In Vancouver we're still waiting for a glorious sunrise like this one, in Scottsdale, AZ
Today was the third day of summer Sadhana, and the first time we’ve come back to repeat a practice, albeit with some changes.
In fact, it was amazing to see what a difference it makes to add a few standing poses and Supta Padangusthasana 1 and 2 to the practice.
By the time we started the back bends it was 7:40 a.m.
Subtract a minimum of five minutes for Savasana, and you don’t have a lot of time for backbends and twists. So we worked only with Salabhasana (locust pose) and Dhanurasana (bow pose) and stayed with them longer.
Tomorrow it’s the second pass at the day of shoulder stand variations and forward bends. It’s all the same program up to Marichyasana I, but on Thursdays, the forward bends give way to twists and supine poses.
It’s bound to be interesting.
Something I wish I’d been noting sooner:
It’s been my practice for some time now to read from the Yoga Sutras at the end of Savasana.
First we settle, then we rest, then we come half way out of Savasana to hear the day’s text.
We started on Monday with the definition of yoga in first four verses of the first chapter, Samadhi Pada: yoga is the stilling of the patterns of consciousness.
Tuesday the reading was I.12 to 16, on practice (abhyasa) and dispassion (vairagya), the two essential polarities of yoga.
Wednesday it was I:30 and 33, on the obstacles to stilling consciousness, and how consciousness settles when one radiates friendliness, compassion, joy and equanimity.
On Thursday, we’ll start the second chapter of the Sutras, with Sadhana Pada 1,2.
These verses list the three components of yoga, discipline, self-study, and orientation to the ideal of pure awareness, and its purpose, to disarm the causes of suffering and achieve integration.
I’ve been reading from the translation by Chip Hartranft. There are at least 50 English translations currently in print. They all follow the same numbering system.
Day 4: Thursday
(Poses in brackets are for more experienced practitioners.)
Sitting/ Invocation 5 to 10 minutes
Child’s pose 1 minute
Dog pose 2 minutes
Arm balance (or preparations) 3 – 5 minutes
Headstand (or preparations) 3 – 5 minutes
Sarvangasana, (shoulder stand) 5 minutes
Halasana (plow pose) 2 minutes
Karnipidasana 1 minute
Supta Konasana 1 minute
(Parsva Halasana) 1 minute per side
Eka pada Sarvangasana 1 minute
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (with brick beneath sacrum) 3 to 5 minutes
Abdominal poses:
hold 20 seconds, building to 30 seconds, repeat
Urdhava Prasarita Padasana 1-2 minutes
Jathara Parivartanasana 1-2 minutes
Seated Forward Bends 1 minute each side
Janu Sirsasana
(Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana )
Triang Mukhaikapada Pascimottanasana
Marichiyasana I
Paschimottanasana
Twists: 1 minute each side
Bharadvajasana 1
Bharadvajasana 2
Marichyasana 3
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Supine poses
Supta Virasana
Supta Baddhakonasana
(Matsyasana)
Savasana
Photo courtesy of Dru Bloomfield, via Flickr.
