THE HEALING PRACTICE(S)
I keep realizing the same thing, over and over again - that I am still an Astangi....
a Bad Lady Astangi who practices Dharma Yoga* a least twice a week when she's not with Lino....
and every single day when she's with Dharma or Chandra.
It hit me again today; it's the Dharma Yoga that takes away the kinks and aches that can result from Intermediate Series.
Somehow, the Dharma Yoga makes it all disappear - so I can do it again the next day.
Somehow, the two practices complement each other, and keep the container healthy.
As Lino says, the body is the teacher.
* * *
Dharma turns 71 next week! The video above shows him back in 1984, when he was making the Master Chart of 908 Yoga Poses, and again a few years ago. Seventy-one years old! The video below shows him just last year.
How lucky we are to have the chance to study with him.
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*Dharma did not name "Dharma Yoga" after himself - someone else did, as a way to define and differentiate the sequences he has put together. A true yogi, Dharma is completely devoid of ego (and when he has come up with new poses, he's named them after others - such as Swami Vishnu-Devananda - and not himself).
Love the morphing from the old into the new on the video. really must get hold of his DVD's and one of those giant posters.
ReplyDelete'Still an ashtangi..' I said pretty much the same thing at my place last month though not sure exactly what we mean by it.
Is it just that the rhythm of the practice has got under our skin? Both Vinyasa Krama and Dharma yoga have very challenging asana so it can't be just that. The heat of the practice perhaps, the detox aspect? the familiarity of the same series every morning and knowledge that so many others are doing the same practice and have been for decades at least. However it came about it's beautiful practice and such a joy to do. VK makes more sense to me sometimes but I still crave Ashtanga.
I can't wait to watch these later!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you're not an astangi, or Dharma Yoga yogini or a mixologist, or a construction worker, or a ... Maybe you just are.
ReplyDeleteGrimmly - I guess it means we still keep coming back to it, time and time again. I'm so impressed by your amazing self-study!
ReplyDeleteAnon- You hit it on the head. Today the back hurt before practice, so I did 20 minutes of my lower back routine (made up by me) before doing Second Series. 'Twas wonderful.
And later, an astanga student's back hurt and I shared the lower back sequence with her, too - suggesting she use what works and throw out the rest.
I find it interesting that on the N.C. School of Yoga website it says they, "do not teach ‘styles’ of Yoga, but the authentic and pure teachings of classical Yoga, meditation and purification that serve as a stairway to bliss..." I like that they don't call it "Dharma Mittra yoga"- since as you say, that isn't his name for it anyway!
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