Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

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СКАЧАТЬ In Ashtanga Yoga, movement is never done during kumbhaka (breath retention).

      Vinyasa Twelve

      With the exhalation, lift the right heel while placing the hands down, step the left foot back, and lower down. Again, this is a movement that requires us to extend the breath.

      Vinyasa Thirteen

      Inhale into Upward Dog.

      Vinyasa Fourteen

      Exhale into Downward Dog. This last Downward Dog is held for five breaths, while the other two are only transitional.

      Vinyasa Fifteen

      On the inhalation, hop forward, landing with the feet together, lift your chest, and gaze upward (identical to vinyasa three).

      Vinyasa Sixteen

      Exhaling, fold forward, straighten the legs, and place the fingertips in line with the toes (identical to vinyasa two).

      

      From the top, vinyasa thirteen (Upward Dog), vinyasa fourteen (Downward Dog), vinyasa fifteen, vinyasa sixteen

      Vinyasa Seventeen

      Inhale, bend your knees, draw your arms up above the head, and gaze up in Utkatasana (identical to vinyasa one).

       Samasthiti

      With an exhalation, straighten the legs, lower the arms, and gaze softly.

      

      Surya Namaskara B, vinyasa seventeen

      Do Surya Namaskara B until you start to perspire. Five rounds should be sufficient under average conditions, three in the tropics, and up to ten in colder regions.

      The standing postures teach us the basics of alignment and develop strength and poise.

       Padangushtasana

      HOLD-THE-BIG-TOE POSTURE

      Drishti Nose

      Vinyasa One

      From Samasthiti, jump on inhalation and, exhaling, land with your feet parallel, hip width apart, placing hands on hips. “Hip width” means the ankle joints are positioned under the hip joints.

       ANATOMICAL FOCUS

       Disc Bulges

      A disc bulge (see page 38) can occur when a weight is lifted off the floor with the spine flexed. Pressure on the discs between the vertebrae deforms them into a wedge shape and predisposes them to bulging. The intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers for the vertebrae. They consist of a fibrous band enclosing a fluid-filled nucleus. When this liquid-filled cushion is pushed beyond the boundary of the vertebrae, it is called a disc bulge. Often the disc will press against the spinal cord and cause considerable pain. The adjacent muscles spasm to arrest and thereby protect the spine, resulting in a complete inability to bend forward. A disc bulge usually corrects itself in a few weeks. A disc prolapse differs from this in that the fibrous nucleus of the disc is pushed beyond the boundary of the vertebrae. Allopathy⁶ considers that this condition does not repair itself.

      It is therefore important to avoid rounding the low back when bending forward, as in this position it bears the weight of the body. Instead, bend the knees while still maintaining some stretch in the hamstring muscles.

      Inhaling, grow the legs tall and strong, and lift the torso up and out of the hips. Exhaling, fold forward at the hip joints, keeping the back straight and the heart lifted. Reach for the toes, hooking the big toes with the first and second fingers, palms facing inward, and closing the clasp of the fingers with the thumb. Students who cannot yet reach their toes may bend their legs. Bending of the low back to reach the toes is not recommended, as this places pressure on the lumbar discs, and may cause them to bulge.

      

      FIGURE 6 DISC BULGE

      See description on page 37.

      

      On the next inhalation, keeping hold of the toes, lift the head and chest and cast the gaze up between the eyebrows.

      Vinyasa Two

      On exhalation, fold deeply forward, lifting the kneecaps. The lifting of the kneecaps is done by the quadriceps muscle, which is the antagonist to the hamstrings. Performed in this way, the stretch is active, which signals the hamstrings to lengthen. Deepen and soften your groins to lengthen the hip flexor muscles, and breathe into the hamstrings to release them.

      The elbows draw out to the side, the shoulder blades move up toward the hips, and the crown of the head reaches to the floor. Let the weight of the head lengthen the spine and neck. As you support the posture with the action of the legs, the spine releases and is passive. The drishti is toward the tip of the nose. In this vinyasa we are in the state of Padangushtasana. Stay in the posture for five breaths.

      

      Right, Padangushtasana

      Vinyasa Three

      Inhaling, lift your chest and gaze toward the tip of the nose. Exhaling, place the hands under the feet, stepping onto the fingertips and eventually the whole palm, with the toes touching the wrists.

       Pada Hastasana

      FEET-ON-HANDS POSTURE

      Drishti Nose

      Vinyasa One

      From vinyasa three of Padangushtasana, inhaling, lift the head and chest and gaze upward. Attempt to concave СКАЧАТЬ