Ganglion Cyst, wrist pain and alternatives to Sun Salutations, jump backs and through.

I currently have a Ganglion cysts on the top of my left wrist making jump back and through as well as Sun salutations uncomfortable at best. I was reminded of these alternatives to sun salutations from my friend Simon Borg-Olivier.

I occasionally used to do the standing version as a warm up and am now practicing this daily in place of my Surys. I tend to practice Simon's spinal movements, his sun salutation alternative ( the third one on the video below 2:44) followed by Simon's short on one leg sequence. I'll then practice a few standing postures before moving on to a short Vinyasa krama Seated and Asymmetric sequence (along the lines of the first half of Ashtanga primary but without transitions) and finish with head and shoulder-stands and finally Simon's Pranayama and a Sit.

Link to Simon and Bianca's Yoga Synergy website here.

https://yogasynergy.com/

As for the ganglion Cyst, it should go away on it's own.
*banging with a book, supposedly not recommended.

Third Sun salutation Alternative method.

"
METHOD 3:
Standing 'Salute to the Sun' (Supta Surya Namaskar):

This is potentially the simplest version of the 'salute to the sun' but it may be the best for most people to practice as it is the safest and least stressful, yet it safely moves the spine through its full range of flexion and extension movement and thus nourishes the spine, trunk and internal organs".


Tricky to get the snapshots just right but this should give the idea. Captions from Simon's YouTube notes - see my appendix 2 for the full notes.


samasthiti
(standing erect with neutral spine)


Ekam, 
inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)

Dve, 
exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion)

 Trini, 
inhale, lolasana (raise the head and perhaps lift the feet off the floor to handstand) (trunk in flexion, neck in extension)

Chatvari, 
exhale, chataranga dandasana ('push-up' position) (straight trunk)

 

 Pancha, 
inhale, urdhva mukha svanasana ('upward-facing dog' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)

Shat, 
exhale, adho mukha svanasana ('downward-facing dog' posture)

Sapta, 
inhale, lolasana ('jump' or 'balance on arms') (trunk in flexion, neck in extension)

Astau,
exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee'' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion)

Nava, 
inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension)

Dasa, 

exhale, samasthiti (standing erect with neutral spine)

Link to Simon and Bianca's Yoga Synergy website here.

https://yogasynergy.com/

Simon's own page here

https://simonborgolivier.com/

All the courses there are excellent but check out too Simon's courses on Omstars, his yoga fundamentals is I think an excellent overview and introduction to his approach

https://omstars.com/hosts/simon-borg-olivier

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Appendix 1

This Vinyasa Krama lead-in to dandasana option is perfect for moving to seated practice although I don't turn the hands out so much with the cyst. from my earlier post on coping with wrist pain

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2015/10/practicing-with-wrist-strain-how.html

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Appendix 2

from Simon's yoTube post.

from the youTube post

Yoga Synergy

There are many ways of doing posture and movement. I think it is important to always check you can get into any position without the help of external forces such as gravity. In this video I demonstrate three ways to do the main spinal movements of the Salute to the Sun (Surya Namaskar) using the same breathing sequence, the same spinal movements and the same postures but with different orientations to gravity.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SURYA NAMASKAR: *** 1. Ekam, inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension) *** 2. Dve, exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion) *** 3. Trini, inhale, lolasana (raise the head and perhaps lift the feet off the floor to handstand) (trunk in flexion, neck in extension) *** 4. Chatvari, exhale, chataranga dandasana ('push-up' position) (straight trunk) *** 5. Pancha, inhale, urdhva mukha svanasana ('upward-facing dog' posture) (trunk and neck in extension) *** 6. Shat, exhale, adho mukha svanasana ('downward-facing dog' posture) *** 7. Sapta, inhale, lolasana ('jump' or 'balance on arms') (trunk in flexion, neck in extension) *** 8. Astau, exhale, uttanasana ('hands to the floor, head to knee'' posture) (trunk and neck in flexion) *** 9. Nava, inhale, urdhva hastasana ('arms above head' posture) (trunk and neck in extension) *** 10. Dasa, exhale, samasthiti (standing erect with neutral spine) METHOD 1: Supine 'Salute to the Sun' (Supta Surya Namaskar): This is one of the variations of the supine Salute to the Sun I used to practice a lot when I broke my arm a few years ago and I could not put my hands on the floor for 5 months. This version uses the core to move the entire body and makes the entire body work against gravity in a way that prepares the body with active movements to eventually lift to handstand effortlessly. METHOD 2: Regular 'Salute to the Sun' (Supta Surya Namaskar): This is the usual method that people use for surya namaskar but the difference I demonstrate here is that for Trini (inhale) the trunk remains flexed (instead of becoming extended as many people teach and practice) while the head lifts to extension. This was as Sri K Pattabhi Jois intended, and this is a very strong core-activating posture that once mastered in the supine version of surya namaskar is a key to developing the ability to lift slowly into handstands as well as the key to relieving lower back pain. METHOD 3: Standing 'Salute to the Sun' (Supta Surya Namaskar): This is potentially the simplest version of the 'salute to the sun' but it may be the best for most people to practice as it is the safest and least stressful, yet it safely moves the spine through its full range of flexion and extension movement and thus nourishes the spine, trunk and internal organs. These three methods of practicing Surya Namaskar constitute one of the best ways to work to develop bandha, drishti and ujjayi pranayama for Ashtanga vinyasa yoga. You can also use these practices to develop the ability to be 'firm but calm' ('sthira sukham asana), and learn to do energising but potentially stressful activities in a peaceful, relaxing and loving way. If you would like to learn more please join our live or online training at http://yogasynergy.com/training . We have many online courses you can do from anywhere in the world and also live 200 hour teacher training courses in Goa India, The next courses are scheduled for November 2016 (200 hour) and March 2017 (300 hour) in Goa, India, where this video of me was filmed. Please also check out our blog at http://blog.yogasynergy.com for over a hundred articles with video links and you can also download our free 108 page e-book on 'How to Enhance your Health and Longevity'.


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Appendix 3

One 12 minute version of Simon's Spinal Sequence

Along the lines of the one leg sequence I do for the hip joint complex, part 10 of 28

...and a later example/demonstration of these hip movements at 1:24 in this excellent video shot by Alessandro Sigismondi ( https://alessandrosigismondi.com/about/) for https://www.ohmme.com/

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Appendix 4

Below this is from a year ago and seems to be the practice (with some degree of refinement I hope after a year) that I keep coming back to. It includes one of these sun salutation variations 13 minutes in.

Ashtavakra - November 2018 newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami

I am sending this monthly letter early as I am scheduled to teach a weeklong yoga program-various vinyasakrama asana sequences and the Yoga Sutra- at Yoga Kanda in Santiago Chile from Oct 29th to November 3rd 2018

In October I taught a five day yoga program at Liz Richard's Ananta Yoga in Wicklow, Ireland. The program was well organized and well attended. Several topics--asanas and vinyasa sequences and many other discussions that would be of interest to serious yoga practitioners formed the contents of the program

I also taught a weekend yoga program at   Yoga la Source  in Luxembourg on five different yoga topics. Nice compact group attended the program.  

Ashtavakra

One of the ways to impress others with asanas is to perform Ashtavakra asana named after the sage Ashtavakra. The adorable asana of contorsions named after Ashtavakra means an asana with eight deformities. Nobody knows how he looked like but some yogis came out with this unique posture that has caught the imagination of many yogasana experts.

Ashtavakra was a great vedic scholar. His work, 'Ashtavakra Samhita' is a vedantic masterpiece, bold and sweeping following the advaita school, like the Mandukya Karika of Gaudapada. Here a is a story about the sage

Ashtavakra's story is found in the itihasas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and also in the vedas. Uddalaka was a great Rishi belonging to the Sama Veda clan. He is credited with the great mantra "Tat tvam asi" or "That thou Art". He taught the Truth that the individual self and the supreme self are one and the same to his son Svetaketu. Uddalaka had another student by name Kahola.After completion of Kahola's  studentship, sage Uddalaka offered his daughter Sujata in marriage to his disciple Kahola. Both the young coupe set up then an ashram in a forest,where Kahola was performing his vedic duties. In due course Sujatha was in the family way. Once when Kahola was chanting some vedic mantras, it would appear he made some errors in the recitation of the mantras. The infant in the womb having heard the recitation of his father pointed out aloud the errors in his father's chants. In a fit of uncontrolled anger Kahola cursed the foetus to be born with eight deformities in his body.

"Rishayah satyavachasah". Rishis are those who speak the truth or whatever they say become true. Because they are truth speakers, whatever they say come true, whether it is anugraha or blessing or saapa or curse.

 Then there was drought. The sage and his wife struggled in the ashram and then Sujata suggested that Kahola go to a vedic debate then organized by King Janaka in the city of Mithila. He could with his scholarship  win the debate and earn some gift from the King. That was the plan. Kahola went to the King's chamber and offered himself as a contestant in the debate. At that time a member of the Varuna loka had taken the guise of a Brahmana and was defeating all the contestants and Kahola was pitted against him. The debate started and towards the end, the Varuna kula Brahmana asked the meaning of the eight mantras that the foetus had found fault with the recitation of Kahola earlier even while in the womb. Kahola having not corrected his understanding repeated the same mistake and thus was defeated. He was arrested and taken to Varuna loka and submerged in water.

In due course Sujatha gave birth to a child deformed in eight places  Uddalaka took his daughter and grandson under his care.The child, known as Ashtavakra (ashta= eight, vakra= deformity) because of the 8 bodily deformities grew up as a brilliant vedic scholar.He considered Uddalaka as his father. Until he was about 10 he did not know about his biological father or his fate. Then he came to know about his father and what happened to him. He decided then to liberate his father from the clutches of Varuna.

The young Ashtavakra reached Mithila after a very arduous journey made more painful because of the physical challenges. As soon as he reached the palace to meet the King, he was stopped by the gatekeeper. But Ashtavakra convinced him that he was a genuine contestant. When he reached the King's court and  declared that he was a contestant and ready to meet anyone on a debate on Vedas, the whole court burst into derisive laughter--looking at Ashtavakra's body and his youth.

The next moment Ashtavakra himself laughed and loudly declared that the scholars in the King's court were just like cobblers who look only at the skin (hide) and not what is within. The cobblers know a lot about the skin(hide) like its smoothness, flexibility and other characteristics but not what was covered  the skin. Likewise these scholars only look at the outward deformities of him and not the wisdom and nature of Self within him. They did not see the atma. They have no realization of the Atman  and the Supreme Soul  the Paramatma and their oneness.. They were simply seeing the skin and they were making their judgements on this basis of their skin deep knowledge only. This attitude was that  of the shoemakers; they only looked at skin.  He derided them as no more wise than an ordinary cobbler from the spiritual or vedic viewpoint.  He concluded by saying that the assembly is incapable of any worthwhile discussion and he had wasted his time and energy to reach the King's court to debate with unwise shallow people.

Janaka and everyone in the assembly were deeply moved and cringed on hearing the words of Ashtavakra.  Simple and direct were his words, but absolutely true. Janaka bowed down to Ashtavakra in reverence. He escorted Ashtavakra to his own throne and washed his feet and profusely apologized.

 The King without participating in the light hearted attitude of others asked him a few questions and felt that the  boy was not a pushover and asked him to debate the reigning champion at that time, the Brahmana from Varuna loka. 

The debate started in right earnest.

 Vandin, the scholar from Varunaloka  and Ashtavakra began the debate. Finally to explain their thesis each one would have to alternately compose slokas or verses until one stumbles.  They alternately composed six extempore verses on the numbers upto twelve. Then Vandin could only compose the first half of a verse on the number thirteen. Ashtavakra completed the verse by composing the second half and thus won the debate against Vandin.

The condition of the contest was that if Vandin were to lose he would grant any wish of his vanquisher and if Ashtavakra would lose the contest he would meet the same fate as his father which was that he would be arrested and submerged in the waters of Varuna loka. . Ashtavakra having won his debate demanded his pound of flesh. He demanded that Vandin be drowned in water just as he had done his vanquished opponents. Vandin then revealed that he was the son of Varuṇa (the Lord of all water bodies), and was sent incognito to earth to get rishis to conduct a ritual that Varuṇa wanted to perform. By this time Varuṇa’s ritual had been completed. On Vandin’s request, Varuṇa ordered the sages and brahmins be brought to the surface of the waters they had been held in.

The father, Kahola was immensely pleased with his son, he no longer saw the deformity but the wisdom and  shining pure Atman within him. On the way home Kahola asked his son to take a dip in a sacred river and as the story goes Ashtavakra's curse given by his father was removed and Ashtavakra shone beautifully, both outwardly and inwardly.

Ashtavakra became famous by his immortal work, Ashtavakra Samhita  a very popular text even among modern day scholars interested in vedanta philosophy. It is forthright and breathtaking in its freshness and candour.  While Yogis know Ashtavakra by his outward form in Ashtavakra asana, those interested in his work are able to fathom his incisive insight about Atman  that is deep within the deformed bodies.

Srivatsa Ramaswami

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!forum/vinyasa-krama-announce

***

I have a an old post

Ashtanga Rishi Series made up of Rishi asana?

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2012/11/this-interesting-comment-on-one-of-my.html

"Our ancients, the great rishis, followers of their sanatana dharma (ancient eternal path) from the beginning of time, became experts in yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, stopped all external movements of the mind, and through the path of raja yoga attained a high state of happiness in this world and beyond. And they continue until this day to experience this. But during ancient times, all were skilled yoga practitioners and therefore had good health and strength, were blessed with a long life and were able to serve society". 
Krishnamacharya Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934).