with Luke Jordan and his wife Sonja teaching at Bristo over the past couple of weeks, they have really been emphasising a full breath. Especially a full chesty sounding breath. This has really caught a hold with me, in so much as that full chesty sounding breath works if you breathe right up into the top of your chest, engage your understanding of uddiyana bandha and keep the floating ribs drawn in. In addition I've come to think of this as having that full chest breath and aiming for the collar bones with the breath. It means a fuller breath and smoother, having benefits for how you feel during the practice, how well oxygenated your muscular system is to support the practice and how well oxygenated your brain is for clarity. So, a good outcome all round and definitely an approach worth keeping in mind and perservering with.
This breath, in addition to being relaxed yet giving full effort, as Graeme Northfield taught me earlier this year, gives a good framework for the practice of postures.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Stand on your hands
Workshop
Tim
Sitting to breathe, working towards ujjayi breath and engaging mula bandha, uddiyana bandha.
10 minutes
Come up to Samastihih. 3 x Oms.
Surya namaskara A x 2 - normal Surya Namaskara.
Surya namaskara A x 2 emphasising the below.
Introduce hand and arm foundations for third Surya Namaskara. Also talking about shoulder positioning.
Taking weight into hands and arms during jump back and lowering down into Chaturanga Dandasana. This is all a preparation for hand stands. When you do your regular practice, concentrate on these things, they will eventually lead to handstands.
Hand, arm and shoulder positioning in Chaturanga Dandasana.
Finger, hand and shoulder position in upward dog and downward dog.
Jumping forward to feet between hands. This is another opportunity to take your body weight into your hands and push up to handstand. Exhale, engage mula bandha, engage uddiyana bandha, get your hand foundation, look forward between your hands, push up to handstand.
Looking forward between your hands is another important aspect to leading the rest of your body. Looking between the hands is important pushing up into a handstand.
Susan will work through activating the legs.
20 minutes
30 minutes total
Susan
Surya namaskara variations, emphasising use of legs, especially pada bandha to keep legs and feet active during surya namaskaras and chaturanga dandasana.
10 minutes
40 minutes total
Tim
Padangusthasana, padahastasana - position of shoulders, drawing down the sides, towards the waist and open the chest.
Trikonasana - focussing on the shoulders drawing down the sides, away from the ears, opening the chest.
Prasarita padotanasana x 2 - head to the floor, coming up to headstand.
Utkatasana - x 10 breaths. Bakasana - into head to the floor, into headstand. Position the pelvis above the head for balance. Shoulders down the sides, open the chest, mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, bring in the floating ribs, don't arch too much into the lower back.
Bakasana, lifting the pelvis up, using the strength of the bandhas to lift the pelvis, lift the pelvis, lift the pelvis, then shoot the legs back to chaturanga dandasana.
Virabhadrasana a and b.
From B, exhale hands down, right knee behind armpit, inhale, lift up to handstand. 30 minutes.
30 minutes
70 minutes total
Susan
Sequence of shoulder opening and wall postures.
20 minutes
90 minutes total
Tim
Some seated postures with full vinyasa. - paschimatanasana, janu sirsasana, marichyasana a, baddha konasana
20 minutes
110 minutes total
Susan
Lunges and backbending
10 minutes
120 minutes total
Susan
Partner - getting up into handstands - hinging at the hips, or kicking up one leg at a time or kicking up with both feet, trying by themselves, dropping over to backbend.
15 minutes
135 minutes total
Child's pose, child's pose squashed.
5 minutes
140 minutes total
Sivasana
20 minutes
160 minutes
I really enjoy handstands, it's a challenge to get up and balanced, then intense focus to keep everything aligned over hands and arms and keeping the breath full
there are some things that i've noticed when exploring the realm of handstands;
1. the genesis of a handstand begins with surya namaskaras. The very first time you put your hands on the ground, the seed is planted for handstanding. When bending forward to touch the ground in surya namaskara, some bandhas are at work. Hasta bandha - keeping your hands and forearms active, fingers spread, middle fingers pointed straight ahead and preparing to take your body weight into your hands as you prepare to jump or step back to chaturanga dandasana. In the case of jumping back to chaturanga dandasana, an awareness of moving your entire body weight is a start in feeling how it would be to push up into a handstand. Eventually, pushing up into a handstand could be possible from a forward bend (as occurs after Utkatasana in the standing postures in Ashtanga Vinyasa).
Some people feel that Mula bandha is experienced through our contact with the ground, either through our hands and feet. This can be extended to Uddiyana bandha as well, our contact with the ground affects our experience of Uddiyana and Mula bandha, whether it's through our hands or feet. When it's our hands, and we're taking our body weight into our hands, there is a definite change in our experience of these bandhas.
2. the muscles used in chaturanga dandasana, upward and downward dog and all forward bends, bring awareness to the muscles in the thoratic region of the back, pulling the shoulders down the back. Effort to get away from using the upper Trapezius too much and relying too much on the shoulder joints. As an exercise in awareness of this process, try practising 3 Surya Namaskara A sequences with the total aim of having awareness in the back of the body, especially in the thoratic region and focus on moving the shoulders down the back, but not back away from the ground towards the spine. The shoulders would ideally move away from the ears...alignment of the elbows in back bending, alignment of the upper arms in down dog
3. Uddiyana bandha, jumping through and jumping back, lifting up at least when taking a vinyasa back. Lifting up with certain muscles engaged.
Tim
Sitting to breathe, working towards ujjayi breath and engaging mula bandha, uddiyana bandha.
10 minutes
Come up to Samastihih. 3 x Oms.
Surya namaskara A x 2 - normal Surya Namaskara.
Surya namaskara A x 2 emphasising the below.
Introduce hand and arm foundations for third Surya Namaskara. Also talking about shoulder positioning.
Taking weight into hands and arms during jump back and lowering down into Chaturanga Dandasana. This is all a preparation for hand stands. When you do your regular practice, concentrate on these things, they will eventually lead to handstands.
Hand, arm and shoulder positioning in Chaturanga Dandasana.
Finger, hand and shoulder position in upward dog and downward dog.
Jumping forward to feet between hands. This is another opportunity to take your body weight into your hands and push up to handstand. Exhale, engage mula bandha, engage uddiyana bandha, get your hand foundation, look forward between your hands, push up to handstand.
Looking forward between your hands is another important aspect to leading the rest of your body. Looking between the hands is important pushing up into a handstand.
Susan will work through activating the legs.
20 minutes
30 minutes total
Susan
Surya namaskara variations, emphasising use of legs, especially pada bandha to keep legs and feet active during surya namaskaras and chaturanga dandasana.
10 minutes
40 minutes total
Tim
Padangusthasana, padahastasana - position of shoulders, drawing down the sides, towards the waist and open the chest.
Trikonasana - focussing on the shoulders drawing down the sides, away from the ears, opening the chest.
Prasarita padotanasana x 2 - head to the floor, coming up to headstand.
Utkatasana - x 10 breaths. Bakasana - into head to the floor, into headstand. Position the pelvis above the head for balance. Shoulders down the sides, open the chest, mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, bring in the floating ribs, don't arch too much into the lower back.
Bakasana, lifting the pelvis up, using the strength of the bandhas to lift the pelvis, lift the pelvis, lift the pelvis, then shoot the legs back to chaturanga dandasana.
Virabhadrasana a and b.
From B, exhale hands down, right knee behind armpit, inhale, lift up to handstand. 30 minutes.
30 minutes
70 minutes total
Susan
Sequence of shoulder opening and wall postures.
20 minutes
90 minutes total
Tim
Some seated postures with full vinyasa. - paschimatanasana, janu sirsasana, marichyasana a, baddha konasana
20 minutes
110 minutes total
Susan
Lunges and backbending
10 minutes
120 minutes total
Susan
Partner - getting up into handstands - hinging at the hips, or kicking up one leg at a time or kicking up with both feet, trying by themselves, dropping over to backbend.
15 minutes
135 minutes total
Child's pose, child's pose squashed.
5 minutes
140 minutes total
Sivasana
20 minutes
160 minutes
I really enjoy handstands, it's a challenge to get up and balanced, then intense focus to keep everything aligned over hands and arms and keeping the breath full
there are some things that i've noticed when exploring the realm of handstands;
1. the genesis of a handstand begins with surya namaskaras. The very first time you put your hands on the ground, the seed is planted for handstanding. When bending forward to touch the ground in surya namaskara, some bandhas are at work. Hasta bandha - keeping your hands and forearms active, fingers spread, middle fingers pointed straight ahead and preparing to take your body weight into your hands as you prepare to jump or step back to chaturanga dandasana. In the case of jumping back to chaturanga dandasana, an awareness of moving your entire body weight is a start in feeling how it would be to push up into a handstand. Eventually, pushing up into a handstand could be possible from a forward bend (as occurs after Utkatasana in the standing postures in Ashtanga Vinyasa).
Some people feel that Mula bandha is experienced through our contact with the ground, either through our hands and feet. This can be extended to Uddiyana bandha as well, our contact with the ground affects our experience of Uddiyana and Mula bandha, whether it's through our hands or feet. When it's our hands, and we're taking our body weight into our hands, there is a definite change in our experience of these bandhas.
2. the muscles used in chaturanga dandasana, upward and downward dog and all forward bends, bring awareness to the muscles in the thoratic region of the back, pulling the shoulders down the back. Effort to get away from using the upper Trapezius too much and relying too much on the shoulder joints. As an exercise in awareness of this process, try practising 3 Surya Namaskara A sequences with the total aim of having awareness in the back of the body, especially in the thoratic region and focus on moving the shoulders down the back, but not back away from the ground towards the spine. The shoulders would ideally move away from the ears...alignment of the elbows in back bending, alignment of the upper arms in down dog
3. Uddiyana bandha, jumping through and jumping back, lifting up at least when taking a vinyasa back. Lifting up with certain muscles engaged.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
You can do it!
I've had a mental block when I've been coming up to Kapotasana. It's a physical/ mental block - Kapotasana is a very strong backbend and I find it mentally challenging to think about the posture.
A few things have changed that - thinking about the postures leading up to it and spending more time in them...and, "hanging out in the posture" as David Keil calls it - hanging out in the backbends before Kapotasana and feeling the effects in the body, without having an adverse mental reaction to them, and, even if you do have that adverse reaction, continuing to breathe with it, soften, move further into the posture, breathe, soften, move further into the posture, breathe, soften, move further into the posture...
This came after spending some time with David Keil June 3, 4 and 5 and a certain focus on Mula and Uddiyana Bandha to stabilise the body from the bottom of the pelvis and in from the lower belly. This stability gives the diaphragm a different support than belly breathing - letting the belly move out as you inhale and in as you exhale. This support encourages the ribs to move up and out on the inhalation, to accommodate the diaphragm, as it no longer moves down into the belly (the belly is lifted with Uddiyana Bandha). This lift is localised to the pelvic floor and lower belly, the strain should not move up to the shoulders and face.
With this type of breathing in place and a commitment to "hang out" in the tough parts of postures, I had an approach today of looking forward to practicing Kapotasana and thinking I could practice it...instead of dreading the experience.
The idea of hanging out in postures includes all postures, and I've come to appreciate it in the standing postures, with the fullest expression of the posture that you are practicing...use the full breath and soften into the posture...
A few things have changed that - thinking about the postures leading up to it and spending more time in them...and, "hanging out in the posture" as David Keil calls it - hanging out in the backbends before Kapotasana and feeling the effects in the body, without having an adverse mental reaction to them, and, even if you do have that adverse reaction, continuing to breathe with it, soften, move further into the posture, breathe, soften, move further into the posture, breathe, soften, move further into the posture...
This came after spending some time with David Keil June 3, 4 and 5 and a certain focus on Mula and Uddiyana Bandha to stabilise the body from the bottom of the pelvis and in from the lower belly. This stability gives the diaphragm a different support than belly breathing - letting the belly move out as you inhale and in as you exhale. This support encourages the ribs to move up and out on the inhalation, to accommodate the diaphragm, as it no longer moves down into the belly (the belly is lifted with Uddiyana Bandha). This lift is localised to the pelvic floor and lower belly, the strain should not move up to the shoulders and face.
With this type of breathing in place and a commitment to "hang out" in the tough parts of postures, I had an approach today of looking forward to practicing Kapotasana and thinking I could practice it...instead of dreading the experience.
The idea of hanging out in postures includes all postures, and I've come to appreciate it in the standing postures, with the fullest expression of the posture that you are practicing...use the full breath and soften into the posture...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Begin where you start...
This blog is about practice...I've been keeping practice notes on and off for a while and have started a teacher training, so thought it would be a good place to store and maybe share some of that content :)
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