There's a video I've been trying to find by Mark Darby (that's the one I'dtitled 'Possibly the most important ashtanga video' and now I can't find it, sorry), it looks very much like the one below but is of Paschimottasana rather than Janu sirsasana (let me know if you come across it).
I was thinking of it this morning while reflecting on how much easier Ashtanga has become, even after three weeks off ( I'm brushing up on my Ashtanga in prep for a Richard Freeman workshop at the end of the month). I thought that perhaps it's something to do with not trying so hard, not using so much muscle, no pulling or pushing oneself in and out of postures.
Can't remember when it began to get easier, perhaps, those long stays in Vinyasa Krama or later in the Rishi approach that I explored a while back.
It was still work this morning, still hot and sweaty but mainly because I'd lost a little fitness and hadn't been jumping back that much, still work but not as hard as I'd expected it to be.
In the video ( the one I can't find ) Darby is showing how he hardly uses his hands, that the whole forward bend is done way down in the groin, the bandhas are engaged, your lifting up and over, leading with the chest...it was something like that.
And thinking about it, it's like that in every pose, the marichi D, passasana, badha padmasana, kurmasana, baddha konasana and so on, it's how I'm approaching postures these days, the hands merely guiding rather than pulling, the lightest touch....almost an after thought.
In the beginning of course we're in a hurry, pulling and levering ourselves into postures ....or being pressed and pushed perhaps in adjustments, depending no doubt on how skilled your teacher is.
And of course the jump backs are all muscle, later there's more technique, you work out how to shift your body weight better, get the timing right...... it gets easier, it really does.
Perhaps we should be exploring more simpler variations of postures, something like David Swenson does in his Ashtanga book, getting happy and comfortable with all those stages rather than trying to force ourselves into the main posture. I was lucky in that I started with David's book, was still in a bit of a rush though, too much of a rush.
Or perhaps we should be starting with a more Vinyasa Krama practice and then moving on to Ashtanga later, linking the postures together.
Other ways to make this practice available...
Anyway, still got a long way to go myself of course, another twenty years or more before my own practice is anywhere near as effortless as Darby makes it look but it's become easier and you can see, just about see how, with time and patience......
UPDATE
Just found the paschimottasana video I was originally after...
I was thinking of it this morning while reflecting on how much easier Ashtanga has become, even after three weeks off ( I'm brushing up on my Ashtanga in prep for a Richard Freeman workshop at the end of the month). I thought that perhaps it's something to do with not trying so hard, not using so much muscle, no pulling or pushing oneself in and out of postures.
Can't remember when it began to get easier, perhaps, those long stays in Vinyasa Krama or later in the Rishi approach that I explored a while back.
It was still work this morning, still hot and sweaty but mainly because I'd lost a little fitness and hadn't been jumping back that much, still work but not as hard as I'd expected it to be.
In the video ( the one I can't find ) Darby is showing how he hardly uses his hands, that the whole forward bend is done way down in the groin, the bandhas are engaged, your lifting up and over, leading with the chest...it was something like that.
And thinking about it, it's like that in every pose, the marichi D, passasana, badha padmasana, kurmasana, baddha konasana and so on, it's how I'm approaching postures these days, the hands merely guiding rather than pulling, the lightest touch....almost an after thought.
In the beginning of course we're in a hurry, pulling and levering ourselves into postures ....or being pressed and pushed perhaps in adjustments, depending no doubt on how skilled your teacher is.
And of course the jump backs are all muscle, later there's more technique, you work out how to shift your body weight better, get the timing right...... it gets easier, it really does.
Perhaps we should be exploring more simpler variations of postures, something like David Swenson does in his Ashtanga book, getting happy and comfortable with all those stages rather than trying to force ourselves into the main posture. I was lucky in that I started with David's book, was still in a bit of a rush though, too much of a rush.
Or perhaps we should be starting with a more Vinyasa Krama practice and then moving on to Ashtanga later, linking the postures together.
Other ways to make this practice available...
Anyway, still got a long way to go myself of course, another twenty years or more before my own practice is anywhere near as effortless as Darby makes it look but it's become easier and you can see, just about see how, with time and patience......
UPDATE
Just found the paschimottasana video I was originally after...
And here's the other Russian video I posted earlier. the section on paschimattanasana is half way through.
Nice link in comments to an Iyengar Video http://youtu.be/4t2OLXi2xvY (see around 16:16) where he argues that janu sirsasana means head of knee to floor. Not convinced, liked to see have seen him argue it with his teacher Krishnamacharya seen below around 1934 from Yoga Makaranda.
6 comments:
Great video. Thanks! I never know you are supposed to round in Janu. Thought it was the same as paschimo that you pull your abdomen flat first.
I think 'Supposed to' is problematic Grifty. janu Sirsasana is also sometime called maha mudra (tends to be chin down but without the forward bend in the classic form) and is one of the old classic postures. I learned it in Vinyasa Krama with the chin down and the Krishnamacharya has the chin down in Yoga Makaranda but also talks of both approaches to this and the other forward bends. Many of the pictures in Yoga Mala have Pattabhi Jois rounded rather than laying flat although the picture of Sharath in in this posture in yoga mala is of him laying flat.
There are supposedly 84, 000 asanas, 83,500 of those are no doubt variations of the other 500. the standard Mysore version in Ashtanga currently seems to be flat but it's nice perhaps to explore some of the variations in approach whether at home or if your Shala teacher is encouraging in that.
Strikes me as one of the great things about the certified teacher system, perhaps the authorised teachers have to toe the party line a little more but those who are certified are perhaps more free to open up and explore the practice...
Thought about what you said, about the efortless part and the bandhas and barely using the hands, thought about it in practice today... great video indeed... it helps to remember these details!
Interesting Darby's remark that Janu Sirsasana intends "knee to head," for I noted Iyengar in an older video of his to intend this to mean head of bent knee to point downward, such that the bent knee should be stacked vertically.
Nevertheless, Darby's awesome. If I could choose any two senior teachers with which to study, it would be him and Rolf Naujokat.
Re: the above Iyengar video, see here at 16:16 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t2OLXi2xvY
Yes nice reminders and things to think about Claudia.
Thanks Anon, great Iyengar video. have added the link to the post along with Krishnamacharya's picture. Not convinced by Iyengar's argument but yet another good reminder ie to keep that knee down.
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