Last post for a while as we fly off to Crete tomorrow for Manju's seven-day teacher training, looking forward to it.
What is this Ashtanga we love all about really, it's got to be about more than the different series, more than jumping back ( my original reason for starting this blog), binding in Mari D or catching your heels in kapo.... or, tic tacking, landing and raising the duck in Karanadavasana ( read on Paul Gold's blog today that it's supposedly only men that have to lift it back up again- seems hardly fair : ), or dropping back and walking into your heels and up your legs to your knees... all those things we so often obsess about... there always seems something new to become fixate on.
Sometimes it seems the practice itself can be the biggest distraction from the practice.
And yes it's about the challenge and the discipline and the focus that comes from this demanding practice of ours and perhaps the Ha- and the Tha- but is this a vertical practice, constantly seeking the challenge of a new posture a new series or is it perhaps a horizontal practice where we reach a point where we work within the series, the postures we have, deepening them allowing them to make use of us rather than us them.
What is this approach to practice about really, Manju should know right, he was practicing with his father before 'WE' came to the Mysore Shala.
For me Manju has always represented the missing link between Krishnamacharya and His father before the coming of the West(eners). I want to know more about how his father taught him, did he use the old University syllabus he gave to Nancy and David or was it a different approach, closer to how Krishnamacharya taught Pattabhi Jois perhaps in thosw private lessons before the Mysore palace. How did his father practice, I want to hear more about those long staysof his Father's that Manju mentions, I want to hear more about the breath, did his father ever include retentions in his asana practice, does Manju? When he says he chooses some of Primary, some of Intermediate and a few poses from advanced in his own practice, how does he make that choice, is it always the same or does it change. I want to hear what questions the other students have for him, questions that I haven't thought of.
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As for my own practice and the whole "Way back (to practice) thread (since I've been ill for, what, three months?). I seem to be doing OK now, been good having this workshop to work towards, managed to practice for the last two weeks, full Primary and mostly with Manju's dvd. It's untidy, nothing as deep as it was but coming back, it'll do and besides it'll be more interesting for anyone practicing assists on me on the course. What's the point of practicing an assist if somebody can already bind their wrists. It's perfect actually.
Good for the ego too, probably.
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Here are a couple of interesting bits and pieces from the fb today. The first one is Sharath discussing pranayama and 'breathing techniques'. I've often wondered what 'mastering' asana means. Open to interpretation I guess. Krishnamacharya put it as a degree of proficiency in asana in Satya Murthy's translation of Yogasanagalu.
Personally I prefer the sound of degree of proficiency to mastering.
The bit I really like though was in the second question, when to practice the breathing technique the nadi shodana that Sharath presents in his book, that's supposed to be available to anybody, anytime (no doubt because there's no kumbhaka). He says do it perhaps (optional) after padmasana and before savasana. That means then that you can go to your shala tomorrow, stop in padmasana and practice nadi shodana (without kumbhaka) for five, ten, twenty minutes or so before taking your savasana. This could be a game changer.
Manju seems to chant in padmasana and before savasana (kind of same thing, chanting is all about the breath and also a meditative object.practice).
Here's something interesting, throw a ball, something, anything, up in the air, notice how it seems to hang for a fraction of a moment before it drops.
The breath is like this.
At the end of the inhalation there's a moment before the exhalation begins. Breath in quickly, half a second and then immediately exhale for half a second, do it a couple of times. How long was that slight pause between the inhalation and exhalation? Almost too small to measure right?
Now breath in for five seconds and then exhale for five seconds, like the waves of the ocean.... now how long was that pause this time, a second?
One more - Inhale, a long, slow, full, breath...keep it steady and even for ten seconds (the rolling waves of the ocean remember) and then exhale for ten seconds, again a long, slow, full exhalation until you feel that natural effortless lift in your bandhas. Now how long was that natural pause between the inhalation and exhalation and then between the exhalation and inhalation, two seconds, three?
That pause is a natural Kumbhaka.
Long slow full breathing is ALWAYS pranayama, discuss.
Here's Sharath.....
from Sharath's Conference Notes, (Moscow leg of tour)
When it’s time to practice Ashtanga Pranayama?
When you’re ready. First perfection in asana, then pranayama. “tasmin sati śvāsa-praśvāsyor-gati-vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ (YS 2.49)”Once you have mastered asana, then only contraction of breath, that ispranayama. “prāṇāyāmena yuktena sarva-roga-kṣayo bhavet | ayuktābhyāsa-yogena sarva-roga-samudgamaḥ (HYP 2.16)”That means by practicing pranayama you can get rid of many diseases. If you don’t do it properly, with proper guidance, if you’re not ready to do and you do it, then you will invite unwanted diseases.
In your newbook there’s a Nadi Shodhana pranayama to treat breathing problems. When it isbetter to practice – before practice or separately in the evening?
You do it after. Before you do body will not have enough heat. You can do it before, but after practice body has generated heat inside and when you do that breathing technique it’s more effective. Not after Shavasana, after Padmasana.You can take Shavasana and do it but after Padmasana it’s better, because thebody has heat. This breathing technique you can do any time. If you have too much stress or too much happy, sad, whenever you feel you can go in the room, seat silently and do breathing, it’ll help you. Sometimes in your work… too much work and you get stress, so that time you can go inside your room and tryto do this breathing technique.
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The other piece I noted on fb was this from Laruga, an interesting piece by Chris Croft
'Having a set sequence of poses means the student cannot avoid encountering themselves (and all their problems), in the guise of difficult poses. In a sequence where you don’t skip poses you are forced to face your limitations (and learn to overcome them) rather than avoid them.
Easy poses do not bring you closer to practicing yoga, challenging poses do because they require you to delve deeply into your physical, mental and emotional resources in order to master. This creates Tapas (heat) that burns through the illusory Self-image to reveal your real nature.
Very often though it is just at this point of friction - when things start becoming difficult - that people give in and stop practicing Ashtanga Yoga, but this is just when the yoga starts to become interesting. This inner resistance shows the practice is working. The resistance or desire to quit is in fact an invitation to personal freedom and spiritual liberation, but the practitioner has to find the courage and dedication to move into it rather than away from it.
So, rather than limiting, the sequence is actually the gateway to liberation.' ~Chris Croft
Interesting piece no, but this bit irritates me somewhat...
"Very often though it is just at this point of friction - when things start becoming difficult - that people give in and stop practicing Ashtanga Yoga..."
Ashtangi's are always giving these...pejorative reasons for people giving up Ashtanga. Either they are too, lazy to get up early in the morning, or they get too bored, or, in this case, find it too challenging (not boring enough). Just once it would be nice to hear somebody say that...
"Yeah, George doesn't come to Ashtanga anymore, he found Iyenger just happened to suit him more, good for George".
or
Cindy: "Hi Summer, where you been?"
Summer: "Oh I've switched to Anusura, just loving the chanting and discussions around the asana practice".
Everybody: "Good for you Summer".
Is it that 'Anybody can practice Ashtanga, except lazy people', line you think that makes us want to find negative justifications for why somebody gave up the practice, why they....couldn't hack it or wasn't up toit, does it make us feel more proud of ourselves somehow superior for sticking with the practice.
But surely it's anyone can practice Yoga (not this particular approach to asana practice) except lazy people.
Krishnamacharya dwells on this at length and opens with no doubt the original quote from the Gita
"1.5 Who has the Authority to practise Yoga
“Arjuna, one who practises yogabhyasa following yama and niyama is a superior atma to those who are tapasvi, gn ̃ani and those who practise nitya naimitya kaamya karma etc. Hence you should follow the yama and niyama and conquer your mind and become a yogi.”
Thus advised Sri Krishna paramatma, extolling the virtues of yogabhyasa, and from this it is clear that yoga gives very superior benefits.
Everyone has a right to do yoga. Everyone — brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, sudra, gn ̃ani, strong, women, men, young, the old and very old, the sick, the weak, boys, girls, etcetera, all are entitled to yogabhyasa with no restrictions on age or caste. This is because yogabhyasa rapidly gives maximum visible benefits to all. It does not stop anybody from acquiring the visible results of practice, whatever their capabilities. Everyone is entitled, irrespective of caste, to follow the path of yogabhyasa even in order to obtain divine virtues and the resulting eight animadi siddhis, and, if one ignores these siddhis, to proceed further on the ultimate path. But many do not agree with this opinion. This only reveals their confusion and the absence of a sattvic state of mind. (The sastras do not forbid yoga for anyone.)
Whoever wishes to do yoga has the right to do it. Yet whoever it is, it is very important that they should only learn all the aspects and practise it under the guidance of a proper guru. One encounters obstacles and problems if yoga is practised without a guru. But “Ru⇥ans, those who eat wrong food, talk filth or use abusive language, those who speak ill of others, lie about others, are obsessed with food, those who are addicted to sensual pleasures, those who pretend to be good, those who destroy and cheat, carry aversion in the mind, those who are disrespectful of the vedas, are alcoholics, or have any such bad habits, these people, no matter what caste or religion, are not fit to practise yoga.” This is firmly stated by Gherandacarya. The reason for this is that although these people are capable of practising yoga, these practitioners with their cunning could cause problems and injuries to others in spite of the yogabhyasa being “pure”. There have been many examples to substantiate this in the puranas and in our experience. For example, everybody knows that pure cow’s milk gives good health and happiness. Yet if it is poured in a cup made of pig’s skin or dog’s skin, it turns into poison and becomes harmful. Similarly if you teach the pure divine nectar of yoga to ru⇥ans and cheats, it will only cause disaster. Like a king who entrusts his kingdom to a no-good useless son who destroys it instead of protecting it, a guru with good intentions may teach yoga to cheats and the latter will not know how to use it properly and will cause only destruction to the world.
“Arjuna, one who practises yogabhyasa following yama and niyama is a superior atma to those who are tapasvi, gn ̃ani and those who practise nitya naimitya kaamya karma etc. Hence you should follow the yama and niyama and conquer your mind and become a yogi.”
Thus advised Sri Krishna paramatma, extolling the virtues of yogabhyasa, and from this it is clear that yoga gives very superior benefits.
Everyone has a right to do yoga. Everyone — brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, sudra, gn ̃ani, strong, women, men, young, the old and very old, the sick, the weak, boys, girls, etcetera, all are entitled to yogabhyasa with no restrictions on age or caste. This is because yogabhyasa rapidly gives maximum visible benefits to all. It does not stop anybody from acquiring the visible results of practice, whatever their capabilities. Everyone is entitled, irrespective of caste, to follow the path of yogabhyasa even in order to obtain divine virtues and the resulting eight animadi siddhis, and, if one ignores these siddhis, to proceed further on the ultimate path. But many do not agree with this opinion. This only reveals their confusion and the absence of a sattvic state of mind. (The sastras do not forbid yoga for anyone.)
Whoever wishes to do yoga has the right to do it. Yet whoever it is, it is very important that they should only learn all the aspects and practise it under the guidance of a proper guru. One encounters obstacles and problems if yoga is practised without a guru. But “Ru⇥ans, those who eat wrong food, talk filth or use abusive language, those who speak ill of others, lie about others, are obsessed with food, those who are addicted to sensual pleasures, those who pretend to be good, those who destroy and cheat, carry aversion in the mind, those who are disrespectful of the vedas, are alcoholics, or have any such bad habits, these people, no matter what caste or religion, are not fit to practise yoga.” This is firmly stated by Gherandacarya. The reason for this is that although these people are capable of practising yoga, these practitioners with their cunning could cause problems and injuries to others in spite of the yogabhyasa being “pure”. There have been many examples to substantiate this in the puranas and in our experience. For example, everybody knows that pure cow’s milk gives good health and happiness. Yet if it is poured in a cup made of pig’s skin or dog’s skin, it turns into poison and becomes harmful. Similarly if you teach the pure divine nectar of yoga to ru⇥ans and cheats, it will only cause disaster. Like a king who entrusts his kingdom to a no-good useless son who destroys it instead of protecting it, a guru with good intentions may teach yoga to cheats and the latter will not know how to use it properly and will cause only destruction to the world.
Those who are eager to learn good skills, those who can learn to control their senses and are peaceful by nature, those who speak the truth, who wish to serve their guru, who are devoted to their mother and father, who do karma according to the sastra, who are clean, who love bathing in the Ganga, who follow their caste dharma, who are modest and patriotic, who have pride in their family, all these people are good vessels for yoga. If the guru, following the correct path and method, advises such people and makes them practise in front of him, they will quickly become adept. The readers should remember this very well. You will not become a skilled yogi just by putting on the costume and faking it. Whatever occupation you are engaged in, you have to be very serious and strict and dedicated and at least follow the proper standards and restraints. Those who do not fall under the previous categories do not have the right to practise yoga". " Krishnamacharya Yoga Makaranda p25
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One more thing about the Chris Croft piece which I actually liked although I seem to be picking over it,
"Easy poses do not bring you closer to practicing yoga, challenging poses do because they require you to delve deeply into your physical, mental and emotional resources in order to master".
I read this and I was trying to think, What is an easy pose?
I spent three hours on a workshop with Richard Freeman and we didn't manage to even finish half of Standing.
There's always more to bring to the asana, more breath work, more bandha, more alignment perhaps, or at least a little better alignment, for focus, we never master the asana, it's what goes in the asana we have to master and that's ourselves, the asana is just a bucket.
Perhaps we're just being asked to master bucket making.
or perhaps...
And not only are the asana, buckets but the different approaches to asana are buckets too perhaps,
Ashtanga is a bucket
But what is it exactly that we're pouring in....or are we pouring something out..
Cliche are buckets too.
And challenging for whom, we all find different asana more challenging, some of us suit backbends some forward bends, I struggle with those 'easy' balancing postures (think/hope it's my dodgy uneven floorboards).
Plus some postures, the less intricate ones perhaps, no doubt require a longer stay (Krishnamacharya suggests as much). Of course dandasana seems easy for just five breaths but stay in it for twenty-five breaths and then suggest it's any easier than five breaths in kapo.
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Clearly I need a break, back in a couple of weeks.
Here are the post from last week.
- Updated : Questions to Krishnamacharya from his st...
- Manju - Pranayama techniques and some traditional ...
- Vertical and horizontal styles of Ashtanga Vinyasa...
- One week until Manju's Workshop in Crete.
- Krishnamacharya's Mysore HOUSE RECOMMENDATIONS (pr...
- What would Krishnamacharya's Sun Salutation be lik...
- What Ashtanga is....
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Update : While waiting for M. to cut her hair...... ( I know)
packing for 7 days (only) workshop
Santorini blue manduka prolite
I x Old style Manduka eco towel (old faithful) - sterilised
1x new style Santorini blue manduka eco towel
A few cut up micro fibre towels (for assisting)
7 tengui (japanese headbands)
3x Nike shorts (hardly worn, tend to prefer my skimpy Nike running shorts but a bit indecent for shala).
-Hate practicing in all three of those shorts-
4x new vests (M&S cool and fresh)
2 x Nike 3/4 breathable shorts
All the thin t-shirts I could find - 5
New yellow plimsolls 9present from M.)
Zori
Ipad AND itouch
camera
binoculars ( for M.)
Books
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| Yogayajnavlkya (Mohan's version) |
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| Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times |
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| The Supreme Yoga: Vashista Yoga |
Yoga vashita
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| Gorakhnath and the Kanphata yogis |