Monday 4.30p Intro — Week 11 (November 23, 2009)

Focus: Stretching the hips and back legs in Trikonasana and Uttanasana to learn Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Discussion: Patanjali Yoga Sutra II.30-39 — The Yamas
[See Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 3 (November 17, 2009)]

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana

2. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Left outer edge of the foot at the Rope Wall, move the left inner thigh towards the left outer thigh to give space to lengthen the right leg.

b. Vitarka - badhane: Counteract over-aggressiveness in the spine, stiffness in the hip, and weakness in the right knee. Bend the knee first, then lift from right knee pit up to the buttock bone, else the hip gets stuck and the collapse of the knee results in only bending the spine.

c. Pratipaksha - bhavanam: Cultivate an opposite tack, learning one leg at a time in Trikonasana to apply to Adho Mukha Svanasana.

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana
a. Pratipaksha - bhavanam: From Adho Mukha Virasana, keep the hips flexed coming into the pose to prevent strain in the spine when hamstrings are stiff.

4. Rope Wall Uttanasana (5 min.)
a. With the buttocks at the Rope Wall, loop a long nylon belt around the lower rope hooks and the thighs to belt the upper thighs, just below the groins, tightly to the wall.; This provides space in the groins, and, thus, the abdominal organs, and makes the thighs recede posteriorly when extending forward, increasing range of motion. Head on bricks on chair seat. Stand on bricks if 5’-6” or less so belt is across upper thigh, not hip bones or waist.

b. Vitarka - badhane pratipaksha - bhavanam: Counteract hip and hamstring stiffness by supporting the head and legs. PYS II.34: Counteract pain and ignorance.

c. “When the shape of the asana expresses the shape of the self, without forcing, deception, or distortion, then you have learned the truth (satya) in asana.” Support gives times and space for the intelligence to penetrate. Then the pose becomes and expression of ahimsa and satya.

5. Adho Mukha Svanasana
a. Derived from PYS II.36: Firmly established in satya , his actions are truly in accord with his intentions, and the asana is realized.

6. Savasana