Posts archive: All Collected Yoga News Views & Blog Posts Timeline

Design a Practice to experience the application of Sound in Āsana…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

Design a Practice to experience the application of Sound in Āsana.
Present keynotes with your reasoning behind your choices.

The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 60 working breaths.

– It will be based primarily around Āsana, perhaps with Mudrā.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any sitting Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– State the intended direction and outcome of the practice in terms of the goal or goals.
– Indicate the primary or crown you are choosing to build the practice around.
– Justify your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.

To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet

Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated

108 Sūtra Study Pointers – 115 – How to deal with the conundrum that we are thinking or feeling we are changing…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

How to relate with the inner conundrum that we are
thinking or feeling we are changing every 5 minutes.
Yet, from within that seeming flux we can observe that
we are only appearing to be changing every 5 minutes.
This implies that there is something else, not obvious,
yet constantly abiding within our psychic fluctuations.
Yoga offers a journey towards a direct experience of that
which perceives within our coalesced sense of “I” Am-ness.
In other words, how to be with that we call awareness or
the observer within the seeming seduction of the observed,
given that both mind and senses are part of the observed?
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 18

Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra

108 Yoga Sūtra Study Question Pointers – 1 – What does the word Atha symbolise for you

Posted on by Paul Harvey

The aim of this series, and its companion series (Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords), with its single guided Sūtra word within a parallel flow, is to progress through a themed reflective journey across the four chapters or Pāda that comprise the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali.

On this page, a question will be proffered as a reflection and inquiry into a single verse. Here each verse in the text will be explored successively, via a link to its translation, word by word breakdown and added commentaries collated from the website, to invite the reader to form their own opinion as to what is implied.

On the companion page, a word will be listed as a symbol for a specific verse or set of verses as we progressively traverse each chapter. It will offer an exploration, via a link to the Saṃskṛta Glossary, of all the connected quotations and posts, collated from within the website these past 12 years, again to invite the reader to form their own opinion as to what is implied.

My wish is to offer an insight into the spectrum of Yoga teachings received from T Krishnamacharya mainly via TKV Desikachar, in terms of both breadth and depth.

Chapter One Samādhi Pādaḥ verse 1

atha yoga-anu-śāsanam |

In Sūtra 1.1 what does the word Atha symbolise for you
in relation to your moment to moment choices?

To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet

Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords – Collected & Collated into Chapters
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Questions – Collected & Collated into Chapters

Design an Āsana practice to include three hand balance Āsana of your choice…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

Design an Āsana practice to include three hand balance Āsana of your choice.

The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 90 working breaths.

– It will be based primarily around Āsana.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any sitting Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana,
do not count in the breath tally.
– State the intended developmental path of the practice.
– Consider the primary Āsana you are choosing to build the practice with.
– Justify your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.

To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet

Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated

Self Planning & Self Practice Project around Mahāmudrā…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

Design a personal practice focusing on using Mahāmudrā to explore the following breathing ratios:

1.1.1.1.
1.1.2.0.
1.1.2.1.
1.0.2.1.

The following guidelines are offered as a framework for this project:
a)  Total of 12 breaths each side in Mahāmudrā.
b)  Different ratios to be tried on different days, at least twice each ratio.
c)  Add necessary preparation and compensation.
d)  Prepare your practice diary under:-

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Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

“Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority
seeks Yoga as a preventive measure to prevent illness.
Most people seem to seek Yoga only for therapy.”
– TKV Desikachar 1998

Design an Āsana practice around Dhanurāsana  and Ardha Matsyendrāsana

Posted on by Paul Harvey

Design an Āsana practice around Dhanurāsana and Ardha Matsyendrāsana

The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 90 working breaths.

– It will be based primarily around Āsana, perhaps with Mudrā.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any sitting Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana,
do not count in the breath tally.
– State the intended developmental path of the practice.
– Consider the primary Āsana you are choosing to build the practice with.
– Consider the primary ratio you are choosing to use in the crown of the practice.
– Justify your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.

To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet

Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated

108 Sūtra Study Pointers – 114 – It is intriguing, or even at times beguiling, in how we choose to relate to the nine interventions

Posted on by Paul Harvey

It is intriguing, or even at times beguiling, in what
choices we make in relation to the nine interventions
elegantly presented in Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30.
In other words what ploys do we deploy and employ
with regard to at least living intelligently within,
even if unable to transform at this point in time,
with what appears as if a distraction between how
we feel we are and how we feel we would like to be.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra

There is an increasing tendency in terms of Modern Therapeutic Yoga application strategies……

Posted on by Paul Harvey

There is an increasing tendency in terms of Modern Therapeutic Yoga application strategies, especially when marketing Yoga as a Therapy through group class situations, to create brand banding to identify ‘sufferers’.

Personally, I feel it is not appropriate when considering Yoga practices for others to ‘lump’ people together as say back pain sufferers, or migraine sufferers, or insomnia sufferers, etc.

It is tempting, or even convenient also, to propose a technique and then state that this technique will help this particular situation or problem.

“We cannot say that this Āsana or this
Prāṇāyāma can be given for this disease.”
– T Krishnamacharya

However, my teacher taught me that Yoga is to be tailored to the needs and aspirations of each person rather than fitting the person to some ready-made group standard technique.

It is true to say there are some common characteristics within various health problems or conditions, but then so there are in all areas of people’s lives. We live together in groups determined by commonalities and yet each of us is unique in our view and relationship with our surroundings.

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108 Sūtra Study Pointers – 113 – Yoga is not just about engaging…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

Yoga is not just about engaging with
the overt nature of the  symptoms,
but also engaging with the
covert cause of the symptoms.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 24

Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra

Compendium of Quotes from TKV Desikachar on the Yoga of T Krishnamacharya……

Posted on by Paul Harvey

“These are, in brief, some things about Krishnamacharya and his Yoga.
You must judge for yourself where he actually stands.”

“Let us look at his usual day.
Whether you believe it or not,
this old man gets up at one o’clock in the morning.
Anybody is welcome to wait on the verandah and
see that he gets up at one o’clock in the morning.
And one o’clock in the morning is something for us,
I mean it is like a terror to get up at one o’clock, and he is 93.
He prepares his own tea and then he practices.
I did not believe that, until I saw, because he is staying with me,
that he practices Yoga Āsana and Prāṇāyāma every day.
In fact more than once every day, including headstand and Padmāsana,
I am mentioning Padmāsana you see, because we are all sitting on chairs.
Headstand, Padmāsana, everything he does, and at 5 o’clock the bell rings
and we know that he has started his Pūjā.
And the bell is not one of those small bells like they have on dining room tables.
I am sure that bell must weigh 1½-2 kilos, because it is made of bronze.
It must meet certain specifications, and the bell must produce the tone of OM, so it is quite heavy.
I often wonder whether I could ever do this for five minutes, like he does.
He goes on waking God-come on, get up, get up, get up- also with some recitation,
and all the family at that time curses him because he is waking all of us.
At 6.30, when he has done all the chantings,
it is very interesting to watch him doing these, he makes his own breakfast.
Then I go to see him at 7 o’clock in the morning and we chant for one hour.
And then sometimes he has somebody at eight o’clock for chanting; somebody else at nine.
So he will be teaching this Vedic chanting for 3 hours, after one hour of Pūjā.
You must try to chant for fifteen minutes, it is so tiring, but he manages.
He has a great will.”

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108 Mudrā Practice Pointers – 15 – When intending to use  Uḍḍīyana Bandha don’t hold the stomach…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

When intending to use  Uḍḍīyana Bandha don’t
hold the stomach area tensely just after inhaling,
or if using Antar Kumbhaka, just before exhaling.
In choosing working ratios concentrate on those
emphasising the exhale and the Bāhya Kumbhaka.

Link to Series: 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

108 Mudrā Practice Pointers – 14 – Allow time for the Uḍḍīyana Bandha…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

Allow time for the Uḍḍīyana Bandha.
Don’t hurry the act of lifting otherwise
the quality of the Uḍḍīyana will suffer.
Keep the shoulders down and relaxed.
Keep the arms straight with active hands.

Link to Series: 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

108 Mudrā Practice Pointers – 13 – When working with the inhale in Mahāmudrā…

Posted on by Paul Harvey

When working with the inhale in Mahāmudrā try
to create an effect of upward movement in the spine,
as if within Bhujaṅgāsana inhaling from the top down,
whilst arching the spine upwards through the inhale.
So straightening the spine lifting the chest upwards,
whilst keeping the Jālandhara Bandha locked down.

Link to Series: 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers