Enjoy the benefits of yoga because yoga is for EVERYONE!
Yoga aims to develop endurance, balance, strength and align the body correctly. Not only does yoga help to improve your physical wellbeing..but also your mental well being. Please check with your doctor before starting any practice.
Just a quick note to invite you to join me for classes in Christopher Lake or Prince Albert this spring. Most classes should run until June if there is enough interest.
Tuesday class is in Christopher Lake at the Anderson Centre from 6:30-7:45 p.m. (Note: no class April 16th)
Wednesday class is in Prince Albert at the Arts Centre (renamed Margo Fourier Arts Centre) from 5:45-6:45 p.m.
(Note: no class April 17th)
I will also be including an online class in May.
I will send the poster in the next few weeks with class details. The class is recorded so it can be done at any time that suits your schedule.
If you happen to be in Waskesiu Lake in July and August I will be teaching Thursday mornings at Outer Limits in Waskesiu.
Please message with any questions or if you are interested in joining any classes.
Padmasana or Lotus Pose is considered a great seated posture for pranayama and meditation. In this posture the knees are bent and each foot is placed on the opposite thigh, at the root of the thigh.
As B.K.S. Iyengar writes in Light on Yoga, "People not used to sitting on the floor seldom have flexible knees. At the start they will feel excruciating pain around the knees. By perseverance and continued practice the pain will gradually subside and they can then stay in the pose comfortably for a long time."
Many asana and sequences of asana can help prepare the knees, and body for padmasana, as well as the breath and mind to stay longer for pranayama and meditation.
I have put together a few videos that may help build to Padmasana.
The first video incorporates postures that work on learning to bend at the top of the thigh, not at the waist. Using a chair one can really find the root of the thigh and the extra height helps maintain and erect spine. B.K.S. Iyengar mentions how the straight back helps to keep the mind attentive and alert.
Adding in Parvatasana (fingers interlaced and raised overhead) helps stretch and lengthen the back and create space in the chest and around the abdominal organs.
A few standing postures are included to work on externally rotating the thigh bone in the hip socket, as well as create space around the back of the knee.
Seated poses like Dandasana (staff pose) and Janu Sirsasana ( head to knee pose) also work these key areas around the hips, knees and spine.
Supta Baddha Konasana and a reclined version of Ardha Padmansa (half lotus), also called Bhadrasana are included before Savasana.
I've added another Prashnayantra statement that I was investigating last night.
Please feel free to message me with your reflections. You can sign up to receive these statements from India also by following the link below.
Thank you,
Pam
The statement for today is:
Study the role of senses organs. As you do Standing Poses, Have your Breath and Awareness focused on Outer Corners of the Eyes, and then again on Bottom of the Eyes. Compare the subtle difference betwen the two in terms of the effect on the mind as well as the culture of the pose.
Establish a breath cycle, and do/pace all actions and corrections so that the breath cycle remains absolutely undisturbed
Some Thoughts and Hints:
When initially trying this approach, it is best to establish a breath cycle, in terms of its region, duration and volume, that is conducive for that particular asana. For example, some difficult asanas may have a shorter duration breath more natural to them. Hence working in this mode also improves the skill of knowing the suitable breath cycle upfront.
For this statement we will explore a few classes of asana. I would like to do this one again and investigate a few others. Maybe you can explore a deeper twist and see if you can keep the breath absolutely undisturbed.
You tube Link: https://youtu.be/OvCh0q1_Xx0
Message me with your feedback about the statement we worked on today.
Thank you,
Pam
You can sign up to receive the emails too: can sign up for emails or view more problem statements here: http://prashnayantra.appspot.com
Srineet Sridharan is the grandson of B.K.S. Iyengar and the creator of the statement generator. Below he writes more about this.
About Prashnayantra: A Yogasana Problem Statement Generator
23 Feb 2014
Beginners focus on learning how to do asanas, and improving their poses over time. At some point however, you need to go beyond this, and slowly embark on a study of yogic principles. This project auto-generates problem statements that are intended to help in this journey.
These problem statements are based primarily on classes conducted in the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, and particularly from attending classes conducted by Prashant Iyengar.
Stepping into the ladder towards yogic principles, I would say that the level of problem statements generated here is still near the initial steps. There are higher, subtler principles and lessons that go beyond those addressed in the problem statements here. For example, Prana-kriya, Chakra-kriya, Pranayama etc. are not covered here.
The problem statements generated here will make most sense to those who attend the classes cited above. While others may yet benefit from them, they may not be able to appreciate them in the same sense. This unfortunately, is true of any somewhat specialized subject that has not yet built a formal widely-accepted jargon, but has developed specific terms used by teachers. At this point, I do not aim to provide an explanation of each of the problem statements, and nor am I fully equipped to do that.
How to Use
Those that attend the classes will realize that the problem statements generated here have tremendous potential to raise the level of students who use them in their practices. This project may help students get a grip on the many topics, paradigms and principles covered informally in classes, but that slip away from their minds over time.
Teachers may use these problem statements for their own study from a teaching point of view, or even just to help come up with a topic to cover in their next class.
Classes could use this to put up on a " Thought for the Week " type notice board.
It'd be great to have a community of students that work on these problem statements, share their notes, and learn together. Maybe an online community too.
This Project
Other than just being somewhat fun and interesting, I believe there is value in this project in that, the listing and systemetization of various informally taught, but as yet uncataloged, lessons and principles, in the form of the grammar used to generate the problem statements.
Caveats
Some auto-generated problem statements may seem non-sensical. The fault lies entirely with me (I probably let something slip through to simplify the grammar). At the same time, what may sound non-sensical to one, may well be deep and insightful to a more penetrating mind...
Terms of Use
The terms of use for this project, when using the generator or the problem statements generated by it, are along the lines of Creative Commons with Attribution. So feel free to use the site and the problem statements as you please; just acknowledge this site Prashnayantra as the source of the statements.
About the Author
I am the grandson of B.K.S. Iyengar, son of his daughter Vanita, and nephew of Geeta and Prashant Iyengar. I live in Pune with my wife Mugdha and daughter Deeksha.
Contact
Will be very happy to hear from you. Please send me an email
As you do Prasarita Padottanasana, have organic body and skeleto-muscular body, work with each other in a give and take fashion, as though they are trading and negotiating with each other for mutual benefit. Understand this approach to experiencing an asana.
Message me with your feedback about the statement we worked on today. Sorry the video is cut a bit short as someone showed up at my door while I was recording :)
Thank you,
Pam
Srineet Sridharan is the grandson of B.K.S. Iyengar and the creator of the statement generator. Below he writes more about this.
About Prashnayantra: A Yogasana Problem Statement Generator
23 Feb 2014
Beginners focus on learning how to do asanas, and improving their poses over time. At some point however, you need to go beyond this, and slowly embark on a study of yogic principles. This project auto-generates problem statements that are intended to help in this journey.
These problem statements are based primarily on classes conducted in the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, and particularly from attending classes conducted by Prashant Iyengar.
Stepping into the ladder towards yogic principles, I would say that the level of problem statements generated here is still near the initial steps. There are higher, subtler principles and lessons that go beyond those addressed in the problem statements here. For example, Prana-kriya, Chakra-kriya, Pranayama etc. are not covered here.
The problem statements generated here will make most sense to those who attend the classes cited above. While others may yet benefit from them, they may not be able to appreciate them in the same sense. This unfortunately, is true of any somewhat specialized subject that has not yet built a formal widely-accepted jargon, but has developed specific terms used by teachers. At this point, I do not aim to provide an explanation of each of the problem statements, and nor am I fully equipped to do that.
How to Use
Those that attend the classes will realize that the problem statements generated here have tremendous potential to raise the level of students who use them in their practices. This project may help students get a grip on the many topics, paradigms and principles covered informally in classes, but that slip away from their minds over time.
Teachers may use these problem statements for their own study from a teaching point of view, or even just to help come up with a topic to cover in their next class.
Classes could use this to put up on a " Thought for the Week " type notice board.
It'd be great to have a community of students that work on these problem statements, share their notes, and learn together. Maybe an online community too.
This Project
Other than just being somewhat fun and interesting, I believe there is value in this project in that, the listing and systemetization of various informally taught, but as yet uncataloged, lessons and principles, in the form of the grammar used to generate the problem statements.
Caveats
Some auto-generated problem statements may seem non-sensical. The fault lies entirely with me (I probably let something slip through to simplify the grammar). At the same time, what may sound non-sensical to one, may well be deep and insightful to a more penetrating mind...
Terms of Use
The terms of use for this project, when using the generator or the problem statements generated by it, are along the lines of Creative Commons with Attribution. So feel free to use the site and the problem statements as you please; just acknowledge this site Prashnayantra as the source of the statements.
About the Author
I am the grandson of B.K.S. Iyengar, son of his daughter Vanita, and nephew of Geeta and Prashant Iyengar. I live in Pune with my wife Mugdha and daughter Deeksha.
Contact
Will be very happy to hear from you. Please send me an email
Coming to my blog will be more content. Pose of the month, small sequences, and something I have enjoyed exploring is Prashnayantra. These are autogenerated sayings of Prashant Iyengar”s to explore in your own practice.
Watch for the first one to be posted Monday, February 19th