Offerings of coconuts and flowers for The Ganesha Temple
Had a productive organising kind of a day here. Managed to get up in time to do a little Pranayama before class this morning and have realised this may be the key to preserving my energy once I am back to my teaching schedule / busy family life. I feel unbelievably jammy to have had this opportunity to step right outside of normal life and follow my passion in this way (Big thanks to my partner Louis, currently bearing the double load x)
Another cracking class from Guruji and Abhi this morning. We managed to get a good spot close to them so we could hear Guruji’s dialogue with Abhi. It’s a fascinating interaction to watch – the fondness they have for each other is so apparent. Guruji is going through his daily practice while teaching through Abhi and yet it really does seem that he is aware of every single student in the room. It is quite extraordinary to be in a room packed full of people all working at the very limits of their ability – absolute commitment is required from every single person, for every single second. Aside from his exceptional knowledge, it is his persistence and insistence that sets him apart and he expects nothing less from you too. If a point isn’t understood, he doesn’t shy away from it, he keeps on going until he is satisfied that you have GOT IT. And then he will come at it another way so that you have DOUBLE GOT IT and woe betide you if you let it slip with the next instruction, they build up one on top of the other and you have to try and keep them all going at the same time. Maybe I am imagining it, but I genuinely feel that I have a connection with him and the teaching is for me personally – I believe this is the sign of a good teacher, when every student feels that he is teaching directly to them.
Today’s class mainly focussed on forward bends and parivrtta forward bends – infact exactly the work I was doing in the medical class with Stephanie (told you it was for me personally!). We worked on bringing the intelligence into the ‘dark’ areas of the feet and knees. We learnt how to open fully and maintain the one-pointed concentration there. We did another sweat inducing sirsasana and came down with such relief, only to be sent immediately back up because we let the attention slip from the ‘bund’ of the foot on the way to the floor!
After class Nicky came for lunch and we took class notes. We have booked an Ayurvedic Retreat for the weekend, leaving after Guruji and Abhi’s class coming back on Sunday evening 🙂 I have also broken my own rule that has held strong for 17 years – not taking buses in India! I have booked an overnight sleeper bus to Goa on the following Thursday evening so that I will have 3 full days in Goa before flying back up for the last few days of classes. Bus takes 13 hours, flight is 1 hour, but because that is the holiday weekend it is really booked up and only the expensive seats are left. I am intending to make the absolute most of my time here!
Different scenes from local area
DAY 16 – GURUJI AND ABHIJATA
· Uttanasana – The opening of the back knee inner and outer, hip socket down, feel the bund of the foot. Demo on stage inner (nearer the arch) and outer bund. Both should spread and press. Had to lift up whole foot and only press the bund. Imagine you were only born with a little toe to walk on. Now feel the outer knee is it lengthening / opening?
· AMS be only on the heel, press the bund, open the knee. MAXIMUM
· Prasarita Paddottanasna – Same action
· Uttanasana – intelligence of the back knee, imprint of knee to take into sirsasana
· Sirsasana open the outer back knee, express the inner bund. Keep the intelligence in bunds as you come down (2 legs where possible). Made us go up and come down again to make sure we got this - ekagrata – one pointed intelligence. Plate of the heel.
· Upavista Konasana – Extend the back of heel. Broaden your inner bund. Bring the intelligence to the outer edge of big toe (inner foot). Extend from the inner groin to the inner knee. The sole of the foot should not project further than the heel.
· Parsva Upavista Konasana – Maintain the extension groin to inner knee (it will try to shrink back) and keep that one pointed intelligence in the outer edge of the big toe. Turn from lower edge of rib, below diaphragm.
· Baddha Konasana - Outer edge of thigh descending.
· Parsva Baddha Konasana – “You’re all turning your chest, turn from the side ribs only”
· Full arm balance – Sirsasana head, outer scalpula UP, lots of feet adjustments given.
· Baddha Konasana
· Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana – First revolve to the side. Don’t let the side waist shrink armpit to waist, take the waist to the armpit. Then the waist down. Had to take the elbow forward. Remember that thump on the lower shoulder blade forwards! Turn from the lower side waist maintaining the extension.
· Parivrtta Upavista Konasana
· Janu Sirsasana
· Parivrrta Paschimottonasana
· U H Dandasana into paschimottonasna feet apart - like a worm or a snake moves forward (not rounded hump) but the bottom ribs lower than the sternum – don’t take the head down and make the hump – head should not go lower than sternum but stay in line. Imagine you have no bones at all and you are only going forward from the inner intercostals. Each individual inner intercostal one after the other.
· Paschimottonasna feet together
· Halasana / Sarvangasana
In halasana extend the front / side as well as back
Take the top of the ear back – quietened the pose “You all told me that your back ribs are lifting more than the front? (in halasana) Then keep that as you go into sarvangasana”.
· Paschimottonasana – same work as before
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