tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90520096092060471922024-03-19T09:11:43.642+05:30Diary of an Ashtangi - Ashtanga Yoga BlogAshtanga yoga Blog - This Diary is all about my personal practice of the Ashtanga Yoga. Practice, practice, practice and it all comes. I want to know what comes after, the only way to discover it, is by having a regular practice.
As of April 10th, 2016 I have decided to dedicate my asana practice to the Primary Series of the Ashtanga. Here are my insights, my up and down, my best and worst. - Namaste -La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-22178750933752020292019-05-01T12:44:00.000+05:302019-05-01T12:44:48.636+05:30Practice at Ashtanga Yoga Bangkok CenterI am always very shy when I start practicing in a new shala.<br />
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Even though everyone is practicing at their own pace, when you have to unfold your mat in between two practitioners, there is that particular moment during which you'll ask yourself "Do I have the right to be there?"..... the answer is yes absolutely!<br />
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When you enter a new shala, you will have to follow the rules that are in this place. I have seen some students being stopped for their first time, even thought their teacher don't tell them. Teaching might changed from one shala to another.<br />
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Some teacher will give you a lot of postures, that is what happened to me when I was in Greece, while other won't give you anything at all.<br />
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It is important to keep an open mind.<br />
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As for me, I did my "come back" this morning.<br />
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After 4 days of half practice due to my elbow <em>injury</em>, this morning was surprisedly over all expectations.<br />
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Boonchu Tantikarum (Level 2 authorised teacher) came on my mat while I was preparing the drop back.<br />
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I directly told him I was not really thinking of doing them, and explain him how last week I hurt my elbow while dropping back. As a conclusion I told him I was scared to do it again.<br />
He looked at me and asked "<em>Can you come back up from it?</em>", I told him "<em>No</em>". Then he said "<em>We'll start from here, go in Urdhva Danurasana</em>".<br />
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<a href="https://xandrayoga.com/?attachment_id=6248" rel="attachment wp-att-6248"><img alt="thailand ashtanga" class="wp-image-6248 aligncenter" height="255" src="https://xandrayoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/bkk.png" width="260" /></a></div>
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I laughed. In my perfect world, of course I want to be able to come back up first and then drop back like nothing. But the reality is totally different.<br />
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I told him: "<em>Well, it's not gonna happen</em>"....... on what he replied "<em>Just give a try</em>".<br />
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From my mat, I came into urdhva Danurasana. He then told me to swing front and back and at the third time to come back up. He placed his hands right behind the thighs, without really touching them, but with a fraction of movement pulling me forward gently, I came back without any problem.<br />
"<em>See, its possible.... do it again"...</em><br />
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Came back in Urdhva Danurasana. This time he said "<em>You will swing front and back four times, then on the fifth one you come back up</em>". I did four swings front and back, and then from the fifth one I stood up.... I laughed and said "<em>yeah, you did help me, I felt your hands behind my legs</em>", he replied "<em>they were just there, but not doing anything</em>"....<br />
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For the third time he looked at me "<em>This time you'll swing and at one point, I won't tell you when, I might help you to come up. Let's play that game</em>"...<br />
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I came back up from the second swing. On my way up I was really on my own, feeling the all body working, stretching, pulling, breathing, organically coming from the inside like I never ever felt before.<br />
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He looked at me and said "<em>Do it again</em>". I've done it six to seven times.<br />
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Then he said "<em>Tomorrow will practice again, that's it for today</em>".<br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Mental blocks are also physical (most of the time they are)</strong></span><br />
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I know it, I do believe it, still I am not capable of integrating it into my day to day life.<br />
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Last week, when I thought my left elbow was completely gone because it did not unfold while dropping back, instead of telling me "<em>I think you should stop practicing for a while</em>", Iain told me "<em>Come back tomorrow morning for the led class, and I will tell you how to practice</em>".<br />
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Today when I said to Boonchu, I can't do drop back because of my left elbow, he did not even look at it. He said "<em>your mental is playing with you</em>".<br />
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Therefore I came back reading Iain's blog. Where he really talked about it : <a href="http://spaciousyoga.com/a-systems-thinking-perspective-on-the-resolution-of-pain-in-ashtanga-yoga-practice/">Iain Grysak blog</a>.<br />
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I won't be lying by saying that my practices are having a direct influence, impact toward my thought, my desire, my goals, my personal development. By claiming that, some people can think it is putting too much pressure into the practice. However it is the truth.<br />
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Trupta is the first to say, when I am not practicing, I am unbearable.<br />
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Last month, one student asked me my recommendation after the course.<br />
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Was it to take a couple of days off, or should the practice go on?<br />
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At first I did not really understood the question, why would you want to stop practicing while this month was all about to learn how to practice on your own, to develop a personal practice, and to become fully autonomous.<br />
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One month of practice is nothing, barely the body start understanding the process of movement, why would you like to stop in order to give a break? I told her, better to continue, it was just the beginning of it.<br />
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That is inaction, the fact of not doing anything that kill the body and the mind.<br />
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Four weeks of practice is substantial but technically there is nothing extraordinary to it. Once you understand it takes at least twelve months, of a regular practice, for the body to integrate one asana, the breathing, the placement and start being comfortable into the pose.<br />
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I would add four weeks of practice <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">is just the appetiser</span> and the road is still very long.<br />
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Is the pianist stop performing scales after a month of it? I don't think so. Only the practice can improve the ability and the understanding of what and why we are doing it.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>The connection between the Teacher and the student</strong></span><br />
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In the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice, this connection is pretty strong.<br />
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The first time I practiced with Iain, I came with all my ego and more of it. Harder was the downfall.<br />
I first got sick, then pissed off. Second time, I fully gave up myself, and relied on him, whatever he said, asked to do, I was willing to do it. Since then, I won't ever judge, discuss anything he will say to me, I will just do.<br />
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All teachers I am meeting are very important to me. They all bring new perspectives on my personal practice as well on my personal development.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Being able to connect to the Inner "me"</strong></span><br />
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Unfortunately I can't really talk about it. I would love to be fully connected and in accordance of what I think, do, talk, desire. However it is not happening yet.<br />
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I said things but when it is time to apply in my day today life, I do the contrary because I am still scared of what I am capable of doing.<br />
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However, I do believe Yoga is a tool to it.<br />
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Never give up, keep practicing.<br />
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Namaste,La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Bangkok, Thailand13.7563309 100.5017651000000613.2627269 99.856318100000053 14.2499349 101.14721210000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-63280547594253531982019-03-06T14:49:00.000+05:302019-03-06T14:49:40.648+05:30Ashtanga Asian TourThe life I have chosen is a free one.<br />
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I do not have a "home", a monthly rent to pay, a loan, therefore I do not have any official address. My company has a domiciliation at my accountant office.<br />
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I am spending more than half a year in Asia, travelling to India, Thailand, Bali and when time comes I go back to France for a couple of months.<br />
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This year I will be travelling to Bangkok where I will be practicing at Ashtanga Yoga Bangkok for 2 weeks, before flying to Nepal where I will be attending Mark Robberds and Deepika Mehta Ashtanga Retreat.<br />
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Then from Nepal, I took the decision to travel to Hanoï, never been to Vietnam and always wanted to travel there.<br />
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I have found an Ashtanga Yoga Studio, it is a small community, but the teacher does not seem to be authorized. And you know what, even though I would have prefer, I think it really does not matter after all.<br />
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The importance is about the practice and the dedication toward it.<br />
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By the end of 2018 I turned 45 years old, and I am still amaze by what my body can do.<br />
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November and December practices have been quite challenging. Left shoulder was deadly painful, I had the feeling that the pectoralis was stuck somewhere not in the right place. Then the right shoulder start doing weird thing as well...... I was filming a small tutorial for my IG account about Supta Kurmasana, and right after it my right shoulder start hurting....<br />
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What a bad idea to film your practice AFTER the practice !<br />
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The feeling I have is that my collar bone seemed to be stuck somewhere..... I have lost part of flexibility for twisting in Marichyasana D for instance, still I can bind, but the twist is definitely not the same I used to have....<br />
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While in Goa I am practicing on my own, at my own pace, sometimes I just don't practice at all for 2 or 3 days, instead I go for a one hour swim. I used to be a swimmer before Ashtanga. So going back to crawl was really hard at the beginning, because of the shoulder pain, but in the end it did good to my scapular belt.<br />
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Now the flexibility in my body is just something I was not expected at all..... very very very soft and flexible.<br />
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I will be documenting my Nepal practice.<br />
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I have stopped writing about it, because my practice was reaching a point of no return. And I did not understand what was going on.<br />
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But now, I feel something is about to come, in my all body and therefore my mind.<br />
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I also have started Bakthi Yoga, and this definitely change a lot of my perspectives.<br />
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Be happy !<br />
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- Namaste -La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Goa, India15.2993265 74.12399600000003414.319374499999999 72.833102500000038 16.2792785 75.414889500000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-66205800892638100482018-12-20T05:42:00.001+05:302018-12-20T16:23:54.963+05:30New Blog Xandra YogaNew articles are now published on my website : <a href="https://xandrayoga.com/xandra-yoga-blog/?lang=en">Xandrayoga.com</a><br />
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I am still pursuing my yoga path, by practicing daily Ashtanga Yoga.<br />
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Right now in Ubud with Iain Grysak.<br />
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Then before travelling to Nepal for practicing with Mark Robberds I will stop by Ashtanga Yoga in Bangkok.<br />
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And hopefully, when registrations will be open for 2020 I am hoping to visit Mysore again.<br />
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Through the practice I am still learning a lot, mostly about myself.<br />
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It is funny to realise how much the way we are in our daily life is reflecting on the way we are on our yoga mat.<br />
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In a couple of days I am turning 45 years old.<br />
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20 years of yoga practice, and almost 3 years of full dedication toward the Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa.<br />
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I feel younger.<br />
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My body is stronger, almost aligned and I am getting a clarity of mind that I would never ever imagined.<br />
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My "goal" is not anymore about being capable of backbending and grabbing my ankles, or chasing new asanas.<br />
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Slowly but surely I am walking toward a meeting point with myself, the real me.<br />
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I am about to understand the woman I am....<br />
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And it is priceless.<br />
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Namaste,<br />
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<br />La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-79765456403409442432018-11-14T12:27:00.000+05:302018-11-14T12:27:24.744+05:30Miracle morning - the practice is back.....Miracle of the body, the practice, the mind.....<br />
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This morning Marichyasana D, both side = done,<br />
Supta Kurmasana = done.<br />
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I have absolutely no explanations about it.<br />
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After 5 days (one led class, one day off, 4 Mysore), it seems that my body is responded well.<br />
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Yesterday I read an article that <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iain.grysak" target="_blank">Iain posted in his facebook</a> page :<br />
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"<span style="font-family: inherit;">More than once, I have heard people comment that the fact that I can perform certain asanas or movements well is simply due to the fact that I am "gifted with good genes". If only those people could begin to grasp the staggering number of hours that I have spent alone, in the dark, training those movements to take root in my body and nerves.</span><br />
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Scientific tests were performed on Reinhold Messner to determine whether he had some kind of innate abnormal physiology which allowed h<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">im perform the feats of mountaineering that he accomplished (he was the first to summit Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen). Alex Honnold, the legendary rock climber who scaled the 3000 foot El Capitan without a rope (which has been referred to as "one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, ever") was also subjected to brain scans to determine whether he lacked an average level of fear response to threatening situations.</span></div>
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These are only a few select examples of the unfortunate illusion that the paradigm of genetic reductionism has on the general public's perception of what is and isn't possible for a human being to change about themselves through lifestyle and focused and determined long term training.</div>
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I hold a degree in Biology and Psychology and did my undergraduate thesis on molecular evolution. More importantly, in the 20 years since then I have lived an experiential life, experimenting on myself and on others with just what is possible to change about oneself through determined cultivation of habit and lifestyle.</div>
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Genes are only one small factor in the greater system of who and what each living being is. Our choices and habits in life have a much greater effect on the sphere of who and what we are, than the base pair sequences of dna contained in our cells does. We all have the power to be the best we can possibly be, both individually and collectively."</div>
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It really resonates in me "We all have the power to be the best we can possibly be"......</div>
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Honestly speaking, when I woke up this morning, I was not in a fighting mode, but more with the feeling of being able to do whatever I wanted.</div>
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And it worked. I stop thinking my practice, I just practiced it.</div>
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Namaste,</div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia-8.5068536 115.26247779999994-8.569671099999999 115.18179679999994 -8.4440361 115.34315879999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-13301157816919375572018-11-13T13:39:00.003+05:302018-11-13T13:39:52.131+05:30Ashtanga yoga loosing the practice<b>Is it possible to loose the practice, completely?</b><br />
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My body is different.<br />
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I don't recognise it.<br />
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How can it have changed so much is such a short time?<br />
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It takes so much time and commitment to build a practice, but as soon as you stop the daily practice, it is finished... how is it possible???<br />
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Here is my Marichyasana D from April 2018 :<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVe6OIKYwEBmKfZAqaCYKUdwVHsqUsibGViWKngSgOwa1ouUEbalt894nWplQQ7Dpab4HQoe-c_as-fQ1WH_Z2hVVdWUWxk7-aZSSZAJo1M-hLVHnGg1jmjx2QCb-Cu5eAt2NMDlXV0EH/s1600/MarichyasanaD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1092" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVe6OIKYwEBmKfZAqaCYKUdwVHsqUsibGViWKngSgOwa1ouUEbalt894nWplQQ7Dpab4HQoe-c_as-fQ1WH_Z2hVVdWUWxk7-aZSSZAJo1M-hLVHnGg1jmjx2QCb-Cu5eAt2NMDlXV0EH/s320/MarichyasanaD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At that time I was able to twist and to grab the wrist.<br />
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Then from September to October I kind of stop the practice on a daily basis. Honestly speaking I did practice maybe 6 times on the last 2 months, other than that I was practicing my own flow, doing whatever felt good for me.<br />
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Now that I am coming back to my daily Mysore practice, I have lost Marichyasana D on the right side..... the left side was difficult to twist thought...... AND of the top of it, I have lost Supta Kurmasana....<br />
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Not to mention that Janu Shirshasana C on the left side is not possible anymore.<br />
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Hopefully my body will react on a positive way, at one point I can not regress more in my practice, or can I?<br />
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Will see tomorrow morning.....<br />
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Namaste,La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-72407112906106501662018-11-10T09:54:00.000+05:302018-11-10T09:54:13.646+05:30Ashtanga Yoga Ubud - The Seeds of Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
So happy to be back on my mat. After 6 months in Europe I kind of lost my practice.</div>
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The practice in Greece was great with Kristina Karitinou but since September I had problems going back on the mat.</div>
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I realised that my body was meant to practice under tropical weather. Whatever we said, practicing Ashtanga Yoga with a humid and hot weather is definitely the best thing to do. </div>
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The body response is completely different, the sweat is there and muscles are very happy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSdE8nXzm2KUSgt9ev1yNLK8rFgdYVev00PTq6-ox3I6B_iOSnTXQTEN1AFUYN06bcwGP17Lu4qm49ZVyShXP34NxzPnmhfBjJK6FgQen48COWVpbW2ae9t4gTyjKJeG8sRyr-tKbvD7d/s1600/IMG_8149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSdE8nXzm2KUSgt9ev1yNLK8rFgdYVev00PTq6-ox3I6B_iOSnTXQTEN1AFUYN06bcwGP17Lu4qm49ZVyShXP34NxzPnmhfBjJK6FgQen48COWVpbW2ae9t4gTyjKJeG8sRyr-tKbvD7d/s320/IMG_8149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course I am back to practice under the guidance of Iain Grysak. I have to admit yesterday when I joined the led class I was slightly ashamed as my body has changed since last time I was there.</div>
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I gained 4 kilos, all on my hips, therefore I can not bind anymore in Supta Kurmasana. Yes size makes the difference.</div>
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When hips are wider is it way more difficult to bind, that is so obvious.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uNf-qspOR8OhpIYY5tlPK3RI7yLT3wuJBkCd7u3sUw2s86xqRsbfpTkhUtjIzlPqKvyjeSxa6jBF6XW9_FMol0s40sH8zdvTEmEWGiFjZVmwnTvqN_rMHDHsx5CPF-nohLw2WVh761SW/s1600/IMG_8150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uNf-qspOR8OhpIYY5tlPK3RI7yLT3wuJBkCd7u3sUw2s86xqRsbfpTkhUtjIzlPqKvyjeSxa6jBF6XW9_FMol0s40sH8zdvTEmEWGiFjZVmwnTvqN_rMHDHsx5CPF-nohLw2WVh761SW/s320/IMG_8150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Outside of it, I found more and more important to commit to the practice with one teacher and only one.</div>
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Lately I have been practicing with different teachers, with all respect to them, they did not have that much of knowledge or maybe it was not suitable for me.</div>
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In France there is not a lot of good teachers, to my personal opinion. And the practice is so different, atmosphere is different as well.</div>
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I have received an awful adjustment from a teacher, which wake up my sit bone pain. It was so bad that I could not practice anything for at least 3 weeks.</div>
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When you start practicing with one teacher, and you talked to him, then he will understand what are your possibilities and will notice good days from bad days.</div>
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We can not have the same practice daily, some days are harder than others, and that is the problem I encountered while in Europe. </div>
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The teacher wanted my left leg fully lengthen while I could not, then he did not understand that usually I do, but not this time. So he came and force me to use the full capacity of my left leg, which was already in pain. I did not stay quiet, I talked to him but it seems that he did not get my point.</div>
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For instance, I know that I won't have that problem with Iain. </div>
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So as they say "One teacher, one student". At the beginning I did not like the idea and the more I am practicing the more I understand that point.</div>
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Have a good practice!</div>
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">Namaste,</span></i></div>
La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-56832344446296276602018-06-10T13:58:00.000+05:302018-06-10T13:58:48.890+05:30Ashtanga Yoga CrèteI am still doing my world wide tour of Ashtanga ;-)<br />
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I travelled to Greece only to practice with <a href="http://www.yogapractice.gr/" target="_blank">Kristina Karitinou</a>. This morning was the opening of the season and I was the only one student!<br />
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It was such a privilege to practice alone under her guidance.<br />
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My breathing was not that good, especially I always found it very hard during the Suraya Namaskara B, when inhaling going to Virabhadrasana I, most of the time I am out of breathe. But when you are the only one in the shala there is no way to hide, therefore I tried my level best to extend all breathe but was not fully successful.<br />
<br />
She gave me a lot of tips, such as when going in Adho Mukha, instead of looking right away to my navel, taking an extra breath by looking forward to extend it and then exhaling toward the navel. It was nice.<br />
<br />
Also while bending the knee she explains, each time I am bending my knee to janu shirshasana for instance, when I place the foot it should be on inhalation and while bending the knee should be done on exhalation. Easy on the paper, but thinking of doing it for all janu series and marichyasana series was not that easy.<br />
<br />
She explained that when we bend the knee on the inhalation we are blocking it, therefore we hurt our knee, as while you exhale it is releasing all tensions that might rise toward the joint.<br />
<br />
Adding extra breathing was not that easy but highly beneficial, all my movement were connecting through a proper breathing, which I should have done before because I knew it, but to be honest I am not doing it properly. So having special attention to it was really helpful but keeping the focus was really hard.<br />
<br />
I will be in Greece until July 10th.... and will probably come back on September.<br />
<br />
Very happy to follow the Ashtanga Yoga Path, each time I am digging it that path, each time I realise that I don't know anything.... it is always a reboot, no place for ego...<br />
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Have a good practice !<br />
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- Namaste -La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Rethimno 741 00, Greece35.3643615 24.48215519999996635.312566000000004 24.401474199999967 35.416157 24.562836199999964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-32922376637392388332018-04-19T15:25:00.000+05:302018-04-19T15:25:19.818+05:30Practice with Damien de Bastier and Andréa<div style="text-align: justify;">
I left Ubud for Canggu. We are conducting with Trupta a Yoga Retreat at Samadi Bali, therefore I took advantage of being there to practice with Damien and Andréa.</div>
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The Mysore Classes are not fully packed, which is really enjoyable, Damien was there for the first week then Andréa is now taking it.</div>
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I never practiced with a woman Ashtangi before, and she is absolutely wonderful. I love her adjustments in Marychasana D, the way she is pressing her foot on mine to make my spine twisted slightly deeper is just amazing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GplAcmV3OiaW2goUrBz3mDlyq1KUWrR8dVdhcdj5MvAFvkbTCG_2JJ8Zc-NmHNiqToI6b66MGOtHhTur9E9ubcp4WdPp0gxbzfJPTH5DeZL1sbleDoDQcCnaAWirD002YVu0VtdsHQ8_/s1600/damienandrea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GplAcmV3OiaW2goUrBz3mDlyq1KUWrR8dVdhcdj5MvAFvkbTCG_2JJ8Zc-NmHNiqToI6b66MGOtHhTur9E9ubcp4WdPp0gxbzfJPTH5DeZL1sbleDoDQcCnaAWirD002YVu0VtdsHQ8_/s320/damienandrea.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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I did work my backbend with Damien, a different approach from Ian and Steven, therefore I am learning a lot, and specially I understood that my legs were too weak.</div>
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Right now I stopped the drop back and work in depth the backbend from my mat, getting closer to my feet day by day.</div>
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The jump back from Bakasana to Chaturanga came back, I was happy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My jump front are really really improving, actually I can do it easily without touching the mat, uncrossing my leg directly to Dandasana with the tiny lift before bringing my sitbone on the mat. I would never imagine that one day I would have done it, but yes !</div>
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However jump back from sitting pose are still in process.</div>
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Mark Robberds and Deepika are coming from time to time for their practices. It was nice to see them and awesome to have Mark practicing next to me. From Mark I am still learning how to jump back using Lolasana, one day I did one successfully however this day never happened again.</div>
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Ashtanga Yoga Practice is definitely a path, a full dedication, progress is coming in and out.... the all idea is to accept both way. One day it will be great, the next day it will not.</div>
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Once you accept it, then you can move forward easily wether in your practice or even with yourself.</div>
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The relationship between the practitioner and the yoga mat and the practice is always in evolution, we think we know while we don't and finally we acknowledge fully that we do not know anything ;-)</div>
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Enjoy your practice !</div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Canggu, North Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia-8.6478175 115.13851920000002-8.7106115 115.05783820000002 -8.5850235 115.21920020000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-57865413833609675002018-03-11T08:16:00.000+05:302018-03-11T08:25:28.339+05:30Interview with Iain Grysak - Ashtanga Yoga UbudThe first time I practiced with Iain Grysak was on February 2017. I attended the immersion Ashtanga Pranayama Course.<br />
<br />
I was reading his articles since 2015. The first article I read was <a href="http://spaciousyoga.com/new-chapter-reflections-mysore-6-weeks/" target="_blank">Reflections on Mysore 6 Weeks</a>. I become instantly hooked to his writing.<br />
<br />
2016 is the year I really jumped into the Ashtanga Yoga Method. I practiced with Ramesh from BNS Iyengar, John Scott, Sarawasthi and Sharat on the same year. It was easy for me as I was living in Srirangnapatna at that time.<br />
<br />
On June 2016 I met Marie and David, students of Iain. They both told me: "In Ubud there is one Ashtangi, his name is Iain and you should go and practice with him".<br />
<br />
On November 2016 while waiting on the bench facing the main shala entry for Sharat Conference I saw Iain outside of the crowed patiently waiting while others people where ready to kill to be first entering into the main shala.<br />
<br />
Exactly the day before I was on his website wondering should I register for his immersion course. And then he was there right in front of me. I took it as a sign.<br />
<br />
So here it is, "my" interview with Iain Grysak.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZb6DnhCohHBxSU2mDfLlLn25iau9z8hWr7WDev3j8lEYTds08DK4qVIw4B4EMC6fFAnYuRnfKNwPpiDmqJeldbzWhIz6usDjvOdWtgK0jNVWwQdkzqfJzxOAEqdgYy09AL-R3uu4WAs3/s1600/iain+grysak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZb6DnhCohHBxSU2mDfLlLn25iau9z8hWr7WDev3j8lEYTds08DK4qVIw4B4EMC6fFAnYuRnfKNwPpiDmqJeldbzWhIz6usDjvOdWtgK0jNVWwQdkzqfJzxOAEqdgYy09AL-R3uu4WAs3/s400/iain+grysak.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) Photo Credit: <a href="http://spaciousyoga.com/" target="_blank">Iain Grysak</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Enjoy the reading!<br />
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***</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;">1. The discipline of the Ashtanga Yoga practice
really help</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;">s</span></b></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b> me to manage OCD issues. Why does this particular
practice "heal" the body and the human being?</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The Ashtanga practice is a powerful tool. Like any powerful tool, it can
be used for good or for harm. It truly depends on how we use it. It would be
wrong to expect that simply by performing these sequences of asana and
breathing, that we will automatically obtain healthy or healing results. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The
asana and breathing sequences must also be practiced with the right intention
and awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I feel that if we are using the practice as a vehicle for bringing about
improved relationship and clearer communication between the conscious mind and
the feeling body, then we are going to obtain good results in the long term.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Much of our lack of wellness in the modern world – both on the individual level
and the planetary level – has its origins in the disconnection between the
moment to moment awareness of the conscious mind and the experiential reality
of the feeling body. </span></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>We have become lost in the world of disembodied human
abstraction and our actions and decisions increasingly ignore the felt reality
of our biological human organism as well as that of the planetary organism.</i></span></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">If we practice with the intention of allowing ourselves to engage with
the experience of the feeling body, we soon encounter many of our habitual
patterns of reaction within the feeling body. Everything we are is actually
contained within this quality of embodied feeling. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">If we can simply give space
for these aspects of who and what we are to express themselves in the practice
- without diving in and deepening them, nor running away from and avoiding them
– then we open up the possibility of authentic and sustainable personal
transformation. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">This is not an easy process, but those who practice this as a
long term process will almost certainly experience positive self-transformation
and healing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Unfortunately, it can also happen that we use the practice as a
destructive tool. This happens when we use the practice as a way to deepen or
strengthen our habitual patterns of reaction.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">When the practice brings up these
aspects of ourselves, we can fall into the habitual grooves of reaction while
we are practicing. One who practices in this way as a long term process can
become a dangerous person, and the many public cases of teachers who have
abused their students are examples of this.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>2. While practicing sometimes we are
"winning" one posture and after a couple of months of regular
practice we are "loosing" it. Have you ever experienced it?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>This is a natural aspect of the long
term dynamics of the restructuring process of the practice.</i></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Our beings are held
in a stable, but malleable state of balance. This applies to all levels of our
being – physical, emotional, energetic, psychological, etc. The postures and
sequences of the practice are daily inputs which shift and change the tensions
patterns which hold us in this stable state. As we continue to practice long
term, the effect of the inputs of the practice on the tension patters of our
being percolate deeper and deeper and the very structure of our being changes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">If we make a “breakthrough” and
attain a bind, or some form of completion in a difficult posture, this
represents the culmination of a shifting in the internal tension patters.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">For
some time we might continue to be able to perform this action in our practice,
but eventually the system shifts again, possibly due to accommodating another
form of movement we are working on, or perhaps just due to a phase in the
process of deeper integration.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Then, we can lose the ability to perform that
action. This is usually a temporary phase. It can last anywhere from a day to a
year or more. In nearly all cases, the ability to perform this action will
eventually come back with regular long term practice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">It is important to understand that
there is no permanence inside. Practice should give us an experiential
understanding of this phenomena of constant internal change and flux. We can
then cultivate less attachment to certain internal states which we might judge
as being favourable.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Every moment there are so many influences which our being
is responding to and shifting to accommodate. We are stable, yet we are also
fluid and constantly changing.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Learning to accept this dynamic of eternal flux
and shift with grace and stability is one of the deeper lessons we should glean
from long term practice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I have written more about this in the
following article: <a href="http://spaciousyoga.com/a-systems-thinking-perspective-on-the-resolution-of-pain-in-ashtanga-yoga-practice/">http://spaciousyoga.com/a-systems-thinking-perspective-on-the-resolution-of-pain-in-ashtanga-yoga-practice/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">3. Is it the normal assimilation
process of the Method?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Yes, as explained in my explanation
above.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">4. How much time it will take to get
mastery over the Drishti?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Drishti is an aspect of focus and
concentration. It also has important physiological effects, but the ability to
maintain the gaze in one place represents the ability to stay focussed.</span></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #002060; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><i>I like to say that the main drishti
is the breath.</i></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #002060; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">When I am practicing, I don’t place much important on external
gazing points. I tend to “watch” my breath as continuously as possible. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">This
means being with the phenomenological experience of the breath moving inside.
This also connects back to my answer to your first question where I said the
main goal of practice should be to improve the relationship between the
conscious mind and the feeling body.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">When we are able to stay focused and
absorbed in the phenomenological experience of the feeling body (and breath) as
we move through the practice, then drishti is automatically engaged. In its
true essence, drishti is an internal gazing practice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">As for “mastery”, concentration will
wax and wane like everything else. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Our goal should be to remain as absorbed as
possible in the phenomenological experience of body and breath, but we should
also expect that this will never be perfect.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Concentration is as impermanent a
phenomena as everything else that we experience. Nonetheless, over time and
with regularity of practice, we should see a gradual improvement in the ability
to attend to what we are experiencing inside at the feeling based level.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybbVl6WjtXsVPwKmOtDP0smg9GcHM_W-RaSM55REEcO3g29zJGc583KylKjJ35ZugYASwhJowGxk5_hvwHmfFiZZs4tl32UbIvH1Kyb8VRd_z2ykSZNP6tRoCGJtrnJNgi14SrEKApmDl/s1600/iain+grysak2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="504" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybbVl6WjtXsVPwKmOtDP0smg9GcHM_W-RaSM55REEcO3g29zJGc583KylKjJ35ZugYASwhJowGxk5_hvwHmfFiZZs4tl32UbIvH1Kyb8VRd_z2ykSZNP6tRoCGJtrnJNgi14SrEKApmDl/s400/iain+grysak2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Iain Grysak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>5. Is real Uddiyana and Jalandhara
Bandha happening in Asanas (means without any Kumbhakas)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Bandha is simply a state of balanced
alignment around the major joints and lock of the body.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">If proper alignment and
breathing are in place, then bandha will be there. Bandha represents the most
balanced state that our being can exist in at any given moment. If we are
practicing well, all of the bandhas will be engaged to some degree.</span></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>The
specific intentional locks that occur in khumbaka pranayama are slightly
different, and should not be engaged in the asana practice. </i></span></span></h4>
<div>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ybzMPYrp2zmpIbmEYSj13zQD3uak-RJMnzO9Vu_HOGoRjLNZuFOnawqrkVgd-r0M3Wal0FKn77LT1tgc0iGbGXoIrvVAC5TZjo2ApryLHuh974PlFcYidtFQ2rSYEZWnhx0euusXyfHS/s1600/bandhas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ybzMPYrp2zmpIbmEYSj13zQD3uak-RJMnzO9Vu_HOGoRjLNZuFOnawqrkVgd-r0M3Wal0FKn77LT1tgc0iGbGXoIrvVAC5TZjo2ApryLHuh974PlFcYidtFQ2rSYEZWnhx0euusXyfHS/s400/bandhas.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Iain Grysak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>6. <span style="background: white;">Do
you think that it is easy to follow the "parampara" when in Mysore
there are more than 200 students to practice for one teacher?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Sharath’s
instructions to each individual in Mysore are very clear.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">He has the ability to
understand each student’s strengths and weaknesses within a very short period
of time and he then works with each individual accordingly.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>If one trusts
Sharath and applies his instructions, one can make a lot of progress in the
practice under Sharath’s guidance.</i></span></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;">My practice deepens immensely when I
practice with him in Mysore. I think problems for others arise when they bring
their own expectations for what they hope to experience there, and because of
that they fail to surrender to learning what it is that Sharath can teach them.</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">7. At what time is your morning
practice and are you still practicing the Primary Series?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I practice from 2:30 – 4:30 am when I
am teaching, which is most of the year. I always do primary series on Friday
mornings or whatever the last day of the practice week is.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I also sometimes
practice primary series on the day before travelling, and possibly for several
days after travelling if it has been disruptive to my state of balance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Other times that I practice primary
include times where I am going through deeper restructuring and need to pull
back to stabilize myself, or in the rare cases where I become very sick or
fatigued.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">For example, I climbed a 6500 m mountain in Nepal in December of last
year. It was extremely difficult and even traumatic to my being, especially on
summit day when I suffered from altitude sickness, but pushed on to reach the
summit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Due to various factors, I was not able to practice asana at all for the
second half of the expedition. When I returned home to Bali, I became very sick
with pneumonia, which also prevented me from practicing asana for about a week.
When I finally was able to start practice again, I felt very weak, and so did
primary series only for several weeks, until I felt strong enough to start
other series again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">8. Is there any series in the
Ashtanga Yoga Practice that have been harder, longer to learn for You?</span></b></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>All of the series are difficult, if
we learn them properly!</i></span></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The aspects of the practice that we most need to
develop are often the most difficult things to learn. There have been many
things that were difficult for me to learn.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">There is no one who learns
everything about this practice easily and quickly.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">People who say they learned
primary, or any other series quickly often have a very weak practice which is
full of holes. Full integration of any series takes time. For everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">9. From time to time are you still
practicing Iyengar Yoga?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">No. In my opinion, the two systems
are not compatible and should not be practiced together.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">They give very
different types of inputs to the being and the internal intelligence would be
very confused by attempting to integrate both types of inputs. It is best to
choose one system or the other and practice it diligently. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">There are valuable things that I
learned from practicing Iyengar yoga which are still with me and which inform
the way that I practice Ashtanga, but as far as using the Iyengar method of
practice, no, I don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>10. What is the advice you will give
to someone who want to start Ashtanga Yoga? Is there any proper diet that
suits better the practice?<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">I consider diet to be a practice in
itself.</span></i></span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">For me, all practices – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, meditation,
diet, etc - are just different methods to improve the relationship between the
conscious mind and the feeling body.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I do intend to write a longer article
about my experiences and views on diet. I personally follow a vegan diet based
on nutrient dense, whole foods. My dietary choices have been a gradual
exploration and evolution which continues to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">I think the most important thing I
can say about diet is that it is important to base one’s choices in food
consumption on the authentic needs of the feeling body.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i>We can only truly feel
the needs of the feeling body when the conscious mind learns how to communicate
with it.</i></span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">For most of us in the modern world, this is a long term process.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Exposing oneself to different dietary philosophies and systems is a very good
thing to do. It is helpful to understand the claims of each system and to try
out those things that make some sense to us.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">But, then the real test is to feel
the response of the feeling body to trying out different ways of eating. The
body understands what is and isn’t good for it.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">As long as we give ultimate
authority to the feeling body and NOT to an external dietary dogma, we will
learn how to make better and better dietary choices. I generally recommend
against making drastic dietary changes in a short period of time.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Even if one’s
dietary habits are not the healthiest or most efficient ways of eating, they do
become a source of stability once we have adapted to them. Too much change too
quickly is like pulling the carpet out from underneath someone’s feet.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">It
usually results in shock and a painful experience. Diet is no exception to this
rule. I definitely encourage experimentation with different dietary choices,
but to implement them gradually and to pay attention to the response of the
feeling body with each dietary shift. We can then to make further decisions
based on the feedback of the feeling body to each small change.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Iain Grysak is Level 2 authorised from the KPJAYI teaching <a href="http://spaciousyoga.com/morning-class-schedule/" target="_blank">all year long in Ubud, Bali</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com2Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia-8.5068536 115.26247779999994-8.569671099999999 115.18179679999994 -8.4440361 115.34315879999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-34728535673052775132018-02-28T10:53:00.000+05:302018-02-28T11:43:06.576+05:30Last day in Thaïland, last practice with Steve HylandThese last two months (including end of December) my practice has been messy.<br />
<br />
I was moving backward, maybe my expectations were too high.<br />
<br />
I lost my jump back from Kakasana to Chaturanga, then suddenly I lost all kind of backbends, even a "simple" Urdhva Mukha Svanasana was painful, my upper back did not want to open, my lower back was squeezing and compressing.<br />
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I did not want to do any drop back and after winning Pasasana I lost it.<br />
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Was slightly down though. The practice was not enjoyable anymore, I was in pain all day long, left shoulder was painful like hell and my wound from my left hamstrings stop allowing me to do any forward fold correctly.<br />
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Then I felt in Kukutasana, pretty badly....<br />
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As well my mind was playing with me, a lot of anger came out without any warning. I started to be angry at everything that happened in my life, hating myself, hating my body and felt prisoner of it.<br />
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As my Ashtanga practice was not satisfying me anymore but really frustrating me I then add another practice in the afternoon and came back to my first love which was Pilates.<br />
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Also instead of practicing 25 minutes of pranayama I decided to practice it twice a day for a total of one hour.<br />
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I am following <a href="http://grimmly2007.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">the blog of Anthony Hall</a> (honestly speaking I am addicted to it) and found on Youtube one video where he is doing the Vinyasa Krama sequence from Simon Borg. I started considering it very seriously, therefore I added it the sequence as well into my evening practice.<br />
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Slowly (very slowly) I started noticing change in my body and during the morning practice.<br />
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Steve Hyland lent me the book of Richard Freeman "The Art of Vinyasa - Awakening Body and Mind through the Practice of Ashtanga Yoga".<br />
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In one part of the book Richard Freeman ask the question "Who am I?" and his answer to it was: "Everything".<br />
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My point is WE ARE NOT ALONE on the Ashtanga Yoga Path. And that is very important to understand that concept.<br />
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Each dedicated practitioner at one point of his/her Life will be facing his/her own demons which most of the time come from the Past.<br />
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There is this sentence that in some way is bothering me "One guru, one Student". I don't think so.<br />
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Personally I think it is very important to open our mind and to be able to meet, learn, speak, talk with all dedicated Ashtangis that have been paving that road for us. Without their experience, their knowledge we won't be able to move forward.<br />
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Our personal life and personal feelings are printed into our body and as practitioner we are not the only one struggling by following that path.<br />
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Today my practice was awesome. I don't have anymore burden on my shoulders and as a result I did the most beautiful drop-back I ever done.<br />
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Still I lost Pasasana and jump back from Kakasana but from a general point of view my all practice has drastically changed and evolved in many ways.<br />
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<i>Thank you to Steve Hyland, Anthony Hall, Richard Freeman and Simon Borg. By sharing your experiences you helped me into my practice.</i></div>
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Next stop is Bali, Ubud where I will be practicing with Iain Grysak. No need to mention <a href="https://ashtangayogajournal.blogspot.com/2017/04/back-to-ubud-and-with-iain-grysak.html" target="_blank">again and again how much I love to practice under his guidance</a>.<br />
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From now and then I am planning my calendar in accordance with his schedule and hopefully I will be able to practice with him in 2019.<br />
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Have a good practice!<br />
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Enjoy Life :-)<br />
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Respect Yourself!<br />
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- <i>Namaste</i> -La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Thailand15.870032 100.992541000000070.21741150000000076 80.338244000000074 31.5226525 121.64683800000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-66064162021762551312018-02-17T10:26:00.001+05:302018-02-17T10:26:49.616+05:30Interview with Steve Hyland - Ashtanga Yoga Pattaya, Thailand<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Interview with a long time practitioner - Steven Hyland</h2>
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Ashtanga Yoga in Thailand</h3>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">1. What guided you to the Ashtanga Yoga Practice?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It was quite a long time ago now; about 4 or 5 years BC (before computers) I think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I had been on a kind of search for a yoga class that would be likely to hold my interest. I had tried a couple of classes at a local sports facility and they didn’t seem to be very interesting or challenging. Back then it was purely a physical practice; I had no idea at all how much depth there could be to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Anyway, by chance I was in the sports department of a large store, and there was a dvd running of two people practicing first series. One was accomplished, and the other was doing beginners variations, which, although is a different approach to KPJAYI teaching methods, it did make it appealing to try. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There was something about what they were practicing that triggered a deep connection, but I was a long way from being physically capable of 80% of the asanas. I had a desk job back then, and had not been fit as a kid. I had a LOT of work to do but I was up for the challenge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a few weeks of stretching and struggling at home, I knew I had to find a teacher and found one, just 40kms from home. That was my seed point really. It was about 1997.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">2. Do you think that this practice is for everyone ? Even for a full complete beginner?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It really is down to attitude. Of course these days there’s been a massive increase in awareness, so with a bit of research, not so many go into it like a blank sheet of paper (as I had).</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What is needed is discipline, patience, acceptance, compassion and many other qualities that can be left behind in the fast-paced and ever changing lives that most of us seem to have these days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Many people seem to be over-stimulated these days, without a minute to call their own, so it is a highly appropriate time to start. “I didn’t have time” is probably the most common reason for not taking practice, or going to class, but we overlook that we are in control of what we actually do with our time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We all have the opportunity to arrange our lives to include a bit of ‘me-time’, and in that window we can take practice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the beginning, we don’t have to do too much. It’s much nicer, and sustainable, if we taper into a practice, while making sure that we don’t just play to our strengths. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Many of us have to progress very carefully though, because our joints and our ranges of movement in our day to day life are not ready for many of the asanas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’ve allowed ourselves quite sedentary life in most cases, or been driven that way by work and short term opportunities to be comfortable. So, we have to learn how to lean into it, and not push. Guruji always said that it’s a listening practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It can be painful when we don’t listen, or when we rush! As a teacher, I don’t like to see people setting themselves up for the mistakes that I’ve made in the past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">All of my injuries occurred in the first year or so, and were entirely caused by me trying to do things I wasn’t ready for; my beginners naivety. The bottom line though IMHO, is attitude.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Anyone with the right attitude can patiently begin their quest. <b>Yamas</b> and <b>Niyamas</b> strongly support correct attitude, but many of us don’t place too much interest there for a while. Odd really, because later on they can become one of your biggest challenges. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">3. From your personal point of view, is it really necessary to stop student when they can not bind in Marychasana D or grab in Supta Kurmasana for instance?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There are advantages in both scenarios, so the relationship with your teacher is what really matters to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If the student and teacher know each other, and work together for a meaningful period of time, they can work together applying the brakes, or pushing if a push is required. A good teacher isn’t looking at the place, he’s looking at the face. If somebody is really making a mess, or conking out, it’s better for them to rest up at that point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">4. There is this sentence that said "One teacher (or one guru) for one student". Do you consider Pattabhis Jois or Sharath as your Guru?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Most of us think about this at some point, and maybe some of us over think it. I’m kind of at peace with it, in that the Guru system is Indian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">As I’m not (Indian), I don’t use the term Guru. I have enormous respect for Guruji’s work and of course for Sharath, as well as my principal teacher, Hamish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I deeply respect other teachers that have shed a bit of light on stuff over the years too. Even just one tip that supports me gets remembered at source as I practice, and keeps in evolving and interesting. We are all one voice in the fullness of time, and all here to support and help each other; that’s my feeling anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">5. Do you think that it is easy to follow the "parampara" when in Mysore there are more than 200 students to practice with one teacher?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Remaining within a lineage really helps to control confusion and doubt that can set in by hopping around and doing different practices/methods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Conversely though, staying open to ideas and inspiration is very helpful and healthy, without unbalancing your energy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If confusion and doubt set in, it can really bugger up my practice, so for me parampara is internal, not external. I hope that makes sense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Being in Gokulam, really helped me to see a bigger picture, or maybe it was just that my mind was free of work and all other commitments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The number of people there had no bearing at all on what I came away with. The large numbers of people did make the domestic stuff challenging though; accommodation etc., and of course these days, it has become more difficult to get a place in the Shala. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">6. What does the practice bring you on a daily basis or just into your Life?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Once I had accepted that it was going to be quite different every time, and stopped really striving for progress, it became a really special time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In all those years, it has hardly ever felt like a chore or like I just have to go through the motions. It’s very colourful. From the opening mantra though, everything else goes on hold and all of the support mechanisms that the practice offers, start to show up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">At the end, whether it’s felt heavy, light, spacious or tight, after taking some rest, theres a lovely feeling of settlement, peace and accomplishment etc. I love the way Guruji summed that up in his limited English; “everywhere looking, only God seeing”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">7. What advice will you give to a brand new practitioner? </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Be patient and don't have too many expectations or demands. Let it happen, because it will. There will be hundreds of "ahaha" moments that will show up when you are ready. Practice with healthy curiosity and practice with an artful intelligence, while keeping sight of the incredible intelligence that the sequencing of the asanas has built inside of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">What needs to change, deepen or evolve in you will be supported by each respective asana and vinyasa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Just trust it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It works.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">*</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">* *</span></div>
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Steven Hyland is teaching Mysore Classes <a href="https://ashtangayogapattaya.weebly.com/contact.html" target="_blank">all year long in Pattaya, Thailand</a>.</div>
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- <i>Namaste</i> -<br />
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<br />La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Thailand15.870032 100.992541000000070.21741150000000076 80.338244000000074 31.5226525 121.64683800000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-60022112888274823582018-02-10T13:00:00.002+05:302018-02-10T13:04:10.314+05:30Ashtanga Yoga Practice - Improving the coreSince I don't have anything else to do while I am in Thailand I am starting to practice 4 hours per day. After my morning practice I usually go for a swim to relaxe my muscle and in the afternoon I start exploring other path outside of Ashtanga.<br />
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For instance I am now practicing Pilates, I really missed that practice, I used to practice and teach Pilates when I was living in Paris 5 years ago. I do miss it a lot but I am getting back to it which is a very good news.<br />
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Steve Hyland let me borrowing the Yoga Wheel from the studio, and I am discovering how can I use it instead of a Ball or instead of a Reformer for instance. It is pretty intense practice and I am realising that I kind of lost my core by only practicing Ashtanga Yoga.<br />
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Or maybe it is because I do not practice well, but Pilates moves are essentially for the core muscle. The passage from lying down to the Teaser is slightly difficult with this manduka travel yoga mat.<br />
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Very thin and my sacrum does not like it, therefore I am not stable because of the pain it occurs to my sacrum.<br />
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And as a result this morning I did my first "baby lolasana, I was very happy about it but was unable to reproduce it ;-)<br />
<br />
So now I am looking forward to the next morning practice.<br />
<br />
Have a good day!La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand12.9235557 100.8824551000000212.6758967 100.55973160000002 13.1712147 101.20517860000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-15270310991574359912018-02-02T18:09:00.002+05:302018-02-02T18:09:54.511+05:30Ashtanga Yoga Thailande - Steven HylandThere are a lot of advantages of not having a proper home, you are free. I like to travel, even thought I now tend to dislike taking flight, but I what I do love after all is to travel for a purpose such as practicing Ashtanga Yoga.<br />
<br />
Pattaya is not the paradisiac place that we could imagine when we are travelling to Thailand. Pattaya is well-known for its nightlife, bar and girls. However there is one hidden secret, Steven Hyland a wonderful Ashtanga Yoga Teacher.<br />
<br />
When I was in Mysore I was looking for another place to practice and after google it I finally find Steven Hyland. He has been authorised by Sharat and is now dedicating his time teaching in Pattaya. His shala is located in a resort a very quiet place.<br />
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The first contact I had with Steven was through messenger, he has been very reactive and even arranged my accommodation at the Mind Resort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlAb3pB25_BcH3qUaX4cq6Z_NFNmtXZocAzmyp5U7DeNI15Y3mOGVTtVLJTjpeLc6_Jkr5OZUygdMo1sA_bt3AkCvrFIdRQtxibdhlLx_wf8uzuoygEe4pri1cb-61vhU7-KoC3_rhF-j/s1600/steven+hyland+pattaya.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlAb3pB25_BcH3qUaX4cq6Z_NFNmtXZocAzmyp5U7DeNI15Y3mOGVTtVLJTjpeLc6_Jkr5OZUygdMo1sA_bt3AkCvrFIdRQtxibdhlLx_wf8uzuoygEe4pri1cb-61vhU7-KoC3_rhF-j/s320/steven+hyland+pattaya.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Steve is very quiet, shy, humble. He does not advertise himself, if you want to find him you really have to look for him, he does not organise any intensive.<br />
<br />
He just do what he likes, he teaches to everyone and anyone who wish to practice. His students are most of it Thai people, sometimes beginners are coming but the regular students are practitioners. In his shala everyone has his attention.<br />
<br />
There are between 4 to 8 students that come for the practice which is just perfect, no one will sweat on your mat except yourself and no risk of being hit by a foot while coming back from Uttanasana.<br />
At Steve's shala everyone has his attention.<br />
<br />
Personally I never liked to be adjusted during the standing sequence. I am subject to pressure drop which make my ears "buzzing", therefore I need more break and take more breathing in between asana such as all Prasaritta series.<br />
<br />
However when I receive an adjustment from Steve I do not resist, his hands are talking to my spine and I can feel it lengthening instead of resisting.<br />
<br />
The sitting adjustment postures are my favorite. He is never pushy and just guiding me to a better extensions, rotations, deepening softly my practice.<br />
<br />
I find in Steve the same qualities as with Iain Grysak (with who I will be practicing next month).<br />
<br />
I think you can not compare the Asthanga practice with any other yoga style. There is a real community in the Ashtanga world, everyone practice the same series, the same asanas, we all have more or less the same obstacles and having the opportunity to practice with several teachers (which is contrary to what we hear I know) is for me a huge privilege as they are all complimentary to each others.<br />
<br />
Also it is very interesting to see how our body and bone structure are changing through the practice. For instance I am in the period where I lost all my backbends.<br />
<br />
Therefore I am now practicing in the afternoon not the Ashtanga but exercices inspired by the work of Simon Borg-Olivier focused on the spine mobility. I also add to my matwork the Pilates Method as well swimming.<br />
<br />
So yes Pattaya is not a hub of Yoga, neither a paradisiac place in Thailand to visit but in a strange way I feel good here.<br />
<br />
If you are looking for a place to practice in Thailand, in a shala where you will have enough space to unroll your mat I can not stop to recommend you Steven Hyland.<br />
<br />
<i>Have a Good Practice !</i><br />
<i>Original article published on <a href="http://www.xandrayoga.com/">www.xandrayoga.com</a></i><br />
La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-32803552725238583782018-01-30T14:01:00.000+05:302018-01-30T14:01:39.431+05:30200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Course is wrong<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Why we should not teach 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga</h2>
<br />
The same way there is no 200 Hour Iyengar Teacher Training Course.<br />
<br />
<h3>
1. Dedication to the Ashtanga Yoga System</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
When you start practicing the Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa, respecting the series and respecting the order of the asanas, wether it is with Sharat, Sarawasthi or any another teachers following that system you will soon realised that it takes a lot of commitment to achieve the Primary Series.<br />
<br />
The Primary Series can not be learn in one month.<br />
<br />
The Primary Series should not be teach by non practitioner.<br />
<br />
<h3>
2. Teaching a 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Course is disrespectful</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
First toward all practitioners in the world who wake up early morning to practice.<br />
<br />
Second toward senior teachers who have a bigger knowledge than any other so call Yoga School in the world teaching that method into a one month format.<br />
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Third: you can teach something else, call it as Vinyasa Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Flow Yoga but using the pretext that you have been watching videos on Youtube, knowing the sanskrit counting for all vinyasas does not make you a practitioner.<br />
<br />
Or if you really want to teach it then PRACTICE IT!<br />
<br />
That is at least the last thing you can do.<br />
<br />
Be honest with yourself and with your students and wake up every early morning, unfold your mat and go and sweat on your mat each day of your life, not only 3 weeks, not only 1 week, no do it regularly, try to understand the concept of Tapas if you are calling yourself a "Yogi" or a Yoga teacher.<br />
<br />
<h3>
3. Selling a 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Course is lying to students</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
Yes that is a big lie.<br />
<br />
Because most of the time students who register to this kind of course have absolutely no clue about Ashtanga Yoga, some of them does not even know who was Sri Krishnamacharya, some of them does not even know what is the "Mysore" Style..... they are fully beginners, and in one month they will become certified in "Ashtanga Yoga" as for most us it takes at least 18 months just to assimilate the Primary Series!<br />
<br />
I was one of them, in 2012 I attend a 200 Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Course. And it took me 4 years to understand that it was wrong.<br />
<br />
In the West we have the conception that India is the source of Yoga.<br />
<br />
Therefore we tend to believe any yoga teachers who will wear a dhoti, a dot on the forehead and speak in Sanskrit.<br />
<br />
From our point of view we will be completely amazed by it.<br />
<br />
Then when we come back to our country we will be proud to say "My Indian Teacher", it will give more weight to our resume and to our yogic experience. Because we trust.<br />
<br />
The reality is slightly different. Some Indians Teachers know it even thought they have a very limited understanding of the West, but who cares, they start surfing on the wave of Yoga and start making so much money that they won't stop.<br />
<br />
They are not even practicing what they are teaching. But under the pretext that they know all sanskrit name of all asanas, that they "know" the Primary Series and the vinyasa counting it is sufficient for them to declare themselves as practitioner of the Ashtanga.<br />
<br />
Same for westerners, they come to Mysore because that is the "place to be", take a picture with Sharat or just sit at the entrance of the main shala for the picture and then when they come back home they are claiming to have learned yoga from the source..... after one or three months practice.....<br />
<br />
I met a girl in Gokulam who was practicing with Sarawasthi. She then become friend with Sharmilla and told me that after 6 months she wanted to get her authorisation from Sarawasti.<br />
<br />
I told her it is not gonna happened. She did not believe me. Not to mention that she was a beginner and a Zumba teacher....<br />
<br />
A teacher capable to jump back and jump front does not mean that he/she is practicing. Watch their practice when they are showing asana, if at all they can show.<br />
<br />
In two seconds you can see that Mark Robberds, Iain Grysak, Steve Hyland or John Scott are practitioners because they are carrying their practice into their body.<br />
<br />
Actually their practices are printed into their body. The body don't lie!<br />
<br />
As soon as they move to show one simple asana you notice it.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Catching, not catching?</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
Some people might say "It is not because you bind in Marychasana D or catch in Supta Kurmasana that you are a yogi". I fully agreed with that!<br />
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However, in order to be able to catch or bind take commitment, regularity, dedication, practice.<br />
<br />
Because anyone with a regular practice can do it, that is the powerful message of the Ashtanga Yoga Practice.<br />
<br />
You can do whatever you want with your mind and your body if only you have the dedication for it.<br />
<br />
The same way some people without any practice might be able to lift up in Mayurasana, just by the strength of their arms but certainly not because of a regular practice.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately this little circus trick might be sufficient enough to impress beginners students.<br />
<br />
Do not become an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher but do become a Practitioner.<br />
<br />
<i>Enjoy your practice!</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Here are few Ashtanga Yoga Teachers that deserve more than a look:<br />
<br />
Iain Grysak (Ubud)<br />
Steve Hyland (Pattaya, Thailand)<br />
Mark Robberds (Australia, or Bali or everywhere else in the world)<br />
John Scott (everywhere in the world)<br />
Manju Jois<br />
David Swenson<br />
Richard Freeman<br />
Mary Taylor<br />
Laruga Glaser (Sweden)<br />
Nicola Legrez (Paris, France)<br />
Arnaud Kancel (Montpellier, France)<br />
Caroline Bourlinguez (Paris, France)<br />
Ajay Tokas (India)<br />
<br />
All of theses brillant teachers are having intensive workshops, training courses. Just have a look, if you want to start your journey with the Ashtanga start it on a good way!<br />
<br />
- Namaste -La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-87259920728945772422018-01-30T05:49:00.000+05:302018-01-30T05:49:07.568+05:30The marketing of Yoga<h2 style="text-align: center;">
The superficial side of Yoga</h2>
As per some magasines or articles from internet, there some external signs that prove that you are a real yogi. And where is the best place in the world to prove that you are a real yogi? Bali of course. The trendy place is Ubud, a real yoga hub. Therefore there is a mixture between real practitioners and fake one.<br />
<br />
The fake one are just there to show themselves and eat only vegan products because they are of course practicing Ahimsa, the others well they just go on their mat whatever the time of the year, not only for the good sake of a TTC.<br />
<br />
I found an article on the Yoga Bali spirit web titled "<a href="http://www.balispirit.com/community/blog/13-signs-youre-officially-an-ubud-yogi">13 signs your officially an Ubud Yogi</a>".<br />
<br />
On many yoga blogs it is very trendy and "cool" to speak to potential new students with a friendly manner using cute nicknames. Also we can see some Yoga teachers using quotes that never existed such as "99% Practice, 1% Theory - Patanjali". I've seen this quote on a Yoga teacher blog in which it says that this teacher is teaching the Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali.<br />
<br />
The real sentence was "I am teaching Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa as per the tradition of Patanjali in Mysore".... believe it or not this teacher is referring about the Series of the Ashtanga Yoga....<br />
<br />
You might think that I woke up from the wrong foot, or that because of my head injury I am becoming deluded or simply "who does she think she is".<br />
<br />
I am fine with it. I truly believe that when we are serious toward the practice and the teaching there is absolutely no need to sugar coat what we really or what we try to convey in order to attract more people, more likes, more views. We should be completely detached about it.<br />
<br />
If at all you have something you want to give, offer, to teach then do it. Full stop.<br />
<br />
There is no need to fake a cool attitude with a superficial smile.<br />
<br />
Back to the article I found I just want to underline some points about it.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples:<br />
<br />
<strong>"You've definitely brought your own smoothie bowl additions to breakfast on more than one occasion. Or been "that person" who completely tweaks the menu to create your perfect custom made smoothie bowl and end-up paying twice as much with all the additions, but it was totally worth it, so who cares"</strong>....<br />
<br />
well I do believe that the waiter cares a lot! If you are not happy with the menu then go back home and prepare your own smoothie bowl. It is not a so cool attitude to have to discuss and waste the time of the waiter if you are not happy with the ingredients, you are just becoming a pain in the a**, that's it and there is nothing to be glorify and proud about.<br />
<br />
<strong>"You know exactly which cafes in Ubud sell the best raw, vegan, chocolate cakes and ice creams. You also know their prices, opening and closing times, where the best seats are (wtf???), the staff probably know your name, you're probably thinking about going back for the second time again today"</strong>...<br />
<br />
The word that came to my mind by reading it is "stalker", then the second thought is "get a life!". How comes you are thinking going back for the second time in the day while there are so many things else to do in Bali. Knowing the best seats.... really? If knowing the best seats is a guaranty of been a real true yogi in Ubud then let me pass this one, thank you.<br />
<br />
<strong>"After walking down Jalan Hanoman, you frequently get home and can't figure out where all the money you just took out from the ATM went. But oh my god, the clothes, these leggings and this mala and this vegan chocolate ice cream are just too good. I HAD to. Just HAD to"</strong>...<br />
<br />
Please take note that the most important thing is that the food HAS TO BE VEGAN, of course it has to, in order to underline the fact that this person is a Yogi and then following "Ahimsa" (non violence)... However what about Santosha (Contentment), Aparigraha (detachment), Tapas (discipline, austerity)? I don't see any mention of them, but that is okay the cake and the ice cream were vegan. And what coud we say about those same yogis wearing the beautiful leather belt at the waist with all pockets? After all yoga is all about balance, you don't eat animal but there ain't no problem at all to wear them as a bag. Amen to that...<br />
<br />
<strong>"Glancing at your bank statement, you don't know whether to be embarrassed or proud of the fact that you've spent more money in yoga studios and raw food cafes than on your rent"</strong>...<br />
<br />
Nothing to be proud about. There are others places cheaper than Yoga Barn for instance to take yoga classes. Spending money on raw food cafe and yoga classes do not define anyone as a yogi, travelling 12,000 kms in order to pay the same amount of money as in your country for a yoga class is not very clever at all. It is just superficial. And yes we fully understand by the article that this yogi is vegan and eat raw food, this point is very important, remember Ahimsa....<br />
<br />
<b>"You watch the sunrise from your scooter almost every morning on your way to yoga class, and spend savasana watch it go down from the studio windows"</b>...<br />
<br />
First of all that is so <em>cliché</em>. You can be sure that you can find a picture resuming that sentence on Instagram at the moment I am writing these lines, with a very spiritual sentence such as "surrendering my soule to the Universe before going practicing".... then excuse me but if you are really following the yogic practice you should be ON YOUR MAT by that time starting your practice and not on your scooty taking the pose. And savasana is savasana... if you are lying on your mat and watching the sun then you are not in savasana, you are just lying on your mat....<br />
<br />
<b>"You've go a different mala to match ear pair of leggings, tank combo you own"</b>... simply why??<br />
<strong>"When your friends back home ask what you do all day long, you laugh and say: take class, eat, chat with friends... its hard to put in words, you have to come to visit"</strong>... <br />
<br />
Just tell the truth, as a Yogi I spent all my money buying superficial things in order to fulfil my empty life. Now I am broke and desperate because I did not really practice Yoga at all...<br />
I don't know what is a "true" or a "fake" yogi.<br />
<br />
However I do have much more admiration and respect to those people who are handling their early morning yoga practice before taking the kids to school, taking their shift from 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM, running after work to pickup kids from school, food shopping, cooking, cleaning, people who have "an ordinary life" to others but who take time to live their lives without lying and follow their passion whatever happens to them. They are the real heroes!<br />
<br />
Big up to that Yoga teacher who is cumulating hours of teaching, continuing education, do not sell his/her soule to social networks and still keep time for traveling, learning, experiencing in a soft and humble way without spending too much money on unnecessary things, traveling light and who can adapt to anything anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Asia is beautiful but when you stay more than one month than you start discovering the other faces and you realise that there is a huge difference between the postal card, the social media and the reality. I feel very grateful to meet such good people on my way, they are so rich from their experiences, they are the real yogis to me.<br />
<br />
Not the boho "chic" travelling to the other side of the world and spending all of his/her money in good trendy places, buying stuff more expensive than in the West, the famous cool attitude digger.<br />
We tend to attract people like us.<br />
<br />
And when I take time to have a look at my circle, people I know and with whom I am interacting, people I met during my traveling time, I feel blessed because I know that I am on the right path.<br />
<br />
Have a good practice!<br />
<br />
Article initially published on <a href="https://xandrayoga.com/imaginary-yoga/?lang=en" target="_blank">Xandra Yoga</a><br />
<br />
<br />La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Thailand15.870032 100.992541000000070.21741150000000076 80.338244000000074 31.5226525 121.64683800000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-25820052869011738562018-01-16T14:17:00.001+05:302018-01-16T14:17:48.097+05:30Practice with Steve Hyland, Asthanga Yoga PattayaThis morning I have started practicing under the guidance of <a href="https://ashtangayogapattaya.weebly.com/profile.html">Steve Hyland</a>.<br />
<br />
He is not a famous "Ashtangi" still he is certified, he has been practicing with Richard Freeman and Hamish Hendry.<br />
<br />
He has installed his Yoga Shala in Pattaya Thailand, a place well known for the night life and "local" girls. However I have absolutely no regret because Steve he's extremely well qualified.<br />
From a purely physical and external point of view, my practice was not the most aesthetic nor the lightest but from a purely introspective point of view it was revolutionary.<br />
<br />
I did listen my body and my breathing pattern, respect all aspect of my body and did not push anything too far or not enough. I was in tune with myself and it was probably the very fist time it happens to me.<br />
<br />
The end of the year has been slightly uncomfortable and my body took the hit. During my last day in Mysore I had a nice talk with Trupta and explained him something that happened to me the day before: "<em>As I was walking back home I suddenly started thinking of one heating argument I had before and others stuffs... then I start having such a huge pain in my left knee that I walked back home limping</em>".<br />
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Past and present emotions can be so powerful they can impact our body and well being. I knew it before but I never really measured it to that extend.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Knees represent the refusal to yield, to bend, to obey, to submit.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
While I was walking the thought that came up to my mind was an argument I had during which someone was telling me what kind of clothes I should wear in order to be "more respectable in India", then the feeling of working for a cause that I did not share and the lack of integrity.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><strong>Introspection</strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCEt6iD5f8uLw9zUtKtAxU4Qus1wpbsJnplCrPYGzHTBeP-ygxy8mb09CgBFF5kLaGL4Ff_aWp6S3vvBHviw2dWcXU8o1Sy5xNAU_3jGI3iYbrW-McKDYSlYykmK0yQw78Trg-MLNd_Zb/s1600/Introspection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="968" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCEt6iD5f8uLw9zUtKtAxU4Qus1wpbsJnplCrPYGzHTBeP-ygxy8mb09CgBFF5kLaGL4Ff_aWp6S3vvBHviw2dWcXU8o1Sy5xNAU_3jGI3iYbrW-McKDYSlYykmK0yQw78Trg-MLNd_Zb/s400/Introspection.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
I then realised that working on the external side was not properly useful unless we have no idea of what is happening deep inside of us. That is the one of the most difficult thing we have to face as human being and practitioner, do we really take time to understand our inner self? Are we really willing to do this personal work?<br />
<br />
It seems that everyone wish to take care of themselves, that is one one of the reason why Yoga has become so popular.<br />
<br />
Yoga is "healing". That is what social networks are saying with all "yogis" posting beautiful filtered pictures in crazy postures including spiritual sentences to caption that moment.<br />
<br />
I am not bitter but I am becoming tired of it. The more I am practicing the more I understand that it is not the journey at all. The more I am travelling looking for teachers with who I can practice and evolve the more I understand and realise that I do not know myself and furthermore I never ever let myself to blossom fully.<br />
<br />
Home is not a place where I will buy nice furniture in order to be happy, lately I finally understood it. I agree in some way I am very lucky to be able to travel but it is a choice that I have done and now my quest is knowing me better in order to teach what I found on my special quest.<br />
<br />
That is only through that particular path that I am able to practice Yoga. Being able to declare that I have read the Sutras and understood the Upanishad and the Gita in order from time to time to place on of these sentence below a picture of myself performing the full wheel is not for me.<br />
<br />
You can not buy wisdom, you can not find wisdom in a book and no one can teach what wisdom is.<br />
Being grounded is the very first thing to learn and to practice, that what we should look for.<br />
<br />
Making peace with ourself before making peace with others, mastering our emotions.<br />
<br />
Being able to understand that we are not what we thought.<br />
<br />
Being able to be alone in order to do introspection.<br />
<br />
Introspection is a powerful tool, we should allow ourself to it.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc5c0c; font-family: Aclonica;">Namaste</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc5c0c; font-family: Aclonica;">More articles here: <a href="https://xandrayoga.com/xandra-yoga-blog/?lang=en" target="_blank">XandraYogaBlog</a></span>La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand12.9276082 100.8770812999999912.6799492 100.55435779999999 13.1752672 101.19980479999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-56339585002747517822018-01-08T18:59:00.000+05:302018-01-08T18:59:07.683+05:30What is like to practice Yoga in Mysore?<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am attending since the last week Anatomy class with "Ken the Rolfer". If you don't know him I suggest you google his name. He is a Rolfer and an Ashtangi. Being able to receive his knowledge his priceless.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That is the advantage of being in Mysore. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKP2NpypMzEvtQkA-0CzzKo6sS9VFdwmd2HoGZrm5VUqmY0KiMSnZe4BVFOUdIos7XWXfwJhmQknnrsFVowv5KsIk6zUlQ7NwM2c3UgzO2DcDfWK5L5gM-z0MR3yIqlusPZmhxZdbqv-2/s1600/IMG_5397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKP2NpypMzEvtQkA-0CzzKo6sS9VFdwmd2HoGZrm5VUqmY0KiMSnZe4BVFOUdIos7XWXfwJhmQknnrsFVowv5KsIk6zUlQ7NwM2c3UgzO2DcDfWK5L5gM-z0MR3yIqlusPZmhxZdbqv-2/s320/IMG_5397.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Ganapati Temple</td></tr>
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Most of the world renamed practitioners are coming in the city to practice with Sharat or Sarawasthi or Masterji. Therefore as during the day you don't have that much to do, because lets say that there is not a lot of activity in Mysore, you have some great Ashtangis willing to share their experience.</div>
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I am not saying it is for free but at least you it is fully affordable.</div>
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When you are in Mysore you met a lot of people just like you.</div>
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No one will be surprised that you are teaching Yoga and practicing Yoga, therefore no silly question such as "Oh you teach Yoga, but outside of it what are you doing?". </div>
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No one will be surprised to notice that after your 2 months in Mysore you will probably travel to Indonesia or Thaïland.</div>
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No one will be surprised or impress that you have being the last 5 years homeless just travelling with your yoga mat, because a lot of them have been doing it before you and they fully understand that you are on a Quest which is basically knowing who you are.</div>
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No one will be impress by your practice, because they have been there BEFORE you ;-)</div>
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You will meet a lot of wellness therapist: Yoga Thai Massage, Acupuncteur, Chiropractor, Qi Chong, Shiatsu, Rolfer, you name it, you find it!</div>
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You will be able to learn from a lot of people, there is always something happening in Mysore, you will be able to learn how to cook, to do rangoli, to paint, pottery, how to apply henna, bollywood dance etc.</div>
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And the most important thing, YOU HAVE TIME ! As I said outside of the morning practice there is not much to do, therefore everyone is participating to entertain the community and in the end it works pretty fine.</div>
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Now the big question is to know if Sharat will be there next year or not... No one knows.... but for sure if he is not coming than the local community in Mysore will have the economy going down.</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Mysuru, Karnataka, India12.2958104 76.63938050000001612.1717019 76.478019000000018 12.4199189 76.800742000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-82040526552902045132017-12-21T21:13:00.001+05:302017-12-21T21:16:54.306+05:30The "Mysore" Symptom<div style="text-align: justify;">
In Mysore you will find Westerners which are more Indians than Indians.</div>
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They will go for a puja every morning, men will be wearing doti, women will be wearing sari, they will display the Tripundra on their forehead and will do the line-up at the end of Sharat Conference to touch his feet......</div>
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Basically Indians are copying the western look while the westerners are copying the Indian look.... </div>
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Can someone keep his/her own personality???</div>
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I met a girl at my accommodation who is first time in Mysore, she is teaching Zumba, and she is practicing with Sarawasti.</div>
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She explained me that she will stay here as long as she will get her authorisation.... I asked her how many time has she been practricing with Sarawasti, she told me it was her first time, I told her that she should not have any expectation of getting "THE" authorisation this year because it is not gonna happen, this is not how it works.</div>
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She was surprised..... as me I was surprised she was travelling to Mysore only for that.....</div>
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The next day I met her and she told me she spoke with Sharmilla who told her that Sarawasti has the ability to authorised students, therefore this lady is now becoming the best friend of Sharmilla in order to get her autorisation before traveling back to her country....</div>
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I won't lie, I wish to become authorised one day.... but I know that it won't happen before the next 3 years or so, right now I am just practicing without any expectations.</div>
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However I do not understand people coming here only for that.....</div>
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In another hand this morning my shoulder was really painful, I forgot all the Prasaritta Series....... then forgot the Badakonasana.... so I just stop my practice and did not do any drop back.</div>
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Since I moved to Gokulam I am really tired, I could sleep the all day. Maybe I am sick, I don't know, something is happening, hopefully something good.</div>
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Tomorrow is my birthday. And it is a led class.... which I do not like....</div>
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I think I will be practicing in my room. I need time for introspection about my life.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmr4_px_8ZrCJp5vsLzehx-B1giY3r8bo3LY7hTrlplXyCRRuTO0_88C1KgkaeHxFlJvHd4EH5_QWdOGvGLRqZudEgp7VymdVEtVghy-cujA-a7Eh4-iaRkUYTk7Y75pr6KkKo_ALLxOC/s1600/IMG_7039+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmr4_px_8ZrCJp5vsLzehx-B1giY3r8bo3LY7hTrlplXyCRRuTO0_88C1KgkaeHxFlJvHd4EH5_QWdOGvGLRqZudEgp7VymdVEtVghy-cujA-a7Eh4-iaRkUYTk7Y75pr6KkKo_ALLxOC/s640/IMG_7039+2.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supta Kurmasana, I catch !</td></tr>
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On the other hand I have to say that I am very much happy about my new goals and my new life ahead of me. My new website is working pretty good, I am receiving new registrations wether it is for workshops or Teacher Training Courses.</div>
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Also I start having personal issue with Yoga Teacher Training Courses. I might keep one or two per year but running TTCs all year long is just creating a factory where the teaching is not that good. A yoga fast food....</div>
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I don't want to play this game, I want to give quality and being able to practice. There is no point of being a teachers without any practice, it is lying to students. And running TTCs all year long is not good neither, it was a mistake.</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-3812915929683155112017-12-03T09:27:00.002+05:302017-12-08T21:06:53.045+05:30Practice of NAULI<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u>KRIYA PRACTICE</u></h2>
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Before practicing the Primary Series I do have a routine and Nauli Practice is part of it.</div>
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Nauli is one of the Kriyas of Shatkarma (the 7 Kriyas). It improves and cleans the abdominal region and improves the digestion.</div>
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Therefore that is one Kriya that has to be done on an empty stomach and that is why I used to practice it before my practice.</div>
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Right now I am able to do it from right to left however I can not do it from left to right, if someone has any tip for me on how to improve it I am open to any suggestions :-)<br />
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Nauli is activating Uddiyana Bandha.<br />
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I used to practice up to 5 times in a row, the more I do it the more I can.<br />
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Have a good day and a good practice!<br />
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- Namaste -<br />
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Do visit my new website: <a href="https://xandrayoga.com/">Xandra Yoga</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/XandraYoga/">Facebook</a><br />
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Mysuru, Karnataka, India12.2958104 76.63938050000001612.1717019 76.478019000000018 12.4199189 76.800742000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-39726178277073961572017-11-14T20:45:00.000+05:302017-11-15T14:13:12.238+05:30I thank my injuries<div style="text-align: justify;">
This morning while practicing I was grateful to my body.</div>
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Thankful to all of my injuries.</div>
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Grateful to the pain.</div>
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Why? </div>
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Because my body talked to me. Actually my body is talking to me since I was born but I never ever took time to listen to it.</div>
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Was too busy trying to resolve the mess in my brain, complaining about others when I was not happy, reporting my frustration on others, blaming the all world for my unhappiness, comforting myself in my misery.</div>
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This year has been really challenging for me. That is the very first time in my all life that I commit myself in to something. </div>
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I thought that I had experience while I did not.</div>
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I thought that I was really good while I was not.</div>
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I thought that I was most of the time right, while it is not true.</div>
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On the top of it I thought that I was really happy while it was not the case.</div>
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I was missing something maybe someone but I was not complete.</div>
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At the end of the journey last October I went back home and stayed with my parents. Then something happened, I did not want to leave the place I always wanted to escape!</div>
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I slept upstair with my mother, something that I haven't done since my teenage, and I was very happy about it, reconnected myself to my childhood.</div>
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I spoke with my sister after almost 7 years of no talk at all. It was really unexpected.</div>
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I also took the decision to move forward from a safe place to an unknown destination.</div>
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This process has been a slow process and my body talked to me during the whole procedure.</div>
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It starts in Ubud with Iain Grysak when I realised that I was not applying and practicing the Yama and Niyama in my practice, I realised that I had absolutely no relationship with myself neither with my practice. I felt sick....</div>
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In Sweden on March I pretty badly injured myself, thorn ligament around the site bone, bruise, blood, could not walk for one day, could not even cross my legs, could not sit, pain all the time, all day long, can not practice any forward fold. </div>
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On June with Mark Robberds, could not even have a normal practice because of my injury, had to rethink everything, started a new chapter "Yoga is not a competition, listen to your body"....</div>
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Then slowly everything took place, the process is not completely finished but since I am practicing with Sarawasti my practice is almost perfect. So far I had only one day that was actually awful and it was the day after the full moon..... and also I had a lot of disturbance the day before..</div>
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This morning I realised that all my injuries came for a reason, it was a necessary step to understand how to practice and how to listen to my body. How to listen and connect with my mind, with myself.</div>
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In fact getting older is beneficial.</div>
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I have decided to stop dying my hairs and now I am discovering how much white hairs I am having! At the beginning I was "Nooooooooo"..... but now I found it charming, this is me, the real me, without any mask.</div>
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Slowly but surely I am growing.</div>
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Lots of Love!</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-3533501673506148592017-11-12T10:55:00.000+05:302017-11-12T10:55:58.676+05:30KPJAYI - Week 2 with Sarawasti - Dedication!This morning it was a Led class with Sarawatiji.<br />
This morning I learned what "Dedication" is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDwp90K9hHyvppFrhYdBpS564BWKaFbgXpDET4CvFR6kJ-5P1Vxcu_glxrqMhCkLwgv-FwqHEwM0aCVua5y58fLivGZdfr5k_xzNwEIGe20FnaJC0P89LzHcaoRctwgaZD3rhSxT_kqtS/s1600/IMG_5300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDwp90K9hHyvppFrhYdBpS564BWKaFbgXpDET4CvFR6kJ-5P1Vxcu_glxrqMhCkLwgv-FwqHEwM0aCVua5y58fLivGZdfr5k_xzNwEIGe20FnaJC0P89LzHcaoRctwgaZD3rhSxT_kqtS/s320/IMG_5300.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I usually do not like the Led Class but lately I started to really enjoyed all of them and specially led classes from Sarawasti. Her vinyasa counting is not too fast, not too slow, to me it is perfection. I just put myself in autopilot mode and follow all instructions without even thinking. </div>
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I am 200% focus on her voice, not looking around at all, my mat is my world, my space in which I am moving and only her voice tone makes my arms rising up and body folding front.</div>
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I stayed in Chaturanga Dandasasana for all chatwari even when some students are not there and that the chatwari become a very long one.</div>
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I am not in a race competition but as Usha used to say I am completely surrendering to the practice.</div>
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This morning Sarawasti counted twice the left leg for Supta Padanghustasana and everyone followed without a flinch. Dedication.</div>
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The practice can not come without any dedication.</div>
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Dedication to a "guru" why not? If this word does not suit you then start the dedication toward yourself.</div>
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Tapas will follow :-)</div>
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Have a good practice!</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Mysuru, Karnataka, India12.2958104 76.63938050000001612.1717019 76.478019000000018 12.4199189 76.800742000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-9715507485677985522017-11-03T21:18:00.000+05:302017-11-03T21:18:09.053+05:30Led classes and Mantra chanting with Sarawasthi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning on my way to the Shala I was thinking about my life. My birthday is in December, each year I am having a "down moment" but this time it is different. This time I feel the urge of myself realisation.</div>
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When Sarawasthi came in the shala my mind was so up and down, unstable and going everywhere that I thought the practice will be like hell. I was not in the mood for Yoga.....</div>
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After the 3rd Sun Salutation I was there, completely in the moment, not thinking about myself and my personal ego.</div>
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At the end of the class she did chante a pretty long shloka, she wanted us to repeat after her but for most of us it was not possible to catch the words.</div>
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She told us "you should sing, singing is good for you, for your brain, for your practice, for yourself", she was smiling and she continues her chanting.</div>
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It was nice, a very sensitive moment, I wished I could have sing but I could not understand a word of it so I did not want to repeat anything.</div>
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I am recollecting myself, this year I am moving forward. Leaving something that I know for the unknown; it is exciting and also very scary but if I don't try I will never know exactly where I belong.</div>
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The progress I have seen in my Ashtanga practice are the same I want to happen in my daily life. If I am able to pass Supta Kurmasana that means that there is no obstacle that I can not conquer. The wall is only in my head, I never noticed that I was free....</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Mysuru, Karnataka, India12.2958104 76.63938050000001612.1717019 76.478019000000018 12.4199189 76.800742000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-86940086579223398002017-10-26T12:28:00.000+05:302017-10-26T12:28:30.811+05:30Back to the main Shala - KPJAYI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday I went for my registration to Sarawasthi Shala as the season for Sharat is fully booked. </div>
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Practices are starting on November 1st, the full month will be in the main shala, then from December we will be moving to Sarawasthi Shala.</div>
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I have changed my practice, adding more Pilates exercices before starting the Sun Salutation. Basically now I have added 30 minutes of Pilates before starting the Primary Series. First of all because I was in need of core centering as the practice itself does not give me enough strength, you might think that I am not practicing well, and that's okay I don't care ;-) and also since my injury I realised how much it was important to reinforce as well the gluteus. </div>
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Also I have added Pasasana, Krounchasana, Salabasana A & B, Bhekasana, Dhanurasana, sometimes Parscha Dhanurasana and Ustrasana.</div>
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Therefore am I following the "tradition" ? Not at all, when I am practicing the Mysore style on my own I do whatever I need in order to enhance my practice and I believe that I need to practice backbends in order to have better forward fold.</div>
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I also believe that my injury has happened because of the repetition of the same movement, basically if you practice daily the Primary Series you are doing only (or a lot) of forward fold and when the injury is all about the hamstrings and the sit bone connection you soon realised that at one point you should stop the primary and work slightly differently.</div>
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Of course for the next 2 months with Sarawasthi I will practice the way she wants but still will add at home exercices in order to protect my body.</div>
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Honestly speaking I do hope that Sharmilla will not be there because I really don't like her adjustments, I think she is too brutal and I don't want to be hurt for the next 2 months ;-)</div>
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- Work in Progress -</div>
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Namaste.</div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Mysuru, Karnataka, India12.2958104 76.63938050000001612.1717019 76.478019000000018 12.4199189 76.800742000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-61637584732869050762017-10-09T16:42:00.001+05:302017-10-09T16:42:54.258+05:30What does it take to be granted as "authorised"?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This year registrations for the main Shala were a little bit messy. No one really knew if Sharat will be opening a new season and if yes when.</div>
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Well it finally appeared that he will be teaching only 2 months December and January 2018. They open the registrations on September 15th (midnight on September 14th) and in less than 24 hours registration was closed as the maximum number of submissions has been reached......</div>
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As I missed it I then decided to practice with Sarawasthi and I have been admitted in less than 24 hours. Definitely very happy about it!</div>
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Then this morning during my practice (painful practice as I am back to Europe until next week and practicing when it is cold is really hard for me...) I was thinking what does it take for me to get authorised? Because whatever we are saying about practicing at the main shala I do believe that we all do it with a minimum of expectation.... which is, if you can not become Sharat buddy for life then maybe you can get the authorisation.</div>
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Lets be clear, for your yogic career it is a HUGE or should I say A MASSIVE improvement. But what does it take to get it?</div>
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First of all a lot of PRACTICE, and I mean A LOT! Which of course led us to Tapas. Discipline. We can be fed up of watching people doing crazy asanas but personally I got fed up them because of jealousy. Deep inside of me I wish I could do the same. I do follow Mark Robberds and his level of practice is out of my reach, same for Kino. These people did not reach the top of the mountain by sitting in their couch and watching TV, they dedicated their all lives to the Asthanga Yoga practice and now they should enjoy the fruits of their hard work.</div>
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Unfortunately I am slightly lazy. For instance I have been travelling to Europe this last month and I did not do anything, not even a pranayama, I did absolutely nothing for one full month, 4 full weeks.... as a result when I hit back my yoga mat my body did not respond so well....</div>
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Therefore I need to be honest with myself. Right now I should not even think of getting any authorisation as clearly I do not have the level and my mind is not set up for it. Also age is playing against me, I am 43 years old and not getting younger so if at all I have feeding any expectations I will have to work my ass for it. Which I will do.</div>
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There is a lot of fight about the lineage, some are following Sharat, some are following Manju, others are following other tradition but in the end there is always the shadow of authorised versus unauthorised. Deep inside of me I would like to be authorised one day, will I be able to do so it is another story, if I can be honest with myself and work like crazy for this goal I think I could.</div>
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<b>What does it take to be authorised?</b></div>
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1. Practice</div>
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2. Practice</div>
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3. Practice</div>
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<b>How long does it take?</b></div>
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Depends, at least 3 years, for me it will probably take 10 years ;-)</div>
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<b>Are authorised teachers better than others?</b></div>
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No. But they work hard to get there so they have all my respect and admiration!</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
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La Reine Blanchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11269272627915179126noreply@blogger.com0Paris, France48.856614 2.352221900000017748.6894645 2.0294984000000178 49.0237635 2.6749454000000177tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9052009609206047192.post-38286878903694647922017-08-21T19:57:00.000+05:302017-08-21T19:57:27.333+05:30Stop bending the knees!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When your hamstrings are too short.<br />
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The truth rely on practice. You can read a Yoga book where all asanas will be well described with the "perfect" alignment and recommendation such as "bending your knees when your hamstrings are too short....".</div>
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I have been instructed to do so by some teachers, I have read it on several books, I have seen it during yoga practice and unfortunately I have been doing it and teaching it as well.....</div>
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Then when I started to practice with Iain Grysak he told me not to fold my knees in all forward fold (standing and sitting).</div>
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I was surprised.... </div>
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But I listened to him and from that day my all practice drastically changed.</div>
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All my forward fold were actually folding deeper, the huge pain I used to have on the back of my legs started to disappear while my upper body was getting straighten and my lower back wide open.</div>
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I understood something, for instance in Padanghustasana the "goal" (if there was any achievement to it) was not to keep the chest on the knees or lower, it was simplest, just bend forward and the body will adjust to it.</div>
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The goal was not to go into one asana in particular with a specific way but more about becoming the asana itself with the actual ability.</div>
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Anatomically speaking we can not give or judge a proper alignment for one asana as everyone has a different body type.</div>
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Therefore there is no "your hips has to be facing that way on a sagittal plane and this is the last word", absolutely not. It is okay to have the hips slightly unaligned, it is okay to have a rounding back.</div>
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<b>What is happening when we are bending the knees while forward folding?</b></div>
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In order to bend the knees we have to use the hamstrings as they are in charge of bending the legs. While bending, hamstrings are getting shorter so they are not stretching. </div>
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<b>What is a forward fold?</b></div>
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Mainly it is a stretch of the back of the legs and lower back, actually it is stretching the all posterior part of the body.</div>
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If the hamstrings are too short and not flexible while bending forward it can become uncomfortable, so to ease the movement automatically we want to bend the legs..... by bending them we are not stretching them.... so basically not solving any issue regarding their flexibility. </div>
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A tight hamstrings does not help the lower back neither. Sometimes we think we are protecting our lower back by bending the legs while we are not.</div>
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Of course if there is any hyper extension of the knee it is advisable to slightly bend it. We should not work with a "locked" knee.</div>
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Enjoy your practice!</div>
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- Namaste -</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Paris, France48.856614 2.352221900000017748.6894645 2.0294984000000178 49.0237635 2.6749454000000177