Podcast #132 - What is āsana?

The theme of the class is based on the Jivamukti Yoga focus of the month, which can be read in full here: https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/all-about-asana/

The asana portion of the class involves some hip opening work, along with options for half or full lotus, which is one of the four recommended "seats" for meditation in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika - a mid-century handbook on yoga practice. It is helpful to have a block for this class.

As always practice within your range and always get clearance from your trusted medical professionals before practicing.

Socials: @yogastickler

TRANSCRIPT:
00:00
Hello. happy April, spring is here. It's my Jivamukti and vegan anniversary and my birthday. So I particularly like the month of April. I don't really have many things to announce just the usual which is that it it's been a while since you've made a donation to the podcast. Please go to my website yogastickler.com and throw a donation in there if you feel so inclined. I do try to keep podcast ad-free and, toll free. So I appreciate the various donations that come in to sort of help me keep podcast going. Yeah, that's about all I have to say this month's podcast this this month's class or other is as always based on the cheap motif focus of the month, which it just so happens.

01:02
This month was written by my dear colleague, Jules Febre. It's a wonderful piece she should read the full piece on the Jivamukti website and and then always, you know, the teachers kind of take that as the jumping off point for the classes throughout the month. So that's kind of the inspiration for teachers to kind of put their creative energy into. Yeah, so here's your class. Oh, I almost forgot to mention this class does start in downward dog, but the very beginning cut off.

So everybody go ahead and start in downward facing dog. So again, the question is, how do you define asana practice? So now bring your knees to the floor. Bring your knees to the floor and point your toes. Point your toes and sit back on your heels and sit as upright as you can now. For some of us this might be easy breezy for some it might be a little bit uncomfortable but just sit as upright as you can on your heels with your toes pointed.

02:33
So the word itself the word asana, it means ‘seat’, as in…the thing we're sitting on whether it's a block or your heels or the floor or your mat or a chair or whatever. It also means seat in terms of the shape of the seat you're taking so this shape qualifies as a seat sitting cross-legged is a different kind of seat etc like that. And then it also implies sort of the the way that we're connecting to the earth right like okay, wait I'll say more about that in one second that that's a big philosophical moment. all right, so come forward into hands and knees again. And then tuck the toes under.

03:32
Oh and then sit back on your heels. Yeah, do your best. Yeah, this would be a different asana or seat could be getting a little intense and then you might just notice what your mind wants to do with when confronted with all that intensity and discomfort does it want to run away does it want to pretend to have internet trouble and log off? Do you want to kind of like lean into it and see how far how long you can last because you're a tough guy huh just just noticing what your response what your initial response to discomfort might be. But come forward unto hands and knees and then press back to downward facing dog.
So there's not you know, there's not like one right or wrong response to that right different circumstances call for different responses, but it is interesting to start to know that about ourselves, like what's our main habit or tendency when we're dealing with discomfort. Start to walk your feet forward towards your hands and fold forward over the legs.

05:28
For a lot of us when we experience discomfort we tend to sort of, how do I want to say this like contract into our sort of individual State of mind like I'm suffering”. I'm the victim of Jessica's yoga class and her cruelty of making us sit that way. Right, so we did we some of us might tend to feel more individualistic when when that difficulty arises, right? Separate the feet about wider apart bend the knees come into a squatting position or even like when I'm sick or when I'm going through heartache or when I'm grieving or whatever I might I might tend to kind of pull inwards and go like well I am uniquely the only one that has ever experienced this. And I am suffering and my suffering is very real, right? Bring that hands to the floor raise the hips up and fold forward. Not saying that you're suffering is not real but there there is one other potential sort of direction that you could go with that which is to allow those experiences to expand your compassion for others and your sort of awareness of others, so rather than sort of moving more inwards towards like I mean mine we can tend to take those experiences more outwards and realize sort of the, The common sort of human nature of the experience of all those things right we if any of us lives long enough we will all experience pain heartbreak grief illness and eventually death, right?

07:44
So bring the feet all the way together and bring the hands on to the waist and lift all the way upright to standing position and bring the hands together at the center of the chest Ing a very short sutra, it's only three words. We'll start word by word.

08:52
stira sukham āsanam. (chanting)

09:05
Here it is all together listen first and then you can repeat.

09:48
It means something like the seat the asana (the connection to the earth) the asana should be steady and joyful. Hmm that's interesting because we just set on our heels and that didn't feel all too steady or joyful. So so we'll explore a little bit what what does it mean to have a seat that's steady and joyful that is always changing sometimes is uncomfortable sometimes is suffering.
What does it mean to have a steady and joyful seat and/or connection to the earth okay arms alongside the body exhale a full breath out sun salutations, here we go in he'll reach the arms up overhead pals if he has pressed together look up. Exhale fold all the way forward he hands to the floor beside the feet.

10:49
Inhale halfway lift to prepare. Exhale hop or step back to chaturanga. Inhale, upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog inhale. Exhale one. inhale. Exhale two. Inhale. Exhale three. Inhale. Exhale four. Inhale. Exhale bend the knees and look forward inhale hop or step feet to hands. Exhale fold forward. inhale, stand up reach the arms of overhead, hands press together, exhale release the arms. again. inhale reach up, hands press together. Exhale fold forward hands to the earth. And you'll halfway lift. Exhale hop step or walk back, shut the mouth. Inhale upward facing dog. Axial downward facing dog, breathe in. Breathe out in him. Exhale to in you. Exhale three. In you. Exhale. Exhale bend the knees look forward in heel hover step feet to hands exhale folding forward inhale stand up reach the arms of overhead and press together exhale release the arms inhale reach up last times. Exhale fold forward chance to the earth. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale hop step or walk back to chatturanga.

13:13
Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog, breathing. Breathe out one. inhale. Exhale two. Inhale. Exhale three. In. Exhale four. Inhale. Exhale soften the knees inhale hop or step feet to hands. Exhale fold forward inhale stand up reach the arms up. Exhale release the arms good. inhale hook your thumbs reach your arms forward and up, arch the back. exhale bend the knees, swing the arms all the way around behind the back place the hands together and hold. Inhale hands to the floor step the right foot back to lunge, look forward. Exhale step all the way back downward facing dog. Inhale forward into a plank exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog, exhale downward facing dog. inhale forward into plank. exhale, knees chest and chin to the floor inhale slide forward, cobra. exhale tuck the toes sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs downward facing dog. Inhale step the right foot forward. Exhale left foot next to the right foot folding forward inhale bend knees hook thumbs reach up arch back straight and legs at the top. exhale bend knees swing arms behind lace the hands together and fold. Inhale, hands down the left foot back. Exhale, downward facing dots inhale forward into plank. Exhale, chatturanga. Inhale, upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale, forward into plank. Exhale knees, chest, and chin to the floor. Inhale, slide forward into cobra, exhale, tuck the toes sit back towards the feet and then extend the legs downward dog., Inhale step the left foot forward. Exhale right foot next to left foot fold forward inhale bend knees hook thumbs reach up arch back. Exhale stand tall and release the arms. inhale, deeply bend the knees reach the arms up uttkatasana. Exhale, hands to the floor folding forward. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale hop step or walk back to chatturanga. Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog. Inhale, step the right foot forward forward, warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor step back lower chaturanga. Inhale, upward dog. Exhale, downward dog inhale step the left foot forward, reach up, warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor step back to the. Inhale upward facing. Exhale downward facing one more time each side inhale right foot forward your one. Exhale hands down step back generally.

17:15
Downward dog inhale step the left foot forward, warrior one. Exhale hands to the floor step back to the left. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog, hold and breathe. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale two. Inhale, exhale three. Inhale exhale four. In. Here exhale bend the knees and look forward inhale hop or step feet to hands. Deeply bend the knees reach the arms up. Exhale stand up release the arms separate the feet of few inches apart hands on your waist inhale lift up the chest and arch back.

18:27
Exhale fold forward reach down and grab hold of the big toes with the peace sign fingers of the hands. Inhale the breath look forward exhale fold forward top of the head reaching down in the direction of the floor, breathe in. Breathe out. In. Exhale to in you. Exhale. Exhale for in here. Exhale inhale look forward exhale hands on your waist. Inhale lift all the way upgrade to a standing position exhale join the feet in the legs together inhale deeply bend the knees reach the arms up we cannot. Exhale hands to the earth folding forward. Inhale halfway lift exhale hock step or walk back to chatturanga.

20:13
Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog in the upstate the right foot forward, turn the back heel down reach up warrior one. Exhale open hips and arms to the side. Inhale straighten the right leg and exhaling reach to the right triangle start with your right hand in your right shin left arm reaches straight up.

20:56
Good with your inhale lift all the way up right to a standing position, exhale bend the right knee for warrior, two breathe in. Breathe out. Three and. A exhale.
Exhale inhale stir right in the right leg exhale bend the right knee again place the right hand down outside of the right foot and reach the left arm all the way over the ear, extended side angle. Breathe in. breathe out two.

22:11
Inhale upward facing dog. Exhale downward facing dog inhale step the left foot forward warrior one. Exhale open to the side. In the right leg. Exhale reach right for triangle pose right hand down left arm up.

22:54
Inhale lift all the way up right to a standing position. Exhale bend the left knee. Warrior two.
The inhales straighten the left leg. Exhale bend the left knee place the left hand outside of the left foot reach the right arm over the right here extend the side angle.
inhale touch both hands down step right into a plank. Exhale chatturanga. Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog. Inhale step the right foot between the hands. Still lower the left knee down to touch the floor. Inhale reach your arms up get ready to twist. Exhale hand to prayer, twisting to the right side. right knee and then optional to tuck the back toes under and lift the back knee away from the floor. Good. If the back knee is up to straighten the back leg all the way. Put inhale both hands down. Exhale tuck the left knee behind the right foot and come to sit down for seated spinal twist. Good reach the left arm up get ready to twist. Exhale twist to the right side.

25:35
Inhaling turn to face front exhale counter twist. Inhale turn to face front. Set up the legs for ankle to knees. Yeah, and then yeah have the right foot all the way over the left knee and then fold forward walk the hands forward. Keep the feet flexing.

26:17
With an inhale lift all the way up right to a seated position and gather your right leg up into your chest cradle your left. Sit a little bit of forward sit a little taller, pull your chest towards your leg and pull your leg towards your chest. Now, keep your arms holding your leg strong, but kick your leg forward against your arms like you're trying to kick past your arms. Now relax the work of the leg and see if you can pull the legs closer in. We're gonna do that two more times, so hold the leg. But kick the leg forward. kick the leg forward forward. So nothing is really moving because you're holding your legs strong, but your leg is working. And then relax pull it in. third time's a charm, kick your leg forward against your hands forward against your hands forward against your hands forward forward. And then relax the work of the leg and put it in good let go of that swing your right leg all the way around behind you and step back to downward facing dog.

27:47
Step the left foot forward between the hands. Lower the right knee down lift the arms up get ready to twist and then twisting to the left side and to prayer option to tuck the right toes under left or right knee, ah. place hands down tuck your right knee behind your left foot come to sit down seated spinal twist. reach the right arm up and twist to the left side. Inhaling turn to face forward exhale counter twist. Put turn a face forward set up the legs for ankle to knee and fold forward.That lift all the way upgrade to a seated position now cradle the left leg up into the chest. Hold on to the left leg sit forward on the sitting bones set a little taller pull your chest forward then. Kick your leg into your arms, like you're trying to kick your leg away from your chest wait, the arms are there to hold it. Good and then relax the work of the leg and pull it in closer. Good stay there. Kick your legs forward into your arms forward into your arms forward into your arms. And then relax and pull the leg in even closer now. Now third time's your charm push leg forward against the arms resist with the arms push forward with the leg. Good okay relax that swing your left leg all the way around behind you and step back downward facing dog.

31:11
Bend the knees and look forward hop or step the feet up to the hands. And exhale fold. deeply bend the knees reach the arms up. Exhale stand up and release the arms. Bend the left knee into the chest. Open the left knee out to the side for tree pose so set the left foot against the inner leg there hands to pair at the center of the chest. To point the left knee forward and then set the left foot down next to the right foot bend the right knee into the chest, open the right knee out to the side rig shelves in that tree pose. Return the right knee forward and set the right foot down now bend to the left knee into the chest again, you can either repeat. Or. Your left. That's it. If you bend the right be a little bit it can kind of help you keep the foot in place yeah and then kick your foot against your leg haha if you need to hold it there with the hands that's okay keep doing that and then from inside your body like try to push your left kneecap more.

33:37
Okay now soften the standing knee a little bit and then. Steer away all the way up. To a standing position. That's it and then bend the left knee into the chest. And point your foot. And then release feet and legs to. So bend to the right knee into the chest again, you can place it just like regular.

34:04
Staying in tree pose or you can pick your foot up and try to place it towards the left hip crease for a half lotus.

34:29
And then you can either hold you know, if you need to hold your foot. Pain or you can reach your. Running ground, hold of your right to with your right hand.

34:42
Reach down left hand to the floor or block.

35:07
Good. soften the standing knee lift all the way upright bend the right knee into the chest point of flex your foot a couple of times. And release feet and legs together. Good bend the knees reach the arms up. Exhale hands to the floor fold forward. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale hover step back to chaturanga.

35:38
Inhale upward dog. Exhale downward dog lift high up onto the balls of the feet. Bend the knees look way past your hands and hop all the way through to sit down. Straighten both legs forward out in front of you and fold forward costume as seated forward fold.

36:52
So just thinking through kind of all of the shapes that we've already been through each of those shapes being an Asana in and of itself. And I'm guessing not every single one of those asana's felts particularly steady or perhaps joyful in and of itself. But the idea is that there's there's a way in which we're looking for our own sort of inner steadiness that kind of goes beyond the particular circumstance right so whether I'm in triangle or tree or chatturanga or savasana, is there some part of me that can stay steady inwardly inner steadiness, even when the outer forms aren't kind of like going the way I wish they would or when they're uncomfortable or whether we're moving faster moving slow, can I can I maintain that inner steadiness? Lift all the way up right to a seated position bend the left knee into the chest and open the left knee to the side and fold forward over the right leg for janusirsasana. And same is true with you know outer circumstances, you know, is there is there a way to find an inner sense of steadiness even when my life circumstances get uncomfortable, difficult. Can I stay steady even when I have to move a little faster than I would like or even when I have to move a little slower than I would like. lift all the way up right to a seated position extend the left leg forward. Then the right knee into the chest open the right knee onto the side. And fold forward over the left leg.

39:33
Then lift all the way upright straighten the leg forward and then bend the left knee into the chest again open the left knee to the side and this time lift your left heel all the way up towards your right hip crease. Now, I was suggest that if your knee is way up away from the floor, you might want to put something under it, maybe a block or a blanket or something.

40:03
Mm-hmm flex the left foot. If you can reach the right arm, sorry the left arm all the way around behind to grab the foot fine. If not, also fine. It's immaterial. and then go ahead and go forward.

40:22
Now one isn't inherently sort of superior or more advanced or what have you? What's really advanced is what's going on in the inner part of the practice.

40:42
And then lift all the way upright bend to the left knee into the chest and again flexing point your foot a couple of times. And then extend your left leg forward. Then the right knee into the chest. Open the right knee to the side. And then hoist the right heel all the way up towards the left hip crease for a half.

41:05
padmasana. Lotus. And again, if you if you happen to have the mobility to reach the right arm around behind to hold the foot fine, go ahead and go forward. Oh, yes, support your knee if it's up. Support your knee. Yeah. Good. Lift all the way uprights. Bend the right knee into the chest. Flex and point the right. Oh, what a good downward dog. Straight no left leg. Good. Now bend both knees into the chest. And just go ahead and cross your legs like cross the right leg in front of the left leg. Hmm. Good. Now, see if you could hoist the right foot all the way up towards the left hip crease. Great. Now. Oh if it's too much it's too much. Yeah, don't worry if it's too much don't worry. And if the right heel is all the way up in the left it crease maybe you can hoist the left heel all the way up over. Now, whatever's happening with the legs. Whatever shape the legs are making just close the eyes for a moment and be still. Kind of feeling into an observing the seat right, the particular way of sitting. In this moment. But okay undo the legs. Well, so we we got to do the other side. So. So you know, let's do it, all right, so hoist the left foot all the way up to the right hip. If it's not going to go there it's not going to go there, don't worry too much about it. Good and then you could hook the right heel over the top if it's available to you. And then again just taking a moment in in this asana in this seat just as it is. Okay, let's undo the legs there, let's stretch both legs forward out in front of you. Flex and point the feet a couple of times. It's good and then make your way into child's pose preparing for inversion practice.

44:36
We’re setting up for headstand if you need to move to a wall, that's perfectly fine. Head stand, of course, also being a very particular seat upon the earth one in which are perspective is completely the opposite of what it usually is. Sometimes people find it a bit easier to approach, half lotus and/or a lotus upside down first. Has something to do with like gravity and the hips and whatever. So if you wanted to for example, bring one heel to the opposite hip crease for half. Lotus or like that, you're welcome to. Okay. Well, so if you're practicing like a half lotus thing, just see that you're approximately even on both sides. But start to kind of turn your mind towards wrapping up your practice. Yeah, and then you know, once you're sort of even on both sides and all that symmetrical then come on down and rest. Okay, and then make your way into downward facing dog.

48:57
But come on forward to playing. Lower chaturanga. Upward facing. Downward facing. Come forward to plank. Lower the knees the chest and the chin to the floor. Slide forward into cobra. Release down onto the abdomen. Arms alongside the body palms of the hands facing up to the ceiling lift up head chest and legs. Shalabasana. And release on down.

50:14
Bend the knees reach back catch hold of the ankles. Inhale lift on up head chest and knees. And slowly release down
Again bend the knees reach back gets hold of the ankle. And didn't heal lift on up head chested knees. And slowly released down. Go ahead and turn all the way around to the back. Feet on the floor lift the hips lower back middle back and upper back. Enter lock the hands behind you into one fist. Set up the hands on either side of the head for word of it on your done your. Inhale lift on up. Chin to the chest slowly release down. Second time place the hands in the feet. Inhaling lift all the way up. Come on down. Last time this place stay hands in the feet. And inhale lift all the way up. Chin to chest, come down. Then hug the knees into the chest.

54:36
Take both knees all the way over to the left side the body as you look to the right. Other side. Bring the knees up to the center set the feet on the floor and let the knees open out to the sides. Feet together and then you can either stay like this or make your way into shoulder stand.

56:24
A seat infers a connection between the one sitting and that which is being sat upon, or connected to for support.What it is that we are all connected to and which supports all of us is this home we call earth. The practice of asana. Can be understood to be the refinement not only of how our body moves through space or even how we sit or what we sit upon but the quality of connection to the larger whole. Is the relationship to the earth steady and joyful. Go ahead and come into plow pose. Slowly start to roll down out of it.

59:19
And then make your way into fish (matseyasana).

59:50
Bring the chin to the chest. Setting up for sāvāsāna

1:08:50
Begin to deepen the breath. Bring some movement into the body. Bending the knees into the chest. Come all the way up to a seated position. So meditation is a particular kind of sitting. Particular kind of asana. So even if the mind is moving see if you can find. Some sort of steadiness. Beyond the turbulent waves of the mind.

1:12:23
OM.

1:13:00
Thank you. Also much for making time for practice and for all of your very very hard work.