April 2017 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami—Upcoming 2017 programs also Pratyahara/Shanmukhamudra.

This months newsletter from Ramaswami is mostly concerned with his upcoming 2017 programs, I'm taking the liberty to add, however, one of Ramaswmi's fb posts from a couple of years ago (Ramaswami's choice of photos) that I must have missed.

Shanmukhimudra
I started my yoga studies with my teacher Sri Krisnamachrya when I was about 15 and within a short time he started teaching pranayama and a followup procedure known as “shanmukhi mudra” or closing the the six 'ports', the 2 eyes, 2 ears, mouth and the nose. After vinyasa and asana practice, pranayama and this Rajayoga practice, pratyahara, will follow. Asanas reduce rajas, pranayama reduces tamas says the Yogasutra. Then the senses are brought under control symbolically and also effectively- and thus this integrated practice would prepare the yogabhyasi for 'dharana' the first step of the next stage, 'antaranga sadhana' or internal practice . Shanmukhimudra helps the mind to settle down undistracted by the ever outgoing senses. A 5 to 15 minute stay in it, watching the natural movement of the breath is mind-settling and soothing. When my Guru first introduced this I was reminded of the three wise monkeys, the favourites with children (and adults too). When I started doing the shanmukhimudra procedure I felt I was like all the monkeys rolled into one
Here are the pictures of the image of the three monkeys taken from google search. The other two are pictures of Kirti and Klaus Koenig showing the different variations of shanmukhimudra, which are from my book “The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga”.

April 2017 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami—Upcoming 2017 programs

On March 3rd, 2017 I completed teaching a 100 hr Vinyasaktrama TT program at Yoga Vahini in Chennai. I came back to NJ a little later

Upcoming 2017 programs

This newsletter has an unabashed sales message. I want to write about the three  forthcoming training programs, covering considerable information I gathered while studying with my Guru Sri Krishnamacharya. The first one is a 50 hour Bhagavatgita program in July (Los Angeles). Then there is a 15 hr extended weekend program on Sakhya Karika  in Sep 2017 (Chicago)  Then there is   a 15 day 100 hr  (all contact hours) Vinyasakrama  TT program in September (Montral). All the programs I gather, can be counted for continuing education credit with Yoga Alliance. Here are the links

 

https://registration.xenegrade.com/lmuextension/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=4295

http://www.yogamind.com/workshop-ramaswami-samkhya_2017.shtml

http://oneyogaforthepeople.ca/events/100hr-vinyasa-krama

Let me explain the programs briefly. First the Bhagavat Gita Program. Sri Krishnamacharya taught the Bhagavat Gita quite extensively especially to his later year students. He even conducted public lectures on Saturdays for a considerable time. He considered it to be an important text for yogabhyasi. Even though it is considered a vedanta text or Brahma Vidya it is also considered a yoga sastra or a yoga text. Usually the Gita is taught in bits and pieces one chapter here and a few slokas there. But in this program the entire text of 700 slokas will be studied in one stream. After all Lord Krishna gave this discourse to Arjuna in one stretch. The Gita is written for laymen like Arjuna a warrior and ordinary people like us who also fight dauly battles all through life. The Brahma sutra is terse, the upanishads are cryptic but the Gita is clear elaborate and much easier to understand and it is able to bring the great teachings of the sastras to the level of ordinary people like Arjuna and us. Even as great philosophers like Sankara and Ramanuja have explained these from the point of view different interpretations of vedanta, the gita text by itself does not require much elaboration. It is said that the best commentary for Lord Krishna's teaching is the Bhagavat Gita itself. My Guru used to bring out the considerable affinity between the Gita and the Yoga Sutra. In this program we will go through each and every sloka and faithfully follow the text in its entirety. This program is scheduled to take place at my favorite place Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in July 2017

The second program is Samkhya Karika. It will be a weekend program in September at Chicago Yoga Center . Samkhya is one of the six systems of orthodox Vedic philosophies. It is one of the three nivritti sastras, or philosophies of liberation—liberation from the repeated cycles of birth. The other two philosophies are Yoga and Vedanta. Samkhya Karika, written by Iswarakrishna, is perhaps the most authentic text on this subject. It is considered to be the theoretical basis for Yoga darsana, and hence, many yogis, including my Guru Krishnamacharya, would urge study of this text in addition to Patanjali's Yoga. It consists of 72 slokas, or verses, and is considered one of the great Sanskrit works. The author, some consider to be the avatara of the great Sanskrit poet and philosopher Kalidasa. All the slokas will be gone through verse by verse in this program.

The enumeration of the principle that constitute the Universe, the stages of its evolution and the immortality of the Self are clearly brought out and explained in this great work. We will go through each and every sloka and follow the thought process of the author in this 15 hr program

The third program is the 100 hr Vinyasakrama TT program. I started teaching this program in Dec 2015 and in the matter of 15 months more than 160 yagis mostly serious yoga practitioners and yoga teachers have completed the program. I have taught this program twice at Yoga Vahini in Chennai in Dec 2015 and then in Feb 2017. I taught this program at Om Yoga in New Delhi in Feb 2016 and then at One Yoga in Saskatoon in Canada. Then I taught the same program at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles in Aug 2016 and then at Yoga Dhara in Madrid Spain. Now in September 2017 I am scheduled to teach the program at One Yoga in Montreal Canada. 

This program has a 60 hour vinyasakrama asana component. In this 10 major sequences will be taught, viz, Tadasana, asymmetric seated poses, paschimatanasana, one legged poses, Suptasana, prone poses, vajrasana, padmasana, Inversions and of course trikonasana. There are about 125 subroutine asanas in these major sequences and about 700 Vinyasas which we will go through in the program. Each vinyasa will be taught with the appropriate synchronized breathing as taught by Sri Krsihnamacharya. These are explained in detail in my book Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569244022/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/103-1755689-4479843?_encoding=UTF8

 It will also be possible to develop criteria for individual daily practice for one's own practice and to teach other students. There is a 20 hour pranayama segment in which different pranayama methods will be gone through. Enough practice of pranayama will be given so that by the end of the program participants will be able to include pranayama and bandhas as an integral part of daily yoga practice. Further the benefits of hata yoga,-- asanas vinyasas, pranayama and mudras--will be studied in detail especially to the important internal organs as the heart lungs, uterus etc. The third segment will be a 20 hour study of the Yoga Sutras. Each and every sutra will be taught following the thought process of Patanjali so that one would get a comprehensive understanding of Raja Yoga. 

Full 1997 Sydney Ashtanga Primary Demonstration. Pattabhi Jois leading Sharath through the series PLUS the Advanced series demonstration

There seems no better time to share this than now, Pattabhi Jois leading Sharath through the full Ashtanga Primary series, Sydney 1997. I've only ever seen parts of the Advanced demonstration section before, which along with a short Q and A makes up the last twenty minutes of the second video.

Thank you to BDProffey for posting these.

Note: The original demonstration below only includes the one Sury A and one Sury B. I've copied them both and pasted in another four of each to my own version of this using Quicktime to practice along with. I made this for my own use but have added it to the post in the appendix below the originals. The full practice (with the additional sury's A and B) comes out at 57 minutes, much faster than I usually like to take my own practice but we shouldn't forget this is a demonstration. Practicing along with this video I'll tend to take two or perhaps three breaths to Pattabhi Jois' count of five. Occasionally Pattabhi Jois only counts three quick breaths in an asana in other places a quick five. Sarvangasana only gets a count of five but padmasana gets a much slower count of ten. This being 1997, a savasana (note that hands held flat against the hips) is taken before sarvangasana and again it is savasana rather than 'taking rest' at the end of the practice.

Video 2: Demonstration ends at 11.25 and is followed by an advanced series demonstration.

Video 2: Sharath's Advanced series demonstration ends at 26.35 and is followed by a Q and A.

*

Videos Part 1. and 2.

Sharath Jois Primary Series (part 1) from bdproffy on Vimeo.
Sharath Jois Primary Series (part 2) from bdproffy on Vimeo.

APPENDIX

Home Practice Version. The original version of this demonstration of Led Primary above is split over two parts and includes only one each of suryanamaska A and B. I've pasted in an extra four of each and spliced together the two parts of the video to make a full primary to practice along with at home. 

Why go to led classes, workshops or practice along to Led videos?

This question came up in a chat with a friend this morning, we were talking about Sharath's led tour but no doubt it also goes for occasionally practicing along to videos of a led practice, especially taken at this pace.

I guess our practice, this discipline, needs different kinds of support at different times. A week of Led with Sharath, a workshop with Manju or somebody else can perhaps give us that extra bit of support that we may feel we require occasionally (in a similar but different way perhaps to practicing with others in a shala). 

It's an exceptional thing we do each morning. Here in Japan, Yoga is becoming more popular but people tend practice once or possibly twice a week, few (except for the Ashtangi's) seem to practice everyday.

How many outside of a seminary pray for ninety minutes each morning, or outside of a temple Sit for sixty minutes. This discipline we construct and feed in our different ways is quite remarkable, it's a support but we also need to support it, in turn. I've written before how the discipline of practice supports us in our daily lives, supports whatever form our yama/niyamas take, prepares us for dealing with the curve balls to come but the yama/niyamas (again - whatever they are perhaps that we inherit from our culture or choose) also support our practice, prop it up at times and Svadhyaya, can take many forms. It could be silent practice alone, a turning inwards but can no doubt also be a turning outwards reflecting ourselves through suitable texts and contact with others.

While I currently prefer a slower take on practice ( see my Proficient Primary page) I ldo ove Sharath's practice as demonstrated above, just as I loved his own Primary video that I practiced along with for a couple of months back when I first started Ashtanga. It's so unaffected, lacking in flourish or artifice, it may be lacking in alignment too for many but for me it's lacking in ego and an excellent reminder in this glossy age of self promotion that this is a simple practice that we so often over think.

Videos : Proficient Primary Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama - Asana as Mudra.

This is mostly for my own reference, putting all these older asana videos in one place to see if I can somehow edit them together into one full practice..., possibly with a limited voice over.

Truth is, that 'baddha eka pada kapotasana' above was a lot of fun to play with at the time, my point is though that we don't need to go any further than, say, dandasana to explore a deep, proficient, indeed 'advanced' (whatever that means) practice.

Proficient Primary Ashtanga Vinyasa based on Krishnamacharya's early work.

See the Proficient Primary page at the top of the blog for the full explanation of the project, basically treating these asana that Krishnamacharya considered key somewhat as mudra.

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/p/proficient-primary-project.html

Basically the idea is to explore longer stays in these asana with slower breathing, kumbhaka (retaining the breath in or out),basically, treating them somewhat as asana.

In a more standard Ashtanga vinyasa practice, perhaps a half Primary, we might merely spend a little longer in one or more of these asana than perhaps usual.

In Vinyasa Krama we might use this as a framework and introduce other asana as preparation or extension/development as we see fit.

Practice framework

Kapalabhati - 36
Pranayama 6-12rounds

Optional

Bhagirathasana

Short tadasana sequence of arm movements

A

Surya namaskara 3 A + 2 B 

( the first with 6 breaths at each stage, 12 breaths in Ardho Mukha Svanasana )

1. Trikonasana 

6 or 12 breaths each side

Optional extra standing posture(s) alternating each day

2. Dandasana/Pascimattanasana/ Asvini Mudra 

12 breaths

(followed by it's pratkriya purvottanasana)

One or more Optional Asymmetric asana approached as mudra 

(alternating daily) - 6 breaths each side

3. Maha Mudra 

12 - 24 breaths

4. Bharadvajrasana

12 breaths

(as an alternative to Marichiyasana)

5. Padma Mayurasana (optional )
Or Vajrasana with stomach lock.

6 -12 breaths

(Krishnamacharya recommended that we practice Mayurasana daily in Yoga Makaranda but it may depend on the strength of your wrists, I tend to avoid it these days due to a recurring unrelated wrist injury)

Tatka Mudra 

12 breaths

B

Dwi pada pitam

(sarvangasana preparation)

Urdhva Dhanurasana (optional)
6-12 breaths

6. Sarvangasana 

5 minutes

(Without variation, practiced as mudra)

7. Bhujamgi mudra 

6 -12 breaths

(as pratkriya to sarvangasana)

8. Sirsasana 

5 minutes as mudra - Viparita karani

5 minutes with variations

Vajrasana 

6 -12 breaths

Sarvangasana 

approx. 5 minutes with variations

C

9. Baddha Konasana - 6, 12, 24 breaths

10. Yoga Mudra

6 -12 breaths

Parsvatanasana 

12 - 24 breaths

Pranayama 

Bhastrika - 60 breaths

Nadi sodhana (6), 12, 24, 48 breaths

Formal Sit.

20, 40 minutes

Note:

Ideally practice A, B and C together early each morning.

If time is an issue ,A followed C might be practiced in the morning with B ( and perhaps C ) practiced later in the day.

*

Asana/Mudra Videos

Uddiyana bandha

Most if not all of the pictures I will be posting in the Proficient Primary Project will show a deep uddiyana bandha, this is to draw attention to the focus on the breath (long and slow) and in particular the kumbhaka (retaining the breath in or out). Such a dramatic Uddiyana bandha as in the photos tends to be practiced on the hold at the end of the exhalation, however a more subtle, less dramatic, uddiyana may be employed and is perhaps advisable in the beginning stages of this approach to practice especially.

Exhale fully and before inhaling draw the belly, below and above the navel, in and up. Mula bandha will follow. Hold for 2-5 seconds.

Personally I tend to find the deep uddiyana a distraction from the stillness of the kumbhaka, bandhas should no doubt gain in subtlety, a background practice.

Krishnamacharya said that in the kumbhaka we see god.

I would go further and suggest that in the kumbhaka we see god... or the absence of god

Personally, when approaching my practice this way (and it's been around four years), I just find stillness, a quite profound stillness that on a good day joins up kumbhaka with kumbhaka throughout my practice, and stays with me for much of my day.

NOTE:  some of these videos include offer several variations/options, these might be practiced or we might merely stay in the key asana/mudra and breathe.

Optional Introduction mudra and tadasana sequence

Some tadasana options below for slowing the breath, we might do less or more of these variations.(the full forty minute tadasana sequence  is on my YouTube channel).

Sun Salutation/Standing

A slow approach to sun salutation but we could of course begin our practice here with regular salutations. We might include more postures in the standing section

 

Seated

These asana might begin and end at standing (my preference) or be practiced with half vinyasa, either between sides or between asana, more counter postures might be included if required.

 

Finishing

Ramaswami tends to teach shoulderstand/sirsasana by beginning with a few preparatory asana, followed by a five minute shoulderstand with no variations, a counter posture, then our sirsasana ,the first five minutes without any variations perhaps, then another shoulderstand, this time perhaps with variations. 
This approach could of course be simplified.

 

 

Pranayama and Sit. 

This is the approach to pranayama with mantra that I was taught by Ramaswami, Krishnamacharya's student of thirty plus years. Ramaswami would tend to begin with the kriya kapalabhati before moving into pranayama. One could of course replace the mantra with a worthy alternative of ones own choosing, the pater noster perhaps which would also come out at around twenty seconds.

Of late, I've tended to drop the mantra altogether after a few rounds and enjoy the stillness during the kumbhaka(s).

Ramaswami taught Japa meditation, sitting with (or mentally reciting) a short mantra. 
Any preferred approach to our Sit might be considered however but ideally perhaps working towards one pointedness.

Dandasana as Samastithi : Proficient Primary.

I hear that one of my Ashtanga heroes Chuck Miller, devotes much of his workshops to Samasitithi, 

"On the first day of practice, we stood in samstithi for what felt like hours, while Chuck told us about the importance of this word, sama, and how it had risen to the top of his yogic chart, giving a directionality to all the postures, a place to move towards. He explained, as our legs began to burn and our shoulders involuntarily hunched up only to be pulled back down by his firm reminders of maintaining samastithi, that sama, same-ness, non-separateness is the goal; that yoga is the process of waking up to the realization of non-separation. That there is no separation between the feet and the earth that they press against; the earth gives back as much as we give her. We pressed our feet and grew taller; we swayed a bit, but returned to our core using the breath. Our fingertips grew heavy towards the earth. Our sacrum broadened. He placed a deity inside our bodies, her feet on our pelvic floor, her palms pressing against the inside of our breastbones. Our collective hearts expanded, and we grew roots that connected us to our core." from HERE

I was reminded of this while in dandasana this morning, I felt as if I could stay there all day, all practice at least. Ramaswami refers to Dandasana as Samasithi for seated postures. Just as his teacher Krishnamacharya had taught him, Ramaswami suggested that we might employ many of the hand/arm movements that we had learned from him in tadasana. 

Following Krishnamacharya's early instruction we might also employ a long stay in dandasana, we might explore kumbhaka, holding the breath in after inhalation or out after exhalation. We may explore dandasana just as we might tatkamudra with a deep uddiyana bandha.

Here's Krishnamacharya from Yoga Makaranda and the dandasana before folding forward into paschimattanasana

"In the 6th vinyasa, doing puraka kumbhaka, jump and arrive at the 7th vinyasa (Dandasana). That is, from adhomukhasvanasana sthiti, jump forward and move both legs between the arms without allowing the legs to touch the floor. Extend the legs out forward and sit down. Practise sitting like this with the rear part of the body either between the two hands or 4 angulas in front of the hands. It is better to learn the abhyasa krama from a guru. In this sthiti, push the chest forward, do puraka kumbhaka and gaze steadily at the tip of the nose".

Context

"Pascimattanasana or Pascimottanasana 

This asana has many kramas. Of these the first form has 16 vinyasas. Just doing the asana sthiti by sitting in the same spot without doing these vinyasas will not yield the complete benefits mentioned in the yoga sastras. This rule applies to all asanas.

The first three vinyasas are exactly as for uttanasana. The 4th vinyasa is caturanga dandasana, the 5th vinyasa is urdhvamukhasvanasana, the 6th vinyasa is adhomukhasvanasana. Practise these following the earlier instructions. In the 6th vinyasa, doing puraka kumbhaka, jump and arrive at the 7th vinyasa. That is, from adhomukhasvanasana sthiti, jump forward and move both legs between the arms without allowing the legs to touch the floor. Extend the legs out forward and sit down. Practise sitting like this with the rear part of the body either between the two hands or 4 angulas in front of the hands. It is better to learn the abhyasa krama from a guru. In this sthiti, push the chest forward, do puraka kumbhaka and gaze steadily at the tip of the nose. After this extend both arms out towards the feet (the legs are already extended in front). Clasp the big toes of the feet tightly with the first three fingers (thumb, index, middle) of the hands such that the left hand holds the left big toe and the right hand holds the right big toe. Do not raise the knees even slightly. Then, pull in the stomach while doing recaka, lower the head and press the face down onto the knee. The knees should not rise from the ground in this sthiti either. This is the 9th vinyasa. This is called pascimottanasana." Krishnamacharya - Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934).

*

In the Proficient Primary approach to practice that I devote a page to at the top of the blog, treating asana as mudra, I would often include a deep uddiyana bandha. Recently I've been questioning bandhas more and more and include them less often, mostly in tatkamudra, dandasana and perhaps maha mudra, more out of affection and familiarity perhaps rather than anything else.

from my fb post this week on bandhas.

A year on from the series of Proficient Primary posts and I'm questioning the purpose of bandhas' more and blackberries, certainly engaged as fully as this. In a recent video demo Sharath said the 'cheat' jump back from padmasan served no purpose, then the approach Demonstrated That supposedly Engages bandhas .... though I used to practice and enjoy That same transition I can not help but ask now, what is the purpose of bandhas? Are they Merely Tantra inspired Hatha practice of no value whatsoever for 'Patanjali's' Ashtanga. Are they only of benefit Within Hatha practice, the internal muscle control That may or may not involve offering support for certain challenging asanas or extreme Pranayama techniques That Merely give yoga teachers something to teach and are, if we are honest perhaps, surplus to requirements. If we are practicing Ashtanga, then why do we allow ourselves to become distracted know. A criticism of Those Who leave Ashtanga That is Often they could not face the boredom of the same series asanas day in, day out, Are not we who stay Within Ashtanga Often guilty of the same, blackberries asanas, the next series, in new transition, ever fancier, floatier transitions, blackberries anatomy awareness than Necessary, blackberries alignment, blackberries Pranayama techniques, longer retentions, blackberries Sanskrit, blackberries .... texts, learn more chants, learn to chant the whole Yoga sutras rather than Merely do as it says and basically cultivate, or rather embrace, boredom, work on the yama / niyama of our cultures, basic asanas , nadi shodhana and Sit.

*

In the first video below, from a few years back, I offer the more gently vinyasa krama entry to dandasana. In the second video, an Ashtanga Vinyasa jump through followed by some hand arm movements in dandasana.

In the appendix I include the dandasana section from my Proficent Primary page. 

NOTE: My friend Francesca has kindly translated my Proficient Primary post into Italian here 
https://kalyavinyasa.blogspot.jp/2017/03/n-approccio-avanzato-alla-prima-serie_26.html?spref=fb

Vinyasa Krama lead in to Dandasana

Vinyasa Krama Dandasana subroutine

I jump into Dandasana four minutes in, before that there is a slow Sun salutation.

Appendix

from

Proficient Primary.

If advanced asana can be endlessly promoted through Instagram then perhaps we can also promote Primary asana and the proficiency we can explore there, in postures that most can approach. 

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/p/proficient-primary-project.html

2. Dandasana/Pascimattanasana/ Asvini Mudra

Asvini mudra locates between Dandasana and Paschimattanasana, before lowering into asana we may practice the posture as mudra. Krishnamacharya's third son T.K.Sribhashyam indicates that his father suggested practicing Kapalabhati here, 32 or 64 times. We may also practice 12 Ujjayi breaths, sama vrtti (equal) the same long slow inhalation, perhaps 8-10 seconds followed by kumbhaka (breath retention) as with the long slow exhalation and it's kumbhaka. After the exhalation we might engage uddiyana bandha more fully along with mula bandha. Jalandara bandha is engaged throughout.

As mentioned in the earlier post we might employ the default points of focus, Bhrumadhya (between the eyebrows) where the head is up or Nasagra (tip of nose) when the head is down as here with the jalandara bandha.

Mudras unite the body with the mind, internal points of focus and concentration may be employed, indeed they are recommended.

In Asvini Mudra we might shift the concentration on the inhalation from mula (perinium), to Sroni (centre of pelvis), to nabhi (navel), to hrdaya (middle of heart), to Kantha (back of throat). Focus on Bhrumadhya (between the eyebrows) on the kumbhaka after inhalation. Exhalation is always only one concentration point, here nabhi (navel).

Asvini Mudra is a recognised mudra however we might also take a 'mudra like' approach to Paschimattanasana itself. Given the deep fold, a longer exhalation is suited, kumbhaka and a deeper uddiyana bandha might be employed. On the shorter inhalation the jalandara bandha may be slightly relaxed we may even lift slightly out of the fold on the inhalation before folding back in on the next exhalation engaging jalandara fully again in time for the next kumbhaka.

Krishnamacharya suggests staying in Paschimattanasana for around ten minutes and indicates it is a key posture to be practiced daily along with its counterposture Purvotanasana.

For more on the practice of mudra and internal concentration points see T.K Sribhashyam's Emergence of Yoga.

see also this earlier post

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/2015/05/krishnamacharya-and-burmese-buddhist.html