REPOST: I was asked about the current enthusiasm for practicing 108 Sun salutations and when it started. I really have no idea but I found this old post from May 2009 of my doing it and going by the comments it seems to have been not uncommon back then, on the Solstice say. Recently I had a student here in Japan who mentioned she wanted to practice 108 sun salutations so I'm curious why it is suddenly so popular. See my page at the top of the blog titled The Ashtanga Key, it's all about Sun Salutations. Scroll down and you'll find my posts on the Origin of the Sun Salutation, how it became an exercise fad, and in the posts near the top why Krishnamacharya discouraged excessive amounts of sun Salutations as well as how it taught their practice with mantras to Ramaswami.
A couple of hours after the 108 now my arms and shoulders still ache a little, as do my wrists and my neck. The wrists and neck are probably a result of how I half float/jump up to standing from DD. Apart from that, I feel good, no bloodied feet Ursula (thanks to my nice soft Yogitoes perhaps).
I made a video of part of it. My camera only shoots 15 minutes, so I made three and stitched them together. I changed my headband after 20 because I was dripping sweat ( I weighed myself before and I was 78.4, I weighed myself again afterward and I was 77.6, I sweated almost 2 kilos, as you can see from my mat). When I pressed Record for the last part I must have pressed too hard because I moved the camera and lost the clock. This is going to be a very very boring video but maybe it's OK if you fast-forward a couple of times.
108 Sun Salutations at TRIYOGA London http://www.triyoga.co.uk/story.php?titleid=1436
From 8.30am to 10.30am on Sunday, May 31st, the 13th day after Guruji‘s passing, Joey Miles will be counting through 108 Sun Salutations (or as many as you can manage up to 108!). If you prefer, just come and sit. Nikki Slade will then lead us in a chant in Guruji‘s honor. All are welcome. Tea and biscuits will be shared afterward. This will be our way of expressing the gratitude we feel and a way of honoring this much-loved and hugely respected teacher.
I won't be going to TriYoga tomorrow but am planning on doing the 108 at home tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM ( plus a 30-minute Savasana/Rest afterward).
I'm still a little confused, however, as to how to go about it. Do we still take the five-breath count in downward dog when doing 108 of the buggers or do we go straight back to upward dog on the next inhale?
Counting is also a concern, how best to avoid losing count. I'm thinking ten GO stones at the end of my mat, moving one over every ten Sury's. The thing is I don't want to spend the whole time worrying about losing count.
UPDATE
A couple of hours after the 108 now my arms and shoulders still ache a little, as do my wrists and my neck. The wrists and neck are probably a result of how I half float/jump up to standing from DD. Apart from that, I feel good, no bloodied feet Ursula (thanks to my nice soft Yogitoes perhaps).I went straight from downward dog back up to standing without taking a five-breath count, I would have been there all day otherwise. I started at 8.30 and finished at 9.22 so just over 50 minutes. Think I was probably going too fast, I tried slowing it down at one point but ended up back at the same pace.
My count was awful. I put ten Go stones at the end of my mat, counted ten Sury's in my head, and then took off a stone at the end of the tenth. I kept losing count and according to the video I ended up doing 13 instead of 10 before I moved the first stone.
I made a video of part of it. My camera only shoots 15 minutes, so I made three and stitched them together. I changed my headband after 20 because I was dripping sweat ( I weighed myself before and I was 78.4, I weighed myself again afterward and I was 77.6, I sweated almost 2 kilos, as you can see from my mat). When I pressed Record for the last part I must have pressed too hard because I moved the camera and lost the clock. This is going to be a very very boring video but maybe it's OK if you fast-forward a couple of times.
In the end, I only rested/stayed in Savasana for 15 minutes. The heating had gone off and it was getting cold. I'm sure Guruji understands.
An interesting experience, 108 is just about right. Halfway through, you start to feel tired of it and have to force yourself to keep going, but then it feels OK again and you get into a nice rhythm. It would be a nice meditation if you didn't have to worry about the count.
19 comments:
Nice idea of the 108 surya namaskara tomorrow. I might join in at my mat in Copenhagen.
But what five breath counts in upward facing dog are you talking about? There is always just one.
And going from upward facing dog to down dog is always on an EXHALE.
** Maybe you should have a teacher check your basics just once ;)
reuse 27 stones and each time you move one. 27 is a qaurter of 108 and it works out. its the method joey will be using.
oops my mistake had it the wrong way around have changed it
Thanks R and R
I did once 108 sun salutations in a group. The teacher was counting. We altered the rhythm of the sun salutations. The teacher had a mala in her hand and didn't loose track that way.
How to count when alone, I don't know. Much concentration seems to be needed.
I was a bit too ambitious, my feet were a bit bloody on the top. :)
So take it easy.....
Bloody feet ! Poor you but good point maybe i should put some vasaline on my Ashtanga toes. Seem to remember Owl saying she ended up aching like hell a day or two later...but then I think she did her usual 3rd after the 108, mad as a box of frogs.
Moving the 27 stones is interesting but then yourfiddling with stones every time. I might do a variation of that and move one of 27 stones off the mat after every fourth Sury.
I will be on Neil Barker's workshop at that time so unfortunatelly I cannot join but I will be with you in my thoughts.
Yes, my triceps were sore last time, because I went straight in to 3S after. Otherwise all good.
I practice a mala on the solstices and sometimes when I need a ritual. It's really sweet you're doing this, and also taking this crazy savasana.
Over time, I've gotten in to my own rhythm with it. It'll be different for you, but here are the details for me. One breath in DD. I practice 100 As followed by 8 Bs. It takes between 70 and 95 minutes--usually about 80. I take an object--stone, coin, candle--and move it to the next floorboard every 10. Some amount of keeping track (the 1-10) I actually like... it seems that for me part of the reason this is such a tranquilizing practice is the internal focus on the count. It might not be as deep if someone were counting for me.
You may have a whole new feeling toward sun salutations after this.
Thanks for this Owl
Yeah I may hate the buggers after this. Actually I love the Sury's. I like them neat, but also as a great place to play around with things, floating back and floating up, floating up to handstand. Five breaths in UD David Williams style etc......
Good for you man in doing this. I'm curious to know how they go.
hi Grimm,
I've done the 108. We did 8 a's and one b 12 times--so we did 12 sets of nine. We had rose petals and we moved a rose petal for each. It was quite nice. Too bad you had to do it by yourself, but I think we home practicers sometimes reach a point where we don't want to be with anyone?
I was at triyoga at managed all 108 - I surprised myself as I've only been practising for 3 months, but as my original teachers in India were really close to Guruji I wanted to do something appropriate. It was tough but an amazing experience, especially the hour of chanting afterwards (my first experience of it and not "weird" as I has feared...!). And while your thoughts were tied up in the count, mine were tied up in the fear that the guy in front of me was going to kick me in the face - his toes were about 4 inches from my nose every time he jumped back! So I guess my point is, where-ever you practiced, you would have found some distraction or another, and (despite the fact I can barely move today), I think as you say it was an appropriate tribute to a great man.
HI Laksmi! Rose petals, nice , but I went for the more macho Go stones, nice sound as I dropped them in the bowl lid too, liked that. Love all these different counting systems, we should make a list.
Thanks for your comment Daydreamingyou, I was wondering how it went at Triyoga. Congratulations on compleating it, it's quite tough. Yesterday my arms and shoulders ached but all day today it's been my hamstrings, made me cancel my practice this morning and i almost never camcel practice.
Your lucky it wasn't me in frount of you, I kept edging backwards and had to take a step forward every ten or so, sure I would have given you a bloody nose.
Another pretty easy way to count is to use a deck of playing cards (with jokers). Each time, move one card to a new pile, this will get you to 54, then go back again.
Namaste!
i just completed 108 this morning. i usd kidney beans. counted 108 beforehand and put them in a bowl. Then as i completed one round, i dropped a bean into the empty bowl. no counting during practice. it helped me to focus :)
Thanks for these, Cory, peppersnaps (sorry I missed your comment coming in back in sept). hope you don;t feel too stiff tomorrow morning Cory.
Did you practice the day after 108? I'm wondering if I should, or I could, or if I would be in any condition to....
I think I probably did I, don't tend take to take rest or moon days that often although these days i do a light Vinyasa krama practice once a week. I probably would have practiced to work out some of the stiffness.
As I woke this morning, all I
can say is Owwwwwwww
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