April Dawn Yoga

Also known as Ashtanga for Life, the four-day workshop with David Williams, one of the first Westerners taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. He has had an uninterrupted practice for 40 years.

The workshop format is available on his website. In this post I’ll just sum up the notes I was able to scribble down and the major takeaways from those four days.

On the goal of yoga practice

• Yoga is mediation, or the cessation of fluctuations of the mind (the space between thoughts).
• Because one can’t see a yogi’s mind, others may imitate a practicing yogi and do yoga-based exercise, but not yoga.

On asana in general

• An asana, according to the Yoga Sutra, is a firm and comfortable position.
• Yoga transmutes stress into vitality.
• Williams was once told “Try to be a yogi during your yoga practice, and keep that state of mind as go go out into the world. It’ll last 15 minutes and then you’ll be the same old jerk you always were.”
• The goal of stretching and breathing is to energize the body and increase prana.
• Similar to bars on a cell phone, the yogi wants to increase bars through practice, where every breath increases prana.
• Each day, try to figure out how to move your body most energetically. It should feel good so you want to practice the next day. Find the sweet spot in each asana.

On bandhas and breath

• Bandhas and breathing are more important than anything else. Without them, you are doing yoga postures, but not practicing yoga.
• In one hour of asana you take in more oxygen than during the rest of the day. Typically we inhale only a spoonful of breath.
• Mula bandha firms the abs and hardens the diaphragm. Deep breathing without mula bandha stretches the abs outward, adding inches to the waist.

On injuries and flexibility

• “You should get high from yoga, not crippled from yoga.”
• Yoga is practiced to increase prana–flexibility and stretching is a byproduct.
• In any room there will be the most flexible person and the least flexible person. The least flexible person is at no disadvantage in yoga practice.
• Flexibility is determined by genetics and past injuries.
• One millimeter beyond stretching is tearing.
• During asana practice you should feel energized, and nothing should hurt. When there is pain, the body contracts.

On preparing for asana practice

• Uses a six-step preparation that does not come from yoga, but helps with alignment. Start laying on the back, legs out, arms in a T position. Each step is done four or five times, and as you move your legs from side to side, turn your head to look in the opposite direction of your legs.
  • Foot on foot, moving feet side to side, then switch which foot is on top and repeat.
  • Foot on knee, moving side to side, then switch to other foot.
  • Knees together, side to side.
  • One leg up, side to side, then switch legs.
  • Both legs up, take them side to side.
  • Bend knees, cross legs and hold feet, roll forward and back. Roll to seated.
• Abdominal work–good for digestion
  • In a wide-leg forward bend, come halfway up with hands on the thighs, gaze toward navel. Exhale.
  • Pump stomach out on exhale, in on inhale, for a count of 10.
  • Repeat two more times.
  • On the next inhale, hold for 10 counts, then exhale.
  • Go to hands and knees and repeat the process.

On asana specifics

• Minimum practice according to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is three surya namaskara A, three surya namaskara B, and the last three finishing sequence postures.
• Williams was originally taught the sequences with no vinyasa between sides.
• Use jalandhara bandha in forward bends–if you look at your feet, you don’t get the length in the neck. The top of the head moves energetically toward feet, then the chin tucks and the gaze is at the navel.
• Williams locks his knees for symmetry in certain postures.
• Use your tight side as a gauge to even out your body.
• Recommends switching legs for lotus, rather than right leg always folding first. This is where he differs with classical Ashtanga, but he found through his own practice that placing right leg on top was creating imbalances in his body, so he evened himself out by switching the top leg. He has never found anything to support that right leg first protects internal organs.
• Another deviation is that he holds upward dog for a few breaths to balance the forward bending in primary series.
• Second series was taught much sooner when he learned it. Students didn’t have to bind in marichyasana D or master drop-backs to begin learning the second series.
• Sometimes he practices to Pink Floyd. (I just really wanted to include that.)

On diet, exercise, and health

• Recommends Diet and Nutrition: A Holistic Approach by Rudolph Ballentine.
• If you are aware, your body will indicate what to eat and how much by how you feel.
• Williams has coffee in the morning, lunch at noon, dinner at sunset. His diet consists mostly of fish, eggs, rice, and vegetables.
• Did cleanses in India and would do one again if he became sick, but these days he tries to eat salads and foods that are naturally cleansing.
• Mentioned the importance of flossing and how it’s tied to longevity.
• Recommends massage, and if expense is an issue, learn partner massage.
• Highly recommends swimming as a compliment to yoga for creating symmetry. Uses fins and swims with straight legs to make knees stronger, along with ear plugs (ward off infection), cap (keep in heat), and snorkel (makes breathing easier).
• He never really gets sick, but if he did, he’d do a swim, steam shower, the minimum asana, lay down, drink water, and repeat.
• Takes aspirin to relieve muscular aches that constrict one side of the body and throw off symmetry.

On gurus

• Gurus are needed–the word means to bring from darkness to light.
• Related the story of two people in a cave. Both have candles, only one is lit. The one with a lit candle guides the way, then turns to light candle of the second person so that person can go on, illuminated.

On life

• Decided every day that he would wake up where he wanted to be and do what he wanted to do. He wasn’t interested in the materialism he saw around him–he wanted to get real and was willing to give up everything to get everything.
• Yoga is all day long and changes your view of the world.
• Mentioned the Katha Upanishad:

This firm holding back of the senses is what is known as yoga. Then one should become watchful, for yoga comes and goes. Yoga literally means to join or to unite the lower self with the Higher Self, the object with the subject, the worshipper with God. In order to gain this union, however, one must first disunite oneself from all that scatters the physical, mental and intellectual forces; so the outgoing perceptions must be detached from the external world and indrawn. When this is accomplished through constant practice of concentration and meditation, the union takes place of its own accord. But it may be lost again, unless one is watchful.

My thoughts

Normally in a classroom-like setting I am one who sits in the back of the room, doesn’t ask questions, and quietly leaves so as not to “bother” the teacher or take up their time. But during this workshop, I was fully immersed and could not leave without thanking him for completely changing my yoga practice.

I woke up the next morning excited to hit the mat, and it was one of the most joyous practices I’ve ever had.

I often hear that Ashtanga is something you practice when you’re young and then you’ll move on to whatever kind of yoga the person telling you this practices. But here’s a man who is in his 60s (and looks 20 years younger), has practiced for 40 years, and plans to practice for another 40. He has possibly practiced more Ashtanga than anyone alive and still comes back to it day after day. He was inspiring and humble, and I still hear his voice during my practice, reminding me to find the sweet spot, move large amounts of oxygen in and out of my body, and that although it’s hard to hold mula bandha in utkatasana, “you can do it.”

I’ve been in a bit of a fog lately–more excited about Ashtanga than ever yet also in a completely different mindset with what Ashtanga is and what it can be. Rather than trying to wrap my mind around it, I just roll out my mat every day, increase my prana, and trust that it’ll come.