practicing without teacher, 2

[Guest guest]

For a slow, controlled jump-back, I find that I

must begin bending my arms during the see-saw process,

so that I am almost in chaturanga dandasana by the

time my feet are back and my toes have made contact

with the floor. This is probably a flaw in my

technique. [Videos of really adept folks show most of the

jump-back completed before much lowering has taken place.]

But my way feels good for now.<br><br>On

jump-throughs, I found that it's nice to begin my practicing

jumping from down-dog into a handstand. You need not be

able to balance in handstand, or even get all the way

up there. You are just looking for a high tailbone.

In a jump-through, you would simply decide, when

your tailbone is high and your legs slightly crossed,

that you would rather come down and through rather

than go into handstand. At this point you are alomost

balanced, so your body can move slowly (you get to choose

the speed) down and then between your arms. I find it

natural to begin the exhale as I move down. Use your

previously acquired lolasana-strength to straighten your

legs slowly before letting sit-bones make contact with

the floor. This gives you a moment to reflect on the

upcoming posture, and maybe to adjust one or more legs so

that you are almost in the next posture by the end of

your exhale.<br><br>A possible draw-back of my

jump-through technique is that, although it's very slow and

"floaty", it's very difficult to incorporate a straight-leg

element into the thing: so far I have always come through

cross-legged. Others folks, with less forward-bending

flexibilty than I, can regularly do straight-leg

jump-throughs by coming through lower and faster. <br><br>Take

these vinyasa suggestions with a grain of salt. They

are mostly self-discovered, as they date from a time

before I had access to a teacher.<br><br>A final word on

vinyasa: I don't believe that it is important for anyone

to do them "impressively" but it is very important

for me to cherish them, as they illustrate what has

been (for me) one of the primary lessons of Ashtanga.

While there is much talk in yoga circles about

attaining a state of stillness ("chitta vritti nirodha",

right?) don't think that most of us achieve stillness in

this life. The ordered motion of the vinyasa, linked

with the ujjayi breathing and the slight give-and-take

of the bandhas, makes my practice a kind of cyclic

motion that throws into relief the Stillness to which I

aspire. I don't actually reach that Center Point -- even

in Shavasana there is plenty of work going on in

terms of prana-flow or what have you -- but somehow I

honor it or make it manifest by moving around it, in

much the same way as a well-spun top makes one highly

aware of the central axis around which it

revolves.<br><br>Wow -- I've really pontificated. Enough! Enjoy your

practice, joanmascaro. Hope this helps.<br><br>Peace and

Good,<br>Homer