Cobbler in Cobbler Pose – Baddha Konasana
The day began well – singing in the shower so happy to be here! After 15 years of childcare it’s so nice to get the chance to rediscover who I am when the cloak of responsibilities is shed (albeit temporarily).Headed into the Institute for practice session to find it was every bit as busy, but I figured I have every day of my normal life for solitary practice and the atmosphere was cooperative rather than competitive. Was able to use the platform to practice the killer abdominal thing and am beginning to make friends with it.Completed my inversions at home and then headed to Mariot to meet my friend Lorna who is staying there, we had a swim and then sorted out her travel arrangements for Goa.A speedy rickshaw ride later and we arrived just in the nick of time for Pranayama. The old timers had Geeta in the main hall and the first timers were upstairs with Rajalaxmi. First I’ll reproduce Jenny’s words on Geeta:“Just had a Pranayama class with Geetaji – she was nicer to us this week, but I still have a sense that we have disappointed them. She says that we give Guruji a headache since every time he teaches us something ‘new’ we forget everything that has gone before. This particularly aimed at senior teachers who have been coming a long time. She said something like ‘It is his destiny’ and gave a small sigh. Maybe he’s thinking he needs to come back and teach us all again in his next life”.Meanwhile upstairs Rajalaxmi taught us a really thorough and warm Pranayama class. Her explanations are vivid and easy to understand. We began for the invocation with the correct positioning of the hands joined infront of The Atman – not higher up the breastbone as so many of us mistakenly do. There should be no muscular effort but the palms together like two friends reassuring each other of their presence.After supine pranayama we sat for some very basic digital work with Kumbhka on the inhalation (only inhale from the back armpit to the front for Kumbhaka). As we ended with savasana we were told “Nothing belongs to you, not even your exhalation, just let it go and surrender yourself to the Mother Earth. Do not impose inhalation on the body, just let it take care of itself spontaneously. Surrender yourself to its rhythm”. Bliss.On my way up to Pranayama Stephanie pulled me over to ask if I would speak along with Doctor Manoj at the Annual Day Celebrations tomorrow about my experience with Type 1 Diabetes and Yoga. EEEEEK. Oh and double eek because we have booked to go to Ayurvedic Retreat tomorrow. I had been feeling uncomfortable about missing the Annual Day but comforted myself with the knowledge that the Institute is completely oversubscribed at the moment and that not only would our presence not be missed, we would be doing them a favour by leaving more space for others.Small dilemma before I realised my priority is here and my absence would certainly be noticed if Manoj is talking about me and I’m not there. So the others are heading off in a taxi after class tomorrow for Massage, Ayurvedic Consultation etc. and I will attempt to organise my own transport tomorrow evening after celebration is finished for the day.
Got to be the busiest Coconut Stall in Pune!
Day 18 – Rajalaxmi Pranayama
The physiological heart is slightly to the left, the spiritual heart is in the centre just below breastbone. Do not fold your palms so high up, the palms joined at the position of The Atman. Fingers joined, no muscular effort at all, the palms are friends reassuring each other of their presence. Extension from the shoulder to the elbow, slight movement of the inner elbow away from the rib.
Abdomen back to the spine, pelvic bones separate from the pelvis lift them up. Do not push the front ribs forwards aggressively, find the quietness there.
When you inhale the dome of the diaphragm goes down and massages the abdominal organs.
Kumbhaka – inhale only from the back armpit to the front armpit for the kumbhaka. As soon as the muscular tension is felt release the kumbhak.
Refined pranayama technique – do not let the breath hit the bones out, instead breath only to expand the muscles.
Direct the inhalation to expand the bottom ribs.
In savasana pranayama the body should be laid out in such a way that there is no attention required – no body part should draw the attention to itself.
The feet should be joined and then the feet fall out to 9 o clock and 3 o clock. Otherwise the abdominal contents spill out.
Nothing belongs to you, not even your exhalation, just let it go and surrender yourself to the Mother Earth. Do not impose inhalation on the body, just let it take care of itself spontaneously. Surrender yourself to its rhythm.
We started seated for the invocation
Then savasana pranayama expanding the bottom ribs, expanding muscle not hitting the bones
Then seated for kumbhak, inhaling only from the back armpit to the front. Holding only as long as there was no tension
Then digital pranayama – only when you can cultivate the space between the little finger and the ring finger will the fine control be possible. The little finger has to curl round to meet the thumb
Inhale, kumbhaka while the hand finds its position then partially block both nostrils for the exhalation.
Finished in flat savasana
Nicky’s notes
The abdomen needs to separate from the ribs – the diaphragm is the bridge between the ribs and the abdomen – between the spiritual and the physical.
Don’t push out the bottom/floating ribs – when sitting straight
Draw the abomen away from the top thigh
Spread the clavicle – press scapula forward
relax the forehead skin towards the nose, relax the skin above the eyebrows,
relax the pores in the skin, spread the skin away from the cheekbone towards the ear, release the inner ear – (connection between ear nose throat ) thin the tongue, release the jaw bones away from each other.
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