first backbend post

How about some backbends!! When I first began practicing Iyengar yoga I had a real hard time with backbending asanas from years of working out with weights and growing up on a farm and just plain bad posture, not to mention a tailbone that stuck out as far as the day is long. So, I began doing them lots, at one point I was backbending everyday, pushing up into Urdhva Dhanurasana in large numbers, anywhere from 20 up to 70 times. I made backbends my best friend. Eventually, I got to a point where I probably became addicted to them and it took some major withdrawal to balance out my practice and have a healthy amount of different poses in my practice.  If you tend to always practice the same type of poses or fail to practice a certain type of pose, your practice is incomplete and you can grow stronger by employing some self discipline in making yourself do those poses that you neglect. The next time you take a class where your not so favorite poses are taught, take a moment after class to write the sequence down and make yourself do that very same sequence at home a couple days later, then do it again in a couple of days, then do it again in a couple of more days, you get the idea.  So, here is a backbending sequence, if there is any pose you have not been taught, do another in it's place or simply repeat one of the other poses. Try to do the backbending poses at least twice, if not 3 times and pay attention to your timings; try counting to at least 10 if you find you are just popping in and out. Enjoy!!

1.2 yogah cittavritti nirodhah

Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the consciousness.

1.14 sa tu dirghakala nairantarya satkara asevitah drdhabhumih

 Long, uninterrupted, alert practice is the firm foundation for restraining the fluctuations.

Tadasana

Urdhva hastasana

Adho mukha svanasana

Uttanasana

Urdhva hastasana

Adho mukha svanasana 

Adho mukha vrksasana

Sirsasana

Chaturanga dandasana

Salabhasana

Urdhva mukha svanasana

Dhanurasana

Ustrasana

Salamba sarvangasana, dropping over to Setu bandha

Adho mukha virasana-with 3 folded blankets under front torso for support, hold for at least 5 minutes

Savasana

Here is the sequence that I taught on Sunday and Monday evenings, if you were in the class, try to write down some of the actions that we worked on in the poses. Recall the Sutra 2.46 sthira sukham asanam, Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit.  In the standing poses we learned that we had to establish stability before we could move any further and deepen any actions.

Urdhva Prasarita Padasana-leg lifts, rolls to halasana and back & forth paschimottanasana to halasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Uttanasana

Urdhva Hastasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Uthitta Trikonasana-3x

Parivrtta Trikonasana-4 or 5x

Marichyasana III-2x, 2nd x wrap arms

Ardha Matsyendrasana-2x-2ndx hold front foot

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Sirsasana-Parsva Sirsasana

Salamba Sarvangasana 

Halasana

Savasana

Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah

Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the consciousness.

I had the unique honor last night of seeing the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the lineage holder of Shambhala Buddhism and hearing him speak. He spoke about the mind being in a constant state of planning, "what's next, what's next after that, and what will come later." "Planning leads to more planning," he said with a smile. His words about planning made me instantly chant the sutra in my head, yogah cittavrtti nirodhah, from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Chapter 1 #2.  The vrttis is the planning, the never ending thought waves that insist on having an endless inner conversation in our minds. When we take the time, whether in asana, pranayama, meditation or in the shower, to stop the planning we experience the moment without planning our next move. In fact, we enjoy our present moment.

When we stop planning we have an opportunity to see things more clearly within ourselves, which leads to a clearer view of others and the world outside our own vehicle. How many times have you lost your balance while in an asana because you let your mind wander and began a shopping list or a dinner menu? The Sakyong  said we often meditate without realizing we are doing so. The word meditate comes from the Tibetan word meaning "to familiarize." When we worry,  dwell or rehash an event or emotion over and over again, this is like a negative mantra, but to put a positive spin on this cycle becomes a chore, an act of true tapas and self-discipline to make the change from a negative to a positive. I have noticed in myself that when I can stop this negative cycle (pratipaksabhavanam) then I feel that being truly compassionate towards others is easier, almost natural. When you're happy; I'm happy. When I'm happy; you're happy, etc.

    When we practice asanas we familiarize ourselves with our arms, legs, spine, ankle bones, places that were once remote become familiar, that familiarity deepens as our practice deepens. That is why as Iyengar practitioners we begin with the physical form and use the actions of the body to teach us how to stop planning, cease the vrttis long enough to do an asana, take a breath and eventually meditate. 

May 7 Sequence

Here is the sequence from Thursday May 7th class. Thanks again to Scott for hosting in his beautiful yard and thanks to all of you who came to the uncommon location.

Uttanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Urdhva Hastasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Plank pose, push back to dog pose

Uttanasana

(Do that whole sequence again)

Utkatasana-3x

Parsvottanasana

Parivrtta Trikonasana-2x

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana-2x

Marichyasana III- first time go in and out of same side 4x then hold.

Marichyasana III-full pose w/ wrapped arms

Marichyasana I

Malasana

Malsana II

Paschimottanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Sirsasana-Parsva Sirsasana

Salamba Sarvangasana

Savasana

My hope in posting sequences is that you will use them to enhance your home practice, or  deepen what you learned in that particular class;  but please remember there is no substitute for a good teacher. Even when you have a strong home practice, attending class and learning from your teacher is invaluable. We can all fall into bad habits and make unacceptable excuses for our actions if we are left to our own devices for too long.