Tag Archives: Ashtanga Yoga

Focused gaze in the Yoga asana (Drishti)

In the Ashtanga yoga practice, the eyes are kept opened. In the same way, like when we drive a car, a motorbike or a bike, we look at the road in the direction where we are going, otherwise… we have an accident.

The gaze in Ashtanga Yoga is the path towards plenitude…

«Oh yogi, do not practise the āsana(s) without dhristi…»
Vāmana Ṛṣi Yoga Korunta

Drishti, is the concentration/focalisation of the gaze on a point on the body during the execution of a posture which is held during several breaths.

The benefits of Drishti in the asana practice :

  1. Develops concentration
  2. Improves the direction of the nervous flow
  3. Gives movement to the connective tissues (tissues that envelope our muscles, also called fascia)

The first verse (sloka) from Yoga Korunta mentions the 9 drishti :

  1. The tip of the nose « Nasagrai »
  2. Between the two eyes (3rd eye)   « Nétriore ma diai »
  3. The navel « Nabit chakaam staté wad chã »
  4. The middle of the hand « Hastha grai »
  5. The middle of the foot « Padãyour grai »
  6. A point situated in the horizontal right « Parsvai yur ho béyur hãpi »
  7. A point situated in the horizontal left « Parsvai yur ho béyur hãpi »
  8. The thumbs, hands together in prayer « Angusta ma diai »
  9. Look at the sky (gaze upwards) in the vertical line of the eyes « Urdhva drishti hi » 

  ” The yogi focuses his/her visual energy between the two eyebrows, with equal time in the inhale and in the exhale that go through the nose, master of his/her sensitive, mental and intellectual faculties, the Wise (noble-minded) reaching towards liberation, his/her ultime end, is separated from desire, from fear and from anger; he is freed forever.”
Bhagavad Gītā, V, 22/28

Breathing adjusted to the Ashtanga Yoga practice Ujjãyi Prãnãyãma

During the entire practice of the postural « sādhanā » in Ashtanga Yoga, we use a type of breathing called « Ujjãyi prãnãyãma », « the breath of the ocean ». There are many variations of the Ujjãyi.

The breathing (prãnãyãma) is always synchronised to the movements.

For a beginner, the inhalation and exhalation must have the same duration.

For an advanced yogi, the inhalation is a little longer.

The breathing methodology in Ashtanga Yoga :

  1. A continuous and uninterrupted flow
  2. Always breathing through the nose
  3. Opening gently the larynx region (Jālandhara)
  4. It should produce a soft sound (Ujjãyi)

Thereby the breathing sound (Ujjãyi) is obtained via the positioning of the throat (Jālandhara)

Jālandhara is the glottis control in the ujjāyī type of breathing; it is the positioning of two muscles of the thyroarytenoid laterals, which provokes the characteristic sound of the ujjāyī.

The specificity of the Ujjāyī lies in « control » partial opening of the glottis, in order to control/stop both the air coming in and their going out.

Diapositive94

Nota :

It should not be confused with the uninterrupted breathing (Jālandhara bandha).

 

Abdominal control, Uḍḍiyāna

In the yoga tradition, there are several muscle positionings (Bandha).

The first control is « Mūla », the pelvic floor, the base.

The second control is « Uḍḍiyāna », the abdominal floor .

  1. At the end of the exhale, (when your lungs are completely empty)
  2. Stretch the space between the iliac crests and the ribs
  3. Stretch the transversals, the obliques (inner and outer) and the lower abdominals

Not to be confused with the position « Uḍḍiyāna bandha» that is not a breath, but a stop to the breath.

The best position to learn and deepen uḍḍiyāna & mūla bandha

This ” abdominal control ” can be experienced very easily in the posture « Adho Mukha Svānnāsana » (the dog position with the head down) in sūryanamaskara. This position is held during five deep breaths.

Together « Mūla Bandha & Uḍḍiyāna » represent a safety system that protects the body thanks to its actions on the lower body fascias (reciprocal tension of right and left fascias).

This set participates to controlling the energy in the body (Prāṇa)

 

Pelvic floor muscle positioning during the practice (Mūla Bandha)

In the Yoga tradition, there are several muscle positionings (Bandha).

The first control is « Mūla », the pelvic floor, the base/foundation.

  1. At the end of the exhale (when your lungs are completely empty)
  2. Lift the anal sphincter, (it is not necessary to contract it)
  3. This positioning will bring the hold/control of the lower abdomen

Whichever the posture, the Mūla bandha produces the necessary energy for a firm postural basis.

Mūla Bandha is held during the entire duration of the postural session.

In itself, It is not really difficult to master the Mūla bandha it is just a matter of attention, concentration and time.

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois considered that 5 years are needed to master it completely.

The second control is « Uḍḍiyāna », the abdominal ball. (See page)

Together « Mūla Bandha & Uḍḍiyāna » represent a safety system that protects the body thanks to its actions on the lower body fascia (reciprocal tension of right and left fascia).

This set participates to controlling the energy in the body (Prāṇa)

It is not sufficient to tighten the anus and to lift this sensation towards the centre of the abdomen, as some wrongly think, for the Mūla Bandha to be present. No, that would be too simple…

The three points in the Ashtanga Yoga practice

The key point of the « garland of postures » (Yoga Mālā), taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is called « Vinyasa ». It is described in the fourth śloka of the Yoga Korunta :

In Sankrit devanagrari :

« ट्री स्तनम् अवलोकय्é आसनम् प्राņआयाम द्रिस्थिहि »

In occidental characters :

« Trī stanam avalokayé āsanam prāņāyāma dristhihi »

That we can translate as:

The vinyāsa, the connecting movements between the postures, is composed of 3 fundamentals (Tristana) which are:

  1. The breathing (Ujjãyi Prãnãyãma – the victorious breath)
  2. The control of the pelvic floor and the abdominal ball (Mūla bandha),
  3. The focused gaze (drishti) in the postures (āsana).

Each of these spaces (positioning -Bandha) is one of components of the breathing technique called « ujjāyī prāņāmāya ».

The 3 points ashtanga yoga EN

When the three components (Tristana) are in harmony, synchronised with the movement, the sequence of Yoga postures and its rhythm, the yogi has reached the tristana. Once the tristana is reached, the yogi (le sādhaka) enters into the seventh part of the Aṣṭāṅgayoga, the meditation (dhyāna).

The ujjāyī breathing is the basis of the « Vinyasa ». The correct body positioning in the ãsana(s), comes from the Bandha(s). Drishti completes this trinity.

Invocations or chants in Ashtanga Yoga practice

According to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois’ teachings, this prayer expresses the wish/desire to liberate oneself from illusions (Māyā) in order to obtain the reach the Supreme knowledge (Satcitānanda). It is always recited by yogis before the Ashtanga yoga practice.

The chant at the start of the class (opening chant)

It is presented as a moment of change, an inner attitude, a rite of passage that goes from the profane time to the sacred time.

Its goal is to produce a change of direction in the senses that in the profane/secular time are turned towards the exteriority, to go towards the sacred time of the interiority in order to reach the feeling of unity with oneself.

It is a time devoted to the awakening of the inner life in the yogi’s heart.

After the agitation of the profane world, this realigning allows us to find « the immobility, the rest, the calm, the inner silence » from the Greek ἡσυχασμός (hesychasmos) « be in peace, stay silent » from the Greek ἡσυχάζω (hesychadzo). It aims at the soul’s peace/inner peace.

« God became man, so that the man could become God »
Athanasius of Alexandria (Αθανάσιος)
298 – 373

अष्टाङ्गयोग मंत्रम्

वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे
सन्दर्शित स्वात्म सुखाव बोधे ।

vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde
sandarśita svātma sukhāva bodhe |

निःश्रेयसे जङ्गलिकायमाने
संसार हालाहल मोहशांत्यै ॥

niḥ-śreyase jaṅgali-kāyamāne
saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāṁtyai ||

 

आबाहु पुरुषाकारं
शंखचक्रासि धारिणम् ।

ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ
śaṁkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam |

सहस्र शिरसं श्वेतं
प्रणमामि पतञ्जलिम् ॥

sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ
praṇamāmi patañjalim ||

 ॐ

vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde
sandarśita svātma sukhāva bodhe
niḥ-śreyase jaṅgali-kāyamāne
saṁsāra hālāhala mohaśāṁtyai

ābāhu puruṣākāraṁ
śaṁkhacakrāsi dhāriṇam
sahasra śirasaṁ śvetaṁ
praṇamāmi patañjalim

ॐ

Translation in English (from Jean Claude’s French translation)

Om (ॐ)

I bow to the lotus feet of the Supreme Guru.
Who teaches the Knowledge, awakening the great happiness of one’s own self revelation.
He acts as the jungle physician,
capable of dispersing the illusions and the poison of a conditioned existence.

To Patañjali, Adisesa’s incarnation, of white colour, with a thousand radiant faces (under the form of divine serpent Ananta),a human form below the shoulders, holding the sword of discrimination, a wheel of fire symbolising eternity and the conch representing the divine sound.
I bow.
Om

Granit statue prayer

Granit statue prayer

The chant at the end of the class (closing chant)

After the asana practice, it is time for the end-of-class chant in Sanskrit.
After having explored our interiority, we say good-bye to each other.
We leave with the promise of meeting again.
This chant is a way of saying thank you, of thanking the Yoga masters.
Now we reopen our self to the exteriority so that we can share our peace with the world.
Before leaving, lying down on the floor, it is time to integrate the yoga class (Savāsana position).

OM

स्वस्तिप्रजाभ्यः परिपालयंतां
न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः ।
svasti-prajā-bhyaḥ pari-pāla-yaṁtāṁ
nyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṁ mahīśāḥ |

गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः शुभमस्तु नित्यं
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनोभवंतु ॥
go-brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham-astu nityaṁ
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino-bhavaṁtu ||

 ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
auṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

 

Translation in English (from Jean Claude’s French translation)

Om

May all men be protected and live in peace.
May those who lead walk on the path of justice.
May the whole world and those who search for truth, be under the Divine protection.
So everyone will have a happy existence.
Om, be in peace, go in peace, share the peace…

 

Om-mandala

Om, the sacred syllable is all, what was, what is and what will be; imperishable, it is beyond the three times. » 
Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad