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