Lino Miele Workshop

[Guest guest]

namaste-<br>I just signed up for 3 of Lino's

Mysore classes and one day of "full vinyasa" where you

come to samasthitih after every pose. It takes 3 hours

to complete the primary series, rather than 90

minutes when you do half vinyasa. The folks at the studio

told me it leaves you feeling more "balanced."<br>Has

anyone tried the series this way or have experience

taking classes with him?

[Guest guest]

Yes, I tried doing 1st series full

vinyasa.<br><br>Yes, I have studied with Lino Miele.<br><br>Since you

already signed up for the workshop, my advice is to just

go and experience it by yourself. No need to let

anyone tell you how you are supposed to feel. Lino is a

good and experienced teacher, who has researched the

full vinyasa system systematically and who is

certifird by Pattabhi Jois.<br><br>Trying to do the series

with full vinyasa will also help you to understand the

vinyasa counting system, like why guruji is always

calling out "sapta" on the inhalation before each of the

sitting postures in primary series. (Insted af starting

with "ekam" again each time after a jump through).

[Guest guest]

Hallo Dirk,<br><br>No, actually Lino never

mentioned Germany at his workshop--but he repeatedly spoke

about Finland, a country he seems to like very

much.<br><br>I don't know what the 'advanced' classes looked

like, but surely they weren't intermediate series. The

advanced classes started earlier--at 8.30 am, I think,

then came the beginner's course at 10 am I had

registered with. The whole workshop lasted for three

days--Freitag, Samstag und Sonntag. In the beginner's course we

essentially did the suryanamaskaras A & B, followed by the

whole standing sequence, but leaving out Parivrtta

Parsvakonasana. In utthita hasta padangusthasana we formed

couples and helped each other to keep the balance. Ardha

Baddha Padmottanasana was done in a simplified way, with

both hands on the floor. After the standing sequence

we did the sitting series up to Marichyasana A; then

a simple version of the 'bridge', followed by

Ustrasana (camel pose) from intermediate series. After that

we did a reduced version of the finishing sequence:

Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana, Karnapidasana-- and from

that straight into Savasana. We did no jump backs &

throughs between each side of the sitting poses, we just

changed legs. We also held each posture for a very long

time--Lino counted the breaths *very* slowly! <br><br>The

'advanced' classes probably do the whole primary series. In

the first two days of the workshop, we didn't chant

any opening and finishing mantras either; before

starting, we just repeated 'OOOOMMM' for three times. After

that, and before starting with the sun salutations, we

were instructed in the ujjayi-breathing technique and

the bandhas, while sitting cross-legged on the floor.

On the last day of the workshop, before starting

Lino recited the opening mantra in Sanskrit--but

without chanting it--and we were supposed to repeat each

sentence. I just kept silent however, hands folded in

namaste, because I didn't know the words of the mantra and

the proper pronunciation. On the first day I arrived

at the Astanga centre in Via Buozzi 106 in the north

of Milan, I stood in the corridor and had the chance

to hear the 'advanced' class finishing in the big

hall with the wooden floor: they were chanting the

closing mantra--I heard it for the first time--it was so

BEAUTIFUL!!, it really touched me.<br><br>On Saturday evening,

5 pm, Lino gave a public demonstration: he started

with primary series, then halfway through he went on

with intermediate, then changing to the advanced

series--I think he went as far as fourth series--then

closing with the finishing sequence. It stunned me, I

have never seen something like this. I have also made

some pictures of it, and I'll try to put them on the

Web.<br><br>I wasn't the only foreigner at the workshop, btw.

There were several members from the American community

living in Milan, and one American lady who wasn't able

to understand Italian, poor girl--the whole workshop

was in Italian, but Lino sometimes also spoke in

English. I also met a young Portuguese who lived in Milan

and who told me that until recently he used to live

in Chicago for several years. (Im fortgeschrittenen

Kurs waren auch ein paar Deutsche, glaube ich.)