A short blog today as I'm tired from a disturbed night of hypoglycaemia last night which involves waking up to take sugar a few times. It's always difficult to adjust insulin levels when my diet and daily routine changes and I've struggled today, missing a few minutes at the beginning of Abhi's class too (so the notes may be a bit muddled). Loved the class though - fast-paced, varied and dynamic and the perfect contrast to the more philosophical class given by Prashant this morning. I appreciate all the different classifications of asana, but backbends hold a special place in my heart. We dropped back from Sirsasana to Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana which I love to do, but would usually do a LOT of preparatory work first, so it was challenging to go straight in when we hadn't done even our first Urdhva Dhanurasana yet. It was great to mix it up and hold Ustrasana for a full minute AFTER the multiple Urdhva Dhanurasanas and Dwi Padas - for me that Ustrasana was the 'fruit' of the class.
Prashant was on form this morning and shared some of the secrets to progressing in asana, urging us to learn more about employing mudras in the asanas, explaining that in Guruji's Light on Yoga photographs he was engaging a mudra before every click of the camera. He joked that if Guruji had lived for another 10 years, there would have been a 'Light on Beyond Life' for sure! Guruji attained the advanced asanas in his prime, but he bever once lamented their loss becuase what he gained in his later years was far more than he lost. Our wisdom has to increase faster than our physical body declines.
I returned to the apartment to a home-cooked meal from Dheeraj's mum - today was a dish I'd never tried before originating from Rajasthan named Gatte ki sabjee. Gram flour is kneaded to make small gattas (like pea sized moist, squidgy dumplings) in a beautifully spiced sauce all served with her excellent gluten-free chapatis. Dheeraj had bought us a beautiful box of organic figs for dessert, so we're feeling very spoiled!
Day 3 Session 1 - Prashant
Some more bird seed for you to peck at from Prashant’s morning discourse. And humble apologies for the inevitable ‘blunderous errors’ that will be there in my interpretations of the original discourse.
We started with Supta Virasana (flat to floor where possible) and explored abdominal deflation on exhalations and then went on to silently utter the sound forms. We talked about how the Sanskrit language is distinct from English language as when you speak in English it is for the benefit of the listener, whereas if one were to speak in Sanskrit, the benefits are bestowed on the orator themselves.
We studied how obviously the inhalation changed when the body posture changed in Tadasana – Urdhva Hastasana – Parvatasana – Fingers interlocked behind – Tadasana with arms spread wide to the sides – Uttanasana – AMSvanasana and he pointed out it could as easily have been the exhalation we had studied in the postures as surely this would have changed too.
We went on to Dandasana with flat palms – cupped palms – Urdhva Hasta Dandasana – Urdhva Prasarita Padasana unsupported – Urdhva Prasarita Padasana holding a belt around the feet and Urdhva Dandasana (Sirsasana with two straight legs held parallel to the floor).
He spoke about the fact that once we are past prime age our ability to perform a posture will inevitably decline but our aim should be that our wisdom quotient should increase faster than our physicality decreases. As our physical ability declines, the asana itself should be progressing “It should do better than you do. You won’t progress, it should progress”. Guruji lost many of the advanced asanas towards the end of his life, but he never lamented, because what he gained was far greater than what he lost.
Do you want to know the secrets?!
These were the ‘secrets’ that I was able to follow:
Trikonasana done with focus on the hips and pelvis (which explains my experience yesterday, the pose was indeed ‘done’ by itself). Then we continued by exploring post-exhalative retention in Trikonasana with uddiyana bandha. We gathered round to look at Guruji’s pictures from Light on Yoga and Prashant said that before the camera clicked in every picture Guruji was performing a mudra. Every pose has Uddiyana mudra. Understanding of mudras will pave the way for yoga to happen. Profound exhalation – Retention – Uddiyana Mudra.
Prashant has written books to teach us all about all the different mudras that we need to learn in the different postures. I only caught the name of one book ‘Mind Management’ but there may have been more. Explore!
He joked that if Guruji had lived for 10 years longer he was sure that he would surely have written the book ‘Light on Beyond Life’!!
We finished with Parsvakonasana moving into Trikonasana with profound exhalations and consciously slowing the breath down so that the pose becomes a mind gesture. Followed by a final Bharadvajasana 1 uttering the various sound forms silently and observing ‘what was done’.
8th January – Day 3 – Session 3 – Abhijata
AMSvanasana – Uttanasana – AMS – Utt - Urdhva Hastasana – Utkatasana – Uttan – AMSvanasana – UMSvanasana - AMSvanasana – UM Svanasana - AMSvanasana – Trikonasana Right side - AMSvanasana – Trikonasana Left side – AMSvanasana – Prasarita Padottanasana.
Paschima Namaskarasana
Parsvottonasana 1) Coiling Upward 2) Extending forward parallel to the floor and holding the pose here 3) Pressing the wrist and thumb joint together 1!! 2!! 3!!
AMSvanasana – Ustrasana – AMSvanasana – Ustrasana
Virabhadrasana 1 – Arms in Urdvha Namaskarasana
Padangusthasana
Sirsasana
Parsva Sirsasana
Parsva Virasana in Sirsasana – Extend the frontal thighs so the knees point to the ceiling. Deepen the turn x 3 – 1!! 2!! 3!!
Sirsasana – Bring the legs slightly forwards to roll the outer thighs in and take the inner thighs back. Then maintaining the rotation, extend the legs straight up to Sirsasana x 3 and then as if you had the belt tied tightly around the hips, grip inwards there.
Here we came down for a demonstration of Sirsasana dropping back to Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana. Those that were able dropped to the floor in the centre of the room. The demo was for those that needed to drop back to the wall. If possible 2 legs at a time, but if not possible 1 leg searching for the wall followed by the other could be done. But coming back up had to be 2 legs – gripping from the dorsal and tailbone to spring back up X 3 dropbacks
Dhanurasana x 3 – on final 2 goes rocking backwards and forwards on the pelvis
Split into 2 groups 1) Standing back arch keeping the legs straight, to give space for the other group to do 2) Parsva Dhanurasana x 2 each side.
Urdhva Dhanursasana 1st attempt – Heels UP! Hips UP! arms STRAIGHT like full arm balance.
Urdhva Dhanurasana 2nd attempt – Heels UP! Walk in!
Urdhva Dhanurasana 3rd attempt – The middle buttocks are the heavy part of the structure, shoot them UP!
Urdhva Dhanurasana 4th/5th attempt – Lift UP! to walk in, if you just walk in without lifting up then the back does not participate – find out!
Urdhva Dhanurasana 6th attempt – This time instead of walking in with the feet, walk in with the hands. Both are walking in but the effect is different.
Here there was a demonstration of coming onto the crown of the head like Open Palm Sirsasana (Sometimes called 3 point headstand or Sirsasana 2). Pausing here to PRESS from the elbow to the wrist downward and then from the back of the upper arm to the shoulder suction to straighten the arm and lift up with this action x 3.
Urdhva Dhanusrasana final attempt holding for 60 seconds. What will you have to prioritise to stay her for one minute?
Ustrasana – 1 minute hold. Stamp the ankles! LIFT the sides of the trunk to make them TALL!
Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana X 3 – One minute hold. Don’t stay for one minute prematurely. First the pose has to have the lift and firmness before holding can be done.
Paryankasana either in padmasana or virasana
AMSvanasana
Sarvangasana 1) Take the hands off of the back body and lift the back up independently of the hands. Then once the back is lifted, use the blade of the first finger and thumb to cut into the back to lift it upward x 2 2) Go to Halasana and interlock the fingers stretching them backwards. Lift the arms up and the bring them down with force to bash the floor first of all with the hand and then the entire arm has to reach to bash the floor x 6 and then go back up to Sarvangasana. 3) Eka Pada Sarvangasana rapidly swapping legs to touch the big toe to the floor X 6 each side (even if the up-leg came slightly forward to enable your down leg big toe to reach). 4) Parsva Eka Pada Sarvangasana 5) Optional Karnapidasana and Parsva Karnapidasana 6) Halasana take the arms over the head, palms facing the ceiling and take the right leg up, followed by the left leg for Nirlambe Sarvangasana. Then repeat with left leg up first followed by the right.
Paschimottanasana
Supta Baddha Konasana (long foams or folded blankets under the torso, blanket for the head and neck, support for outer hips if required). Dividing the torso into 3 bands and inhaling alternately into lower, middle and upper band.
Savasana
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