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January 28th 2025 - Abhijata - The Breath

Tamara Hockey


It was a double-helping of Abhijata today - Pranayama at 7.45am and a breath-focussed intermediate class this evening at 6pm. In between the two there were several hours for self-practice and I also had my final visit of the trip to my Ayurvedic doctor. She had mentioned something about a foot massage today, but it was not at all what I had been expecting. She had me sit in front of an angled copper wheel which had various metal bumps protruding out of it (hard to verbally explain, I'll post a pic below). She poured some oil on it and then I had to place my feet on it as it alternately rotated clockwise and anti-clockwise for a few minutes at a time. At first it was unbearably sensitive but gradually my feet got to like it. I sat for a full 15 minutes, watching as the oil went black, presumably from the toxins draining from the soles of my feet. Honestly the feeling of wellbeing that has been radiating from my feet ever since has been remarkable.

This one doesn't have the bumps, but you get the idea!
This one doesn't have the bumps, but you get the idea!

There are many things I will miss about being in Pune, but home-cooked, nourishing food prepared by Dheeraj's mum has been a particular treat. As it was my last full day here, she prepared a meal for all three of us to share. We sat up on the terrace next to Dheeraj's newly planted pot garden to eat and natter, absolute heaven! If you are interested in renting a room in this apartment (3 rooms, all ensuite and ideal location for walking to institute) you can contact Dheeraj on Whatsapp (0091 94235 91251) He tells me he has excellent availability for next year and I can wholeheartedly recommend him as a host - he goes above and beyond to help if you run into any difficulties and genuinely enjoys the connection with the students who stay here - he himself is attending Raya's class twice a week, so he understands our focus very well.



Going to miss these two!
Going to miss these two!

I arrived at Abhi's very busy class quite over-stimulated (perhaps the combination of the foot massage and a coffee at Godaam plus my imminent departure) so that when I closed my eyes, my brain was racing and flickering. However by the end of the class it was a completely different story - serene, smooth, effortless breathing and calm, even mind. Notes below from memory (brain-storming with my roomies).


January 28th – Abhijata Pranayama


  • AMVirasana

  • Uttanasna

  • Supported AMVirasana - I took a bolster between the thighs to rest entire front body.

  • Uttanasana – synchronising lift of root of thigh with inhalation and releasing side corners of waist down with exhalation.

  • AMSvanasana – Inhaling to lift the root of the thighs, exhaling to release the trunk further downwards – 15 cycles of breath.

  • AMSvanasana – 3 x 6 cycles of breaths with AMVirasana in between rounds. See how by lifting the roots of the thighs and pressing them back you create more space and length in the abdominal cavity and watch how that affects the breath.

  • AMSvanasana – 2 minutes timed. Observe the difference between synchronising actions with breat cycles and staying for timing - it's a different proposition.

  • Trikonasana – Sychronising action with breath - exhaling to go down, inhaling to come up X 6.

  • Trikonasana – Keeping upper rib in and going down with bottom rib (plus extending out as if each rib had an arm as you go into the pose) to enable breath to circulate freely in both top and bottom lung. If top rib comes up then lower lung gets ‘crushed’ and the breath cannot circulate there.

  • Parsvakonasana – Comparing the breath when top arm is relaxed with top arm fully extended. This also extends the top lung.

  • Urdhva Namaskarasana – First without and then with belt, tight around the elbows. See how breath is drawn upwards with the arms. Belt made the action much more effortless.

  • Utkatasana – Hands in Urdhva Namaskarasana without belt 'The belt is like a cosmetic - first lets see the natural beauty and later we further enhance with the cosmetic'. See how the arms draw the breath up, but the bending of the knees changes the shape of the abdominal cavity which changes the way the breath circulates there – this is unique to Utkatasana.

  • Garudasana arms only – first she had us fold the arms and sink the chest inward and downward so we were hunched and we observed how the breath only circulated in the back body. Next just folding the arms compared with fully squeezing them together and finally squeezing the arms together and lifting the chest and we felt the breath circulate in the top chest.

  • Garudasana – Arms and the legs - further different circulation of breath.

  • Lying prone – If I ask you to open your chest here, is it possible? It was not and we could only really feel the breath in the back and side body.

  • Paschimottanasana – Give yourself time to prepare for Pasch (youngsters Parivrtta Paschimottanasana is the most direct route, others maybe Parsva Dandasana to prepare). Tie the shins tightly together with the belt, and bend the knees so you can feel what it is to bring the abdomen to the thighs. Then maintaining the connection between abdomen and thighs straighten the legs as far as possible. If unable to maintain the connection, take bolster / pranayama pillow / blanket to fill the gap. And lengthen the side trunk forwards., releasing head down. Quiet stay observing the breathing.

  • Paschimottanasana – Feet apart and compare the breath with previous pose feet together – I found that even though Paschimottanasana feet together is pretty effortless for me, feet apart further enhanced the abdominal space which further enhanced the breath.

  • Tadasana – 2 factors usually taken as two seperate subjects in two separate classes 1) Synchronising the movement with the breath so that we learn to bring body and breath together. 2) As teachers it is not enough to say that the breath was easier when we took the feet apart. We have to have some understanding as to why. Guruji introduced an understanding of anatomy to the practice of yoga early on. If you are a beginner you just have to breathe, we can’t introduce pranayama breathing to a beginner or someone who is having a panic attack – abdomen inflating and deflating is perfectly correct for that situation. But as practitioners we develop the understanding of how the breath moves in the different poses and what the potential of that is.

  • Sirsasana –How do you make ease for the breath in Sirsasana? From the outer hips to the outer ankles LIFT UP! Extend fully! Outer knee ligament stretch UP! and watch the breathing.

  • As if your legs originated inside the abdomen, from either side of the navel as if the legs began there REACH upward with the legs!

  • If you want to take a measurement of the abdomen, Sirsasana is the place to do it! Even better in Rope Sirsasana!

  • Diaphragm is inverted but it still moves downwards to make space for the expanding lung as you inhale.

  • Eka Pada Sirsasana – watch the abdominal shape and its effect on the breathing. And then lift the root of the thigh up and see how that gives more space to the abdomen that gets crushed there and watch the breath.

  • Padmasana in Sirsasana – different abdominal cavity.

  • AMVirasana - Rope Sirsasana takes care of so many factors, less physical effort, abdominal cavity is long, hips supported, everything is taken care of – but that does not mean it is a superior pose – each has it’s unique value.

  • Choice of Chair Sarvangasana or Classical. Play with Eka Pada and watch the breathing. Observe the abdominal contraction in eka pada and consider how this would contrast with the extension / expansion of abdominal cavity if we were alternating between this and dropping back to eka pada setubandha.

  • Come down and place shoulders up on the edge of the supports with back of the head on the lower floor level 'exactly what I get upset with you for doing usually, but for today I want you to do this' and observe how Sarvangasana makes the breath circulate in the clavicular region. Choice of straight legs, Swastikasana or relaxed Marichyasana legs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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2 Comments


Ramani
Jan 28

Is there a recording of January 28 Abhijita Pranayama class or session. I would like to get it if available

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Tamara
Jan 30
Replying to

Probably best to contact Kunal to enquire about this office@rimyi.org

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