Peter Brook's Mahabharata and Krishna talks to Prince Arjun

and a Gita scene

Developing a home practice Parts 1-30

I received an email this from A. this week asking me how I started and I guess developed my home practice. I was going to direct her to the link to these Developing a home practice posts but it tends to link to the most recent first. This then is an attempt to put it all in the correct order. Bit awkward doing this so let me know if I've screwed up any of the links.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11a Part 11b Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15a Part 15b Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21a Part 21b Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26a Part 26b Part 27 Parts 28, 29 and 30 Part 32

The last of these is from September 09 so need to do a few more to bring my things up to date.

Full body Mudra

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm using Vinyasa Krama to adapt and moderate my Ashtanga practice. One of the ways I'm doing that is through the use of Mudras.

I'd always thought mudras were hand gestures but it seems there are also full body mudras, some can be found in the Hatha Yoga Padipka

Another word for mudra is lock or seal and the ones here, as they come up in Ramaswami's Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga tend to involve engaging of the bandhas.

Ashtangi's are already familiar with mudras. The bandhas (or locks) are mudras, Mulabandha Mudra, Uddiyanabandha Mudra and Jalahandra bandha Mudra, but we're also familiar with the full body mudra, Yoga Mudra in the Finishing sequence is, as it's name suggests, a mudra and not strictly an asana.

Yoga Mudra

Swami Satyananda Saraswati's in his book Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, has this to say in his section on Mudras.

'Mudras manipulate Prana in much the same way that energy in the form of light or sound waves is diverted by a mirror or cliff face. The nadis and chakras constantly radiate prana which normally escapes from the body and dissipates into the external world. By creating barriers within the body through the practice of mudra, the energy is redirected within' p424

Regular readers of this blog will be aware that I haven't, as yet, bought into the prana/chakra/subtle body model. However I do like how he goes on to say

'The aim is to create fixed, repetitive postures and gestures which can snap the practitioner out of instinctive habit patterns and establish more refined consciousness'. p424

I use them for two reasons, one, they tended to be my favourite postures in Vinyasa Krama, and two, I just find them useful for moderating my practice, slowing it down, taking control.

In Vinyasa Krama you tend to stay in the mudra for an extended period. You might stay in Maha Mudra, for five or more minutes. I tended to stay for ten to twenty-five breaths each side. Because it's a mudra rather than an asana, you can pretty much practice it anywhere.

Below is a video from last year some time. Of course you might feel that it slows your practice down TOO much. Ramaswami recognizes this and suggests that you might like to spend less time in maha mudra in the main sequence (it comes up in the Asytmmetric sequence in VK) and perhaps longer before or after Pranayama. If you have a separate Pranayama and/or Meditation practice, this is a nice mudra to do in preparation for full or half lotus.

In Ashtanga, I include Maha Mudra before Janu Sirsana A. I engage all the bandhas strongly and stay for ten breaths each side. It refocuses my attention on the breath and bandhas and I finding somehow grounding.

I have that tendency in Ashtanga to get carried away with the practice, with the athleticism, the strength and movement, the flow of it all, the mudras kind of pull me up a little. The best thing about Maha Mudra is that it pretty much is Janu A without the forward bend, it slips neatly into the practice. I also like to include it before Leg behind head postures as it opens the hip nicely.

Another favourite is Mahabandhasana (the great lock). I slip this into Intermediate after Bakasana and before Bharadavajrasana (which is pretty much a twisted version of the mudra). If you don't like Maha Mudra so much you could use this after Tirang Mukkha Eka pada Paschimottanasana. From that posture I tend to cross my extended leg into half lotus to jump back anyway, which pretty much puts me into the mudra. Similarly, following Krounchasana in 2nd series or perhaps after Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana, it'll settle you before the seven deadlies.

Vinyasa Krama recommends taking mini Savasanas to settle the breath and heartrate. Breath should be steady in Ashtanga too. Rather than just taking a Savasana you can bring in Tatkamudra (the pond gesture the belly in full Uddiyana looks like a pond). I like it after Supta Vajrasana or Karandavasana, again it slows me down, grounds me, reminds me what I'm doing there on the mat. I also like it towards the end of the practice before the Shoulder stands

I mentioned Yoga Mudra in the finishing sequence, variations of that mudra include bending to the right and left side. Below is Laghu Yoga Mudra (Simple yoga seal) again the bandhas are engaged.

And just one more because I like it a lot and and always try to include now at the end of my headstand, Viparita Yoga Mudra (inverted yoga seal).

Vinyasa Krama Lotus sequence Speeded up x 4

This is the last of the big six sequences from Srivatsa Ramaswami's Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga, that I've videoed and speeded up. I practice them on alternate days, Lotus on Friday. The full sequence takes me around around forty-five minutes but that includes, what Ramaswami refers to as the 'Lotus special balancing postures' at the end. You could leave these out if they're too challenging and go into a regular headstand, Savasana and Pranayama. They include a Lotus Mayurasana, Urdhwa Kukkutasana's, Lotus headstands, Padma Pincha Mayurasana and I throw in a Karandavasana for luck. Apart from those tricky ones at the end if you can manage lotus then it's not too difficult a sequence, to get through.... to do well is another matter, I need a lot more practice with some of these, but hey, show me an asana that couldn't do with another ten years work.

Ramaswami preface's the Sequence with this.

'The lotus posture (padmasana) is considered by conventional yogis to be the most important seated posture. Mention of this posture can be found not merely in old yoga texts but also in epics and other very ancient Indian religious and cultural books'. p189

In other words, it's old school.

The first time I did this sequence I had to take a lot of breaks to stretch out my legs, now I can do it in one go. The half lotus variations make excellent prep for the main pose and the variations after that keep it interesting. There are forward bends, twists, backbends, shoulder stands and headstands. Forty minutes in lotus, that's a respectable seated meditation practice.

As usual, I need to mention that this is my version of the sequence. I'm still getting used to it and miss things out and get the order wrong. While editing I realized I'd missed out Padma Mayurasana, one of the coolest asana in this sequence and had to go upstairs, record it and edit it in. Trouble was I'd just eaten breakfast, you really don't want to practice this posture on a full stomach. So, no substitute for Ramaswami's book.

As with all these sequences I tend to practice them after some Sury's and standing poses. I used to use a pretty standard Ashtanga Standing sequence but recently I've been using the 'On one leg' sequence from Ramaswami's book. Depending on whether there are any Shoulder stands and headstands I'll do a standard Ashtanga finishing. The Lotus sequence includes both but I tend to like to finish off with a five minute savasana and a ten minute headstand to stretch out my legs before going back into lotus for Pranayama.

One thing I do miss out here is going up to headstand from lotus. Can't for the life of me seem to manage that, very tricky. Padma Pinch Mayurasana is in the sequence, Karandavasana isn't. I added it anyway but probably shouldn't have bothered, I'm all squished up and the exit is horrible, need to start practicing it again.

The straight leg jump through pretty much came off alright again. It's really hit and miss. In my evening Primary I need a couple with my hands on books and then I'm pretty much OK with them throughout the practice. Every now and then though I completely lose it and just can't jump through, very strange, have to do another couple with the books to reset.

Vinyasa Krama Bow sequence Speeded up x 4 plus Kapo/dropbacks

Bow sequence is one of the shorter Sequences in Ramaswami's Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga, Here it is speeded up. No doubt I've moved away from the book a couple of times, I'll go through it later and list any variations.

Sometimes I'll add the Vajrasana sequence at the back of the book to Bow as it includes Ustrasana, Lagu Vajrasana and Kapotasana but here I've just gone straight in to them. I've finished it off with drop backs.

In my practice yesterday evening I then moved on to the Seated sequence with it's forward bends. It's a short sequence too and they seem to complement each other.

As with any of my video's, if you think you might find something useful, feel free to download it from Youtube using Realplayer etc. These speeded up sequences can usually be slowed back down again if your trying to learn a sequences. I'm still working them out myself though and sometimes part company with Ramaswami's book so it's worth getting.

PRANAYAMA IN MY SLEEP

So after all those backbends, and that Ganda B felt pretty deep, I knew I was going to have a restless night, must have woken up every hour. Sometime in the night I ended up having a nightmare.

Now when I was about six, I was in Boots the chemist with my Mother, and a wasp flew into my ear. I panicked tried to get it out and it stung me a bunch of times. I've had a bit of a phobia about wasps ever since. Anyway I tend to sleep with earplugs, it's noisy here, you can hear the traffic on the video. Last night I dreamt a wasp flew into my ear. It was very realistic, perhaps because I could feel the earplugs. I was just about to panic, and try and get it out but remembered that it would just sting the hell out of me. Without thinking I started to do Pranayama, getting really into it, retention and everything. All the time the Wasp was moving about in my ear. One moment it seemed it was about to come about but then it would go in deeper again, I could even feel the tiny hairs on it's back and it's hot legs. Eventually the thing crawled out and flew away and I woke. up.

Of course if this happened while I was awake I'm sure I would run shouting and screaming up and down the street sticking sticks in my ear to try and get the bugger out. No doubt some may think this is some deep memory stuck down in my spine somewhere released by the deep Ganda B. but I tend to remember that time as kid every time I see a wasp so I'm not sure I buy it.

On another note. I did primary this morning. Straight leg jump through all the way through. Still clumsy with heavy landing but getting through every time.