Anusara Yoga Hatha Yoga in the Anusara Style Third Edition By Doug Keller Email: [email protected] Copyright © 2001-2005 by Doug Keller All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, photocopying, recording, cave scribbling, sign language, sky-writing or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. 2 Hatha Yoga in the Anusara Style ©Doug Keller 2001-2003, all rights reserved Table of Contents Anusara Yogaogaoga ............................................................................................................................. 777 The PraPraThe cticecticectice ................................................................................................................................. 999 A Matter of Principle .................................................................................................................... 11 Three Elements of Practice ............................................................................................................................... 11 Form and Spirit ................................................................................................................................................... 13 ‘Outer’ and ‘Inner’ Body: Language of the Heart .................................................................... 17 The PrPrThe inciplesinciplesinciples ............................................................................................................................ 191919 Principles of Action ...................................................................................................................... 21 Muscular and Organic Energy .......................................................................................................................... 21 The Focal Point.................................................................................................................................................... 23 The Spirals ..................................................................................................................................272727 Universal Principles of Alignment ...............................................................................................29 The Five Principles Applied to the Legs and Pelvis.................................................................. 30 Your Foundation: Open to Grace .................................................................................................................... 30 Muscular Energy ................................................................................................................................................. 30 Shins In, Thighs Out .................................................................................................................. 32 Inner Spiral .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Outer Spiral ......................................................................................................................................................... 39 Organic Energy ................................................................................................................................................... 42 An Example of the Spirals in Action: Trikonasana .......................................................................................... 43 The Four Corners: Your Foundation ........................................................................................... 47 Working with Your Feet ............................................................................................................... 52 A Closer Look at ‘Bunions’ ......................................................................................................... 55 Refining the Spirals........................................................................................................................ 57 Refining Your Work with ‘Shins In, Thighs Apart’ .......................................................................... 57 Of Inner Heels, Thighs and Sitbones ............................................................................................ 62 Taking Care of Your Knees........................................................................................................... 66 The Loops ......................................................................................................................................696969 The Loops of Anusara Yoga ........................................................................................................ 71 The Seesaw Principle .................................................................................................................. 74 The Relationship Between the Loops, Focal Points and Spirals ......................................................... 76 The Ankle Loop ......................................................................................................................... 77 Loops in the Lower Body............................................................................................................ 77 The Shin Loop ........................................................................................................................... 82 The Thigh Loop ......................................................................................................................... 89 The Pelvic Loop ......................................................................................................................... 92 The Kidney Loop ....................................................................................................................... 96 Expressing Your Heart .................................................................................................................. 99 Hatha Yoga in the Anusara Style 3 ©Doug Keller 2001-2003, all rights reserved The Psoas ..................................................................................................................................... 101 The Effects of a Shortened Psoas on Posture ............................................................................... 103 Spirals, Loops and the Psoas ..................................................................................................... 106 The Focal Point Revisited: Finding Your Center ............................................................................ 108 Envisioning the Focal Point ........................................................................................................ 109 The Shoulder Loop .................................................................................................................... 111 ‘Opening’ the Shoulders ........................................................................................................... 111 The Shoulder Loop .................................................................................................................. 112 Basic Points for Aligning the Shoulders ....................................................................................... 112 The Universal Principles Applied to the Shoulders ....................................................................... 117 The Actions of the Shoulder Loop.............................................................................................. 120 Practices and Applications of the The Shoulder Loop ................................................................... 122 The Head Loop .......................................................................................................................... 126 The Benefit of the Loops in the Upper Body................................................................................ 128 Refining the Loops ............................................................................................................129129129 The Ankle Loop Revisited ......................................................................................................... 134 The Shin Loop Revisited ........................................................................................................... 137 The Thigh Loop Revisited ......................................................................................................... 145 The BrBrThe eaeaeaththth ................................................................................................................................ 149149149 The Breath and the Bandhas in Anusara Yoga ........................................................................ 151 The Ujjayi Breath .............................................................................................................................................. 152 Principles of the breath ............................................................................................................. 154 The Bandhas ................................................................................................................................ 155 The Hatha Yoga Pradipika ............................................................................................................................... 157 An Anusara Exploration of The Bandhas...................................................................................................... 158 Uddiyana Bandha ....................................................................................................................