Old school post: Arms out stretched approach in dropping back and full vinyasa kapotasana

This post feels a little old school ( in my head before I even write it), the kind of blog post I used chuck out in ten minutes flat before my typing and cut and paste skills improved, allowing me to ramble on interminably.

I had coffee with my friend Joelle this weekend, she's just come back from an "excellent, intense, inspiring" month with David Garrigues in his new Kovalam shala (he's there a month or so a year from now on supposedly). We were talking about drop backs, as you do, and she was mentioning his arms over technique which I explored for a while I seem to remember ( probably the Venkatesh influence of Boodiba - miss her) but seemed to have forgotten about.

Explored it a little Sunday, loved it actually, felt very gentle, smooth.... intuitive actually. Although I probably didn't feel that way a couple of years back when hanging back seemed unbearable.

David has an Asana kitchen on this of course Asana Kitchen: Dropping Back Parts 1-2

Thought I'd try it in Kapo too....just to see.

Does David use this approach to kapo in his 2nd series video, really should get a copy, especially now as I'm working on getting my 2nd back. (Update: Unfortunaely still not available in the UK and $65 to get it from the US - we need download versions for the international Ashtanga community, David Robson does this of course).

learn more here

My kapo has slipped a bit, my 2nd series in general in fact with all this focus on Krishnamacharya's primary but it's beginning to come back.

I've started looking at full vinyasa 2nd series too, that's interesting. God, when I think of all the extra breaths I've tended to take preparing for kapo and then afterwards before moving on to the next posture. Here your straight in five breaths, another five in B then move on.

Not sure how you go about dropping on to your heels with this method but I'm curious enough to play with it, explore a little.

There you go, old style asana post...

And why an asana post this morning? Using asana to address our rajas rather than allowing 'them' to manifest themselves in bile and misplaced anger even perhaps verging on hatred may well be a way to go.... a start at least.
Rather than being an arse to somebody (as well as ourselves) this morning may I suggest confronting some of our own demons. Twenty-five breaths in kapo should do it or start with five and see how it goes.

Here's the video of my second go at this approach  (tried it for the first time yesterday, liked it).



I've also started exploring the heel lift since Norman Sjoman's workshop, still not sure about that either, not quite got the hang of the shift of balance.
Full vinyasa is tricky with kapo, the uttanasana before samastithi, last thing you want to do, much rather spend a couple of extra breaths in Adho Mukha Svanasana

Update : Peg Mulqueen (Ashtanga Dispatch) I remembered is a student of David's and I seem to remember she had a kapo video a while back, perhaps she uses the arms outstretched version. indeed she does, here it is.



Below is the approach I've been using up until now. I think I got the hands firmly behind the neck approach from my old blog friend Liz although this particular video seems to have been inspired by the Richard Freeman workshop from a year ago (added link to the original post), seems to do a good job at keeping the arms in and thus allowing the heel grab from the air, not sure how to go about getting a similar effect from the arms outstretched approach, suggestions?



Thursday, 15 March 2012
Richard Freeman AYC backbending workshop transcribed, "It works I tell ya".

Note about kapo. I'll be happy with getting my heels back, not really bothered about going any further up the calf than that. the heels give some purchase allowing you to draw yourself in nicely and settle, that said, ankles are even nicer, no chance of slipping off and you can start exploring those long Rishi series breath counts.


See this page from the top of the blog on the 'Rishi series'

'Originally there were five series: Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, Advanced B, and the fifth was the “rishi” series'. 
Nancy Gilgoff 'Yoga as it was'

Just had a thought, wonder if the Rishi series was full vinyasa, why wouldn't it be.

Talking of full vinyasa finally got around to ordering Lino Miele and Gwendoline Hunt demonstrating full vinyasa 2nd and Advanced A.

Here's a link to a very sweet page on Gwendoline
In Memoriam: Gwendoline Hunt, 1930-2004