Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

      Vinyasa Eight

      Inhaling, lift the torso, straightening the arms.

      Vinyasa Nine

      Exhaling, fold forward, Pashimottanasana C, five breaths.

      These three variations of Pashimottanasana stretch the inside, outside, and center of the hamstrings, which coincide with the three separate muscles of the group: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris (see figure 7, page 40).

      Vinyasa Ten

      Inhaling, lift the torso, straightening the arms. Exhaling, place your hands to the floor.

      Vinyasa Eleven

      Inhaling, lift up and move the feet back with a single hop so the body forms a straight line from the head to the feet.

      The inhalation has a natural upward lifting function; the exhalation has a grounding and rooting function. Imagine the autumn wind playing with leaves and effortlessly lifting them off the floor. The same power is used in the vinyasa movement. The inha lation inspires the lift, with the shoulder and arm muscles providing the structural support. This is only possible with Mula and Uddiyana Bandha engaged. The inhalation reaches down, hooks into the bandhas, and lifts the body up like an elevator. Movement must follow the breath. If the breath is connected to the bandhas, it will move the body effortlessly and one will feel light and rejuvenated after the practice. If the bandhas are not firmly established, one might feel drained and exhausted after practice because energy has been lost. Feel how the inhalation reaches down and attaches itself to the engaged pelvic floor and lower abdominal wall. Continue to inhale, creating a suction that lifts your trunk off the floor. Support this lift with the frame and action of your arms and shoulders.

      

      

      Above from left, vinyasa eleven jump back, in phases Left, start of vinyasa twelve

      

      Left, Lollasana

      Below, top to bottom, left to right, Chaturanga Dandasana (vinyasa twelve), Upward Dog (vinyasa thirteen), Downward Dog (vinyasa fourteen)

      

       PRACTICAL TIP

       Lollasana

      If your arms and shoulders are weak, do the following exercise. Sitting on your heels, cross your ankles, point your feet backward, and lift your knees and feet off the floor. Hold Lollasana for as long as you can. Add on one breath every day until you can hold it for ten breaths. Then gently begin to swing back and forth without dragging your feet over the floor. Eventually insert this movement into your vinyasa.

      Vinyasa Twelve

      Exhale into Chaturanga Dandasana, the fourth position of Surya Namaskara A.

      Vinyasa Thirteen

      Inhale into Upward Dog.

      Vinyasa Fourteen

      Exhale into Downward Dog.

      We are now ready to jump through to sitting for the next posture.

       PRACTICAL TIP

       Different Foot Positions in Forward Bending

      There are three different foot positions for forward bends. In the first, the foot is flexed (dorsal flexed), which means that the upper side of the foot is drawn toward the shin. This position can be used for the less intense type of forward bends — for postures where the hamstrings do not bear the weight of the torso, such as Dandasana and Marichyasana C.¹⁴

      The second foot position, the one used in Pashimottanasana, is between pointing and flexing. To achieve this, first extend out through the heels and then through the bases of all the toes. Keeping the feet flexed in Pashimottanasana is one of the main sources of hamstring injuries. This second foot position is also chosen in other semi-intense forward bends like Ardha Baddha Padma Pashimottanasana, Triang Mukha Ekapada Pashimottanasana, Janushirshasana, and, very important, in Upavishta Konasana.

      The third foot position is to have the feet pointed (called plantar flexion, which means that the surface of the foot draws away from the shin). Pointing the feet gives maximum protection to the hamstrings. This position is employed in the most intense group of forward bends, which includes Hanumanasana, Trivikramasana, Tittibhasana, and Vasishtasana.

       Purvottanasana

      INTENSE EASTERN STRETCH¹⁵

      Drishti Nose or third eye

      Purvottanasana is the counter and complementary posture to the Pashimottanasana series.

      Vinyasa Seven

      Inhaling, jump through to sitting. Place the hands shoulder width apart on the floor with a hand’s-length space between your fingertips and your buttocks. The fingers are spread and pointing forward, toward the feet.

      Vinyasa Eight

      Inhaling, broaden the shoulders and draw the shoulder blades down the back. Straighten the arms and free up the chest. Lift the heart high and tip the chin toward the chest.

      

      Purvottanasana, vinyasa seven

      The legs are straight and strong. Point the feet. Drop the coccyx toward the heels and dig the back of the heels down into the floor. This engages the hamstrings and the gluteus maximus. Lift the pelvis and uncoil the spine. Work the toes toward the floor until the soles of the feet cup the floor. Once up in the posture, the hamstrings can take over and you can release the buttocks; to go on contracting them would place a strain on the sacroiliac joints. Keep lifting the chest and continue to open it by positioning the shoulder blades broad and drawing them down the back, and by arching the upper back (erector spinae).

      The head is the last to go back. Release the front of the throat and allow the head to hang back, relaxed. Gaze to the tip of the nose to keep the back of the neck elongated. This head position should not be adopted, however, if the student has neck problems or has suffered whiplash. The old pattern of a whiplash injury could be set off in the transitions in and out of this posture.

      Instead, one can gently place the chin on the sternum and keep it there throughout the posture. Gaze toward the feet. The head should be lifted only when one has come back down to sitting. Done in this way, the neck muscles are not provoked into a spasm reflex. Hold Purvottanasana for five breaths.