Vinyasas...and how to enjoy practicing |
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‘When performed with intelligence...’, I’ve just written. What do I mean? Well—the first thing to say is that the understanding of vinyasas as a ‘traditional’ aspect of the practice is shrouded in confusion. These days, it tends to be said that the ‘traditional’ method requires a fixed number of dozens of vinyasas in the seated postures of the primary series, the series that most of us spend most of our time practicing. In fact, testimony from some of the first Western students of Ashtanga, describing their experience of learning the system in the 1970s and 1980s, tells us that in those days there many fewer vinyasas in the primary series. Not only were vinyasas notperformed between the two sides of postures like Janusirsasana, it was the case that vinyasas were only practiced between groups of postures. So: one vinyasa between the Janusirsasana series and the Marichyasana series, and none at all between the postures of these series!
What does this tell us?
Secondly, it tells us that the idea of tradition in Ashtanga is a myth, at least if by ‘tradition’ we mean a certain form and sequence that is supposed to have existed unchanged for generations (and, in some accounts, for centuries). Actually, the form of the practice has constantly been changing and developing, and several postures now routinely practiced as part of primary series were not originally there at all. My own theory is that the increasing popularity of Ashtanga, and the growing number of visitors to his school in Mysore, meant that K. Pattabhi Jois added extra vinyasas in order to give students something to do when he couldn’t give them the intensive individual attention that is supposed to be a feature of Mysore self-practice.
To develop an awareness of what you are trying to achieve, and to practice knowing how to achieve it, is the goal of the Ashtanga Yoga Investigations series of classes. And if it seems from what I’ve written above that this first class in the series will feature only one or two vinyasas... well, that’s not the case! But be warned—the ability to practice vinyasa with awareness and enjoyment starts with planks and chaturanga dandasana... and there will be lots of those!
Ashtanga Yoga Investigations is a series of masterclasses devoted to different aspects of the Ashtanga practice, particularly in relation to ‘Mysore’ self-practice, though the classes will be useful for everyone. Each session will feature a little history and theory as well as practical instruction, and all sessions will finish with a discussion of how to integrate what you’ve learned into your individual practice.
Following the first session this Friday (22 November), the next session in January will be devoted to the practice as a ‘moving mediation’, and will deal with how to create and enjoy an ‘internal’ and focussed quality in your Ashtanga practice.
Alan O'Leary
Alan O’Leary is Professor of Film and Cultural Studies at University of Leeds.
He has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for twenty years and trained as a teacher with Brian Cooper of Union Yoga. He has studied with many respected teachers, including Lino Miele, Richard Freeman, John Scott and Joey Miles and he visited Mysore in 2003 to study with the late Pattabhi Jois, the founder of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system. He is currently teaching Mysore classes in Aarhus at Ashtanga Yoga Shala while Marie is on maternity leave.
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Jeg begyndte at skrive om yoga (og mine andre discipliner dans og Life Coaching) i 2013. De fleste af mine indlæg mellem 2013-2018 ligger stadig på min danse-hjemmeside her
Jeg skriver på engelsk for sådan startede jeg min blog og det giver også en bredere appel. Jeg håber du vil finde noget interessant og inspirerende læsning og jeg hører gerne dine kommentarer.
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