Tuesday 6.30p Intro: Week 6 (Feb 10, 2009)

Since the session is more than half over, and we will not admit any new students, we have begun to refine the poses already covered and pick up omitted poses from the last five weeks.

With this group of students we will mainly concentrate on the syllabus through Week 5 for the remainder of the session. We cannot proceed to Paschimottanasana unless and until pupils can hold toes in Padangustha Dandasana. Likewise, the arm asanas in Tadasana are necessary for the safe practice of the Sarvangasana Cycle.

Next week we will continue to consolidate and add Ardha Chandrasana from Week 6.
Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Discussion: Patanjali Yoga Sutras I.12-14, What is Yoga Practice?
The commentary on Yoga Sutra I.12 begins rhetorically with the question “What are the means of stopping... the movements of the mind?” Patanjali “answers” by recommending the two key concepts of practice and detachment as the solution.

PYS I.12 Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness.

Patanjali then equates abhyasa, practice, with stillness and stability:

PYS I.13 Practice is the steadfast effort to still and stabilize the fluctuations (vrittis) of the mind.

The commentator defines the absence of vrttis as tranquillity. He also adds both energy (or vigor) and enthusiasm as necessary traits.

Patanjali continues by characterizing abhyasa:

PYS I.14 Long, uninterrupted and alert (satkara) practice is the firm foundation for restraining the fluctuations.

The basic structure of B.K.S. Iyengar’s translation of Yoga Sutra I.14 declares that “practice is the ... foundation”, the purpose of which is restraint of the fluctuations (vrittis) of the mind.
The word sat-kara breaks down into a compound of two words that translate as “right - fashion”. This is interpreted as a “positive and devout attitude” characterized as “in a devoted way — with austerity, continence, knowledge and faith.”


Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Tadasana/Samasthiti

2. Urdhva Hastasana
a. Navel back, stretch the armpits up

3. Tadasana (Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana)

4. Tadasana (Namaskarasana)
a. Omitted for lack of time

5. Tadasana (Paschima Baddha Hasta arms)
a. Urdhva Namaskarasana inserted after Gomukhasana arms
b. Holding elbows, roll open from the sternum to the frontal shoulders.
c. If unable to hold elbows, Baddha - bind - the arms with a belt.

6. Tadasana (Gomukhasana arms)
a. Ardha Gomukhasana arms: Right arm up, bend the right elbow. Hold the right elbow with the left hand and side bend to the right to stretch the right side ribs.
b. Left arm in Paschima Namaskarasana to complete Gomukhasana arms.

7. Tadasana (Urdhva Namaskarasana )
a. Variation 1: Stretching the side ribs, take the arms up at the side and “clap” hands. Hold a few moments.
b. Variation 2: From Urdhva Hastasana, hook the thumbs to bring the palms together. Triceps firm.
c. Classic pose: Take the arms up in front of you, combining actions of prior two variations.

8. Tadasana (Paschima Namaskarasana)

9. Rope 1
a. Roll upper arms out to open shoulders and further facilitate Urdhva Hastasana.

10. Utkatasana
a. Feet together.

11. Utthita Hasta Padasana
12. Parsva Hasta Padasana
13. Utthita Trikonasana

14. Virabhadrasana II
a. Lift pubic plate.

15. Utthita Parsvakonasana

16. Vrksasana
a. Fix your gaze on a non-moving point and press down inner edge of right foot.
b. Side of standing leg near a wall for confidence.
c. Did Utthita Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana II, Utthita Parsvakonasana first to facilitate opening the right groin towards the knee.

17. Vimanasana
a. Arms to the side are like the poles of a palanquin. On top of these poles rested a cabin with seating. This ancient conveyance was shouldered by servants to carry their lord. In modern times “vimana” is used to denote an airplane.
b. Variation: Bend the right knee to 90 degrees, as in Virabhadrasana I, but allow the left heel to come up as little as possible. Then, keeping the left foot turned in 60 degrees, extend the calf to take the left heel to the floor
c. Perform classic pose without lifting the left heel.
d. Those who have difficulty opening the armpits in Urdhva Hastasana can temporarily substitute this variation for the classic Virabhadrasana I.

18. Virabhadrasana I
a. As in Vimanasana, keep the right hip back to turn in the left foot.
b. Those who have difficulty opening the armpits in Urdhva Hastasana can bind the upper arms with a belt.

19. Parsvottanasana (hands on bricks, head down)
a. Turn back leg in; right hip back; left hip forward

20. Prasarita Padottanasana (hands on bricks, concave back)

21. Adho Mukha Svanasana
a. Hands turned out at wall. Stretch the inner armpit towards the hip.

22. Baddha Hasta Uttanasana
a. Substituted for Uttanasana (concave back)

23. Padangusthasana
a. Loop a belt beneath the forefoot, and, make it sufficiently long with straight arms to be able to make the lumbar concave.

24. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Substituted Chair Sarvangasana.

25. Forward Extensions
a. Substituted Adho Mukha Swastikasana for Paschimottanasana.
b. Place head on chair seat, hands up holding the arms of the chair.

26. Savasana