One more week of tidying up practice, today I was trying to find a balance of sorts between how slow I like to take my practice and what's appropriate perhaps for the shala. Three long slow breaths instead of five seems to work, bring the forehead down to the knee but then slide on to the chin to look up, quiet breath to hide shorter kumbhakas, subtle uddiyana kriyas... seem to be coming up with a nice balance.
Last week was my first full week of full primary after all the Kidney stone issues which have gone on for, what three months, playing havoc with my practice along the way.
But it comes back.
Yesterday I thought I'd have a look at 2nd series, think Manju might touch on it during the course so might as well see where I am with it.
fingertip bind in pasasana
untidy Krounchasana
The rest acceptable perhaps up to Kapo which was.....interesting.
I've been working on some drop backs during the week so know there's some flexibility in my back plus the technique is still there but still....
Lots of setting up (hesitation), then remembered a comment about kapo only being 40 seconds ( did I really do a twenty-five breath kapo, 40 seconds sounds great about now).... plus a flashback to Angela's Kitchen kapo from a few years back where BANG, she's straight back into a tight kapotasana....
I did three, first one nowhere near my toes, second one close enough to shuffle in, the third one I pretty much landed on my toes, settle for that.
Main problem seems to be in my quads, some extra vajrasana/virasana Vinyasa Krama work called for perhaps.
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| from my practice book- Link to Amazon |
Decided to quit there, a couple of drop backs, a paschimottanasana then on to finishing,,,, but just before finishing....I wondered what HAS happened to my karandavasana?
Big surprise, straight down, nice and slowly and tight too then back up, could barely hold it when I got it back up there and had to take a mini savasana before moving on to finishing but it was there, down and up again.... it was there.
Go figure.
Just goes to show, Karandavasana is more about technique than strength, what do you think 70/30 (70% technique/30% strength)?
Plus there's a dwi pada sisrsasana I know from including that entry to supta kurmasana....there's a 2nd series hidden away in there somewhere, no rush, no plans to start practicing it seriously any time soon but nice to know.
Manju.....
I'm sure I've had a hundred questions to ask him over the last few years blogging but can't think of a single one, so many of my old questions seem rather facile now...
or about me wanting to spout my own opinions, what DO I want to ask Manju, really?
Anything you want me to ask him?
And what am I going to take for this trip, for a weeks practice away, barely thought about that? What do you all take for week long workshops? How many sets of practice clothes, should I wear a vest? How many towels....
And my first week of Mysore EVER. There were those two sundays, five years or so ago and a a four day workshop with Richard Freeman but that's it as far as public Ashtanga goes.
Five weeks with Ramaswami of course but that was different somehow...or was it.
Seems such a curious thing to do, like going to a sento, or perhaps an onsen (more exciting).
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| Traditional home/personal bath |
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| Sento (traditional japanese public bath) |
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| Sento étiquette |
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| Onsen |
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| Onsen étiquette |
Update: Some Questions re Workshops
So packing today. Seven day Ashtanga workshops, what do people take? There's the morning Mysore practice followed by breakfast and then the workshop proper part of the day. How many changes of practice shorts/clothes do you think, two, three.....five ? Should one wear a vest/t-shirt during mysore practice in Crete? How many yoga towels? A spare towel at the head of the mat for any assists? How many of those should one take? To what extent should one adapt ones practice to the party line...is there a party line? Do I do my practice just as I practice every morning or how I 'think' the person taking the workshop approaches practice? Workshops are a bit different I imagine from visiting a different shala than your own.
Not really getting neurotic here just having fun with being curious about how others approach these, this being my first time an' all.
Wear whatever clothes you like to practice in at home. Bring as many as you need not to smell bad!
ReplyDeleteIf you prefer practicing without a shirt, don't wear one at the workshop.
Don't worry about yoga towels unless you need them yourself.
I personally think that you should 100% surrender to Manju's teaching (during that week) and practice exactly as he instructs.
One good mysore etiquette tip- If you are adjusted on one side of a seated asana, don't make the person assisting wait as you jump back between sides. They will probably leave to assist another person. After the first assist, move directly to the second side to be assisted there too.
I've been to a couple of Nancy's workshops in Rthymnon and really enjoyed the place. Have a great time!
Agreed Tony, it's his show and that's the point of course, to learn from him but I was thinking more about that first practice, do you bring your own practice or the practice you think the teacher would want to see or expect.
DeleteAs it is it's immaterial as i've been practicing with Manju's dvd for some time now to kind of get on the same page and I hear now that it's most likely led classes each morning rather than Mysore. Manju has this thing on his dvd where he calls out the name of the posture and everybody repeats as well as the count for each vinyasa.
Rthymnon looks beautiful from the pictures, have been to Crete but mainly the west of the island. If you know any excellent bakers ( love Greek bakers) or places to eat let me know.
I guess it's about respecting the teachers methods. If you've practiced with Manju's DVD then I'm sure you're on the same page.
DeleteI went to Triopetra for workshops with Nancy Gilgoff in 2008 and 2009 staying in the on-site accommodation and eating there too. The food was great.Both times I think we only 'ate out' once during the week.
Hanging out during mealtimes was good for asking questions too.
M. is coming too though not for the workshop so we're staying somewhere else, will have to store up all my questions for breakfast . Soul Kitchen looks good, nice veggie restaurant but I always loved the food on Crete and Greece in general be a shame not to make the most of it.
DeleteI have been to a one week workshop with Manju Jois a couple of years ago. I can tell you, he does not agree with the strict rules by which postures are given in Mysore - he encouraged people to try second series postures. I don´t do second at home, since my backbends suck, but Manju encouraged me to practice second up to at least Ustransana. So I think you should let him help you with your practice (meaning your ashtanga practice) - when in doubt ask him. He is a nice guy.
DeleteThank you, yes that's the impression I had too from his writing and why I chose to study with him. Interesting blog you have there will add it to my list.
DeleteYou could ask Manju about this nadi shodhana video:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P9wziihxLo
That leaning forward and back, which has really remade my pranayama practice, do I continue to do that as I get more advanced? Also, he's not doing very long retentions here, do I gradually increase those? Do I keep to the 30/25 ratio I've seen elsewhere in regard to Ashtanga pranayama? Is he keeping to that ratio? Is he even counting?
Thank you for this link anon, had missed it somehow, only seen a couple of shorter less clear videos. yes that leaning forward and back, Ramaswami teaches that in sitali. Will try to work in your questions. He is counting, watch his hands, he moves his thumb from finger joint to finger joint. i tend to use the pranayama mantra that Ramaswami taught us in place of a count. See my pranayama page at the top of the blog.
DeleteManju is very nice. He doesnt mind how you practice or if you have finesse just that it is balanced. What you do on the right you match on the left, etc. Hes very strong and you will be surprised by his assists. Wish i could go too.
ReplyDeleteThank you anon, still not sure how I feel about assists, never really had them myself and don't really feel I've missed them. But then that's one of the reasons for doing this workshop rather than his regular one, to explore the whole idea of assists. Bit worried about my left knee, had trouble with it for thirty years, worried about anyone getting too enthusiastic but no doubt it'll be fine, Manju has been doing this forever.
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