7 of 7 Seven elements that helped me achieve the Jump back

Felt this was important so have changed this series from six elements to seven

December 08

7. Focusing on the pelvis in space.

All the work I've done lately on the press to handstand and focusing on the pelvis in space appears to have benefited my Jump back.

1. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-sheriff-in-town-lydia-from-squamish.html

2. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/12/working-towards-press-to-handstand.html

I'm employing the other six elements but my attention is now focused on my pelvis.I'm getting much more lift. First time it happened, after the handstand work I was taken by suprise. I'd already got the jump back I wanted, or so I thought but this was so much easier, more controlled, effortless almost. Is this the moola bandha without the mysticism? I know they talk about the moola bandha as being at the base or floor of the pelvis but surely my moola bandha isn't any stronger than it was last week. Only thing that's changed is a shifted focus of attention and a conscious effort to lift from the pelvic floor while engaging Uddiyana, employing stretchy arms and pressing down.

More control on the Jump up to jump through too though I made a hash of the swing through by being too close to the wall.

6 of 7 Seven elements that helped me achieve the jump back

November 08

6. Stretchy arms

This is strongly connected with 5 of 6 and pressing down but I wanted to present it as a separate element because I think it's so important, has made a huge difference and i wanted to stress that. The two of them together have also helped me virtually push up to handstand from forward bend in the Sury's (posts to come on that) without a jump.

I've lifted most of this from this post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/11/jump-back-how-to-make-your-arms-2.html

In Navasana have your palms open facing slightly up, reach up towards your toes more (not suggesting your should always do Navasana this way but this will just give you the idea of what I'm talking about). Your shoulders should have rounded as if your hands are two ends of a bow the string goes from one hand to the other, the bend in the bow around your shoulders, really stretch that bend around your shoulders making your arms grow and grow. Now drop your shoulder blades down your back and try and keep that as you come down to prepare to lift up for your jump back. Your arms should feel really long now so bend at the elbow and ground them firmly, really press into the ground and push up. Your pushing up like a normal press up rather than trying to lift up. Now keep going up and up and up Mister fantastic stretchy arms

*By the way I'm thinking about a new camcorder for these videos,any suggestions? Something cheap, HD perhaps but nothing too fancy At the moment I'm just using my phone. None of the YouTube or cnet camcorder reviews give an idea of which would be best for recording this kind of thing indoors

5 of 7 Seven elements that helped me achieve the jump back

October 06

5. Pushing Down to lift up

Had read about this here and there. Different teachers. John Scott saying you should push up into your lift off but I've always lifted up. When you think about it it makes much more sense. We do push ups not lift ups and when we first start getting into jump backs it's almost like were trying to drag ourselves up. Now it could be that my core has become stronger or that I've become stronger all round or that my control and technique has improved such that I'm able to Push up where I couldn't before. However, I suspect it was mostly just a mental block re enforced by the constant reference to "lifting" up. It might also be something to do with following along with Kino's DVD. I picked up on her saying something like"Bring the shoulders further apart and draw your shoulder blades down your back". She mentioned this just before going into the lift off.

This is linked with the next post 6 of 6 on stretchy arms but to focus on the pushing down element. While seating with crossed legs lean forward draw your shoulders apart rounding them, draw your shoulder blades down your back (VERY IMPORTANT) place your hands just in front of your hips, shoulders over your hands and push/press down to lift up. If this is confusing try a couple of regular press ups to get the idea fixed in your head then try it again.

I remember an old physics lesson at school where we were told there was no pulling just pushing, when we pull something towards us were really applying pressure behind. Perhaps it's the the same here there's no lifting just pushing/pressing up

Shot from the front to try to catch the pushing down element.

4 of 7. Seven elements that helped me achieve the Jump back

September 08

4. Belly up (Bandhas)

Being a good Heideggarian I'm bracketing the Bandhas (according to Martin it allows us to focus on what something is without considering whether it exists). With no fuzzy yellow balls in the house the jury is still out. I like that Kino Mcgregor doesn't mention them in her primary series DVD, she just says "lift your belly up". This seems enough, you can get into the whole esoteric, mystical bandha thing if you want but it seems a bit much at times, for my taste at least. Besides I hate the whole Bandha response to the jump back.

Q. I How do I achieve the jump back?

A. Work on your Bandhas

Great, thanks that was helpful!

However bringing in and lifting up your belly (uddiyana Bandha?) does seem be effective as does tightening and lifting the pelvic floor (Moola bhanda?) see my post on avoiding lost action. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/07/moolah-bandah-and-lost-action.html Basically I suggest that tightening and lifting these areas helps keep the body tight and contained and easier to lift everything up together rather than first your torso, then your hips, then you legs etc.

So 4 of 6 is lifting up the belly. Handy to look at some of the descriptions of Uddiyana bhanda without getting too hung up on it. The lit. talks about drawing the belly in as if a thread is pulling you belly button out through your back but then you kind of suck it in and up creating a hollow under your ribs. This is great for getting in to some of the really tricky twists and bends in Ashtanga as you end up with so much more space. One of the main benefits for the Jump Back is that it enables you to tilt your hips and crossed legs up, kind of curling your body up into a ball from the bottom rather from the top. Curling all that in and up and lifting helps give you more height to get your legs/feet through and makes everything so much tighter and more controlled.

I found looking at the first couple of stages of nauli helpful without all the tummy twirling bit. here's some links. (actually am kind of into the whole Nauli thing lately and starting to get it).

Refer to stage I of this post http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/nauli.html don't think you need to take it as extreme as this, to suck it in this far, but it helps to practice this to get the idea. I find that I can't get my Jump Through right if I forget to employ belly up.

NB. If you want to get into the whole bandha thing you can do worse than checking out the ever wise (0v0) whose just posted on the topic http://www.insideowl.com/article/for-v (you might want to read her previous post and comments to get some context). Sure to be lots of very current discussion of the topic in the comments section over the next couple of days.

3 of 7. Seven elements that helped me achieve the jump back

August 08

3. Props

Ashtanga frowns on props but they can be useful. I don't necessarily suggest you should use them during your main practice although I did use Nike grips every morning for a few weeks over July/Aug. If you have some spare time in the evening try some jump backs and jump through's using yoga blocks to give you the extra height. Takes away some of the fear of rubbing your feet along the mat or smashing your little toe. Best of all though, you start to get the idea of what a full floaty Jump Back feels like. Again your getting used to how you should be shifting your body weight and exercising your core. You can hold your lolasana in the middle and just generally play around with it. I preferred Nike grips to blocks but either are fine. Also socks are useful (grip socks, great if you can find some) as you can slide along the floor (try it in the kitchen or bathroom if you don't have a wood floor) you don't get hung up on your sticky mat. I think it was John Scott who suggests putting a t-shirt on the floor and sliding it back and forth through your Jump Back. I'm also a big fan of microfiber towels as they are really soft and you can brush over the top of it without rubbing your toes raw, manduka make one. Manduka's black mats are also good when they get good and sweaty as your feet will slide through.

Blocks


Grip socks

Nike grips

2 of 7. Seven elements that helped me achieve the Jump back

July 08

2. Lolasana

In June's Jump back (previous post 1 0f 6 ) we have the beginning and the end but not the middle. The middle is lolasana and is the stage we need to pass through in both the Jump back and Crossed leg Jump through. David Swenson advises practicing Lolasana and it definitely made a difference.

I'd practice it any chance I got, sometimes during practice, a few times in the evening when I got home on the mat, but more often than not while watching something on TV. It's building arm, shoulder and core strength of course and also focusing on balance and shifting body weight, but perhaps best of all it's building confidence, you Begin to get used to the idea that you can suspend your body in the air. Now it's just a case of bringing them altogether and the subject of the next post on props.

1 of 7. Seven Elements that helped me achieve the jump back

June 08

1. Changing my expectations probably made the biggest difference of all. I'd had this image of what a jump back should be from watching Lino Miele. I'd been trying to lift straight up like him and there just seemed no way I would ever be able to get my backside off the ground far enough to get my feet back and through. I thought perhaps it was something to do with my lack of Bandha control or core strength, arms too short perhaps. My Jump Back aspirations came to a full, complete and frustrating stop.

Coming across Paul Fox's tutorial http://www.paulfoxashtanga.co.uk/asana/jump.htm allowed me to view the Jump Back differently. Here was a transition I could almost do that felt smooth and allowed me to flow much more easily between asana. It was not a million miles away from many of the Jump Backs I'd seen on you tube and I could see that it would help develop the Strength and control I felt I needed. In fact it felt like the only jump back I would ever need.

Link to my first post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/07/jumping-back.html

Came across some new Jump back videos

Love this almost slow-mo Jump Back and Through from M_in_M seems to defy the laws of gravity for a moment
http://malaysianinmysore.blogspot.com/2008/10/testing-video-upload.html

and a couple of new tutorials from irockwood on youtube. Lucas also has some excellent backbend tutorials.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DSdMAmbowhY

and

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9O7X4OMWuR4&feature=related

Using screenshots to Compare the Jump Back of Sharath, John Scott David Swenson and Lino Miele

In an earlier post
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/comparing-screenshot-of-my-jump-back.html

I present the Jump backs of John Scott, Sharath, David Swenson and Lino Miele via a screenshot breakdown of their respective Jump Backs. The intention here is not to suggest one is better than another but to see in detail the different approach they each take and to inspire and educate.

I am of the understanding that the nature of the screenshot as used for educational purposes comes under Fair use and does not infringe copyright, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenshot#Copyright_issues and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use#Fair_use_on_the_Internet and have included credit below.

I would of course remove the content should it be shown that I'm mistaken and am indeed infringing copyright .

How to make your own screenshot slideshow: Download the free VLC media player from CNET. Take a video of your Jump back using your camera or mobile phone camera and upload to your computer. Open the movie with VLC. Hit play then pause and then on the video dropdown box click Snapshot. Repeat throughout the video. Upload photos to google picassa.com. Click embed slideshow and copy the embed code to your html gadget feature on your blog. I'm sure there are a lot of other ways of doing it but this worked for me.

Credits







Astanga Yoga 1st Series with David Swenson






Yoga - Ashtanga - The Primary Series John Scott









Astanga Yoga Primary Series Full Vinyasa Lino Miele









Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series DVD w/R. Sharath

Jump back: all you need is a Manduka mat

Just bought a Black Manduka 100" (240 cm) Mat from the US on ebay. Brand new, seems a yoga school closed and they found a load unopened in boxes. Think he still has a few left that are being sold cheap. Have to find them by going into ebay.com as he hasn't listed them for international sale. I just sent him a mail and checked he was happy to send it to the UK. Shipping is expensive though. The mat cost me about £30 but shipping was another £20.

Ok I know it's a lot for a mat but everybody knows that the secret to the jump back is the Manduka mat, it's all you need. I heard that mantras are chanted at every stage of production and that even the label is sewn on by a 108 year old blind shaman woman called Trixy.

But not any Manduka mat, it has to be the extra long, extra wide manduka mat that fills your whole visual field with blackness, allowing you to float effortlessly through the matty void.

Deciding factor? landing on my head in drop back (see video last post), if I'd only had my Manduka I'd have less of a bump on the top of my head.

Will let you know if it's worth the money about a week from now.

2 Ashtanga accident videos : Dropping back to head!

"Pride commeth before a fall" they say. (don't your just hate them), Was feeling pretty pleased with myself after nailing my drop back so quickly earlier in the week, Plus Yoga Chickie saying my practice was lovely (thank you for that, very kind) I decided to slip the drop back into my regular practice. Clearly it needs more work. Actually it's kind of reassuring, I was afraid of what might happen if it went wrong and though I hit my head my arms took most of the weight/impact, so its not going to break my neck.

As if that wasn't bad enough, this morning. Having just managed to get into inverted lotus, Urdhva Padmasana, for the first time without using my hands and feeling pleased with myself, again, I decided to have a go at karandavasana. Thought I'd try getting into lotus in headstand first then lift up onto my forearms and lower.....nope!

Luckily I had the wall behind me but have always wondered what happens if you fall forwards while still in Lotus, find that very scary, wouldn't you just come crashing down onto your knees?

UPDATE
It got better, progress post, videos from this one to 2011 including the 108 dropbacks, click on the link below.

Dropback progress : First attempt, Aug 08 to Present (108 Challenge)

Call to Bloggers: Any old posts on your struggles with the jump back?

While reading other blogs I've typed in Jump Back in the their blog search and come across some posts or paragraphs within posts. Didn't want to appropriate them without asking and I'm sure everyone with an Ashtanga blog has at some time written a post about their Jump Back. So I was wondering if anyone would like to share an old post on their jump back. I was kind of hoping to do a post with all your quotes, dated, and of course links to your blogs if you'd like or anonymous if you prefer. Then I can archive it here next to the Jump back articles and youtube videos posts and add to it whenever I receive any more. What do you think? You can send to my email or add it as a comment which I can then paste into the post.

Jump Back's little brother, The drop back

Well they're kind of related aren't they? Couldn't think of another way to justify putting my first Drop back into a blog about the jump back.

I've been working on this for about a week, looking at youtube videos ( see the drop back playlist on my Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2BC774BEFFB4F372 )



At first I tried dropping back to the wall then walking down it. Had a few goes leaning back as far as I could to see how low I could go. Today I tried a couple of supported drop backs to the sofa(Thank You Misa) very disconcerting as it seems so far away. Next I put two large Sofa cushions on the floor and dropped back on to them. Felt Quite confident as I could see the middle of the cushions

Next I dropped back on to one Cushion. Still felt comfortable, although I could only see the far edge of the cushion . Seem to drop back a lot faster on this one, felt less controlled.

Finally with more than a little trepidation I tried dropping back to the floor. Very nervous about this as the floor was a blur on the edge of my vision. Takes quite a leap of faith but after the previous two you know the floor isn't as far away as it seems. (Apologies for the lack of a shirt but I wanted to see my back as I bent back).

The exclamation at the end is from joy and surprise rather than from pain.

Getting back up from the backbend seems a hell of a lot harder than dropping down into it.

CAUTION: I should probably point out that I've been doing Ashtanga for a year and a half which includes, what, three floor back bends, six days a week. Ashtanga develops the core muscles which helps prepares you for the back bend and drop backs. I guess I'm saying I'm coming to the Drop back with a fair amount of preparation and I'd strongly recommend you were suitably prepared too before you "try this at home".

My Jump backs STUNK this morning

My jump backs really STUNK this morning! Frustrated, felt like saying to hell with the mornings practice. At first I thought my mat needed washing, It seemed extra sticky. Then I thought it was my strength, was feeling a bit weak (had slipped in handstands throughout my Sury's and been working on drop backs last night). Finally decided it was my coordination and my WILL. Just wasn't very focused.

Becoming more and more aware lately that the jump back is a coordination of several elements that have to be linked and timed together perfectly (future post). Once you get it I imagine it becomes fixed and automatic. Hand placement, timing your shift of body weight, engagement of the bandhhas the inhale, focus on the knees and the (S) point (see previous post) etc. etc. and the WILL (future post). Anyway they were all over the place and I was losing motivation fast.

Tried to focus on the breath but was too irritated. Shifted to a simpler variation of jump back and that helped, decided to focus on the lolasana aspect and on some of my other asanas that were going well. Mood improved,and I began to relax into the practice, could focus on the breath more clearly again and by the end I managed to slip in a couple of half decent jump backs and a really good rise onto my forearms in headstand that proved my problems this morning weren't about strength.
Tomorrow is another practice!

Reply to comment on Jump back after Baddha konasana

Received this comment yesterday which for some reason seems to appear and disappear under Comments.

" Interested to read your blog and your previous post about baddha konasana. I notice that my best jumpback/jumpthrough is after baddha konasana, not sure if you have noticed that ? "

I think the previous post she/he was referring to was the one on Buhujapidasana where I was saying I found jump back easier after that asana and was wondering why.

Both Buhujapidasana and Baddha konasana affect the adductors and I was wondering if it was something to do with that. Focused on it this morning in my practice and found my jump back better after Baddha Konasana too.

Just did Baddha konasana and focused on where I was feeling the stretch (S) , (felt like somewhere at the top between the Adductor Longus and Magnus : I'm not much on anatomy!) then did a jump back focusing on the same point and noticed that I seemed to come up more easily and that I seemed to almost automatically swing back from there.

So what's happening. Only guessing here but I think usually I'm focusing on getting my feet up and more lately my knees. And when I think of pivoting at the shoulder (P) I tend to think of my head (X) as one end and my feet as the other (Y) . But perhaps (Y) should be the point where I'm feeling the stretch (S) in Buhujapidasana and Baddha Konasana. This seems to make more sense.

So lifting up focus on this point (S) which seems to help curl your pubic bone up and in following uddiyana bandha thus giving you more lift, then throw your head forward and draw back from (S) which is now also (Y). Does seem to make more sense drawing back from here.

Going to see if i can annotate one of my youtube videos with all this P X and Y stuff to illustrate this better. ok here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_FaXxduIow

Freeze frame it about five seconds in. Hope this makes sense.

Mat or Rug for jump back : Should you buy a Mysore Rug?

So which is better for the Jump back / Jump through, a mat or a rug. I guess that depends on where you are with your jump back. I'll define advanced as being able to jump back in the sense of being able to lift up completely off the ground and swing back and through with out touching the mat. Intermediate can occasionally do that but still brushes the top of the mat and a Beginner is doing a variation of the jump back probably coming to rest half way though.

I'm placing myself as Intermediate here (but only in the sense of the jump back not Ashtanga as a whole) in that I can VERY occasionally manage to get through without touching. Mostly my feet are brushing the top of the mat. This is a problem with a rug because I found I was just wearing my foot away, rubbing nasty holes in my feet just above the little toe where it joins the foot. This is also a problem with my jute textured mat (second from left in picture). This was my first mat and my favourite when I was doing beginner variations. I'm now using An extra long open cell mat (far left) the extra length is great. I have to be careful though, for the first couple of jump backs as I can rub the same place on my toe and can get a blister, same as with the rug. But as the mat becomes a little slippery from sweat my feet slide through and it feels like the real thing and I can focus on the other elements. I'm starting to think a black closed cell Manduka mat would be even better as there's no texture and it's probably a little more slippery. You can wipe the areas your hands and toes go with a towel to avoid slipping but keep it slippery in the middle where your feet go through. As I become more consistent in avoiding brushing the floor I would probably go with a rug over the top of the mat.

Advice for beginners? I'd say stick with a basic sticky mat, As you improve you'll find the sweat helps your feet slide through as you start to advance form the beginner variations to full jump backs.

WARNING about jump throughs. Trying to learn to jump though with straight legs can be dangerous with a sticky mat. A bunch of times I caught the sticky mat with my little toe going through and almost broke it. I highly recommend the bent leg Jump through via lolasana as a MUCH safer bet

PS. The light blue rug in the picture has a sticky coating on the back of the rug. This is a great idea as the problem with rugs is that they can move about a bit. I found the sticky rug a problem though. It's TOO sticky! put it on a wood floor and when you try to take it up it will take the varnish with it. Put it on a mat and it will tear off the top layer of the mat. Probably only good if you have a carpet but then, in that case, your probably fine with a normal rug anyway.

Does everything else suffer by focusing on the jump back? EG. Baddha Padmasana

I've thought about posting this for the last couple of weeks but didn't want to risk jinxing it. I've noticed that while I've been focusing on the jump back and this blog, everything else has just started coming together by itself. Marichiyasana C has become easy, D has become closer ( P.S. Just nailed my first Marichiyasana D couple of days after this post, left side only so far). Upavishta konasana has appeared from nowhere. Last week I was able to clasp my hands behind my back in Supta Kurmasana and I find I can get my foot behind my head and almost let go with it staying there. Back bends are stronger, though I still can't imagine being able to drop back (I'm thinking the subject of a sister blog next year).

Best of all this morning I was able to struggle into Baddha Padmasana. I was convinced this would be something I would never be able to manage, just didn't think I was built right for it (but then didn't I think that about Marichyasana C). I found a trick to it. Get into a really tight lotus, feet up higher than usual then reach around with the left arm and clasp left toe, then, and here's my trick/tip, slide your right arm between your back and left arm which enables you to work it down to your toe and clasp (might take a bit of tipping over to the left - see video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHZOQAjzYWc
Apologies for no shirt on this one but couldn't do it with it on, think being hot and sweaty helps).

But what's all this about Baddha Padmasana doing in a Jump Back blog? Point is, focusing on the jump back doesn't mean everything else has to suffer, they'll come along nicely on their own. Also it goes to show that the little tips/tricks/suggestions can make the difference and that something you begin to think you'll never be able to do will just surprise you one day. Like the jump back.

Key areas to work on to PREPARE for the jump back.

This is a post for anyone visiting this blog who feel they are still a long way away from achieving a jump back but are wondering what they can do to prepare themselves in the mean time. I'm assuming your doing some variation of the jump back perhaps from the Swenson book, like putting your hands in frount of your feet rocking on to your knees and jumping or stepping back from there.

1. Achieving lift off/ lift up

Doug Swenson talks about practising the lift up as Take-it-up-asana on page 75 of the ring bound version of his book, "Ashtanga yoga". Can't stress enough how important I think this is to practice, you'll build arm and core strength and work on bringing your knees up higher and your feet in closer to the body. It's the area I've been working on most over the last few months and wish that I had practiced from when I started a year and a half ago.
If you don't have the book, type it into Amazon then hit the surprise button about four times till the jump back page comes up then go back a page or two. Or best off all buy the book, it's excellent.

2.Building arm/Shoulder strength

You don't need to be built like a body builder. Look at some of the videos I link to on this site to see that rather than having BIG muscles it's rather that your using all your arm and shoulder muscles well. Sadies 30 is a great way to build strength and will help with your handstands, float ups, as well as your jump through and jump backs.
have a look at Sadie's 30 Super Yoga Strengthener on youtube

3.Lolasana

Found this has made a huge difference for me. It's that middle part of the jump back and jump through. You pass through this stage so why not start practicing it separately. Great for building core strength. I keep getting up in the middle of watching something on TV and do a couple of Lolasanas. This whole article is great on jump back prep. but go half way down to the section on Lolasana (dangling jewel)
http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/JumpBack-Maty.htm

4.Stringing it all together

Use some blocks or something like the Nike grip things. It will give you the extra height you need. Start jumping half way or on to a cushion or jump half way through and shuffle the rest of the way keeping the core engaged. Do this to get and idea of how your shifting your body weight how you start to pivot at the arms etc and just getting an idea of how it will all go together.
Try this video from Sadie on Youtube. She picks up the bricks about 1.55 in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvZ6kJXJC5A&feature=related

5. Bandhas

Work on engaging both Moolah and Uddiyana....don't worry about all the mysticism that seems to surround them, something is going on that helps. A big thing for me with Udiyanna was being reminded that its not just pulling your stomach in and back but in and back and UP. The up seems the most important bit, It seems to be where your going get the lift. Have a look at this article on the Nauli / uddiyana practice especially Stage 1
http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/nauli.html.

Hope this helps.

Lift off: Pulling knees up to keep feet closer to your backside

So you you start your jump back, you've engaged your bandahs pulled your knees up to your chest and tucked your crossed ankles as close to your behind as you can. You press down, lift up, all is going so well, but as soon as you try to bring your legs through the front foot just hits the floor.
This is always happening to me and as much as I try to keep my feet up higher or tucked in they just seem to drop and drag and hold me back. But I think I might have come across something that helps. Instead of focusing on your feet and ankles try focusing on your knees and of lifting them up. This morning I'd read something on Mysore musings about another posture and pointing the knees up which got me thinking. During my morning practice I focused on my knees instead of my ankles. I'd lift up and just before I began to throw myself forward and try to swing my feet back and through I focused on my knees and of keeping them up and even lifting them higher. For some reason it seems to work, there's an extra bit of lift and your feet stay closer to your backside helping you get through.

Moolah Bandah and lost action

OK so I'm a woodwind repairer and one of the problems we encounter a lot, is double action or lost action. Basically you go to press a key on your Saxophone and the key moves a little before it engages with the next key and begins to close it. Not always a major problem but a good player wants instant response. The problem is cured by a slightly larger piece of cork between the keys so that as soon as you press one key the other engages immediately no lost action.

And this is what I've started to think is happening with moolah bandha. Coming from a western philosophy background I'm more than a little sceptical of the bandhas and heaven forbid the ruddy Chakras (there goes half my audience, sorry). However, uddiyana bandha has been a revelation to me and now I think I know whats going on with moolah bandha. It's the same as the double action on the saxophone.

When you want to lift up for your jump back if you dont engage the bandhas your pushing on your arms lifting the shoulders and then trying to lift the mid secting and then finally your backside and your legs. the lost action is in the "and then". However, if you tighten the moolah bandha muscles and pull in and draw up the uddiyana bandha connecting those two together and time it with the pushing down on your arms and lifting up your lifting everything together at the same time so you eliminate the lost action and get better and more controlled lift.

Best practice ever!

Got back from Paris yesterday and maybe it was something about doing my practice this morning in my own house, in a large airy space, after the grotty, cramped, stifling hot and humid ,city hotel room but i just had the best practice ever. Was getting further into my Marichys and deeper forward bends throughout. When I went into Supta konasana etc. I thought I'd left a couple of ribs in Paris. Strangest thing, I've been nursing a stretched hamstring for the last three months or so. Nothing too bad, but enough to make me take it easy where my right leg was concerned, but really frustrating. Anyway maybe it was something to do with walking over five miles a day through the city but it seems to have cleared up, just like that. Must ask the anatomy lot on yoga.com.
And my jump back this morning? kind of hesitant to say but I think managed to properly jump back and through about three or four times. Hesitant, because my mat was pretty sweaty and I was brushing the top of it,kinda sliding my little toe through, but still pretty much the first time on my sticky (ish) mat.
There are two things I discovered in Paris that I think helped but I want to put them in two separate posts for reference. One is to do with moolah bandha and the other is something to do with lifting up the sternum which seems to give more lift and a quite surprising tilt forwards.

Links to jump back articles

Here are some links, as promised, to some pages, articles, advice etc. on the Jump back. These are the one's I'd already put in a folder but I think I have some more hidden away in my Ashtanga and yoga folders. Will try to fish them out and add them as I find them. Please send me any goods links you think I should include.
Listed in no particular order.

1. Advice on yoga.com forum

http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=18388&start=1

2. Pick up and jump back by Maty Ezraty

http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/JumpBack-Maty.htm

3. Tips from Cronyogitech's blog

http://cronyogitect.blogspot.com/2008/02/jump-throughs-in-seated-vinyasas.html

4. Excellent tutorial from the mysore musing blog. mainly on the jump back but good section and video on the lift off.

http://mysoremusings.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-do-you-jump-through.html

5. Page on Nauli , the preparation for this helped me gain more control of Uddiyana bandha

http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/nauli.html

6. Peter Sterios on Lolasan (middle stage of the jump back and good prep.)

http://www.petersterios.com/instruction.html?s=articles&article=lolasana

7. More on lolasana from Richard Rosen for yoga journal

http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/2296?print=1

8. Arm balancing work from Roger Cole again for yoga journal (builds arm strength).

http://www.yjevents.com/practice/1756.cfm

9. Tim miller writing on the jump back for Guess who/ yoga journal

http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/765

10. John Scott section on jumping back taken from his book

http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/Jump-Through-JS.htm

11. And from Doug Swanson's book on the same website.

http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/Jump-Through-DS.htm

Puzzle metaphor for jump back

See my last post. I wrote that I thought the last piece of the puzzle for me was in the ankles. Stuck me that a Puzzle is a good metaphor for the jump back. I think there's all these different elements to it. All the teachers describe it differently and focus on different elements.

So, picture the jump back as one of those giant kids jigsaw puzzles. Big chunky wooden pieces. now I figure there might be what 9 or so pieces. thing is everyone starts the jigsaw differently and have dropped a different piece on the floor under the table (OK, getting carried away with this). We're all looking for a different last piece. The point is I think, is that we need all the pieces. We need the core and arm strength, we need the ability to shift our body weight, to lift up and swing, the jump back to plank from lolasana, the hand position, the tucking our legs up and in. etc how many is that? Eight, one more......drishti? OK, perhaps 12. Bandhas, Mulla and Uddiyana...is that one or two? maybe just one if your doing it right! And to really push the metaphor to breaking point, do we begin at the corners, the edges or start in the middle.
Your lists of proposed elements welcomed.

So close I can almost tase it!

Great practice this morning, in fact I'm sitting here, still hot and sweaty with my grapefruit because I can't wait to write about it.
Was watching Idoru2005's youtube videos over and over again last night. The guy's amazing. His jump back and jump through appear effortless. In fact his jump through reminds me of Sharath.
check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJTJOAyZfM

he hardly seems to jump at all, what is that? it's almost ........almost a shrug?

And his jump back, now he's clearly a strong lad but he doesn't appear to use arm strength at all, is it all core? now look at his ankles. he seems to hook them around each other for a moment and really pull them in close.
that's what I was trying this morning. I think usually I'm trying to pull my ankles back and through. this time I focused on pulling them up and in closer to my body. I could feel it making a big difference. After Bhujapidasana I was able to lift up and pull through as if I was wearing my socks on a hardwood floor except I was on my sticky mat with bare feet....so close now I can almost taste it!

But of course tomorrow there will no doubt be that two steps backward feeling.

Grip socks

Grip socks are great. Mine are made by Dandylion (made in Japan) and have tiny sticky rubber dots on the toes. They also have soft titanium micro dots on the inside that are supposed to work like the titanium necklaces that the likes of Paula Radcliff wear, realigning your bio currents and supposedly preventing injury. They make tennis style wristbands too that also have the soft titanium microdots. I dont know if the titanium thing works but do know that if I'm having trouble sleeping, if I put the wristband on I sleep better, so maybe it's doing something.

Wearing socks to practice the jump back and jump through is a great idea. I still cant get the lift I need but with the socks on and a hard wood floor I can drag them though but still get an idea of how i'm supposed to be shifting my body weight etc. here's a couple of videos. You can get away with normal socks for the jump back but grip socks are a must for the jump through

Buhujapidasana and it's role in jump back practice.

What is it with Buhujapidasana? I've heard it mentioned before in relation to the jump back. obviously there's the obvious crossed ankles, the leaning forward and drawing the feet through but I think there's something else.
I did my best jump back after Buhujapidasana this morning. maybe we're usually tired by the time we get there and feel a little weak and don't notice but today I was feeling strong all the way through my practice. Perhaps something to do with last night's Tempura.
Is it
a. the hip opening aspect?
or
b. the act of crossing the ankles and really pulling them together so tightly

Need one of the anatomy guys to tell us if there's something in the hip flexors that allows us to pull our legs in closer to our backsides, might ask this on one of the forums. If I get a response I'll add it in here later.

I'm going with b. though. See my last post, I'm convinced the last piece of the puzzle for me is in the ankles.

Hmmmm... interesting. Approaching jump back from jump through.

Have been wrapped up with idoru2005 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFJTJOAyZfM and Sharaths jump through. The way they hardly seem to jump into it at all. they seem to hop up a little and then move parallel and through. Have been trying this tonight and can pass through hardly brushing the floor. But what's really interesting is holding the passing through and lowering down. Now hold that in your head and muscle memory and do it in reverse ie. picking up and jumping back trying to keep it almost exactly the same as when you jumped through. Found it much easier...still brushing the floor and it wouldn't work on my sticky mat but I could kind of get an idea of what's going on. Keep trying it back and forth but really slowly. Interesting. Will try to add a video of this late to illustrate what i mean.

Lifting up

Got a great response to my post on yoga.com forum, about this blog, from Andrew Hubbard. I believe he's a teacher in NY. here's the link to the post.
http://www.yoga.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=27377&posts=3

this is what he has to say about the initial lift off, the area I'm finding the most difficult.

"It took me about six months to do it, or so I remember. Here are some suggestions. You probably already have most of this, but it may help. First of all, in your video I see you lifting up prior to the jump back, but your feet are on the ground. The first thing you need to achieve is to lift your entire body from the floor with your feet off the ground. You should flex your feet very tightly while crossing them (right over left is usually easier, but I alternate), lift them well off the floor and bring your knees up to your chest in preparation for lift off. Your hands must be right next to your hips; (you mention this too on your blog, but in the video your hands are well in front of your hips, because your feet are on the ground). Then do something that might sound sacrilegious, but it works: hunch your shoulders, (this will prepare you to push down). To lift up, push down as hard as you can with your arms while simultaneously applying all your bandas and crunching your abs. Off course, keep your fingers splayed; this will provide a nice wide, firm base of support for the whole procedure (and you will get an extra push from your fingers).Personally, I wouldn’t bother with the feet on the floor lift. If is bad form because it pulls you forward. As you say on your blog, you want to be perpendicular to the floor. Indeed, your body needs to go straight up. If you are leaning forward you arch your back and create unwanted tension. Just practice lifting up as I describe above, even if you can’t get off the floor at all at first. Over time you will strengthen your core and soon enough you’ll pop right up."

Was trying Andrew's approach last night and again this morning in my practice. I seem to be getting more lift but still my feet seem to drop forward. I think the idea i have in my head of the Jump back is Lino Miele's. The way he lifts up effortlessly and seems to be able to hang in the air as long as he wants and draw through so slowly and with such control.
It's unrealistic and the reason I started this blog in the first place. These top Ashtanga people are way out there and when we watch their videos it's like, No way. I want to see videos of people who only just got it or are still close enough to that moment to be able to describe what made the difference, as well as teachers who are teaching this everyday and seeing what makes the difference with their students. And this is a blog rather than a webpage because I want the moment and the period leading up to it to be documented as a resource for anyone else struggling and having days when they think they'll never get it.

That said I watched Doug Swensons primary series dvd again last night and he doesn't lift up as long as Lino it's more of a flowing movement of lifting up and slightly forward and swinging under. Seems much more achievable.

The handle: Lifting up from the Manubrium (Jalandhara / Mahabandha - the great lock?)

Manubrium is latin for handle. It's also the name for the bone at the top of the sternum.

Can't remember what led me to this but while I was in Paris attempting to lift up and jump back I started to throw my head back and lift from around this area (had to look it up after I got home, interesting it's called the handle). Now when you connect it to your uddiyana and moolah bandha and lift up from there a surprising thing happens. You seem to ge more lift but then all of a sudden your tilting forwards, or rather, flying forwards. It's as if there's a shift in body weight allowing you to pivot more effectively. You don't have to try and throw yourself forward anymore it just seems to happen automatically.

I checked all my videos on my ipod but nobody has their head thrown back. So I tried to continue to lift from there but tilting my head forward instead of back. Still a bit awkward at the moment but I think it's having an effect, as i had a couple of really good jump backs this morning.

Now this is where it gets interesting . The tilting the head forward, chin-in bit, reminded me of the third bandha I always forget about, Jaladhara bandha, the chin-lock. According to Swenson you extend the chin forward and then draw it back into the notch formed by the two clavicle bones.

When you engage all three locks (for example in Janu Sirsasana) it's called Mahabandha or the great lock. It seems to make sense, you engage all three bandhas linking them tightly together and then pushing down with your arms you lift up from the handle (the manubrium) pulling your whole body up in one go with no lost action (see lost action post). Held together like this your body weight appears to shift upwards causing you to tilt forward sending your legs back and through.

need a little more practice on this but will try to put a video together and add it here by the end of the week

Let me know if you try this and if it seems to help.

Ps. think the picture comes from Gray's Anatomy

Straight legs or bent in Jump through

I received a comment on the video I posted on Youtube yesterday. The advice was to keep my hips lower on my jump through. There was a video attached, but it turned out to be for a straight leg jump through, while I tend to do a bent leg jump through via Lolasana. I'm pretty sure keeping your hips high or low depends on the style of jump. I want to come back to this post later and add some quotes from the lit.
Was wondering which style people prefer and why (comments encouraged ) Must be some little voting application I can add where you can vote for your preference.
I was gently admonished in one of the forums last week by a teacher from another yoga style who doesn't agree with teaching jump backs and jump throughs to beginners because he feels it's dangerous.
I think the straight leg jump through is a little dangerous, I've caught my little toe before and was lucky not to break it (dammed sticky mats) and have heard some horror stories. If your going to do it that way I definitely recommend using yoga bricks at first. However, I think jumping through via lolasana is pretty safe and can't see any danger of injury with the jump back.
Here's a very quickly thrown together video of the two styles...please ignor the awful form and camera angle, will try to make a better one in a day or two.

Crossing ankles higher up the leg

Had a "Eureka" moment this morning. I noticed that when I cross my legs to lift up, the crossing leg seems to trail a little lower than the foot behind and it's the side of this foot (the frount foot) that touches the floor and on my sticky mat stops me from drawing through into Lolasana.
So I tried crossing the ankle of the frount foot higher up, midway up the shin. This made a big difference, now when my feet go through they're level with each other and I've gained a half inch to an inch. I was trying this with my yoga bricks and it felt much easier, also I seemed to have more leverage to pull my behind leg back to my butt. Much better jumping through too.
I quickly tried it without blocks, all excited. But as ever I STILL wasn't getting enough height on the lift up to clear the mat. But, definitely an improvement and this was confirmed by my grip socks and the hardwood floor which barely seemed to brush the top.


Tried it on my mysore rug too and I'm able to bring my feet through. Sticky mats just stop me dead at the lightest contact. Jumping back through on the rug though is a problem. If you dont clear it completely you start to rub the skin off your toes.
I think David Swenson talks about crossing the legs higher up , on his workshops, around calf level. I tend to try and do that when I'm focused but the principle is the same. I think the frount leg needs to be drawn up a bit which makes them uneven where they cross, but level as you go through......does this make sense? Of course when you get really good and achieve lots of height then all this probably doesn't matter but for now a cm of clearance can make a huge difference.

Planned future posts

This is a page for planned future posts. My mind keeps drifting to an idea for a post during my practice. Following Gil's advice, from Zencast (great podcast on mindfulness meditation), I just try to label it as planning and get back to the breath. I'll list things here that I want to post on later. Also any suggestion or requests will get put on here as well. I'll number them so we can refer to any we want to look at next.

I see any post I make as just a starting point that anyone can add to, comment on or criticise. Come back to things if you try something and it doesn't work and let us know. We all have to confront the jump back sometime and once we start, we're going to be working on it for a number of years, improving, refining or completely changing our approach and style of Jump back.

Also some of these I want to make and add video's or pictures and need a bit more time.

Now I've forgotten everything....

here's one

1. Lift up training : Dandasana

2. Five pillars of the jump back (there might just be four)

3. Nike grip push up things V yoga bricks Done

4. Mat or rug for jumping back Done

5. jump back Articles on the net Done

6. Arms locking on lift up

7. Coordination

8. Timing the breath

9. Jump through and the pendulum

10. Drop back youtube vids

11. Drop back articles

7. Uddiyana bandah

8. Hand position

9 Any suggestions?

10. Lift off: comparing jump back lift up, lolasana and Tolasana

Ashtanga with Bricks

I remember reading somewhere that Yoga props were discouraged in Ashtanga because it int erupted the flow. However I've found yoga bricks can be useful for working on the jump back. I used to use the Nike push up grips everyday then moved on to the yoga bricks as the hand position seemed more natural. Now I only use them once a week or so. I can lift up a little from seated and I can lift up off my knees into lolasana but I can't lift up from seated and move into loasana and back into plank without the bricks or socks and a hardwood floor.
So if your wondering whether to invest in a a pair of bricks but worried about them interfering in your plowing practice here's a short video. The video runs from Janu Sirsasana C to Marichiyasana C as I figured there was a lot of knees sticking out and moving about in these asanas and it would give a fair representation.

Lift up practice tip to avoid frustration

Maybe this blog is a bad idea. throughout my practice this morning my mind was wandering to a myriad of ideas for posts. This was my favourite.

I tend to get frustrated with my lift up. Doug Swenson suggests that you should always practice your lift up, even if you then set down again and go through your usual jump back variation. This makes sense, looking ahead, building arm strength, good prep for Tolasana etc. But we do this, what, 24 times in the primary and I rarely seem to get more lift than the 24 times I tried it the day before and occasionally become really really frustrated. So how about this.

I often find myself shuffling forward on my mat before I jump back (notice Lino NEVER shuffles,not EVER). Instead try lifting up and shifting your backside forward an inch or backwards an inch. Your practicing your lift up yet achieving success every time because your aim is now, not height, but a little further forward on your mat. Now when you notice that the action of shifting your butt forward or back is activated by your core this starts to look even more interesting because once you do lift up in your jump back your going to want to swing yourself slightly forward and then back into your Lolasana.

Notes from my Jump back notebook

So I started a "Jump back" notebook and just started adding bullet points of things to remember. Sometimes these would come from watching some videos online, reading an article or sometimes from my practice. Here's what i have so far. I'll number them so if anyone wants to comment and say this one helped or that one is not a good idea it will be easier. However there's no real order other than how they appear in my notebook.

1. Sit legs outstretched

2. Hand by the side

3. Puff out chest

4. uddiyana bandha

5. Shoulders back

6. Head bent down

7. Draw shoulders forward as you lift

8. Round back as if thread pulling belly button though back and up

9. Drop chest towards floor as you bring feet through

10. Hug knees to chest, then release and hold with hip flexors

11. Sit tall, shoulders back, head bent, knees hugged to chest, toes pointed, lift and rock forward,bring shoulders forward with lift and fall forward, swing through up and back to chaturanga.

12. Start lift off a second after you begin to inhale

13. Better to jump through slowly

14. Jumping through: have shoulders a little in frount of the hands

15. Lift off: engage Uddiyana then bring pubic bone up to ribs LIKE A SPRING

16 Lift off: engage Uddiyana then push down like a spring then bring pubic bone up to ribs like the release of the spring.

17. Lolasana: hands further back, almost at hips

18. Drishti; gaze further forward

19. Squeezing in thighs, like squeezing a toothpase tube forcing the toothpaste up the tube....try it on tolasana

20. Crossing ankles higher. if you cross them together one trails below the other. cross the right ankle a little higher up the shin of the other leg

Favourite jump back videos on youtube

Here's a list of jump back videos i've found on Youtube. I had hoped to be able to embed them but this blog doesn't seem to allow it.
First a great tutorial by Roboramma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_egJfG5ZT0&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=15

Continuous jump backs and jump throughs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJOWmcHeX88&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=14

Satyasmurthey's Jump Back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFsNbQ7czeE&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=8

peaceloveyoga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmxu4DI4qzQ&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=4

Lino miele.....There's a story about a saxophone player who on hearing charley Parker, and how sublimely he played, threw his Sax off a bridge into the hudson river....watching lino sometimes makes me want to send my mat the same way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeqWCw-SfCM&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=1

Sadie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_A-VMwyDMk&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=5

Derek Koh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ_mcJgFKnI&feature=PlayList&p=26AB4571689B27FE&index=9

not on youtube but a great jump through tutorial from Elsie on her blog Mysoremusings the fourth video is on lifting up

http://mysoremusings.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-do-you-jump-through.html

This from Paul Fox...Found this one very helpfull and it's how i'm currently doing my own jump back at the moment

http://www.paulfoxashtanga.co.uk/asana/jump.htm

Some great jump backs and jump throughs from idoru. His jump through seems effortless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4p2jdcvWcU



If anyone has come across any others please let me know.

Jumping back

I've heard it said—and been told repeatedly—that the jump back isn't that important, that it's nothing to get hung up on, and that it will simply come with time.

I actually agree with this. I accept that it is just one aspect of the practice, and there are plenty of variations that allow you to link the asanas together seamlessly. Supposedly, Nancy Gilgoff never even used the jump back at all.

BUT:

I like the jump back!

I want to jump back!

I WILL jump back!

I love how it links the postures. I love how the practice flows when you can float out of one asana and jump straight through into the next. Ashtanga is a dynamic, flowing practice—so what's wrong with focusing on that flow?

We shouldn't have to defend our desire to master it.

That said, there have been times when I've walked off the mat mid-practice out of sheer frustration at not being able to lift up. That’s where the "don't get hung up on it" advice becomes crucial.

What has worked best for me is finding a comfortable variation that fits inside my regular practice, while actively working on building the strength for it outside of practice.

Here are two short videos:

Daily Practice Approach: How I am currently incorporating the jump back into my routine.

Lolasana & Drills: The work I do after getting home. I spend 10–30 minutes focusing on improving my Lolasana, trying handstands or jumps to standing, and recently, experimenting with drop-backs.




UPDATE 3 years later (8th july 2011 )

Over the last few years I've been adding my Jump backs to a progress post here's the link,
Jump back's past to present