Blogs used to inspire us to get on the mat occasionally, didn't they? Back when it was a struggle, over coffee, we would jump around each others blog lists and hopefully hit on something that would help gird our loins for our first Sury or to face kapo or the duck...., occasionally we can still do with that little push, the video below gave me mine this morning.

Thank you to my dear friend Natasha Symeonidou (http://www.ashtangayogathessaloniki.com/) for the fb Share this morning (my time) that charmed me.

PS. Manju is coming to Natasha's shala in Thessaloniki, Greece in September http://www.ashtangayogathessaloniki.com/

http://www.antoniochaves.com/fotografia-360-visita-virtual/casa-vinyasa/

I just saw the first video below of shala spill over from the beginning, will make you smile I think from a minute in..... would kind of like to practice in that kitchen.

Love the count in Portuguese and Sanskrit too

The second video is the inauguration of the Shala in 2009 I think, with Eddie Stern conducting a Ganesha Puja.

The third video is practicing along to Sharath on a big flat screen, I'm guessing the live stream from a couple of years back (NYC. 2011) that I happened to be practicing along at home at also.

I don't know Isa Guitana but, what a nice shala, space, community, would love to practice there someday..... in the kitchen perhaps.

I was practicing along that day too

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2011/04/practicing-with-sharath-stream-from.html

That stream doesn't seem to be still up but the one from Moscow still is.

Practiced along to that one too

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2013/07/practicing-with-sharath-live-from.html

Virtual tour of Casa Vinyasa

http://www.casavinyasa.com/en/virtual-tour/#shala

About the Shala

http://www.casavinyasa.com/en/about/

Virtual tour- http://www.casavinyasa.com/en/virtual-tour/#shala

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July 2015 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Review

June 30, 2015, 9:10 pm

≫ Next: Just enrolled on Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss' Essentials of Teacher Training Yoga Fundamentals Online course

≪ Previous: Shala spill over video - Ashtanga Led Primary at Casa vinyasa, Lisbon, Portugal. Also practicing along to Sharath's (old) Live streams

My last 200 hr TT program in Vinyasakrama in US starts on 20^th of July 2015 at LMU, and there are large open spaces available to spread the yoga mats on. Here is the link to register

http://academics.lmu.edu/extension/programs/vinyasa/teachers/

I hope to be able to do some shorter programs at LMU in the future.

In June I had the pleasure of teaching at East Side Yoga, Austin,TX for a week. It is run by my friend Steven Ross, who completed the 200 hr TT program at LMU a few years ago after which he started this studio where Vinyasakrama also is taught. I taught a workshop on Yoga for Internal Organs, a workshop on Vinyasakrama and also on Pranayama and meditation all of which were well attended. I also taught a 25 hr sutra by sutra Patanjali's Yogadarshana. Thank you Steven

I just completed teaching a four day workshop at the lovely Breathe Los Gatos Yoga studio in California of Jennifer Prugh. I taught a 18 hour Certificate program in Vinyasakrama yoga and a talk on Yoga for Internal Organs. Both were well attended and participation heartwarming. Thank you Jennifer

The Eye Does Not See

My friend Jaijot Kaur Jennie Eldridge-Benjamin Humans of New York's photo.and wrote in a facebook page

This is what one of the things we studied with Ramaswami Srivatsa last week in the Yoga Sutra immersion. Thought you might enjoy this Steven Ross Tyagaraja M. Welch

"We're eye doctors."
"What's something about the eye that most people don't realize?"
"The eye doesn't see. The brain sees. The eye just transmits. So what we see isn't only determined by what comes through the eyes. What we see is affected by our memories, our feelings, and by what we've seen before."
------------------------------------------- -

Yes Yogasutra agrees with this. All the sensations through the senses, ears, eyes, skin, tongue, nose reach the brain as impulses as the modern science says. Then what goes to the brain is coordinated by manas an aspect of the brain, then colored by feelings by another center ahamkara and also analyzed by yet another center Buddhi and a composite picture is projected in the mental space. Further the brain adds another component. It receives impulses through the hundreds of nerves running through one's body and includes it in the projection as 'I' as we feel ourselves as we see the outside objects . YS does not agree though that the brain which projects also 'sees' the object. It is an instrument very versatile but has no consciousness to see. And that consciousness or unvarying awareness-distinct and different- they call it as the self or Purusha. The totality of our experience—what we see through the senses properly analyzed by buddhi and colored by the ego apart from the feeling of 'I' with this body that one experiences as oneself is the cittavritti or the projection of the mind of citta at a given moment. YS takes us several steps more in understanding how we see or experience.

Review of Bhagavatgota Yoga Program

My friend Anthony Hall has been unfailingly publishing my Newsletters in his very popular blog. This time I am reproducing, rather selfishly, the following review from his blog. Thank you Anthony, Chiara and Oscar.

Workshop Review: 70 hour sloka by sloka, Bhagavad Gita... as taught by Srivatsa Ramaswami (Guest post)

Thank you to my friends Chiara and Oscar for agreeing to share their thoughts on Ramaswami's recent (almost two week sloka by sloka Bhagavad Gita Intensive with Srivatsa Ramaswami.

Ramaswami will be teaching another (shorter) 25 hour intensive on the Gita in Santa Monica July/August

from Chiara Ghiron. Siena, Italy

I studied with Srivatsa Ramaswami last year, attended the Core Vinyasa Krama week in London followed by a weekend on the subject of building a personal practice. I loved him, the way he explained the matter interspersed by small stories and his way of conveying an incredible amount of information in such a simple and understandable way.
So as soon as I heard of the Bhagavad Gita course organised by Steve Brandon at Harmony Yoga in Wells, I booked my place there.

It was going to be a real marathon, 13 days non stop, no āsana practice, no prānāyāma, nothing else but the full Bhagavad Gita śloka by śloka.
I wanted to attend mainly to be able to study more with Ramaswami and also because I was hoping he would make all possible connections with the Yoga Sutra and with Samkhya, since I had missed the opportunity to study these two texts with him the previous years.

I had read the Bhagavad Gita before, as it was a required text for my initial teacher training. We had to read a very simple and poetic version, the one by Stephen Mitchell, which was for me a real discovery. Ramaswami recommended the Annie Besant version for the course, which can bedownloaded free from the internet.

The basic story of this old text (400-300 BCE?) is the dilemma the prince-warrior Arjuna finds himself in, having to face the battle against his cousins and teachers to reconquer the kingdom which has been unjustly taken through deceit.
His charioteer reveals himself to be Krśna and he leads the reluctant Arjuna through the many reasons why he should fight the just war.
At the end of 18 chapters, having heard argumentation's based on Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jñana Yoga, having seen the immense power of Krśna in an almost Bollywoodian parade of lives and deaths, Arjuna is finally convinced that he should fight.
While following Krśna patiently persuading Arjuna, we learn something about the underlying Samkhya philosophy, particularly how the qualities of matter influence our behaviours. We are explained that each should keep a behaviour in line to one's own inclination and law, and how Yoga practice can support us throughout our lives.

The course was not packed but I must say that there was a good number of people, 13 attendants for the full course length and a few additional ones for the initial weekend. People came especially from Brazil, the USA, Italy, Spain, plus of course from the UK. 'Foreigners' made up almost half of the participants. I must admit I was a bit perplexed at not seeing more people from the UK for such an important and unique event, but there you go.

Ramaswami kept a very tight schedule, 5 and a half hours a day, a couple of short breaks in the morning and the afternoon and a long-ish lunch break.
Every morning I had to re-tune my brain to sentences which were half Sanskrit and half English, but after 10 minutes words were starting to flow fluidly and were easy to follow. Ramaswami used a Bhagavad Gita text with just the Sanskrit ślokas and a transliteration, translating and commenting all along.
He first sang each śloka then translated it, then commented it.
I had the recently published translation by Georg and Brenda Feuerstein with me, which has a word-by-word translation at the end. It proved very useful in saving me from taking too many notes on the translation, allowing to focus on Ramaswami's comments.

I felt that the Vedantic influence of Ramaswami's background showed quite strongly in his reading, although he was very open to other interpretations and actually also recommended other commentaries, including Ramanuja's.
But he said that 'the best commentary of the Gita is the Gita itself' and I also appreciated the exhortation to always read a text with an open mind.
First read, try to see what the author has to say, do not let your preconceived ideas veil the original text.
Then, at a second reading, perhaps bring in your experience, your ideas.
This was very important advice for me, given the bad habit I have of already interpreting, forming an opinion, often before even completing the reading.

One aspect which Ramaswami stressed over and over, was that there is a time for everything.
We should prepare our passage towards a more introverted and speculative life after we havecompleted our duties.
We should restrain from always starting new things, otherwise we'll find we never have time to stop and contemplate and prepare for our last days.
And given that our preponderant samskaras are the ones which will inevitably reappear at the time of death, better starting to work on them as soon as possible!

Ramaswami was incredibly accurate and very very good at timing the lectures. He always left enough time for discussion when time was needed and reined us in when we had to move faster on areas which had been covered already with different words. We finished right at the end of the last day, but we had some time to ask a few more questions.

Overall, it was an excellent course, very intense and it will take months before we can go through the whole text again and find the jewels which are hidden in the myriad of notes we all took.
It was never boring, and I could not believe how fast almost two weeks went by.
You may or may not resonate with the concept of a One and Only Underlying Reality, but the life-coaching that Krśna gives is invaluable, whichever your approach is to what is beyond this body.

It was an unforgettable experience and I think that whoever has the opportunity to study with him on the more theoretical aspects of Yoga should take it.

from Oscar Montero. Leon, Spainhttps://yogaleon.wordpress.com/blog/-

The Bhagavad Gita is a very easy way to explain the philosophy, for this reason it became a popular text. All the text tries to dissolve avydia in order to understand the consciousness. They don't talk about the soul, they talk about the experience we have just now. Thank You
The Gita has three sections: first six chapters talk about myself, second six about god, and the last six the relation between myself and god.

My personal experience of the workshop

I didn't know much about this book, I read it 18 years ago, just the slokas, without comments.

I feel really lucky to study for the first time with Ramaswami, who constantly give the relation between Bhagavad Gita, Samkhya, Yoga sutras, Vedanta advaita and other important text coloured by Indian stories to make it more clear.

At the beginning it was a little bit difficult but, everyday my understanding grew. Ramaswami taught each sloka, word by word, but always he came back to the main ideas, to be clear and relate with different sections of the books.The main difference between Bhagavad Gita and The Yoga Sutras is that the Yoga Sutras explains the means to develop a satvic mind.

A very nice moment was the last class, when Ramaswami chanted all the slokas of the last chapter, and I could understand the sanskrit and relate to the meaning we have studied hours ago, that was awesome

Some quotes

"Do all your actions "karmas" before become a yogui. Do whatever it require to be done without letting the mind associate with the benefits of the actions. If we act in this way, we are free from the actions, if not, we become slaves of the actions".

"Everything we do if because we want to be happy. But, until I know myself, how can I know what i'm doing is right"?

"The senses are more powerful than the body, because they connect you to the outside world. Manas and ahamkara are more powerful than the senses. Buddhi, the intellect is more powerful than manas and ahamkara. And the most powerful is atman".

"The mind is like a plough, it needs to be very sharp in order to create a straight line in the earth. The mind that is not sharp, goes in different directions, never straight. The way to become the mind sharp is yoga".* Oscar.

Sincerely

Srivatsa Ramaswami

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Just enrolled on Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss' Essentials of Teacher Training Yoga Fundamentals Online course

July 2, 2015, 1:38 am

≫ Next: Thinking in Vinyasa rather than Asana. "This is a Vinyasa not asana practice". Also visesha vinyasa explained.

≪ Previous: July 2015 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Review

I've just in enrolled in Simon and Bianca's online Yoga Fundamentals course. I had a peek at their Anatomy and Physiology course last year but was running around without an internet connection while waiting for my japan visa and couldn't actually do the course, although i have their Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga text book.

A few months back I became fascinated with the Spinal sequence that Simon and Bianca posted on their blog last year and wanted more. That Spinal sequence series of videos makes up part of the fundamentals course.

http://fundamentals.yogasynergy.com/

The course I'm on actually starts on 6th of July so you may have a few days to sign up if you want to join me, there are forum groups for the classes which you can take part in or not as you wish.

Looking through the materials it reminds me of the Online distance learning course I was doing at Nottingham last time I was in japan. That was an Ma in Linguistics but the set up was similar, online lectures, powerpoint presentations, reading materials, forums etc. This is all very professionally produced but then Simon and Bianca teach a course along these lines at the university so i imagine there is a lot of cross over of materials.

The main reason I'm taking it is that after meeting Simon in Turkey last year I'm fascinated by his approach to practice (we were both teaching at the Rainbow festival so this post where I was lucky enough to Interview Simon and talk about the breath http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2014/05/interview-with-simon-borg-olivier.html).

He has an interesting background but it's how that background interacts with his years of practice and teaching that is interesting, Simon is a great experimenter putting all his research and discoveries to the test on and with his own body, an explorer in fact and what else where those old yogis of the past

At the age of six, he was introduced to yogic breathing (pranayama) by his father George who taught him to swim underwater, and the main bandhas (internal locks) through a family friendship with Rhodesian Olympian Basil Brown. At the age of 17, he met a Tibetan Lama who introduced him to the philosophy and practice of Tantric Yoga. In 1985, Simon met his primary teacher Natanaga Zhander (Shandor Remete) with whom he studied for almost two decades. He has also studied with such internationally revered Indian teachers as BKS Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois and TKV Desikachar. Since 2007, Simon has been developing his yoga practice and understanding by studying with Master Zhen Hua Yang.

During the past 20 years, as well as running a successful yoga school, Simon has continued to both study and teach at the University of Sydney. Simon has completed a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, a research-based Master of Science in Molecular Biology and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy.

( and this link to Bianca Machliss http://yogasynergy.com/main/bianca-machliss)

I'm interested in how I can bring Simon and Bianca's approach/research into my own practice, bring about a better understanding of whats going on in my body with those most subtle of movements, the vinyasa, as much as the asana themselves.

I once wrote a post on what I called the hidden asana, that all the variations of an asana that we often think of as preparation for an asana are asana in themselves and should be valued as such rather than dismissed as a cheat. Turns out that Krishnamacharya thought the same and we can see that in Ramaswami's teaching But more........, that you could film your vinyasa and asana and then take a screenshot every second to and from the asana and that these would be hundreds of hidden asana, every one with their own subtle differences and I suspected benefits. My suspicion is that Simon and Bianca's course may give a sense of how true that actually is.

I thought it might be nice to do a series of posts as I work through the course so watch this space over the next 13 weeks.

Below are some screenshots.

The first is of the course resources...

http://fundamentals.yogasynergy.com/

The practice videos....

http://fundamentals.yogasynergy.com/

This is an example video from the spinal sequence but see this earlier post of mine where I look at his series and Simon:s use of the breath in particular in more detail

The breath: Simon Borg-Olivier made me fall in love with asana all over again.

lectures....

http://fundamentals.yogasynergy.com/

and there are more besides.

the link below takes you to this page where you can have a closer look at the materials. http://fundamentals.yogasynergy.com/

http://fundamentals.yogasynergy.com/

My interview with Simon, full post and the transcription here

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2014/05/interview-with-simon-borg-olivier.html

Thinking in Vinyasa rather than Asana. "This is a Vinyasa not asana practice". Also visesha vinyasa explained.

August 19, 2015, 5:24 pm

≫ Next: Vinyasa Krama Bow and Meditative practice inc feet together Ustrasana and kapotasana

≪ Previous: Just enrolled on Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss' Essentials of Teacher Training Yoga Fundamentals Online course

I used to be annoyed at how the back cover of Ramaswami's The Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga and how it states...

"Ramaswami presents sequences of more than 900 poses and variations...."

That always seemed misleading to me, it was the publisher of course, it seemed to suggest that the book included 900 asana whereas it's more like the usual 200-250 asana, I spent a lot of time counting and could never get close to 500 let alone 900.

That's this asana bias we have talking but in the Krishnamacharya tradition ( for want of a better word) we have a vinyasa system, Paschimattanasana is 15 vinyasa, Marichiyasana 22 (for A) each vinyasa is just as important as the asana proper or mudra, though we may stay for three, five, 15 breaths in the state of the asana, five ten minutes or more in an mudra. As Monty Python and the children sang

" Every inhalation and exhalation is sacred"

Krishnamacharya stresses this perhaps in Yoga Makaranda by presenting each stage of the sun salutation and suggesting long stays of five, ten minutes might be possible and yet how often have we passed through those stages with barely a thought, likewise with each stage of a jump back and through.

Ramaswami did it again yesterday in his fb post, he mentioned that the students practiced

'100 visesha vinyasas',

My first reaction, 'NO, they practiced a dozen or so asana' my second reaction was to kick myself as the penny finally dropped.

We should stress the number of vinyasa rather than the actual asana because that is what this method is all about, it's a vinyasa practice!

Breath and movement or rather each stage of the breath and movement .....even when in the state of the asana when we stay for several breaths we have the bandhas being engaged and loosened, information passing through our bodies (prana?), blood moving from high to low pressure in accordance with the asana. Those hand and arm movements in vinyasa krama as we come back to dandasana for example are just as important, as valuable, as a jump back and through.

We don't just practice a handful of asana (even a big handful as in Ashtanga) we practice hundreds of vinyasa, hundreds of inhalations and exhalations, ( perhaps a hundred kumbhakas or more).

Congratulations to everyone who completed Ramaswami's Teacher training at LMU this month, it's a full on course. This was supposedly Ramaswami's last TT at LMU although he will no doubt teach shorter courses and workshops there. I also noticed this week that Ramaswami will be teaching a two week Advanced course in Chennai, very tempting.

I've mentioned how I no longer see much of a distinction between my straight 'Ashtanga', 'Krishnamacharya Primary Group' and 'Vinyasa Krama' practices...., that's not exactly true there are times when the practice clearly leans more towards one or the other. The longer stays, kumbhaka and full vinyasa are more characteristic of Krishnamacharya's Primary group. A very straight forward, by the numbers, Ashtanga 'though taken somewhat more slower, would still be familiar to most Ashtangi's and, as I now find myself back practicing, Vinyasa krama with the jump back and through taken out from between sides and variations and only included at the beginning of a new group or subroutine.

Pracrticing Vinyasa Krama again with a loose Ashtanga framework feels like coming home after the focus of the last couple of years recreating Krsiahnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda practice and the brief Straight Ashtanga interludes in Rethymno and at Spirityoga Osaka.

My current practice then follows the general framework of a half Ashtanga Primary/2nd or Krishnamacharya Primary Group as laid out in his Yogasanagalu table but I drop some asana to make time for the longer stays. It's hot here in Osaka, 33 C in the practice room with 50% + humidity, so out go most of the jump backs. I add in a couple of vinyasas around some of the key the Ashtanga asana so Tiriangmukhaikapada Paschimattanasana leads into krouchasana then Bharadvajasana and Ardha Matsyendrasana creating a Vinyasa krama subroutines before moving on to janu Sirsasana. I also include some of the hand and arm movements characteristic of Vinyasa Krama and Krishnamacharya's later teaching. This is all followed by long shoulderstands and headstand with variations as we see in Ramaswami's presentation but also in the old 1938 Mysore video of Krihnamacharya. I end up with pranayama, pratyhara and more formal meditation, a not untypical Vinyasa Krama practice.

It was nice then to see this post from Ramaswami yesterday....

"10 minutes sirasasana
10 minutes sarvangasana
10 minutes paschimatanasana
5 minutes mahamudra
10 minutes ekapadasana (standing on one leg
asana for 5 mts on each leg)
15 minutes pranayama
10 minutes dharana meditation
all on top of more than 100 visesha vinyasas
Many in the 200 hr vinyasakrama yoga program at LMU did
today during the last week of the program"

I don't think this is necessarily the order they practiced these at LMU this week. I imagine it's much as we practiced it in 2010, the sun salutation with mantra followed the On one leg tapas then the visesha vinyasa sequences. Next up was perhaps the long paschimottanasana, prep for shoulderstand, a five minute shoulderstand without variations, ten minute headstand with variations followed by another five minute shoulderstand with variations. That would lead into finishing with the maha mudra then pranayama and meditation. I'd be interested to hear in comments from anyone on the course how they might have approached it slightly differently this year.

But what are these visesha vinyasa I imagine many asking?

First thing to stress, Vinyasa Krama is not about sequences. Ramaswami organised the asana/vinyasa, at Krishnamacharyainto request into sequences to help us see the relationship between asana, how they lead towards each other, grow out of each other, how they are related. The sequences are made up of shorter subroutines. We learn these relationships then choose from amongst the asana/vinyasas and subroutines to make up our practice each day ( the Ashtanga series we can see are made up of such subroutines, the Marichi's for example). There are some key asana we are recommended to include, Pachimottanasana, head and shoulderstands, maha mudra and perhaps baddha konasana also ( Krishnamacharya used to include mayurasana in the list of asana one should practice daily).

The visesha vinyasas are distinctive subroutines that Ramaswami included at the end of his book and on the last week of his course at LMU. Ashtangi's might find these nice to practice on a moon day or Saturday before settling down to some pranayama and a sit ,or perhaps as an extra evening practice.

***

On my Sister Vinyasa Krama blog which developed into my Vinyasa Yoga Practice book I listed the Visesha sequences from Ramaswami's book, although I only prepared practice sheets for one and videos for two. Since that time, other attendees of Ramaswami's TT course at LMU have brought out some other excellent videos, I've included some of these below.

http://vinyasakramayoga.blogspot.jp/2011/11/vashitasana-sequence.html

Ch. XI. Visesha Vinyasa Kramas p213

Sun salutation with mantra p213

119. vasishtasana p219

120. anjaneyasana p223121. halasana-pascimatana-uttanamayura sequence p228

122. utplutis p230

also

Arm balances p233

Ding namaskara ( salutations to directions ) p237

Khagasana flying bird pose sequence. p240

*****

Sun salutation with mantra p213 ( my early version)

Sun salutations with mantra - Kelsey Garden

119. vasishtasana p219

120. anjaneyasana p223

121. halasana-pascimatana-uttanamayura sequence p228
with Debbie Mills

122. utplutis p230 ( and arm balances)

We can see that uncrossed leg jump through at 11:03 (note the quick glance up and smile at Ramaswami ). This was an early TV yoga slot Ramaswami did back in the 80s

Ramaswami includes a number of arm balances, I explored practicing them as a sequence, bit of a struggle

There are some extra visesha vinyasa sequences mentioned in Ramaswami's book that we practiced on his course

Ding Namaskara - salute to directions
with Arby Robles

Khagasana flying bird pose sequence.

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Vinyasa Krama Bow and Meditative practice inc feet together Ustrasana and kapotasana

August 20, 2015, 6:42 pm

≫ Next: 'Vinyasa Krama prayer', Ganesha prayer, Patanjali prayers I and II INC. Ramaswami's tutorial and practice sheet

≪ Previous: Thinking in Vinyasa rather than Asana. "This is a Vinyasa not asana practice". Also visesha vinyasa explained.

A companion piece to yesterdays post, 'Thinking in Vinyasa rather than asana'.

A great pleasure this morning to practice Vinyasa Krama Bow and Meditative vinyasas. Practice this morning was kapalabhati, six rounds of nadi shodana, Vinyasa krama tadasana vinyasas, Ashtanga standing up to and including the hasta padangusthasana subroutine then on to the bow and meditative vinyasas, pretty much as you see them in the videos below from a couple of years back. Then a long slow paschimottanasana, long shoulderstand and headstand vinyasas, maha mudra, baddha konasana and padmasana for pranayama, pratyahara and a japa meditation sit. Nice practice

"The participants of the 200 hr program did the routine again Half hour Vinyasas, 45 mts daily (nitya) routine of static postures (asanas) like Sirsasana,the Pranayama, dharana meditation. and ended the session with a beautiful chant of the Atma suddhi (Self purification) mantra from the Yajur Veda. All thanks to the divine grace of my beloved teacher Sri Krishnamacharya".
Srivatsa Ramaswami

First video below is a shortened version of the Bow and Meditative vinyasas ( meditative because the vinyasas are based on vajrasana, a classic meditation posture). the second video is of just the knees and feet together ustrasana and kapotasana. The final video is of ramaswami leading one of his students through Bow vinyasas on a 1980s TV slot.

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'Vinyasa Krama prayer', Ganesha prayer, Patanjali prayers I and II INC. Ramaswami's tutorial and practice sheet

August 23, 2015, 1:00 am

≫ Next: Asana at work and Inversion variations and finishing at home.

≪ Previous: Vinyasa Krama Bow and Meditative practice inc feet together Ustrasana and kapotasana

Loved this surprise for Ramaswami, the class of this years teacher training at LMU secretly learning the full vinyasa Krama prayer that Ramaswami would start many of his classes with and singing it to him near the end of the course.

Not that big on chanting myself ( although there are a few I like to chant from Manju and Ramaswami, including the pranayama chant) but I always loved how Ramaswami chanted this at the beginning of class. I chant them at the beginning of my own workshops, I guess I think Ramaswami would appreciate it but mostly because I can always hear him when I do and it makes me smile.

In case you'd like to learn it yourself, here's Ramaswami's tutorial and a chant sheet.

Ramaswami's tutorial below

See also perhaps this old post, I've added the class video.

Ashtanga Pranayama and Meditation, Chanting from Manju (also Sharath) and my favourite chant from Ramaswami.

Also this on Ramaswami's tutorial on chanting the Yoga Sutras

Chanting Yoga Sutras

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Asana at work and Inversion variations and finishing at home.

August 23, 2015, 1:28 am

≫ Next: Pattabhi Jois : Long breathing "... ten second inhalation, ten second exhalation

≪ Previous: 'Vinyasa Krama prayer', Ganesha prayer, Patanjali prayers I and II INC. Ramaswami's tutorial and practice sheet

"For people over fifty, it is enough to practice some of the easier and more useful asanas, as well as some of the pranayamas. Those who have been practicing for many years, however, can do any asana or pranayama without a problem". Pattabhi Jois -Yoga Mala

The post below strikes me as somewhat of a metaphor for a Vinyasa Krama practice, cutting and pasting asana, vinyasa and subroutines from different groups (pedagogic sequences) to form a (hopefully) coherent practice appropriate for that day. Many vinyasa and variations will likely change day to day, such that over a week or two a broad range of asana and mudra will have been covered giving a beneficial effect to as much of the body as possible.

Due to familiarity, my own practice maintains a rough Ashtanga Vinyasa framework; Surynamaskara, some standing, followed by either asana (and/or Vinyasa Krama variations) from the first half of Ashtanga Primary or Second series. Finishing tends to be long shoulder stands and headstands with vinyasas, maha mudra, baddha konasana and padmasana.

Early shift yesterday, 7am start. First student didn't show up* so practiced some pranayamas, second student didn't show either, thought why not.....

*I have to stay in my booth with my earphones on in case the student suddenly arrives

A nice practice actually, half hour asana ( Let me see, Paschimottanasana, Triangmukha, bharadvajrasana, Maha Mudra and janusirsasana, marichiyasana.... navasana didn't work out. Utpluthi and a bit of a seated back stretch between each asana, kind of worked..... more like 20 minutes, took me ten to realise the student wasn't coming), finished with another ten minutes of nadi shodhana.

Getting home later I continued my practice, five sun salutations taking the Simon Borg-Olivier's approach I've been exploring on the Yogasynergy Fundamentals course, the video below gives you a taste of the first part of the salutation, every movement explained and justified....

Shoulderstand prep, this speeded of video from a few years back.

some of the Shoulder stand and headstand variations I've been working on recently...

followed by three minutes each side of maha mudra

and a few baddha konasana variations.

ending the practice with

Nadi shodhana pranayamas

and a short sit

Krishnamacharya was practicing Shoulder stand and headstand variations, not unlike those he taught to Ramaswami ( see Ramaswami's Complete book of Vinyasa yoga) back in Mysore in 1938 during the period Pattabhi Jois was his student, few if any of these variations made it into Jois' Ashtanga Vinyasa (some of the more challenging ones don't appear in Ramaswami's book either).

Below are the complete Vinyasa Krama Shoulder stand and headstand sequences Ramaswami offers us, the sequences are made up of subroutine. The guidance is to choose whichever variations or subroutines we wished to practice that day depending on time and appropriateness.

Overview below from my Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book (LINK)

↧

Pattabhi Jois : Long breathing "... ten second inhalation, ten second exhalation

August 25, 2015, 4:31 pm

≫ Next: Did Pattabhi Jois practice some or all of the Series he created and if so for how long?

≪ Previous: Asana at work and Inversion variations and finishing at home.

"Breathing system very important, without breathing no yoga, no curing your body, no curing your body very important breathing system.... You take inhale exhale, inhale exhale, every time 10 second inhale, 10 second exhale, same position you do".

Pattabhi Jois (@ 6:30 in video below).

Recently I've been playing with the idea of changing the blog title to Ashtanga for the over 50s. In the previous post I quoted Pattabhi Jois as suggesting that after 50 we might wish to do less asana, only the most useful.

"For people over fifty, it is enough to practice some of the easier and more useful asanas, as well as some of the pranayamas. Those who have been practicing for many years, however, can do any asana or pranayama without a problem". Pattabhi Jois -Yoga Mala

Less Asana means more time, more time perhaps for long breathing....

I posted the video below of a Pattabhi Jois lecture/demonstration in Switzerland a while back, great video, my favourite of Pattabhi Jois I think. I pointed out his referring to the 10 second inhalation and 10 second exhalation six minutes in previously but some pointed out that this could be merely referring to equal inhalation and exhalation.

What brought the video to mind again was a friend reminding me of Lino's interview in the Guruji book, Pattabhi Jois again stressing long breathing and Lino exploring it, I bought the book again on kindle to check.

Amazon Link

Here's the video.

Some highlights...

10 second Inhalation/10 second exhalation. (6:00)

48 Suryanamaskaras every day (7.00)

finishing sequence (11:30)

150 breaths in Shoulderstand (12.35)

also the three hour headstand and where to place the head.... or not

The long breathing pops up again in interviews.....

Pattabhi Jois in interviews/conference

"Question: Doing vinyasa is it correct to stop for example in urdhva mukha svanasana for more than one breath?

Answer: Only one breath, inhale one breath, exhale. Inhale, exhale only one breath. Inhale 10 seconds or 15 seconds then exhalation also 10 seconds or 15 seconds. This is 10 times I am telling, you don’t understand!"

"Long breathing - inhalation long breathing, your chest expanding and you will be very strong after. If long breathing, inhalation is not correct or if only the exhalation is coming long, that is heart trouble is starting. That is very bad. Inhalation more you take, exhalation little down you take. There is no problem. Inhalation you want, long inhalation'. http://www.aysnyc.org

Pattabhi Jois is very aware that this would lead to an impossibly long practice, he mentions five hours (full vinyasa was being practiced back then also) in some of the quotes on the post linked to below. He mentions that these days we aren't Yogi's sitting in caves, we have jobs, he suggests perhaps that the long slow breathing is an ideal, advanced practice.

"...You can understand. Full time you take, full vinyasa you doing. Only for (completing) primary asanas takes 5 hours. 5 hours primary postures (with) full vinyasa. 50 asanas is there completely primary postures. That 50 asanas you doing taken 5 hours, with full vinyasa. You working. Another place is working. Yes you take money, you eating food, all you want. That only for your spending (free) time only for yoga, very rare (little time), very difficult also yourself. That is why you short cut you take. That is one or two hours. Two hours spent your yoga practice. That is good. That is also is good. Yes OK. That I tell you".

More quotes from the interviews on aysnyc on this post
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2014/10/pattabhi-jois-interview-cool-room-full.html

Over 50 we (officially) get the option to practice less asana, we can go back to Krishnamacharya's original Ashtanga and reclaim the long breathing, Pattabhi Jois' ideal practice.

Truth be told there has always been the option of less asana, Pattabhi Jois mentions as much in Yoga Mala, short of time we could just do the Sury namaskara and jump to finishing. We could do that anyway, practice just the surys and finishing but with long breathing and perhaps longer stays, in Sirsasana for example as Sharath recommends.

And for those under 50, trying to stick to a full series...., rather than explore long breathing or long stays throughout the series, just pick one or two posture, baddha konasana perhaps where we might explore a long stay of fifty breaths or stick with five or ten and make them longer instead...., perish the thought we might even throw in a kumbhaka just as Pattabhi Jois' teacher instructed.

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2015/07/pattabhi-jois-recommend-up-to-fifty.html

..... there's a lot of elbow room buried away within the 'method'.

*

Appendix

This video gives a bit of an idea perhaps of what a 10 second inhalation and 10 second exhalation looks like ( it's actually probably closer to eight for each here plus kumbhakas) but more important is what it feels like to experience the breath this way in asana and we only get that from trying it for ourselves and deciding if this approach is for us.... or not.

We need a filmmaker to make one long, smooth, steady, comfortable breath look.... interesting?

Here's Iyengar in Kino shorts, with a 45 second inhalation/45 second exhalation.

"Breath is the king of the mind..."

↧

Did Pattabhi Jois practice some or all of the Series he created and if so for how long?

August 27, 2015, 7:01 pm

≫ Next: What does Pattabhi Jois' Advanced A/Third series Visvamitrasana photo tell us about the development of his Ashtanga Vinyasa syllabus.

≪ Previous: Pattabhi Jois : Long breathing "... ten second inhalation, ten second exhalation

This post develops a question that came up on one of my blog post links on fb.

Pattabhi Jois teaching André Van Lysebeth Pranayama in 1964

We give a lot of weight to the fixed Ashtanga series (Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A and B - organised later as Primary, 2nd 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th series) that Pattabhi Jois developed from the three flexible groups of asana (primary, middle, proficient) of his teacher Krishnamacharya.

But did Pattabhi Jois practice those series himself and if not, does it matter.

We know Pattabhi Jois didn't practice the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th series that we have now, they were certainly reorganised long after Pattabhi Jois had ceased to practice but what of the original four series, Primary to Advanced B that Pattabhi Jois taught to Norman Allan, David Williams Nancy Gilgoff and other early visitors to Mysore and their students.

The original four series are certainly based on Krishnamacharya's table of asana that appeared in his Yogasanagalu (Mysore 1941) and on which pattabhi Jois's own studies with his teacher were no doubt based. Pattabhi Jois' first two series follow quite closely the order of asana in Krishnamacharya's table, Advanced A and B series seems to be a departure.

Supposedly Pattabhi Jois was required to develop a four year Syllabus when asked to teach at the Sanskrit college, Krishnamacharya's table had three groups so Pattabhi Jois turned the final proficient group into two series ,Advanced A and B, no doubt including other asana and their vinyasa count Krishnamacharya had taught to him and the other boys of the Mysore palace (NB: Pattabhi Jois didn't only teach the young boys, he also taught other members of the palace and it's environ, perhaps Vinyasa Krama on a one to one basis).

Pattabhi Jois is said to have taken his list of asana ordered into fours series to Krishnamacharya and received his teachers approval, the approval is not surprising as Pattabhi Jois' list was based on his teachers own table of asana, with the same vinyasa count. Pattabhi jois continued to take students and members of his family to Krishnamacharya for examination in the vinyasa count of individual asana up until the 1970s

There is little doubt that Pattabhi Jois studied and practiced most, if not all, of the asana with the same Vinyasa with his teacher krishnamacharya and for many years, Pattabhi Jois was one of Krishnamachaeya's senior and longest serving student and would accompany his teacher around the country giving advanced asana demonstrations.

There is some confusion regarding when Pattabhi Jois developed his series of asana for the Sanskrit college yoga course, 1939 is the most common date but this date may have been when Pattabhi Jois entered the Sanskrit college as a senior student. Pattabhi Jois' life long friend T. S. Krishnamurthy responds in an interview in the book Guruji that Pattabhi Jois began teaching his yoga course in 1947. Krihshnamaurthy was one of his students and studied Yoga with hm for four years, the four year syllabus perhaps. In 1948, he established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute at their new home in Lakshmipuram "...with a view to experimenting with the curative aspects of Yoga".

The above from the excellent

Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students

by Guy Donahaye and Eddie Stern

If this indeed the case then we have a date for the formation of the Ashtanga series, 1947.

Would Pattabhi Jois have practiced the series in the manner in which he taught them,? Not necessarily, he already had an established practice, a more flexible approach to the asana taught to him by Krishnamacharya, would he have forced himself into the confines of a fixed series created for a particular pedagogic situation, he may have stuck with the practice he already had, perhaps some exploratory practices to experience the series for himself.

Pattabhi Jois teaching

Pattabhi Jois demonstrating sarvangasana

`Pattabhi Jois teaching garbhapindasana

But lets, for arguments sake, say Pattabhi Jois did change his practice and work through the different series each morning, how long did he practice them for? Ashtanga is characterised by years practicing the different series, David Willams and Nancy Gilgoff have been practicing them six days a week for over forty years. Pattabhi Jois may only have practiced them for ten.

Manju Jois 1950s

Manju Jois mentions that he was there in the room while his father was working on Yoga Mala in 1954. Manju's father would call him in from playing street cricket again and again to perform asana while his father wrote out the description. Manju must have been around seven, he clearly remembers this but the memories of his father practicing are not of full series but rather long stays in different asana. Krishnamacharya stressed long stays with slow breathing in Yoga Makaranda and Yogasanagalu , was Pattabhi Jois still practicing just as his teacher had taught him?

We should also note that the pictures Pattabhi Jois included in Yoga Mala were taken in the late 1930s or early 1940s, they are not a full set of the primary series asana, no more were taken the missing asana being performed by Sharath for the books publication in the 1990s. There are no videos of Pattabhi Jois performing any of the series,

Tim Miller writes that Pattabhi Jois stopped practicing asana aged 42 (1957) for personal reasons, it seems more likely that it was a few years later ( most likely 1973. Note the change in Pattabhi Jois' physique between the 1964 photo with André Van Lysebeth and the one below with the western Ashtangi's from 1975), there is no suggestion from any of the early visitors to Pattabhi Jois (1973/74) who lived in his house while studying with him that their teacher was practicing the different Ashtanga series. I seem to remember David Williams I think it was, writing that one of his great regrets was never watching Pattabhi Jois practice himself. Manju mentioned however that his father continued to practice asana to quite late in life.

from David Willams interview in Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students

by Guy Donahaye and Eddie Stern

Clockwise, starting from P.Jois: Pattabhi Jois, Nancy Gilgoff, Brad Ramsay, Paul Danaway, Sally Woker, David Swenson, David Williams. Encinitas, California, 1975

Roseanna Campbell learns Ashtanga Yoga from the founder himself at Shri K. Pattabhi Jois’ school in Mysore, India, (1976?)

David Williams also mentions that on asking Pattabhi Jois what one should practice after learning the advanced series his teacher mentioned the 'Rishi series', choosing 10 asana and staying for 50 breaths or so in each. Pattabhi Jois was no doubt joking about the name but not perhaps of the practice as it seemed to refelect his own practice as mentioned by Manju ( see my Rishi series of posts- LINK).

I posted the picture at the top of this post of Pattabhi Jois teaching André Van Lysebeth in 1964 when he taught him Primary and Second series as well as Pranayama. Pattabhi Jois' face looks very lean suggestive to me perhaps perhaps of an intense practice, whether that is of a Rishi approach or Ashtanga series is unclear.

Pattabhi Jois (left) teaching André Van Lysebeth Pranayama in 1964

Does it matter whether Pattabhi Jois himself practiced the Ashtanga series he developed or for how long? Manju Jois has practiced the series since the 1950s ( he mentioned that these days he practices some Primary, some 2nd series and some advanced asana, "...to keep his hand in"). Sharath has been practicing the series seriously,according to his mother Saraswati, since 1989 including the latter reorganised Advanced series into 5th and 6th series, many of the early visitors to Mysore have been practicing as well as teaching the series daily since the mid 1970s.

Saraswati in Gandhaberundasana, circa1950s

Saraswati demonstration

The Ashtanga series are clearly one effective approach to developing discipline, encountering the practice of asana and hopefully yoga, one that many find beneficial but perhaps reflecting on Pattabhi Jois' own practice, how it was formed and how he himself chose to practice puts the series into perspective. The Ashtanga series appears to have been an accident of circumstance, developed in response to a particular pedagogic need ( the four year sanskrit syllabus) a more flexible approach exploring and giving emphasis to other elements of the practice that Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois explored may also be beneficial.

My own practice tends to be based on a flexible approach to the Ashtanga vinyasa framework, half Primary or half 2nd series with slow breathing, kumbhaka, some long stays and just the original two drishti followed by pranayama, pratyahara and a sit.

Bottom centre, a copy of the 1973 Ashtanga syllabus given to Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams.
The four year Sanskrit college syllabus?

Appendix

The 'Yoga Mala' picture shoot

The photo of Pattabhi Jois in Samasthiti along with the photos that ended up in Yoga Mala (as well as other advanced asana) were, according to Eddie Stern, taken in Tiruchinapalli and Kanchipuram. On one of several visits Pattabhi Jois and his wife Amma made to the temple and Mutt there, "... on ther last visit they came with the whole family". This was probably between 1940 and 1946. See this link http://ayny.org/sri-k-pattabhi-jois/

It should perhaps be noted that although photos from this photo shoot ended up in Pattabhi Jois' book Yoga Mala, outlining his Ashtanga Vinyasa Primary series, they were in fact most likely taken before he had outlined the four series for the Sanskrit college syllabus. These pictures then reflect Pattabhi Jois' ongoing practice with Krishnamacharya. Pattabhi jois would have been practicing these asana with Krishnamacharya with full vinyasa but most likely not in a fixed series.

These more advanced asana photos were perhaps taken on or around the same time

↧

What does Pattabhi Jois' Advanced A/Third series Visvamitrasana photo tell us about the development of his Ashtanga Vinyasa syllabus.

August 30, 2015, 5:18 pm

≫ Next: Guna ~ Srivatsa Ramaswami September 2015 Newsletter

≪ Previous: Did Pattabhi Jois practice some or all of the Series he created and if so for how long?

This post is a follow on or continuation of my previous post

Did Pattabhi Jois practice some or all of the Series he created and if so for how long?

Sometime after writing the above post I decided to add an appendix relating to Pattabhi Jois' early photoshoot that resulted in the photo's that were included in Yoga Mala. Pattabhi Jois also seems to have had some advanced/proficient asana photo's taken at or around the same time.

His Visvamitrasana caught my eye

Pattabhi Jois' Visvamitrasana (1940s?)

We have two dates for Pattabhi Jois' development of the Ashtanga syllabus, apparently based on Krishnamacharya's asana group table ( primary, Middle and Proficient asana) and in response to the request for a four year yoga syllabus. 1939 has been given as one date but this may well have been when Pattabhi Jois entered the Sanskrit college as an advanced student. 1947 is the other date given for when Pattabhi Jois started to teach the four year course, this from his life long friend T. S. Krishnamurthyas quoted in Guruji.

Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students

by Guy Donahaye and Eddie Stern

Pattabhi Jois' Visvamitrasana does not look very comfortable here, it's certainly not as proficient as many of the other asana photos he had taken, it's not suggestive of daily or regular practice of this asana.

Here is my own photo of visvamitrasana from around the time I first attempted it, pretty similar and suggesting to me that Pattabhi Jois had not been practicing the asana that often or that regularly either, when his photo was taken in the 1940s

Iyengar's is a little more accomplished in this photo taken for his book Light on Yoga,

But Iyengar's Visvamitrasana was looking much more.... disciplined a few years earlier in the 1938 movie, around the time he had been giving asana demonstrations for Krishnamacharya. Visvamitrasana was an asana in Krishnamacharya's proficient asana table, he gives the states of the asana as vinyasa's 7, 8 and 9

Visvamitrasana vinyasa 7

Visvamitrasana vinyasa 8

Visvamitrasana vinyasa 9

If Pattabhi Jois had developed the Ashtanga syllabus in 1939 we might expect one of the first asana of his Advanced A ( later 3rd series) to be more.... polished, supporting the suggestion that Pattabhi Jois developed his syllabus as late as 1947.

The other conclusion perhaps is that the syllabus was just that, a teaching tool and Pattabhi jois himself continued to practice asana in a more flexible approach in accordance with the methodology of his teacher Krishnamacharya. These proficient asana were always considered demonstration postures and perhaps did not form a regular part of Pattabhi Jois' own practice.

Vasisthasana, first asana of Advanced A (later 3rd series)

Here are more recent presentations of Visvamitrasana from Jessica Walden and Andrew Hilam ( the latter at Jois Yoga) who have been working on the posture almost daily following current Ashtanga methodology

The iconic David Swenson shot

Sharath from the 1999 demonstration of Advanced A

This post is about Advanced series but these days I tend to feel that some slow Primary or Middle group asana in half a series or not seems plenty. I looked at Advanced A again for this and the previous post and wondered how many of the postures in the Advanced series or proficient group I could conceive of staying in for a significant number of slow breaths (See the Ashtanga Rishi series of posts), very few. As both Krishnamacharya Pattabhi Jois indicated, the so called Advanced postures are more for demonstration and perhaps a distraction.

Appendix

No vinyasa count given on the 1973 Ashtanga Syllabus.

On double checking that Visvamitrasana was indeed on the 1973 syllabus given to Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams when they first practiced with Pattabhi Jois ( it is) I noticed, for the first time I think, that there was no Vinyasa count on the syllabus for Advanced A and B although it is there for Primary and Intermediate, how curious.

It may be that Pattabhi Jois typed the list out for Nancy and David and the count as far as Intermediate, reflected the stage they were at in the practice at the time but then why not just type out those two series. It seems more likely that this was a copy of the original syllabus, thus the division into years and the reading list but if so why was the vinyasa count not included on the original syllabus?

LINK to post with full syllabus

Here is the beginning of proficient table of asana from Krishnamacharya's original table of asana divided into three groups (primary, middle, proficient) published in Yogasanagalu in 1941 (Mysore). Note the vinyasa count and that Krishnamacharya gives the stats of the asana as vinyasas 7,8,9 and 13,14,15 (see the movie screenshots of BKS Iyengar above).

LINK to full table

Original table in Kannada language

Here is BKS Iyengar in the 1938 movie with Krishnamacharya and his family. Iyengar demonstrates Visvamitrasana 7:00 minutes into the movie

↧

Guna ~ Srivatsa Ramaswami September 2015 Newsletter

August 31, 2015, 8:21 pm

≫ Next: Should it matter if and how long Pattabhi Jois may have practiced the Ashtanga 'methodology' himself

≪ Previous: What does Pattabhi Jois' Advanced A/Third series Visvamitrasana photo tell us about the development of his Ashtanga Vinyasa syllabus.

During August 2015 I completed teaching the 200 Hr Vinyasakrama Yoga Teacher Training Program at Loyola Marymount, University, LA for the last time . I am beholden to Dr Chris Chapple, Bob Hurteau and LMU for affording me this wonderful opportunity to present a wider perspective of Sri Krishnamacharya's Yoga as I learnt from him over a very long period of time.

When I had difficulty getting to teach even a weekend workshop, LMU gave me an opportunity to teach a full 60 hour certificate program in Vinyasakrama Yoga and then extended it to a complete 200 hr Teacher Training program for almost ten years. In this course I was able to teach a variety of subjects my Guru taught including Pranayama, dharana meditation, Yoga sutras apart from the shat kosas and other subjects. I was also able to teach the complete range of asanas and vinyasas he taught over a period of time. In all it contained several hundred asanas and vinyasas as mentioned in my book, yes all asanas and vinyasas put together in the variety of sequences.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569244022/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/103-1755689-4479843?_encoding=UTF8

During the last week of the program the participants were encouraged to develop their own individual daily practice of varied vinyasas and short stay (of about 3 breaths) in many asanas in the sequence. There was also a significant static asana practice component of several minutes ( 5 to 10 mts) in asanas as sirsasana, sarvangasana, paschimatanasana, mahamudra and also stay in one legged tapasvin poses like vrikshasana or Bhagiratasana. One day they did during half hour, more than 100 vinyasa movements from visesha vinyasa sequences like anjanesyasana, ding namaskara, surya namaskara, a couple times, without and with mantras, vasishtasana staying with each subroutine a couple of times, many padmasana cyclical movements, halasana, uttanamayurasana, paschimatanasana sequence etc. This system of my Guru affords a judicial combination of major asanas like the King and Queen asanas as Sirsasana and Sarvangasana on the one hand and several artistic and healthful vinyasas on the other. Practising a variety of vinyasas with synchronous breathing helps to exercise the whole skeletal muscles and joints thereby first squeezing out used blood from the various muscles, tissues and joints; then on the other hand the accompanying involved breathing improves the venous return of the blood to the heart and also the rakta and prana sanchara or blood circulation and respiration. In Yoga Rahasya, Yoga Makaranda and also in his actual class instructions, he would repeatedly stress the importance of the use of vinyasas while doing asana practice. Vinyasas with the right breathing accompanying the movements make considerable physiological sense.

The classic static postures in conjunction with appropriate breathing and bandhas give lasting benefits to the internal organs. A yoga teacher should learn as many asanas and vinyasas as possible so as to be able to make yogasanas relevant all through one's life and also adapt to the varied requirements of the students and patients. I am teaching the way I remember my teacher taught me and am aware of the great benefits the system affords. So far 148 people have completed the program over the last ten years and I hope at least a handful of them would practise regularly and see the benefits of the system and then teach to others in the way they find appropriate. I really consider myself fortunate to be able to teach what I learnt from my guru. I do not know how he taught others- he seldom mentioned about his former students, his own teachers, or referred to his earlier works like Yogamakaranda or Yogasanangalu but quite often referred to and quoted from his book “Nathamuni's Yoga Rahasya”. Of course I got a copy of Yogamakaranda and Yogasanangalu from my Guru but used to refer to the Makaranda often for the written material in it. But the asanas and vinyasas that he taught were many times more and varied than what is contained in his books.. For me nothing is more important than what he directly taught me for such a long sustained period of time and not how or what he was supposed to have taught other of his famous students or some historical perspective of his yogasana teachings in the 1920s.

Further his teachings included several other aspects of Yoga than Asanas and Vinyasas. And nowadays in dealing with Krishnamacharya Yoga, there is no reference to these other components of his teachings-- scores of chapters of vedic chanting he taught or the texts like Samkhya Karika, Upanishad vidyas, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Bhagavat Gita, the Brahma sutra and several others he taught in the presentation of Krishnamacharya's teachings related to Yoga. And he taught vedic chanting to many people and I was fortunate to learn to chant several chapters of Yajur veda like Suryanamaskara, Kushmanda Homa. Citti sruk, Taittiriya Upanishad, Maha Narayana Upanishad, Taiitiriya Kataka, Ekagni Kanda, pravargya, pravargya brahmana, Ashwamedha several of which were recorded by “Sangeetha”, and running for several hours of chanting. Sri Krsihnamacharya considered “svadhyaya” or vedic chanting as a very important niyama for yogabhyasis and an integral part of Patanjali's Kriya Yoga. For me he is not a historical figure to speculate about but one whom I had met face to face and learnt from in person for 30 years.

The participants showed considerable interest in chanting like “Atma Suddhi mantras” Patanjali prayer. Their chanting of Vinyasakrama Yoga prayer was heart warming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYZvP47YyZs

The participants also learnt a variety of pranayamas and developed a sustained solid practice of pranayama—many from several batches would do viloma ujjayi 80 times, day after day. Then to consider was the dharana meditation based on the teachings of Patanjali. They patiently went through Yoga sutras, sutra by sutra and also were able to read the sutras comfortably. I am sure that many of them would become good yogis and yoga teachers. My best wishes to all of them.

During the last few years I found that a good number of participants who attended my programs did not opt to register with YA as registered yoga teachers, perhaps because the certificate contains my ERYT 500 particulars. Or because many of them are already teaching and quite a few have already completed their 200 hr Teacher training elsewhere or even 500 hr ERYT and had decided to come to my program for additional information. I have decided to suspend offering the 200 hr program because it is very strenuous both for the participants and myself. It is done for 5 weeks 7 hrs a day and all are contact hours. I have decided to offer a 100 hr advanced Vinyasakrama Teacher Training program. It is not advanced for people who have already taken my 200 hr program but may be so for other senior teachers or those who have already registered as Yoga Teachers but not familiar with the vinyasakrama I teach. It will be about 60 hrs of asanas and vinyasas, 20 hrs or so of Patanjali's yoga sutras and another 20 hrs for Pranayama, mudras, mantras and meditation and yoga for the 6 kosahas. Krishnamacharya would emphasize on the need to maintain the health of these kosas with appropriate yoga procedures. I referred to YA alliance if I have to register this program and this is what they had to say

Dear Srivatsa,

Thank you for contacting Yoga Alliance.

The 100hr advanced vinyasakrama program that you intend to offer, would be considered as Continuing Education. You do not have to register it. I looked your account up and see that you are a E-RYT 500; Because you are a E-RYT 500, you are a qualified provider. The ratio is 1:1, meaning the 100hr would be a 100 Continuing Education hours.

I have provided a link below giving you more details on Continuing Education.

https://www.yogaalliance.org/Credentialing/ContinuingEducation

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I’m happy to help!

Namaste,

Nia

Nia Blakney

Member Services Associate

(571) 482 3355

I will be offering this program in India in the coming months. The first one will be in Chennai from

November 26^th. It is organized by Yoga Vahini of my friend Saraswathy Vasudevan, herself a senior teacher from Krishnmacharya tradition. Understand that the registration full—almost maybe.

Here is the contact information

Email: yogavahinichennai@gmail.com

Phone: +91 98846 42456

I am also doing the same program in New Delhi from January 14^th 2016 organized by OmYoga of my friend and a very well known yoga exponent, Mini Shastri. Here is the contact information.

Email: omyogastudio@gmail.com

Phone: +91 9891580147

Prior to that in September I will be teaching at the Chicago Yoga Center of my friend Suddha Weixler. I will be teaching a one day workshop on Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta, the three vedic nivritti sastras . Then a weekend workshop on Vinyasakrama and then a 5 daay 25 hour certificate program on Core Vinyasas. Here is the link

http://www.yogamind.com/index.shtml#schedule

For 2016, I am interested in offering this 100 hr program. It can be done over 16 days starting on a Saturday and ending on Sunday two weeks later.

During my stay in LA, I also taught a 25 hr program in Bhagavat Gita, the first and the last 6 chapters to a compact group at Sarah Mata's studio. Thank you Sarah, Arun and all those who attended the program

One evening at my cousin Dr Ambujam Panchanathan's house in North Ridge, I gave a brief introductory talk on Ashtanga Yoga (Patanjalis version) to a group made up mostly of Indian friends.

On Aug 29^th I taught a one day workshop at Ananda Ashram at Munroe, NY, which was well attended.

Gunas

The Gunas are a fascinating concept for explaining the functioning of the Universe. Like a lamp having the flame, wick and oil (wax) as the three ingredients that mutually support one another even while having dramatically different characteristics, the three guns, satva, tamas and rajas, create and support the universe. Since what we see and consider ourselves (drshya atma) is also part of the universe, the three gunas operate in us too,The Bhagavat Gita explains the operation of the gunas to have a better understanding of the gunas and work towards firstly making oneself satvic. And Yoga especially the classical Ashtanga Yoga is helpful in reducing the dominance of Rajas and Tamas and facilitate the blossoming of satva in an individual. Satva manifests as clarity (of mind), Rajas as activity and tamas as constraint according to YS. Samkhya refers to Satva as lightness of the body and clarity of mind, Rajas as physical restlessness and mental fickleness and finally tamas as heaviness of the body and covering/darkness of the mind. Samkhyas also say that when one's intellect (buddhi) is satvic it takes the individual along the path of dharma (piety), jnana (spiritual knowledge), viraga ( desirelessness) and aiswarya (leadership/siddhis). They also say that if the mind is tamasic it leads the individual in the opposite direction as adharma (uncontrolled behaviour), ajnana ( lack of spiritual interest) aviraga ( slaves of the senses) and anaisvarta (slavish mentality).

Here are Lord Krishna's enumeration of how the gunas manifest in some human endeavors.

When wisdom appears to flow out through all the indriyas, then one may be considered satvic. When greed, engagement with the objects of the outside world through the senses, increasing worldly activities and the karma bundle, restlessness, keenness in engagement are considered to e stimulated by rajas. Indiscriminate engagement, lack of effort, carelessness, infatuation are considered effects of surging tamas.

Tapas is a term well known to Yogis. It is an element of the niyamas of Ashtanga Yoga and part of kriya yoga of Patanjali.. Tapas is austerity, penance. Lord Krishna in the Gita considers Tapas in the three human activities (trikarana) viz., of speech (vak), thought (manas) and body (kaya). Worshiping the gods, scholars, teachers and wise ones, cleanliness, straightforwardness, controlling senses,non-harming are said to be tapas of the body. Avoiding hurtful words, speaking truthfully, words that promote amity and goodwill are said to be tapas of speech. Peace of mind, compassion, silence, self/mind control, pure thoughts—these are considered tapas of the mind. These tapas of body, mind and speech observed scrupulously by selfless yogis is considered satvic tapas.

With a view to get attention and appreciation from others, tapas done pompously and inconsistently(in fits and starts) is said to be rajasic tapas. And doing tapas with superstition and torturing oneself or for the harm and destruction of others is considered tamasic

What about charity (daana)?

Anything gifted away to the deserving, at the appropriate time at the right place and without expecting anything in return in considered satvic dana or charity. Giving away anticipating a 'quid pro quo' or future benefits or with a feeling of compulsion or reluctance is considered Rajasic daana. Tamasic giving is giving to the undeserving, or giving with contempt or arrogance and without humility.

Here is Krishna's teaching about the Self (Atma). To consider that there is one consciousness that permeates all the creatures,you , me and everyone else is considered satvic understanding of the Self. To consider that in each creature there is one individual conscious self is considered incomplete,hasty or rajasic understanding of the Self. To consider the body as the self as commonly and thoughtlessly believed is considered tamasic understanding of the Self.

And all the three gunas (except when dominated by satvic states of jnana and yoga ), lead to bondage.

Satvic mind is in bondage with peace or agreeable internal environment (sukha) and jnana (knowledge of the universe, scientific knowledge). Rajas binds individuals through mundane activities. It creates intense desire and its opposite, enmity (raga and dvesha). But tamas breeds ignorance, laziness, infatuation. It binds beings to inertia,laziness and sleep.

Shraddha is faith. Yogis know from YS I-20 that Shraddha or abiding faith is the first and foremost requirements for the budding yogabhyasi. Everyone is born with shraddha as per previous samskaras. Many have faith in God. Many have faith in right conduct (dharma) to reach the heavens they believe in. Some have shraddha in their buddhi or intellect and their ability to think through everything. Some have faith in intuition (pratibha). Some others have faith in wealth and power. Lord Krishna discusses about satvic, rajasic and tamasic aspects of shraddha in his Gita. There are many more aspects like karma, and others Krishna expounds from the viewpoint of the three gunas

The Bhagavat Gita is considered one of the three important texts which expounds the vedanta philosophy of the vedas also known as prasthan traya. However, Gita is also considered a yoga sastra. Bhagavad Gita is commonly called as Brahma vidya and a Yoga Sastra. Hence my Guru would urge his students to study the Bhagavat Gita along with the Yoga Sutras. He would compare several Gita statements with the Yoga Sutras. Of course there are some differences but it is very enriching studying the Gita after studying the Yogasutras and the Samkhya Kaarika

Best Wishes

Sincerely

Srivatsa Ramaswami

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Should it matter if and how long Pattabhi Jois may have practiced the Ashtanga 'methodology' himself

September 1, 2015, 9:45 pm

≫ Next: Pattabhi Jois Early Asana Photos

≪ Previous: Guna ~ Srivatsa Ramaswami September 2015 Newsletter

This last weeks I've put up a couple of posts reflecting on Pattabhi Jois'own practice and if and to what extent it reflected current methodology.

Did Pattabhi Jois practice some or all of the Series he created and if so for how long?

What does Pattabhi Jois' Advanced A/Third series Visvamitrasana photo tell us about the development of his Ashtanga Vinyasa syllabus.

I've received a couple of comments/emails suggesting that I appeared to be critical of Pattabhi Jois personally.

This is in no way my intention, Pattabhi Jois was by all accounts a warm, gracious and tireless teacher of yoga for over sixty years, longer if we take into account the time he assisted Krishnamacharya. I wish I'd been smart enough to go to Mysore in 1997/98, after first starting Ashtanga, and spent time at his shala. More than that I wish I'd gone to India in the early 80s, I'd spent five years or more hitchhiking around from 1983, the thought of going to India had come up but the Hippy Trail to India had seemed too much of a cliche at the time. Had I done so, given that I had a copy of Iyengar's Light on Yoga in my backpack for some of that time I may well have ended up in Mysore at the old shala, oh well.

Unsolicited Advice: Go to Mysore, if you've just started Ashtanga and you have the merest hint of a chance to go then just do it, Sharath, Saraswati..... just go ( or to Manju wherever he happens to be teaching - Greece, this month). Not because you should or that it matters in the least or that there is any obligation or expectation ( and certainly not because it appears to suggest devotion or dedication as if the time on your mat at home every morning or in your shala is any less dedicated) but just that it's there and though the focus of your practice may shift in years to come you are sure to look back on it fondly.

I love this video of Tim Miller talking ~~fondly~~ lovingly about his teacher and how the approach to practice was passed along to him. At thirty minutes your time is probably better spent watching Tim talk than reading my ramblings. After all, Tim actually studied with the man and for thirty years.

Should it matter if and how long Pattabhi Jois may have practiced the Ashtanga 'methodology' himself?

In my view not at all,

Pattabhi Jois had been studying yoga with Krishnmacharya for around twenty years as well as assisting and demonstrating asana for his teacher before he seems to have been asked, in 1947 or possibly earlier, to provide a four year syllabus of asana, pranayama and readings.

Pattabhi Jois clearly based the Asana element of the course on Krishnamacharya's groups of asana (see 1941 Yogasanagalu table) but where Krishnamacharya seems to have had flexible groups ( 'a mountain of asana'), Pattabhi Jois appears to have ended up teaching the asana as relatively fixed series.

This was a pedagogic method, a teaching approach, based on his own practice and experience. Pattabhi Jois came up with a methodology he felt would best benefit his Indian college students within the constraints of a particular pedagogic situation ( ie a four year college syllabus).

Pattabhi Jois had practiced asana within a vinyasa approach. Starting at samastithi he would move though the vinyasa to the state of the asana and then return to samastithi. Krishnamacharya would call out the asana and the student were no doubt expected to arrive at the asana at the same time. Krishnamacharya may well have tested the boys of the Palace on the asana and vinyasa, calling out a vinyasa number and woe betide anyone who couldn't remember or jumped into the wrong position.

As one of Krishnamacharya's assistants he would have led classes, no doubt more gently, while Krishnamacharya was teaching one-to-one classes ( likely employing more of a Vinyasa Krama approach) in a side room. Although Krishnamacharya's classes seemed to have been based on flexible groups of asana there was no doubt a basic framework that we can see in his Yogasanagalu table. Most likely Krishnamacharya would walk the 'room' telling this student and that different asana to practice, extensions or intermediate and/or advanced variations of the basic, primary asana.

Also. Pattabhi Jois was at this time travelling around the country with Krishnamacharya giving demonstrations, he would have practiced many advanced asana, those no doubt most suited to demonstrations. Some he would have stayed in for an extended period while Krishnamacharya lectured.

It's my conjecture that Pattabhi Jois found benefit in the syllabus he had devised in 1947 and carried it over into his own shala/school in 1948 for his own students. Few perhaps of his students may have progressed to advanced series asana practice which was fine, as both Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois considered advanced asana for demonstration purposes. However ,the syllabus was there to draw on when the first Americans came knocking on the door of his shala in Mysore asking for ever more asana and vinyasa.

I have no doubt that in developing the syllabus Pattabhi Jois would have explored the series himself , for a period, as far as he was able. I have posted photos of Pattabhi Jois in some of the Advanced series asana, some he could clearly get into but the pictures suggest he did not practice them for an extended period of daily practice, those pictures suggest that he would have struggle with some of the other asana at the time of developing the syllabus.

In Ashtanga we have latched on to the idea that we should practice what we teach. But if we only teach beginner students should we only practice beginner asana, the primary series. If our students are Advanced B should we still be practicing the Advanced asana that we may have let go of years before?

Surely teachers should choose the methodology/approach they feel is best suited, most beneficial for their students however that may differ from their own practice. Pattabhi Jois had been practicing for twenty years when he developed the Ashtanga series that began with beginner postures and introduced students to a wide range of asana and pranayamas. He didn't need to follow those series himself because he had already served his apprenticeship all he needed to ¥do was explore them himself enough to feel confident they were coherent.

But perhaps he did, perhaps Pattabhi Jois still got up early, had his coffee, performed his puja and ran through the series of the day just as Sharath mentions he himself does (getting up ever earlier each season). Surely though one of his children would have mentioned it or the early students who lived with him while practicing at the shala or when he visited them in the US on one of his teaching tours. Nobody has mentioned seeing him practice this way, from his children we hear that as far back as the late 50s he would practice a variety of asana usually with long stays and long slow breathing.

Personally I tend to feel we have become obsessed with the sequences and with preserving them, forcing ourselves into them, to progress within them often but not always at our teachers behest, we seem to be either held back or pushed along. Mysore style was developed for one-to-one teaching in a group environment and the Guruji book reveals to us through all the interviews that Pattabhi Jois approached each student individually, Manju has mentioned that his father would give variations of the asana in the series to help students just as Krishnamacharya had done before him.

The Ashtanga methodology is not to my mind, a fixed in stone series of asana that have been passed down the centuries (although the vinyasa for individual asana may or may not have been fixed for sometime). Pattabhi Jois did not learn yoga asana as fixed series but just fixed vinyasa, it seems unlikely that he himself practiced asana in fixed series for more than a handful of years ,if at all.

The series can be useful, an excellent introduction to asana as well as developing discipline and focus that I myself have benefitted from. Based on Krishnamacharya's teaching it includes linking breath to movement, placing asana within vinyasa to and from samastithi, the engagement of bandhas and mental focus. But there are many other aspects of Krishnamacharya's teaching, from the time that Pattabhi jois was his student ( as we can see from Krishnamacharya's Mysore texts) that seem to have become neglected. The series have become Mythologised, ever new theories and justifications for them layered one on top of the other such that we feel they are sufficient, all the yoga we ever need... however many times Sharath may try to remind us to the contrary in his conference talks.

The fixed series that Pattabhi Jois developed may also become a distraction, in that seeking to preserve these series, we have lost sight of them as tools. Ever more advanced asana have perhaps become distractions however many arguments for practicing them we may come up with to justify them. They are also open to abuse, presenting instagram advanced asana to promote oneself and ones livelihood under the justification of inspiration when more likely it's doing the community a disservice.

“I was disappointed to find that so many novice students have taken Ashtanga yoga and have turned it into a circus for their own fame and profit.” Pattabhi Jois

The series themselves may become constricting even unsuitable and damaging, holding us back from exploring the other limbs of yoga. We look towards the next asana, the next series rather than considering what we have as sufficient, more than sufficient, and that perhaps now it's time to explore pranayama and dharana to do more to follow the yama and niyamas. John Scott Mentioned in a workshop I attended that Pattabhi Jois taught a yoga philosophy class in Mysore but unfortunately few would turn up and he stopped, there was so much that he seems to have wanted to teach other than asana.

Sharath is surely right to teach the final manifestation of the methodology that Pattabhi Jois developed, It's up to individual teachers of course, not to blindly seek to preserve the outward trappings of a methodology, the series that we can put down so easily on paper but to go within that methodology and employ some ( not necessarily all ) of the the tools it provides, to take as an example Pattabhi Jois as a teacher of a system rather than the system itself and adapt the tools, or forge new tools, within the methodology to best suit the student before them. Many of the experienced Ashtanga teachers do this of course, most if not all of the certified and senior Teachers are an inspiration and no doubt shake their heads at when they first walked into a Mysore class as a teacher determined to teach a system rather than a student.

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Pattabhi Jois Early Asana Photos

September 2, 2015, 5:02 pm

≫ Next: Convince me Krishnamacharya are there any serious benefits to Leg behind head postures?

≪ Previous: Should it matter if and how long Pattabhi Jois may have practiced the Ashtanga 'methodology' himself

“The photograph is literally an emanation of the referent. From a real body, which was there, proceed radiations which ultimately touch me, who am here; the duration of the transmission is insignificant; the photograph of the missing being, as Sontag says, will touch me like the delayed rays of a star.”

― Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography

*

SAMASTITHI

Pattabhi Jois - Samastithi

SURYA NAMASKARA

Pattabhi Jois - Surya namaskara 1st Vinyasa

Pattabhi Joi - Surya namaskara, 2nd Vinyasa Uttanasana

Pattabhi Jois - Surya namaskara, 3rd and 7th vinyasa

Pattabhi Jois - Surya namaskara, 4th Vinyasa Chaturanga Dandasana

Pattabhi Jois - Surya namaskara, 5th vinyasa, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Pattabhi Jois - Surya namaskara, 6th Vinyasa, Adho Mukha Svanasana

Pattabhi Jois - 2nd Surya Namaskara 1st Vinyasa, Uttkatasana

Pattabhi Jois - 2nd Surya namaskara 7th Vinyasa Virabhadrasana

PRIMARY ASANA

Pattabhi Jois - Ardha baddha Padma Paschimattanasana

Pattabhi Jois - Garbha Pindasana

Pattabhi Jois - Setu Bandhasana

Pattabhi Jois - Sarvangasana

Pattabhi Jois - Sirsasana

Pattabhi Jois - Baddha Padmasana

INTERMEDIATE ASHANA

Pattabhi Jois - Mayurasana

ADVANCED ASANA

Pattabhi Jois - Vasisthasana

Pattabhi Jois - Visvamitrasana

Pattabhi Jois - Galavasana

Pattabhi Jois - Astavakrasana

Pattabhi Jois - Purna Matsyendrasana

Pattabhi Jois - Viranchyasana A

Pattabhi Jois - Viparita Salabhasana

MISC. ASANA

Pattabhi Jois - Padma Mayurasana

ADVANCED ASANA FROM JOIS YOGA STUDIO

Pattabhi Jois - Adhomukhavrkasana

Pattabhi Jois - Durvasana, Galavasana, Viranchyasana

NAULI

DEMONSTRATING

TEACHING

APPENDIX

Comment

In my posts this week I've been looking at Pattabhi Jois' early asana photos and speculating on what if anything they can perhaps tell us about Pattabhi Jois' own early practice.

In the first post I raise the suggestion that Pattabhi Jois himself may not have practiced the different Ashtanga series as series in the manner in which he taught them for that long a period, if indeed at all.

1. Did Pattabhi Jois practice some or all of the Series he created and if so for how long?

In the second post I take a closer look at his early advanced asana postures and question if he ever practiced Advanced series asana daily as series

2. What does Pattabhi Jois' Advanced A/Third series Visvamitrasana photo tell us about the development of his Ashtanga Vinyasa syllabus.

In the third post I ask if the above matters and conclude that it doesn't, that what was most important was the example of his teaching.

3. Should it matter if and how long Pattabhi Jois may have practiced the Ashtanga 'methodology' himself

In this final post in the series I'm posting early photos of Pattabhi Jois in asana. I feel like I'm worrying a bone, that there is a truth here that I can't quite get a bite on.

Most of these pictures seem to have been taken in the early to mid 1940s, around the time that Pattabhi Jois seems to have first written out the Ashtanga Syllabus based on his teacher Krishnamacharya's asana table ( the demonstration and teaching photos being the exception, most likely from the early 50s, I include them because for me they display a dignity and the suggestion to me of a deep and profound practice).

It strikes me that there is such poise and facility in the Primary asana that is lacking in the advanced postures. I watch the demonstration by Pattabhi Jois' peer BKS Iynegar in 1938 ( see post 2.), just a couple of years before these photos are taken, and am in awe of Iyengar's technique in his Advanced asana ( this is in no way intended as a criticism of Pattabhi Jois' own practice, quite the opposite in fact).

How do we explain this when Pattabhi Jois practiced asana with Krishnamacharya for so many more years.

The only conclusion I come to is that Pattabhi Jois personally was perhaps never that concerned with Advanced asana, that he saw them mainly for demonstration as he was to tell his later students. I'm reminded of Pattabhi Jois's son Manju telling me that the memories he had of his father practicing was of long stays in asana, seeking to master them completely.

Why bother too much with Visvamitrasana when there is Samastithi to truly master, the key asana of Paschimattanasana, Maha mudra/Janu sirsasana, Mayurasana, Baddha Konasana, Sarvangasana, Sirsasana..... Padmasana

.... let alone the other neglected limbs.

And yet when we asked for more asana and more and more, he gave them to us?

ON PROFICIENCY (MASTERY) OF AN ASANA

Did Pattabhi Jois get this from his teacher Krishnamacharya also ( see The Ashtanga Rishi series).

"When one is able to stay in the posture (E.G. 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".

P. 127 - Yoga for the Three Stages of Life - Srivatsa Ramaswamy

(student of Krishnamacharya for three decades)

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Convince me Krishnamacharya are there any serious benefits to Leg behind head postures?

September 5, 2015, 12:58 am

≫ Next: Tapas supports the yamas and niyamas, the yamas and niyamas support the practice

≪ Previous: Pattabhi Jois Early Asana Photos

I stopped bothering with leg behind head postures some time ago, I think the one with the Shakuhachi below from earlier in the year was the last time I tried it (it was kind of a joke), I was surprised my leg still went there.

There was actually a half serious argument for this nonsense at the time, see here
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2013/04/chanting-or-playing-flute-in-asana.html

These days I tend to practice up to ardha matsyendrasana in Ashtanga 2nd series ( one day slow, half Primary with the odd extra vinyasa, the second day the first half of 2nd, again taken as slow as is comfortable). I tend to throw in mayurasana for luck as Ramaswami/Krishnamacharya stressed it was an important posture and I can see how it might be.

I just can't see much point anymore in most of the postures from the second half of Ashtanga Intermediate series, why would I possibly want to put my leg behind my head, is there really any benefit, Krishnamacharya? When I think of the time I spent working on those postures and not just those in Intermediate but also those ever crazier variations in Advanced A and B ( see Appendix), wouldn't my time have been better spent on pranayama, on dharana.

What can possibly be the point other than to sell bums on mats?

I was going to post an oh so clever post on this and thought I would check what strange benefits Krishnamacharya might have included..... actually, the benefits he mentions are quite interesting ( EG support for pranayama and dharana) and makes me want to look again at how Krishnamacharya was employing the chakra model ( I'm adding Krishnamacharya's treatment of chakras from Yoga Makaranda I, II and Yogasanagalu in the appendix also). I've tended to be a bit dismissive of the benefits mentioned for asana in the past, probably after reading that one asana was supposed to be cure for leprosy.

Chakra, too many rainbow coloured books seeping into the philosophy section shelves put me off however, more recently I've tended to feel that those old yogis/meditatiors from ages past spent a lot of time noticing recurring sensations/experiences in the body and that these no doubt formed a worthy of consideration basis to the chakra model. Simon Borg Olivier is interesting here

"In hatha yoga the two spiralling snakes are referred to as the nadis (subtle channels) Ida and Pingala and the spinal cord contains the sushumna nadi. When viewed from above the head the spiralling of these channels looks like the yin yang symbol or even the ancient swastika symbol . The places where the snake-like spiral nadis crossover up the trunk is the supposed location of the main chakras (energy centres) of the body. Each of these main chakras corresponds to and seemingly has relationships with main endocrine glands and also major nerve plexi. The ‘opening’ or ‘unlocking’ of, and the voluntary control of the chakras is a major aim in hatha yoga and can in fact be the tool that allows yoga and yoga therapy to be effective. In order to heal any part of the body especially the internal organs or body systems the only thing we can actually control is our mind, which can control muscles, which can affect posture movement and breathing". See this Yogasynergy.com blog post

Krishnamacharya includes the instructions and vinyasas in his Yoga Makaranda (1934) I've cut those out here ( see Free Downloads for Yoga Makaranda) and gone straight to the benefits along with the picture from the book of one of his students and any old photos of mine from when I was practiced these that I could find buried away on a google search ( so that you know it's not only ten year old boys who can make some progress in these).

I'm still not convinced but am prepared to take another look and think some more.

NB. The asana below are ever more advanced variations of more basic postures that may well be sufficient for exploring the breath in ever more subtlety, they may act as preparation towards the more advanced postures or they may be all we ever require. There's no rush, explore the breath in these basic and key postures, once the breath becomes slow and steady, slow it further still and if still steady explore staying twice as long, allow the body to grow into these postures to inhabit them before considering exploring a more challenging version like the leg behind head variations below. Here is a link to how basic key asana may progress into more challenging asana. This is not necessarily a sequence but rather just showing how one asana might allow another to become possible over time http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2010/03/vinyasa-krama-asymmetric-seated.html

Leg behind head postures and their benefits in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda 1934

NB. Krishnamacharya seems not to have practiced asana in fixed sequences but rather in groups of asana, Primary, Middle and proficient. It seems likely that when a Primary asana became steady and comfortable he would add on or replace it with middle and finally proficient asana or variations.

27 Ekapada Sirsasana (Figure 4.71, 4.72)

Benefit: This will arrest bleeding due to piles and give strength to the body. It removes vayu disturbances in the neck region and gives the neck extraordinary strength to carry excess weight. It is extremely helpful for the awakening of kundalini. Pregnant women should not do this posture.

28 Dvipada Sirsasana (Figure 4.73)

Benefit: It will remove diseases of the spleen, of the liver, and of the stomach. It will clean the muladhara cakra. It will greatly help with uddiyana bandha. Practise it after first studying the picture very carefully. Women who are pregnant should not do this posture. Those who are prone to miscarriage must practise this asana regularly for some time and then discontinue it before they conceive. If they stop practising this asana during pregnancy, it will enable a strong healthy birth and will help the uterus wall expand and be healthy. People who do not wish for progeny must always practise this asana. If they do, then they will not have any children.

29 Yoga Nidrasana (Figure 4.74)

Benefit: Tuberculosis, bloating of the stomach, dropsy and edema (swelling of tissue due to accumulation of water) — such serious diseases will be cured. It will cause the vayu to be held at the svadhishthana cakra and the brahmara guha cakra and as a result will cause long life. It will help to rapidly bring the apana vayu under one’s control. It is not for women who are pregnant.

30 Buddhasana (Figure 4.75, 4.76)

Benefit: It will cure hunchback and will create proper blood circulation in all the nadis. It will clean the svadhishthana, anahata, visuddhi and brahmara guha cakras and gives complete assistance for kevala kumbhaka.
This asana is very beneficial for curing long-term persistent fever. Pregnant women should not do this.

31 Kapilasana (Figure 4.77)

Benefit: It will maintain the muladhara, svadhishthana, manipuraka, anahata, and visuddhi cakras in the proper sthiti. It is extremely helpful in guiding one along the path of dharana and dhyana.

32 Bhairavasana (Figure 4.78)

Benefit: Keeps vayu sancharam in equal and proper balance in the ida, pingala and susumna nadis and prevents any vata disease from approaching. Pregnant women should not do this. But those women who do not wish for any children, if they practise this asana regularly following the rules for a period of time, they will definitely never conceive. Of this there is absolutely no doubt. Practising this asana will close the uterine passage and stop the fertilization from taking place.

33 Cakorasana (Figure 4.79)

Benefit: Diseases causing tremors (trembling) in the joints of the arm and in the wrists will be cured. Pregnant women should not do this.

34 Skandasana (Figure 4.80, 4.81)

Benefit: Gives the skill of pratyahara through the knowledge of the light of the self shining in the crevasses of the heart.

35 Durvasasana (Figure 4.82)

Benefit: Elephantiasis, vayu in the scrotum, trembling and tremors of the head — these serious diseases will be destroyed. It is a tremendous support on the path towards samadhi. Pregnant women should not do this.

36 Richikasana (Figure 4.83, 4.84)

Benefit: It corrects the recaka that is essential for the practice of pranayama.

Appendix

.....even more crazier variations from Advanced series

If you've has heard of any supposed benefits for any of these other leg behind head postures below feel free to share in comments.

1. Viswamitrasana

2. Vrichikasana A

3. Bhuja dandasana

4. Marichiyasana G

5. Marichiyasana H

6. Pasve bhuja dandasana

7. Eka pada sirsasana utkatasana

Krishnamacharya on the Cakras ( Chakras) from Yoga Makaranda

Asana practice renders correct blood circulation. The snayus (ligaments) and various parts of the body will function at the perfect, ultimate level. It also causes all types??? of internal circulation to function properly. We all know the connection between good blood circulation, good nadi granthi, healthy body and good health. Hence it is not necessary to further emphasize the benefits of practising asana daily for at least a few minutes. What more does one need after seeing this? Only after acquiring these benefits can one expect to look forward to others.

Because of the power of pranayama practice, one develops strength in the bones, the bone marrow and the heart; one develops the brain, the head, the anna kosam, the fat layer, the mana kosam, the strength of breath and prana, and longevity; it sharpens the senses, strengthens the intellect and the voice and purifies the blood. All these are important factors necessary for the maintenance of health. Those with strong bones, vitality, nerves, and tendons will lead a healthy long life. Lack or weakness of viryam leads to lack of strength which leads to the atrophy of bones. Such a condition leads one to suffer from tuberculosis. Whoever has no impurities in their blood will never develop any disease, and their body will develop a kind of glow. How can darkness reside where there is sunlight? Hence all Ayurveda texts speak specifically on the importance of good blood circulation and bone strength for good health. If the blood is not clean, then the nadi cakras will not function (rotate) properly. We have observed the wheels of trains, electrical gadgets and such machines. If even one wheel malfunctions, all the activities of the machine stop and the gadget breaks down. Similarly when any one of the nadi cakras contained in the machine that is the body malfunctions or is spoiled, we will not derive any of the benefits of good health. Hence good blood circulation is essential for the proper functioning of the nadi cakras.

1.2 Cakras

In the machine that is our body, there are ten cakras — namely

1. muladhara cakra,

2. svadhishtana cakra,

3. manipuraka cakra,

4. surya cakra,

5. manas cakra,

6. anahata cakra,

7. visuddhi cakra,

8. ajn ̃a cakra,

9. sahasrara cakra,

10. brahmaguha (lalata) cakra.

1. Muladhara Cakra

This cakra is next to the rectum. If, due to the strength resulting from practising pranayama with a focus on this cakra, caitanya is attained in this cakra, then this will strengthen the viryam (sexual vitality). When the viryam is kept under control, the body becomes tough. If anybody acquires caitanya in this cakra, they will become virile.

2. Svadhishthana Cakra

This svadhishthana cakra lies two angulas above the muladhara cakra. If by doing pranayama abhyasa according to the krama and rules caitanya is attained in this cakra, then this will destroy all diseases. There will be an astounding increase in good health. Any amount of physical work can be done without any fatigue. Even enemies will admire and adore one who has caitanya in this cakra. Violence will run away and hide from him. Even a tiger and cow will live in peaceful coexistence in his presence.

3. Manipuraka Cakra

This is situated exactly in the navel. If, due to the strength of pranayama practice, caitanya is attained in this cakra, then the practitioner will never encounter any physical or mental afflictions. These afflictions will flee his presence. One who has acquired caitanya in this cakra will be able to face any disaster or accident with mental fortitude. Not only that, he will develop divya drishti. He will experience the bliss of identifying atman as a separate entity from the body. This cakra is situated in the middle of all other cakras. The main function of this cakra is to ensure that all organs or parts of the body function at their proper strength. Good health is possible only when all the organs are strong. Any disease in any organ indicates ill health.

4. Surya Cakra

This cakra is situated in the third angula above the navel. Pranayama prac- tised with an equal ratio of exhalation and inhalation (recaka and puraka) with a focus on this cakra gives rise to caitanya in this cakra. Caitanya in this cakra purifies all the nadis of the stomach. One who has acquired caitanya in this cakra will not suffer from any diseases of the stomach, nor from any mahodaram and will acquire eternal good health, amazing vitality or shine, and long life. The pranayama practitioner will attain free move- ment of this cakra which will be visible by rapid increase in the digestive power. Special caitanya or insight will develop on practising bastra kevala kumbhaka pranayama. This is not possible to attain from practising other types of pranayama with a focus on this cakra. These will just lead to the ordinary benefits.

5. Manas Cakra

This is close to the anna kosam. Caitanya in this cakra is attained by a sustained practice of kevala kumbhaka pranayama. The main function of this cakra is to increase the power of intuition and to expand the intel- lect. This is because practising kumbhaka pranayama purifies (cleanses) the brain. There is a special connection between the brain and the manas cakra.

6. Anahata Cakra

This is situated in the hrdaya (heart) sthana. There is a special connection between this and the heart. Pranayama abhyasa with recaka and puraka kumbhaka of different ratios (raising and lowering the ratios) with a focus on this cakra will give rise to a steady state of caitanya in this cakra. This state of caitanya in this cakra removes weakness of the heart and will give extraordinary strength. All the activities associated with the heart are carried out due to the strength of this cakra. We all know that in this world, life is possible only as a result of the strength of the functioning of the heart. Hence if this cakra is kept in a correct state and moves freely, emotions like affection, devotion, gn ̃anam, etc. — such superior states of mind (bhavas) will arise in the heart. If this cakra malfunctions or becomes impure and moves in a constricted fashion, then murder, theft, adultery, unchastity and other such inferior emotions will arise in the heart. By correct pranayama practice, the speed of the cakra increases and this gives rise to an expanded intellect and the person will be inspired to become more involved in good works. Any pranayama practised against sastra will weaken the movement and speed of the cakra and will destroy or weaken the heart.

7. Visuddhi Cakra

This is situated in the throat region. That is, it is situated in the region below the neck, above the sternum, in between the two bones where there is a soft area (gap) the size of the middle finger. If caitanya is achieved and held in this cakra due to the strength of pranayama, the practitioner gets svara vign ̃anam (knowledge of sound). If cittam can be controlled to focus on this cakra, the practitioner will lose all thoughts of this world (lose consciousness) and will be able to see the divine paramatma in all his glory through the light of the self. If one controls the movements of the citta and attains caitanya in this cakra through the strength of kumbhaka, he will attain a steady state of youth and enthusiasm. By achieving this caitanya through krama, these benefits can be experienced to the extent desired.

8. Ajn ̃a Cakra

This cakra is situated between the two eyebrows. If caitanya can be held (focussed) here, one acquires the power to control everybody. Through the movements of recaka and puraka in the nadis of the two nostrils, if one practises pranayama by keeping the breath in the nostrils and circulating and moving the prana vayu, then the nadis below the nostril get purified. One develops a divine lustre, one is able to see the atman and through this blessing will be able to see all the events that are occurring around the world without moving from their position. Caitanya citta vritti in the ajn ̃a cakra is extremely helpful for a long life.

9. Sahasrara Cakra

This is directly above the throat or palate. The greatness of this cakra is beyond description. Every part of the body is associated to (depends on) this important point. If one enhances the caitanya in this sahasrara cakra through the strength of practising puraka in complete pranayama abhyasa, this will result in the rapid movement of this cakra which will in turn give any skill or power that you wish for.

10. Brahmaguha (Lalata) Cakra

This cakra is situated above the forehead. Pranayama practice will cause the prana vayu to move through the susumna nadi and this prana vayu should be held here through the skill of kumbhaka. If such a practice is followed, one acquires the power to change one’s own destiny. One cannot describe the greatness of this procedure. It can only be learned through experience.

The caitanya sakti in every cakra can be only achieved through the strength of the practice of pranayama. Once the caitanya sakti is attained, the movement of the cakra becomes great. At this time, one begins to immediately experience the many benefits mentioned earlier. If pranayama is practised under proper guidance for one or two years following the sastras, cakra sakti will blossom and the many benefits will be attained. But this pranayama must only be practised along with asana and while observing the yama and niyama. If practised in this way, the pranayama sakti will blossom and move in all the important regions of the body and in the ten cakras and give great strength and benefits. One who is not skilled in the yama, niyama and asana will not receive any benefits. By correct practice and effort, the cakra sakti expands and all the mentioned benefits are attainable.

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Krishnamacharya on the chakras from Yoga makaranda (part II)

We have mentioned that there are seven CAKRAS supporting the HRIDAYA. They are:

1. MULADHARA CAKRA - between the root of the reproductory organs and anus.

2. SVADHISHTANA CAKRA -at the origin of the reproductory organ - between Muladhara and Manipura.

3. MANIPURA CAKRA - at the navel

4. ANAHATA CAKRA - at the heart

5. VISUDDHICAKRA - at the base of the throat

6. AGNA CAKRA - between the two eyebrows

7. SAHASRARA CAKRA - situated at the crown of the head.

The 7 Chakras are active in three ways.

AAVRITTI,
PARIVRITTI,
SAMVRITTI

AAVRITTi is due to Puraka, Rechaka and Kumbaka.

PARIVRITTI is due to the proper control of the three Bandhas - MULA, JALANDHARA and UDDIYANA.

SAMVRITTI is due to the variation in the length of the Rechaka and Kumbakha in Pranayama.

The 7 Chakras mentioned above and the Manas are not visible to our naked eye. Joy and sorrow are feelings palpable only to the mind and for that reason, we do not deny their existence. So also certain changes inside our body have to be personally felt and they are not capable of physical demonstration. Even the modern advanced appliances like the x-ray can not reveal the existence of the feelings of the mind and the changes in the CAKRAS. But Samyamam mentioned in the Yoganga discovers the feelings and changes in one’s own mind and in others.

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

From Yogasanagalu

Although it can not be observed by the main sense organs, the jeeva or soul that is hidden within the body and experiences countless suffering and joys according to followers of Visishtadwita and Dwita philosophies, in the mind as per Sankhya followers, reflection of jeevatma according to some yogis and Advita followers. The mind (its ability to experience) with attributes of wanderings and restraint by way of the heart (called Dahara and Kuhara) is rooted above and below in the following chakras:

Mooladhara chakra - below the navel and above the reproductive organs
Swadishtana - between mooladhara and manipuraka
Manipuraka - exactly on the navel (belly button)
Anahuta - middle of the heart
Vishuddi chakra - below the neck
Agna - between the eye brows
Sahasrara - crown of the head

Encompassing these seven chakras (nadi granthis) are 1. Avrutti, 2. Parivruti and 3. Samvruti.

The movement (activation) of these chakras are caused by the greatness (power) of pranayama and the variety of rechaka, puraka and kumbhaka

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

For more on the Chakras, have a look at Simon Heather's article 'Origin of the Chakras' which fishes out references to them in the Upanishads.

http://www.simonheather.co.uk/pages/articles/origins_of_the_chakras.pdf

Simon quotes extensively from the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, which is quite marvellous, I was reading it just recently and was quite blown away. The Yoga Kundalini Upanishad is an excellent primary source for information on Prana, Bandhas, Chakras, Pranayama etc. See the link below for a downloadable pdf and a useful introduction

http://fractalenlightenment.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/yoga-kundalini-upanishad.pdf

This next one, an article by BNS Iyengar, Chakras Bandhas And Kriyas is just great, had me laughing out loud and really wishing i could go to Pune (mock-terrified at the same time).

http://yogaroomretreats.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ChakrasBandhasAndKriyas-BKSI9.pdf

Here's a link to a pdf of the old Theosophical Society book on Chakras by C.W. Leadbeater

http://www.anandgholap.net/Chakras-CWL.pdf

And a Chakra meditation from the Swamiji website. Explore them in this way in a separate meditation practice to fix the images and sounds and then look at bringing them into your asana practice.

http://www.swamij.com/chakra-meditation.htm

also..

The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga by Arthur Avalon

International Association of Yoga Therapists list of articles relating to Chakaras

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4952587430321350992#editor/target=post;postID=8140639069994186373

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Tapas supports the yamas and niyamas, the yamas and niyamas support the practice

September 6, 2015, 10:44 pm

≫ Next: The Yama Niyama section of the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras for study or chanting before or after practice.

≪ Previous: Convince me Krishnamacharya are there any serious benefits to Leg behind head postures?

This first year in Japan has taken it's toll somewhat, the disruption of the move, leaving people behind, the familiarity (security?) of my practice space. One thing after another, minor things really, barely worth relating ( but this is a blog after all), just adjustment but it adds up.

I continued to practice the slower Krishnamacharya Ashtanga, long slow breathing, long stays but less asana... and without being practiced asana dropped away, advanced asana the first to go, that didn't concern me, intermediate asana followed, so be it. Practicing less asana was a conscious decision and practice itself was still a delight, disrupted somewhat perhaps but still present every day.

Perhaps practice was too delightful, too pleasant, less tapas.... discipline followed the lost asana the lack of tapas.

Yamas and niyamas are supposed to support our yoga practice, just as practice supports the yamaniyamas except it's not practice so much perhaps as the tapas aspect of practice that helps provide the discipline that in turn supports the yamaniyamas ( whatever form or name they take for you ) and that supports the practice of yoga.

And Japanese food IS wonderful, so many old favourite dishes to rediscover and then there is comfort eating, less water in the wine, an extra jug of sake, a cold beer more regularly than intended through the summer.

At first the weight crept back on, normally I would have felt it in my practice but I was practicing differently, it had less effect on the slower practice, not until I began to feel it in the pranayama did I grow too concerned.

I could have switched back to a month of full on Ashtanga and in a sense I was for a time, practicing at the local shala but an irritating and persistent summer rash put paid to that and I had to stop going to the shala and then I was worried about sweating too much and a recurrence of kidney stones.... and besides I felt I should be able to maintain my weight on a slower practice through more care in my eating. I should have been able to shouldn't I.

And the summer continued and more careful days would be followed by a weekend where the meals were larger than they should have been and washed down with more sake or beer than intended.

Shiga prefecture last week

We're not even talking that much, 6 kilo added to my old practice weight and not through what most would consider over eating or drinking just more than I had become accustomed to, a few bad snacking habits creeping in.

Tapas. Yes, a slower practice and an appropriate diet should be sufficient to maintain health, fitness and well-being but I'd let go of the tapas aspect of the practice and lost discipline.

This morning I practiced full vinyasa, on the count, in fact I had to reinstall John Scott's app because I'd forgotten the count for some of the asana.

One practice and there was the tapas just where I'd left it, those familiar minor aches and pains of coming back to practice and the "...do I really want to do this", coming up seemingly after every other asana. And it was a mess, oh God, has have I allowed my practice to slip this much, I was aware I'd lost Marichi D and Supta Kurmasana but by that much! Hooking the last joint of the finger on the toe barely counts for badha padmasana.... but oh the delight of taking finishing long and slow after the tapas of Primary and half second..... and savasana, what a wonderful, well earned savasana.

Full vinyasa Primary and half 2nd series with a slow finishing in a couple of hours followed by pranayama, Ashtanga!

And with Simon Borg Olivier's abdominal breathing a mostly dry yoga towel.

Ramaswami talks of tapas also, spending five minutes or even ten in an on-one-leg asana, a five minute utkatasana perhaps but this is the tapas I've know.... and loved,

So back to a Charles Mingus Ashtanga practice of shifting pace picking up the beat through the main series, slowing it down at maha mudra/janu Sirsasan and baddha konasana and in a long slow finish, this is practice now at least until the discipline comes back, the yamas and niyamas, pratyahara.

Mingus with Bird

See this post for Krishnamacharya, Pattabhi Jois and Ramaswami on the yamas and niyams

Confessional, Note to self, Yama Niyama

↧

The Yama Niyama section of the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras for study or chanting before or after practice.

September 7, 2015, 3:58 pm

≫ Next: And what if it's not about....

≪ Previous: Tapas supports the yamas and niyamas, the yamas and niyamas support the practice

Studying or learning to chant Patanjali's Yoga Sutras can be a large undertaking, we may wish to learn to chant it in sections however, the yama niyama portion perhaps, before or after our practice.

Update: I've divided the section further still, separating out the introduction (30-34) and the yamas (35-39) from the niyama (40-45) for ease of learning, we might also choose to chant the introduction one day, the yamas the next and the niyamas on the third day before repeating the cycle on the fourth day. Once memorised and confidence in chanting them is gained we might chant the full section.

Ramaswami talks of reflecting on our day before falling asleep, not necessarily in a negative way but merely noting. Chanting the Yama niyama section may be a pleasant way to drift off to sleep.

Ramaswami also talks of the study of (portions of) an appropriate text as being a meditative activity that we may wish to engage in after our asana and/or pranayama practice. The idea being, in Guna terms, that our asana practice has reduced our rajas (agitation), pranayama has lessened the tamas (lethargy) leaving us in a more satvic state suitable for such study

Here then is the yama niyama section from the second pada/chapter of Patanjali's yoga sutras with links to commentary at Ashtanga.info followed by Ramaswami's tutorial for chanting the second chapter as well as indication as to where to find the appropriate sections. A comparison commentary chart from milesneal.com is below the chanting tutorial as well a s a print out of the section in larger type.

Or you might prefer to dip into Marcus Aurelius' Meditations ( see end of post) or a similar text from your own culture/tradition.

NB: I keep Ramaswami's full tutorial at the top of the blog on this page as well as suggestions for commentaries, I'm currently recommending Edwin Bryant's The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as he refers to and quotes many of the classical commentaries throughout. See the link below.

Chanting the yoga Sutras

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Yamas and Niyamas

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras Chapter II 30-45

links to commentary at Ashtanga.info

Introduction of Yama and Niyama section

ahiṁsā-satya-asteya brahmacarya-aparigrahāḥ yamāḥ ||30||

jāti-deśa-kāla-samaya-anavacchinnāḥ sārvabhaumā-mahāvratam ||31||

śauca saṁtoṣa tapaḥ svādhyāy-eśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ ||32||

vitarka-bādhane pratiprakṣa-bhāvanam ||33||

vitarkā hiṁsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditā lobha-krodha-moha-āpūrvakā mṛdu-madhya adhimātrā duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalā iti pratiprakṣa-bhāvanam ||34||

Yama section

ahiṁsā-pratiṣṭhāyaṁ tat-sannidhau vairatyāghaḥ ||35||

satya-pratiṣthāyaṁ kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam ||36||

asteya-pratiṣṭhāyāṁ sarvaratn-opasthānam ||37||

brahma-carya pratiṣṭhāyāṁ vīrya-lābhaḥ ||38||

aparigraha-sthairye janma-kathaṁtā saṁbodhaḥ ||39||

Niyama section

śaucāt svāṅga-jugupsā parairasaṁsargaḥ ||40||

sattva-śuddhiḥ saumanasya-ikāgry-endriyajaya-ātmadarśana yogyatvāni ca ||41||

saṁtoṣāt-anuttamas-sukhalābhaḥ ||42||

kāyendriya-siddhir-aśuddhi-kṣayāt tapasaḥ ||43||

svādhyāyād-iṣṭa-devatā saṁprayogaḥ ||44||

samādhi siddhiḥ-īśvarapraṇidhānāt ||45||

Ramaswami's Chanting the Yoga Sutras tutorial.

Yama Niyama section from... Chapter II - Sadhana Pada

Repeating 'word by word'

Yama and Niyama section begins (intro) @ 15:30

Yama section @ 18:58

Niyama section @ 21:06

Repeating sutra by sutra

Intro at @ 38:07

Yamas at @ 40:13

Niyama @ 41:21

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Translation Comparison Chart

http://www.milesneale.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Yoga-Sutras-Verse-Comparison.pdf

Larger font print out of the yama niyama section from chapter II ofPatanjali's Yoga Sutras

And what if it's not about....

September 10, 2015, 2:34 am

≫ Next: Updated draft: Handstands, backbends and Saganaki in Rethymno - Pattabhi Jois led handstands and Derek Irelands handstand after every 2nd series asana.

≪ Previous: The Yama Niyama section of the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras for study or chanting before or after practice.

↧

Updated draft: Handstands, backbends and Saganaki in Rethymno - Pattabhi Jois led handstands and Derek Irelands handstand after every 2nd series asana.

September 17, 2015, 6:40 am

≫ Next: Book Review: The Power of Yoga - Yamini Muthanna Dancer and Student of BNS Iyengar for over 20 years.

≪ Previous: And what if it's not about....

Stumbled upon this old post (languishing as a draft since Friday, 4 July 2014) from just over a year ago, back when I was in my beloved Rethymno, Crete at Kristina's shala. The post looks at handstands and how Kristina carries on the tradition of her late husband Derek Ireland's employment of handstands towards the end of practice. As it happens a couple of days after writing this I decided to pretty much pass on the handstands, love Derek but can't really see the point of introducing one handstand into the practice let alone one after every asana ( and yet here they are in Pattabhi Jois' Led Advanced series - video clip later in the post).

And Pattabhi Jois himself in the picture at Jois Yoga Encinitas ( does anyone have a picture of this without the dancers?)

Jessica Walden always makes me question my position on headstands, such focussed and controlled breath https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOSRsBegcTk - added the video to the end of this post.

So here I am at Kyria Maria's a lovely little taverna next door to Kristina's shala, I'm surfing their wifi over saganaki.

Almost through my first ever full week of shala practice, Led tomorrow (Saturday) then a rest day....

Loving shala practice, perhaps I'm just loving THIS shala practice, perhaps all shala's are essentially the same, I can't say.

Love the work going on here, there are practitioners passing through their practice composed and elegant, others grinding it out and still others composed through part but putting the work in on other troublesome postures and frankly grunting and groaning through their new postures (which before long they'll be practicing with a lightness of touch and breath leaving them to groan through others ), Felt like my whole seven years of practice is here in this room.

Which am I?

I would have said (hopefully ) relatively composed ( my practice has never been elegant), up until this morning anyway but now we're on to a whole new ball game.

I thought I'd stick with a straight primary for my first week, settle in, let Kristina and Niko (Kristina's tireless assistant) have a look at my Primary, get used to the shala. Next week I'll come in a little early and practice up to kapo and then in the following weeks see about dusting off my full 2nd. Karandavasana in frount of Kristina's alter again, this time I shall be fearless (first time at Kristina shala I was terrified of flupping over in karandavasana and landing on her alter), hmmmmm.

So, relatively composed up until this morning, last night though Kristina and I were looking at old Pattabhi Jois videos on Youtube, talking about the handstand work she practices here that leads into backbends.

Miss those late night discussions with Kristina on the steps of the shala, Irini, Kristina's lovely daughter running around saying ,"What's this, what's that".

This morning I tried to surreptitiously move to the wall for the handstand work, Kristina has us do 30 breathes with the feet at right angles on the wall to build strength in the back before going up, thought I could just hop up to handstand with the wall as a safety blanket, do my 30 and move on to drop backs at the wall, nope. Kristina misses nothing NOTHING.

So Kristina has me do my 30 breaths then gets me to bring my mat back to the centre of the room for handstands and then this taking the legs over a little way before flipping back down into down dog and finally straight over. I've explored it before on my own a couple of years back, dropping over from handstands to cushions, gradually taking them away one at a time (Towards Tick Tocks : Handstand to Backbend) but it's a different game altogether in the centre of the shala.

And, then Kristina wants me to drop over from handstand into urdhva danhurasana and immediately come up to standing, I seem to stubbornly refuse to ground my heels and tend to keep my head tucked in, mental block although the last couple were better. Get the feeling I'll be exploring tic tocking/tacking over the next couple of months and seeing as we were looking at Guruji's old heel grabbing approach perhaps that too (Grabbing heels, ankles, legs...why? For heaven's sake, why?).

Shala practice, she's in charge, my teacher, it helps that I love, trust and respect her, I am in her hands.

Besides, all asana are the same, may as well be working on breathing in handstand as in kapo or paschimottanasana, much of a muchness.

Below, Kristina's late husband Derek Ireland giving a demo with Radha in Helsinki in 1989 insanely going up into handstand after every asana, a glorious madness. This is before Ashtangi's started visiting handstand coaches.

Derek practicing on the beach at Triopetra, miss that beach too see the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd7wTtyoyYs

Here's Pattabhi Jois taking the team through backbends, check out Tim Miller, majestic at dead on 3:00, lifting back up to handstand from urdhva danhurasna, do we really want to take handstands out of the practice, perhaps the flourishes but this is serious business, composed controlled, focused.... bandhas breath, drishti, tristana innit.

The bit I'm playing with in the shala now comes five minutes in

Seems I'm not the only one here for an extended stay during the summer, Ashtanga practitioners from Stockholm, Serbia, Italy, Switzerland all here from two week to two months or even longer. Why wouldn't you want to come and practice here.

Kristina Karitinou

YOGA PRACTICE

Ashtanga Yoga Greece

(affiliated with Yoga Practice London)

And a nice gentle reminder from Kristina

Dear practitioners, please note that even though our workshops are offered in the beautiful island of Crete, our centre of attention was, is and will always be Yoga studies.

Update (17th Sept 2015): And yet saying that, it's still our practice and and however much we love and respect our teachers it's up to ourselves whether introducing handstands makes sense to us or which assists we choose to accept. Personally I'd rather work on the asana myself than accept an assist, small, passing, alignment adjustments are fine and I welcome them but assists..... what's the hurry, they will come when they come..... or not.

Kristina's argument is that an assist can give us a sense of the full expression of the postures and that that can be beneficial, perhaps a sense of what we are working towards. Years of home practice gives a different perspective perhaps.

Nice Kristina story: I'd been having trouble with my back since I arrived in Crete ( from packing up 900 odd books a few weeks before re move to Japan), One morning my back was so bad that I decided to go back home after a couple of miserable sun salutations and do a gentle Vinyasa Krama practice. When I got to the door, Kristina asked me where I was going, I explained and she told me to go back to my spot in the center of the room and do my krama practice, that it was all yoga chikitsa... therapy. Nice knocking out Vinyasa Krama in a room full of Ashtangi's.

As well as my Ashtanga teacher Kristina was and is a mentor, I've missed her as much as Crete this year.

Early Tic Tock at Home posts from 2009

Towards Tick Tocks : Handstand to Backbend

More tick tock work, sans wall

and one from 2011

Exploring Tic Tac ( or should that be tick tock's ) with David Garrigues Day 1

Two week Tictac challenge at home speeded up x3

Here's a modern take on handstands in the practice that makes me question my own position ( that they are perhaps an excessive and an unnecessary distraction, too much ego to be found and reenforced, aren't we supposed to be doing the opposite. ). Jessica is displaying quite stunning focus and control of the breath here, I wish she would do one of these with a mic attached to her shirt, would love to hear her breath - I seem to have move interest in what this sounds like than looks like.

Perhaps it's the same with Yoga selfies ( nice post on this from Meghan Powell called In Defence of SelfiesHERE), no doubt we generally know ( however much we try to convince ourselves otherwise) if and when there's a point to it, when it's artistic (body and location coming into presence), craft (whether the photographers or the practitioners), inspiration, continuing a tradition, a bit of fun, documenting, tapas.... or just plain ego and perhaps worse, gratuitous self promotion, selling out our practice to sell out workshops. No doubt I ned to hold up my hand to most or all of these myself.

Here's Jessica with a convincing argument for

And here's Simon Borg-Olivier on lifting to handstand from his Yoga Fundamentals course that I'm currently following.

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Update (17 Sept 2015): This last week I find I've slipped back into 2nd series ( a lot of tapas in 2nd) and enjoying myself a few extra Vinyasa Krama Bow postures as prep for the 2nd series backbends and a bit of the asymmetric sequence leading up to leg behind head - I cut out a couple of asana from the end of 2nd along with the seven headstands to make space. It's a bit of a mess, heels lifted here, binding at fingertips just (or toes) there, In karandavasana my lotus goes down nicely enough but no longer seems to want to fly and leg behind head postures barely count.... it'll all come back soon enough.... or not.

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Book Review: The Power of Yoga - Yamini Muthanna Dancer and Student of BNS Iyengar for over 20 years.

September 18, 2015, 1:25 am

≫ Next: Returning to Ashtanga 2nd series - looking ahead to long stays in Intermediate asana but with slower breathing

≪ Previous: Updated draft: Handstands, backbends and Saganaki in Rethymno - Pattabhi Jois led handstands and Derek Irelands handstand after every 2nd series asana.

Link to Amazon

I was recently sent this book, The Power of Yoga by Yamini Muthanna, one of BNS Iyengar's students ( the 'other' Iyengar, also a student of Krishnamacharya for a time as well as of Pattabhi Jois, still teaching in Mysore http://bnsiyengar.net/) it's beautifully produced, a lot going on inside, it was recommended to me by a reader of my blog, we'll take a closer look below.

But first, Yamini is also a Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher , here she is in a performance that the Youtube intro says includes some Ashtanga asana.

A LOOK INSIDE a book then, first the contents page

Yamini Muthanna studied with BNS Iyengar for over twenty years, he kindly writes the forward.

Here's the introduction to how to use the book.

There is page reflecting on the koshas

The big problem for me with the book is that the sequences appear to be tied closely to the idea of chakras, asana are chosen that are thought to overcome the malfunction of one or more particular chakras causing the problematic condition. If your unconvinced by the chakra model or the evidence suggesting one asana will affect a chakra then you may take issue with the central premise of the book. Yamini does relate chakra to western medicine and the glandular systems.

EG. "Manipura is believed to correspond to the cells of the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands".

See too my recent post where I looked at Krishnamacharya's discussion of the different chakra.

A Mudras and bandhas section, here's the first page.

A Pranayama section

Yamini presents a basic 'routine at the beginning of the book made of a pre and finishing sequence, the picture below is part of the pre sequence. In a sense this is similar to having the Sury's and something not unlike the standing sequence along with the finishing sequence from Ashtanga. The individual sequences for particular conditions and states that Yamini presents throughout the main section of the book will then slot in between with some modifications to the standing and finishing sequence indicated by a chart at the frount of each sequence. Sounds complicated but it's actually quite strait forward and well laid out, I'll go through an example sequence later.

A large section at the back of the book goes through each asana, below we see Yamini's treatment of Sirsasana

A very interesting section on precautions and common injuries.

EXAMPLE SEQUENCE FOR HELPING COPE WITH DEPRESSION

Lets take a closer look at an example, the sequence for depression I practiced earlier....

Yamini relates depression to malfunctioning of Manipura chakra ( note how she writes "Manipura is believed to correspond to the cells of the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands". )

Each sequence has a warm up ( Yamini is a dancer remember) and different pranayama suggestions, here are the pranayama guidelines for this sequence

And a closer look at one of the asana from the sequence, Ushtrasana

It's a beautifully produced book, basing the sequences on the Chakra model may be a sticking point for some, it will either excite you or turn you off somewhat. I found it interesting, I'm still not sold on the chakra model but those old yogi's were great experimenters. Noticing what was going on in different areas of their bodies during pranayama and meditation as well as long stays in different asana the yogis would have been exploring sensations that arose. But even if chakras are not your thing then you may be reassured by the 100 pages on individual asana with tips and guidelines as well as the section on pranayama ( remember Yamini studied with BNS Iyengar for twenty years) There are also the nice sections on mudras bandhas and the precautions and common injuries section at the back.

Try out some of the sequences and chakras or not you might find them enjoyable and interesting to practice as well as giving thoughts to how you might approach presenting asana to your own students.

EDITORIAL DESCRIPTION

Description About the Book "The Power of Yoga explores the profound nature of yoga by demystifying ancient Sanskrit texts on the subject and a plethora of philosophies governing its practice, and making them relevant to present times. While Patanjali's Yoga Sutras provide us the roadmap to understand the way of this science, the 21 Yoga Sequences for modern lifestyle-related disorders elaborated upon in this book make it a valuable aid for the modern-day practitioner, more so since it is presented in simple language without diluting the authenticity of the techniques. Structured primarily as a Sequence Manual, this book offers customised yoga routines to help people cope better with their day-to-day demanding schedules. The sequences are also categorised and visually depicted for a better understanding. Ultimately, The Power of Yoga seeks to enlighten the readers on the deeper significance of yoga by encouraging them to further explore it as a timetested and an established science. About the Author Having studied Ashtanga Yoga with Mysore-based B.N.S. Iyengar for over 22 years, Yamini Muthanna runs Yogasthala, a yoga school in Bengaluru where people from all walks of life and across the globe - architects, entrepreneurs, artists, techies, CEOs, housewives, students and doctors among others - learn Ashtanga Yoga. Yamini has conducted workshops at yoga studios in London, New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles. A purist, she uses yoga techniques handed down by the ancient masters. She has been successful in interpreting theYoga Sutras to make them accessible to the common people. She has, for instance, mapped out specific yoga sequences to tackle several modern-day stress related situations - preparing for an important meeting, speech or presentation at work, overcoming addictions, conquering social anxiety, anger, insomnia and much more.

Product Details
Paperback
ISBN-10: 9383202017
ISBN-13: 978-9383202010
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 11 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds

'The healing power of yoga' - Article on Yamini in THE HINDU

Here's another Bharatanatyam performance by Yamini - Theme Based on Vedas - about Mind "Manas". There is a review of "Manas" here http://www.narthaki.com/info/rev14/rev1626.html

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My last 200 hr TT program in Vinyasakrama in US starts on 20th of July 2015 at LMU, and there are large open spaces available to spread the yoga mats on. Here is the link to register

I hope to be able to do some shorter programs at LMU in the future.

The Eye Does Not See

My friend Jaijot Kaur Jennie Eldridge-Benjamin Humans of New York's photo.and wrote in a facebook page

Workshop Review: 70 hour sloka by sloka, Bhagavad Gita... as taught by Srivatsa Ramaswami (Guest post)

My last 200 hr TT program in Vinyasakrama in US starts on 20^th of July 2015 at LMU, and there are large open spaces available to spread the yoga mats on. Here is the link to register