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What a full on day! Right I want to start by correcting an earlier inaccuracy that is nagging at me. Right at the beginning I said the teaching hall at the Institute was smaller than Yogawest, but I’ve come to the conclusion it’s actually much bigger. It’s a really strange shape with lots of angles and long and thin – there’s no way it could physically fit that number of people if it was smaller.
Had a dreadful night’s sleep last night. As the internet was down I actually managed to get into bed before midnight (we’re five and a half hours in front of the UK). Just as I’d happily drifted off there came a huge explosion outside. It frightened the life out of me (and Jenny) partly because we had no idea what it was. There were no sirens or sounds of panic and eventually I nodded of again, only to have two smaller explosions again at close proximity – though these were no louder than very loud fireworks. Spent the rest of night tossing and turning and felt I’d just dropped off when it was time to get up and head in for Guruji and Abhijata.
This was possibly the most intense experience of my yoga career. As usual the requirement for absolute concentration began from the very first moment and continued to the very last. There is no winding down, no sense at any point that the work is done and now it’s time to take it easy. In Sirsasana as we were endeavouring to put into practice the many different teaching points that were being relayed, the sweat was rolling down my back, pouring down my face. When I came down there was a complete imprint of my hands, arms and head on the mat. And this was only the very beginning. We were led through the Parivrrtas, turning from the abdominal viscera, the seated twists, Urdhva Dhanurasana – lifting from the top waist just below the armpits. Abhijata demonstrated on stage to great effect the difference this made and then Guruji asked her to explain that she was using support because she is now carrying (pregnant) and that we were to get the same results without the support. There were some magnificent groans and sighs reverberating around the room, but good humour after one particularly uninhibited groan that made everybody laugh. We were all pushing ourselves well beyond any previously held belief of where our limits lay. Still the pace was kept up; Adho mukha svanasana, Sarvangasana (we worked so hard here that even my tongue was trembling uncontrollably), dropping back in to setu-bandha and finally Paschimottonasna – not resting, working so that the bottom back rib was in deeper than the top.
By this point I was literally weeping – the yoga had taken everything I had and there was no room left for anything else. If you’re holding on to anything you just have to let it go. I headed off for a quiet walk home to reflect and came across a barrow selling beautiful flowering plants. The perfect therapeutic activity – I bought a selection and headed back to the flat to plant up a pot for the balcony.Gradually we’re making the space feel like home.
In the evening Nicky and I headed over to the rather posh Mariot hotel for a green salad and soya milk hot chocolate. What a treat!
DAY 12 – GURUJI AND ABHIJATA
· AMS- On the back pelvis, the interior face has to come closer to the thighs.
· Uttanasana – Lengthen the abdominal viscera to the floor. Extend also the side abdominal organs to the floor. This helps the top hip socket to come down. (I remember broadening the ribs and pressing the shoulder blade in). Had to stand in tadasana to feel the broadness of the collar bones, why do you close the collar bones in uttanasana?
· AMVrksasana – buttock flesh up
· Sirsasana – Abdominal viscera roll in from the back waist. Intelligence in the back of the knee, demonstration by doctor on stage. When up in the pose, lots of lumbar correction given.
· Parivrtta Trikonasana Extend abdominal viscera. Don’t take it back. Allow it to come forward. Bottom of abdominal viscera to the floor, turn from the bottom viscera, roll the top viscera back. Don’t let the lump come in the back, extend the spine to the neck and head back.
· Parivrtta Parsvakonasna – same same
· Bharadvajasana 1 (Parsva Dandasana as a learning tool) When turning to the right side. 1. Roll the right groin in, don’t let it hit up and keep it there as you turn. 2. As you turn the buttock bone wants to draw back, don’t let it. Buttock bone of the right held absolutely steady, skin of the thigh towards the knee.
You all turn the chest, turn from the abdominal organs,
completely turn the pelvis. Back side buttock / thigh heavy down (“She thinks she is doing”). Waist narrow, chest broad.
· Marichyasana 3 - Turning the pelvis and abdominal viscera. Towards the end ‘pin your hips together and turn’
· Urdhva Dhanurasana – We always lift from the lower waist. 100% lift from the upper waist using your arms to do this (below bra strap side body). We had to walk our hands more in. (Abi gave wonderful demonstration on stage, ‘Don’t think because I had height under my hands that is why I could lift, I am carrying now that is why I had height. You are not carrying, you have to find that lift without the height’)
· AMS – Locate that same upper waist and press in to find that same narrow width.
· Sarvangasana – There is an anterior and posterior face to the buttock bone. The posterior should not touch the flesh, then the anterior face will lift.
The top abdominal viscera should touch the interior surface of the front body – that is a healthy sarvangasana. Shouder blades concave, intelligent use of palms on the back.
· Setu Bandha Sarvangasana drop back (or come from floor if you cannot drop).
· Paschimottonasna – The bottom back (floating) ribs should be lower than the top ribs, we kept head in line. Move the bottom edge of the front ribs forward.
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