vinyasa-five breaths in Sun Salutes

[Guest guest]

On the question about why Downward-facing Dog is

held for 5 full breaths in the Sun Salutes, I found

some interesting passages in John Scott's "Ashtanga

Yoga":<br><br>page 22: "Uddiyana bandha is best practised in the

Downward-Dog position. During the five breaths taken in this

position, practise fully exhaling without tensing your

lower abdomen. On the inhalation, try to direct your

breath into your back and chest without losing the

softness and stillness of your lower abdomen."<br><br>(So

if you hold Downward Dog for 5 breaths in the Suns,

that's good for learning how to apply those mula &

uddiyana bandhas you always, inevitably, loose when doing

one of the more awful postures in the Astanga

sequence.) <br><br>page 24: "Practising dristi and listening

to the sound of ujjayi help to draw your focus

inside to the breath-bandha connection, and this

principle can be explored in the 6th vinyasa,

Downward-facing Dog, which is held for five full

breaths."<br><br>(That is, when breathing 5 times in Downward Dog, you

are supposed to concentrate on & explore - next time,

next try - the connection between the 3 key components

of vinyasa, i.e. ujjayi, bandhas and dristis.

According to John Scott, when all these 3 components come

together, the practitioner reaches a state called tristana.

Tristana - that's the union of the 3 main focuses of

Astanga Yoga (advanced breath/movement synchronicity,

bandhas, and dristis), in which the practitioner

experiences the true essence of vinyasa.) <br><br>(Hey the

hell with it! This slender hatha-yoga bible is

dissolving itself already, as I have this habit of carrying

it with me everywhere I go. Why didn't GAIA publish

it in the hardcover it clearly deserves, maybe with

some nice dust jacket? I think I'll order a second

copy of Scott's precious book - that one will stay at

home.)