
The day started off with a walk through the park with Rosana, who has moved into our apartment for the second half of the month bringing some fantastic Argentinian calidez with her, not to mention an excellent memory from her work as a translator. We chuckled to see this girl with ear muffs on - Pune recorded 34.6 degrees centigrade today, the hottest January temperature recorded since at least 2011!
The final week of the month is dedicated to Pranayama and restorative classes at RIMYI and Sunita taught a comprehensive class on Sitali - curling the tongue into a straw shape and inhaling through the channel this creates. I have been taught this Pranayama previously in the context of its cooling properties, but today we experienced so much more.
As well as bringing wetness in the mouth (I was surprised how effective this was) the multiple repetitions focussing on different parts of the body, made us quieter and quieter and quieter. The cool sobriety of the eyes is something I had only experienced once before in 2014 after an incredibly intense session with Guruji in the medical class. When I returned to my apartment after this session, my room mate at the time told me she could see Guruji's wisdom in my eyes, as if he had temporrily transferred some of it to me and I understood exactly what she meant as the very nature of my eyes had changed. Sunita's class was so powerful that people really didn't want to come out of the final Savasana and I found I needed to be alone as I didn't want to break the peace with a lot of talking.
After such a restful class, I went along to the practice session with plenty of zing and with the expert support of Debbie, managed to conquer the fear and practice dropping back from Pinca Mayurasana and AMVrkasana in the centre of the room.
We spent the evening collaborating on the notes, once again a group effort. Loving this time in Pune and the precious time spent in the company of other yogis. And while I don't want to 'grasp', I am trying not to think too much about my chilly return to the UK on Wednesday where I'll be arriving at Heathrow once again in socks and sandals. My notes on the first couple of questions are embarassingly amateur, but it is all I managed to pick out (and substantially more than I usually manage in a Pranayama session when my brain is switched off).
January 25th 2025 - Sunitaji Pranayama
She spent about 30 minutes answering a couple of questions she had received. Why we do things 3 times? (including Aum) – if I understood her answer correctly, she said (amongst a much more detailed explanation) that it is with respect to the body, the mind, the speech. The other question, I did not understand fully, was related to Citta Vrtti Nirodha and she told us that there are many types of Vrtti Nirodha which can be found in an article in Astadala Yogamala 8 if you want to look it up. There are many sub-categories of Vrttis, not just the 5 known ones – every organ has its own Vrttis (she listed so many I won’t add here, but she did suggest you can ask Google AI!) but she picked out Snayu Vrrti Nirodha in particular which is the quietening of the nerves or muscular body.
We have a heart and we have lungs we have a body but we need to begin by understanding that we are not our body.
I took her advice and this is the AI summary of the the different types of Karma she mentioned!
3 types of Karma: Sanchita Karma: That which you are born with. This is the accumulated karma from all past actions that one carries into the present life. It represents the total sum of one's past deeds, both good and bad. Prarabdha Karma: This is the portion of Sanchita Karma that is currently being experienced in the present life. It is the karma that has begun to bear fruit and influences one's current circumstances. Kriyamana Karma (or Agami Karma): This refers to the karma that is being created in the present moment through current actions. It is the karma that will influence future experiences. And here is where Sutra 2:16 comes in:
Heyam dukham anagatam
The pains which are yet to come can be and are to be avoided
Yawning happens because the body needs more oxygen – Geetaji noted this was especially likely in menopause and we should be free to yawn and not to supress. There was much talk about fainting and giddiness as two students had fainted in the last couple of days. When you come down from Rope Sirsasana OPEN your eyes so you get re-orientated to where you are and make sure you inhale and exhale. The breathing is important. If you are feeling giddy get on the floor straight away, so you don’t fall from a height and if you are in a bathroom, if at all possible get the door open BEFORE you lose consciousness. Lack of oxygen causes fainting and this can have many causes both low BP and high BP can cause it. Focus on inhalation for low blood pressure, focus on exhalation for high blood pressure.
Supta Swastikasana – Begin sitting in cross legs in front of the bolster. Make sure everything is straight. Go in with a convex back and roll down onto the bolster and once you are placed there move the dorsal area deeper into the back. Don’t let the ribs stick into the skin. Head neck straight, be with the back body. Breath observation.
Where does our practice of yoga begin? With Yamas and Niyamas – without these our practice is meaningless.
Sitali tongue position 1st attempt at Sitali – Seated no Jalandhara bandha. Stick the tongue slightly out and curl the sides up to make a straw shape to draw the air through on inhalation. Some people’s tongues will not curl in this way and for them Guruji has explained Sitakari – same principle, but instead of a straw shape, you are gently drawing the inhalation over the surface of the tongue. Inhale through the tongue straw, then close the mouth and exhale through the nostrils, normal inhalation and exhalation through the nose and then repeat next cycle Sitali.
How is the tongue when you retract it? Is the mouth wet (it was) is the tongue passive? Throat? Biting the teeth makes an imprint on the brain, we need to learn not to do this.
When you are thirsty and you take a drink, do you know what happens to your eyes? They recede inwards and become quiet.
2nd attempt Sitali - Jalandhara Banda and eyes open – repeat the steps observing the effect on the eyes. 3 cycles. What was the effect? It was unanimously agreed that the eyes receded and became quieter.
3rd attempt Sitali - Repeat 3 cycles Sitali observing the ears. They have to become quiet to listen to the sound of the incoming breath. Again, they became passive and quieter (Geetaji taught this inner focussing of the ears so outward sounds recede, which will be a useful skill for all the upcoming construction work).
4th attempt Sitali. Repeat 3 cycles Sitali observing the mouth and throat. Throat became more broad and completely soft. Inner walls of the teeth soft. Inner skin of the cheeks soft. See that when you inhale the chest does not follow the breath downwards. 'Biting' the teeth makes a negative imprint on the brain, we need to learn not do this.
5th attempt Sitali. Final 3 cycles watching the skin and whole body.
We became progressively quieter and quieter with all the repeats. Sometimes the teacher can give us all the verbal instructions to quieten for Savasana but we cannot do it. Sitali is there to provide a means to quieten and passify and prepare for Pranayama.
We can employ Sitali mindfully in postures when the mouth gets dry and we are unable to take a drink, for example in Sirsasana, particularly when taken on the rope. We do not take water during asanas but we can take Sitali.
Savasana on bolster, such that the chest is above and abdomen below.
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