ashtanga yoga props and progressing

[Guest guest]

Hello Angel, Oh my! I wouldn't have liked that either! I, too, really liked

FBL's post on the subject. I hope that my rather limited support for the use of

props to learn to do the Asanas is not misunderstood. I have been away from

yoga for a long time and I found their use in some of the Asanas that I found

difficult to get into at first. My back and hamstrings were so tight that when

I tried to sit in Upavishta Konasana they pulled me towards the back. I had to

brace myself with my hands behind me or I would fall over on my back. That's

where I started. I used yoga straps for the first month or so until I could

grab my shin up near my knee. From that time I used yoga straps some of the

time and others I did it without them. When I reached my ankles I stopped using

them. My pose had become better without the straps. But I think they helped

get me there. In all the poses I used props in I started weaning myself away

from them as soon as I started to use them. If you don't mind my asking, did

you find the props at all helpful when you began doing Inyengar yoga or were

they always in your way?Love and Blessing, Ed

angel132_uk <no_reply> wrote:FBL - thanks for that interesting

and informative post. The main

reason I switched from Iyengar to Ashtanga yoga was because I did not

get on with the props, and in Iyengar I found they used them whether

you wanted to or not! I remember one class I was doing shoulderstand,

and the teacher came over and placed a chair over my head so I could

rest my legs on in plough (??!) - I found it very hard to balance in

shoulderstand while not being able to see my legs! I appreciate props

may be useful for some, but this has not been my experience.

 

Angel

 

ashtanga yoga, funkybadlady <no_reply>

wrote:

> Props are NOT helpful in progressing and they are NOT used in

> Ashtanga yoga. You must get yourself to a good Ashtanga

> teacher who will help explain the function of breath and asana.

> Do each pose as well as you can and take the required five

> breaths.

>

> For people who are practicing on their own with no teacher or

> who have had the misfortune to be mislead by charlatans like

> Bender-Birch or some other unqualified person - Generally

> speaking, do not progress past a pose that you cannot do.

> Practice only up to that point until the pose begins to become

> less difficult and your body begins to open, then add the next

> pose. In the case of ABPadmottanasana, if you cannot bind,

> leave the leg in half lotus as far as is possible and place BOTH

> hands on the ground for ficve breaths and follow the vinyasa

> carefully for entering and leaving the pose. The same for the

> seated version - ABPaschimottanasana - leave the leg as far as

> possible in half lotus and reach with both hands to the feet,

> lengthen the spine and breathe. This is what Guruji teaches

> and he does not EVER use props. This practice is not al all like

> Iyengar and has a very different focus. You will see that by doing

> this your hips will slowly open over time, sometimes quickly,

> sometimes slowly. In the process you will be practicing and

> learning the eight limbs of yoga.

>

> Bender Birch is not a qualified Ashtanga teacher and she is not

> well respected in the Ashtanga community for her specious

> claims to being a "student" of Pattabhi Jois with whom she has

> never studied except for a short workshop fifteen years ago. She

> herself teaches POWER YOGA which is different.

>

> David Swenson has been a direct student of Pattabhi Jois for

> many years, but because he uses blocks and modifications in

> his book, his method is somewhat unorthodox.

>

> If you want to learn Ashtanga and experience the benefits of this

> very powerful practice, RESPECT the method as it is laid out by

> Pattabhi Jois. This is not considered being 'Orthodox" it is

> considered practicing Ashtanga, and being respectful, humble

> and teachable. If you are doing your own thing or making

> modifications based on what you think is best you really are not

> doing Ashtanga and you will not get the benefits of the practice.

> Get to a qualified teacher if only for a week or so to get started

> oin the right direction. It is worth a trip to a city where

someone

> is teaching the correct method. Avoid anyone with less than five

> to ten years experience who is not dedicated to teaching the

> method as Guruji teaches it and has not studied directly with

> Guruji on a regular basis (in Mysore.)

>

> The goal is to develop a consistent daily practice. If you can

only

> progress up to the sitting poses, that is just fine. Do this and

the

> finishing poses EVERY day. Find a teacher who can help you

> add poses on. Go slowly and steadily. Do not place demands

> on yourself for acheiving poses. Let your body adjust to the

> practice over time. You might have pains in the knees and lower

> back but this is very common in early stages as the body comes

> into correct alignment. Just go slowly.

>

> Get the YOGA WORKS tape of Ashtanga Yoga shot in 1997 of

> Guruji leading six students in the Primary Series. This will show

> you how AShtanga is put together and how it is done by people

> who can actually do all of the poses. You can follow along up to

> the point where you have to stop - it will be like a lead class -

> then just skip to the finishing poses. At least you will learn the

> correct vinyasas and see how the poses are strung together.

>

> DO not progress to the second series until you can do

> dropbacks and stand up by yourself in backbends. But at this

> point, you should also not progress until you have a very good

> instructor. Make a trip once a month or once every two months to

> see a good teacher if there is no one near you. It is better than

> taking class with an unqualified teacher - especially if it is

> Ashtanga you want to learn.

>

> Good luck and keep practicing (ONCE a day)

>

> FBL

 

 

 

 

ashtanga yoga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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