I don't tend to bother with utpluthi much anymore, at least not where it appears in Ashtanga, right there at the end. I'm with Manju on this. Why, once you've calmed your mind and body down through the finishing sequence, chuck utpluthi on at the end? I tend to move on into an extended pranayama and meditation practice after my asana so really don't want to start on the back foot. There's an argument that if your going to skip pranayama, pratyahara, meditation and get on with your day then utpluthi can give you the little kick to get you going again after the calming head and shoulder stands but I'm not sure I buy it, besides most tend to spend time in savasana at the end anyway, it's a puzzlement.
I tended to go with David Swenson and do 100 quick kapalbhati breaths in my utpluthi ( Hey, I'm at home. I hear though that kapalbhati irritates some in the shalas who perhaps are having trouble attending to their own practice), now though I tend to do my 108 Kapalabhati as Ramaswami taught it, in, one of the meditation postures and with three different hand positions, as a lead in to pranayama. I prefer virasana ( in half lotus in this video).
I do practice utpluthi occasionally, in Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence for example. I included it yesterday and made a point, as I have recently in so many postures, to follow Richard Freeman's direction and tuck the coccyx under, drop the pubic bone back to meet it and draw the sit bones together while slurping up mula bandha. For some reason bringing the hip bones together recently has been feeling more like rolling them in and under and up (same with the the coccyx and pubic bone, like a digger scooping action), kind of like the feet in badha konasana. What's interesting is that it create a sense of lift, perfect for utpluthi (kukkutasana too).
It makes a nice difference in your jump back too and really does feel like you've created a chair for yourself in those long extended stays in ardha utkatasana found in Vinyasa Krama or the Rishi series.
So yesterday utpluthi felt so good (with this rolling in sit bone/chair tip) that I decided to film another 25 breath one to post, especially as I haven't posted anything on practice or asana in ages.
Two utpluthi's in ten minutes? Don't recommend it, that was me pretty much done for the day
But of course it's completely wrong to have your head up, don't explore it, not once, never. No really, don't, there are reasons, medical reasons and if not, don't worry we'll think of one. There are reliefs on temples that go back hundreds of thousands of years and they all have their heads down, don't even be tempted to look straight ahead, the cave painting in Slough you vaguely remember hearing about where the eyes look straight ahead? Western cave yogi's, didn't know what they were doing.
Ramaswami introduces it this way in the lotus sequence...
"Now for some fun vinyasas. In the lotus position, keep your palms by your sides. keep your back straight, and stay in this position for three long inhalations and exhalations. Then, after a very complete smooth exhalation, hold your breath out, and pressing down through your palms (without pressing the shoulders up), lift your trunk and balance on both hands. If you can, you may stay in this position for three breaths." p204 The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga
On the what to call it tolasana, utpluthi or lolasana, he has this to say,
" This is tolangulasana, or the balancing pose in lotus. This is also called utpluthi, or the pumping (lifting ) vinyasa in lotus pose. ....(if0 you spread your arms wider. You may choose to swing forward and backward with your body in the air-this is swing pose (lolasana)".
UPDATE: 1st Aug 2016
It was pointed out to me that on Danny Paradise's notes written on the original 1973 Ashtanga syllabus in the 1980s ( see my most recent blog post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2016/07/original-ashtanga-syllabus-as-teaching.html ), he has bhastrika in tolasana (utpluthi at the end of the practice.... or middle if including pranayama and a Sit). This ties in with David Swenson practicing 100 kapalabhati breaths in tolasana/lolasana/utpluthi mentioned above. New post to come on this.
5 comments:
I really liked your 'Integrated Yoga' header. It sat so nicely with your approach. How come you've changed it back?
"Why, once you've calmed your mind and body down through the finishing sequence, chuck utpluthi on at the end?"
I think, having done about 74 postures of whichever series you practice beforehand, Uttpluthi is the creme-de-la-creme, when it comes to waving goodbye to the citta vritti's. It's a tough & tiring posture but, as it marks the end of a period of sustained effort, the capacity required magically appears (like the sprint at the end of a marathon). Okay, so occasionally it gives you that 'I just had a pint of red bull' feeling, but that's resolved when you take rest.
Regarding the drishti, I always thought it was a soft gaze towards the nose, but I notice many gaze softly in to the horizon. Don't think I'll ever opt for looking up, with the head back though. It must constrain the breath somewhat.
Hi Steve, changed it back because I started the other Krishnamacharya blog and the title here was getting too long (was making a brief point at the time), besides, what else is ashtanga but integrated...or at rather should be ( ...it might be argued).
re it (utpluthi) "marking the end of a period of sustained effort", think is it comes at the end of finishing which is a bit of a wind down. Had to shove it somewhere I guess.
Soft gaze to the nose, OK, had alwas assumed slight jalandhara. breathing is ok with the head up as long as the shoulders rolled back nicely, kind of like a back bend but it's just an experiment, as i said i always used to do it with kapalabhati but now practice that separately.
Still amused that ramaswami refers to is as "now for something fun" : )
There is another way to look at Utpluthi. In Sivananda system, just before the savasana, you will tighten each body part one after the other and relax it, which is said to help the relaxation. The same is the principle behind Utpluthi. For 25 breaths, your whole body will be held tight and then when you lie down for relaxation, you will quickly fall into it.
Interesting Anon. reminds me of the confluence and nancy and Richard talking about the old style Savasana where the body is held really tight for a few minutes before relaxing it it bit by bit.
Steve I really don't know how the comment/email thing works RSS feeds perhaps but never worked them out. Don't know where all these posts are coming from, think i feel bad about so much yogasanagalu and am trying to balance it out a little. Off on a solo practice/study retreat on 19th so will be going dark for a couple of weeks, never a bad idea.
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