New additions to the bookshelf

Exercises for Joints & Glands, as taught by Swami Rama, is a good book to take a look at if you need some very gentle exercises and stretches. The exercises in it are divided up by areas of the body (i.e. Hands & Wrists, Toro & Pelvis, etc.) making it easy to look up a specific stretch when needed. It's a fairly short book; easy to work through it in a couple of hours.

Gregor Maehle has written another wonderful book, Ashtanga Yoga The Intermediate Series. It's similar to his first book, Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy, with detailed explanations of the asanas, and illustrations of the bones and muscles. One of my favorite parts is a chapter that is dedicated to the mythology of the pose names.

Another book that I'm enjoying is Chants of a Lifetime by Krishna Das. I'm almost halfway through and so far he's written about his time in India with Neem Karoli Baba and his discovery and practice of kirtan.

The Middle Way and our True Nature

After Listening to a retreat by Allan Wallace on Lucid Dreaming and Dream Yoga which you can find here in 13 parts (http://www.upaya.org/dharma/) I feel as if i have a glimpse of what the middle way is saying about the nature of reality. Although i have thought of it and even talked about it in the past, i don't think i really understood it until now. Even now I'm sure i have much to learn and experience. So ill share a brief description, feel free to listen to the entire retreat if you some some time to kill, A lot of great stuff in there !

So taking a strictly materialist scientific point of view one might come to the conclusion that all that really "exists" is physical matter. Things have independent proprieties and are there if we are looking at them or not. Why not believe this ? It seems to fit with our experience of reality. If i look at something and turn around its still there when i look again. There is mutual agreement between many people on the proprieties of an object or the description of an experience. So there must be something fundamental about "reality" that has nothing to do with me and i just come in contact with it.

Not so fast! From the stand point of a radical empiricist what do we really experience, what do we really perceive ? Is it the object its self or is it our mental relationships to the object. Do we perceive water ? or are we aware of the sense perceptions that our interaction with the water creates. If reality is made up of matter independent of our perceptions, who has even seen this matter ? Atoms, Molecules are theory's, concepts based on our scientific framework and modes of inquiry. All we know of them is what we can write down or say in relation to our sense perceptions, information that we can extract from them. So what are we left with ? That physical reality is empty of inherent existence and all there really is , is mind and our perceptions.

Not so fast ! How do we account for the changing of the seasons, the growing of a plant, the decay of organic matter. That happens on its own with out our mind needing to perceive it. If all there is, is mind who has ever seen this mind ? When you practice meditation you look deeply into the nature of mind it self. When you can attend to it with awareness and concentration you can ask, where is this mind independent of concepts and independent of what it is perceiving. Is the mind something solid that you can hold on to. When you apply the same consideration to mind as you do the physical world you come to the same conclusion. Mind is also empty of inherent existence independent of causes and conditions. So what are we left with, no matter, no mind ? Is reality nothing at all ?

This is where the wisdom of the middle way comes in. Let us not ask questions that are unknowable in principal. We will never be able to know of matter and mind independent of our own conceptual framework of them, because that is all that is available to our experience. What emptiness is telling us, is that things are dependently originated. Meaning matter and mind both exists and doesn't exist. That they arise together, interconnected, and can not be thought of as something independent of our interpenetration of them. Our very perception makes mind and matter what it is and at the same time what it is creates our perception. The two can not be separated.

Chew on that for a little while see how you feel.


Sat Chit Ananda!

Danny

To Kathy and Scott,

Thank you for opening the door. I feel so grateful to be part of the training with you, in so many ways.

For everything, thank you thank you thank you.

Love, Andrea

Fabric

Exploring yoga on Fabric...

Mysore Style Ashtanga Practice

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India was for many years transmitted primarily in a manner known as the Mysore style. In this style of learning Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the student is intoduced to the practice at a pace that is suitable to his/her current abilities.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga consists of a series of postures (asanas) linked by breath-synchronized movements (vinyasas). Every movement happens on a prescribed inhale or exhale. The breathing is done through the nose with a slight constriction at the base of the throat creating an aspirate sound (ujayi pranayama). The practitioner also maintains the engagement of muscles at the root of the pelvis (mula bandha) and the lower abdomen (uddiyana bandha). Accompanying these techniques is steady gazing toward specific points (drishti) while in the postures and while moving into and out of them.

This style of yoga is often described as a moving meditation. This meditative state of being is most easily approached when there are less distractions drawing the senses outward. The techniques mentioned above are useful tools in facilitating the withdrawal of the senses (pratyahara) and in approaching the one-pointed state of mind (ekagrata) that is possible through the practice of yoga. But to truly make space for this inner journey to occur, the practitioner must learn and know what to do so he/she may practice in a way that is conducive to the meditative state.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a standardized system. The sequencing of the postures for the various series is always the same. This makes it learnable and knowable. The sequence unfolds in such a way that the earlier postures and movements open the potential to practice the later ones. The entire system has the potential to facilitate an ever deepening journey inside the being of the practitioner to gain a greater understanding of the mind/body matrix.

The Mysore Style Practice method offers an extremely effective way to learn and practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Students are taught on a one-to-one basis at a pace suitable to each individual. The practice space is filled with the sounds of deep breathing and movement but with very little talking. A quick word may be exchanged here and there and instruction is given to individuals about how to do new postures but the teacher does not lead a “class” per se. This allows the practitioners to focus inward instead of being constantly drawn outward by the sound of the teacher’s voice. At the same time It can be much easier for the teacher to be attentive to individual students when he/she is not also trying to talk a group of people through the practice.

For people new to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the idea is to learn, step-by-step, the ins and outs of the practice. Understanding the concepts of ujayi pranayama, mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, drishti and vinyasa are key. From there the physical movements and associated breaths and gaze points are learned and practiced, starting with Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskara A). Once this is understood, it is time to learn Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskara B). The standing sequence comes next, followed by the seated sequence and the closing sequence. The student is taught more and more of the series as he/she is able to memorize and perform each succesive posture (asana) and the breath-synchronized movements (vinyasas) that link them. This is most easily done if one commits to a daily practice routine.

A wonderful thing happens through the repitition of the movements...muscle memory. The more often the sequence is practced the more natural feeling it becomes. By learning and knowing the sequence, the practitioner is able to gain more independence from the teacher over time and in turn the practice itself serves as a teacher. But it is important to learn correctly so that these repetitive movements are done in a way that help to strengthen the body rather than weaken it. Some knowledge of anatomy and how the muscles and bones align in the postures can be quite helpful in facilitating a safe/effective practice. This information can be shared as well.

Experienced practitioners will have the opportunity to refine their practice. The hope is to offer a quiet space where you lovely yogis and yoginis can flow through your practice and explore deeply your minds, bodies and beyond. I will be there to assist you in your asana practice and offer advice as needed. I feel it is my role to help you when you need but to also stay out of your way so you can explore the depth of this practice.

This is also a great opportunity to learn the Intermediate Series posture-by-posture as you are able. Intermediate Series is a wonderful compliment to the Primary Series. Mysore style practice is the easiest and safest way to approach the postures of this series. A thorough understanding of and ability to perform the postures of Primary Series is a general prerequisite for the learning of the Intermediate Series. When you are able and open to learning this series, I will help as well.

These Mysore sessions will be from 6:00am-8:30am at the downtown studio every weekday except New Moon and Full Moon days (these will be posted on the door and online). This does not mean that you need to show up at 6:00am and practice until 8:30am. Each individual’s practice will be as long as it needs to be each day. Some people will start at 6:00am, others will begin later. Everyone will finish by 8:30am.

For newer practitioners the practice may not require as much of a time/energy commitment as it will when the individual’s practice develops. For example a beginner may only be practicing 30 minutes each day at first. This person could come to the Mysore practice session any time before 8:00am and still have time to do his/her complete practice for the day. Students who need more time to practice should arrive earlier so as to have enough time to complete their practice without feeling rushed to do so.

We will recite the opening chant at 6:00am. Anyone who comes in later may chant inaudably to themselves before beginning their own practice. Just walk into the room quietly, check in with me if I am available, set your mat up in an open space and begin your asana practice.

We will recite the closing chant at 8:30am. If you finish earlier you may chant inaudably to yourself at the conclusion of your practice. Then quietly gather your mat and belongings and venture into the world to enjoy the rest of your day.

The best way to take advantage of this opportunity is to buy a month pass for $130. I encourage you to do so. This will help to nurture a daily practice routine. I will be be there to facilitate your practice. I will be better able to serve you if you practice with me regularly. You will have a better understanding of your own body and its abilities/limitations through daily practice and I will be able to work more effectively with you by also knowing your body and its abilities/limitations. This familiarity will allow us to work together more easily.

Drop-ins are welcome and cost the same as a regular class. If you already know Primary Series (or Intermediate/Advanced Series) you are welcome to come in and practice. I will assist you as I am able. I will tend to offer more physical assistance in postures to those practitioners with whom I am already familiar. As I become more familiar with you, I will offer more physical assistance if needed. I know that for various reasons some wonderful practitioners cannot commit to the month pass and the daily morning practice routine. You are always welcome to drop in when you are able. A regular practice routine is still encouraged.

I am really excited about the possibilities of teaching in the Mysore style. I have taught many led classes (a few thousand) over the course of the years and have been very happy doing so. At the same time, I have felt that many practitioners could be better served if the situation were created where they could learn and practice in the Mysore style. I love this community and this practice. I am grateful to all the practitioners who have chosen to practice with me and support this studio. You are all truly my teachers as well. I hope to see some of you bright and early to start the day off with some yoga.

Namaste,

Scott