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Yoga Terminology you need to know
"Vinyasa" |
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| Vinyasa means
1. "to place in a special way" : one posture builds upon the other or counterbalances the first pose. The postures are not randomly ordered. 2."breathing movement system" : movement and breath are linked together leading to "flow consciousness" continuous conscious awareness of the present moment. |
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| It will be useful to know an number of Sanskrit words as you take up the practice of Vinyasa yoga. Most of these words come from the Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is a very precise and expressive language built upon the vibrant resonant sounds that the human mouth, skull and vocal chords can produce. Much of the English language comes from Sanskrit. For more information on Sanskrit, please visit the American Sanskrit Institute and the work of Vyaas Houston.
The term "vinyasa" has many meanings. 1. "to place in a special way." When you break down the word into its sankrit roots, "Vi" means "in a special way" and "Nyasa" means "to place". Literally, vinyasa is "to place in a special way." One posture follows another in a specific and orderly manner. This posture prepares for the next posture or counterbalances the previous posture. The postures build from one to the next revealing an internal logic of body, breath, mind and movement. The postures are well placed and lead to a balanced, complete feeling at the end of the practice. In a class, the teacher usually has selected postures from all the classes of poses: Seated Meditation, Standing, Forward Folding, Lateral Stretching, Balancing, Twisting, Backbending, Rounded Back Poses, Hip Releases, Shoulder and Neck Openers, Floor Postures, Inversions and Resting. All of them are important. Of course, some days the teacher may emphasize one class of postures to give you a deeper experience of twists, for example. But even in a class that has an emphasis, consideration for balancing muscular groups, front and backbody and the mind is of paramount importance. 2. Another slightly different interpretation of the word vinyasa is "breathing movement system." The emphasis here is on the power of the breath. There is a rhythm and flow to the sequencing of postures that arises out of the free breathing action of the lungs. Breath and movement are seamlessly united in such a way that each action encourages the other. Each movement has a corresponding breath. Vinyasa practice arises out of the Sun Salutations, a very well tested way of opening and energizing the body. The dynamic movements of the Sun Salutations have a powerful effect, opening, releasing the body, empowering the mind and connecting all the moments. All the inbetween moments are as important as the furthest extension of any particular posture.When you have your first deep experience of the breath moving the body, then you really begin to enjoy vinyasa practice. Typically, inhalations are linked to upward movements and motions intended to expand the front of the body and create lightness. Exhalations are tied to movements that either compress the belly, as in forward bends and twists, or ground and stabilize us with downward flowing energy. For example, at the beginning of a sun salutation you inhale as you raise your fingertips to the sky and exhale as you fold forward toward the earth. |
Once in a while, this common breath pattern is reversed for specific reasons. Reversing this pattern will create length in the spine as a preparatory movement for some more challenging pose. Sometimes we will use an inhale on a dynamic preparatory twisting action, which then leads to an exhale twist for the full expression. Another breath reversal is a sequence know as "The Wave." For example there is a short inhale to create length in the spine before the exhale in "drop backs." (an advanced move.) Again, it opens lengthens and prepares the spine for the following pose.
There are times when you will use "vinyasa kumbhaka' or breath retention. There are short pauses in the breath in a few specific places: jump back, jump forward and when lowering down from a standing pose, like the Warrior, to Chatturanga. You will learn how to effectively use your breath to suit the action that happens. If you practice, you will develop amazing control over your breath. By greatly increasing the efficiency of the O2/CO2 excahnge in the lungs, and getting more oxygen rich bloos to the cells, you reduce the the strain on the heart. You get more oxygen to the cells and release more carbon dioxide, not by speeding up the heart, but by improving the one thing you have conscious control over: your breath. 3. "Take a vinyasa" This cue tells the practitioner to walk or jump back to Chatturanga, Cobra/updog, Down Dog. This has an remarkable salutary effect. By taking the body into a mini back bend (Cobra or updog) and forward bend/mini inversion (Down Dog) it erases the muscular and energetic impressions of the spine leftover from the previous pose. It clears the muscular memory and the mind in the same way one might erase a blackboard before writing something new on it. "Taking a vinyasa" also keeps the tempo going and generates the internal heat that is so desirable to the practice. The heat keeps the muscles safe from injury and helps the detoxification effect. (more on the heat issue later.) 4. Vinyasa Yoga at Eyes of the World involves many techniques that you will need to learn (upcoming web pages) Ujjayi breathing Uddiyana Bandha Moola Bandha Jalandhara Bandha Drishti keep watching this site...... other words to know Namaste Om Annica, a Pali word |
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