Monday 4.30p Intro — Week 7 (April 13, 2009)

Focus: Continue to review and refine hip actions in standings. Lack of hip opening often masquerades as hamstring stiffness. Add Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Discussion: Patanjali Yoga Sutra I.2, What is Yoga?
See Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 6 (April 9, 2009) for the discussion.
B.K.S. Iyengar’s method is indirect: “by the body, for the mind.” By focusing the wandering citta on the intricacies of asana, we indirectly restrain the citta and guide it towards vritti nirodha. Bring sattvic intelligence into the pose to restrain the citta vrittis.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana
a. Heels at wall, crossed ropes at groins, head on bolster support to quiet the mind.
b. Hands turned out 90° at wall. Don’t “let the consciousness leak out” from beneath the forefinger knuckle. Press it down then stretch the inner armpit towards the hip. Stretch the arms and side body up, away from the hands to keep the head light and the mind passive.

2. Virabhadrasana II
a. Swap first prior to Trikonasana to get freedom in hips without the challenge of stiff hamstrings.
b. Left heel at the Rope Wall. Turn the right leg out more to bring the right femur more into the socket. Connecting the femur into the socket supports the pelvis and trunk.
c. The legs must be firm and stable, a tamasic quality, while also lifting, or rajasic. If the pelvis and trunk are tamasic, and just collapse onto the right leg, the right knee will take the load, and become very heavy and dull, or tamasic, along with the mind. Therefore the pelvis must strongly lift up, a rajasic action, in order to bring lightness and mobility, or sattva, into the right hip joint. This results in greater clarity, making the mind sattvic.

3. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Left heel at the Rope Wall, holding the lower wall rope as above, move the right outer thigh towards the wall to lengthen the right leg.
b. Repeat the actions as above.

4. Utthita Parsvakonasana
a. Left heel at the Rope Wall, holding the lower wall rope as in Virabhadrasana II.
b. Repeat the actions as above, the sit the buttock down to take the right hand to the floor.

5. Viparita Karani
a. Buttocks and upper back supported with staggered blankets folded in half widthwise; blanket under head. Substituted for Sarvangasana Cycle.