Day 1 : Hasta Vinyasas ( hand/arm variations) practice notes from Vinyasa Krama On your feet sequence

My plan over the next couple of months is to work through Ramaswami's subroutines from my practice book and then at the end of the month upload some of the notes into an updated edition. By focusing on one particular subroutine, most likely in the evening, I can spend a little more time with it, repeat postures, slow it down, seek steadiness and comfort.

This morning I had a light practice, core vinyasa karma postures. I started with the Hasta Vinyasas in tadasana below from the On your feet sequence then pretty much went straight into a long paschimottanasana. After some table poses as prep I added five and ten minute, shoulder stands and headstands before settling down to some pranayama, pratyaha, 108 jape mantra meditation and a ten minute savasana while listening to Ramaswami's chanting.

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Hasta vinyasas is the first subroutine I include in my Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book, it's from the On your feet sequence and is how I start my practice every morning whether I'm practicing Ashtanga or Vinyasa Krama. 

Two things I particularly remember from Ramaswami's TT course in LA

Balance

Ramaswami would have us take a moment while standing to focus on our balance, he would have us sway slightly forward and back and to the sides and then have us bring our hips slightly forward, makes such a difference with all the upcoming arm movements.

Raising the hips.

This was one of only two times I remember Ramaswami giving hands on adjustment and encouraging us to give the same to each other. He would have us stand behind each other, put our hands on our partners hips, then as they began the arm movements he would have us lift up their hips, higher and higher as they stretched and then hold the hips up as the arms lowered and then raised again.

This raising of the pelvis, and aiming to keep it raised throughout most of the On your feet sequence has been a important focus of my practice ever since. I raise my pelvis on that long slow inhalation and then when it won't lift any further I try to stretch out of my pelvis altogether and with each movement I try to bring it back up and keep it there. 

This can be a surprisingly intense and focused subroutine.

This lifting out of the pelves gets carried over into other subroutines and sequences, seated and Asymmetric come to mind right from the start in Dandasana (staff pose).

Tomorrow : Parsva-bhangis ( side movements) on your feet 

NB: These are practice notes that will be tidied up and put into the new edition of my Vinyasa Yoga Practice Book along with the current sequences and subroutines. The book can be freely downloadedHERE. There is a page on Facebook HERE with all the latest sheets and updates. This book is in no way a substitute for Ramaswami's Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga.