A day off from class, a day to play with understandings...
This trip, the first class with my teacher, after the chant, words and silence for Geetaji,
the first pose was Adho Mukha Virasana,
like Geetaji was teaching only days ago, a lifetime.
In that “simple” pose he showed two weaknesses/ tendencies...
Now the work is looking exploring and strengthening controlling expanding spreading and gripping to find the balance. What arises in a “simple pose” is also everywhere. The postures reveal.
Studying Light on Yoga to see what’s missing from my practice: what’s not coming, why?
all entry ways in.
The questions get us interested involved attentive until presence is everywhere
“...in a class, although you are undoubtedly “doing” and, hopefully, learning you are subordinate to the teacher. The directing intelligence comes from him, and you follow to the best of your ability. At home, on the other hand, it is your own intelligence that is the master, and the progress that you make is yours and will be maintained. In addition, the will that you employ is yours. It is not derived from the power, the charisma, the strength, or the fieriness of the teacher. It comes from you, and its effect profound. This is not yoga by the body for the body, but yoga by the body for the mind, for the intelligence. There is a great difference between just practicing and sadhana. Sadhana is the way of accomplishing something. That something is—by effective performance and correct execution—the achievement of the real. What is real must be true and so lead us toward purity and emancipation. This is yoga sadhana and not the mechanical repetition merely of yoga practice or yogabhyasa. The end of yoga sadhana is wisdom.” —BKS Iyengar
_ “When all the knots that strangle the heart are loosened, the mortal becomes immortal, here in this very life.
As the skin of a snake is sloughed onto an anthill, so does the mortal body fall; but the Self, freed from the body, merges in Brahman, infinite life, eternal light.” —The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 4:7
Chakorasana “pose of a bird who feeds on moonbeams”
Eka Pada Sirsasana “one leg head pose”
Skandasana “pose of god of war”
Adho Mukha Svanasana “downward facing dog pose”