Vinyasa entry to Karandavasana

Vinyasa entry to Karandavasana

Karandava (n.) = Duck
Asana (n.) = Posture

After nearly a year long practice, Vrischikasana is now kind of comfortable for me. Much much better than what I published about a year ago in this blog. The next step therefore I thought, would be Karandavasana. And the Pincha version of Vrischikasana, both of which I understand are now a couple of years away.

Let me publish my approach to the entry to Karadhavasana.

 

Any person with a keen eye would be able to figure out that I am just a beginner in this entry. My arms are still not strong enough to hold the balance when the legs have executed a Padmasana.

Now, this I find is one of the most talked about Asana on the Net. I liked Lucas' informal and funny way of talking about Yoga, which hid the spiritual and profound intent of his in the yoga way - the rigour he employs is pretty much obvious in the Asanas he is shown to have executed. Here's his web page House of Lucas.

Vasishthasana

Vasishthasana

Who was sage Vashistha?

Figures pretty much in Ramayana, the epic set in the Treta Yuga of Indian mythology.
He was the guy who denied sage Vishwamitra - when Vishwamitra was a king, and therefore a Kshatriya, warrior caste - the bramhin status. He was also the guy who took an adolescent Rama to kill Asuras/demons who were creating nuisance in the Ashrama (hermitage). And then to led Rama to salvage Ahalya, the wife of hermit Gautama, and thereafter, to Mithila to break the bow of Shiva so he could marry Sita, the daughter of Seeradwaja Janaka.

Vasishtha is one of the seven great sages after whom a constellation (the Great Bear / Ursa Major constellation) had been named in Indian Astronomy. His wife's name was Arundhati. There has beena story on Arundhati too.

As I perhaps mentioned somewhere or may be I did not, all asanas, however difficult they may appear in the first look, are postures for meditation. Vasishthasana is the posture in which Sage Vasishtha used to meditate.

 

I have miles and miles to go in this Asana before I am able to sleep. I have been practising this Asana for the last 7 months or thereabouts. Still there's lot to achieve.

The hip ought be raised. The difference between where I am and where I want to go, can be demonstrated by the picture of this Asana performed by Arjuna

I have identified the problem areas - how to counter the hip gravitating down. Do the Hasta Padagusthasana more with the leg in more more acute angle to the torso.

Pincha Mayurasana and Vrischikasana

That I am posting today, would not be possible without the continuous encouragement and egging from one individual - Shameem Akhtar.

We did not know each other even a month ago. I saw her yoga articles at rediff.com - saw a few Asanas performed by her some of which I was not able to execute, some of which (of course the easy ones - :)) I was. For example, I tried to do the Ardhachandrasana that she did and almost toppled myself over. :).

Well, these balance Asanas are rather tough! Perhaps that's why I lack some self-confidence. I am trying to do them ever since. Particularly, this Natarajasana with which I am feeling rather comfortable these days.


Natarajasana


This asana is good for me especially since these backbending asanas are really good for my spine which was hurting mad for the last three-four years.

Need to fix my back urgently. Hence, trying to make suppler by bending a little more every day. During our interaction I mentioned to Shameem that I was now trying to relax in the scorpion pose.

If your back is hurting, first you could take the opinion of an orthopaedist - since that's one important variable to decide what sort of fixing mechanism options are available. For example, I wasn't able to even think about the scorpion or head stand pose even a month ago. Though my back was all right to touch my toes with my fingers, it wasn't as good as to take a jerk to the back muscles which was needed during the take-off to head stand. Even now, when I cannot feel back-pain at all during normal hours, most forward bending asanas are a no-no.

Just as a great mentor that Shameem is, she immediately motivated me to publish a photo of the pose. See I am not perfect as yet in this pose (Though my wife likes them).



Vrischikasana - the Scorpion




Pincha Mayurasana/(in West Bengal it is known as Vyaghrasana)

1) My head should be tilted a little upward, and the legs should be closer to each other and to the head. I would like to ideally, touch my head with my feet.
2) My arms should be a little straighter so my torso could be a little higher from the the ground - floating in space
3) And my breathing should be a little more regular. Bottom line is I should be able to talk in normal voice striking this pose, if at all I want too - though I would not, in normal circumstances. I would like to meditate, ideally speaking in any pose that I do.


PS: 1) The photogrpahs were taken by my cousin Sudipto Mohanto, a Business Analyst in the ITES industry

2) Implementing Shameem's feedback, changed the spelling of Byaghrasana to Vyaghrasana and made it familiar sounding to all having an ear for the Sanskrita language