Latest Blog Posts
Monica on Ashtanga Dispatch
Anxiety comes because we aren’t trusting. And I know it’s a scary thing to trust – but there actually is one thing in our lives that we can trust – and it’s in our own heart. So you can’t get closer and more intimate than that. You don’t have to trust everything out in the world, but you need to be able to connect inside and learn to trust your heart. And maybe that’s one of the beauties of age is that you become so much more secure in that.
Uddiyana Bandha elusive no more
This article is a follow-up on the last one which covered Mula Bandha. There need not be any ambiguity about Uddiyana Bandha at all. There is nothing elusive about it at all.
There are two vastly different types of Uddiyana which are sometimes mixed up. One utilizes suction and the other uses pressure to deform the abdominal cavity. I will here first get the suction-type Uddiyana out of the way and then focus on the pressure-based Uddiyana for the rest of the article.
Mula Bandha Elusive no More
I have repeatedly been asked to shed some light onto the “elusive bandhas”. I’m surprised that they are still considered elusive. In this article I am focussing on Mula Bandha. Mula Bandha has three aspects, layers or phases of which the first is introductory, the second intermediate, the third advanced. To learn the bandhas students should first focus on the introductory aspect and then move on. The introductory aspect, layer or phase of the bandha is gross/muscular.
Clearing the Floor when Jumping Through
I often get asked how one can jump through without clearing the floor. Of course, technique is important but it is not all there is. You also need to have a basic level of strength and trunk flexion. If that is not there no level of technique will get you through without touching the floor.