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The Language Of Yoga – Not!
August 7, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · Leave a Comment
Here is an extract from an excellent article by an ex card carrying member of the Ashtanga cult, Lauren Cahn. For those who have not ventured into the often competitive world of Ashtanga Yoga it is a revealing read. Lauren’s take on all 5 words that do not belong in yoga are right on, below are the two I think are applicable to all yoga asana practice.
Ashtanga yoga (a type of traditional Indian yoga that is based on the linking of breath with movement) is notorious for its rules. From which days on which to practice which poses, to not daring to show up in the yoga room while menstruating, to when you should exhale and when you should inhale, to how many breaths should be taken in each pose, to what to eat and when to eat and exactly how many bites to have, to when and under what circumstances sex is appropriate (something about not having sex when one of the nostrils is clogged, but I can never remember which one), the rules are so numerous that countless books with hundreds of pages apiece are devoted to them. And endless discussion by Ashtanga practitioners. Endless, circular, sometimes angry discussion.
This linear approach to yoga teaching can be appealing to those who have a tendency to enjoy a little competition, whether with themselves or with others. This is odd, considering that yoga is essentially the practice of "stilling the mind", which would seem to subsume such distractions as thoughts of "when will I get the next pose" and "what can I do to get my teacher to love me enough to give me the next pose" and "why does my teacher give poses to so-and-so, but not to me?" and "I think my teacher hates me/I think I hate my teacher."
One of the potential effects of the "rules" of Ashtanga is a need to detail one’s adherence to the rules in the form of blogging. Indeed, this is how my own blog, Yoga Chickie, was born. If you go back to the early days of Yoga Chickie, you will see many references to the Five Words That (I now believe) Do Not Belong In Yoga Practice. I was a card carrying member of the Ashtanga cult, after all. Now, since I’ve managed to extricate myself and find some balance in what was always, essentially, my workout routine (that’s right, for me, the "ugly" truth is that the yoga has always been, first and foremost, a workout for me), I feel kind of embarrassed about that. Nevertheless, I feel the need to confess. So here goes, the Five Words That Do Not Belong In a Yoga Practice (but which I admit, I used all the time in the past):
3. Bad.
In conversations amongst Ashtangis, you will often hear the word "bad", as in "bad lady" (a phrase coined by the beloved Ashtanga guru grandaddy, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in jest) or I am "bad" at hip opening. I am "bad" at backbends. Look, I can’t stand bogus yoga blather like, "there’s no such thing as doing it ‘badly’", but really, it’s true (it just needn’t be said in the middle of a yoga flow). How can anything about practicing yoga be bad, except not practicing? (or being cranked?)
5. Pain.
Ashtangis often talk of pain like it’s a good thing: "If it hurts, you’re doing it right" or "Something snapped, but I think it was a good pain". Some use the word "opening" instead of "pain", as in, "I felt a real opening in my hamstring."
Sorry, but there is no good pain. All pain is a warning from your body. Pain contains no magic. It does not mean you are doing it right. It means you need to stop what you are doing. Pain is not an opening. It means something is being torn or broken. Pain has no place in a yoga practice.
Yoga should be an uplifting experience. It should provide a vacation from the thoughts. If it causes one to conjure up new ways to beat oneself up, then, well that’s criminal.
You can read the whole article on the Huffington Post
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out more
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Pattabhi Jois Dies Today At 93
May 18, 2009 by Ray Baskerville · 2 Comments
From those I know who have, losing your guru is harder than losing a parent, for many around the world Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois was Guruji, and my heart goes out to them today.
While the cause of death has not been made public Pattabhi Jois’s health had been declining for the past few years, with several spells of hositalization.He passed away at his home after another spell of illness.
The word is that his grandson and student Sharath Rangaswamy is likely to take over as head of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India (known today as the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute).
Pattabhi Jois, was along with B.K.S Iyengar and T.K.V Desikachar a living legend in the world of yoga. All three were students of the man considered to be the father of yoga as we know it today Krishnamacharya.
His passing is like the begining of the passing of an age. In that age yoga has become synonymous with asana practice and is today practiced by tens of millions of people worldwide.
On the question of the true goal of yoga Pattabhi Jois Said " The essence of yoga is to reach oneness with God. Ego must be understood, contemplated, and released, if you only try to boost the ego, you will miss the greatest fruits of yoga."
Here in his own words is a small snapshot of the wealth of knowledge and experience from a lifetime dedicated to practicing and teaching yoga, that this wonderful man held.
The world is a poorer place from his passing and a richer place for his living. I hope you will join me in offering respectful pranams at the feet of Sri Pattabhi Jois. May his life serve as an inspiration for the age of universal yoga he helped birth.
Please also visit YogaDork who has put together links to other bloggers responces to the passing of Sri Pattabhi Jois
“Living Liberation - Meditation Training, and so much more" "It changed my life"Find out moreAshtanga Yoga Of Pattabhi Jois
October 15, 2008 by Ray Baskerville · 1 Comment
Ashtanga yoga as we commonly know it today, was made popular by K. Pattabhi Jois. Pattabhi Jois developed the practice based on the yoga lineage passed on to him by his own teacher Sri Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya’s knowledge of yoga was so vast that later in life he taught each student differently. Pattabhi Jois met hin 1927 and studeid with him until 1953
The three most well know students of Krishnamacharya are his son T.K.V. Desikachar, B K S Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. Each developed their own approach to yoga practice, Pattabhi Jois continuing the series of asanas, or poses that Krishnmacharya taught earlier in his life. Pattabhi Jois has said that the most important thing his guru ever said to him was "Make this yoga method the work of your life", and so he has.
Ashtanga means "eight limbs",referring to the eight limbs of yoga compiled by by the great Indian sage Patanjali. When Pattabhi Jois named the style of yoga he developed, ashtanga, he meant it as
a reminder to practice all eight limbs and not just the asanas. When we refer to Ashtanga Yoga, it refers to the fluid style of asanas series of Pattabhi Jois. Asana is the third of yoga’s eight limbs limb.
This style of yoga is characterized by a focus on viṅyāsa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa also means breath-synchronized movement. The breath is the heart of this discipline and links asana to asana in a precise order. By synchronizing movement with breathing and practicing Mula and Uddiyana Bandhas (internal body locks 1), an intense internal heat is produced. This heat purifies muscles and organs, expelling unwanted toxins as well as releasing beneficial hormones and minerals, which can nourish the body when the sweat is massaged back into the skin. The breath regulates the vinyasa and ensures efficient circulation of blood. The result is a light, strong body.
The whole practice is defined by six series of interflowing postures, always done in the same order, combined with a specific breathing pattern (ujjāyī breathing 2). The Yoga Sutra says "Tasmin sati svasa prasvasayor gati vicchedah pranayama." Depending on the individual breathing rhythm, each one requires from 90 minutes to three hours to complete. Thus, the beginner and the advanced practitioner can find a demanding workout suited to his potential and challenging his personal physical and mental limitations.
There are three groups of sequences in the Ashtanga system. Each sequence typically begins with 10 Sun Salutations and the standing poses. This is referred to as the "opening sequence". The student then moves to either the Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, B, C, or D, depending on his or her skill level, a back-bending sequence, finally closing with a set of inverted postures, referred to as the "finishing sequence". The Primary Series (Yoga Chikitsa) detoxifies and aligns the body. The Intermediate Series (Nadi Shodhana) purifies the nervous system by opening and clearing the energy channels. The Advanced Series A, B, C, and D (Sthira Bhaga) integrate the strength and grace of the practice, requiring higher levels of flexibility strength and inner development.
Pattabhi and Manju Jois (his oldest son and student) brought this form of yoga to the American west coast in 1975. In the past 30 years ashtanga yoga spread worldwide and found more and more enthusiastic students.
Pattabhi Jois: Yoga is one. God is one. Yoga means sambandaha, which is atma manah samyogah, or knowing God inside you. But using it only for physical practice is no good, of no use—just a lot of sweating, pushing, and heavy breathing for nothing. The spiritual aspect, which is beyond the physical, is the purpose of yoga. When the nervous system is purified, when your mind rests in the atman [the Self], then you can experience the true greatness of yoga.
1: There are three bandhas which are considered our internal body locks, prescribed in the different postures. The bandha is a sustained contraction of a group of muscles that assists the practitioner not only in retaining a pose but also in moving in and out of it. The Mūla Bandha, or root lock, is performed by tightening the muscles around the pelvic and perineum area. The Uḍḍīyāna Bandha, often described as bringing the navel to the base of the spine, is a contraction of the muscles of the lower abdominal area – this bandha is considered the most important bandha as it supports our breathing and encourages the development of strong core muscles. Jālaṅdhara Bandha, throat lock, is achieved by lowering the chin slightly while raising the sternum and the palate bringing the gaze to the tip of the nose.
2: Ujjayi breathing is a breath technique sometimes called "the ocean breath" and is typically done in association with asana practice.
Inhalation and exhalation are both done through the nose. For beginners to yoga, the "ocean sound" is created by moving the glottis as air passes in and out. As the throat passage is narrowed so, too, is the airway, the passage of air through which creates a "rushing" sound. The length and speed of the breath is controlled by the diaphragm, the strengthening of which is, in part, the purpose of ujjayi.
