An old style blog post for a change

I seem to have slipped back into practicing Ashtanga 2nd series and pretty much by the book (Yoga Mala).

For most of the last year I've been practicing a slow Primary along the lines  of Krishnamacharya's early Mysore texts, Yoga Makaranda /Yogasanagalu, this ended up such a slow practice that I cut back to practicing half the series to leave time for Pranayama and a sit.

Every couple of days I would slip in a half 2nd series, practice up to Kapo and dropbacks but more along the lines of the Vinyasa Krama Bow and Meditative sequence, same asana just a few more prep. postures.

However, the less asana I practiced the more asana I lost and even the ones I practiced daily ended up being affected, I lost some steadiness and comfort.

Practicing less of the slightly more challenging asana I also seemed to miss out on the tapas element and consequentially lost some discipline, loss of discipline affected the yamas and niyamas which in turn affected the discipline further. I'm convinced one is support for the other.

Tapas can range from accepting pain as purification (Bryant's Yoga Sutra commentary to Ramaswami's reference to a different tradition as moderation in eating and in speech - see appendix below), I tend to go with with Bryant but.... in moderation, choosing to accept some discomfort (rather than pain, moderating my comfort) to eventually attain comfort, rebuilding discipline along the way.

Just recently I started to practice half Primary followed by half second then decided to flip them around which is of course the framework for the Ashtanga 2nd series, I figured I might as well get back with the program and rebuild my Intermediate series, work on some tapas.

I also wanted to explore the 2nd series postures again while introducing some of the suggestions/guidelines Simon Borg-Oliver and Bianca Machliss introduce in their Yoga Synergy Fundamentals Course that I'm currently following. Exploring asana without strain, without stretching and while breathing to the abdomen.

And what tapas, my Intermediate series is an unholy mess, it'll take discipline to rebuild it  but we know the drill, one breath at a time, turn up at the mat each morning and it'll come back, commitment, is another word for tapas ( never liked it's synonym, devotion, I don't like the word patriotism either both collocate with blind, can live with dedication) .

I've always found 2nd series moves along more quickly than Primary, it takes some proficiency to slow the breathing in these postures and even more proficiency to explore longer stays. As postures come back I can rotate longer stays throughout the series or go back to splitting it in two again and alternating daily.

There is unfinished business with 2nd.

Ramaswami has talked and written on Krishnamacharya's view of proficiency in an asana. Ramaswami took for example Utkatasana and asked us to stay five minutes while counting the number of breaths. After a short savasana he would have us repeat our Utkatasana for another five minutes but this time trying to take half the number of breaths, ie. slowing the breath. Anyone who took a workshop with me last year will perhaps remember this exercise although we tended to do it for three minutes rather than five.

I've been looking at my old Rishi series videos. If you remember, the story goes that David Williams asked Pattabhi Jois what came next after Advanced series. Pattabhi Jois replied 'The Rishi series, take ten asana and stay in them for 50 breaths each'). Manju has mentioned that when he would watch his father practice he would stay in asana for a long time with slow breathing. Rishi approach?

In my exploration of such an approach a few years back I stayed for 25 or 50 breaths in all the Primary and 2nd series asana ( 25 breaths if there were two sides to the asana). Looking back at those videos now I notice that I'm breathing quickly.

In My Primary asana this year I've been slowing the breath and exploring long stays but not with the Intermediate asana. I'd like to regain steadiness and comfort in the asana and then stay for the same time as in the videos but taking half as many breaths and then perhaps build back up to 25 and 50 breaths but long and slow, perhaps with kumbhaka where it feels appropriate.

First I need to regain some steadiness and comfort in the asana, stay for five breaths then stay for the same time but taking only two breaths and then keep that same rate of breath and increase it back up to five and then start to think about ten, twenty-five, fifty breaths.

But a way to go, in Pashasana my heels are up of the mat and I'm binding only at fingertips, breathing is short. In Kapotasana I'm just touching my toes but my heels have come back several times before, kapotasana doesn't worry me. Leg behind head postures disappeared altogether, just recently I think. In Eka Pada Shirshasana I'm having to keep hold of my foot to bend forward. Dwi Pada Shirshasana has gone altogether, likewise Yoga Nidrasana. Karandavasana I can still land and with some control but not tight enough, perhaps i'm a long way from taking it back up again.

Parlour/shala game
You don't have to wait for me to catch back up, to check your own proficiency in these postures, see how long I stay for my 25 quick breaths in the video and then stay for the same period working on taking half as many breaths, let me know how it goes.

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

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

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Eighth day to seven headstands

Nice post here from Jean Marie in the "I quit Ashtanga" genre (but not what you might expect going by the title).

http://www.jeanmarieyoga.com/yoga/blog/i-quit-ashtanga

Krishnamacharya teaching pranayama

I was asked if I had a better copy of the Pranayama Mantra that's sitting on my Pramayama page at the top of the blog. It is/was a little dark, here is a slightly more cleaned up version as well as a new one I just made up and the text so you can format it as you wish.

My pranayama page also includes the Ashtanga pranayama routine, click below



I thought I might as well repost the whole section on the Pranayama mantra as Ramaswami taught it to us with the cleaned up printouts.

Ramaswami, following Krishnamacharya's teaching, would have us chant mentally the pranayama mantra on the kumbhaka after the inhalation in nadi sodhana. Once learned you can chant it quickly in about ten seconds or so then slow it down to a more comfortable twenty seconds in line with the ratio as you settle into your pranayama.

In the beginning you could also just chant the first part, for a shorter kumbhaka or chant the first part while inhaling, the second part on the kumbhaka and the third part on the exhalation.



LEARNING THE PRANAYAMA MANTRA

Ramaswami's excellent tutorial is here 
http://vinyasakrama.com/mp3s/Learn%20Pranayama%20Mantra%20Chant.mp3

other chant tutorials HERE
http://www.vinyasakrama.com/Chants

Leads up to Nadi Shodhana with mantra, sufficient for a couple of lifetimes

Pranayama Mantra

This is the original I received from Ramaswami, cleaned it up a as much as I could, the original photocopy was a little dark.



And new version I made myself





Here it is again so you can format it as you wish

Pranayama Mantrah

प्राणायाम मन्त्रः

ओं भूः । ओं भुवः । ओं सुवः
ओं महः । ओं जनः । ओं तपः । ओ ँ् सत्यं ।

Om bhUh . Om bhuvaha . Ogm suvaha .
Om mahaha . Om janaha . Om tapaha . Ogm satyam ।

ओं तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

Om tat savitur varENiyam bhargO dEvasya dhImahi .
dhiyO yO nah pracOdayAte ..

ओमापो ज्योती-रसोऽमृतं-ब्रह्म भूर्भुवस्सुवरोम्


OmApO jyOti rasO’amRutam brahma bhUrbhuvassuvarOm




A TRANSLATION OF  THE PRANAYAMA MANTRA


And here's a link to a page that translates (below) and explains the mantra

AUM bhUH, AUM bhuvaH, AUM svaH, AUM mahaH
AUM janaH, AUM tapaH, AUM satyam

AUM, the primordial sound, resides in all elements of the universe. It permeates the earth (-bhUH), water (-bhuvaH), fire (-svaH), air (-mahaH), ether (-janaH), intelligence (-tapaH) and consciousness (-satyam).

AUM tatsaviturvarenyM bhargo devasya dhImahi
dhIyo yo nH prachodayAt.h.

We pay homage to Gayatri, the one who shines like the sun (tat savitur), the one who destroys all our sins through her everlasting and effulgent light. Dear Goddess Gayatri, please illuminate our path towards our higher consciousness and lead us to our true purpose in life

AUM Apo jyotiH rasomRRitaM
brahma bhUR bhuvaH svar AUM..

Please shine your light (-jyotiH) in our path so we may partake of the everlasting nectar (rasomRRitaM) of brahman while chanting the primordial sound, AUM'!


Ramaswami's Mantra meditation Newsletter February 2012

MANTRA PRANAYAMA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a pranayama for renunciates:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best wishes

Sincerely
Srivatsa Ramaswami

Ramaswami practicing pranayama

...but here's an interesting presentation of the chakra model in this passage from Krishnamacharya's Yogasanagalu. Chakras as places in the body where the mind gets hung up (in a knot), limiting it's ability to experience. Loosening these knots (through pranayama) and stabilising the mind ( through dharana, dhyana and samadhi) expands the mind to new ideas.

"Then he (the teacher) should say: "As far as, verily, this great akasa extends, so far extends the akasa within the heart. Both heaven and earth are contained within it, both fire and air, both sun and moon, both lightning and stars; and whatever belongs to him (i.e. the embodied creature) in this world and whatever does not, all that is contained within it (i.e.the akasa in the heart)."
 Adhyaya VIII, Khanda I, Chandogya Upanishad

Krishnamacharya, uddiyana bandha kriya

Here's Krishnamacharya's Chakra passage from Yogasanagalu. When you put it like this.....

"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-knots) 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.

Along with these, ‘antaranga sadhana”  practices of dharana, dhyana and samadhistabiliizes the wandering, drifting and roving mind, eliminates mental illness and worries, enhances life expectancy, intellectual power and expands the mind to new ideas".
Krishnamacharya: Yogasanagalu (1941)





"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".
Krishnamacharya Yoga Makaranda

Krishnamacharya

"It is very cheerful news that we are seeing an increase in the number of people who can teach and publicise yogangasana practice. However, we must seek out and examine those who have mastered the secrets of yogadarshana and only learn from them..."

"While practicing or teaching yogangasana, one must know which asanas and pranayamas to teach to whom? how many days? for which disease? (treatment) how many inhalations and exhalations? how long to do a particular asana? which asanas for obese individuals?  which ones for lean body type? when to inhale and when to exhale? for how long? Don’t we need teachers and promoters who know these secrets?

We need some who are just demonstrators.  However, if they don’t learn these secrets and want to only promote, it will not be of much use".  
Krishnamacharya : Yogasanagalu 1941

In the past many have thought that there was an early and a late Krishnamacharya and at some point there was "Die Kehre" ( the turning), taking him from, what's often mistakenly depicted as a dynamic, one size fits all, regimented Ashtanga Krishnamacharya, to the gentler bespoke Vinyasa Krama and Vinniyoga Krishnamacharya. I've argued this was probably not the case, that Krishnamacharya was teaching individual patients and students a Vinyasa Krama at the same time he was teaching the boys of the palace Ashtanga vinyasa (groups of asana rather than fixed series). We can see the familiar Vinyasa Krama Head and Shoulder stand variations in Krishnamacharya's 1938 film footage from Mysore alongside Iyengar jumping from asana to asana. And he we find him here in 1941 asking in Yogasanagalu, how many inhalations and exhalations, how long the stay, which asana for whom... just as we saw long slow breathing, long stay options as well as supposed benefits indicated in his 1934 'Ashtanga vinyasa book' ,Yoga Makaranda.

Note too Krishnamacharya comment on demonstrations. Krishnamacharya was traveling the country at this time promoting Yoga on the behest of the Maharaja of Mysore, no doubt he was aware that it was the demonstration of asana by him and later his students ( EG. Iyengar, Jois) that people came to see and no doubt remembered rather than the more important lectures he gave on the possibilities, benefits and philosophy of yoga. 

So why all these videos, all these workshops how to get into this posture, into that.

Sometimes I wonder, guiltily, if I'm partly to blame. When I started this blog most of the videos we had of the practice were of perfectly performed ( for then) asana. The idea of this blog as well as others was to try to show the progress towards attaining a semblance of the asana, ideally catch the the first jump back, jump through, drop back, the first 'no hands' leg behind head, and that perhaps this might be more useful to others working on the asana than seeing the perfect, divine, presentation of an asana or technique, for the longest time I tried to lift up like Lino Miele and jump back or jump through like John Scott.

Others had a similar idea, once we had a basic, however unpolished, version of an asana it became no longer of any value to film it unless a better approach/technique came up. Others however, more accomplished than us, started to make more polished videos, better 'how to's' and oh what are market there was for those. Those early days of Youtube built reputations, mini asana empires. Did the number of workshops increase, it seems that way and of course built on how-to tutorials as they were, that became the character of the workshops,new postures were handed out willy-nilly. The rules of the market, demand needed to be maintained.... created....invented, more tutorials, asana we would never think of encouraging a few years before, fancy floaty techniques.... it wasn't enough to jump through ( of almost hop through like Sharath) one had to float.... and justifications, oh the justifications for doing so ...."bandhas you know".

But perhaps it was always so, David Swenson's handstands between navasana come to mind, Derek Ireland's handstands between everything...., more innocent times?

Later the tutorial seemed less important, the finished product was more suited to Instagram, why produce a tutorial at all when a few beautiful photographs would do or better still a glossy promotional video, location location location. At some point these appeared to became a necessity. If you wanted to prop up your shala, give your space a chance to survive, make a living then you too needed to jump on the bandwagon and market yourself, the practice.

All distractions of course, all this learning we're encouraged towards, a lot of learning it seems but no knowledge.

We know where the knowledge is found, where it always is and in any discipline, there on the mat, on the cushion, in turning inwards.... and we don't need anybody to tell us, we knew it from our first comfortably breathed surynamaskara. Learn the basics from a teacher perhaps, take a workshop in how not to hurt yourself and just breathe, ignore as much distraction as you can, certainly don't seek it out, shame on you, on us for pushing it on you.

But wasn't it all like this, didn't Krishnamacharya himself give demonstrations. he did indeed but these seemed to have been to promote yoga. Krishnamacharya was very much aware that he needed to grab attention, to have his audience even pretend to listen to his lectures when all they wanted to see where the young boys with their legs behind their heads or in impossible backbends.... perhaps this was why Krishnamacharya was so bad tempered at the time and how he lightened when he left Mysore.

Some still do it the old way, workshops made up of asana practice and lectures, talks explorations of texts. Chuck spending three days on surynamaskara and two before that on samastithi (I exaggerate.... slightly), Richard exploring the Gita after exploring half primary.....


Shala's remain of course, the good ones, safe spaces to explore the practice for oneself, the occasional assist, a reminder of breath and bandhas, no pressure to move more forward than appropriate unless discipline is the focus the lesson of this day and the next but generally left alone as much as possible to turn inward.

The home shala is the extension of this, the only option for some but perhaps were we all end up sooner or later.

I was sent some questions about Vinyasa Krama this morning from somebody who generally practices Ashtanga but recently picked up Ramaswami's Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga and is wondering how to approach it.

Part I. Some Questions on how to approach Srivatsa Ramaswami's Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga

(This is my current personal approach, at the end of the blog I post Ramaswami's own guidelines for practice).


Q: In each routine it seems surya namaskar is only practiced once, is this correct?


Surynamaskara is optional for Ramaswami and indeed seems to have been so for Krishnamacharya. It came into vogue (again?) in the 1920s and there were surynamaskara classes all over India. The Maharaja of Mysore apparently wanted to have one at the palace yoga school but Krishnamacharya doesn't seem to have been interested, seeing it no doubt (correctly) as an exercise fad. There is suggestion that Pattabhi Jois might have taught such a class, I seem to remember Mark Singleton wites about this in his Yoga Body book,

However, Krishnamacharya did appear to teach Surynamaskara with mantras when in Mysore (Indra Devi), as well as later to Ramaswami ( see the back of Ramaswami's book), it's an option. I come from Ashtanga so still practice some A and B.

Often I'll take a Krishnamacharya approach where I...

stay in each asana of the surynamaskara vinyasa for five or ten breaths

followed by
Surynamaskara with mantras
3 x Ashtanga Surynamaskara As
3 x Ashtanga Surynamaskara Bs

Generally Ramaswami would start practice with a short tadasana sequence ( there is a ten minute video of mine on youtube).
Balasahib's 'original' 1928 Suya Namaskar , sun salutation
and
The Ashtanga Key - Surya Namaskar

Q: Can one sequence be practiced daily, on a rotational basis, or is it better to incorporate elements from each? Plus subroutines?

Ramaswami recommends we learn the sequences as sequences to gain an understanding of and/or familiarity with the relationships between asana, how some lead towards a key asana and others develop and extend that asana as well as how one group (subroutine) of asana may be related to another. Even after we have learned those sequences he still recommends we revisit them regularly, practice one a week say.

We (Vinyasa Krama teachers) need to be careful I think not to slip into the trap of presenting these sequences as the be all and end all of Vinyasa Krama in an attempt to promote either ourselves or the practice as a competing style to Ashtanga. The sequences are a pedagogic resource, we pick asana and/or subroutines from them to construct our practice, generally daily as deemed appropriate. ( I however tend to practice a relatively fixed group of asana/Vinyasa Krama subroutines ( or part of) that make up Ashtanga 2nd series ( see below), mostly out of habit and familiarity but practiced slowly and followed by pranayama, pratyahara and meditation.

Practicing a full sequences we might begin with a little tadasana, a surynamaskara or two with or without mantra, perhaps a short triangle subroutine then a full Vinyasa Krama sequence from the book. After the sequence  we could then do something along the lines of shoulderstand, headstand shoulderstand again and padmasana. Somewhere in the practice it's also recommended to work in maha mudra and pascimattanasana.

It's not like modern Ashtanga, you don't have to stop at whichever posture you struggle with. The Vinyasa Krama sequences are made of subroutines, asana that lead up to a key asana and then develop and expand it, you might only get some way along the preparation asana. Stop where appropriate in that subroutine but then move on perhaps to the next subroutine in the sequence. So you don't need to be able to do all the marichi's before moving on to the Janu sirsasana subroutine or be able to put your leg behind your head before moving on to the trianmukha subroutine.

Q: There is no instruction for savasana at the end of each sequence, is one supposed to meditate/ breathe as an alternative? Or always complete the wind down sequence and finish?

Ramaswami would recommend you take a short Savasana whenever your breath loses some control or your heartbeat increases.

Nice story from when he was teaching at a hardcore Ashtanga shala full of Advanced series students. He apparently taught a nice slow tadasana subroutine then suggested they take a short savasana : )

But yes, take a short savasana at the end of the sequence (or at several places during the sequence), then ideally some finishing asana along the lines of sarvangasana, sirsasana, savangasana again and padmasana. Then another short savasana followed by pranayama, another short savasana and then a few minutes of pratyahara and a meditation practice.

Vinyasa Krama is an integrated practice, it's expected that you will practice asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation.

Q: finally there does not seem to be instruction in asanas traditionally not recommended for menstruating women (inversions, strong backbends, band has, breath retention etc)- are these covered in other texts?

There is actually a whole chapter on inversions, the Inverted sequence, shoulderstands come in the Supine sequence.

Kapotasana comes in the meditative sequences as it's based on vajrasana. I tend to practice the Bow sequence and then some of the meditative asana, ustrasana, Laghu and kapotasana just like in Ashtnaga.

There is also a camel walk sequences that would fit as an extension of the meditative sequence, Ramaswami includes it at the end of the book.

Bandhas are mentioned throughout, usually something like "draw in the belly" and of course in the pranayama instruction.

See too, Ramaswami's Yoga Beneath the Surface written with David Hurwitz where David asks a hundred questions or more on yoga practice and philosophy, nice discussion of bandhas in asana there.

In Ramaswami's other book Yoga for the Three Stages of Life ( still my favourite book on yoga) there is a Yoga for Women chapter. There are also some articles he produced as part of a serialisation on antenatal that cover several issues. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2012/09/ante-natel-yoga-article-by-srivatsa.html

I hope that helps a little. I'm from Ashtanga originally too as I'm sure you saw from the blog, for a while Ashtanga and Vinyasa Krama seemed such different practices but when you go back to Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makranda (1934), written in Mysore when he was teaching the Young Pattabhi Jois you see that Krishnamacharya recommended long slow breathing, Long stays and we see the shoulderstand and headstand variations in the 1938 movie that we find in Ramaswami's book. When you practice Ashtanga slowly it doesn't seem so different. An Ashtanga practice is basically made up of several subroutines ( going to show that below). Usually you probably wouldn't practice as many asana ( half an Ashtanga series perhaps) because you'd want to leave time for pranayama and meditation.

Hope that helps a little, feel free to ask any other questions that come up

Best Wishes

Anthony

Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga

Part II. Ashtanga Second Series made up of Vinyasa Krama subroutines (or part of)

* I prefer to think of Ashtanga Primary and Second series as Krishnamacharya's Primary Group and Middle Group asana - see Krishnamacharya's full asana table. Yogasanagalu (1941).

from the first part of the post

( Recently however I've tended to practice a relatively fixed group of asana, Vinyasa Krama subroutines ( or part of ) that make up the Ashtanga 2nd series, mostly out of habit and familiarity (and partly because I feel some of us should be exploring this consistency in Krishnamacharya's teaching) but practiced slowly and followed by pranayama, pratyahara and meditation.

As far as I'm concerned, in practicing Ashtanga 2nd series I'm practicing Vinyasa Krama. Sharath in fact often refers to Ashtanga as a Vinyasa krama.

So my current practice

I'll often begin with a short tadasana arm movements warm up.

Often I'll take a Krishnamacharya approach where I...

stay in each asana of the surynamaskara vinyasa for five or ten breaths

followed by
Surynamaskara with mantras
3 x Ashtanga Surynamaskara As
3 x Ashtanga Surynamaskara Bs
Next up are some triangle subroutines, some on one leg subroutines and perhaps another triangle subroutine.

After Pasasana and Krouchasana I practice much of the Vinyasa Krama Bow sequences followed by part of the Meditative sequence (called meditative because they are based on vajrasana, a meditation posture, and include ustrasana, supta vajrasana and Kapotasana.

I include Bakasana, the pratkriya twists bharadvajrasana ( facing both over the shoulder and to the frount) and ardha matsyendrasana then start on an Asymmetric subroutine leading to eka pada sirsasana, both legs behind the head in dwi pada sirsasana and yoga nidrasana from seated and supine sequences.

After some arm balances ( titibhasana - back of Ramaswami's book) and a couple of extra postures, again all found in Ramaswami's book I move to supine subroutines, inverted subroutines and finally a lotus subroutine.

The Ashtanga sequences are made up of these subroutines that we also find in Ramaswami's book, no doubt lifted by Pattabhi Jois from Krishnamacharya's asana table. The full sequences Ramaswami presents are intended only for learning the relationship between asana. Once we are familiar with these relationships we would pick subroutines or parts of subroutines from them depending on the perceived needs of the day.

The Ashtanga sequences pick those asana for us that we then repeat each day, a nice varied range of asana. In my practice I might add a couple of extra asana from Ramaswami's presentation if I feel I might benefit from more preparation that morning. I might stress one asana or subroutine more than another, I might also drop some asana if it feels appropriate. I tend to include key asana, paschimattanasana after dropping back, and maha mudra/baddha konasana before padmasana in finishing

I tend to rotate asana that I wish to repeat  or stay in longer. A long stay in paschimattanasana one day, bharadvajrasana another

The practice is the same but different each morning.

Depending on time available, splitting the above practice over two days might be appropriate ( or even three, I can't bring myself to practice quickly anymore).

Personally I tend jump back between asana and perhaps full vinyasa between groups of asana, again out of habit. In Vinyasa Krama there is a tendency to jump back between subroutines rather than after each asana or side.

Ramaswami says the count to and from standing was always implied although might only be included after every subroutine or sequence rather than every asana, it's up to us and our physical condition.

I breathe slowly just as in Vinyasa Krama, three breaths as Ramaswami often indicates in his book, three long slow breaths takes around the same time as five quicker breaths found perhaps in Ashtanga, the same time spent in the asana. Some asana I choose to stay in longer or repeat (perhaps with a different arm variation)

Some asana I will include kumbhaka (often rotating the asana) just as Krishnamacharya indicated in his Mysore books. The kumbhaka is inexplicably not found in Pattabhi Jois' Ashtanga despite being in Krishnamacharya's manual written at the time he was teaching the young Pattabhi Jois

After practicing asana I practice pranayama, pratyahara and meditation.


How to practice Vinyasa Krama 

An Excerpt from Ramaswami's September 2009 Newsletter :

Vinyasakrama Practice

Most of the readers of this newsletter have studied Vinyasakrama Asana
practice with me for varying durations, a weekend program, a weeklong
Core Vinyasa program, a 60 hour complete Vinyasa Yoga program or the
200 hour Teacher Training Schedule. Many people see something unique
about this system, somewhat different from the contemporary mainstream
yoga. Most have read the “Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga” book and
finally ask the question, what next? How can I do a daily practice
from these sequences? There are more than 700 asanas/vinyasas and I
normally recommend doing each vinyasa three times. At the rate of
about 4/5 movements per minute (it could be even 3 per minute for good
breathers), it could take about 8 to 9 hours to do the complete
vinyasakrama. Then my Guru would commend doing a short stint of
Pranayama, say for about 15 to 30 mts and then chanting or meditation
for another 15 to 30 mts, daily. We also have to consider that in
asana practice, there are a few heavy weight poses which require one
to stay for a long time. So it is almost impossible to practice all of
it everyday even by a full time ‘practice-live-and-sleep-in-yoga mat’
yogi. The book was written to give as complete as possible, a
presentation of all the vinyasas  in a series of sequences that is
logical and easy to learn, as I learnt from my Guru. It is a book for
learning the system. Any serious student of yoga who would spend years
studying and teaching yoga should have in one’s repertoire as many
asanas, vinyasas and logical sequences (krama) as possible. So, one
should firstly study the entire range of asanas and vinyasas of the
vinyasakrama system from a teacher say in the 60 hr vinyasakrama
program. Then note down all the vinyasas that are a bit difficult to
do. One should practice daily for half hour to one hour as many
vinyasas as possible following the recommended sequence, with special
emphasis on the difficult ones. In about six months to one year of
consistent practice one would be comfortable with the system, the
sequences and especially the required synchronous breathing. This
would complete the learning process. Then one may prepare a green list
of asanas and vinyasas one would be able to do and wants to practice
regularly. There will be another list, amber list which would contain
those vinyasas which are difficult now but one would like to practice
them even if they are somewhat imperfect. Then there would be another
red list which will contain procedures that are not appropriate or
possible for the practitioner—which could probably be taken up in the
next janma. Then it would be time for concentrating on using
vinyasakrama for daily practice and also teaching to individuals for
their daily yoga practice.

Adapting yoga to individual requirements is an art by itself. We must
understand that there is no one standard practice that is suitable to
everyone. In medicine you have to give different treatment to
different patients; what is suitable to one suffering from digestive
problem would be different from the one that is suitable for one who
is suffering from some low back pain. According to an important motto
of Krishnamacharya, yoga for children and the adolescents (growth
stage) is different from yoga practice in their midlife which again is
different from the practice in old age. The body, mind and goals
change during different stages of life. Sri Krishnamacharya’s teaching
is based on this principle as we could discern from his works, Yoga
Makaranda and Yoga Rahasya.
Basically yoga for kids and young adults will have a considerable
amount of asana vinyasa practice -- many vinyasas, difficult poses,
etc. It will help them to work out the considerable rajas in their
system and proper growth (vriddhi). Of course they should also
practice some pranayama and meditation or chanting. For the midlife
yogi, the practice will still include some asana, but specifically
some of the health giving  and restorative postures like the
Inversions, Paschimatanasana, Mahamudra, etc., in which poses one may
be required to stay for a longer period of time. There will be more
emphasis on Pranayama and then more meditation, chanting, worship etc.
When I started studying with my Guru I was 15 years old. During the
beginning years of my study it was mostly difficult asanas and
vinyasas. Swing throughs, jump arounds, utplutis etc and other fun
filled unique sequences were the order of the day. As I grew up, my
teacher slowly but surely changed the mix, focus and direction of my
yoga practice. On the last day I was with him (I was close to 50 then)
it was just chanting of Surya Namaskara (Aruna) mantras for the entire
duration with him. During the third stage of life, the old age, the
emphasis is usually spiritual and/or devotional even as one is
required to do some simple movements and pranayama.
And within the group, the daily practice can be varying depending upon
the requirements and goals set forth by the yogi for herself/himself.
For instance, for the midlife yogi, the main goal will be to maintain
good physical and mental health, rather than being able to stand, say,
on one leg or even on one hand (Of course the child in me wants to do
that). He/She would like to avoid risky movements so that the practice
would be safe and does not cause injuries—immediate or cumulative. Too
much exertion (kayaklesa), like several rounds of continuous,
breathless Suryanamaskaras again should be avoided, says Brahmananda
in his commentary on Hatayogapadipika. A few may be more inclined to
have some spirituality thrown in. Many would like to develop the
ability to and the habit of visiting the peace zone of the mind daily.
There are some who are more rajasic or tamasic in which case the mix
of asana and pranayama should be properly adjusted, sometimes taking
care of even the day to day variations of the gunas. It requires some
careful attention in deciding a particular day’s practice. Hence, to
suggest a practice of a set of asanas or a routine for everyone
irrespective of the age, condition, temperament and goal is incorrect.
Such an approach does not take into consideration not only the
versatility and richness of orthodox, traditional vinyasakrama yoga
practice but also does not take the varying factors of individual
requirements. Sri Krishnamacharya’s yoga can appropriately be termed
as ‘Appropriate Yoga’.
However, as a general rule, for the serious mid-life yogi, a daily
practice of about 90 mts to 2 hrs will be necessary and sufficient.
Here is modifiable one. After a short prayer, one could do a brief
stint of Tadasana doing the main vinyasas two or preferably three
times each. It should take about ten minutes. Then one subsequence in
the asymmetric could be taken up, say Marichyasana or Triyangmukha or
the half lotus. The choice may be varied on a daily basis. Five minute
stay in Paschimatanasana and the counter poses may be practiced. Then
one may do preparation of Sarvangasana and a brief stay in it,
followed by headstand stay for about 5 to 10 minutes or more and then
staying in Sarvangasana for 5 to 10 more minutes, if one can do
inversions. Paschimatanasana, Sarvangaana and Headstand are to be
practiced preferably daily for their health benefits.  If time permits
one may do few vinyasas in these inversions. One may do a subsequence
of Triangle pose like warrior pose and /or one sequence in one legged
pose.  Mahamudra for about 5 minutes each on both sides can then be
practiced.  Why are these important? In an earlier article I had tried
to explain the unique health benefits of the twin inversions. . In
fact the inversions, Sirsasana and Sarvangasana are mudras, the
viparitakarani mudras. I remember my Guru asking us to do
Paschimatanasana sequence quite often-- it is said to be an important
pose for Kundalini Prabhoda, especially when the bandhas are also done
and the pelvic muscles/floor are drawn towards the back. You could
also observe that Paschimatanasan helps to stretch all the muscles and
tissues in the posterior portion (as the name of the asana indicates)
of the body where there are heavy muscles--thighs calves, glutei etc.
Mahamudra as the name indicates is considered to be the best/great of
Mudras. It is believed that it helps to direct the prana into the
sushumna as it is supposed to block the ida and pingala separately.
Aided by Jalandharabandha, it also helps to keep the spine straight
Then sitting in Vajrasana or Padmasana after doing some movements one
should do a suitable variant of Kapalabhati, say for about 108 times
and then an appropriate Pranayama, Ujjayi, Nadisodhana or Viloma with
or without mantras for about 15 minutes to be followed by five minutes
Shanmukhimudra and then chanting or meditation of about 15 minutes.
The efficacy of Pranayama on the whole system and mind cannot be
overemphasized. Please read the article on “Yoga for the Heart”, in an
earlier newsletter... It refers to the benefits of Pranayama to the
heart and the circulatory system.
 If interested, one may allocate an additional 30 minutes (or practice
at another time in the day, say, in the evening) during which time one
may practice a few subroutines from the other scores of sequences that
have not been included in this core yoga practice. Even though the
book contains 10 main sequences, the reader will be able to discern
more than a hundred asana sequences, each one having a unique
structure. In fact each chapter is a major sequence (wave) of many
specific sequences (ripples), which itself is made up of a few vinyaas
(dops of water). Then the whole book is a mega sequence (tide) of
major sequences in the ocean of Yoga. If you take Tadasana itself,
there are firstly the hasta vinyasas, then, parsva bhangis, different
uttanasanas, utkatasana, pasasana and finally the tadasana. Each
subroutine itself may have anywhere between 3 to even 20 vinyasas. So
there is considerable versatility in the system. It is better to stick
to the integrity of the subroutines (like Ushtrasana, Virabhadrasana
or Vrikshasana for instance), as enunciated in the book. Thus we have
a variable component and a fixed component in the daily practice.
Everyday before the start of the practice the yogi should take a
minute and decide on a definite agenda and as far as possible try to
stick to the agenda. What asanas and vinyasas, which pranayama and how
many rounds and other details should be determined before hand and one
should adhere to it. It brings some discipline and coherence to one’s
practice. It is customary to end the practice with peace chant.

Adapting vinyasakrama to individual requirements can be termed as
viniyoga krama. For instance when my Guru gets a middle aged person or
a nine year old with specific condition like scoliosis, he would
design a specific program to the individual requirement. Almost
everyone who comes to him will have a routine developed which will not
be the one that is given to someone else. I have written about the
family class we had with my Guru when we started learning from him.
During the same time period he would teach different vinyasas, poses
and procedures to each one of us, my older father, my somewhat heavy-
set mother, my supple, talented younger sister, my more challenged
brother and me. One reason why people nowadays look for a definite
routine is because a few of the more popular vinyasa systems have a
very small number of regimented sequences which are taught over and
over again almost to all students. So there is a mindset that there
should be a rigid sequence that is applicable for everyone, but that
is not the way we learnt yoga from my Guru. Firstly the teacher should
learn the whole system and then apply it to individuals as per the
requirements -- pick and choose those vinyasa sequences, pranayama and
meditation practices, dietary requirements, etc.. The question that is
to be answered is what does the practitioner want/need and how should
the yoga routine be designed to get the required benefit. Vinyasakrama
is like a yoga supermarket, and each one should put into the cart what
one needs. And the term Vinyasakrama includes not just asanas but also
other aspects of yoga like pranayama, meditation, etc. It is a
progression of different aspects of Yoga. The Vinyasakrama  has a huge
collection of asana vinyasas, a well stocked section on Pranayama,
then the meditation department and a spiritual study/contemplation
section as well. So a lot of initiative should be taken by the
individual consumer, like our practitioner who should take the
responsibility of working out with the teacher how to design an
intelligent purposeful yoga practice pertaining to oneself. To reduce
Vinyasakrama to a standard routine as is done with several other
contemporary Vinyasa systems and put it in a straight jacket is not
desirable. I have explained these ideas to many participants of the
longer versions of the programs and thought to touch upon them for the
general reader who would be wondering how to force the VK elephant (or
a camel) into the needle’s eye of daily practice.

There are some friends who after completing the program take a few
private lessons to tailor-make the VK system to their requirements. We
discuss about their physical  conditions and mental makeup, age,
obesity, pulse rate, blood pressure, breath rate and breathing
constraints, general disposition, time availability, stress levels,
etc., and design a routine for their benefit. Because there is a
bewildering array of  vinyasas, pranayama methods, mantras, etc., we
have a better choice of designing and fine-tune a program suitable to
the particular individual. If there is problem with VK it is a problem
of plenty.
There are a few serious practitioners who have their daily routine cut
out, but then do the complete vinyasakrama separately say in the
evening for about an hour so that they could go through all the
vinyasa sequences in a span of one week. In vedic chanting, the
Taittiriya saka , consists of about 80+ chapters and it would take
about 40 to 45 hours to chant the whole. Those who have learnt the
entire Taittiriya Saka duing their childhood, have to keep chanting
them all their lives. They do it by doing chanting for about 1 to 1 ½
hours per day so that they could complete it in a Mandala or about 40
days. Similarly Carnatic musicians learn several songs, but for their
practice they take a few songs per day and over a period of several
weeks they would cover all the songs they had learnt. Likewise the
yoga practice can be varied and rich. The rich variety makes it
possible to maintain abiding interest in a personal Yoga Practice at
home. It does not become a chore.
 A list of more than 120 asana vinyasa routines contained in the book,
“The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga” is added as a post script. Based
on the discussion above on the criteria for daily practice you may
decide on your daily routine by picking specific asana sequences and
have a unique program made specifically for you and by you every day.
Please stick to the integrity of the sequences in the asana. If you
teach, you may modify them for persons who are sick or physically
challenged.  Pranayama, inversions, paschimatana  mahamudra  and
meditation may be included for sure. You have myriad possibilities.
There is no one rigid universal daily practice routine in Vinyasakrama
as I have explained.

Excerpt from Ramaswami's February 2011 Newsletters
(Notes from one of Krishnamacharya's lessons/lectures/articles)


Now let me give a comprehensive treatment of practice krama of yoga

There are several essential factors that should be kept in view by
both the yogabhyasi and the teacher. The student, as instructed by the
teacher should check the quality of recaka and puraka (exhalation and
inhalation). Are there any obstructions in the airways? It is mainly
because asanas unaided or synchronized with breathing is of no use.
For instance, the teacher and the student should check the number of
matras (measure of time) the breath takes while inhaling, exhaling. If
there is considerable difference in these durations, the teacher
should first ask the abhyasi to practice controlled rechaka-puraka
even prior to the practice of asanas.

Then one should start practicing asanas as per instructions. There are
many asanas--sitting, standing, supine, prone, lying on the sides—
there are thus many starting positions. Further there are upside down
positions, like Sarvangasana. If the students has good well
proportioned body the teacher can teach the inversions, Sarvangasana
and Sirsasana even in the beginning of study. And such a person
should also possess very long and smooth inhalations and exhalations.
Further he should learn to maintain the inhalations and exhalations of
even duration. If one does 8 to 10 recaka-purakas in sirsasana, then
one should practice sarvangasana for the same number of recaka-puraka
and of the same duration. Sarvangasana and sirsasana are like the two
eyes of yogabhyasa. These help to maintain “bodily
freedom” (sariraswatantriyam)The various vinyasas of these poses also
have similar effects. Only by these two poses the acuity of the senses
and capacity of the lungs increase. Even as Sarvangasana is an
essential pose for persons with heart ailment, it should be done with
the help and involvement of the teacher/trainer. While teaching
Sarvangasana to such persons, the teacher should stand behind the
trainee and at the end of each exhalation should gently nudge the
trainee's back a little forward and hold for a second. After about a
month's such practice, the trainer should check the strength of
recaka, the general health or growth of the body the duration of
recaka-puraka and then if they are good should help the trainee stay
for about a minute or so. Thereafter the abhyasi should be given rest.
If one has some ailment the posture should be repeated two or three
times. For instance to an asthmatic doing even half a dozen breaths in
Sarvangasana will be difficult. So the trainee should make the abhyasi
practice atleast 12 breaths over a number of tries. Trying to do many
breaths in one go could create some chest pain and discomfort. So,
with a relaxed approach in four or six tries one should do the
required number of breaths. One should return to the lying down
position slowly. The same will apply to obese people while learning
sarvangasana, they should be taught the asanas with a lot of care. In
this manner the teacher and taught should learn to remain in an asana
for several minutes without any doubts about the pose. With
sarvangasana and sirsasana other asanas like paschimatanasana,
purvatanasana, chatushpada peetam; Parvatasana, vajrasana,
Bhujangasana etc can also br practiced.

When one starts to learn Yoga, in the beginning the duration of
practice can be as little as 15 to 20 minutes. One can gradually
increase the duration. The teacher should check the breath every day
and then increase the duration of practice. Whatever be the posture,
if one could stay for a long time without the limbs going to sleep (or
numb) or any pain or discomfort then such a practitioner is known as
jitasana (the conqueror/master of an asana.) While staying in an asana
one should not unnecessarily shake the body, bend or contort or move
and if one can stay for hours then such a yogi is a jitasana. We learn
from the works and sayings of yogis that in the olden days the rishis,
every day would remain in any one asana for three hours and do
pranayama and meditation. Then if the yogi is able to remain doing
long inhalation, exhalation and kumbhaka without feeling any kind of
fatigue and for a long period of time such a person would be called
“Jitaprana” or Jitaswasa, or one who has conquered the breath.

Remaining in a posture and gazing at one's favorite (ishta) icon and
experiencing a feeling of bliss is called “trataka”. It is of two
types, anta and bahi. To gaze at an outside object like an icon is
external trataka. Closing one's eyes and 'imaging' the object
internally and continually focusing attention in between the eyebrows
is the antah(r)trataka or internal gazing. One can practice this
between one to ten minutes.

In the yogasana practice it is good to include a Mudra as well
everyday. Mahamudra and Shanmukhi mudra may be done. Further one
should do a kriya called plavana (jumping/stretching). For instance,
remaining in the same place after a particular asana practice, one may
place the palms on the floor, lift the body and then stretch the legs
one by one . Then in recaka one should bend the leg and in puraka
return to the floor If one stays in an asana for a long time, the
muscles could slightly cramp and the plavana would help restore the
muscles attain normal tone. The yogabhyasi should practice asana,
pranayama, mudra and kriya together even from the beginning. Only then
all the benefits mentioned for the varied asanas will accrue. Likewise
if one by Pranayama becomes known as Jitaswasa, and then by meditation
is able to conquer the mind such a yogi is known as jitamanaska. All
the three are necessary. One should practice the same duration for
both asana and pranayama and then twice the duration for dhyana or
meditation. In the olden days the sages did yoga on three occasions
everyday, at dawn, noon and dusk. The time and regulation in Kumbhaka
are essential. With regulated time,one should practice all aspects of
yoga, like asana, kriyas, pranayama and mudra. One should do a few
asanas that one enjoys doing for about 15 mts and then do the
pratikriyas or counter poses. For instancee one may do 15 mts of
sirsasana followed by 15 mts of sarvangasana,. Or perhaps 15 mts of
viparita dandasana followed by 15 mts of uttana mayurasana.

Asanas like sirasasana done while the body trembles or unsteady will
not be beneficial. Done correctly, it helps to maintain prana in
sushuna. Without proper practice one will not get faith in Yoga, nor
will one get the benefits mentioned in the sastras. One should know
the kriyas (like plavana) and there is a relationship bertween asanas
and plavana(jumping/stretching) kriya. As mentioned earlier, one
should bring under control the body by asana, with recaka kumbhaka the
prana and by meditation or dhyana the mind. For dhyana it may be
useful to choose a charming icon

I seem to have a wrist problem again, this time quite stubborn and doesn't seem to want to go away using the trigger point therapy I used last time See this post

Ashtanga wrist issues and therapy: Gymnasts Wrist or Washer Woman's syndrome overcome with Trigger Therapy

I could of course bring in the Ashtanga with one arm tied behind my back approach outlined in this post from back when I sliced my hand open but it all seems frankly ridiculous too me now.

Practicing Ashtanga with one hand tied behind your back




Better to switch to a Vinyasa Krama option, no surynamaskara or jump through for me but Vinyasa Krama has this nice lead in to dandasana option which is perfect.

But what about counter postures between asana or groups of asana if there is no jump back and upward facing dog?

Again Vinyasa Krama can help, I bring in dvipadapitam, table posture, there are several options. you can choose a different one each time.

Forearm downward facing dog is an option for the Bow and meditative sequence

Ashtanga practices most of the Asymmetric Vinyasas, it's always made sense to add the Intermediate vinyasas on to the Primary just as Krishnamacharya most likely did in Mysore in the 30s. This is probably how Pattabhi Jois learned these asana.

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Here's the post that's been sitting in draft.

I was asked if practicing a reduced practice and departing somewhat from the Ashtanga sequence(s) constituted a departure from the Ashtanga tradition/lineage.




"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. 

Older people who want to start yoga, however, will find practicing the following ten asanas sufficient first, the Surya Namaskara (types 1 and 2); then Paschimattanasana; Sarvangasana;
Halasana; Karnapidasana; Urdhva Padmasana; Pindasana;Matsyasana; Uttana Padasana; and Shirshasana. It is preferable to do these in concert with the vinyasas [breathing and movement systems], but if this is not possible, then practicing while focusing on rechaka and puraka will suffice. Shirshasana should be practiced for at least ten minutes, and the rest, for at least ten rechaka and puraka while in the state of the asana. By practicing in this way, the body and sense organs will become firm, the mind purified, longevity will be increased, and the body will be filled with fresh energy.

For the middle-aged, it is best to do all the asanas. The more they are practiced, the stronger the body becomes, and obstacles such as disease cease to be a problem. Pranayama is easier, the mind becomes more harmonious as the quality of sattva [purity] comes to predominate, and intellectual power and longevity are augmented.

For the very old, however, who find the practice of Sarvangasana, Halasana, Uttana Padasana, Shirshasana, and Padmasana too difficult, it is enough to practice mahabandha daily, as well as rechaka kumbhaka pranayama, puraka kumbhaka pranayama, samavritti vishamavritti pranayama, and sithali pranayama. These will help them live happier and longer lives, and will insulate them from disease.

The weak and the sick, too, should gradually practice suitable asanas and pranayamas, and over time, as their strength increases, their practices should also increase. In this way, the diseases of the sick and the strength-lessness of the weak will be eliminated, leaving them healthy and vigorous".






Dropping some asana to practice fewer, 'more useful' asana, more slowly, including longer stays and thus leaving enough time for an extended pranayama practice as well as a sit is, it would appear, very much in keeping with Pattabhi Jois Yoga Mala practice guidelines.


Which are the more useful asana?

Krishnamacharya recommended we practice paschamottanasana, maha mudra, sarvangasana, and sirsasana everyday (padmasana is a given). At other times he also recommended daily practice of mayurasana and baddha konasana.

Paschimottanasana would also imply it's counter

Ten minutes each in sarvangasana and sirsasana allow us to include several variations, many inverted versions of asana in the later half of Primary series.

If sun salutation is difficult or a problem ( I have a wrist issue at the moment then) this video from Simon Borg-Olivier might be appropriate.




Patanjali often gets quoted in Ashtanga circles to argue that one should never cease or interrupt our devotion to the Ashtanga vinyasa method.

Pattabhi Jois employs the sutra himself to argue that one shouldn't interrupt ones asana and pranayama practice....

"For many years you must practice asana and pranayama. The scriptures say: "Practicing a long time with respect and without interruption brings perfection." One year, two years, ten years... your entire life long, you practice". Interview with Pattabhi Jois

Pattabhi Jois is quoting Yoga sutra 1.14

1.14 When that practice is done for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly rooted, stable and solid foundation.
(sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih). Swamiji.com

This sutra of course refers to yoga practice in general, a meditative practice in which asana, pranayama, pratyahara as well as the yamas and niyamas play a significant role......

Examples of slow practice, Oscar practicing Vinyasa Krama on the left while I take a Krishnamacharya Yoga Makaranda  Ashtanga approach on the right

Middle group practice

The practice from this morning that I outlined above was based on the Primary group asana, tomorrow I will most likely base my practice on the middle group, a similar approach to standing as above with perhaps some time spent on some tadasana backbending preparation variations from vinyasa Krama.

More time in Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana perhaps, in preparation for pasasana.

Tiriangmukhaikapada Paschimattanasana and krounchasana

I usually switch to the Vinyasa krama Bow sequence leading up to ustrasana, laugh vajrasana and kapotasana. The Bow sequence follows quite closely the layout of Ashtanga 2nd but with some extra vinyasas.

below kapotasana.

I've started to leave out dwi pada sirsasana altogether and just practice a longer stay in yoga nidra


We can practice less postures, below supposedly an example of Krishnamacharya's own personal practice from Krishnamacharya's 3rd son, TV Sribhashyam's book Emergence of Yoga.

This post started as a fb comment

from Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934)

In response to a comment/question. Re the girl in Kurmasana in my Krishnamacharya's Original Ashtanga poster





In Krishnamacharya's first book,Yoga Makaranda, along with his own demonstrations of Primary postures, he includes some pictures of mostly more advanced postures demonstrated by his students or family (the girl in Kurmasana is I believe one of his daughters, I'm assuming the eldest, Srimathi Pundarikavalli).

Krishnamacharya seems to have taught groups of postures (Primary, Middle, Advanced) rather than fixed series but I wanted to bring together those Primary postures he gave instructions for to give an idea of how Krishnamacharya might have taught the postures that make up the first Ashtanga series. In truth my aim was to use this poster as a hook to encourage other practitioners to take a closer look at Pattabhi Jois' teacher's instruction/guidelines/options, the longer breathing, longer stays, the kumbhaka he indicates in most postures and how he takes a more flexible approach to asana practice In general.


"The first thing to say about it is that this is NOT the order the asana are found in Krishnamacharya's 1934 book Yoga Makaranda.... but not far off".

*

"Sri T. Krishnamacharya had six children, three sons and three daughters. His wife, Srimathi Namagiriammal as well as his children were taught by him" Sri Shribashyam

"He (Krishnamacharya)  was married (in 1925 to BKS Iyengar’s sister Namagririammal) and had six children, sons TK Srinivasan, TKV Desikachar, TK Sribhashyam and daughters Srimathi Pundarikavalli, Srimathi T Alamelu Sheshadri and Srimathi Shubha Mohan Kumar.
from Paul Harvey's excellent Center for Yoga Studies

Krishnamacharya invited his wife and daughters to join him in demonstrating asana for the 1938 Mysore film footage.

NB: It 's been suggested that Krishnamacharya refused to teach woman until Indra Devi used her influence with the Maharaja of Mysore in 1938 to persuade him to teach her. Given that Krishnamacharya was quite happy to teach his wife and daughters asana to a proficient level, it seems more likely that Krsihnamacharya was unsure of Indra Devi's seriousness regarding Yoga.

"The woman, who became known as Indra Devi (she was born Zhenia Labunskaia, in pre-Soviet Latvia), was a friend of the Mysore royal family. After seeing one of Krishnamacharya’s demonstrations, she asked for instruction. At first, Krishnamacharya refused to teach her. He told her that his school accepted neither foreigners nor women. But Devi persisted, persuading the Maharaja to prevail on his Brahmin. Reluctantly, Krishnamacharya started her lessons, subjecting her to strict dietary guidelines and a difficult schedule aimed at breaking her resolve. She met every challenge Krishnamacharya imposed, eventually becoming his good friend as well as an exemplary pupil.

After a year-long apprenticeship, Krishnamacharya instructed Devi to become a yoga teacher. He asked her to bring a notebook, then spent several days dictating lessons on yoga instruction, diet, and pranayama. Drawing from this teaching, Devi eventually wrote the first best-selling book on hatha yoga, Forever Young, Forever Healthy". FERNANDO PAGÉS RUIZ  Yoga Journal

Kurmasana 

(Krishnamacharya's instruction for Kurmasana from Yoga Makaranda)

This has 16 vinyasas. The 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th vinyasas demonstrate the sampurna sthiti of the asana. Only the 7th vinyasa is shown in the picture.
Benefit: The apana vayu is cleaned; nocturnal discharges are stopped. This is also a very good method for curing piles.

If women with irregular menstruation practise this asana with all the vinyasas for a few months, this affliction of the uterus and of menstrual disturbance will dissolve and they will have regular menstruation.

Important Rule: The practitioners of kurmasana must not practise it within 3 hours of eating. It must not be done on a full stomach.

poster from my book Krishnamacharya's original Ashtanga yoga http://tinyurl.com/qa45jgl

Available from Amazon and Lulu but Lulu allows me to discount it 50%  http://tinyurl.com/qa45jgl

One of those posts that just popped out, perhaps I'd write it in a different way tomorrow, in a less provocative way or edit the life out of it but this is the way it emerged and hey, it's a blog.

Ideas of Lineage, Parampara, Source can be useful, serve a purpose, support our practice but they can of course also be questioned.

Four million year old Lake Biwa, two minutes from our place, this ancient Tori (gate) cycling distance

I struggle with terminology

The Source

Parampara

Lineage

It's Mysore season, and friends and digitally nodding acquaintances' fb posts are filled with "...off to visit the source".

The 'source' referred to here being the KPJAYI Ashtanga shala in Mysore India, where Sharath, Pattabhi Jois' grandson is oft referred to as the 'Lineage holder'.

Feel free to skip this digression- Does it matter that we like to use terms like Source, Lineage, parampara, probably not but of course all these terms relate to authority and I clearly have issues with authority, I struggle with 'hereditary' too, the Queen.... I didn't vote for her, nor will I have the opportunity to vote for her son Charles when he takes over the throne. He gets secret cabinet papers you know ( a lot of discussion about this currently) as does his son....forgot his name, who will be King in turn. None of these have been elected or will they be and yet they get to see cabinet papers. Charles of course seems a nice enough man, he's no Donald Trump... luckily and I really do mean luckily because we would have been stuck with him come what may. The monarchy doesn't have any powers, not really, or at least they do but effectively can't employ them and seeing that the current Prime Minister is about to remove the veto powers of the House of Lords we essentially have an emasculated separation of powers. Of course friends in the US might like the idea of a congress without any powers, or a Senate perhaps if your batting for the blue team..... or is it red

But I digress.

What is 'The source'.

I guess it's intended to represent where Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga began.

Except it's not, not really. It's not the original shala/studio/school, that was a smaller room elsewhere in Mysore. Big deal, so Pattabhi Jois needed a bigger room, we can still visit the old school...., perhaps it has a blue plaque like all those places in London, Isaak Newton, drank a pint here, or here in Japan in some temples where we find something along the lines of  Lady Murasaki wrote a few pages of the Tale of Genji HERE

Pattabhi Jois is no longer with us, the Ashtanga hereditary system we have, the idea of lineage, where the sceptre is passed down the line... has ended up in Sharath's perhaps reluctant hand. It skipped Manju, Pattabhi Jois' son, who was there in the room demonstrating asana as his father wrote Yoga Mala, outlining the current  Ashtanga vinyasa system (give or take the odd tweak). Manju decided to stay in the west after his father's first visit but has, he says, continued to teach just as his father taught him back in the 1950s, I suspect less roughly. However, he teaches outside India so instead, the perceived official lineage has passed to Sharath. Not to Sharath's mother Saraswati, who practiced as a child alongside Manju with their father and who continues to be a much loved and respected teacher with her own shala in Mysore, but to her son who travelled with his grandfather in later years and was trained in asana by him.

The source then is a place, Mysore where the current 'official' holder of the lineage resides. Did Sharath himself take on that title I wonder, is it mentioned anywhere, on KPJAYI website, I should check, perhaps it's just a way people have of referring to him, authorised teachers perhaps to give more legitimacy to the certification, more authority, credibility.

It's not necessary for credibility of course, anyone who has practiced this approach to asana six mornings a week for  ten years or so already has credibility as an asana teacher or should have and authority or rather respect springs from that. This is assuming that this approach to asana we practice allows us to understand our asana, not just it's construction but what it is, how it may be employed, the possibility of asana... perhaps thats why we look to senior teachers, those who have practiced for decades and have moved past the outward manifestation of posture. Dropping series.... asana, may be a relief a revelation, perhaps one asana IS all we require.

We need a lineage holder/wielder it seems to maintain the official practice of Pattabhi Jois' Ashtanga vinyasa. Sharath does remind us that nobody owns yoga but there seems to be the perception that how he defines or outlines the practice is somehow official, how he tweaks it, what aspects he may stress is how it should be practiced and passed along through authorised and certified teacher's Mysore rooms. No Authorised or certified teacher is allowed to present teacher trainings, punishable by excommunication or at least being taken off the official list of recognised teachers. Personally it's those on the edges of 'official' Ashtanga, who have often ( but not always) practiced for decades, authorised/certified or not, that I find most exciting, who bring the practice and it's possibilities alive for me.

Authority, authority, authority.

Author-ity?

Sharath travelled, assisted  and trained with Pattabhi Jois in his grandfather's later years, the relationship with his granfather was clearly one of love and reverence and no doubt why he stresses paramppara, it is a concept important to him. Sharath, along with so many others has practiced and taught for years, his tweaks to the system/method have been few, minor perhaps. Pattabhi Jois himself changed the presentation of the system in a few minor ways, his shala used to have word research in the title after all, but mostly it appears to be how he was taught by his own teacher T. Krishnamacharya.

Krishnamacharya seems to have taught a dynamic style of practice to the young boys of the Mysore palace, it was perhaps a little like the Modern Shaolin school of Kung Fu, turning out demonstrators to promote yoga throughout India.

Krishnamacharya, Mysore palace school (Krishnamacharya standing on the boy in Kapotasana over on the right - Pattabhi Jois has said that he is the boy his teacher is standing on although he may be mistaken).

We also have Krishnamacharya's books on yoga written at the same time, outlining as they do a slower practice that included long stays and kumbhaka ( breath retention), a flexible approach to asana based on groups of asana, primary, middle and proficient ability asana. The follow up book was intended to include pranayama.This slower approach was less suitable for demonstrations of course although Krishnamacharya would supposedly keep one of his young demonstrators like Pattabhi Jois in kapotasana while he would stand on him and deliver a lecture/presentation and manju says his father would practice long stays in his personal practice.

Pattabhi Jois seems to have taken the approach to asana his teacher Krishnamacharya presented in his boys school for asana demonstrators, taken his teachers list (with permission I should add, even perhaps encouragement) and presented it as fixed series with minimal rearrangement to the first two of Krishnamacharya's groups of asana, the Advanced list took more rearrangement.

The source then perhaps refers to Krishnamacharya himself... what about his old shala/school in Mysore? I believe BNS Iyengar teachers there now or used to. BNS Iyengar according to an interview with him came to Mysore just after Krishnamacharya's school closed. Krishnamacharya had moved to Chennai but his family remained in Mysore and he would come back to visit, and no doubt give the occasional lecture in Mysore as well as the odd class. BNS Iyenger seems to have attended some of these lectures and classes but mostly he seems to have been a student of Pattabhi Jois.

The Source then is perhaps Krishnamacharya's own texts, Yoga Makaranda and Yogasananagalu, rather than how he was allowed to teach in the palace school  other than to private students, they are good source texts but The Source?

There is talk of Yoga Korunta, the mythical text allegedly eaten by ants that Krishnamacharya's work is said to be based upon, Krishnamacharya is the only person we know who may have seen it. Would we consider the yoga Korunta as 'The Source', a text rather than a person or place? Few bother to actually read Krishnamacharya's own texts that may have been based upon it, I suspect the Korunta and other of Krishnamacharya's source texts would only be referred to as The Source if they fitted exactly how Ashtanga is being taught now in the official shala...

too often we want our discoveries to justify our practice rather than question it.

What then of Krishnamacharya's own teacher, this shifts the Source from Mysore to either Tibet or the university library and /or the forests around Benares, old Varanasi  .... perhaps a little of each, or a little of all the teachers and texts that Krishnamacharya consulted in his years of wandering from library to library, Pandit to pandit, living authority to living authority.

M. and I once sought the source of the Thames, this great river that Conrad saw as stretching to Rome and the Tiber, to the Congo, joining all rivers, oceans.... at some point it becomes a stream and then a an insignificant trickle, like the source of the Ganges perhaps. Here, in Shiga, next to Lake Biwa we are constantly coming across small streams, water coming down from the mountains filling this four million year old lake. Which of these rivulets is the source of this great lake?

one of the many little streams near us, look, first snow

But India right, the source of Ashtanga, of yoga is Indian......surely.

Purusha doesn't have brown skin or any other colour skin for that matter, Purusha doesn't have dialect, a languge, a culture, a history.....

Whatever your Philosophy the source of Ashtanga, of yoga, seems to come with the relization that I am, followed on some dark lonely night by the questions what then is this am, this I and am I it.

If not and perhaps my conception of what I am is ignorance how may I overcome it.

....and perhaps later what is this language, this grammar, that allows me to form the question in such a way.

These questions are our birthright, we find them in most any culture we encounter in one form or another and the response in all seems to be some form of moral code or behaviour, embodied practice, reflection, meditation.

There is often a physical embodied element, at it's simplest a prostration perhaps but some form of physical discipline,  breath control whether a form of what we refer to as pranayama or as chanting, prayer and always a turning inwards, introspection or outwards to conception of God, all questioning our sense of self of am'ness, being.

There are always those who go off alone to sit with these questions and/or their response to them, seek to understand them better, question them, question their teacher, question what they most believe to be so,

to know or to know that they don't know.... radical enquiry.

We find yogi's everywhere

The source of Yoga, of Ashtanga is right here, we carry it everywhere.

NB: I began my practice of yoga with Pattabhi Jois' presentation of Ashtanga Vinyasa eight years ago and still believe it provides an excellent foundation for discipline and focus that we can return to if and when our discipline wanes. For the last few years I've tended to maintain much of the structure of Ashtanga vinyasa but am more strongly influenced by Krishnamacharya's early Mysore writing as well as the strongly integrated practice of his long term student Srivatsa Ramaswami.

These are the corrected versions of My Krishnamacharya Yoga Makaranda as Ashtanga Primary Series'poster' in both Sepia and Black and White. The previous version had an error in the title. Thank you to my friend Kiril for pointing it out, it's his Birthday today, Happy Birthday my friend.


The rest of this post is the story behind the poster lifted from the earlier post.

First thing to say about it is that this is NOT the order the asana are found in Krishnamacharya's 1934 book Yoga Makaranda.... but not far off.

See my free downloads page for links to Yoga Makarnda parts I and II

Krishnamacharya starts of with descriptions of the asana that are involved in the transitions in and out of postures, the same postures that make up the Surynamaska. However Krishnamacharya, as far as we can tell,  does not seem to have taught the Sun salutation as a separate entity other than the version with mantras (see this post). In the mantra version of the sun salutation each stage of the salutation is held with kumbhaka while a mantra praising the health giving benefits of the sun are mentally chanted, it also includes a full prostration. Indra Devi mentions that Krishnamacharya taught her the mantra version in the 30's.

Sun salutations where in 'vogue' in India at the time, Shrimant Balasahib Rajah of Aundh  published 'The Ten Point Way to Health in 1928 (1938 English translation)

See these earlier posts
Balasahib's 'original' 1928 Suya Namaskar , sun salutation
More on the 'original' Sun salutation of 1928

The Ten Point Way to Health by Shrimant Balasahib Rajah of Aundh

Sun salutations seem to have been considered an almost stand alone exercise regime, Krishnamacharya appears to have been uncomfortable with that and perhaps this is the reason he only seems to have taught the mantra version. On the first page of yoga Makaranda he writes...

"One cannot have such a trivial attitude as expecting immediate benefits in auspicious matters like yogabhyasa, worship, sandhya vandanam (salutation to the sun) or chanting of mantras as though one were a labourer who does one hour of work and expects immediate payment. They should not lament that they have not received even one paisa for all the time spent on this. When this pattern of thinking begins, we enter a phase of deterioration day by day".  
T. Krishnamacharya. Yoga makaranda p1

There are some extra variations of postures included in Yoga Makaranda, I've trimmed those out for this project and some of the other variations we are familiar with from Ashtanga Primary are not mentioned in Yoga Makaranda Part I but are included in Part II, especially the some of the inishing postures.

Krishnamacharya treats many of the Primary asana we're familiar with from Ashtanga but then moves on to some of the more advanced postures, marichyasana appears there as does trikonasana. But then Pattabhi Jois, Krishnamacharya's student at this time,  as late as the 1980's seems to have introduced the reverse twists in the triangle postures only once a student had become more proficient. Once they had completed Primary series for example the postures would then be inserted in their regular position. Krishnamacharya may have had something similar in mind with his ordering or the asana descriptions in his book.

It's important to stress that Krishnamacharya did not seem to advocate a fixed sequence, this poster then makes sense only as a guideline, a framework...... signposts perhaps. Or more significantly for me, as a way for Ashtangis to approach Krishnamacharya's early text and see what he has to offer us as options in our approach to our own asana practice. We can continue to seek new postures, new series or perhaps explore more fully those we have, explore the breathing options, the longer stays... not necessarily in all postures in each practice but perhaps choosing a different asana each practice to explore more fully.

There seems to be an intuitive structure to Ashtanga practice doesn't there? Or is that just my own familiarity with the series speaking, standing, triangle, standing on one leg, seated, supine, inversions, seated meditative postures. And asana with in theses 'types' of postures seem to generally progress logically one from the other, perhaps a couple here or there could be switched around but generally I get the feeling that this is probably the framework that Krishnamacharya would have used.

Why do I say that? Because there are certain postures that Krishnamacharya stressed should be practiced everyday, tadasana, trikonasana, paschimottanasana, maha mudra/janu sirsasana, badha konasana, sarvangasana, sisrsasana, badhapadmasana, plus there were postures that were considered preparation and counter postures that Krishnamacharya stressed, put them together and we begin to see the Ashtanga Primary series.

We see it even more explicitly in Krishnamacharya's 1941 book Yogasanagalu, in a table where the postures are listed in primary, middle and proficient groups, the order of the list for primary is uncannily close to the Ashtanga primary series we have now. The list of middle postures is close to our current 2nd series but the proficient  group just seems to be a random list of asana.

Download full table here https://drive.google.com/?pli=1&authuser=0#my-drive

Pattabhi Jois' genius seems to have been to more formally nail down Primary and 2nd series and then order the rest of the more challenging postures into Advanced A and B then later 3rd, 4th. 5th and 6th.

There are arguments of course for and against the idea of a fixed sequence but truth be told Ashtanga isn't perhaps as fixed as is generally thought, it's always been open to adaption, whether due to injuries, proficiency, strengths and weaknesses, bringing in extra postures to help with personally challenging asana, switching to half primary half second or just up to navasana if short on time or even just the surynamaskaras. And then there are those days when we want to focus on a particular area of our body and so really milk those postures for all they offer us and merely pass through some of the other postures. Do we ever treat every posture in an Ashtanga series equally? Maybe, when Sharath  might be watching, one of the best arguments for Mysore perhaps.

Vinyasa Krama too, arguable the most adaptive of approaches to practice, has a frameworks, certain key asana we're encouraged to include everyday, asana that follow a logical progression, a general ordering of sequences. In Vinyasa Krama we might change our practice everyday but so too in Ashtanga where we might practice Primary one day second series the next, alternating the series throughout the week. Manju Jois didn't seem keen on only practicing Primary only on Fridays once we had progressed to second or third series.

This is just a beginning, as well as exploring the breath in asana, bringing pranayama into the asana practice as it were Krishnamacharya also appears to be exploring pratyahara and meditation through his use of Chakra focus. It's less explicit Something I hope to explore here in the future.

There does seem to have been a focus on asana for health and well being in Krishnamacharya's later teaching but here in these early days he seems to have seen asana practice as a carrier for all the Ashtanga limbs. Krishnamacharya's asana practice was never only about health and fitness it was, in my reading, always a spiritual practice and this is something we still find in his later teaching.

I made up the poster for the first session of my upcoming workshop allowing me to look at the options Krishnamacharya offered while keeping the familiar Ashtanga framework, make it easier for those attending ( don't worry I won't make anyone hold anything for ten minutes). I also made an instruction booklet, trimming down the instructions for asana from Yoga Makaranda, stripping those dense paragraphs into a clear layout of instruction. The booklet is finished but I need to play around with the format a little more before uploading it to google docs but here's a taste of it below.

Is it a good idea to make such a booklet available? I've struggled with this. I'd much rather everyone read and studied the full Yoga Makaranda but perhaps for those who find it forbidding this may be a way in to the full text.

Paschimottanasana is a key description because so many of the other seated asana direct you to follow the paschimottanasana instructions.

The book is in epub ibooks mode



Only Supta padangusthasana appears in the poster but Krishnamacharya included in Yoga Makaranda
Supta Parsvangushtasana

The book includes posters for most of the seated postures with their vinyasa Link to the Triangmukha post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2014/03/from-krishnamacharyas-original-ashtanga.html

Available here http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/just-published-new-book.html Book available from Lulu.com http://www.lulu.com/shop/anthony-grim-hall/krishnamacharyas-original-ashtanga-yoga/paperback/product-21545878.html Some related posts The Girl in Kurmasana in the Yoga Makaranda as Primary Series poster An approach to practicing Krishnamacharya's Ashtanga