Journal

Iyengar Practice Science
April 6, 2023
Spring Blooming - part 4
Chiara M. Travisi - illustrated by Svenja Karstens
 
In Part 4 of the Spring blooming sequence, the practice continues with a rather long series of purva pratana asanas with different levels of complexity. In bharadvajasana and in the standing bujangasana with ropes at the wall, the bolster receives and welcomes the upper chest giving a sense of lightness even if the work is antigravitational. The bolster is employed as a point of reference toward which pushing and blooming the upper chest. Since these asanas are indeed working against gravity, the practitioner here learns to use the legs to give a vertical active lifting to the chest. The main idea is elevating the heart as if it were on an ‘alter’ in order to allow it to rest down, softening and releasing with no tension. Thus, the legs and back chest are literally at the service of the front chest.
 
The following ustrasana and kapotasana variations require an intense work in the legs to learn how to pump the chest up and should be approached according to each own capacity.
 
Finally, the last three asanas that I propose to close this part, not only are back extension but also inverted asanas. Accordingly, the combination of chest opening and inversion is particularly interesting: the chest, which is now lower than the pelvis, can drop down from the support going in favor of gravity. Besides, these inverted positions, contributing to blood return from the peripheral arts back to the heart, oxygenate the cardiac organ itself.
Categories
Iyengar News Practice
Oct. 8, 2024
Lateral thinking sequence
The 'go and be straight' diktat can sometimes constitute a limit, especially when applied to the ability of reasoning, creativity and expression of one’s uniqueness and integrity. This sequence is dedicated to laterality and going out of the ordinary schemes and proposes a body practice that reviews many asanas varying them to work in laterality. written by Chiara M. Travisi designed by Svenja Kartens

Iyengar News Practice Science Yoga Studies
Dec. 7, 2023
The Prism of Yoga
“Let 'yoga' do what it can and must do, that is, give us the discriminatory and prismatic ability to reconceptualize our gaze, making us join what could appear separate, developing an inclusive and tolerant attitude in every context. And if #yoga is utopia, the utopia of a path of individual evolution to create a community based on justice and equity, I’m fine with that and, at least, let us be inspired!
