What constitutes 'proficiency for Krishnamacharya? and thus qualification to begin pranayama and later dhyana ('meditation').

In Ashtanga Vinyasa and other styles of yoga practice that derive from it we so often seem to become stuck in the mindset that proficiency is all about the next asana and the next, the next series and then the next or perhaps ever more enlightened alignment.

Proficiency for Krishnamacharya seems to be more about being able to remain in an asana for an appreciable amount of time without discomfort and to include the appropriate (for the asana) employment of bandhas and Kumbhaka (breath retention).

Once we can remain in one of the seated asana (not necessarily full padmasana) for perhaps ten, twenty minutes, or more (for Krishnamacharya, after practicing around two months),  we should be encouraged (depending on our health and fitness) to practice more formal pranayama, gradually introducing the different kumbhakas and their length.

Once some proficiency has been gained here Dhayana (meditation) is encouraged.  http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2014/10/dhyana-or-meditation-inner-and-outer.html

Is there perhaps the idea, that we in the west, despite our traditions of contemplation and prayer that stretch back two thousand years if not longer,  we can't be expected to understand or appreciate the subtleties of meditation. It is the worst kind of nonsense, and snobbery and nothing new, thankfully the Zen and Vipassana communities (to name two) in the west survived it and continue to thrive.

But even Krishnamacharya himself in attempting to keep classes interesting would introduce ever more asana or variations. That continues today, the next asana dangled in front of our noses like a carrot on a stick, it keeps us coming back perhaps but It can also be a distraction and for those who may never attain marichiyasana D for example or 'progress' past navasana or Primary series a source of despair.

Note: Krishnamacharya introduced variations to access all areas of the body, this is asana for health, an ongoing practice, we don't need to learn all these asana before beginning our practice of pranayama and dhyana. The story goes that when Ramaswami began teaching at a dance school, the flexible students went through the asana he had been taught by Krishnamacharya as sufficient for him quite quickly, he had to keep going back to ask Krishnamacharya to be shown more and more asana to give to the students.

"All asanas are not necessary for a routine practice for everyone. Age, ailments, peculiarities and individual constitutions are to be considered to find out which asanas are to be practised and which should be avoided". p76


"We have already mentioned that all asanas are not necessary for each individual. But a few of us at least should learn all the asanas so that the art of Yoga may not be forgotten and lost". p76

And yet all that Patanjali's Yoga has to offer us is surely within anyone's capabilities, a handful of regular asana (and/or their variations) is more than enough, practice them well, attain some comfort in them, work with the breath, introduce a pranayama practice, follow the breath and then practice dayana, focus.

For 1% theory, 99% practice, this surely is the tradition.

What constitutes 'proficiency for Krishnamacharya?

In the previous post I quoted this from Krishnamachaya's Yoga Makaranda part II on when to begin dhyana ('meditation')...

“When once a fair proficiency has been attained in asana and pranayama, the aspirant to dhyana has to regulate the time to be spent on each and choose the particular asanas and pranayama which will have the most effect in strengthening the higher organs and centres of perception and thus aid him in attaining dhyana.

The question arise...

What constitutes 'a fair proficiency'.

Krishnamacharya mentions proficiency several times in Yoga Makaranda Part II, it doesn't seem to suggest being able to practice Intermediate or Advanced asana but rather being able to practice a few important asana with some facility.

This is perhaps his clearest indication...

“The practice of pranayama should not be begun without having attained, a fair proficiency in some, at least of the sitting asanas, i.e., till it has become possible to sit in one of the asanas without discomfort for some appreciable time".

This does not suggest to me the necessity of being able to sit for three hours; ten, twenty, forty minutes is perhaps sufficient.

Zazen, for example, tends to be conducted in periods of forty minutes with walking periods in between to stretch the legs.

Krishnamacharya suggests a couple of months practicing asana

“Practice of PRANAYAMA is to be begun only after two months, by which time we may expect sufficient proficiency to have been reached in doing the asanas”. p137

but

“Some people can get proficient in some yoganga asanas very quickly.  For others it may take longer.  One need not get discouraged.”

However aspects of pranayama can be introduced into the practice of asana I.E. the use of bandhas and short kumbhakas (breath retention, whether in or out).

In both parts I and II of Yoga Makaranda bandhas and short kumbhakas are introduced along with asana. 

Yoga Makaranda II suggests that first one would learn an asana with the appropriate bandahs and then a short, again appropriate (for that particular asana)  kumbhaka introduced,  at first for 2 seconds perhaps, which could, depending on the asana, become extended over a couple of weeks to 5 and even 10 seconds in certain asana.

from  section on Vajrasana
"It is important to do both types of Kumbhakam to get the full benefit from this asana. The total number of deep breaths should be slowly increased as practice advances from 6 to 16.
Note: When practice has advanced, instead of starting the asana from a sitting posture, it should be begun from a standing posture". p25

Note starting the asana from standing is introduced when some proficiency attained.

"In all these positions (sarvangasana variations mentioned ) pranayama is to be done with holding out of breath after exhalation. Pranayama will have therefore periods of both Anther and Bahya kumbhakam. These two periods will be equal and be for 2 or 5 seconds". p44

"In SIRSHASANA, normally no kumbhakam need be done (in the beginning), though about two seconds ANTHAR and BAHYA kumbhakam automatically result when we change over from deep inhalation to deep exhalation and vice versa. During the automatic pause, kumbhakam takes place. When after practice has advanced and kumbhakam is deliberately practised, ANTHAR kumbhakam can be done up to 5 seconds during each round and BAHYA kumbhakam up to 10 seconds.
In SARVANGASANA, there should be no deliberate practice of ANTHAR kumbhakam,

but BAHYA kumbhakam can be practiced up to 5 seconds in each round". p10-11

Yoga Makaranda Part II seems to be aimed more at the beginner, gradual introduction of kumbhaka and their length introduced. In Yoga Makaranda Part I the ideal or 'proficient' practice of  asana seems to be presented.

from paschimatanasana section Yoga makaranda part I
"While holding the feet with the hands, pull and clasp the feet tightly. Keep the head or face or nose on top of the kneecap and remain in this sthiti from 5 minutes up to half an hour. If it is not possible to stay in recaka for that long, raise the head in between, do puraka kumbhaka and then, doing recaka, place the head back down on the knee. While keeping the head lowered onto the knee, puraka kumbhaka should not be done. This rule must be followed in all asanas.

While practising this asana, however much the stomach is pulled in, there will be that much increase in the benefits received. While practising this, after exhaling the breath, hold the breath firmly". p80

***

Appendix

NOTES on 'proficiency' from Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda and yogasanagalu

from Yoga Makaranda Part II

“The practice of pranayama should not be begun without having attained, a fair proficiency in some, at least of the sitting asanas, i.e., till it has become possible to sit in one of the asanas without discomfort for some appreciable time. This condition has been stressed by Patanjali in Chapter II verse 49 of his SUTRAS. So also has Svatmarama, in his book HATHAYOGADIPIKA, second upadesa. Without mastering asanas, bandhas are not possible, and without bandhas pranayamas are not possible writes GORAKSHANATH”. p89

“1. Inhale through throat, retain and exhale through right nostril. 2. Inhale through right nostril, retain and exhale through throat. 3. Inhale through throat, retain and exhale through left nostril. Inhale through left nostril, retain and exhale through throat. The above four steps together form one round of pranayama. The above describes the pranayama with only antar kumbhakam. After this type has been practised for some time and proficiency attained, the pranayama should be practised with only bahya kumbhakam but without antar kumbhakam. Bahya kumbhakam will be after the exhalation. When practice has sufficiently progressed, the pranayama can be done with both antar and bahya kumbhakam.
The periods of kumbhakam should not be so long as to affect the normal slow, even and long and thin breathing in and breathing out. The periods of inhaling and exhaling should be as long as possible. The period of bhaya kumbhakam should be restricted to one-third the period of antar kumbhakam. It has been stated earlier that in the beginning stages the period of antar kumbhakam should not exceed six seconds. Thus in the beginning bahya kumbhakam should not exceed two seconds.
This pranayama should not be practiced without first mastering the Bandhas. Jalandhara bandha will not be possible if the region of the throat is fatty. This fat should first be reduced by practising the appropriate asanas. The following asanas help in reducing fat in the front and back of the neck.
SARVANGASANA, HALASANA, KARNAPIDASANA. For reducing the fat on the sides of the neck the following asanas should be practised. BHARADVAJASANA and ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA.
For properly doing Uddiyana bandham and Mula Bandham these should be practised while in SIRSHASANA.
The full benefits of this pranayama will result only when it is done with all the three bandhas and with both the kumbhakam.” p93

“When once a fair proficiency has been attained in asana and pranayama, the aspirant to dhyana has to regulate the time to be spent on each and choose the particular asanas and pranayama which will have the most effect in strengthening the higher organs and centres of perception and thus aid him in attaining dhyana.
The best asanas to choose for this purpose are SIRSHASANA and SARVANGASANA. These are to be done with proper regulated breathing and with bandhas. The eyes should be kept closed and the eye balls rolled as if they are gazing at the space between the eyebrows. It is enough if 16 to 24 rounds of each are done at each sitting.
As DHYANA is practiced in one of the following sitting postures, these asanas should also be practiced, to strengthen the muscles that come into play in keeping these postures steady. The eyes are kept closed and the eyeballs turned internally to gaze at the space between the eyebrows. If the eyes are kept open, the gaze is directed to the tip of the nose. It is enough if 12 rounds of each asana is done”. p109

“INNER GAZING - ANTAR THRATAKAM
When necessary proficiency has been attained in doing the above asanas and pranayama the next step of practicing YONIMUDRA may be begun”. p110

“Practice of PRANAYAMA is to be begun only after two months, by which time we may expect sufficient proficiency to have been reached in doing the asanas”. p137


from Yogasanagalu

“Most important asanas shirshasana, sarvangasana, mayurasana, paschimatanasana and baddha padmasana must be practiced daily without failure.

Other asanas are practiced according to their convenience as people become proficient”.


“Those who are not proficient in yogasana  will not be able to get expertise in pranayama”.

“Some people can get proficient in some yoganga asanas very quickly.  For others it may take longer.  One need not get discouraged.”

A handwritten copy of a sample Practice (for Diabetes) by T Krishnamacharya PLUS Krishnamacharya did speak (some) English

I shared practice sheet from ever generous Paul Harvey (http://www.yogastudies.org) on fb yesterday and was asked a question about Krishnamacharya's English.

"A handwritten copy of a sample Practice by T Krishnamacharya for a student with diabetes.
It was shared with me by TKV Desikachar from his father’s teaching files.
Follow link to download or view this practice as a PDF"

http://www.yogastudies.org/2014/10/sample-practice-t-krishnamacharya-student-diabetes/

David Hurwitz pointed out that in Yoga Yajnavalkya Ch. IV 35-46 Visvodara is situated in the middle of the belly. .

Note: I'm guessing the fourth asana down is pindasana

For more of Krishnamacharya's practices see his Emergence of Yoga by his third son TK Sribhashyam

from Emergence of Yoga by Krishnamacharya's 3rd son TK Sribhashyam

Did Krishnamacharya speak (any) English

As it happens he sees to have spoken a little. I came across my notes from reading  a Namarupa article which interviewed Richard Schechner , he studied with Krishnamacharya, the lessons conducted in English.
here's my original post

Namarupa : Richard Schechner's notebook on his studies with Krishanamacharya

and my notes on reading the article...

Notes from Namarupa 115 article

http://www.namarupa.org/volumes/1305.php

K taught him in an English which sounded very clear yet very terse, as when he had Richard hold a pose and told him something like, “Keep mind fixed on the god.” p4

When he studied with K in Madras (Chennai), it was just for about 4 weeks. He would go to K’s house in Madras, 4 or 5 times a week, and they would work in a private room for more than an hour at a time. K said this was the first part in a full course of study that would comprise 7 stages.

At the end of these 4 weeks of study, when Richard was about to leave Madras, K invited him to return to India again to continue to the second course, and Richard said he told K he’d be back. “That’s what they all say,” K responded (to paraphrase). In the end, Richard did not return.

But Richard said that to his surprise, even after just a month’s study, K told him he could teach others what he had learned. However, he said that it should be taught one on one, or at the most he should teach two at a time. p4

my practice of pranayama permanently changed the way I breathe. p5

Richard said that when he asked K if this was an acceptable way of lying down, K said no, he should lie on his back, legs extended and arms at his side. Furthermore, K told him not to lie with palms up or legs wide apart, which he said was not good. He instead had him lie with palms down and feet together (as in tadaka mudra), which he said was better for the blood flow. p6

Richard said K’s teaching methodology consisted of 4 steps. First, he would demonstrate. Then he would dictate the steps verbally and Richard would take notes and/or draw a picture. Then K had

Richard do it while he dictated the steps. Lastly, Richard would do it on his own and K would watch without dictating.

K said to practice for only 45 minutes to an hour; longer was not good for the organs.
Richard asked K early on (1st meeting) what yoga was. K laughed and said they could get to that next time. Richard said he kept asking K, and eventually K gave him a vedantic interpretation: union of the soul with God.

For years, he has been sharing what K taught him, with performers. He often leads long workshops, and the asanas and breathing exercises p7

So, it was through them, and maybe some people at Kalakshetra too— I don’t remember who— that I got introduced to Krishnamarcharya. I went to meet him. He interviewed the people who wanted to study with him. Joan went with me. We talked with K. I don’t know how he interviewed others. With me, he met me, he asked a few questions such as why did I want to study yoga, he looked me over with his very wide but gentle eyes. After not very long, he said he would accept me as a student. I had no idea who he was, beyond a yoga teacher. I didn’t know then that he was the yoga teacher, the great Krishnamarcharya. He was simply a teacher I found by asking. He was the teacher people sent me to. p10

The drawings are mine, but the words are his, in his own very particular way of speaking English: “Sit on soft mat, face east, pray God. Stretch both legs forward. Toes, heels, knees together. Do not bend knees, while with hissing sound in throat pit, go over head both arms, turning palms up.”

“Interlock fingers, turn hands upwards, tight fingers, straight elbows. If possible, shoulders joined with ears. Erect spine. “Chin down between two collar bones. Eyes and mouth closed,” I mean, I can hear him saying these things. p12

“Expand chest, spread shoulders, chin down against chest. Keep chin like log”— I like that one— “Repeat 6 exhalations, inhalations with hissing sound. Lie down flat, rest 1 minute.”
p12

“Must keep lower, middle, upper portions of body like a stick. Lower is buttocks, rectum, thighs, knees, legs, ankles, feet and toes. Middle is shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, chest, stomach, gut and genitals. Upper is neck, face and head. Throat pit: place at the bottom of throat where the two collar bones join. Constriction of inside of throat at that point produces hissing sound. Stick pose is very good for reducing fat, for tonsil complaints, to free circulation and respiration and pain in joints.” p12

And then he ends with telling about the “hints” and what yoga is based on. “These poses you should practice continually.” In other words, by that he meant don’t begin one without the other. Like the shoulder stand, the headstand and the body twist, always do them [sequentially].... “Hints: Do not practice with loaded stomach. Do not exhale/inhale with force. Do not speak in the middle of an exercise.” [laughter] “Should not be practiced in the open air.” That was really striking to me.

“Breath comes short, breath whistles, much dust.” Of course, that’s India. “No smoking. Do not eat too much chili.” And then, “Yoga is based God, mind, soul, breath, restricted diet.” And then he said it [again as] “Restricted diet, soul, mind, God.” p14

His first question to me: ‘What do you want?’”

when he’s telling me the L-form, the urdhva prasarita padasana, the up-stretched foot, then, “When I finished it, Krishnamacharya tells me, ‘Do not do this exercise fast.’ He shows how many people do it fast. ‘This is very harmful to internal organs. After few years, liver, stomach, bladder, other organs all out of shape.’
p14

Leslie: And here, this is interesting. He had something under your head.

Richard: Oh yes, he always had something under my head at that point, for the lying postures. I still use that.

Leslie: But it makes your chin tuck more.

Richard: Yeah, that’s the point. He wanted my chin down.

Leslie: These days, people put things under the shoulders to take pressure off the neck. [To Eddie and

Daniel] He’s got him in dvipada pitham here, with something under the head.

Richard: I always put something under the head, still. I put a little yoga brick or roll up a towel, or my shoe, to keep my chin down. You don’t advise that?

Leslie: This is classical form. Jalandhara bandha is really the first bandha you learn. p14

RICHARD: I’ve always found yoga to be like sailing a ship. You’re looking at an island out there, and then you reach it and you realize there’s more sea on the other side. It’s always infinite. So, in my own mind, my infinite challenge is to inhale forever— or exhale forever. You know, to extend the breath. p15

Leslie: So, when he said 7 levels, the implication was that there were 7, sort of, sequences? That you learn each one as a unit, and progress through them as he teaches you? Or, when he said 7, was it this model [points to diagram in the notebook, with concentric circles].

Richard: Yeah, here are circles. Well, I don’t know, but here I see that’s also 7. So, let me see what he said here... “December. Today is the end of the
lesson, which that day was effective but very short, less than half an hour, I asked K again about the meaning of the word yoga. He laughed again, as though all this curiosity of mine was very funny. I was sitting and he was standing, and he began moving around rapidly, almost dancing. Today again, for the first time in a few weeks, he started grinning, giving me again Sanskrit names for exercises. He explained that yoga meant union with the supreme God, but that there were circles of yoga. Outer body, internal body, senses, mind, breath, soul and supreme God. ‘A man cannot control the world but he can control his body. The way to be supreme God, your God, is inward.’ When I numbered the circles from outside in, he corrected me, ‘No, supreme God is the first circle’”— See [points to diagram], I started numbering them the wrong way— “‘then the soul, the breath, the mind, the senses, the internal physical body and the outer physical body.’ p15

See, now we are doing the headstand in the lotus, which I sometimes do. I find that a real pleasurable accomplishment. To do the lotus headstand, then to bring my folded legs down to my belly, and lift up again.

Here he starts pranayama: “prana: breath, life / (a)yama: long.” p15

Leslie: So, that’s your thing with the infinite breath, of that breath that never reaches its end; that’s ayama. p16

Richard: Oh, wow. Wow. [continues further ahead in notes] So, now he’s giving variations of headstands and shoulder stands. I didn’t realize how much. Oh, the kneeling pose. And then he give me my mantra.

Leslie: But what I will say is that you’re still practicing exactly what Krishnamarcharya taught you.

Richard: Absolutely.

Leslie: No, but there was the thought of what we leave once we’re gone, what remains of us—

Richard: Is our students.

Leslie: Is our students.

Richard: Yeah. I mean, these documents also remain, but basically what remains is our students. And that can fetch back very far. I sometimes, in a class, say, okay, let’s say you’re fifty. You are in your vital time. Or, fifty-five. And you teach something really important to a five-year-old. And that five-year- old remembers it. And when that five- year-old gets to be fifty-five, she teaches it to a five-year-old. How far back can this class reach? So, it goes 2000, 1950, 1900, 1850. You know, it takes
twenty people to get back a thousand years. And I said, isn’t possible that if something is really remembered, you really found it important and you really teach it, that it’ll be passed on intact? It’ll be somewhat changed, but it won’t change that
much. So, we can reach back quite far into human knowledge history by means of oral transmission. And I believe that. So, I don’t know, I’m not a historian in yoga, but it seems to me that yoga is one of those practices, at least as I learned it. Krinamachrya was very precise. Now, I know that in oral tradition there are always variations. As you say, Iyengar went and developed his own. And I’ve taken this sequence, and when I teach it, I teach it not in the order he taught it to me but in a different order. I do the standing poses first... I do the seated poses last. And I don’t know why I decided to do that. I’m more comfortable with it, so I do it. I do it as he taught it, but I do it in a different order. So, I know that there are all these variations, but at the same time there’s a core that remains consistent, and I think that’s really important. And, you know, I know people think it’s threatened by all this digital stuff. I’m not of that opinion. I think the digital stuff, like print before, will coexist. I don’t see a great diminishment in people wanting a face-to-face. Especially when it’s something important.

Eddie: That was an amazing thing you just said about someone when they reach fifty-five telling another five-year-old. And that means to go back a thousand years you only need, twenty people.
Richard: Twenty, exactly.

Leslie: Twenty people exactly.

Richard: It’s a thousand years! Eddie: So, if the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, theoretically, were written, say 2,500 years ago, we only need fifty people to keep that link of teaching alive, and that’s like nothing. Fifty.

Richard: You could play that chain game and say, “Really remember this sentence!” And... it could be remembered. Leslie: Well, in the gurukula system it’s really close to that, because you have someone presumably in their fifties teaching seven-year-olds who come into the system at around that age.

Richard: Right.

Eddie: It’s so great, because people, so many people doubt, “Well, okay, 2,500 years, 5,000 years, is that really what he was talking about?” But if you put it in your model— I need fifty people to remember— well, yeah. p17

“November 18, 8:30.” So, I studied with him early in the morning. “K tells me that he thinks I will be able to complete one course in the time here. ‘There are seven courses to yoga,’ he says p20
Also, I think he expects, or at least knows, that I will teach what I learn. During an exercise this morning, he tells me that the exercise is good ‘for backache,’ in a way that recognizes that I will tell others so.” So, by that time, I was recognizing that this is what he was doing.
We met in a upper floor which was quite bright and airy, early in the morning. I would get up at 6orso.Mylessonwas7:30or8,foran hour or so. But I don’t remember much about the household except that it was a household. There were people there. It was not a school, it was a house, and he had this room where he taught— or, where he taught me, at least.

Oh, now, here’s something very interesting, I’ll read this. He’s giving me the tree pose. “K says, ‘When wind moves a tree, it moves this way, that way, backwards, forwards. Your body depends on your breath and moves all ways.’ Later, he says there are 12, maybe 18, variations of the tree pose.
Of the tree pose, ‘If a very short man practices this 6 months, his height will grow, but only with the inhale-exhale system. I wonder if this system is exclusively his. He tells me not to practice more than 45 minutes at a time. This includes few minutes rest in middle. ‘Yoga is mental, spiritual, not wrestling.’ He says, ‘Too many people battle and torture their way through yoga, go too fast.’ He is happy I take the time to breathe.

‘Too many people battle and torture their way through yoga, go too fast.’ p22

Later, he tells me how to organize my yoga notes for teaching. ‘Each section, yes, standing positions, laying positions, jumping, sitting positions, face up positions, face down.’ But for now, I must keep this book as it is, chronologically.” p22

“K tells me at the end it is all right for two to practice yoga together, they can learn from each other, but no more than two at a time. Again, he mentions me teaching. He says he doesn’t know how I can learn what I need in such a short stay. I tell him I will return for more study. He is sitting, getting ready for the final prayer. He laughs. ‘They all say they will return, yes, yes.’ He gets up. I start to dress. Then, he remembers he has forgotten the final prayer. This really amuses him. As I leave, he tells me again not to practice fast with jerks or for too long a time at a stretch. ‘No more than an hour.’ And as I get on my bike, he, as usual, is cooing and playing with his little, beautiful grandson.” p24

He is nice boy but his mind is very—’ K shakes and dances his head back and forth. ‘He comes and says he can stay for six months. I work out a whole program for him, and after two months, he says, ‘I have to leave.’ He goes to see his father or something. p25

He tells me to remind him to show me
headstand starting tomorrow. He tells me never to do more than 40 minutes of yoga”— he’s always worried I’m going to do too much— “

He shows me how to breathe more easily from the throat pit. He is glad my breath is coming longer.

He will teach me breathing exercises and some contemplation.
Going over the materials brought 1971 back again, clear as crystal. And K along with it all, his eyes, his delicate way of moving, his strength, his humanity. And the love and respect you and the others have. A great gift.”p25

***

See this old post

What was it like to Study Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Krishnamacharya?

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2013/09/what-was-it-like-to-study-ashtanga.html

DHYANA or MEDITATION, Inner and Outer gazing - Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda part II

"When once a fair proficiency has been attained in asana and pranayama, the aspirant to dhyana has to regulate the time to be spent on each and choose the particular asanas and pranayama which will have the most effect in strengthening the higher organs and centres of perception and thus aid him in attaining dhyana".

T, Krishnamacharya

DHYANA or MEDITATION

from Yoga Makaranda Part II

This forms the seventh step in ASHTANGA YOGA. It has advisedly been placed thus, as a proper practice. Progress and benefit in this step is ensured only by systematically following the previous steps: YAMA, NIYAMA, ASANA, PRANAYAMA, etc.

It is futile to attempt the practice of DHYANA without first strengthening the JNANA- INDRIYAS or higher organs of perception which are to be used in this practice. In its turn the strengthening of the higher organs of perception requires a healthy body capable of proper circulation of rich blood and pure air in these organs and of healthy nerves. This can be achieved only by the regular and systematic practice of asana, PRANAYAMA, wholesome and bland food (SATVIC FOOD) taken in moderation, proper frame of mind (NIYAMA), proper practices in physical cleanliness (YAMA), and preservation of vitality (BRAHMACARYA).

When once a fair proficiency has been attained in asana and pranayama, the aspirant to dhyana has to regulate the time to be spent on each and choose the particular asanas and pranayama which will have the most effect in strengthening the higher organs and centres of perception and thus aid him in attaining dhyana.

The best asanas to choose for this purpose are SIRSHASANA and SARVANGASANA. These are to be done with proper regulated breathing and with bandhas. The eyes should be kept closed and the eye balls rolled as if they are gazing at the space between the eyebrows. It is enough if 16 to 24 rounds of each are done at each sitting.

As DHYANA is practiced in one of the following sitting postures, these asanas should also be practiced, to strengthen the muscles that come into play in keeping these postures steady. The eyes are kept closed and the eyeballs turned internally to gaze at the space between the eyebrows. If the eyes are kept open, the gaze is directed to the tip of the nose. It is enough if 12 rounds of each asana is done.

Amongst PRANAYAMA, NADISODHANAM and UJJAYI should be practiced regularly with BANDHA TRAYAM i.e. JALANDHARA, UDDIYANA and MULA BANDHAM and with retention of breath after inhalation (ANTAR kumbhakam) of five to ten seconds each round, but without BAHYA kumbhakam. It is enough if 24 rounds of each is done at each sitting. BHASTRIKA and KAPHALABHATI of 150 rounds should be done before the pranayama to enrich the blood with oxygen. After some practice the pranayama could be done with BAHYA kumbhakam also of not more than five seconds each round. The eyes should be kept closed during the practice.

The mind follows the breath during inhalations and exhalations, but during the kumbhakam, mental images appear both good and bad, depending on our actions and environment, but during BAHYA kumbhakam the mind is more traceable. Pleasant and soothing images occur if one follows daily worship, has a reverent frame of mind, practices the moral virtues, and keeps his body clean. As practice advances the pleasant and soothing images predominate and the images become more controllable.

INNER GAZING - ANTAR THRATAKAM

When necessary proficiency has been attained in doing the above asanas and pranayama the next step of practicing YONIMUDRA may be begun. The technique of this MUDRA is given elsewhere. It is better to practice this in a dark and quite place. This practice should be continued daily till this can be done for at least five minutes. During this practice advances, the space between the eyebrows becomes clear of passing images then becomes dark and blank and then later a bright star of intense light appears in the middle of the blackness surrounded by bright colours. The preliminary period before the appearance of the bright light gradually shortens and the period the bright light persists gradually lengthens.

When a stage is reached where the bright light is uninterrupted for ten minutes the next 110
practice may be begun.

OUTER GAZING - BAHYA THRATAKAM

This is done in one of the sitting posture, with ANJALI MUDRA and the eyes kept open gazing without winking at the tip of a bright flame, spot of light or the picture of a Deity etc. Tears start coming after a short time but as practice advances the period of gazing before the appearance of tears lengthens.

When the eyes are now closed, the image at which one has been gazing appears at the space between the eyebrows. The period for which the image persists uninterrupted gradually lengthens.
The aspirant is now on his first step to develop concentration and practice increases his powers. Morning is the best time for the practice. This may also be practiced with advantage in bed just before going to bed for the night.

BENEFITS: Mental powers increase and this is reflected in the quick grasp of subjects and the speed with which is one is able to get through one’s work. An inner light guides us and an inner voice speaks and regulates one’s sections and conduct on right lines, in one’s daily life.

NOTE: There are also other variations of this practice of holding the image at other nerve centres eg. uvula, neck-pit below the thyroid gland, heart (centre of the chest), navel, root of the generative organs, rectum etc. These variations are for curative purposes and the practice should be learnt under the personal guidance of guru.

from Emergence of Yoga by Krishnamacharya's 3rd son TK Sribhashyam

BKS Iyengar : "So I'm saying please don't think of the branch but how the branches touch."

Iyengar 1977

Nice video of Iyengar stressing that he, Pattabhi Jois, Desikachar are all part of the same tree, all come from the same root, I.E. Krishnamacharya's teaching... they may have branched off but ..."don't think of the branch but of how the branches touch".

2:00 "Do you mean to say I haven't done Ashtanga yoga, jumpings? Do you mean to say I have not done in my life? I've done forty years. I've done forty years, not one day, not two days. But what I did... Pattabhi Jois took where my guruji (Krishnamacharya) stopped and he continued that. I said... I threw (?) over what my Guruji taught, is that the end? So what I learnt was, from the movement..., I'm the only teacher of myself..., I said Jumpings is the 'yoga of motion', Vinyasa yoga is the yoga of motion, mine is the 'yoga of action'. I don't want motion, so people not excited by the motion because the external mind gets the vibration but I want the internal mind to get the vibration not the external mind. So that is the jump I made from Krishnamacharya's teaching. So please don't say Iyengar is different, Krishnamacha..., viniyoga is different, Pattabhi's is different..., they are all the same. Root is the same but only it has branched off. So I'm saying please don't think of a branch but how the branches touch".

3:30 Why I left Ashtanga Yoga?

4:00 Why/how he came to alignment... " I'm the one using alignment"

He also talks about how he used to teach Ashtanga or rather 'jumpings', the 'yoga of motion' up until the 70s (See the second video clip from '77), even 80s.

Four and a half minutes in he has one of his teachers in Trikonasana and slips into the vinyasa count "ekam, dve, trini...., you know it, I also know it, it's not that I've forgotten.. I also know it...it's because I still come from the same root".

4:55 Length of exhalation, matching the breath to the exhalation.

Iyengar teaching a 'jumping' class in 1977



Full movie here http://youtu.be/Ki9qos7dWTg

Also, a link to one of the Iyengar sections from the old 1934 black and white footage
http://youtu.be/LUvOuik-g4c

It's curious to me having spent so much time with Krishnamacharya's 1934 book Yoga Makaranda, that Iyengar focusses on the 'motion' aspect of Krishnamacharya's teaching as if that was the main element of the teaching back in the 30s. He goes so far as to talk about this 'motion' speaking to the external mind rather than the internal mind.

And yet for me, Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda is ALL about the internal mind. The movement focusses attention on the breath, the asana is a container for the breath or rather for the space between the breath, the kumbhaka (breath retention), the space in which, for Krishnamacharya, we see god (or  the self/absence of self).

Perhaps it's not surprising, teaching a large class of young boys in the 1930's, he was unlikely to have them stay in postures for long periods or focus on slowing the breath and introducing kumbhakas , better to have them jump about, to move from one posture to the next, keep their attention.

Did he try to teach it once, to have the kids slow their breath, to retain it, did he notice a lot of fidgeting, a lot of wayward, bored drishti....

Krishnamacharya's son TK Sribhashyam does talk about how Krishnamacharya would have the kids stand in an asana and then chant a mantra (an example in the movie breath of gods), the mantra would keep their attention but it would be chanted during a kumbhaka, one way perhaps to introduce kumbhaka into their practice and yet keep the attention.

Is this why Kumbhaka never made it into Iyengar and Pattabhi Joi's Ashtanga, because it was never an element of those large classes they attended, despite the fact it was the main focus of Krishnamacharya's writing at that time. And yet, didn't Krishnamacharya have Pattabhi Jois come to him privately, wouldn't he have taught his longest, perhaps most advanced student kumbhaka, the 'ideal approach to practice' that he presented in his first book (Yoga Makaranda). The book was in Kanada, Pattabhi Jois' own language, surely he had a copy on his desk when he wrote Yoga Mala.

But then Krishnamacharya was also teaching what we now call Vinyasa Krama and 'Vinyoga' back in the 30s, in private one-to-one sessions with students of different ages and fitness (we also see elements of that in Krishnamacharya's inversions in the 1938 footage), that approach seemingly didn't get picked up on by Pattabhi Jois and Iyengar in their main presentation either. Pattabhi Jois did mention however that his teaching exam was Krishnamacharya giving him a patient and saying 'heal him'.

Look to where the branches touch....

***

I was asked this week about the personal practice of those great teachers, post to come on this.

DRISHTI: Ashtanga and Meditation. How should one meditate in 33 bullet points.

Download a pdf version of this whole post from my google docs page for later viewing

http://tinyurl.com/pcqkn2e

Posting this extended version of this earlier post as happily the question continues to come up...

But first perhaps an encouraging thought... 

If we've been linking our breath to our movements in our practice. If we've been working on improving our employment of drishti (whether eyes open or closed, internal or external), then it's not a case of should we or shouldn't we consider a meditation practice... We've already begun a meditation practice, the Smayama, the meditation limbs of raja (ashtanga yoga) which include it's preparation.

Jump to the section that interests you

1. The Aranya commentary from yesterday focusing on the Drishti aspect.
2. My 33 point how to meditate 'manual'.
3. The Yoga 'meditation' Newsletter from Ramaswami.
4. The Ashtanga and Zen video following a Zen Monk who also practices Ashtanga.
5. Concentration: the sixteen vital points

The Samyama. 

The upper three limbs of Raja (Ashtanga)yoga

Dhāraṇā

 – concentration, one-pointedness of mind

Dhyāna 

– meditation (quiet activity that leads to samadhi)

Samādhi 

– the quiet state of blissful awareness, superconscious state

1. 

"The Yogis mention two sadhanas or two yogic procedures as preparations. They are asanas and pranayama". Ramaswami from the newsletter below.

At some point we can perhaps choose whether to look to the next pose and the next or look deeper within those that we have, explore them as asana (even as mudra ) rather than merely postures.

Aranya's commentary on YS 22-49 that I posted yesterday as support for Krishnamacharya's employment of breath suspension in asana strikes me as an excellent place to begin.

Drishti (internal or external, eyes closed or open).

"That is, the object of concentration should be present in the mind during each act of inhalation and exhalation, or the inhalation and exhalation are to be looked upon as the predisposing causes bringing the thought of the object of concentration; thus union between the breath and the object of concentration has to be practiced. When this becomes habitual, then the suspension of the movement (of breath) has to be practiced." Aranya.

Look too at his use of the Yoga as union translation option, yoking the breath to the object of concentration .

2. 

"Ah! Meditation. The Yoga world is divided into two camps. On one side we have enthusiastic hatha yogis who specialize in asanas and the other group which believes fervently in meditation as a panacea for all the ills". Ramaswami Nov. 2009

A couple of years ago I put together what I like to think of as a short Yoga Meditation Manual for my own personal use ( I don't think I ever posted it and can't find my original), it's based on Ramaswami's  November 2009 newsletter  Meditating on Meditation (below), it's pretty much a numbering of the sentences outlining practice in the newsletter. I'd wondered why it was that we turn to the yoga tradition for asana and perhaps pranayama but when it comes to meditation often turn to , Zen, Vippasana...... This then was an attempt to make yoga meditation a little more accessible.

There is of course a more in depth yoga meditation manual,  Patanjali's Yoga Sutras,

Here is my own personal copy...

3.

Meditating on Meditation by Srivatsa Ramaswami 

Newsletter Nov 2009

I was watching a live television program in India some 30 years back when TV had just been introduced in India. It was a program in which an elderly yogi was pitted against a leading cardiologist. It was virtually a war. The yogi was trying to impress with some unusualposes which were dubbed as potentially dangerous by the doctor. Almost everything the yogi claimed was contested by the non-yogi and soon the dialogue degenerated. The yogi stressed that headstand will increase longevity by retaining the amrita in the sahasrara in the head and the medical expert countered it by saying that there was no scientific basis for such claims and dubbed it as a pose which was unnatural and dangerous and will lead to a stroke. The Yogi replied by saying that Yoga had stood the test of time for centuries; it had been in voguemuch before modern medicine became popular. Thank God it was a black and white program; else you would have seen blood splashed all over the screen.

Things have become more civil in these three decades. Now neti pot, asanas, yogic breathing exercises and yogic meditation have all become part of the medical vocabulary. There is a grudging appreciation of yoga within the medical profession. Many times doctors suggest a few yogic procedures, especially Meditation, in several conditions like hypertension, anxiety, depression and other psychosomatic ailments.

Ah! Meditation. The Yoga world is divided into two camps. On one side we have enthusiastic hatha yogis who specialize in asanas and the other group which believes fervently in meditation as a panacea for all the ills.

But how should one meditate? Many start meditation and give it up after a few days or weeks as they fail to see any appreciable benefit or perceivable progress. The drop out rate is quite high among meditators. The mind continues to be agitated and does not get into the meditating routine. Or quite often one tends to take petit naps while meditating. Why does this happen? It is due to lack of adequate preparation. Basically one has to prepare oneself properly for meditation.

The Yogis mention two sadhanas or two yogic procedures as preparations. They are asanas and pranayama. Asanas, as we have seen earlier, reduce rajas which manifests as restlessness of the mind, an inability to remain focused for an appreciable amount of time. But another guna, tamas also is not helpful during meditation, manifesting as laziness, lethargy and sloth and this also should be brought under control if one wants to meditate. Patanjali, Tirumular and several old Yogis advocate the practice of Pranayama to reduce the effects of Tamas. Patanjali says Pranayama helps to reduce avarana or Tamas. He along with conventional ashtanga yogis also mentions that Pranayama makes the mind capable of Dharana or the first stage of meditation.

Pranayama is an important prerequisite of meditation.There is evidence that pranayama has a salutary effect on the whole system. In an earlier article I had explained the beneficial effects of deep pranayama on the heart and the circulatory system. Further, when it is done correctly, it helps to draw in anywhere between 3 to 4 liters of atmospheric air compared to just about ½ liter of air during normal breathing. This helps to stretch the air sacs of the lungs affording an excellent exchange of oxygen and gaseous waste products. These waste products are proactively thrown out of the system by deep pranayama, which yogis refer to as reduction of tamas. Thus soon after pranayama, the yogi feels refreshed and calm andbecomes fit for the first stage of meditation which is called Dharana.

What should one meditate on? Several works talk about meditating on cakras, mantras, auspicious icons, various tatwas and on the spirit/soul etc. But, the method of meditating, only a few works detail. Perhaps the most precise is that of Patanjali in Yoga Sutras. Patanjali details not only a step by step methodology of meditation but also the various objects of prakriti and ultimately the spirit within to meditate on. Hence his work may be considered as the most detailed, complete and rigorous on meditation

For a start Patanjali would like the abhyasi to get the technique right. So he does not initially specify the object but merely says that the Yogi after the preliminary practices of asana, pranayama and pratyahara, should sit down in a comfortable yogasana and start the meditation. Tying the mind to a spot is dharana. Which spot? Vyasa in his commentary suggests going by tradition, a few spots, firstly inside the body, like the chakras as the Kundalini Yogi would do,, or the heart lotus as the bhakti yogi would do, or the mid-brows as a sidhha yogi would do or even an icon outside as a kriya yogi would do.

The icon should be an auspicious object like the image of one’s favorite deity. Many find it easier to choose a mantra and focus attention on that. Thousands everyday meditate on the Gayatri mantra visualizing the sun in the middle of the eyebrows or the heart as part of their daily Sandhyavandana** routine. It is also an ancient practice followed even today to meditate on the breath with or without using the Pranayama Mantra.

 (** Namarupa published my article “Sandhyavandanam-Ritualistic Gayatri Meditation” with all the routines, mantras, meanings, about 40 pictures, and also an audio with the chanting of the mantras in theSep/Oct 2008 issue).

What of the technique? The Yogabhyasi starts the antaranga sadhana or the internal practice by bringing the mind to the same object again and again even as the mind tends to move away from the chosen object of meditation. The active, repeated attempts to bring the mind back to the simple, single object again and again is the first stage of meditation (samyama) called dharana. Even though one has done everything possible to make the body/mind system more satwic, because of the accumulated samskaras or habits, the mind continues to drift away from the object chosen for meditation. The mind starts with the focus on the object but within a short time it swiftly drifts to another related thought then a third one and within a short time this train of thoughts leads to a stage which has no connection whatsoever with the object one started with.

Then suddenly the meditator remembers that one is drifting and soon brings the mind back to the object and resumes remaining with the “object”. This process repeats over and over again. This repeated attempts to coax and bring the mind to the same object is dharana. At the end of the session lasting for about 15 minutes, the meditator may (may means must) take a short time to review the quality of meditation. How often was the mind drifting away from the object and how long on an average the mind wandered? And further what were the kinds of interfering thoughts? The meditator takes note of these. If they are recurrent and strong then one may take efforts to sort out the problem that interferes with the meditation repeatedly or at least decide to accept and endure the situation but may decide to take efforts to keep those thoughts away at least during the time one meditates.

If during the dharana period, the mind gets distracted too often and this does not change over days of practice, perhaps it may indicate that the rajas is still dominant and one may want to reduce the systemic rajas by doing more asanas in the practice. On the other hand if the rajas is due to influences from outside, one may take special efforts to adhere to the yamaniyamas more scrupulously. Perhaps every night before going to sleep one may review the day’s activities and see if one had willfully violated the tenets of yamaniyamas like “did I hurt someone by deed, word or derive satisfaction at the expense of others’ pain”. Or did I say untruths and so on. On the other hand if one tends to go to sleep during the meditation minutes, one may consider increasing the pranayama practice and also consider reducing tamasic interactions, foods etc.

Then one may continue the practice daily and also review the progress on a daily basis and also make the necessary adjustments in practice and interactions with the outside world. Theoretically and practically when this practice is continued diligently and regularly, slowly the practitioner of dharana will find that the frequency and duration of these extraneous interferences start reducing and one day, the abhyasi may find that for the entire duration one stayed with the object. When this takes place, when the mind is completely with the object moment after moment in a continuous flow of attention, then one may say that the abhyasi has graduated into the next stage of meditation known as dhyana. Many meditators are happy to have reached this stage. Then one has to continue with the practice so that the dhyana habits or samskaras get strengthened. The following day may not be as interruption free, but Patanjali says conscious practice will make it more successful. “dhyana heyat tad vrittayah”. If one continues with this practice for sufficiently long time meditating on the same object diligently, one would hopefully reach the next stage of meditation called Samadhi.

In this state only the object remains occupying the mind and the abhyasi even forgets herself/himself. Naturally if one continues the meditation practice one would master the technique of meditation. Almost every time the yagabhasi gets into meditation practice, one would get into Samadhi. Once one gets this capability one is a yogi—a technically competent yogi– and one may be able to use the skill on any other yoga worthy object and make further progress in Yoga. (tatra bhumishu viniyogah)

The consummate yogi could make a further refinement. An object has a name and one has a memory of the object, apart from the object itself (sabda, artha gnyana). If a Yogi is able to further refine the meditation by focusing attention on one aspect like the name of the object such a meditation is considered superior. For instance when the sound ‘gow” is heard (gow is cow ), if the meditiator intently maintains the word ‘gow’ alone in his mind without bringing the impression(form) of a cow in his mind then that is considered a refined meditation. Or when he sees the cow, he does not bring the name ‘gow’ in the meditation process, it is a refined meditation.

The next aspect-after mastering meditation— one may consider is, what should be the object one should meditate upon. For Bhakti Yogis it is the Lord one should meditate upon. According to my teacher, a great Bhakti Yogi, there is only one dhyana or meditation and that is bhagavat dhyana or meditating upon the Lord. There is a difference between a religious person and a devotee. A devotee loves the Lord and meditates on the Lord, all through life. The Vedas refer to the Pararmatman or the Supreme Lord and bhakti yogis meditate on the Lord.

The Vedas also refer to several gods and some may meditate on these as well. By meditating on the Lord one may transcend the cycle of transmigration. At the end of the bhakti yogi’s life one reaches the same world of the Lord (saloka), the heaven. Some attain the same form as the Lord. Some stay in the proximity of the Lord and some merge with the Lord. The Puranas which are the later creation of poet seers personify the Lord and the vedic gods. Thus we have several puranas as Agni purana, Vayu purana and then those of the Lord Himself like the Bhagavata Purana , Siva Purana , Vishnu Purana. Running to thousands of slokas and pages the puranic age helped to worship the Lord more easily as these stories helped to visualize the Lord as a person, which was rather difficult to do from the Vedas. Later on Agamas made the Lord more accessible by allowing idols to be made of the Lord and divine beings and consecrating them in temples. Thus these various methods helped the general populace remain rooted to religion and religious worship. So meditating upon the charming idol/icon of theLord made it possible for many to worship and meditate .

Of course many traditional Brahmins belonging to the vedic practices stuck to the vedic fire rituals, frowned upon and refrained from any ‘form worship’, but millions of others found form worship a great boon.

Meditating on the form of the chosen deity either in a temple or at one’s own home has made it possible to sidestep the intermediate priestly class to a great extent. One can become responsible for one’s own religious practice, including meditation. The ultimate reality is meditated on in different forms, in any form as Siva Vishnu etc or as Father, Mother, Preceptor or even a Friend. Some idol meditators define meditating on the whole form as dharana, then meditating on each aspect of the form as the toe or head or the arms or the bewitching eyes as dhyana and thus giving a different interpretation to meditation. Some, after meditating on the icon, close the eyes and meditate on the form in their mind’s eye (manasika).

Darshanas like Samkhya and Yoga which do not subscribe to the theory of a Creator commended ‘the understanding of one’s own Self’ as a means of liberation. The Self which is non-changing is pure consciousness and by deep unwavering meditation after getting the technique right, one can realize the nature of oneself and be liberated. Following this approach, the Samkhyas commend meditating on each and every of the 24 aspects of prakriti in the body-mind complex of oneself and transcend them to directly know the true nature of oneself, and that will be Freedom or Kaivalya. Similarly the Yogis would say that the true nature of the self is known when the mind transcends(nirodha) the five types of its activities called vrittis to reach kaivalya, by a process of subtler and subtler meditation.

The Upanishads on the other hand while agreeing with the other Nivritti sastras like Yoga and Samkhya in so far as the nature of the self is concerned, indicate that the individual and the Supreme Being are one and the same and meditating on this identity leads to liberation. They would like the spiritual aspirant to first follow a disciplined life to get an unwavering satwic state of the mind. Then one would study the upanishadic texts (sravana), by analysis (manana) understand them and realize the nature of the self through several step by step meditation approaches (nidhidhyasana). The Vedas, for the sake of the spiritual aspirant, have several Upanishad vidyas to study and understand it from several viewpoints. For instance, the panchkosa vidya indicates that the real self is beyond (or within) the five koshas (sheaths). It could also be considered as the pure consciousness which is beyond the three states of awareness (avasta) of waking, dream and deep sleep, as the Pranava(Om) vidya would indicate. The understanding and conviction that Self and the Supreme Self are one and the same is what one needs to get, before doing Upanishadic meditation following the advaitic interpretation.

Summarizing one may say that traditional meditation warrants proper preparation so that the mind becomes irrevocably satwic and thus fit for and capable of meditation. Secondly it requires practice on a simple object until the meditation technique is mastered and such meditatin samskaras developed. Then the Yogi should set the goal of meditation based on the conviction of a solid philosophy—bhakti, samkhya, yoga, vedanta, kundalini (or if comfortable, nirvana) or whatever.

Srivatsa Ramaswami

4.

And then we have this from another earlier post

Ashtanga and Zen 2 - Mirror of Zen /// A Day in the Moment of a Modern Zen Monk

5. 

Concentration: the sixteen vital points

see my earlier post 

Krishnamacharya's alternatives to Headstand in his third son Sri Sribhashyam's book Emergence of yoga

Which contains examples of General Practice employing concentration on vital points as well as pranayama in asana.