Asana and Sheaths (koshas) of the body

                                                      Quotations about Practice from

                                B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on Life [LOL] & Light on Yoga [LOY]

B. K. S. Iyengar’s book Light on Life uses the sheaths of the body (the five koshas) to organize the chapters.  He describes the koshas in his commentary to Yoga Sutra 1.2, yoga cita vrtti nirodha (Yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind.).  We can use the koshas as a way to understand the process of involution (the movement of attention from the external sheath to the internal sheath), and to view progress in the eight limbs of yoga (particularly from the third to the fourth limbs, asana and pranayama.  

Koshas (sheaths of the body): from B.K.S. Iyengar’s  commentary on Sutra 1,2, LOY]

          Annamaya kosha (physical body)

          Pranayamaya kosha (energetic/subtle/physiological body)

          Manamaya kosha (mind)

          Vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom/discriminating intelligence)

          Anandamaya kosha (spiritual body)

The process of involution (penetration from the external to internal sheaths) in practice

“What I teach is spiritual practice in action…I use the body to discipline the mind to reach the soul.  [LOL, p. 62]

“We begin at the level of the physical body, the aspect of ourselves that is more concrete and accessible to all of us… [LOL, p. 22]

“ …one must do asana not merely as a physical exercise but as a means to understand and then integrate our body with our breath, with our mind, with our intelligence, with our consciousness, with our conscience, and with our core.” [LOL, p. 23, ital. added]

“…in asana you must align and harmonize the physical body and all the layers of the subtle emotional, mental, and spiritual body.” [LOL, p. 27]

  “In asana and pranayama practice, we should have the impression we are working on the outer to get closer to the inner reality of our existence…We work from the periphery to the core.” [LOL, p. 61]

“Of the two aspects of asana, exertion of our body and penetration of our mind, the latter is eventually more important. Penetration of our mind is our goal, but in the beginning to set things in motion, there is no substitute for sweat.” [LOL, p. 45]

Eventually, he says, the process can be reversed so that the posture can emerge from the inner to the outer sheaths of the body, a process of evolution of the posture from your center.

“The goal of all asana practice is doing them [the postures] from the core of your being and extending out dynamically through to the periphery of your body.” [LOL, p. 33]

                                           Reflective Asana and Pranayama 3

                                      “Body breath and Mind in Perfect Oneness”

Concepts

         Sutra I, 2. Yoga citta vrtti nirodha

                    (chanted: yoga chitta vrtti nirodaha)

           Involution (going deeper)

           From Asana to Pranayama (3^rd to 4^th limbs of classic yoga)

                   See quotations from B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on LIfe, in related post

           Focusing Practices (for stilling the fluctuations of the mind)

                  Breath

                       “belly” and “chest” breath

                        Rate, depth, volume

                Touch (e.g., finger tips in Jñana mudra)

                 Resonance (e.g., chanting of invocation, sutras, OM)

                        Resonance and pranayama

                        Sibilant Ujjayi sound (back of throat)

Practice: Back Extensions

Sitting/Sukhasana (as in classes 1 & 2)

Chanting

Yoga citta vritti nirodha

OM (A-U-M)

Resonances (throat, head, nasal band)

Tadasana/AMS/Utthanasana (Observe abdomen, chest/breath profile)

Virabhadrasana II, Virabhadrasana III (find back extension in VIII)

Breath in Back Extensions (find belly and chest breath)

Bhujanghasana on ropes

Ropes 1 version (various distances from wall)

Ropes 2 version (emphasize Bhujanghasana work)

Abdominal/chest breath

Back Extensions on Floor

Ground pelvis, tailbone in/sacrum-coccyx ), open chest

Abdominal work (find belly and chest breath)

Chest on Bolster

Bhujangasa

Salubhasana

Chest on bolster, extend arms

Full pose w/o imaginary bolster)

Dhanurasana

Virabhadrasana III (compare to first)

Salamba Sarvangasa (wall)

Free breath (extra blanket, extend torso & legs)

       OM resonance (vishuddi chakra/clear upper chest & breath)

        Feet to wall (mild beginning drop-backs)

Savasana (full pranayama setup)

       Ujayyi I, II (Note resonance, sibilant Ujjayi sound)

       Return to Savasana breath (shallow/belly)

Sitting

       OM/Shantih

       Bell (“Body, breath, and mind I send my heart along with this bell”)

                                                   Reflective Asana and Pranayama (2)

             “Body Breath and Mind in Perfect Oneness”

Some Concepts

Limbs of classical yoga

Sutra I,2 (Yoga citta vrtta nirodha)

Sheaths of the body (koshas), involution, “meditation in action”

Reference: B.K.S Iyengar’s discussion of koshas in his commentary on Sutra

                    1.2 [LOS].  For more, see Mr. Iyengar’s book Light on Life [LOL] which

                    is organized according to the concept of koshas.  See especially

            Chapters  2 [“Stability-The Physical Body (Asana) and 3 [“Vitality-The Energy

           Body (Prana)]

Practice (Based on Standing forward extensions)

Sitting (Supported sukhasana as in class 1)

          Unsupported sukhasana (keeping actions)

                    Neutral sacrum, lift chest/long waist, compact hips, life spine,

                    Hands facing up (Jnana mudra opt.) to support outward rotation

                              of shoulders

Tadasana/Urdha Hastasana/Ardha Utthanasana (blocks)

Padangusthasana

(emphasize stable base, triangle of feet, lengthening of torso)

          Variations (belt around metatarsals, or hand grip when possible)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (from external to internal support)

          Preliminary

          Supported

(partner holds belt on top thighs from behind)

Hold extension as partner slowly releases

          AMS (facing wall)

                    Shorter dog, hands on blocks to bring thighs back

          AMS (heels on wall) -> ekapada (foot up wall

Vrksasana

Utthitta Hasta Padangusthasanas

(variations: hand to wall, belt on foot; reduce wall support, and/or hold

toe, for seasoned practitioners)

          Utthitta

          Parsva

          Vinyasa of above, attention to breath in transitions/concentration

Viparita Karana (as in class 1, support higher as possible)

          Review of involution, “inverted lake” and movement from physical

          sheath (annamaya kosha) to physiological sheath/energetic body

          (pranamaya kosha)                            

 Savasana (introductory pranayama set-up)

          Ujayyi I

          Ujayyi II (introduction)

Closing: Sukhasana/OM Shantih

Next

Concepts

Review and chanting of Sutra I, 2  (yoga citta vritti nirodha)

Use of resonance for concentration and focusing (study of OM)

Practice: Breath in Back Extensions

Reflections on Asana & Pranayama: Bibliography

(letters in “ [  ] ” refer to the abbreviations used in the class outline.

 The Yoga Sutras and Theory

B. K. S. Iyengar. Light on Life. Rodale, 2005.[LOL]

The book is organized according to koshas, or sheaths of the body.

Chapters 2 and 3 deal with the physical body (asana) and the

energy body (prana), corresponding to the third and fourth limbs

of classical yoga s described by Patanjali.

B. K. S. Iyengar. Light on Yoga. Rev. ed. New York: Schocken Books, 1977 (various

editions available) [LOY]

Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  New York: Thorsons, 1993 [LOS]

(various editions available) [LOS]

Edwin F. Bryant

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New York: Northpoint Press, 2009. [YSP]

         A new commentary by an American Sanskrit scholar.

Pranayama and Breath Physiology/Anatomy

B. K. S. Iyengar. Light on Pranayama. New York: Crossroad Publishing  Company,

2001.  [LOP]

Geeta S. Iyengar. Yoga: A Gem for Women. Spokane, WA: Timeless Books, 1995.

Especially Part Three: “Experience” (pp. 257-302, sections on  Mudra, Savasana,

Pranayama & Dhyana (meditation)

Some other references:

 David H. Coulter.  Anatomy of Hatha Yoga. Honesdale, PA: Body and Breath, 2001.

For an extended technical/anatomical discussion of pranayama, See

Chapter  Two (pp. 67-138) on “Breathing.”

Leslie Kaminoff. Yoga Anatomy. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007.

See Chapter 1, “The Dynamics of Breathing,” pp. 1-16, for

an anatomically-based but less extensive treatment than Coulter.

Shah, J. T.  Therapeutic Yoga. Mumbai: Vakils, Feffer and Simons, 2001.

This book by a physician who practices in the Iyengar tradition has unique

diagrams of the body, color-coded according to the effect of each asana or

pranayama practice.

 Some Other Resources

Judith Lasater.  Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. Berkeley, CA:

          Rodmell Press, 1995.

Presents a straightforward treatment of asana practice for relaxation, including

passive chest opening postures that are helpful  for relaxation and preparation for

pranayama.

Rajvi H. Mehta, ed. Yoga Rahasya:  Therapy Issue

A compilation of articles pertaining to yoga therapy published from 1994 to 2009). 

Mumbai, YOG, n..d.

Linda Sparrow and Patricia Walden.

The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health. Boston: Shambala, 2002.

Chapter 15, Strengthening your Heart, and the Sequence for High Blood

Pressure” contains practices and asanas for relaxation and chest

opening.

Lois Steinberg. Geeta S. Iyengar’s Guide to a Woman’s Yoga Practice, Vol 1.(c) Lois

                Steinberg, 2006

                       A rich source of  supported postures for the chest and abdomen, framed in

                       the context of women’s health. .

 Reflective Asana and Pranayama (1)

The class Reflective Asana and Pranayama meets weekly on Sundays at 9:30 am at the Milwaukee Yoga Center.  It is a practice-based class at the continuing level that integrates reflections on yoga theory and the introductory phases of pranayama (breath work).  These notes give an overview of each class for participants and others who would like to review what we have been doing.

The class is oriented to the third and four limbs of classical yoga — asana (postures) and pranayama (breath) — and the transition between them.  It is is not designed to be a discussion or lecture, but there is time for additional discussion at the end of class when there is interest.  These notes are for those who would like to review these topics; there will also be a bibliography of accessible resources for those who would like to pursue these topics.  Most of the references are based in the Iyengar tradition, but a few other resources are included as well.  References to bibliography are given in brckets, for example, [LOS] is the core text Light on the Yoga Sutras by B. K. S. Iyengar.

Since this blog is aimed at participants who can attend the practice and discussion, it is not currently configured for comments by readers or as a discussion forum.  Comments and suggestions please in class or via email mw@meredithwwatts.com.

 Class 1: Reflective Asana & Pranayama (9 Sept 2012). Milwaukee Yoga Center

A Bit of Theory

The eight limbs of classical (raja) yoga of Patanjali

Pranayama as the transition “external” to “internal” yoga

Asana and pranayama related to sutra I, 2 (yoga citta vrtti nirodha)

“Yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind”

Asana and pranayama related to sutra II, 46 (sthira sukham asanam)

”The posture is stable and comfortable”

(or, as B.K.S. Iyengar interprets II, 46 as: “Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit” [LOS]

Practice: “Belly” and “Chest” Breath (using asana to make the body a “container for the breath”)

Seated alignment

Techniques & supports for aligning the sacrum, compacting hips, lifting/aligning the spine)

Experiencing your breath profile (distinguishing “belly” and “chest” breathing)

Opening the chest with supported supta sukhasana (bolster)

Finding the breath in vigorous (rajasic) postures

Adho Mukha Svanasana/Plank

Chaturanga dandasana (variations according to ability)

Bhujangasana

Maintaining the breath in asana

Modified surya namaskar (warm up)

Standing poses (Utthita Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana II, Utthita Parsvakonasana, Ardha  Chandrasana).  Center of room, or supported according to ability.

Seated konasana/parsva konasana variations (support with blanket/belt as needed

Opening the chest, preserving the breath

Finding the breath in passive/peaceful (sattvic) poses

Viparita Karani

Supta Sukhasana (without support)

Breath and resonance to concentrate the mind

Seated chanting of OM, and shantih (peace)

Next Class

(The koshas (layers/sheaths of the body),  sutras I.2 (Commentary in LOS)

Forward Extensions

Introduction to the breath (Ujjayi 1, 2)

Further Ahead

nirodha (stilling/restraint)

vrttis (nature of the fluctuations)

vairagya (renunciation/detachment)

abyhasa/sadhana (practice)

The kleshas (defilements/ afflictions), sutras II.3-11