|
The Practice
Yoga, the foundation of all movements, prepares one for any physical activity
Practices are structured and taught in a rhythmical manner focusing on stretching, strengthening, balancing, and deep breathing. When Yoga is internalized it reflects the spirit of the practitioner. Our class, an expression of my spirit, is continually in transition over the underlying fixed foundation of the class outline below.
Stop and rest if it is overly challenging. If instructions are medically unsound then stop and wait till the class progresses into something that is medically sound. Don’t force anything.
Pregnancy – WE DO NOT WORK WITH PREGNANCY. Iyengar www.iyi.org.uk has excellent classes for pregnant women. Return after giving birth with a doctor’s approval.
Class Outline (Underlying Fixed Foundation): I. Pranayama (Opening The Breath) II. Salutation (Warm-Up) III. Strengthening (Strength Yoga) IV. Stretching (Seated Postures) V. Meditation (Emptying The Mind)
I) Pranayama (Opening The Breath) Pranayama is performed at roughly a 1-4-2 ratio for inhalation, breadth retention, and exhalation. We inhale for 4, hold 16, and exhale for 8 seconds. A byproduct of Pranayama is a runny nose (Bring Tissue). This is also a moment to pause and let go of the outside world before starting the physical movements.
Ujjayi, Suryabheda, and Anuloma Viloma are the three main Pranayamas we practice. In the beginning of class Ujjayi and Suryabheda are performed to open the breath and ready us for Salutation. Anuloma Viloma is practiced at the end to prepare ourselves for meditation.
During Ujjayi, after breathing in through both nostrils, the breath is held in the stomach where it is heated by the body’s internal temperature. While holding the breadth Jalandhara, Uddiyana, and Mulabandha are practiced. Then the breath is exhaled through the left nostril by plugging the right nostril with the right thumb. When the breath is slowly released through the left nostril it opens up the left sinus.
After Ujjayi is Suryabheda is in the "Reverse Direction" . Normally Suryabheda is practiced by inhaling right and then exhaling left nostril. For us Suryabheda will be running in the "Reverse Direction". We inhale left, previously opened by Ujjayi, hold the breath then exhale right nostril. This opens up the right sinus.
The emphasis is opening up the breath. With both left (from Ujjayi) and right (from "Reverse" Suryabheda) sinus’s opened up we are able to go into our salutation with a more open breath.
II) Salutation (The Warm-Up) Start slow with emphasis placed on synchronized breath and movement. At first the breath is primary and postures are secondary. Maximum stretching is unlikely during the first two salutations. Immediately going for peak postures maybe hazardous. Rhythmically make way past the first salutations then allow postures to take on a stronger emphasis. As the body warms up one should be able to break into a sweat.
Keep the mouth closed and draw the breath through the nose. Breathing through the mouth will bring in air that is cooled by the saliva on the tongue. The latter would defeat our purpose of warming up. Allow the breadth to run through the back of the sinus where it is heated by the blood.
III) Strengthening (Muscle Building) After our salutations are completed we progress into strength postures. These postures involve muscle strengthening such as the Crow or Warrior II. Strength postures allow greater blood flow into our muscles. This enables us to lead into a more affective stretch.
IV) Stretching (Basic To Advanced Seated Postures) With blood pumping through the muscles from strengthening postures the body is made ready to for stretching. Progress slowly into stretching since the body could be requiring a little more time to relax from the onslaught of Salutation and Strength Yoga.
V) Meditation (Emptying The Mind) After stretching the body is made ready for meditation. We stretch to free the body of tension. With a tense free body we are able to better achieve meditative states. Meditation is not something that one may just do. It takes practice. The ideas is to avoid having any thoughts.
Ones practice session is meant to be meditative. Has an entire hour or hour and a half of your practice passed by like a few minutes? If so you were meditating.
Recovery & Burnout Allow recovery and avoid burnout from the practice. Take at least one to two days off during the week. Consider taking off a month in the summer, two weeks around Christmas, and a week during Easter. One will return weaker. This will resolve itself quickly. When returning start slow. It should not be long before one sees breakthroughs. Do this to allow one’s body to break out of the rhythm and reduce burnout.
Diet One is their own best judge. A good diet for yoga is a vegetarian diet. Heavy meat eaters should not turn vegetarian overnight. Consider reducing the meat intake by slowly weaning away from beef followed by chicken and then fish. This could take months to years. The bottom line is to try maintaining one’s stomach free of blockages. Meat is slow to digest and may get stuck in the intestinal track. It is harder to execute postures with a sluggish stomach. It is ideal to avoid eating 4 hours prior to practice. The amount of time will be contingent upon the size of one’s last meal. One needs to be capable of breathing deeply into the stomach. For energy consume fresh squeezed juices about 30 minutes before practice. I feel good results from apples. Follow up with high quality protein such as whey protein.
Practice an Expression of Spirit The practice is an expression of ones spirit. It is in continual transition. As ones spirit changes so does ones practice. One’s practice should not only progress to higher levels but also experience a continued change with the tone and rhythm which reciprocates the changes of tone and rhythm in the individual. The answers to one’s transitions come from within.
Primary & Secondary Practice The primary practice is the main practice one does. The secondary practice is the practice that is used to supplement the primary. Often times the secondary practice is merely adding what the primary is lacking.
For those whose primary practice is weight training may use yoga as a secondary practice to increase the flexibility lost from weights. For those whose primary practice is yoga may use swimming or stepping as a secondary practice to yoga. The latter tends to really open up the breath. Dancers and martial artist find yoga to be a great secondary practice since yoga is the foundation to all their movements.
Internal and External Practice External practice is the practice one does under the direct guidance of a teacher. This is the area of information gathering, acquisition, and assessment of technique.
Internal practice is practicing on ones own without the visible presence of a teacher. Here is where information and technique are assimilated and refined.
A student is to maintain an internal and external practice. The more advanced a student the stronger the internal (diagram below). Developing, maintaining, and growing with an internal practice allows one to achieve mastery of a system. Internalizing ones practice will allow one to create their own system.
It is the goal of the teacher to develop an internal practice within the student. Then the teacher merely adds to the growth of the student’s internal. Students going internal become independent of the teacher thus allowing the teacher to leave a legacy.
The more advanced the practitioner the greater the internal practice.
Discipline Mental self-control used in directing or changing behavior, learning, or training for something. Without discipline there is no practice. To go internal in ones practice requires discipline. It takes discipline to go to class. It takes discipline to sleep early in order to wake up early and work an internal practice. Discipline is not, inherent, found, or bought. Discipline is honed.
Core, Peripheral, Casual Students Core students, ones with the most experience, knowledge and skill, are the leaders of the group. Core students attend almost every class. They are the most recognized and respected by the class. They reflect the values of student teacher relationship as viewed by the teacher. The core makes up roughly 20% of the class and occupies the front row.
Peripheral student’s experience knowledge and skill level although quite high are not up to the standards of the Core. Peripherals though familiar with the practice look to the Core for leadership. Peripheral students are also grasping the values of the teacher and are now committing to grow under the teacher and core. Compared to the core they attend with less frequency, makes up roughly 50% of the class, and occupy the second row.
Casual students, ones with the least experience, knowledge and skill, are the beginners of the group. They might be highly skilled in other systems or styles but are yet to learn the direction of the practice. Casuals could be transient students searching for new teachers or styles or just exploring the system. They may have had only a few lessons with the class. Casuals look to the peripherals for leadership. The casual students makeup roughly 20% of the class and occupy the third row.
Class Development When a new class is formed the Core group is identified and developed. The Core is given primary attention until it reaches a satisfactory level of proficiency.
The teacher’s primary attention shifts to the Peripheral after the Core achieves satisfactory proficiency. The Core executes verbal commands while the peripheral is given hands on attention. Only after the peripheral is the casual addressed.
Once Peripherals achieve satisfactory proficiency then the casuals are addressed. The casuals are instilled only with the direction of the practice. Fine-tuning is not necessary. From a traditional teaching perspective Casuals are expected to prove themselves over time. In traditional schools the teacher does not address casuals since they are likely to be transient. In these schools Casual students are addressed only after a sufficient level of dedication is shown.
Systems A complete system is comprised of four elements. The four elements of a complete system are self-maintenance, self-defense, philosophical perspective, and internal energy. All four elements are connected and have different theories based upon the approaches of the system. Each area can take a lifetime to learn. All four areas should be approached simultaneously since they are all interconnected. Within the four elements each system has it’s strong points. Many systems are lacking within one or more of the four elements. This does not mean they are less then the others since the elements focused on maybe so well developed. Ones practice will transcend systems over a lifetime based upon the mental, physical, and spiritual needs of the individual. The direction one takes will come from within.
Masters Passing on Systems Masters passing on systems may do so in parts. Students of the master may not be inclined to everything the master has to offer. The master will introduce aspects of the system based on the aptitude and needs of the student. The system is found in the students as a whole. This is best exemplified at the private level.
Feel The concept of feel is something that can not be taught. Feel goes beyond the practice and any teacher’s teachings. It only comes when you transcend the numerous sessions. It does not require complex postures to arrive at the ability.
The body is based more on feel then on thought. Don’t think about the body. More importantly learn to feel the body. Practicing yoga is merely learning to feel the body. Once you can feel your body then you will know your practice within the moment. The ability to answer your body’s needs comes from being able to feel what your body communicates. From here you will know what to do in your daily practice.
|
