Monday 6.30p Asana I — Week 35 (September 21, 2009)

Focus: Study of embodiment through body - mind - breath taught by Prashant Iyengar in Pune July, 2009.

Discussion: Pratyahara and Dharana - Stabilizing the mind
[See Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 29 (September 15, 2009)]

Discussion: Body - mind - breath
There are nine combinations to apply to practice:

By the body for the body
By the body for the mind
By the body for the breath

By the mind for the mind
By the mind for the breath
By the mind for the body

By the breath for the breath
By the breath for the body
By the breath for the mind

1. Invocation in Swastikasana
a. By the body for the body: Reinforce the spine with the paraspinal muscles... back ribs, shoulder blades, latissimus dorsi.
b. By the breath for the body: apanic cycles with mulabandha and uddiyana kriya to reinforce the spine at the root.

2. Upavistha Konasana
a. mulabandha and uddiyana kriya

3. Parsva Upavistha Konasana
a. By the mind for the body: When stiff, the willpower gives up first.
b. By the breath for the body: Out of fear of pain you hold the breath, which makes you stiffer.
c. By the breath for the mind: Reverse the pattern to keep calm. Add mulabandha and uddiyana kriya .

4. Padangusthasana Dandasana

5. Baddha Konasana
a. mulabandha and uddiyana kriya

6. Adho Mukha Svanasana
a. By the body for the body: Pin the hips, using a belt, and outer deltoids in. This increases strength and elongation.
b. By the body for the mind: When you learn from prakrti there is less struggle; the mind becomes more sattvic.
c. By the body for the breath: It is easier to breath. “Find out if the shoulder blade can contribute, if the sternum can contribute, if the floating ribs can contribute... Find out how any part can contribute... to improve [the mind’s] willingness to exercise..., the power to exercise. Exhalative kriya. Retentive kriya. Inhalative kriya. It’s not just exhaling, inhaling, or retaining. Understand the kriyas there. Understand that you are commencing the study of embodiment.”
d. At the termination of exhalation, there is a slight bahya pause. Extend into that vastness.

7. Parsvottanasana (head on brick on chair seat)
a. Same as above in Adho Mukha Svanasana.
b. By the breath for the body: The slight retention at the end of exhalation can generate power. Lengthen more into the vastness.
c. By the breath for the mind: The mind becomes more sattvic.

8. Salamba Sirsasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sirsasana I
The body - mind - breath combination should turn out motor power in your breath and muscle power in your mind.

b. Parsva Sirsasana
“Turn more!” You exercise the shoulder. “Turn more and more! Open the chest further!” Then you exercise the shoulders.

9. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sarvangasana

b. Ekapada Sarvangasana

c. Halasana

Monday 9.30a Intro — Week 29 (September 21, 2009)

Focus: Twists and criss-cross action taught by Geeta Iyengar in Pune July, 2009.

Discussion: Pratyahara and Dharana - Stabilizing the mind
[See Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 29 (September 15, 2009)]

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Upavistha Konasana

2. Parsva Upavistha Konasana
a. Reaching for the foot, the steady divya citta turns into parinama citta because it alters position. Use the intelligence to learn from prakrti and restore the sattvic state of mind.
b. If stiff, bend your knee, hold the foot, and straighten only so far that you do not hold the breath. Wait there. Breathe. See if you can go further without fear.

3. Padangusthasana Dandasana

4. Baddha Konasana

5. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Outer hips in and criss cross action at sacrum.

6. Utthita Parsvakonasana
a. Right outer knee to outer thigh to outer hip resists back while right outer hip comes in when taking the hand down.

7. Marichyasana III
a. Multiple times in the middle of the room, adding an action or correction each time.
b. Menstrual period: Marichyasana I

8. Paschimottanasana
a. Alternate with Marichyasana III to feel karmaphala (effect) of Marichyasana III.

9. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sarvangasana

b. Ekapada Sarvangasana
Foot on chair seat or floor.

c. Halasana
Feet on chair seat or floor.

d. Menstrual period: Supta Baddha Konasana

Thursday 6.30p Intro — Week 29 (September 17, 2009)

New student not in class
Focus: Week 8 of syllabus. Because there are no new students, this offers a rare opportunity to work on consolidating the Intro poses.

Discussion: Pratyahara and Dharana - Stabilizing the mind
[See Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 29 (September 15, 2009)]

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Upavistha Konasana and Parsva Upavistha Konasana

2. Padangusthasana Dandasana

3. Tadasana/Samasthiti

4. Utthita Trikonasana
a. Outer hips in and criss cross action at sacrum for all standings.

5. Utthita Parsvakonasana

6. Virabhadrasana II

7. Virabhadrasana I
a. Omitted for time and emphasis.

8. Parivrtta Trikonasana
a. Pin the hips to bring the trunk towards the midline.

9. Ardha Chandrasana
a. Outer hips in and criss cross action at sacrum.

10. Uttanasana (Baddha Hasta arms)

11. Padangusthasana
a. Omitted for time and emphasis.

12. Virasana (Parvatasana arms)

13. Adho Mukha Virasana

14. Adho Mukha Svanasana

15. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
a. Thighs on a brick to facilitate opeing the chest with less arm strength.

16. Forward Extensions
Dandasana
Urdhva Hasta Dandasana
Padangusthasana Dandasana
Paschimottanasana
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana

17. Sirsasana Cycle
a. Stool Sirsasana

18. Sarvangasana Cycle
a. Salamba Sarvangasana

b. Ekapada Sarvangasana
Foot on chair seat or floor.

c. Halasana
Feet on chair seat or floor.

d. Chair Supta Konasana
Omitted for time.

e. Chair Karnapidasana
Omitted for time.

19. Paschimottanasana

20. Savasana

Thursday 9.30a Asana I — Week 29 (September 15, 2009)

Focus: Twists taught by Geetaji and Guruji in Pune July, 2009. Variation on September 3 class.

Discussion: Pratyahara and Dharana - Stabilizing the mind
[See Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 29 (September 15, 2009)]

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Upavistha Konasana

2. Parsva Upavistha Konasana

3. Baddha Konasana

4. Marichyasana III
a. Multiple times in the middle of the room, adding an action or correction each time.
b. At Rope Wall on a single blanket, holding lower rope hook to bring the side chest closer to the shin.

5. Paschimottanasana
a. Alternate with Marichyasana III to feel karmaphala (effect) of Marichyasana III.

6. Gomukhasana Legs & Padmasana
a. Alternate with Marichyasana III to feel karmaphala (effect) on Marichyasana III

7. Uttanasana
a. Fingertips on floor.
b. Clasp ankles and widen elbows.

8. Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana
a. Fingertips on floor, lift right leg.
b. Clasp ankle and widen elbow, and lift right leg.

9. Brick Setubandha