MOST IMPORTANT ASANA

In an ideal world many of us would elect to be full-time Yogis. We would have time for long asana practices every morning and evening with meditation and pranayama in betweem, savory and nutritious meals, plenty of restful sleep each night, and minimal stresses and responsibilities outside of our sadhana (yogic activities). Of course, most of us don't have that privilege. I have been lucky enough to experience short periods of that kind of lifestyle -- at teacher trainings and retreats, for instance. And it's awesome! But reality always returns. Because yoga has been my primary area of interest both personally and professionally for so long, I do get to practice more than most people. But I get busy and distracted just like everyone else.

The fact is that most of us are grateful when we can fit in a good hour-long practice a couple times a week, and otherwise yoga is a background thought at best. And that's okay! Maybe it isn't optimal, but some-yoga is better than no-yoga. The key is to know what you most need from your practice, and then be efficient with your time so that you get the most benefit from it. How you determine what you most need depends on a bunch of varying factors, and everyone's answer will be different. But you can at least take some advice from Iyengar to get yourself started. On page 468 of LoY is a list of "Important asanas in Course 1". There are 79 asana included in the course, and these 29 Iyengar considers to be especially important. He says, "If these asana are mastered then the others given in this course will come even without regular practice." It's not that the others deserve less attention, but that these poses provide a full range of necessary experiences and skills and they really prepare the body for future work.

Here is the list:

Important Asana in Course 1
NOTE: page numbers in parentheses may be slightly different in your book, and poses with an * are (in my opinion) especially, especially important

*Utthita Trikonasana
(Triangle, p63-64)

*Parivrtta Trikonasana
(Revolved Triangle, p64-65)

Utthita Parsvakonasana
(Side-angle, p66-67)

Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
(Revolved Side-angle, p68-69)

*Virabhadrasana I
(Warrior I, p69-71)

Virabhadrasana III
(Warrior III, p73-74)

Ardha Chandrasana
(Half Moon, p74-76)

Parsvottanasana
(Intense Side Stretch, p78-80)

*Prasarita Padottanasana I
(Wide-angle Standing Forward bend, p81-84)

*Ustrasana
(Camel, p87-88)

Uttanasana
(Standing Forward bend, p92-93)

*Salabhasana
(Locust, p99-100)

Dhanurasana
(Bow, p101-102)

*Adho Mukha Svanasana
(Downward-facing Dog, p110-111)

Paripurna Navasana
(Full Boat, p111-112)

Ardha Navasana
(Half Boat, p112-114)

Siddhasana
(Adept's or Sage's Seat, p116-120)

*Virasana
(Hero, p120-123)

Baddha Konasana
(Bound Angle, p128-129)

Padmasana
(Lotus, p129-132)

Matsyasana
(Fish, p138-140)

*Janu Sirsasana
(Head-beyond-the-knee, p148-151)

Paschimottanasana
(Seated Forward bend, p166-170)

Salamba Sirsasana I
(Supported Headstand, p179-190, cycle in its entirety through p205)

*Salamba Sarvangasana I
(Supported Shoulderstand, p205-213, cycle in its entirety through p237)

Halasana
(Plow, p216-220)

*Marichyasana III
(Marichi's Twist III, p 254-257)

Ardha Matsyendrasana I
(Half-Lord-of-the-Fish, p259-262)

*Savasana
(Corpse, p422-424)

Whenever you're wondering where to direct your attention -- "I want to practice, but I don't know what to do" or "I want to practice, but I don't have time to go to class" -- let this list be your guide. Then pick out the poses that fulfill your current desires: standing poses and backbends are energizing, forward bends are relaxing, arm-balances build strength, hip-openers are good after a long day of sitting. If you only have 20 minutes to practice, pick out just 5 or 6 poses. If you have an hour, pick out a dozen. If you're in the mood for something vigorous, include Sun Salutations. If you want to unwind, stick with seated and reclining poses. Etc.

Iyengar is particularly fond of inversions. He says that if you only have 15 or 20 minutes to practice, then Headstand variations, Shoulderstand variations, and Savasana are the best choices. Headstand variations are energizing. Shoulderstand variations are calming. Both sets of poses build strength in the trunk and flexibility in the hips. And Savasana should be a non-negotiable part of every asana practice (even if for only a couple of minutes). So the combination of these three poses provides you with a little bit of all of the best parts of practice, but in a very short amount of time. If you haven't read the sections describing Headstand and Shoulderstand in LoY yet, I recommend it. The Sirsasana cycle begins on page 179. He provides hints for successful practice (p186), and the explanation of its effects and benefits are particularly interesting (p189). The Shoulderstand cycle begins on page 205, and again the explanation of effects are worth reading (repeatedly!).

I think there are a couple of interesting things worth noting about this list:

It doesn't explicitly state Tasasana, but do not ignore the weight of that pose. Every asana is simply an expanded expression of Tadasana and without it, we'd get nowhere. The importance of learning to stand correctly in Tadasana cannot be overemphasized.

Notice that out of the thirteen standing poses which Iyengar says are "necessary" for every beginner to master (p85), nine of them are included here. That means that standing poses are very important. What isn't on the list? Virabhrasana II, for one. Viradhrasana I and III are, but not II. Why not? I'm not entirely sure, but I could probably make a good guess if I had to. Vrksasana is not included. After the first two weeks of practice, Vrksasana is not mentioned again. And Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana does not become a part of regular practice until week 36, which means we won't see it in DK at all.

I am glad that Downward-dog is included, but notice that both Cobra and Upward-dog are absent even though they are both a part of DK. The important backbends to learn here are Ustrasana (which Iyengar insists everyone should practice, even the sick and elderly!), Salabhasana, and Dhanurasana.

There are 4 different versions of a simple seated pose included (Siddhasana, Virasana, Baddha Konasana, and Padmasana) which I take to mean that conditioning the body to sit comfortably is a requirement.

Savasana is clearly stated. Savasana is a pose that requires your time, effort, and energy just like any other. We often expend a lot of our mental-energy during a practice anticipating the arrival of Savasana, and then there's a complete collapse into it. Either that, or we skip it all together. Iyengar says "This apparently easy posture is one of the most difficult to master." Don't ignore it.

Certainly more can be said on this topic, and developing a genuinely fruitful yoga practice is easier said than done. But the point (or part of it, at least) is that you don't need tons of time on the mat nor do you always need to be in front of a teacher. A good practice can be had at home, and with only limited time. Whenever you can make it to class, enjoy it! When you have time for a long practice, enjoy it! When you only have 20 minutes on the living room floor, enjoy it!

Om namah shivaya guruve -- "I practice in honor of the true teacher, the one who resides within me and within all things." In order words, Be Your Own Best Teacher.