JON CAGAS: On a mission to Mysore

En route to India, Jon Cagas is in town for a stopover. We yogins over at UP have been very fortunate and privileged to have him back even just briefly. For those who don’t know him yet, Jonathan Cagas implemented and taught the yoga program at the UP College of Human Kinetics some years ago which he relinquished in 2006 to teach at a private university in the Emirates. Last year, Jon enriched his training with a 200-hour intensive in the Centered Yoga Institute in Thailand under Paul Dallaghan and Neil Barker plus a 100-hour advanced course on hatha yoga and pranayama with Sri O.P. Tiwari. In August, he will begin practice at the pre-eminent Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (AYRI) which was established by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois who has put Mysore on the world map. Tim Miller, David Swenson and John Scott are some of the high-profile products of AYRI. Before the end of the year Jon, along with Tesa Celdran of Pulse Yoga, will join the ranks of Bela Lipat who have trained directly under Pattabhi and will now most likely also learn from Sharath, grandson of Guruji and heir apparent.

While here, Jon has been refining and polishing our practice. In the Mysore tradition he began Day 2 (first day was Saturday, June 28th) with a chant then started counting and calling out the poses in Sanskrit. He emphasized the relevance and relation of proper breathing, root locks and gaze to executing the asanas. We must experience tristana, he says, or the union of ujayi, the bandhas and dristi. He also scrutinized for us Suryas A and B making adjustments in the way we performed every single vinyasa in both Sun Salutations. In the past two days under his guidance, I have already deepened my practice beyond what I thought I could achieve.

I fell in love with Ashtanga Yoga when I first tried it during the Summer. The nature of my job makes self-practice almost impossible. So I have been feeding my interest in Ashtanga with research. I may be familiar with the techniques in theory but in practice, I had been clueless about, for example, how to negotiate my arms past my back or knees to bind and maintain the twist for Maricyasana. Not anymore.

We all received individualised instruction from Jon who honed our skills and gently coaxed us, boosted our confidence and with smooth, swift adjustments eased us into the poses. This naturally extended our class past the requisite 90 minutes, much to our luck. What seemed daunting before now made perfect sense as he revealed the steps to get there. That, for me, separates a great teacher from a good one.

Jon also has much more to impart than many other instructors. Having obtained a Masters degree in sports education from UP, he is well-versed on human anatomy and the key muscles of yoga. He is also a professional trainer certified by the American Council of Exercise (ACE). In short, Jon brings to the table a combination of Eastern philosophies and Western science which basically makes him well-equipped for Mysore.

Back to class at UP. Jon helped one of the senior Psych professors execute Maricyasana B, and as for me, he got me past that all through Maricyasana D. Whew! For a newbie, that should qualify as a major milestone (right?). Not even an Indian yogi at a popular shala could assist me with that set of asanas. Maybe next time we don’t have to skip Bhujapidasana all the way to Supta Konasana hmmm?

Before I get ahead of myself...watching Jon Cagas demonstrate the full primary series including Pashasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana and other poses from the intermediate series truly inspires awe and respect. Looking back at the journey of this 31-year old Ashtangi, he has also made his mark as a member of the flagship Team Yoga Philippines which sought to bring the yoga boom beyond exclusive Makati to places like the UP gym. With its pared-down, no frills quality UP has attracted university professors, mountain climbers, former ballerinas and Elsa, my classmate, who is a monk. Should he come back to the country and to UP after AYRI, then hopefully we will see more aptly-trained Ashtangins north of the capital.

Jon ended our session with a chant which was offered in gratitude to both teacher and students to celebrate mutual learning. I went home with a sense of tranquility, suspending all apprehensions that tomorrow I would have achey, “Mysore” muscles.

Jon with his students in U.P. and current teacher Joji Balcita whom he trained.

Mysore Workshop with Cathy Broda at Yoga Manila

Cathy Louise Broda, the first female authorized ashtanga teacher will conduct a Yoga Hands-On Adjustments Intensive at the Yoga Manila shalas in Makati and Alabang from September 26th to 28th.

Cathy Louise Broda has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga for 18 years and was authorized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 2000. She teaches Mysore-style ashtanga as well as Pregnancy and Mom & Baby yoga at her studio, Purple Yoga Hawaii in Honolulu. She has three young daughters, including twins. Cathy Louise previously taught at Triyoga in London, and assisted John Scott before leading her own Mysore classes at Ashtanga Yoga London.

During her 18 years of teaching Ashtanga, Cathy Louise has become known for an intuitive touch that can transform your practice. For this weekend intensive, she will teach how to give and receive safe and sure adjustments. Cathy Louise will also share her perspective on the three types of students and the different ways to work with them.

This workshop is open to teachers and students of any style of yoga (students who wish to understand more about their own practice will benefit greatly from learning about hands-on work). It will be broken down into the following modules: dancing with the sun: Suryanamaskara A & B, from the ground up: building energy in standing poses, moving into stillness: vinyasa & the seated asanas, including a Mysore class with Cathy on September 29th.

The hands on workshop costs USD240 which also covers lunch on Saturday and Sunday. PhP700 will be charged for her Mysore class. Please visit the Yoga Manila website for more details.

Yoga for Bloggers at Vinyasa Yoga Center

In the words of Pattabhi Jois: “Practice, practice, practice and all is forthcoming,” Guruji said referring to the secret to perfecting the Ashtanga Yoga series. I am an Ashtangi trying to cultivate a daily practice amidst the demands of work and mommy-hood. I attend a Led Ashtanga class every weekend, but the closest I have come to practicing the asanas everyday is viewing them on YouTube, posting the Ashtanga mind maps on my blog then mentally executing them. So you could say I have developed a “practice”, albeit a theoretical one. Enter the Yoga for Bloggers event held at the Vinyasa Yoga Center in Ortigas last Saturday evening, June 28th. I have been frequenting the blogs of Jane a.k.a The Yogini from Manila and Chona (The Journey of a Yogini), without announcing myself until last week when they whipped up this one of a kind event together with the dynamic Blog and Soul team of Juned and Jayvee--Yoga for computer-based professionals (bloggers)—brilliant! I think I was the third blogger to sign up and qualify for the free class.

As I stepped into the VYC shala, I was warmly greeted by Jane who handed me her personalised Yogini business card and Chona who like myself uses a Gaiam mat. I also met Juned, Minna the lovely VYC directress, VYC regular Trin, and fellow bloggers and shutterbugs Carl (thanks for the photos you sent me, Carl), Cookie and Chat. All in all, there seemed like almost 20 participants.

Jane introduced the group to resident VYC instructor Pio Baquiran who launched us into a yoga routine tailor-made for bloggers. He had us stretching our necks, shoulders, backs, hands and had us do eye rotations while prompting us to breathe “in and out”, and within minutes I felt like I had just spent an hour at the spa! It was amazing how relaxed I felt especially coming from a week of chasing after deadlines at work. What was so gratifying for me was the realisation that I could actually perform this short set of exercises at a quiet spot in the office.

Pio then moved on to a simplified Hatha Vinyasa Yoga routine that I could instinctively follow being an Ashtanga practitioner. Having been thrown into the athletic Ashtanga practice initially because of proximity (the gym nearest my house offers Ashtanga), I lacked the critical foundation that the moderately-paced Hatha Yoga—the origins of many yoga forms including Ashtanga—provided. Pio’s abbreviated Hatha Vinyasa workout focused on achieving proper alignment as much as possible while breathing in the ujayi manner inherent to yoga. By the close of the finishing sequence I sat on my mat, completely calmed and decided that with Hatha Vinyasa yoga I would be well-grounded for my long-term Ashtanga practice.

That said, I knew I would come back to VYC not only because the organisers gave everyone three more free yoga sessions at VYC, nor because my husband works in the building across the street, but because I am eager to learn more from Pio and soak up the warm and welcoming atmosphere at VYC. I mean, where else can you find a shala that teaches yoga then hosts a delicious vegetarian dinner after complete with an eggless leche flan dessert (meal prepared by the in-house yogi Pio), and finally sends you off with a health and wellness loot bag??? Now that’s service de luxe! With the talents and efforts of Jane, Chona, Jayvee, Juned and VYC collaborating on this unique event, I’m really looking forward to what they’ll cook up next.

Salut guys!

(some photos courtesy of Carl Valenzona)

I can’t wait to get a copy of Enlighten Up! (note: bootleg DVD, as I doubt the movie will ever screen on Philippine theatres) For those who haven’t seen the trailer yet, click the play button on my earlier post dated June 20th. The film stars Nick Rosen who plays guinea big to filmmaker Kate Churchill’s quest to prove that Yoga can transform anyone, even a skeptic and New Yorker like Rosen. The two travel to India visiting different shalas, including Mysore, where Nick is immersed in Ashtanga Yoga and meets Patthabi Jois.

Midway in the movie tensions mount and Kate’s plan falls apart. Ultimately, what they discover changes them both forever—so the film’s synopsis says. Ashtanga enthusiasts will be thrilled to see scenes of Mysore: Pattabhi, Sharath, the Mysore Palace. David Swenson, Beryl Bender Birch and other Ashtangis make cameo appearances.

Enlighten Up! premiered this week in tropical Maui. Perhaps silently endorsing the movie, Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams--Ashtanga pioneers in America who brought Guruji and the practice to the Western world--were in attendance. The movie is the first feature documentary for Churchill who has also produced documentaries for PBS.

FILM: Enlighten Up! A skeptic's journey into the world of yoga

OM Life

Ashtanga Yoga has been life-changing for me. This site is dedicated to Ashtangis in the Philippines, like myself, who find "nirvana" in asanas and enlightenment in research and resources which I will faithfully post on this site.

Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient system of Yoga that was taught by Vamana Rishi and was imparted to Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the early 1900's. It was later passed down to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois during his studies with Krishnamacharya in Mysore, India beginning 1927. In the Philippines, Ashtangi trailblazers include Hoze Arando, Sandy Carmona and Bela Lipat. Yoga Manila and new studios like Pulse Yoga are pioneering Ashtanga classes, including traditional Mysore classes.

Events: Fundamental Asanas with Hoze Arando at Yoga Manila (Makati)

6 Days in June

After a long absence from teaching, Hoze Arando will soon be back, energized and fresh from London. He launches straight into Fundamental Asanas, a series of six classes that explores, in detail, breathing and the alignment of basic yoga postures. Hoze, who has been teaching yoga longer than pretty much anyone in the Philippines, will highlight a specific type of pose in every class, such as headstands or backbends, and discuss its benefits. (The half-bound lotus pose has a powerful effect on the liver and the spleen, for example.)

With a stress on maintaining the integrity of every posture throughout one’s practice, he will also teach the prescribed number of breath-transitions (or “vinyasas”) that takes us from one pose to the next. Through this close examination of vinyasas, continuing students will deepen their personal practices, while new students will have a chance to experience yoga in an informative, no-nonsense setting.

P500/class. Students may also avail of a discounted package rate of P2,700 for all six classes. This is to be paid upon registration, and is strictly nontransferable, nonrefundable, and cannot be applied to any other classes. Familiarity with the sun salutations is required.

Tuesday, June 10 930 to 11a standing poses
Thursday, June 12 930 to 11a seated poses
Tuesday, June 17 930 to 11a closing sequencefocus: inversions
Thursday, June 19 930 to 11a restorative poses*
Tuesday, June 24 930 to 11a backbends
Saturday, June 28 1040a to 1210p headstands

* In this special class honoring the full moon, Hoze will teach restorative poses and lead a discussion on mantras and their role in purifying speech, body, and mind.

Road to Mysore

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF YOGA: Devotees from around the world head for Mysore, India, home of the vigorous yoga form Ashtanga By Savita Iyer, BusinessWeek

At 5 p.m. on a breezy Saturday, the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in the southern Indian city of Mysore is buzzing. Students from around the globe are thronging the steps of the three-story, light-gray concrete building. Clad in light-colored cotton pants and T-shirts, their backs ramrod straight, their eyes and skin aglow, they are queuing up to greet Sharath Ranga-swamy, 35, a master of Ashtanga yoga, and his grandfather, Guruji K. Pattabhi Jois, the institute's founder. Some are there to inquire about their classes, which start at 5 a.m. the next day, and some are still hoping to enroll.

While there are numerous yoga centers in Mysore, a two-hour trip by car or train from Bangalore, Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute is the most well-known and the one that attracts the greatest number of visitors from overseas. Ashtanga, which means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, is an extremely active form of yoga. It combines "vinyasa," or flowing breath, with "asanas," or poses. The rigorous mix heats the body in an intense workout that some say is equal to a grueling session at the gym.Russell Smith, a New York entertainment lawyer, says part of the attraction of Ashtanga yoga is the physical rigor. When he first took classes in New York, "I couldn't do any of the poses, and I felt awful," he recalls. "Even so, I was on a cloud. The class really opened me up—the combination of movement and breathing was amazing. I'm hooked." Since 2004, Smith has spent at least three months a year studying in Mysore.

Perhaps because of the physical challenge, Ashtanga appeals to "type-A, overachiever kind of people," says Andrea Varalli, a freelance graphic designer from Maui and student at the Institute. Yet even people who push themselves, he says, soon realize that, as in all yoga practices, "the physical part is just an entry" into enhanced mental well-being.Classes start at 5 a.m., but many students arrive earlier to find choice spots for their mats. Five days a week, sessions are "Mysore-style"—that is, students work at their own pace while Sharath, who goes only by his first name, and his mother, Saraswati, move around the room, correcting students' poses and demonstrating new ones. On Fridays and Sundays, classes are taught to the group as a whole. Beginners get separate instruction for part of the day. Class ends at 8:30 a.m., after which many students adjourn to nearby cafés. Whatever they order must be vegetarian. Alcohol, too, is off-limits.

The strict regimen doesn't seem to be a problem for the students, according to Marcus Fontoura, a senior research scientist at Yahoo! Research in Sunnyvale, Calif., who is on his first pilgrimage to Mysore. "I practice at 5 a.m. in California, too. I'm used to it. Everyone is."A month's tuition is 26,900 rupees (about $600), with additional months 17,900 rupees (about $400) each. There's no weekly rate since the school requires a one-month commitment—no refunds if you leave early, either, and some students do. The Institute is open from January through March and June through December, except for a short break around yearend.When the school is closed, Sharath travels abroad. His workshops in New York, London, Sydney, and elsewhere have been attended by a host of celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, and Mike D., drummer for the Beastie Boys. Sonya Jones, wife of hedge-fund magnate Paul Tudor Jones and a close friend of Guruji and Sharath, has made a few low-profile visits to Mysore, too.

The Institute is closed in April and May because it's just too hot, even for those who seek to transcend the physical.

Asana: Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

First you bind, then you bend.

By Beryl Bender Birch

article condensed from Yoga Journal

The four preliminary postures we will explore that lead up to Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana are Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose), a variation of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose), a modified version of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, and Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend).

In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition I practice and teach, Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana is one of the basic standing postures; Janu Sirsasana and Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana actually follow it in the standard sequence of poses. Over time, however, both of these latter postures are important in developing Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana; they help us a great deal with the challenging work of "binding" the pose—reaching around behind the back to catch the foot in Half Lotus—and bending forward. They do this by assisting with the hip opening and hamstring stretching required for Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana.

Prior to practicing the work recommended in this column, it's a good idea to spend ten or 15 minutes warming up your body. If you are familiar with Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath) and the energetic locks Mula Bandha (Root Lock) and Uddiyana Bandha (Upward Abdominal Lock), I strongly suggest you use them throughout your practice of this sequence. If you're not familiar with these practices, simply breathe in the manner prescribed by your teachers.

1. Janu Sirsasana

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Inhale, bringing your right foot to your inner left thigh. As you exhale, contract your left quadriceps, twist to center your torso over your left leg, and grasp the left foot with both hands. Inhale again, looking up, extending your spine, and lifting your chest. Then exhale, folding forward from the hips; bend your elbows and use your arms to lengthen over the extended leg. If your abdomen and chest press into your thigh, take your chin to your shin. If you can’t fold so deeply, don’t round your back to bring your chin down; instead, just draw the head and spine forward. Hold for at least 5 breaths, release the pose, and repeat on the other side.

2. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Variation

Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your right knee forward to the floor at your right hand, and your right heel to the floor in front of your left hip. Keep your hips as level and as squared to the front as possible, and keep the left kneecap pointing straight down. Maintaining these alignments, stretch through your left leg, sliding it back and lowering the groin toward the floor. To keep the stretch at a manageable intensity, you may place some of your weight on your hands. Continue to release and relax as you hold this posture for up to 30 breaths.

3. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana Variation

Stand with your feet together. As you inhale, draw the right knee up and slightly out to the side, grasping the ankle or shin with both hands. Make sure you contract the standing-leg quadriceps to lift the kneecap. As you exhale, pull the right heel toward the lower left quadrant of your abdomen. Rather than pointing the knee out to the side and down, work to point it forward and up. Use your arm strength to lift the right leg. Take 5 breaths, then release the foot to the floor and repeat the pose on the other side.

4. Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana

Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend the right knee, grasp the right shin or ankle, and draw the right foot in toward the lower left abdomen. Place the ankle as high on the left thigh as you can; hold it in place with the left hand. On an exhalation, reach your right arm behind your back to grasp the top of your right foot and reach your left hand forward to grasp the outer left foot. If you can’t reach your right foot with your right hand, keep the left hand on the right foot and grasp your left forearm with your right hand. Take 5 breaths. Release and repeat on the other side.

5. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

Stand with your feet together. As you inhale, lift your right leg, taking hold of the shin or ankle with both hands and drawing the right foot up to the level of your left hipbone. Pull the right heel in toward the belly with the left hand, place the ankle on the upper thigh, and reach your right hand behind you to grasp your right foot. As you inhale again, lift the left arm overhead; as you exhale, bend forward. If possible, place the left palm on the floor, fingertips in line with the tips of your toes. Without forcing, draw your chin toward your shin. Take 5 to 10 breaths. To come out of the pose, inhale while looking up and lifting your chest. Exhale here. Then, as you inhale, press firmly down through your standing leg and draw your torso back up to vertical. (Bending the standing leg a bit can make this easier.) Release the lifted leg to the floor, then repeat on the other side.