Ten Mysore Tips for Newbies

Recently I taught a Beginner's course at AYS where I highlighted the foundational elements of ashtanga and introduced Mysore style of practice. I had such a fun time sharing my love of practice with others - especially beginners! These are often the students who are most willing to learn, listen, and try something new. Since David is in India, I am running the Mysore program at AYS and it is my goal to help beginners learn the practice. I am teaching another Beginner's Workshop on February 11 - do come!

I love teaching beginners - all I have to do is think about how much happiness my own practice gives me and share what I know to be true: ashtanga yoga is a spiritual practice that allows you to reflect and enter a meditative state in a practical way. The method is superb as well, there is a series and a plan to the glorious madness, and all you have to do is practice. Tune in. Breathe. And take more practice!

Courageous Beginners, snaps to you! May we all have a beginner's mind when we roll out our mats...and be able to listen to the subtle teachings that come from our own daily efforts. Some of the best lessons come from self inquiry. It takes guts - throw that ego out the door; allow yourself to be able to receive the information that comes to you, be willing to learn. Jai-ho!

I still feel as though I am a beginner. I learn more about myself with each practice. With recently completing the third series, I have become a brand-spankin' new beginner all over again. I have had to learn the proper vinyasa, the correct breath and the right dhyana (meditative state). A deep relationship to ourselves happens during yoga practice, but only once we have done it for a long time. So with this, ask me in five years how the third series is going - then I will be able to tell you more about it. After only doing it for six months, it is always a challenge, and each time I practice it, I am constantly learning. Take this information with you, beginner, to understand that this is a constant practice that is evolving.  You as a practitioner will always be learning, always evolving, always going inward and more deeper into the practice. 

Rumi says, "Dig, dig, keep digging. There is water there somewhere."

*****

As a beginner, the first asana is the hardest, and it is called, "get over it asana". This means to take that first step and get on your mat. What is holding you back from learning something new? Whatever that is, it has to go.

Here's a very short list of tips to get you tasting the possible glory of "Supta, Jump!" and begin a Mysore Ashtanga yoga practice. Please comment below if you wanna share your wisdom with others. There is also a great link to Claudia's blog and book below, so this is another glimpse of Mysore-beta.

Ten Mysore Tips for Newbies:

1. Set your practice time to the same time each time you practice; don't think that you are going to step onto your mat "when you feel like it". Do the practice rain or shine, at the same time each time you practice. This will build routine. If it is 5 pm because you're a working mom, so be it. Strive for a morning practice some day. 

2. You need to have your family and/or partner on board so that he or she will help you get your sleepy asana out of bed to make #1 possible. Also, he or she will help you carve out room in your day so that you CAN get onto the mat. You must be supported on this journey!

3. When you add a new practice to your life, you need energy! You must go to bed early. Especially adding an early morning daily practice to your life, you will be tired in the beginning. You have to prepare yourself physically for a whole new challenge. Good sleep is paramount.


4. Start planning out your meals so that you don't eat dinner after six or seven pm...you want a rested belly when you sleep for deeper relaxation, and also, a lighter tummy for the morning's asana practice. This goes hand in hand with #3. Combined with good rest, you also must have fuel: eat three healthy vegetarian meals a day; do not eat before your practice if you are practicing in the early hours.


5.  Commit to one teacher/school when you are first learning. When you start, practice three days a week for one month, progressing to five days a week after. Later, six days a week of continuous practice. 

6. Start doing your research. Learn the names of the postures and study them like you are taking an anatomy course. This will increase your awareness of your own body and influence you to make the positive changes in your life so that you can continue to do this practice and develop a healthy relationship with yourself.


7. Borrow a DVD from your teacher or another student at the yoga school so you can practice and learn at home if you do not go to the shala or a yoga school. This is a wise tool to use if you are doggin' it one day and miss your practice time, or have a hard time getting motivated. This is better than not practicing at all and skipping it altogether.


8. The first two weeks should be repetitive, your initial goal is to feel better and breathe. Move slowly in the practice - don't think you have to learn the primary series in a month! Sun Salutations. Work on these for three days to three weeks. This will give you foundations. Once you memorize the breath and the movements, these will be yours forever.


9. Focus on the basic movements of Surya Namaskar A and B, and learn the breath first. The other practice elements will come later. Especially if someone says to you, "bandha, drishti, vinyasa, dhyana, breath", and you are not sure, speak like an ashtangi and say, "Yes".


10. Take a beginner's series class to begin, or come to the next beginning class on February 11 - 9:30 am at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia. Get yourself started on some foundations. Then, you can take practice. If you still can't get a chance to practice at a shala, do what you were taught during that class, 3x a week.


Happy practicing to you, and good luck on your ashtanga adventure.

Here is a great resource on how to start a yoga practice - Claudia's blog and book: SUPER HELPFUL!

http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/2011/04/32-suggestions-how-to-start-ashtanga.html

Garbha Pindasana - Rock and Roll, baby!

This blog post is all about the glorious Garbha Pindasana (GP). If you too like or dislike this asana - please bring your comments to the blog - the more the merrier! 

After I finish my practice, I often reflect upon the posture that gave me the most grief, the most joy, and the most curiosity. When I am doing the primary series, it is always Garbha Pindasana that takes the cake: it fills the roll of all three. And in the intermediate series - it's a no brainer, of course it is Karandavasana. In the third series, it is Viranchasana B because of the knee intensity and my history of injuries from my days as a youth ski racer.

During my first practice in Mysore, I had a memorable experience with Garbha Pindasana. A woman next to me was attempting the asana at the same time, and we were both rolling at the same time. I stole out of the corner of my eye a smile from Sharath in wonderment of just how these two women were going to make nine rolls without having a bumper-car crash into each other or others around them. We didn't smash, but I'll never forget the focus it took to roll exactly when she did, and how much effort it took to link my breath with hers so that we could be collaborative in our efforts.

Garbha Pindasana is one of the most important postures for me to come back to often. I have a mild scoliosis in my thoracic spine and the unexpected relief I receive while rolling directly on my spine gives me a lightness through my back that I experience in no other way.  Also, I find that GP gives me a preparation for all of the deep leg-behind-the-head postures and backbending of the advanced series that are to come. 

I recently started taking this posture before I do my practice if I am not doing the primary series.  The intermediate and third series do not have a dynamic rolling posture anything close to this one, and I find that practicing GP before practicing intermediate or third series brings clarity and wisdom to my spine.

If you have any doubts about this posture, be sure to learn this posture from a trained teacher.  It is advised that you can do padamasana easily before attempting this asana as well as Marichyasana D. And don't just go start rolling around like a nimwit - be sure you are rolling directly on the spine and not on the side, or too fast or too slow.  Roll with the breath, deeply - exhaling on the roll down and inhaling on the roll up.

The rolling part is the most important part! The rounded shape you need to create in order to roll successfully gives the entire spine a kyphotic curve. By doing this, the spine gets massaged, relieved, and also, we emulated our earliest backbone's shape. 

Understanding more and more about your own body (it's strengths and weaknesses) is mandatory as you go deeper and deeper into your ashtanga practice. This may mean that you research which asanas give you relief and pain. There may be something hidden that you may only learn about through reflection and study.

In Gregory Maehl's book, "Ashtanga Yoga - the Intermediate Series", he offers insight into the spine's earliest shape that I am always tapping into.

"The sacrum has a kyphotic shape. It is part of the primary curvature that the infant acquires in the womb, where the entire spine in curved in this direction.  The thoracic spine is the other area of the spine that has retained its primary curvature.  Two areas of the spine adapt to a lordotic (bent backward) curvature during the maturation process to produce the double S curve of the spine of the upright walking hominid.  The lordotic curve of the cervical spine begins to form during infancy with the constant effort of lifting the head while lying on the belly; it is necessary to support our heads in an upright position.  The lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine begins to form when we stand upright and start to bear weight in an upright position" (p. 66) 

If you struggle with lotus or have knee pain, have a flat or stiff back lower back, or have a thin mat and are skipping this asana, still do the asana with crossed legs by wrapping your arms around your legs and holding your hands together in front of you.  Put a blanket underneath you to soften the surface below you to make the rolling more comfortable. Hold this for five breaths and then roll. Then lift up in lolasana to mimick the Kukkutasana gesture for five breaths.

Seeing people smirk at this posture is a dire loss, as the breathing-inspired rolling sends us into a state of breathing bliss. Also, a relationship with uddiyana bandha ignites as we use the breath and the bandhas as a softening buffer to the lower back as we roll.  

As I venture further and further into the practice, this is the posture that continues to inspire me. It is also the most unusual asana of the primary series and you can work this asana into Kukkutasana to gain strength for all the arm balances ahead in the practice.

May you too discover which asanas are best for your body and spirit by paying attention, listening, observing and reflecting.  Above all, it is your duty to pay attention, yogi! When you DO have an "Oh yeah!" moment, you will be smart enough not to miss it.

Saraswati, with your knowledge and wisdom, may you teach us the ability to listen and study - may you guide us in our efforts towards higher thinking and intelligence. From Down to Earth Yoga Studio, Bozeman, Montana. Thank you, Randa.

Marichyasana C - "Do your practice (research!) and all is coming!"

[This blog post comes from the weekend workshop held last weekend in Boise, Idaho at Sage Yoga Boise.  During Mysore, there were a few individual questions about Marichyasana C, and this posture has been on my mind for a while now.  This asana-related blog post is for those out there who are just learning Marichyasana C, and who are doing their research. Hopefully the seasonal practitioner will get something from this as well.]

Didn't take any pictures from the workshop in Boise, but here is one worth admiring.  Sawtooth Botanical Garden's treasure:  the Tibetal Prayer wheel - one of two in North America; blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  Ketchum, Idaho.

The first few times that I tried to do Marichyasana C, I remember being quite stumped at how to twist around the obstacle of my own outer leg to successfully bind my hands.  Practicing Marichy C and teaching Marichy C have offered some insights into the asana that I would love to share with you all.  Practicing this posture is always interesting, the posture itself is always morphing.  Spending time here strengthens the abdominals, opens the hip flexors, and once happily bound, the asana also brings insight into shushumna nadi - the greatest channel that rises from the pelvis to the top of the head!

Pattabhi Jois in "The Yoga Mala" writes:
"flatulence, indigestion, and constipation are eliminated.  Some women suffer from abdominal pain during menstruation.  This is removed by the practice of the Marichys.  The womb becomes powerful and enables a woman to carry a child strongly, and miscarriage due to weakness is cured.  The vata pitta kosha (large intestine and gall bladder) are purified, as is the manipura chakra (third chakra at navel center), and the body gains strength and power."


Kino McGregor recently wrote an article about Marichyasana C (you can read it here:  http://www.miamilifecenter.com/index.php?page=articles) where she
calls this posture a way to “help build a deeper awareness of the essential breath-bandha connection and encourages the life energy rise along the central column of the subtle body.”

This posture is to some people, a deal breaker.  Binding is difficult, easy breathing is difficult, and to get a long spine once you have bound your hands to extend upward and away from the earth is also a challenge.  Here are just a few of your obstacles:

-It is the first deeply rooted seated twist in the primary series: in the previous seated postures before this one, there is a slight twisting of the body to forward fold over the extended leg(s) and the bent leg (Paschimottonasana, Tirianga Mukha, Janu Sirsasana), but these twists are small in comparison.

-Marichyasana C is your first asana (besides Purvottonasana) in the primary series, where we are not folding forward, we are lengthening away from the earth upward.   

With these challenges facing you, you are in for deep study to understand this posture.  There are tools to obtaining peace here!  One tool in your arsenal is the sensation and memory of two foundational twists you experience earlier in the standing series - Parvritta Trikonasana, and Parvritta Parschvokonasana.  These sergeants of wisdom are your guides to learning more and more about Marichyasana C.  If revolved triangle or revolved side angle are difficult for you - try researching these two postures, and working on the foundations of these:  spend fifteen to twenty-five breaths here instead of five.  

The How-To:

Marichyasana C - from Dandasana (sit with your legs straight out in front of you), begin by bending your right leg and planting your foot so that your outer foot is in line with your outer hip.  Both hips are on the ground - if you have a backward tilted pelvis when you sit in Dandasana or when you do this action, sit on top of a blanket or a wedge to tilt your pelvis forward - get both hips firmly planted on your mat.  

On an exhale, move the belly area completely away from your center while maintaining a connection to your lower belly and mula banda or what Kino calls, "your breath bandha connection".  Then begin to twist around this hollow space of the navel while it is empty of breath (uddiyana bandha).  Continue to breathe into this space of complexity (it will never get old researching this).  Use your out-breath to keep moving your lower abdomen around the outer leg as you twist, still drawing inward to keep a support system viable!  Without the exhaled breath and the awareness of the body feeling empty - this posture will continue to be challenging.

Then, move the right knee towards the left shoulder and hollow your chest and your entire belly and abdomen, slightly leaning back away from the bent right thigh bone, keeping your left hip from moving backwards (try to keep your hips square here).  And using your breath, wrap your left arm downwards and close to the outer right knee as possible. Keep your left shoulder strapped tight to the right knee and spin the arm in an internal rotation ontop of the left thigh bone - seeking to grab the right hand behind the back.  

Tim Miller would say with the Marichy's..."Bind low and wrap high". It is difficult to bind "low" if the shoulder is not even touching the knee or the leg to begin with.  So, to mend this task - try hugging your leg and bringing your opposite shoulder to the opposite knee while you hollow your insides - simply put, get a connection with the bandhas here.  If you can get your shoulder to touch, you may be able to bind.  If there is a huge gap between shoulder and knee - watch out, this may be a sign that you may not be ready to bind.  If this is the case, stay here twisting your thoracic spine from your chest area instead of twarting your arm around your leg when the foundations may not be ready.

Female students, I tell them to "move your female business out of the way" in humor and in light.  (On a side note, if you are pregnant, lay off this asana until you are done carrying - the Yoga Mala says, "pregnant women should not practice this asana after the second month").  Yes, you have got to move your dinner, move your what-ever-you-ate-recently out of the way, and your bust line out of the way to get around your leg!  Keeping a very straight spine is the goal once you are in the asana - but to get into it, draw the navel back into the spine and at the same time, keep the spine way back away from the leg as your move your upper torso (your female business) around.


Ah, you bound!  Then, extend magically away from the earth - grounding BOTH hips - which is different than Marichyasana A.  Here you are really finding that root lock connection - seek to bring both hips towards each other and in line; try not to let one be behind the other - squeeze those legs towards each other and draw down through the dynamicism of the extended flexed foot leg.  Root that bind you have with your hands and work that wrapped arm behind you:  the wrapper is the grabber - so if you are wrapping your right leg - the left arm grabs the right wrist and then you can work your right hand to the top of the left thigh.  

Stamp that right leg (the bent legged foot into the earth) then go upwards and twist - seek a spot behind you for guidance and find that drishti you can lock your focus on.  Breathe here - if you are new to binding, once you are bound, stay for 25 breaths!  With time, you will only need to stay for 5 breaths.  And later, much later, you will enter the asana in the inhalation - just as the masterful count asks you to, "Marichyasana C - Supta Jump : Inhale!"  Only do this when you are comfortably able to bind.


Eventually, this posture is a joyful deep twist, where you link the elements of alignment and bandha together to make this postures successful.  The subtle body has got to get on board:  uddiyana and mula bandha, the breath must be free and without straining as you begin to twist, and you must be informed of how the lower body does not want to twist.  Be a scientist - take your time informing yourself of what needs to happen, dissect this delicious asana - and all other twists later will be much, much easier.

As Guruji is quoted as saying, "Do your practice and all is coming"...I want to add to this - "Do your research in your practice...and all is coming!"

Happy twisting!

Here I am at the Sawtooth Botanical garden.  Thinking of Marichyasana C...and smiling!