Q re: adding second series, 2 hours?

[Guest guest]

hopefully this won't come across the wrong

way:<br><br>I think the correct on-line answer would be: ask

you teacher. Now, clearly that presumes that you are

currently practicing under the guidance of a qualified

ashtanga teacher. That may well not be the case. If you

are, your teacher will be your best guide as to what

postures to do, when to put them into your practice, and

whether or not to modify your first series practice to

accomodate the extra asanas.<br><br>If, instead, you are

practicing on your own, then I would encourage you to find a

teacher if at all possible before going much further.

There are a lot of powerful and somewhat dangerous

postures in the second series that really are not the kind

of things that go well with self instruction. Better

to learn the correct and safe way to do them to

maintain your health and to get the proper benefits from

that part of the asana practice.<br><br>When you say,

"and the whole thing takes just an<br> hour and 20

minutes", are you meaning that the first series and the

added second series postures take you an hour and a

half total, or that it takes an additional hour and a

half to do just the postures you have

added?<br><br>Where I practice (I'm well entrenched in the challenges

of the first series), when people begin the second

series, they typically add the postures given to them by

their teacher once they have finished the first series,

prior to beginning the closing postures. In addition,

some folks attend an "Intro to second series class"

that does about 2/3's of the standing postures then

progresses directly to pasasana, the start of the second

series. that class typically goes up to the bhakasanas,

then they do the closing sequence. It lasts about an 1

1/2 to almost 2 hours depending on how many prepatory

poses are done. <br><br>To do the full first series

then progress right thru the first half of the second

series would not typically be a recommended approach for

someone beginning the second series. That would be a very

taxing practice.<br><br>Again, I encourage you to first

ask your teacher for guidance. If you do not have

one, I encourage you to get one.

[Guest guest]

hi. apart from the good advice, that you should

ask a teacher, i want to tell you about my experience

with the duration of practice. i'm parcticing first

and second series, the second one i've learned from

nancy gilgoff and my own teacher. as i started to learn

the second series i started with pashasana just after

setu bandhasana - chakrasana. then i went forward to

the last position, that i've been practicing. at last

urdhva dhanurasana - paschimottanasana and then the

finishing sequence. <br>if it takes you only 1 hour an 20

minutes to do the first series and the second one until

eka pada sirsasana (the half of the second series),

than there's something "wrong". perhaps your breathing

is to fast? did you ever note that? i ask you

because in the beginning this was very hard for me to

learn: be calm, be concentrate - you have as much time

as you need. <br>so when i do either the second

series or the first series it takes me 1 hour and

between 40 and 55 minutes without savasana. (the second

series takes a little bit longer - at least in the

present.)<br>i hope i could help you a little bit - the most

important is: how do you feel while doing your practice?

feels good, feels to fast - don't rush

yourself!<br>furthermore, i've never heard, that anyone does the sun

salutations after the first and just before the second series

- but i'm no teacher an i don't know much.<br>(a

comment to my english: english ist not my mother-tongue

so please forgive some unsuitable terms.)<br>good

day!