Have been working on Coordination in my jump back the last week or so. Had a really bad practice (see post My jump back Stinks ) where everything felt so uncoordinated that I started to think that better coordination might be where it's at.
So many things to think about in the jump back. There's the hand position, pulling the knees up, feet in, tucking in the pubic bone, trying not to over round the back, lifting sternum, engaging the bandhas, timing the breath...
Think I began to get it right in this mornings practice. The main thing seems to be timing the breath and the bandhas with the lift. This is what worked for me this morning.
Before jumping back I always lift my legs up into Navasana, inhaling, (Just became a habit that's probably good for the core, but I find it just helps to realign and focus me). Now beginning to exhale bring the Legs back, knees to chest, feet crossed and tucked in close to my backside. Lift sternum, bend the head foreword and now as your running out of breath start to engage moolah bandhas (seems to be easier at the end of the exhale), start setting up uddiyana bandha sucking in the stomach and lifting up to the ribcage as if preparing for Nauli pranayama and trying to hook the two bandhas together while pushing out the very last of the breath. Place your hands in front of your hips and as you push down on your hands Inhale Ujjayi forcefully focusing on your uddiyana and lift up and before you reach the top of your lift begin pivoting at your shoulders, sternum forward, hips back, swinging yourself back through and up and kicking your legs out and back.
Notice the long exhale pushing out every last ounce of breath and as you engage Uddiyana there's almost a vacuum, your almost gasping for breath so when the Ujjayi inhale comes ,and because it's focused on/at uddiyana, there seems to be extra energy and focus to the lift. or perhaps because your so desperate for that breath and you've linked it to your bandhas so clearly there's much clearer focus and coordination and less lost action.
This seemed to come together at the end of my practice this morning and I managed to completely clear the mat for the first time all morning. Given that I should have been tired by this point and perhaps struggling a little I think it definitely helped.
Perhaps this seems a little too aggressive an approach but figure once you have the coordination nailed you'll be able to approach it less forcefully
Sunday, 16 August 2026
Jump Back: Improving lift off
I think I worked out why I was having such a problem with my lift off and not getting the height I wanted/needed. I tended to try and lift straight up, my legs seemed so heavy and almost impossible to lift high enough to jump back through (picture on the left is how I used to approach it. Notice my arms marking a straight line from my hips to my shoulders and even my head with my legs stuck out front).
However in Utpluith (Tolasana in Swenson) I seemed to be getting so much more height. Same thing when I worked on my Lolasana. I noticed that in these two postures my shoulders were further forward counter balancing in lolasana and with my weight more central in Tolasana.
I checked the literature, Swenson has the the straight up lift in his book and I think that's where I got my original approach to the lift from. However if you look at John Scott's book,http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/Jump-Back-JS.htm he stresses leaning forward to lift up. This seems to make much more sense, especially for the beginner as the weight of your legs is further back closer to your arms where they are much easier to lift.
This is how I'm doing it at the moment. I'm finding it much easier to lift up allowing me to jump back through but perhaps I'm still not getting my shoulders far enough forward which might explain why I still tend to brush my toe along the mat.
Intermediate: all you need is a manduka mat
I should have waited. Wednesday I did Intermediate. Had done it up to Bakasana several times but never gone through start to finish. I admit to looking down on it a bit, I mean I LOVE primary, It's perfect, such balance. Intermediate seemed like a poor relative a bad book or movie sequel. It didn't seem that strenuous, a mish mash of half hearted jump backs and jump throughs, no flow to it.
How wrong I was! I'm still aching and I never ache from Primary. I sweated so much I was slipping and sliding all over the place, and the Jump backs! How the heck are you supposed to jump out of Matsyendrasana without veering off to the left or right and crashing through your arm or get your leg off your shoulder in time in Eka pada sirasana. Oh and one leg jump backs from Vatyanasasna, do I love THAT idea. Vatyanasana, what is that about anyway and how can you do Titibhasana C without falling over in a fit of giggles...grown yogis are not supposed to giggle.
Anyway I could hardly walk yesterday but have realized my error. Intermediate can not be attempted on any old mat It's the Manduka sequence and come tuesday morning i'll be flying effortlessly through it. My only concern is that my nine drishti's will be replaced by one, the loving gaze to my manduka drishti.
Comparing Screenshot of my Jump back with Sharath, Shelly, Derek, Idoru and Rob.
I've been looking at this screenshot of my Jump back and comparing it with shots from other jump backs on you tube. this is the point where my feet brush the top of the mat. If the mats not sweaty then it will stop me dead, pull up the mat or I'll have to add an extra little hop to get through.
If I look closely I notice that I'm curled up tightly into a ball, my back is rounded and my knees up high and close to my chest. My shoulders are forward of my hips and my legs are crossed at the ankle, the right a little higher up the shin. And are my elbows pointing outwards?
Now if I look at Sharath the posture is completely different. For one thing he looks relaxed, his whole jump back appears almost effortless. This screenshot is of the same moment in the jump back, just before the feet pass the arms and go on through. His feet are higher, obviously, crossed at the ankle but closer to his backside. However his knees aren't as close to his chest as mine. His back is straighter,perhaps because of this and his whole posture less scrunched up
Similar postures from Shelly and Rob Lucas below.
However, if we look at john Scott his knees appear higher and closer to his chest like mine, but again, his back appears longer. If the above four where on a horse we might say they sit tall in the saddle
The final two shots I looked at, Derek and Idoru are in many ways closer to mine in that they appear more rounded, tighter and yet they're clearing the mat completely and I'm not.
One thing I noticed though in all these shots are the feet. They all seem closer to their bottoms at the expense of the knees being closer to the chest and I think this might be where my difficulty lies. I've tried hard to bring my knees up higher and close to my chest and that kind of locks the feet. it's hard to pull them in closer when your focused on your knees. But if you relax your knees a little and drop back slightly it becomes easier to pull the feet in.
So try this. Lift your knees up high to your chest as you lift up with your arms but then relax the knees a little as you pull your feet in closer to your butt which begins the pivoting motion taking your hips back your shoulders forward and hopefully your feet through. This is what I'm working on at the moment, tricky getting the coordination right but think I might be on to something.
That and trying to sit taller in the saddle.
Sharath
Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series DVD w/R. Sharath
John Scott
Yoga - Ashtanga - The Primary Series John Scott
Rob Lucas
Derek Koh
(youtube video seems to have disappeared)
Idoru
September Jump Back on new Manduka mat ( Jump back specific Review )
Have decided to post a new Jump back video in the first week of every month. Should be a good way to judge any progress and gives me something to work towards. I also want to set up a slide show, perhaps at the bottom of the page, with the last six months Jump backs embedded from Youtube. That way anyone visiting this page should be able to find one that comes closest to their own jump back and can see how mine developed from that point.
My Manduka mat arrived yesterday afternoon and the video is taken following this mornings practice, my first Manduka jump back video. Think i'll do a snapshot comparison with last months video later in the week.
As you'll see in the full review, slipperiness is an issue with the Manduka and I had to wipe my hands and the sides of the mat a few times throughout the practice. However, with other mats once the sweat starts seeping into the mat there's not a lot you can do about it but with the Manduka the sweat just sits on the top of the mat and will wipe away. Besides I kinda feel that if you're slipping on your mat then your doing something wrong, in that perhaps you haven't shifted your weight correctly or your stretch is too wide for your current muscle development. That said you do have to be careful with your hands slipping in Jump through but don't have to worry about rubbing and blistering your feet as you pass through allowing you to approach it With more confidence and more able to concentrate on your bandhas or keeping your knees up, feet tucked in etc.
I've also noticed on my other mats that, with my bony backside, it can be a bit hard on my coccyx, same in Navasana, but on the Manduka, because the mat is so much firmer and gives much more support, I didn't feel a thing.
My Manduka mat arrived yesterday afternoon and the video is taken following this mornings practice, my first Manduka jump back video. Think i'll do a snapshot comparison with last months video later in the week.
I'll publish a full review of the mat tomorrow as I'm tending to do Intermediate on Wednesdays and want to see how it holds up. However.......
Manduka mat Jump Back review: Jump back specific.
I already love this mat! My toes still tend to brush the top of the mat in my Jump backs and on my other mats at the beginning of practice this will tend to stop me dead until the the mat becomes a little sweaty. However with the Manduka I went straight back through. As it picked up a little moisture I was just gliding across the top, both jumping back and jumping through allowing me to focus on other elements.As you'll see in the full review, slipperiness is an issue with the Manduka and I had to wipe my hands and the sides of the mat a few times throughout the practice. However, with other mats once the sweat starts seeping into the mat there's not a lot you can do about it but with the Manduka the sweat just sits on the top of the mat and will wipe away. Besides I kinda feel that if you're slipping on your mat then your doing something wrong, in that perhaps you haven't shifted your weight correctly or your stretch is too wide for your current muscle development. That said you do have to be careful with your hands slipping in Jump through but don't have to worry about rubbing and blistering your feet as you pass through allowing you to approach it With more confidence and more able to concentrate on your bandhas or keeping your knees up, feet tucked in etc.
I've also noticed on my other mats that, with my bony backside, it can be a bit hard on my coccyx, same in Navasana, but on the Manduka, because the mat is so much firmer and gives much more support, I didn't feel a thing.
Manduka mat review
First impressions:
Heavy, very, very heavy about 9lb for my 100" mat But feels heavier. This is a solid mass of rubber and seems like it's cut out of a formula 1 racing tire. And it's Solid too, thick with seemingly no give. When you roll it out on the floor it rolls out quickly finishing with a loud thud.
Looks:Looks like you mean business. If your feeling half-hearted about your practice one morning, stepping onto this mat will focus your mind, it demands a serious approach. It's like stepping out onto the grass at Wembley, Lords, Wimbledon... (OK getting carried away a bit now but it kinda feels a bit like that).
Feel:
It's thick about 6mm, but because it's so solid it appears thinner. It's not spongy and there's hardly any give but this makes your feet and hands feel more grounded. And yet it cushions your bones more than other mats.
It's sticky when dry but any moisture sits on it's surface and doesn't get absorbed into the mat. This means it can get really slippery quickly but it also means that you can wipe the moisture off easily. With other mats once they become sweaty you pretty much have to put up with it as you can't wipe it away, they are like sponges. With the Manduka, one wipe with a towel and it's as if you just unrolled it.
In Practice:Slipperiness is the biggest issue with this mat. I tend to sweat quite a lot but I managed to get through the standing sequence without slipping. I tend to throw a few handstands into my Sury's and it felt firm and solid. I felt more stable and in control, likewise in headstands, forearm stands and especially in Utthita hasta padangusthasana
However in seated I found myself gliding through my jump backs and jump throughs, the faintest sheen of moisture was enough to make it slippery enough for my feet to glide across the surface.
Half way through seated I needed to start using a towel to regularly wipe my hands and the sides of the mat, perhaps every other jump through. But it only takes one wipe and your good to go.
Support:
Just what I'd hoped for, it took the pressure of my coccyx when rolling forward to jump back and off my spine in Garbha Pindasana. Also being a little wider there's less chance of you rolling off the mat as you work your 360. The knee has more support too in Vatyanasana from Intermediate. Nice bonus is that Nakasana is quieter on this mat which should please the neighbors.
Jump back specific:
My toes still tend to brush the top of the mat in my Jump backs and on my other mats at the beginning of practice this will tend to stop me dead until the the mat becomes a little sweaty. However with the Manduka I went straight back through. As it picked up a little moisture I was just gliding across the top, both jumping back and jumping through allowing me to focus on other elements. Slipperiness is an issue with the Manduka and I had to wipe my hands and the sides of the mat a few times throughout the practice. However, with other mats once the sweat starts seeping into the mat there's not a lot you can do about it but with the Manduka the sweat just sits on the top of the mat and will wipe away. Besides I kinda feel that if you're slipping on your mat then your doing something wrong, in that perhaps you haven't shifted your weight correctly or your stretch is too wide for your current muscle development. That said you do have to be careful with your hands slipping in Jump through but don't have to worry about rubbing and blistering your feet as you pass through allowing you to approach it With more confidence and more able to concentrate on your bandhas or keeping your knees up, feet tucked in etc.I've also noticed on my other mats that, with my bony backside, it can be a bit hard on my coccyx, same in Navasana, but on the Manduka, because the mat is so much firmer and gives much more support, I didn't feel a thing.
Intermediate Series:
Practiced Intermediate today and the slipperiness of the mat became intolerable, it was like a skating rink. Because of the Shalabasana series the mat gets sweaty from the word go. There's much more body/mat contact throughout Intermediate than primary so you get really fed up with wiping it down after every asana. In the end I threw my Mysore rug over the top and it was perfect. Jump backs and Jump throughs are different in Intermediate anyway so there's not the rubbing your feet raw on the rug concern as there is with primary. So plain manduka for primary, Manduka plus Mysore rug for intermediate.
Conclusions:
Only been a couple of days but I love this mat. It's helping me with my jump backs, not stopping me dead if my feet brush the surface. Moisture just wipes away with one wipe of a towel. It's firm and gives you a nice secure base for balancing and supports your joints and bones. It's a serious mat.
Drawbacks:
It's heavy and not really ideal for taking to class. Can be slippery and could be dangerous, so not for the total beginner, need to be a little adept at shifting/distributing your body weight. Would be unforgiving if you over stretch.
I'll come back to my conclusions a couple of weeks from now with an update.
-Just ordered Lino Miele's book. I couldn't find many reviews of it or any pictures of the layout or contents so will review it here in a week or so. Might as well review some of my other books and DVDs while I'm at it. Will justify it to the topic of this blog by paying special attention to their treatment of the Jump back.
Moola Bandha in the Bath
So I'm laying in the bath reading John Grimes' Sankara and Heidegger (worth a look, but think he probably knows his Sankara better than his Heidegger, good bath book though), my mind starts wandering to something on the bandhas I read earlier in Heart of Yoga. I start doing some exercises, exhaling and feeling "moola bandha", then exaggerate it a bit. I get the idea to pull my legs up as if I was about to Jump back (still on my back in the bath) and then exhale, engage the bandha and lo and behold as I continued and began to engage uddiyana as well, drawing in and up my belly concave, making that vacuum I notice my backside and hips start rolling up on their own (remember I'm in the bath so there's this floating thing going on) My feet start coming up higher.....ahhhh so this is what it's all about.
After my bath I tried it on my back and and then tried a couple of jump backs, starkers in the middle of the bathroom. Tricky, will need work but can see there's something going on in the bandha inspired pelvic tilt thing, just seems to bring the feet up and out of the way. Got straight on to Amazon and bought the Moola bandha book.
Moola Bandha: The Master Key by Swami Buddhananda)
Moola bandha Jump back: good days, bad days
Wednesday was great, was doing some Moola bandha (MB) work in my jump backs. I'd read somewhere about focusing on MB while exhaling and feeling the bandha rise naturally (been trying to find where I read this), it's very subtle but you can feel something going on down there. So during practice at the end of my inhale I would tighten then relax my perineum to focus attention on MB then, as I exhaled, allow MB to rise but resisting any effort on my part. Then draw my abdomen in and up engaging uddiyana and holding. Lifting up with a strong inhale.
Wednesday it seemed to work really well I flew through primary and as it was my day off decided to go up to Kappotasana, felt so strong I ended up doing all of intermediate and a long closing too. Was I strong because of the new MB approach to my jump backs? Not sure.
Thursday and Friday were pretty bad though. Thursday, I think because I moved my room around and was trying to practice in another part of the room and didn't feel comfortable. Friday I was running a little late and felt rushed. Today was better but still not able to focus. Good days, bad days.......
Wednesday it seemed to work really well I flew through primary and as it was my day off decided to go up to Kappotasana, felt so strong I ended up doing all of intermediate and a long closing too. Was I strong because of the new MB approach to my jump backs? Not sure.
Thursday and Friday were pretty bad though. Thursday, I think because I moved my room around and was trying to practice in another part of the room and didn't feel comfortable. Friday I was running a little late and felt rushed. Today was better but still not able to focus. Good days, bad days.......
Kino Mcgregor Jump Back
Just added Kino Mcgregor's Jump Back to the screenshot comparison on the left of my blog. This is from the youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2ridk2lflY Should point out that she's demonstrating the Jump back in one of her workshops here rather than it being taken from her primary series. It was the only example I could find in the public domain. I've just ordered her video from http://www.miamilifecenter.com/ $22.95 good price. Hnia on yoga.com forum recommended it to me thus " Hey, have you seen Kino's new DVD? She has a section called Strength which is all about jumping back.She says that you have to learn to fold the rib cage inward and she has several prep exercises for jumping back and through.. check it out..."In the Youtube video she demo's jumping through from handstand which is impressive and seems to be focusing on pulling the ankles in tight in her jump back.
Matthew Sweeney's new book Vinyasa Krama
Matthew Sweeney's new book arrived from http://www.theyogashop.co.uk/ yesterday. Impressed with Yogashop, ordered the book Monday arrived Thursday with a thick piece of cardboard in the envelope to stop the book bending. First thing, the book is huge, A3 so almost twice the size of his other book (Will he be bringing out an A3 version of that I wonder). This too is ring bound and with the same format as his earlier book "Yoga as it is". I really like the first book, it's deceptive, more in it than you think. they both have two pages of text on each page so when you see the contents page you need to take that into account.
Another thing you need to take into account is that old chestnut " A picture says a thousand words" Mathew likes pictures! So when he's exploring (just changed explaining to exploring) something, like Jumping back crossed legged he'll have five sequences, each picture in the sequence labled with what's going on, and then he'll refer to each sequence in the text.
Jump back fans wont be disappointed as he has sequenced sections on Jumping back to surynamaskara, jumping forward to surynamaskara, stepping through and stepping back, jumping through crossed legged, jumping back crossed legged, jumping through straight legged, jumping back straight legged. Mathew clearly knows what we want (What some of us want, I was recently told off that it's about the asanas not the jump backs. Next I'll be told perhaps that breathing is about the inhale not the exhale.....hang on I like that. Ashtanga, is like breathing, the asana is the inhale the vinyasa the exhale, couldn't have one without the other...must write that down). Yes, he knows what we want, all the cool stuff is here the handstands, dropbacks, tic tacks etc. all the stuff that joyously links the asanas together.And that for me is the point. The asana are linked and once you have a nice version of the jump back and jump through working, and some nice floaty handstands the asanas link together beautifully. You flow from one to the other and can really ride the breath and get into that wonderful meditative state. Isn't that what makes Ashtanga different from other forms of Yoga. And it's why I think the five new sequences that make up the second half of Mathew's book are Ashtanga. The sequence of poses are different but the principles are there. Can't really talk about the new sequences yet as I've only glanced at them but I know of another couple of bloggers that are exploring them and having a great time (links to come). http://theyogabum.blogspot.com/search?q=krama
Will add to this review as I get further into the book and feel free to ask if you have any questions about it's contents as it's not on Amazon so there's no decent preview of it anywhere and it's not cheap. (but worth the price alone though is the visual Asana library at the back 19 huge pages worth).
Thinking about going to your first Mysore class? Ashtaga yoga London
This morning I went to my first Mysore class. Now I've been practicing Ashtanga from books dvd's etc, 6 days a week, for a year and a half but never had a lesson class or workshop. Often thought about it but the longer I didn't go the more apprehensive/uncomfortable I was about going. Settled for the excuse that there wasn't anywhere nearby. I figure I'm not alone in this so for anyone else shala shy here's how it went.
Took the train into London and went to Ashtangayogalondon for Sunday Mysore. Make sure you write down the door number if you go as it's very inconspicuous. Eventually found it after walking up and down Drumond street a couple of times. Buzzed in, met at the door, L, friendly, asked if I knew the series and if I had any injuries and told me to be sure to say if I found an adjustment too much. I guess it's a small Shala, maybe room for 15 to 20 mats. Not much room to change but I'd come with my yoga shorts under my trousers so no problem. I had been concerned about the etiquette for placing my mat but they very cleverly have these little logos all over the floor that you center your mat on. And there was a wall! Each mat is next to a wall, something I'm used to having at home so that made me more comfortable though I didn't need it.
Felt so strange striped down to my shorts walking through the room to put down my mat, but then you start on the oh so familiar Surys and your just in your own world again. Occasionally I would notice that someone would quietly chant before they started their practice. Liked that, nice way to get yourself in the right frame of mind, might learn it this week. I'd thought I would get to see a bit of other peoples practice but I was facing the wall and it didn't feel appropriate to be looking around. Felt like such a lack of pretension, everyone just getting on with their practice. Loved the sound of the breath in the room but it was so hot I found it hard to breathe and my breath was all over the place for most of the session. Had expected it to be hot but not this hot, I've never sweat so much in my life. There were pools of sweat on my mat, half way through I would move back up into downward dog and a stream of sweat would start coming out of my Nike's. I weighed myself later and worked out I'd sweat 3-4 kilo's. Foolishly I'd just taken my sticky mat, next week I'll take the rug or maybe buy a Yoga towel (any advice?).
Adjustments were excellent and if you've only ever practiced at home then this is really why you should go to a Shala. L and R would come around the room and give me a little bit more of a twist here a press on the small of my back there and it made such a difference. The occasional lift and support giving focus and finally a lift in my backbend that was just fantastic. All done calmly, professionally and effectively. Did wonder about the etiquette though. Wanted to say thank you as they adjusted me but felt I should be focusing on my breath and then they had moved on before I could say anything though I managed to thank them before I left.
Got through my practice, Jump backs and Through went well on the whole but then my mat was so sweaty I was just sailing though....no literally sailing "life on the ocean ways" through. After backbends you go into the other room which is cooler and such a relief, Savasana was glorious. And that was that, changed quickly and rushed out into the fresh air thinking about how good a bottle of cold water was going to taste.
Link to follow up post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/09/second-mysore-class.html
Took the train into London and went to Ashtangayogalondon for Sunday Mysore. Make sure you write down the door number if you go as it's very inconspicuous. Eventually found it after walking up and down Drumond street a couple of times. Buzzed in, met at the door, L, friendly, asked if I knew the series and if I had any injuries and told me to be sure to say if I found an adjustment too much. I guess it's a small Shala, maybe room for 15 to 20 mats. Not much room to change but I'd come with my yoga shorts under my trousers so no problem. I had been concerned about the etiquette for placing my mat but they very cleverly have these little logos all over the floor that you center your mat on. And there was a wall! Each mat is next to a wall, something I'm used to having at home so that made me more comfortable though I didn't need it.
Felt so strange striped down to my shorts walking through the room to put down my mat, but then you start on the oh so familiar Surys and your just in your own world again. Occasionally I would notice that someone would quietly chant before they started their practice. Liked that, nice way to get yourself in the right frame of mind, might learn it this week. I'd thought I would get to see a bit of other peoples practice but I was facing the wall and it didn't feel appropriate to be looking around. Felt like such a lack of pretension, everyone just getting on with their practice. Loved the sound of the breath in the room but it was so hot I found it hard to breathe and my breath was all over the place for most of the session. Had expected it to be hot but not this hot, I've never sweat so much in my life. There were pools of sweat on my mat, half way through I would move back up into downward dog and a stream of sweat would start coming out of my Nike's. I weighed myself later and worked out I'd sweat 3-4 kilo's. Foolishly I'd just taken my sticky mat, next week I'll take the rug or maybe buy a Yoga towel (any advice?).
Adjustments were excellent and if you've only ever practiced at home then this is really why you should go to a Shala. L and R would come around the room and give me a little bit more of a twist here a press on the small of my back there and it made such a difference. The occasional lift and support giving focus and finally a lift in my backbend that was just fantastic. All done calmly, professionally and effectively. Did wonder about the etiquette though. Wanted to say thank you as they adjusted me but felt I should be focusing on my breath and then they had moved on before I could say anything though I managed to thank them before I left.
Got through my practice, Jump backs and Through went well on the whole but then my mat was so sweaty I was just sailing though....no literally sailing "life on the ocean ways" through. After backbends you go into the other room which is cooler and such a relief, Savasana was glorious. And that was that, changed quickly and rushed out into the fresh air thinking about how good a bottle of cold water was going to taste.
Link to follow up post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/09/second-mysore-class.html
Jumping back on a Mysore rug
I've been cheating, huh. Flying though on my Jump backs.....well actually sliding through my Jump back and especially my jump through. You too? Still there's been an improvement, up until a couple of months ago I couldn't jump through on a sticky mat with or without the coating of sweat. But my little toe still brushes along the surface of the mat and I've even resorted to a quick spray of water before the first couple of jumps when the mat is still dry. Even gone so far as to roll around the mat like my chinchilla trying to transfer the sweat from my body to the mat, The shame of it! But no more, no mas , time for a Regime change. This is due to my visit to the Shala for the first time Sunday, jumping through and landing on my sweat soaked mat sending a shower of my salty toxins to every corner of the shala. A rug is called for.
I bought a Mysore rug about a year back one of those black red and yellow Shiva trident rugs but never really used it, looks nice though. Trying to get the hang of it this morning. My regular jump back bunches up the mat and my jump through rubs the bottom joint of my little toe raw. Around the end of the practice I started to adjust it about right. My legs are pulled in tighter and the feet don't move forward as much as I start to lift off. I'm just about clearing the mat, enough not to bunch it up anyway. Think this will be a good thing, get out of my bad habits. The video is from just after this mornings practice.
I bought a Mysore rug about a year back one of those black red and yellow Shiva trident rugs but never really used it, looks nice though. Trying to get the hang of it this morning. My regular jump back bunches up the mat and my jump through rubs the bottom joint of my little toe raw. Around the end of the practice I started to adjust it about right. My legs are pulled in tighter and the feet don't move forward as much as I start to lift off. I'm just about clearing the mat, enough not to bunch it up anyway. Think this will be a good thing, get out of my bad habits. The video is from just after this mornings practice.
Straight leg jump through, a cold and a Netti pot.
In bed with a cold right now trying to sweat the bugger out so I can go to the Shala on Sunday. No better way to sweat than Practice so turned the heating all the way up waited until it got good and warm and got going. Practice when your sick is quite something, kind of dreamy, floaty not all there spaced out kind of a practice. Hoping the cold sticks around for tomorrow morning then tails off.
Still trying to get used to using my rug. Jump backs are OK, pretty much clearing the mat by keeping my feet in really tight and leaning further over but Jump through! Rubbed my toe raw again and had to go back to a basic jump to sit. Have decided to nail the straight leg jump through. Tried the Swenson approach a few times http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/Jump-Through-DS.htm (hips high) but it's beyond me Think Tim Miller's style is do able though http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/765?print=1. Tried it a few times with blocks and Nike grips and it was fine. Tried it without, but no luck. suspect it's all about confidence, a Kierkegaardian leap of faith kind of a deal, and you don't get much more absurd than trying to jump through your arms in your pants.
As for the Netti pot, thought it might be good for a cold. Bought it a while ago, got the hang of it, surprisingly pleasant. Then woke up the following morning used the Netti pot before practice, nice clear sinuses, first downward dog all this water came flooding out of my nose all over my mat. So pretty much gave up on the Netti pot. Until today.......now here the faint of heart might want to turn away. So I'm over the sink watching clear water come out of my nose in the cabinet mirror and slimy slug trails of mucus start appearing and then big .........well you get the idea. point is nose feels good and clear afterwards for a while at least and got to be better than blowing your nose raw. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CYoZcCfUyj8&NR=1
Still trying to get used to using my rug. Jump backs are OK, pretty much clearing the mat by keeping my feet in really tight and leaning further over but Jump through! Rubbed my toe raw again and had to go back to a basic jump to sit. Have decided to nail the straight leg jump through. Tried the Swenson approach a few times http://www.ashtanganeworleans.com/Old%20Website/StudentSection/Jump-Through-DS.htm (hips high) but it's beyond me Think Tim Miller's style is do able though http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/765?print=1. Tried it a few times with blocks and Nike grips and it was fine. Tried it without, but no luck. suspect it's all about confidence, a Kierkegaardian leap of faith kind of a deal, and you don't get much more absurd than trying to jump through your arms in your pants.
As for the Netti pot, thought it might be good for a cold. Bought it a while ago, got the hang of it, surprisingly pleasant. Then woke up the following morning used the Netti pot before practice, nice clear sinuses, first downward dog all this water came flooding out of my nose all over my mat. So pretty much gave up on the Netti pot. Until today.......now here the faint of heart might want to turn away. So I'm over the sink watching clear water come out of my nose in the cabinet mirror and slimy slug trails of mucus start appearing and then big .........well you get the idea. point is nose feels good and clear afterwards for a while at least and got to be better than blowing your nose raw. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CYoZcCfUyj8&NR=1
UPDATE
See label ' Straight leg jump through' and late Jun 09 posts
Flicking through Lino Miele's Ashtanga Yoga book
Lino Miele's book finally arrived from Yogamatters via Amazon, or is that the other way around. Turned out they didn't have any in stock and had to wait for the next delivery. Bit annoyed because they didn't bother to tell me what was going on. But....may Yogamatters be happy, may Yogamatters be safe etc....
Wasn't able to find any previews of the book, no sample pages on Amazon. And to be honest had I had a look inside it I probably wouldn't have bought it. iIwas expecting something along the lines of Swenson's book but from Lino's perspective on Ashtanga. That said, while I wouldn't have bought it myself I would have loved to have received it as a present. It's nicely bound and laid out and I have and will use it.
So what do you get. Well a nicely bound and produced hardback. It's pretty much just first and second series vinyasa. Each page has a picture of Sharath, not Lino, in an Asana. Beneath that the supposed benefits (never really convinced by all that). On the opposite page is the point of the book, the corresponding vinyasa count.
IN 1 EKAM Hands up
EX 2 DVE Uttanasana
and so on. At the end of the book there's a couple of pages on Pranyama and the Chakras. Oh and at the beginning of each sequence you have the whole sequence laid out in John Scott's cool line drawings.
I've found it useful a few times to double check the breathing sequence and it's lay out makes that quick and easy. If you don't have Lino's DVD I'd recommend spending your money on that instead. But if you have loved one who practices Ashtanga and they don't have it, well next birthday or Christmas .......
Alternative to a Yogitoes Skidless yoga towel
If you've read the last couple of blogs you'll know I went to my first Shala for Mysore last week. Sweat buckets and have been thinking what to do about it. Wanted to take My rug this week but was worried about my Jump back and Jump through as my toe tends to brush the top of the mat still and gets rubbed raw on the rug. Wanted to get a Yogitoes Skidlees towel but hard to get in the UK and bloody expensive. However, pretty sure the skiddless is made from microfiber....basically a pretty coloured microfiber towel with sticky dots on. Picked up a cheap microfiber towel on eBay for about £5 and it works great. Sticks well to the rug or a mat, feet don't slip once it gets a little moist and best of all it's soft as a chinchillas underbelly. So if your feet still brush your mat it's not a problem. And of course microfiber towels are very light and absorb something like 7 times their own weight and drie 1/3 of the time of a normal towel...or so they say. Mine is by highlander and in a very tasteful olive green. And here's a video with said towel on my Manduka. Used the towel through my practice this morning, the occasional bunching up but not enough to become irritating.....Don't all rush to eBay at once.
PS. Think this is my best jump back yet, exploring something from Kino's DVD, post to come. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/kino-macgregor-workshop-journey-jump.html
PS. Think this is my best jump back yet, exploring something from Kino's DVD, post to come. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/kino-macgregor-workshop-journey-jump.html
Second Mysore class
Had my second Mysore class Sunday.This is by way of an update to this post http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/09/thinking-about-going-to-your-first.html
Was still really hot and I was sweating like crazy again, but better prepared so less embarrassed about it. The microfiber towel worked pretty well. Though if I hadn't ordered a Yogitoes I would have bought another one for finishing. Took along a nice clean fluffy towel for adjustments too which again made me feel a lot better. Could jump back on the Microfiber but gave up on jumping though cleanly and just settled for jumping to sit. Have you noticed on my video's how it takes me a while to get myself set to lift off? That's Ok at home but dont feel comfortable doing that in the Shala so just went straight into it. Probably a good habit to get into..talking of habits.
Made a bit of a hash of my practice, was much more focused last week. All my bad habits came out, forgetting which leg I had started with or starting with the wrong leg, creative breathing, missing out a vinyassa or two. Upavishta konasana to Setu bandhasana was a mess. I think in my home practice I tend to rush through that section, especially on a work day. But it's kind of like fast forwarding through a movie. You get to the next good bit (backbends) but lose the whole pace of the movie. And while that section might not seem as challenging as the Mari's or as dramatic as the Kurma's there's a lot of hip opening and prep necessary for 2nd.
Followed Sharath's DVD this morning and going to do that all week to add a little discipline.
Amazing adjustments again, Mari D in particular was an eye opener. Been able to just manage it for little while now but Sunday L. just kept turning me further and further into it until I could grasp my wrist rather than just my fingertips. Felt like if she let go my legs would go spinning round and round in cartoon fashion.
Kind of blown away by the whole adjustment thing. Seems so generous. It's one thing to stand at the frount of a room and say do this, do that but to get down on a sweaty mat and help our sweaty bodies into these asanas just seems such a generous selfless act. A big THANK-YOU to all the ashtanga teachers and assistants who do that every morning, your wonderful.
Was still really hot and I was sweating like crazy again, but better prepared so less embarrassed about it. The microfiber towel worked pretty well. Though if I hadn't ordered a Yogitoes I would have bought another one for finishing. Took along a nice clean fluffy towel for adjustments too which again made me feel a lot better. Could jump back on the Microfiber but gave up on jumping though cleanly and just settled for jumping to sit. Have you noticed on my video's how it takes me a while to get myself set to lift off? That's Ok at home but dont feel comfortable doing that in the Shala so just went straight into it. Probably a good habit to get into..talking of habits.
Made a bit of a hash of my practice, was much more focused last week. All my bad habits came out, forgetting which leg I had started with or starting with the wrong leg, creative breathing, missing out a vinyassa or two. Upavishta konasana to Setu bandhasana was a mess. I think in my home practice I tend to rush through that section, especially on a work day. But it's kind of like fast forwarding through a movie. You get to the next good bit (backbends) but lose the whole pace of the movie. And while that section might not seem as challenging as the Mari's or as dramatic as the Kurma's there's a lot of hip opening and prep necessary for 2nd.
Followed Sharath's DVD this morning and going to do that all week to add a little discipline.
Amazing adjustments again, Mari D in particular was an eye opener. Been able to just manage it for little while now but Sunday L. just kept turning me further and further into it until I could grasp my wrist rather than just my fingertips. Felt like if she let go my legs would go spinning round and round in cartoon fashion.
Kind of blown away by the whole adjustment thing. Seems so generous. It's one thing to stand at the frount of a room and say do this, do that but to get down on a sweaty mat and help our sweaty bodies into these asanas just seems such a generous selfless act. A big THANK-YOU to all the ashtanga teachers and assistants who do that every morning, your wonderful.
KINO MACGREGOR: a workshop, a journey : Jump back Jump Through Workshop
First off this is not an Ashtanga Primary series teaching video in the sense of Swenson, Scott, Sharath or Freeman. It's about 40 mins and split into two parts (NOT two DVD's) First part is basically a promotional video for Kino and her Studio in Miami. Her thoughts on Ashtanga inter cut with her performing a demo of some advanced series asanas. You can get a flavor of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAHh0ysgyC0&feature=related The second part is a workshop on Strength. Basically preparation for jumping back and Jumping through. I watched it tried it and pulled my best jump back and jump through right away.
So what's she doing? Well nothing really new, you'll find the different elements all over my blog from one source or another but Kino brings them together well. She starts off having you on all fours in a relaxed collapsed state.
Then she starts working up the body, tilting in and up the pelvis, drawing in and up the stomach, arching up the back and drawing the ribs together. She focuses on the point between the shoulder blades attaches it to the sternum. Imagine a thread passing through the point between your shoulder blades through to your sternum and as you pull up on the thread everything lifts up, that kind of thing. So you now have this "arched structure" if you look from the frount your hands are the base of the arch which comes up one arm over the shoulders and down the other arm, the total opposite of the collapsed posture. And it's that, and the shifting of your body weight over your hands that you want to transfer to your Jump backs and your jump through. So before you lift off your create that structure and it does seem to help.
This video is following my practice the morning after watching her DVD and trying to employ her principles. It's probably my best jump back so far.
If you can't get to one of her workshops then this is the next best thing. You can get the video from her website here http://ashtanga-awareness.com/dvd.html best of all you can use Paypal. Took a little over a week to reach me in the the UK
STOP PRESS : Just noticed that Kino now has an Ashtanga primary series DVD out available on her site.
Chakrasana The Roll back (1 of 3 )
So I was pulled up on my lack of a Chakrasana at the Shala on Sunday. I'd forgotten all about it. I think I had a go a couple of times when I first started Ashtanga but didn't have much room then and was worried about damaging my neck so gave up on it. Gave it another try during practice this morning but crashed and burned. After practice I decided to have another go, just one lame attempt after another, but funny. Decided to video my sorry attempts and was lucky enough to catch my first ever. So it's possible but I ask you this.....how are you supposed to do this in the Shala without smashing into the wall or taking out the person behind you, surely you need two body lengths, no?
Here's how John Scott describes the crucial stage.
"At the exact time that you roll on to the point of your shoulders, press firmly through your palms. keeping your legs energized and, synchronous with the push through your palms, shoot your legs backwards". John Scott Ashtanga Yoga
Addendum: Watching this I think where I'm going wrong is failing to tuck my chin in. Would give it another go this morning.......................but I have a stiff neck.Chakrasana Redux ( 2 of3 )
Was going to post on Chakrasana again earlier in the week, a post filled with expletives. Had also decided not to go to the Shala again until I'd nailed it, even if it took six months. But it's gone and crept up on me. Thanks to easeandeffort's comment and something I found somewhere about aiming the feet for the edge of the wall and floor, Oh and watching Sharath do it incredibly slowly. So here's this mornings attempts. Took two goes, I think mainly to get some momentum but not as much as I thought. Yes, important to keep the chin tucked in, mainly for that last bit as you roll over your head. Most of all you have to just trust it, bailing out at the last minute is the dangerous bit (see previous post BAD!).
Owning my practice
Hmmmm not sure how to articulate this....best to just jump in and let it work itself out.
I went to a Shala for the first time three weeks ago after a year and a half of self-practice (see posts below) and it was great, very beneficial and no doubt just what I needed. I was made aware of some of the physical possibilities of my body through adjustments. Pulled up gently on a couple of asanas I'd missed out and came away with a mental list of things to work on; getting the sequence of the last third of primary right, focusing on the correct sequence of breath, chakrosana etc. I've been working on all these elements for the last couple of weeks.........thing is, my practice doesn't feel mine anymore. Or less mine.
I started practicing Ashtanga alone at home with a book from the library, and then a DVD, more books more DVDs, youtube and the Internet. Asana I thought were impossible for me, for my body have become possible. All the time it's just been me on my mat, alone in a room early each morning, my practice. It's followed my mood and inclination, will, desire, frustration, stubborn determination, whatever.
Somehow now, after visiting the Shala, it feels a little like I'm practicing for someone else, my teacher? I need to work on this or that, improve this or that. Those elements to work on didn't come from me, didn't arise in me. Perhaps they should have done and done so a long time ago perhaps some things I might never have noticed on my own. Don't get me wrong I'm so very grateful for the attention, the adjustments, advice, suggestions it's just that each morning this last week it's felt a bit of a chore, my hearts not been in it. I feel more distant from my practice, less involved.
No doubt it will pass and it's just an adjustment but it's strange no? Wondered if anyone else had felt the same. And then I began to wonder if there's something similar when someone changes teachers and if so what that says about the teacher / student relationship ( I used to be a teacher ). And when you go to India, to Mysore does it feel more or less your practice, more Guruji's perhaps, more the traditions practice. Or does it always feel your practice.
Perhaps if you began learning Ashtanga in a Shala it's different. If you give yourself over to a teacher to the tradition it's still your practice but in a different context. For me there was just this style of yoga that appealed to me, that appeared graceful and yet powerful, beautiful, perfect. I looked at it as practiced by John Scott, Doug Swenson, Richard Freeman, Sharath, Lino, Kino. And it's the same practice but each time subtly different and sometimes not so subtle. A personal expression...... there you go, a personal practice. As far as I know they all learnt from teachers and studied in Mysore and yet all have their OWN practice. So perhaps I'm just over reacting and it will pass, I hope so because i know i can gain so much from visiting the Shala and perhaps one day, a trip to mysore. And yet...........?
Just read over this and I'm not sure this is what I'm trying to get at, but it's a start.......
I went to a Shala for the first time three weeks ago after a year and a half of self-practice (see posts below) and it was great, very beneficial and no doubt just what I needed. I was made aware of some of the physical possibilities of my body through adjustments. Pulled up gently on a couple of asanas I'd missed out and came away with a mental list of things to work on; getting the sequence of the last third of primary right, focusing on the correct sequence of breath, chakrosana etc. I've been working on all these elements for the last couple of weeks.........thing is, my practice doesn't feel mine anymore. Or less mine.
I started practicing Ashtanga alone at home with a book from the library, and then a DVD, more books more DVDs, youtube and the Internet. Asana I thought were impossible for me, for my body have become possible. All the time it's just been me on my mat, alone in a room early each morning, my practice. It's followed my mood and inclination, will, desire, frustration, stubborn determination, whatever.
Somehow now, after visiting the Shala, it feels a little like I'm practicing for someone else, my teacher? I need to work on this or that, improve this or that. Those elements to work on didn't come from me, didn't arise in me. Perhaps they should have done and done so a long time ago perhaps some things I might never have noticed on my own. Don't get me wrong I'm so very grateful for the attention, the adjustments, advice, suggestions it's just that each morning this last week it's felt a bit of a chore, my hearts not been in it. I feel more distant from my practice, less involved.
No doubt it will pass and it's just an adjustment but it's strange no? Wondered if anyone else had felt the same. And then I began to wonder if there's something similar when someone changes teachers and if so what that says about the teacher / student relationship ( I used to be a teacher ). And when you go to India, to Mysore does it feel more or less your practice, more Guruji's perhaps, more the traditions practice. Or does it always feel your practice.
Perhaps if you began learning Ashtanga in a Shala it's different. If you give yourself over to a teacher to the tradition it's still your practice but in a different context. For me there was just this style of yoga that appealed to me, that appeared graceful and yet powerful, beautiful, perfect. I looked at it as practiced by John Scott, Doug Swenson, Richard Freeman, Sharath, Lino, Kino. And it's the same practice but each time subtly different and sometimes not so subtle. A personal expression...... there you go, a personal practice. As far as I know they all learnt from teachers and studied in Mysore and yet all have their OWN practice. So perhaps I'm just over reacting and it will pass, I hope so because i know i can gain so much from visiting the Shala and perhaps one day, a trip to mysore. And yet...........?
Just read over this and I'm not sure this is what I'm trying to get at, but it's a start.......
Kino style Jump Through and how to make a home made nonslip yoga towel
OK, enough winging, back on topic!
I've been watching Kino MacGregor's DVDs lately (Review of her primary Series DVD to come). Been interested in her Jump Through, especially since mine is now much weaker than my Jump Back. You can now see a new screenshot slide show of her jump back and jump through in the comparison panel on the side of my blog, compared with Doug Swenson, John Scott, Lino Miele and Sharath. She jumps really high into a half handstand point of balance and then brings herself down and through. What interests me is how she leads her leg through. I've been trying this and find it much easier for clearing the mat and it seems a great way to start to move into jumping into an asana. In the video below I'm trying to lead my right leg through as she does, it's not as pronounced as hers, looking at it, but felt it at the time. I then try jumping through into Tiriangmukhaikapada Paschimattanasna (one leg fold back).
I've been watching Kino MacGregor's DVDs lately (Review of her primary Series DVD to come). Been interested in her Jump Through, especially since mine is now much weaker than my Jump Back. You can now see a new screenshot slide show of her jump back and jump through in the comparison panel on the side of my blog, compared with Doug Swenson, John Scott, Lino Miele and Sharath. She jumps really high into a half handstand point of balance and then brings herself down and through. What interests me is how she leads her leg through. I've been trying this and find it much easier for clearing the mat and it seems a great way to start to move into jumping into an asana. In the video below I'm trying to lead my right leg through as she does, it's not as pronounced as hers, looking at it, but felt it at the time. I then try jumping through into Tiriangmukhaikapada Paschimattanasna (one leg fold back).
Whether this works for you will depend how you are on the jumping into handstand. If you haven't done much of it I can assure you it's not as hard as it looks and there's some help on hand. Sadie has a handy Youtube tutorial called sadies 30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90pFU8YsTso that's great for building strength. Do it against a wall to build confidence. If you can nail it then your closer to those floaty jump ups to standing in the Sury's and jumping into Bakasana etc. I like it because it seems to give me more time for bringing my leg through, it looks cool, feels light and floaty and brings a nice pace to the practice. Mine is still untidy but think it's worth working on and probably going to become my Jump Through of choice. Cheers Kino!
PS. Notice too this is done on a yoga towel on top of my Manduka. It's a home made towel. Pick up a cheap microfiber towel from eBay. An XXL one. Cut it down the middle, fold the cut edge slightly over and use a straight forward blanket stitch and there you have it. Two non slip yoga towels that work for half the price of a branded one. great absorbency and they dry really quickly.
Chakrasana ( 3 of 3 )
Seem to have pretty much got the hang of Chakrasana. Trick appears to be finding the " sweet spot". Practice with Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) , take it up really high so your on the tips of your shoulders. now move into halasana and again aim to get as high up on your shoulders as you can. Now if you put your hands under your shoulders, I think that's the sweet spot and where your aiming for. Come down and now while it's fresh in your mind perform your chakrosana. Don't need as much momentum as you think and you don't need to push up with your hands as much as you think either, both of which can be a distraction. The chin is tucked down, your aiming your pointed toes for the the right angle of the floor and the imaginary wall behind you. When you go over it's as if your lightly rolling over your head most of the weight having been taken in your hands. Anyway that's what I think is going on and this is as much for me to be able to remember tomorrow as help for anyone else struggling with it. Here's the video.
Home made Non-slip Yoga towel
Thought this was such a good idea that it deserved it's own post.I'd ordered a yogitoes skidless towel but the place I ordered it from was out of stock so had to cancel the order. Shame, Kino uses one in her DVD and it looks great and doesn't appear to bunch up. Almost impossible to find them in the UK. I am, however, expecting delivery of a Manduka Equa any day, but until then here's what I've been using.
Yoga towels are made of microfiber so pick up a cheap microfiber towel from eBay. Try to find an XXL one. Cut it down the middle, fold the cut edge slightly over and use a straight forward blanket stitch and there you have it. Two non slip yoga towels that work, for half the price of a branded one. Great absorbency and they dry really quickly too.
One way of working towards Kino's Jump Through
This is pretty much how I learnt to do it. I picked up the handstand and the float up to standing pretty quickly from the Sadie Youtube video. I used that in my Sury's A & B in frount of a wall for a few months, fun going up to handstand. Only after seeing Kino's DVD this week have I started putting the jump through and the half handstand together. So you might want to spend some time just playing with the handstands and getting comfortable with that. Anyway hope this helps.
Step 1. Pick a wall
Step 2. Bunny hops (Shakti jumps?), Small ones at first, building up to half handstand using the wall to stop you going too far. See the Sadie's 30 Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90pFU8YsTso
Step 3. Jump up to half handstand from Downward Dog and hold.
Step 4. Place large cushion between arms. Repeat step 3 and come down crossed leg on to cushion. (the cushion is basically just to remove the fear factor i was paranoid at first abouyt coming down but only ended up using the cushion about twice).
Step 5. Work on slowing your descent by shifting your body weight a little forward as you come down and curling your hips round and in like a ball.
Step 6. Repeat Step 4 coming down onto a smaller cushion
Step 7. Repeat step 3 then come down softly as before but without the cushion.
Step 8. Repeat step 3 and as you come down lead your frount foot through your arms bringing the other leg through behind Kino style ( see the screen shot slideshow on the side of my blog).
Step 9 Repeat step 7 and then 8 in in the middle of your room away from the wall
Step 10. Repeat step 9 in your practice, fitting it in a couple of times here and there and then building up to all the way through.
Still working on steps and 8 and 9, tricky leading that frount leg through and it's hard to hit the point of balance without the wall as security (notice the unsightly arch in my back). Wednesday I was doing it every time but yesterday I managed to get it right five out of, what, twenty jump throughs in primary.
Here's a video of the above
PS A big big Thank you to Kino for her inspiration and kindness.
Step 1. Pick a wall
Step 2. Bunny hops (Shakti jumps?), Small ones at first, building up to half handstand using the wall to stop you going too far. See the Sadie's 30 Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90pFU8YsTso
Step 3. Jump up to half handstand from Downward Dog and hold.
Step 4. Place large cushion between arms. Repeat step 3 and come down crossed leg on to cushion. (the cushion is basically just to remove the fear factor i was paranoid at first abouyt coming down but only ended up using the cushion about twice).
Step 5. Work on slowing your descent by shifting your body weight a little forward as you come down and curling your hips round and in like a ball.
Step 6. Repeat Step 4 coming down onto a smaller cushion
Step 7. Repeat step 3 then come down softly as before but without the cushion.
Step 8. Repeat step 3 and as you come down lead your frount foot through your arms bringing the other leg through behind Kino style ( see the screen shot slideshow on the side of my blog).
Step 9 Repeat step 7 and then 8 in in the middle of your room away from the wall
Step 10. Repeat step 9 in your practice, fitting it in a couple of times here and there and then building up to all the way through.
Still working on steps and 8 and 9, tricky leading that frount leg through and it's hard to hit the point of balance without the wall as security (notice the unsightly arch in my back). Wednesday I was doing it every time but yesterday I managed to get it right five out of, what, twenty jump throughs in primary.
Here's a video of the above
PS A big big Thank you to Kino for her inspiration and kindness.
Early handstand work
Following on from my last couple of posts about the Kino Jump through and how I thought it was useful to work on some handstand and half handstands first. Here are a couple of videos from earlier in the year when I was working on handstands and trying to chuck them in everywhere. The second one is telling I think, no way I could lift myself up to handstand from seating then. Had to be all about shifting the weight forward as well as up.
Hips above shoulders above wrists!
1. Fitting handstands into the Sury's
2. Navasana to handstand
Hips above shoulders above wrists!
1. Fitting handstands into the Sury's
2. Navasana to handstand
Working towards leg behind head asanas and jumping back from Eka Pada Sirsasana
Good practice with the new Kino Primary DVD this morning. (Half way through a review but want to practice along with it another couple of times first. It's growing on me, she says some helpful things that help you open up more in an asana).
In some extracurricular practice this afternoon I managed to get my leg behind my head/neck/shoulder and keep it there no hands for the first time today. Amazing to think I'll be able to do this someday with a straight back, hardly seems possible. Had a go too at getting my other leg behind as well so I could get into Kurmasana. Couldn't stop laughing as fell out of it over and over. In the end I propped myself up so I wouldn't fall backwards and managed to just about get into it. Not a lot of style and grace but it's a start. Was surprised at how well the jump back from Eka pada sirasana went though. Excited about it, can see a whole new world opening up.
In some extracurricular practice this afternoon I managed to get my leg behind my head/neck/shoulder and keep it there no hands for the first time today. Amazing to think I'll be able to do this someday with a straight back, hardly seems possible. Had a go too at getting my other leg behind as well so I could get into Kurmasana. Couldn't stop laughing as fell out of it over and over. In the end I propped myself up so I wouldn't fall backwards and managed to just about get into it. Not a lot of style and grace but it's a start. Was surprised at how well the jump back from Eka pada sirasana went though. Excited about it, can see a whole new world opening up.
Also worked on slowing down the Kino jump through and back, quite pleased with how it's coming along.
Kino MacGregor Primary Series DVD Review
Practiced this morning along with Kino's Primary DVD. Exhausting as she goes at quite a pace and I was trying to do her high Jump Through throughout. My player clocks it 1 hour 15. If you take out the Intro, credits and chanting she gets through the primary series in about 70 minutes, pretty much the same as Sharath.
Here's her own promo on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciAnDkxaJE4
First thing I should say is that it arrived very quickly. I ordered it from her Miami life studio and it must have taken under a week to arrive with me here in the UK.
As you can see from the top screenshot you get the primary sequence and then an extra section on beginner options, see below.
These tend to be variations or easier ways of getting into the asanas. Very welcome to this blog is a section on the Jump Backs and Jump Through where she gives about five variations (She has another DVD of one of her workshops that goes into the Jump back and Through in even more detail).The main Primary sequence is broken down into scene selections. Where it says Advanced, this refers to a panel that pops up in the main practice with an Advanced variation or transition. EG. in Parasarita Padottanasana D she mentions the option of pressing up into handstand. She says while it's not traditional it can be fun. (YES! Thanks Kino for recognizing that the practice can be fun).
This morning was the third time I've practiced along with her Primary. First time I almost turned it off before the end of Sury B. She seemed to be talking too fast, saying too much, just sounded really busy and distracting. To be fair John Scott also talks pretty fast at times on his DVD, It's seems a bit much at first but fine once you get used to it. Sury B has a lot going on so it's bound to be an issue there.
I have DVDs by John Scott, Doug Swenson, Lino Miele, Sharath and Mark Darby. I can't say one is better than the other because they are all so different. I'm in awe of Lino's but can't imagine practicing along with it. Similarly with John Scotts though I've used his for reference quite a bit. Watching his practice made me fall in love with the Primary sequence again after a brief flirtation with The Rocket (power yoga). Doug Swanson's' is just so relaxed, something about his Texan drawl perhaps, but he is the master of the practice voice over. Mark Darby's DVD is still my top pick for a beginner DVD. Having him doing the basic practice with some advanced transitions thrown in and Nicole Bordeleau alongside him doing the beginner variations seems the best option for a beginner and it's the DVD I learnt with.
Kino's is probably the next best package for the beginner in that it has the separate section with beginner options. However these are not just for the total beginner but for the intermediate student as well. I've been practicing for a year and a half but like many practitioners have difficulty with Supta kurmasana and until recently marishyasana D as well, both are explored in the options.
I've found her comments throughout helpful in getting deeper into an asana. Kino seems to focus a lot on skeletal structure. Focus on the spine here, lifting out of the hips there. She constantly reminds your that your legs are your foundation and pressing down into your foot when you want to come up reminding you that your whole body is involved in an asana.
Pace is a little fast though that suits me. In most of the video's I have there is a full breath count. Kino doesn't count the breaths, reminding us at one point that our breathing cycles are all different, this frees her to comment and encourage you to get deeper into, or open up more in an asana.
Oh and I hope Kino has a sponsorship deal or something with Yogitoes Skidless towels. She practices her primary on a black one and on a green one in her workshop DVD. They look great and don't move or bunch up, testament indeed, I want one!
Will add anything else that comes to mind as I continue to practice along with the DVD over the next couple of weeks. Feel free to ask in the comments box if you want to know something specific about it.
Manduka eQua yoga Towel Arrived
My new Manduka eQua towel arrived today. Will let you know what it's like after my practice tomorrow.
First impressions........Green, VERY green! It's like doing your practice at Lords or Wimbledon's center court
First impressions........Green, VERY green! It's like doing your practice at Lords or Wimbledon's center courtSo it's now Tomorrow. Practiced with the eQua towel this morning. Had the heating turned up really high to make it a good and sweaty practice.
One problem though, I'd requested the XL towel for my XL manduka mat but in the meantime I'd sliced off the end of my manduka (collective gasp). Thing was I was getting used to this great big long mat but going to the Shala and having to practice on a regular size mat. I was afraid of kicking the person behind me in the head so reluctantly decided to get used to a regular mat at home. So I cut my manduka down to regular size forgetting about the imminent arrival of said XL eQua.
But this is actually OK as I can fold a couple of inches of the mat over each end of the mat making it even more secure (see picture).
So does it work? is it fit for purpose?
Manduka claim
1. Super-absorbent.
It certainly is. I'm about as sweaty an Ashtangi as your likely to find, the eQua did all I could ask of it.
2. Ultra soft.
As a babies bottom. I suffer from ashtanga toes, dried skin on the front of your big toe from rolling over throughout the practice. Gets really sore huh. These days I sually lower onto my knees then adjust my toes to avoid rolling over. With the eQua it's so soft that I was able to go back to rolling over. The towel feels really nice too laying back into the supine asana's and especially savasana.
3. Slip resistant.
Need to give it a quick spray with a water mister but from then on your fine. Parasarita Padattanasana has to be one of the most worrying asanas where slipping can be really nasty. Here's a video from this morning on the towel.
and here's another of a jump back and jump through another area of concern with regards to slipping
.
4. Moisture Wicking
So this refers to drawing the moisture away from the surface of the mat in the same way as my trusty Nike pro's. I guess it does, seeing as theirs no pool of sweat on top of the mat, but have always wondered.....where does it all go, wicked away to where? one of the great mystery, solve this one next Gordon.
5. Rapid dry.
Oh yeah! again, how, where does it go? pretty much dry ten minutes after practice. Also I rinsed it out in the shower, wrung it out, hung it on the door about an hour ago and it's already dry and ready to go again.
6. Light weight
Yep, weighs almost nothing and folds up into a tiny mesh bag too.
7. Durable
Will have to see about that but I imagine so. Looks well made
BUT.......... well not much a but really. But see my earlier post on making your own yoga towel http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/home-made-non-slip-yoga-towel.html
The eQua is basically just a pretty microfiber towel. eBay is full of them at the moment so you could make your own as I did.
However, I couldn't find one the right length for a yoga mat and had to settle for a bath towel, cut it down the middle and stitch the seams. The eQua on the other hand is designed for a mat, the right length the right width and comes in cool colours (hard to find a decent colour microfiber towel on eBay).
New problems with my jump back and jump through
Having a problem with my jump back lately, actually there are still several problems but this is a new one that seems to have come about quite recently. Not sure when I started doing this but noticed it the last couple of practices. It's all to do with the breath. I Lift up OK on the inhale but then when I want to exhale and kick back into chatauranga it's like I'm stuck. I tend to bounce in the middle of it dropping my toe and then exhaling and kicking back. My toe doesn't always go down, I can sometimes muscle it out,but it's awkward. It's not a smooth transition from the inhale to the exhale, from the lift up to the Kick back.
OK, been working on the above and I think I know what it is. I think when I lift up I'm coming up more and more into Lolasana and am already tilted forward. I think before, I used to come up straighter and then the exhale would come more easily on that tilt forward and kick back. Stated coming up into lolasana a little straighter and that seems to be overcoming this lock up on the breath.
Another problem that comes and goes is with my Kino Jump Through. If I don't hit the point of balance POB or even sometimes when I do, I occasionally come straight down into a kind of Jump to sit rather than a Jump through.
The way to overcome this seems to be to jump up to POB bringing the shoulders a little forward of the wrists and then pivoting at the shoulder ball up and swing through.
This video seems to catch what I'm aiming at at the moment when it's going right. (Quite please with my Paschimottanasana at the moment , legs seem to be /staying flatter, have always found it difficult).
OK, been working on the above and I think I know what it is. I think when I lift up I'm coming up more and more into Lolasana and am already tilted forward. I think before, I used to come up straighter and then the exhale would come more easily on that tilt forward and kick back. Stated coming up into lolasana a little straighter and that seems to be overcoming this lock up on the breath.
Another problem that comes and goes is with my Kino Jump Through. If I don't hit the point of balance POB or even sometimes when I do, I occasionally come straight down into a kind of Jump to sit rather than a Jump through.
The way to overcome this seems to be to jump up to POB bringing the shoulders a little forward of the wrists and then pivoting at the shoulder ball up and swing through.
This video seems to catch what I'm aiming at at the moment when it's going right. (Quite please with my Paschimottanasana at the moment , legs seem to be /staying flatter, have always found it difficult).
backbends
I'm moving into the back bend business.
Been feeling, for awhile, that back bends/drop backs and handstands http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/early-handstand-work.html would be suitable for this Blog. Like the Jump back they're elements of the practice that can be looked at and worked on separately from the rest of the practice. Actually, I'm not that sure whether this is the case with the back bend, as you wouldn't want to approach them cold in the way that you can the jump back and the handstand, but hey.
I've been working on them for awhile now and as with the Jump Backs I want to document the transition from getting close to being able to achieve them with some confidence. I've felt all along that the great ashtanga teachers are sometimes too far removed from the struggling student. They can appear godlike. Take Lino Miele for instance, watching his practice in the beginning was almost enough to make me give up there and then, just didn't seem possible for me.
I hope that progress I've made over the past couple of months with the Jump back and Jump through from sliding my toes along the floor to just about clearing it, is encouraging and makes it seem more possible, even likely that anyone can achieve the same.
As with the Jump back I want to bring together some resources, Youtube video's, information, advice, tutorials, Etc.
With all this in mind this is where I am with my back bend.
Felt I was getting close to be able to come up to standing this morning which is why I want to start documenting this now. Going to the shala a few weeks ago and having L lift me up deeper into the back bend made me realise that perhaps it would be possible to achieve the sort of back bends I've seen on youtube (video links to come)in the not so distant future.
I've started stretching more deeply into it and doing five instead of the three I used to do. Coming down after each lift I've started moving my hands a little closer to my legs. I noticed a while ago that after the fifth lift and fifth time moving closer to my legs I was beginning to feel a small shift in my weight towards my legs.
Been feeling, for awhile, that back bends/drop backs and handstands http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/10/early-handstand-work.html would be suitable for this Blog. Like the Jump back they're elements of the practice that can be looked at and worked on separately from the rest of the practice. Actually, I'm not that sure whether this is the case with the back bend, as you wouldn't want to approach them cold in the way that you can the jump back and the handstand, but hey.
I've been working on them for awhile now and as with the Jump Backs I want to document the transition from getting close to being able to achieve them with some confidence. I've felt all along that the great ashtanga teachers are sometimes too far removed from the struggling student. They can appear godlike. Take Lino Miele for instance, watching his practice in the beginning was almost enough to make me give up there and then, just didn't seem possible for me.
I hope that progress I've made over the past couple of months with the Jump back and Jump through from sliding my toes along the floor to just about clearing it, is encouraging and makes it seem more possible, even likely that anyone can achieve the same.
As with the Jump back I want to bring together some resources, Youtube video's, information, advice, tutorials, Etc.
With all this in mind this is where I am with my back bend.
Felt I was getting close to be able to come up to standing this morning which is why I want to start documenting this now. Going to the shala a few weeks ago and having L lift me up deeper into the back bend made me realise that perhaps it would be possible to achieve the sort of back bends I've seen on youtube (video links to come)in the not so distant future.
I've started stretching more deeply into it and doing five instead of the three I used to do. Coming down after each lift I've started moving my hands a little closer to my legs. I noticed a while ago that after the fifth lift and fifth time moving closer to my legs I was beginning to feel a small shift in my weight towards my legs.
In this second video I've started walking my hands in and started to rock back and forth onto my toes and fingers. I tried this for the first time about two weeks ago but just couldn't get the coordination. Managed it for the first time this week the rocking not the full lift). Still got a way to go but I'm starting to believe it's possible.
The other thing to do, of course, is to work the other way, i.e. Drop backs. Tried drop backs about a month ago. I started off dropping back on to the sofa then onto cushions and finally to the floor. First one was caught on camera and was pretty good (beginners luck?)http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/08/2-ashtanga-accident-videos-dropping.html
Next time I tried it I landed on my head. http://grimmly2007.blogspot.com/2008/08/2-ashtanga-accident-videos-dropping.html Haven't tried them since as I wanted to work on deepening my back bend first. After the this mornings practice I'm feeling more confident about giving them another go.
Jump Back: pushing up rather than lifting up.
Something happened to my Jump Back this week, think I noticed it Tuesday. I found I was getting up higher and that it was feeling easier. I started trying to focus on it, in a nice matter of fact Vipassana kind of a way, and realized I was Pushing up rather than Lifting up. "That's interesting" thinks the Vipassana practitioner in me. "Yipi ai A" shouts the Bruce Willis in me a little more exuberantly. Actually I got mistaken for Bruce Willis once in Osaka Castle, when I was living in Japan. Little old lady came up to me and asked me for an autograph. Of course I signed it, don't see the resemblance myself.
Anyway pushing up. Had read about this here and there. Different teachers saying you should push up into your lift off but I've always lifted up. When you think about it it makes much more sense. We do push ups not lift ups and when we first start getting into jump backs it's almost like were trying to drag ourselves up.
Now it could be that my core has become stronger or that I've become stronger all round or that my control and technique has improved such that I'm able to Push up where i couldn't before. However, I suspect it was mostly just a mental block re enforced by the constant reference to "lifting" up. It might also be something to do with following along with Kino's DVD (really loving this DVD by the way getting a hell of a lot out of. She chats away throughout and you start picking up on different things she says in different practices, highly recommended). I picked up on her saying something like"Bring the shoulders further apart and draw your shoulder blades down your back". She mentioned this just before going into the lift off.
Here's a video from the front to try and show this pushing up aspect.
Anyway pushing up. Had read about this here and there. Different teachers saying you should push up into your lift off but I've always lifted up. When you think about it it makes much more sense. We do push ups not lift ups and when we first start getting into jump backs it's almost like were trying to drag ourselves up.
Now it could be that my core has become stronger or that I've become stronger all round or that my control and technique has improved such that I'm able to Push up where i couldn't before. However, I suspect it was mostly just a mental block re enforced by the constant reference to "lifting" up. It might also be something to do with following along with Kino's DVD (really loving this DVD by the way getting a hell of a lot out of. She chats away throughout and you start picking up on different things she says in different practices, highly recommended). I picked up on her saying something like"Bring the shoulders further apart and draw your shoulder blades down your back". She mentioned this just before going into the lift off.
Here's a video from the front to try and show this pushing up aspect.
On youtube for itouch readers http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-SGosMDzfAQ
I think I'm doing the Kino shoulder thing but also leaning further forward , ahhhh is that it, my shoulders more over my wrists, does this allow me to push up more? ....Just broke off from my scrambled eggs to give that a try....No I think I've been getting further over for awhile. Just seems to be that, out of the blue, I've started pushing rather than lifting. Going to hit the blogs now and see if anyone else has mentioned this in the past.
Backbend and drop back videos on Youtube
As promised some backbend and drop back video's from Youtube. you can find most of these on my Youtube playlist here.http://uk.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2BC774BEFFB4F372
let me know if you've found something you think should be included.
First link is to the contributors page the second is to the backbend video
sandidanil
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y1mJ1TzoVFQ&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=0
Sharath
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vPljBKe4ybg&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=1
bestbuychi : building up to dropbacks
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qGK_eMN8Vgw&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=2
YogiPod : nice long hang
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EdOHDalr_lc&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=3
sadienardini dropback tutorial
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kh57dfUDL28&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=4
sarai665 : on the beach, different angle
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sj243vg9PFk&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=5
roboramma : handstand to backbend
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=usvKytzEvYU&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=6
bestbuychi : using a wall
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gbOHAWBVypc&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=7
partneryogachs cat stevens soundtrack
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=53XCuz4rerU&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=8
yogaoctave ; working from handstand to backbend using a chair
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=njJr8fLMZEw&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=9
wendyspies 9 months pregnant backbend
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FbkK1UEptd4&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=10
TheRealYogaChickie using a chair to work on backbends
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ShGHRy80W5E&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=11
ashtangaboi backbend series handstand to backbend etc
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4sYpQTG6Y&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=12
anakrousis Tiriang Mukhottanasana
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XbN4IyO4gX4&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=13
yogamatfire one of my favourites, full ashtnga backbend series
let me know if you've found something you think should be included.
First link is to the contributors page the second is to the backbend video
sandidanil
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y1mJ1TzoVFQ&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=0
Sharath
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vPljBKe4ybg&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=1
bestbuychi : building up to dropbacks
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qGK_eMN8Vgw&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=2
YogiPod : nice long hang
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EdOHDalr_lc&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=3
sadienardini dropback tutorial
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kh57dfUDL28&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=4
sarai665 : on the beach, different angle
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sj243vg9PFk&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=5
roboramma : handstand to backbend
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=usvKytzEvYU&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=6
bestbuychi : using a wall
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gbOHAWBVypc&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=7
partneryogachs cat stevens soundtrack
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=53XCuz4rerU&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=8
yogaoctave ; working from handstand to backbend using a chair
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=njJr8fLMZEw&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=9
wendyspies 9 months pregnant backbend
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FbkK1UEptd4&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=10
TheRealYogaChickie using a chair to work on backbends
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ShGHRy80W5E&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=11
ashtangaboi backbend series handstand to backbend etc
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4sYpQTG6Y&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=12
anakrousis Tiriang Mukhottanasana
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XbN4IyO4gX4&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=13
yogamatfire one of my favourites, full ashtnga backbend series
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kDjOZexoZRU&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=14
mukimukimunmun backbend flipflops outsidehttp://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N6jMYJ012dE&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=15
more from the great anakrousis : so you think you can do Kappo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=l8bj-KovYF4&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=16
excellent backbend tutoriol, as ever, from lrockwood kappotasana
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F_GXujI-fqA&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=19
AshtangaVinyasaYoga from Anne Nuotio`s DVD
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wUJBxARDSVs
htimsmot2 dropping back
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2kRqKpqczHo&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=22
MahaMondo backbend flip flops
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TpvNsU637Fg&feature=PlayList&p=2BC774BEFFB4F372&index=23
and from me grimmly2007 my first drop back
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=itSB7EJI4BY
and my second, crashing onto my head, a cautionary tale