As with all her workshops, Margot began by giving some words of wisdom. She choose this time to share insights from her latest trip to India. Margot mentioned how Geeta Iyengar emphasized how practitioners must "find out for themselves" about the asanas and how their bodies relate to them. Geetaji spoke of the need for a commitment to independent practice to nurture and deepen and understanding of their practice. Only then can the yogi move beyond the superficial gains made by going to classes and workshops and become fully emmersed in their practice.
My thoughts: I completely agree. I have had many "ah-ha!" moments while attending classes taught by the best, but the greatest stuff has come about when practicing solo. I've had the best breakthroughs about my mental limitations through my home practice, not to mention my physical challenges.
Good advice from the best of the best..
My thoughts: I completely agree. I have had many "ah-ha!" moments while attending classes taught by the best, but the greatest stuff has come about when practicing solo. I've had the best breakthroughs about my mental limitations through my home practice, not to mention my physical challenges.
Good advice from the best of the best..
Focus: Pranayama. Think poses to open the chest, collar bones, rib cage, and shoulders all in prepration for breath work. Here is the sequence with some notes on points that stood out for me.
Adho Muhka Virasana (Downward-facing Hero): Emphasis on lengthening the front of the body, not only the back. The back also needs to elongate in two directions: backwards and down towards the heels and forwards towards the shoulders. The shoullders and upper arms externally rotate towards the floor. The hands can be placed at the outter edges of the mat to help maintain this action and broaden the upper back. Elbows are kept off the floor for a more active pose.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog): Same points as in AMV. Keep the feet widder than hip width with the heels out slightly to broaden the buttocks. Keep the upper arms in the shoulder sockets
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): Same action in the feet as in AMS, broaden the buttocks; grabbing the backs of the calves or hands on the floor
Salamba Sirsasana (Headstand)
Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana - through a chair, crown of the head on a bolster
Here is what we use for a "yoga" chair:
Bharadvajasana - seated normally on a chair
Salamba Sarvangasana I and II (Supported Shoulderstand) - using a chair, bolster under the shoulders. This is an active version of the pose where you come completely off the chair with the body, i.e., no "sitting" on the seat of the chair nor are the legs supported by the back of the chair. By grabbing the back run of the chair with my palms turned up, I could externally rotate my arms more resulting in a more open chest and fronts of the shoulders.
Niralamba Sarvangasana I (Unsupported Shoulderstand) - on a chair, bolster under the shoulders, arms over the head along the floor
Lower back release - laying on the floor, shins resting on the seat of the chair, lower back supported by a bolster
Bharadvajasana - seated sideways on a chair twisting towards the back of the chair
Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellowing Breathing) - seated backwards in a chair, feet flat on the floor and pointed forward. The idea was to hold onto the back of the chair to once again open the chest, broaden through the collar bones, sit up straigh, and open the groins and hips. Use an alternate nostril fingertip placement. This type of breathing is used to clear the nasal passages without the use of say, a neti pot. It works!
Ujjayi Pranayama (Conquering Breathing) - seated backwards in a chair. Same alignment points as for Bhastrika Pranayama
* Personal note: After sitting in a chair backwards for the previous two types of pranayama, I developed knee pain. I had to work on not allowing myself to be distracted by the pain. Eventually I corrected this for myself by turning my feet ourwards so they matched the direction of my knees (pointed out from the abduction of the thighs).
Viloma Pranayama (Interrupted Breathing) - in Savasana II supported on a bolster, folded blanket under the head
Savasana (Corpse Pose) - bolster placed on thighs
Adho Muhka Virasana (Downward-facing Hero): Emphasis on lengthening the front of the body, not only the back. The back also needs to elongate in two directions: backwards and down towards the heels and forwards towards the shoulders. The shoullders and upper arms externally rotate towards the floor. The hands can be placed at the outter edges of the mat to help maintain this action and broaden the upper back. Elbows are kept off the floor for a more active pose.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog): Same points as in AMV. Keep the feet widder than hip width with the heels out slightly to broaden the buttocks. Keep the upper arms in the shoulder sockets
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): Same action in the feet as in AMS, broaden the buttocks; grabbing the backs of the calves or hands on the floor
Salamba Sirsasana (Headstand)
Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana - through a chair, crown of the head on a bolster
Here is what we use for a "yoga" chair:
Bharadvajasana - seated normally on a chair
Salamba Sarvangasana I and II (Supported Shoulderstand) - using a chair, bolster under the shoulders. This is an active version of the pose where you come completely off the chair with the body, i.e., no "sitting" on the seat of the chair nor are the legs supported by the back of the chair. By grabbing the back run of the chair with my palms turned up, I could externally rotate my arms more resulting in a more open chest and fronts of the shoulders.
Niralamba Sarvangasana I (Unsupported Shoulderstand) - on a chair, bolster under the shoulders, arms over the head along the floor
Lower back release - laying on the floor, shins resting on the seat of the chair, lower back supported by a bolster
Bharadvajasana - seated sideways on a chair twisting towards the back of the chair
Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellowing Breathing) - seated backwards in a chair, feet flat on the floor and pointed forward. The idea was to hold onto the back of the chair to once again open the chest, broaden through the collar bones, sit up straigh, and open the groins and hips. Use an alternate nostril fingertip placement. This type of breathing is used to clear the nasal passages without the use of say, a neti pot. It works!
Ujjayi Pranayama (Conquering Breathing) - seated backwards in a chair. Same alignment points as for Bhastrika Pranayama
* Personal note: After sitting in a chair backwards for the previous two types of pranayama, I developed knee pain. I had to work on not allowing myself to be distracted by the pain. Eventually I corrected this for myself by turning my feet ourwards so they matched the direction of my knees (pointed out from the abduction of the thighs).
Viloma Pranayama (Interrupted Breathing) - in Savasana II supported on a bolster, folded blanket under the head
Savasana (Corpse Pose) - bolster placed on thighs
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