The further we progress on the yogic path, the more we can examine yoga's relationships. There exist significant interplays, continuities, similarities, derivatives, connections, and exchanges, both direct and indirect, all throughout yoga's practices. And those relationships, be they physical or philosophical, are a fascinating aspect to study. For now, I want us to look again at some physical relationships between poses.
Sometimes Pose A serves as a direct and immediate preparation for Pose B. For instance, one easily recognizable relationship between Warriors I and III (Virabhadrasana 71 and 74) is that Warrior I is a direct preparation for Warrior III; it is explicitly stated so in the text (LoY 73).
Other relationships take more discrimination to uncover. If, for example, you understand that successful back bends require sufficient mobility in your hip-flexors (front thighs, even up into the lower belly) as well as your side body, then you could glean the value of using Gate pose (Parighasana 86) as preparation for Camel pose (Ustrasana 88). It isn't explicitly stated, and it isn't necessarily obvious simply by looking at their images; it's a relationship more likely to be recognized through practice itself.
And still other poses seem entirely unrelated, and yet they play together tremendously well. A great example of that is how efficiently a series of deep, skillful twists prepare your body for back bends. That is because twists stabilize your legs and hips while mobilizing your spine, and thus leave you properly anchored and nimble for back bends. So one way to prepare for a challenging pose such as Upward Bow (Urdhva Dhanurasana 361) would be with other obviously similar poses like Camel, Bow (Dhanurasana 102), and Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana 229); in other words, you could use back bends to get into back bends. That's clearly direct. But it's not the only (or necessarily best) way. You could also use poses like Revolved Triangle and Side Angle (Parivrtta Trikonasana and Parivrtta Parsvakonasana 64 and 65), Bharadvajasana variations (252), and Jathara Parivartanasana variations (239). It's certainly indirect, but surprisingly effective.
Often times, when you look closely at the form of a pose, you can see the components of some other pose(s), and that keen eyesight can help you decide what and how to practice. Say you want to work toward the first variation of One-legged King Pigeon pose (Ekapada Rajakapotasana I 390). It is a tough one that can be daunting to take on. You may look at a pose like that and think Yeah right, maybe next lifetime! But you only need to break it down to recognize its more digestible pieces. Start by asking yourself what you need to do to prepare; which poses have similar looking components? Well, the front leg looks like Bound Angle (Baddha Konasana 128) or Janu Sirsasana (150). The back leg is reminiscent of Bow or One-legged Frog (Ekapada Bhekasana [not in LoY]). The arms are overhead like Fierce pose (Utkatasana 89) or Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana 110). And the torso is arched like Camel or Cobra (Bhujangasana 108). Those are all "Level 1" poses that are likely already a part of your ongoing repertoire. If you worked on each of them in their own right, you would simultaneously be working toward EPRK.
Recognition of related components certainly isn't limited to poses as dramatic or "advanced" as EPRK. We recently spent a class time focused on Upward Plank (Purvottanasana 176), and we prepared for it via a series of poses targeting the feet, legs, and hips plus a little attention to the shoulders. We could have spent our time more focused on the shoulders and upper back. Or we could have more thoroughly opened the hip-flexors. Or we could have looked carefully at the shape of Upward Plank and picked out some specific poses sharing similar components.
What do you see when you look at Purvottanasana? Which other pose(s) are you reminded of?
I see Locust pose (Salabhasana 100) turned upside down and Camel pose with straight (rather than kneeling) legs. Can you see the similarities?
How about when they're seen side by side? Here is Upward Plank next to Locust which has been turned upside down and rotated slightly so that the legs are at the same angle in both pictures.
And here is Upward Plank next to Camel.
Look specifically at his torso, arms, and head.
And now look at what happens when the images are overlapped.
There are substantial similarities between Purvottanasana, Salabhasana, and Ustrasana, which means that one way of preparing to practice any one of them is through practicing the others. You can practice a sequence which includes Locust and Camel and then peaks with Upward Plank, for instance. But their abilities to affect each other are reciprocal, and you could just as effectively practice a sequence which uses Locust and Upward Plank to peak with Camel, or practice Camel and Upward Plank to prepare for Locust.
And someday you might practice a sequence which includes Locust, Camel, and Upward Plank as a means of preparing for something like Two-legged Inverted Staff pose (Dwipada Viparita Dandasana 375). Can you see why that would be effective?
Asana practice is forever challenging and intense. But it isn't challenging just for the sake of being challenging, nor is it intense just for the sake of intensity. It is through endurance of repetitive intensity that you learn and change. The study of the forms of poses theoretically (i.e. analyzing the pictures and their instructions) informs the study of them experientially (i.e. actually practicing them on the mat). Through theory and practice you come to recognize their relationships to each other. Through the poses themselves, you recognize their relationships to your body. That takes you into deeper and deeper realms of understanding and accessibility. And from that comes recognition of the relationships between your body and your "something-more-than-just-your-body" (which is another post for another day).
Recognize. Relate. Repeat.
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The following is the "16th and 17th week" sequence including the poses we have learned together in class up to this point and omitting those we have not yet learned.
Sanskrit names are in bold.
(English names are in parentheses.)
[Numbers in brackets correspond with illustrations.]
Poses with an * are new to the sequence.
Observe the change in the order of the asana.
Salamba Sirsasana I (Supported Headstand first variation) [184]
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle pose) [4 and 5]
Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle pose) [6 and 7]
Utthita Parsvakonasna (Extended Side-angle pose) [8 and 9]
Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side-angle pose) [10 and 11]
Virabhadrasana I (Warrior pose first variation) [14]
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior pose second variation) [15]
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior pose third variation) [17]
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon pose) [19]
Parsvottanasana (Intense Side-stretch pose) [26]
Prasarita Padottanasana I and II (Standing Wide-angle forward bend first and second variations) [33 and 34, 35 and 36]
Padangusthasana (Standing Big-toe pose) [44]
Padahastasana (Hand-under-foot pose) [46]
Uttanasana (Standing forward bend) [48]
*Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana (Standing Splits) [49]
*Utkatasana {Fierce pose) [42]
Parighasana (Gate pose) [39]
*Ustrasana (Camel pose) [41]
Salabhasana (Locust pose) or Makarasana (Crocodile pose) [60 or 62]
Dhanurasana (Bow pose) [63]
Bhujangasana I (Cobra pose first variation) [73)
*Virasana (Hero pose) [86]
Salamba Sarvangasana I (Supported Shoulderstand first variation) [223]
Halasana (Plow pose) [244]
Karnapidasana (Ear-pressing pose) [246]
Supta Konasana (Reclined Angle pose) [247]
Parsva Halasana (Side Plow pose) [249]
Ekapada Sarvangasana (One-legged Shoulderstand) [250]
*Parsvaikapada Sarvangasana (Side One-legged Shoulderstand) [251]
Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Abdomen pose) [274 and 275]
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Upward Extended Legs pose, aka UPP) [276 to 279]
Paripurna Navasana (Full Boat pose) [78]
Ardha Navasana (Half Boat pose) [79]
Janu Sirsasana (Head-toward-Knee pose) [127]
Paschimottanasana (Seated forward fold) [160]
*Purvottanasana (Upward Plank pose) [171]
Ujjayi Pranayama with inhalation retention (Section 203) in Savasana [592]
~~~~~
"By performing asanas, the [practitioner] first gains health, which is not mere existence. It is not a commodity which can be purchased with money. It is an asset to be gained by sheer hard work. It is a state of complete equilibrium of body, mind and spirit. ... Where does the body end and the mind begin? Where does the mind end and the spirit begin? They cannot be divided as they are inter-related and but different aspects of the same all-pervading divine consciousness" (41).
Quote, images, and page and illustration numbers: Iyengar, B.K.S., Light on Yoga. New York: Schocken Books, 1979. Print.
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