Naana invited Laurel, Sandra and I to his home where Nermala, his wife, cooked us a delicious meal. What a great night that was!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Dinner at Naana's
Naana invited Laurel, Sandra and I to his home where Nermala, his wife, cooked us a delicious meal. What a great night that was!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Alandi
Maharashtra, the state Pune is located in, has a long spiritual heritage. It is considered a place of saints and temples. Alandi is one of those such places, located about an hour’s drive south of Pune. Naana took Laurel and I there on Sunday in his auto rickshaw. We saw lots of altars, gave lots of marigolds and other flowers as offerings, saw lots of holy men and did a lot of walking bare feet. Pictures can’t be taken in the temples but these are a few shots along the river in front of the main temple.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Indian Classical Instruments
Went to a small hole-in-the-wall (not an exaggeration) place that made Indian classical instruments. The store front was on Laxmi Rd., but then I climbed a few floors of rickety stairs to go to a room where a couple of guys were actually making the instruments. I
wanted to buy a tabla set but it wouldn’t fit into my luggage. Instead I bought a couple of flutes.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Feb. 9, Geeta, Friday night class, fb
FB, long timings (This class not for beginners, she said)
6:00 p.m.
SWASTIKHASANA -invocation
Namaskar mudra: some of you have hands too high; outer edges of hands at lower sternum bone, not up toward chin; elbows descend downward not out to sides; Geeta spent a long time making our minds quiet before the start of class
get blanket, block and strap
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
rest the brain, brain quiet; front brain to back; don’t push pubis back, bring it forward to open the chest
UPAVISTHA KONASANA - about 15 min.
legs wide; shoulders over the hips; hands behind pressing into floor to descend legs more; back body and buttocks in line; inner and outer knees descend to floor; broaden backs of calves with hands spreading out to the sides; cup shape the fingers (not flat palms) by sides of hips; cup shape action creates an arch in the palm that activates the chest and whole torso lifts; when palms are flat and pressing down, the pubis is heavy and descends; broaden backs of knees same way; broaden backs of thighs and release tops of thighs down; then gradually femur bones descend downward to floor; bone further descends; observe R and L sides to see if opening evenly; keep space in knee joint; open bottoms of feet; little toes away; big toes spreading opens the inner groins; little toes spreading opens the outer hip flexor; head of femur and outer buttock in to keep the sharpness in that area; pubis should not go downward; pubic plate lifts then tailbone can come in; some had hard navals: lift low ribs up so sides of naval elongate; sit on back shoulders and lift up, then backs of thighs down; lift again; then
PARSVA UPAVISTHA KONASANA - 5 min. a side
extend arms straight up like VIRABHADRASANA 1; back ribs in; keep both buttocks in the same position as in UPAVISTHA KONASANA; arms extending behind the ears; pubis lifting; press thigh bones down and lift; turn toward R leg; L leg not lifting or turning in when turning and folding forward; R anterior ribs to R; L posterior ribs to L; R side chest open; L side chest open; shoulder blades well into back body; press shin bone down to come up; other side
“Now everyone’s brain is quiet.”
BADDHA KONASANA - about 15 min.
heels well in toward perineum; if groins are tight sit up on a lift so knees release to sides; if groins too open, sit on a lift too creating resistance where there is none in groin region; outer thighs roll in but outer edges of buttocks sucks in; open feet like a book: press open mound of big toe metatarsal to gain more opening in inner groins; big toes control inner groins, little toe controls outer hip flexor; The took arms back; arch of foot in more and more to open side hip flexors; roll outer sides of hips in; shoulders back; shoulder blades in; trapeziums down; shoulder blades in toward body to support lungs and create opening in chest; ascend buttock bones so it reaches the sternum; use thumbs and make space behind inner knees because this is the area that shortens when you bend your knees; arch of foot in more and more to open side hip flexors; cup shape fingers are pumping body up;
She said men do not do this pose enough. That is why they are so stiff in the hip region.
7:00 p.m.
JANUSIRSASANA - blanket or no lift; block behind foot placed horizontally to keep broadness of chest and to activate opening of arch
L leg forward; R knee bent: take holds of sides of block; when turning toward L leg, don’t turn head; keep eyes stable then spine turns; when head turns only rib cage turns and not spine); create the space then turn; outer heel in line with outer hip; stretch hands not back to fold forward; move the scoliosis to make it straight; L anterior floating ribs to L, R posterior floating ribs spreads to R (not down and to L); shoulder blades well into back body; abdomen spreads, sternum spreads.
When awareness is lost, when you get tired, when you say “Oh, that’s enough, my back hurts,” when you say “Geeta is over there helping someone else, I can let go and not work so hard”, when all you want to come up ..... that is when you begin your tapas. In the beginning your practice is tantra (technique) then you practice over and over and over and it becomes mantra (repetition); finally mantra becomes yantra, when technique moves to repetition to prayers; then you have a connection to the soul. If you have no technique, then you have to continue to do over and over and over. You must have the technique before reaching meditative state.
Don’t press stomach; spread by pressing feet into block, extending forward; look forward; soft organic body; belly soft and dips into body; don’t hip naval back; it comes in on its own; back floating ribs in; inhale, come up.
R leg forward, L knee bent: take hold of sides of block; R anterior floating ribs to R; L posterior floating ribs to L; notice that when many of you twist to R how you drop your posterior L ribs down and to the R and your anterior R side ribs go up; turn your head as many of you are doing and see how that makes it even worse; now come back to center; extend evenly over R leg; R floating ribs goes in, then sternum moves up, then head goes down; forehead to shin, nose to shin, chin to shin; look at your foot; make stomach soft and spread to the sides; head down, go into the yourself; release the skin fibers on your shoulders and back body; intercostal muscles drop in; expand the ribs then make intercostal muscles alive; don’t just let them drop away; watch your mind, it can become reluctant
PASCIMOTTANASANA - blanket or no lift; block behind feet placed horizontally to keep broadness of chest
Legs together; inner and outer knees down; when going forward there is a tendency for knees to bend and inner knees to go out to sides; lengthen calves to heels without losing broadness of calves; notice how one side opens more then the other; one femur head well into hip socket more then the other; bring other side into contact continuing to lengthen and broaden backs of legs; compare and stretch more and more; spread balls of feet; little toes open; the brain becomes more relaxed; then arches open and back ribs dig in; front ribs well open; don’t just pull yourself forward; tops of thighs down makes space in the abdomen; spread legs to outer edges or mat; shoulder blades well into back body; lift head to take shoulder blades in and broaden chest (Do not come completely out of pose! Just lift the head!) Then go forward again; head to shin; nose to shin; chin to shin; look at your foot; front side ribs broadening to sides;
(to undo tightness in lumbar)
ADHO MUKHA SWASTIKHASANA- sit on blanket
tailbone passive; R leg in first; spread sides of trunk and go forward; open waist; open pelvis bones; extend arms up wide away from ears; URDHVA HASTASANA; spread out fingers; when fingers spread ribs open more; exhale and fold forward; with same cup shaped fingers; shoulder blades in; BADDHA KONASANA groins; release buttocks and groins more and more; bend elbows with cup shaped fingers, lift the head, open chest more; inhale and come up; now L leg in, same instructions as above
VIRASANA
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
come forward and extend forward; tailbone was going back not down; we were not spreading across pelvis as in SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA; we were not spreading the abdomen nor spreading the chest as in all the poses; "why do you now narrow everything in this pose?", tailbone down not back; thighs down. cup shape hands and bend elbows to pressurize fingertips and bring tailbone down; Had us come up because we weren’t getting tailbone action
VIRASANA touch bottoms of feet with hands then buttocks will not fly out; then fold forward with cup shaped fingers; back ribs in; block either under head or hands depending on where you need it; inhale and come up
Geeta wanted us to look at Guruji doing the seated forward bends in the photos on the walls; Guruji’s tailbone was definitely down and his back was slightly rounded but shoulder blades were not sticking out; back was smooth;
SETUBANDA - heels to wall (no more walls so another girl and I flanked a block, can strap thighs (I did)
1 buttocks to heels; tailbone toward head; if low back hurts, widen legs; we weren’t getting tailbone action, so she told us all to come down
2 bend knees, see how tailbone comes toward head and also head of femur draws inward; same VIRABHADRASANA 1 action where pubis lifts, without hardening belly); then when you lengthen the legs keep the tailbone towards you moving buttocks toward heels; pubic bone into body; pubic bone surrenders to your body; then femur bone is received into hip socket; femur heads still well into the socket; (the action of tailbone moving towards head changed where lumbar/tailbone hit the block); then toes belong to body, knees belong to the body; thighs belong to the body;
SAVASANA - lumbar releases to floor as buttocks move to heels
flat on floor except blanket for pillow; bend knees and lengthen lumbar to floor; then carefully extend legs by bringing buttocks to heels; maintain contact of lumbar to floor; continue to lengthen the lumbar region; (this felt great after SETUBANDA and the forward bends)
(Notes compiled with Noriko Enslin (Osaka, Japan), Rina Ortiz (Philippines) and Hideko Sunaga (Yokohama, Japan)
6:00 p.m.
SWASTIKHASANA -invocation
Namaskar mudra: some of you have hands too high; outer edges of hands at lower sternum bone, not up toward chin; elbows descend downward not out to sides; Geeta spent a long time making our minds quiet before the start of class
get blanket, block and strap
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
rest the brain, brain quiet; front brain to back; don’t push pubis back, bring it forward to open the chest
UPAVISTHA KONASANA - about 15 min.
legs wide; shoulders over the hips; hands behind pressing into floor to descend legs more; back body and buttocks in line; inner and outer knees descend to floor; broaden backs of calves with hands spreading out to the sides; cup shape the fingers (not flat palms) by sides of hips; cup shape action creates an arch in the palm that activates the chest and whole torso lifts; when palms are flat and pressing down, the pubis is heavy and descends; broaden backs of knees same way; broaden backs of thighs and release tops of thighs down; then gradually femur bones descend downward to floor; bone further descends; observe R and L sides to see if opening evenly; keep space in knee joint; open bottoms of feet; little toes away; big toes spreading opens the inner groins; little toes spreading opens the outer hip flexor; head of femur and outer buttock in to keep the sharpness in that area; pubis should not go downward; pubic plate lifts then tailbone can come in; some had hard navals: lift low ribs up so sides of naval elongate; sit on back shoulders and lift up, then backs of thighs down; lift again; then
PARSVA UPAVISTHA KONASANA - 5 min. a side
extend arms straight up like VIRABHADRASANA 1; back ribs in; keep both buttocks in the same position as in UPAVISTHA KONASANA; arms extending behind the ears; pubis lifting; press thigh bones down and lift; turn toward R leg; L leg not lifting or turning in when turning and folding forward; R anterior ribs to R; L posterior ribs to L; R side chest open; L side chest open; shoulder blades well into back body; press shin bone down to come up; other side
“Now everyone’s brain is quiet.”
BADDHA KONASANA - about 15 min.
heels well in toward perineum; if groins are tight sit up on a lift so knees release to sides; if groins too open, sit on a lift too creating resistance where there is none in groin region; outer thighs roll in but outer edges of buttocks sucks in; open feet like a book: press open mound of big toe metatarsal to gain more opening in inner groins; big toes control inner groins, little toe controls outer hip flexor; The took arms back; arch of foot in more and more to open side hip flexors; roll outer sides of hips in; shoulders back; shoulder blades in; trapeziums down; shoulder blades in toward body to support lungs and create opening in chest; ascend buttock bones so it reaches the sternum; use thumbs and make space behind inner knees because this is the area that shortens when you bend your knees; arch of foot in more and more to open side hip flexors; cup shape fingers are pumping body up;
She said men do not do this pose enough. That is why they are so stiff in the hip region.
7:00 p.m.
JANUSIRSASANA - blanket or no lift; block behind foot placed horizontally to keep broadness of chest and to activate opening of arch
L leg forward; R knee bent: take holds of sides of block; when turning toward L leg, don’t turn head; keep eyes stable then spine turns; when head turns only rib cage turns and not spine); create the space then turn; outer heel in line with outer hip; stretch hands not back to fold forward; move the scoliosis to make it straight; L anterior floating ribs to L, R posterior floating ribs spreads to R (not down and to L); shoulder blades well into back body; abdomen spreads, sternum spreads.
When awareness is lost, when you get tired, when you say “Oh, that’s enough, my back hurts,” when you say “Geeta is over there helping someone else, I can let go and not work so hard”, when all you want to come up ..... that is when you begin your tapas. In the beginning your practice is tantra (technique) then you practice over and over and over and it becomes mantra (repetition); finally mantra becomes yantra, when technique moves to repetition to prayers; then you have a connection to the soul. If you have no technique, then you have to continue to do over and over and over. You must have the technique before reaching meditative state.
Don’t press stomach; spread by pressing feet into block, extending forward; look forward; soft organic body; belly soft and dips into body; don’t hip naval back; it comes in on its own; back floating ribs in; inhale, come up.
R leg forward, L knee bent: take hold of sides of block; R anterior floating ribs to R; L posterior floating ribs to L; notice that when many of you twist to R how you drop your posterior L ribs down and to the R and your anterior R side ribs go up; turn your head as many of you are doing and see how that makes it even worse; now come back to center; extend evenly over R leg; R floating ribs goes in, then sternum moves up, then head goes down; forehead to shin, nose to shin, chin to shin; look at your foot; make stomach soft and spread to the sides; head down, go into the yourself; release the skin fibers on your shoulders and back body; intercostal muscles drop in; expand the ribs then make intercostal muscles alive; don’t just let them drop away; watch your mind, it can become reluctant
PASCIMOTTANASANA - blanket or no lift; block behind feet placed horizontally to keep broadness of chest
Legs together; inner and outer knees down; when going forward there is a tendency for knees to bend and inner knees to go out to sides; lengthen calves to heels without losing broadness of calves; notice how one side opens more then the other; one femur head well into hip socket more then the other; bring other side into contact continuing to lengthen and broaden backs of legs; compare and stretch more and more; spread balls of feet; little toes open; the brain becomes more relaxed; then arches open and back ribs dig in; front ribs well open; don’t just pull yourself forward; tops of thighs down makes space in the abdomen; spread legs to outer edges or mat; shoulder blades well into back body; lift head to take shoulder blades in and broaden chest (Do not come completely out of pose! Just lift the head!) Then go forward again; head to shin; nose to shin; chin to shin; look at your foot; front side ribs broadening to sides;
(to undo tightness in lumbar)
ADHO MUKHA SWASTIKHASANA- sit on blanket
tailbone passive; R leg in first; spread sides of trunk and go forward; open waist; open pelvis bones; extend arms up wide away from ears; URDHVA HASTASANA; spread out fingers; when fingers spread ribs open more; exhale and fold forward; with same cup shaped fingers; shoulder blades in; BADDHA KONASANA groins; release buttocks and groins more and more; bend elbows with cup shaped fingers, lift the head, open chest more; inhale and come up; now L leg in, same instructions as above
VIRASANA
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
come forward and extend forward; tailbone was going back not down; we were not spreading across pelvis as in SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA; we were not spreading the abdomen nor spreading the chest as in all the poses; "why do you now narrow everything in this pose?", tailbone down not back; thighs down. cup shape hands and bend elbows to pressurize fingertips and bring tailbone down; Had us come up because we weren’t getting tailbone action
VIRASANA touch bottoms of feet with hands then buttocks will not fly out; then fold forward with cup shaped fingers; back ribs in; block either under head or hands depending on where you need it; inhale and come up
Geeta wanted us to look at Guruji doing the seated forward bends in the photos on the walls; Guruji’s tailbone was definitely down and his back was slightly rounded but shoulder blades were not sticking out; back was smooth;
SETUBANDA - heels to wall (no more walls so another girl and I flanked a block, can strap thighs (I did)
1 buttocks to heels; tailbone toward head; if low back hurts, widen legs; we weren’t getting tailbone action, so she told us all to come down
2 bend knees, see how tailbone comes toward head and also head of femur draws inward; same VIRABHADRASANA 1 action where pubis lifts, without hardening belly); then when you lengthen the legs keep the tailbone towards you moving buttocks toward heels; pubic bone into body; pubic bone surrenders to your body; then femur bone is received into hip socket; femur heads still well into the socket; (the action of tailbone moving towards head changed where lumbar/tailbone hit the block); then toes belong to body, knees belong to the body; thighs belong to the body;
SAVASANA - lumbar releases to floor as buttocks move to heels
flat on floor except blanket for pillow; bend knees and lengthen lumbar to floor; then carefully extend legs by bringing buttocks to heels; maintain contact of lumbar to floor; continue to lengthen the lumbar region; (this felt great after SETUBANDA and the forward bends)
(Notes compiled with Noriko Enslin (Osaka, Japan), Rina Ortiz (Philippines) and Hideko Sunaga (Yokohama, Japan)
Sinhagad
Vikram drove Sally (UK), Helen (Scotland), Laurel (San Diego) and myself up to Sinhagad, the Lion Fort, 24km sw of Pune for the afternoon. It was up a very steep hill where we saw one car get stuck in a pot hole on the way up and on the way down, a school bus loaded with kids took the curve too fast and was teetering off the cliff luckily stopped by a stone wall so all were safe. We later saw a line of all the kids walking down the steep road back into town. It was a very windy and dangerous road with a very dramatic view. Once up there we walked around the perimeter of the entire fort and then had lunch prepared by a family cooking inside one of the huts over an open fire in the fort. We picnic’d on some mats under trees with bajri (flat bread made with millet), a soupy thing made with yellow split peas (delicious), rice, eggplant pickles; onion pickles, pakoras and lassi. Vikram said we were eating a poor man's lunch.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Shopping with Laurel and Sandra
The place with the fabrics is called Ahimsa Peace Silk. Ahimsa means non violence. This place makes environmentally-safe silk fabrics that are absolutely beautiful.The other place is a shoe and sandal shop on Laxmi Road that Naana took us. See the really big sandal behind us.
Guruji on the subject of learning yoga
On Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m., Guruji addressed a group of young yoga students fron Lonavla, Below are a few things he said to them and us.
Yoga is a very vast subject.
You must dip into the subject of yoga to taste the flavor of the subject of yoga
This subject is an art.
This subject is a science.
This subject is a philosophy.
Without repetition, learning does not take place. It takes discipline; discipline that has been followed for centuries. Study, reflect, learn and unlearn.
You cannot take “my” view. You must test the subjective value yourself in each and every level of practice.
Discipline is religion. Yoga teaches us the art of discipline.
Yoga is union. Kriya is action. What is the quality of action? To have power in the body, you need tapas.
If you cannot measure the outer sky, you cannot measure the inner body.
Art is infinite; God is infinite; yoga is God.
Dedication to ourselves; humbleness and humility will take you to yourself.
Man is greedy. Don’t take someone else’ words; find out yourself.
If you are close to the self, then everything will follow.
Yoga is subjective education.
Be innocent. Bring innocence to your practice. Don’t be arrogant. Ask yourself what is it that I don’t know? Practice with an innocent heart and an innocent mind.
Go deeper and deeper into your practice.
Mangala
This is Mangala and a typical Marathi vegetarian meal she would prepare for me every day. It would consist of basmati rice, chappati (bread), dal and one or two vegetablel dishes. This one is with cauliflower, fresh peans and carrots. Everything she makes is delicious.Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Riding Around Pune with Naana
Today after class, Naana, the auto rickshaw driver recommended by Garth McLean, drove me around to many shops and more. Since he speaks excellent English, he was able to add commentary to all the places we visited. We went to Fabindia (beautifully printed cotton fabrics made into simple clothes); Karachiwala’s (Indian handicrafts, jewelry, pashmina shop), Dorabjee’s (fabulous grocery store with lots of imported goods); Happy Heart (beautiful jewelry made of precious and semi-precious gems); and to Dimpex International (affectionately referred to as the Batik Lady). Inbetween shopping, Naana took me to Aga Khan Palace, where Mohatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba and his trusted friend/secretary Mahadev Desai were imprisoned during the Quit India Movement in 1942 during the struggle for independence. There are memorials to both Mrs. Gandhi and Mr. Desai, who passed away while imprisoned there. There was an exhibition inside the big colonial palace with photos, paintings and text about Gandhi’s life. Naana also drove me through areas of Pune that are getting really built up. He says Pune is one of the fastest developing cities in India because it is a big IT center. It was fascinating sight seeing with him.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Observing My First Medical Class
I observed my first medical class today. They have a medical class 5 days a week and the room was packed with students and assistants. Both Guruji and Geeta were there overseeing the entire operation. Geeta seemed to be writing sequences for different people. Guruji walked from person to person making adjustments. His adjustments were not for the weak hearted. While on the sides observing, I was sitting next to another student who said he was a dentist from Israel. When we saw Guruji turning and pressing and pulling and twisting this older, over weight man, both of us were amazed by Guruji’s ability to zero in on the problem and resolve it. The man would let out these “yelps” every so often. But the student would always have a satisfied smile on his face when the adjustments were over. Assisting in these classes is very, very strenuous work. There are students with severe physical handicaps and others whose problems are most likely organic and not so obvious to my untrained eye. To watch Guruji make adjustments at his 80+ years was like watching a master at work. It was truly amazing to watch him and it brought tears to my eyes.
The dentist said to me that some of the students seemed to be doing very advanced poses and it didn’t look like therapeutic sequences. Sure there were many supta baddha konasanas, supported setubandas and supported savasanas. But there were also some intense rope backbend work with Guruji or another assistant behind pressing their heel back and forth into their thoracic spine to elongate the spine and open the chests; urdhva dhanurasanas; kapotasanas. Lots of standing marichyasana 3 twists with the up leg heel raised high. Lots of setubanda variations. Lots of different strap jackets that I’d like to try. Lots of people doing rope sirsasana. A lot was going on in that room. But by the end, everyone was in a supine pose and the energy in the room calmed down.
The dentist said to me that some of the students seemed to be doing very advanced poses and it didn’t look like therapeutic sequences. Sure there were many supta baddha konasanas, supported setubandas and supported savasanas. But there were also some intense rope backbend work with Guruji or another assistant behind pressing their heel back and forth into their thoracic spine to elongate the spine and open the chests; urdhva dhanurasanas; kapotasanas. Lots of standing marichyasana 3 twists with the up leg heel raised high. Lots of setubanda variations. Lots of different strap jackets that I’d like to try. Lots of people doing rope sirsasana. A lot was going on in that room. But by the end, everyone was in a supine pose and the energy in the room calmed down.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Feb. 2, Geeta, Friday night class
For you yoga teachers who have been asking me about the yoga, here are my notes from the first asana class taught by Geeta. Enjoy!
SWASTIKHASANA - Invocation
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
UTTANASANA - feet wide, hands on floor in front of feet
get a strap; alternate head, toe people on mats
SUPTA TADASANA
be on center of mats, palms facing sides of hips; feet and big toes touching; bringing legs together is easy, that is only the beginning; inner thighs move toward outer thighs; outer thighs: skin moves to flesh to the bones; shoulder blades in, shoulders rolling back; waist back and buttock flesh moves down toward heels; open backs of knees; from here, go to
SUPTA PADANGUSTASANA
1 #1: put strap around foot and hold with each hand; align outer R ankle with outer R hip; do not bring leg in more then 90 degrees; work to draw head of femur into socket; bring leg down; align yourself before bringing L leg up
2 #1: loop the strap and hold loop, palm facing forward; outer R ankle in ling with R hip; pull head of femur into hip socket; other side
3 #2 with looped strap around R foot, strongly pull head of femur into socket; outer L thigh moving inward, heel down; then take R leg out to side keeping more awareness in L leg; L palm pounds down the floor; L outer leg: skin to flesh to bones; shoulder blades in; shoulders rolling back; other side
to SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA - without props
heels and mounds pressing from outer thighs, not inner groins; toes out to get action then maintaining that action, brought toes together
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
TADASANA
legs together, waist back, buttocks forward and down; inner thighs out; outer skin to flesh to bones; bring a compactness to body; talked about difference between compactness of body by drawing skin and flesh towards the center and merely tensing different muscle groups (pushes awareness to outer edges); compacting of muscle fibers moves to core
UTTITHA TRIKONASANA
outer L hip lifts; don’t drop the head; look up at L thumb with R eye; when coming out continue to follow thumb with R eye; other side
TADASANA
UTTHITA PARSVAKONASANA
don’s lift head to arm, take arm to head; skin on outer L thigh turns back to turn the chest; other side
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
press thumbs and index fingers down then spread to little finger side; skin outer edge of little finger side makes contact with floor. She said we were all pushing the outer edges of out skin out, not brining it in.
Demo’d on Abby showed how if hands not properly making contact with floor how there is hardness in shoulders, back dipping, neck tense. Talked about how a bird lands and takes off. When taking off, the hands of the bird spreads from inside out; the bird is light. When a bird lands and makes contact with ground it touches down first with outer edges to inner edges of hands; the bird is heavy. Be mindful when placing hands on floor before going into pose. Spread open hands placing thumbs, index fingers down first, then spreading out to little fingers; maintaining the spreading, keep skin on outer edges of little fingers down to floor. That action changed the girl’s pose considerably. Now we did again. Pose felt lighter.
VIRABHADRASANA 1
arms up shoulder width apart; turn to R but see how front of L thigh falls forward; center of L thigh back and externally rotate skin on back leg without coming out of turn, so back leg does not bend; long sides of naval; demo: when turning toward forward leg, back thigh collapses inward; turn skin on back thigh out to maintain straight knee and extended leg; do L side
VIRABHARASANA 2
same external skin on both legs particularly on back leg; then inner R knee moves to outer; finally elongate tailbone. demo’d above action on external rotation on guy then we did on L side. Showed how on back leg some of his skin on the back thigh was turning in and some was turning out. Turn entire skin back. This action stabilized pose and there wasnn’t a hardness in the hip sockets and groins.
ARDHA CHANDRASANA
same awareness with external rotation of thigh & buttock muscles
PADANGUSTASANA
muscles elongate but skin spreads
PARIVRTTA TRIKONASANA
same awareness with external rotation of thigh & buttock muscles
PARIVRTTA ARDHA CHANDRASANA
same awareness with external rotation of thigh & buttock muscles
PARSVOTTANASANA - classic version turning to R then center to L and come up hands in PASCIMANAMASKARASANA; outer thighs roll back and up; when outer thighs roll down then balance and extension is lost; this action helped stabilize my base.
UTTANASANA - feet wide, hold elbows
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
WIDE DANDASANA to PASCMIOTTANASANA - grab outer edges of feet and fold forward; elongate top of calf away from knee; inner thighs out, outer thighs in (same instructions as throughout class)
SIRSASANA
couldn’t hear so well, but I presume same leg instructions to get compactness of hips
SALAMBA SARVANGASANA - 3 thick mats, one halved sticky mat over thick and folded blanket, strap
1 lift sides of torso upward; I always love doing SARVANGASANA on their “magic” mats
2 FAST EKAPADA: don’t think about leg coming forward and down, concentrate on lifting side ribs more and more, then bring leg down; 6-8 times each side. This quick action felt good.
SAVASANA
head on mat; the gal next to me said I fell asleep. I must be tired.
SWASTIKHASANA - Invocation
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
UTTANASANA - feet wide, hands on floor in front of feet
get a strap; alternate head, toe people on mats
SUPTA TADASANA
be on center of mats, palms facing sides of hips; feet and big toes touching; bringing legs together is easy, that is only the beginning; inner thighs move toward outer thighs; outer thighs: skin moves to flesh to the bones; shoulder blades in, shoulders rolling back; waist back and buttock flesh moves down toward heels; open backs of knees; from here, go to
SUPTA PADANGUSTASANA
1 #1: put strap around foot and hold with each hand; align outer R ankle with outer R hip; do not bring leg in more then 90 degrees; work to draw head of femur into socket; bring leg down; align yourself before bringing L leg up
2 #1: loop the strap and hold loop, palm facing forward; outer R ankle in ling with R hip; pull head of femur into hip socket; other side
3 #2 with looped strap around R foot, strongly pull head of femur into socket; outer L thigh moving inward, heel down; then take R leg out to side keeping more awareness in L leg; L palm pounds down the floor; L outer leg: skin to flesh to bones; shoulder blades in; shoulders rolling back; other side
to SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA - without props
heels and mounds pressing from outer thighs, not inner groins; toes out to get action then maintaining that action, brought toes together
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
TADASANA
legs together, waist back, buttocks forward and down; inner thighs out; outer skin to flesh to bones; bring a compactness to body; talked about difference between compactness of body by drawing skin and flesh towards the center and merely tensing different muscle groups (pushes awareness to outer edges); compacting of muscle fibers moves to core
UTTITHA TRIKONASANA
outer L hip lifts; don’t drop the head; look up at L thumb with R eye; when coming out continue to follow thumb with R eye; other side
TADASANA
UTTHITA PARSVAKONASANA
don’s lift head to arm, take arm to head; skin on outer L thigh turns back to turn the chest; other side
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
press thumbs and index fingers down then spread to little finger side; skin outer edge of little finger side makes contact with floor. She said we were all pushing the outer edges of out skin out, not brining it in.
Demo’d on Abby showed how if hands not properly making contact with floor how there is hardness in shoulders, back dipping, neck tense. Talked about how a bird lands and takes off. When taking off, the hands of the bird spreads from inside out; the bird is light. When a bird lands and makes contact with ground it touches down first with outer edges to inner edges of hands; the bird is heavy. Be mindful when placing hands on floor before going into pose. Spread open hands placing thumbs, index fingers down first, then spreading out to little fingers; maintaining the spreading, keep skin on outer edges of little fingers down to floor. That action changed the girl’s pose considerably. Now we did again. Pose felt lighter.
VIRABHADRASANA 1
arms up shoulder width apart; turn to R but see how front of L thigh falls forward; center of L thigh back and externally rotate skin on back leg without coming out of turn, so back leg does not bend; long sides of naval; demo: when turning toward forward leg, back thigh collapses inward; turn skin on back thigh out to maintain straight knee and extended leg; do L side
VIRABHARASANA 2
same external skin on both legs particularly on back leg; then inner R knee moves to outer; finally elongate tailbone. demo’d above action on external rotation on guy then we did on L side. Showed how on back leg some of his skin on the back thigh was turning in and some was turning out. Turn entire skin back. This action stabilized pose and there wasnn’t a hardness in the hip sockets and groins.
ARDHA CHANDRASANA
same awareness with external rotation of thigh & buttock muscles
PADANGUSTASANA
muscles elongate but skin spreads
PARIVRTTA TRIKONASANA
same awareness with external rotation of thigh & buttock muscles
PARIVRTTA ARDHA CHANDRASANA
same awareness with external rotation of thigh & buttock muscles
PARSVOTTANASANA - classic version turning to R then center to L and come up hands in PASCIMANAMASKARASANA; outer thighs roll back and up; when outer thighs roll down then balance and extension is lost; this action helped stabilize my base.
UTTANASANA - feet wide, hold elbows
ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA
WIDE DANDASANA to PASCMIOTTANASANA - grab outer edges of feet and fold forward; elongate top of calf away from knee; inner thighs out, outer thighs in (same instructions as throughout class)
SIRSASANA
couldn’t hear so well, but I presume same leg instructions to get compactness of hips
SALAMBA SARVANGASANA - 3 thick mats, one halved sticky mat over thick and folded blanket, strap
1 lift sides of torso upward; I always love doing SARVANGASANA on their “magic” mats
2 FAST EKAPADA: don’t think about leg coming forward and down, concentrate on lifting side ribs more and more, then bring leg down; 6-8 times each side. This quick action felt good.
SAVASANA
head on mat; the gal next to me said I fell asleep. I must be tired.
Children’s class, Laxmi Rd, Osho
Went to the 8 a.m. Children’s Sunday morning class at the Institute. Abby, Guruji’s granddaughter, taught a 15 min. class of sun salutations and then we all watched a video from the children’s performance of a few weeks ago. There were about 50 children in attendance this morning, all eager and excited about practicing yoga and then later, seeing themselves on the big video screen. It was great seeing all the giggly kids in the highly revered asana room.
Afterwards, Sandra and I went to Laxmi Road. This is a downtown shopping area that has the old mixed with the new. You can see the backs of some of the auto rickshaws that we use to get around town. I loved some of the old decaying building on Laxmi Rd. They reminded me of Richard Serra sculpture. The gal with the cell phone was waiting for her garlands. Garlands are used to commemorate many occasions here in India.
After that we went to the Koregan Park area to check out the OSHO compound (famous Rajneesh meditation “resort”). We had juice and a muffin at the infamous German Bakery and walked around with all the scarlet draped people. Interestingly enough, I was wearing my burgundy wrap and it looked like I could have been one of them (OSHO).
Also, I think its still Feb. 4th for you all: Happy Birthday Dennis!
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Daisy and Sandra
Yesterday were the Municipal Elections in Pune. I saw a few political marches with flags flying. I saw people with bright colored pigment powder on their faces and then fireworks were heard all around town. I finally got my first good night’s sleep that night.
Also last night when I came home from class, I turned the light on in my apt. and saw the biggest cockroach I had ever seen. I wondered whether there was such a thing as a cock roach trap?
This is Daisy the cat. She belongs to Sharda, the owner of my apt. Daisy comes up to visit me every so often and I began to think maybe she could be my cock roach trap!
Today was my third class with Geeta. She has been in extremely good spirits and humor. Her teaching has been brilliant. There are 2 women from Japan in the classes who don’t seem to understand English very well. Geeta is always telling the assistants to correct “the Japanese!”
Geeta has talked about the eyes: moving the eyes inward after instructing us to move the waist back in Tadasana; eyes should follow like a compass in Trikonasana (not a beginner instruction). While in sirsasana (headstand) this morning I found my eyes bulging forward and waist forward. When I brought my waist back, my eyes softened and I was steadier in the pose.
Went to the Blue Diamond Hotel for lunch with my new yoga friend, Sandra from Oakland. She's staying at the Chetok, a hotel not too far from me. We had their buffet with lots of Indian delights. Afterwards we went shopping. Had a nice conversation with Nita and Ashore Mundra, the shop owners of Fantasy, where I bought both my India rugs during my 2001 trip to India. Nita made Sandra and I fresh watermelon juice. It was delicious.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
my apt. on Hari Krishna Mandir Road, Pune
Since tolday is election day and everything is closed, it became the perfect day to learn to blog!!! Thanks to my handy and smart niece, Alison, I have this blog. Thanks, Ali!
After a day and a half in Singapore where I had a lovely spa day and recoved from severe jet lag, I landed in Mumbai (Bombay) on the 30th of January. A driver met me at the airport and we drove straight to Pune. While I was on the plane, I read an article about the growing number of accidents on the new road from Mumbai to Pune. They attributed it to poor engineering of the inclines. Just the article I wanted to read. But luckily I made it here, safe and sound. After getting one of my suitcases ripped off on the train during my 2001 trip, I would highly recommend doing the driver thing. It was way less stressful and quite scenic. It took about 3 hours. Most of the drive was on the new open highway. The drive to the highway, was another story. Mumbai is extremely crowded. Not sure what the traffic regulations are, but it looked like there was none.
I stayed at the Ambiance Hotel the first night since my apt. wasn't going to be ready until the 31st of January. There were pluses and minuses about this hotel. It is definitely bigger and more modern then the Surya, where I stayed last trip, but the restaurant workers walked out a few days before I got there and so room service was rather bleak. Lots of yogii's were staying there. Richard Schachtel (one of my assessors from my Introductory assessment 2 years ago) was leaving with this other guy who said he recently moved to Palo Alto from New Mexico and is teaching at Elise's studio. They gave me a block to practice in my room with. This block weighs a ton. No wonder they didn't want to take it back home. Then yesterday, I moved into my apt.
The photos are of the apt. on Hari Krishna Mandir Road, a short 5 minutes walk to the Institute. Its tucked back on a private driveway with lots of trees and birds and supposedly, monkeys, although I haven't seen any yet. My apt. is on the 3rd floor near the back of the building. Lots of families live in the nearby apts. A few other yogi's are living here this month. My landlady's name is Sanjivani. The cleaninng and magnificent cook's name is Mangola. Sanjivani speaks impeccable English. Mangola's english is very limited. Maybe she'll teach me some Marathi. Today Mangola made chapati (bread), basmati rice, a delicious yellow dal and a bhindi (okra) curry. Since I went out for lunch already, I will have this for dinner tonight and tomorrow. Yum.
I went to my first practice session this morning. I augmented the jet lag series and enjoyed it. Guruji was holding court and talking about the ligament at the front of the ankle. Everybody ran over when he started to talk. I did too, but couldn't figure out what he was saying. It was half in Marathi and half in English. Guruji looked quite fit and happy. Geeta was quietly practicing in the back. What I saw of her practice were very long timings of baddha konasana and upavistha konasana. For both she was seated on bolster. For upavistha konasana she also had her heels up on blankets. Tonight she teaches pranayama.
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