came about. Was it a response to teaching Western students, to the increase in numbers as it became a worldwide phenomenon and the impossibility of direct supervision. How much has changed since 1973, was anything lost?

But more importantly, for me personally, is how to bring together the two practices I love, Ashtanga and Vinyasa Krama (these days, while the jury is still out, I just get on and practice them separately, Vinyasa Krama in the morning, Ashtanga in the evening). Vinyasa Krama represents Krishnamacharya's late teaching as passed on to his student, of 30 years, Ramaswami. It's very close to what we find in Krishnamacharya's 1934 Yoga Makaranada, Ujayii, some jalandhara bandha (or at least a slight tilt inwards of the chin, the forehead down), longer exhalations, breath retention, no drishti to speak of as the head is almost always down.

Krishnamacharya's teaching then, doesn't seem to have changed that much, so how do we account for Ashtanga. Did Pattabhi Jois modify the teaching, bring the head up and introduce or at least develop, codify the drishti, eliminate Ujayii for breath with sound. These are quite major changes.

Was it a response to trying to pass on the method to western students, a simplification. How was it taught in those first encounters in the early 70's? Or do we go back further to the 50's and 60's when Manju was first taught by his father (aged 7) and also when Yoga Mala was written.

How innovative was Sri K. Patabbhi Jois?

I wrote to Nancy Gilgoff recently asking permission to publish her article Ashtanga As it Was (see this post), I couldn't help but ask about the breath in '73

'Dear Nancy.... can I ask how you were taught the breath in 73, Was it referred to as Ujayii? I'm guessing it was 8 breaths but was it also a longer exhalation or were inhalation and exhalation the same in every posture. I'm also curious about drishti, no mention in Krishnamcharya's Yoga Makaranda, Yoga Mala or Ramaswami's writing but then the chin seems to have been down more so perhaps no call for it'.

'aloha anthony i never NEVER heard guruji say the word ujayii. he said to breath, "free breathing" is how he would say it. "breath with sound" was another of his pet phrases....perhaps this is why some interpreted it as ujaii....which is incorrect as ujayii is a pranayama where the exhale is twice as long as the inhale....we are to bring the inhale/exhale to the same length so ujayii is the wrong word to use when describing the breath in the ashtanga practice. recently sharath made mention of this...kino mcgregor has put up a summary of a talk he gave...i will forward it to you. i am soooo happy he said this as i have been telling folks ujayii is incorrect.
i think folks are making a mistake to look at yoga makaranda and compare it to the ashtanga method of pattabhi jois. true k.. was guruji's teacher but the series is a different practice than what is being talked about in the makaranda. never, never retention in the practice. i was taught 5-8 breaths is correct...equal on both sides.....he told us to breath faster if something was difficult.....movement follows the breath so if one is not able to "float" back and thru the breath has to speed up....also in yoga mak. he says to do jalandhara bandha in the poses which is VERY INCORRECT to quote guruji.....there is no jalandhara in the ashtanga asana practice.
guruji ALWAYS told us where to gaze as he taught us each pose......the drishti's are important to focus and calm the mind.
think that covers it.....looking forward to meeting you and having more discussions....n
be well safe and happy'

That's pretty clear, thank you so much Nancy.

Perhaps the clue is in the 'breath follows movement', with such a flowing practice maybe it would be a mistake to include breath retention plus there's the need to keep the energy up so equal inhalation/exhalation and again the head up to maximise the inhalation, all help to carry you through the practice
Oh well, back to the drawing board...

Dear Manju.....can I ask you how you were taught the breath by your Father in the 1950's and.......

Hey NYT, my body was pretty much wrecked....

2012-01-24T16:00:00.000Z

CONTEXT

RESPONSE

The curious thing was that I hadn't really noticed that I had got so out of shape, so unhealthy, find it quite shocking looking back at these old photos...how could I not know? There were signs, the kidney stones, the gall bladder operation. When they took my gall bladder out they were supposedly shocked by the amount of cholesterol (this was in Japan). I was wearing smart designer suits back then, thought I looked sharp enough.

That's the scary thing I'm guessing the majority of overweight and unhealthy middle aged men think they're pretty much OK, could do with losing a few pounds perhaps but on the whole think they're fine and don't realize how much they've let their health slip or how much work it will take to turn it around and that it will get harder each year, they need to start now, today not wait for the next New Year Resolution..

I got into yoga almost by accident but it became a passion. As so often with yoga I changed other areas of my life to fit in with the practice, ate less, pretty much cut out drinking, eventually went veggie. I wasn't trying to be fit or healthy, I just wanted to practice yoga more comfortably.

There needs to be a government campaign one of those awareness raising ads that says, hang on a minute, you don't just need to lose the odd couple of pounds you need to rethink how your living your life and it's important because people are dying from this.

That’s the article I’d like to see from the New York Times magazine.

The Ashtanga Rishi approach. Second Day

2012-01-24T14:14:00.005Z

Vashishta

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.

Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach

Ashtanga Rishi Series

http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Second Day

I just got confirmation from Nancy (more on that later) that the breath was indeed taught then (1973) as now, equal inhalation and exhalation and no retention so I'll be sticking with that through the rest of this exploration of the Rishi approach.

The idea of the Rishi series then is to do your sun salutations and then work through the series, holding the asana for as long as comfortably possible with 50 breaths in mind. In my Vinyasa krama practice we are encouraged to practice Paschimottanasana, Sarvangasana and Sirsasana daily and for at least around ten minutes so I want to include those postures along with Padmasana in each practice.

That gives me six postures to play with. One thing I'm wondering about is the question of sides, do we count the 50 breaths for each side of a posture or for both sides together, 25 each. Just joined David's foam so will be asking him how he approached it.

Yesterday I got as far as Janu sirsasana A so today's morning practice (I'll be doing my regular 2nd series this evening).

DAY 2

Sury A x 3 / Sury B x 3

Janu Sirsasana B (25 breaths each side ).

Janu Sirsasana C (25 breaths each side). I was a little concerned about this one as I have an old injury on my right knee but it was actually ok, was very mindful of the set up and kept the muscles above and below my knee engaged, using the knee bandha (janu bandha) to protect the joint.

Marichiyasana A (25 breaths each side ). Blood circulation is a problem here, note to self study where the main arteries in the body run, I have a general idea but.... took a little shifting about in the posture to avoid cutting off the circulation, start to notice it ten breaths in, something i guess we don't pick up on in regular practice.

Marichiyasana B (25 breaths each side ). Again, was concerned about the knee's here careful placement and set up made it fine, something else to remember in regular practice, do we rush the placement sometimes.

Marichiyasana C (25 breaths each side ). As Mari A

Marichiyasana D (25 breaths each side ). The big one of course, wasn't sure if it would be doable, made a really big deal of the set up, made sure I was in nice and tight creating as much space as possible. Circulation became an issue around twenty breaths but a little adjustment allowed me to continue. Hope 25 breaths a side is right , don't fancy fifty. Actually took a video but really is like watching paint dry.

Navasana (50 breaths ). Wasn't sure how to approach this, should I stay in the pose for fifty breaths go in and out as usual for a count of five or perhaps ten. in the end I stayed for 25 then had to lower before going up for another fifteen and then again for the last ten.

(The rest of the practice was pretty much the same for Day 1 )

Sarvangasana

Parsva Dhanurasana ( 25 breaths each side). Ramaswami always adds a back stretch after Sarvangasana so i tend to stick with that.

Sirsasana

Padmasana (for regular pranayama )

------------------------------------------------------------------

Again a nice practice, preferred yesterday with the long Vinyasa Krama breathing with retention but this was at least quicker, ran to two hours this morning.

Tomorrow will be Bhuja pindasana to badha Konasana

Practicing 2nd series later, want to give kapotasana a trial run and aim for 25 breaths.

UPDATE: Nice 2nd. Managed the 25 breaths OK, filmed it and was going to post it on youtube but then noticed I'd posted a 25 breath Kapo about a year ago in the context of a post on Iyengar who supposedly held Kapo for fifteen minutes.

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

The Ashtanga Rishi approach. First Day

2012-01-23T08:42:00.006Z

Manu Rishi

A series of posts exploring the the 'Ashtanga Rishi Series' mentioned at the end of Nancy Gilgoff's Article (see link below) and outlined in a reply by David Willams on his forum below ( the headings in block capitals are mine.

I'll be starting each of these posts with this same introduction/reminder of the the context.

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.
Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Ashtanga Rishi Approach
'...Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd. It can be done once or twice a week. One does the "salutations" and then starts going thru the series, holding each posture for as long as comfortably possible. Notice which postures could be held for 50 breaths. The next time you practice this way, the postures which you could hold for 50 are omitted and new ones are added at the end. One gradually works thru the series, dropping and adding asanas, still doing 10 asanas per session. I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficial'.

Ashtanga Rishi Series
'Then, once one has mastered all of the asanas, one can practice "the rishi series", the most advanced practice. One does the 10 postures that one intuits will be the most beneficial and appropriate for that day, holding each posture for up to 50 comfortable breaths'.
http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

The Ashtanga Rishi approach. First Day

I had a look at the idea of the series in an earlier post HERE, in this series of posts I want to explore the approach David outlines above

'Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd...'

The idea is to do your sun salutations and then work through the series, holding them for as long as comfortably possible with 50 breaths in mind. In my Vinyasa krama practice we are encouraged to practice paschimottanasana, Sarvangasana and Sirsasana daily and for at least around ten minutes so I want to include those postures along with padmasana in each practice, that kind of fits in with ...Sri K. pattabhi Jois' Yoga Mala too.

That gives me six postures to play with.

A note about breathing. Vinyasa Krama breathing in some postures Ashtanga breathing in others. I'm aiming for a five second inhalation, ten second exhalation and a five second retention, a twenty second breath then which would mean sixteen and a half minutes in each posture. There are a couple of asana where that isn't realistic for me at the moment (David suggests as much above) so I switch to Ashtanga breathing, five second inhalation, five second exhalation. I didn't watch the clock that much but it seemed most of the postures were taking around fifteen minutes, i included a full vinyasa between each asana to stretch it out.

UPDATE: Nancy has confirmed that the breath was taught in 1973 as now, equal inhalation and exhalation, no retention. From now on I'll practice the Rishi approach with standard Ashtanga breathing and save the Vinyasa Krama breath for when practicing Vinyasa Krama.

This morning then...

Sun salutations 3 A's, 3 B's

Paschimottanasana (50 full breaths)

Purvatasana (ashtanga breathing, 25 breaths).

Ardha badha padma paschimottanasana ( 25 full breaths each side) The challenge here is circulation as the bind starts to turn your arm numb, takes a little shuffling the arm around and a deepening of the fold to give space for the blood to flow freely.

Tirieng Mukha Eka Pada paschimottanasana (25 full breaths each side).

Janu Sirsasana A (25 full breaths each side)

Badha Konasana (25 full breaths each in A and C) badha konasana just because I love the pose and am exploring it, will probably include it each day.

Sarvangasana ,Shoulder stand (50 full breaths)

Salambhasana ( 25 ashtanga breaths each in A and B) Ramaswami encourages a back stretch for the neck after shoulder stands.

Sirsasana, headstand (50 full breaths)

Badha padmasana/Yoga mudra (25 Ashtanga breaths in each). Again the challenge with the bind is the circulation, A little moving around and deepening I'm improved it but I still need to unbind for a couple of breaths in between the two postures.

Pranayama in Sidhasana.

Overall it went went well, very very mellow afterwards and as I sit here writing this up, practice was pretty much two and a half hours of pranayama.

Is it Ashtanga? The postures are the same, the sequence too pretty much and including a vinyasa in between each asana made it felt Ashtanga'ish to me. Surprisingly this time it felt more like ashtanga than Vinyasa Krama but the line between the two variations in the Krishnamachaya tradition seem a little blurred here.

Interesting to explore though. Rather than the whole series perhaps, try holding one of the Primary series asana for fifty breaths one evening just for the hell of it.

Tomorrow is a little scary, the Marichi's and Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

Mysore Magic Yoga At The Source

2012-01-22T08:31:00.008Z

Mysore magic

Haven't had the chance to watch this yet, looks nicely shot and I love the picture right at the end of the statue of the feet on the red background. First reaction from the trailer puts me off going even more though, practicing with others, still don't really get the attraction (see this recent post ), see if I change my mind when I get to watch the whole thing later. Off to see Coriolanus now and then supposedly The best pizza in London

Exploring the Ashtanga Rishi 'Series' / approach

2012-01-21T22:21:00.004Z

'Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd. It can be done once or twice a week. One does the "salutations" and then starts going thru the series, holding each posture for as long as comfortably possible. Notice which postures could be held for 50 breaths. The next time you practice this way, the postures which you could hold for 50 are omitted and new ones are added at the end. One gradually works thru the series, dropping and adding asanas, still doing 10 asanas per session. I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficial.

Then, once one has mastered all of the asanas, one can practice "the rishi series", the most advanced practice. One does the 10 postures that one intuits will be the most beneficial and appropriate for that day, holding each posture for up to 50 comfortable breaths.' David Williams (see previous post).

Thought I'd try out the 'Rishi' series / approach that I outlined in the previous post. The question of course is which postures to go with.

In Vinyasa Krama Ramaswami has Krishnamacharya recommending a long Paschimottanasana, sarvangasana and sirsasana daily, around ten minutes each minimum so that was easy. Maha mudra, (like janu sirsasana A but without the forward fold) and baddha konasana are also recommended so that's five asana already.Haven't practiced Advanced A or any of B for a good few months so that meant Primary and 2nd to choose from, besides plenty to be going on with there, fifty breaths whole different ball game. Decided to keep the vinyasas in between the postures seemed like a good way to stretch out of the long stay in the asana.

Uttanasana seemed a good place to start, on reflection I'd go for something else next time as there's already the deep forward bend with paschimottanasana, yoga nidrasana perhaps. I wanted a tapas pose, something on one leg so went for Vikshasana, baddha konasana because I love it and it seemed a good choice for a long stay, Gomokhasana as it's a nice counterpose to baddha konasana.

I wanted a twist, thought a Marchi but went for Ardha Matsyendrasana. For a backbend I was tempted by Ustrasana as I love the idea of working towards the long stay in kapo, went for salabhasana A in the end, expected it to be a lot harder than it was, that pelvic tilt works again.

Lost count of how many that was and started on Yoga mudra but my arms went to sleep after 25 breaths, came up and did some pranayama instead.

Breath rate.
vinyasa Krama breathing. I was aiming for a five second inhalation, ten second exhalation and a five second retention so a 20 second breath, a fair rate to start with.

That should have made it around 16.5 minutes for each asana, I think it was more around 10-12 minutes each, some a little quicker than others. Practice came out at two and a half hours but ten minutes of that was the Pranayama (had to cut it short as time was moving on and had to get ready for work).

3 Sury A / 3 Sury B
--------------------------------------
Uttanasana

Vikshasana (25 each side)

Mahamudra / Janu sirsasana A (25 each side)

Baddha konasana

Gomukhasana

Ardha Matsyendrasana (25 each side)

Pashimottanasana

Sarvangasana

Salabhasana A

Sirsasana

Padmasana (for regular pranayama )
------------------------------------------------------------------

Wonderful practice actually but I was struck by how Vinyasa Krama ish it was,Vinyasa Krama = Rishi series?

Except of course, in VK there would be several variations of the posture in that fifty count.

Essentially the Rishi series/approach here seemed like a two and a half hour pranayama session.

Would I do it again? Certainly, every sunday from now changing two or three asana each time.

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

The Ashtanga 'Rishi series'

2012-01-20T22:58:00.002Z

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'.
Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

This line at the end of Nancy's article, that I posted earlier in the week, drew a few comments.

What is the rishi series?

I remembered reading something interesting about this a couple of years ago but couldn't remember where. So I hit google obviously. this came up a couple of times from befityoga

The Rishi Sereis – The final series is the Rishi Series, a Rishi is one who knows. At this point in our lives we are about 60 years old and our body knows what it needs. In the Rishi series you choose 10 poses and hold each one for 50 breaths. Now if you begun Ashtanga Yoga in your 50’s you can not get to 60 and say “now I can do the Rishi Series”. You need to put in your time (practice, practice, practice) learning this method prior to the Rishi Sereis. I started this practice at 30 years of age and it has taken me 10 years to get to the Third series!
2007 Bobbi Misiti | BeFit Body & Mind YOGA http://www.befityoga.com/yfocus_may07.shtml

Interesting but not the one I remembered...

The next one was from Alex Medin on Ashtanga.com

'The last four series are the Advanced A, B, C, and D sequences--in Sanskrit called the Sthira Bhaga (Centering of Strength). These postures aim to center the body/mind/nervous system in a greater steadiness from within, but these postures should only be attempted after years of practice. Without a solid grounding in the practice it is easy to cause more harm than good to the body/mind/nervous system from the sheer intensity of the postures. This sequence is also called the "Rishi" sequence since names from many of the famous sages of the Vedas are found here'.

http://www.ashtanga.com/html/article_medin_alex.html

Again no, not the one I was searching for. Finally I found it and not surprisingly it was David Williams, which ties in with the quote from Nancy at the beginning of this post, it was to Nancy and David that Jois gave the list of the different series.

This came up then as a question on David's website forum

Hi David,
........There was one thing I remember but am hoping you can shed some more light on, you mentioned a practise where ten postures are held for fifty breaths each, could you tell me more about the structure and contents of that practise (postures etc).
Aidie

Dear Adrian,
Nice to hear from you and I am glad that you enjoyed the workshop...so did I.
Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd. It can be done once or twice a week. One does the "salutations" and then starts going thru the series, holding each posture for as long as comfortably possible. Notice which postures could be held for 50 breaths. The next time you practice this way, the postures which you could hold for 50 are omitted and new ones are added at the end. One gradually works thru the series, dropping and adding asanas, still doing 10 asanas per session. I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficial.
Then, once one has mastered all of the asanas, one can practice "the rishi series", the most advanced practice. One does the 10 postures that one intuits will be the most beneficial and appropriate for that day, holding each posture for up to 50 comfortable breaths.
I hope this is clear. Please feel free to ask further questions.
All the best to you.
Yours in Yoga,
David (Williams)
http://tinyurl.com/7wq66bs

Durvasana

So there we have it, the rishi series, worth exploring I think so expect a few posts.

In a sense Vinyasa Krama has a rishi if not series then approach, here's Ramaswami talking about utkatasana in the context of YS II:46 STHIRA-SUKHAM ASANAM,

'When one is able to stay in the posture (utkatasana) for three to six breaths, then one should slowly increase the time to complete a stipulated number of breaths. Thereafter, one should remain in the posture for a predetermined number of breaths chosen by the practitioner or teacher, or for a fixed persiod, say three to five minutes. Then one's practice should be aimed at reducing the number of breaths while remaining in the posture for the same duration. for instance one may take a total of twenty breaths while in the posture. Later on, it may be possible to remain in the posture steadily and comfortably (sthira and sukha) for five minutes with perhaps only ten breaths. This is one method for attaining asana siddhi (perfection in posture) that one can test of oneself. Having achieved this level of comfort in the posture, one can then introduce the band has, which will increase the time taken for each breath'.
Ramaswami Yoga for the Three Stages of Life P 127

I explored this here Bandhas, Breathing and making the most of Utkatasana hard, really hard but something to work towards.

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

The other practice

2012-01-20T20:01:00.000Z

I've been writing a lot about Ashtanga recently but what about the other practice. Quite delightful actually, thank you for asking.

I seem to have reached a degree of peace over the whole Ashtanga Vs Vinyasa Krama dilemmas. Which to practice? How to Practice them ? Do I practice VK in an Ashtanga way or Ashtanga with a strong VK influence.

The solution? I practice both, obviously.

I was practicing Ashtanga in the mornings, VK in the evening but then my lower back started playing up in the colder weather so I switched them around.

This week the back has been feeling better and I've practiced ashtanga in the mornings, first couple of Sury's a little stiff but then it's been fine.

I love my Ashtanga, I just do. It's familiar, I know where I am, I just flow through the practice constantly bringing the mind gently back to the breath.

Knowing I have my Ashtanga in the bag, as it were, I can take it easy with my Vinyasa Krama. There's always that tendency in VK to krama in too many postures. But with my ashtanga I know I'm covering a wide range of postures including a decent paschimottanasana, sarvangasana (shoulder stand) and sirsasana (headstand), key daily postures in Vinyasa krama.

It's liberating I can take my time with a little tadasana, pick a couple of extra standing vinyasas and then a subroutine, just as I'd was approaching it over the last three months writing up the VK Practice book. By having fewer postures to practice I can really milk them re the breath, working into the postures, staying longer, elongating the exhalation and inhalations, employing Kumbhaka (breath retention) and some serious bandha work, it's been a joy.

And of course because I'm able to keep the asana practice shorter by not trying to cram in too many postures I can have more time for pranayama and pratyhara (which I've always wanted focus on more, still see it as the cinderella limb) and for a decent sit.

And because I'm having a good Vinyasa Krama practice I don't feel the need to mess up the ashtanga too much, I can practice it pretty straight though perhaps a little slower than I used to, less flashy, conserving energy more.

Finally some balance between the two, taken a while.

More Ashtanga as it used to be (1978): Mark and Joanne Darby interview

2012-01-20T06:15:00.002Z

This interview was passed on to me in the comments to my previous post Dear Nancy .....Yoga as it was. Highly recommend reading the whole article, I've put a couple of snippets here relating to some things that came up in comments to the Nancy post (The Bold headings are mine).

I thought it was interesting jumping forward five years (1978) from the trip Nancy is talking about (1973).

Ilya Zhuravlev: "Mysore 1978" Interview with Mark and Joanne Darby from WILD YOGI

http://wildyogi.info/en/book/export/html/537

Learning the practice
Ilya: Some people who studied in the 70-s told me that before, students practiced both 1st and 2nd series during one class. Some people told that sequence was different.

Mark: At first we learned Surya Namaskara A, B, Padangushtasana, Padahastasana, Trikonasana, Parshvakonasana - and then Baddha Padmasana, Yoga Mudra and Utpluthi - this was first class. And my friend Old Cliff said: "Oh, he likes you - he gave you a lot of asanas". Next day I got one more posture, next day - one more. So maybe for one week I was given one posture per day, and after two more postures per week. In three months we completed Primary Series. After three month I went for holiday - my body was tired. After one month I came back - and I started Intermediate, it took two months. An every day I did Primary and Intermediate. An then we started Advanced postures. So it was Primary, Intermediate, Advanced every day. So I did three series daily, and after two years my practice was 3 and half hours. Joan was doing 4 and half hours, because she was standing one hour

The breath
Ilya: 'My next question concerns the length of ujaii breath during ashtanga practice. When we visited David Swenson`s workshop Baranov and I were instructed to shorten our breaths, since our pranayama practices increased lung capacity and our breathes were longer compared to other students. He also told us not to hold one posture more than for 5 breaths, but you`v told that before it was 8 breaths for each asana. Do you think that it is due to the number of students in class and time limit that counting became faster?'

Mark: 'Yes, a lot of students come and time is limited.'

Ilya: 'Then what is your opinion about individual practice? Is it possible to hold a posture more than 8 breaths and make breaths as long as possible?'

Mark: 'Yes, and when David studied it was also 8 breaths. I don’t think there are any rules, if you want to make breaths longer you can, but there is such thing as vinyasa, and vinyasa becomes a movement which takes energy, and because of that we breathe faster, we need oxygen and then the breath during vinyasa become quicker, so you generally need to keep same rhythm in your postures. So that you don’t speed up to do the vinyasa and then slow down. So, I generally work with my vinyasa, but some days my breath is longer than in others, but some days I`m rushed because I don’t have time. I can make a very strong practice in one and a half hours and I can make it in 2 hours by making my breath longer. There is nothing wrong about it, but you have to keep the rhythm'.

Pranayama
Ilya : '...did Pattabhi Jois teach pranayama for advanced students in early years?'

Mark Darby: 'In those years not even to advanced students. When some American advanced students wanted to study pranayama, Jois started to teach them. At that time we had studied with him for about 6 months. So he invited us also, I guess he felt we were ready. But in later years he was teaching pranayama only to advanced students, people who new third series. One time Sharath invited one student to come, he was not advanced but a long time student, and Guruji asked him - why you here? He said Sharath invited me, and Guruji had discussion with Sharath and said to the man: “You sit and watch”. So he did not practice and just watched'.

Ilya: 'He was very strict in this'.

Mark: 'Because it's difficult. When you do pranayama with strong retentions it can be dangerous. Body should be prepared and Pattabhi Jois said that when you do advanced series you should be ready to pranayama. I teach pranayams which I learn't from Deshikachar - its simple approach, simple pranayamas'.

Samakonasana and Hanumanasana
'Ilya: 'Somebody told me that Hanumanasana was in Primary series'

Mark: 'He gave it to Derek Ireland - Hanumanasana and Somakonasana, it was individual instruction, but Derek gave this to his students. So only his students did this. But he was advanced student. It was not given to beginners'.

Revolving twists
Mark : 'Ashtanga done well will be your best friend, ashtanga done incorrectly will be your worst enemy. We didn’t do revolving standing postures as beginners. We did trikonasana, no revolving trikonasana, parshvokonasana but no parivritta parshvokonasana, we didn’t do utkattasana and no virabhadrasana series as beginners. So, when you became advanced practitioner afterwards you put them in the standing postures. Why Pattabhi Jois changed this? Usually when students practice they copy teacher, and when beginners see advanced student doing most postures then they would put them in. So when they go to Mysore they didn’t learn from Guruji but from some students of Guruji in the west, so when they come to Mysore they`d be doing postures already, so he`d just let them do. Before, he never used to teach parshvokonasana, reversed parshvokonasana. If you look at Lino`s book, its not Sharath, its Lino is doing this posture. If you look the video of Guruji teaching in 1990 Richard Freeman, Tim Miller, Chuck Miller, he doesn’t have this reversed parshvokonasana, he only put this after 2000.'

Mark Darby's DVD was the one I pretty much learned Ashtanga with, that and David Swenson's book, Ashtanga Yoga. I still think it's the best DVD on the market for the beginner home ashtangi, you have Mark doing the full series while Nicole Bordeleau does some easier variation beside him, split screen.

Here's a link to Ilya Zhuravlev's website
http://mahadev108.com/index.htm

Dear Nancy... ' Yoga as it was" Nancy Gilgoff article in full, plus UPDATED practice sheet

2012-01-19T06:10:00.005Z

See this post for David Williams poster details

Dear Nancy
I've just read your Article 'Ashtanga as it was (the long and the short of it)', posted by Chris Conn on FB. I wanted to ask if it was OK with you to publish the article on my blog, Ashtanga Vinyasa krama Yoga at Home. I'd always suspected that there wasn't as big a break between the early and late Krishnamacharya's teachings as the current Ashtanga practice suggests, your article goes someway to confirm this, the lack of vinyasa between sides and some postures, more grouping of postures, I find it fascinating.

I will of course understand completely if you'd rather the article wasn't posted on a blog.

respectfully

Anthony
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aloha anthony thank you for writing and for sharing your thoughts. it's interesting to me what you have said and i would love to hear more on this subject....guess maybe i should check out your blog :-). yes, of course i am fine with you posting my article. thank you for asking.....n

be well safe and happy

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One of the things I've been drumming on about in this blog ever since I came across Ramaswami's Book The complete book of Vinyasa Yoga, representing Krishnamacharya's later teaching, was how to account for the seeming difference of approach between the early and late Krishnamacharya. But more importantly for me personally how to reintegrate, find consistency or at least allow the approaches to coexist in my own practice given that I have such love for both of them, Ashtanga and Vinyasa krama.

Coming across Nancy's article reminded me of one of my earlier approaches to integrating the practice from a couple of years ago where I would drop the vinyasas between certain groups of postures in Ashtanga, treating them as Vinyasa Krama subroutines. It worked somewhat but at the same time I was increasing the number of breaths and length of stay and including full vinyasa between the groups of postures, basically trying to practice Ashtanga as Vinyasa Krama. It kinda worked but not quite.

Recently I've been practising an integrated Vinyasa krama practice in the morning (subroutines, pranayama, meditation) and straight Ashtanga Primary and/or 2nd in the evening, keeping them separate. But still curious about this bringing together the early and the late ...even went so far as to put a section in my book describing a subroutine breakdown of the Ashtanga primary.

Below is Nancy's article, 'Ashtanga as it was' in full, you can probably tell why I was so excited about it.

Below that is an attempt to reconstitute the practice as she outlines it that I used to practice yesterday evening and again this morning. The practice, Primary and Intermediate came out at around 90 minutes and was actually quite beautiful, loved it and I'll probably stick with it for a while.

Here's the article in full.

“Ashtanga Yoga As It Was (The Long and Short of It)” By Nancy Gilgoff.

The following is the way in which Guruji taught me, Nancy Gilgoff, the Primary and Intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga during my first trip to Mysore, in 1973. David Williams and I stayed for four months that trip, and had two classes per day (excluding Saturdays and Moon days).

In the first class, I was taught to do five Surya Namaskara A, plus the three finishing postures – Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, and Tolasana. The second class, later that day, was five Surya Namaskara A and five Surya Namaskara B, plus the three finishing. In the next class, Guruji told me to only do three each of Surya Namaskara A and B, and to keep it that way in my practice, and then began adding on at least two postures per class, always with the three finishing at the end. Guruji taught me the standing postures through Parsvottanasana, with no Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana. After Parsvottanasana he had me jump through to Dandasana.

In the seated postures, there were a minimal number of vinyasas. There were no vinyasas between sides. Moreover, there were no vinyasas between variations – so all of Janu Sirsasana A, B, and C were done together (right side, left side of A, right, left of B, right, left of C), then a vinyasa before Marichyasana. Then all of the Marichyasana variations, A, B, C, and D, were done together, without vinyasas between sides or variations; then a vinyasa before three Navasana. Baddha Konasana, Upavishta Konasana, and Supta Konasana were also grouped together without vinyasas between them. Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana were also done together, with no vinyasa between – we were taught to simply change the hand position after Ubhaya Padangusthasana and go right into Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana.

After Setu Bandhasana, Guruji added in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana – but to be put in the series back in the standing sequence, after Parsvottanasana. (Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana were not in the series at this point, nor were Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana, all of which were added in later.) Once Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana were taught and added into their place in the standing sequence, after Setu Bandhasana, Intermediate began immediately with Pashasana. In fact, David and I had no idea that there were two separate series until the end of that first four-month trip, when we were leaving, at which point Guruji gave us a sheet of paper with a list of the postures, which were listed as Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, and Advanced B. At this point he told us to practice one series a day, and only once a day. While we had been with him in Mysore, we had learned both Primary and Intermediate series in the first two months. He had us practice both series, together, in entirety, twice a day.

Intermediate Series also contained fewer vinyasas back then. There were no vinyasas between sides (in Krounchasana, Bharadvajasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana, Parighasana, and Gomukhasana). From Shalabhasana through Parsva Dhanurasana, the asanas were done in a group, with a vinyasa only at the end. Ushtrasana through Kapotasana also were done all together, with a vinyasa only after Kapotasana. The same went for Eka Pada Sirsasana through Yoganidrasana – there were no vinyasas until the Chakrasana after Yoganidrasana.

The Intermediate series, as Guruji taught it to us during that first trip, included Vrishchikasana after Karandavasana. We were taught to hold Pincha Mayurasana for five breaths, bring the legs into lotus and lower down into Karandavasana, hold five breaths, inhale up, and then exhale right into Vrishchikasana for five breaths. The series ended with Gomukhasana. David asked for more, and so, per his request, Guruji added Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana as well as the seven headstands –Baddha Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C, and D were taught first, with Mukta Hasta Sirsasana A, B, and C following. Guruji said these were from Fourth Series.

Backbends from both the floor (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and standing (“drop-backs”) were taught after Intermediate Series, as was the rest of the finishing sequence (Paschimottanasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana, Karnapidasana, Urdhva Padmasana, Pindasana, Matsyasana, Uttana Padasana, and Sirsasana). Up until this point, we had just been doing Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, and Tolasana at the end of our practice.

Guruji taught us Pranayama after we had learned the entire Intermediate Series (at the end of our third month in Mysore, about a month after learning all of Intermediate). I think it was when Guruji came to teach on Maui in 1980 (in Paia) that he added in so many vinyasas, while teaching led classes. When I asked him whether or not to do them in my own practice, as I had been practicing without – as he had taught me, he told me to add in the vinyasas to build my strength. By that trip in 1980 there was still no Parivritta Trikonasana, Parivritta Parsvakonasana, Utkatasana, or Virabhadrasana in the practice. (During another, later trip to the States, Guruji added in Parivritta Trikonasana and Parivritta Parsvakonasana. The next time he came back to Maui to teach, he saw us doing Parivritta Parsvakonasana, asked why we were doing it, and said that this was “crazy posture” and that we should take it out. But the whole Maui crew loved it so much that he said we could leave it in. (Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana were perhaps added in at some point in the late 1980’s.)

Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series.
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And here is my attempt to reconstitute Primary and Intermediate as Nancy and David Williams learned it on that first trip to Mysore back in 1973 (those in italics Nancy doesn't mention in the article, I'm just assuming they are still here going by David Williams poster).

UPDATE: Nancy just pointed out that I had missed out Suptavajrasana, have added it in now. She also pointed out

'...also please note that i have written about how guruji taught ME. some things were different for david as he could do vinyasa's and pretty much all the poses. guruji could put me into any pose which he did but i was very weak and pretty much new to yoga. he lifted me and threw me back each vinyasa and then helped me sail back through to the next pose. while we were practicing, i have to say, i was not able to pay attention to anything but what was happening to me....david and i would compare "notes" in the evenings to see what had happened in the days classes. the postures were the same but he was doing more vinyasana i think'.

STANDING

Three each of Surya Namaskara A and B,

Standing postures through to Parsvottanasana,

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana etc. and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (added after learning all primary).

(Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana added in 1980s).

SEATED

Jump through to Dandasana.

Paschimottanasana

Purvottanasana

Vinyasa (?)

Ardha baddha padma Paschimottanasana ( No vinyasa between sides).

Vinyasa (?)

Tireng Mukkha Eka pada Paschimottanasana (No vinyasa between sides).

Vinyasa (?)

Janu Sirsasana A, B, and C (Done together, no vinyasa between sides or variations right side, left side of A, right, left of B, right, left of C).

Vinyasa

Marichyasana A, B, C, and D (done together no vinyasas between sides or variations).

Vinyasa

Navasana x 3

Vinyasa

Bhuja pindasana

Vinyasa (?)

Kurmasana

Supta kurmasana

vinyasa (?)

garbha pindasana

Kukkutasana

Vinyasa (?)

Baddha Konasana, Upavishta Konasana, and Supta Konasana (No vinyasas between sides).

Vinyasa

Supta hasta pasdangustasana

Supta parsvasahita

chakrasana

Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Mukha

Paschimottanasana (done together, simply change the hand position).

Setu Bandhasana,

(continue on in to..)

INTERMEDIATE

Pashasana. (No vinyasa between sides).

Shalabhasana through Parsva Dhanurasana, (Done together no vinyasa in between sides).

Vinyasa

Ushtrasana through Kapotasana (Done together no vinyasa in between)

Vinyasa
Suptavajrasana x 5 , (no hold on the last one just the first)
Vinyasa

Bakasana

Bharadvajasana, (no vinyasas between sides).

Ardha Matsyendrasana, (no vinyasas between sides).

Eka Pada Sirsasana to Yoganidrasana, (no vinyasas until Chakrasana after Yoganidrasana).

Tittibhasana A B C

Pincha Mayurasana, Karandavasana, Vrishchikasana (done together).

Mayurasana

vinyasa

Nakrasana

vinyasa

Vatyanasana

vinyasa

Parighasana, (no vinyasa between sides).

Krounchasana, (No vinyasa between sides).

Gomukhasana (no Vinyasa between sides).

Urdhva Dhanurasana
dropbacks

FINISHING

Paschimottanasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana, Karnapidasana,

Urdhva Padmasana, Pindasana, Matsyasana,

Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, Tolasana

PRANAYAMA

Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi" series (Choose 10 postures and stay for fifty breaths in each).

My Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book now on Kindle

2012-01-18T14:07:00.000Z

Not sure what to feel about this actually, more amused than anything else. Bit embarrassed too, noticed the 'product description' is a bit of a mess, they give you this tiny little dialogue box to write it in and I just threw it together the other day when I was off sick.

Perhaps I should leave it as it is, the whole book is in need of a major revision and edit anyway so perhaps the description is a fair reflection. After three months writing up the notes to the mornings sequence I was so fed up of writing about asana that I couldn't bear to look at it again.

I'll give it a month and see about submitting the revision so you might want to save yourself a couple of dollars and stick with the free pdf version over on the right of the blog.

Ashtangi's might find the subroutines useful as mini 'evening' practises (I've always done an extra bit of practice in the evenings whether it was working on Jump backs, Drop backs, a new posture or later Vinyasa Krama ), pick one with a pose your struggling with or working towards, the other postures in the subroutine acting as preparation or extension. They can also be useful as a tool chest of substitutions when faced with injury. Remember, these subroutines derive from Krishnamacharya, all part of the lineage.

You can of course download the Kindle app for the iPad and Kindle for you PC or Mac.

Link to Amazon

UPDATE

Have just noticed that Amazon now has one of their LOOK INSIDE/preview buttons.

Definitely having fun with this now.

still...

"No merit to speak of".

'...a celebration of a personal home practice', that's how I choose to read it anyway.

2012-01-18T06:21:00.009Z

Oh, so this is what all the fuss is about, never ceases to amaze me how het up yogi's get.

I like it, getting out of bed and doing your practice while your partner sleeps, lost count of the hotel rooms I've done that in on holidays while M. has slept. I see it as a celebration of personal home practice, sneaking one in.

As for the video being sexy, aren't we all just checking out her moves (what's that she's doing 55 seconds in after bakasana hmmm), how she shifts her balance, at which point she begins to lower or lift up, checking out her breathing, how she spreads her fingers... Clearly she's practiced long and hard with discipline, commitment and an obvious sincerity and love of her asana practice.

What's it supposed to be selling, a gym? What does she need a gym for when she can practice like this at home?

Don't wear much in the home shala when I practice either.

It's a text read it as we will, bring to it what you will, I'm a home Ashtangai, that's how I prefer to read it.

What? Oh, he's just pretending to be asleep.... I just thought she had a better camera than me....seven of them.

Seems her name is Briohny Smyth, here's some more of her inversions, love the drop to the forearm.

...and a pressing to handstand tutorial that I can't watch at the moment as I'm in the library but want to check out later.

UPDATE: this is just too well done not to be included, reminds me very much of when I first started.

"No merit to speak of."

2012-01-16T19:32:00.000Z

"No merit to speak of"

with thanks to Karen, as ever.

Kevin's Mysore Map available for download

2012-01-15T13:08:00.001Z

Kevin has made his Mysore map available for download via Lulu, link on his blog http://tinyurl.com/8xg2pop

Virtual Transmission, Visceral Practice: the Cybershala

2012-01-14T06:44:00.000Z

Kiri has just published an article on Virtual Transmission, here's the section on the 'Cybershala' the full article is here
http://guitarheroresearch.blogspot.com/2012/01/virtual-transmission-visceral-practice.html

Virtual Transmission, Visceral Practice: Dance Central and the Cybershala [SEM 2011]

I presented this paper at the joint meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology and the Congress for Research on Dance in Philadelphia, PA (November 17-20, 2011). The Dance Central section represents my current research project (still in its early stages); the cybershala section is condensed from a longer treatment in my new book, Playing Along.

***

Virtual Transmission, Visceral Practice: Dance Central and the Cybershala

screenshot from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPFr27b86tE

screenshot from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS9ceH1xssk

Interactive digital media technologies are gradually transforming the face-to-face, body-to-body transmission contexts that have always played a crucial role in music and dance pedagogy. YouTube, blogging platforms, and other online social media forums have given rise to countless virtual communities of practice. Meanwhile, digital game developers are seeking to bridge the gap between virtual and visceral experience by creating new kinds of controllers, motion-sensing devices, and gestural interfaces (e.g., those employed by the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect). Despite the limitations of current technologies, millions of people are turning to online media and digital games in the pursuit of new corporeal skills, experiences, and knowledge.

Today I’m going to present two case studies in techno-mediated transmission. First I’ll address the “cybershala” created by yoga bloggers, a web-based community of practice that sometimes comes into conflict with traditional authority. Then I’ll turn to Dance Central, a videogame that teaches players full-body choreography routines set to popular club music, offering real-time feedback using a motion-sensing camera peripheral. While time limitations will prevent me from doing justice to either case study, I think it’s worth our while to consider how they inform each other. These examples illustrate some new possibilities for the transmission of embodied practice, for converting virtual social connections into visceral common knowledge, and for imagining what it’s like to live in someone else’s body.

Cybershala: The Ashtangisphere Never Sleeps
One day in the summer of 2010 a friend posted a comment on one of my Facebook status updates, asking how my backbends were coming along.

My friend and I both practice ashtanga yoga, a method codified and popularized in the twentieth century by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915–2009) through his Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India. Ashtanga is a “flowing” yoga style, in which most asana (postures) are held for only five breaths; fluid transitions between asana are an integral part of the practice. The simplest explanation of what makes ashtanga distinctive is that practitioners always move through the asana in a particular order, matching their movements to a particular breath pattern. The prescribed sequence of asana is broken down into a structured curriculum: fundamentals, primary series, second series, and so on. Students learn each series through cumulative repetition, with the teacher deciding when a student is ready to add a new asana or begin a new series. In “Mysore-style” classes, the teacher does not instruct the whole group and rarely demonstrates asana. Instead, she or he moves through the room giving physical adjustments and working with students one-on-one as they each proceed through the series. [Hey ashtangis, I know this description is woefully incomplete, but this talk could only be 20 minutes long!]

At the time of our Facebook exchange my friend and I were both partway through learning the second series, 3,000 miles apart and working with different teachers. The ashtanga curriculum offers a structuring framework for online discourse and visceral common knowledge. (Cf. Hamera 2007 on how dance builds "relational infrastructure".) Everyone who practices second series knows exactly what it means when I say that I am working on kapotasana; they have their own sensational knowledge of that asana. If the asana came more easily to them than to me, then they also have a visceral understanding of the differences between our bodies.

I’m not really sure what the Cybershala is but I’ve heard it referred to more and more lately. It seems to be an online community not located at any one site or of a fixed membership. It seems to be made up of blogs, comment threads and forums, corners ofFacebook, YouTube, chatrooms, and Skype connections. Anywhere where one’s practice can be posted, discussed, commented on . . .

(Grimmly 2010: part 17)

An overwhelming number of yoga blogs, videos, Facebook updates, Twitter feeds, and other forms of online social media now constitute a “cybershala” of ashtanga yoga practitioners—many who work with teachers regularly, others who are cultivating a practice as “home ashtangis” (cf. Finnegan 1989 on “hidden musicians”). Yoga bloggers face a challenge familiar to ethnomusicologists and dance scholars: how can one communicate kinesthetic, multisensory experiences without bodily presence and a shared sensorium? Home ashtangis have adopted exactly the same tactics that the anthropologist Jaida Kim Samudra advocates for scholars writing about kinesthetic cultures: first, attempting to “linguistically record the minute details of one’s bodily training” even when this is explicitly discouraged in traditional transmission (2008:670); second, being attentive to one’s own internal bodily sensations in order to better comprehend other practitioners’ experiences (674); and finally, creating “somatic narratives,” which comprise both “the series of actions narrated by bodies during limited frames such as practice sessions, performances, or competitions” and “the stories people tell about what happened to and with their bodies during specific events” (674). Yoga bloggers often combine video, still images, and lengthy written accounts to communicate these somatic narratives online.

As I watched the videos my friend recommended, my body shifted in my desk chair as though operated by remote control: back straightening, shoulder blades sliding together, legs subtly rotating in hip sockets, toes spreading to grip the floor for a vicarious backbend. I heard myself breathing. I experienced the blogs and videos through my accumulated “sensational knowledge” (Hahn 2007), just as I had learned to reenact my teacher’s physical adjustments while alone on my mat—the virtual hand drawing my hip back, the virtual foot nudging the angle of my own foot on the floor, the virtual arm stopping me from taking my legs past vertical in a headstand. It was very much like the experience of listening to music that I knew how to play.

Watching these videos also gave me the uncomfortable feeling that I might be cheating on my teacher. Ashtanga students are not supposed to start experimenting with advanced asana of their own accord. On the other hand, the structured nature of ashtanga makes it particularly well suited to independent practice, amateur-to-amateur pedagogy, and online discourse among a dispersed community of practitioners. Browsing YouTube videos of ashtanga backbends quickly led me to “grimmly2007,” who had uploaded about 300 videos so that he could embed them in his yoga blog.

Grimmly is an ashtanga student without a teacher—an impossible contradiction to many practitioners, but one that is getting more possible all the time. He lives in the United Kingdom and works as a repairer of woodwind instruments. In early 2007, Grimmly’s flat was burgled and seven saxophones were stolen. This incident made him so angry, and then so irritated with his own anger, that he decided to take up some form of meditation. In the course of reading about meditation practices, he learned that “a lot of meditators were also doing yoga,” so he looked for a yoga book at the library and found Tara Fraser’s Total Astanga (Fraser 2006). As an overweight 43-year-old man, he was a bit embarrassed even bringing the book up to the circulation desk. On his blog, he wrote, “Going to a yoga class wasn’t something I even considered. A guy here, outside London, might think about going to a gym to get in shape but not a Yoga class, probably not even an aerobic class” (Grimmly 2010: part 1).

Grimmly began learning the sequence of asana from the book, practicing every morning before work, and soon began to order instructional DVDs and search for YouTube videos to help him develop his practice. He started his yoga blog in the summer of 2008, after about a year and a half of practicing at home alone six days a week. His posts often invoke a growing community of hidden “home ashtangis” like himself:

The blog was originally intended to document his progress on the “jump-back,” a transition between many asana. Grimmly eventually produced 57 posts on the jump-back, many including slow-motion videos of himself and other practitioners.

As Grimmly developed his home practice, some of his choices posed challenges to ashtanga orthodoxy. For instance, when Grimmly blogged about his decision to begin learning the second series of asana, one commenter told him that he should not be learning any intermediate asana before he could stand up from a backbend: “Then and only then you start to add intermediate to your existing primary. Your teacher would give you each new asana as he saw your progress. . . . Traditionally in India, yoga has been learned from teacher to student, not from a book or video. It’s really not right to decide to give yourself postures” (Sophia, comments posted on Grimmly 2008a).

When making such claims about traditional practice, ashtanga practitioners often invoke the ultimate authority: “how it’s done in Mysore,” at the Ashtanga Yoga Institute. But in this case another commenter offered evidence that the teaching method in Mysore had changed over time. Ursula, a woman from Germany, reported that at the Mysore shala she had been given the first pose of the intermediate series before she could stand up from a backbend. When another commenter suggested that this experience might have been “an aberration,” Ursula responded by invoking the higher authority of her own bodily experience: “Sorry to write this, but what I see is that people hanker for rules, because there is so much insecurity. . . . Why should I not do these softer back bendings which are good for the back? Only because there are rules, nobody really knows who invented them. . . . I listen to my body.” This discussion continued at length, showing how the print medium and time-delayed norms of comment threads have encouraged the development of cybershala discourse. Discussants can take time to craft their replies and cite their sources, which in this case revealed the fluidity of “official” ashtanga pedagogy in Mysore.

After a year and a half of home practice, Grimmly finally decided to try attending an ashtanga class at a shala. He went two Sundays in a row and was “blown away” by the physical adjustments he received from the teachers there. But a week later, he explained that he doubted he’d go back: “All the time it’s just been me on my mat, alone in a room early each morning, my practice…Somehow now, after visiting the Shala, it feels a little like I’m practicing for someone else…I feel more distant from my practice, less involved” (Grimmly 2008b). It’s clear from other posts that Grimmly developed his practice using books, famous teachers’ DVDs, YouTube videos, other students’ blogs, and any other media resources he could find. He often writes about insights gleaned from these sources. Nevertheless, the “live” teaching at the shala somehow alienated him from his practice. While he benefited from the physical adjustments he received, he was willing to forego them in order to maintain a sense of agency and responsibility for his own development: practicing for himself instead of a teacher.

The article continues with a discussion on Dance central and Guitar hero, read the rest of it here

http://guitarheroresearch.blogspot.com/2012/01/virtual-transmission-visceral-practice.html

...before coming back with some concluding remarks

A few concluding remarks
Both the cybershala and Dance Central make it possible for practitioners to learn a physically demanding, minutely codified repertoire without ever interacting with a physically-present teacher. Grimmly and his fellow cybershala practitioners are creating new transmission modalities for ashtanga yoga, from reflective writing to side-by-side slideshows that might reveal hidden traces of corporeal knowledge. Meanwhile, Dance Central players are learning hours of choreography while also working through their ideas about gender identity, public and private performance, and virtual community. These paradigm shifts in yoga and dance transmission might shed light on similar changes in the transmission of performing arts traditions that rely on a lineage of teachers and students, body-to-body pedagogy, and a codified repertoire or fundamental skill set. Dance Central and the cybershala show how professional game designers, home ashtangis, and living-room dancers are all finding ways to use available technology and social media platforms to support the virtual transmission of embodied practice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link to Amazon

I just noticed that Kiri mentions her book , Playing Along has been published too on Amazon. It has the LOOK INSIDE feature and if you type Cybershala you can read a fuller treatment of the Cybershala phenomenon.

Page 5 …possibilities of his own body by participating in the “cybershala.

Page 8 …arrive at actuality—as when an online guitar student or a cybershala…

Page 18 ... and ashtanga yoga transmission in a “cybershala” built out o…

Page 203 … CYBERSHALA: THE ASHTANGISPHERE NEVER SLEEPS I’m not…

Page 206 …to standing, resting in between. Figure 6.5 A cybershala r…

Page 209 …and other forms of online social media now constitute a “cybershala” ..

Page 210 …that I was part of an Ashtanga community , the Cybershala. [ ..

Page 211 …he had already absorbed from books, DVDs, and the cybershala…

Page 212 …at odds with the reams of verbiage in the ashtanga cybershala). .

Page 213 ... but it is not at all unusual in thecybershala. Nor did the c…

Page 214 …encouraged the development of cybershalad…

Page 215 ... Grimmly practices in thecybershala, and he partic…

Page 216 (Grimmly 2010 : part 13) Grimmly and his fellow cybershala practi…

Page 217 ... cybershala to joining a brickand-mortar shala with a flesh-and-blo…

Page 218 …to them, he became an active member of the cybershala and a…

Page 221 (Ryan 1999:94) F rom Grand Theft Auto to the cybershala: …

Page 223 …drum lessons). By the same token, the yoga “cybershala”…

Page 224 …mass-produced media and fellow students in the cybershala ra…

Page 254 …209, 211, 216, 218, 222, 223–225, 226 community cybershala, 2…

Page 255 ... See also ashtanga yoga;cybershala; online yoga …

NEW 3rd Edition of my Vinyasa Krama Practice Book finally available for FREE download

2012-01-10T17:18:00.011Z

Download for free HERE

Dedicated to my teacher Srivatsa Ramaswami

UPDATE Now also available on KINDLE

The NEW, 3rd edition, of my Vinyasa Krama Practice Book is now available for FREE download from my Google docs page.

This edition includes practice notes for all of Ramaswami's Vinyasa Krama subroutines (Ramaswami was a student of Krishnamacharya for over 30 ).

It's still very rough and in need of a complete rewrite to get rid of some of it's 'bloggyness'. It's also inconsistent as the style of the notes have changed over the three months I've been writing them up and posting them here.

Plus there's the havoc my mac's automatic spell checker has made of all the yoga terms and names, I'll iron them out, I promise.

It is what it is just a series of practice notes, things that came up as I practiced the subroutines each morning. Some of the notes reflect ideas I've picked up in my reading, online, from comments posted here (thank you) and from just working through the subroutines and at the postures.

Everything I mention I've tried and have found useful in my own practice, there are of course all kinds of other techniques and approaches that could be included, I'm either not aware of them, haven't tried them out or haven't found them useful for me personally.

I've tried to avoid getting too anatomical.

There are video's for all the subroutines, for some reason the links don't seem to work in ibooks but if you download it and open in the pdf reader they should work fine. (My mistake, seems the links DO work in ibooks although it takes you out of ibooks to watch them).

The pranayama and meditation section are the next areas I want to work on, for now they are just a couple of practice sheets. Also, I hope to add practice notes for the Jump back library in the near future.

It is of course NO substitute for Ramaswami's own books, The Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga and Yoga for the Three Stages of Life both of which I've gained renewed respect for in the process of preparing these notes. The Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga lays out the breath for every single movement in and out of every posture, in every subroutine, in every sequence, quite remarkable. The Three Stages of Life goes into such depth that I consider it the best book on yoga I've come across thus far.

The whole thing has been brought together using Apple Pages.

And that's me done, don't want to think about yoga, read about yoga or blog about yoga for a while, time to just get on and practice it for a bit.

Anyway, here's the new table of contents to give an idea of what's in it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NB: If the video links don’t work in your edition they can be found here http://tinyurl.com/7dvzm8y

VINYASA KRAMA PRACTICE NOTES AND GUIDELINES 9

WHAT IS VINYASA KRAMA ? 10

PARAMETERS ? 11

THE BREATH 12

BREATH RATE? 12

STYLE OF BREATH? 12

HOW LONG DO WE STAY IN POSTURES? 13

HOW LONG TO PRACTICE ? 14

BANDHAS? 15

PERFECTION IN POSTURE? 16

HOW TO PRACTICE VINYASA YOGA 17

CORE VINYASA KRAMA POSTURES 18

HOW TO BUILD A DAILY PRACTICE WHILE EXPLORING VINYASA KRAMA SUBROUTINES. 19

VINYASA KRAMA SEQUENCES 20

ON YOUR FEET SEQUENCE 21

Day 1 : Hasta Vinyasas Subroutine 22

Day 2 : Parsva-bhangis ( side movements) Subroutine 24

Day 3 : Uttanasana (forward bend ) Subroutine 26

Day 4 : Ardha utkatasana (half squat) Subroutine 30

Day 5 : Utkatasana (full squat) Subroutine 34

Day 6 : Malasana / Kanchyasana ( garland pose ) Subroutine 36

Day 7 : Pasasana ( noose pose ) Subroutine 38

Binding in Pasasana 40

Day 8 : Surya namaskara ( sun salutations with mantra) 42

DAY 9 : Practising 'On your feet / tadasana' sequences and subroutines. 49

TRIANGLE SEQUENCE 52

Day 10 : Uttita Trikonasana subroutine 53

Day 11 : Parivritta trikonasana (twisting )subroutine 56

Day 12 : Uttita parsva konasana ( side stretch ) subroutine 58

Day 13 : Parsva konasana ( side stretch ) subroutine 60

Day 14 : Viabhadrasana ( Warrior ) subroutine 63

Day 15 :Parasarita padottanasana subroutine 66

Day 16 : Triangle subroutine breakdown 68

ON ONE LEG SEQUENCE 70

Day 17 : Vrikrmasana ( tree pose )subroutine 71

Day 18 : Standing Marchi subroutine 74

Day 19 : Utthita Padangushtasana (stretched leg-arm) subroutine 76

Day 20 : Virabhadrasana (warrior) subroutine 79

Day 21 : Durvasana ( named after a sage ) subroutine 81

Day 22 : Natarjasana (dancing Shiva) subroutine 83

Day 23 : On one leg Subroutine breakdown Sheet 85

ASYMMETRIC SEQUENCE 87

Day 24 : Dandasana (Staff pose) lead in subroutine 88

VINYASA KRAMA STRAIGHT LEG JUMP THROUGH 90

Day 25 : Marchi (after the sage) subroutine 91

Day 26 : Ardha padmasana (half lotus) subroutine 94

Day 27 : Maha mudra (great seal) subroutine 96

Day 28 : akrarnadhanurasana (archer) & Kraunchasana (heron) subroutine 98

Day 29 : Eka pada sirsasana ( leg to head ) subroutine 100

Day 30 : Triyangmukha ( bent back leg) subroutine 104

Day 31 : Tiryang mukha Marichiyasana (Backward foot) subroutine 107

Day 32 : Ardha padma marichiyasana (half lotus sage) subroutine 109

Day 33 : Bharadwajasana (sage ) & Mahabandha (great lock ) subroutine 112

Day 34 : Matsyendrasana ( half and full Kingfisher) subroutine 114

Day 35 Asymmetric subroutine breakdown 116

SEATED SEQUENCE 120

Day 36 : Paschimottanasana (posterior stretch) subroutine 121

Day 37 : Kurmasana (turtle pose) subroutine 124

Day 38 : Purva tanasana (anterior stretch) and Vashitasana (after the sage) subroutine 126

Day 39 : SEATED : Chatushpadapeetam ( table pose) subroutine 129

Day 40 : Navasana ( boat ) and Urdhwa paschimotasana subroutine 131

Day 41 : SEATED : Upavishta konasana ( seated angle stretch) subroutine 133

Day 42 : SEATED : Badha konasana subroutine 135

Day 43 : Seated Subroutine breakdown 137

BOW SEQUENCE 139

Day 44 : Bow : Makrasana (crocodile) & Manduka (frog) subroutine 140

Day 45 : Bow : Bhujangasana (cobra) subroutine 142

Day 46 : Bow : Asymmetric Salabhasana (locust) subroutine 144

Day 47 : Bow : Salabhasana (locust) subroutine 146

Day 48 : Bow : Dhanurasana ( bow ) subroutine 149

Day 49 : Bow Subroutine breakdown 151

MEDITATIVE SEQUENCE 154

Day 50 : Meditative : Vajrasana (thunderbolt) subroutine 155

Day 51 : Meditative : Ushtrasana ( camel ) subroutine 157

Day 52 : Meditative : Ushtrasana ( camel ) to Kapotasana (pigeon) subroutine 159

Day 53 : Meditative : Standard Camel walk subroutine 163

Day 54 : Meditative : Advanced Camel walk subroutine 165

Day 55 : Meditative : Virasana ( hero pose) subroutine 168

Day 56 : Meditative : Simhasana (lion pose) subroutine 171

DAY 57 : Meditative Subroutine's Breakdown 173

SUPINE SEQUENCE 175

Day 58 : Supine : Tatakamudra (pond gesture) & Jayaraparivritti (belly twist) Subroutine 176

Day 59 : Supine : Apanaasana (pelvic floor poses) subroutine 179

Day 60 : Dwipadapitam ( Desk pose) subroutine 181

Day 61 : Madhya sethu ( mid region bridge pose) & Urdhvadhaurasana ( bridge) subroutine 183

Day 62 : Leg and arm lifts subroutine 186

Day 63 : Supta trivikramasana & yoganidra (reclining yogi pose) subroutine 188

Day 64 : Jataraparivritti (stomach twist variation ) subroutine 191

Day 65 : Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) preparation subroutine 193

Day 66 : Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) lead in subroutine 196

Day 67 : Akunchasana ( contraction pose) in Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) subroutine 199

Day 68 : Supta ardha badha halasana subroutine 201

Day 69 : Urdhva Konasana in Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) subroutine 204

Day 70 : Urdhva Padmasana (lotus) in Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) subroutine 206

Day 71 : Niralumba Salambhasana ( unsupported shoulderstand) subroutine 210

Day 72 : Halasana (plough) & Uttana mayurasana Stretched peacock) subroutine 213

Day 73 : Sarvangasana mandala (circular ambulation in plough) subroutine 216

Day 74 : Karnapindasana ( closed ear pose) subroutine 219

DAY 75 : Supine: Subroutine Breakdown Page 1 221

INVERTED SEQUENCE 224

Day 76 : INVERTED : Sirsasana (headstand) Lead in 225

Day 77 : INVERTED : Akunchasana (knee bends) subroutine 228

Day 78 : INVERTED : Leg raises subroutine 231

Day 79 : INVERTED : Upavishta konasana ( inverted triangle) subroutine 233

Day 80 : INVERTED : Urdhava Padmasana (inverted lotus) subroutine 235

Day 81 : INVERTED : Viparita Dandasana (crooked staff ) subroutine 239

Day 82 : INVERTED : Inverted Mandala Subroutine 242

Day 83 : INVERTED : Niralumba sirsasana (unsupported headstand) subroutine 244

Day 84 : INVERTED : Arm variations in Niralumba sirsasana ( unsupported headstand) subroutine 247

Day 85 : INVERTED : Handstand subroutine 251

DAY 86 : Inverted: Subroutine Breakdown Page 1 255

LOTUS SEQUENCE 258

Day 87 : LOTUS : Ardha badha-padmasana (half lotus) subroutine 259

Day 88 : LOTUS : Padmasana (lotus) subroutine 261

Day 89 : LOTUS : Badha Padmasana (bound lotus) subroutine 265

Day 90 : LOTUS : Urdhva padmasana (lifted up lotus pose) Subroutine 268

Day 91 : LOTUS : Kukkutasana & garbha pindasana Subroutine 271

Day 92 : LOTUS : Special lotus balancing postures Subroutine 273

DAY 93 Lotus Subroutine Breakdown 276

WINDING DOWN 279

Pranayama, Pratyahara, Meditation 280

Meditation and Pranayama postures 282

Kapalabhati hand and arm positions 283

Pranayama Hand mala ( for counting the breath ) Version One 284

Pranayama Hand mala ( for counting the breath ) Version Two 285

Pranayama 286

Pratyahara in Padmasana and Vajrasana 287

The Subroutines in the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series 288

The Subroutines in the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series 289

JUMP BACK AND THROUGH LIBRARY 294

VINYASA KRAMA JUMP BACK 295

VINYASA KRAMA JUMP THROUGH 296

CROSSED LEG JUMP THROUGH AND BACK 297

HIGH CROSSED LEG JUMP THROUGH 298

STRAIGHT LEG JUMP THROUGH 299

ONE LEG BENT BACK 300

HALF LOTUS JUMP BACK 301

FULL LOTUS JUMP BACK 302

FULL LOTUS JUMP BACK (REVERSE VIEW). 303

FULL LOTUS JUMP THROUGH 304

MARICHIYASANA JUMP BACK 305

DANDASANA UTPLUTHI JUMP BACK 306

EKA PADA SIRSASANA JUMP BACK AND THROUGH 307

RAMASWAMI’S SUBROUTINE NUMBERING SYSTEM 308

VINYASA KRAMA SEQUENCE PRACTICE CARDS 312

ON YOUR FEET 313

TRIANGLE SEQUENCE 318

ON ONE LEG SEQUENCE 323

ASYMMETRIC SEQUENCE 327

SEATED SEQUENCE 332

BOW SEQUENCE 337

MEDITATIVE SEQUENCE 341

SUPINE SEQUENCE 344

INVERTED SEQUENCE 351

LOTUS SEQUENCE 355

YOUR NOTES 361

Primary and 2nd in two hours?

2012-01-09T20:13:00.003Z

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.

Holiday over

2012-01-09T05:50:00.005Z

Just baked bread for M's Lunch, waiting for it to cool while enjoying my prepractice espresso

It's felt like an extended holiday, Christmas, New Year, last of the Vinyasa Krama subroutines written up, one thing after another. Kept my practice up but it's felt a little light, lacking in focus, plus all this talk of Mysore, my heads been in the clouds.

Time to pull oneself together.

A byproduct of all this talk of Mysore is to try and increase the intensity, the focus in THIS room.

Looking at all those pictures from Anthony Gary Lopedota website too, such an intensity there too, almost tempted to look at 3rd again....almost.

Nice to know the upper reaches of Advanced series are possible for my 'ageing' body had assumed I'd missed the boat or that I was running out of time, probably felt I had a point to prove too, that the Advanced series was also possible to learn at home ( I know, I know, not for yogic reasons). Still, just because they're doable doesn't mean those are the series to practice. Antony mentions that after Advanced B (6th series) there is the 'Rishi' series where you choose ten asana (and I guess they don't have to be the trickiest ones, paschi for instance) and stay in them for 50 breaths.I like the sound of that and of course in Vinyasa Krama there are several postures where an extended stay is called for.

'When one is able to stay in the posture (utkatasana) for three to six breaths, then one should slowly increase the time to complete a stipulated number of breaths. Thereafter, one should remain in the posture for a predetermined number of breaths chosen by the practitioner or teacher, or for a fixed persiod, say three to five minutes. Then one's practice should be aimed at reducing the number of breaths while remaining in the posture for the same duration. for instance one may take a total of twenty breaths while in the posture. Later on, it may be possible to remain in the posture steadily and comfortably (sthira and sukha) for five minutes with perhaps only ten breaths. This is one method for attaining asana siddhi (perfection in posture) that one can test of oneself. Having achieved this level of comfort in the posture, one can then introduce the band has, which will increase the time taken for each breath'.
Ramaswami Yoga for the Three Stages of Life P 127

For now I'm happy with Primary and 2nd, tidying, tightening them up. I practiced them together yesterday and I may do that for a while, a way to refocus after the holidays, besides I find the practice takes less out if you in the colder months, more a matter of time available than energy.

Looking forward to my Vinyasa Krama practice too now that I'm free from the self imposed subroutine approach for the book. Was going to practice it this morning but my back feels fine again this morning and I'm tempted by 2nd. No, best to stick to the same routine Vinyasa Krama/ Pranayama/ Japa in the morning, Ashtanga in the evening, it's been working well, keeps them separate but somehow balanced, complementing each other.

Bread should have cooled by now.

Manju Jois, Pranayama

2012-01-08T16:21:00.000Z

Sharath

2012-01-08T07:53:00.000Z

From Kaz's Blog Realizing Mysore

'There's little to feed the ego here. It's all about us and our individual practice. Sharath quite skillfully stays out of the way, appearing only at the most crucial moments. He lets us do the hard work. In fact, we have no choice but to do it, this work that is really ours to do. It's a special sort of guidance. He's present but not. He understands where we are in our practice, most of the time without knowing who we are. His energy is there zigzagging across the shala floor from 4:30 in the morning to past 11am, even if he pays us no mind. His way forces us to take responsibility for our practice and our bodies, for our routines, our rest times, and our self-study. And though he does his best to inject discipline by seeming severe, he doesn't baby us. He treats us like adults--even when we sometimes act a little like children.'

A.G. Mohan and Sonny Rollins

2012-01-07T18:27:00.001Z

Claudia posted A.G. Mohan's lesson on Sahanavavatu, a peace chant. Love this chant, Ramaswami taught it to us and I finish my practice with it every morning and evening (though supposedly it's one your supposed to start your studies with). Wonderful to hear the recording of Krishnamacharya chanting it in the lesson, pop over to Claudia's post Krishnamacharya Singing A Peace Invocation and have a listen.

Didn't want to steal her post but I can't help it, every time I see A. G. Mohan I'm reminded of Sonny Rollins

Sonny is a hero of mine, one of the reasons I picked up the saxophone. He's also I believe a Buddhist and famously took his second sabbatical from Jazz to practice yoga and meditation.

Yep. Sonny is a yogi.

I was lucky enough to see him in London a few years ago. He shuffled out onto stage in a suit and sneakers, slightly bent over, must have been in his late 70's. I was afraid that booking the tickets had been a mistake, that he was now too old, a shadow of his past self but then he started to play. Oh Sonny you beautiful man, he was phenomenal, his big tenor floating this way and that, it's as if he isn't holding it so much as wafting it this way and that, keeping it somehow in reach of his fingers. Big powerful sound, long improvisations, one solo went on for forty minutes, clever, coherent, inventive still.

So here he is the big man around the time I saw him

...after he came back from that second yoga sabbatical, playing Alfie here, one of the tunes I tend to test my sax repairs

and back in the day.

...back to A. G. Mohan, everyone knows about his wonderful book on Krishnamacharya right?

Amazon Link

Pattabhi Jois, " That's Me"....... from yoga Unveiled

2012-01-05T19:35:00.003Z

I was just skimming through the Yoga unveiled documentary and came across the Ashtanga section, nice clip of Pattabhi Jois pointing to that old picture from Krishanamacharya's Yoga Makaranda and saying " That's Me ( in Kapotasana ) and that's Krishnamacharya (standing on top of him).

Interesting hand position in his Kapo, they're almost underneath the ankles rather than on top.

LINK TO DVD

'About the Film
Harnessing the colorful commentary of the most prominent yoga scholars, teachers, and medical experts, Yoga Unveiled reveals how yoga began, tells the story of yoga's passage to the West, describes its numerous branches, recounts the fascinating biographies of the foremost yoga masters, and explores yoga's astonishing medical potential.

Stunning cinematography, ornate visual displays, and stirring music create a truly enchanting viewing experience. The great devotees of yoga grace the screen with their profound wisdom and delightful manner.

Yoga Unveiled also features commentary by Krishna Das, Dr. Herbert Benson, Edwin Bryant, Subhash Kak, Vasant Lad, Dr. Timothy McCall, Larry Payne, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Father Joe Pereira, Swami Sivananda, Dr. Martina Ziska, and Dharma Mittra'.

Here's the trailer

Mysore? (1000th POST) UPDATED

2012-01-05T12:08:00.004Z

UPDATE : Only just noticed, this is my 1000th post, as a commentator said in comments, perhaps I have too much time on my hands.

So the Mysore question is in the air, anyone practicing in a shala probably knows somebody who is there now, went in previous years or are perhaps making plans for next year.

In the cybershala we have the Mysore blogs, posts on practice, on backbends, being given poses or holding them back, Sharath smiling, teasing, frowning, on arriving, departing, Conference, delicious food, being ill, experiencing power cuts, making new friends, meeting old ones, bloggers meeting bloggers...

Mysore, it's in the air.

From a brief FB exchange, along the lines of 'see you next year' a 'possibly' has turned into a 'maybe' and now it's leaning towards probably and even, Sharath willing, likely.

And yet?

There's always an 'and yet?'.

I can't help myself, can't help asking... Why go?*

Every answer that comes up contains a logical fallacy.

The practice isn't the same, the teacher isn't the same, the room isn't the same, Mysore certainly isn't the same, hundreds of Ashtangi's fill up the little town of Gokulum and an industry has built up around them.

Is it still a place for turning inwards, if we answer yes, then for how long, where's the tipping point. Best to go perhaps before that tipping point is reached.

Why Mysore?

In my case, I'm a home ashtangi, I don't even go to a shala. I've never been to a workshop. I'm not that concerned about having a teacher, never seemed important somehow.

I've moved house a couple of times, changed rooms, changed mats, my practice space is a 180cm piece of rubber and I visit it pretty much every day, most often twice a day. Over five years that's around 5,000 hours on that rubber mat, or synthetic mat or, in the beginning, beach towel.

And a whole world opens up once we step on that mat, ....of the work, of will and intention, of play, of discomfort even pain, joy, frustration, satisfaction, monkey mind, stillness, silence, peace, at times oblivion as perhaps we notice we're in Finishing and can't remember, aren't conscious of having practiced the last half of a series, ...experimentation, triumph, failure, perspective, banality, wonder, delight....curiosity, expansive wonder, ineffable glimpses of what it might be to understand something in a non intellectual way, that there might be something to actually understand.....glimpses ....self deception ( a good one), conceit, joyous fear, wonder, again wonder, expansive wonder, best of all, when it comes, of peace.

We can all come up with our own lists, different lists one week to the next (What did I miss, what would be on yours?).

All this on that 180cm stretch of Rubber,

Why Mysore?

We don't, of course, need to go to Mysore or a shala, we can pretty much work the practice out ourselves in our own back rooms with a book from the library and an internet connection. The magic comes in the practicing of it.

...and yet this line from Kino over at Nobel's blog

'Not everyone needs to go to Mysore but anyone who feels an attraction to the experience and craves a deeper dimension of the Ashtanga Yoga method would do well to place their doubt aside, buy an airline ticket to India and come practice.'

I'd argue that the deeper dimension can be found on your mat on any mat, that you don't need to go anywhere for that but rather within.

Still, 'anyone who feels the attraction... would do well to place their doubt aside'.

Why Mysore?

Perhaps because it's there, still there, for now ....for a little longer and if not the same, perhaps close enough.

And besides, if it just comes down to the mat then it probably doesn't really matter where you unroll it, might as well be there, the food is good I hear.

UPDATE
I was asked, after all this discussion, here and elsewhere, 'So Mysore, Yes or no?

Leaning towards No, or unlikely.

Reason? Too many people, it's just too damned busy. Perhaps November or March when it really quietens down but then it's quiet for a reason, too hot but might look into that now I think about it.

A Manju Workshop is tempting, couple of weeks in Crete perhaps, wonder if that would capture something of what it was like back in the day, Mysore in the 70s, early 80s. Have this idea that Manju represents an even earlier period, Ashtanga (did it even have a name then) before the west became aware of it, of the 60's let alone late 70's and I'm curious about that.

Sharath's next visit to London perhaps, I know it's not the same but good for tightening up the practice.

And what is this fascination I have with THAT room that I always capitalise, something a little silly about that, it's not even the old shala.

Truth be told I'm quite happy practicing alone at home and with the freedom to balance my Ashtanga and Vinyasa Krama practices, ...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Been interesting playing with the idea though.

UPDATE: If I wasn't put off before http://realizingmysore.blogspot.com/2012/01/packed-more-and-more-students.html
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* I know the 'Why go' question bugs people, especially if they're shala Ashtangi's. Perhaps it's something to do with the isolated aspect of practicing at home, the protective cocoon we build around our practice that enables us to practice without the support and encouragement of teachers and shalamates, one reason we blog perhaps or often read blogs before steeling ourselves for practice.

Me, I just don't like people. Actually it's more a case of thinking I don't like people.

tucking the tail bone in Kapotasana also Calcifying.

2012-01-04T08:52:00.000Z

This relates to yesterdays post on tucking the tailbone in Salabhasana and Mayurasana which in turn relates to the post on Heather Morton's back bending DVD where she talks about tucking the tailbone.

So I've just started coming back to 2nd series, used to be able to grab my ankles but that's gone south for a while. Exploring the tucking the tailbone thing in Kapo to work on deepening my backbend by creating more space in the spine.

In the video I'm tucking and at the same time trying to push my hips forward, go back a bit, focus on the tucking some more and pushing the hips forward and so on. It's not that I'm stopping and starting with the tucking but rather that it's hard to keep the tuck fully engaged so there's a constant bringing the attention back to it to make sure your fully tucked as it were.

A byproduct is that the tucking focuses the attention on the hips too reminding you to keep them pushed forward. Usually when starting kapo as you arch back your hips kind of collapse backwards with your body, keeping them forward all the way down is key to a deep kapo.

Anyway it seems to be helping, best of all there's less strain while the tuck is engaged and more control..

I bail a bit at the end, hands and feet are too sweaty to get a good grip on the heel and i didn't want to overdo it but you can see it's coming.

Calcified

I mentioned a while back how I switched my practice around with the colder weather coming on. For the last month or two I've been practicing a light Vinyasa Krama practice on the morning and my Ashtanga primary in the evening. My back had been playing up all year and with the colder weather I was just too stiff in the morning.

2nd series has lest forward bands and i find it easier on the back. Through the holidays I've been able to do my practice a little later so have shifter Ashtanga back to the mornings, kind of OK.

Holidays are now over and I'm back to work so back to having to practice early, at 5:30. So secondd this morning and it was an effort, really had to grind it out an exercise in the will. My leg behind head postures almost made me pause for a moment to wonder if I had ever put my leg behind my head before.

The second half of last year I tended to focus on my vinyasa Krama practice, on more pranayama and meditation and I have to say it's as if my body has calcified. Perhaps it's an age thing, to practice Ashtanga I need to keep practicing ashtanga, can't seem to move away from it for a while, it's all or nothing. I'm assuming that my flexibility will come back soon enough and I'll be back to where I was but it was a bit of a wake up call.

Interesting thing, I backed off practice last year because my back had been playing up (old injury brought back by falling off bike) but it's stayed stiff and painful in the morning ever since. Coming back to 2nd series I'm finding it's better in the mornings, not as stiff, perhaps i should have stuck with the practice rather than erring on the side of caution.

Other news

Finished the last of my practice notes for the subroutines from Ramaswami's book and only about ten more (up to Day 80) to transfer over to the new book form for the new Edition of my Practice book. Another couple of days and I'll have it uploaded and can forget about it for a month or too before starting on a more serious revision.

Oh and my boss seems OK with me heading off to Mysore for a month or so next January, so who know, running out of excuses.

Tucking the tailbone in Salabhasana and Mayurasana

2012-01-03T08:14:00.001Z

Filmed most of 2nd series yesterday to try get a benchmark now I've come back to the series. Overall it was a pretty scrappy affair, grazed my heels on the second kapo so that's coming back and I at least got my lotus back up in karanda. leg behind head is nowhere near as deep as it used to be, did I really practice kapilasana.

Oh well., It'll come back.

I've been playing with tucking the tailbone, trying it everywhere to see if it makes a difference...even tried it on karandavasana (nah, not so much or at least didn't notice it this time around although perhaps just perhaps it accounts for the more control coming down).

You may remember I got the tucking the tailbone focus back after watching Heather Morton's back bending DVD (link is to my post) and it did make quite a difference to my backbends.

But from Salabhasana to dhanarasana there's a marked improvement. now this might not be news, depending on which shala you happen to go to, tucking the tailbone may well be your asana teacher's 'thing'. I'm sure I've read about it heard about it, probably did it for a wile but it must have dropped off and got forgotten along with a million other things we try here and there as we build up all the different elements that make up an asana.

So here's my Salabhasana, I tried to show the difference here, so as I lift I'm doing it without tucking the tailbone and then when you see the extra lift and control, well that's when the tailbone is well and truly tucked.

And here it is on Mayurasana.

The vinyasas in and out of these postures are probably all wrong. As I said only just come back to this series and haven't practiced along with one of the DVD's to get the count etc back but perhaps it gives an idea of the tailbone tuck effect.

Any was quite a WOW moment during practice and again when watching the video back so thought I'd share it.

Talking of 2nd, time to go and practice it, don't start work 'till 11am today then it's back to normal, 2nd series at 5, groan.

DAY 93 Lotus Subroutine Breakdown

2012-01-03T07:55:00.000Z

VIDEO LINK

Padmasana, the lotus posture is, of course, the classic meditation posture. Although there are other notable meditation postures, siddhasana, gomukhasana, virasana and vajrasana, padmasana holds a special place because of it's stability. There is a beauty to it's construction, it feels symmetrical, the legs bound secure allowing for the arm balances, for example, in the final subroutine of the series. It is an excellent posture for engaging the bandhas, mula bandha feels particularly grounded and the stability of the pose lends itself to exploring uddiyana and jalandhara bandhas.

As well as for meditation practice, padmasana is an excellent posture for pranayama, again, on account of it's stability.

Some however may ind the posture boring or tedious, the subroutines allow us to explore multiple vinyasas while in padmasana, creating interest that may encourage us to spend longer in the posture which will in time allow the posture to become more comfortable.

The first subroutine day 88, the half lotus, is a good preparation for developing the lotus posture as are many of the hip opening postures and vinyasas from the asymmetric and seated sequences.

In this course of subroutines I've placed the sequences in order in which I tend to practice them, starting with standing postures moving on through seated or backbend postures up to inverted. I tend to finish my practice with one or more lotus subroutines, staying in the posture for my pranayama and meditation practice.

However, while working towards padmasana the half lotus or siddhasana for example would serve just as well.

I've tried to stress that padmasana is about the hips rather than the knees so here, again are my practice notes for entering padmasana from Day 88

Getting in to full Lotus

NB: THE most important thing to remember is to protect your knees, that it's the hip joints that do all the work, the knees only bend one way it's the rotation of the ball and socket hip joint that makes padmasana possible

Right leg

Bend the right knee and bring it up towards the chest. Reach with the right hand down inside the thigh and take hold of the right ankle.

Allow the right knee to drop out to the side through the rotation of the hip joint. Focus on that hip action, of the ball and socket joint, the femur head rotating in the hip socket, encourage it.

There's a tensing of the right buttock a lifting almost and a stretching of the thigh as you encourage the rotation in the hip joint that will bring the knee down towards the mat and the ankle to come up. This action should only happen at the hips joint your NOT pulling up the ankle and your NOT forcing the knee down.

If this isn't happening it might be best to work on more hip opening postures, mahamudra in Asymmetric, badha konasana in Seated.

Lift up through the torso, support the right foot with the left and right palms and guide NOT pull the foot to the left thigh.

Lift up again and bend forward slightly, roll onto the front of the sit bones and guide the right foot a little further up the left thigh into the groin.

Again lift and roll further onto the sit bones allowing the right knee to rest on the mat.

Left leg

Bend the left knee and again focusing on the hip joint allowing the left knee to drop out to the side.

Rock your body forward and draw the right knee out to the side through the thigh muscles. Lock the knee by pressing the calf muscles against the thigh.

Reach over the left foot and support the left ankle with the left palm, cupping under the foot with the right palm, encourage the hip joint to rotate further and allow the knee to drop further out and down. Again, your not pulling on the foot but rather supporting it to allow the hip joint to do it's work.

Lift up through the torso, rock further forward on the sit bones and stretch out through the left thigh to allow the foot to come up over the right leg.

Using the strength of the thighs bring the knees a little towards each other this will bring the right foot finally up onto the right thigh closer to the groin.

Shuffle around on your sit bones if necessary, encouraging more rotation of the hip joints to tighten the lotus, this is preferable to wrenching, tugging, pulling the feet.

Ultimately, for many of the lotus vinyasas you will require a nice tight lotus where the heels are digging slightly into the belly, the soles of the feet pointing up and the knees closer together. In fact, the heels can be considered to be massaging the inner organs in some of the vinyasas by pressing deep into the belly

To release

Sit up straight lifting up through the torso, focus on the left hip joint and encourage it to rotate by engaging the thigh muscles which will press the left knee into the mat this will allow you to very gently encourage the left foot off of the right thigh.

As you allow the knees to draw apart the lotus will unfold, again allow the right hip joint to do it's work bringing the right knee down into the mat and allowing the right foot to glide off the left thigh.