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January 15th - Day 10 - 50th Birthday Celebrations

Tamara Hockey



I had an insulin pump mishap last night where it would not function with the local batteries I had bought and it was too late for me to do anything about it, so I was up for much of the night adjusting things manually. Despite this, my body woke up feeling marvellous with the month's yoga radiating around every part, even if my head, brain, face was sagging with fatigue.


One of the things that has made the intensive challenging for me, is travelling to and from the venue - I have been doing six Uber rides per day! While I would massively prefer to support the drivers over the corporation behind Uber, the ease this has bought to travelling around the city is undeniable. No more stressing over finding a rickshaw driver willing to take you or not having enough small change to pay and best of all, they already know exactly where you're going before they've even picked you up (readers of my previous blogs will know I've got into some awful situations over the years with neither me nor the driver having a clue where we are going!). All over Pune, foreigners are having conversations that go like this *gets into car and reads out the PIN number to the driver, painstakingly enunciating every syllable in Queen's English, it's 1-2-0-6. Driver looks uncertain, repeats back a completely different number. I enjoy this interaction very much! And I try to mitigate the crapness of using Uber by tipping the driver every time. If someone could set up an ethical alternative to Uber with all of the ease, but the drivers getting the lion's share of the return on their work I would wholeheartedly support this. For the last few days I have walked back from the venue through the grounds of FC College, which has been much better, What I really need is the use of a bicycle......


We had another long session with Prashant this morning w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ I̶ l̶o̶v̶e̶d̶ which I received with a warm sense of neutrality. We got very quickly into Sirsasana and repeated it a further two times with different emphasies to really illustrate just how everything changes when a different purpose is applied. Normally Sirsasana would be heavy and cumbersome this early in the class without significantly more preparation, but at this stage in the month, my body feels completely primed and receptive to receive whatever it is given. Notes from both Prashant's morning session and Abhi's afternoon restorative session below.


January 15th 2025 – Day 9 – Session 1 – 50th Birthday Celebrations – Prashant

 

  • Swastikasana for invocation – Profound exhalations to settle. Silent aums that have zero decibels, yet resonate throughout your embodiment. Even silent utterances have a vibration. The acoustics of silence. Silence is not an absence of sound, it is an absence of hearing. Suppose you are in a sound-proof studio, does that mean there is no sound or no hearing? It is a postulation of meta-physics that there is never an absence of sound.

  • Sirsa-tadasana (Tadasana with the hands interlocked as for Sirsasana) Prepare the body as for Sirsasana, shoulders, upper arms, socket shoulder blades, dorsal spine.

  • In Sirsasana the feet are never flat. Sirsa-Tadasana with the heels on bricks to better emulate true Sirsasana position. Getting prepared with ‘You and Yours’ that means invoking activity, awareness, sensitivity.

  • What qualifies it as an asana? Unified activity in the body, mind, breath.

  • Next we have to take a Diagnostic Reading – How will I go about my Sirsasana with the given conditions? We have to customise and devise and be pragmatic not dogmatic. We looked at 2 students in AMSvanasana and supposed that one was menstruating and one pregnant. Will it be a standard operative process?  The diagnostic process should not be about likes or wants but about what should be done.

  • Sirsasana and Parsva Sirsasana – done for the limbs (by the limbs, with the limbs), ‘exhalatively, inhalatively and retentively’. Meaning employing exhalation to perform the required actions, then focussing on inhalation to perform the required actions and finally comparing with performing the actions after exhaling completely and retaining the breath (which is often useful for increasing rotation). What was the purpose, process, consequence?

  • Where was the PPC in Light on Yoga? It was between the lines! I have put it in the lines! Prashant told us he asked Guruji to formally teach Light on Yoga, but he responded he was ‘over-occupied’ though he agreed the ‘implied aspects should be taught and understood’. Do not think of this as Prashant’s brain child.

  • Parsva Swastikasana / Pasrva Virasana – with ‘back major’ while the discourse continued.

  • Sirsasana / Parva Sirsasana – Repeating with different purpose (and therefore process and consequence). Done ‘gastro enterologically’ so the entire digestive system gall bladder, liver, pancreas, bladder, urethra etc etc should be toned, cultured, administered and managed, for proper functioning, to be ‘set right’. 

  • Parsva Upavistha Konasana – ‘Pra-gesturally’ (done with the breath, by the breath, for the breath). Heavy-duty breathing, light-duty breathing, feather-light duty breathing. What are the interactions? Observationally to improve knowledge and mature practice.

  • Sirsasana / Parsva Sirsasana – For back and spine. Observing pra-gesture breath and mind-gesture and PPC.

  • Here he talked on the ‘concealed misery’ of senior practitioners created by the loss of advanced postures that they were able to do in their prime. He illustrated the folly of this by introducing a pose that we were all able to do before we ever stepped foot onto a yoga mat ‘Bala Kundasana’ We led on our backs and tried putting one big toe, then the other and then both into our mouths as babies effortlessly do. He then spoke of Lord  Krishna who did the asana yogically and therefore it was  ‘Bala Mundasana’ where mind was in an even state, not caught in likes and dislikes, with awareness of body, mind, breath. Krishna sucked his big toe because it was full of the nectar left by the devotion of the devotees who fell at his feet. When physical ability declines we have to become creative (and employ breath-gesture, mind-gesture). To illustrate this, we did:

  • Danda-Krounchasana – 1 leg in Dandasana, the other extending to Krounchasana. There are endless possibilities in asana, LOY presented but a few of them.

  • Supta Padangusthasana – 1) With belt 2) Catching big toe 3) Holding outer edges of foot. Then we had to let go and see if we could employ different forces to maintain the leg in that position with compromising the angle. Guruji set himself this challenge in his later years.

  • Supta Pandangusthasana 1 brick widthways across sacrum – What has changed with the pelvic latitude? What is the PPP? (Participating, Partaking, Part with – you can only participate by partaking and parting with). Some people are only interested in what they can get and what they can take. Breath has something to give! Let it give! Let it take! Let it receive!

  • Supta Padangusthasana with brick on broad surface above waist on lumbar – Age and condition don’t matter when you are creative, that is yoga’s potential. 

 

“Impossibility is a great possibility”.





January 15th – Day 9 – Session 2 – 50th Birthday Celebrations – Abhijata

 

  • She explained we would be doing cooling postures due to 3pm not being the ideal time to practice asana where there is afternoon heat and the change of season where the coolness of winter is giving way to the heat.

  • Supta Padangusthasana 1 with belt.

  • Supta Padangusthasana 2 - Arch of the foot well open. Extend from the buttock bone to the heel. Take the entire front of the leg to the back of the leg, especially the root of the thigh and watch the pelvic length increase.

  • Supta Baddha Konasana – 1) Your natural pose, not imposing any actions, so that it replenishes rather than depletes. Invite the lower abdomen to the upper abdomen. 2) Repeat SBK this time with a rolled blanket under the sacrum, so that the top of the roll is where the brick would be in brick setubandha and the feet are up on the other end. Tight groins, menopause, peri-menopause can support outer thighs with the 2 foams. People whose knees are high bring the feet up higher (showed the 2 foams under the foot end of the blanket). San Mukhi Mudra variation just for the eyes, in such a way that eyeballs were massaged slightly away from the eyebrow and slightly downward.

  • When we came out of the pose to Upavistha Konasana we kept the gaze a little downward for some time to maintain the coolness in the eyes. Improve the spreading of the legs.

  • Sit on a height and bend one leg to Marichyasana

  • Baddha Konasana Roll the thighs with the hands. Turn feet out like the pages of a book to improve the rolling of the thighs.

  • Working towards Padmasana – easiest position is from Urdhva Prasarita Padasana. Since most of us were without a wall, we did from supine, legs bent on floor. Rolling the foot from UNDER to bring the foot into a loose Ardha Padmasana. Both sides a few times, seeing that the foot was kept soft and the rotation originated from the hip.

  • Full Padmasana from Urdhva Prasarita Padasana with the legs supported on the 2 long foams (or repeat Ardha or go for Supta Padang 4)

  • Seated Ardha Padmasana sitting on a height to keep the knee low. Yes! Padmasana can cause an injury like running can cause a fall! This is why Padmasana is not taught until Janu Sirsasana and Baddha Konasana hip/thigh rotation has been understood. Foot well spread is appropriate for a beginner in the straight legs poses – Dandasana, Upavistha Konasana etc because it enables people to reach the knees and thighs (activates the entire leg) but in Padmasana this foot held open / active / rigid makes you prone to injure the knee. To illustrate this she got us to fold our arms loosely infront of our body and then compare the sensations in the elbow and bicep when we slid one hand up towards the shoulder (as you would foot towards hip in Padmasana) with the palm and fingers spread rigidly open with palms and fingers soft. Can you feel how the elbow / bicep are activated/ hard with the rigid palm?

  • Siddhasana – Aim to take the knees wide like Upavistha Konasana.

  • Padmasana – All stages are available, does not have to be full pose. We went from Ardha with one leg in Swastikasana and then slid the Swastikasana foot forward onto a brick (keeping knee low, rotation coming from hip socket) to make it easier to slide the foot onto the opposite thigh for full pose. Toes should not be tight.

  • Bharadvajasana 2 – Once you have clasped, the back needs to come in.

  • Parsva Ardha Padmasana – Turning and holding the foot from behind.

  • Parsva Ardha Padmasana - Turning and holding the foot from behind, and then rotating chest back to face the front

  • Baddha Padmasana – Full pose.

  • Here was a question and answer session about Padmasana:

1.       I have been taught it was always better to sit on the floor in Padmasana

A: Tell me after the class who taught you that!! (laughter) No! We sit higher when learning Padmasana to safeguard the knee.

2.       What to do if the ankle drops inward?

A: It is a sign that the hip is not participating. Focus on hip rotation and don’t allow that ankle to sink inward – you can use your hand from underneath so that it does not dig downward.

3.       Why have we been sitting on a narrow support in Baddha Konasana etc?

A: It is to allow the root of the thigh to release downward. However in case of age etc a wider support may be given for stability.

4.       Which foot do we catch first in Baddha Padmasana?

A: It can be either, but for your ease, catch the top foot which is free first.

5.       Should support be put under the knee in Padmasana if the knee is up?

A: If it is troubling you, then yes, but not mandatory.

6.       Should we straighten the legs in Dandasana between Padmasana crossing or go to Baddha Konasana as shown earlier?

A: Your choice

7.       Why do we start with such a wide Padmasana?

A: Geetaji taught Kamalasana (loose wide Padmasana) to minimise contraction of the knee and risk of injury. Safety-wise, broad is safer.

8.       Why is knee always in line with hip?

A: We should never bend forward on a knee when it is higher than the hip because it puts too much strain on the knee and risks injury. Lower than hip is fine, in line with hip is minimum. This is the same in whatever orientation you do the pose – for example in Vatayanasana or Ardha Padmottonasana standing, if the knee is forward of the hip you should not bend down into Uttanasana part of the pose.

9.       In Baddha Padmasana is it okay to insert second arm UNDER first arm?

A: Yes its okay if it helps you.

  • AMSvanasana - Uttanasana

  • Repeat AMSvanasana - Inhale roots of the thighs upwards, exhale take the sides of the trunk downwards X 6 to Uttanasana – Exhale to descend further down x 6 (sharp, audible exhalations).

  • Trikonasana – 1) Go in with exhalation 2) Go in with inhalation – Can you see how it restricts you and also how its hard to inhale?  3) Rapidly up and down with exhalation X 6 4) Rapidly go down with exhalation x 6 but this time touch the floor.

  • Uttanasana - Don’t have cupped fingers in Uttanasana with the head down as it prevents you from descending downwards.

  • Tadasana – Measure the length of the natural exhalation

  • Uttanasana - Measure the length of the natural exhalation – Which had a longer natural exhalation? Uttanasana. Each asana has its breath counterpart.

  • Marichyasana 3 – Do intensely! Can you breath freely here with the abdomen pressed against the thigh? No. BUT when you come out, notice how there is naturally automatically a relief inhalation taken? It happens on its own? Pranayama has begun!

  • Here she spoke about Savasana being a must – because this is where the chemicals are released and assimilated.

  • AMSvanasana 

  • Janu Sirsasana – Extend forward over the straight leg, catch the outer edge of the left foot and take forceful exhalations to repeatedly press down the left side rib and rotate it from the right to the left side X 5. The moment you come up the pure inhalation comes in. It is the body’s mechanism.

  • It is unpleasant to forcibly over-exceed your capacity to inhale or exhale, but in an asana, when it unfolds as a natural consequence with ‘Prayatna Shaithilya’ effortlessly, rather than with will power, the respiratory and nervous systems are positively impacted. It is asana (for example a long hold in Paschimottanasana with the head supported) that the seeds of Pranayama are sown.

  • Setubandha 1) With 2 belts tied around the legs – Make no attempt to influence the breathing, so for the sake of this observation you notice how the abdomen bloats on inhalation and recedes on exhalation 2) Long belt looped around feet (hip distance apart) and held with the hands 3) Belt tied around ankles with feet wider than hip distance – notice the stark difference in the softness of the belly. When the legs are kept wider apart like this, there is no chance for the abdomen to be hard.

  • However feet held apart for any length of time in the inverted poses is not comfortable, it is a strain (we felt it for ourselves in Urdhva Prasarita Padasana) and looked at it in Raya’s demo of Sirsasana. For it to be helpful to hold legs apart for some time in Sirsasana, the brick between the thighs and belts around the legs are given to take off the strain.

  • Here she spoke about teaching classes – if it is just ‘data-retrieval’ it is not at all engaging. It has to come from your direct experience. Like the difference between relating your own story or repeating someone else's.

  • Here we went to Malasana although she acknowledged this was not a natural progression in this sequence. First we did our own Malasana, either on floor on edge of stage / chair as per your condition and observed the breathing. Then we had a helper stand behind us and use their inner legs to squeeze our outer legs (closer to the knee) and observe how this changed the breath. It was markedly smoother, deeper, effortlessly flowing. We have to develop proficiency is asana to this level, so that there is no effort to perform - ‘Prayatna Shaithilya’.

  • Choice of Supine Pose according to capacity in this order of preference: Matsyasana, Supta Virasana, Supta Baddha Konasana, Supta Swastikasana, Savasana. She gave us some time to settle and asked us to promote the abdominal length from pubis to clavicles. For anyone who needed more guidance, she suggested first putting one hand on the abdomen and the other on the bottom rib and breathing in such a manner as to increase the gap between the two hands and then putting one hand on the ribs and one on the chest and repeating the lengthening process.





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