"A picture shows me at a glance what it takes dozens of pages of a book to expound."
Something timeless here...
a lifetime of teaching
a life time of study
a life time of practice
Ashtanga Yoga as it was
Ashtanga Yoga as it is
Ashtanga Yoga as it will be
What do we see here?
“The photograph is literally an emanation of the referent. From a real body, which was there, proceed radiations which ultimately touch me, who am here; the duration of the transmission is insignificant; the photograph of the missing being, as Sontag says, will touch me like the delayed rays of a star.”
― Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography p80-81
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Appendix - Mahamudra
Note: Catching hold of toes may not be possible at the beginning, it is enough if the hands can be placed on the right thigh or the right kneecap or the right shin or the right ankle i.e., as forward as possible without undue strain. As practice advances it will become easier to bend forward, and later on it would easy to interlace the fingers round the right foot at the instep, even the heel. The important points to note are that the spine is kept straight, the chin is locked, the stomach drawn in, and the trunk twisted so that both the shoulders are equidistant from the right toe. Both the thighs should touch the ground.
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Appendix - Mahamudra
1. Maha Mudra:
With the left foot pressed tightly against the rectum, extend the right leg out in front. Make sure that the heel is touching the floor and the toes are pointing upwards. Hold the big toe of the right foot with the fingers of the right hand. Keep the chin firmly pressed against the chest and keep the gaze fixed on the midbrow. Similarly, following the instructions mentioned above, repeat the mudra with the right foot pressed firmly against the rectum and the left leg extended forward. T. Krishnamacharya Yoga makaranda
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21. MAHAMUDRA
Technique:
1. Spread something soft on the ground, sit on it.
2. Stretch the right leg in front, so that it makes an angle of about 30 degrees to the
right. The foot should be perpendicular to the ground, the calf and the thigh touching the ground (seat and the leg straight)
3. Bend the other leg at the knee and bring the sole of the foot to touch the inside of the right thigh, and heel of the left foot below the penis. The thigh of the left leg should touch the ground (seat that has been spread on the ground). The two thighs should make an angle of 120 degrees
4. Sit upright and keep the spine straight.
5. While exhaling, twist the trunk to the right, so that the two shoulders may be
equidistant from the right toe.
6. Do chin lock, so that the chin is drawn tightly in the notch between the collar bones, keep the spine straight, draw in the abdomen, and catch hold of the right toe by the hooked forefingers of both the hands, bending at the hips.
Note: Catching hold of toes may not be possible at the beginning, it is enough if the hands can be placed on the right thigh or the right kneecap or the right shin or the right ankle i.e., as forward as possible without undue strain. As practice advances it will become easier to bend forward, and later on it would easy to interlace the fingers round the right foot at the instep, even the heel. The important points to note are that the spine is kept straight, the chin is locked, the stomach drawn in, and the trunk twisted so that both the shoulders are equidistant from the right toe. Both the thighs should touch the ground.
7. Keep eyes closed so that the mind may not get distracted. Take long and deep even inhalation and exhalation with rubbing sensation in the throat, six breaths.
Note: For beginners the trunk is not bent. After practice has advanced, after having taken six breaths without bending the trunk, three deep breaths are taken, exhaling while bending the trunk. The forehead to touch the knee, at the end of the forward bending but it need not be kept touching the knee. If this be not possible the trunk to be bent forward to the extent possible without undue strain.
8. Repeat with the other leg.
When practice has advanced, breath can be kept controlled both for retention and keeping out for 2 to 5 seconds in each round of deep breathing. Not more than 5 deep breaths each side. If there is any heart weakness, this control of breath should not be for more than a second.
For advanced trainees, who observe BRAHMACARYA, who live in a cool place and can have rich food, maximum of 32 rounds of breath can be done for each side, with control of breath for 5 seconds each round.
NATHAMUNI of Maduranthakam, in his treatise on Yoga-YOGA RAHASYAM-writes that if this mudra is done with Uddiyana bandha for ten seconds one conquers death and can overcome all poisons
This is extremely beneficial in the treatment of diabetes, spleen complaint, dysentry and other stomach disorders.
When specifically used for the purpose of overcoming poisons inhalation is as in sitali pranayama i.e., with rolled protruding tongue. The tongue is now taken in rolled back so that the tip touches the UVULA (JIHVA BANDHAM), chin locked,and stomach drawn in and upward (UDDIYANA BANDHAM) and slow exhalation through both nostrils.
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from my earlier post Full body Mudra
Mudras are not asana although they may resemble them, they may be practiced at any time
In Vinyasa Krama you tend to stay in the mudra for an extended period. You might stay in Maha Mudra, for five or more minutes. I tended to stay for ten to twenty-five breaths each side. Because it's a mudra rather than an asana, you can pretty much practice it anywhere.
In the context of Ashtanga vinyasa you might feel that it slows your practice down TOO much. Ramaswami recognizes this and suggests that you might like to spend less time in maha mudra in the main sequence (it comes up in the Asytmmetric sequence in VK) and perhaps longer before or after Pranayama. If you have a separate Pranayama and/or Meditation practice, this is a nice mudra to do in preparation for full or half lotus.
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from January 2013 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami---MUDRA
‘Yogis, especially hatayogis, do a set of unique procedures called mudras, the prerequisites of which are asanas and pranayama. In this, one could see that the yogi is able to access several of the internal organs, the kosas and other supporting organs inside the body. But more than that there is an esoteric purpose. By Pranayama the Hatayogi is able to cleanse the various nadis and draw in the dispersed prana, enabling the union of prana and apana. Now the yogi would like to further elevate the united prana through the Sushumna and achieve the goal of Hatayoga which is known by various names such as unmani avasta and others. Towards that the prana withdrawn from the various nadis should be prevented from going outward and this is supposed to be achieved by blocking the various nadi pathways by sealing them through the procedures called mudras like the check valve used by plumbers.
‘Mudras thus help to seal some of the nadis, arouse the Kundalini, open up the chakras and thus pave the way for the upward movement of the Prana through the Sushumna. The mudras also create the condition for the Yogi to achieve the unmani avasta or immense joyful state within oneself. Without the distractions of the sensations like the visual, tactile and other sensations the Hatayogi is able to achieve immense joy.
‘There are a number of mudras mentioned in hatayoga texts and many of them regularly practised too. Mahamudra leads this package of mudras recommended by Svatmarama in his Hatayogapradipike. The others would be Mahabandha, Mahaveda, khechari, uddiyanabandha, mulabandha, jalandharabandha, viparitakarani mudra, vajroli and saktichalana. These dasa mudras are said to seal the nadis and prevent the wayward movements of prana and help to move the prana along the royal path of sushumna. Of these the three bandhas (bandha traya), Mula, Uddiyana and Jalandhara bandha are practised very regularly with asanas. Sri Krishnamacharya would ask the students , in addition, to practice Mahamudra and the Viparita karani mudras (sirsasana and sarvangasana) regularly.
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---------------------------
from my earlier post Full body Mudra
Mudras are not asana although they may resemble them, they may be practiced at any time
In Vinyasa Krama you tend to stay in the mudra for an extended period. You might stay in Maha Mudra, for five or more minutes. I tended to stay for ten to twenty-five breaths each side. Because it's a mudra rather than an asana, you can pretty much practice it anywhere.
In the context of Ashtanga vinyasa you might feel that it slows your practice down TOO much. Ramaswami recognizes this and suggests that you might like to spend less time in maha mudra in the main sequence (it comes up in the Asytmmetric sequence in VK) and perhaps longer before or after Pranayama. If you have a separate Pranayama and/or Meditation practice, this is a nice mudra to do in preparation for full or half lotus.
----------------------
from January 2013 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami---MUDRA
‘Yogis, especially hatayogis, do a set of unique procedures called mudras, the prerequisites of which are asanas and pranayama. In this, one could see that the yogi is able to access several of the internal organs, the kosas and other supporting organs inside the body. But more than that there is an esoteric purpose. By Pranayama the Hatayogi is able to cleanse the various nadis and draw in the dispersed prana, enabling the union of prana and apana. Now the yogi would like to further elevate the united prana through the Sushumna and achieve the goal of Hatayoga which is known by various names such as unmani avasta and others. Towards that the prana withdrawn from the various nadis should be prevented from going outward and this is supposed to be achieved by blocking the various nadi pathways by sealing them through the procedures called mudras like the check valve used by plumbers.
‘Mudras thus help to seal some of the nadis, arouse the Kundalini, open up the chakras and thus pave the way for the upward movement of the Prana through the Sushumna. The mudras also create the condition for the Yogi to achieve the unmani avasta or immense joyful state within oneself. Without the distractions of the sensations like the visual, tactile and other sensations the Hatayogi is able to achieve immense joy.
‘There are a number of mudras mentioned in hatayoga texts and many of them regularly practised too. Mahamudra leads this package of mudras recommended by Svatmarama in his Hatayogapradipike. The others would be Mahabandha, Mahaveda, khechari, uddiyanabandha, mulabandha, jalandharabandha, viparitakarani mudra, vajroli and saktichalana. These dasa mudras are said to seal the nadis and prevent the wayward movements of prana and help to move the prana along the royal path of sushumna. Of these the three bandhas (bandha traya), Mula, Uddiyana and Jalandhara bandha are practised very regularly with asanas. Sri Krishnamacharya would ask the students , in addition, to practice Mahamudra and the Viparita karani mudras (sirsasana and sarvangasana) regularly.
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