Yoga: On Vinyasa: "Yogasanas must be only practiced with vinyasas and never without it". Krishnamacharya. Yogasanagalu (Mysore 1934).


from my book Krishnamacharya's Original Ashtanga, Print version available from Lulu HERE

from Krishnamacharya's Yogasanagalau (Mysore 1941

"Yogasanas must be only practiced with vinyasas and never without it. Vinyasas from 1 to 7 are equal in all asanas.

Vinyasas create movement in the kosha (sheath), nerve, arteries, muscles and spaces between bones and helps eliminate impurities in these areas. In addition, muscle tissue develops and becomes strong.

Practicing yogasanas without vinyasa will make the body lean and emaciated. Some people who did not learn yoga through a guru and practice without vinyasa have brought bad reputation to yoga which is very unfortunate.

Therefore, how many vinysas for asanas?
Asana position comes at which vinyasa count?
When do you perform rechanka and puraka?
When to do antah kumbhaka and bahya kumbhaka?
What are its benefits?

For yoga practitioners information, it is listed in the table below.
(see Appendix 2)

Yoga practitioners must perform pranayama on an individual basis.

However, yogasanas can be performed individually or as a group.

When teaching yoga in a group, it is advised to separate people with obese, lean, and short body types. Otherwise, they will not get their desired results.

People with obese body naturally want to get lean.

Drill and other exercises also follow this rule.

All can not perform all types of practices (sadhanas).

Can an obese person run like a lean man?
Can he raise and bend hands and legs (in the same fashion)?.
For instance, if he runs hard due to drill masters orders, he could be put in danger due to elevated heart rate.

In yoganga practice, asanas that are possible for a lean person are impossible for an obese person.

However, we don’t need to increase the number of yoga instructors.

Yoga practitioners may be divided approximately on the basis of body type and the same instructor can teach them.

In the same way, practitioners with common disease types may be divided and treated (with yoga).

Yoga sadhana is without risk compared to many of the body exercises that require equipment.

Yoganga sadhana must be done standing, sitting, sideways and upside down.

All these types of asanas are given in this edition.

Interested practitioners and instructors must study carefully, practice and teach.

Many asanas are also printed for ladies.

From this, we can get an idea of our ancestors behaviour.

Lazy people can not make progress in any work while energetic will not be left behind. India’s cultural and spiritual wealth was not only permeated by speech.

The courageous overcome obstacles and practiced.

In this edition, it is once again suggested that yoga sadhana is for people of all ages".

Here is a link to my Free Download page where there are links to downloads of Krishnamacharya's texts including the now complete English translation of Yogasanagalu.

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.jp/p/free-downloads.html

Appendix 1.

The Seven Vinyasa

"Yogasanas must be only practiced with vinyasas and never without it. Vinyasas from 1 to 7 are equal in all asanas".

NOTE: Krishnamacharya is referring to the seven vinyasa from standing (samastithi) to seated (dandasana). The asana instructions in Yogasanagalu are carried over from Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934), unfortunately he doesn't carry over all of the key asana that form the seven vinyasa E.G. caturanga dandasana, urdhvamukhasvanasana and adhomukhasvanasana. Below I've lifted the instruction for those vinyasa as well as those form uttanasana and paschimottanasana to give an outline of the seven vinyasa krushnamacharya is refering to.

Following the rules for tadasana (yogasana samasthiti krama) stand erect.

1st. Vinyasa.
Afterwards, while exhaling the breath out slowly, bend the upper part of the body (that is, the part above the hip) little by little and place the palms down by the legs. The knees must not be even slightly bent.

2nd. Vinyasa.
Raise the head upwards and fix the gaze on the tip of the nose. While doing this, draw in clean air through the nostril, hold the breath firmly and maintain this position. This is called sahitha kumbhaka.

3rd. Vinyasa (Uttanasana).
After remaining here for some time, exhale the breath (that was being held) out very slowly through the nostril, lower the head and place it on the knees. This sthiti is called uttanasana.

4th vinyasa (caturanga dandasana).
Press both palms down firmly while doing the 4th vinyasa from the 3rd vinyasa of uttanasana. Do only recaka and firmly hold the breath out without doing puraka. Keeping the weight balanced equally on both legs, jump backwards (keeping both legs parallel to each other) and holding the body straight like a rod, lie down facing downwards. At this time, only the palms and toes touch the ground. No other parts of the body touch the ground. That is, there must be 4 angulas of space between the body and the ground. In this position, if you keep a stick or rod on top of the body, the rod must touch the body completely. We need to keep our body this straight. But make sure to check gaps formed by the muscles and mounds of flesh to determine if all the adjustments are correct.

5th Vinyasa (urdhvamukhasvanasana).
In caturanga dandasana, there are 4 angulas of space between the body and the floor everywhere. In this asana, the palms and toes are as in caturanga dandasana. However even while keeping the lower part of the body from the toes to the thighs just as in caturanga dandasana, raise the upper part of the body. Make sure that the navel rests between the hands and do puraka kumbhaka. Try to push the chest as far forward as possible, lift the face up and keep gazing at the tip of the nose.

6th Vinyasa ( adhomukhasvanasana.).
In the 4th vinyasa only, even while jumping back as for caturanga dandasana, the entire body should be pushed back into a curve. Study the pic- ture and learn this. In this sthiti, the head should be properly bent inwards and the chin should be pressed firmly against the chest. After pulling the abdomen in and pushing it out, exhale the breath out. Holding the breath out firmly, pull in the abdomen.

7th Vinyasa.
from adhomukhasvanasana sthiti, doing puraka kumbhaka, jump and arrive at the 7th vinyasa. That is, jump forward and move both legs between the arms without allowing the legs to touch the floor. Extend the legs out forward and sit down. Practise sitting like this with the rear part of the body either between the two hands or 4 angulas in front of the hands. It is better to learn the abhyasa krama from a guru. In this sthiti, push the chest forward, do puraka kumbhaka and gaze steadily at the tip of the nose.

Appendix 2

Yogasanagalu Asana table

"Therefore, how many vinysas for asanas? Asana position comes at which vinyasa count? When do you perform rechanka and puraka? When to do antah kumbhaka and bahya kumbhaka? What are its benefits? For yoga practitioners information, it is listed in the table below".

Yogasanagalu

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Notes

Kumbhaka

Antah kumbhaka (purakha kumbhaka) = retention of the breath after inhalation

Bahya kumbhaka (recaka kumbhaka) = retention of the breath after exhalation

Ubhya kumbhaka = retention of the breath after both inhalation and exhalation

*In the Primary group above kumbhaka is indicated explicitly in only three postures, baddha padmasana, uttanasana and sethubandasana. In the earlier Yoga Makaranda (1934) however, kumbhaka is indicated other primary postures. This may be that while learning the Primary asana we may forgo kumbhaka in most of the primary postures until gaining familiarity and a degree of proficiency with those asana when we would then begin to work in the kumbhaka. this may be made clearer as the translation continues.

Kumbhaka (mentioned explicitly) in the Yoga Makaranda Primary asana

Tadasana (here implies samasthiti )- purakha kumbhaka

Uttanasana -purakha kumbhaka (we can perhaps presume that all the uttanasana variations would also include antha kumbhaka EG. padahastasana, parsvauttanasa

na, prasaritapadauttanasana.

Ardha baddha padma uttanasana - recaka kumbhaka

Urdhavamukhssvanasana - puraka kumbhaka

Adhomukhssvandasana - recaka kumbhaka

Paschimottanasana - purkha kumbhaka (recaka kumbhaka implied ?)

janusirsasana - purka kumbhaka & Rechaka kumbhaka

Upavistakonasana "recaka kumbhaka is the central principle for this posture"

badhakonasana - recaka kumbhaka

Suptapaddangusthasana- recaka kumbhaka

utthitahastapadangusthasana - recaka kumbhaka

Bhujapidasana - recaka kumbhaka

marichiyasana - recaka kumbhaka ?