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Day 2 . 32 Tadasanas Abhijata and Guruji

Tamara Hockey

Updated: Jan 20

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What a day! Class began at 9.30am and after yesterday’s experience of being at the back with all the traffic noise, we made sure we arrived 45 minutes early and chose a good space. Abhijata took the class with a microphone and relayed instructions directly from Guruji – it was amazing! I was so moved to be receiving instruction from the master himself. The class was excellent and I learned much. I am brimming over from all this new learning and that was only the first class! The method of teaching between Guruji and Abhijata worked brilliantly. Abhijata’s instructions were crystal clear and her delivery assertive but with humour.

First a lecture on coming to class with an open mind – as Guruji put it, if your cup is already full how can you receive anything?. We were to leave our egos at the door and approach the class as students whatever our certification as teachers.We began in swastikasana with no props unless truly needed. Lifting up the sides of the spine, every single vertabrae involved in upwards extension – we were told we were pushing our spines forward and there can be no extension in this case. There should be 32 tadasanas in your back!

We did a dynamic standing pose sequence: Prasarita Padottonasana, Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Vira 2, Ardha Chandrasana, Vira 1, Vira 3,Parsvottonasana, Prasarita Paddottonasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sirsasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana,  Janu Sirsasana, Upavista Konasana, Paschimottonasana, Sarvangasana, Karnapidasana.

So much brilliant teaching contained within that I felt completely engaged and challenged throughout. Spirits soaring all round, yesterday’s despondency about class size and difficulty hearing etc. transformed

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Later on in the day I was in the lobby looking at books for sale, when I noticed Guruji sat just opposite me. There we were face to face. I nervously bought my hands together at my heart and bowed my head. When I raised my gaze he gave me a nod of acknowledgement and I felt an unexpected sense of grave respect contained within.

Administration info for future students (Correct currently, likely to change at any point!)

We were told by Pandu after class that anyone who hadn’t completed registration by 5.30pm this eve, need not come back tomorrow – no excuses. Registration not always straightforward. A sheaf of documents required: 1. Acceptance letter 2. Photocopy of passport and visa 3. Letter from landlord / hotel confirming residency at that address 4. Balance of payment 5. Passport Photo  6.Completed Registration form.

In previous years there were 2 separate timetables allotted to students (Geeta’s or Prasant’s cycle of classes).Now everyone is on the same cycle, but we are free to choose any other class on the general timetable, provided you only attend one class per day.

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2 January 2013


Abhijata & Guruji Women’s Class


We are there to learn.  Even senior teachers must come as beginners.  If your cup is already full, there is not room to receive anything. Be open to learning!


No props.


Sitting for prayers

Sukasana – lift sides of spine – 32 vertebrae, 32 tadasanas! We were pushing the spine forward and preventing it from extending upwards.


Prasarita paddotanasana


Trikonasana

Take groin of back leg to back foot and hold it there as you extend out go down.

Hand to floor to help waist to drop towards the floor; chest box to the ceiling. 

Hand to leg puts the brake on the previous waist / chest action.  Go to the floor.


Parsvakonasana

(Bend knee from groin - which one?)

Hand to floor – no brakes – going lower – side ribs down, internal organs to release downward.

Back leg work – inner leg hits up but hip joint resists.


Vira 2


Ardha chandrasana

Abhi demonstration of position of groins – standing leg groin – keep it in place, parallel to lifted leg groin – don’t allow it to swing back.

Measure length of side trunk and maintain that length as you go into the pose – keep outer hip back (Lynda!)

Dig down top hip.


Vira 1

Tadasana arms reaching down towards floor  - extend little fingers.  Repeated several times, to get hip bones down.  Do with the body, not the brain. Bottom hip socket UP top hip socket DOWN.


Vira 3


Parsvottonasana


Prasarita paddotanasana Lift UP into the hips – grip of muscles on the joint – disintegration without firmness and integration in the joint. Keep the lift and roll the hip muscles IN IN IN as you go down wrap the muscles around.


AM Svanasana

Heels up – take them down from the inner groins.

Shoulder blades – draw line down shoulder blades and make those lines concave (while standing). Now do same in dog pose. Lift outer palm and little finger completely up off floor, roll to thumb side sharply, achieves more lift of inner arms, then head up, shoulder blades concave.


Janu sirsasana

Take AMS shoulder blades into first (urdhva mukha) part of janu.


Paschimottanasana

Where is inner ankle bone – is it hiding or expressing?  Hiding!

Demonstrations on platform – different paschimottansanas.  Don’t think a paschimottonasana is good just because the head is down. Watch the extension of the heel and the expression of the inner ankle. There should not be a gap between the lowest part of the leg and the floor.

So - do

Upavista konasana

And look at inner ankle bone(Where is it? Expressed – close to skin),

the extension of the heel, the arch of the foot  Try for same result in Paschimottanasana.  More important than head going down.


Sirsasana: 2 points before going up – cross the thumbs – the thumb is a finger and the fingers should be crossed / interlaced.  Elbows – the elbow joint made up of 3 bones and lots of cartilage.  The joint has to rotate from the outside in – to roll – to make sure that you end up on the centre of the elbow. This is the opposite adjustment to the on many of us make.  We lifted the elbows off the mat to achieve that roll, it is not possible to do it by ‘scraping the skin’ Go up with bent legs (to prevent shifting of the elbows).

Abi – “I don’t need to ask you to lift the shoulders because they are already lifted.”

Stretch up inner ankle, feet hip width apart…


AMS floor but no mat.


Sarvangasana: Shoulder blade action enables tailbone to go in?? No belts, 3 thick mats, folded sticky mat.


Karnapidasana – as savasana












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