Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 13 (May 28, 2009)

Focus: Restoratives and deep breathing
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. Upavistha Konasana

2. Baddha Konasana

3. Viparita Karani (5 min straight legs)
a. On 3 blankets folded in half widthwise and staggered.

4. Deep breathing in Viparita Karani (5 min Swastikasana legs - several cycles)
a. Swastikasana legs widens the back waist more than with straight legs. If hips are tight, making it difficult to breathe, rest legs on bolster between buttocks and wall. (TD)

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. Deep breathing in Blanket Supported Savasana (10 min)
a. Swastikasana legs. 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.

b. Straight legs. If hips are tight, making it difficult to breathe, extend the buttock flesh away from the head, and fill space of bent knees with folded blanket.

6. Savasana