Daniel rancan asks about full vinyasa

Hi Anthony! I pratice ashtanga yoga since 2001 and lovely my pratice. I Liked your website and your aprouch for me is a important for my studies and pratice. I wold like your opinion about a question. In 2004 I' ve been introduced to a full vinyasa form for a teacher, when a hurt my back. For me is a very good form and my body like this aprouch. But, many teachers told me that is not correct form. For me was so confused because I have a good pratice and my body and mind have balance. This was truth to learned primary, intermidary. But only in my home pratice, in workshops I did the "tradicional" form. I ready a interview with Brad Ramsey and his studies with Guruji in mysore and approuch with hole vinyasa form. In 2009 I khew Lucy Martorella and was a wonderfull workshop. She told me is correct form and not danger. She pratice this form since 30 years, and ok. Now I studie Adanced A and 6 months ago a hurt my back in viranchasana A. I stopped and did primary with full vinyasa and started intermidary the same way. What do you think about this? Thanks!


Answer:

Daniel, I am glad that someone is reading my website and benefiting from the information. As far as the ashtanga yoga of KPJ, full vinyasa is traditional and all other forms of this practice are abbreviated. The longest living profession in the western world is orchestra leaders with their constant arm and shoulder movement. This is the most important part of vinyasa. When this movement of the arms is accompanied with deep consistent breathing the lymphatic system is supported to do the job of cleaning and removing toxins and debris from the body. This cleansing of the body is the most important part of health and longevity. Asana practice is mostly important to gain health and longevity which will help with spiritual development. It is difficult to focus on the latter limbs of Raja Yoga if one is sick and uncomfortable. It also, not always but often, takes time to awaken, so more time will give us a better chance at the part of the evolutionary process that takes place while in this body, on this earth.

Full vinyasa is not always the best method depending on the person’s state of health and depending on how fast they breathe and move. Interesting that you learned this method from a person that used this practice to ruin her body, she has had nothing but problems with her body. Her bones fall out of place, not complete dislocations but slight subluxations that cause her intense pain and discomfort on a regular basis. Many doctors do not see the value in chiropractic (yes, there are many chiropractors that I would never go to and many physical ailments that could be better addressed by different therapies including yoga) partly because these subluxations are not overtly obvious (except to the person in pain). Manju knows well, the full vinyasa and Brad and I practice this way for years. Manju and Brad remain the strongest examples of ashtanga practice that I have ever witnessed; that said, they have very different (or had in Brads case) body types than most of us. There short, thick, high testosterone bodies where very difficult to train to be flexible but very easy to make strong.

In Chinese medicine, one of the first qualities that needs to be assessed is excess or deficiency. If a person is deficient, week, not because of lack of exercise but because of lack of nutrition being delivered to the cells, full vinyasa is not recommended as it will cause degeneration, breakdown of the soft tissue. If the person is in excess of toxins and fat and needs to clean the cells, full vinyasa is going to ‘generally’ be helpful. I say generally because without actually being able to do a proper tableside assessment of the person and their personal challenges, it is difficult to know for sure.

There are other factors. Early in my practice Manju mentioned that GuruJi used the salutations to treat mental problems. The recommendation was 12 A and 12 B salutations twice a day. I did this every day (once, not completely crazy) as my warm up in Manju’s class. Many people that are attracted to Ashtanga Yoga are attracted to it for this reason and in those cases, it doesn’t matter much what it does to their body (to some extent) if it keeps them from being a danger to themselves and others. This is real.

I hope this post addressed your question. Feel free to comment with any clarification you might need and put that comment on my FB page so I notice and so others might be attracted to this blog.

Blessings