Ashtanga Yoga As It Was
הטקסט הבא הוא עדות נדירה של ננסי גילגוף על האופן שבו פטהבי ג'ויס (גורוג'י) לימד אותה את סדרות האשטנגה יוגה במייסור ב-1973. מסמך מרתק לכל מי שמתרגל אשטנגה.
The following is the way in which Guruji taught me, Nancy Gilgoff, the Primary and Intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga during my first trip to Mysore, in 1973. David Williams and I stayed for four months that trip, and had two classes per day (excluding Saturdays and Moon days).
The Primary Series
In the first class, I was taught to do five Surya Namaskara A, plus the three finishing postures, Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, and Tolasana. The second class, later that day, was five Surya Namaskara A and five Surya Namaskara B, plus the three finishing. In the next class, Guruji told me to only do three each of Surya Namaskara A and B, and to keep it that way in my practice, and then began adding on at least two postures per class, always with the three finishing at the end.
Guruji taught me the standing postures through Parsvottanasana, with no Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana. After Parsvottanasana he had me jump through to Dandasana.
In the seated postures, there were a minimal number of vinyasas. There were no vinyasas between sides, nor between variations, so all of Janu Sirsasana A, B, and C were done together, then a vinyasa before Marichyasana. Then all of the Marichyasana variations were done together, without vinyasas between sides or variations, then a vinyasa before three Navasana. Baddha Konasana, Upavishta Konasana, and Supta Konasana were also grouped together without vinyasas between them. Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana were also done together, with no vinyasa between, simply changing the hand position and going right into Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana.
After Setu Bandhasana, Guruji added in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, to be placed back in the standing sequence after Parsvottanasana. (Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana were not in the series at this point, nor were Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana, all of which were added in later.)
The Intermediate Series
Once those postures were added into the standing sequence, Intermediate began immediately with Pashasana. In fact, David and I had no idea that there were two separate series until the end of that first four-month trip, when Guruji gave us a sheet of paper with a list of the postures, listed as Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, and Advanced B. At this point he told us to practice one series a day, and only once a day. While we had been with him in Mysore, we had learned both Primary and Intermediate series in the first two months, practicing both together, twice a day.
Intermediate Series also contained fewer vinyasas back then. There were no vinyasas between sides (in Krounchasana, Bharadvajasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana, Parighasana, and Gomukhasana). From Shalabhasana through Parsva Dhanurasana, the asanas were done in a group, with a vinyasa only at the end. Ushtrasana through Kapotasana were done all together, with a vinyasa only after Kapotasana. The same went for Eka Pada Sirsasana through Yoganidrasana, with no vinyasas until the Chakrasana after Yoganidrasana.
The Intermediate series, as Guruji taught it during that first trip, included Vrishchikasana after Karandavasana. We were taught to hold Pincha Mayurasana for five breaths, bring the legs into lotus and lower into Karandavasana, hold five breaths, inhale up, and then exhale right into Vrishchikasana for five breaths. The series ended with Gomukhasana. David asked for more, and so Guruji added Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana as well as the seven headstands. Guruji said these were from Fourth Series.
Backbends, finishing and pranayama
Backbends from both the floor (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and standing (drop-backs) were taught after Intermediate Series, as was the rest of the finishing sequence. Up until this point, we had just been doing Yoga Mudrasana, Padmasana, and Tolasana at the end of our practice. Guruji taught us Pranayama after we had learned the entire Intermediate Series.
I think it was when Guruji came to teach on Maui in 1980 that he added in so many vinyasas, while teaching led classes. When I asked him whether to do them in my own practice, he told me to add in the vinyasas to build my strength.
רוצים להתחיל לתרגל אשטנגה? אפשר למצוא שיעורי יוגה במערכת השעות של סטודיו נעים.
