Tuesday 4.30p MS — Week 4 (May 26, 2009)

Focus: Restoratives and deep breathing
One new student.
New poses in bold face.

Discussion: Samskaras, malas, astanga yoga and the citta. See Saturday 10.30a Intro — Week 12 (May 23, 2009).

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Supta Padangusthasana
a. Supta Tadasana (feet at wall)
b. Supta Padangusthasana I

2. Bolster Setubandha Sarvangasana, with feet on chair seat
a. Omitted for time.

3. Viparita Karani (10 min straight legs)
a. On 3 blankets folded in half widthwise and staggered.

4. Deep breathing in Viparita Karani (Swastikasana legs)
a. Swastikasana legs widens the back waist more than with straight legs.

b. Take the navel back towards the spine and move the breath to the back waist at the first blanket fold.
Patanjali Yoga Sutra II.49 urges gati-vicchedah, to control the erratic movements of the breath. The first stages of pranayama focus on cutting, dividing, and diverting the breath to guide the prana. [See Monday 6.30p Asana I — Week 9 (April 27, 2009)]

c. Slow, smooth inhalation. Slow, smooth exhalation. Only take half of your deep breath to learn how to not overdo.
Take control of labored breathing to stabilize the citta. Involution works backwards, retracing from effect to root cause. Normalize the breath, the effect, by imbuing it with a smooth rhythm to relieve duhkha daurmanasya, sorrow and ill-mindedness. [See PYS I.31: Tuesday 4.30p MS — Week 1 (Mar 3, 2009), and Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 2 (Mar 12, 2009)]

5. Savasana in Supta Baddha Konasana (10 min)
a. Belt the legs to support the pelvis, use a neck roll, and use arm support to prevent forcing open the chest. Sandbags on groins. Eyebags in palms, bandage forehead.
b. Omitted for time.

6. Ujjayi I in Supta Swastikasana (10 min)
a. Observe where the normal breath touches.
b. Bolster support of the back chest allows the breath to be more easily felt at the back chest in lieu of the back waist when the blanket supports the pelvis in Viparita Karani.

7. Ujjayi II in Bolster Supported Savasana (10 min)
a. Weight on thighs to reduce brain activity and cool the mind.
b. Omitted for time.