As promised from yesterday's post
"A friend just sent me her Guest post review of a workshop John Scott conducted/presented in Oxford a few months ago. I remember my friend being very undecided as to whether to go or not as at the time as she hadn't been given the full Primary series, check back tomorrow to see how she found it in her review."
See her review/workshop notes below. Thank you for sharing your impressions.
I had the opportunity to attend John Scott’s workshops a few months ago. I was hesitant to sign up initially, as I have yet to learn the whole series. However, my teacher who always speaks very highly of John encouraged me to go. The weekend consisted of a led primary, 2 Mysore sessions and 2 technique classes.
Led Primary
I was most looking forward to the led primary, and it was really wonderful. John led us through a counted primary practice. He was humorous, light and encouraging, and really brought the whole group together as one. Unsurprisingly, there was much laughter during the session and he has quite a lovely manner in his teaching.
I can’t remember all that’s said (am still a fairly newbie). He encouraged us to bend the knees when entering some standing poses, such as Padangustasana, Padahastana and Prasarita Padottanasana. We were told to bend our knees to lower the sense of gravity, to find the foundation and then raise the centre of gravity by straightening the legs with the centre of gravity directly over the foundation.
We explored the action and reaction in the poses. For eg, in Parivrtta Trikonasana (the first side), press down into the left hand, and feel right shoulder open up, and extend back through the right hip and out through the crown of the head.
In upward dog, he commented people tend to lift the head by lifting from the neck muscles. He wanted us to work the ‘armpits bandha’. Hands glue to the floor, draw the armpits back towards the navel, feel the heart lifts, and the neck comes free, and head up. This way, we get into the heart chakra by working the armpits, and feeling the chest coming through the pose.
In the trini position of surya namaskar, hands glue to the floor (no spider hands!), press through the hands, lift the heart, draw the navel in, pull armpits back towards the navel. It’s the armpits projecting us forward, not lifting the spine. Knees slightly bend if needed.
Garbha pindasana – remember that primary curve, going back to the womb, stay round and keep the head in, look in and roll from the navel
Mysore sessions
I have only ever been to my regular teacher for Mysore class, so I found the thought of Mysore sessions with other teachers quite daunting. However I was soon put to ease. We were divided into smaller groups and were quite spoiled as John had 2 other teachers assisting, so there were lots of assistants/adjustments given.
He really wanted us to learn our count, so we were encouraged to count our Surya Namaskars in Sanskrit and was also put to test – we could be stopped during the practice and was asked the name of the poses which we were in, and also the ‘state of vinyasas’. Luckily, I know my Kukkutasana and Baddha Konasana, however, I'm very rusty with the count!
Technique classes
The technique classes weren’t what I expected. Before the workshops, I was thinking of asana related technique workshops, or ‘how to’ workshops – eg how to jump through, how to jump back, how to nail that titibhasana/bhujapidasana/headstand etc etc..
Instead, John talked us through ways of practice. He focused on the practice as a whole unit and not asana orientated. The practice is the unit, from Samasthiti to Savasana.
The practice, as the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois called it, is a counted practice. The practice is a moving meditation, and the technique is the counted method, counted in Sanskrit, the language of yoga. He suggested to us to learn the counted method - to go through a journey from speaking them, to whispering them, to thinking them and eventually the method, the mantra becomes part of us. When it becomes part of us, we don’t even have to think it, we just ‘hear’ it and we hear the vinyasas. This helps us to focus and keep out the difficult thoughts.
He didn’t exactly say we have to practice full vinyasas, however, he mentioned every asana starts from zero and ends with zero. Each asana is a flower, and what links each asana is the number of breath movement. There are a number of transitions into the positions, and when we’re in the positions, we focus on the 5 breaths. That’s one full vinyasa, every asana has a full vinyasa.
When we do half vinyasa, we’re going from flower to flower and not focusing on the journey.
During one session, we as a group, progressed through Surya Namaskars, some standing poses, and then to some Second Series poses. We joined him in counting out loud in Sanskrit, and in full vinyasas. That was quite challenging - the co-ordination of count, breath and movement, but was fun to do as a group.
John also talked of yoga off the mat. Is the yoga working for us? Are we focusing too much on the body? Are we feeling the balance, are we feeling friendly, compassionate, centred, focused and able to negotiate through difficult time? Are we able to set an example to others, inspiring others to take up yoga?
Some food for thought there.
I came back from John’s workshops feeling really inspired and loving the practice more and more. Although I don’t know any of the practitioners before the workshops, I feel we were all connected together through the love for the practice, and that was something quite special. John has presented to us a very dedicated approach to practice, and we were encouraged to explore it ourselves. I found myself reading my Yoga Mala as soon as I get home, starting to learn the count and the name of the poses. I’m loving the journey.
 |
| Possibly the first Ashtanga book I bought and going back to it this week, still perhaps the best for outlining the vinyasa |
GUEST POST from a good friend
I had the opportunity to attend John Scott’s workshops a few months ago. I was hesitant to sign up initially, as I have yet to learn the whole series. However, my teacher who always speaks very highly of John encouraged me to go. The weekend consisted of a led primary, 2 Mysore sessions and 2 technique classes.
Led Primary
I was most looking forward to the led primary, and it was really wonderful. John led us through a counted primary practice. He was humorous, light and encouraging, and really brought the whole group together as one. Unsurprisingly, there was much laughter during the session and he has quite a lovely manner in his teaching.
I can’t remember all that’s said (am still a fairly newbie). He encouraged us to bend the knees when entering some standing poses, such as Padangustasana, Padahastana and Prasarita Padottanasana. We were told to bend our knees to lower the sense of gravity, to find the foundation and then raise the centre of gravity by straightening the legs with the centre of gravity directly over the foundation.
We explored the action and reaction in the poses. For eg, in Parivrtta Trikonasana (the first side), press down into the left hand, and feel right shoulder open up, and extend back through the right hip and out through the crown of the head.
In upward dog, he commented people tend to lift the head by lifting from the neck muscles. He wanted us to work the ‘armpits bandha’. Hands glue to the floor, draw the armpits back towards the navel, feel the heart lifts, and the neck comes free, and head up. This way, we get into the heart chakra by working the armpits, and feeling the chest coming through the pose.
In the trini position of surya namaskar, hands glue to the floor (no spider hands!), press through the hands, lift the heart, draw the navel in, pull armpits back towards the navel. It’s the armpits projecting us forward, not lifting the spine. Knees slightly bend if needed.
Garbha pindasana – remember that primary curve, going back to the womb, stay round and keep the head in, look in and roll from the navel
Mysore sessions
I have only ever been to my regular teacher for Mysore class, so I found the thought of Mysore sessions with other teachers quite daunting. However I was soon put to ease. We were divided into smaller groups and were quite spoiled as John had 2 other teachers assisting, so there were lots of assistants/adjustments given.
He really wanted us to learn our count, so we were encouraged to count our Surya Namaskars in Sanskrit and was also put to test – we could be stopped during the practice and was asked the name of the poses which we were in, and also the ‘state of vinyasas’. Luckily, I know my Kukkutasana and Baddha Konasana, however, I'm very rusty with the count!
Technique classes
The technique classes weren’t what I expected. Before the workshops, I was thinking of asana related technique workshops, or ‘how to’ workshops – eg how to jump through, how to jump back, how to nail that titibhasana/bhujapidasana/headstand etc etc..
Instead, John talked us through ways of practice. He focused on the practice as a whole unit and not asana orientated. The practice is the unit, from Samasthiti to Savasana.
The practice, as the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois called it, is a counted practice. The practice is a moving meditation, and the technique is the counted method, counted in Sanskrit, the language of yoga. He suggested to us to learn the counted method - to go through a journey from speaking them, to whispering them, to thinking them and eventually the method, the mantra becomes part of us. When it becomes part of us, we don’t even have to think it, we just ‘hear’ it and we hear the vinyasas. This helps us to focus and keep out the difficult thoughts.
He didn’t exactly say we have to practice full vinyasas, however, he mentioned every asana starts from zero and ends with zero. Each asana is a flower, and what links each asana is the number of breath movement. There are a number of transitions into the positions, and when we’re in the positions, we focus on the 5 breaths. That’s one full vinyasa, every asana has a full vinyasa.
When we do half vinyasa, we’re going from flower to flower and not focusing on the journey.
During one session, we as a group, progressed through Surya Namaskars, some standing poses, and then to some Second Series poses. We joined him in counting out loud in Sanskrit, and in full vinyasas. That was quite challenging - the co-ordination of count, breath and movement, but was fun to do as a group.
John also talked of yoga off the mat. Is the yoga working for us? Are we focusing too much on the body? Are we feeling the balance, are we feeling friendly, compassionate, centred, focused and able to negotiate through difficult time? Are we able to set an example to others, inspiring others to take up yoga?
Some food for thought there.
I came back from John’s workshops feeling really inspired and loving the practice more and more. Although I don’t know any of the practitioners before the workshops, I feel we were all connected together through the love for the practice, and that was something quite special. John has presented to us a very dedicated approach to practice, and we were encouraged to explore it ourselves. I found myself reading my Yoga Mala as soon as I get home, starting to learn the count and the name of the poses. I’m loving the journey.
******
If this has got you interested in John's teaching check out his new Ashtanga App with it's led practice 9using screenshots to allow for optional information panels) based on his video it's full of all kinds of extras but there are also a couple of in app purchases. I highly recommend the 15 page article 'Windows on a practice', this is a transcript of one of John Scott's classes held at Stillpoint Yoga Winter 2013, so around the same time as the workshop my friend attended in Oxford.