A mini blog today as it was a quiet day of rest and practice on the terrace watching the birds come and go, Definitely need to string up a hammock under the trees. Bird of the day today was the tiny purple songbird which definitely lived up to its name. The ever-present Kites were circling overhead and flocks of ring-necked parakeets regularly screeching past.
There was a choice of 2 classes today - Raya at 5.45am or Pranayama with Prashant at 6pm. I would have loved another Raya class, but 5.45am would have been a complete wash-out for me since I only turned my light out at 2am last night. I haven't managed to get into a sensible rhythm yet - by the time I've eaten and blogged after an evening class its silly o clock. Determined to be asleep before midnight tonight.
The pollution in Pune is off the scale at the moment. There is masses of major construction going on, including a huge luxury apartment block directly across the road from the entrance to the park. A smog of dust hangs in the air and the pavement is virtually obscured the whole way to the institute by a thick layer of dust.
Writing up Prashant's classes is a task beyond my capabilities but here is a faint echo of what we covered!
January 3rd 2025 – Prashant Pranayama
Several variations of Supta Baddha Konasana all with Viloma 1 (interrupted inhalation) alternately exhaling in the head / brain region and pelvic abdominal region. As we changed the position of the bolster, all the other variables had to remain constant so that bolster position was the only thing that had changed. Belt for feet if you already had one to hand.
1) Flat on floor,
2) Bolster spine wise
3) Bolster width wise kept a little lower so the upper buttock was touched.
4) Pranayama pillow spine wise.
5) Pranayama Pillow width wise.
·Seated (no Jalandhara bandha) Viloma 2 confined to the head – exhaling brain to throat region only. Exhalation can be nourishing too. Then exhaling with the vowel forms uttered silently along with the exhalation. You did not do anything, what has this practice done?
The main theme that I picked up from the class was that we are wrong to say that we performed this or that pranayama. We did not do it – it was done. This was illustrated by just how much the breath form changed of its own accord by each placement of the bolster. Can you do a rope sirsasana breath when you are in savasana? No! Because you do not have the agency to dictate when this breath happens - the asana form creates this breath, and you have no say in the matter (Please note these are my interpretation of Prashant’s words not his own use of language).
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