Light on LIGHT ON YOGA

"How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" NY Times Article

2012-01-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

A recent article in the NY Times entitled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" is churning up some good conversation in the yoga community these days. The topic is striking some nerves, but it is healthy to have the debate out in the open.

Yoga is not a cure-all. Yoga does NOT exercise every muscle in the body. I was stunned when I first learned this. Many yoga masters have claimed that it does (even Mr. Iyengar in Light on Yoga) and as teachers we are taught this and accept it. This is a misunderstanding. Certain muscles get over-developed (e.g. triceps) and others get overstretched (e.g. hamstrings). If yoga is your only form of exercise then you can create musculo-skeletal imbalances in the body which over time can lead to injuries.

I heard from a teacher of mine that in some sports clubs there are certain stretches that are banned for personal trainers (because they are deemed too risky) but yoga teachers can teach them because they have less restrictions. In general, I feel that the standards are quite low for who can qualify as a yoga teacher. Some certifications claim that you can be certified in a weekend.

I feel like I can never learn enough and it is precisely why I took it upon myself to take an in depth 108-hour anatomy course. Even after taking it I still don't think it's enough, but it gave me knowledge that is essential for any movement professional. I don't think yoga teachers should be exempt from this level of understanding. Why are they anyway?

I am taking a Zenyasa Yoga certification that does promote musculo-skeletal balance. Jason Brown who created this method felt that after studying anatomy and western exercise science that yoga was not enough to foster strength and flexibility throughout the body. So he includes other exercises such as pulling exercises for the arms in order to strengthen the biceps, rear delts and rhomboids (which are hard to strengthen in yoga). He also includes a warm up for every class so your muscles are warm before you start strengthening them. And you strengthen before you stretch. This is something that I have felt is missing in my Iyengar classes as of late. There is no warm up and you start stretching to the max right away. Ouch! I have come close to injuring myself many times this way.

But then there is also the responsibility of the student - to do what feels appropriate for their bodies and not be forced into any pose by a teacher or get caught up in the obsession of "getting" a pose for the sake of satisfying their ego (while sacrificing stability in their joints).

I could go on and it is a topic that requires more attention than I am giving it here. What do you think?

Iyengar Course 2 Week 43 (Ariana)

2011-12-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

I was going to post this a while back. My grandfather, Sam Caplowe, passed away on December 23rd. He was my last living grandparent from my immediate family. Coincidentally I had been talking about him a lot the week before he died. I recently found a photo of us during my awkward phase (we all had one, right?). My papa (that's what I called him) has him arm around me and he looks proud to be with me. I joke about how he loved me despite my awkwardness, but it meant the world to me.

I learned a lot from him. I suppose my fascination with the mind-body connection has a lot to do with his influence. He taught me how important it is to remain physically active as long as you can. He did as long as he could. He also taught me the importance of wearing comfortable shoes that don't squish the toes and cause bunions. He was a podiatrist. To this day I only buy shoes that are good for my feet and when I lift and spread my toes in Tadasana I think of him.

Here was my post:

Still consolidating all the poses from weeks 31-40.

I am reminding myself that Iyengar wrote this at a young age, in prime physical condition, and he had hours upon hours to practice. The practice was and still is his life.

Winter is here and my joints and muscles are stiff once again. I moved a lot slower than usual. Even after some sun salutes I did not feel warmed up so I eased off on some of the poses - especially some of the revolved poses like Parvrtta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle).

My left lateral hamstring is very tight - this has been the case in Parvrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle) lately. So I stayed in the pose longer on that side. Seemed to help.

Skipped the alternate breath exercise at end due to congestion. My body was ready for a meditation. My body was still. But my mind was ready to do other things. What a contradiction and not what I would expect. How can the body be ready for meditation but not the mind? How could I be aware of this distinction as though they are two distinct entities with minds of their own. This was a new experience. My mind obeyed for a while and then I was off to other things.

Most of the sequences end with pranayama or breathing techniques. However, hardly (if any) Iyengar classes include pranayama or meditation. I think there is a misconception that they are not of concern to Mr. Iyengar whereas I get an impression that they are more important than the asanas. The asanas prepare the body for this breath work. The breath work then prepares the body/mind for concentration and meditation. Meditation then prepares the mind for pure being awareness or the ecstatic state.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 42 (Ariana)

2011-11-29T18:18:00.001-08:00

Still consolidating all of the poses - especially those left out in Course 1.

I am not exactly sure what this even means. I have been consolidating the poses from weeks 31-40. I hope he did not mean to consolidate the poses from Course 1 and 2.

I took the dog for a walk before I did the sequence and felt warmed up so did not feel the need for sun salutes this time. But did stretch out with some cat/cows and a long downward facing dog. Then right into headstand and shoulderstand. Did some variations - not many. Then Jatara Parivartanasana (loving this lately), Supta Padangustasana and all the Navasanas. Skipped Ustrasana - wanted to save the back bends for the end. Then Virasana and Supta Virasana. In retrospect, would have preferred to do those after all the standing poses around when I did the rest of the seated postures. But ok, not so bad to stretch out my quads before doing the standing poses.

Then on to standing poses. Did them quickly in rapid succession one after the other. I was not pleased with myself. But for some reason I felt like I was "done" with the poses quickly. This is not how I usually practice. I like to be curious in each pose and explore a little. I don't think of poses as having an end to them and that's not how I teach them.

Then onto seated poses starting with my favorites Janu-Sirsana and Parvritta Janu-Sirsana. But it had been a while since I did these. I forgot to bend one knee as I stretched over the other leg. So redid them. It was an interesting mistake - I felt the difference it makes to have one leg bent. It felt like it helped to anchor the hip down as I folded over the other leg. I moved through the rest. Skipping my usuals and and doing half lotus instead of full. My left thigh is able to externally rotate more in my hip socket these days. Not sure why.

Then the back bending. Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Parsva Dhanurasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Savasana began with a rapid heartbeat from Dhanurasana. Briefly contemplated winding down with something else to ease into savasana. But then just enjoyed watching my heartbeat eventually slow down and slide into savasana.

And finally a few minutes of Nadi Sodhana Pranayama which means purification of the nerves according to Iyengar. He also says that blood receives a larger supply of oxygen with this breath exercise. I have been listening to Georg Feuerstein's The Lost Teachings of Yoga as part of my 500-hour Zenyasa teacher training I am doing now. In the 9th chapter he mentions that there are thousands of nadis (or channels of energy) but only 3 are important: the central channel, and the two side channels which travel in helical fashion up the central channel. The 2 side nadis start at the base of the spine and travel up to the 3rd eye. They also are connected to the left and right nostrils which are related to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. He also says that when the nadis are purified the chakras are activated.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 41 (Ariana)

2011-10-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

For weeks 41-44 the instructions are:

"Consolidate all the positions concentrating on the asanas which were left out in Course 1."

I was really excited to move on to week 41 until I saw this. I assumed it meant to combine all the poses from weeks 31-40. That amounts to roughly 98. I didn't have time for all those poses nor did I want to do all of them. I had to make decisions. I was free to make my own sequence loosely based on weeks 31-40. This was daunting and I came close to deciding to skip weeks 41-44 and move right into 45 with a prescribed sequence. I am happy that I held fast and gave it a shot.

First I needed to warm up so I did some A and B Sun Salutations. Actually first I spent 20 minutes deciding what music to listen to - which ended being more of a distraction as I practiced.

Then I continued with abdominal strengthening and expanded on the Jatara Parivartanasana/Navasana/Ardha Navasana section. I added Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (basically leg lifts) to strengthen the rectus abdominis. Jatara Parivartansasana strengthens the oblique abdominal muscles. Then more rectus abdominis strengthening with Navasana and Ardha Navasana. Sometimes I think abdominal strengthening is a great way to start a class. It makes a lot of sense to strengthen the core before start moving and stretching the spine. In retrospect I should have added Kapalabati breath to strengthen transverse abdominals as well.

Then I felt ready for headstand and shoulderstand. I am still working on stabilizing my headstand away from the wall. It was good today. Then I added down dog and handstand to release the neck. I did some variations while in shoulderstand.

I then referred to the sequence for seated or supine postures such as Supta Padangustasana, Ustrasana, Virasana, Supta Virasana (I really need to more of this one), Janusirsana, Upavista Konasana, Half lotus, Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana, Marichyasana 1 and 3, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana and supine twists. Funny how I resisted finishing with this pose many times and now I have come to prefer it because it stretches the abs and releases the compression in the abdomen after all the forward bends. That is why it is always best to keep an open
mind.

As Thich Nhat Hanh says:

"We should never be absolutely certain of our knowledge. We need to be ready to give it up at a moment's notice for a higher truth. This is called non-attachment to views and it is one of the most important elements of our practice."

I am sure he is referring to more profound aspects of our knowledge, but I feel it applies here too.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 40 (Ariana)

2011-10-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is the last time for this sequence. I listened to Healing Ragas 2 - Raga Charukeshi and Raga Kirwani. This music turned the practice into a grounding and meditative process. I think the music helped me turn off my brain and be present in my body. I moved with stillness. I kept coming back to Tadasana or Prasarita Padotanasana in some cases as a symmetrical and balanced starting point. A reset posture. Before I moved into any pose I started with an awareness of the ground and what parts of my body were pressing into to it for stability. Then I would kind of meditate on that feeling for a breath or two. I was in no hurry and moved slowly into and out of each posture. I went inward and feel very centered as a result.

Milestones - my daughter started kindergarten. We have been so focused on getting her off to a good start and now we are easing (sometimes not so easy) into a routine.

Perspicacious - my favorite word lately. It means possessing mental acuity or sharpness. My grandmother taught me to spell this word when I was in elementary school. I remember sitting on an orange swivel chair at a round table in her kitchen while she cooked at the stove. We went over the spelling again and again and again. I remember how good I felt when I finally got it right. I still remember the rhythm at which we practiced the spelling. This vivid memory came back to me after my grandmother passed away this September. She died on Labor Day. I am blessed to have had such an inspiring grandmother and to have so many sweet memories of her.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 39 (Ariana)

2011-08-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about these sequences more than I have been doing them. Originally I attempted to do one sequence every week. As the sequences get longer it has become harder to stick to that intention.

I am still at the sequence for weeks 36-40 which start with a ton of headstand and shoulderstand variations. I flipped things around and did the inversions last.

Before I did the poses I studied the sequence and broke it down into four sections:

1. Spend a lot of time upside down in headstand and shoulderstand reversing effects of gravity and assisting in the return of blood-flow to the heart. Many of the variations require a lot of core strength while stretching the backs of the legs and inner thighs. This is a lot of time spent compressing the cervical spine.

2. Stand. Bring the blood back to the legs. Strengthen and stretch the legs and hips and some oblique abdominal work with standing twists.

3. Sit. fold forward stretching the back of the body, compressing the abdominal organs, flexing and rotating the spinal joints.

4. Backbend. Extend the spine and decompress the organs, stretching the abdominal wall. The backbends at the end finally make sense. Make space in the abdomen after all that compression in the forward bends. I only realized this after I took a class with Carrie Owerko and after a lot of intense core strengthening exercises we did Urdhva Danurasana (upward facing bow/full wheel) to stretch the abdominal muscles.

I realized Iyengar's Matsyasana/Fish Pose (Top Image from Light on Yoga) is not as I learned it. The version that I have learned over the years seems to be what Iyengar calls Uttanapadasana (Bottom image).

5. Breathe. Nadi Sodhana Pranayama and Suryabhedana Pranayama

I didn't use any blocks today - not even for Parvritta Trikonasana or Parvritta Parsvakonasana. Surprisingly I had no problem getting my arm outside of the front thigh and getting my fingers to the floor. This is usually very challenging for me. Maybe the stability of the back heel pressing into the wall helped. This time I started with a straight arm up overhead and then reached diagonally past the front knee as I came forward into the pose. Usually I first hook my elbow outside of the knee and then coerce my way into the pose -pressing my elbow against my thigh and revolving my chest more and more.

Padahastasana: I was putting more weight into the ball of the left foot. So I made attempts to even myself out there.

I did most of the poses at the wall for feedback. The most surprising thing was how I turned my torso slightly with my hands in reverse namaskar. I started with my back to the wall and felt my right arm and shoulderblade touching the wall but not my left. So I evened myself out before I took a step forward with one leg and folded over into the pose.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 38 (Ariana)

2011-07-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

Distractions reigned at first. I started some sun salutes to warm up and then stopped to put my hair up. Then to put some music on (ended up listening to Tosca - not the opera). Then to turn the mat a different way, then to get water, etc.

The music helped me settle in and focus on the practice. Theta waves of the brain. It was more up-tempo than my usual choices. Most times I prefer no music at all.

I had time and did not have to rush through the sequence. I spent two hours on this one.

After my sun salute warmups I felt ready for the first pose - headstand. Same story for me. Slowly making my way away from the wall. It was more like wobble-asana. I blamed the mat. Then I blamed the shapes of my forearm bones. I tried different positions of the hands - fists, pinkies tucked, fingers clasped slightly separated, holding onto a block. None of it made a difference. WOBBLE-ASANA.

Shoulderstand was next but I decided against it. My neck did not feel ready for that extreme flexion. In fact I just realized that I didn't do shoulderstand at all. Oops.

I moved on to the standing poses and did them as part of a vinyasa and came into them from Down Dog. I wanted to keep moving and did not want to come into them as instructed in the book. These poses felt great. I am still watching out for my left hamstrings and the second I felt anything there I eased off of the stretch - not by maintaining a slight bend in the knee but by allowing the left sit bone to move toward the heel rather than away from it. Felt nice.

I experimented with Parvritta Parsvokonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose) - first with the heel up then with the foot planted and turned to the side. For me, planting the foot limits the rotation of the pelvis and therefore the rotation of the trunk. When I come onto the ball of the foot I can turn my ribcage more and the pose becomes more enjoyable. I like going for the twist in this pose.

Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch) - I was trying to feel where the side stretch is here. I still don't get why it's called that. It is more of an intense hamstring stretch (for all of them). In LOY Iyengar says the side of the chest is stretched intensely but I do not feel it there. I have been trying to figure this one out for a while.

Marichyasana 1 - First I did it with the bind and did not enjoy the feeling in my shoulder joints. For me to get the bind I have to medially rotate my arms a lot at the shoulder joint. The pose feels much better just by reaching my arms forward while hugging my bent knee in.

I did Simhasana 2 with my legs in half lotus. It felt surprisingly good as it increased the stretch along my inner thighs.

I made the mistake of trying full wheel at the end as the sequence suggests. My body was not ready for it. It hurt my wrists - hyperextension. This pose rarely hurts my wrists. I have two more weeks of this sequence. Hopefully I'll remember to prepare more for it next time or leave it out.

Pranayama was nice. I did it before Savasana (not what book says to do). Uddiyana was particularly cool. When I contracted my abs at the end of my exhale - I was more focused on my transverse abs and rectus abdominis - I felt a nice combo of groundedness from pelvis down while buoyant and light from chest up. A few times I easily held the breath out for what felt like a long time while feeling supported and relaxed at the same time.

For Savasana I played the incantation from Deva Pramal's Moola Mantra. ahhh.

When I was done I had an appetite. Luckily my daughter left a couple mini pickles on the table from her snack. ;)

Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers!!!!!

2011-06-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

I was taking a break from the blog while I completed the 108-hour Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers certification with Jason Brown. It was awesome!

First we studied the bones and joints, then the muscles and their roles. The final component was a week-long intensive where we analyzed poses from an anatomical perspective to figure out where strength or flexibility is needed and how to facilitate that in the poses. We also discussed the potential benefits from a musculo-skeletal perspective, skillful alignment, as well as alignment issues that might arise and how to approach those challenges in class. This last week brought everything together beautifully and I feel like my understanding has shifted from black and white 2D to 3D HD. Instead of just regurgitating poses as I was taught to - I can now confidently analyze what is going on in the body for each pose and use that understanding to build a sequence that makes a whole lot of sense.

I am proud that I completed this course. It is indispensable and I highly recommend it to any movement professional. In fact I think it should be a requirement!

I am looking forward to returning to the Iyengar sequences to see how this new perspective will affect my experience and understanding of them. Here's to anatomy! Thank you Jason!

Iyengar Course 2 Week 37 (Ariana)

2011-06-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

My husband's grandmother passed away on May 22nd. She was brilliant, inquisitive, loving and vibrant. She was 93 and had a better memory than I do. For instance, she recently reminded me of the first time we met - where, what day, what year. She had problems with her vision and yet always commented on my nice earrings. One of my last conversations with her was about yoga and my anatomy courses. She was always interested. She made me feel like part of the immediate family. We will all miss her.

I didn't feel like practicing much until the last few days. I approached week 36 with nonchalance - only because I did not want to let too much time pass. The practice felt good but my mind was elsewhere and sad. I warmed up with sun salutations and then went for Headstand and Shoulderstand. Headstand was unpleasant. I struggled to press up and resorted to kicking up. I felt too much pressure at the top of my head. This was a disappointment because recently I did it in the middle of an open field (with the help of a friend) and it felt great. Shoulderstand was better.

My husband and daughter came home to find me in half lotus in the living room. My daughter was SO excited that I was doing yoga and immediately came over and sat on my lotus lap. I thought it was going to hurt but her almost 5 year old body is still very light. She wanted to do the rest of the poses with me and asked me to put her purple mat next to mine. We did lion pose (Simhasana) together. I love that she knows this pose. She did Urdhva Dhanurasana for the very first time. She has tried to do it before but actually was able to press up this time. And then she wanted to watch a Charlie Brown video. I gave in as I thought it would allow me to finish the sequence. I did Savasana while listening to the theme song. Wasn't so bad. I did not feel like doing the pranayama - just didn't have the focus for it.

I am not feeling aligned with the Iyengar method lately. I went to an Iyengar yoga class on Sunday, but did not enjoy it. I am questioning the reason behind many of the common instructions like "lifting the quadriceps" in standing poses and having the thigh of the bent leg parallel to the floor in some of the Warrior poses. The anatomy class is changing my perspective and that is a good thing. I think lifting the kneecaps and quads is encouraging my hyper extension of the knees. And when I try to get my left thigh parallel to the floor in Warrior 2 it aggravates my hip and hamstring. I glanced around the room to look at everyone's tadasana after the teacher had finished the list of cues. And most people looked rigid and way too tense in the legs, shoulders and neck. Letting go of these kinds of instructions has been helping to make my practice more pleasant.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 36 (Ariana)

2011-05-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Some things that stand out for this sequence: First Urdvha Dhanurasana (Upward Bow) and a new Pranayama exercise that I had never done before - Suryabhedana Pranayama.

As usual the sequence calls for headstand with variations and shoulderstand with variations right off the bat. I needed to warm up a little so I did some sun salutations and tried to find something new about my downward facing dog. I recently read Brooks Hall's post How are you Wearing Your Asana? in which she mentions one of my favorite Thich Nhat Hanh quotes:

“…your motivation is not to prove that you are able to do it. The point is not to prove yourself. The point is to practice for your well-being and enjoyment.”

~Thich Nhat Hanh

I had this in mind in the beginning of the practice and it reminded me of another quote of his that I like:

"We should never be absolutely certain of our knowledge. We need to be ready to give it up at a moment's notice for a higher truth. This is called non-attachment to views and it is one of the most important elements of our practice."

I was trying to let go of what I know about the poses and let something new come up. This is hard to do when you have done a pose hundreds of times. I really enjoyed my surya namaskars and was surprised by how light my jumps felt. I experimented in down dog with a block between my legs and then my feet. I was trying to find where I was exerting effort and where not as much and where that was happening on each leg. In addition to other things I learned I have trouble reaching my right inner heel down as much as my left.

After that I went to my headstand and shoulderstand. I used my jade mat for headstand which has a little more spring to it. It was much harder to be steady and I have trouble anyway. I had heard Carrie Owerko mention that about jade mats not being ideal for headstands because of that. But this was the first time I experienced that for myself. I did not do any of the variations. Nor did I do any of the shoulderstand variations. In general I need to integrate my core more in these poses so I just worked on that. I did some targeted exercises on my transverse abdominal muscles yesterday and focuses on that muscle group while in the inversions. It seemed to help me access my core muscles to find a new way to stabilize the poses.

Utthita Hasta Padangustasana was much easier than it usually is for me -even with the left leg which is tighter. This is all thanks to the Flexor Hallucis Longus - the flexor muscle of the big toe. I press a lot into that toe against the grip of my fingers and it has changed the pose for me.

I stayed away from Kukkutasana, Garba Pindasana again. And a new one to add to
that list: Vatayasana. This looks like it would hurt my knees. I did not even want to try it.

I was surprised that the final pose is Upward Bow or Full Wheel and then Savasana. I need to ease into Savasana with some twists at least before I come into Savasana but I wanted to see how this would feel. Next time I will do some twists before Savasana.

The sequence concludes with Nadi Sodhana Pranayama, Suryabhedana Pranayama and 8 Uddiyanas. I had never done the Surya pranayama but I liked it very much and I like these three exercises together. Next time I will hopefully get to spend more time exploring them. Once again I was rushed today.

The Suryabhedana is basically one half of the nadi exercise. Same mudras with the hands and you inhale through the right nostril (while closing off the left) and hold it for 5 counts then exhale through the left nostril (while closing off the right). Iyengar states this exercise increases digestive power, soothes and invigorates the nerves and cleans the sinuses.

I felt lithe and strong today. This was refreshing because I have been feeling tired mentally and physically for the last week or so.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 35 (Ariana)

2011-05-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

As expected I am happy to be finishing this sequence. Week 35 has arrived.

Throughout the poses I backed off of effort - not pushing myself but pausing and reflecting on how things felt today. I also spent more time in poses because I was trying to understand what muscles were stretching and which ones were working or contracting. Fun stuff. I almost pulled out my muscular system manual by Joseph Muscolino to help me figure out exactly what I was stretching while in Badakonasana. I stayed in the pose instead.

My dog was antsy, whining, following me around and giving me creepy looks most of the time. While I was in headstand he came over to lie down in front of me and just stared at me. It was weird looking into my dog's eyes while I was upside down. Now he wants to go outside so I better get this done.

I did the sequence in the morning and warmed up with some Sun Salutations (A and B) before I started. Headstand was pretty good away from the wall. Not great - a little shaky. I always do the pose within a leg's length of the wall just in case I need it. I put my toes on the wall to help with balance a few times. No variations. I did not feel warmed up or steady enough for variations.

Shoulderstand - no variations here either. I am still working with the strap trying to keep my shoulderblades on the back and reaching towards each other. I have a lot of flexibility in my shoulderblades so that is very hard for me. But supporting the back with my shoulderblades instead of overusing my back muscles (erector spinae) helps me a lot. So I am enjoying that work.

My left leg is better. My hamstring and quads felt super tight and overworked all the time. I went to Mark Taylor in Pittsburgh PA a few weeks ago for a private session. He helped me figure out what was going on. One issue is that I hyperextend my knees when I stand and when I do a lot of poses. When I was in the seated forward bends I started to feel that -especially when I sit up on blankets or blocks. So I put a low block under my extended knee in all of the forward bends and it was such a relief. I rolled up a blanket a little bit and put it under my knees for Paschimottanasana and wow what a difference there. I am also working on getting more of an anterior tilt in my pelvis in the poses so I am not over doing it in the spine - especially where the lumbar spine meets the sacrum. This is helping me a lot too. I felt some progress - by progress I mean relief - in those poses today. This is where the easing off on the poses came into play. I no longer had to work so hard.

I skipped my usuals (Chakrasana, Full Lotus, Kukkutasana, Garbha Pindasana) and did replacements for some.

Janu Sirsana still did not feel right after Supta Virasana. Instead I did Down Dog and Prasarita Padottasana with a twist.

Savasana - my mind was very active. I was thinking about all things I want to do today and could not stop. Usually when I become aware that that is happening, my thoughts settle and I can take a step back. Not today. OK. Time to take out the dog.

Namaste

Iyengar Course 2 Week 34 (Ariana)

2011-04-07T20:33:00.000-07:00


Dog on the Blog

For the most part I felt like I was just going through the motions, plodding my way through this sequence. I can't wait to be done with it, but I will stick it out. Next week will be the last time.

I thought it might be interesting to photograph my variations of the pose and juxtapose them with photos of Iyengar's classic version. Turns out is very difficult to photograph oneself in an asana. It is also very distracting and for me defeated the purpose of practicing. Then my dog, Roscoe, came into the picture - and all his fur on my clothes and mat. He sheds constantly.

Working my way backwards-
Savasana- I came out of it to make lunch. I was hungry. Towards the end I noticed that my thoughts were fixated on daily details. As soon as I observed this I took a step back mentally. I visualized the earth then the galaxy, then the universe then the multiverse. Then I zoomed in again to sensations in my body. I did this micro to macro thing a few times. Then I remembered something I read in Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki about the oneness of duality-

"This is the most important teaching: not two, and not one. Our body and mind are not two and not one. If you think your body and mind are two, that is wrong; if you think that they are one, that is also wrong. Our body and mind are both two and one. We usually think that if something is not one, it is more than one; if it is not singular, it is plural. But in actual experience, our life is not only plural, but also singular. Each one of us is both dependent and independent."

These were nice thoughts, but my mind had not calmed down. I was hoping to find some space between the thoughts.

Pranayama-Nadi Sodhana
Towards the end I tried filling the lungs from top to bottom rather than bottom up. I had seen a short video clip of Leslie Kaminoff talking about the difference for him so I wanted to try for myself. My breath was much longer this way. I decided it might not be ideal to breathe that way for Nadi Sodhana so I stopped after a few times.

Uttanasana- I could have stayed in it for much longer. It felt very relaxing and releasing.

Dhanurasana to Parsva Dhanurasana was fun.

Twists were good.

I skipped Kukkutasana and Garbha Pindasana. I did half lotus with my strap once again. Still don't get why it is easier with my right leg. I don't know if that will ever change.

I skipped Janusirsana even though it is one of my favorite poses. It just did not feel right after Supta Virasana. Instead I did Down Dog and Prasarita Padottanasana with a twist.

Ustrasana- very mild back bend. I did not want to push it.

Navasana and Ardha Navasana were very hard.

Tried Chakrasana but my momentum comes to a halt when my toes get to the floor overhead.

Shoulderstand- good and strong with most of the variations with a strap.

Headstand- a downright mess. Very heavy and shaky. But somehow I wobbled in the pose away from the wall.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 33 (Ariana)

2011-03-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have heard yoga described as an art form. I think part of what makes it an art for me is knowing when to push and when to back off - negotiating that delicate balance of ease and effort. I was focused on that throughout the practice. Easing off at the sign of any discomfort and exerting enough effort to skillfully sustain the pose.

This was the same sequence as last week but I hardly recognized it. It did not feel the same at all. It was another grey and rainy day but the forward bends were not as soothing as last time. They felt more out of place especially when a backbend preceded them.

No variations in Headstand or Shoulderstand-just the basic versions. My teacher (Jason Brown) recently told me that I would benefit from using a strap in shoulderstand to bring my shoulderblades closer together to support the back more instead of over using my supraspinatous muscles. At least I think that is what he said - we finished learning all 206 bones and the joints but haven't really started learning about the muscles. (correction - it was the erector spinae muscles). So I used the strap today and stayed in a steady Shoulderstand for a few. My Headstand was wobbly today but it felt light - strange combination. I came up so quickly in Headstand today that I surprised myself.

I threw some standing poses into the mix (Parsvakonasana, Trikonasana and Vira 1) to work the legs a little before all the floor work.

Ugh tried Chakrasana again and I cannot do it without rolling to the side. I decided that this is probably not good for my neck so I am not going to do that anymore. I still liked Navasana before Ustrasana. But I was not ready to then come into Virasana. JanuSirsasana felt downright cranky after Supta Virasana. Next time I will finesse that transition a little more. I was not quite ready for that forward bend. I used a strap for Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottansana and propped myself up on several blankets for Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana which felt fine and good. Krouchasana was not so pleasant. I tend to lean back too much and too much to the side of the extended leg. I use a strap for this but I do not stay in this pose for very long.

I used my trusty figure 8 strap configuration for Lotus/Half Lotus. I put my hands through my legs for Kukkutasana and I imagined what kind of strength it would take but did not even try to lift up. I leaned back for Garbha Pindasana without putting my arms through. These were brief experiments that I probably will not replicate.

By mistake I did Parsva Dhanurasana when I should have done Akarna Dhanurasana (Archers Pose). When I looked at the picture I was stunned by how much his bottom foot is dorsiflexed. I think this is way beyond the typical range of motion. I barely noticed that his other foot was by his ear. I am well on my way to becoming an anatomy nerd and I love it!

Looking ahead to week 36 - I am pleased to see more standing poses. Guess I am kind of done with this sequence.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 32 (Ariana)

2011-03-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Forward bends feel good on rainy days. It is a wet and grey day and I feel off today even though I actually felt motivated to do the sequence. I did not feel strong. I felt out of shape. I am teaching more than I am practicing these days and maybe I am feeling it in my practice. I am struggling with finding the time to do yoga. I will work on that.

Many sequences ago I wrote that I enjoyed starting my practice with the Headstand and Shoulderstand. This is no longer the case. I feel that I need a warm up before I do either of those. My headstand felt heavy and labored. I tried again- which I never do. I usually just do one and then I am done. But my first one felt so off. I had to try again. The second wasn't any better and going up was more chaotic/less controlled.

The phone rang after headstand (I thought I had turned it off) and I answered it. Next thing I know I am checking my email and looking at a an apartment listing that my sister-in-law sent me. 10 minutes later I was back on the mat. The phone rang again after Shoulderstand and I answered it again. I usually don't do that :-/

In my Shoulderstand I used a strap to keep my elbows from splaying out to the sides. This limited the variations I could do. Even my Shoulderstand was off today and I did not enjoy it as much as I usually do. Most of the time I was thinking about how my neck was in extreme flexion beyond the typical range of motion and how this affects the rest of the curves in the spine. Do you want to maintain the natural curves (other than the cervical curve) in the spine in Shoulderstand the way you do in Headstand? This is what I was thinking about. No doubt due to my anatomy studies.

I like doing Navasansa before Ustrasana - to strengthen the abdominal muscles before stretching them. As I have learned from Jason Brown's Zenyasa classes it is better to stretch after strengthening. More and more flexibility is not the goal.

I did my usual and skipped most of the Lotus variations, Kukkutasana, and Garba Pindasana. I can't do them and I am wondering what the benefit and purpose is of them anyway. Sometimes it seems the yoga masters did poses just because their bodies were capable.

The forward bends were so soothing today and I lingered in them as long as I could but I was rushed. Had to go teach. The pranayama at the end was also good. Nothing special, just good.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 31 redo (Ariana)

2011-03-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Oh how I avoided coming back to these sequences. I kept putting it off and thinking that I wanted to go through the sequence ahead of time and plan replacement poses for the ones I cannot do. Then I realized a month had passed since my last entry and I just dove in. Like it or not.

Mostly I did not like it. Most of the time I was wondering why I am doing this project. What's the point? To see what my body is capable of? Or is it to see how my mind/ego responds to what I can and cannot do? How about to learn about myself!

My shoulder is fine now and since the last time my headstands are much more deliberate and mindful. I decided not to do the headstand variations until I can balance CONFIDENTLY without the wall.

The shoulderstand variations were playful for me. Then I decided to take it more seriously and focus more in the poses despite the fact that they are easier for me. That was a wise choice because then my shoulderstand felt more steady and stable.

Chakrasana is back and it is still not happening for me without rolling over to one side.

There were some poses that I had never heard of this time. Garbha Pindasana- Embryo Pose. When I read the description I chuckled to myself. Plate 116. Mr Iyengar looks like he is fixing his hair in front of a mirror...except for the fact that his arms are threaded through his crossed legs and his knees are up in the air. Mr Iyengar says that the pose resembles a human foetus in the womb. The difference being that the legs are in lotus and the head is down. I don't see any resemblance to a foetus here.

Then there was Kukkutasana or Cock Pose. Here the arms pass through lotus bound legs and Mr. Iyengar props himself up on his hands only. This did not happen for me either. (I made a bad pun to myself that you'd have to be cookoo to try this pose).

Padmasana/Lotus is still not good for me. So I do a nice half lotus with a figure 8 strap configuration that I learned in Carrie Owerko's class recently. I love it.

I was almost rolling my eyes with annoyance by the time I reached the end poses Parsva Dhanurasana and Uttanasana. I was glad to do some Nadi Sodhana Pranayama until I sneezed. I decided that was a good time to head into Savasana and do the Ujjayi breath there as he instructs.

So mostly I feel glad that I finished the sequence (and did not abandon the blog), did what I could and felt ok about the things that I couldn't.

Iyengar Course 2 Week 31 (Ariana)

2011-01-23T12:32:00.000-08:00

I was all set to knock this one out this morning. I started with the headstand and I was feeling great. My headstand was feeling light and I was balancing well away from the wall. Then a few minutes into it my left shoulder started to hurt. I came down right away.

I stretched it out and it was still achy so I decided not to continue this sequence and put it on hold. Funny, because I was talking to my teacher, Jason Brown about this project the other day and he told me not to hurt myself. I always try to be careful and not push myself into positions that compromise my body, but something went wrong today. It is hard to admit that.

I was not looking forward to this sequence anyway. I studied the poses before I started and realized that most of them are not part of my practice. I will have to start substituting most of the poses and modifying them from now on. I will look into the "why" behind the poses rather than the poses themselves when determining the alternatives. The "why" instead of the "what".

I am bummed and it hurts to laterally flex my neck to the left. I will resume this sequence when I feel better. Lesson learned. Warm up a little before doing headstand first thing in the morning.

Day 3 of Iyengar's Short 3-day Course (Ariana)

2011-01-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am better. Yay, back to normal. I feel like my body has changed in the past few weeks from being sick and then the holidays. I was not very active and a result I feel lumpy. Plus it is cold and that just makes me want to hibernate.

Nonetheless, here I am coming back to my asana practice and back to LOY. I had my first anatomy class with Jason Brown last week and already find myself thinking about the poses differently. Thinking about the anatomical terms for the movements. What is moving where and how. I am excited to see how this (6-month - yikes!) course will change my perspective.

I think my left IT band and hamstring are tight and it is causing regular achiness. This might be affecting my right sacral joint. I felt some pain there today while in triangle. I realize I keep thinking that the practice of yoga will protect me from injury, but I am waking up to the fact that that is not accurate. I heard that Beth Israel did a study and found that 1 in 5 emergencies are the result of yoga injuries. This is a major problem for the yoga industry considering how many people are practicing yoga and how teachers are not required to have extensive anatomy knowledge. So I am trying to be extra careful in my own practice as well as my teaching.

As for this sequence, it was exciting for me to come back to it after so long, but I was almost dreading some of the poses. For instance, Parivrita Parsvokonasana, Warrior 3, the whole Padmasana sequence, and Lolasana. As usual for the Padmasana stuff I did variations that are safe for me - half lotus or ankle to knee. As for the other poses I guess I have an aversion to them because they are more challenging for me.

I really enjoyed most of the standing poses and tried to stay in them for the time that Iyengar suggests. Sometimes I felt like I could have stayed longer, others I didn't want to stick around at all. For the most part I enjoy holding the poses even though I don't think of it as holding. I think of it as exploring the pose with the breath. When I do that subtle moves and changes happen and it feels like and exploration and discovery every time. That was most pronounced today in Triangle and Parsvokonasana. My chest kept opening up to the ceiling and my head moved back. It is a wonder I did not fall backward. I went to Tzahi Moskovitz's Iyengar style class on Monday and he had us focus on the chest opening up to the ceiling in Triangle, Parsvokonasana and Parvrita Janusirsasana. The remnants of that practice were most likely still lingering in this one.

At the end I did Nadi Sodhana Pranayama. Iyengar offers the option of that or Ujjayi. I find Nadi Sodhana to be very balancing so I went with that today. By the end I enjoyed this practice and may decide to return to it down the road.

I am looking forward to Course II, Week 31! woohoo

All the Mindfulness I Can Muster

2010-12-18T14:36:00.000-08:00

Those words came to me while in a fever-induced stupor this week. I thought practicing so much yoga would give me a super immune system. No such luck. I came down with the flu or something like it this past week. I managed to teach my Monday class but then by Tuesday I was out of commission and had to cancel my classes for the rest of the week. Bummer. No classes, no Light on Yoga sequence, no YOGA!

There I was feeling warm, with glazed and glossy eyes, my body drooping without posture. But I still wanted to clean up the kitchen, give my daughter a bath and put her to bed before I took a hot shower and went to bed. Then for some reason it occurred to me that I should still try to be mindful. Even though I felt lousy and just wanted to get through the rest of the evening.

For the rest of the week I could not do much but lie down on the couch or my bed. Luckily my snugly dog was by my side most of the time. In fact I am on my couch right now with Roscoe to my right. I thought about reading and meditating but did not have the energy for that either. So I practiced being mindful. Mindful while miserable. It's easy to be mindful when you feel good.

With this mindfulness I found moments of being soothed and grateful over the past week. Grateful that my husband and daughter wanted to take care of me. Grateful that my 4 year old still likes to hug me. Grateful for the roof over my head. for my dog. for my bathtub that I can soak in with some eucalyptus and healing essential oils. Grateful for those essential oils. For my cozy warm bed. Grateful for homeopathic and non-homeopathic meds. I still had it very good. And then I thought about people who have constant and real suffering in their lives. Why bother being mindful while suffering? Maybe it cultivates more patience, more acceptance of what is rather than what isn't, which in turn gives more strength and perseverance.

Day 2 of Iyengar's Short 3-Day Course

2010-11-30T09:38:00.000-08:00

I did not follow the sequence to the letter and made my own adaptations along the way. I also did not hold most of the poses for the recommended times. I held poses longer than usual but came out of them when I felt ready.

I was actually disappointed to see the return of Urdvha Padmasana and Pindasana in Handstand and Shoulderstand. I was so disappointed I contemplated going back to the last sequence or doing my own practice. Instead I skipped those poses. I also skipped all the variations in Headstand because my Headstand did not feel steady enough.

I started with my handstand practice and stayed up there this time. I am getting better at kicking up with the right, but the left is still better. I am confused by this because I am right handed so I assumed that kicking up with the right would be easier.

Janusirsasana felt heavenly. This might be one of my favorite poses. Mahamudra is still not clear to me. It is really difficult to do the Uddiyana lift while in this position.

For Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana I placed my outer ankle on my thigh rather than at the groin and did not do the bind. I felt enough of a stretch there and did not want to push it.

Urdvha Mukha Paschimottanasana was fun. I surprised myself and held it steadily for what felt like a long time. It probably was only 15 seconds. Iyengar says to hold this one for 1 minute.

2 minute Uttanasana (I think this is the only one I actually stayed in for the suggested time) was revealing. I had more weight in my heels so I kept trying to bring more weight forward towards the ball of the foot and the metatarsals. When I did that I felt more of a stretch in the inner thighs and groin. I felt like those areas had never been accessed while in Uttanasana.

The sequence finishes with a 5 minute Savasana, a choice of Ujjayi Pranayama or Nadi Sodhana Pranayama and another Savasana. He does not suggest the Uddiyanas this time. I went with the Nadi Shodhana which was calming and centering. My right nostril was not as clear as the left which usually seems to be the case. According to Alan finger this exercise balances both sides of the brain. I also learned from him that every eight-eight minutes, one nostril becomes more dominant, then for up to four minutes both nostrils operate equally and then they change again.

I am looking forward to the sequence for the third day. There are more standing poses which I have been missing.

Day 1 of Iyengar's Short 3-Day Course

2010-11-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

It's good to be back. What can I say, suddenly I could not find the time. My daughter turned 4, there were family visits, anatomy workshops and more opportunities to teach some yoga. All good things.

After the 30th week Mr. Iyengar offers a three day course which benefits the body and harmonizes the mind. The first major difference with these courses is that the poses are all timed. I did not enjoy timing the poses. On the one hand I felt that if I sustained the duration I might be getting the maximum benefit from the pose. On the other hand I watched the clock too closely. I don't want my focus to be on timing. I prefer to be present to sensations while in the poses.

The sequence is relatively short and simple. There are only 16 poses in the sequence, followed by Savasana, then Nadi Sodhana Pranayama with 6 Uddiyanas and then the second Savasna. Yes, there are 2 Savasanas.

I warmed up with my handstand practice because I am working on that on a daily basis anyway. Sometimes I get up. Sometimes I don't. So far I can only kick up with the left. When I kick up with the right my hips swing over to the left and my kicking leg turns out. I did not get up today. Not enough umph in the kick-off to get to the wall. Actually I did get both legs up, I just did not stay there.

The first pose in this sequence is a 10 minute headstand, but that did not happen. I felt heavy on my head so I cut it short.

1 minute of Navasana- After 30 seconds of Navasana my core started to shake. This is good for building strength so I did not mind it. Ardha Navasana was much harder to hold for 30 seconds. I was ready to be done after 20.

Oddly, I loved the 1-minute Adho Mukha Savasana. The longest I have ever held it was 5 minutes. This one-minute AMS flew by. One of my teachers explained how after Mary Dunn held it for 50 minutes her one piece of advice was to continue to press the thighs back.

I like Nadi Sodhana Pranayama practice. It is one of my favorites because it balances the breath and I always feel centered after wards. It balances the energetic pathways that spiral and run adjacent to the Susumna Nadi. Then the Uddiyanas direct the balanced energy straight up the Susumna Nadi. At least that is what I experienced. Some sensation or force came right up to my third eye and softly expanded there. After 4 Uddiyanas I just wanted to meditate in that space. And then I felt tired. The second Savasana was needed.

I am aware of how my practice changes as the weather gets colder. My practice becomes more about conservation and preservation rather than growth or progression (as in the Spring and Summer). I don't go to my edge. I am gathering for the winter I guess.

Return of Week 25 - Jenny

2010-10-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Went through the whole sequence again today. The hip opening/challenging poses are still so far off for me - I just have to resign myself to studying them deeply. One thing I'm studying now is how I need to bring my knees towards midline in the lotus positions. It's my only chance of getting the legs to rotate externally without torquing my knees. I notice that people who get into the lotus position easily and naturally tend to place their knees away from midline. Anatomical differences, yes, but what differences are they?

Other than that, the sequence feels great. I feel limber and acclimated. I'll keep going.

Time to Restore

2010-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

I took the week off and did an Iyengar restorative sequence that one of my first teachers, Rama Nina Patella gave me. I think she got it from a studio in Chicago called the The Yoga Circle. This was so restful. Just what I needed.

Every pose was supported with blankets, bolsters and blocks as needed.The sequence was:
1. Supta Virasana (5 minutes)
2.Supta Padmasana (3-5 minutes each side) I did half lotus on both sides
3. Supta Baddha Konasana (7-10 minutes) with a strap (this was my fave)
4. Janusirsasana
5. Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana
6. Upavista Konasana
7. Paschimottanasana
All the forward bends were 2-3 minutes and required the forehead to be resting on a blanket, or block.
8. Viparita Dandasana (10-15 minutes) This is a backbend over a yoga chair, which I do not own. Sadly I skipped this one. There is a strap around the thighs, tall block under feet. Arms in headstand position resting on blankets. Blanket rolled under lumbar spine.
9. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (10-15) minutes. Strap around thighs, tall block under pelvis and one under the heels. Shoulders rest on folded blankets.
10. Savasana

Lately I have been pondering whether or not to post about my practice that is off the mat - like my confrontations with ego (asmita), working on non-attachment (vairyagya) and attempts at maintaining equanimity (upeksha). Does this blog only have to be about my experiences with the asanas? More things have been coming up for me.

First, the hardest one - ego (asmita). I did not make the cut for the Equinox audition last month. I waited about 2.5 weeks before I contacted them at which point they told me that they had already contacted those they were interested in hiring. I thought that was rude not to let the those that didn't make it know at the same time. Maybe I wouldn't want to work for people like that anyway (says my wounded ego). But this has been disappointing to me and of course makes me wonder if I should be teaching in the first place. After some consideration and feeling sorry for myself I came to the conclusion that I really cannot let one rejection get in my way. This is one door that closed and hopefully there will be others that will open. In order to experience success I must also experience failure. ok enough with that.

Working on non-attachment: this has come up in a new way for me. I am not fixated on material things but on information. I am so eager to learn from many of the great teachers here in NYC and I have had a hard time deciding on where to start - which to study with first. I have been attending free open houses with Leslie Kaminoff, Amy Mathews and Jason Brown. I also want to try yoga classes at Laughing Lotus, Naam Yoga and with Genny Kapuler. So much to do and so little time, not to mention limited resources. I was all over the place and had this desperate feeling of wanting to learn everything at the same time. After many weeks and many back and forth, wishy washy decisions I decided that my next intensive/certification will be Yoga Anatomy studies with Jason Brown. As of last week it was Leslie Kaminoff's anatomy course but now I feel confident and settled in my choice now.

Maintaining equanimity: I had a fight with a cab driver a few weeks ago. I give myself some credit- I lost it at the end right before I paid. I went to Trader Joes and treated myself to a cab home thinking it would be the usual 10 minute/$10 ride. I saved a lot at TJ's so it was worth it. Long story longer, there was a parade and it was impossible to get across to the east side. Traffic was obscene. It took 1.5 hours and $40 to get home. It costs less to get to the airport. So I calmly explained that there was no way I could pay this amount and how it was not the driver's fault but nor was it mine and could he give me a break. Well the driver did not understand me and started yelling at me to get out of his car and not pay anything. That's when I lost it. I had no intention of doing that. no way. I started yelling obscenities - more at the situation rather then at the driver. We kept yelling over each other - getting nowhere. He didn't understand and I had to go so I PAID the full amount. This still makes me cringe.

When I got home I explained what happened to my husband and I told him how I tried to stay calm and maintain equanimity. He asked me WHY? This was such a great and simple question. WHY? I wasn't sure myself at first. But then I threw out the idea that it's worth it to maintain composure and not let your mood be affected by external/constantly changing circumstances. This relates back to ego too and my feeling sorry for myself about not getting hired by Equinox. Sometimes things go well and sometimes they don't but there is a part of ourselves that does not have to be tethered to those changes. There is a part of us that is unchanging and eternal that resides in calm abiding. Yoga helps me discover that space.

Week 30 - Ariana

2010-10-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

I wasn't planning on doing the week 30 sequence today. I was just going to do my own thing. I started off with handstand practice (an obstacle of a pose for me), then 10 minute Headstand, and Shoulderstand. Next thing I know I am doing the Shoulderstand variations from the sequence (completely in the wrong order). I figured I might as well do the whole sequence.

I thought of the Shoulderstand variations as replacements for the standing postures I had been doing the last two weeks. So I was working the legs a lot as if they were weight bearing.

It has been on the chilly side the last few days and this tightens my muscles. No binding in Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana. I used a strap around the foot of the extended leg to fold forward.

For all the Lotus and Half Lotus positions I was having trouble grounding down again in the left sit bone. My weight always shifts to the right- in all the seated poses not just Lotus. To counter this I propped my outer right hip up a tiny bit with a blanket so that left sit-bone could make more contact with the floor. This relieved discomfort in the outer left knee immediately.

For some bizarre reason I was able to do Lotus on the side that I usually cannot-with my left leg over the right. I didn't do it on my usual side. I stopped as soon as I felt anything in my left knee and did Half Lotus instead. Bizarro day. I snuck in some Baddhakonasana preps for Lotus that Jenny and I learned at a Rodney Yee workshop last year. Maybe that had something to do with it.

I am still loving how different the Virasana, Supta Virasana and Paryankasana poses are for me. I was looking forward to that trio the whole time. They feel good now. The quadriceps and abdominal muscles have learned to release and I can actually relax in these postures. I have found space in them where before there was none.

By the time I got to Salabhasana I was tired. From that point on I exerted minimal effort and focus. I lost my zeal. I am pretty sure that I rolled my eyes when I got up for Utkatasana and Garudasana.

I reread the directions for the Ujjayi AntarKumbakha. I am still not clear on how to apply the MulaBandha but I will read about that some more too.

Haven't decided if I will stay with this sequence or just keep going. I read a little about the next course and I am intrigued because Mr. I describes it as a short (yeah right) 3-day course which whenever followed will benefit the body and bring harmony to the mind.

How can I resist that?

Week 25 Strikes Back - Jenny

2010-10-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm still staying with Week 25. It's a bear. But I am able to move through the poses more swiftly, exploring and (I think) finding the centering of the hip joint, then heading onto the next pose. I think I'll stay with this one some more. I'm concerned I might torque my knee if I push too hard. And this sequence gives me enough to explore, to be honest. It's a full-on curiosity fest these days. So much stimulus in these poses. There's hardly a one that's easy to get into and get out of. Propping almost all the poses. Having to take extra time to be safe. I've surrendered. I'm sure there's more surrendering on the way - there always is. So I'm trying to enjoy the journey. Because like life, it's mostly journey.

Week 29 - Ariana

2010-10-03T18:31:00.001-07:00

I went to an Intro to Iyengar Yoga class at the Iyengar Institute today. I had never been there and I wanted to see how they introduce the Iyengar method. There is always something to learn. I tried to enter with a beginner's mind and let go of what I think I know about Iyengar Yoga. Nonetheless it was nice to be in this beginner's space in the context of having gone through these 29 weeks of LOY sequences. I understood the sequence in a way I would not have had it not been for those 29 weeks.

I did the week 29 sequence yesterday but did not have time to write about it afterward like I usually like to do. The practice is not as fresh in my memory. I squeezed the sequence into the day spontaneously. I found myself with 1.5 hours of free time so I did the practice then - around 4PM. Why not?

I don't think I mentioned yet that the sequence for weeks 26 - 30 is the same. I am pleased that I am not tired of this sequence. I don't like to repeat the same sequence over and over again. This is one of the reasons (there are many) why Bikram does not appeal to me. But this sequence is complex and there is a lot for me to discover.

I wanted to focus on good old Headstand and Shoulderstand without the variations. My goal was to have 10 minutes of each pose. (Lately I have been starting my own practice this way. This is new for me. Before I did them towards the end of my practice.) I was working on my Headstand away from the wall again so it was pretty wobbly. I came down and went back up a few times. But a 10 minute Shoulderstand came (and went) easily this time.

Then I did the same standing poses as last week because I did not do the inverted variations. I really needed to come back to those-they are very grounding for me. After that I resumed the sequence with Jathara Parivartanasna.

I backed off when my left knee was bent in Janusirsasana. I was pressing the bent leg back with the heel of the foot at the groin. But this did not feel good in the outer knee so I brought the sole of the foot to the right inner thigh instead.

I put blocks under my hands for Lolasana. I came closer to lifting off but my toes stayed on the floor.

I did Paryankasana for the first time ever in an Iyengar yoga class recently. I don't remember ever doing it in any kind of yoga class. The teacher had us place a wood block at the highest height right behind the shoulderblades. This felt great. I felt like I had been cracked open. In a good way. This is how I have been practicing this pose ever since that class. I love it. Surprisingly this time my spine curled right over that block and then the top of my head lightly touched the floor. My hips pressed up away from the floor for this. I then checked the photo of this pose and Mr. Iyengar's hips stay down.

I worked on pressing up from the floor again in Chaturanga (instead of coming down from plank). I did not use the strap like last time but I used the block under my forehead. I can press up this way. I am probably putting too much weight in the forehead but it is teaching me something in my core that is for sure.

I still don't like Garudasana before Savasana. I begrudge doing this every time.

I need to re-read the instructions for Inhalation Retention. I did not do it right again.

I started to read Light on Pranayama which Iyengar wrote a few years after Light on Yoga. In the preface he says that in his recent practices a new light of inner awareness dawned on him which he had not experienced when he wrote LOY. That was in the 1970's. I can only imagine what new inner awareness has dawned on him since then. I would love to know his opinion of these sequences now and if he would change anything.

Week 28 - Ariana

2010-09-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Until yesterday I was not looking forward to returning to this sequence- maybe because many of the full poses are beyond my ability.

Yesterday I took an Iyengar class with Carrie Owerko. She has studied with the Iyengars in India and on her last visit Mr. Iyengar (she calls him Guruji) talked about Sutra 1.20 and how the 5 Yoga vitamins are mentioned there. They are: Sraddha=Faith, Virya=Strength, Smriti=Memory, Samadhi=Contemplation or Absorption and Prajnapurvaka=knowledge of the self and Self. These are the yoga vitamins that sustain our practice. Apparently he talks more about them in the Tree of Yoga. Something about this sutra and the practice (which revolved around accessing these concepts) reinvigorated my interest in this sequence. I couldn't wait to get started.

I needed to have a long and steady Headstand and Shoulderstand so I stayed away from all the variations. My Headstand was shaky. My breath was a little fast so I did not stay in it as long as I had intended. When I came down I realized I had broken out into a sweat. I was extra careful coming up into Shoulderstand because of the pain I had near my right shoulder blade last week. Luckily that pain was gone.

Instead of the inverted variations I did standing poses. Mr. Iyengar says to eliminate the variations in Headstand and Shoulderstand when you do standing positions. I did Utthita and Parvrita Parsvokonasana, Vira 1,2,3, Ardha Chandrasana, Parsvottanasana and Prasarita Padottanasana then went back to the rest of the sequence starting with Jatara Parivartanasana.

Some observations:
My Navasanas have gotten stronger. I can hold them for much longer than when I started these sequences.

In Janusirsana I felt the kidney areas being stretched again. It has a cleansing and soothing effect for me.

I did Half Lotus with the left leg on top and full lotus with the right leg on top. I am still supporting the left knee with a blanket underneath. It still alleviates a pulling sensation I get in the outer knee. I keep testing it without the support and I still need it.

I did Chaturanga with the strap around the upper arms and a block underneath the forehead. I had not used the strap for Chaturanga in a while. This time it helped me roll the shoulders up away from the floor and keep the chest open. The tendency for me is that the tops of my shoulders roll down. Then I tried it without the strap (so much harder!) but still with the block and once again the shoulders rolled down. But at least I am aware of this and it gives me something to work towards.

When I went down for Savasana after Garudasana my breath was fast. It was nice to observe it gradually slow down and settle into a calm rhythm.

I thought I was getting used to the actions in the inhalation retention for Ujjayi Pranayama. Then I read the instructions again and I had missed a lot of points. Even with the mistakes that I made I still enjoyed it and observed a great puffing of the chest when I pulled the abdominal wall back toward the spine and applied the Uddiyana Bandha.

For today's practice I felt reinvigorated and present with what I am capable of TODAY without any judgment one way or another.

Week 25 continued - Jenny

2010-09-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

I couldn't go on to the next sequence. So I've been doing the same week 25 sequence for the past two weeks. I am actually getting somewhere. This ability to center the head of the femur in the hip socket is becoming an easier and swifter process for me. I am surprised at how much my knee comes towards midline when I center the hip joint. I feel all tiny - all balled up tight. I used to have a Doberman. She had long legs and a long body but she would fold up like a bat when she sat on the couch. That's what it feels like. I guess that must have something to do with my anatomy because I see so many people whose knees are way out to the sides when they sit in lotus. Or maybe this is just how it begins. Maybe over time my knees will extend away from midline. Who knows? Either way, it feels great. It feels like nothing - and isn't that the end point of every pose? Not that there is an end point of any pose, but you know what I mean.

I've learned to prop and move, prop and move (like "stick and move" in some sports) to keep the practice going. It's refreshing to get to a point where I can get through the sequence in some sort of normal time frame. This is an invigorating sequence - there is a lot of moving from front to back bends and vice versa. I have to remind myself to be safe. But one thing I'll say - it's invigorating.

One thing I'd like to point out about the sequencing: it seemed so completely weird to me to go from Camel (Ustrasana) to Chair (Utkatasana). But I must say I love what it does for my Utkatasana. My instincts tell me to work my way out of the backbend of Camel. So I work for such a straight back in the Chair Pose. The spine feels like it does in Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) - reached way long. I like it. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) comes right after, and that's kind of scary, so I just take my time. But I see how he's giving Chair as the intermediate. We now work out of backbends in a safer way, but I think he was working for a safe way to get out of the backbend - it was just the safe way of the 60's.

Week 27 - Ariana

2010-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

I auditioned to teach yoga at a gym yesterday. There were about 25 of us. First of all, it feels counter intuitive to be auditioning to teach yoga but I digress. I know gym yoga is different from yoga studio yoga but it was a jarring experience. Each of had 3 minutes to teach anything we wanted but the class had to flow from one person to the next so it resembled a real class sequence. That is what was supposed to happen but it did not exactly go that way. The first person started right off with a vinyasa sequence. The class stayed at an intense level for most of the 2 hours and 40 minutes. The class was up and down and all over the place. No warm up. No Savasana. I tried to balance out this intensity when it was my turn but I don't know if that is what the "judges" were looking for. In my humble opinion, on a macro level the sequence made no sense.

My nervous system was shot afterwards and I was exhausted. Not how I like to feel at the end of a yoga class. By the time I got home I was catatonic. It's amazing how many different expressions of yoga there are and how many of them scare me.

So my practice today was dedicated to restore and activate my parasympathetic nervous system. ahhhh. There was no pushing it today. I played Deva Premal's Moola Mantra. ahhhh. I found myself singing along at times even while in headstand (not a good idea I learned).

I did half lotus again for the Urdvha Padmasana inversions. No Pindasana in Headstand because I don't feel ready for it. But I enjoyed my modified Half Lotus Pindasana while in Shoulderstand. I am a little sore in my upper back. I am not sure if it is residual from yesterday (from the Shoulderstand without any blankets) but I am keeping an internal eye on it. I felt it while in Shoulderstand. Very odd. I am taking it very slowly when I feel something there.

No full Lotus. Half Lotus on each side felt right today. I cannot lift up in Tolasana while in Half Lotus. I backed off on most of the binds.

I gave myself an extra long Savasana to make up for yesterday. Ujjayi Pranayama with the inhalation retention was soothing. I feel more restored but I am not loving this sequence. All the back-bending and the Garudasana at the end still confuses me.

Week 26 - Ariana

2010-09-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Many surprises for me in this sequence.

1. Lotus so early in the sequence without a hip warm up
2. Downward Dog towards the end of the sequence
3. Backbends at the end of the sequence
4. Garudasana right before Savasana

I had more time today for the sequence. I did not feel rushed and enjoyed staying in and breathing in the poses for longer than last time. But it did not take me that much longer- maybe 20 minutes more than last time.

The Urdvha Padmasanas (one in Headstand and one in Shoulderstand) stood out for me when I first looked at this sequence. UH-OH. Full Lotus is not available to me in any inversions. I am working on a seated Full Lotus on one side (my left foot will not go over the right knee). And why is it so early in the sequence without a warm up? At first I thought I would skip them entirely and do Lotus preps instead. But then I decided that would break the flow of the inversions. In the end I decided to try it out. I literally said out loud to myself before I went up into Headstand, "Let's see what happens."

I ended up doing a Half Lotus Variation with each leg for the Urdvha Padmasanas. Surprisingly gravity pulls the foot down closer towards the hips. I felt like the foot FELL closer towards the groin without my having to put it there.

I had never heard of Pindasana while in Headstand and Shoulderstand - bringing the knees towards the head while in Full Lotus in the inversions. By the time I got to it in Headstand I was ready to come down so I didn't really try it. It was different in Shoulderstand. I did Pindasana with the Half Lotus position. It was very comforting, even more soothing than Sarvangasana.

I did one arm at a time in Niralamba Sarvangasana II before I put both arms at my sides. I held it briefly and then almost rolled down to the floor.

Virasana and Supta Virasana felt different. I sat lower in Virasana. The block was on the lowest height. Usually it is at the medium height. And Supta Virasana felt softer and easier too. It almost felt good.

While I was doing some of the bound seated twists I felt that once the arms are bound the spine is liberated. The spine can move more into the pose.

Adho Mukha Savasana towards the end of the sequence - wow. I loved having this pose so late in the sequence. In my personal practice this is something I open up with and there is always some muscle group or joint that is cranky when I first do it. Not here. What a lovely Downward Dog. It felt so open and strong. I experienced stability and mobility in the pose at the same time. My hands and feet did not move but I had mobility in all the joints.

And then come the backbends at the end of the sequence. WHY? Garudasana is the last pose before Savasana. Not exactly a Savasana prep pose. Mr. Iyengar states that Garudasana prevents cramps in the leg muscles and removes stiffness in the shoulders. So my thought was that he wakes up the legs with the Utkatasana and then soothes the arm and leg muscles before Savasana. This is all I have come up with so far. I am making this up.

My breath was a little labored when I went down for Savasana and it took me longer to settle into it. Ujjayi Pranayama with inhalation retention was good. Once again my breath felt smooth and continuous like silk. Even though I am confused by the sequence I think it was a great practice.

My eyes look rested.

Week 25 - Ariana

2010-09-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

I am ready to be done with this sequence. Not because I have mastered all the poses (far from it!) I just feel ready to move on. The first time I did this sequence I was surprised by what I could do. Now I feel like I have plateaued.

I noticed how quick I was to get into Headstand and Shoulderstand variations rather than staying in the original poses. So instead of rushing into the variations I slowed down and tried to get good old fashioned Headstand down and Shoulderstand and stay in them a long time. Of course that made a difference in the variations. They were more stable as a result.

My favorite poses this time were Shoulderstand, Savasana and Siddhana with Ujjayi Pranayama. They were so soothing and calming. I was able to let go quickly in them and not be in the poses with some tension lingering. In Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff says that Savasana gives us an opportunity to experience a deep state of conscious relaxation which is very different from sleep. We can be fully aware of the breath without altering it. He says this is the most difficult breathing exercise of all and that "the juxtaposition of active awareness and surrender to the breath's natural movements makes possible the powerful realization that true surrender is an act of will."

I only had an hour and 10 minutes for today's practice. I was a little resentful of that time constraint. Even so, I feel steady and calm after today's practice.

Week 25 - Jenny

2010-08-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Okay. I've been on a bit of a hiatus from the blog. I was opening a yoga studio and I was rather busy. But I swear I was still working on all these poses in my daily practice and I did the full sequence a couple of times.

Today was a very interesting day with this sequence. As I mentioned before, I've been working delicately since I hurt my knee. And this is really bringing up so much info about the hips. In the past couple of weeks, I've been working a lot on centering the hip joint. I like that approach. Heard it from Rodney Yee at a workshop. Rather than "opening the hips, " which doesn't resonate with someone like me who has "closed hips," he talked about centering the head of the femur in the hip socket.

In most all of my daily practices for the past two weeks, I've been doing what I call the "3 bases" of the poses in this sequence. Those bases are Baddha Konasana, Virasana and Malasana. Baddha Konsasana is a base for Bound Half Lotus Seated Forward Bend (Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana), Lotus (Padmasana), Bharadvajasana II, Marichyasana II and all the other poses that involve Lotus or Half Lotus legs. Virasana is a base for Triangmukapaida Paschimottanasana, Bharadvajasana II and all the other poses that involve Half Virasana legs. And Malasana is a base for all the poses where one leg is in the squat position - Marichyasana I, II and III.

So I've been doing these poses every day, looking for both sitz bones to drop to the floor evenly, reaching the side ribs forward and lengthening the low back.

I've been finding that in the Half Lotus position, I need to move the knee towards the midline to get that hip centering. Today when I did Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana on the right side (the uninjured side), I had a moment where things fell into place. When I do this pose, the quad muscles on the straight leg have a hard time dealing with the pressure of the bent leg shin/ankle. There is some discomfort heading towards pain, though not the kind of pain that causes an injury. Well, I had this moment - I knew something was up - when the pain/discomfort escalated, and then it just let go - the tension in the quad dissipated and then it was gone. The hip felt like nothing. The knee did move more towards midline. And there was room - so much room - and I almost fell forward, my head almost touched my knee. It was crazy and super cool.

I don't know if I'll be able to move onto the next sequence next week. I'll see what there is in store and decide if I need to stay with this one for longer. Either way, I'm loving this exploration. It's so foreign to me - the hip demands. But exploring foreign places can be a lot of fun . . .

Week 24 - Ariana

2010-08-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

My dog was by my side throughout the practice - either pacing, whining, stepping on my book or sitting on my mat. He had already been out so I don't know what was bothering him. I guess he just wanted attention.

My muscles are stiff - not as limber as usual with the summer heat. It has been raining and chilly where we are.

For Chakrasana I unfolded one blanket on top of my mat. Then I placed two folded blankets on top of that. My shoulders were propped up on the folded blankets and the back of my head was on the bottom blanket. This support and cushioning made a huge difference. I almost did it fully.

Salabhasana- I looked closely at the photo of Mr. Iyengar doing this pose and I was surprised to see that his palms are turned up. I am surprised because this affects the position of the shoulders. I think I prefer to face the palms down because the shoulders roll back and up which opens the chest more.

I am struggling pressing up into Chaturanga and holding it there. Coming down into Chaturanga is so much easier. I thought maybe I was not using my legs enough. So I squeezed a block between my inner thighs to activate them more. It helped. In general I feel I am not "gathering" enough to my midline. Not enough core in my practice. Too much expansion from the center out and not enough coming back into center. There has to be an interplay between the two.

I had an aversion to Simhasana today. I can't sit with my legs the way he suggests so I just sat on my heels - the second time with the toes tucked under (broken-toe asana according to Tias Little). I prefer the pose this way.

I think Mr. Iyengar placed Utkatasana after all that floor work in order to bring back circulation to and re-energize the legs. Otherwise it seems so out of place to me.

I noticed my breath more than usual in today's sequence. Observing rather than altering it. Noticing when my breath is labored and when it is calm. Like when I am in the process of getting into one of the bound poses my breath is faster but as soon I as I get into the pose my breath settles down.
Unfortunately I ran out of time at the end and skipped Ujjayi in Siddhasana. oh well.

I have been doing some reading on breath and came across these interesting points:

In Light on Life, Mr. Iyengar says that inhalation is tension and exhalation is freedom.

In Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff states that contrary to what we think, "when we inhale we are not pulling air into the body. Actually air is being pushed into the body by atmospheric pressure that surrounds us all the time. The actual force that gets air into the lungs is outside the body."

Week 23 - Ariana

2010-08-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

My body was telling me to back off today. My joints were a little stiff and the muscles a little tight. I took some challenging classes this week so that might be the reason. I had too much rajas (activity) in the mind. Expecting too much. Assuming that because I have done certain poses before that I can do them whenever I want. Taking some poses for granted. Getting up into headstand was hard. That was surprising. By mistake I left out Supta Konasana and Parsva Halasana during the Shoulderstand sequence. I assumed I knew that part of the sequence by heart.

I noticed the rajas in my practice because I am in a particularly tranquil and still environment. I got myself into some challenging poses and then when I looked around I noticed how quiet it was outside. Not in my practice. So I kept trying to bring that stillness and poise into my poses and the transitions in between. I was not successful. I had to remind myself countless times.

I appreciated nobodhi's comments about Chakrasana. I think it helped. I kept the "pulling of the legs" and "pushing with the hands" in my mind. I also tried it with a blanket under my shoulders. This elevation helped too. I will keep at it.

I am still being extra careful with the knees-especially the left. The more I do lotus on that side the easier it gets though. I have to ease into it every time.

What is up with Mr. Iyengar's instructions for the legs in Gomukhasana? I have never been in a class where it was taught that way - SITTING ON the ankles and feet. I have enough trouble wrapping one leg over the other. I don't understand how his body does that.

Supta Virasana is one of those poses that is so hard for me and therefor so good for me. I have to lie back on three blankets or a bolster (sometimes both). I feel so much lengthening along the front of my body from the thighs up to my ribs that I get a burning sensation. It takes me a while to settle into it. Hence Paryankasana is not available to me. Instead I lengthen the arms overhead (still on the blanket), clasp the elbows and focus on breathing.

Bharadvajasana I and II were so calming and grounding for me. Ever since I took a workshop on twists with Carrie Owerko, they are some of my favorite poses. I didn't give them enough attention before that. I didn't really want to get up for Ustrasana and then Utkatasana after all that floor work. But I did.

I actually heard the flapping of a bird's wings while in Savasana. (I peaked when I heard the strange noise.) I think it was a hawk. Cool!

Week 22 - Ariana

2010-08-13T16:21:00.001-07:00

I was supposed to have a meeting this morning, but the person I was meeting forgot about it and then expected me to wait an hour for him to arrive. He did not apologize. This annoyed me. I try to respect other people's time. This irked me especially because of what I could have been doing instead of waiting for this person to show up - this week's sequence. Nonetheless, when I got home
I was determined and relieved to get to my practice. I missed it. I did not get to practice as much as I would have liked while we had guests staying with us. Then my daughter got sick for a few days and of course that took precedence.

When I finally did get to practice the determination paid off. I balanced without the wall in headstand for about 30 seconds. I was proud of that.

While I was reveling in my determined practice my husband came home with beautiful flowers. Then he broke the vase (my favorite) that he was going to put them in. I listened to the jarring sound of broken glass being swept up on the kitchen floor tiles. Pleasant. Non-attachment, right? Vairagya (Sutra 1.15 learning to let go of the many attachments, aversions, fears, and false identities that are clouding the true Self). Man, I had to work on that one. I was pissed. I kept telling myself "be grateful for the flowers!"

Moving on. Recently one of my Iyengar teachers suggested rolling up a towel and placing it under the spine in Shoulderstand in order to lift the spine and C7 up and get more onto the shoulders. I tried it, but didn't get it. I felt more pressure on my C7 and had trouble balancing. I will have to inquire further on that one. Maybe it's just not right with the Shoulderstand variations. I am getting used to these. The weight has to shift in each of them. The spine and body cannot remain completely vertical. Pictures of Mr. Iyengar in these poses confirmed that for me.

In general I find it's all about getting used to these postures. You have to learn how to use your body in different ways than you are accustomed to. You just have to be patient and keep trying (Abhyasa) like babies do when they start to learn to walk.

I continued to prop up the left knee in all of the lotus poses. I surprised myself and was able to do lotus with my right leg over my left. It has been a while since I could do that without feeling something in the knees.

Lolasana is troubling for me. Both my feet don't stay under me when my legs are in Gomukhasana. The top shin goes way out to the side. Lifting up in this did not work. I kept trying and pressing my hands vigorously into the floor but no lift off.

Chakrasana-the first few times I tried it I didn't let myself roll over to one side. I think I have to press into the back of my head and hands at the same time in this one. This pose scares me. I'm afraid I will hurt my neck.

I stayed in poses longer than usual. I noticed when I thought I was ready to move on to the next pose and instead stayed in it for at least 3 more breaths. I realized how important it is to stick around for at least one exhale, especially in the poses that are the most challenging. The release or letting go happens on the exhale. The more you do it the easier it gets.

When I started Siddhasana with Pranayama these words entered my mind- "This is all here for my amusement." When I finished this entered my mind - "There is still so much to learn." I am not sure what it means but I like it.

Week 24 - Jenny

2010-08-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe it. I moved through this sequence today without stopping, without plodding, without reading and re-reading. With all this propping for my injured and healthy knee, practice has been taking FOR-ever. But I had a certain rhythm today. I've been doing the sequence enough to have most of it memorized. That helps. I've learned and continue to learn where and how to prop, so now I just do it - no fuss. I look for a lack of strain in the knees (I'm specifically talking about the half-lotus and half-virasana positions that take up the bulk of the second part of the sequence) and an opening in the hip - the feeling that the head of the femur is seated in the acetabulum on the pelvis (the "socket" of the ball-and-socket). Then I moved to the next pose. I didn't get caught up in wanting to reach the final pose - the bound arm or the head on the leg. I just looked for the hip opening and observed the other effects of the pose.

For one thing, I had been trying to get into the full forward bend of all these paschimottanasanas (different seated forward bends with legs in various positions). This time, I kept my tailbone down on the floor - and the amount I was able to lean forward - well, that was it. It's like when a new student does Half Pigeon in the leaned forward position. She wants her head on the floor, so she sort of flips over the bent-leg foot - misaligning the hips in the quest for some perception of the final pose. But what good is that? That's what I was doing. For instance, in Half Lotus Seated Forward Bend (Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana), I was sort of flipping over my bent-leg foot to do the forward bend. And yes, I did the forward bend. But my tailbone came off the floor to achieve the forward bend. And of course this was misaligning my hips and torquing my knee. Hence the injury.

When it comes to the poses that are super demanding of hip flexibility, I've learned to stay away. I'm just not ready yet. So when it comes to Full Lotus (Padmasana), I work on Half Lotus. And when I get to Bharadvajasana II, where one leg is in Half-Lotus and the other in Half-Virasana, I skip to the next pose. These leg positions are repeated many times throughout the sequence, so I keep working on them in the other poses. But I'm just not ready to do both at once yet.

One more week to this sequence, then Week 26 starts a new sequence. I think I'll need to stay with this one for some time before moving on. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Week 23 - Jenny

2010-08-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Working with an injury - how interesting. I slowly - so slowly - moved through practice, cradling my ouchy knee. I took my time to place props and attempt every pose that didn't cause huge pain. I became very much aware that I need to take my time with these open-hip demanding poses. It's interesting to have two knees. Because when one knee is hurt, I study it. And then I have the other to study. Because I'm so sensitive on the injured knee, I can tune up my senses on the healthy one and see where perhaps the problem began. And I noticed that there is strain on the knee that I wasn't noticing. So I'm propping the healthy knee, too. And watching and watching.

I realize I'll be on this sequence for awhile. I've hit a wall. But working with this heightened sensitivity may get me up this wall yet.

Week 21 - Ariana

2010-08-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

I feel relaxed and focused after this sequence. I could have stayed in Savasana longer. I probably SHOULD have stayed in Siddhasana and done the pranayama longer. But the day beckons.

Chakrasana is the same-still rolling to one side in order to flip over. Maybe the back of my neck isn't flexible enough for this maneuver.

I really wanted to finish the sequence and my blog entry today because I have family coming in (and occupying the space where I do yoga). I knew that would not get another chance to do it this week. Maybe because of that I felt like I was just getting through it. I was also preoccupied thinking about the class I taught this morning.

I had to support my left knee for the seated poses with half lotus. I elevated that knee if it was in half lotus with a folded blanket in order to alleviate pulling in the muscles around the outer knee. Supporting the knee that way took the discomfort out of the equation so I focus on the pose rather than the discomfort. Always a good thing.

Nothing so profound to report today. I am just still happy to be in the middle of this process and looking forward to whatever may be around the corner.

Week 20 - Ariana

2010-07-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

I did not have time to journal after my practice. I like to write as soon as I am done while the experience is still fresh. As soon as I finished I got dressed and went to my daughter's swim class. I told her I would be there.

I am working on my Headstand away from the wall. Doing the variations without a wall seems worlds away. One of my teachers emphasizes the role of imagination in yoga practice. I need to imagine myself doing it even if I think that I can't.

While doing the Shoulderstand variations I actually said aloud, "this is fun!" Niralamba Sarvangasana II (Unsupported Shoulderstand 2) does not last very long for me. I jump into it blindly, hope for the best and end up rolling onto the floor. I think it is just fear of something new.

Chakrasana - I still roll to one side to get over. I tried it twice - one time I rolled to my right then to my left. I still cannot figure out how to get my weight into my hands and feet rather than my head.

Something changed. A lot of poses opened up for me today - Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana, Marichyasana I and II, and Bharadvajasana I and II. I did the full poses. I am still stunned. Getting my left foot in Half Lotus is suddenly possible. I don't feel anything in that knee any more. I always assumed I would never be able to do full Marichyasana 1 and 2 because of my struggles with Lotus. I gave it a shot today with more of an open mind than usual. I never realized how much the hip of the bent leg (not the lotus leg) has to come up off the floor. For some reason I assumed that the pelvis had to stay even on the floor. The pose would not be possible that way. I was thrilled.

Sometimes I can do more than I give myself credit for. Potential. There is always potential. I know we are not supposed to be attached to how "advanced" our poses are. I guess I am still caught up in that because I am so happy that I did those poses that have NEVER been available to me.

But where would we be without goals? Never realizing our potential. The trick might be in not getting attached to or identifying with the result. Even if you reach a goal there will always be another one. And what about being content with how things are (santosa)? Can we be content with the status quo and have goals at the same time?

Week 22 - Jenny

2010-07-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I spent last week working up to and getting pysched up for this sequence. The ante has been upped. There are poses that are difficult and different and intimidating. So I took some time to try some out, to study them, to prepare for them. The upside downs are the same as the last sequence. After that, things change. I went into some backbends - Locust (Shalabasana), Cobra (Bhujangasana), etc. Then to the poses that lead to Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) that were such a large part of the sequence for the past three weeks - poses like Triang Mukhaiapada Paschimottanasana (a seated forward bend with one leg in Virasana position) and Marichyasana I (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi I - a seated forward bend with one leg in squat position, foot on the floor near the hip). After that, I headed into some pretty demanding hip work. I cannot yet do Lotus (Padmasana), so I did Half Lotus. Same for all the poses where the legs are in Lotus - I did Half Lotus.

I've been interested through all these sequences in what direction Mr. Iyengar takes the student from forward to backward bends and then again to forward. I don't know where that comes from. I'm sure it comes from his personal practice, but what is it that directed him that way? In any case, I come out of these sequences with an elastic spine and I love it. And I have the experience to know to ease my way into a forward bend if I'm coming straight out of a backbend and vice versa.

When I was practicing Bound Half Lotus Forward Bend (Ardha Baddha Padma Pashcimottanasana) the other day, something popped on the lateral side of my left knee. Having studied it for a few days now, I don't think it's a huge deal. I've been careful with it - cutting out this pose and others that strain the knee. Today I was actually able to do the pose using a block to prop the leg up - there was no pain at all. I think I was reaching for the goal a little too quickly - I wanted my head down on my knee. I didn't even realize it. These days, I push so much less than I used to that I forget that I still have the tendency to push too far. This situation has brought me back to observing with a hawk's eye where the strain or stretch or stress is presenting itself in all poses, especially these poses that are demanding of the hip. And my practice just went deeper . . .

I was proud and exhilarated to have made it through this sequence. This stuff is getting kinda hard. But with a slow, explorative approach, I'm getting through. At this point, I have to allow my curiosity to really peak. Otherwise, I'd be cramming myself into these positions just so that I could blog about it. I've talked about this before, but I will again mention the interview with Mr. Iyengar that I read in Yoga Journal. When asked if there was anything he would have done differently with Light on Yoga, he said he would have made the sequence a 10 year program rather than 5. He said he assumed the student would be practicing 10 hours/day, but he now realizes that isn't possible for a Western householder. I can feel the rapid jumps in these sequences. I do a good 2-3 hours of yoga per day. And these sequences are going so much faster than my body. I know at some point my body won't be able to keep up - I'm brushing that edge already - and I'll have to take extra weeks to stay with a sequence. But that's okay. As I tell my students: Enjoy the journey. Because it's mostly journey.

Week 19 - Ariana

2010-07-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

My copy of Light on Yoga started to fall apart. The appendix fell out. I am both proud and saddened by this. I am sad because obviously I want the book to last. I have owned this copy for 17 years. I am proud because it means the book is getting a lot of use. Wear and tear shows more personality.

The sequence for week 19 is very different once again.
1. Headstand variations
2. Shoulderstand variations
3. Abdominal work
4. Back bends
5. Forward bends and twists
6. Savasana

I like doing Headstand and Shoulderstand right after one another simply because they are the king and queen of yoga poses. Iyengar places them early in the practice because they are so important and it is better to do them early when you still have energy. Most classes I attend have these inversions at the end rather than beginning of class. I think there are advantages and disadvantages either way. If you do them at the start of class you are not as warmed up and it may cause strain in the muscles. However if done towards the end of practice, one may be tired and therefor not as alert, which can make one more prone to injury.

Chakrasana is not happening for me yet. I roll over to the right side in order to press up. But I have to say that is an improvement from the last time I tried that pose. The last time I did not go anywhere. I have not figured out how much I have to press into my hands in order to roll over and come up. I will keep trying and keep learning.

Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottansana and Bharadvajsana are also challenges to me. It is easier for me to get my right leg in half lotus than my left. Although I recently discovered that keeping my left sit bone anchored as I place the left foot in padmasana alleviates pain in that knee. My left hip was coming up off the floor and I was leaning too much to the right. That unevenness in my pelvis affected my knee. It is indeed all connected.

As I went through the sequence, I would come across certain poses and say to myself, "I can't do that." But I tried it any way with an open mind to see what happened. In many instances I did variations rather than the full pose. Equally as good in my book.

Which brings me back to my old copy of Light on Yoga that is falling apart. Hopefully it will hang in there through the end of this experiment. Hopefully I will too!

Week 18 - Ariana

2010-07-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was away the last week and a half and took another break from the Iyengar sequences. I did continue with my own practice. I felt that I needed sun salutations so I started the day with 10 sun salutations. On the first one my spine was stiff and sore. By the 10th it was supple and the poses flowed. It felt wonderful.

I have been told by a few Iyengar teachers that Iyengar classes typically do not include the sun salutations. But in the appendix of Light on Yoga Mr. Iyengar mentions them at the end of Course I. He states: "those who wish to prostrate to the sun (suryanamaskar) and to develop the arms and chest can do the following asanas in sequence..."

He suggests an 8-step sequence:
1. Tadasana 2. Uttanasana 3. Jump to Chaturanga 4. Urdvha Mukha Svanasana 5. Chaturanga
6. Adho Mukha Svanasana 7. Uttanasana 8. Tadasana.
This is different from the one I practice. There is no mention of Utthita Hastasana or Ardha Uttanasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana follows a second Chaturanga.

After this break I enjoyed returning to Mr. Iyengar's sequence. Practice felt like play. I was moving in and out of poses smoothly and quickly. My body is especially limber because of the heat.

While I was retaining the breath in Mahamudra I had a sudden rise of prana or energy up to my third eye area and it radiated out from there. Each time I did the retention I had this sensation but not as intense as the first one. I did not feel that I was getting this pose prior to today. I am still not sure how to do it.

Then while I was retaining the breath while in Siddhasana I felt the sensation in the third eye area again. I sat with it and enjoyed being in this space. I held it for longer than usual. It felt vast, spacious, endless and comforting. I was a little bit rushed so I did not experiment with it as long as I would have liked.

These words entered my mind when I finished the sequence: Thank you for this practice.

Week 21 - Jenny

2010-07-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

So after the third week of doing this sequence, I'm starting to get into it - to even get the hang of it just a little bit. For one thing, I'm getting through the sequence at a more normal pace. And the hip-demanding poses - I'm really making progress - a surprising amount of progress! In (Trianga Mukhaipada Paschimottanasana), I actually put my head down of my leg! My Virasana, especially on the left side, has really progressed - the hip opening in the right place and all that. And then I was able to bind both sides in Half Bound Lotus Forward Bend (Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana) - that one is still tough because my foot is jamming into the opposite thigh (due to a lack of openness in the hip joint). But I get to a point in the forward bend where it releases and the foot isn't jamming into the thigh and again my head touched my knee. Wild.

This brings up another point that I've noticed in the yoga practice. The exponential quality of it all. I remember having a Half Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajokapotasana) that you could drive a truck under. And it took months of hanging out in that pose before the muscles released and I could get down further. But you learn and your muscles learn to get of tension over time. They learn how to let go of tension. I started to learn that the tension in my jaw really does keep all my other muscles from releasing. And those lessons, over time, become the foundation of the practice. And now I can release muscles in much less time. Another testament to this wild and wonderful practice of yoga.

Week 20 - Jenny

2010-07-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

The second week of this sequence. A little less discombobulating than the first week, but still tough to get through. The final 8 poses or so are so demanding of hip flexibility. At least three of them require a half Lotus leg position and at least three require a half Virasana leg position. And Bharadvajasana II requires both! But I've been plugging through, attempting to do what I can. My Virasana has improved a great deal in the past couple of months. My half Lotus is another story, but the journey goes on. I was pleasantly surprised again at what I could do. Even in the half Lotus position. I still cannot fully get into Marichyasana II or Bharadvajasana II, so I stretch the half Lotus leg while bending the other leg as much as I can (foot on the floor, to work towards Marichyasana II). And everything is progressing and I am a witness to the progression.

Chakrasana has become fun. I flip right over and push to Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) with a smile. What a blast.

I'm surprised that Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) comes at the very end of a sequence that requires Half Lotus positions, but it is grounding at the end of the practice.

So I'll keep pluggin. Same sequence next week. And away we go . . .

Summer Solstice in Times Square

2010-06-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ariana and I met last week at the intersection of 46th and Broadway for a yoga class. We were celebrating (with 700 friends) the longest day of the year. An awesome and interesting experience. The theme was "Mind Over Madness." So yes, there were taxis speeding by on both sides of the class, car horns, sirens, tourist buses and tons of people watching and taking pictures. For me at least, the sounds didn't affect me much. I was able to concentrate in the midst of it. With the help of the 700 friends, it was easy. Other senses were affected, though. There were times when I was in a pose like Triangle (Trikonasana) where I came into the pose and found my alignment. Then finalizing the pose, I looked up. And I saw the tops of skyscrapers with the sky bright behind. And it was beautiful. And I knew there were people in those skyscrapers and people who built those skyscrapers and people on every floor all the way down to the street where we were. Like a connection between us and the heavens. Where else would you find a line of people that extends from a yoga class on the street 1,000 feet into the sky? Not to mention the people on the subway below.

I really love the sense of community at an event like this. I really like that aspect of yoga. See Ariana's pictures on her post.

Week 19 - Jenny

2010-06-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

Like the last sequence, I had to do this sequence twice to get it into my system. It's SO different from anything thus far. Well, there are some similarities. I mentioned last time that Mr. Iyengar says you can do the standing asanas on alternating days or twice a week. So this time he doesn't include them in the sequence. The sequence starts with Headstand (Sirsasana) and Headstand variations, then goes directly to Shoulderstand (Sarvangasna) and Shoulderstand variations. Then into core work and then all sitting poses. I agree with Ariana - it is surprising that Camel Pose (Ustrasana) is the first backbend in the sequence. And the placement of Floor Bow (Danurasana) seems early, too (before Virasana). But I've been working with a notion lately of using the poses to stretch the various body parts. It sounds simple. But I do still work for completion of the pose. And I believe I need to develop more flexibility in the chest and shoulders before really getting into Camel. But this other perspective of using Camel to stretch the chest and shoulders allows me to back off of the goal. The thing is, if you're way off, I have to think it's not time to try to pose yet. But if you're on the edge, this perspective can get you further in your work.

Mr. I. adds a bunch of poses to this sequence that require flexibility in the hips and/or shoulders that I do not have yet. Marichyasana II, with one leg in Virasana and one leg in Half Lotus, is quite impossible for me right now. Half Lotus and I are not well acquainted yet. And Virasana and I are just getting acquainted. So adding a twist to the mix, not to mention the arm bind . . . well, you know.

But I was surprised, no, shocked at what I could do. When I read the sequence, I thought - I can't do half of these. But really Marichyasana II (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi II) is the only one that I don't feel comfortable even attempting. For one thing, I was able to bind the arm (grabbing hand to Half Lotus foot) in Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend). I never would have guessed. Since Shoulderstand and I don't get along as well as we should, I thought the variations would be impossible. But I was able to balance with the arms overhead AND with the arms straight up in the air next to the legs. It was wild.

And my weekly shout out goes to Chakrasana (Wheel Pose). I have no freaking idea what this "pose" (it's a moving pose like Chatarunga) is all about. It is a backward roll, as in gymnastics, except that you start in Plow (Halasana) and flip over from there. I was squishing my neck to the point of pain when I was on the floor. But a blanket assisted me and I flipped right over. Which brings me to another point: having been a gymnast, I've fielded many questions, thoughts and dreamy comments from adults who want to be able to flip over. Or be upside down. Or something along those lines. And there are a few poses in yoga that tap into that natural inclination that humans have to flip or to hold themselves upside down. Handstand is the ultimate pose for so many yogis. And it's not because it's difficult. There are so many poses that are more difficult and more complicated than Handstand. Yet it remains king. You can see it in children. Every kid tries cartwheels and handstands. Unless fear has set in early, it's something to do on the grass every chance a kid gets. I'm not sure what it all means. I bet Mr. I. does. Maybe I'll get to ask him someday. Or maybe I'll let the answer come to me as so many have since I moved into a deep yoga practice.

Week 17 - Ariana

2010-06-26T12:37:00.001-07:00

This practice is dedicated to the Gulf oil spill. It is weighing heavily on my mind. I am trying to understand why we cannot stop it and how we are going to be affected by it. How will we recover? I have been reading as much as possible and looking to the news for information. But I didn't feel that I was getting the whole story. I wanted to hear more from the people who actually live there. So I turned to youtube and facebook. In many ways I find the raw footage and commentary posted by individuals who are experiencing this to be more truthful.

Here are some that have stood out to me:

http://www.youtube.com/pcolagregg

http://www.facebook.com/pages/True-Reporting-On-Gulf-Oil-Spill/127776913926582?ref=mf

http://nativeorleanian.com/

http://ireport.cnn.com/blogs/ireport-blog/tags/oil_disaster?hpt=C2

LOLOY AT TIMES Square Summer Solstice 2010

2010-06-23T18:30:00.001-07:00

We took Alanna Kailvalya's class in the middle of Times Square to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

Let's just say it was hot.

Week 16 - Ariana

2010-06-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yay deeper backbends like Ustrasana (Camel) and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog). Ustrasana came before UMS (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) in the sequence!??!

And Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) makes its first appearance - halfway through the sequence after UMS. Also perplexing because it is not taught in that order in most classes that I have attended.

Chatturanga is also here. He instructs to do it pressing up into it from the floor. But I am so used to doing it on my way down from Plank or UMS. I struggle so much with pressing up into Chatturanga. I always ending coming up in some sort of wave-like fashion rather than all at once.

I was out late last night with friends and felt wobbly in my practice today because of it.
I felt like I needed Sun Salutations but I stayed with the Iyengar sequence.

Today I was focused on opposing actions in the shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle. Basically one rolls up while the other rolls down. More specifically - rolling my shoulders up and back while simultaneously rolling the tailbone down. I need these actions because I tend to stick my butt out too much and slump my shoulders forward and down. These actions helped me in so many of the poses today: Sirsasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, UMS, Warriors 1, 2, 3, and Urdhva Prasarita Padasana. It was most dramatic while I was in warrior 3. Suddenly I felt anchored and light at the same time. That is probably the goal in all of the poses. I had trouble with the light or buoyant part of my practice today.

I am so used to Shoulder Stand being part of the wind down of my practice that I really did not want to do the abdominal exercises afterward. I wanted to go right into Savasana. But I persevered. I could not focus enough to do the Ujjayi in Siddhasana so I let go of that and just sat quietly for a few minutes.

I am still feeling sluggish but happy I practiced today.

Week 18 - Jenny

2010-06-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

Week 15 - Ariana

2010-06-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

I practiced first thing in the morning today. Well, after I walked the dog, but before I ate anything or drank my coffee. I don't like to eat before I practice. However, I do need to eat in the morning. As a result, I was not mentally focused or particularly lively. I was not tired, just not energetic.

The sequence felt long today. Starting with headstand was a surprise to my system. I felt blood rushing towards my head. At first it felt jarring and then it calmed down. While I was in Prasarita Padottanasana I noticed dog hair scattered all over the floor. The pose provided the perfect vantage point. I was so annoyed by this. I thought about getting up and sweeping the floor, but then I decided it was best to finish the practice and sweep later. Then I fixated on the dog hair on my mat. It's so hard to get it off. By the time I got to the abs section of the sequence I settled back into the practice. For Urdhva Prasarita Padasana I focused on gathering into the midline from head to toe before I lifted my legs. As a result, I felt more integrated in my core.

In Janusirsasana I felt a yummy stretch from the bent leg and up that side of the body - especially in the kidney area. I felt like I needed that kidney stretch for some reason.

My left hamstring was very tight again today.

I didn't have as profound an experience in Savasana Pranayama. At first I tried to replicate last week's experience but it did not feel right. I did feel a holding of prana on some of the inhalation retentions. Instead of focusing it on certain areas of the body, I felt it spread out throughout my body from the center, radiating out.

Today I dedicated my practice to the Gulf oil spill disaster and all those suffering from it. We are all suffering from this in some way and will continue to do so for a long time.

Week 17 - Jenny

2010-06-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Much different than last week. I moved through the poses in quick, steady succession, melding them together the way Iyengar meant them to be (or at least I think so). This past week I've been adding some of the new poses to my daily practice. I find that it helps when I do the practice the following week. It also helps me memorize the sequence so that I can keep flowing rather than stopping to look in the book.

Again, I felt such clarity after the practice. I can clearly see where I need work from a physical perspective. But also my mind is clear. My body has moved through strengthening and lengthening standing poses, flexed through seated poses, and chugged through challenging holds. I was upside down for a good portion of the practice, so I'm grounded and clear and I've looked at things from a different perspective. I am an ujayii breath - victorious, flowing and open. And there's that feeling again - everything's going to be okay.

I'm really starting to fly in these sequences. Just this week, my top hand found my bottom one in Gate Pose (Parighasana). The more intense Janu Sirsasana that was recently added to the sequence has created that extra stretch in the lower side back that allows for the deeper Parighasana. I never practiced Janu Sirsasana with the bent leg pulled way back beyond 90 degrees to the straight leg. It requires much more length in the lower side back (depending on what side I'm on) - and it's this length that brought me into Parighasana. It feels great to be able to do a pose that was so beyond me only a few weeks ago. That's an interesting thought on practice - the more intense pose that I cannot complete creates an opening that allows me into a less intense pose. Without working Janu Sirsasana, would I ever have found this Parighasana? Probably, but it would take longer. And sometimes that's the path I need to take to prevent injury. But with that awareness I tried out Janu Sirsasana. And I didn't hurt myself. And it allowed me into Parighasana. And I like it.

To victory . . .

Week 14 - Ariana

2010-06-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

All that talk about continuing with the week 12 sequence for a while until I felt steady in it... I was totally inspired today to do the next sequence for week 14 instead of repeating the last one. I saw that it starts with headstand and I really wanted to do that.

My practice felt different today. I just wanted to get into the poses and not read Mr. Iyengar's instructions at all. I was focused on lines of force in the body in each pose. What moves up, down, in, out, and to the sides. In all of the poses there are forces that move in direct opposition to each other in order to create balance and stability or steadiness and ease. Stira Sukham Asanam.

I had a cool experience while in the Savasana Pranayama. Suddenly on the inhalation retention I felt prana or energy being held in the body. Then I started playing with it and concentrating the prana in certain areas of the body with mental concentration. So I directed it to different energy centers in the body that I have read about. I don't know much about chakras other than where they are located. I directed it first to the third eye or ajna chakra then to the root chakra. Then I sent it through all the chakras from the bottom up. As I did that I visualized the colors corresponding to each one. It was a spontaneous experiment. It happened when I let go and stopped trying to control the breath so much. Even though pranayama is about gaining control of the breath I felt it had to be balanced with an element of letting go. I let the inhales and exhales come and go like waves. I caught the wave on the inhalation retention and then let it go again. While I was retaining it I was playing with the prana. I might have to try that again.

After I let go I realized that the body has its own wisdom. The challenge is letting the mind be subservient to it and trusting it - to drop out of the mind and the illusion that we can control everything. Sometimes we have to give in to the wave of fate and see what is presented to us before we try to create something.

Week 16 - Jenny

2010-06-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

So I did this sequence on Wednesday, but I didn't write. I was busy that day and I ended up splitting the practice in two and I didn't feel right about that. So I did it again today.

Let's see . . .

You know, that sequence on paper doesn't look that different from last week's, but it felt so different. For one thing, it felt really long. Not while I was in the poses or anything - I stayed pretty well focused - but it just kept going and going and going. At this point the standing poses fly by. I remind myself of alignment and find myself in some sort of free space pretty quickly. I've become quite efficient in the standing poses, which Mr. Iyengar says will happen around this time. This week adds Chair Pose (Utkatasana) and Standing Split to the standing series. So pretty quickly I was down on the floor.

My. Iyengar's sequencing of the backbends is quite the opposite of what I was taught or what I'd expect. He does Locust (Shalabasana) first, then Floor Bow (Danurasana), then Chatarunga Dandasana (not a backbend, but I wanted to list the whole series), then Cobra (Bhujangasana I), then Virasana, then Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). I expected Cobra to come first, working from the lower back up. Then to Locust, then Danurasana. And I usually do Virasana to stretch the quads before Danurasana. In his sequence, Locust comes first, being the shallower backbend. Then things go deeper, but I don't know why Virasana comes where it does. I'll keep studying it.

Anyway, this is the first week where Mr. I. calls for Ujayii breath in Siddhasana rather than in Corpse Pose (Savasana). Which means that it's the first time since the early sequences that I did a Savasana without doing pranayama (breath exercises). It was nice after such a long sequence to take a plain old Savasana. I did some body-scanning as a I lay there and I worked on releasing resistance.

Did Ujayii for 5 minutes in Siddhasana. I like how Mr. I. has you do Siddhasana as a pose in the sequence, then has you add the Ujayii. This gave me a chance to work on the pose - to study his notes. There's a whole 2 page discussion of Siddhasana quoting ancient scripts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika saying you will reach a bliss state if you practice this pose (and eat a moderate diet).

I came out of the practice with a feeling of clarity. And groundedness. This work is so deep that I come out of it rather hazy. I mentioned this before - it reminds me of my first days of yoga classes - and of when I have new students who have that dazed look after class. There is an invigoration after the standing poses - my eyes are wide. The upside down sequence has become really long - tons of variations on Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana I) and Plow (Halasana). And this week Mr. I. put the upside downs after the backbends and down dog, which put them before the core work - Navasana, etc. Maybe this is one of the reasons the practice seemed so long - the upside downs used to be at the end of the sequence, so maybe I'm expecting the sequence to end, but then there's more. After the core work, some forward bends. And this week adding Porvottanasana, a pose I cannot conquer yet. My shoulders are tight in that direction and so are my arms, so I hold as long as I can and feel an intense stretch up my arms. I am attempting to gain range of motion in this direction through some supported Bridge work. Eventually I'll get there.

I wish I could sum things up better. But I'm still kind of unsure about it all. But the deeper my practice goes, the more I accept that feeling. I am here to observe it. That's all. And so I watch.

Week 13 - Ariana

2010-05-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Repeat and Become Steady.

For the 13th week Mr. Iyengar says to "repeat and become steady in your daily practices. Those who find it difficult to master all these asanas within this period can continue with them for several more weeks." He is referring to repeating the sequences for the previous weeks before moving on to weeks 14, 15 and so on.

This makes me chuckle because I don't think I will ever master any asana in any period of time. I don't know what it means to master an asana and I certainly would not know what it feels like. Needless to say I will repeat the week 12 sequence for at least another week before I move on.

Today's practice was not in my apartment but in upstate NY outside on a deck. Surrounded by Catskill hills, trees, sun and sky. That made quite a difference. My breaths were fuller. The practice felt more lively and energetic with utter stillness at the end, maybe with a taste of serenity. Just a taste. It always changes into something else.

I was less focused on alignment today. I just wanted to feel the poses as they were. I practiced in the morning. My body was not as open and that was ok. I did not try to move deeper into the poses . I just observed what my body was doing today. I guess I get carried away with what my body can't do rather than what it can. Striving towards something in a pose rather than simply being in it.

I felt strong today. My hamstrings felt tighter than usual. Microbending the knees in Parsvottanasana on both sides felt right. It gave the hams a break and I could rest my torso on my thigh - rounding more in the back. Warrior 3 was different today. Normally I don't extend the arms alongside my head because it causes too much strain. For some reason I felt like doing it today and it felt good. I didn't hold it for very long, but I did it.

I have been playing with contracting and releasing my abdominal muscles in forward bends like Uttanasana. It makes such a difference in the pose to me. I don't think one action is right versus the other, but I enjoy being aware of the difference these subtle movements make. When I contract the abs while in the forward bend my back rounds more and I fold over more. The pose is more contained. When I completely relax those muscles I feel a nice stretch and release along the front of my torso. My chest opens toward the floor. I think it lengthens the whole spine down toward the floor. The pose is more open.

Week 15 - Jenny

2010-05-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

This practice felt different from last week even though it was the same sequence. But of course, I'm in a different place than I was last week. That's one thing I like about repeating sequences - you can really see where you are on a given day.

The practice seemed to fly by today. It still took close to two hours, but it felt shorter.

The thing that stood out most for me was the dazy feeling I had after the practice. You know - that "I just finished yoga class" feeling. I always feel great after practicing, of course, but I haven't felt dazed since the days when I first took class. I went outside instead of sitting to write this. And I sat and looked at the grass and trees waving in the breeze. It was so beautiful.

I was a little concerned about time today, though it turns out I didn't have to be - so I moved somewhat swiftly through the sequence. I didn't take a lot of time to read and "workshop" the poses. I just did them, reminding myself of alignment cues, etc. But the concentration on the practice was more than usual. I have almost the entire sequence memorized - it's only when the new poses come in that I have to look at the book. So I can go through it mostly uninterrupted. Swift without interruptions accounted for a focus that allowed those things - openness? release? freedom? meditation? clarity? - that brought up the dazed feeling. At least that's how I read it.

You know, as yoga teachers, we're always telling our students and ourselves to slow down. Because most of us are moving too fast through life. But it seems there are reasons to speed up every once in awhile.

Week 14 - Jenny

2010-05-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. So Week 14 is waaaay different than Week 13. There are quite a few new poses. It took me almost two hours to get through it all. First, we begin with Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana I). Mr. Iyengar mentions that Headstand should be done before any other poses so that you're fresh and not tired. I held it for five minutes before going into the standing sequence that Mr. Iyengar has been having us do for awhile.

This week deeper backbends were added - Cobra (Bhujangasana I), Floor Bow (Dhanurasana) and Locust (Shalabasana). I'm a little confused with the instructions for Cobra. Mr. I. has you come up to high Cobra with bent arms, then go to straight arms "bringing the pubis to the floor." But I don't know if he wants me to keep my arms bent if the pubis doesn't reach the floor. In the photo of the straight arm version (I'm guessing it was added to the book later as Mr. Iyengar is wearing a different pair of shorts than in all the other photos), his hands seem far out in front of him. He doesn't say anything in the text about bringing them forward, but the photo shows just that. I tried it with the hands placed forward - it is intense on the low back, even though I was attempting to extend the tailbone towards the feet and the side ribs forward and up. Since he has a great degree of elasticity in the spine, he is able to push his chest way back by straightening his arms while keeping his pubis on the floor, which is probably what accounts for his hands looking as if they are placed forward of the original position. So the arms do stay bent so that my pubis reaches the floor. Which accounts for today's leading teachers teaching the pose in this way.

I love the simple instructions assuming I'm as elastic as Mr. Iyengar. Like in Dhanurasana - bring the legs up behind you before pulling the legs together. As if I could do that. But he had to write the book in some manner; and I think this is the best way. I think the point is that you will eventually get there - you'll be able to do the poses as he does.

After such a long practice, I was rather invigorated. I wasn't tired at all. With all the new stuff, the standing poses felt like old friends. I moved through them with ease and confidence that I'm working towards proficiency in all the poses. The backbends provided chest and heart opening and exhilaration. The combination of them with the forward bends - this week adding Head-to-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana) and Seated Forward Bend (Pashimottanasana) - made my spine feel elastic - like it would have no problem going from a forward bend to a backbend and vice versa.

I need to work more on Mahamudra (legs set up as in Janu Sirsasana, but working the abdomen toward the spine as is Agni Sara) - I'm not sure I was quite getting it. I had the chinlock and the abdomen pulled in, but it felt weird. But I guess it is weird. Again, I had a little trouble with the instructions. Mr. I says to inhale, then pull the abdomen in and up, then release the abdomen and exhale. Then he says to inhale and pull the abdomen in again. Then to hold the pose for one to three minutes. Does he mean to hold the inhale for that long? He can't, right? So I held for as long as I could - trying to exhale before I felt too much pressure entering my face - and took just a few breaths throughout the one to two minutes I held the pose. I'll research this pose in other books to see what I can find.

All in all, a wildly invigorating yet relaxing sequence. I'm looking forward to its repeat in Week 15. Savasana with Ujayii again. And I rested right down onto the floor. My spine was a rubber band, but with strength. I felt stretched out from head to toe. I didn't want to kick anyone's ass. I didn't want to walk through mountains in Tibet. I was somewhere in between. Balanced. Ah yes, balance. I believe that's mentioned in a few yoga books.

WEEK 12 - Ariana

2010-05-19T13:44:00.001-07:00

I feel ready to resume. I have never had a physical shut down like that before. It was hard to listen to my body and take a real break, but I am glad I did.

I woke up this morning at 6AM and actually felt like practicing. This was shocking because I usually have to drag myself out of bed to get a cup of coffee. I guess I was looking forward to getting back to my LOY home practice. I missed it. I have come to love my personal practice. It feels very centering and grounding, like coming home. I still like to go to other classes, in fact the majority of my practice is with other teachers. But I do need to balance it with my personal practice with my own inner voice and guidance rather than relying on someone else to tell me what to do. This LOY experiment is helping me commit to that personal practice.

So I was happy to come back to it today. I thought I was clever. Being up so early, I thought I had plenty of time. My daughter woke up at 6:45 AM. Pleasure. As soon as she saw me she said, "woh." I think she was stunned that I was already awake and doing something other than drinking coffee. I was mid Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch) on the right side. She wanted to practice with me, but I didn't want to today. My husband helped me relocate everything to another room where I could close the door. So I continued with Parsvottanasana on the left side.

A few minutes into it and the dog burst open the door with his nose. Got to get that fixed. He then sat on my mat. Don't know why he likes the mat. I leaned back on him for Navasana and he got the message. Then I heard my daughter crying that she wanted to watch me do yoga. Breakfast preoccupied her for a little while. The dog tired of me quickly and started scratching the door and whining to get out. He can only open the door from one side. So I let him out. What felt like 10 minutes later he pushed the door open again. Then my daughter came to the door and started crying again that she wanted to watch me. Luckily I was a few minutes into Savasana Pranayama at that point. Surprisingly none of this bothered me. Usually I would be annoyed by these interruptions and would see them as obstacles to my practice. Today I just went with it. Calm abiding I guess.

I feel replenished. But I am still having some chronic tightness in my left hamstring and arch of my left foot. I am trying to figure out how to undo that. I felt it intensely in Parsvottanasana. I touched the hamstring and it felt so taught and almost like it had little knots in it. So I massaged it a little while in the pose which seemed to release it a little.

Some of the poses felt stuck for me again (especially the revolved poses) either because it was the morning or because I had not done many of the poses in a while. Now I have to go be with my daughter.

Week 13 - Jenny

2010-05-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Took it slow today. I'm not feeling that great. So I moved through the poses with maybe a little less effort. And surprisingly, I found I was able to do all the poses with less effort. As a matter of fact, it seems the poses should be done with less effort. Isn't that the goal after all?

This week's sequence was the same as the last two. I mentioned that I attended a week-long workshop with Rodney Yee last week. I was putting to use all the instruction I received there.

I felt more grounded than usual on most of the poses. I've been working with a couple theories/notions. First, always work towards Mountain Pose (Tadasana). No matter what pose you're in, work towards bringing the body to symmetry. Second, when you really get into the pose, it'll feel like nothing. Not exasperating, not effortful, not special, just like nothing.

I moved lightly from one pose to the next, looking for this feeling of nothingness using the tool of Tadasana. And finding it from time to time. I even found some of the same feeling in the transitions from pose to pose. The whole practice was freer than usual. Easier. I can see why some yogis can do these poses with no warm-up at all.

Another technique I should mention is the seating of the head of the femur (thigh) bone in the hip socket in Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) and Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana). This is something I had been working with in my quest of Revolved Side Angle (Parivrrta Parsvakonasana). I was noticing through my study that I have to get my front thigh truly parallel to the floor if I'm ever going to get the arm over the leg. And I started using the same technique in Warrior II and Extended Side Angle. And lo and behold, Rodney talked about this at the workshop. He explained that the femur bone of the front leg really needs to SIT in the hip socket. When I get the head of the femur seated, the knee comes in line with the ankle below it. The thigh is parallel with the floor. And the centering of the hip allows me to release the quad muscles and lengthen the entire pose. Rodney also explained the wave of breath now coursing from the back foot diagonally across the chest. When I get in the pose with all these points intact, I feel that wave. And I see why Mr. Iyengar has you look over your front fingertips. That wave of breath pulls my head to look in that direction. Shocking, but not at all surprising.

I know Week 14 steps it up a notch. Yikes!

WEEK OFF - Jenny

2010-05-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Since Monday, I have been at a Rodney Yee workshop practicing yoga 8-4:30 daily. I'm having a blast. I'm also exhausted. LIGHT ON YOGA comes up every single day. I will return next week with more information that I ever had.

WEEK OFF - Ariana

2010-05-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Rest - Restore - Relaxation

I feel like I need a break. Last week my muscles were heavy, tired and sore. I did go to 2 yoga classes last week (even though I probably should not have) but did not have the energy to do the sequence for week 12 on my own. All I wanted was to do restorative poses. But I did not make time for that either.

Surprisingly, I did not find one mention of restoratives in Light on Yoga. I think that Geeta Iyengar, Mr. Iyengar's daughter, suggests dedicating the first week of the month to standing poses, the second week to forward bends, the third to back bends, and the last week to restorative poses, which includes seated pranayama. I would like to know how this came about because I don't see anything about it in LOY.

So I am taking a break and will resume when I feel ready.

Week 12 - Jenny

2010-04-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well, same sequence as last week. This time I got through it at a more steady pace because I didn't have to stop and look at the book as much.

Here's one of the things I've been noticing about the sequencing. When I first started with LOY, I was concerned that the sequences started with Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) and Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasna). No warm-up for these particularly intense poses. But I've really come to appreciate it this way. I still do a couple of sun salutations before jumping in, but I've changed my own daily practice to put Triangle and Extended Side Angle before the Warriors (Virabhadrasana I and II). See, my hips are not super flexible, so I need to work into Warrior I and II. And I was doing them after warming up with Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Mountain (Tadasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), etc. through some sun salutations. But it was always too much. And now I think I see what Mr. Iyengar is doing: he is sequencing according to the hip openings rather than the side body stretches. In Triangle, your legs are straight, so there is no stress on either hip. In Side Angle, there is a small stretch on the front hip. The Warriors bring the BIG hip openings to the back hip. So this sequencing makes total sense to me. And even in the side stretches, he does Extended Triangle with the upper arm straight to the sky, then moves to Extended Side Angle with the bicep over the ear - increasing the side body stretch as you move forward in the sequence. I haven't quite figured out why the standing twisting poses Revolved Triangle (Parivrrta Trikonasana) and Revolved Side Angle (Parivrrta Parsvakonasana) started later in the sequences and then were moved right after their extended versions. Of course, as time goes on, I can handle the twisting poses in the earlier spots in the sequences, but why move them there? Something that'll come to me eventually, I'm sure.

Mr. I. has been saying for weeks now to do Ujjayi pranayama in Corpse Pose (Savasana) with inhalation retention for 5 minutes. This week the "for 5 minutes" has disappeared. And there is no other time noted. And I looked at the coming sequences - it remains this way. I'm wondering what that's all about. Am I supposed to do this for longer now? Well, I did. I did it for 10 minutes. In the instructions for Savasana (mind, not for Ujjayi), Mr. I. says to stay in the pose for 15-20 minutes. So I figured I'll bring it up to 10 this week and go longer next.

I read an interview with Mr. Iyengar about a year ago. He mentioned that if he could do it over again, he would have made this program in LIGHT ON YOGA ten years long instead of five. He said he had thought people would be doing the yoga 10 hours a day. I can see the issue. We are moving at a rapid pace through these poses. I'm a yoga teacher and I've been practicing for 7 years. I have a dance and gymnastics background. And looking at the sequences ahead, it's only going to speed up. I know I'll get to a point where I just can't do some of the poses. And I know that'll be pretty soon. I can only imagine what this would be like for someone who was new to physical movement.

I came out of the sequence today grounded and calm. So calm. Clear mind, clear body. I can feel my face is soft. My shoulders are down, even as I type this. Overwhelming gratitude cloaks me as I sit on my mat. Gratitude for this practice, for Mr. I., for the universe and for no requirement that I be anything more than I am.

Week 11 - Ariana

2010-04-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Quality of Breath

Today I decided to let my breath be the primary focus of the entire practice and to let my preoccupation with alignment fall to the wayside. Completely. No alignment. Just breath. Sounded like a simple task. But lo and behold with each pose my attention quickly latched on to other things - not just alignment points. "Back to breath" was my mantra and I used it multiple times in every pose and in between.

In the Vini Yoga tradition there is a principle that if you focus on the breath then alignment will follow. The Iyengar tradition holds that if you focus on alignment then the breath will come because you are creating space and opening channels for the breath. I think both are true and I enjoy exploring both paths.

It was very hard for me to only focus on the breath, but I did manage to keep coming back to it. I noticed how much the quality of my breath changed in each pose and how at certain points I was inclined to actually hold my breath. Like when I "lifted off" for Warrior III - as I lifted up my breath stopped after a short inhalation. But then in order to balance in the pose the breath had to come back. Breath and balance. Any time there was tension in my breath my jaw clenched and my tongue pressed to the roof of my mouth. It is a challenge to untie that knot. In order to find the breath I had to relax more in the poses - particularly in the belly and the jaw. Relaxation and breath go hand in hand.

In some poses the breath was smooth, long and steady. As expected, during the abdominal exercises my breath was shorter and stronger than usual and the inhalations were more challenging than the exhalations. In Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) my inhalation helped me expand in all directions and the exhale challenged me to keep the feeling of expansion while in the balance. During the shoulderstand sequence it was fuller and steady, but it felt like it took more effort to breathe fully while inverted.

Towards the end of the Ujjayi Pranayama my breath was effortless and so smooth like silk. The more I relaxed the more refined my breath became. At one point I felt like my whole body was breathing, pulsating with breath. Unfortunately as soon as I became aware of it and tried to continue doing that, the feeling went away. It was an involuntary experience.

Week 11 - Jenny

2010-04-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Feeling good . . . feeling good. Week 11 brings in new poses and also a change in sequence. Until now, Mr. Iyengar has allowed a bit of a warm-up before the twisting standing poses Revolved Triangle (Parivrrta Trikonasana) and Revolved Side Angle (Parivrrta Parsvakonasana). This week the sequence starts with Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) and goes straight into Revolved, then Extended Side Angle (Uttitha Parsvakonasana), then straight into the revolved version. Craziness, I tell you. But a pretty awesome moment when I realized that it was really no problem for me. I was able to find enough opening in the extended versions of the poses that the revolved versions were as they are after more standing poses.

This week Mr. Iyengar adds standing forward bends, Big Toe Pose (Padangusthasana) and Hand to Foot Pose (Padahastasana), the former holding the big toes in yogi toe lock and the latter slipping the hands under the feet (sometimes called 'Gorilla Pose'). Mr. I. has you stretch your torso forward in a concave shape before moving completely into these two poses - the same way you move into Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padattonasana). I love his instructions for this first step in Padangusthasana: "bring the diaphragm toward the chest and . . . get the concave shape of the back from the coccyx." This made me reach forward off of the pelvis to create length in the spine, especially the lumbar portion, before curving the spine to come into the pose. This prevents injuries to the sacroiliac joint, as renowned yoga teacher and physical therapist Judith Lassater will tell you (and as I will tell you, having injured said joint and corrected it by using the concave shape technique). Mr. I. never ceases to amaze with his knowledge of such seemingly Western medicinal techniques. He never mentions the sacroiliac joint or why you are extending from your pelvis, but his instructions are clearly keeping you from injuring yourself. He mentions that you will need a guru to help you find the concave back position and that "one has to master other minor poses before attempting this one." Seems to me this is a clear example of the transitions and blends of yoga and Western medicine. He was saying it in the 60's from an experiential point of view. We've done studies to prove it to ourselves - an academic point of view.

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) is the last of the standing forward bends in the sequence. Same idea of trying to find a concave back position before moving into the pose. Mr. I. mentions the calming effects of this pose - sounds a lot like Prasarita Padottasana. He has you stay in the pose for about a minute, as opposed to the 20 second holds of the other two forward bends. And I did feel at peace as I stood in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) after a minute in Uttanasana.

After that, it was back to the sequence of previous weeks - core work, then inversions. As usual, the core work invigorates. Then immediately to the calming, serene Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana I) / Plow (Halasana) / Ear Pressure Pose (Karnapidasana) / One-Legged Shoulderstand (Eka Pada Sarvangasana) inversion sequence. This whole sequence is so grounding, so relaxing, so meditative (if you allow it to be). I come out of it into Belly Turning Pose (Jatara Parivartanasana) with ease and serenity. Then Ujjayi pranayama with inhale retention in Corpse Pose (Savasana) to breathe and open more, to massage the organs or whatever he says - it's perfect. One of the miracles of everyday life. Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh reminds us all that miracles occur every day in each moment of our lives. This practice given by Mr. Iyengar puts a miracle right in front of me so I can't possibly miss it. Breath. Freedom. Miracle.

Week 10 - Ariana

2010-04-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Same poses as week 9. Different time of day - afternoon. New experiences and thoughts.

I felt a little rushed and preoccupied because I was trying to fit in the practice during my daughter's nap again. The practice may not have gotten the full attention it deserved.

My left hamstring has been talking to me lately and I felt it again in Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana). So I bent the knee a little to avoid overstretching there. My quads were talking to me too in all of the Warrior poses and Rotated Side Angle (Parsvakonasa). I had a hard time getting into and staying in Warrior 3 on both sides.I attribute it to my leg muscles being tired from an Iyengar class I took on Wednesday. Rotated Side Angle (Parvritta Parsvakonasana) felt sloppy for me today.

I had a new awareness of cross-lateral stretches in the body today. In Rotated Triangle (Parvritta Trikonasana) I felt a diagonal stretch from the back left hip, across the front of the body to the shoulder of the right arm. I also felt it from the front hip across the body to the opposite arm. I have never actually felt that connection before. I felt it spontaneously when I did the pose on the right side and then I purposely tried to replicate it on the left. I had the same experience, but to a lesser degree in Parvritta Parsvalonasana. My sloppiness propelled me out of that pose sooner than I expected.

I am confused as to why Mr. Iyengar placed One-Legged Shoulderstand (Ekapada Sarvangasana) after Plow (Halasana) and Ear Pressure Pose (Karnipadasana). Why come out of the shoulderstand, do Halasana and Karnipadasana and then go back for variations of shoulderstand? My low-back started to bother me a little when I did the shoulderstand variations so I came out of it. This shoulderstand sequence gave me a rush of calm. Belly Turning Pose (Jatara Parivartanasana) provided just the counterpose I needed post shoulderstand. I felt such relief and expansion of the spine in that twist.

Pranayama at the end has once again left me in a state of steady calm. I felt like meditating after so I did for about 5 minutes. But then I remembered that I wanted to finish this before my daughter woke up. Even so, after today's practice I feel an almost tactile quietude.

Week 10 - Jenny

2010-04-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Whew! Same sequence as Week 9. Exhilarating, freeing, opening, prana-flowing. I feel great.

In one of his other books, Yoga Wisdom and Practice, Mr. Iyengar explains that the serenity you feel in Plow Pose (Halasana) means that you are meditating in the pose (asana). "In Halasana, the mind is not distracted from the body or from the soul and that is known as fullness." I actually always liked how Mr. Iyengar calls yoga meditation. He allows meditative states in positions other than Full Lotus (Padmasana). I love it. I do the usual listening to the breath. Being embodied during meditation - noticing what's going on with my body - brings something different to the meditative state. Different than if I meditate sitting cross-legged. Not better or worse, just different.

I can actually feel myself getting excited as I get close to the inversions portion of the sequence. It comes right after the core work and it's such a switch going from holding Half Boat Pose (Ardha Navasana) right into Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana). All this energy and work and then an upside down hold. My head throbs gently and I enter calm world. I like the extension of the inversions - adding Ear Pressure Pose (Karnipadasna) and One-Legged Shoulderstand (Eka Pada Sarvanagasana). More time upside down in another world, a lighter, freer world. And the final spinal twist - bliss. I had so much prana flowing through my rib cage that a deeper twist happened in this pose - Jatara Parivartanasana, which translates to something like 'Belly Turning Pose.' I could feel my insides getting massaged. Ah.

My back and chest are so open. There weren't any backbends in the sequence, so I have to credit prana with the opening. I mean, certainly the chest and back are opened in this sequence, but the feeling I have right now is akin to have done a few renditions of full wheel and a bunch of psoas stretching poses. The poses in the sequence immediately get prana flowing through the body - from the very first pose, Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana). After that, more opening and grounding through the feet in the standing poses, then side opening in Gate Pose, then invigoration through the vira rasa (summoning power and strength) of the core series, then inversions. Then a twist. Then, of course, Ujjayi pranayama in Corpse Pose (Savasana). Ariana's right- that puffing of the chest on the inhales creates a little pop of a stretch of the intercostals, the muscles that attach the ribs to each other, and the other accessory breathing muscles. So this opening of the chest and back started with working from the outside - stretching muscles, etc. And then it transitioned to an opening from the inside - through the breath - the prana cruises through the lungs and the lungs push out the ribcage - back and front. Opening from the inside. Wow.

Week 9 - Ariana

2010-04-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yes I am behind with this one. I missed my entry for last week so I will be posting weeks 9 and 10 this week. woo hoo.

I jumped ahead to see what poses and sequences are coming down the road. I know I should not do this because the last time I did I had second thoughts. It happened again. I started to think I was crazy for even thinking I could do this. I thought, how am I going to stick with this? A little voice said to just do what I can.

And then when I was in Gate Pose (Parighasana) on the right side and could not get much more than my heel on the floor, I started to chuckle that this is even stressing me out. What does it matter? I do what I can and that is enough. And then I laughed again when I tried the pose on the left and was able to not only get my foot on the floor, but do the full pose on that side. Ah, how I love the asymmetries of the body. I can't figure this stuff out.

For some reason my effort was easy today. Maybe because I did the sequence at night. I felt relaxed but strong too.

I decided to use a strap for my shoulderstand today to help keep the elbows from splaying out. It helped me relax the muscles in my shoulders and neck. I guess I grip there usually because I am so intent on keeping the elbows in. Because I released my shoulder and neck muscles I was able to get my spine more vertical this time. It was delicious. The strap helped me forget about my elbows so I could put the effort elsewhere - my feet. The result was more lift and more verticality.

Mr. Iyengar describes Ujjayi as "the process in which the lungs are fully expanded and the chest puffed out like that of a proud warrior." I do not puff my chest when I use ujjayi throughout my practice, but in this Savasana exercise Mr. Iyengar says to fill the lungs up to the brim without bloating the abdomen. He says that the entire abdominal area from the pubes up to the breast-bone should be pulled back towards the spine. This directs more air up into the lungs- the spaces that we don't usually get to in breathing. He suggests to keep the "grip" on the abdomen on the exhale. It occurred to me while doing this that the purpose of this might be to stretch and strengthen all the little muscles between the ribs in order to increase capacity for air and prana. I learned recently that prana rides on air. They travel together.

Ujjayi pranayama while in Savasana is so centering and leaves a feeling of clarity in the mind and lungs. I mentioned before that Mr. Iyengar says this is the only pranayama exercise which can be done at all times of the day and night. I can attest to that. I have tried it in the morning, afternoon and now night. Right now it is my favorite part of these sequences. I look forward to this every time.

Week 9 - Jenny

2010-04-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. Mr. Iyengar added a few surprises to the mix in Week 9. First, how I feel. I feel balanced, calm, grounded, wrung out, free. I feel ready to take on the world, but less in a Spartan soldier kind of way and more in an unteeterable (I know that's not a word, but I needed it) Buddhist monk kind of way. I feel like I can walk through hurricanes and malls without getting blown over. I feel like I can support others with my calm power. I feel like drinking some carrot juice.

Back to earth. I'm not sure what the reason for all the new feelings is. Mr. Iyengar adds a few poses to the sequence that contribute. For one, Gate Pose (Parighasana). A deep side bend. I can't possibly reach my upper arm to my foot like Mr. Iyengar does in the photos. But that's okay. The stretch from the pelvis up and over to the side is quite intense and somewhat shocking. And I thought I was getting an intense side stretch in Triangle (Trikonasana). Gate Pose takes it to a different place - rather than lengthening through the side, you are bending to the side deeply. I have to believe this pose, along with others, accounts for the wrung out feeling.

This sequence is interesting. Mr. Iyengar starts with the standing poses as usual. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) and Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) are here as they were last week - adding difficult and intense balances to the standing sequence. Then the core work (same as last few weeks), which I come out of feeling like I could kick someone's ass. Then to the calm-provoking inversions - Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana I) and Plow (Halasana). This week Mr. Iyengar added Karnapidasana (sorry, no English translation), like Plow but with the knees bent and placed by the ears. He also added Single Leg Shoulderstand (Eka Pada Sarvangasana), a variation on Shoulderstand ('Eka Pada' meaning 'one-sided') where you bring one leg down to Plow while the other stays as in Shoulderstand. I came out of this inversion sequence with that Buddhist monk feeling - all calm and clear, yes, clear - in my mind and in my body. Also added this week is a final spinal twist laying on the back, similar to the one most teachers introduce to beginner yoga students, but with both legs straight. Of course, this joins Gate Pose in providing the wrung out feeling.

Lastly, Ujjayi pranayama in Corpse Pose (Savasana) with retention of the breath on the inhale, "for a second or two." And I came out of Savasana feeling so free. Free from tension, free from worries, just free.

I have to give a shout out to one more new pose this week - Revolved Side Angle (Parivrtta Parsvakanasana). I never thought I'd say this in this blog, but WTF?? In this version, Mr. Iyengar has you wrap the lower arm over the front leg, pressing the armpit to the knee. SO this requires more twist to even get into the pose, but also more bend into the front leg so the hand can touch the floor. And I can't figure out how to prop this hand with a block. You need to get that arm over the leg and bend that leg enough to get the armpit to touch the knee. Hard to explain, but try it sometime (check the link for the pose to see this version of it). With more flexibility in the spinal twist and more ability to bend that front leg while keeping the back foot on the floor, this will eventually be achieved. I can see in the photos that even Mr. Iyengar has trouble keeping his back foot planted - and he can do anything. So this pose is a new goal of mine. And the journey, as always, will reveal more than I ever knew.

Week 8 - Ariana

2010-04-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today I have Samskara on my mind. The glossary definition in Light on Yoga is "mental impression of the past." I have also heard Samskara defined as unconscious habits of the body and mind of which we can become aware through self-study.

Yoga offers many tools for such self-study. How do we react to stress; how do we stand; how do we sit; how do we eat? How do we do our asanas (poses)?

We get used to practicing the poses in specific ways and with certain teachers and we tend to think that is THE WAY to do the poses. We tend to do poses the same way over and over again preferring the path of least resistance. Sometimes it is useful to change the factors in order to yield new results.

I am out of my comfort zone this week - out of town without my mat, my wood floor, my props, my music, and my environment. I am in 80 degree weather after a week of cold rain in NYC. I am using a thin travel mat placed on top of a carpeted floor. Yikes. Needless to say the poses felt different than usual and I felt out of sorts.

I like to use three blankets for my shoulderstand to protect my neck. Today I did not have my blankets but I still did the shoulderstand and could not lift up as much and could not stack the hips and feet above the shoulders. My back was rounding more than usual and I felt an over stretching in my neck muscles. It did not hurt, but the pose felt crunched up and constricted. I still prefer doing it on the blankets but it is good to try it different ways sometimes in order to check in.

I also usually like to use blocks for the standing poses. They help me find space in the torso so I can twist more in poses like Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana. But I did not need blocks today. Maybe my body is more open and limber from the heat. Or maybe my blocks have become crutches in the poses.

Today I feel centered but slightly fatigued - I think because I am not used to the heat.

It is good to shake things up and see what happens.

Week 8- Jenny

2010-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, back to new sequences. Week 8 built on the past sequences, adding a couple more challenging poses (asanas). The two major one were balances - Warrior III (Virabadrasana III) and Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana). For the first time ever, I noticed that these poses are quite similar. Half Moon is a sideways version of Warrior III.

So for Warrior III, Mr. Iyengar has you start in Warrior I, then lay your chest on your thigh with arms stretched out in front of you, then move into the pose on an exhale. I like the entry. There's a moment of "here we go" as you lift off - and somehow that works. It's hard for me to keep my hands together in front of me in this pose - I have tight shoulders. So I tried to get them as close as I could without creating too much tension in the shoulders. This pose is so invigorating and so challenging to the symmetry of the body. I use this trick I learned from a pilates teacher friend - I look at the shape of the rectangle that is formed from shoulder to shoulder to hip to hip. No matter what, that rectangle must remain intact. Any skewing of the rectangle and you're off balance. It works in a lot of poses, but it's really apparent in Warrior III. So yes, lots of power coursing through the body as the standing leg reaches infinitely into the floor and the raised legs and arms reach infinitely front and back. But then a pull of the energy towards midline - the sushumna or central channel. And that makes the pose rock solid for me - well, not tense like a rock, but stretched like a soaring eagle - still, but moving.

Ardha Chandrasana is one of the poses that has never quite agreed with me. I tend to be a good balancer. And the universe has sent me this pose so that I understand what some of my students are dealing with in balances. Again, I like the entry. Starting in Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana), then bending the forward and placing the hand on the floor, then lifting off into the pose. I can usually balance if I look at the floor. But when I try to look up, I lose it. And I've tried to slowly move the head side and up, spotting places on the wall and then wall-ceiling joint, but it's hard. Though he doesn't explain it in text, the photos show Mr. Iyengar looking upwards before lifting into the pose. So I tried it that way. It was better than usual. It makes lifting off much more difficult and much slower (that's probably the point - I should balance my way into the position rather that jump into it), but it more effectively gets me to the final position. In the past, I've always done this pose with the upper arm raised, but Mr. Iyengar has you place the arm on the side of the body. I like it. It takes the arm out of the equation so that the opening of the chest (per his instructions) is more available.

The other new pose was Wide-Legged Forward Bend II (Prasarita Padatonasana II) - we've been doing Wide-Legged Forward Bend I (Prasarita Padotanasana I), where you place the crown of the head on the floor. The only difference here is that you place the arms either on the hips or in "namaste" behind your back. I put them on my hips (tight shoulders again). Mr. Iyengar mentions that this version of the pose requires more strength from the legs. And yes, it does. You have to engage the legs if you don't want to fall on (and possible over) your head. A deeper form of the first version.

So I've been holding Shoulderstand and Plow (Halasana) for 5 minutes each. They really become meditative. I love it. I come out of those into Ujjayi breath in Corpse Pose (Savasana). Today I felt much more release of my body in Savasana. I think it's due to the holding of Shoulderstand and Plow, especially Plow. With more time in Plow, my shoulder blades get a little closer to their ideal place on my back- the rhomboids and trapezius muscles stretch and relax some, and I lay more of my body on the floor. Ah. I came out of the sequence invigorated and alive and ready for more.

Week 7 - Ariana

2010-03-27T11:16:00.001-07:00

For the 7th week, Mr. Iyengar suggests consolidating the poses from the first 6 weeks and holding the poses longer.

This blog is keeping me committed to this practice. Otherwise I would have rationalized postponing this sequence due to a busy week. So today I took a couple hours during my Saturday afternoon to do it while my daughter was "napping".

I felt unsteady and had trouble focusing at first so I put on Deva Premal's Moola Mantra which I have been practicing to lately.

So I began with Tadasana. I have been experimenting with my foot placement here. Today I felt most steady and strong with the big toes and heels touching. I usually separate the heels slightly. But I find that having the inner edges of the feet touching helps me access my mid-line. From the mid-line I have strength and I can lift up and stand taller from there. When I separate the heels slightly I lose that energy line.

It is worthwhile to pay attention to how we stand. I have been focusing on teaching Tadasana in my classes. It is often overlooked by students. They seem to see it as a rest stop rather than a pose. Here are some comments Mr. Iyengar has about Tadasana:

"People do not pay attention to the correct method of standing. Some stand with the body weight thrown only on one leg, or with one leg turned completely sideways. Others bear all the weight on the heels, or the inner or outer edges of the feet. This can be noticed by watching where the soles and heels of the shoes wear out. Owing to our faulty feet, we acquire specific deformities which hamper spinal elasticity."

Tree (Vrksasana) was unstable for me today. The sole of my foot would not stay put. It kept sliding down towards my knee on both sides. I blame my choice of pants today. At first I got frustrated and stepped off the mat, briefly contemplating changing my pants. But then I came back and thought, ok there must be something I can learn from this. So the slipping foot was distracting for me but I stuck with it.

In general I stayed a few breaths longer than usual in each pose (except towards the end when my daughter came out to see what I was doing). I noticed when my mind said, "ok, it's time to come out of the pose." But I resisted the urge rather than accommodating it.

Today in Side Stretch (Parsvakonasana) and Revolved Triangle (Parvritta Trikonasana) I found a small back bend in the upper back. When I had been in the pose for a few breaths I moved my head back, which shifted my weight back behind me. The twist opened up for me, particularly in the upper back.

Staying longer in the poses allowed me to play with my edge more. I bent my front knee more in both warriors and realized that I usually hold back from bringing the thigh parallel to the floor even though I can do it. Today my inner thigh muscles and groin muscles felt elastic.

I had just finished Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (which is getting easier) when my daughter came out to see what I was doing. I did not want to stop the practice so I brought her into it. Boat and Half Boat were next so I asked her if she wanted to go on a boat ride. Of course she did. Surprisingly I was still able to do them with her "sitting in the boat." She liked it so much she wanted to do it again and again and again until I couldn't any more.

When I went up into Shoulderstand my daughter was impressed. She called it "Elbow Stand." I thought about how we use the elbows but really we want to support the weight in the shoulders, stacking the hips and feet above the shoulders, not the elbows.

I told her to listen to the sound of my breath while I did Ujjayi in Savasana. She said, "It's like you're sleeping, right?" Then she started to sing me a lullaby- something about going into deep wide water. She kept saying adorable things, making me smile throughout Savasana.

After today's practice I feel ebullient - it might have something to do with my Smiling Savasana.

Week 7 - Jenny

2010-03-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

So I picked up LIGHT ON YOGA today to check the sequence. I knew that the last sequence was Weeks 5-6, so I was excited to see what was in store for me. I was surprised to see that for Week 7, Mr. Iyengar suggests consolidating the poses (asanas) and holding them longer.

So I went through all the poses that have been introduced since Week 1 - it wasn't much different than last week's sequence, since each sequence builds on the last. I decided to go back and read the description of each asana before doing it. For each one, I found one piece (or two) that brought me deeper into the pose. Here is the journey:

1. Tree (Vrksanana)

I found prana (life force energy, in this case in the form of breath) coursing through my rib cage - something I've never felt in this pose before. I know it's due to the depth of front opening poses, especially Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I), that I've found working through this book.

2. Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonanasa)

Mr. Iyengar tells you to keep the back of the legs, the back of the chest and the hips in one line. This alignment pulled my ribs in and I found more prana traveling up my back. I also found more twist (rotating chest to sky).

3. Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvokanasa)

Similar to Triangle, Mr. Iyengar suggests you keep the chest, the hips and the legs in a line. To do so, "move the chest up and back." Again, more prana. He also tells you to stretch the body infinitely, stretching the spine so long that your vertebrae pull apart and your skin stretches. I felt like I was 10 feet tall.

4. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)

Lift up out of coccyx. Wow. Amazing instruction. I pulled my low back longer and found more breath, more prana, cruising right up the center of my torso - specifically in the soft part where the two rib cages meet. This pose is my nemesis and Mr. Iyengar just brought it closer to being my friend.

5. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

I was actually surprised at the lack of instruction Mr. Iyengar gives for this pose. In vinyasa practice, which stems from Ashtanga yoga, Warrior II is such a big deal - I don't think it's as big a deal for My. Iyengar. That being said, the instruction is excellent, just sparse.

6. Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasa)

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, stretching the shoulders and shoulder blades really resonated with me in this pose. It pulled me up out of my hips and allowed me to twist deeper and from a lower place in the spine.

7. Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana)

I like how Mr. Iyengar has you put your chin to your knee, then stretch the head forward so the nose, then lips, then chin come to the knee. My chin doesn't make it to my knee yet. But there's something about that action of rounding first, then stretching the head forward - that seems to me to bring in the side stretch (otherwise, it feels like a leg stretch - keep in mind that I cannot yet do 'Namaste hands" behind my back, so I'm grabbing elbow to elbow and that may be diminishing the side stretch).

8. Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana I)

I didn't do this pose too often before my studies with LOY, so I had read this one carefully in the preceding weeks. So there weren't any instructions that surprised me. I have to say, though, that I love the way Mr. Iyenyar instructs you into and out of the pose. He has you place your hands on the floor beneath your shoulders and arch your back, then come forward into the pose and then round your spine to place your head on the floor. Similar to the feeling in Parsvottanasana, this stretch forward before curling the spine. You get a feeling of length in the torso and a lift off of the hips (in this case, a hang off of the hips).

The core work proceeded as usual. I had studied these poses so much in the past two weeks that I just stuck with the instructions and held the poses for longer. And I do feel like a UFC fighter when I get through these.

9. Shoulderstand (Salambha Sarvangasana)

I realized when I looked at the instructions that I had never looked at them before. When it came to that pose in the sequence, I just did it. So I had no idea that more than a page is written on this pose. It's no surprise, since so many yoga teachers of Mr. Iyengar's caliber sing this pose's praises. What really stood out for me was the chin lock - Jalandhara Bandha - where you bring your chin to your chest. I work with this bandha every day in pranayama (breathing exercises), but I never thought of it in Shoulderstand. He says you should bring your chest to your chin instead of chin to chest. This was a revelation for me. I have tight shoulders and chest and Shoulderstand is tough for me - I can't seem to stack my body correctly. This use of Jalandhara Bhanda got me so much closer to the proper positioning of the pose. I was able to stay for 5 minutes. And for once I was able to feel the calming effects of the pose - usually I'm just trying like hell to hold myself up. Wild.

10. Plow (Halasana)

Another one I hadn't looked at. What is up with that? So here's what was amazing. Mr. Iyengar walks you from Shoulderstand to Plow, then has you put your hands by your feet (unless you have a good enough Shoulderstand to be able to do it there), then let go of the chin lock, pulling your torso up off the floor more. You point your hands now down past your hips. If you have the flexibility, you can interlace first your thumbs, then all fingers. I cannot touch my hands together, so I grabbed the sides of the mat. And I got a lift off the top of my back that I haven't experienced thus far). And man did I feel it in my back. I got a stretch through the center of my back that confused me. I couldn't figure out how this action was creating that stretch. But I just have to say that it is, for whatever reason - I'm guessing it's just that my hips are higher so my back is stretching more.

After it all, I did Ujjayi breath in Corpse Pose (Savasana) for 5 minutes, as directed. I love doing this. It adds a lot for me. I get up from Savasana ready to take on anyone and anything. Victorious Breath, indeed.

And so I look forward to Week 8 and whatever is in store for us there.

Week 6 - Ariana

2010-03-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Again I was looking forward to this sequence and managed to practice in the morning - my new favorite time to practice.

My mind was racing today. Maybe it was the coffee, the sequence, Spring air, or just me. Who knows? While in some of the poses I would suddenly realize that I was not aware of what I was doing at that moment. Either I was thinking about how I would teach the pose in my next class, what I was going to write about, or work that I needed to do. I was patient with myself and kept reminding my mind/brain to focus on the breath and the body. Gentle reminders help.

Revolved Triangle opened up for me this week. I was able to breathe more freely and deeply and not feel constricted or stuck. While in this pose I backed off of the effort and tried to find more ease in the pose. Breath assists in that process.

While in Shoulderstand my breath was even and full. I watched my abdomen undulate with every inhalation and exhalation. I thought about how good it was for my organs to be releasing in the opposite direction than they normally do. I realized how breathing while inverted is a good "workout" for the diaphragm. When it contracts on the inhale it has to press the viscera up to make room for air. Then on the exhale it is still supporting the viscera as it releases back into the ribcage.

Ujjayi while in Savasana was great. The spaces between the breath (Antara Kumbhaka-Internal Retention of the Breath) were quiet, peaceful and lingering. I did some spring cleaning in my lungs - felt like the breath reached the uppermost corners of my ribcage and all the other spaces that are usually left out.

I felt strong, centered and calm after this practice.

Week 6 - Jenny

2010-03-17T17:33:00.001-07:00

I have to say it again - Wow. I feel amazing. I'm not sure why the Week 5-6 sequence is smacking me in the face so much more than Week 4 and before. I wonder if it's the core work. This is the first time Mr. Iyengar has asked me to really push myself - he asks for endurance and power in Full Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana) and especially Half Boat Pose (Ardha Navasana). And the exhilaration coupled with the popped open feeling I'm getting from the extended standing poses - Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) and Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parvokanasana) - I've talked about that feeling before - is jolting me into this wild open rib cage where prana flows like a flooding river. So then I felt like that prana was coursing through me as I was upside down in Shoulderstand (Salambha Sarvangasana I). Then more opening of the rib cage by opening the back of the ribs in Plow (Halasana). So I enter Corpse Pose (Savasana) with this free flowing breath and Mr. Iyengar hits me again with Ujayii pranayama in Savasana. He has you time it for 5 minutes. Well, when my alarm went off, I popped out of Savasana like a jack-in-the-box. I could take on the world right now. And I will.

Two other things of note: I realized as I was getting ready for the sequence today that Mr. Iyengar has not yet asked for Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). That quintessential yoga pose of us Westerners. Interesting.

I would like to point out after my tirade about ab work last week that Mr. Iyengar makes some comments about the work that made him wise beyond that decade. He emphasizes the strengthening of the back in the Boat poses. And we still call this ab work. It's core work. And Mr. Iyengar knew that even in the 60's. He also talks about the work on the abdominal organs rather than the abdominal muscles. I don't know much about that, but it makes sense to me that you would rather work the organs. The muscles will get worked no matter what you do. But the blown out six pack of body builders is not exactly healthy or, well, attractive. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger knew that - he kept his abs lean and pulled in. Yes, strengthening of the back. Wise man, this Iyengar.

Week 5 - Jenny

2010-03-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

Wow. That was different than last week. Oh my ab work. I feel good. Ujayii breath in Corpse Pose (Savasana) is rather calming and sort of pulls everything together. I feel aligned through my breath.

Okay, so these abs. Hmm. Difficult to say the least. Upward Extended Feet Pose (Urdhva Prasarita Padasana), where you lay on the floor with your arms over your head, raising the legs 30 degrees and holding for 15-20 seconds, then again at 60 degrees, then raise the legs to perpendicular (with a sigh of major relief) for 30-60 seconds before lowering them slowly to the floor, is way hard to do. Now, in the workout field, abdominal work, more than anything else, has probably seen the most flux in the past 20 or 30 years, right? There's something new every day. Pilates is big now - I am an avid studier of good Pilates (like yoga, you better have the right teacher). So my concern with this exercise is that the thigh muscles are used to do much of this work. That doesn't mean that the back and abs (the core) aren't working, it just means they're not isolated and also that the thighs and hip flexors are being overworked. The more you work the thighs and hip flexors, the less you work the core. Now, this can be overcome somewhat by conscious work. But if the practitioner has a shortened low back, then the thighs will be used to do most of the work. A slight bend in the knees will take care of much of this. You won't use your thighs as much if the knees are bent. You will need to engage the core to do the work. And the practitioner's low back with lengthen through this exercise as well as yoga poses like Plow (Halasana).

I can't sit here and negate any of this ancient practice, though. Can I? Full Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana) and Half Boat Pose (Ardha Navasana), on the other hand, if done properly, will most definitely work the core. Again, care must be taken not to overuse the thighs. Again, a slight bend in the knees will suffice. Eventually the practitioner will be able to straighten the legs without overusing the thighs.

So I was a gymnast for 16 years. As part of our conditioning, we held a "hollow body" position that is quite similar to Half Boat Pose. And I can tell you that you can get away with tightening the thighs and hip flexors to hold this position. You don't have to engage the core much at all. So care must be taken to engage the core and release the thigh muscles. Again, a slight bend in the knees as the practitioner learns to engage properly will suffice.

And the rest of the sequence was, sort of, delicious. Lots of opening through the sides of the body. I feel like my rib cage grew three sizes this day. I've got to think Ujayii at the end has something to do with that feeling. Wow. I feel super. I mean, like I AM super. I feel like I should run to my closet and pull out one of many superhero costumes to get ready for my day. Okay, then. I guess I will. To the closet!

Week 5 - Ariana

2010-03-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

What's new in this sequence: abdominal work (Prasarita Padasana, Navasana and Ardha Navasana) and a Pranayama exercise. I could always use a little of both so I was looking forward to today's practice. That positive state of mind shaped the entire practice. It seemed to flow almost effortlessly.

This time I did the sequence in the morning. I fit it in whenever I can. So far I have tried it at night, the afternoon and now the morning. I have to say I prefer the morning. It is a terrific way to start the day. Surprisingly my body was not stiff, which it usually is in the morning. Maybe I was more limber because it was not my first movement of the day. I had been up for a while and walked my daughter to school and back. I began the practice with 10 Sun salutations to warm up. At least I intended to do 10. I lost count.

I did not feel neck strain today in the poses - not even in shoulderstand or plow. My shoulderstand was back today. Somehow I lost it last week.

I got ahead of myself with the Pranayama exercise. I followed the main instructions for Ujjayi Pranayama in Section 203 (p. 441 in my edition) which instructs to sit in any comfortable position and lower the chin to the chest for the Jalandara Bandha. I neglected to see that for this particular sequence the Ujjayi breath was to be done while in Savasana. So I did it both ways.
It felt odd to do this "victorious" or "triumphant" breath while in Savasana. I am used to using that breath while moving in and out of the asanas and sun salutations. Because of that association I find it to be a powerful breath. But it is also steadying. Doing Ujjayi while in Savasana exaggerates that calming quality. Iyengar says this is the only pranayama which can be done at all times of the day and night.

After this sequence I felt centered and calm and ready to tackle the day.

Did I just say tackle?

Week 4-Ariana

2010-03-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

My body was tired today, lethargic and heavy. I had to coax it to get it to move. While in Warrior 2 I experimented in order to get a feeling of buoyancy. I made small movements as if I was springing or bouncing up and down gently- as if on a trampoline. The leg muscles released as a result of this. It was fun. Then I stayed in the pose for a few breaths and realized that I wanted to let go of the intensity I was creating in the pose. So I purposely let the body "melt." I spent some time making the form of the pose and when I had established the form, I melted into it. That is what it felt like. I did not collapse I let go of tension. I was playing with the difference between effort and tension.

I enjoyed the tadasanas between all of the standing poses.
Each one felt lighter than the previous.

My neck and shoulders took center stage in Triangle and Side Angle. My bottom shoulder rolls forward and up towards my ear. I adjust that frequently and roll the shoulder away from my ear. But I lose some of the twist in the torso when I do. So I played with that dynamic today. I also felt a lot of over effort in my neck today in these poses. I felt relief from that when I moved the head back slightly.

In Revolved Triangle Iyengar's instruction to rotate the trunk along with the back leg was helpful. I felt more stable and had an easier time bringing the front hip back. I also agree with Jenny that stretching the shoulders and shoulder blades away from each other also helps to get into the pose.

Shoulderstand was hard for me today so I did not stay very long in the pose. My elbows were splaying out making it difficult for me to lift up. I kept feeling the urge to adjust my head and neck while in the pose. Knowing this is not the thing to do I came down instead. Halasana eluded me today too. I was surprised because I really enjoyed it last week. I did the pose the same way- supported with my feet on a chair. Doing the poses the same way on different days reveals how the body changes daily. This time I did the sequence at night. Last week I did it in the afternoon.

My neck is still feeling tense.

Week 4 - Jenny

2010-03-03T05:15:00.000-08:00

Same sequence as Week 3.

Feeling really focused right now.

For some reason, I focused immediately as I went into the first pose, Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana). I'm grounded today. I did a little juice fast last week and, though I had trouble focusing during the fast, I've been finding more and more focus since. Anyway, I took a second look at Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana). Ariana mentioned her difficulty with this pose last week. It's hard for me, too. And I've never met someone who has an easy time with this pose. So I went back to Mr. Iyengar's description of the pose and looked at his instructions. He mentions one thing that I was leaving out - "stretch the shoulders and shoulder blades." So I gave it a whirl. I went into the pose a second time and I stretched my shoulders and shoulder blades out and away from each other. And . . . surprise. Freedom. The action of stretching the shoulders and shoulder blades pulls your waist out of your pelvis. You end up moving your torso forward, creating more room for your spine to twist. And your spine twists. It just happens - no extra work required. The body moves instinctively, almost relaxes, into the proper position. Your twist relies less on the assist of the hand that's on the floor - because the spine already has the room to twist. It's like the spine was compressed into the pelvis, preventing me from twisting at the base of the spine. Now the lower vertebrae could get involved, and voila! - more twist. I'm not saying this was my entry into easy Revolved Triangle Land, but the increase in mobility was shocking.

And the rest of the sequence was magical, of course. More and more stretching of the sides of the body. I've been doing this thing lately in Extended Triangle and Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parvokanasana) where I let prana find my position. I rotate the chest to the sky, as we are directed in all yoga classes. But I'm really adamant about it - I won't touch my hand to the floor if it causes me to lean forward in any way. I keep the body sideways and rotate chest to sky at all costs. And then I look at the prana flow. And I feel it coursing up my rib cage on the extended side. And I take subtle movements that allow more prana flow. And I end up finding more alignment and more connection with the pose and my body and in fact, with the unexplainable. I wish I could explain more, but as I said, it's unexplainable. It's that thing that happens in a good meditation. It's beautiful and serene and sensational. Lots of adjectives, but no noun. I can't find one. Sorry, I'll have to go without. I'll live with the unexplained - with the magic. 'Cause it's glorious.

Week 3 - Ariana

2010-02-25T19:12:00.000-08:00

Week 3.
10 Poses.

The main difference between this sequence and the previous is that Tree Pose (Vrksasana) is removed and Revolved Triangle (Parvritta Trikonasana) is added. I am surprised that Revolved Triangle is in this early sequence only because this has been a difficult pose for me for a long time.

Iyengar mentions that mastering (when does one actually master any pose?) the standing poses prepares the pupil for advanced forward bending. Then I realized why he starts with all these standing poses - to build strength first in the legs - the largest muscle groups. I have also been reading B.K.S. Iyengar's "The Tree of Yoga," in which he mentions stretching the body from the floor (foundation) all the way up/out through the entire body. I think this is something that can be applied more skillfully and mindfully only when strength is developed. The body has to be able to support itself before it can extend. As I learned in my Yogaworks 200-hour training, "Align and stabilize in order to elongate." Another way to understand this is "root in order to rise."

Students often struggle with the idea of holding poses in Iyengar style classes. Maybe this is a misnomer, after all if you are breathing in the pose, you are not holding anything. The body is not still. It is not rigid. There is subtle movement with the breath there. Lately I find that in that space, in that "holding" is where the mind and bones settle and the muscles release. This is where exploration of mind and body awareness can occur.

While I was in Side Angle "Parsvakonasana," I started to feel a little stagnant or drooping in the pose. So I experimented. I ignited the breath and on the breath started making large circles with the top arm. On the inhale I reached the arm along my ear then up towards the ceiling, on the exhale I reached the arm back, and then in front of me. I noticed how this circular movement with my arm affected the position of my torso in the pose. As a result I was able to rotate my torso up to the ceiling more. After that I felt more settled in the pose and was able to stay in it and breathe attentively.

I am noticing unevenness in my body. My left calf and hamstring are tighter than my right. As a result rotated Triangle on the left side is more difficult for me. I had to be much more mindful and got into the pose more slowly on the left than on the right. In Mountain Pose (Tadasana) one leg presses into floor more than the other. Sometimes one side of my body feels heavier than the other.

I really enjoyed Warrior 1 (Vira 1) today. Just when I think I have lengthened through the torso all I can, I dig deep and find another half inch. It just feels good.

Corpse Pose (Savasana) is the perfect counter pose for all the other asanas. We spend so much time and effort resisting gravity - lifting the leg muscles and the knee caps, lengthening through the torso, lifting the arms and lifting the chest. Savasana is where we surrender to gravity and let it do its work on us.

Here are some quotes from the "The Tree of Yoga" that have been resonating with me lately and shaping my practice:

"When you are practicing a pose in yoga, can you find the delicate balance between taking the pose to its maximum extent, and taking it beyond that point so that there is too much effort creating wrong tension in the body?"

"Because the strong muscles try to control the pose, the weak muscles give way. When doing the pose therefore, you have to maintain a single stretch from the floor to the top without letting any part drop."

How asana is a form of meditation:
"You can lose the benefits of what you are doing because of focusing on too much partial attention on trying to perfect the pose. What are you focusing on? You are trying to perfect the pose, but from where to where? That is where things become difficult. Focusing on one point is concentration. Focusing on all points [in the body] at the same time is meditation."

"Analysis in action is the only guide."

Week 3 - Jenny

2010-02-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

Slightly different sequence this week. Mr. Iyengar adds Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana) and Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana I). Laying in Savasana at the end of this sequence, I felt extreme length through the whole center of the body - front and sides. And in Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana I), I was able to lengthen through my spine more than usual - I was taller. I'm not sure what it was. I think it's length through the side body (once again) as created by the sequence, which started in Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) and moved on to Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvokanasana). I wonder if the added twist in Revolved Triangle had anything to do with it. I'm sure it did. Considering the sequence is almost the same as the last 2 weeks - the only differences are the added twist before Intense Side Stretch Pose (Parsvotanasana) - a side stretching pose in its own right - and then Wide-Legged Forward Bend, where I was surprised to find a nice stretch through the groins and the inner thighs. I've done this pose many a time, but not exactly the way Mr. Iyengar directs in this book. He has you jump your legs wide - "4 1/2-5 feet" - then lean forward tipping the pelvis forward, then place your head on the floor and let your spine round. I've always been taught to bring the legs closer together if the head touches the floor. I read recently in Judith Lasater's book that you can round the spine and rest the head on the floor in more of a meditative position, but that's the first I heard of it. I really like Mr. Iyengar's version. Having rather flexible hamstrings (the one naturally flexible part of my body - we all have something), I always had to move my feet in towards each other to prevent myself from having to round the spine. But here, Mr. Iyengar allows you to round the spine. And in this position, I found a nice, not too intense stretch through the groins and inner thighs, as well as a restful, meditative shape. And you hang from your pelvis. And that also explains the feeling of extreme length through the torso at the end of it all. Taller. Huh.

Week 2-Ariana

2010-02-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

week 2.
Same poses.
45 minutes.

I managed to remember to do all of the poses this time. Corpse included. I did the sequence late at night before bed so my body was pretty open. This time I was more aware of what I want to post on the blog. But I want to do the poses for the sake of the poses, not the blog. So I kept trying to bring my awareness back to the pose, and I kept noticing more and more things and then I would think, "I need to remember that."

I attended an Iyengar style class today with Tzahi Moskovitz. He suggested I focus on lengthening my side ribs away from my pelvis. So that was my focus in this sequence today. Actually, I found that I was grounding down from the pelvis down (not just the feet) and lifting from the navel up, infinitely, or at least trying to. While inverted in Shoulder Stand I did the opposite- grounded down from the navel down to the arms while I lifted my pelvis up. I am exploring this and beginning to feel more lightness in the poses as a result. My weight is disbursed–grounding down into earth while reaching to heavens. Earth. Sky.

Today I wondered why Extended Side Angle (Parsvakonasana) is before Warrior 2. To me, Warrior 2 is a precursor to Parsvakonasana. Unless Mr. Iyengar wanted to keep the Warrior poses together. Now I am wondering why he has 2 externally rotated standing poses followed by a neutral standing pose and then another external. So many questions.

There are many distractions that come up before and during practice, especially when practicing in my living room. drawing the blinds, picking up papers on the floor; a contract I need to submit; lint, dog hair and my hair on my yoga mat; and yes I lint brushed it before my shoulder stand.

Week 2 -Jenny

2010-02-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Was noticing through this sequence (same sequence as Week 1) that length in the side body is constantly asked of the practitioner. Starting with Mountain (Tadasana) and Tree (Vrkasana), both photos show Mr. Iyengar with arms overhead, emphasizing the length created from hip to armpit on each side. Then getting more serious in Extended Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) and Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana). Can you tell I've been a little obsessed with side body length lately? And of course in Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana), which is named for said stretch. It made me discover the same length in Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II). I really like his way of entering Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I). He has you stand with your feet apart, then turn your feet properly, then turn your body toward the front leg, then bend your front leg to come into the pose. This way your hips are most definitely aligned - you can play with it to feel when you come out of your hip joint, or hip hinge, on the front leg. And the challenge becomes getting your back heel down to the floor by finding relaxation in the foot and calf (for those of us with tight sprung calves, this is a major challenge). This differs from what I've been doing all these years in Vinyasa practices, where you flow into Warrior I from a lunge - in that case, the challenge is getting your back hip around to face forward - a seemingly impossible task. I like Mr. Iyengar's approach. Different things work for different bodies, but for my body type, this is a good entry to the pose. Shoulderstand (Salambha Savangasana) has never seemed to agree with me and my tight shoulders, but it's getting much better. In the last few months, my shoulders are letting go and my shoulder blades are finding their place on my back.

Now I feel relaxed. Savasana (Corpse Pose) is bottomless. I was cranky when I started the sequence - some fears about my 13-year old iguana's health were plaguing me - but I feel much calmer now. We always talk about and see the calming effects of yoga. I'm noticing that these effects are here even though I'm alone in my home - no studio or ambience or assistance or dialogue from a teacher. This practice of yoga blows me away. I did nothing special today - some poses, that's all. But through awareness/consciousness/internal study during the pose work, the calming effects surfaced. The stretching was, of course, there. Shoulderstand probably accounts for a good amount of the calming qualities of the sequence. Being 2/3 upside down - blood flow being flipped, throbbing in the face - it's quite relaxing. Even though my shoulder tightness makes this a difficult pose for me, the effects are present. It must be super awesome if you have more shoulder flexibility and are able to stack your hips over your shoulders in this pose. Someday . . . And then Savasasa. Letting the bones drop. Ahh. Now I'm thinking more clearly. Now I'm accepting my situation as it is. Not perfect. And not even perfect acceptance. But you take what can get. And march on. Yoh -gah.

Week 1 - Jenny

2010-02-08T14:25:00.001-08:00

It seems the asanas are quite intense without much of a warm-up - Mountain and Tree followed immediately by Extended Side Angle and Triangle, then Warriors. So I warmed up with just a few (trying to keep as pure to the book as possible) easy sun salutations, then headed into the sequence. What an experience this must be for someone who has never done yoga before. Even if you were an athlete, the extreme stretch of the extended standing poses is, well, extreme. I'm used to Vinyasa practices where, by the time I get to the extended poses, I've done vigorous sun salutations that include flowing through Chair pose (Utkatasana), Chatarunga, Upward Facing Dog, Downward Facing Dog, and Warrior I and II. So the stretches of these standing poses in Mr. Iyengar's sequence sort of POPPED me open in a way. I can see where he's going with his sequencing - stablilization (Mountain), a balance (Tree), strengthening, stretching and opening in the standing poses, then an inversion (Plow and Shoulderstand). Simple and beautiful - getting at all the major muscle groups and joints. After Savasansa (Corpse pose), I felt a sense of refreshment. Aliveness.

Week 1-Ariana

2010-02-07T18:55:00.001-08:00

Week 1.
10 Poses.
First thoughts.

I noticed the absence of Forward bend (Uttanasana) and downward dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and threw them in between a couple poses because it felt natural. These 2 poses are often taught in beginners classes so I wonder why they are not included here.

I also notice it is hard to resist the urge to move on the breath and do some vinyasa or some sun breaths.

I was having trouble balancing on my right leg for Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Had the same issue the last couple days. I think it was because I wore heels the other night (which I rarely do) and that ankle was a little tender as a result.

I struggled to keep my back heel down in Warrior 1 (Virabadrasana 1). To work on that, I was focused on the feet rooting DOWN as my chest and arms raised UP.

The sequence took 20 minutes. Or I should say I spent 20 minutes on the poses while it took me days to finally carve out the time to do them in the first place. It made me wonder if I should have been holding the poses longer. I know that poses are held longer in Iyengar style classes. But I am limited with time today.

Just realized I left out Corpse pose (savasana). I neglected to read that one and I know and preach its importance. oops. Welcome to the joys of cultivating a disciplined home practice.

An Invite

2010-02-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

You (and you, and you) are cordially invited to join Ariana and me on this adventure. Just get a copy of LIGHT ON YOGA and join in when you like. You can comment on the blog to let us know what you're experiencing. This is gonna be fun!

The Light on Light

2010-02-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so two weeks ago I was doing my daily yoga practice in my dining room. As multitudes of yoga teachers do, I use B.K.S. Iyengar's LIGHT ON YOGA as a constant reference. LIGHT ON YOGA (LOY) was first published in 1965. In over 600 photos, Mr. Iyengar demonstrates asanas (poses) and variations of asanas, complete with descriptions on how to enter and leave each asana and what each is supposed to work or stretch or do.

In the back of this amazing resource, Mr. Iyengar suggests a program - a 5-year program - of the asanas (poses) and the order in which they should be practiced. Each week has a series of asanas, which are referenced back to their photos and descriptions earlier in the book. I thought - wouldn't it be neat to try this? To go through these sequences as Mr. Iyengar laid them out and see what that did for you. I'm guessing that's what early yogis in this country were doing in 1965.

But I've been practicing yoga for 7 years. I teach yoga. I have a pretty deep practice. It doesn't make sense for an experienced yogi to try this out. And then I thought - who cares, why rules, why boundaries.

I didn't want to leave my own instincts about my home practice behind, doing only the sequences in the book. So I decided to set out on a journey. To take one day a week to practice the asanas in the sequences that Mr. Iyengar suggests. And to see what that does. Maybe it will do nothing (I doubt it - yoga never ceases to amaze me). But this is one aspect of yoga that I really like: let's try it. I don't know what will happen. Let's do it and see.

I thought perhaps someone would like to join me on this journey. I asked my friend Ariana as she is as passionate about yoga as I am. She got right on board. And she suggested a blog. Which made me think - we're the Julie and Julia of yoga! Plodding our way through an old book - trying out what the master said. So here we are. We'll be letting you know how it goes. What we find. Good and bad and inbetween.

Here goes . . .