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 that the Jump back is not so important and not something to get hung up on, that it will come with time etc etc. And I agree with this. I know and accept that it's just one aspect of the practice and there are many ways/variations of the jump back that allow you to string the asana together. And I'm aware that Nancy Gilgoff, supposedly, never employed the jump back.

BUT

I like the the jump back!

I want to jump back!

I WILL jump back!



I like how it links the asana. I like how the asana flow together when you can jump back out of one asana and jump through into the next. Ashtanga is a flowing practice so what's wrong with focusing on the flowing aspect.



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



That said, there have been times when I've stopped my practice midway through my practice frustrated at not being able to lift up and this is where the "don't get hung up on it" comments are important



I've found that the best way to go about it is find a comfortable jump back variation that fits within your practice and then start developing your jump back outside your practice.



So here are two videos the first is how I'm currently approaching my jump back in my daily practice.






The second video is of Lolasana. When I get home from work I spend a little time (10-30 mins)working on developing my Jump back(at the moment improving my lolasana), some handstand and/or jump to standing practice and just recently some experiments on working towards the drop back.






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