Keeping the heat

[Guest guest]

How much heat should I keep? I've learned that I

can breathe in ways that increase or limit how much I

sweat while practicing. I prefer a little sweat, but

not a lot because it feels better and it's less

distracting (sweat in the eyes and on slippery mat). But what

is the importance of heat? The more the better?

[Guest guest]

Your muscles will stretch farther when you are

warmer. Also, warming up and staying warm throughout your

practice (or any exercise) can decrease the chance of

injury. But you have to balance that against the chance

of injury when you're ice-skating on a slippery

mat!<br><br>)

[Guest guest]

After doing a 10 day intensive where the

thermostat was cranked and sweat was shed in litres, I was

converted to "the heat". When practicing at home I put a

space heater on full tilt and am forming puddles in no

time. I recommend using a rolled up bandana around your

head as a sweat band to at least redirect the torrents

of sweat from the eys. Not only is it functional but

you also look "retro" in a 60's or 70's kind of

way.<br><br>I also don't use a mat but keep a towel beside me

to wipe the wood floor and do inverted postures on

so I don't slide across the room when rolling over.

[Guest guest]

it seems theres more than one way to generate

heat in yogapraxis. besides external movement, there

is also internal movement. when the articulation of

postures becomes an externalisation of the dynamic of the

bandhas immense heat is generated. this heat seems to be

coming from the bandhas themselves and the internal

adjustments required to express the dynamic of the bandhas in

arms, legs, hands and feet. these adjustments are

dynamic, spirallic and multidimensional. they are dynamic

in that they must be continuously sustained. they

eventually become self sustaining. they are spirallic in

that they are not straight line adjustmentswhich seem

to create rigidity. they are multidimensional in

that the spiral is really a helix, and touches all

three dimensions. all spirallic adjustments must be

contained by counteradjustments in each dimension that

prevent any linear or one dimensional excess distorting

the integrity of the posture and dissipating energy.

by activating arms, hands, legs and feet as

expressions of the bandhas any single posture is capable of

generating a dripping sweat. dandasan is brilliant. this is

especially useful when too tired to do the full round of

salutations. however. heat is energy. when sweat drops off the

body, more must replace it. this requires an external

direction of energy. whereas the praxis, and the bandhas in

particular, are for internalising energy. so, we have to

modulate our external and internal dynamics so that we

generate enough heat to lubricate joints etc, and enough

sweat to coat the trunk in a natural wetsuit that keeps

our heat inside. then we have to internalise our heat

through the bandhas. when the bandhas are elusive or

unstable too much external heat can lead to an energy

drain. exhaustion is not uncommon amongst over

enthusiastic neophytes. the key, once again, is developing a

refined and effective bandha practice. namaste.