tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post7970388118387627704..comments2024-03-21T00:30:14.738-07:00Comments on Yoga in the Dragon's Den: Practice on the path of recovery, some thoughts about the opening and closing chants in Ashtanga YogaNobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-86657246629224579502012-08-17T17:23:09.629-07:002012-08-17T17:23:09.629-07:00Thanks! It's completely conjecture on my part....Thanks! It's completely conjecture on my part. I don't have copies of Yoga Mala or Light on Yoga in front of me (both of which have sections on the benefits of the postures in them) to verify my sense of it, which has come intuitively to me through practice. But, I like the idea of the keys of the piano, too. It just feels that way when I do it. Or unfurling a rolled up mat or rug, releasing the energy through the whole length of the body with dynamism as the head unfurls and the body extends fully into chaturanga. Very fun!<br /><br />This reminds me of something Nancy Gilgoff said once about nakrasana - another posture that falls under the fun and showy side of practice. She said she didn't know if it had any benefit, but that it was fun and made Guruji laugh when everyone would do it in the shala :)<br />Michellehttp://www.florenceyoga.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-31481470716198293742012-08-17T08:55:01.076-07:002012-08-17T08:55:01.076-07:00Your interpretation of chakrasana in terms of the ...Your interpretation of chakrasana in terms of the energetic stimulation of the susumna is very interesting and unique, Michelle. I've never thought about it this way; I've always thought that Chakrasana is simply there to help you to transit smoothly from a supine position to downdog without losing the vinyasa count. But although I have never read what you wrote here anywhere else, I really think it makes a lot of sense, and is a very beautiful explanation. Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-23422164028002666662012-08-16T18:28:02.799-07:002012-08-16T18:28:02.799-07:00This is great - thanks for sharing it, Nobel!
re:...This is great - thanks for sharing it, Nobel!<br /><br />re: chakrasana - yes, it's terribly fun and looks awesome. But, I also feel that it gives you a little surge of energy for the last portion of the practice. I always feel energized after doing it. In fact, when I can't do it, I have less energy when going into the backbends. <br /><br />But, maybe that's just me.<br /><br />Still, there's something in a name, isn't there? Chakrasana - wheel posture, yes, but maybe it's referring to our chakras?! The spine/shusumna gets stimulated from behind, from bottom to top, too, when the posture is done correctly. You roll over all the vertebrae, and right over the crown/sahashra chakra. Maybe this is magical thinking on my part, as I have never read this anywhere, but, my intuition tells me that it does something beneficial to our shushumna nadi. <br /><br />Like running your hands down the keys of a keyboard, the resulting energy is uplifting, and energizing.Michellehttp://www.florenceyoga.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-82576485513404119052012-08-16T13:25:48.731-07:002012-08-16T13:25:48.731-07:00Yes, this is true, the opening chant does acknowle...Yes, this is true, the opening chant does acknowledge all the teachers we have had, not just Patanjali. But for some reason, Patanjali always comes into my mind first :-)Nobelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655577410721103577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1449952380128375575.post-17126907796870209282012-08-16T11:33:11.842-07:002012-08-16T11:33:11.842-07:00I always thought the opening chant acknowledged Pa...I always thought the opening chant acknowledged Patanjali but also all teachers that you have had in your yoga journey...at least that is the way I like to think about it!omiyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16103190019135504236noreply@blogger.com