Learning Support for Chanting the Taittirīya Saṃhitā 7.1.6 – Sarvaguṇa Sampanna Mantra
Karoti Rūpāṇi – Krama Pāṭhaḥ by TKV Desikachar combined with Jaṭā Pāṭhaḥ by Sujaya Sridhar.
– Private Recording of TKV Desikachar and Sujaya Sridhar by Paul Harvey
– To Download or Listen
– To Download the Chant Sheet in Romanised Saṃskṛta with Notations
Link to Veda Mantra Chanting Practice – PDF & MP3 Support Resources
Learning Support for Chanting the Taittirīya Saṃhitā 7.1.6 – Sarvaguṇa Sampanna Mantra
Karoti Rūpāṇi – Krama Pāṭhaḥ.
From my personal library of recordings of my teacher.
– To Download or Listen
– To Download the Chant Sheet in Romanised Saṃskṛta with Notations
Link to Veda Mantra Chanting Practice – PDF & MP3 Support Resources
Learning Support for Chanting the Taittirīya Saṃhitā 7.1.6 – Sarvaguṇa Sampanna Mantra
Karoti Rūpāṇi – Saṃhitā Pāṭhaḥ.
From my personal library of recordings of my teacher.
– To Download or Listen
– To Download the Chant Sheet in Romanised Saṃskṛta with Notations
Link to Veda Mantra Chanting Practice – PDF & MP3 Support Resources
1. To strengthen and prepare the legs and back for Vīrabhadrāsana
2. As Pratikriyāsana to Halāsana
3. To prepare for staying in Dhanurāsana
4. To emphasise the work in Daṇḍāsana
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in each of the four practices will be for a maximum of 60 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana especially Bhujaṅgāsana.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– Make notes on what you have discovered from each practice.
– Justify to yourself your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
To Download or View this Question as a PD1F Study Sheet
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
– Within this Vinyāsa Krama will be a common thread within each of the three crowns of the ratio 1.1.1.1.
This may also be accessed as a crown within each of the three peaks.
However within the planning there will be a developmental thread, in that the ratio of 1.1.1.1. will increase in actual length, whilst the four aspects of the breath remain constant.
In other words, if the base unit for each of the four aspects of the breath in Jaṭhara Parivṛtti is 8 seconds, then the base unit in Mahā Mudrā is 10 seconds and the base unit in Pratiloma Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma is 12 seconds.
This relationship is to remain progressive within the three crowns, so it may be in the form of 6, 8 or 10 seconds, et al.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the complete practice will be for a total of 120 working breaths.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 90 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana and Mudrā especially Baddha Koṇāsana and Mahā Mudrā.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
Āsana practice also implies as well as practicing, we need to know something about the Āsana we are going to work with as we introduce, persevere and develop and especially personalise our practice. Hence we have to both practice but also have some theoretical background in order to context an Āsana in itself and in relationship to both other Āsana and to Yoga.
Thus, guided studies through all the aspects involved in Āsana practice and teaching within the field of Āsana involved firstly, as an adjunct to embracing a personal practice, getting to know one’s tools in terms of what. In other words, how to use them without any particular consideration of who, or even why.
This learning into what are the tools we use in Yoga practice and how we learn to apply them on a personal basis, as a novice musician might with regard to their art, were essential first steps. These steps into what and how also preceded learning on how to apply these tools as a Yoga teacher. Even here though, should we be interested in imparting Yoga to others, is it to a person or group wishing to explore and learn the principles as well as the practice?
In other words, being involved with a student wanting to learn Yoga for Yoga, rather than the more usual demand of coming to Yoga for X, Y or Z. The first aspect within this approach to Yoga as Yoga is study around the definition, meaning and context of Āsana as a primary tool. This first step encompasses the concepts of Nāma, Rūpa and Lakṣaṇa or what is the name, form and characteristics of the Āsana we wish to engage with.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 70 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana especially Parivṛtti Trikoṇāsana and Jaṭhara Parivṛtti.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– Make notes on what you have discovered from this practice
– Justify to yourself your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
– This planning question was first proffered within Study and Practice Courses whereby the student’s responses would be shared during the next meeting along with being offered a sample response.
Accordingly, I will post this example by adding it as a PDF resource to this post after some time.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
To Download or View a Sample Practice Response as a PDF
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 60 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana especially Parivṛtti Trikoṇāsana and Jaṭhara Parivṛtti.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– Make notes on what you have discovered from this practice
– Justify to yourself your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
– This planning question was first proffered within Study and Practice Courses whereby the student’s responses would be shared during the next meeting along with being offered a sample response.
Accordingly, I will post this example by adding it as a PDF resource to this post after some time.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
To Download or View a Sample Practice Response as a PDF
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 60 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana especially Vīrabhadrāsana along with Ardha Śalabhāsana.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– Make notes on what you have discovered from this practice
– Justify to yourself your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
– This planning question was first proffered within Study and Practice Courses whereby the student’s responses would be shared during the next meeting along with being offered a sample response.
Accordingly, I will post this example by adding it as a PDF resource to this post after some time.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
To Download or View a Sample Practice Response as a PDF
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 60 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana especially Dvi Pāda Pīṭham and both Sālamba and Nirālamba Bhujaṅgāsana.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– Make notes on what you have discovered from this practice
– Justify to yourself your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
– This planning question was first proffered within Study and Practice Courses whereby the student’s responses would be shared during the next meeting along with being offered a sample response.
Accordingly, I will post this example by adding it as a PDF resource to this post after some time.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
To Download or View a Sample Practice Response as a PDF
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
Fundamentally, the starting point determines the direction……
In exploring this premise, I would suggest reading a post from 2018 exploring the chronological teaching model outlined in the article ‘What are the concepts of Sṛṣṭi Krama, Sthiti Krama and Anta Krama’. Especially considering that these important principles from Krishnamacharya’s formational teaching, in the later years of his tenure in Mysore and early years of his tenure in Madras, also influenced and set the styles for those of his pupils who went on to influence the teaching of Yoga in the West.
However, if we apply this chronological model within the generic modality inherent within much of group class teaching in the West these past decades, we already have an issue, since most people coming to Yoga are already at some point in their middle years or Sṛṣṭi Krama. This can also mean that despite looking for such as physical fitness or mental challenge, they are not necessarily coming from a Sṛṣṭi or growth stage starting point.
In looking at how to deepen (rather than broaden) our personal practice, choosing to focus on exploring the breath can be a key towards unlocking the mystery of the relationship between body, breath, mind and that which is both beyond and within.
“Yoga is more about exploring
the movement of the mind, whilst
Āsana is more about exploring
the movement of the body.
The vehicle common to exploring both
is the movement of the breath.
The yoking of all three is towards the goal of
experiencing the source of all movement.”
Here, from the viewpoint of T Krishnamacharya, an avenue for deepening an exploration into the potential of the breath within our practice can be through a systematic and progressive slowing in the cyclic patterning of our breath. To access this deepening we may have to reconsider our practice, not just in terms of what we do with our body, but also what we do with the breath within the various Yoga practices associated with our body.
linked together, offer possibilities to enhance our relationship with ourselves through our personal practice.
This approach, with its emphasis on one to one transmission, opens the possibility that a deepening of our practice comes not from adding more difficult Āsana, but from further refining our relationship with what Āsana we already have.
Life is already full of pressures to go for the newest and latest, ever improved model. Plus it’s often easier shopping around to bring more in from the outside rather than putting time aside and concentrating on bringing more out from the inside.
Prāṇāyāma, the same as with Āsana and Dhyānam, was taught according to the core principles within Cikitsā Krama, Rakṣaṇa Krama and Śikṣaṇa Krama.
Thus we have breathwork practice possibilities ranging from Cikitsā, using simple ratios to settle an irregular breathing pattern or pulse fluctuation, to Rakṣaṇa, with a visible competence and fluidity within a range of basic techniques and mild ratios, to Śikṣaṇa and a skill base encompassing all techniques, and ratios and especially, the application and integration of Kumbhaka with long holds both after the inhale and the exhale.
How can we consider factors around the planning of an appropriate Āsana practice?
For example, how would we consider the following situation:
We can find out how much time is available, say 30′. So now we can prepare a practice. Though, whatever principles we use there are certain things that need to happen.
However, we should have respect for:
“Working together with and directed by past impressions,
the three Guṇa, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas determine
whether the mind is calm, agitated or dull.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4
“Past impressions also determine the
mind’s direction and quality of perception.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4
The less we act from within the field of the present moment,
the more we re-act from within the field of past memories.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verses 4
“The mind acts in countless ways and all of them
stem from the power of past Karma Vāsanā.
This is why individuals differ from one another.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6
Laṅghana Kriyā is a Viniyoga methodology with its reducing, lightening or contractive potentials within the practice of Āsana, Mudrā and Prāṇāyāma. As a practice process it is actualised through an understanding of the primary principles that inform Haṭha Yoga and Āyurveda.
The Viniyoga, or application of Laṅghana Kriyā effects a concentration of Agni from the periphery to the core. This outcome is approached traditionally through effecting systemic changes, primarily in the systemic energies of digestion and elimination. Thus from an Āyurveda perspective, the use of practices which bring about a functional energetic change in the qualities of Vāta, Pitta and Kapha Doṣa.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 60 working breaths.
– It will be based around Āsana especially Parśva Uttānāsana and Janu Śīrṣāsana.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– Make notes on what you have discovered from this practice
– Justify to yourself your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
– This planning question was first proffered within Study and Practice Courses whereby the student’s responses would be shared during the next meeting along with being offered a sample response.
Accordingly, I will post this example by adding it as a PDF resource to this post after 10 days.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
To Download or View a Sample Practice Response as a PDF
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
Chapter One Samādhi Pādaḥ
The Wisdom of the West as a guide to appreciating the Wisdom of the East arose
from a project for trainee Yoga practitioners being asked to prepare and present a
‘book’ featuring a chosen translation of each verse from the Yoga Sūtra Chapter One,
supported and complemented by a personally chosen quote from a Western source.
“A short saying often contains much wisdom.”
– Sophocles
It was met with an enthusiastic response to the point where I said I would also
contribute a ‘version’. It is offered here, as a PDF in both A4 and US Letter formats,
in the spirit of Paramparā with an appreciation for my years of learning in India.
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart……”
– William Wordsworth
It is not © in the spirit of open source community commons,
though acknowledgement of the source could be appropriate.
View or Download as an A4 PDF
View or Download as a US Letter PDF
Links to Related Material:
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords – Collected & Collated into Chapters
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Questions – Collected & Collated into Chapters
