Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama Yoga at Home

Deleting a blog

2012-01-28T05:22:00.001Z

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

Straight friday primary after Rishi week and Dwi pada sirsasana

2012-01-27T08:30:00.002Z

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.

The Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Fourth Day

2012-01-26T12:48:00.000Z

Durvasa

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

'...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

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

Is this a bad time to call ?

2012-01-26T06:45:00.001Z

The Ashtanga Rishi approach, Third Day

2012-01-25T22:05:00.001Z

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

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

2012-01-24T14:14:00.004Z

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.

The Ashtanga Rishi approach. First Day

2012-01-23T08:42:00.005Z

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

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

2012-01-21T22:21:00.003Z

'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.

The Ashtanga 'Rishi series'

2012-01-20T22:58:00.001Z

'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.

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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

2012-01-10T17:18:00.010Z

Download for free HERE

Dedicated to my teacher Srivatsa Ramaswami

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

* 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.

Day 92 : LOTUS : Special lotus balancing postures subroutine Subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence

2012-01-02T19:33:00.001Z

VIDEO LINK

Practicing these arm balances and inversions together in one subroutine can be challenging, consider working on them separately at first perhaps including one arm balance a practice or every few days. Utpluthis, the raised lotus from Day 91 is another arm balance as is Kukkutasana, also from Day 91, both will build strength as will the lead in's to most of the subroutines and the sun salutation with mantra.

HINTS/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

This version of urdhava kukkutasana is a sliding up the arms or rather the arms are there as a guide, we don't want to rely on them too much.

Place the hands close to the knees, rock up onto the knees, shoulders over the fingers. Drop the shoulder blades down the back, engage mula and uddiyana bandha.

Exhale completely hold and pressing the hands down into the mat hoist the lotus up towards the armpits lifting up from your perineum, mula bandha.

The shoulders remember are over the fingers as you come up your shoulders may need to come even further forward to create a counterweight to your hips.

In the beginning hold for a breath and then lower on the inhalation, as you become stronger and improve your balance you may stay for longer, three to six breaths.

Padma mayurasana

Place the hands on the mat as close to the body as possible, almost tucked under your lotus.

bend your elbows slightly and allow your shoulders to drop to allow your elbows to dig into your belly.

Come up onto your knees and then stretch forward while at the same time raising your knees off the ground.

Padma Mayurasana is in effect a back stretch, tuck in the tailbone and attempt to arch the back slightly to bring the lotus up higher.

The elbows need to be together and really dig into the belly.

In the beginning hold for a breath and then lower on the exhalation, as you become stronger and improve your balance you mary stay for longer, three to six breaths.

Lotus to Sirsasana VIDEO LINK

The final vinyasa called for a tight lotus and you may wish to work towards this as a separate subroutine (see Lotus subroutines -to come).

From seated padmasana, lift up onto your knees, bend forward and place your hands on the mat with the fingers interlocked ready for headstand. Place the back of your head in the cup formed by your hands and bring your knees forward so they are touching your elbows.

To lift back up from here, exhale fully, engage the badhas and pressing firmly into the mat with your elbows draw your knees back up the back of your arms to your armpits.

Take a breath and on the next exhalation, straighten the back to bring the knees to the chest and then straighten the waist to bring your lotus the last of the way up.

Follow the directions above for the 3rd version (pic 11) to lower and raise your lotus to and from the mat.

Two Mysore dreams.... or was that three UPDATED

2012-01-02T07:46:00.005Z

Restless night last night, kept waking up between 2 and 4am. Dreamt, though, I don't tend to or at least don't usually remember them.

All this talk of going to Mysore, the first dream was about practicing, a long room. I was doing Primary somewhere in the middle of the room over on the left. Sharath adjusting here and there over on the other side, don't think I heard his voice though.

Actually there were three dreams.

The second one, I was arriving after the long journey, turned up at a sort of cafeteria that seemed to be part of the shala or in the AYRI 'compound'. I came in noticed Sharath sitting at a table talking to some students who had clearly been a few times, authorised teachers perhaps. Guruji (that's how I thought about him in the dream, he was even wearing his trademark shala vest)) was there moving around being busy, tidying up this, fixing that. It wasn't so much that he was working there but that he couldn't see a bowl left at a table without picking it up and taking it back to the kitchen or a table that was crooked without fixing it and I think at one point he was doing something with the coffee machine, adjusting it....ha, hadn't realised until I wrote it out he was being busy going around, adjusting...fixing, Guruji as a repairer : ) (for those of you who don't know, that's my job, A woodwind repairer).

The third dream was like a continuation of the first. I was back in the shala of the first dream, it had filled up and the only space was forward on the right, I was making space and there was a mat somebody had put down at a bit of an angle. Guruji came over, and I forget a lot of what he said but he was chatty, got me to move the crooked mat over so there would be space. Then I noticed, just as we were getting ready to practice, that my mat was on some kind of long sideboard and I was a bit nervous about practicing up there and falling off. Moved the mat down and we started to practice but then I realised I was right at the front, bugger. The guy whose mat we'd moved came back and made a bit of a fuss, guruji came over and the guy settled down to practice.

Know there was more to them but as dreams do they are drifting away.

Claudia would ask how I felt throughout. Relaxed, comfortably anonymous except perhaps in the last dream where I would have preferred to be away from the front back over on one of the sides of the room.

These are a bit different from my earlier Mysore dream First Mysore dream and Pink Saris

Looked at Claudia's Mysorepedia yesterday and her costing page How Much Does it Cost to Go to Mysore? And Practice Ashtanga at the AYRI it looks doable for next January, see what the boss says but it's quiet at work this time of year.

Still not sure why I'm thinking of going but Krishnamacharya was there, was that old 1930's video shout there do you think? And the old shala, would be nice to visit that while it's still standing and I guess practice in the current shala although all the nonsense about people manoeuvring to get into the room is a bit of a turn off, would be tempted to say screw it and go and practice in the yard.

Seems there's no getting away from Ashtanga, under my skin it seems so I might as well just embrace it and go and practice at the mothership at least once. Especially as Ashtanga and Vinyasa Krama seem to be coexisting so well at the moment, one in the morning one in the evening.

My Stiff back is a bit of a worry though if I end up with an early slot, need an hour or two to loosen up. can see me getting up at 3am for a pre practice practice.

Think I'd want to find somewhere really close to the shala, finish practice and then get back to the room quickly for a long session of pranayama, could do the full 80 rounds everyday and then a long sit...or two, could still do my VK practice in the afternoon....starting to appeal, perhaps a little sanskrit, get back into some chanting.....

Time for practice, back felt better this morning, less stiff, perhaps a good 2nd was just what I needed.

UPDATE
I referred to concerns about a Club Mysore aspect in my comments section and that it puts me off going a bit. Seems that was perceived as turning my nose up. Was going to defend myself here, but on reflection it's probably right. Turning ones nose up suggests a certain distaste and I guess I do have that, the social aspect of having several hundred Ashtangis floating around Gokulam at this time of year I find quite nauseating, would hate it. Individually I'm sure pretty much everyone is great, but a town full, awful, can't bare to think of it. But that's just me..... except perhaps it's not. How many I wonder yearn for the eighties when there were just a handful of earnest young Ashtangis there at a time with nothing else on their mind than their practice and turning inwards.

Guilty as charged.... and your right I probably shouldn't go, except perhaps to have my fears proved unfounded because, truth be told everyone who ever blogs from there or comments seems to be in bed by 9.

First Sury's of the first practice of 2012 plus 'Yoga, knowing the unknown'

2012-01-01T16:26:00.002Z

OK, so next year I'm going full yogi no more big Christmas dinners or New Year martinis, settling on an acorn or two with Heston's pine flavoured icing sugar. Actually I'm thinking about Mysore next year, M's OK with it, see what the boss says but it's a quiet time so they might be happy with the idea.

My Ashtanga and Vinyasa Krama practice seem to be coexisting well enough at the moment, I keep them separate now, Straight Ashtanga in the evenings and a shorter, Integrated, Vinyasa Krama practice in the mornings with emphasis on pranayama and meditation.

See if I can keep a straight, by the book(ish) Ashtanga practice up for the next six months, if so then I'll think more seriously about Mysore.

First practice of the year.
When the weather got cooler I switched VK and Ashtanga around and started practicing Ashtanga in the evenings. My back had been playing up and was stiff as a board in the mornings, was taking a couple of hours to get it loosened up.

It's getting a little better, practiced 2nd series this morning (plan is five 2nd's with Friday Primary) but you can see from the video that I can only just touch the mat on the first Sury, you can see my back loosening up as has I progress through the Sury's. This is better than usual I tend to have to step back and forward for the first three or four if I practice in the mornings, evening is fine.

My morning ritual tends to be to get up at 5am, make M. lunch while having an espresso then step into the home shala ...which is where the video below picks it up. On the video I chant 3mins in, if your interested it the Ganesha and Patanjali prayer that Ramaswami used to start with, I have a soft spot for it (bit embarrassed about sharing that bit). I'm sure he'd cringe at my pronunciation (though try to hide it). Back creaking Sury's start 5 mins. in.

Wonderful newsletter from Ramaswami arrived this morning to start the month/year. I posted the full newsletter this morning but here are two sections I thought I'd highlight, whet the appetite as it were.

Ramaswami Asks

So what is the goal of all these systems like Yoga, Vedanta, Samkhya and others? Yes one may want to know the ultimate goal and also the intermediate goals before starting such endeavours. I heard the following story from my great aunt when I was young. Even as I read more authentic versions subsequently, I am sticking to my grandma's tale.

The Lord created the Universe and decided to populate the Universe. He created four young “humen” beings and asked them to populate the Universe. He implied that the lives in the Universe would be happy provided one would stick to Dharma. The four mind-children of the Lord (manasa putras) did not move. They could not take their wide eyes off the bewitching form of the Lord They could not tear themselves away from the immensely satisfying immediate presence of the Lord, the formless Brahman. Their countenance indicated that they were perfectly happy. Looking at the Lord, the ultimate reality, they were brimming with bliss. The Lord realized that neither the normal nocturnal pleasures nor the huge heavenly happiness would anymore interest these beings. They had Kaivalya or Moksha even before they could be in bondage. They came to be known as nitya suris or perennial enlightened
ones.

The Lord still wanted to go ahead with his pet project of creating a Universe with different creatures and experiences. So he created the four-headed Brahma, one of the Indian Trinity, and bade him to create
beings including human beings. But the Lord created Brahma this time with Brahma's back to Him so that Brahma would not see Him and attain instant nirvana like the earlier ones. Brahma duly chanted “OM', the pranava mantra, and created the universe and the creatures . All beings thereafter went about their life cycles feverishly looking for some crumbs of happiness here and there in the midst of widespread unhappiness. There was never a chance to escape this unending cycle of births and deaths. Since everyone from Brahma downwards had never experienced the ultimate reality, people were looking outward for happiness. Thus even though the Lord is said to have entered every being and resided as pure consciousness in everyone, nobody knew what was “behind the back” as it were. Someone had to say “Look Inward”.

The Lord decided that there should be an escape route (nivritti marga) for some of those who were earnestly looking for liberation. He then asked one of the Nitya suris, Sanatkumara to help the deserving human beings to achieve moksha or liberation. Sanatkumara then was born to Siva, the third of the Trinity, as Kumara or Skanda. Because he had the direct experience of the Lord, the ultimate reality, he was astonished at the complete ignorance of all the beings about the ultimate reality. He even went up to Brahma, the creator aspect of the Trinity, and asked about how he started creation and if he knew the ultimate reality. Brahma said that he did it after chanting “OM” as mentioned in the vedas. Then Kumara promptly asked him for the meaning of “OM”, the pranava mantra and Brahma fumbled. “No, I do not know that” said Brahma sheepishly. Kumara became angry and said that Brahma was incompetent. Promptly Kumara imprisoned Brahma and took over creation himself. Soon enough all those he created were like him and quickly the original scheme of the Lord of sustainable creation was coming to naught. Siva, the third of the Trinity and father of Kumara, then went up to him and asked him to release Brahma and let him do his work. But Kumara refused and said that the person who does not know the meaning of OM, the name/mantra of the Ultimate Reality, Brahman, is incompetent to do such an important task as creation. Siva said that he himself did not know the meaning of OM and casually asked the enlightened son for the meaning of Pranava. Kumara said that he would teach him, provided his father would study under him following strictly all the rules of a student. Siva agreed and became a disciple of his own son. Skanda taught him the meaning of OM and Siva became enlightened. Skanda then came to be known as 'tahappan swami” (Tamil) or “lord/preceptor/guru of one's own father”. Brahma also learnt it and was then released by Kumara to continue his work. Siva then devised a method of understanding the ultimate reality, the Brahman or Purusha. It came to be known as Yoga, a very arduous procedure which only a few were able or willing to undertake and they came to be called as Yogis. Siva then bade Patanjali to formulate the yogia system which became the source book for all those who would like to take the 'spiritual' path and realize the ultimate reality which according to the Upanishad is Brahman. But the desire for liberation (mumukshatva) does not come about easily. It needs right information and a lot of persuasion and convincing. Even the most cultured intellectual (vidusha) has a thick veil of avidya in so far as 'spiritual' goal is concerned, the old texts aver as in the case of even the four headed Brahma. So the old foundation texts like the Upanishads, the Bhagavat Gita, the Yoga Sutra, the Samkhya philosophy, several puranas like the Bhagavata Purana, try multiple methods to wean away the disgruntled from the mundane existence to the 'spiritual' path.

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

There's another section I wanted to pick out from Ramaswami's Newsletter

'...But how can we trust the upanishads or philosophies like Samkhya or Yoga? Yes that is the main problem for many. These thought systems are called Agamas or traditional authentic systems indicating that they are given to human beings for the general good and the prima facie view is that they are valid. The first information is gotten from these works and that knowledge is known as paroksha or indirect,
usually highly academic. Many stop at that and excel in that intellectual indirect experience. Then one contemplates and then possibly gets convinced about the correctness when it is known as anumana or inferential knowledge. And finally by deep meditation, one pointedness (ekeagrata chitta), and Samadhi one is able to directly experience the state that was not there to start with which these works talk about. It is then known as pratyaksha or yougika pratyaksha or direct perception through Yoga. Thus the old texts lead us, slowly but surely, from the known to the superior unknown '.

To read the whole Newsletter see the previous post or Ramaswami's Newsletter page here. The last three years of newsletters have been brought together into three volumes and can be downloaded for free from my Google Docs page .

Yoga, Knowing the Unknown - Srivatsa Ramaswami January 2012 Newsletter from

2012-01-01T07:37:00.000Z

January 2012 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami—Yoga, Knowing the Unknown

Warm New Year Greetings from Chennai, India. Wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012!

On a Sunday in early December I spoke at the Vishnumohan Foundation on
Vishnu Sahasranama. I have a recording of the chanting of this popular
work from the Mahabharata (in which the Bhagavat Gita also is found)
made in the mid 80s by a recording company, Sangeetha. I chanted a
few slokas from this work and also explained the meaning of the first
14 of the 1000 mantras. These 14 are said to give the quintessence of
Vedanta.
For 2012, I plan to teach at the following places:
Feb 25 to Mar 4 Mexico City, Mexico
Apr 14 to 16 Ridgefield, CT
Apr 20 to 22 Houston TX
Apr 27 to 29 Dallas, TX
May 6 to 11 Esalen, Big Sur,CA
May28 to Jun 3 Vancouver, Canada
Jul 6 to Aug 11 TT PROGRAM, LMU, CA
Syllabus: http://vinyasakrama.com/Syllabus_Teacher_Training_200_Hr
Impressions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8lhIKIfSk4
contact; amparo.den...@lmu.edu
Sep 6 to 12 Chicago, IL
Oct 5 to 14 Somerset, UK
For more details please visit the Events Page of my website
www.vinyasakrama.com/Events
*****

YOGA, KNOWING THE UNKNOWN
There is an interesting saying in Indian philosophy to indicate that there is a purpose in every activity one deliberately undertakes. Samkhyas and some schools of Buddhism also use this saying,
“prayojanam anuddhisya mando pi na pravartate” meaning that even a dimwit will not do anything without an idea of what benefit one would get out of the effort.
So what is the goal of all these systems like Yoga, Vedanta, Samkhya and others? Yes one may want to know the ultimate goal and also the intermediate goals before starting such endeavors. I heard the following story from my great aunt when I was young. Even as I read more authentic versions subsequently, I am sticking to my grandma's tale.

The Lord created the Universe and decided to populate the Universe. He created four young “humen” beings and asked them to populate the Universe. He implied that the lives in the Universe would be happy provided one would stick to Dharma. The four mind-children of the Lord (manasa putras) did not move. They could not take their wide eyes off the bewitching form of the Lord They could not tear themselves away from the immensely satisfying immediate presence of the Lord, the formless Brahman. Their countenance indicated that they were perfectly happy. Looking at the Lord, the ultimate reality, they were brimming with bliss. The Lord realized that neither the normal nocturnal pleasures nor the huge heavenly happiness would anymore interest these beings. They had Kaivalya or Moksha even before they could be in bondage. They came to be known as nitya suris or perennial enlightened
ones.

The Lord still wanted to go ahead with his pet project of creating a Universe with different creatures and experiences. So he created the four-headed Brahma, one of the Indian Trinity, and bade him to create
beings including human beings. But the Lord created Brahma this time with Brahma's back to Him so that Brahma would not see Him and attain instant nirvana like the earlier ones. Brahma duly chanted “OM', the pranava mantra, and created the universe and the creatures . All beings thereafter went about their life cycles feverishly looking for some crumbs of happiness here and there in the midst of widespread unhappiness. There was never a chance to escape this unending cycle of births and deaths. Since everyone from Brahma downwards had never experienced the ultimate reality, people were looking outward for happiness. Thus even though the Lord is said to have entered every being and resided as pure consciousness in everyone, nobody knew what was “behind the back” as it were. Someone had to say “Look Inward”.

The Lord decided that there should be an escape route (nivritti marga) for some of those who were earnestly looking for liberation. He then asked one of the Nitya suris, Sanatkumara to help the deserving human beings to achieve moksha or liberation. Sanatkumara then was born to Siva, the third of the Trinity, as Kumara or Skanda. Because he had the direct experience of the Lord, the ultimate reality, he was astonished at the complete ignorance of all the beings about the ultimate reality. He even went up to Brahma, the creator aspect of the Trinity, and asked about how he started creation and if he knew the ultimate reality. Brahma said that he did it after chanting “OM” as mentioned in the vedas. Then Kumara promptly asked him for the meaning of “OM”, the pranava mantra and Brahma fumbled. “No, I do not know that” said Brahma sheepishly. Kumara became angry and said that Brahma was incompetent. Promptly Kumara imprisoned Brahma and took over creation himself. Soon enough all those he created were like him and quickly the original scheme of the Lord of sustainable creation was coming to naught. Siva, the third of the Trinity and father of Kumara, then went up to him and asked him to release Brahma and let him do his work. But Kumara refused and said that the person who does not know the meaning of OM, the name/mantra of the Ultimate Reality, Brahman, is incompetent to do such an important task as creation. Siva said that he himself did not know the meaning of OM and casually asked the enlightened son for the meaning of Pranava. Kumara said that he would teach him, provided his father would study under him following strictly all the rules of a student. Siva agreed and became a disciple of his own son. Skanda taught him the meaning of OM and Siva became enlightened. Skanda then came to be known as 'tahappan swami” (Tamil) or “lord/preceptor/guru of one's own father”. Brahma also learnt it and was then released by Kumara to continue his work. Siva then devised a method of understanding the ultimate reality, the Brahman or Purusha. It came to be known as Yoga, a very arduous procedure which only a few were able or willing to undertake and they came to be called as Yogis. Siva then bade Patanjali to formulate the yogia system which became the source book for all those who would like to take the 'spiritual' path and realize the ultimate reality which according to the Upanishad is Brahman. But the desire for liberation (mumukshatva) does not come about easily. It needs right information and a lot of persuasion and convincing. Even the most cultured intellectual (vidusha) has a thick veil of avidya in so far as 'spiritual' goal is concerned, the old texts aver as in the case of even the four headed Brahma. So the old foundation texts like the Upanishads, the Bhagavat Gita, the Yoga Sutra, the Samkhya philosophy, several puranas like the Bhagavata Purana, try multiple methods to wean away the disgruntled from the mundane existence to the 'spiritual' path.

One method is to lead them from the known to the unknown. We all know both happiness and unhappiness. So the upanishads start from known happiness and compare it to the bliss of 'spiritual' knowledge/experience, the unknown at the present. We all experience limited happiness. Who is the happiest human being? The upanishad talks of a perfect human being. Take the case of a young person, a noble soul -a dharmic person, an exceptional scholar, a great leader with an excellent physique, perfect and strong limbs and senses, very rich and propertied, like an emperor. Such a person would be the happiest human being. Let us mark it as one unit of human happiness, the limit of human happiness. All other human beings will have less than one unit of human happiness.

Is there more than one unit or measure of happiness? Yes, says the upanishad. One hundred times happier will be the Gandharvas. So also those human beings who have known the scriptures (and the Pranava) and who have given up all desires, say the upanishads. Gandharvas are considered to be the lowest in the hierarchy of gods and are basically excellent singers. But then the leader of this divine tribe, a deva gandharva, the celestial singer is capable of one hundred times more happiness than the ordinary Manushya Gandharvas. So is the one who has mastered the scriptures (and the Pranava or OM) and is absolutely not tormented by desires. One hundred times happier than the deva Gandharvas are the pitrus (manes), so also the ones who have mastered the scriptures (and OM) and are absolutely free of all desires. One hundred times happier are the ajana devas and the ones who have mastered the scriptures (and OM) and are free from all desires. Then there are the gods like the fire, wind, water, etc., who are propitiated by vedic sacrifices and who are a hundred times happier than the previous lot; and those who are well versed in the scriptures and free from all desires Indra, the boss of the gods is said to be one hundred times happier than the gods, so also those who are proficient in the vedas and pranava and are absolute Vairagis. Brihaspati the preceptor of the devas is said to enjoy hundred times more happiness than Indra himself, so also those who have mastered the vedas and remain absolutely desireless. Prajapati, a son of Brahma, is said to be a hundred times happier than Brihaspati along with those who have mastered the vedas and are untouched by any kind of desire. A hundred times happier is Brahma, the four faced creator aspect of the Trinity, the one who we came across earlier in the story. Those who are well versed in the scriptures and absolutely desireless with respect to the entire creation are also as happy as Brahma. Then the one who is able to see the in-dweller of all beings and the one in the sun yonder as one and the same Brahman-the ultimate reality- is happier than even four faced Brahma (catur mukha), like the Nitya suris referred to earlier. His/Her bliss, the bliss of the enlightened one like the nitya suris we came across in the beginning is unsurpassed, eternal and infinite.

The Upanishad from the known facts about happiness, skillfully leads to the unsurpassed bliss of the Brahman awareness. It emphatically states that the one who knows the Brahman, the ultimate reality, the pure consciousness unaffected by space (akasa) and time (avakasa), attains the highest state (brahmavit aapnoti param). How does Patanjali handle this, leading the yogabhyasi from what is known to what is unknown and superior? He refers to five states or five activities of the mind or chitta, five states we are all familiar with. All our lives we move through these five chitta vrittis. Some times the chitta is engaged in collecting information and sifting the facts from that, which is known as pramana vritti. More often the chitta from the information received misses the facts and comes to wrong conclusions, known to yogis as viparyaya vrithis. A lot of times the chitta imagines a number of things without any solid base called vikalpa vrittis. Our dreams including day dreams will come under this category. Then a lot of time is spent in deep sleep when one forgets everything including oneself due to the dominance of Tamas. Then there are occasions when we ruminate over the past, remember facts stored in the mind called smriti vrittis. Our vrittis fall into one group or the other. But the Yogi's vritti nirodha is a state of the chitta which is none of the above. Patanjali refers to this state of the mind called nirodha state which is none of the five vrittis we are all familiar with. The sixth state of the mind, the vritti nirodha state, according to Patanjali is one every chitta potentially has, but has never experienced. It is a state of absolute peace or irrevocable and complete satisfaction. Again here the Sutras lead the yogi from known states to a state unknown but within everyone's reach through Yoga. In that state of Kaivalya or chitta vritti Nirodha the mind is in a state of absolute objectless samadhi and the three gunas are in a state of equilibrium.. Patanjali again mentions this state as something beyond the seven motives/ stimuli that drive us to act variously. They are the desire to possess (prepsa), desire to rid (jihasa), desire to know (jignyasa), desire for action (chikirsha), fear (bhaya), depression (soka) and distraction (vikshepa). We are familiar with these states of mind, but the state of Kaivalya/nirodha is beyond these known states.

But how can we trust the upanishads or philosophies like Samkhya or Yoga? Yes that is the main problem for many. These thought systems are called Agamas or traditional authentic systems indicating that they are given to human beings for the general good and the prima facie view is that they are valid. The first information is gotten from these works and that knowledge is known as paroksha or indirect,
usually highly academic. Many stop at that and excel in that intellectual indirect experience. Then one contemplates and then possibly gets convinced about the correctness when it is known as anumana or inferential knowledge. And finally by deep meditation, one pointedness (ekeagrata chitta), and Samadhi one is able to directly experience the state that was not there to start with which these works talk about. It is then known as pratyaksha or yougika pratyaksha or direct perception through Yoga. Thus the old texts lead us, slowly but surely, from the known to the superior unknown .
******
In the olden days, in India,especially in the South, women would not say the name of the husbands as it was considered disrespectful. A census inspector will have a difficult time getting the name of the spouse from the wife. One has to ask the other family members the name of one's husband. Likewise, many of the potent mantras are not directly mentioned but only through the name of the mantra. If one wants to say the “OM” mantra one would more likely say the pranava mantra than just “OM” mantra, as Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutras. The meditation or chanting of the mantra would be referred to as pranava dhyana or pranava japa. Pranava itself is a beautiful word. Scholars refer to it as a word derived from the root “Nam” or “nam” to bow (Nam prahvi bhave) as used in namah or namaste. 'Prakarshena nauti sthouti iti pranavah', meaning pranava is the highest praise or obeisance to the highest principle, here Iswara or Brahman. Another interesting interpretation of this word comes from deriving the word
from another root 'nav' (or nava) to begin or new like 'novo'. Since Brahman is said to be pure consciousness and never changes it is always new, always 'nava' and hence pranava. There are other important mantras who have separate names. The Gayatri mantra which is of the gayatri meter refers to the mantra starting with 'tat savitur..' and even though there are many other mantras in the Gayatri meter, only this particular mantra, the brain child of Viswamitra is referred to as gayatri. Then we have another famous mantra “namassivaya”. This namassivaya mantra is more often referred to as 'panchakshari' or five syllable mantra even as there are scores of other mantras which have five syllables. 'Om namo narayanaya' my Guru's favorite mantra is known as ashtakshari as it has eight syllables. 'Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya' is a very popular Krishna mantra and is known as 'dwadasakshari' as there are 12 syllables in it.

The mantras especially pranava were chanted, meditated upon and referred to with considerable devotion and respect in the olden days. Contemporary use of 'OM' on tea shirts, vests and other casual wares is sometimes difficult to put up with.

But what is the meaning of the mantra “OM”? It is grist for another
article.
******
The entire Universe
Even as it is awesome
Is but a grand illusion (maya kalpita)
Like the space and objects in a mirror
Like the space and objects in a dream
Like those created by a magician
Or like the creation of a (siddha) yogi*
From Dakshinamurti Ashtaka
of Adi Sankara
*Like Sage Viswamitra who is said to have used his yogic powers to create an illusory heaven for his disciple King Trisanku.
*****
My old news letters with several articles can be accessed by visiting my website
www.vinyasakrama.com and clicking on the Newsletter tab.

Thank you for reading up to here
And again, a happy new year!!
Best Wishes
Sincerely
Srivatsa Ramaswami

2011 my year in posts

2011-12-30T08:30:00.001Z

Wasn't planning on doing one of these this year but every other blog I open seems to have one which got me looking at the one I wrote last year 2010 my year in posts. That was just a list of the blog post for the year, can't really do that this time as I have 90 odd VK Subroutine posts for my Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book. Still, can't help looking back and noticing a few posts I liked and besides, I wanted to get an idea of what happened with my practice this year.

January (18 Posts)
I wrote a post on Plans for 2011 lets see...

Mysore? Nope
Rolf in Goa? Nope
KYM? Nope
Heidegger's hut in the black forest? Almost but nope
Sicily? Again, not this year, difficult with the Chinchilla though did manage a mini break to Athens to see our old Philosophy professor.
Heidegger and Yoga blog? Started it but never saw the light of day.
Consolidate 2nd? Didn't I just write the same thing yesterday?
Advanced series with David Williams' poster? Guess so but for three postures and only really practiced Advanced B a couple of times as a series so don't think it counts.
Putting together a poster of the Vinyasa krama sequences? If I only knew ...turned out to be a book rather than a poster.
Get back into chanting? yes....but then no, dropped off again.
Clean my manduka? yes , of course.....couple of times.

Feburary (16 posts)
I'd forgotten this, I wrote a post Yoga injury in February about a back injury playing up, an old one from my pizza throwing days that I seemed to reawaken when I fell off my bike. So that was in Feburary, I've been in pain ever since, every practice (affects forward bending more than backbends), and for the last month I haven't been able to do much in the morning, just beginning to show some signs of improvement. So it's been a year...perhaps I should see somebody about it... but I'm English...don't like to be a bother. That post led to my painkiller poll post

End of the month, First time coming up without turning the feet out.

March (14 posts)
The whole month seemed to get taken over by the silly discussion of Kino's shorts, Yogi's! put some clothes on and the blogosphere turned a little sour as everyone took sides, not our finest hour, probably led to me deciding to take a break from blogging with the warmer weather was on it's way, Gone Fishing. Looking at the pictures in that post I'd been practicing a lot of the Advanced series.

Was away from blogging a week. Back so soon? Interestingly I've been thinking about taking a break from blogging over the last couple of weeks, might as well not bother.

April (19 posts)
April started with a Mea Culpa as I realised how tatty my primary had become with all the tweaking and mixing of styles. This was as a result of Practising along with Sharath, back when he did that live feed from Encinitas. I captured the stream and practiced along with it every morning for a month.

May (27 posts)
An Ashtanga focus by the look of it, the month dominated by the tictak challenge

The Namarupa : Richard Schechner's notebook on his studies with Krishanamacharya that came out at the end of the month was a highlight.

..as was, I'm ashamed to say, for me anyway, my Completely pointless yoga party trick # 7 : Lotus without hands

June (23 posts)
When a blog post comes back to bite you : 108 Dropback challenge, AC reminded me of the 108 drop back challenge. Managed it a week or two later, the speeded up video is here Summer Solstice : 108 dropbacks. UPDATE

Seems to be around here that I started to look again at yoga philosophy, What is practice and how does it become well established? a thread that started here with the yoga sutras and led to the Gita as it was. I think what I forgot, missed or failed to understand for a while, was that Ramaswami had a strong Yoga Sutra focus, Raja yoga and that the asana, the pranayama practice were very much in the service of that, an integrated practice.

Ashtanga strikes me more now as having a Hatha yoga focus in the sense of Hatha Yoga Pradipika , the Raja yoga is almost put to one side for a while, work on your hatha and then when your ready, when you've been through the threshing floor you can start to think about Raja yoga. That's not a criticism, there's a strong argument there.

July (17 posts)
First time practicing 4th as a series seems a long time ago now.

Our beloved Claudia's book came out Book review : 21 Things to know before starting an ashtanga practice ...plus Blogs 3rd Birthday

Would I be welcome at your Shala? was related to the Norman Blair article The Box

I launched my Vinyasa Krama Blog, Launching my NEW blog : Practicing Vinyasa Krama Yoga at Home figured Ashtangi's weren't always that interested in the VK posts and those coming to VK not really up on the Ashtanga intertextuality.

Oh and I got my heels back in kapo after three months, nice to know it'll come back, only managed my toes yesterday. This was at the hotel in Wales where I went for a week and Practiced all the Vinyasa Krama sequences Holiday practice update

August (25 posts)
Hit by the 2nd series truck

Stories : Saxophones to Yoga mats

My favourite blog post from the whole blog not just this year Yoga, it aint Rocket Science

Liked the Yoga Bookshelves post, feel free to keep sending them in.

Seemed to be practising mostly vinyasa krama, working at exploring the rhythm of the practice with Mingus Mingus Mingus

Kapo ankles back thanks to Vinyasa Krama Bow sequence

September (23 posts)
Cured the back pain for a couple of weeks with pasasana

Spent a lot of time this month reading the original 84 verse version of the Gita without all the god stuff The Original Gita. No Surrender! ( Updated with the original Gita? ) as it was and the Original yoga sutras

I also started work on my Vinyasa Krama Practice book, started off as just the sequences, then all the subroutines for the 2nd edition and now I'm just finishing off the last of the practice notes for each subroutine to be published for free download in a week or two. So many resources for Ashtangi's that I wanted to put something out there that might be helpful for anyone struggling with Ramaswami's book and turning it into a viable home practice.

October (51 posts)
The practice notes for the book take up most of the year, amusing to see that while my page hits dropped off there was a huge hike when I posted an old Sharath video. other hikes tend to be when I post on backbends or jump backs : ) Should have added google advertising back when I started this blog and didn't post about much else, could have made a fortune.

Did find time to posit the question Is Ashtanga compatible with Vinyasa Krama?

and look at how I've jumped back and forth between the two like ...a ridiculous Mexican Soap Opera

November (52 posts)
I was asked What books influenced your yogic and/or spiritual Life ? I should come back to this, there are books that I would recommend must have a think about that and post something in the new year.

Some improvement in backbends, Raja kapotasana, first toes to head followed quickly by Ganda Bherundasana : first toes to head... and a tentative new project. and I have penguin feet : first drop back without lifting heels PLUS Heather Morton's back bending DVD

Started a Samakonasana Challenge and managed to touchdown but it seemed to play havoc with my badha konasana so have put it on hold, perhaps I rushed it.

A rare talkie, on How to do headstands

December (55 posts)
Started to thin about my Ashtanga practice this month Working out the lift into Upavishta Konasana B which led to YOGA MALA: '...we keep tearing pages out there'll be nothing left' and Full Vinyasa

A Wake up call - The hidden arm balance series made me notice how weak I've become recently with my fancy-trick free Primary and focus on pranayama in my VK practice as well as a general lack of discipline in my practice and no doubt as a result, life in general Nearly the end of the year.... I'm still practicing, still twice a day but it all feels a little ...slack, let things slip a little. And so 2nd series, nice to see you again. Nothing focusses the mind like 2nd series.
---------------------------------------------------------------
So the year seems to end where it began, with the desire to tidy up and consolidate my 2nd series practice,

Ashtanga only seems possible with full commitment.Vinyasa Krama allows for more flexibility, a shorter asana practice in favour of a stronger pranayama and meditation focus, you can get away with that. If I'm still going to practice Ashtanga, and it seems it's still my practice, then I just have to get on and practice it as it is. 2nd series, five days a week with a Primary on Friday does seem to be the only way to go about it.

Despite the odd hike in visits when I post on backbends, jump backs, Kino or Sharath or the drop off when I post on Vinyasa Krama there does seem to be a number of regular readers who seem to put up with or make allowances for whatever nonsense I go off on. Never sure how to read the stats, by google analytics it seems there ranges from 300 to 400 visitors a day, Blogger has it at 700 to 800 page views, no idea what all that means but thank you to everyone who visits and comments even when it's to give me a hard time.

I especially love that I get so many visitors from all over the world, I don't tend to look at the stats that much but I love the feedjit widget down on the bottom right of the blog and seeing all the different flags. I know language can be a problem if English isn't your first language, I was an English teacher for a number of years. My apologies if my posts are confusing sometimes. Perhaps if you don't want to write or ask a question in the public comment box, please feel free to send me an email or get in touch through FB.

Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see more of here, a posture you struggle with or some aspect of the practice, can only say how I've approached it, what's worked for me but often somebody else will chip in with a comment on something perhaps more useful.

Happy New Year.

Sun nien fai lok
Xin nian yu kuai
Godt Nytår
Gelukkig nieuwjaar
Aide shoma mobarak
Bonne année
Aith-bhliain Fe Nhaise Dhuit
Gutes Neues Jahr
Hauoli Makahiki Hou
HShanah tovah
Nav Varsh Ki Badhaai/ Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Nyob zoo xyoo tshiab
IElamat Tahun Baru
Buon Capo d'Anno
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu
Godt Nyttår
Maligayang Bagong Taon
Nowego roku
Feliz ano novo
La Multi Ani
S Novym Godom
Feliz Año Nuevo
Wilujeng Tahun Baru
Gott Nytt År
Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Gelukkige nuwejaar / voorspoedige nuwejaar
Gëzuar vitin e ri
честита нова година (chestita nova godina)
šťastný nový rok
kali chronia / kali xronia eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos (we wish you a happy new year)
boldog új évet
zhana zhiliniz kutti bolsin
Selamat Tahun Baru
Xin Nian Kuai Le (新年快乐)

Appologies if I've missed anyone out or written it out incorrectly

...and so to practice (2nd).

Day 90 : LOTUS : Urdhva padmasana (lifted up lotus pose) Subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence

2011-12-30T08:10:00.000Z

VIDEO LINK

HINTS\TIPS\SUGGESTIONS

To get up into Shoulder stand while in Lotus, bring you arms to your side, exhale fully and press your arms down into the mat, hold and roll the lotus up to your chest, aim your knees at a 45 degree angle up over your head and stretch/push your knees up into shoulder stand while shifting your hands to your hips and then your back either side of your spine with the fingers pointing up and the elbows not too far apart.

Alternatively, Start from regular shoulder stand, spread the legs apart, drop the left leg back a little, bring the right foot to the left thigh by rotating at the hip then bring the left foot to the right thigh again through the rotation of the hip.

Engage mula and uddiyana bandha at the end of the exhalation sucking in the belly to create more space to lower your lotus down to your chest.

Remember in Vinyasa Krama you can work towards this, lowering a little way on the first exhalation, take it back up on the inhalation, lower a little further on each exhalation.

When lowering your need to make sure your hips are high and over your shoulders or you will tend to roll back down to the mat.

Pindasana (pic 4) The fold needs to be deep, use the bad has, sucking your belly back and up into your ribcage to create space. your inhalations will be short but try to keep your exhalations long.

Ultimately your want to wrap your arms around your lotus and bind at the wrist, this requires a deep lotus with the feet high up in the groin and heels digging into the belly.

If your lotus is not as tight then bind at the fingers or just hold the thighs.

Twists

From udrdhava padmasana (lotus shoulderstand) Stretch up through the pelvis lengthening the body as much as possible, twist on the exhalation and lower/fold your knee to the outside of your forehead.

Again, work a little lower on each exhalation

Remember to keep the hips high and over the shoulders to prevent rolling back.

Counterpose (pic 8) There are two hand positions, the one in the picture with the palms supporting the sacrum and the another where the thumbs point toward but remain outside of the spine, resting lower down on the back of the hips with the fingers coming around the hip bone. I tend to prefer the later.

This is a back stretch so tuck the tailbone under and to counter the weight of the legs by pushing the chest out and up, engage jalandhara bandha (chin lock) firmly.

The posture is entered on the inhalation by bending from the waist and arching the back.

Stay in the position for three breaths, perhaps going a little deeper into the pose each time or go back and forth to akunchita urdhva padmasana (pic 3) and the counter pose on the breath if holding is too challenging.

Simhasana Subroutine VIDEO LINK. From Akunchita urdhave padmasana, stretch out the arms above your head, roll your lotus slowly down to the mat, keep the momentum to bring your arms up and over passing through regular lotus as you put your hands to the floor and come up on to your knees. Lower your body flat to the floor stretch your arms out in front of you, palms together as if in prayer.

Place the palms on the mat beside you close to your chest. Tuck the tailbone (this is a back stretch) anchor the knees, try to bring the hips as close to the mat as possible , arch the back stretching out through the waist. Stretch out through the full length of your body, pushing out your chest take the head back. The is a Bhujangasana variation and can be worked on in the Bow sequence subroutines.

Another Lion face variation

Lions face. Inhale stretching back the head and as you exhale make a long Haaa sound while stretching your tongue out and down and widening the eyes. Focus your attention on the mid brow.

You may like to repeat this three times, closing the mouth on the inhalation and taking the head back before repeating the lions face on the exhalation.

Day 89 : LOTUS : Badha Padmasana (bound lotus) from Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence

2011-12-29T20:35:00.000Z

VIDEO LINK

HINTS/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

There are some easier versions of baddha padmasana (pic 3)

1. Reach around the back with the left hand and place the back of the hand on the waist, just above the hip bone. Reach around with the right arm and place the back of the hand against the waist just above the left hip.

2. When the above feels comfortable, turn the left hand (the one resting above the right hip) over, use the little finger to draw your hand onto the hip bone.

3. When that too feels comfortable, try to do the same with the other hand, turning it over and using the little finger to leaver the hand down onto the hip bone.

This may be your bind for a little while, play with it, stretching up, arching back a little, twisting a little to the left a little to the right, explore how to get a better grip on the hip bone.

Try to lever the right elbow a little further over the left by using your right hand as a fulcrum.

4. When you feel ready to move on reach far around with the left hand and take hold of the big toe now use the hip bind above for the other hand, reaching around with the other hand but just pressing the back of the hand against the waist above the hip. Switch hands to become comfortable with both sides.

5. It's possible to use a belt, strap or scarf thrown over the feet to work your hands down to your toes or perhaps the second hand.

6. Another approach is to reach around with the left hand and take hold of the left toe then instead over throwing the right arm around the back and over the left arm, try threading your right arm between your left elbow and back. Use the left arm to work your right over your back and down toward the left hip and finally right toe.

7. To get the full bind , make a tight lotus, you feet high up in your groin, heels pressing into your belly.

Lift up out of the pelvis and twist around to the left as far as possible, keep lifting and twisting. Use your hand to press into the hip and lever you arm a little further around to enable you to take hold of your toe.

Now twist to the right leading with the shoulder, bring the back of the hand to the waist and work it down over the hip lifting and twisting all the way until your able to hold your other toe.

Straighten up the shoulders, settle and engage bandhas and take long slow breaths.

Forward bending, to the front and sides.

here we need to engage mula and uddiyana bandha, sucking in the belly to create space, this is especially importat in the forward bends to the sides where we want to stretch out over the knee.

Before folding forwards, arch the back slightly, stretch up tall out of the pelvis, push back the buttocks and stretch out over your lotus and when to the slides, your knees.

Urdha mukha padmasana (pic 7) is a back stretch, a counter pose, tuck the tailbone under and push the chest out and up.

Baddha matsyasnana (pic 10 )is a more challenging version of seated baddha padmasana, try the above variations to work towards it, ultimately you will need to arch your back and twist fist to the left and then the right.

You might find this version of the baddha padmasana bind easier as you have the floor to help you work your arm around, your also able to tilt the lotus towards.

2nd series, nice to see you again.

2011-12-28T23:04:00.000Z

A straight up 2nd this evening, first in ages. I've done the odd 2nd series/VK backbend practice, most recently on Christmas day but can't remember the last time I played it straight and did the whole series without any modifications.

Recently I've tended to practise Standing, the VK bow sequence then pick up 2nd at ustrasana, miss out the leg behind head postures, pick it up again at Vatayanasana, that kind of thing, been laying off the lbw as my back hasn't felt right recently and wanted to give it a break.

So straight 2nd this evening was nice. Despite a little overindulgence over Christmas by ashtangi standards and a lack of practice I pretty much sailed through it, needed to take a breather after karanda but it went back up so was happy to pause for a moment.

The backbends up to kapo are better, using the tuck the tailbone technique and it's making a difference, much easier, no 'strain' (strain doesn't seem the right word, was going to say no or less effort but there's still effort just...not such a struggle). Kapo was toes only but thats' OK it'll come back, only did the one, if I'd done three I'd probably have touched my heels, was taking it easy.

Bakasana no longer floaty but landed, need to work on my arm balances. Had to glance at my Sweeney for the twists, couldn't picture bharadvajrasana in my mind of some reason.

Leg behind head was a bit of a risk but was OK I tend to do the dwi pada entry to sputa kumasana in Primary but that's about it, didn't take my leg as far back on my shoulder as I used to but they felt OK.

Perhaps the cooler weather had something to do with finding the series not too hard, been cursing the lack of heat for Primary but was a blessing here.

Mayurasana, again benefiting from the tuck the tailbone mantra and my Vasyanasana is still nice and tall, can't think why that has improved so much but I'm loving the posture. Supv was well, supv, settled for just rolling over the arm and keeping hold will have to work on getting the leg back mid roll, managed it a few times but never felt it's really nailed.

Headstands are all fine but then they're kind of a strong area for me, lots of time spent in them in VK.

Dropbacks, again fine, though my heels lifted on the first couple.

All in all tolerable, looks like 2nd is back in the game and I'm thinking a good six months of straight Intermediate series with a Friday Primary may be on the cards, time to consolidate and take my ashtanga practice back.

Trying to think how I ended up letting my practice drop off so much, was doing 4th series earlier in the year but I think I'd be starting from scratch with 3rd if I was to consider it, which I'm not. I think somewhere in the year I shifted to a calmer Vinyasa Krama practice, staying in postures longer, more focus on pranayama, you can't play with Ashtanga either you practice it fully committed or not at all.

Not ready to let it droop off that much yet.

This will be in the evenings until spring at least with my VK practice in the mornings.

Day 88 : LOTUS : Padmasana (lotus) from Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence

2011-12-28T07:58:00.004Z

VIDEO LINK

Padmasana (lotus) can be a challenging posture and there are many places to work towards it in Vinyasa Krama.

In Asymmetric Sequence: Padmasana doesn't appear as such but there are several hip opening postures, janusirsasana leading to mahamudra in particular, that prepare you for ardha baddha padmasana (half lotus).

In Lotus sequence : The lotus sequence picks up where Asymmetric leaves off with more vinyasas in half lotus before moving on to full lotus.

In Seated sequence : Padmasana (lotus) follows the deep hip opening subroutines of upavishta konasana and badha konasana.

In Supine sequence : More half lotus variations, this time in dwipadapitam (table pose). In shoulder stand we have the half lotus vinyasas of Day 68 but also the extreme hip openers of the previous (Day 69 ) Urdhva Konasana subroutine.

In Inverted Sequnece : As with Supine and Seated the lotus vinyasas in headstand follow, konasana and badha konasana subroutine.

In all of the above sequences we can see that padmasana (lotus) follows hip opening postures, this is because padmasana (lotus) involves a rotation of the hip joint rather than a twisting of the knees.

HINTS/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

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.

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.

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.

To release

Padmasana subroutine

Ramaswami recommends coming into half lotus, taking a breath or two, continuing into full lotus, staying for a three breaths and then releasing the lotus before repeating six times.

You may wish to enter and exit your lotus for each of the vinyasa in this subroutine. Over time you may feel comfortable staying for a couple of the vinyasas and eventually the whole subroutine even sequence.

Lotus postures are excellent for working on the bandhas, the perineum is grounded allowing for greater focus on mula bandha, the lotus a stable base for deep uddiyana and jalandhara bandhas ( see practice guidelines Day 1 for more on bandhas).

Bhadrasana The hand position can be low on the thigh fingers tucked under the feet (pic 5) or closer to the knee (pic 6). If the knee be careful not to press the knees down, especially if the lotus position is still new to you.

Laghu yoga mudra (pic 8) is a deep forward bend, draw the buttocks back, come onto the front of the sit bones, engage mula and uddiyana bandha, sucking in the belly in to create more space for the body to fold forwards over your lotus. The same goes for the side vinyasas of yoga mudra (pic 11 & 12), be careful not to allow the opposite knee from the side your folding in to to raise, encourage it to stay down by grounding the sit bones.

Utpluthi (Pic 9) is all about hand placement. place the hands too far forward and the weight of the hip bones will keep your grounded, too far back and the weight of the knees will stop you from achieving lift. So place the hands just forward of mid thigh as close to your thighs as possible.

Bring your shoulders over your hands, bring your shoulders down, engage the shoulder girdle and after exhaling hold the breath out and push down into the mat through your hands and lift

Mula bandha should be engaged but engage it more strongly, tuck the tailbone under, the lower half of your body should feel tight and compact, draw your pelvis up into your torso and hold.

Keep the bandhas engaged and the tailbone tucked while your breath.

In this version of utpluthi you bend the body over the lotus, in a later version in the lotus sequence the body is more erect.

Day 87 : LOTUS : Ardha badha-padmasana (half lotus) from Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence

2011-12-27T20:55:00.001Z

VIDEO LINK

This is almost the same subroutine as Day 26, Adha padmasana, found in the Asymmetric sequence.

This subroutine along with the half lotus subroutines found in the other sequences can be considered as preparation for full lotus

from On One Leg Sequence Day 17 Vrikmasana
from Asymmetric Sequence Day 26 Ardha padmasana
from Asymmetric Sequence Day 32 Ardha padma marichiyasana
from Supine Sequence Day 60 Dwipadapitam

from Supine Sequence Day 68 Supta ardha badha halasana

The hip opening Mahamudra subroutine from Asymmetric Day 27 is also good preparation for the half lotus as well as the Badha konasana Subroutine leading up to padmasana from Day 42

HINTS/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

Half lotus

See Day 17 Vrikmasana for some notes on standing half lotus.

To get into half lotus : Bend the knee bringing it towards the chest, allow the knee to drop out to the side, key here is the natural rotation in the hip joint. Bring the foot close to the opposite thigh, hold your foot in one hand and the knee in the other and GENTLY encourage the roration of the ball and socket hip joint, bring the knee forward parallel with the floor towards the opposite knee and the foot further up the thigh and ideally, eventually, towards the groin.

CAUTION

You don't want to force this action, if you feel strain on your knee it may be better to practice tomorrows subroutine built around mama mudra with the foot against the thigh rather than on top instead. Practicing the maha mudra subroutine will bring half, and eventually, full lotus closer.

As we have found in all forward bending asana, stretch out of the hips as we practiced in the standing On your feet sequences, the same goes for the twisting postures.

CAUTION.

In picture 4 (the raised hip), Vasishtasana or Kashyapasana we must be careful of the knee. Work from the top down, pushing down into the mat and lifting your shoulders then lifting the hip which will allow the leg to straighten, lower in reverse, DON'T push off the mat from the foot, knee or hip first as this will put too much strain on the knee which is vulnerable here.

Almost the end of the year.....

2011-12-26T16:30:00.000Z

So almost the end of the year, had thought the Practice book project I was doing would be finished by now and I could tidy it it up, post it and be done but there's still the Lotus sequence to go, another week.

I'm tired of writing about asana and can't for the life of me remember why I started it. I think it was about making Ramaswami's book more accessible for the home yogi but I wonder if I'm not obscuring it more. It's actually a very clear book, Ramaswami's not mine, mostly telling you where to breath as you move in and out of an asana. Perhaps all it needed was a picture chart of all the sequences at the end of the book and it would have been perfect.

And I thought I had all these tips and tricks I'd picked up from the this blog, from the Ashtanga community but truth be told I find myself repeating the same things, 'engage the bandhas, remember to stretch and tuck in the tailbone', everything else is probably extraneous, we tend to work it out sooner or later.

That said it's been good for me to work through Ramaswami's book so closely, think I'm clearer about his system, or his teacher's system, his use of the breath, although my body probably worked it out most of the time by just making the movements. By the time you get past chapter one, lift your arms on the long inhalation, lower them on the long slow exhalation, you've pretty much got it, asana, it's not rocket science.

While working on the Vinyasa Krama project I've moved back towards Ashtanga in my practice, how curious. Perhaps it's the silence, those same familiar postures, the rhythm of the breath and bringing the attention to it again and again.

It's like that too in Vinyasa Krama, not so much the rhythm we have in Ashtanga, the movement of the pendulum with the posture the moment of stillness at the top of the ark but rather the stillness in the posture itself. For now though, when in a Posture in my VK subroutines my attention is somewhere on the page and how I can explain what I think is happening, how I think I'm getting into a posture.

Going back to Ashtanga in the evenings has been a sanctuary.

Sitting a revelation.

And blogging, I wanted to keep it so light that I wonder if I've not forgotten how to think deeply anymore, perhaps that's no bad thing be nice to come back to Heidegger without the philosopher's hat and just read him again as the yogi he was rather than as the high professor.

And I want to play my saxophone again, been a while. Thought recently that Vinyasa Krama was like Coleman Hawkins and Ashtanga like Lester Young and what a nice blog post that would make but I'm sure the blogosphere can do without it.

Sounds like a sabbatical is called for.

Boxing Day, a sweaty practice at last

2011-12-26T14:38:00.002Z

Christmas Morning was 2nd series with most of Vinyasa Krama's Bow sequence squeezed in, it was OK, sneaking in a practice on Christmas morning feels somewhat of a guilty pleasure, why is that?

This morning's practice though was something special, a seriously sweaty Primary.

Been a while.

Probably a result of the martinis while cooking, one too many perhaps...or five too many. They do go down well while cooking and listening to anything from Deano's Let it snow, Let it snow to Snoop Dog's A Pimp's Christmas (M. and Youtube were looking after the music while I cooked). Was there really a line about smoking the tree or is that the martini distorting my memory.

Dinner was a Chestnut, cranberry and parsnip loaf thing, worked well, stayed moist, so often the nut roasts get a little dry.

Recipe

So too much drink, too much food and I fell asleep through King Fu panda, didn't feel very yogic.

M. still doesn't get why us gaijin cram everything on the same plate

It felt warmer this morning, cranked up the heat and went through Primary at a faster pace than usual to try and sweat the festivities out, nice practice, sweatiest in ages.

Best thing about this practice, it's like we start from scratch again with every practice, from the first Sury, the first Ujayii...

After only a little hinting M. got me the Yoga tradition of the Mysore palace. I read a copy in the LMU library while on Ramaswami's TT course, always wanted my own. Review to come in the New Year

Got M. the Pali cannon or at least a large part of it, can't wait to sneak a peek while she's at work....and she's always at work.

DAY 86 : Inverted: Subroutine Breakdown

2011-12-26T13:41:00.001Z

VIDEO LINK

Day 76 : INVERTED : Sirsasana (headstand) lead in from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 77 : INVERTED : Akunchasana (knee bends) from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 78 : INVERTED : Leg raises subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 79 : INVERTED : Upavishta konasana ( inverted triangle) subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 80 : INVERTED : Urdhava Padmasana (inverted lotus) from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 81 : INVERTED : Viparita Dandasana (crooked staff ) subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 82 : INVERTED : Inverted Mandala Subroutinesubroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 83 : INVERTED : Niralumba sirsasana ( headstand without support) subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 84 : INVERTED : Arm variations in Niralumba sirsasana ( headstand without support) subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

Day 85 : INVERTED : Handstand subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

'...when sirsasana is mastered, the breath rate, which is normally about fifteen to twenty breaths per minute, automatically comes down',

Work towards two breaths a minute over time.

'Sirsasana should always be practiced in the morning, as is laid down by the authorities on yoga.'

'And, as a counterpose, it should be followed by an equal length of time in the practice of sarvangasana (shoulder stand)'.

'The procedure is thus to do sirsasanam for twenty-four breaths, followed by a two-minute rest in savasana. Then one should do sarvangasana for the equal number of twenty four breaths, followed by a sitting posture each as padmasana for a few breaths, until one feels normal and relaxed'.

from Srivatsa Ramaswami Yoga for the Three Stages of Life p142

Practicing Inverted Subroutines

Towards the end of my morning asana practice I spend few minutes in the sarvangasana preparatory postures, anapanasana, urdhva prasarita pada hastasana and dwipadapitam.

I then spend at least five minutes in sarvangasana, the first three minutes with the legs relaxed.

Then I practice for headstands for ten to twenty minutes (ten minutes minimum).

For the first five minutes I don't practice any vinyasas but try to slow my breathing towards two breaths a minute and work on engaging bandhas.

The rest of the time in headstands I spend on Vinyasas, one or more of the inverted subroutines.

Coming down from headstand I'll stay for a few moments with my forehead on the mat, when sitting up I'll bring my head up last.

After a couple of minutes in savasana I practice another five minutes of Sarvangasana (shoulder stand), this time practising vinyasas, one or more shoulder stand subroutines

Finally I'll spend a period of time in Vajrasana, padmasana or mahamudra before moving on to my pranayama practice.

Day 85 : INVERTED : Handstand subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

2011-12-25T10:38:00.000Z

VIDEO LINK

This handstands subroutine takes a considerable amount of strength and stamina as well as good balance, it is something we can work towards however. Pincha mayurasana, the forearm stand from Day 83 is excellent preparation, individual vinyasas from Day 83's Niralumba Sirsasana subroutine might be included in our regular daily practice to build strength.

In this subroutine the full handstand is achieved by pushing up from kapliasana, the tripod headstand, this is particularly challenging and may take regular practice.

Another entry to handstand is from Downward dog, jumping with the feet together bringing the hips over the shoulders, the legs straight out in an inverted dandasana then unbending the waist to bring the legs vertical. We may prefer to practice this at the wall.

Another option, is again from downward dog to kick first one leg and then the other vertical.

The trick is the bring the shoulders over the hands as we kick or jump up bringing the hips over the shoulders.

HINTS/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

Handstand from tripod

Lift the head from the mat and bring it through the arms taking the legs over the head, exhale hold and push down ion the mat engaging and stretching up through your legs to press up to handstand.

In working towards this entry we might kick up to the wall in handstand and then, with the feet against the wall, bend the elbows slightly to allow the head to lower, with control, towards the mat. Lower just a little at first and then push back up to handstand. Lower a little further each day or each week.

Vrishikasana (pic 4)

A backbend, bring the head and chest through the arms and the feet as far over the head as possible.

Engage mula and uddiyana bandha as if your taking a firm grip on the tailbone which you then tuck in as much as possible.

Push the hips forward as much as possible, stretch out through the full length of the spine, bring the chest through even further, stretch out through the hips, legs feet.

Allow the hips to drop arching the back, allow the knees to bend bringing the feet towards your head.

To return to regular handstand, unbend at the waist pushing up through the legs.

Bhuja peedasana (pic. 6)

Returning to Kapilasana, the tripod headstand, bend the knees, engage mula and uddiyana bandha drawing in the belly to allow your knees to come as high up and close to the chest as possible.

Bend at the waist and bring the knees to the outside of the armpits. Squeeze the knees as if trying to bring them together although your torso, of course, is in the way.

Allow the hips to drop at the same time bringing your head off of the mat.

Drop the shoulder blades down the back, Engage the shoulder girdle. Press down into the mat, bring the shoulders ever further forward to counter the weight of your hips. Straighten the arms and try to bring the feet as close to your bottom as possible.

To exit, bend your elbows slowly and lower your head gently to the mat, take the knees up and then unbend the knees back into kapilasana.

Bhuja peedasana variation (pic. 7)

Precede as above for buja peedasana but being sure that the knees are as far up on the outside of the armpits as possible, unbend the knees and stretch them around in front of your body and bind at the ankle. Drop the hips and bring the feet up higher and hold for three to six breaths.

To return.

Unbind the ankles, raise the hips high, bend the knees and bring your feet back behind you and up towards your bottom. Return to kapilasana as for bhjua peedasana above.

Urdhava Kukkutasana (pic 8)

This vinyasa demands a nice tight lotus.

Open your legs or drop back the left leg and bending the right knee rotate the hip joint to allow the left foot to come onto the left thigh high up near the groin. Drop back the right knee, rotate the femur head in the left hip joint to allow the left foot to come up onto the right thigh.

Try to work the right foot high up the thigh to make as tight a lotus as possible.

Engage mula and uddiyana bandha, draw in the belly to create space for the forward bend. Bring the knees as far up into the armpits as possible.

Visualise pressing your knees through your armpits so the protrude out through your arms.

Allow the hips to drop at the same time pressing down through the hands. Move the shoulders forward beyond your hands to counter the weight of the hips. The shoulders blades are dropped down the back the shoulder griddle engaged as the arms straighten and you settle for three to six breaths.

To return
Bend the elbows slightly at first and lower your head slowly and with control to the mat by bringing the hips up.
Once the head is on the floor take the hips back and unfold at the waist raising your lotus, unbind and stretch out through the legs.

Ashtavakrasana
Bend the knees towards the chest as if in Bheeja peedasana but twisting bring the right knee (with the let above it) across the chest towards the left armpit, take the knee beyond the arm and resting the knees abut the arm stretch-out the legs on the exhalation while raising the head.

Stretch out through the legs at a right angle to your bay while raising your chest and head, stretch out through the head and chest as much as possible.

The return is challenging. Lower the head back to the mat as you bend your knees and bring your feet back as close to your bottom as possible while lifting the knees off the arm and untwisting. Take the hips high to bring the knees back to the chest and return to kapilasana.

Yogi Santa

2011-12-25T07:32:00.002Z

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or have just a great Sunday, whichever is most appropriate.

Anyone know the artist so I can credit it?

Have a nice practice (something I'm hoping to have right now) before hitting the pandoro.

Day 84 : INVERTED : Arm variations in Niralumba sirsasana ( headstand without support) subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Inverted sequence

2011-12-24T20:22:00.000Z

VIDEO LINK

In this subroutine we have four headstand arm variations, the regular sirsasana in Picture 1, arms outstretched (pic 2), arms folded in front of our face (pic 3) and the arms outstretched in front (pic4).

In the previous subroutine we also had the forearm, pincha mayurasana, version.

In the next subroutine there is yet another hand variation where the head and arms form a tripod.

HINTS/TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

Try all six headstand hand/arm variations individually and decide which two you find most comfortable, more stable.

Try switching between the two, when that is comfortable try switching back and forth between these two most comfortable variations.

Practice switching back and forth in your regular headstand practice.

You may find that although the regular headstand and, perhaps, the tripod variations are the most stable but that this is not necessarily the easiest transition.

Try switching from the regular headstand into each of the hand/arm variations to find which transition is the most comfortable.

Once found, practice this transition regularly becoming more comfortable with the shift in weight as you move first one arm and then the next. The control we develop here can then be applied to the more challenging transitions.

You might find that entering the different headstand variations from vajrasana or downward dog easier than switching hand positions while up in headstand, if so practice each of the headstand variations separately spending time in each until they become stable.

I tended to find the transition from regular headstand to the arms folded in front of the face the most awkward and the entry to the forearm headstand from downward dog was the most challenging, you might be different.

In all the transitions we want to engage the torso, the chest, stretching the front back and sides. Stretch up through the pelvis the legs, feet toes as if reaching up towards the ceiling, we want to create a feeling of lift, of lightness.

Arms outstretched

Ideally we want to have our arms and head in a straight line. the further forward our hands the more stable the position.

Shift your weight slightly to one side pressing down firmly on the right little finger, forearm and elbow, while inhaling stretch your left arm out to the side but slightly forward.

Shift your weight to the left side, the head and left hand, press down through the mat and, on the next inhalation, stretch out the other hand to the side but again a little in front.

Stay for a three breaths then reverse the process bringing first one then the other hand back to support the head.

As you practice this version, work to bring your hands further back until you are comfortable with your hands inline with your head.

The final version is to move both hands at the same time, again begin by moving the hands, on the inhalation, to the sides but a little in front, working, over time to the hands in line with the head ideal.

from downward dog

Again begin practicing with the outstretched arms slightly out of line, forward of your head as it's a more stable position.

The trick is to walk in so that your hips are as far over your shoulders as possible, this will take the most strain away from the neck.

Press firmly into the mat with the hands.

To lower bring the hips as far back as possible so that you can lower slowly and with control, bringing the knees to our chest first and then lowering the feet.

Arms folded

Shift the weight or at least line of balance to the left arm and then thread the right arm in frount of your face. Shift the weight, line of balance, to this arm and then bring the left to join it folding the arms. reverse the process, a subtle shift of weight/balance to one arm while you bring the left hand back to the starting position behind your head and then the other.

from downward dog

With the arms folder in front of your face we need to make even more of an effort to bring out hips over and even beyond our shoulders before bending the knees lifting our and bringing our knees to our chest.

Lower in the same way as for arms outstretched but shifting the hips even further back over and beyond the shoulders, as far as possible.

Arms outstretched.

We may try this variation with the palms face down at first while we gain control and stability within the posture but ideally the palms will be facing up.

We might get into the position with the palms down and then turn the palms over into the full expression of the vinyasa.

As with all the headstand hand/arm versions above, shift the weight/line of balance slightly to one side as you shift the hand position, here outstretched in front of you. press down through the first palm or back of hand, shift the weight/line of balance slightly and bring the other hand to join it, reversing the process after three breaths.

from downward dog.

We might consider entering the arms outstretched position from tripod headstand, the hands placed on the mat, palms down at a 45 degree angle to our head.

Walk our feet in to bring our hips over and even beyond our shoulders, bends the knees and bring them to our chest. Unbend the waist taking the fee behind us and then unbend the knee into sirsasana.

Shifting the weight/line of balance move first one hand further forward and then the other.

When we are comfortable entering via tripod try entering the arms outstretched in front variation with the palms down and then finally with the palms up.

Try lowering from this position, first with the palms down but latter with the palms up using the backs of the hands as support.

Lower in the same way as for arms outstretched,shifting the hips even back over and beyond the shoulders, as far as possible.