Skip to main content

May: Let's Astanga, baby.

This month we will breath our way through preparation for the primary series and closing sequence in Astanga yoga.  

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali state there are 8 limbs of yoga,  being Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are those limbs.  They are words in ancient sanskrit meaning ethics or integrity, self-discipline, postures, breath control, withdrawl or sensory transcendence, concentration, meditation or contemplation and finally ecstasy.  This is the first series of the style founded by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.  Astanga is the word for 8 limbs in sanskrit and this styles basis. 

 


I have in the past linked some of the same poses in my sequences and also do some preparatory poses in my classes.  I need to find some variations of the prep poses for change and challenge this month.....and a good study opportunity as well.  I wonder how long it will take me to be able to do the whole thing.  Some of the poses in this series I am unable to do at this moment.  For now we will only focus on the first series and the closing sequence........ or in reality a modified version of both.

So together let's take a journey down the path of Astanga and the great masters of this style in May.


Popular posts from this blog

700 Hours of Learning....start now!

Here goes I am embarking on a two year adventure into myself and the world around me through yoga, massage, coaching and other modalities.  With this journey comes a great reading list and journaling.  This is not something I have ever been able to keep up, with much regularity, as you can see from my posts here.....lol One day I may succeed as I continue to practice for the next two years. I have received the reading list and am happy to have just finished Yoga Sequencing:  Designing Transformative Yoga Classes by Mark Stephens.  This book was suggested to me and for obvious reason, it is incredibly informative.  As a beginning yoga teacher it provided great pictures and foundations for infinite classes that I am now able to create.  It will continue to be on my bookshelf as an excellent reference,and I could reread it still getting useful information a second or third time.  Now I will delve further into this genre of reading with Yoga Anatomy by L...
Read more

Where is the balance?

Everyday I wake up with big plans of getting some exercise, making some jewelry, Christmas decorations and cards and somehow it is now just before Christmas and I have not gotten in any better shape and have only made one pair of earrings this year....Where is the balance? How do I stop everyday life from stopping me.  By the time I get home from work, make dinner and do all the things I have to do which now also include a college course and a volunteer position I have no time for the things I set out to do at the beginning of the year.  I do not know where I could possibly squeeze in another hour or so....I am already exhausted.  I had mistakenly thought that when I sold my house and no longer had that maintenance to look after I would have more time...nope not so.  Okay so I got a job that I only work 35 hours a week and get off at 2:30 on Fridays and I could use that time....nope....now it just gets used for errands most times.... I keep asking myself this q...
Read more