The Yoga Podcast: Episode 2: Anthony ‘Grimm’ Hall The Choose Yourself Yogi

Anthony has the most extraordinary yoga story I’ve ever heard, and perhaps one of the first ‘making of a yoga teacher‘ story to be fully documented online. It’s all on his blog. Everything.

[If you cannot see the image with the play button below click here to start listening]

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WHY ANTHONY IS UNIQUE

Take for example how it all began:

He started practicing at the age of 43/44, while being 210 pounds, with knee problems, kidney stones, and a horrible diet.

But it was not because of his health that he got into yoga. NO.

He actually believed he was pretty healthy, you know, as in average…  

But then his house was broken into and all his saxophones were stolen.

THAT is what upset him.  And then he was upset at being so upset.

So he remembered the practice of meditation, and he wanted to take it back again because he needed more peace.  

That is when he noticed that many meditators used yoga as a complimentary activity, and so he went to the library, and, very embarrassed, borrowed a yoga book, just to check it out. 

That was early 2007.

As soon as he got into yoga (which was “brutal” as he says), he started sharing his findings and documenting his progress on a blog. 

You have likely seen it Grimmly2007.blogspot.com 

Heck! Everyone has seen it!  He is known as “Grimmly“

The whole thing is online, if you go back to the archives you will find him completely obsessed with the jump backs and jump troughs throughout the first year of his practice, and then progressing into future obsessions.

He took a lot of heat from the “yoga police” (yes there is one of those) who did not approve (if you can believe it!) of him practicing at home with books, and progressing as he saw fit.

The internet turned against him with rage many times, because, as we all know, it is fun to hate someone online.

Anthony also took it upon himself to translate one text from Krishnamacharya (the grand-father of yoga) which was not available with help from people who read and follow him.  

The Yogasanagalu from 1945 is something we know, or at least I know about  thanks to him.  

Bharadvajrasana

He also has brilliant insights that challenge people reading his blog constantly.  That is one sure thing you can find with him, a different way to look at things, a constant questioning, a search for truth.

His blog became so popular that recently studios from around Europe, Rusia and the USA began to invite him to come over and give workshops.

“I don’t teach”, he says.  “I never wanted to teach or imagine I would be a yoga teacher”.

He is very humble, yes, but at the same time he realizes he was able to progress fast in asana, and his practice went deep through pranayama and meditation,  and so he feels the responsibility to pass it along.

I, for one, am grateful.

I have learned A LOT from Anthony.

I was surprised to his response of my usual question: “What is one thing that took you a long time to understand“ towards the end of the podcast. I am always surprised by that one, but Anthony has a way of taking it to the next level.

Also, when I mentioned to Anthony that I wanted to call this episode “The Choose Yourself Yogi” he said he was more likely the “Patient Home Practitioner”… I am sure as he reads this he will have another title in mind…

That is Anthony, a constant explorer…

In Fact…

Here is what Anthony wrote ABOUT this INTERVIEW on his own blog… Check it out.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

– The embarrassment factor of starting a yoga practice after 40

– How he had let himself go 

– How he lost 50 pounds and regained health

– How he used anything as props (furniture, blankets, sofas)

– His desire to get the strong (difficult) poses “done” in the beginning – before we would grow older

– Here is Anthony in Marichasana D – we talk about it so it is good to get a visual (forgive the quality I took it from a screenshot of a video of his)

– I ask him: Did you ever get injured in yoga?  As a home-practitioner, it is an eye opener to hear the answer: never… although… there is a covenant

– The impossible poses: here is Anthony in Karandavasana, you can see a video of this impossible pose -as he calls it- We talked about how it terrified him.

– How he got into retaining the breath during asanas as per Krishnamacharya

– Why he thinks Ashtanga is a good place to start for someone getting into yoga

– And the question of the million bucks: What took Anthony a long time to understand.

Mahamudra

ABOUT ANTHONY

His Ultra Famous Blog

Twitter

His Book: Vinyasa Yoga Home Practice Book

His Book: Krishnamacharya Original Ashtanga Yoga

YouTube

The Latest On His 30+ Part Series On Developing A Home Practice

PEOPLE/RESOURCES 

Manju Jois
Srivatsa Ramaswami 
Sharath Jois 
The Complete Book Of Vinyasa Yoga – Ramaswami
Yoga For The Three Stages Of Life – Ramaswami

THE TRANSCRIPT

Claudia Azula Altucher: Hello and welcome to the yoga podcast. I’m very excited today to have Anthony Grim Hall, because he is the most unique yoga teacher I have ever encountered. He has 2.5 million visitors to his blog and he has been obsessed with every aspect of the practice of yoga. He changed his life radically in 2007 because . . . Anthony, what was your profession before 2007?

Anthony Hall: Before 2007?

Claudia Azula Altucher: Yeah.

Anthony: Oh, I was an instrument repairer.

Claudia Azula Altucher: An instrument repairer.

Anthony Hall: Yeah.

Claudia Azula Altucher: He developed his own practice completely from home by himself most of the time, and now he travels around the world teaching yoga, because people invite him to their yoga studios. So he’s been in Russia, and he’s been in Spain, and he’s likely to be coming to the United States later this year in 2015. He trained with Srivatsa Ramaswami who is a student of Krishanacharya for 35 plus years and with Manju Jois who is the son of Pattabhi Jois. He has written two books. One is called Vinyasa Yoga Home Practice Book 
(in 2012) and the other one: Krishnamacharya’s ‘Original’ Ashtanga Yoga Practice Manual (in 2014). Anthony, welcome to the show. I’m so glad to have you here.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, it’s good to see you, Claudia.

Claudia Azula Altucher: So its 8 p.m. there in Japan where you are. What did you do today?

Anthony Hall: Today, not much. I’m getting over a cold actually so I’ve just been taking it easy.

Claudia Azula Altucher: Okay, so no practice?

Anthony Hall: Yeah, I’ve practiced. Yeah, of course.

Claudia Azula Altucher: Oh, that’s good to know. I was taking there for a moment, I wasn’t sure. It seems unbelievable to me to be talking to you, because we’ve never talked on the phone even though our blogs have been paralleled. You started a little bit earlier than me and we’ve been on the journey of practicing together. And your book is in my blog, my book is in your blog. We’ve been together in so many levels as we went through, but you have a very specific origin story and I wanted to talk about that about how you came into yoga. You talked about a defining moment that happened to you in 2007 where your house was broken into.

Anthony Hall: Yeah.

Claudia Azula Altucher: Can you tell us?

Anthony Hall: Okay, it doesn’t sound such a big deal anymore. I think the first ten times I told it, probably it sounded so dramatic to me but not so much anymore. Basically we were burgled or robbed. The house was robbed. I had seven vintage saxophones stolen. I was an instrument repairer. I got it with someone who worked with vintage saxophones. So I had seven saxophones stolen. And basically I was angry about the saxophones stolen and then I was angry about being angry.

Claudia Azula Altucher: I like how you say that, because the anger on top of the anger is the second arrow. You were really upset.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, I used to do a little bit of Zen before a long time ago. So I thought I’ll just do some meditation and I think I started with some Vipassana mindfulness through some podcast session. And then sitting was uncomfortable, so I thought, “Well, maybe I’ll do a little bit of yoga just to make it a bit more comfortable sitting.” So I went to the library and the books were just dreadful covers. And in those days, you had to take the book to the actual librarian and sort of say, “I’d like a book please.” Most of the books I really didn’t want to take up to the librarian. The least offensive were a couple of books. It just happened to be Ashtanga. So that didn’t look so bad. So I took them home and then I basically started practicing at home on a towel in my underwear basically. And I practiced just those, building off from there. Eventually I started getting some tapes, DVDs, but, yeah, that was basically.

Claudia Azula Altucher: You were overweight at that time you mentioned.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, yeah, quite a bit. Did I lose about 20 kilos or something. I guess I was about 94-kilo and I got down to about… I tend to sit around about 77 afterwards. So I lost around about. . .

Claudia Azula Altucher: I looked that up. In pounds, it translates to something like going from 210 pounds to about 160 pounds. So it’s a significant amount of weight that you lost through the exercise.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, it’s probably a bit more dramatic than that, because Ashtanga builds quite a bit of muscles as well. It’s quite a powerful practice. . .

Claudia Azula Altucher: Yeah.

Anthony Hall: So you’re putting a bit of muscle, as well, which is kind of heavy. If you’re actually fat, I guess I lost quite a bit.

Claudia Azula Altucher: And you said that you would use furniture or books as blocks when you couldn’t reach for things. You started transforming things that were in your life into yoga tools without. . .

Anthony Hall: Yeah, I didn’t have any blocks or straps or anything. So I was just using belts and a couple of piles of books and things like that. I remember buying my first mat. It was quite a big deal going into a shop and buying a yoga mat, but it was the right thing to do.

Claudia Azula Altucher: Do you still have it?

Anthony Hall: No, no, I don’t actually. Well, I don’t have anything now, because I just moved back. I don’t have anything. I sold everything but I had it for a long time.

Claudia Azula Altucher: What I found interesting when you were talking about this is that you said that you loved the first sun salutation, but the second one exhausted you. I get this picture that you were out of shape, feeling unhealthy. You also said you were feeling bloated at that time.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, pretty much. I think I wrote about how it was… I think later it became disturbing to me how I hadn’t realized the condition I got into. I think that’s quite interesting. I thought I was okay. In Japan, I was teaching English. I had some fancy suits. I thought I looked okay. And it was gradual. You were putting on weight gradually, gradually, gradually. I must be the only person getting more unhealthy in Japan. Yeah, it was kind of gradual. So I didn’t really realize in a way that I put on so much weight, that I was in such bad condition. I had a couple of things happen and then I had my gallbladder removed. I got some kidney problems. Different things but I still didn’t really take it that seriously and I think a lot of people think they’re okay. They think, “I can lose a couple of pounds, but I’m probably not that bad,” but actually I was probably not in good shape at all.

Claudia Azula Altucher: Yeah, and you were 44 at this time when you got that book in the library.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, something like that – 43, 44.

Claudia Azula Altucher: And I think that’s what I see in a lot of people, hitting middle-age, and thinking it’s the norm to have all those extra pounds, and then to be unhealthy like taking it for granted that that’s just how life is. But I think the way you transformed your life is proof that there is another way.

Anthony Hall: Yeah, you see it walking around. We see it all the time now walking around, because we’ve seen people our age. We see they can probably do with some exercise or they could do with some eating a little better. And it’s like they’ll probably figure they’ll get around to doing it some time. It takes time to turn it around. The longer you leave it, the longer it takes.

READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE

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What is the Difference Between Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga?

Both Vinyasa and Ashtanga are terms derived from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the bible of yoga. However, I have a feeling that when this question is asked in Internet forums, as I have found to be the case twice in the past week, it seems to relate more about what can one expect in an American class offering either of them.

In this light I have divided the answer in three layers, listing the differences (or similarities) according to (a) the Yoga Sutras, (b) according to today’s lineage holders, and (c) according to how it is taught in America these days, to the level of my understanding.

1- VINYASA AND ASHTANGA AS PER PATNAJALI:

Patanjali is the sage who lived about 2000 years ago and of whom we know rather little. He compiled with excellent detail and a handful of words (196 sentences) the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The Sutras are divided into four chapters.  The first chapter deals with very advanced yogis who can attain the goal of yoga (stopping the projections of the mind) at once.  That is not my case and most people’s case.

So for people who cannot fly into the goal and reach eternal peace while being rooted in the crest of the present, there is chapter two and three.

In chapter two he explains the eight limbs of yoga or ASHTANGA (Ashto=8, Anga=limbs).  The eight steps or limbs work as a ladder which we can use to climb into the state of yoga.  We purify the body and our actions with the first four and then access higher states of inner concentration with the last four so that we can be liberated.

A yogi that attains the goal of yoga becomes completely detached and un-interested in the world. Nothing disturbs her, not even death.  She abides in peace and has tremendous discrimination, all delusions end.  See here for 7 signs that you are a realized yogi.

This is a great introduction based on a lecture That Master Ramaswami gave

Recently at a Ramaswami workshop I asked about where in the yoga sutras do we derived the term “VINYASA” from?  Ramaswami, a student of Krishnamacharya for 35+ years explained to me that this is related in two sutras from chapter two:

2.46 is the most famous sutra in the world (make that in my world):  2.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam, or: Sitted position should be comfortable and steady. AND
2.47 prayatna saithily anantasam apattibhyam, or: Effort should be accompanied by smooth breath


That, Ramaswami explained, is where Krishnamahcarya taught him we derived the term VINYASA, where we accompany the effort of asana with smooth long breath.  Here is Ramaswami himself:

Sri T Krishnamacharya had said in his Yoga Makaranda (read it here for free) and also in Yoga Rahasya that full benefits of yogasana cannot be obtained without vinyasas.  Regarding the Yoga Sutra reference it would be about the use of breath in the practice of asanas. The interpretation of the terms in the sutras “sthira, sukha, prayatna saitilya and aananta samapatti” the four paramenters mentioned. These refer to comfort, steadiness, smooth breathing and focus on the breath while practicing asanas which is the way Sri TK taught me vinyasa practice.“

For more on that see: Where oh where does Patanjali say anything about Vinyasa in the Yoga Sutras?

So, in brief: Ashtanga refers to the system of eight limbs that dedicated yogis will learn about and follow on their quest to reach the state of yoga, or liberation.  Vinyasa is the art, one could say, of utilizing the breath, in deep and smooth ways, as in the “hissing of a serpent” (as Krishnamacharya puts it in his book Yoga Makaranda (honey)) while practicing the asanas or poses of yoga.

Vinyasa is also the way in which we enter each pose and come out of it, or as Desikachar would tell us in his book “Health Healing and Beyond”, the process by which the teacher receives the student at the door, takes it to the studio, teaches and then sees the student out to the door again”, the steps we take.  For more on that see comment below on Richard Freeman’s talk.

2.- VINYASA AND ASHTANGA AS PER THE HOLDERS OF THE LINEAGE:

ASHTANGA: Sri K Pattabhi Jois coined his style ASHTANGA.  His institute, the “Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute” is located in Mysore India, and the way the system is taught is also called “Mysore”.

The starting point is asanas or poses as this ends the delusions of the mind quickly, coupled with the codes of conduct of the first two limbs of yoga, the yamas and niyamas.  There are 6 series of asanas that grow in difficulty.  The poses are done by breathing deeply and with a strict count, no breath or movement is left to chance.

The series are taught individually in a setting where students come to class at their own time and practice their own series or to wherever they are.  Teachers come around and adjust students depending on their own individual level.  New poses are given only when the student has mastered what she or he already has.

A LED Intermediate Series Class at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in India – Sharath Jois is leading the class

The poses are practiced using bandhas (internal locks) the hissing of the serpent type of breath and specific looking points (hand, alongside the nose, side etc).  Jois has taught students that the yoga Korunta (a book in which he based his system but that was unfortunatelly eaten by ants, or so we are told, with no copy left behind) it says “Oh yogi, do not do yoga without vinyasa”.

Once a week there are “led classes” where the teacher leads by counting in and giving the names of the poses in sanskrit.  This is a way to help students learn the proper count.

VINYASA yoga was popularized by Srivatsa Ramaswami a living yoga master and student of Krishnamacharya for a long time, in his book “The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga”.

It also has series, although these are called routines. It is done at a much slower pace than Ashtanga yoga and including small resting -corpse pose- when one gets winded or out of breath.  The breathing component is of course key and done in a deep way, with sound.

The practices are more integrative than those of Ashtanga as each practice will not only include asana or poses but also pranayama (breathing extension exercises), pratyahara (sense withdrawal) and concentration on one point with singing of mantra.  See here for the weekend workshop I recently took with Ramaswami, and here for a session of Vinyasa Krama in photographs.

You can also of course visit Grimmly’s blog who is an adept student of this tradition (together with Ashtanga), and visit Ramaswami’s page.

A Vinyasa Krama Teacher Training with Ramaswami adjusting and Grimmly demonstrating

3.- VINYASA AND ASHTANGA AS IS TAUGHT IN AMERICA

ASHTANGA in general tends to keep to the tradition fairly well and teach Mysore programs with one led class per week.  Instructors in most cases tend to be authorized or certified by India (Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute) and stick to the traditional way of teaching it.

A Mysore room where everyone is practicing at their own level and at their own time a pre-set series

In these rooms you can expect to go and find all practitioners already going for their own practices.  A teacher will show you the beginning of the first series and you will start from there.  He or She will add poses as you become comfortable with the series and can breathe well in the poses you already have. You will have your own practice from day one and build from there.

It is a vigorous style of yoga that demands focus and dedication, it is practiced 6 times a week with rest on Saturdays and moon days.  See 21 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Practicing Ashtanga Yoga.

VINYASA.  I cannot speak for all vinyasa classes given in the country, but the term vinyasa has been used in context that differ greatly from the original, there is vinyasa flow, flow, trance, etc, and other terms of the kind.

Vinyasa in America is more associated with a practice that flows and never stops with breathing, but studios tend to add things to it, like music for example, and turn it into a bit more of a scene that draws the mind out rather than in.  This is not a criticism just an observation.

a Vinyasa class with live music

Also in Vinyasa classes as taught in America the instructors create the sequences that are to be taught rather than follow pre-established methods or routines, meaning that one cannot tell in advance what to expect.

—

As I said, this is to the level of my understanding, the rabbit hole gets much deeper and for those of you interested in yoga this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a lot more to be discovered.
—


RELATED:
Keeping it Real: 8 Things To Know About the 8 Limbs Of Yoga
Krishnamacharya Yoga: A Weekend With Ramaswami
12 Suggestions on How To Find a Good Yoga Teacher

Honestly! Chose Between 1M Dollars or the Self?

James  and I are in a deep exploration of books by all the sages that propose leaping into the goal of yoga rather than going through steps (like we do in Ashtanga Yoga (ashto=eight, anga=limbs)).  These masters are those I call the “chapter one guys”, the ones that are already enlightened, the ones that can see the picture in 3D as they get close to it and cannot believe you don’t see it already, while I look at them in full frustration.

No matter how close or cross-eyed I get I just don’t see it

I tell you why I call them “chapter one guys”, I do that because the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (the sort-of Bible of Yoga) attempts the same thing in chapter one.  It tells us that:


Now that we are ready to hear the teachings, then yoga is the cessation of the projections of the mind.  Once you do that you can see and identify with the Self, otherwise we are deluded.

Ramaswami tells us that in all texts written by sages the first four sentences are crucial, and they are. There it is.  Now do you see? Do you see the Self? Can you totally identify and realize that we are nothing, non-important, that nothing ever happens?

I thought so.

That is why the Yoga Sutras have chapter two. For people like me. And here we are going through the limbs, climbing up slowly towards the goal of yoga instead of “just flying up” as these guys propose.

The chapter one guys, like Ramana Maharshi, Maharash, et all,  propose instead that you just ask, at every free moment you have: “Who Am I?”. They say this is enough.

One of the latest I have been reading is Ramesh Balsekar, who wrote an appropriately titled book: “Who Cares?” –

Check out this paragraph and see if it does something to you as it did to me:

Whether you want a million dollars or enlightenment and whether you get what you want are not in your control. If you think it is in your control, I suggest that you go after the million dollars instead of enlightenment because if you get the million dollars then there will be someone to enjoy that million dollars.  But if you go after enlightenment there will be no “one” to enjoy enlightenment. –

Go for the Million! There will be “someone” to enjoy it

Anything?

Click to look inside

RELATED:
Krishnamacharya ‘s Yoga – A Weekend With Ramaswami
How Do We Profit From the Self?
The Only Yogi Super Power We Are Allowed To Pursue

Krishnamacharya’s Yoga – Weekend With Ramaswami

This was a yoga week for me, that is certain, a full workweek of led classes with Sharath/Sarawati and Saturday with Ramaswami. What a blessing. If you have an opportunity to take a workshop with him (and he is travelling all over the world) I would highly recommend it.  It is not so easy to get two degrees of separation to Krishnamacharya in the West, and He is IT.

Ramaswami –  Direct student of Master Krishnamacharya for 35+ years

The workshop held at the CT Yoga Shala, lovely space, was four hours long both on Saturday and Sunday (with an intro on Friday night). James and I attended only the Saturday portion and were reminded of what a great teacher Ramaswami is.

Great to see Maria of the blog: Serene Flavor there too, as well as many familiar faces from the Sharath week.
—

Asana:

I had taken Ramaswami’s 20 hour Yoga Sutra workshop but had never been instructed in asana or pranayama by him.  My fear was that the sequences of Vinyasa Krama were to be too slow for me compared to the vigorous practice of Ashtanga yoga I do every day.  I was mistaken.

The sequences are not fast, but the effect over the nervous system is delightful for sending one in, for the preparatoin for meditation. And there are plenty of very challegning sequences.

A funny moment came when he asked a group packed with ashtangis if anyone could demonstrate the jumping through with straight legs. Nobody could. How long till I can do this? I wondered.

We run through a portion of the Tadasana sequence (on your feet), and many variations of just inhaling and bringing the palms interlocked up to towards the ceiling and really stretching while lifting the hips.

The hips are very important, said Ramaswami, we need to work them every day, as well as the knees.  The variations on this very basic pose had me in a sort of trance.  The slow breathing deepened the focus and I found myself going in under his soft yet firm voice.

Nothing substitutes hearing the teachings but the book comes pretty close

We must have done Asana for one and a half hours or so, I lost track of time.  Especially enjoyed the very long Paschimotanasana (forward bend).  5 minutes and you emerge in another mental plane.

paschimotanasana

Importance of Inversions:


Although we did not get to inversions on Saturday (he was to do those on Sunday), he explained why Krishanmacharya said they were so important.

Krishnamacharya, says Ramaswami, would measure the lenght between your internal organs and see if, whether because of age, or wear and tear, they were being displaced and away from their original position (sagging).  This is a natural occurrence that comes with time: “Look at my face” he said, [laughter]


“The only poses which are unique to yoga and that restore the organs to their original place are the inversions.  They need to be done with very long deep breaths and for long periods of time (5 minutes min)  to give maximum benefit to the heart and all other internal organs.”

Pranayama:

The portion on pranayama came fast. If taking his workshop it might be a good idea to read his book first.  We did kapalabhati sitted with the arms down and then with the arms up (fingers interlocked)! That was new, and intense.  (here is how to practice kapalabhati)

Kapalabhati turned out to be much easier with arms to the side – Ramaswami made it more challenging

I was comfortable exhaling forcefully from the lower pelvis for 36 counts when the arms were down, but could only get to about 15 or 16  with the arms raised. An eye opener and something both James and I are including now into the pranayama practice.

We then went into nadi shodana (nerve cleansing breathing exercise, see here for the exercise although this post does not include retention or the use of bandhas (locks)) with retention of breath AFTER exhalation and including all three bandhas. I had never done that and was surprised at the calming effect in the mind, as well as quite frankly, my ability to do it.

“You can make pranayama very safe”  – Ramaswami

His encouragement was welcome, and the counts at which we did the practice were comfortable, he even lowered it from 5 counts for inhale and retentions and 10 for exhalations to a 4-8 ratio to accomodate slower practitioners like me.  I prefer to take pranayama very slow and let it take its course.

Another interesting thing about Ramaswami’s nadi shodana was that he included one full inhale and exhale with ujjaji breath in between sides.

Pratyahara and Meditation

We did the pratyahara mudra holding it for 2 minutes and then went into a short meditation with mantra.

Prayahara (sense withdrawal) mudra

Four hours was really not enough, he has so much knowledge and wants to offer it so freely, it is both a pleasure and a race against time to absorve it all.

Gratitude:

I am very grateful for Ramaswami for coming to the area, only found out on the last day of Sharath’s week that he was so close and it was wonderful to be able to see him and be in his presence and learn from him.

Click to look inside

As per Vinyasa Krama, I think Grimmly (author of the book above)  may be onto something here, if anything I am left wandering and wanting Ramaswami’s 200 hour training so as to see all the routines and hear more stories from “his teacher“.

Related:


7 Things I Learned From Ramaswami (at the Yoga Sutras Workshop in 2011)
Where Exactly Does Patanjali Mention Vinayasa in the Yoga Sutras?
7 Signs That You Are A Realized Yogi – Turns Out I Am Not
RAMASWAMI’s UPCOMING EVENTS
Grimmly’s Blog
Serene Flavor’s Blog Impressions From the Workshop

The Uggly, Bad, Good and Great of 2011, And What They Taught Me About Yoga

The UGGLY was Being Sick

Definitely unexpected, and with a malady that is so mischievous in its workings as Lyme disease is. I was lucky to meet a Chinese Doctor that helped me with the most important thing of all which was  knowing, trusting that I could heal.  Hearing him go “don’t tell me about bacteria, there is bacteria everywhere!” was  just what I needed to hear at that moment of despair.

He healed me by restoring all organs to health, and taught me a very important lesson that applies to yoga, a strong immune system will be resistant to any bacteria.  We must keep our bodies in balance and treat them well!

A Chinese medicine practitioner (not Dr H) at work

Another lesson came when I really thought I was dying (before I met Dr H). It  put me in touch with that feeling, with letting go of everything, surrendering, and praying, preparing for passing.  I was scared, but in the midst of drugs and spurs of clarity here and there it showed me that the moment of passing will come, at some point it will, and what is important then is to be clear about passing peacefully.

I started practicing the Divine Light invocation, something that would only work for aspiring yogis who are inclined towards devotion rather than only rational thought (90% of the people say many books).  Swami Radha, a direct disciple of Sivananda promises that 40 days of reciting the prayer will bring about a miracle.  For me it brought peace, and considering the circumstances that was pretty timely.

I also remembered the work I had started way back in 2003 with dreams, and to see them as subconscious messages (and potential samskaras?) that are better brought into the light. Here are the five steps I used to interpret them.

The BAD was Trying to Return from Lyme With NO SuccessThe biggest lesson was gratitude.  Nothing like being sick to appreciate in full the love of James, of my family, of my readers, of all the people who wanted to help.  To see how much good there is. It humbled me and taught me about compassion.
I tried once while still in antibiotics and it did not work, then again while on Chinese medicine, and it did not stick.  Then after somewhat recovery only one thing worked, taking it very slowly, as slow as 20 minutes only.

This taught me patience and surrendering in a brand new way. I did NOT want to practice for only 20 minutes, I hated it.  But, I knew -on third try- that it might be the only thing that would work, and it did.
I credit James for sticking to a plan and asking me every day “how long today?” and then making sure it was no more than 5 or 10 more minutes than the day before, or asking me to wait until I had a week of no symptoms to move forward. He was a strong pillar in focusing my weak energy towards strength. That was pure love. Thank you James!

The GOOD Was Rediscovering the Practice, When It Came Back
Finally, on November 2nd I started on a journey of returning on which I am still working.  Little by little I recovered primary series.  20 minutes at the time at first, then 25 and so on. It took a while but it did come back.  So much so that John suggested I continue onto intermediate, but then thought it was wise that I would only practice primary for a while -what I am still doing- until I feel strong and completely healthy again.

What this taught me was surprising. I was getting lazy!  Had forgotten all about going a little beyond the physicial limits (within reason), I was just paying lip service to it!  Great notice because it now has me working hard at those back bends (where I am currently AT) and even using a block to engage those psoas, as well as working very hard at the jump backs and troughs.  I am determined to clean up primary now.
The GREAT Was Learning more about the Yoga Sutras, Going to Mysore and Publishing my First Book
The good and the great are easy to remember, the happy memories tend to stick!

Going to Mysore in early January/February was a highlight (See here for posts from the second trip early this year). I find that the journey to command central (as is known) focused the practice, as it always does. It is difficult not to try harder at everything while surrounded with practitioners who are very dedicated, focused on their breath, chanting a unique melody with their ujjaji breath.  There is a special power in that full room, in the humidity of the sweat of what? at least 80 practitioners going at it at once, making the effort.

Learning about the Yoga Sutras directly from Ramaswami in a 20 hour course opened a door somewhere in the basement and towards a deeper understanding of yoga. Yoga for what it really is, sitting straight with a healthy body that breathes well to concentrate and aim for samadhi! I am eternally grateful to him and hope to study further under his tutelage in 2012. What a teacher!  All in all I do understand, the more I read, that practice is what makes yoga yoga, no amount of reading would ever teach us anything, it will just direct us.

Here is Ramaswami Schedule for 2012

Finally, publishing my book in May was a work of love. Ever since 2008 on my first trip to Mysore I felt I wanted to share what I gathered along the path, I wished I had a book exactly like the one I wrote.  That is what they say, if you know there is a book you want to read then you must write it, so I did.  It is a highlight of my day when I hear that someone got a bit that helped, a tip, an opening or a desire to go deeper or start the practice. What a blessing to be able to share!

The best parts of the year had me learning about giving, thinking about what it means to teach, and understanding how it is vital to have a personal and deep practice of our own in order to be able to help. 
—
So all in all in 2011 I re-learned:

1. Letting Go and Surrendering
2. The importance of a strong Immune System
3. Chinese Medicine works!
4. Preparations for passing
5. Gratitude
6. Devotion
7. Dream Work
8. Patience
9. Love
10. Trying harder at the practice
11. Specifically jump-back and through and drop-back/back-bending
12. Enjoying the practice among deeply invested practitioners
13. Writing a book and self-publishing
14. Sharing
15. Giving and Receiving
16. Noticing blessings
17. The Yoga Sutras and the importance of practice

And so, for 2012 I am looking forward to cleaning up primary series, practicing practicing practicing and for every experience that may pop up, try to come from center, wisdom and peace.

I wonder what did you learn? And what do you wish for 2012?

Happy Birthday Krishnamacharya: 5 Things I Learned From Him!

Krishnamacharya (the grandfather of ALL yoga you see out there these days) was born November 18, 1888. Should he be living today he would turn 123!

As an expression of gratitude here are five things I’ve learned from him, without ever knowing him, and that inspire me daily:

Low Profile but Fierce Propagation of the Message of Yoga

As a teacher he kept a low profile but that did not mean he stopped propagating the message of yoga, he just did it wisely.  Matter of fact, when A.G. Mohan was to go onto a yoga  conference in the 70’s that was the direct advise that Krishnamacharya gave him: “Propagate Yoga Wisely”.

For more on this picture see this article

—
Selective in the Students He took on Board

He was picky of the students he took on because he knew that they would reflect on him and he wanted more than anything to please the wishes of his guru Bramacharya, who asked him to go into the world and propagate yoga.  That he did.

All the yoga we know today we know because of him.  Every yoga teacher out there has been influenced by Krishnamacharya weather we know it or not.

Krishnamacharya favored students that were serious and interested in all branches of yoga.  He would make them wait for an hour under the hot Indian sun if they were ever late (Ramaswami tells this story). He took yoga very seriously
—

He practiced all his life

Up until his 90’s when he suffered a fracture in his hip because he did not realize he had moved a chair and sat down falling to the floor.  But before that he continued his asana practice as well as pranayama, meditation and chanting.

When a local institute in India asked him to teach he said he would but when the management wanted to change his teaching style he turned around and said ‘no’ highlighting that this would give him more time for his own practice.
—


Different Interpretation of the Yoga Sutras

His interpretation of the yoga sutras is unique, as passed from him to Ramaswami.  For example, Krishnamacharya is the first to say that yoga is not all about union, it is also, more pragmatically, about separation, about the constant discrimination in our daily lives of what is real and what is not.

For exapmple, this anxiety I feel right now, is not real, the only reality is the silent observer, the one behind the curtain that is beyond life/death and anxiety too.  Identification with the observer rather than the experience is what we are after.

He also had a very peculiar interpretation as of where it is in the Yoga Sutras that Patanjali mentions ‘vinyasa’, an interpretation that you will not find in Iyengar or Sivananda, a very unique take by Krishnamacharya and his guru Bramacharya of the Himalayans.  See here.
—

Dedication and Perseverance

At the age of 16 Krishnamacharya walked about 1,000 miles chasing what he heard in a dream, that an ancestor of his was to teach him all about yoga.  This is the story.

Now, how much energy and dedication does it take to walk 1000 miles? I guess after that the thought of just doing primary series on this fine Friday pales in comparison!

—-

Krishnamacharya inspires me to get on the mat every day. His serious and determined eye gaze seems to pervade all around the place where I practice. I know he is watching!

Yoga: Union? Separation? Or BOTH?

There was one thing that shocked me from Ramaswami’s Yoga Sutra workshop.  He started by saying that Patanjali’s definition of yoga is about ‘separation’, not ‘union’.  Or at least that is how I interpreted. It changed the game for me and sent me down the rabbit hole searching for answers.

The separation he was speaking about was between pure awareness (what is known as the Self) and our identification with it (Mind, or what mind does).

Even when he talked about the yogi superpowers that the practice may bring along he said they are all to be avoided except for 3.36, which is focusing all of our attention on this very distinction, what is real and what is not, because this super power is what brings us to unveil reality, see behind the curtain, notice there is no wizard and rather that we were all there all along all together.

“Most people know that the word yoga means union… but Patanjali refers to yoga as a process of separation. How can this contradiction be explained?… Can be explained by the  Samkhya philosophy which is the basis of the yoga sutras“

Fortunately today I come across a clarification paragraph (from Satyananda’s “Four Chapters on Freedom“) that explains the point of: Is it union? Or, is it separation? Or is it both?

The answer: Both

One leads to the other

In Patanjali’s yoga (Following the Yoga Sutras), we start with separation to reach union.  We go from the gross to the subtle, from the darkness to the light.

“Samkhya divides existence and individual being into two aspects… the Seer and the Seen…. practice of yoga is concerned with Viyoga, separating awareness and the mind-body… “

that can only be experienced by experience and the writer warns that no amount of reading will ever convince anyone, then

“First the seer and the seen are separated and when this is achieved they are perceived to be the same”

So separation leading to union.

Now I see.  Let’s practice to experience.

Recommended Reading:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=earyog08-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=8185787182&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

Opening The Third Eye with Surgery?

What if someone asked you: “Can I open my third eye with a surgical operation?” What would be your first instinct in answering such a question? I know. Ridiculous, right?

A few weeks ago Ramaswami directed people on the Vinyasa Krama Facebook page to the commentary of the old text “Hatha Yoga Pradipika” done by a sage named Brahmananda.  Of course curiosity took the best of me and I got the edition, and then as luck always has it, became intrigued and started searching for what else might he have written.

“Through innumerable incarnations and rebirths man has hypnotized himself with his body” reads the opening line of his book “Fundamentals of Yogahttp://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=earyog08-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=051756422X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr” which I am enjoying at leisure and with eyes wide open because he presents yoga in a very “reachable” way.  Samadhi or a perfect peaceful mind that is capable of using 100% of its power is totally attainable in the words of Brahmananda, as long as we put in the work.

Brahmananda was also a doctor of medical science, trained throughout the world, including Canada and the United States. New York out of all states.  His title of medical doctor apparently brought lots of people into his office, and many of them had the question posed in the title.

His answer:  Yes!

“My answer is very clear and simple: Yes. With this positive answer people become very hopeful, happy and ready for an operation. But when I explained the real meaning of the operation, its process and cost, up to date they have seldom returned“

“This operation can never be performed in hospitals.  For … you need a living area full of spiritual atmosphere, we need a surgeon and assistant surgeon, anesthetist and other helpers. In this operation our surgeon is eternal mind. The operating table is an easy posture; general anesthesia is produced by the power of samyamah (the last 3 of the 8 limbs of yoga), the body is magnetized … by pratyahara (withdrawal of energy and consciousness)… then one becomes ready for this operation.“

He then proceeds to give the 7 steps which I am summarizing here:

1.- Place the body comfortable posture, so comfortable that if deep sleep comes you will not fall
2.- Remove all anxieties and weakness from the mind
3.- thing that behind this body there is an eternal energy that has created all planets and it is your own nature
4.- Think about this eternal energy shining around us for a few minutes.
5.- Close your eyes and fix your attention over the whole body.  Use samyama and pratyahara. Relax your whole body, withdraw energy from every organ and fix it on the place of the third eye.
6.- Remain in this state until you feel you have no body.
7.- When in this state, nadam (high consciousness) will remove ignorance forever and you will see the dawn of eternal knowledge in the firmament of the mind. this is called the third eye, and this process it the operation.

So how do you like them apples?

Where oh Where Does Patanjali Mention Vinyasa in the Yoga Sutras?

What if someone was to ask you (very likely): Hey! where does Patanjali ever say anything about vinyasa?  Maybe even with a threatening tone or something, doubting your yoga knowledge to the point of making your serpent spine shake. What then?

Vinyasa is the linking of the breath with each movement while practicing asana or poses. It is sacred. It must happen for the practice to be effective.

And where oh where did Krishnamacharya get that from? how did he and his guru gather this tiny bit of information from the 2000 year old Yoga Sutras?

As you know sutra 2.46 is the most famous sutra in the world (make that in my world):  2.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam, or: Sitted position should be comfortable and steady.

Say it out loud, it feels good:  Sthira Sukham Asanam!

That, my yogis, is pretty much everything that Patanjali said about asanas or poses, which we ashtangis -led by Jois and family- take to a whole new level (as in 6 series of them!).

Now, the reason why Patanjali did not elaborate on the poses is simply because:
a) There were other texts on asanas, so people could look those up to learn about them. And
b) He wrote his work with impeccable grammar and to be memorized and passed through the generations. I still have not been able to memorize the whole thing and he knew that someone like me was in the future cards, therefore brevity was of the essence.

But still, no mention of vinyasa.  That is UNTIL, the next sutra:

2.47 prayatna saithily anantasam apattibhyam, or: Effort should be accompanied by smooth breath

AHA!

I was blessed to actually have Ramaswami himself (he studied with the big K for 30+ years) illuminate the point. This is what he said via e-mail:

“Sri T Krishnamacharya had said in his Yoga Makaranda (read it here for free) and also in Yoga Rahasya that full benefits of yogasana cannot be obtained without vinyasas.  Regarding the Yoga Sutra reference it would be about the use of breath in the practice of asanas. The interpretation of the terms in the sutras “sthira, sukha, prayatna saitilya and aananta samapatti” the four paramenters mentioned. These refer to comfort, steadiness, smooth breathing and focus on the breath while practicing asanas which is the way Sri TK taught me vinyasa practice.“

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=earyog08-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0892818204&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrIn his book Yoga For the Three Stages of Life, he also says:

“… Hence the word prayatna should be taken to mean “the effort of breathing”. And it should be made smooth (sithila, from which comes saithilya, relaxation).  Thus during the practice of asanas, the breath should be smooth and in my teachers’ system it is therefore mandatory to stop one’s practice and to rest when the breath is not smooth. shortness of breath is associated with a fragmented mind“

So there you have it!  should someone ask you with malicious intent or not, you can tell them that in Sutra 2.47 both Krishnamacharya and his guru derived the need for vinyasa:

…Just as music without harmony and melody will not be enjoyable, so also asana done without vinyasa will not confer health on the practitioner. Such being the case, how can we expect long life, strength, etc. if you do not follow the stipulated rules and disciplines. (Krishnamacharya in Yoga Makaranda)

Related:
Matthew Sweeney has the best pictures on all the vinyasas for the series of Ashtanga
Following the Yoga Sutras on How to Deal with Crappy People
Keeping it Real: 8 Things You Need To Know About the Eight Limbs of Yoga

How Indians Die

The majority of people… hm, well, I should not say the “majority” because not all people are here right now.  Actually the “majority” of people are in China. No, wait, the majority of people are dead! And we are all gonna die, we are going to be death for a much longer period of time than we are alive –

Comedian Louis C. K.

I don’t know how all people from India die, but I do know, or at least sense that there is a different take on how death comes to them and how it happens.  People “prepare” for it, rather than try to avoid it as we so skillfully do in the west, hooking ourselves to respirators and tubes.  Again, not all people.

Consider these two stories, one from Srivatsa Ramaswami and one from Deepak Chopra. They deeply inspired me.

Ramaswami tells the very personal story of his mother’s passing in Yoga for The Three Stages of Life.  She was sick and the doctors said that they probably would not be able to help her longer, so she asked to be taken home where she was surrounded by family.

Later that night she asked her son to bring the family’s astrologer/priest to her.  The astrologer in turn sent for a few Vedic pandits who were asked to sing the Mtyuumjaya mantra 1008 times, which they did and for about 45 minutes. When the time came, Ramaswami says:

“She opened her eyes and gazed at her favorite deity. She died with her gaze fixed on the divine picture. She was gone, separated from life -like a cucumber separates from the vine…  Siva’s favorite mantra was repeated several times as she passed away from life to the eternal“

Different, beautiful, accepting, surrendered.  These are the words that come to mind when I read this story that brought tears to my eyes. The striking difference to how we attempt to cross the portal here being so different.

I cannot remember in which of his books I read the story of how Deepak Chopra‘s father died, but I found an account online.  I do recall him saying, in that book, that he died while sited in meditation.

Chopra Senior died in 2001, I believe it was the day of the inauguration of Bush as president.  Deepak flew to India right away, because being the first born male of the family, he had to bathe his fathers’ body and anoint it with oil, then carry him to the funeral pyre, lit the fire and ensure his body was fully cremated.  Then he had to crack the skull with a stick as is customary. In his words:

“While I was cremating him, about two hundred yards away there was a group of children who were using the draft of the cremation fire to fly their kite. I could see in this the play of life and death. the kite was like the symbol of the spirit soaring into the heavens.”

I do not know if all people in India die like this, surrounded by family and with preparations so that their last thought is on the divine, or in meditation, my guess is probably not, but these two stories have gone a long way in my imagination and in perceiving death as ritual and ceremony rather than the end.

They say the last thought you have in your mind when you die influences the direction of your next one. I want to believe there is a next one, but I am not sure.  I rather not come back and hope to be able to chant mantras on passing, but if I have to come back, perhaps I would like to be a very talented singer, someone with Beyonce’s voice, or Christina Aguilera’s voice and the talent of Michael Jackson. I am just putting it out there, nothing wrong with that.  Hee hee.

When the time comes, may we all die well.