Book "The Tree of Yoga."

I just finished one of the best books on yoga that I have ever read. It is called "The Tree of Yoga." It is by B.K.S Iyengar.
The book is about what is behind yoga. How you should approch [spl.?] yoga. What makes a good teacher. The importance of the Yoga Sutras.

If you are looking for something beyond how to 'do' an asana. Then... I highly recamend (spl.?0 this book to you. It is wonderful!

http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Yoga-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1570629013

Light on Yoga Project.

Thursday 15th July, 2010.

Virabhadrasana III
I had better balance on my left leg then on my right leg, though this is not unusual.
I did not have any issues with my breath.  The focus of it was in my tummy and not up in the solar plexus.  This let me breath deeply into my back
My hips were equally flexible on either side, though my shoulders were a little tight.

Ardha Chandrasana
For this asana I used blocks, so that I could maintain the alignment in my hips.  I was more flexible on the left side then my right side.
There were no issues getting into the asana, and breathing was low in the tummy, and deep breathing was possible.

Light on Yoga Project.

Wednesday 14th July, 2010.

Virabhadrasana I
I felt activity in the feet in the area of the balancing point, or 'bubbling well.'
The hips relaxed after a moment or two which let me sink into the asana.
I held the posture for about two min on each side.
When on the right side my shoulders felt more relaxed then when I was on the left side.
I was able to avoid the 'duck back' issue.  This happens when the pelvis tilts back words.
In the final form of the asana I did not look at my thumbs, which would have had me tilt my head back.  I looked to the horizon instead.

Virabhadrasana II
What struck me about this asana was that when I was fully in the asana I noticed that there was pressure right below my sternum at the solar plexus.  This was the case for both sides. 
On a related note I also found that when I am walking and have more of my weight on the balls of my feet.  That this same feeling happens.  If I chance the weight of my step, and walk more so the the weight falls on the 'balancing point' just in front of my heal.  The pressure lowers so that it disappears, and I have the experience of normal breathing from the tummy.
I think that this experience shows that my feet were to far apart.  They were about 4.5 feet apart.  When I moved the feet closer together the sensation lessened.  I was then able to easily breath deeply into my upper back.

Light on Yoga Project.

As a project for myself I have decided to work through Mr. Iyengar's book Light on Yoga. 
What I plan to do is to work the asanam in the order that the appear in the book.  The way I hope to go about this project, is incorporate the asanam as they appear in this book in my daily practice.  As I find an asana in the book I will put it in the appropriate part of my practice.  For instance if the next asana in the book is a twist, then I will use it as a one of the asanam in the twist section of the practice.  This way in time I hope to work through the whole book.  I expect it to take a while.  Along the way I will make notes on my experience.

I started the project out with the first six asanam.
1. Tadasana
In Tadasana I noticed that if was correctly balanced in the asana that my breathing was much easier, and the breath came from the lower part of the tummy.  If I lent forward a little the focal point of my breathing shifted upwards.  Breathing became a little less easy.  The same  thing happened if I lent more on my heals.  The focal point of my breathing seemed to shift downwards, and the breathing was a little more stressful. 
I thought I would see how this worked when I walked around outside.  It took focus to maintain the balance point just in front of my heal.  Boy what a difference it made.  

2. Vrksasana
3. Uttihita Trikonasana (with blocks)
4. Parivrtta Trikonasana (with blocks)
5. Uttihita Parsvakonasana
6. Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (with blocks)

Tinnitus and Hatha Yoga.

For some time now I have been suffering from tinnitus.  It may seem odd, but up until now I did not pay attention to how much of a positive difference it has made to the tinnitus.  As I also have scoliosis I tend to spend my time seeing how the  yoga helps with that issue rather then the tinnitus.  I did not really think to use Hatha Yoga to work on tinnitus.  As I saw this issue as being one of nerve damage rather then the  structral [spl.?] that scoliosis is.
Today I set about working with asanam that focus mainly on inversions, or prepare  for inversions. I note quite a reduction in ringing.

Some times the students teaches & sometimes the room teaches.

Yesterday I while teaching a beginners class on Hatha Yoga. I learned that doing a variation on an asana which is easier for the novice to accomplish, was more difficult for me then I expected. 

The asana I was teaching was Vrksasana (Tree asana.)  The student was unable to put her foot on her thigh with comfort, without putting presser on her knee.  I sugested that she move the foot down so that her toes were just above her anckle.  At this point I also move my foot to just above my anckle too.

After we had been in this asana for a few breaths, I noticed that a muscle that I was not really used to using, was 'talking to me.'  That really made me smile, now I am going to add that to my class 'mix.'

The other thing that happend to me, happened when 'the room' was teaching me.  I was working on some hip openers.  I was doing Agnistambhasana (Firelog asana,) and I have been working with that asana for some time.  It is not an easy one for me, but I do it most sessions.  Yesterday I put a blanket under my 'up knee.'  This allowed my leg to get some support, and it almost imediatitly relaxed.  The leg then droped down quite a bit twords my down leg.  I laughed!

The funny thing is (for me) that I do not think twice about using blankets and blocks  during other asanam.  For some reasion, I did not think of it for this ansana...

...we are just about too watch "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" :) :( Has anyone seen it before... Help....