Saraswathi Jois – hija de Pattabhi Jois

Namaste!

Me gustaría presentar os mi Maestra, la hija de Guruji Sri Pattabhi Jois, Saraswathi Jois. Nacida en 1941, ella practicaba constantemente bajo las enseñanzas de su padre Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, desde los 10 hasta los 22 años. Saraswathi fui la primera mujer en ser aceptada en Sanskrit College de Mysore donde estudió las obras fundamentales del Sanscrito y continuó con el yoga de manos de su padre. Asistí a su padre durante muchos años, pero desde el año 1975 ella comenzó con sus propias clases. En 1986 Saraswathi ha revolucionado el mundo de yoga en la ciudad de Mysore, siendo la primera en enseñar los hombres y las mujeres juntos.

Saraswathi on feminine perspective:

On being a mother: «It took me ten years to learn the asanas well, then two children to forget about it, but the Yogic experience I got from that was more than any asana could ever give me.»

On being a grandmother: «Being a grandmother I do Yoga in Grand style.»

On a woman’s cycles: «A woman should learn to listen to her cycles and take rest rather than pushing forward on days of menstruating.»

On women: «Men are stronger than women physically, but women are more talented yogis. Yoga.»

Through the various stages of life, yoga practice naturally changes it’s form and becomes much more than just an asana. Being a woman. mother and householder with important responsibilities, our energy is redirected at times and our yoga practice gives us the courage to embrace change. The constant which always remains, is the clarity and balance that the ashtanga yoga practice gives. The years of practice become a framework for how we live our lives each and every day.

Ashtanga Yoga, ¿qué es?

Qué es Ashtanga Yoga?

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga es una forma de yoga dinámico. Se diferencia del hatha yoga por la práctica del vinyasa. Vinyasa significa literalmente sistema de movimientos y respiración sincronizados. Y estos movimientos son los que encadenan una postura con la otra. Cada postura está meticulosamente diseñada con un número determinado de movimientos y respiración de manera que un alumno avanzado enlazará las postura siguiendo fielmente el ritmo de respiraciones y movimientos. La secuencia de posturas siempre será la misma y el alumno irá añadiendo posturas a medida que su práctica progresa. Aparte del sistema de vinyasa otros elementos serán determinantes para la práctica: la respiración Ujjayi (pranayama), las bandas (cierres energéticos), el dristi (miradas) ayudan al practicante a concentrar y aumentar la energía a lo largo de la práctica.

La Respiración Ujjayi se obtiene al contraer suavemente la glotis (un pequeño músculo a la altura de la tráquea) que provoca una respiración sonora, lenta y regular. Es un elemento esencial durante toda la práctica. Al escuchar el sonido de nuestra respiración nuestra mente se va calmando y relajando.

Las Bandas son contracciones musculares que provocan un control de la energía. Mula Banda, a la altura del coxis, consiste en contraer los esfínteres anales y Uddyana Banda es una contracción abdominal. También está Jalandara Banda a la altura de la garganta que se practica durante algunos pranayamas (ejercicios respiratorios). Al realizar las bandas estamos aumentando nuestra concentración y controlando la energía.

El Dristi («mirada» en sánscrito) consiste en focalizar totalmente la mirada durante toda la duración de la postura. Cada postura tiene su dristi y esta concentración total de la mirada nos conduce a la meditación. También aumenta nuestra capacidad de concentración y tonifica nuestros músculos oculares siendo muy beneficioso para algunos problemas de vista.
A través de estos tres elementos, la respiración ujjayi, las bandas o control de los centros energéticos y el dristi o concentración a través de la mirada vamos a aumentar nuestra capacidad de concentración durante toda la práctica y vamos a aprender a controlar nuestra energía. Nos damos cuenta, a través de la práctica, que si no estamos muy concentrados es muy difícil realizar las posturas.

El Ashtanga Yoga practicado con una correcta respiración purifica el cuerpo físico, mental y emocional. A través del cuerpo accedemos a nuestros bloqueos emocionales tomando conciencia de ellos y también tomamos conciencia de nuestros procesos mentales aprendiendo a observarlos desde el desapego, sin identificarnos con ellos.
La Primera Serie (de asanas) de Ashtanga se llama también Yoga Chikitsa que significa terapia de yoga. Realizar esta práctica con asiduidad no sólo cura el cuerpo físico pero también el espíritu. Permite desarrollar e intensificar la concentración, controlando y purificando el pensamiento. Patanjali, el gran sabio que estructuró y recopiló todo el conocimiento del yoga en los Yoga Sutras habla de esta estrecha relación entre yoga y mente: «yogaha citta vritti nirodaha», con el yoga cesan las fluctuaciones de la mente.
A partir de entonces ya no estamos dominados por los dilemas y los conflictos. El yoga nos conduce a un estado mental más alerta, sereno y consciente. Dejamos de ser víctimas de nuestros procesos mentales y emocionales para cultivar un mayor dominio de nuestra mente. Al ganar dominio también ganamos libertad.

Ashtanga Yoga – Los ocho pasos

Patanjali, el gran yogui y sabio que vivió entre 500 y 200 años antes de Cristo, recopiló el conocimiento del yoga el unos sutras. En este texto Patanjali define el ashtanga yoga como el camino hacia la autorrealización del ser.
Ashtanga en sánscrito significa ocho ramas o pasos y yoga tiene muchos significados pero los dos más importantes son: unión y camino. El yoga lleva a la unión cuerpo, mente y espíritu. Cuando interiormente conectamos con nuestra esencia más profunda conseguimos que se desvanezca la dualidad y conectamos con el sí mismo. Es esa sensación de unidad que nos permite entrar en conexión. El segundo significado se refiere al camino para llegar a esa unión.

Iniciarse en el camino del ashtanga yoga supone practicar las ocho ramas.
Estas son:

1.- Yama: códigos morales
2.- Niyama: purificación personal
3.- Asana: posturas o práctica física
4.- Pranayama: control del prana a través de la respiración
5.- Pratyahara: retraer los sentidos de los objetos externos para iniciar la interiorización.
6.- Dharana: concentración mental
7.- Dhyana: meditación
8.- Samadhi: contemplación o unión total del ser con Dios

Los yamas y niyamas son considerados como los pilares o la base de esta realización personal pero muchas veces son imposibles de realizar para un occidental si no ha seguido desde pequeño una educación filosófica o religiosa.
Por ello, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois recomienda empezar por la práctica de asanas para purificar el cuerpo y la mente, adquirir claridad mental.

Los yamas se pueden dividir en:
Ahimsa (no violencia)
Satya (decir la verdad)
Asteya (no robar)
Brahmacharya (continencia)
Aparigraha (desapego)

Los Niyamas se refieren más a una purificación personal:
Saucha (purificación del cuerpo)
Santosha (contento)
Tapas (disciplina)
Swadhyaya (estudio de textos filosóficos)
Ishwarapranidhana (devoción)

Asanas

En ashtanga yoga existen 3 series de asanas. La serie primera Yoga Chikitsa, desintoxica el cuerpo físico, alinea la columna verteral y purifica el cuerpo. La serie intermedia (nadi shodhana) purifica el sistema nervioso desbloqueando los canales de energía (nadis) y haciendo que la energía fluya libremente por el shushumna nadi (espina dorsal) y la serie avanzada Sthira Bhaga (subdividida en A-B-C-D) trabaja la fuerza y la resistencia.

De todos modos, desde el primer día de práctica podemos sentir como la práctica de asanas influye en nuestro sistema nervioso, en nuestra fuerza mental (concentración) y en nuestro estado de consciencia. Nuestra respiración se alarga y profundiza, nuestra concentración aumenta y poco a poco vamos adquiriendo un estado de paz interior no experimentado anteriormente. Los otros cinco pasos de ashtanga yoga van apareciendo poco a poco con el tiempo.

La paciencia es un elemento muy importante en la práctica del yoga. Es más importante haber iniciado el camino que estar más o menos cerca de la meta ya que la ambición de progresar nos aleja de la meta o de la realización del ser. Podríamos decir que la meta (si hay meta alguna) sería el ser conscientes del momento presente que vivimos en el día a día. La obsesión por progresar en la práctica de asanas nos aleja de la esencia del yoga porque tensa el cuerpo. He visto a mucha gente tener lesiones por desear avanzar demasiado rápido. Por ello me parece importante que un principiante lo tenga presente desde un principio.
El cuerpo es lento y hay que respetar su ritmo. Conocer y respetar el cuerpo es más difícil de lo que parece. Solo lo conoces cuando trasciendes el cuerpo físico y accedes a la energía pránica; sólo entonces, con humildad, aprendes a respetarlo.
Por ello creo que la paciencia y la humildad son quizás las cualidades más importantes en el camino del yoga.
Pattabhi Jois siempre dice «do your practice and all is coming» que se puede traducir por «practica que todo llegará». El aconseja practicar con constancia y perseverancia y los resultados llegan en un 100% de los casos.

Práctica durante los días flojos

Muy buenas!!

En esta entrada os presento un extracto de la entrevista con el Maestro Manju Pattabhi Jois, el hijo mayor de Guruji Sri Patabhi Jois, que lleva enseñando el yoga durante 60 años y practicándola desde los 6 años. Responde a las preguntas como practicar estando enfermo, con la fiebre, durante del embarazo y periodo en caso de las mujeres. Muy interesante y auténtico!!

Q: If you are sick is it OK to practice?

Manju Jois: It depends on what kind of sick you have. If you have a headache you can still do it, if you have a stomachache, (it’s OK)..

Q: And a fever?

Manju Jois: High fever NO. If you have a stomach problem you still do it. Any other kind of fever… or cold, just take it easy. If you have cold don’t practice, the mucus is coming out, let it come out, don’t practice. Because they are all natural things. If your body produces more mucus it automatically discharges it. So people should not take any medication to stop it. And high fever, it is the pita, the body gets overheated and the body starts sweating so you don’t overheat it by practicng.

Q: And pregnant women? They can do after the third semester?

Manju Jois: After three months, yeah. And after they have the baby they can take a break for a month, then jump on the waggon.

Q: What about women having their period, what is it they can do and cannot do?

Manju Jois: We don’t advise them to practice yoga then, take the period off. Because this menstrual cycle you go through, if you mess with that then in the future they will have problems. So that’s why you have to take it easy. Be like an Indian women, they don’t do anything for three days. They don’t cook for three days, they don’t clean for three days, just watching soap opera…the husband comes home and has to do all the things when he comes home, «Nothing is made what happened«? «It’s My period«. » Oh my god..». Then he has to get in the Kitchen and start cooking. So that’s why we all know how to cook.

Y el vídeo de Manju hablando sobre Ashtanga yoga :

https://youtu.be/BS8EOclYHPg

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Entrevista con Manju Jois sobre Vinyasa

Este verano pude atender el curso para profesores de yoga con Manju Pattabhi Jois, impartido en Bolonia (Italia). Se puede ver mi reportaje fotográfico de este curso siguiendo este enlace : https://yogartcaceres.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/curso-de-ashtanga-yoga-con-manju-pattabhi-jois/ , y ahora me gustaría compartir la entrevista con este Maestro del año 1991, acompañado con las fotos que he tomado durante mi curso son él.

On Vinyasa

Sri K Pattabhi Jois Public Talks on Ashtanga Yoga – France 1991,

Written by guy

Samedi/Saturday 24.8.91 Guruji: Every asana you take one by one. That is good method. That isreal method. You don’t do asana without vinyasa. You don’t asana. Why? Without vinyasa you don’t do asana. Why? One part (of body) you bending – you can understand? For example, paschimottanasana, Ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana, you doing one leg, bend one leg, and take back your foot. How long? Long time. After little (restricted) blood circulation, every joint stopping. After again take up, jump back again, next posture, next leg you put it. After your jumping time, tight your whole body, don’t loose, tight it (for vinyasa, the body should be engaged, not relaxed). After blood circulation automatically is going (moving). That pain quickly is going. You without vinyasa, you do every pose (without vinyasa), all the joints so blood circulation so blood circulation not correctly. Circulation is not coming, stopping there (in the joint). After sitting posture you do completely, all body sick, gradually sick(nes is) starting. «Oh! Yoga is given (making me) sick – not liking» (i dont like it). People is not liking. That some asana – «Oh! It is very bad. Very pain is coming. Oh! left it (I dont want to do it). That asana don’t do!» Some people is telling. Why that? This is method you don’t understanding (why? because they dont understand the correct method). That is why you this method you follow – no trouble! Body also is very perfect. You can understand? That is the method. Question: In the class with beginners, is it correct to teach and ask students to do little vinyasa? Not so many vinyasa and gradually ask to do more. Is it correct? For them not to be too much tired. Answer: No, no. I telling beginners you start one suryanamaskar 3 times, 2nd suryanamaskar 3 times. You do first day, one week stop! Don’t take asana. You complete stop. Tomorrow take. One week same suryanamaskar. After some better (some improvement). Second (week) padangusthasana standing position; padangusthasana, pada hastasana, utthita trikonasana, parsvakanasana, standing positions you do. Stop it one week. After utkatasana, virabhadrasana include, suryanamaskar, trikonasana, parsvakonasana, all including utkatasana, virabhadrasana, stop it one week. Again take with paschimottanasana, purvottanasana you do – stop it! Next day take next. Same method you take practice. Only for one place I am coming for one month or one and half month, one week or two weeks I will be staying, that is why that method I will take (if I am only coming to teach for a short time, I conduct led classes). That is why you come India. I take it same method. You can understand. That is why, different here teaching and India teaching different. But one asana is perfect, next asana I am telling (teaching): this one asana is not perfect, next asana I am not telling (teaching). Question: When is it good to do full vinyasa? That is come back to Samasthiti after each asana. Is it correct? Answer: Yes correct. Take one asana, finish it. After full vinyasa you do, standing position you come. Again next. Your strength how is you use (depending on your strength you should do half or full vinyasa). Without strength chat (sixth vinyasa) stop (If you are not strong stop at the sixth vinyasa eg do half vinyasa). Increasing your strength, you full vinyasa you take. Now there is no time (too many students). That is why I am telling. One asana, for example paschimottanasana (has) 16 vinyasas, Purvottanasana – 15, Ardha baddha padma paschimottanasana, tiriang mukeka pada paschimottanasana, janu sirsasana A, B, C, marichyasana A, B, all 22 vinyasas. Full vinyasa . You doing full vinyasa all – that is the best. Secondary you with sixth vinyasa all the asanas is coming. That you changing, this time (when) your strength is more, you changing that time. Sixth, seventh (vinyasa) paschimottanasana you do. After 8 – 9 then jump again. “sat” (six) position you go. I every day I teaching now. Same method you do. Both is no problem Method is good no problem. Work is there. He is going work. (for a working man half vinyasa method is good) Your yoga practice, you take one hour. One hour or two hours your expanding your time. That time all the asanas taken one day full vinyasa you do at least five hours also you want you can understand (if you take full vinyasa, you need 5 hours to complete practice). One primary asanas doing, 5 hours also you want. That is why. You (are a) working (man). You not spending all the time on the yoga practice. You can understand. Full time you take, full vinyasa you doing. Only for (completing) primary asanas takes 5 hours. 5 hours primary postures (with) full vinyasa. 50 asanas is there completely primary postures. That 50 asanas you doing taken 5 hours, with full vinyasa. You working. Another place is working. Yes you take money, you eating food, all you want. That only for your spending (free) time only for yoga, very rare (little time), very difficult also yourself. That is why you short cut you take. That is one or two hours. Two hours spent your yoga practice. That is good. That is also is good. Yes OK. That I tell you. Question: In the vinyasa, practicing vinyasa should the student go deep into the asana or should he go gently through it? For example from chatwari, going to urdhva mukha svanasana, should it be slight or strong bending? Answer: No no strong, stiff bending. Same. Vinyasa means (should be same as asanas) same not loose. Does it mean vinyasa as perfect as one asana? Yes, that is why I am telling all the asanas perfectly you do, taken 3 hours. You can understand? That is why you take short time. You do short time. You take practice. That is also benefit you get is possible. Shastra (scripture) is telling about vinyasa: “Without vinyasa don’t do asana!” Without vinyasa don’t do asana. That is very bad practice. That bad practice is not giving good knowledge. Patanjali is telling: «yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhikśaye jñānadīptir āvivekakhyāteḥ (YS 2.28)» (through the practice of the limbs of yoga, there is a diminishing ofthe impurities and cultivation of the light of discriminating wisdom) That is real. But aśuddhikśaye means: your inside poison completely is gone, going out. You loose your body you do (if the body is not engaged when practicing). One hour you do. Not sweat is coming. Only for posture he is doing what use?! You want real yoga, same method you follow. That is method. Question: Doing vinyasa is it correct to stop for example in urdhva mukha svanasana for more than one breath? Answer: Only one breath, inhale one breath, exhale. Inhale, exhale only one breath. Inhale 10 seconds or 15 seconds then exhalation also 10 seconds or 15 seconds. This is 10 times I am telling, you don’t understand! Question: Yassin is asking if he should stay longer in kurmasana or in back bendings. You give some timing like 10 breaths for kurmasana. You give 3 times five breaths for urdhva dhanurasana. Yassin is asking if he should stay longer. He wants to stay longer sometimes. Answer: I telling: all the asanas you take practice how long your strength is so there, you take. Long time he is doing, 100 asanas you do – 1 asana is perfect. Long time sitting all the asanas he is doing time, you 1 take 10 breath or 15 breathing. You count it. Practice, that is all. You long time you sitting, kurmasana is long time, 3 hours is possible. One asana is perfect, taken 3 hours. Now practice how much your strength is there, you take. That is no problem. Your strength is 10 breathing is doing possible, you do 10 breathing, 15 breathing you possible, you do 15 breathing. One hundred possible, 100 you do. 5 you do, 5 is possible, 5 you do. Take practice, that is all. I am telling only for practice. Fix completely perfect. Asana, one asana siddhi, you do hundred asanas, one asana is coming, one asana perfectly is coming. That is real. Sthirasukhamāsanam (YS 2.46) Sthira means perfect. Sukha means happiness. That posture you sit and very happy you, don’t anyone pain: That is Stira Sukham. That is called asana. You can understand. … one asana is perfect perfect perfect. There is one link from one asana to one asana. Link is there. Those asanas you take, all. One by one. One by one, all perfect it. After you do back bendings. That is back bendings asanas. Primary asanas, not much back-bendings is coming – you know! Intermediate asanas little, little starting: Ustrasana, laghuvajrasana, kapotasana. After that is very perfect, take advanced postures. Advanced postures is more back bendings asanas: triang mukha uttanasana, padangustha dhanurasana, eka pada raja kapotasana, raja kapotasana, all is back-bending asanas. There is advanced postures is coming, more back-bendings asanas. But that time one by one you do, after no problem. You first try primary. «Oh my body is bending! That is why I will take back-bendings. I will put it only for back, complete back bending. That is how it is better engaged.» (my back is flexible so I will emphasise back bending in practice) After starting sick (you become sick). You don’t walk also! Many people suffering this one. You take Gary. I am telling one example. Gary Lapodota.. Gary is taken a book. Iyengar book. From that book he has taken practice completely. After that he became my student. Yes, I telling I don’t know that man, oh very good. After primary intermediate and starting back pain, now also suffering. “What did you do? – real fact you tell me”. I telling (asking) one day. “Oh I take, I looking that book and take back bendings all…” Completely, you take primary! after you take intermediate. Perfect it. After take advanced and make perfect. No sick anymore. Long time living possible. That is method. That is why he is telling, all the shastras, yoga shastra. One by one, you take. Only one asana, another one asana. Link is there. Without link, finished… I looking one student now. That student is taken yoga practice, that student did back bendings – back bendings he did. Back bendings did, after put it his back here, supta uttana salabhasana. Did triang mukha uttanasana he did. Serge is teaching: after I looking primary postures. That man baddha konasana, upavishta konasana he has not perfected. (Knees) going up completely. That man one day came here. After, no class. To class is not coming. One day I looking here – after here also is not coming. Where is this student? I do not understand. I looking – ah yes, suffering more. Suffering more diseases after 40 years.

Fotos: Vika Gurskaya

David Swenson «Life, Love & Living with Purpose» at the Asia Yoga Conference, 14th of June, 2015

Práctica de salto en Ashtanga

Practicamos el salto hacía atrás desde Tittibhasana, Supta Kurmasana o Bhudjapidasana: