Anusara's 3 As

I read this article from an Anusara teacher (Christina Seller), regarding the discussion with John Friend about one of the Anusara's 3 A. If I have time I will translate into Chinese.
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So I had an amazing conversation with John Friend yesterday about the 3 A's and about the lovely and dynamic relationship between Attitude, Alignment and Action and what it really means to be a three-pronged approach to asana practice. Obviously, Anusara is heart-centered method. As such, Attitude is considered the most important A. But really, if we think of a three-legged stool, it is at it most functional when all the legs are equally balanced.

Why I say the conversation was amazing is the clarity that John brought to my understanding about Action. Action is really Balanced Action. (Like maybe instead of 3 A's, we really have 2 A's and a B, but I digress...) Action, in our method, is about bringing balanced action to the form of any asana so that the light of the heart (attitude) shines through what otherwise would be a stale pose or a foreign outside imposition of an arbitrary shape to the body. The A's are in relationship to one another; each A, gives the other A its relevance to the whole.

For instance, if we take away Attitude, we have dry technique-based asana. If we take away Alignment and a sense of clarity as to what the form for each asana is, we have creative movement with little boundary. Also we lose sight of the vision of why the actions are even necessary. If we take away balanced Action, we run the risk of injury in the postures because the forms themselves can be like land mines of potential danger if we do not know how to align ourselves within them. And so on. Each A is important.

So we talked a lot about classic form vs. variations. One of the hallmarks of our method, I believe is our great delight in practicing creative variations on classic form and on our willingness to occasionally, as I say, "put the protractor away for a while" when we practice. But John was insistent that these variations be taught relative to the classic form because in most cases the classic form is the standard for experiencing and expressing balanced action.

Take trikonasana for example. Many time we take that pose and back bend it. But in its classic form trikonasana is straight through the spine. (Check out Light on Yoga or D's syllabus poster.) The straight spine should be "mastered" first because it is easier to find and express balanced action in that form. (Mind you, I did not say easier to do, just easier to do in a balanced way. If you are a bend-y type, guaranteed you will not enjoy classic form as much!) So if you can find balanced action straight, then you can work on not just back bending the pose, but back bending it in a balanced way- with strong kidney loop and pelvic loop, for instance.) Same goes with all the forms that we back bend- seated twists, Vira 1, anjaneyasana, etc.

Now, I myself have heard John say, Action over Form but I think we have to be mature in our understanding of this. I am pretty sure he does not mean that form does not matter! This might mean that in a back bend like urdhva danurasana the shape is bent but the action is like tadasana; there is still that kidney loop action within the form. The kidney loop in this case is there to bring Balanced Action. And so on. Same with poses like padmasana where the form is extremely externally rotated we still need the action of Inner Spiral to keep the femur set in a balanced way so that we do not aggravate the psoas or the S.I. joint.

So enough on this today. Obviously more could be said. Oh, but the thing I must say is how cool it is to keep plumbing the depths of the basic of this method because as John told me once, "The depth of the basics is infinite." How crazy after 10 or more years at this with John to go, "Oh, right.... Balanced Action, not just Action." (I swear this stuff is never dull.) And John's patient dedication to my love for precise articulation always astounds me.

Tomorrow I hope to follow this up with a discussion on how all of this relates to Tantra because the way we take this off that mat is actually where the fun begins! It is a lovely discussion about discipline, indulgence, rules, guidelines, deference, and the exciting path of discovering and expressing one's own wisdom and authority. (How is that for a tantalizing preview?)

Chris的身心順位

這是個滿滿的週末! 上星期突然收到電話, Christ 老師在嘉義白鷺鷥的Anusara Workshop需要人翻譯, 因為C先生為愛走天涯去了! 呵! 感謝雪林林老師的推薦, 還有生命之流在我剛好回台灣時, 去接住這個機緣!

Chris老師是我很欣賞的老師之一, 在一年多前參加過他在台北的5天的workshop, 受益良多! 這一年Chris老師來台灣都是在Balance開Anusara的workshop, 真的造福了中南部的瑜珈人!! 很久不見的Chris還是一樣活力十足, 仁慈且親切, 因為第一次來嘉義, 一早從台北到嘉義的路上出了一些狀況, 當我歉意的進入教室時, Chris還很慈悲的給我一些時間cool down. 課程開始, 我很快的接上線, 直接開始了! 一切都像是打開水龍頭一樣, 自然流暢! Chris的教學就像所有的Anusara老師一樣, 擁有一定的水準, 但是我覺得Chris有一些特質是我在其他Anusara老師身上難得感受到的, Chris很真實且實在, 他的教學很清楚有條理, 對於Anusara的初學者, 是比較容易了解的．在談論哲學時也是很生活且實際. 他也不太像有許多Anusara的老師, 說很多的話, 尤其是在Asana practice時, 常常都會讓人覺得指令多到腦袋和身體都塞住. Chris覺得讓學生有時間在身體上去感覺, 是最重要的.


這週末的課程其實是分成四個週末的課程之一. 內容當然是對Anusara的深入介紹, 還有哲學, 更有難得的Mantra和梵唱, 還有冥想練習, 是很全面性的課程, 很難得且誠意十足!! 還得說一說久仰大名的白鷺鷥瑜珈, 真覺得南部人真是幸福, 擁有這麼寬敞, 且優雅的瑜珈館, 一樓的挑高教室, 大面窗戶, 還有個舒服的露台, 我赤腳踏上這露台去透透氣, 戶外有著南台灣的安適, 鄰近雖有許多住家, 但是白鷺鷥在這裡安靜且自在, 可以在這裡練習, 並在Guruji的看顧下, 是多麼幸福的事! 來參加研習的同學, 都是美麗且認真的瑜珈人, 有些還是我在台中workshop當翻譯認識的呢! 還有一些在部落格就認識的網友, 或是早就從這個blog知道我的yogis, 感謝大家的能量, 讓我們彼此成長!


這次Anusara的研習課還有2個週末的機會, 不管您的瑜珈練習是任何的派別, 都值得來學習人體和心靈的正確順位, Align with Divine!
研習課程http://www.wretch.cc/blog/yoga928/8913632
Chris 老師 www.mindfullivingarts.com

請教Mark

今天在Mark的課作了一個Supta Vajrasana，也就是金剛跪坐往後躺下來，對我而言這可是Supta Virasana的進階版, 要可以真的後腦杓貼下來在地上, 膝蓋還可以保持在地上, 這可真是難為我的大腿股四頭肌了, 原以為我的前大腿已經夠開了, 但是在這個Supta Vajrasana我只可以將頭頂地, 我的膝蓋就開始在尖叫了. 這讓我有點納悶. 自己的猜測是可能元兇是psoas 還是很緊, 所以quad cep被綁架了, 兩個一起緊張. 所以膝蓋被拉伸的很不舒服.

下課後我問了Mark這個問題, 我懷疑這樣的不舒服是否是因為拉到膝蓋的ligament（韌帶）, 老先生很慈悲的慢慢說給我聽, ligament本身沒有神經, 所以就算有拉伸或受傷也是沒有感覺, 會有感覺的是tendon 和muscle, 呵, 所以真是臉紅問了個笨問題, 聽他說起才知道好像之前有讀過這個, 老先生繼續解釋給我聽, 肌肉和肌腱的不同, 肌腱就像是強有力的橡皮, 將肌肉連結到到骨骼上, 可以伸展但比肌肉的伸展度小, 所以我的膝蓋的感覺應該是拉伸到tendon, 但是他建議我若是有疼痛感覺, 就該要back off. 他也解釋到tendon 和muscle的鍛鍊, 舉body builder的訓練而言, 以前的概念總是以為是把肌肉練大就好, 所以總是舉很重的重量來讓肌肉強壯, 但是tendon並沒達到鍛鍊, 所以其實很容易受傷, 因為想想若是連結到骨骼的tendon沒有同時強有力去負擔大肌肉, tendon就容易因此拉傷. 所以比較改革式的練習是利用舉比較輕的重量, 且重複多次先去鍛鍊加強tendon. 這是很有趣的概念!

我又接著問他, 所以怎樣去預防不去拉伸到ligament, 他的答案就是我所想的一樣, 正確的alignment, 正確的訓練肌肉和tendon, 他還舉了自己的例子, 20年前他年輕時在沒有人指導下練習Servangasana, 沒想到都是拉伸到ligament, 所以導致韌帶過鬆, 甚至造成頸椎差點脫臼送醫院, 但是他靠了瑜伽加強練習頸肩肌肉, 去替代過鬆的韌帶保護頸椎, 所以這就是Mark常常在課堂可以示範Salamba Sirsasana (只有頭頂著地的頭倒立, no hands!). 那我又接著問Mark, 那怎樣避免over stretching?他說, 其實這很不容易, 有些人會鼓勵做到“sweet pain”, 也就是伸展到有一點點痛是可以的, 但是Mark說他其實不太鼓勵這樣的pain, 因為有些好強的人甚至會覺得瑜伽就是要suffer to gain. But Yoga is not about suffering! 這是真的, 在Mark的課, 他總是用算是標準的中文提醒大家觀察自己的感覺 “舒服不舒服”, 用這個標準來判斷！還有, 我也喜歡他常說的, “Hello & Goodbye”. 意思就是, 在那些具有挑戰性的難度動作裡, 他總是會給三次機會, 比如跳入手倒立, 他總是會說 “Hello & Goodbye”, 試三次就好了, 若是你還是堅持試很多次, 他會嚴厲跟你說, no attachment！而且, 他的課是Flow Vinyasa, 所以他要求一切要是”流動”的！

這回到我一直在想的問題, 從那篇 “早知道” 和前幾篇 “Anusara新體驗”, 如何做到正確且安全的伸展, 正確的alignment, 肌肉draw in的力量, 我想還得加入,對自己感覺的如實的觀察, 誠實的面對, 疼痛就是警告, 所以如果太能忍痛, 反而得想想是不是ego在作怪?!

瑜伽经--心體悟

在TT的瑜伽經的哲學課, Jose在講解第二章的重點, 就是ashtanga yoga 也就是瑜伽八支( 這個Ashtanga不是那個ashtanga!), 提到其實有個謬誤, 就是我以前也聽說過的, 這八肢是要按順序來進行的！但其實不需要, 當然若是按著這個順序進行, 也就是可以按部就班的修行進入到samadhi. 也就是, 若是你可以先修德自律, 在用asana鍛鍊身體, 加上pranayama呼吸調息, 進入感官的收攝, 深入專注, 這都可以幫你進入到samadhi. 但是, 其實, "開悟就在當下", 這每各階段都可以同時發生, 也可以同時修煉. "當下", 是最重要的"覺知"! 一有這樣的"覺知", 就是"開悟"！有人問了個問題, Samadhi是一旦得到就是永遠可以保持在那個境界得嗎? 也許, 真的有人是如此, 因為是時時得處於"覺知"的狀態下! 但是, 我喜歡Jose說的一句話, 所有的了解和覺悟都是"moment to moment"！這是個多重要的概念, 這也就是每件事都是時時在變化的, 所以, samadhi 也未必可以永遠保持的...

還有提到yama Niyama, yama 中的五項和Niyama的五項其實都是連結在一起的, Yama中的ahimsa不暴力,satya不說謊, Asteya不偷盜, Brahma chrya不縱欲, Aprarigaraha不貪婪, 比如說Yama中的ahimsa不暴力, 其實跟"暴力無關", 其實要用肯定句去翻譯這個詞比較好, 所以我喜歡用"love and campassion"愛與慈悲去解釋Ahimsa. 所以就是對萬物包括對自己, 都是應該如此, 所以就不會在去"force"任何人或事, 對自己對別人也是, 若是如此, 就是真誠的對待自己和他人, 也就是做到第二項satya, 既然如此Asteya第三項就自然做到, 因為不再覺得匱乏, 當然就不會有偷盜, 也就不會起貪婪第五項, 禁欲也使能量可以有效的儲存或轉換. 所以, 若是徹底的, 專注的去實踐一項, 其他項也就自然跟隨！這是個很有趣的概念, 但是也是件"事實"！

TT的Anusara 新發現

這星期是TT的最後一個禮拜, 上星期六已經考完筆試了, 大部分的學生都很緊張, 很多人抓著我問問題, 看著大家這麼認真其實很有趣也很欣慰, 因為我自己也是過來人, 在清邁時, 雖然我在那一個月的tt還看完了三本小說(很厚的那種), 我的筆試還是全班最高分的, 我通常只有在考試前複習一下, 但是我上課時可以保證從來沒打瞌睡過, 所以考最高分自己也很驚奇！欣慰這次大家的努力, 很難想像這已經最後一星期了, 我們每天5點起床, 課準時6點到9點, 星期六還有五小時的課, 有兩位老師輪流上課, 可是我沒的輪, 所以我跟學生一樣全程參與. 可能也是如此, 我的喉嚨和聲音開始抗議了, 前星期已經開始不舒服, 因為講太多, 有時還得要用喊的, 這星期已經開始咳嗽了, 越殼越嚴重, 邊咳邊翻譯, 真是不好意思！！

在另一個blog, 我有記錄幾乎每一天的課程, 一些重點, 不是全部, 其實Ben 和John 幾乎是完全照著Anusara的方式做這次的training的, 所以課程幾乎像是immersion的內容, 所以90%的內容我都已經知道, 所以這是很好的複習, 甚至在training之前, 我也翻譯完anusara的teacher training manual, 當然, 永遠有新的東西可以學習, 或是對一些已經知道的"知識"也有更多的"身體"體驗

"Draw in"的力量, 這是我的重要心得之一, draw in 是表示彼此拉近的力量, 是在5 Universal Prinicples裡面的第二條"Muscular Energy"的方向之一, 其實可以用生理學的肌肉收縮"Isometirc contraction", 來解釋. Muscular Energy的力量是從四周收向核心, 從表面收向中線, 從表皮將肌肉包覆骨骼. 基本上都是集中的力量, 這些道理我都懂, 但是在體位法中, 很對於我自然的, 且比較容易的,柔軟度會讓我一直拉伸, 動作也做的到, 但是在拉伸之前, 一定要先做到的是draw in 的力量, 並在接下來的拉伸同時, 繼續保持這樣draw in 的力量, 就像是我之前寫的"早知道"那篇. 可以保持這樣的draw in 的力量, 在去做的伸展其實會是更有感覺的, 且重點是 "更安全”, 雖然比較累, 因為肌肉一直在用力中！　我的Hunumanasana 和launge和所有的站姿，在這樣的draw in之後的伸展, 感覺更是high了兩倍以上....

Kidney Loop, 腎環, 是我的新發現, 雖然之前老是聽到, 知道這個環可以幫忙防止下背部擠壓, 背部可以擴張開來, 但是這個環始終沒有進入"我的最愛", 也許之前我一直沒真的了解, 但是最近這個loop幫我很多很多. 她讓我在手倒立時可以離牆的時間越來越久, 甚至讓我開始有膽在教室中央練習起手倒立, 我的Pinch Maruyasana也是. 這就是之前聽說過的, "腎環可以幫助你起飛"．對於後彎, 這個loop也幫助到更深的後彎, 且我更可以真正的"享受"後彎！

Again, 只要有beginner's mind, 永遠都可以學到新的東西, 真是開心的事!!!!

TT last week

This week is teaching week! There are 5 teams working on different themes, so i won't go into details. They have exam last Sat, some of them really did well, and some don't. I was asked to grade those exam in Chinese. I try to look for the good, you could tell if they really study or not! Most of them are nervous and really working hard as far as I know. That's what they need! Being a good stuendent first to be able to be a good teacher!

For the teaching part, u could tell they work hard, and really doing good as first teaching experience! Even tho still need a lot of practice and refinment! It takes time! I know I sucks in my first few months of teaching,even tho I got good students, and they accept me as a teacher!! I really appriciate that a lot!

7/22 TT

7/22 TT
It's a teaching drill day again, practicing on opening and closing for the class. Good practice, because we often practice the mid part of the class, like "teaching the poses", not opening nor closing. Ppl are doing well!
We finish the class earlier to be able to see the eclips, but it was raining. It's really raining hard, while aroun 9:30. We only feel the sky became darker and darker, and around 9:40 it's almost like 7pm at night. Full darkness, with stree light all on! Interesting, that's how we could tell it's eclips then!..... Pity that the only chance in 300 yrs, but 老天不賞眼!