It can be a bit daunting and definitely tricky to jump and land on your arms for postures like Bhujapidasana. I seek out the help of Matthew Sweeney to shed some light on the subject. He also nicely breaks down the breath and the vinyasa.
I for the life of me haven’t been able to get one leg going one way and the other going the opposite way in mid air. Perhaps with the tips from Matthew Sweeney that might change.
If you can exit out of some of the arm balancing postures in a nice smooth fashion it can add a quality of lightness to the practice. In this mini workshop Matthew Sweeney give some useful advice.
Pashasana is the first posture of the Ashtanga Intermediate series and can be quite a challenge. What to focus on bind or heels down? Matthew Sweeney has some useful tips and even talks about the transition out of it.
The following article is an expansion of a number of philosophical discourses that I make in workshops and courses. I have also included supporting information on specific master teachers relevant to the different forms of Yoga philosophy that I am discussing. My purpose is to encourage students to follow these links, and as inspiration strikes to put these subtle aspects of Yoga into practice
The following article is asking you to view the word “feeling” in a new light. The aim is to push you to see beyond a limited view of spiritual practice, and to feel, as best you can, what I am writing.
What does it mean to be holistic in terms of practicing (or teaching) Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga? Holistic means whole, or even part of a whole, and implies completion, integration and oneness.
The classical (historical) definition of MB, as I understand it, goes something like this: The practice of Mula Bandha directly causes the awakening of the 3 1/2 coils of the serpent Kundalini, initially dormant at the Muladhara Chakra, which unravels its knots (3 and 1/2 coils representing the three Granthi and one last twist representing sublimation that lies beyond the three representations of the Guna), piercing the tailbone, up the golden thread of the Sushumna Nadi to the Manipura Chakra. If this occurs during an Asana class then I am surprised!
I finally caught up with Matthew Sweeney again. this time in Bali. In this interview we get to talk about what it means to have a therapeutic practice, his moon sequence, teacher qualities, observation of moon days, bandhas and more.
Although Yoga, meditation and self inquiry are gaining popularity worldwide, these are still relatively new concepts for many people. How we define these concepts and the clarity with which we pursue them is of great interest to me. I am using the following definitions to shine a light on how adherence to a tradition can either help or hinder your practice of Yoga. It might be useful to note how you personally respond to these definitions and to recognise any conditioning you may have about them.