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October 9th - Rajalaxmi Twists

Tamara Hockey

Well today was a complete wash-out practice wise. Went to bed far too late to contemplate getting up for Prasant, so left Sarah a note to go ahead without me, but still only ended up with about 5 hours sleep. Got up cranky and tired and although practice started well, gave up on it after a couple of hours, before I'd really got to the crucial parts and for once enjoyed a shared meal at a 'normal' time. Gotta take a day off sometimes, right? Sarah had a hankering to go to the University Botanical Gardens, but I still felt too shattered to take on any extra missions so I declined. My mistake! spent the afternoon, having hilarious arguments as Sarah played devil's advocate to drum up a bit of interesting entertainment for herself. Moral of the story is, if Sarah wants to do something, probably best to go along with it ....

We did get some teaching practice in later afternoon so not a total wash out after all. As I'd missed Prasant I rather sheepishly went along to Rajalaxmi's Inter 1 and as per last week, got an extremely thorough basic level class, mainly local people with a few foreigners thrown in. Basic poses, done well and held for a long time with lots of repeats. It was really funny to watch how totally and utterly oblivious Rajalaxmi is to their colourful suffering - lots of panting and groaning with the prolonged stays in the ever deepening twists.

Deliciously tired now, with a special class tomorrow morning to look forward to as we are joining the visiting students in their intensive at a nearby venue.

October 9th - Rajalaxmi Twists

  • Swastikasana Come on the fronts of the thighs (don’t drop the sacrum back), be sharp on the sit bones, shift forward from the pelvic rim and become tall. Invocation to Patanjali and Guru chant.

  • X legs bend forwards This group was new to inter 1 and many had big hump in the back, where the hands were down and the shoulders were up. She moved everybody to a raise – hands on platform, pillar, wall etc. We had to move well away from the raise so that the hips went back and the trunk extended forward. This enabled us to press the shoulder blade in and connect the arm bones into the sockets. Head in line with upper arms. “Walk back with the buttocks, be long from pelvic rim to armpit, shoulder blade deeper into you, don’t push the head inside” Very long stay x 2

  • AMS Take proper distance so that you can get that same LOOONG side trunk and armpit opening. Maintain this long stride as you step the right foot between the palms for Parsvottonasana again long stay, legs should still be like dog pose, draw up and push back.

  • Go back to raise, here she she gave demo of how the front leg hip has to draw back and grip in and the back leg buttock has roll down towards the floor. Parsvottonasana to raise long stay

  • Half Utt to raise feet hip width, tremendous extension of side trunk.

  • AMS Side trunk extension, sit bones away from neck.

  • Step right foot between hands for CCB Parsvott with generous distance, bring left hand across to outside of right leg and right hand to waist Parivrrta Trikonasana frontal thigh push back (both sides with AMS in between) AMS jump to UTT

  • Demo of Parivrrta Trik how hips have to move to generate the turn, back hip has to roll

  • AMS to Parsvott CCB to Parivrtta Trik Take head back and dorsal in so that breastbone moves towards the neck and then the turn can come (Both sides via AMS) AMS jump to Utt.

  • AMS step forwards with leg bent to right angle for Pariv Parsvak bring left elbow across, sternum open to chin and turn (both sides via AMS).

  • Demo at trestle / wall / platform Parivrtta Parsvakonasna wall support start facing into centre of room, bend leg closest to wall and turn body to face wall. We allowed back heel to lift and back hip to roll down in order to turn further. Straighten leg to Parivrtta Trikonasana.

  • Take bolster Bharadvajasana 1 prop up the buttock bone only on the side that gets dropped. The mistake you all make is to sit in the heel, move the feet out from underneath you. Turn to right side, “Where is the difficulty? What holds you back?” The back ribs don’t turn and for the back ribs to turn the front ribs have to move further round. Repeat right side and use hands 1) In centre of sternum, grab the t-shirt and pull yourself around 2) Put finger in navel and draw the navel around. Better?

  • Marichyasana 3 X 3 (Mari 1 for periods) seated on bolster. Take armpit over and use hand to draw the abdomen around. Lift opposite buttock completely off the floor to move armpit further over. On 2nd go catch straight leg shin, even you can bend the leg, to catch further and then straighten it. Long hold here (oblivious to the panting and groaning).

  • Paschimottonasana elbows up and shoulder blades in, don’t push the head down, extend forwards.

  • Ardha Matsyendrasana Demo to show position of foot that crosses over – it shouldn’t get taken back behind the bent knee – actually the heel should come in line with the knee, so that the ankle bone and knee have to press on each other and the toes are in front of the knee.

  • Paschimottonasana

  • Ardha Matsyendrasana Demo to show the proper method of sitting on the foot – one buttock bone on the big toe mound and other buttock bone on the heel, Guruji used to say like a cup and saucer, the buttocks have to sit in the saucer of the foot.

  • Paschimottonasana from Urdhva Hasta, without catching the feet and using the hands to draw forwards x 5 times extending the side ribs forward, lengthening from waist, up and down.

  • Sirsasana – Parsva Sirsasana X 2 When turning to right side, lengthen up left hip to left ankle – Eka Pada Sirsasana

  • AMS

  • Sarvangasana come back down to halasana, bend knees like utkatasana (not karnapidasana) and roll buttocks more over towards head. Keep lift of buttocks and straighten knees (don’t let the buttocks get pushed back when you straighten the knees). Back up to sarvangasana and eka pada sarvangasana X 2 each side don’t think, just go, touch floor and come up. On second go used same method as has been taught all week, to bring front leg forward to eka pada, take back leg way back as if you were going to drop back to setu bandha.

  • Savasana

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