 Sources: Photo one Eugen Sandow (1894) from "Sandow's System", Photo two Unknown, Photo three Dr Gouri Shankar Mukerji (1963) from Yoga und Unsere Medizin / 84 Yoga Asanas Prior to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, yoga asanas (postures) were primarily seated positions. For the most part, they were not practiced for physical strength or health. In his book Yoga Body, Mark Singleton illuminates the influence of weightlifting and other physical cultures on what becomes yoga "asana". Today, an "asana" can mean nearly any physical position. Aside from some positions that come out of hathayoga, many others draw their roots from contortion, muscle control, wrestling, gymnastics or calisthenics.  Source: "Sandow's System" (1894) WARRIORS, TRIANGLES AND LUNGES Hathayoga texts do not contain postures like warriors, triangles or lunges. (This is not to say that no one ever stood in a lunging position, only to say that they were not part of yoga.) However, these positions feature in physical culture manuals like Sandow's System by Eugen Sandow from 1894. In Sandow's System, lunging positions are taught as "Heavy-Weight Exercises" and situate the legs in such a way to allow for an overhead press of a heavy weight. However, if we remove the weight, these same positions are what we today call "Warrior 1", "Reverse Warrior" or, as in the case above, "Triangle". INFLUENCE ON GHOSH The impact weightlifting had on Bishnu Ghosh and his students is well documented. Ghosh's first book is Muscle Control and Barbell Exercises and contains nothing called asana or yoga. Ghosh's early student Buddha Bose writes in his book Key to the Kingdom of Health Through Yoga (Vol. 1) about the influence of physical culture and even Sandow himself: "I have seen hundreds of physical cultists with mighty muscles, sportsmen of great proficiency, powerful wrestlers, champion swimmers and clever boxers with immense powers of endurance and have respected the determination and ability which produced their skill." (p. 6) He then writes about the "powerful physique as is possessed by men like Sandow" (p. 6).  Source: "Sandow's System" (1894) While Ghosh, Bose and many other teachers of yoga from the first half of the twentieth century go on to teach asana, the influence of weightlifting appears to continue. Even a position like the sit-up found in Bikram Yoga is extremely similar to the position shown with weights in Sandow's System. Sandow instructs that "it should at first be performed without the dumb-bells, then with dumb-bells of increasing weight" (p. 215). The sit-up, Sandow writes, "is designed to bring into play the rectus abdominis and other muscles of the abdomen, and has an important effect on the digestion" (p. 215). Over 100 years later, Choudhury writes in Bikram Yoga that "the sit-up strengthens and tones the abdomen, invigorates the body and increases the flexibility of the spine" (p. 164). CONCLUSION The influence of calisthenics or contortion on yoga asana is seamless. Neither of these practices incorporate apparatus or weights of any kind. Since asana is also a bodyweight practice, this is an easy transition. However, weightlifting uses equipment. When weightlifting positions mix with calisthenics or yoga asana, it is interesting to note what happens. Are we simply forgetting about the kettlebell every time we do a Warrior pose??
Sources:
Bose, Buddha. 1939. Key to the Kingdom of Health Through Yoga-Vol.1. Choudhury, Bikram. 2007. Bikram Yoga Ghosh, Bishnu. 1930. Muscle Control. Sandow, Eugen. 1894. Sandow's System. Singleton, Mark. 2010. Yoga Body.
2 Comments
 In just a few months, we'll begin the 300 Hour Ghosh Yoga Advanced Teacher Training program. This is a program that has been in the works for quite some time. It is geared toward those who are exploring the practice and study of yoga at an in-depth level.
Just recently, we published the full curriculum. (You can find it here) While this program is "advanced", we do not consider that to mean that deep and complex physical postures are the only path forward for serious practitioners. While the body is one aspect of practice, the breath, the mind and ultimately, the inquiry into the self are other important aspects of yoga. We've designed the curriculum to tackle ideas of the self by examining concepts of thought, belief, faith, knowledge & truth. As we explore the mind we will look at different meditation practices. These are documented in various texts and traditions. We will study texts as well as look at what modern research has to say about the practice of meditation. Personal practice will be a large component of this course. This means physical, muscular practice and it also means breathing practices. A seated pranayama practice will be taught and cultivated. We are excited to dive in deeply alongside those committed to the exploration of yoga. As we learn, we continuously recommit to study and practice. The path is ever unfolding.
Last week, Scott and Ida had the pleasure of attending the YDYS 2022 Conference in Krakow, Poland. The conference was co-hosted by Jagiellonian University Institute for the Study of Religions (Krakow) and the SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies (London). The aim of this academic conference is reviewing and discussing recent developments in the field of Yoga Studies. Over the course of 4 days, there were over 50 papers presented by scholars from all around the world. The topics varied widely, from discussions of gender and abuse, to yoga in Poland, yoga in central and South America, to new translations of unknown texts. The team of scholars that is working on a critical edition of the Hathapradipika presented their progress. It seems that this text, as vital and influential as it has been for centuries, has been in a corrupted state for centuries.
 Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ  Reid Park Zoo, Tucson, AZ We recently had the pleasure of working with the staff of Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ. In addition to giving lectures on breathing and mindfulness techniques, teaching asana classes, we got to meet the elephants and tour the zoo! Lucky us! Reid Park Zoo is at the forefront of addressing animal care staff well-being which leads to animal wellness. Staff at Reid Park Zoo carefully monitor animal wellness on a regular basis. They look for appropriate behaviors to make sure the animals are acting similarly to the way they would in the wild. Under the vision and direction of Sue Tygielski, Reid Park Zoo is incorporating yoga asanas, breathing & meditation to help reduce stress and anxiety in the animal care staff. This in turn, helps the animals. These techniques are primarily simple breathing and mindfulness meditation practices which have been shown to reduce stress and burnout. For more details, enjoy the short clip below. Well done to the Reid Park Zoo team for addressing the link between animal care staff well-being and animal wellness! We are so happy to be a part of it.  SOURCE: Yoga Postures for Health, C. Bernard & B. Tesniere, M.D. It is often thought that posture sequences are important. The order in which we practice the postures can prepare us for one that follows, develop skills that move us toward a "peak" pose, keep us out of injury, or facilitate a group of people to move together cohesively. Sequences can also link us to history. However, through a historical lens, we have to take into consideration how sequences came to be and the methods they were built upon. GROUPS OF POSTURES Yoga poses were grouped by the orientation the body had to the floor. Seated postures were one group, kneeling another. Standing was different than reclining. This meant that anything that was done standing was done within the same section of practice, regardless of what the body was doing while standing. This is certainly the case in Bikram Yoga. Postures are done in the order: 1) standing, 2) reclining, 3) kneeling, 4) sitting. If we view Bikram's sequence this way, it makes sense that a posture like Cobra is done in the reclining section despite the fact that it is simpler for the body than the Standing Backbend or a backbend standing on one leg (Standing Bow). It also makes sense to have Fixed Firm, Half Tortoise, Camel and Rabbit postures — that do very different things with the body — grouped together, as they are all done from a kneeling position. There is historical precedent for this method of practice as early as 1939. Buddha Bose instructs, "I have classified the exercises under the six headings as follows: 1) Padmasana, 2) Sitting Postures, 3) Reclining Attitudes, 4) Standing Positions, 5) Kurmasana or Tortoise Poses, 6) Mudras." He goes on to say: Students should start by practicing a few exercises from each group ... and then gradually work up to the more difficult ones. In the 1950s, Yoga Postures for Health (compiled from the Self-Realization Magazine founded by Paramahamsa Yogananda) presents a similar idea. It states: The various postures may be grouped naturally into three general divisions for learning: sitting postures, lying-down postures, and standing postures. Do not attempt all of the postures listed in this article at any one time! This list is intended only as a sensible guide from the simple to the more difficult asanas in each of the three categories. Practice only a few at any one time, and continue practicing those few until you perfect them before you attempt another group. CONCLUSION When thinking about a yoga sequence, it's important to take into consideration the values of sequencing itself. What informs the order? Is it that the postures are related in their use of the body? Or the use of opposing muscle groups? Or is it orientation to the floor or how a group can move together gracefully? There are no right answers here. However, if we expect a sequence to accomplish something specific in the body, but our sequencing is based on something else, this can lead to confusion.
Sources:
Bernard, C. & Tesniere, B. 1950s. Yoga Postures for Health. Bose, Buddha. 2015 (1939). 84 Yoga Asanas.  Over the past few years, we have researched the origin and evolution of several postures and practices in this lineage. We thought we would gather them all together in one post, with convenient links.
Probably the most significant single piece of research we've done was organizing the postures taught by Bishnu Charan Ghosh and several of his prominent students. We found 113 total postures, with 27 of them that seem to have been central during Ghosh's lifetime. The full list is here, in all its detailed glory. Of course, many of the postures in modern yoga trace back to the late hathayoga era, as physical practice was blossoming. It is noteworthy that all 10 of the older postures in Bikram's class were in the Gheranda Samhita, a text thought to be from Bengal (where Kolkata is). Bow Posture, a staple of modern yoga, seems to have transformed in the 1920s. The posture dhanurasana is explained in hathayoga texts, but it was probably a different posture. Then, the modern backbend came became popular, and is now one of the most recognizable yoga postures. Triangle Posture came into modern yoga in the 1920s, probably under the influence of gymnastics and calisthenics. But it wasn't until the 1970s that Bikram Choudhury transformed the posture into a deep sideways lunge that resembles a bodybuilding pose. Tree Posture is old by any measure. But it has curiously changed names several times, called anything from ardha chandrasana to ardha padasana, vrikshasana to tadasana. Modern Camel Posture, ushtrasana, seemingly came out of nowhere in the 1930s before completely overtaking the older version in the 1960s. Camel Posture has never looked back! Standing Bow Posture is such a new phenomenon that it is hard to even trace where it comes from. Probably some combination of dance and gymnastics, and probably from the south of India. Bikram Choudhury seems to have evolved this posture into its modern form.
Second editions are in the works! The first two manuals we ever released were the Intermediate and Beginning manuals. We started with the Intermediate, which may seem like an odd place to start. We never intended to publish more than one manual. All we planned to do was capture the "intermediate" postures we had been learning and practicing. We hoped we could arrange them in a way that others could use. As we were learning, we had notebooks full of scribbled notes that didn't end up always making sense to us later. Sometimes we couldn't remember what body part went where, or what exactly we were supposed to be doing. We took the time to make something we hoped would be clear and helpful. Essentially, we wanted to make the manual that we wish we had had.
 Ida & Jerome Armstrong shipping books, 2015 Now, quite a few years have passed and we feel it's time for an update! We take the need to evolve and reassess what we are teaching very seriously. We believe that as teachers, we have to teach the absolute best we can with the tools and information available to us at the time. This is what we did when the manuals were first written. However, since then a lot has changed. In the past handful of years, we have been lucky to have conversations with so many teachers and students around the world. We have been able to see practices evolve in real time, and watch as people adjust their postures. We have been able to hear questions, and listen to what has and hasn't worked for people. As students ourselves, we have learned, studied and practiced as much as we were able.
We feel that it's of vital importance to always try to learn and refine what we practice and what we teach. This is because research is always being done, people are evolving, situations are changing. Because of all of this, we are ready to take the next step with these early manuals! We want to evolve in the language we use, the information we present, and in some cases the postures themselves. We look forward to sharing the second editions with you this summer.  I have to admit, compiling my list of year end books was humbling. The truth is, I read a lot of fiction. While some of it I will enthusiastically list here, other titles I choose not to admit! For me, 2021 wasn't a huge year for non-fiction but I did read some mind-scrambling books which I most certainly recommend. This list is a mix of both, each book bringing forth a subject or character(s) rich in complexity. There's also a bit of poetry to add into the mix of prose. These books took my mind to new and interesting places. For that, I'm especially grateful.  THE HIDDEN FACE OF EVE By Nawal El Saadawi Nawal El Saadawi passed away recently, and it was by reading her obituary that I first heard of her. I quickly realized that her reach was far and wide, and I was just new to her writing. The Hidden Face of Eve claims to deal with the treatment of women in the Arab world, but it goes far beyond that to deal with power and gender at large. It's not easy to digest but that's because she examines extremely difficult topics.  THE SECRET LIFE OF GROCERIES By Benjamin Lorr I would guess that many of you reading this know of Benjamin Lorr. He wrote Hell-Bent which looked into competitive yoga. In this follow-up, he takes the same "all in" approach. He gets to know many in the grocery world, including a trucker and product developer. Brace yourself. It's at times brutal and disgusting, but it's well worth a look into the large and somewhat dysfunctional system that exists to feed us each and everyday.  THE BODY PROJECT by Joan Jacobs Brumberg This is a fascinating, and at times heartbreaking book that deals with the history of the female body in areas like media and medicine. While it is geared toward girls in America, it goes far beyond that. It illuminates how policy and promotion shape the understanding of our physical appearance. Furthermore, it illuminates our ways of thinking that have nothing to do with our actual body and much to do with cultural trends.  MARY MAGDALENE: MYTH AND METAPHOR By Susan Haskins This is an absolutely fascinating read about Mary Magdalene. It is slow and dense but packed with interesting history. Haskins background is in art history and she uses depictions of Mary Magdalene throughout time, along with early writings and devotional works to explore this historic (and perhaps quite misunderstood) character.  THE SPOILS OF PARTITION By Joya Chatterji This book is an academic history of the partition of India following the end of British colonialism. It's not for everyone, but I recommend it to anyone interested in this subject. Chatterji writes in a very approachable way. She dissects the way in which the new land borders were drawn and what that meant for the immense amount of people who suddenly found themselves in a new country. She explains what is considered to be the largest human migration of all time in a clear and incredibly researched way.  THE FIRST FREE WOMEN By Matty Weingast This is a lovely book to have around. It does not need to be read page by page, but rather enjoyed poem by poem. This is a translation of Therigatha (Verses of the Elder Nuns).  WHEREABOUTS By Jhumpa Lahiri Now for the fiction! I heard an interview with Lahiri on the radio which piqued my interest about this book. The interviewer said something like your book has no plot, nothing happens. She responded saying I wouldn't say it has no plot, a plot is just a series of of things that happen. This made me so curious! Now having read it, I understand both sides. Does it have a plot? I'm not sure. But it was funny, charming and some of the best writing I've read.  FIRE KEEPER'S DAUGHTER By Angeline Boulley Both this book and the next one were decades in the making from what I've read. Each author let the story simmer and took the time to shape the characters with such craft that you feel you know them personally. Fire Keeper's Daughter is just so good. The story is set not too far from where I grew up, which is what first drew me to it. However, the book gives you an immediate sense of place both in struggle and community regardless of where you are when reading it. It is labeled as a young adult read, but is definitely for all ages.  WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING By Delia Owens
I was so late to the Crawdads craze. All I can say now is better late than never! There is an endless amount that can be said about this book. The writing is amazing and evolves throughout the book as the characters grow. Owens has total mastery over the place, the people and the world she creates. The main character Kya is heartbreakingly lovable. Boss them pirates!  Gosh I love to read! Every book is an opportunity to see the world from a new perspective, to learn something from an expert, or to peer through a window to a different time and place. Here is a short list of books I read this year that had a profound impact on me. They are not new books. In fact, some of them are quite old. But they are all valid, and they meant a lot to me this year.  WHEN PROPHECY FAILS by Festinger, Riecken and Schachter This work of social psychology from the 1950s dives into the mentality, actions and beliefs of a UFO cult. But it is so much more than that: an exploration of how our minds react when we may be wrong about something we really believe in. The authors build the case that, even when we are confronted with evidence that we are wrong, we essentially double-down in our beliefs. It is a chilling conclusion — that humans are sometimes immune to changing our minds. As the authors write, "when people are committed to a belief and a course of action, clear disconfirming evidence may simply result in deepened conviction". After reading this book, it is hard not to see this phenomenon all around us in the world today.  ETHICS IN THE REAL WORLD by Peter Singer Ethics and morality have become especially important to me this year. Perhaps it is due to the ongoing pandemic and the acute awareness of how my actions can impact others. I stumbled upon this book, which contains 82 short essays about various ethical conundrums — from geopolitics to religious freedom, eating meat to climate change — and thought it would be a good overarching introduction. It is. Singer writes with remarkable clarity about ethical issues of all sorts. And the brevity of the essays means that nothing is belabored.  SELFLESS PERSONS by Steven Collins This scholarly dive into the Buddhist concept of non-self is deep, complex and absolutely stunning. The idea that there is no eternal Self can be confounding and frustrating, especially when compared to other systems that insist upon its existence. The importance of non-self is summarized best in Collins's introduction: "this belief in a permanent and a divine soul is the most dangerous and pernicious of all errors, the most deceitful of illusions, that it will inevitably mislead its victim into the deepest pit of sorrow and suffering".  SEVEN TYPES OF ATHEISM by John Gray I'm a sucker for an analysis of human spirituality in all its subtlety, diversity and contradiction. Gray's book does not disappoint. He begins by defining an atheist: "anyone with no use for the idea of a divine mind that has fashioned the world...It is simply the absence of the idea of a creator-god". This leaves a lot of room for variation in beliefs about the nature of the universe, creation and human spirituality. Gray systematically explains seven distinct forms of atheism that have been embraced throughout history. A book of remarkable clarity and exposition that illuminates the ways we see ourselves and the world.  THE YOGASUTRA OF PATANJALI: A NEW INTRODUCTION TO THE BUDDHIST ROOTS OF THE YOGA SYSTEM by Pradeep P. Gokhale I don't know how many different translations and explanations of the Yoga Sutras I have read. Dozens. Many are confused or confusing, and scholars are increasingly aware of the compiled nature of the text, and how it shows influence from a handful of other systems of thought. Buddhism is among these influences, but deep dives into the Buddhist roots of the Yoga Sutras require a rare combination of expertise. With this new research, Gokhale has provided a huge step forward in our understanding of the philosophical and linguistic roots of the Yoga Sutras. He analyzes works of Abhidharma Buddhism and shows how they explain many aspects of the Yoga Sutras better than traditionally accepted narratives. This is a scholarly work, full of difficult history and terminology, but worth it for anyone with a serious interest in yoga history or the Yoga Sutras in particular.  WHY WE SLEEP by Matthew Walker This book was recommended to us by several people over the past few years until it became impossible to ignore. And it was worth it! We even wrote a blog about it. The book begins with the obvious-in-hindsight revelation that sleep is vital. It is not a passive state of nothingness that can be shortened or neglected. Rather, it is a very active state for many systems of the body, especially the brain. Walker explains the structure of sleep and its impact on things like our memory, physical health and even physical coordination. This is a book with practical, everyday implications that can make anyone's life better.  THE CHAKRAS by C.W. Leadbeater Earlier this year, as we were doing research for a workshop series on the Yogic Body, we read a handful of books about the chakras from the early 20th century, including this one. Leadbeater was a prominent Theosophist, a highly influential group that shaped modern conceptions of yoga and spirituality. This book from 1927 is remarkable as a vivid capsule of the time. Leadbeater claimed that he could see the chakras, and he painted them beautifully. I find these paintings to be among the most remarkable elements of 20th century yogic history because, aside from being lovely, they show the break-neck speed of change in conceptions of the yogic body. Here, in the 1920s, there were seven chakras associated with parts of anatomy. But they were not yet rainbow in color nor linked with psychological traits as they came to be in the 1970s.  HOW JESUS BECAME GOD by Bart D. Ehrman Along with our study of yoga history and the history of religion in general, both Ida and I have been increasingly reading about the history of Christianity. It is fascinating for the same reason as all history — our ideas change rapidly along with the cultural needs of the time. This book by Ehrman explores the early centuries after the death of Jesus, and how the story of Jesus changed, turning him from a preacher or even a prophet into the only son of God himself who rose from the dead. It is full of scriptural quotations and explanations alongside historical analysis. And it is quite readable, which is not something one can often say about a work of scholarship like this.  BREATH by James Nestor
I never thought someone could write a compelling story about breathing, something we all do thousands of times each day. But Nestor has crafted a surprisingly interesting narrative around his own research into breathing anatomy, physiology and history. Where it falls short of a scholarly history or a medical anatomy text, it more than makes up with its humor and readability. This is a book that anyone can and should read to have more understanding and appreciation of the most fundamental function of life — breathing.  It can be challenging to navigate day-to-day activities such as conversation. We inevitably talk with friends, family, acquaintances, students or teachers. Some conversations are easy, some are difficult. Some can be comforting and others unsettling.
As we attempt to practice yoga while also being a human being in the world, it can be helpful know what texts say about something so common as talking with others. If nothing else, it is interesting to consider that the act of conversation brought about challenges even ~2,000 years ago, and that guidelines were presented in order to help us navigate this in a skillful way. In this blog we'll look at a verse from the Sammanaphala-Sutta (D I 64) an early text of Buddhism whose title means "Fruits of the Ascetic Life" which describes moral behavior. Other verses from this sutta (Skr. sutra) deal with different topics, but here we'll look at the four types of harmful speech. Four Types of Harmful Speech The first type of speech to be avoided is untrue speech. For this, one should give up speech that is not reliable or trustworthy. One should not deceive another. Next we are told to avoid malicious speech. This is explained as refraining from gossip. One should not pass along something that one heard if the goal is to create conflict. Furthermore, one's speech should be intended to bring together those that are divided and encourage those that are united. Third, the practitioner should avoid unkind speech. One should not speak words that are hurtful, but rather words that are courteous and touch the heart. Finally, one should avoid idle chatter. One should "speak at the right time, in accordance with the facts, with words that are helpful...." (pg. 20). These words should be concise and appropriate for the occasion. The next time we find ourselves in conversation, we can consider whether our words are: true, encouraging unity, kind and necessary. Gethin, Rupert. 2008. Sayings of the Buddha: New Translations by Rupert Gethin from the Pali Nikāyas. Oxford University Press: New York |
AUTHORS
Scott & Ida are Yoga Acharyas (Masters of Yoga). They are scholars as well as practitioners of yogic postures, breath control and meditation. They are the head teachers of Ghosh Yoga.
POPULAR- The 113 Postures of Ghosh Yoga
- Make the Hamstrings Strong, Not Long - Understanding Chair Posture - Lock the Knee History - It Doesn't Matter If Your Head Is On Your Knee - Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) - 5 Reasons To Backbend - Origins of Standing Bow - The Traditional Yoga In Bikram's Class - What About the Women?! - Through Bishnu's Eyes - Why Teaching Is Not a Personal Practice Categories
All
Archives
May 2022
|
RSS Feed