Prashant picked up on yesterday’s threads of the breath like a mother’s touch, the breath being like internal currency, the udyana work, and added silent vowels sounds to viloma (“a” as in father, “e” as in sweet, “oo” as in food). Although there were no animal references that I remember today, he did use the word “unscrupulous” in a story
It was clear from the mat choice of the locals that we were doing pranayama today. Soft mats, bolsters and blankets were gathered. There were only about ten Western faces in the very large class this morning. Many people have departed already. We will go to our last class tomorrow and then head for Mumbai. Prashant instructed “a supine pose”
There are fewer people in class as we approach the end of the month long study. And a few new faces have shown up for the beginning of their month. All month classes have started on time, if not early. Prashant is often getting us to “settle” at two minutes before 7 AM. So today, when there wasn’t a teacher
Navaz is direct, caring, specific, clear, compassionate and gentle. Her delivery is slow enough that I can understand her words and the timber of her voice is deep. It was a powerfully inward going class, as only pranayama can be. It is hard to describe in words. There is a place where I get quiet, touch on my emotional self,
After a pranayama class I feel like an unreliable witness. I know things were said and we did some breathing but it all seems as slippery as an eel. I can’t hold on to much. After the invocation the third row was instructed to hand in rope Sirsasana and the rest of the class was in supta baddhakonasana. Prashant talked
As we entered class we were advised by one of the other students to get the cushy mats because we were doing pranayama today. Rajlaxmi started the class with the invocation, Adho Mukha Virasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana and while in theses first two poses, there was some fussing going on in the front of the room. When we came
Prashant started his two hour lecture today where he left off yesterday, expanding on “Learn to do, then do to learn.” Not only should we do to learn we should “do to prepare, do to sense, do to perceive, do to investigate, do to experiment, do to try, and not just do to do.” Certainly a wordsmith could rearrange these
One of Prashant’s raps today was “the breath for the body, the breath for the mind, the breath for the breath, the body for the breath.” It felt more like a riddle today, an infinity loop doubling back on itself. His message has been consistent in encouraging us to not do the perfect pose but to learn from the poses
On behalf of RIMYI, Prashant is in Delhi today receiving the award for the outstanding contribution to the development of yoga. So his class was cancelled and we took The opportunity to go to the intermediate class on the second floor with Souchma. She is a short, stock, strong looking woman with direct and clear instructions and a kindness and
Prashant continued his “exhale further and further” rap again today along with teaching from the back body. He encouraged us to bring awareness to the back and spine and specifically become aware of how the poses change when changing position or awareness. For example, sitting in swastikasana on the floor, how does the back feel? Sitting in swastikasana on a