grimmly2007.blogspot

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Monday, 11 January 2016

Krishnamacharya and 'backbending' asana 1930s to 1970s

Posted on January 11, 2016 by ravi
Following on from my 'backbending' preparation  post yesterday

This post looks at backbending asana presented throughout Krishnamacharya's life including the handful of backbending asana in Yoga Makaranda (1934), those in the 1938 film footage of Krishnamacharya, his children and his student BKS Iyengar, the backbending asana presented in Krishnamacharya's second Mysore book Yogasanagalu (1941) and also those Krishnamacharya taught to his later student Srivatsa Ramaswami. 

Note: I don't bother to practice most of the intermediate and advanced asana in this post anymore. The gentle postures in the first half of Ashtanga Intermediate series leading up to ustasana as well as some of Krishnamacharya's head and shoulderstand variations and most of the Vinyasa Krama Bow series strike me as quite sufficient. It would be nice to get my kapotasana back to what it was, it's an interesting posture to explore the breath and long stays but quite honestly no more so than many/most Primary postures. See my blog header photo/instruction for Bhujangasana which can also be practiced as a mudra, fascinating posture that is available to pretty much all.

If you do a google search for Krishnamacharya backbending photos not much comes up, in fact the only photo we have of Krishnamacharya in a backbend or 'spinal elongation' from the Mysore years (back when he was teaching the young pattabhi Jois is Urdhvamukhasvanasana 


from Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934).

Urdhvamukhasvanasana 
This has 4 vinyasas. Vinyasas 1, 2, and 3 are exactly as for uttanasana. The 4th vinyasa is to be done following the same method as for caturanga dandasana. But in caturanga dandasana, there are 4 angulas of space between the body and the floor everywhere. In this asana, the palms and toes are as in caturanga dandasana. However even while keeping the lower part of the body from the toes to the thighs just as in caturanga dandasana, raise the upper part of the body. Make sure that the navel rests between the hands and do puraka kumbhaka. Try to push the chest as far forward as possible, lift the face up and keep gazing at the tip of the nose. Make the effort to practise until it becomes possible to remain in this posture for fifteen minutes.
Benefit: There will be no slouching in the body. The apana vayu in the lower abdomen is cleaned and the digestive power is strengthened. The 4th vinyasa itself is the asana sthiti. Afterward, return to samasthiti. Study the picture given here carefully.


However at the frount of Yoga Makranda (1934) we do see these photos of the Mysore school, that's krishnamacharya standing on the boy in Kapotasana



Pattabhi Jois claimed in later life that he was the boy in kapotasana in this photo, it seems unlikely but Pattabhi Jois does tell the story of having to stay in kapotasana for twenty minutes while krishnamacharya gave a lecture.


If we look inside Yoga Makranada we find one of Krishnamacharya's students in when he presents as a reverse variation of Uttanasana. 




The only backbend that Krishnamacharya provides instructions for is Gandabherundasana, demonstrated by one of his students. It's interesting that krishnamacharya includes instruction for Kumbhaka (breath retention) options for both Gandabherundasana and Urdhvamukhasvanasana above, kumbhaka in backbends.


from Yoga Makaranda

Gandabherundasana (Figure 4.86, 4.87)

This has 10 vinyasas. The 6th and 7th vinyasas show the asana sthiti. The first picture shows the 6th vinyasa and the second picture shows the 7th. In the 4th vinyasa, come to caturanga dandasana sthiti and in the 5th vinyasa proceed to viparita salabasana sthiti. In the 6th vinyasa, spread the arms out wide, keeping them straight like a stick (like a wire) as shown in the picture. Take the soles of both feet and place them next to the ears such that the heels touch the arms and keep them there.
Next, do the 7th vinyasa as shown in the second picture. This is called supta ganda bherundasana. In this asana sthiti and in the preliminary positions, do equal recaka puraka kumbhaka. Keep the gaze fixed on the midbrow. This must not be forgotten.

Benefit: Goiter, inflammation of the glands of the neck and diseases due to mahodaram will be destroyed. The visuddhi and brahmaguha cakras will function correctly and this will take the mind to the state of savikalpa samadhi. Pregnant women should not do this. 


1938  film footage

In the 1938 documentary footage we find Krishnamacharya in a few mild backbends but Krishnamacharya's students as well as his children give us an indication of the range of backbend asana that krishnamacharya was teaching in the 1930s


 





Iyengar in the 1938 footage





















The Iyengar section of the video perhaps gives an indication of how Krishnamacharya was teaching backbending back in the 1930s when Pattabhi Jois was also his student. It should be remembered though that this was a demonstration, in actual practice it is likely that Iyengar and Krishnamacharya's other students would have been staying longer in the actual asana not unlike the instructions we see at the top of the post for Gandabherundasana,

"...This is called supta ganda bherundasana. In this asana sthiti and in the preliminary positions, do equal recaka puraka kumbhaka. Keep the gaze fixed on the midbrow. This must not be forgotten".

Krishnamacharya's asana instructions at this time often tended to indicate long stays. Pattabhi Jois mentioned that he was expected to stay for up to twenty minutes while Krishnamacharya stood on him to give a lecture, we should expect then that Krishnamacharya's students were familiar with having to remain in an asana for an extended period.


 Krishnamcharya's daughters in kapotasana 1938 footage






Backbends listed in the Yogasanagalu (Mysore 1941)
 table of asana

part of the original asana table from Yogasanagalu (Mysore 1941) in kannada language

In Krishnamacharya's second book Yogasanagalu (Mysore 1941) ,we find nineteen of the same asana photos and instructions liften from Yoga Makaranda but we also have Krishnamacharya's table of asana. 

The full table of asana is available on this post 
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2012/05/complete-asana-table-from.html








 Yogasanagalu is translated at the top of the blog but here are my own photos of the backbends in the Primary, Middle and Advanced groups 

Backbend in the Yogasanagalu table Primary group




Backbends in the Yogasanagalu table Middle group












Backbends in the Yogasanagalu proficient group













Krishnamacharya added some photos to the fourth edition of Yogasanagalu, he wwas i believe 84 at the time.


Backbends in the 4th edition of Yogasanagalu ( Krishnamacharya is 84 here).






Backbends in Krishnamacharya's later teaching

Below we have Krishnamacharya teaching a 'backbend' tadasana variation


My teacher Srivatsa Ramaswami, Krishnamacharya student of 30 years from the 50s until Krishnamacharyas passing taught us this tadasana variation on his teacher training course. We find several backbending,/back stretching/spinal elongation asana in Ramaswami's presentation of Krishnamacharya's teaching. Backbend variations are found in most of the sequences but Ramaswami's Bow and Meditative sequences provide us with subroutines of asana not unlike those we find in Ashtanga 2nd series. 


Bow sequence



see this post on the breakdown of the bow sequence into subroutines

Meditative sequence 
( called meditative because the sequence is built around vajrasana).



gentle spinal elongation from the Vinyasa Krama tadasana sequence






from On one leg sequence




There are several spinal elongation subroutines in the supine sequence, these from early on in the sequence.


There are also several vinsayas in the sarvangasana, shoulderstand, portion of the sequence along the lines of those we find Krishnamacharya demonstrating in the 1938 footage.

See my other blog on Vinyasa Krama subroutines and sequences http://vinyasakramayoga.blogspot.jp/ for practice sheets and videos or my practice book available from my page on LULU.com 

*

"Sri Krishnamacharya my Guru was a well known Yoga Master teaching the well organized comprehensive vinyasakrama yoga system. Equally important was his teaching of many other subjects. He was a well known vedic scholar. He had received diplomas and titles like Veda Kesari (Lion of Vedas), Vedanta Vegeesa (a master exponent of Vedanta philosophy), Samkhya Siromani ( crest-jewel of Samkhya), Nyayacharya ( Master teacher of Nyaya philosophy), Yogacharya (Master teacher of Yoga) and several others. He had learnt chanting of the Krishna Yajur Veda. In addition to teaching yogasana to several students in its art form (vinyasa), therapeutic application (cikitsa krama) he also taught several yoga texts like Hatyogapradipika, Ghrerunda Samhita, Siva Samhita, Yoga Yognyavalkya, several yogopanishads, Suta Samhita, Yoga Rahasya and others. He taught several chapters of yajusrveda chanting. The vedic philosophy texts he taught included the Bhagavat Gita, Yoga sutra, Samkhya Karika, Nyaya Sutra, Brahma Sutra, several vidyas from major upanishads like Taittiriya, Mandukya, Brahadaranyaka, Chandogya and others. As a Vaishnavite scholar he not only practiced Vaishnavism but also taught several works of great visishtadvaita gurus as Ramanuja, Desika and others. He was a bubbling university of vedic subjects".
Srivatsa Ramaswami


Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in Krishnamacharya backbending | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Ashtanga Advanced series? Why does the Advanced series presentations differ from the 'Original' 1973 Ashtanga syllabus
    I was asked a question about Philippa Asher's Advanced B poster and video I posted a link this week in connection to Philippa's arti...
  • Ashtanga Authorisation 1980 - Present. Includes first ONLINE teaching list (Ashtanga.com 2004) and first AYRI teachers list (2008).
    This post will become a permanent page at the top of the blog, a work in progress attempt to chart the development of the Ashtanga Authorisa...
  • 9 years of Home Practice, Primary to Advanced B to half Primary - Developing a home practice Part 37
    So it's been 9 years since I started my home Ashtanga Vinyasa practice and coming up to 8 years (June/July) since I started the blog.......

Categories

  • #proficientprimaryproject
  • 84 key asana
  • active movement
  • Acupuncture
  • Advanced Ashtanga
  • Advanced Ashtanga demonstration
  • Advanced Ashtanga. Advanced asana
  • advanced B
  • Advanced backbending
  • Advanced series ashtanga
  • Ahtanga
  • alternate breathing in ashtanga
  • Antharanga Sadhana
  • Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana
  • ardha matsyendrasana
  • arm balances
  • Asana and ageing
  • asana as mudra
  • Ashtanga
  • Ashtanga 4th series.
  • Ashtanga 6th series
  • Ashtanga A
  • Ashtanga Advanced series
  • Ashtanga and addiction
  • ashtanga and ageing
  • Ashtanga and Diet
  • Ashtanga and eating
  • Ashtanga and losing weight
  • Ashtanga and menstruation
  • Ashtanga and recovery
  • Ashtanga and Weight lost
  • ashtanga authorisation
  • Ashtanga B
  • Ashtanga books
  • Ashtanga breathing
  • Ashtanga C
  • Ashtanga in midlife
  • Ashtanga interviews
  • Ashtanga Ladies holiday
  • Ashtanga led
  • Ashtanga lineage
  • Ashtanga Parampara
  • Ashtanga practice
  • Ashtanga primary
  • Ashtanga reading list
  • Ashtanga source
  • Ashtanga syllabus
  • Ashtanga teacher Authorisation
  • Ashtanga underwater
  • Ashtanga vinyasa
  • ashtanga vinyasa count.
  • Ashtanga Viswanath
  • Ashtanga yoga london
  • Ashtanga young boys
  • Ashtanga's origins
  • Asymmetric asana
  • Authorisation
  • AVIDYA
  • B.N.S. Iyengar
  • backbending
  • baddha konasana
  • baddha padmasana
  • beginner yoga reading list
  • Beginning Ashtanga
  • beginning Vinyasa krama
  • beginning vinyasa yoga
  • beginning yoga
  • being stopped at a posture
  • bhagavad gita
  • Bharadvajrasana
  • Bharatanatyam
  • BKS Iyengar
  • BNS Iyengar
  • Bohr effect
  • Book review
  • breathing asana
  • breathing in Ashtanga
  • breathing less
  • chakrasana
  • Chinese medicine and Ashtanga
  • chuck Miller
  • CIRCULO BLANCO
  • Conference notes.
  • cultivate
  • current practice
  • Dandasana
  • Danny Paradise
  • David Roche
  • David Swenson
  • David Williams
  • deep backbends
  • developing a Home practice
  • Dharana
  • Dhyana
  • drishti
  • dropback
  • early asana diploma course
  • early ashtanga vinyasa
  • eka pada sirsasana
  • Emergence of Yoga
  • four key asana
  • Gunas
  • Half Ashtanga series
  • Hamish Hendry
  • hands free lotus
  • hatha yoga
  • Hatha Yoga Pradipka
  • headstand
  • headstand variations.
  • headstands
  • Heartfulness meditation
  • Heartfulness meditation and ashtanga vinyasa yoga
  • hidden postures between postures.
  • History of Ashtanga
  • Home practice
  • Home yoga practice
  • in defence of ashtanga
  • Introduction to breath control
  • inversions
  • Invertions.
  • Jessica Walden
  • Kapotasana
  • karandavasana
  • Karandavasana preparation
  • Keshava Murthy
  • key asana
  • Kino intermediate series
  • Kino MacGregor
  • KPJAYI
  • Krishanacharya
  • krishna
  • Krishnamacharya
  • Krishnamacharya and Buddhism
  • Krishnamacharya and drishti
  • krishnamacharya and the gaze
  • Krishnamacharya backbending
  • Krishnamacharya kumbhaka
  • Krishnamacharya pranayama
  • krishnamacharya pranayama in asana
  • Krishnamacharya quotes
  • Krishnamacharya reading list
  • Krishnamacharya. Is Ashtanga hatha or raja yoga
  • Krishnamacharya's 32 headstands
  • Krishnamacharya's Advanced asana
  • Krishnamacharya's Ashtanga Primary series
  • Krishnamacharya's early Mysore works
  • krishnamacharya's inversions
  • Krishnamacharya's key asana
  • Krishnamacharya's Mysore Yoga students 1941
  • Krishnamacharya's Original Ashtanga Yoga
  • Krishnamacharya's practice guidelines
  • Krishnamacharya's pranayama
  • krishnamacharya7s Ashtanga
  • Kumbhaka
  • ladies holiday
  • lagu vajrasanam supta vajrasana
  • Langhana kriya
  • learn dance hand mudras
  • Learn Sanskrit
  • learning sanskrit yoga names
  • Learning Sanskrit.
  • Learning the sanskrit names for Ashtanga primary series. learning the Ashtanga vinyasa count
  • leg behind head poastures
  • lineage
  • Lineage holder
  • Lino Miele
  • lotus
  • Louise Ellis
  • loving kindness
  • Loving kindness and Yoga Sutras
  • M.S. Viswanath (Masterji)
  • maha bhandasana
  • mahabhandasana
  • mahabharata
  • mahamudra
  • manju jois
  • Manju's new Book
  • Mantra pranayama
  • Mark Darby
  • Mary taylor. subtle body.
  • Masterji
  • meanings of Yoga
  • Meditation and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
  • Menstruation
  • metta
  • modified Ashtanga
  • moola bhandasana
  • moolabhandasana
  • mudra
  • Mudras
  • mula bhandasana
  • mulabhandasana
  • My year in posts
  • Mysore Traditions Movie
  • Mysore yoga demonstration 1941
  • Mysore yoga tradition
  • Nancy Gilgoff
  • newsletters
  • No official ashtanga
  • official ashtanga
  • OM The world of Ashtanga Yogis
  • on Series
  • on vinyasa
  • One breath an asana
  • original Ashtanga
  • original ashtanga syllabus
  • Original ashtanga table
  • Original ashtanga vinyasa count
  • origins of Ashtanga
  • Orisginal Ashtanga syllabus
  • padmasana
  • padmasana variations
  • Paramaguru
  • parampara
  • Patabbhi Jois' nephew
  • patanjali
  • Pattabhi Jois
  • Pattabhi jois Advanced series
  • Pattabhi Jois pranayama
  • Pattabhi Jois'
  • Pattabhi Jois' Yoga Journal letter
  • Perter Brooks Mahabharata
  • Philippa Asher
  • phulgenda Sinha
  • Plagerism
  • practice
  • practicing Yoga at home
  • practicing yoga safely
  • pranayama
  • pranayama mantra
  • Pranidhi Varshney
  • preparation for yoga
  • Proficient primary
  • Puraka (inhalation)
  • Purna matsyendrasana
  • Pushpam
  • R. Sharath Jois
  • Raja yoga
  • Ramamohana Brahmachari'
  • Ramaswami
  • ramaswami chanting
  • Ramaswami newsletters
  • Ramaswami pranayama
  • Ramaswami's key asana
  • Ramswami yoga
  • Recaka (exhalation)
  • Richard Freeman
  • Rishi Series.
  • Roots of Yoga
  • Safer yoga practice
  • Samkhya krika
  • Samyama
  • sañcāra
  • sarvangasana
  • Śavasana
  • savasana Ashtanga take rest
  • science pertaining to the Self within. adhyātmavidyā
  • Sharath
  • Sharath jois
  • Sharath Rangaswamy
  • Sharath Rangaswamy Jois
  • Sharath Utkatasana exit
  • Short Ashtanga practice.
  • Simon Borg-Oliver
  • Simon Borg-Olivier
  • Simon Borg-Olivier pranayama
  • sirsasana
  • Sirsasana (headstand) to Gomukhasana
  • Sirsasana variation
  • Sirsasana variations
  • Sirssana
  • Slow Ashtanga
  • Splashtanga
  • SRI T K SRIBHASHYAM
  • Srivatsa Ramaswami
  • Table of asana
  • Taboo
  • Taḍagī Mudra
  • Taittiriya Upanishad
  • tatakamudra
  • Teaching Ashtanga
  • The Art of Ashtanga vinyasa
  • The Four Immeasurables
  • the Gita as it was
  • THE KALAMA SUTRA
  • the Original gita
  • the Source
  • This is yoga 1941
  • This is yoga life magazine
  • three gunas
  • Tirieng Mukha Eka Pada Paschimattanasana
  • Tolstoy
  • Tolstoyism
  • towards karandavasana
  • traditional Ashtanga
  • traditional ashtanga vinyasa
  • triangamukha Uttanasana
  • underwater yoga
  • Upanishads
  • urdhva dhanurasana
  • Utkatasana
  • Uttihita Padangustasa
  • Vicarious Yoga
  • Vinyasa
  • Vinyasa Krama
  • Vinyasa Krama inverted sequence
  • Vinyasa Krama lotus sequence
  • What I believe
  • What is Ashtanga really
  • What is Ashtanga?
  • Why meditation
  • why practice mudras.
  • Why practice yoga
  • Why Yoga
  • Yamini Murthanna
  • Yoga and aeging
  • yoga and ageing
  • Yoga and blood circulation
  • yoga and Diet
  • Yoga and Osteoporosis
  • Yoga and Women
  • yoga chikitsa
  • Yoga for the three stages of life
  • Yoga Korunta
  • yoga korunti
  • Yoga magazine
  • Yoga Makaranda
  • Yoga Meditation
  • Yoga mudra
  • yoga mudras
  • Yoga raading list
  • Yoga reading list
  • Yoga Sutras
  • Yoga Therapy
  • YogaGlo
  • Yogasanagalu
  • yogasanagalu translation
  • Yogavataranam
  • Zoë Slatoff-Ponté

Blog Archive

  • August 2017 (10)
  • July 2017 (5)
  • June 2017 (7)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • April 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (9)
  • February 2017 (7)
  • January 2017 (7)
  • December 2016 (4)
  • November 2016 (6)
  • October 2016 (8)
  • September 2016 (6)
  • August 2016 (4)
  • July 2016 (6)
  • June 2016 (4)
  • May 2016 (2)
  • April 2016 (4)
  • March 2016 (16)
  • February 2016 (13)
  • January 2016 (15)
  • December 2015 (5)
Powered by Blogger.

Search This Blog

Report Abuse

  • Home

About Me

ravi
View my complete profile