This summer I started working on the poses of the intermediate series of Ashtanga while adding back-bends in between each one of the poses as you can see in this heavily-edited 4 minute video:
I sweat tons! Practice is about 2 hours long when I count all of the primary series plus this little new adventure...
When I back-bend like this, as if the end of the world is upon me and I must get them out of my system, my practice improves. For example:
In the middle of the routine I am able to come on top of the arms and straighten them, as well as straighten the legs. I can also walk the hands in with less discomfort, and generally I feel the opening of the chest.
All of these are details that my practice desperately needs if I am every to grab my ankles with my hands, drop back, etc.
The second series is that it is not so difficult. Yes, pasasana (the first pose) is hard but "cheatable" (as can be seen in the video with the triangular blue block and me not really clasping hands yet). But the rest of the poses are relatively manageable, at least until the pose where I end, which is Laghu Vajrasana. The extra back-bending adds a lot of pizzas to the already challenging routine.
I edited the video a lot to accommodate it within 4 minutes. In real time, including the jumping back and through in between each of the poses and then staying in each pose for five full breaths this takes me about 30 to 35 minutes.
If you would like to try this routine, maybe don't... it is just for showing. BUT, if you can't help it, then make sure to be careful and to warm up with at least 10 sun salutes before going into it, and finish with a long paschimotanasana or sited forward bend. Also pause, quite a lot, the video is not intended to be followed, and the editing was done to put emphasis the back-bending portions so I can see them.
I can guarantee that should you try it -in spite of my discouragement in the previous paragraph- there is no way to get through it without sweating profusely.
what a rock star you are! this is really inspiring. since I injured my hamstring I've not resumed my practice but I know it has healed and I am feeling the call; the sweating, the reaching, the bending, the twisting...watching this made me miss it! thanks, Claudia! Your practice is a beautiful thing, truly.
ReplyDeleteGreat video Claudia, all the extra urdhva Dhanurasanas an excellent idea, will build more strength. One idea, taking the shoulders back so they are over the hands. i know the idea is to walk the hands in closer to the feet but I found taking my shoulders back and getting comfortable there allowed me, when next I lowered to bring my hands in a little and push up again. So rather than just walking in, moving the hands in a little further each time before pushing off. Oh and did you watch the Mark Darby Russian video on my post interesting bit right at the beginning where he has her take the hips forward and up.
ReplyDeleteYour UD's looking good though don't you think, deeper than the last picture/video I saw of it.
Hi Anthony, thanks for that tip, I am trying to get the shoulders in line with the hands but that seems to hurt more than the walking, perhaps that is why I did it... but will try this thing you do of just moving the hands in a little before pushnig up, will experiment.
ReplyDeleteI'd say they look better but improvement is so slow for me in this area, I'm not sure, maybe I am just wishfull thinking... the one thing is that at least I have felt the feeling of "liking it", which I had never had before... so maybe that is a good thing
I did see that video of Darby, about the pushing forward. Hard to hear, but noticed the hand gestures...
Hi MissMaddyG, sorry to hear about the hamstring, glad that you are back now! thanks for the compliment, and good luck with the practice and the sweating... feels pretty good... at least afterwards, not so much during... hee hee
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia, Great video. I am curious to know why you added the back bends. I am wondering if it might help me in primary series as I am so far away from dropping back ..... although every other asana is reaching an comfortable effortless stage. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteRanji, I added them to work on deepening them, going further into them, and challenging the practice cause it had become a bit automatic... they help me quite a bit :-)
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