Wow! It's hard to believe how fast those first weeks flew by! I am now entering my fifth week of Iyengar's prescribed yoga schedule. The asanas are as follows:
Utthita Trikonasana, Utthita Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana I & II, Parivrtta Trikonasana, Parsvottanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana I, Urdhva Prasarita Padasana, Paripoorna Navasana, Ardha Navasana, Salamba Sarvangasana I, Halasana, Ujjayi Pranayma for 5 min. in Savasana.
Friday, October 5, 2012
So, I missed three days in a row this week. It was our anniversary, and we were out of town celebrating, and I have a three month old, so I feel justified. Besides, now that Iyengar is adding in all these core strengtheners, it's taking longer than before to complete the sequences! But it's good, because core strengtheners are exactly what I need. How did he know that?
I have found that this sequence is very appropriate to do before bed. The forward bends make it calming, and ending with Salamba Sarvangasana, known as the Queen of asanas, is perfect.
One more week of this sequence before moving on to the next one!
I have found that this sequence is very appropriate to do before bed. The forward bends make it calming, and ending with Salamba Sarvangasana, known as the Queen of asanas, is perfect.
One more week of this sequence before moving on to the next one!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Week 3
Well, I am finished with the first set of asanas for Iyengar's 300 weeks of yoga. The first set took two weeks, and now I am on to the next set, which will last another two weeks. Most of the asanas are the same; only two have been traded out. Tadasana and Vrksasana have been traded for Parivrtta Trikonasana, or revolved triangle pose, and Prasaritta Padottanasna. The order of the new sequence is as follows: Utthita Trikonasana, Utthita Parsvakonasana, Virabadrasana I and II, Parivrtta Trikonasana, Parsvottanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana I, Salamba Sarvangasava, Halasana, and Savasana.
I am glad that Trikonasana is still in the sequence for the next two weeks, at least. It is one of my favorite asanas. It didn't always used to be that way. I hated Trikonasana when I first started practicing. I had a hard time balancing. I would often simply fall over, especially if I tried to look at the ceiling while holding the pose. My leading knee would also lock, and cause painful stretching in the ligaments behind the knee joint. I have now learned to micro bend that front knee, and to flex the muscles around the joint in such a way as to support the knee so that the ligaments no longer stretch to painful lengths. I still don't stare at the ceiling the whole time I am in the asana. I usually look up for awhile, then when I notice my neck hurting, I'll look straight ahead, and finally down at my feet to check my padabandha, or if my neck gets tired. After relaxing my neck for a moment looking down at my feet, I often send my gaze skyward for one last glimpse of the air before leaving the asana. Trikonanasana, (along with some of the other sideways standing poses), now endows me with a sense of fullness that I love. Because the arms and legs are spread to extremes in this simple asana, I feel as if I am trying to hug the universe and everything in it. When I send my gaze skyward, especially if I am practicing outside or someplace with raised ceilings, I feel as though I am flying.
Repetition of the asana has lead me to this comfort with it. Different teachers have taught me different things about triangle pose; some of them contradictory. I pick and choose, depending on my mood or what I would like to work on for that day, to find an expression of the asana that works for me. It's been a long time since I have practiced in front of a mirror, but I wonder how my trikonasana measures up to Iyengar's visually? In terms of how I feel when I practice it, I know I am right there with him.
I am glad that Trikonasana is still in the sequence for the next two weeks, at least. It is one of my favorite asanas. It didn't always used to be that way. I hated Trikonasana when I first started practicing. I had a hard time balancing. I would often simply fall over, especially if I tried to look at the ceiling while holding the pose. My leading knee would also lock, and cause painful stretching in the ligaments behind the knee joint. I have now learned to micro bend that front knee, and to flex the muscles around the joint in such a way as to support the knee so that the ligaments no longer stretch to painful lengths. I still don't stare at the ceiling the whole time I am in the asana. I usually look up for awhile, then when I notice my neck hurting, I'll look straight ahead, and finally down at my feet to check my padabandha, or if my neck gets tired. After relaxing my neck for a moment looking down at my feet, I often send my gaze skyward for one last glimpse of the air before leaving the asana. Trikonanasana, (along with some of the other sideways standing poses), now endows me with a sense of fullness that I love. Because the arms and legs are spread to extremes in this simple asana, I feel as if I am trying to hug the universe and everything in it. When I send my gaze skyward, especially if I am practicing outside or someplace with raised ceilings, I feel as though I am flying.
Repetition of the asana has lead me to this comfort with it. Different teachers have taught me different things about triangle pose; some of them contradictory. I pick and choose, depending on my mood or what I would like to work on for that day, to find an expression of the asana that works for me. It's been a long time since I have practiced in front of a mirror, but I wonder how my trikonasana measures up to Iyengar's visually? In terms of how I feel when I practice it, I know I am right there with him.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
So, after one week of doing Iyengar's schedule, I am here to report back to you. I will admit that I missed two days, which I think is pretty good, considering. I am very glad I decided to undertake this; I feel better every day.
Iyengar's first two weeks of yoga conditioning contains mostly standing asanas. You start with tadasana, then vrksasana, then trikonasana, parsvakonasa, Warrior I and II, then parsvottanasana. I found this sequence interesting because it does not follow the logical flow one would develop for a vinyasa class. Intuitively, I would clump Warrior II, parsvakonasana, and trikonasana together in that order, then Warrior I and parsvottanasana. This way, the practitioner would work with a body of asanas that all focus on similar alignment, thus minimizing the chance for injury when switching back and forth between asanas with different alignment. However, I do see (and I felt) the benefit of mixing up the asanas in the way that Iyengar did. It forces you to be ever deeper in the moment, and to leave each asana completely before moving on to the next one. It also gives the benefit of a more complete practice in that you have the opportunity to start each asana from the ground up, as you have to change your foot positioning every time.
I must admit, I switched up the order of things a couple of times while practicing the asanas this week. I did what I mentioned above, as I was trained to teach in the vinyasana style.
I am looking forward to one more week of this collection of asanas, then on to the next one!
Iyengar's first two weeks of yoga conditioning contains mostly standing asanas. You start with tadasana, then vrksasana, then trikonasana, parsvakonasa, Warrior I and II, then parsvottanasana. I found this sequence interesting because it does not follow the logical flow one would develop for a vinyasa class. Intuitively, I would clump Warrior II, parsvakonasana, and trikonasana together in that order, then Warrior I and parsvottanasana. This way, the practitioner would work with a body of asanas that all focus on similar alignment, thus minimizing the chance for injury when switching back and forth between asanas with different alignment. However, I do see (and I felt) the benefit of mixing up the asanas in the way that Iyengar did. It forces you to be ever deeper in the moment, and to leave each asana completely before moving on to the next one. It also gives the benefit of a more complete practice in that you have the opportunity to start each asana from the ground up, as you have to change your foot positioning every time.
I must admit, I switched up the order of things a couple of times while practicing the asanas this week. I did what I mentioned above, as I was trained to teach in the vinyasana style.
I am looking forward to one more week of this collection of asanas, then on to the next one!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
In an attempt to rekindle my excitement for yoga and to return to my pre-baby state, I have decided to do the sequence suggested by Iyengar in the back of his book, Light on Yoga. In his words: "I am dividing the asanas into three groups; the primary, intermediate and advanced courses. I am giving the series of asanas in a serial order for practice and the possible time it may take to gain control in all these three courses." He then proceeds to lay out a practice regimen that covers all the asanas in his book in 300 weeks. That's four years. He does this with the intention of having the practitioner master each asana, and so prescribes it for as long as he thinks it should take to master it. Mastery, for me is beside the point. I simply want back in to the beneficial bubble that a regular yoga practice affords.
The first and second weeks are as follows:
Tadasana, or mountain pose
Vrksasana, or tree pose
Utthita Trikonasana, or extended triangle pose
Utthita Parsvakonasana, or extended side angle pose
Virabadrasana I and II, or Warrior I and II
Parsvottanasana
Salamba Sarvangasana, or shoulder stand
Halasana, or plow pose
Savasana, or corpse pose
Of course, I will probably be embellishing the routine with some sun salutations, and cat and cow poses, but this will be the crux of my practice for the next two weeks. I hope to write about my experience once a week to keep me honest. Let's hope that I am not being too ambitious with a six-week-old and a ten-year-old at home. Not to mention the 32-year-old.
I wanted to add this link, (and maybe there's a better way to do it but I don't know how). It's an interview with one of my teachers, Mark Stephens about what makes a great yoga instructor. He mentions that it is important for the practitioner to find an instructor that resonates with them. That got me to thinking about the yoga community. I think it is of equal importance that the yoga community resonate with you as a practitioner as well. That is what I am looking for.
http://www.bestofyoutoday.com/ask-trainer/mark-stephens-explains-what-makes-great-yoga-instructor?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150452457640033_24272715_10151171499225033#f83f36b218381e
The first and second weeks are as follows:
Tadasana, or mountain pose
Vrksasana, or tree pose
Utthita Trikonasana, or extended triangle pose
Utthita Parsvakonasana, or extended side angle pose
Virabadrasana I and II, or Warrior I and II
Parsvottanasana
Salamba Sarvangasana, or shoulder stand
Halasana, or plow pose
Savasana, or corpse pose
Of course, I will probably be embellishing the routine with some sun salutations, and cat and cow poses, but this will be the crux of my practice for the next two weeks. I hope to write about my experience once a week to keep me honest. Let's hope that I am not being too ambitious with a six-week-old and a ten-year-old at home. Not to mention the 32-year-old.
I wanted to add this link, (and maybe there's a better way to do it but I don't know how). It's an interview with one of my teachers, Mark Stephens about what makes a great yoga instructor. He mentions that it is important for the practitioner to find an instructor that resonates with them. That got me to thinking about the yoga community. I think it is of equal importance that the yoga community resonate with you as a practitioner as well. That is what I am looking for.
http://www.bestofyoutoday.com/ask-trainer/mark-stephens-explains-what-makes-great-yoga-instructor?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150452457640033_24272715_10151171499225033#f83f36b218381e
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