Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

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СКАЧАТЬ letting go. To breathe into and release the hamstrings can be very upsetting. We store many powerful emotions, such as suppressed anger, competitiveness, and fear of inadequacy, in our hamstring muscles. All suppressed emotions are potentially crippling to our health: they are toxic and have an impact on our personality. It is essential that, if strong emotions do arise when we breathe awareness into the hamstrings, we acknowledge whatever we feel and then let go of these emotions. Breathing through a posture requires that the stretch be kept at a manageable intensity. If the stretch is too strong we will harden and numb ourselves further. One needs to stretch with compassion and intelligence. Otherwise, instead of letting go of our old unconscious conditioning, we will superimpose yet another layer of abuse. Stay in the state of Pashimottanasana A for five breaths.

      

      

      Pashimottanasana B (top) and C

      Vinyasa Ten

      Inhaling, lift the torso away from the legs, straightening the arms. Exhaling, take the outsides of the feet.

      The next three vinyasas reflect Pashimottanasana B, and the three vinyasas after that reflect Pashimottanasana C.

      Vinyasa Eight

      Inhaling, lift the heart and the entire front of the torso.

      Vinyasa Nine

      Exhaling, Pashimottanasana B, five breaths.

      Vinyasa Ten

      Inhaling, lift the torso away from the legs, straightening the arms. Exhaling, reach around the feet to lock the wrists.

      Vinyasa Eight

      Inhaling, lift the torso, straightening the arms.

      Vinyasa Nine

      Exhaling, fold forward, Pashimottanasana C, five breaths.

      These three variations of Pashimottanasana stretch the inside, outside, and center of the hamstrings, which coincide with the three separate muscles of the group: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris (see figure 7, page 40).

      Vinyasa Ten

      Inhaling, lift the torso, straightening the arms. Exhaling, place your hands to the floor.

      Vinyasa Eleven

      Inhaling, lift up and move the feet back with a single hop so the body forms a straight line from the head to the feet.

      The inhalation has a natural upward lifting function; the exhalation has a grounding and rooting function. Imagine the autumn wind playing with leaves and effortlessly lifting them off the floor. The same power is used in the vinyasa movement. The inha lation inspires the lift, with the shoulder and arm muscles providing the structural support. This is only possible with Mula and Uddiyana Bandha engaged. The inhalation reaches down, hooks into the bandhas, and lifts the body up like an elevator. Movement must follow the breath. If the breath is connected to the bandhas, it will move the body effortlessly and one will feel light and rejuvenated after the practice. If the bandhas are not firmly established, one might feel drained and exhausted after practice because energy has been lost. Feel how the inhalation reaches down and attaches itself to the engaged pelvic floor and lower abdominal wall. Continue to inhale, creating a suction that lifts your trunk off the floor. Support this lift with the frame and action of your arms and shoulders.

      

      

      Above from left, vinyasa eleven jump back, in phases Left, start of vinyasa twelve

      

      Left, Lollasana

      Below, top to bottom, left to right, Chaturanga Dandasana (vinyasa twelve), Upward Dog (vinyasa thirteen), Downward Dog (vinyasa fourteen)

      

       PRACTICAL TIP

       Lollasana

      If your arms and shoulders are weak, do the following exercise. Sitting on your heels, cross your ankles, point your feet backward, and lift your knees and feet off the floor. Hold Lollasana for as long as you can. Add on one breath every day until you can hold it for ten breaths. Then gently begin to swing back and forth without dragging your feet over the floor. Eventually insert this movement into your vinyasa.

      Vinyasa Twelve

      Exhale into Chaturanga Dandasana, the fourth position of Surya Namaskara A.

      Vinyasa Thirteen

      Inhale into Upward Dog.

      Vinyasa Fourteen

      Exhale into Downward Dog.

      We are now ready to jump through to sitting for the next posture.

       PRACTICAL TIP

       Different Foot Positions in Forward Bending

      There are three different foot positions for forward bends. In the first, the foot is flexed (dorsal flexed), which means that the upper side of the foot is drawn toward the shin. This position can be used for the less intense type of forward bends — for postures where the hamstrings do not bear the weight of the torso, such as Dandasana and Marichyasana C.¹⁴

      The second foot position, the one used in Pashimottanasana, is between pointing and flexing. To achieve this, first extend out through the heels and then through the bases of all the toes. Keeping the feet flexed in Pashimottanasana is one of the main sources of hamstring injuries. This second foot position is also chosen in other semi-intense forward bends like Ardha Baddha Padma Pashimottanasana, Triang Mukha Ekapada Pashimottanasana, Janushirshasana, СКАЧАТЬ