Last week I came up with the bright idea of giving myself a one month to Chakra Bhandasana challenge. I kind of forget why, grabbing my heels after dropping back was never something I was particularly interested in, never really got the seeming Mysore obsession and yet, on reflection, I decided there was something to be said for taking the heels in Kapotasana, drawing yourself in to settle on the breath, perhaps there was something similar to be said for Chakra Bhandasana.
And I saw this video from Jen, Peg Mulqueen and Michael Joel Hall.
Peg does this thing where she drops back to blocks as a way or reaching the ankles, was curious about trying that.
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But my own drop backs have slipped somewhat, my whole second series actually, where I used to take my ankles in kapo these days I'm just getting the side of my feet but it's coming back.
I won't post a video because the one I took was too far away, I'm half naked and very very pink. But here's the gist of it in pictures. ( there's a video of the general approach on the original post from last week http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/chakra-bhandasana-grab-heels-in-month.html )
I've always tended to take three steps (toe to heel) away from the wall, now I'll do s couple of those then two and a half steps and then just two. I tried one step but it seemed insane...not yet.
The blocks thing doesn't seem to be coming into their own yet, we'll see when I can drop back to the floor one step away from the wall then bring the blocks back and see if there seems any likelihood of reaching for the leg.
It doesn't seem likely, certainly not in just three more weeks but then how many times have I said that about Ashtanga, it constantly surprises you.
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And I saw this video from Jen, Peg Mulqueen and Michael Joel Hall.
But my own drop backs have slipped somewhat, my whole second series actually, where I used to take my ankles in kapo these days I'm just getting the side of my feet but it's coming back.
I won't post a video because the one I took was too far away, I'm half naked and very very pink. But here's the gist of it in pictures. ( there's a video of the general approach on the original post from last week http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/chakra-bhandasana-grab-heels-in-month.html )
I've always tended to take three steps (toe to heel) away from the wall, now I'll do s couple of those then two and a half steps and then just two. I tried one step but it seemed insane...not yet.
The blocks thing doesn't seem to be coming into their own yet, we'll see when I can drop back to the floor one step away from the wall then bring the blocks back and see if there seems any likelihood of reaching for the leg.
It doesn't seem likely, certainly not in just three more weeks but then how many times have I said that about Ashtanga, it constantly surprises you.
here's the picture from last week, not much difference but some.
Why do this?
That came up on fb yesterday. A friend had posted an old video of mine from 2011, of 108 dropbacks. I think I did it on my birthday I think and it was something to do with having come across a video of Iyengar doing the same, more elegantly though and in his 80's too I think.
But really I couldn't remember what the point was, why do we do this kind of thing, the 108 sun salutations, the long stays ( see my old Rishi series posts on 25, 50 breaths in the likes of kapotasana, in fact most postures from primary and 2nd series. etc).
I was asked....
Quel point?
It's a good question.
My friend Ricky Tran posted Tapasya?
And yes that's it, it's tapas ( Ramaswami referred to most of the On one leg postures as tapas).
It's Good to have a little tapas every now and again, trick is not to make ones whole practice tapas, perhaps we've all made that mistake at some point, I certainly did.... and for a long time. These days most of my practice is calmer, slower, more chilled, but I'm bringing back a little tapas for seasoning and perhaps a boon.
Below is the 108 dropbacks post from 2011 ( to put the video that's been floating around fb in a little context), my drop backs got better, tidier, the feet stopped turning out eventually, although that's come back a little recently, tiding that up too.
Summer Solstice : 108 dropbacks. UPDATE: Morning after
See this post from last Friday for context When a Blog post comes back to bite you Iyengar 108 dropbacks challenge
from today's comments
Q: Were you generally satisfied with them?
A: I think I feel glad to get the 108 out of the way, to know it could be done now it's more a question of can it be done well ( by me). All these thing, tricky poses, long holds, 108 sury's or drop backs , every time you nail them you see a little more clearly that it's not what it's all about. We know this of course but need a reminder every now and again.
That said, there's nothing wrong with having some fun and giving yourself a little extra motivation and besides, the Will, like the body, needs exercising too.
Like you I want to work on the breath more, I think I was happy with a couple of sets of ten got a nice rhythm then lost it, fifteen to twenty is a nice number to play with, perhaps thirty-six. I do want to keep exploring this for a while and yes let's still do it for our birthdays as an incentive. After then I think I'd rather save it for a holy day or somebody elses birthday, certainly not Thursdays. I did 108 sury's when SKPJ died, kind of feel that things like this should be saved for such occasions, perhaps when you need to ask a boon, tapas, no?
Still can't get over Iyengar's feet how close together, straight and solid they were, 108 like that would be something to celebrate.
Q: Do your knees or ankles ever hurt from having them turned out for so many dropbacks?
A: No feet don't hurt, back feels fine too though a slight crick in the neck. When I started this experiment, what Friday, I was keeping my feet straight, lifting my heels, been using that approach for the last few months, I like it a lot better. Trouble was after twenty or thirty your thighs are like jelly, switched back to having my feet turned out and much easier for large sets, right at the end of this though my legs were quaking a bit. Want those straight, flat, rooted feet of Iyengar
UPDATE : Morning after
Was expecting the worst, a lot of stiffness perhaps but as it happens I'm feeling pretty good. No stiffness in the back, the little crick in the neck has gone and legs don't feel like jelly. Stomach muscles are... not sore exactly but feel as if I've done some serious crunches, a Pilates work-out from those crazy twins perhaps.
Practice this morning was supposed to be built around the Asymmetric series but I ended up doing the seated sequence again for all the forward bends; long paschimottanasana and it's variations interspersed with Tatakamudra ( see this post ). I did the paschi/tatkamudra combo yesterday as a counterpose, perhaps it helped to iron out the dropbacks.
What else, a couple of goes at taking the lotus back up higher in Karandavasana and a look at jumping to Urdhava kukkutasana (post to come on that) then long stays in the inversions and on to pranayama etc.
A nice morning after practice.
from today's comments
Q: Were you generally satisfied with them?
A: I think I feel glad to get the 108 out of the way, to know it could be done now it's more a question of can it be done well ( by me). All these thing, tricky poses, long holds, 108 sury's or drop backs , every time you nail them you see a little more clearly that it's not what it's all about. We know this of course but need a reminder every now and again.
That said, there's nothing wrong with having some fun and giving yourself a little extra motivation and besides, the Will, like the body, needs exercising too.
Like you I want to work on the breath more, I think I was happy with a couple of sets of ten got a nice rhythm then lost it, fifteen to twenty is a nice number to play with, perhaps thirty-six. I do want to keep exploring this for a while and yes let's still do it for our birthdays as an incentive. After then I think I'd rather save it for a holy day or somebody elses birthday, certainly not Thursdays. I did 108 sury's when SKPJ died, kind of feel that things like this should be saved for such occasions, perhaps when you need to ask a boon, tapas, no?
Still can't get over Iyengar's feet how close together, straight and solid they were, 108 like that would be something to celebrate.
Q: Do your knees or ankles ever hurt from having them turned out for so many dropbacks?
A: No feet don't hurt, back feels fine too though a slight crick in the neck. When I started this experiment, what Friday, I was keeping my feet straight, lifting my heels, been using that approach for the last few months, I like it a lot better. Trouble was after twenty or thirty your thighs are like jelly, switched back to having my feet turned out and much easier for large sets, right at the end of this though my legs were quaking a bit. Want those straight, flat, rooted feet of Iyengar
UPDATE : Morning after
Was expecting the worst, a lot of stiffness perhaps but as it happens I'm feeling pretty good. No stiffness in the back, the little crick in the neck has gone and legs don't feel like jelly. Stomach muscles are... not sore exactly but feel as if I've done some serious crunches, a Pilates work-out from those crazy twins perhaps.
Practice this morning was supposed to be built around the Asymmetric series but I ended up doing the seated sequence again for all the forward bends; long paschimottanasana and it's variations interspersed with Tatakamudra ( see this post ). I did the paschi/tatkamudra combo yesterday as a counterpose, perhaps it helped to iron out the dropbacks.
What else, a couple of goes at taking the lotus back up higher in Karandavasana and a look at jumping to Urdhava kukkutasana (post to come on that) then long stays in the inversions and on to pranayama etc.
A nice morning after practice.
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