Grouped into Primary, Secondary & Ancillary Techniques
1. Primary Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques
Nāḍī Śodhana
– Pūraka Left Nostril
– Recaka Right Nostril
– Pūraka Right Nostril
– Recaka Left Nostril
2. Primary Support Prāṇāyāma Breathing Techniques
As well as considering what is acceptable to each and everybody as content of an Āsana practice, we need to consider the process that surrounds one’s Āsana practice.
Examples of Practice as a Process include inquiry into:
So what is Yoga practice as a process? Practice as a process is a consideration of all the factors that surround the establishing of a home practice.
These include:
Session 1 – Self Planning & Self Practice
Building and working with Complex Sequences
This was a six day early morning Āsana, Mudrā, Bandha & Prāṇāyāma planning and practice project for year Four students within a four year Practitioner Training Programme.
The format was:
The Bhāvana practice proposition and Āsana, Mudrā, Bandha & Prāṇāyāma practice techniques that set each mornings focus, technique and crown ratio are shown below.
If we have certain principles underpinning how we teach, how do we apply Viniyoga to students already set in a particular mode of Āsana practice?
For example, if they have a physical problem then you have something to work with. However, you need to be tactful about pointing such things out, maybe waiting. Otherwise, you can try to meet them halfway i.e. adding a couple of things to their practice they know and a couple they don’t.
If they have been practising in this way for several years what does it matter if it takes several months to influence their Āsana practice.
To consider this statement we need to look at different approaches to Āsana practice. Here, we can use viewpoints of different ‘styles’ of practice as to what are seen by many as the two primary ‘classical’ Āsana.
For example:
From these examples we are led to the belief that we must respect that there are various viewpoints on the principles of practice for these two primary Āsana.
When encountering a student wanting to explore how to engage with Yoga practice, what could be the starting points for examining what might work for them in terms of determining appropriate short term and longer term steps towards establishing stages in how to proceed?
Here it could be helpful to look at what sits behind their intentions to practice, as well as what appears in front of us in terms of the person and their overt requests around the role of Yoga in their life.
This means we need to investigate what is the process that sits behind and stimulates, or even exacerbates their urge towards a Yoga practice, before considering what is the actual content that we will offer for the first steps into the arena of cultivating and maintaining a personalised practice.
So, what do we mean by investigating what is the process that sits behind their wish to practice?
I am collating a number of individual practice planning questions posted previously around Āsana as an illustration of the principles of Vinyāsa Krama.
They are presented here collectively to invite attention to the wide-ranging possibilities that existed in the teachings of TKV Desikachar in the field of working with a variety of Āsana, in terms of exploring this particular aspect of Yoga practice, through emphasising either breadth or depth.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 50 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.
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Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
Trying to hold onto the fleeting presence of awareness can be likened to a bird choosing to land in the open palm of your hand. We desire to hold onto it because of our attraction towards continuing to enjoy the experience of its delicacy, beauty and gift of presence.
Thus when the bird of awareness alights in your palm the temptation is to close the fingers around the experience, however gently, in order to hold on to it, albeit to protect it or to continue to experience this unique moment of relationship with something that is usually elusive, or out of sight or reach.
However I feel, as with a bird you need to keep your hand open, so with awareness, you need to keep your hand open, as in resisting the desire to cling onto the experience. The bird of awareness might be happy to rest awhile, that is fine and then it flies off, that is also fine.
Discuss the different aspects of Vinyāsa Krama
involved in the Viniyoga of Prāṇāyāma.
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Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
The nine-night long Nava Rātri, an important occasion in India, is celebrated as a time to honour the Divine Feminine, especially the Goddess Durgā within the Indian tradition. It will commence today Monday 26th September 2022, the first day of the month of Aśvin, according to the Hindu calendar. During this time the primary focus is Durgā manifesting through three primary aspects of the Divine Feminine.
Thus for the first three nights the focus is around the Divine Feminine in her power-bestowing aspect known as Durgā. For the second three nights the focus is around the Divine Feminine in her prosperity-bestowing aspect known as Lakṣmī. For the third three nights the focus is around the Divine Feminine in her wisdom-bestowing aspect known as Sarasvatī.
As a student, my teacher worked at guiding me towards becoming increasingly independent in developing and refining more and more my personal practice skills so I became less and less dependent on him being the vehicle for if, when, where, what and how well I practice.
I have always respected this aspect of his 121 teaching, in that, like a parent with a child, he progressively facilitated my learning. This enabled me to evolve an intelligently consistent, situation adaptive and yet long term developmental self-practice, initially through and then much more than, just Āsana.
“TKV Desikachar did not teach different people different things.
Nor did he just teach the same thing to different people.
He taught different people the same thing in different ways.
The same could be said of T Krishnamacharya’s teaching.
Hence the context of the phrase the Viniyoga of Yoga.”
Especially as, like any art that we wish to become accomplished in, this self-skill was cultivated primarily within my home environment with all its hues and moods that inevitably influence, or are driven by deeper motivations within our current intentions and situation realities.
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.
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Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
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
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:-
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
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.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 100 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
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
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
