I was just too tired to deal with the world today. I barely made it through Prashant's class, every time I closed my eyes the world swayed. In the second session of the day, Raya gave a talk about establishing a good practice (at least I think that is what it was about) and I lay down on the hard floor, surrounded by people and fell asleep. I am not normally one of life's nappers!
Perhaps a combination of the fatigue and the concentration on the breath, led me to the quietest Parsva and Parivrtta Sirsasana ever - I felt almost in a trance and that I could just stay and stay and stay. I'm struggling to imagine how I'm going to fit back into life sitting at a desk during the working week when I get back to the UK in February - I just feel so gloriously, totally immersed in Yoga here.
Srineet taught the final session of the day - a well-rounded class with poses to open the front body, the back body and the side body along with three Sirsasanas and a Sarvangasana. He gave lots of techniques to use the breath to focus awareness for stability and quiet endurance particularly in the balancing poses.
I came home to a meal of 'Lauki ke Kofta' - beautifully prepared by Dheeraj's mum (oh how spoilt I am getting!) some kind of squash or gourd is used to make dumplings served in a tangy, spicy sauce full of flavour and she'd made each of us a single Sesame Laddu for dessert. Happy days! Brief notes for both classes below and then SLEEP!
January 16th 2025 – Day 10 – Session 1 – 50th Birthday Celebrations – Prashantji
Swastikasana Invocation. Sound forms are Shakti (energy) and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Sound forms are indestructible. Why was it called the Big Bang?
Parsva Swastikasana – Salamba and Baddha – In Salamba Parsva Swastikasana you are supporting with your cupped fingers. In Baddha Parsva Swastikasana the hand becomes a ‘fastener’.
Parsva Dandasana – Like a strong cup of coffee, do it for a strong ‘kick’. Make it starkly postural.
Parsva Upavistha Konasana - Make the posture the flower or fruit of your actions, not the seed.
Parsva Baddha Konasana – Mobilising the life force.
Parsva Padmasana – Immediately instil the breath culture.
Samasthiti – Make your mind a completely even mind. What is the chemical composition of the posture?
Hands on waist Parivrtta Samasthiti – With an even mind and then slowly fade the posture in.
Parsva Sirsasana – Go straight into Parsva – do not stop in Sirsasana at all and go for pra-gesture right away (do the pose completely with the breath, for the breath, by the breath). Introduce Pancha Vayu breathing in the different compartments.
The Pancha Vayus Parivrtta Eka Pada Sirsasana
Bharadvajasana 1 – Pancha Vayu breathing. Almost Pranayama breathing.
Bharadvajasana 2
Marichayasana 1 - Lips roll inward, but breath can still be feather light (these 3 twists)
Marichyasana 3
2 belts Pavanmuktasana – With Uddiyana Kriya, Agnesar Kriya (suck, wring, release repeatedly) and Kapalabhati Kriya. They are ‘great chemical modifiers’.
Koundinya Pavanmuktasana – Knees crossed.
Garuda Pavanmuktasana – Knees and feet crossed.
Vama Deva Koundinya Pavanmuktasana – With dorsal mudra. Opposite hand reaches underneath and catches the foot which is below.
Sarvangasana – Rarified breath, getting thinner and finer. Finer and finer.
16th January – Day 10 – Session3 – 50th Birthday Celebrations – Srineet
Swastikasana for invocation - Withdraw the jnanendriyas to see, sense and hear inwards and that brings the quietness. Identify manas, identify buddhi identify shakti.
Samasthiti
Uttanasana – Release from the sides of the hip joints just below the waist and keep the abdomen absolutely soft to release downwards. Let the breath flow down over the back body and flow over the back of the head to the crown of the head, crown of the head facing the floor.
Prasarita Padottanasana – Crown of the head to the floor.
Sirsasana 1st attempt – Guruji used to say that you had to balance on an area the size of a one rupee coin, exactly on the crown of the head, which corresponds to where the top of the spine would be, if it continued upward. Short stay just feeling our natural Sirsasana.
Sirsasana 2nd attempt – Take the weight more towards the back – to access this action, Guruji used to say to take the ears backwards. From the heels exhale down to the mid-calf. From the mid-calf exhale down to the back thigh. From the back thigh exhale around the buttock to the back waist. From the back waist exhale to the back chest. From the back chest exhale to the back skull. Now exhale from the heels to mid-calf, then from heels to back thigh, then from heels around the buttocks to the back waist, then from heels to back chest, then from heels to back skull. This technique concentrates the mind for steadiness and neutrality. The absorption in the breath brings a neutrality that is beyond the 3 gunas.
Utthita Hasta Pangusthasana 1 catching the big toe (or belt) – First we just did to observe what our experience was, then we repeated using the breath, so that after each exhalation we lingered without immediately inhaling. And after each inhalation we lingered quietly before the following exhalation. Guruji used to say he had awareness of every cell. The intelligence has to be like a thick fluid flowing throughout the body so that Brahma Citta automatically happens.
Sirsasana 3rd attempt – Imagine you have a transparent crystal ball balanced on your feet. On no account must you allow the ball to fall. Thoughts will cloud the transparency, so the thoughts also have to remain still so that the ball remains absolutely clear and steady. When we came down he talked about how this method brings absolute stability and quietness – moving towards ‘Citta vritti nirodha’.
Paryankasana – The dorsal has to pierce like an arrow to the centre point of the chest, which is the seat of divinity. And from the centre of the chest the breath flowing everywhere. Elbows folded over the head. 5 more breath cycles.
Ustrasana – 1) Just do your normal way 2) Now look forwards and fix your gaze on a certain point. Maintain your gaze at that point as you start to go back, opening the front chest, eyes still fixed on that point. And then exhale and take the head back and you should find that this is an asana you can stay in (and breathe in). I did indeed find that I was much quieter, breathing freely and able to stay.
Parighasana - The hip joint cutting in sharply, it has to be in a thin line. Complete the pose with the palms touching, even if you have to compromise the torso and then see if you can open the pose up again.
Vasthistasana (those that can, full pose catching the big toe) and Anantasana – Both on right side and then both on left. In Anantasana start just finding the balance with both legs down. The breath has to span from the elbow to the arch of the foot. When you take the leg up, the breath has to span between those 3 points, not just the 2. After your exhalation, linger in the pause before inhalation. After your inhalation linger in the pause before the exhalation.
Ubhaya Padangusthasana – Those that need a belt, don’t hold it at the sides. Instead, toe the belt in a loop around the feet and hold a single strand in the centre with your two hands. Do not look at your feet, look at your legs just above the knees.
Sarvangasana – What are you using to ‘hold’ your pose? There should be no strain on the pelvic or abdominal organs. Let the palms bear the weight – Guruji even used the let the legs slope a little back. If anything has to tighten, let it be the muscles of the upper arm and armpit region.
Supta Konasana
Here he spoke about how you know your learning is progressing in Yoga:
1. Your range of asanas is improving.
2. You develop an understanding of the mudras and kriyas.
3. Learn the theory of yoga.
4. Learn the application of yoga for different conditions and purposes.
5. Transformation – you change from within. Your old Samskaras are replaced by new Yogic Samskaras.
Savasana – The breath slowly percolating, as if through a sponge from the pit of the throat into the upper chest region. Then breath percolating slowly through the abdominal region. And finally the breath percolating through the head region – eyes, cheeks, throat.
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