Asana Practice Week Six
I really enjoyed class on thursday with our discussion on yamas & niyamas. At first, the different lists of values or character traits in the sutras always seem so random (probably due to the English translation). It is interesting to see how they relate to each other. I wish that the sutras explained how to achieve yamas & niyamas rather than just the result of practicing them. I am especially interested in how yoga can lead to contentment and non-violence. I am not sure if that is addressed elsewhere in the sutras or that it is left up to the individual to discover in his or her own meditation
I enjoyed the breathing part of class also. It was fun taking the deep breaths on the inhalation and exhalation. The direction of where the breath is supposed to go (“from the base of the spine, through every rib, into your chest and lifting your collarbone) was really helpful. My breath felt like a little caterpillar climbing up and down my torso. I am guessing that that’s the point as I could feel every point in the process of inhalation and exhalation. It was much harder to bring that deep breathing into downward dog which was disappointing (and just when I felt like I was starting to relax in that pose!). I think that all relates to what Dr. Schultz said about how the poses can be almost infinitely improved on and that they are so “deep” that there is always something new to learn from them.
I completely agree about the breathing. When Dr. Shultz was telling us to breathe through all the individual sections to cause a sort of roll through our body, I thought, yeah right, I won't be able to do that, haha. But it really did work and felt great!
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