I’ve really liked the following notes which I want to share with you this time. I think all these carry important messages, possibly can help every yoga practitioner to understand their experiences. or anyone who is interested is all this. The excerpts came via Rachel Nystrom who is my ashtanga teacher in Houston (www.ashtangayogahouston.com). She is a great person and I am thankful to her in many ways. These notes are originally transcribed by Jose Pryor who is studying at the KPJAYI.

Each week R Sharath Jois, the grandson of K Pattabhi Jois and current lineage holder, holds conference for the students studying at the KPJAYI.  He talks about all aspects of the practice and answers questions. 

On the importance of bandha:

“There are three most important bandha. Jalandhara is locking the chin, Mula is locking the anus, Uddiyana is below the navel. This is described in many texts, the Mula, is of most importance. It is the source, the base. One verse says “always mula bandha”, this means when walking, sitting, everything. There are so many aspects to this, so much philosophy as well. It is the source to control the mind. Another verse says “old man who can control mula bandha, will become young again”.  A verse says “when practitioner master mula bandha, he becomes king of all the yogis”. It comes with practice.

Perfection comes only from practice. Nowadays everything is fast, fast food, everything is takeaway. The process of creation is being skipped, masala dosa takes two days to create from scratch, but when we order we want it fast. If we don’t give the time we won’t know the yoga. Mula takes one or two years, maybe more.  Here, with my Grandfather’s yoga, progress is slowly, slowly, one at a time. So when we practice for two to five years, we can start to know what we are doing. Until then it is physical. We eventually have more clarity within us. Many people get confused, you can tell the difference in people who don’t have in-depth experience, or devotion. Asana can become ego, what we are doing is getting rid of these things (the ego).

In-depth experience and better understanding only comes through personal practice. Anyone can read translations of the sutras and then recite out loud. What is required for the individual is sadhana, to be a sadhaka.  A verse says “Guru is remover of obstacles and ignorance, one who takes us towards the brightness of spiritual knowledge”. You can see what happens without parampara. A devoted student dedicates himself to learning from a master, it is different to fleeting, changing practice.”

Q: So what is the process for developing mula bandha?

A: Many asana help, in particular utpluthih, navasana, even jumping through. Jumping into handstand is not it. Utpluthih is a pose, but also just means lift up, bring your body off the ground, like in navasana. If you do mula properly, uddiyana will come automatically. Jalandhara in is some postures, but more in pranayama.

Q: Can you tell us more of the story of Patanjali?

A: Patanjali’s words were to bring health to the people, people suffering from physical and mental disease, using three methods. Yoga (clarity, concentration, steadiness), grammar (better speech, conversation, understanding), aryuveda (for some diseases, no side effects, everything natural)  Yoga came before Patanjali also, in the Vedas. When the galaxy started, our existence, that is when yoga started. The Bahagavad Gita has a reminder, Lord Krishna teaches yoga. This is very old knowledge, from parampara. It is timeless, it is pure experience.  

Q: What on your thoughts on why we get injured?

A: There are lots of reasons for injury. Overdoing it is common, lack of concentration, and from doing other physical exercise. Body can become confused from switching between stiffening and stretching. I played lots of cricket when I was younger, and when I began practicing seriously I could tell the difference, body is changing, brings pain.  I would prefer to do 10 asana perfectly than many with imperfection. If mind is somewhere else, injury can also come. A kind of meditation should arise over time as you get deeper in your asana. Concentrate on your own practice, not other people! If you do this, you become focused, your practice will change.

Gyöngyvér Pápa
Read about her more in here: www.mandalajoga.hu

“The girl, who began to see …

years ago, when I did not even know what the fluff of ashtanga yoga is, somehow I found myself in a Mysore class. I do not understand how … Gyöngyvér has held it.

my exercise was wasted, but Gyöngyvér absolutely fascinated me. I felt she is the one who is capable of anything. whom nothing is impossible.

it explains why she can screw herself into any asana. In anyway, in spiritual way… I always looked up to her a bit. I still do it  … now she tells what yoga means for her.

bpy: What is your first memory of yoga?

GYP: At the age of eighteen, I went to yoga for the first time. I just moved from a small town to Budapest (capital of Hungary – edit.), and I’ve tried pretty much everything. Yoga was one of those. I was first in a class of Gergő Németh. I just couldn’t do any asanas properly. The headstand was the most feared for me, it was inconceivable that I would ever … At the end of the class we all sang the ‘om’ mantra. The experience was so great, perhaps primarily due to this I stayed with yoga. I still remember to this day.

bpy: Then you started to practice constantly?

GYP When I arrived in the city, as eighteen-year-old university student I had very little money. I had to wait half a year, until I got a scholarship and private students for English language as well. As my income has raised, so to speak, after half a year, I went straight back to buy a monthly pass at mandala (Mandala Yoga Studios, www.mandalajoga.hu – edit.). Practice has begun here.

I was in a lot of classes, because the three/four of us lived in a dorm room, so self practicing was very difficult for me for a long time.

bpy: Did you began with yoga for the spine instantly?

GYP: That time there was absolutely no yoga for the spine. Originally I started with raja yoga. But it soon became clear that I am not the only one who cannot do the exercises. So Geri began to cut the ones that did not went through the people. This way slowly but surely he developed yoga for the spine. Like I did hatha yoga by that time, which slowly evolved into yoga for the spine. Then I’ve crawled back to hatha.

I’ve tried pretty much everything. I went to other studios and also to other teachers. I also tried ashtanga very early, only that time it seemed for me too much, it just terrifyed me. Just like my first yoga class ever. But as I’ve stayed sticking with yoga, so with ashtanga as well.

bpy: Since when do you ashtanga?

GYP: I was first in one of Judi Sebő’s class  when she was still teaching. Seven or eight years ago. By that time it was too much for me. Since 2010 I’m regularly practicing.

bpy: Do you teach ashtanga since than?

GYP: No, just a couple of years I teach ashtanga. Preceded by a very long private practice.

bpy: How long have you teach anyway?

GYP: At that time there weren’t teacher trainings. Once in a camp I was asked to hold a class. Then I got lot of constructive criticism. But it was not a test, it was not at stake. Then I started to teach yoga for the spine for beginners.

bpy: Is it ever occurred to you that once you become a yoga teacher?

GYP: No, never.

bpy: What is your profession originally?

GYP: I could never decide what I want to do. I am – I was – a geek type. From the Medical University till the University of Technology and Economics everything went through my head. I could not decide basically. Hamlet is my favorite piece: the man who cannot decide. I think it’s usually me.

Finally I applied for faculty of arts, to English-Italian branch, as a way I could push out the final decision. Meanwhile yoga has become increasingly important in my life, so I started to teach. I did not think this will be my life calling. I was just making sure that I keep it for me. Whether as practicing.

I thought, I’ll be a translator-interpreter. Because this job is more informal, I’ll have a lot of time for practicing. After finishing university I applied for a European Union simultaneous interpreter training. I enjoyed it, but in the end I realized that it did not work the way I thought.

Point was finding a job. As I held a couple of classes, financially I always made it the end of the month, did not have to find a job at any price. At one time, when we were sitting together with Gergő and others in a coffeeshop, they asked after me. I told them that I am still looking, but it’s really nothing more. Gergő then asked me what about to work at Mandala?

bpy: And you stayed there …

GYP: I stayed. That was so five years ago.

bpy: Do you like to be there?

GYP: Very much I like. I do not think about other things.

bpy: How came ashtanga than?

GYP: Csabi (Csaba Hargitai, yoga techer of mandala yoga) and some friends were traveling in India, and somehow they landed in Mysore. Which is like a parent home to ashtanga. They practiced there for a month. When they came back, all they told the whole thing about was actually three sentences. But then I decided over ten minutes to go. Around me, everyone had their own way, there was a strong impact on me. Which is very good from one side. But on the other side I knew I must find my own voice. And I felt like, for this I have to go.

I started to act: I went to beginner’s classes of Kati Szil and István Szalai. I’ve worked on my practice, for when I go to Mysore, I’ll carry it. We went to Vienna for a workshop of Sheshadri, which I very liked. Then I followed him to Mysore, but in a funny way I did not felt good over there. Finally, I did not even practiced ashtanga, but prana vashja for a month. Let’s just say it is very similar to it.

That was when I started to walk my own path. This is how I met ashtanga.

bpy: Who was your chosen master in those?

GYP: For a long time I could not find that teacher, whom I can rely fully. I did not liked the way, that everywhere I went, it was all about the fitness communication. Despite feelings that all this is very well put together, they have very good effects: I’ve got tired, I felt it is a little bit strained. I couldn’t find the yoga inside this approach anymore.

Then came Andrea Lutz. Her personality is not really warm, such a prussian style. She opened up her workshop with the question what kind of practice we do: I said I do hatha, ashtanga and also prana vashja. She began rambling a huge hard. Sounded roughly like this: what do I think, why am I here. She uttered, she doesn’t want to get into details, but I can stay.

Thus began a whole. I would say humanly she did not found her way into my heart. However, with her, ashtanga was real yoga. I felt there was a confident knowledge that is authentic. She is someone from whom you want to learn. I usually can differenciate between emotions racionality so I swallowed hard and learned a lot from her.

Then I met Manju over Andrea, which was love at first sight. Later, I’ve met Nancy (Gilgoff-edit.). Since then, I’ve been here and there, but not encountered such a high profile instructors. Of course I can understand that everybody approaches ashtanga differently. Each has its own place. What these people do, clearly fits me, I can integrate it in my practice.

bpy: Are you considering them now as your masters?

GYP: Manju primarily: he is all over the top. And Gergő: he always supported all of my search from hatha right through the advaita. The two of them.

bpy: How is your practice made up of?

PGY: One day I practice the primary series, the other day the second series and I add the third. From Manju I have learned a pranayama practice too, which also need to be build up. After every practice (six times a week, one day of rest) I’ll do the pranayama, too. And I’m sitting.

bpy: What tradition you follow in your meditation?

GYP: We follow the advaita. I do not practice any imaginative meditation. In the past, I was sitting a lot: it is a silence, a state without thoughts. There was a witness and I tried to be quiet. I tried to let go of all the upcoming things. This was my meditation practice.

But now I’m back from visiting Ganga, whom I was seeing for almost three weeks. This changed my attitude to meditation and yoga quite fundamentally. I am even try to find myself again a bit. I did not think ever that this few weeks are going to be so strong. I feel like I’m in a Monty Python movie, sometimes this all seems so unreal to me. My ashtanga practice is not affected by this experience, but probably I will not sit so long anymore.

bpy: What does yoga means to you?

GYP: Lifestyle, for sure. But I think it is always changing, what exactly it means. Much has been reported. It’s funny that you ask now, when I’m in such a transformation.

Until now, it was a tool with I could open up my mind for advaita for example. In ashtanga I also liked what it does with my mind. I’ll tell you, so I do not care about the poses primarily. But with practicing ashtanga I made the same experiences, and went through the same conditions during exercise when I was sitting forty minutes, three times in a row in the past. It gave me the same. I became curious, what is coming now.

Now, after meeting Ganga I’m still transforming. For me ashtanga is like a daily hygiene. It’s part of my physical and mental health. Sure, that helps and supports the way which I go. But I do not have cramps. I practice every day, but I do not feel a strained attachment to my practice. I practice, but I don’t live for practice. Yoga is therefore only a tool.

bpy: How did it change your relation to yourself and the world over the years?

PGY: This is hard to separate because it is so intrinsically part of my life. But after high school when I came to Budapest, must have been a natural personality development, which was greatly assisted by yoga.

Which I’m sure that I can thank to yoga: the openness. Not only to the people. It’s essential that you are questioning things on the basis. There are no material desires, I do not insist on external objects. Yoga made me realize that the world is in me, and I’m not in the world. It can be quite different when you read things, or if it’s an internal experience, when you catch up things. And a lot has been catched up by yoga.

bpy: Are there any long-term plans?

GYP: Making decisions is not my strength, so I used to figure out everything  to the last detail. Of course it never happened, as I figured it out. So I did let go of this strain that I can decide anything seriously. I’m trying to do my things right. This is what I can do. There are no specific long-term plans. I just want to be more free.

bpy: Do you continue teaching?

GYP: I do not insist. I love it, but my self-development is more important. If I were forced to choose between to lead a class, or practice, then there would be no question.

bpy: Can you put in one sentence, what is yoga?

GPY: The road to samadhi.

“99% Practice – 1% Theory” K. Patthabi Jois

There is a general opinion that ashtanga yoga is too rigorous. Nevertheless, this practice stands nowadays the closest to me. Bound series will bring my mind completely, or at least greatly shut down for an easier jump or slip (whether flight, a saying of one of my teachers Gyöngyvér Pápa) by itself into the following asana. I deliberately do not use the term automatically, because the process “flow” which can be observed during ashtanga practice, is not the same as the ‘autopilot switched on’ feeling. In fact, I do not have to think about the order of the asanas because after a while the body knows which way to turn, bend or move. All is just a sample studied, followed. But the study, specifically the understanding helps the mind to relax. Repetition completes knowledge and after a while you do not have to pay special attention to the order, the mind doesn’t consider anything anymore, it is working offline.This way it is possible to complete the ‘flow’, when taking into account one-pointed attention, diving into the practice. You need to be well anchored at the beginning of the movement (asana), keep energy locks (bandhas) and attention (dhristi), and breath perfectly (ujjayi). (About ujjayi breathing read more here: http://www.ashtangayoga.info/ashtangayoga/basics/breathing-ujjayi/ ) The practice is like a major surgery, if you do it right, you succeed if not, it can be dangerous.
During practice the attention of the mind and the toughts are bound to wander, bandhas locking the energy while the asanas regulate and at the same time release the phisical realms. The argument against rigorousness that nevertheless remains quite time for self-reflection! During a yoga practice, the practitioner gets a lot of experience and sensation physically, mentally and spiritually as well. Reflecting these conditions require constant introspection and correction. Personally, after eleven years hatha yoga practice and two years ashtanga yoga practice I can always find new and new aspects of the execution of asanas, even if they are so well known to me. A friend of mine told me that newly she likes to go to hatha or vinyasa flow classes outside of mysore, the ashtanga series she already knows … after a one-month mysore workshop retreat her only yoga practice is ashtanga again. I think it also indicates what is needed is a reliable teacher who can help you find new and new aspects in your practice besides of the intimate experiences of self-practice. Even if it’s about a more than well known asana series or familarize the practitioner with a new asana.

Lately due to recovery reasons I had to take a short break in my daily yoga practice. More exactly dealing with the asanas was being stopped. According to the doctor’s instructions. I rested three more weeks to start with it again, but what happened until then…”

First it was allowed for me to train my lower bodyparts and after six week I could ‘turn on’ my abdominal muscles and afterwards the upper body parts. Interesting experience…after 10 years practicing yoga asanas on a daily basis – even during pregnancies and after giving birth – felt strange that instead of doing a headstand, I was determined to do a longer stillstand. But lucky me, I was not entirely giving up. Fortunately there are chances to avoid numbness. Gergő and Manju Jois, whom I just happily met before the OP, both advised me to stick with pranayama for a better recovery. Iyengar says at a place: ”Different asanas are helpful in different situations for ease sicknesses and create harmony in the body.” I understood, pranayama practice is developed for a sadhaka’s (practicant’s) emotional, rational and mental demands for adjusting better to changing circumstances. Actually I felt lucky that I was forced to get more involved in yoga breathing techniques, AKA pranayama in a higher level – now I feel I made the most out of it! Instead of practicing intense, I took two, two-and-a half hour walks meanwhile trying to conduct me, in other words my physical body, step-by-step to my walking pranayama exercises. These are the followings:

Since movements felt too painful, in between – approximetely in the first two weeks – I started my pranayama practice with low (abdominal) breathing and finished the session with them too. Kapalabhati was impossible due to prohibited abdominal movement, and so was alternate nostril breathing. A very intense energy flow was indicated which didn’t really supported the recovery. Instead of being energized I just felt a horrible fatigue. Too many focus points might be the main cause.

In walking pranayama I did middle abdominal breathing very carefully, driving my intention to pull my navel in for gently support the spine. All I wanted, was a slow and complete inhalation (puraka) and maybe a slower complete exhalation (rechaka). At this point I didn’t hold my breath (kumbaka), not to trouble abdominal muscles.

Sometimes it’s a bit painful when muscles under the lowest ribs are tightened but slowly there’ll be more space for movement. I started with alternate nostril breathing at the end of the third week, partly because it is stable, I could keep my arm without pain, on the other hand I am capable of deep concentration which goes to my body too – this exercise does not increase the pain as much as in the previous period.

Now I see pranayama as an independent practice. I hope I can fit more soon, but frankly (yet) I do not feel the ‘other’s’ absence. By which I mean that firm mind, sound judgment and will power can be strenghtened by breathing exercises so sanjama (Dharana/Concentration – Dhyana/Meditation – Samadhi/Union,  the last three limbs of yoga due to Patanjali) is well-prepared. Yet it is still true that without physical asanas I might never have found the strength and substance of pranayama…

resting on the floor in savasana. She was just sneaked back in before we would have left the studio…

At kindergarden age its totally unclear why to lie on the hard floor on a mat in a dark room by sunlight if it’s not a must…At the age of five a manchild generally trying to get away with it…

Personally I’m commited more and more this two parts of every day yoga practice: meditation and relaxation. Gergő (Gergely Németh, leader and founder of Mandala Yoga Studios and my teacher on advanced level hatha teacher’s training) advised me to begin every day or at least five times a week with pranayama. I’m practicing about 6am immediately after just getting up. Nearly in a month I observed the following: after the first week, a deeper sleeping. After two weeks I’m dealing with a much easier awakening in the morning. Instead of have a coffee after waking up, I deal with pranayama now, caffeinesque habits can wait!

“If breathing is irregular, mind is fluctuating. If breathing is stabile and strong, so is the mind.”

I’m practicing ashtanga weekly twice in the shala (room for yoga), in other days at home in the morning hours after the respiratory practice (pranayama) or late in the afternoon.
I realized that pranayama practice is generally strenghtening the bandhas (energetic locks like muhla and uddhijana) too. I’ve got more concious about it, now its enough to think of these locks and my muscles are getting ready to contract…

My one and only negative experience about pranayama exercise is for now that sometimes during kaphalabhati I feel a stinging pain under my lowest rib of the right ribcage. I try to relieve tension in this bodypart by directing my attention over here. It manifests more rarely but sometimes I still feel it.
In general I feel positiv impacts: I breath much easier, realizing when my breath is uneven or held back. At the same time my mind is more at ease. For instance: earlier I used to feel fear in darkness, but now I feel safe. Recently I just noticed when it comes to that I move around in the house by night so naturally. I think, to this refers one thought of B.K.S. Iyengar perfectly: “If breathing is irregular, mind is fluctuating. If breathing is stabile and strong, so is the mind.”

My pranayama practice for now:

In Vadsrasana (Diamond Pose)

Full yoga breathing 3x

Abdomenal breathing 5-6x

Bhastrika (Bellows breath) 5-6x

Kapalabhati breathing 3×108 breath

Rest in Rock Pose

Vadsrasana (Diamond Pose)

Alternate nostril breathing 11 x

Sukhasana or crossed leg sitting

Meditation

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

Relaxation

Learning to think!

Yoga philosophy in a nutshell: the real nature of reality

„Truth is the question of perspective; the further we get from the past, the more concrete and authentic we feel it – and the more closer we get to the presence the more incapabale it willbe.” Salman Rushdie The Children of Midnight

Yoga teaches to be present. Live in the present time, experience it, be attent. Krishnamurti’s work The Only Revolution reveals the real nature as illusion full with the concepts of past and fantasies of the future:

„Truth is never to find in the past.Truth of the past is ash of the memory; memory is binded to time. This means there is no truth in the dead ashes of yesterday. Truth is a living thing which is not to find in the domain of time.”

“Jogas chitta vritti niródas”. Joga Sutras of Patanjali.

Truth can be seen ‘ripple-less’ in the mirror of clear water of the mind. Our mind (chitta), processes the impressions of senses. The acquired proceeds, overfloating habits of the past and our preconceptions of the future are created only by the intellect (buddhi). In this sense it’s impossible to determine the objective being since the ego is always part of every thought and decision of us. Being present teaches how the ego centered thinking is good only at holding back experience and reception of the moment.

“This is not a pipe” – – declares the Belgian surrealist René Magritte in his world famous artwork referring on the recipient’s presence. René Magritte By widening our consciousness – via meditation for instance –, we can see things in their entirety leading us to a deeper understanding and contentment..