Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 33 (October 13, 2009)

Focus: New poses from Sequence #8 in the Preliminary Course — Surya Namaskar and Ustrasana.

Discussion: Surya Namaskar
As yoga has become more popular in the last decade, there are many American classes that base practice on Surya Namaskar. In the Iyengar method we have many ways of incorporating poses into Surya Namaskar and they are generally referred to as “jumpings.” (The term Surya Namaskar itself is generally held sacred and only refers to specific rites.) BKS Iyengar learned the jumpings from his guru, T. Krishnamacharya, and taught that way for his first 30 years. As his guru changed his method when he started teaching older students in the 1950’s, so did Iyengar change because the method did not work well for his pupils either. However, to this day, children and teens are still taught fast-moving jumpings as an introduction to yoga at the Iyengar Institute in Pune.

Jumpings are so fast that they tend to focus on motion. Motion is helpful when stiff, say in cold weather, or when joints need movement to “warm up.” Fast movements also help children focus on the task at hand. However movement alone is insufficient when it comes to learning yoga. The Bhagavad Gita discusses “action,” which BKS Iyengar defines as “movement plus intelligence.” To perform asana, the intelligence must penetrate to cultivate “the Self in every cell.” When this intelligence is lacking, there may be movement, but one lacks stability. If nothing else, yoga is the art of cultivating insight to still and stabilize the mind, else practice is dualistic.

Therefore, jumpings are not taught first to adults in the Iyengar method. Additionally, the component poses of Surya Namaskar are not easy for novices to master. The standings, forward extensions, and inversions teach the actions necessary in Surya Namaskar.

On a personal note, I have seen many students who come to my classes having practiced Surya Namaskar with the belief that any mechanical practice, or sacrificial tapas, will bring enlightenment. Experience teaches that without cultivation of intelligence and insight in yoga practice, suffering results.


Note new poses for this week are in bold face.

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana

2. Ardha Gomukhasana arms in Tadasana
a. To lengthen side chest in Adho Mukha Svanasana.

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana

4. Surya Namaskar: Urdhva Hastasana - Uttanasana (5X — fast)

5. Surya Namaskar: Urdhva Hastasana - Uttanasana - Adho Mukha Svanasana - Uttanasana - Tadasana (5X)
a. Take one step in, feet together, and then bend the knees towards the chest to jump to Uttanasana.

6. Surya Namaskar: Urdhva Hastasana - Uttanasana - Adho Mukha Svanasana - Plank - Adho Mukha Svanasana - Uttanasana - Tadasana (5X)
a. Bottom tips of the shoulder blades protract away from each other and outer shoulder blades extend towards the hands in Adho Mukha Svanasana. To come forward into Plank, raise the head up to lift the shoulders up, take the shoulder blades towards the tail bone, and retract the bottom tips of the shoulder blades towards each other.

7. Surya Namaskar: Urdhva Hastasana - Uttanasana - Adho Mukha Svanasana - Plank - Chaturanga Dandasana - Adho Mukha Svanasana - Uttanasana - Tadasana (5X)
a. Wall Utthita Chaturanga Dandasana in Tadasana
Facing a wall with forearms at the waist, as in Chaturanga, use the resisting friction of palms on the wall to pull down the shoulder blades towards the tail bone and retract the bottom tips of the shoulder blades towards each other.
b. Belt upper arms and rest ribs on belt in Chaturanga. Come into Chaturanga with the same shoulder blades towards the tail bone, etc., as in Plank. Lift inner knees and thighs, buttocks, and frontal shoulders up. Pull back with the hands and push forward with the feet.
c. Chaturanga three times without the belt.

8. Surya Namaskar: Urdhva Hastasana - Uttanasana - Adho Mukha Svanasana - Plank - Urdhva Mukha Svanasana- Adho Mukha Svanasana - Uttanasana - Tadasana (5X)
a. Leg work of Chaturanga, widen the sternum towards the frontal shoulders in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.

9. Ustrasana
a. Pelvis at the Rope Wall, pull down the lower wall ropes to open armpit chest and lift the sternum. Shoulder blades into the back body to support and open the chest.

b. Inner knees lift up, shins down, outer shins in. Shoulder blades towards the tail bone. If the legs do not participate, it causes a heaviness in the lower back.

c. Head back, towards the vastness.

d. Head back, back chest lifting, hands on inner thighs.

e. Walk the palms back to the heels.

f. Alternate way of coming up into the pose: Sit in Virasana, palms on heels, and lift pelvis.

10. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sarvangasana I

b. Ekapada Sarvangasana

c. Halasana
When rolling out, bend the knees and extend the arms in Urdhva Hastasana. Round the back to prevent the back “seizing up” afterwards.

11 Savasana