skipping the hard bits

[Guest guest]

I've been really interested to see this thread.

In my practice with a student of BBB (and one of the

student's students), we've done the primary series

end-to-end (in some modifications), leaving out marichyasana

D, and some "open" (i.e., for all levels) practices

have included second series

postures.<br><br>Especially where I am probably going to be without a teacher

for the next year (I'm moving to an area where there

is no ashtanga being practiced, and this fall will

be going to the south of France for several months),

I would really like to be clear in my own head

about when to add an asana to my own

practice.<br><br>The idea of "perfect one, then add the next" sounds

the most sensible and easy to follow for me, but

could someone clarify for me what is meant by

perfecting? Is classical, KPJ-taught astanga yoga entirely

without modifications- i.e. should I have an asana

mastered in its original form before I try the subsequent

one, or is there some allowance made for

modifications? <br>I speak as someone who, in class, has done

pretty much every pose, in some modification, of the

first series, but if I had to stop practice at the

first pose I couldn't do fully I'd probably still be in

the standing postures, at utthitta hasta

padangusthasana, because I have a hard time extending my leg. I'd

definitely have to stop at ardha baddha padmottanasana,

because I can't bind in semi-lotus position.<br>Should I,

therefore, be practicing just up to that point until I can

do the postures without modification?<br><br>Thanks

for any guidance you can give

me!<br><br>Namaste,<br>lm

[Guest guest]

Agreed, body sings ... <br><br>I much like that I

can do modifications on some of the poses that I'm

not able to yet achieve. I'd be stuck on one pose for

a long while if it were as strict as Senor would

have it. <br><br>It is true that the postures must be

done in a certain order for the maximum benefit or

unlocking, or whatever one might call it, but there's

another sense here that accessibility to Ashtanga would

be very limited if one were stuck on one pose. Heck,

some very stiff people might spend months doing sun

salutations. If yoga (or any endeavor, for that matter) were

so closed to me, I might say "the hell with ya, you

don't want me". <br><br>Oh, and before anyone starts

grumping about how that's the idea, that's the challenge

and so on ... I do have a wonderful respect for the

asanas and what they do on their own and together in the

"garland". Not everyone is like that, however ... in my

beginning class, just at the last one I went to earlier

this week, I saw a woman get snippy with the teacher

because she couldn't get into the pose ... he just kind

of shrugged and smiled to himself ... <br><br>My

point is that exposure to all asanas of all six series

will still make ashtanga elusive to those who choose

to be defensive and dishonest with themselves, like

that woman in my class (I mean, hells bells, how is it

the teachers fault she can't reach around and grab

her foot without it hurting in her knee? Some people

are so silly), and then there are those who can spend

six months with just the "mortar" the sun

salutations/vinyasa, perfecting the movements and they can get whole

lifetimes, universes from the experience.<br><br>I happen to

like that I'm allowed to see certain parts before I'm

"ready", and that I'm shown some modifications too. I like

to know things. I happen to eschew the use of

blocks/straps, because I'd rather hop around like a madman

trying to get my balance together on Utthita Hasta

Padangusthasa A-D. I'm much better on A, only after a few

weeks, and I'm braver and braver on swingin' that leg

out on B. I've got a strap that I use for idle times

like watching television, and just kind of holding my

leg in a certain place. You can pull easier sometimes

with a strap if you're just horsing around ... see,

that's not yoga ... that's stretching! Yoga ... no strap

..... stretching ... strap. Well, that's the story Im

sticking to anyway!<br><br>Christina

[Guest guest]

One could argue that the "perfect" part is a bit

hyperbolic since when is any posture "perfect"? But it is

generally a good idea to view the practice as a natural

progression built on a foundation. If the foudation is shaky,

the building will fall. Perhaps if you focussed on

the tough postures before going forward, you would

master those.<br><br>I.e. I see people working a on

handstands--an advanced posture before they can properly do

backbends. Unfortunatedly, handstands are a strength posture

and stiffen the upper body and shoulders. I think it

is better to first develop the flexibility required

to backbend before trying to stand on one's hands.

On the other hand, handstands are ego gratifying and

impressive, so the yogi must decide what his aim is, to

deepen the practice or impress one's

classmates.<br><br>Just the humble opinion of <br><br>Senor Pinche Wey,

yoga gestapo.

[Guest guest]

Senorji,<br><br>In your humble opinion, what

makes a backbend a proper backbend? <br><br>I can do a

backbend from the ground. My back is is flexible enough

but my front hip flexors and stomach are not

stretched enough so I have a backbend that is a bit better

than a 'table'. Would you suggest that I stop here

even tho I have no problem with the rest of the ending

asansas?<br><br>Also, with the backbend, I've been taught that the feet

should be pointed forwards (which is much harder to do)

but have seen many variations with feet pointed

outward. In your opinion, does it

matter?<br><br>Thanks<br>Yeshe

[Guest guest]

yeshe<br>the human body seems to be immaculately

sensitive. this is especially significant in how we ground

the foundation of any asana. if the toes turn out in

urdvhadhanurasana the heels turn in. this creates compression in

the sacroiliac and tightness in the buttocks and

lower back. it also inhibits the external aspect of

mulabandha occuring at the front. all this makes it

difficult to engage, mobilise, and elongate the cocygeal,

sacral and lumbar spine evenly. only too often this

means pressure or pinching in the lower back which

suffers.<br><br>try to keep the feet parallel, can be tricky. then

press down hard with the inner heels and broaden them

out to the outer heels. this will release the sacrum

and the lower back. <br><br>the key is how you use

the arms and legs from the solid stability of the

hands and feet. when they are fully engaged the spine

can be soft, passive, elongating and free. you then

feel very light.<br><br>the hands have to actively

engage the floor especially across the bases of the

fingers. the top arms have to rotate towards the back of

the ears (can be impossible to determine at first

which way theyre going) to broaden the top back and

engage the top spine.<br><br>if the limbs work like this

the load is distributed more evenly on the spine and

doesnt fall all on the more mobile lumbar. the legs and

arms have to work hard but the trunk does

not.<br><br>DONT FORGET THE BANDHAS!!!!!! they also protect the

spine. and dont force your breath, draw it in soft like

a fine silk thread.<br><br>namaste

[Guest guest]

I may not be SPW, but I do remember being in a

workshop with Annie Pace where she was saying that doing

backbends with the feet splayed out is VERY dangerous for

compressing the lower back. Feet(as close as possible to)

parallel are vital for safe back bending.<br><br>I can't

claim to have learned this from my own experience -

it's far safer and less painful to learn from somebody

else's!

[Guest guest]

Backbends<br><br>Diet makes a big

difference.<br><br>More is always better -- as far as number of breaths,

and number of repetitions of urdhva d. Not as far as

straining. 3 at the end is okay is you're a beginner, but as

I understand from those who've been to mysore, 3 is

hardly adequate. Better to work to 3 urdha d, 3 to

standing (using the wall), then 3 walking down the wall

and back up again, then 3 viparita (modification

beginning from vrksasana against the wall, walking feet

down wall to urdhva d, feet back over again), on and

on depending on your endurance.<br><br>But try to go

easy and enjoy. The more you do the easier it

is.<br><br>Setu bhanda sarvanghasana, ustrasana, supta virasana

etc are all useful prep poses, though nothing really

prepares you for urdha dhanurasana beside doing urdha

dhanurasana.<br><br>Toes forward. <br><br>Heels up or down? Try both, work

towards having heels down as flexibility increases. Toes

up IMO isn't bad for you as a prep pose, though its

tiring for the quads. Heels must be down to go up and

down the wall.<br><br>Correct breathing and the

bhandas, relaxation, proper alignment and right attitude

make a big difference in whether this asana is torture

or a wonderful journey.