Week 18 - Jenny

Week 18 says, "Repeat."  So I did.  I'm still amazed at how this sequence that was so difficult the first week has become routine.  Not easy, but routine.

I don't know what else to say.  His sequencing is profound.  This practice was so . . . complete.  My spine felt supple half way through.  Like I could bend forward and back again and again.  Mr. Iyengar says this week, "If you now find all the standing asanas are easy enough, you can do them on alternate days or twice a week."  I did them this time since I'm not doing this sequence every day (I do most of the standing poses daily as part of my own practice, though).  But it seems just the right time to delve deeper into the seated poses.  I have become quite efficient at the standing poses.  Not so much that they should be left behind, but to a point where I think the limitations that keep me from experiencing them further should be explored in the seated poses.

Note about Gate Pose (Parighasana):

Finding the hinge in the hip joint has made this pose possible for me.  It's like in Triangle (Trikonasana).  You know how some teachers have you reach forward "from the hips" before coming into the pose - I think that's there so you can find the hip hinge.  Once you get that forward hip pulled back (head of femur seated into the socket), you can hinge and there is space in the hip joint.  Same with Parighasana.  And if you look at Mr. Iyengar in the photo, you can see that he has hinged there and that it causes his torso to lean forward slightly.  I was under the impression that this pose should be done with the chest facing completely forward.  But that doesn't allow me into that hip joint.  Pulling back on the hip sets me right in place.  And the torso does lean forward some.  And the rest is breath to open up the side ribs.  And now I get the top hand to meet the bottom one every time.

I love this practice . . .