I'm an accident
I was drivin' way too fast
Couldn't stop though
So I let the moment last
- Neil Young
Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Some of our fine friends at the Davenport School of Yoga have organized a little get together as we prepare to depart for our long awaited, much anticipated, trip to India. Join us May 2nd from 7-9pm at the Davenport School of Yoga for snacks and chats. Please contact us with any questions. See ya there!
Peac**k
Ok, so it's really called Mayurasana, and it's not dirty, but it's interesting to see how censorsh** can actually make the mind dirtier.
On Sunday, K led us deep into the Intermediate Series, all the way to Mayurasana, which is a spectacular pose. It's the vinyasa to get there that is a pain. Surya Namaskar A, done entirely with the hands backward, fingers toward feet. I know. You get to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog) and say "What??!" And then comes Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) and you say "@#**!!"
But really, there's no need to blame the instructor.
Anyway, a few Primary Series poses thrown in just for good measure and you can stick a fork in it. K & E are to some extent mapping this Intermediate Series territory at the same time as our students. Short of having access to Sri K Pattabhi Jois each day, there aren't any hard and fast rules regarding how quickly to move through the series. Seems like we have some people who, like us, like to try some new and challenging things, now and then. We're only too happy to oblige.
Only a few of these classes left before the trip. I fear we may find out if we can, in fact, take it, as well as dish it out. As far as the faithful in the QC, we've thankfully got Betsy Greenlee, who we know from the teacher training a few years back, filling in for us. Also a few surprise guests as we try to make sure the QC Ashtangis don't have to miss a single Sunday. Until then, we'll see you there.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Whoa Baby!!!
Congratulations Prenatal Yoga student Manisha and Justin on the birth of their beautiful baby boy Nicasio- Nico. What a wonderful treat it is to see Manisha and the baby after our time spent together in class. Often times, it was just the three of us together in the purple room on Saturday mornings. When I went to visit the newborn in the hospital, I wore my yoga clothes so he would recognize me.
One of my favorite parts of teaching this class is hearing about, and if I'm lucky, seeing the new-to-this-world being. Recently, another student brought her little girl up for her first visit to The Davenport School of Yoga, what a wonderful treat.
Because I know that the baby inside can hear people on the outside, I often wonder what their experience of a yoga class is. With mom moving all around, it must be an interesting ride. Some students have told me that especially during Savasana or right after class, the baby, or in a recent case, babies (twins), were very active.
Well, hopefully I'll be off again to see Nico next week. I wonder if these prenatal babies, grow up predisposed for yoga, full vinyasa in the first year, maybe-baby?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Quotastic
Oh king, you have not departed dead! You have departed alive!
- Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 2500 - 2100 B.C.E.
- Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 2500 - 2100 B.C.E.
Meditation: BOR-ing
Yoga is meditation.
It waits for us on the far shore of asana practice, patiently biding time while we ever-so-slowly settle ourselves, unknowingly preparing for the real adventure of this more direct practice.
But in meantime...how about this...
You are sitting there, at your computer, reading this. Perhaps you did some yoga today, or will later on, or maybe it's a rest day. Chances are, you have done or will do some yoga recently or soon, if you ended up at this blog.
Perusal of this blog could also signal the need for another hobby.
But, safe to say, yoga happens there, while currently you are here. This is leisure/computer time. But perhaps...sitting there are the computer, eyes open, still reading, you notice the full visual field. Notice the bridge of the nose. See the next blink. Don't let it take you away, keep reading, but do your best to hold this new awareness as well.
Oh - there's another blink.
And now, how about noticing the next breath? Everything else falls into place quickly after that - feet on the floor, weight through the sitting bones...this is starting to sound familiar, a bit like yoga class.
This is a higher consciousness. It's often called The Witness, or The Watcher. There needn't be anything weird or mystical about it (though it is the beginning of mystical development). As you can tell, it is a different - "higher" - perspective, from which you can watch yourself doing whatever it is that you're doing. So, it is a "higher" consciousness. Nifty, eh?
How long have you been submerged in the mind before this brief appearance?
And how long now until those waves close over you again?
It waits for us on the far shore of asana practice, patiently biding time while we ever-so-slowly settle ourselves, unknowingly preparing for the real adventure of this more direct practice.
But in meantime...how about this...
You are sitting there, at your computer, reading this. Perhaps you did some yoga today, or will later on, or maybe it's a rest day. Chances are, you have done or will do some yoga recently or soon, if you ended up at this blog.
Perusal of this blog could also signal the need for another hobby.
But, safe to say, yoga happens there, while currently you are here. This is leisure/computer time. But perhaps...sitting there are the computer, eyes open, still reading, you notice the full visual field. Notice the bridge of the nose. See the next blink. Don't let it take you away, keep reading, but do your best to hold this new awareness as well.
Oh - there's another blink.
And now, how about noticing the next breath? Everything else falls into place quickly after that - feet on the floor, weight through the sitting bones...this is starting to sound familiar, a bit like yoga class.
This is a higher consciousness. It's often called The Witness, or The Watcher. There needn't be anything weird or mystical about it (though it is the beginning of mystical development). As you can tell, it is a different - "higher" - perspective, from which you can watch yourself doing whatever it is that you're doing. So, it is a "higher" consciousness. Nifty, eh?
How long have you been submerged in the mind before this brief appearance?
And how long now until those waves close over you again?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
V is for Vedanta
It seems that so much is revealed by paying attention. Even in language, taking a close look at some common words uncovers a depth. Actually considering what it is to re-member, re-cognize, or real-ize is a fascinating exercise. It even works for words that don't begin with "r". For example, how illuminating to understand what it means to be mis-taken. Any aspect of manifestation - physical or mental - quickly swells, ripens under the eye of the mindful (that's you). We need only to take the time and train the mind in this capacity.
Advaita Vedanta is an ancient India philosphy. Shankara is its most well-known teacher, though it's really impossible to mark a "founder". It's far older and deeper than any one person.
We might expect something pretty alien in such a system of knowledge. Something silly, perhaps about Vishnu, Shiva, or Brahman and the birth of the world through the mouth of a turtle, or something. But this is to confuse mythology and philosophy. (There IS a prominent turtle in Indian mythology, but that's for another blog...) We need only some simple translation and etymology to bear the fruit of Advaita Vedanta.
A: not/dvaita: two (things) Veda: knowlege/anta: end of, culmination or pinnacle of
Advaita Vedanta: The culmination of knowledge is that there are not two things.
There is only one.
Advaita Vedanta is an ancient India philosphy. Shankara is its most well-known teacher, though it's really impossible to mark a "founder". It's far older and deeper than any one person.
We might expect something pretty alien in such a system of knowledge. Something silly, perhaps about Vishnu, Shiva, or Brahman and the birth of the world through the mouth of a turtle, or something. But this is to confuse mythology and philosophy. (There IS a prominent turtle in Indian mythology, but that's for another blog...) We need only some simple translation and etymology to bear the fruit of Advaita Vedanta.
A: not/dvaita: two (things) Veda: knowlege/anta: end of, culmination or pinnacle of
Advaita Vedanta: The culmination of knowledge is that there are not two things.
There is only one.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Workin' on the Weekend
What has four thumbs and sees enough bending and schweating to last a lifetime each and every weekend? These guys (K & E). And as Spring really begins to...well...spring, it's only getting bendier and schweatier.
At Saturday 1230, we tried several versions of Eka Pada Kapotasana (One-leg Pigeon pose) including standing, twisted, "flying" (Eka Pada Galavasana), and Raja, king. 
We're freeing the hips of the Quad Cities, two-at-a-time. The hip sockets well-greased, we then had a good laugh considering the leg behind the head. The request lines are always open, and so our arm balance adventure for the week was Koundinyasana I. What's that, dedicated reader? Didn't we already do that one? Ah, you're good, but that was Koundinyasana II. How silly of you. This one also has the legs splayed, but with a twist, the lower leg across the body. Most find this one a bit easier. Again, there is definitely some strength involved here, but a good deal of the pose is having the confidence and patience to play with it until you find the balance point. Following the standing you-call-it-you-do-it rule, Brian was kind enough to demonstrate. His kung-fu is very good.
We're freeing the hips of the Quad Cities, two-at-a-time. The hip sockets well-greased, we then had a good laugh considering the leg behind the head. The request lines are always open, and so our arm balance adventure for the week was Koundinyasana I. What's that, dedicated reader? Didn't we already do that one? Ah, you're good, but that was Koundinyasana II. How silly of you. This one also has the legs splayed, but with a twist, the lower leg across the body. Most find this one a bit easier. Again, there is definitely some strength involved here, but a good deal of the pose is having the confidence and patience to play with it until you find the balance point. Following the standing you-call-it-you-do-it rule, Brian was kind enough to demonstrate. His kung-fu is very good.We usually get in a Salamba Sarvangasana, Supported Shoulderstand, and spend a few moments admiring our toes. Just look at those babies!!
Saturday afternoon kicked of another 6-week session of Intro to Ashtanga at Indigo with ten. Pretty good, I'd say. It's taking over!! These ashtangis-in-training tested the waters with Surya Namaskar A and B, a few standing poses, some seated stuff, and a few blessed moments without the ego, who always seems to be crabby.
They've still got the storm windows on at the Davenport School of Yoga - just ask anybody at Sunday's Ashtanga class. With twelve students and two instructors with no shortage of hot air, the internal heat of this yoga quickly became external. And we love it. Pattabhi Jois, the guru of Ashtanga, has said that "even iron will bend if you get it hot enough." Of course, he has also said that the seven arm balances of the third Ashtanga series - one of which is done three different times and the other six of which each have a left and right side (that's fifteen arm balances in a row - with vinyasas in between) - "make a little difficult." It's possible he's not entirely reliable.
But I digress.
Sunday saw more work on the backbending of the Intermediate Series, which includes Ustrasana and Laghu Vajrasana (pictured). That's ustra - camel and laghu - little/vajra - thunderbolt: Camel posture and Little Thunderbolt posture. Pretty wicked, eh? Don't worry, Palmer College of Chiropractic is right up the street...
Friday, April 4, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Crane, 5 ways
It's a great party trick and ice breaker, bound to impress your new boy/girlfriend's parents and leave all those "yoga is easy and boring" naysayers at the office speechless. It's also a versatile pose to practice alone or, for added fun, incorporate into a flow of poses. It's Bakasana, Crane pose.
Bakasana is usually the first arm balance we learn. Other contenders once you've gotten your yoga learners' permit are Bhujapidasana, Arm Pressure Pose, or, though it's not exactly an arm balance, the easier variations of Vasisthasana, Pose dedicated to the sage Vasistha, aka Side-Plank pose.
There are many ways to enter Bakasana, which is part of the reason that it's such a fun pose. Here are five ways, ranging in difficulty from Beginner to Why Would Anybody Want to Do That (WWAWDT)?
Here's a great overall Bakasana video tutorial that far exceeds what I'll write here.
1. Lift-up version I. Simple: crouch, put the shins/knees to the backs of the arms and shift the body weight until the toes get light. Generally, the wider the knees and elbows, the easier the pose. Eventually try lifting the feet (perhaps one at a time) from the floor. Faceplanting is not recommended.
2. Press-up. From a tripod headstand position. From a crouch put the head down, hands flat. Lift the feet, so just the head and hands are on the floor, knees on the backs of the arms. Now, for Bakasana, just reverse that process, shifting the weight off the head. At some point, add a strong push through the arms. Maybe only pass through Bakasana at first, ending up right back in a crouch. Sooner or later, stop and hold in the arm balance, on the hands. For extra points, start from a full tripod headstand, legs straight.
3. Jumping. The difficulty rises a few notches. Strength, control, and confidence. Here's a great tutorial specific to jumping/floating into this pose.
4. Lift up II. From seated, Ashtanga style. Lifting the legs through the arms is about strength, not arm length. That accomplished, getting the hips high enough for the knees to find the arms is crucial. A good prep is working in reverse: start in Crane and try to lower the legs (ankles crossed) through the arms to seated.
5. Lift up III. Could be called Niralamba Bakasana, Unsupported Crane pose. A lot of strength, obviously, but more technique and cunning than, say, Lolasana or Tolasana. In those poses, the center of gravity (just below the navel) is below the shoulders, so success is basically about pulling the legs into the body, off the floor. In all Bakasana variations, the center of gravity is above the shoulders, and therefore must be over the hands. Shiva himself couldn't do otherwise. In practice, this one is more like a variation on Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Downward Facing Tree Pose aka Handstand. The trouble may seem to be strength, but it's probably those damn physics. Things are entirely different without the knees anchored to the arms, and if you can't do a basic handstand, this one's not likely.
Note: Though it's not identified as a separate pose, this is used in the Ashtanga Standing Sequence. The line between yogi and masochist is hard to find, sometimes. After five breaths in Utkatasana, keep the knees bent, put the hands down and lift up. Then back to Chaturanga and...well, you know the rest.
Bakasana is usually the first arm balance we learn. Other contenders once you've gotten your yoga learners' permit are Bhujapidasana, Arm Pressure Pose, or, though it's not exactly an arm balance, the easier variations of Vasisthasana, Pose dedicated to the sage Vasistha, aka Side-Plank pose.
There are many ways to enter Bakasana, which is part of the reason that it's such a fun pose. Here are five ways, ranging in difficulty from Beginner to Why Would Anybody Want to Do That (WWAWDT)?
Here's a great overall Bakasana video tutorial that far exceeds what I'll write here.
1. Lift-up version I. Simple: crouch, put the shins/knees to the backs of the arms and shift the body weight until the toes get light. Generally, the wider the knees and elbows, the easier the pose. Eventually try lifting the feet (perhaps one at a time) from the floor. Faceplanting is not recommended.
2. Press-up. From a tripod headstand position. From a crouch put the head down, hands flat. Lift the feet, so just the head and hands are on the floor, knees on the backs of the arms. Now, for Bakasana, just reverse that process, shifting the weight off the head. At some point, add a strong push through the arms. Maybe only pass through Bakasana at first, ending up right back in a crouch. Sooner or later, stop and hold in the arm balance, on the hands. For extra points, start from a full tripod headstand, legs straight.
3. Jumping. The difficulty rises a few notches. Strength, control, and confidence. Here's a great tutorial specific to jumping/floating into this pose.
4. Lift up II. From seated, Ashtanga style. Lifting the legs through the arms is about strength, not arm length. That accomplished, getting the hips high enough for the knees to find the arms is crucial. A good prep is working in reverse: start in Crane and try to lower the legs (ankles crossed) through the arms to seated.
5. Lift up III. Could be called Niralamba Bakasana, Unsupported Crane pose. A lot of strength, obviously, but more technique and cunning than, say, Lolasana or Tolasana. In those poses, the center of gravity (just below the navel) is below the shoulders, so success is basically about pulling the legs into the body, off the floor. In all Bakasana variations, the center of gravity is above the shoulders, and therefore must be over the hands. Shiva himself couldn't do otherwise. In practice, this one is more like a variation on Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Downward Facing Tree Pose aka Handstand. The trouble may seem to be strength, but it's probably those damn physics. Things are entirely different without the knees anchored to the arms, and if you can't do a basic handstand, this one's not likely.
Note: Though it's not identified as a separate pose, this is used in the Ashtanga Standing Sequence. The line between yogi and masochist is hard to find, sometimes. After five breaths in Utkatasana, keep the knees bent, put the hands down and lift up. Then back to Chaturanga and...well, you know the rest.
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