Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 7 (April 14, 2009)

Focus: Continue to review and refine hip opening from Week 4: Virabhadrasana II, Trikonasana, and Parsvakonasana to open the right hip. Use the buddhi and the gunas to observe the effects of your actions, so that you may evaluate, and self correct in asana.

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.
The answer to this question requires an understanding of the world view of the yogin. 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. Tadasana/Samasthiti

2. Rope 1
a. Roll upper arms out to open shoulders and further facilitate Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana.

3. Tadasana (Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana)

4. Tadasana (Paschima Baddha Hasta arms)
a. Roll open shoulders to prepare for Sarvangasana. When this is mastered, can introduce Paschima Namaskarasana.

5. Tadasana (Gomukhasana arms)

6. 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.

7. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Left heel at the Rope Wall, repeat the actions as above.

9. 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.

10. Virabhadrasana I
a. With Urdhva Hastasana arms, press wrists into Upper Wall Rope to lift the pubic plate and sternum.

11. Utkatasana

12. Parsvottanasana (hands on chair seat, head on brick on chair seat)
a. Pull right hip back, left hip forward.

13. Baddha Hasta Uttanasana
a. Substitute for Uttanasana (concave back feet apart and feet together)

14. Chair Kurmasana
a. Preparation for Padangusthasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana hip movement.
b. Thighs on chair seat, bend forward from the hips, head on bricks.

15. Padangusthasana
a. From Chair Kurmasana, hold the big toes and stand up. (2X)
b. Keeping the hips flexed, stretch from the back of the knees up to the buttock bones, and take the weight onto the toes.

16. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Wall Ekapada Sarvangasana
Get more on top of the shoulders and walk the feet up the wall. With the left foot on the wall, straighten the right leg vertically towards the ceiling. Then repeat on the other side.

b. Salamba Sarvangasana
Straighten both legs.

17. Forward Extensions
a. Adho Mukha Swastikasana (forehead on chair seat)
Head on chair seat, hands up holding the arms of the chair. Relieves pressure in the head from Sarvangasana.

b. Paschimottanasana (forehead on chair seat)
Substituted for Paschimottanasana to provide more support and rest. Legs wide apart in Dandasana for greater hip mobility, holding the chair arms to keep the chest open, rest the forehead on the chair seat.

18. Savasana
a. Blanket beneath head.