March 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Supta Asanas

[Srivatsa Ramaswami]

March 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Supta Asanas

In March 2023 I am teaching a 3 day (6hrs) online workshop between March 17 to 19th 2023 on Supine and prone asanas as per breath oriented Vinyaskarama yoga hosted by Atmayogashala in Chennai. Here is the link

https://atmayogashala.practicenow.us/students/subscriptions?service=workshop&plan_id=4491&fbclid=IwAR0wyw2Xl7rzNpVLecOzK468dSURjuxGgJjO-xGuJ7Bna8LhGvTduKtRiaQ

Supta Asanas

The asana routine in Vinysakrama can be grouped into 4 major categories. standing asanas, seated poses, inversions and then supta asanas or lying down poses. The lying-on- the - mat poses can further be divided into supine and prone poses, each group usually practiced in tandem. One main advantage of supta asanas is that it can be practiced by anyone within one's capacity. Young ones, adults, old, very old, sick and infirm people can do asanas and get benefit according hatayogapradipika. However, the lying on the mat poses afford easy access to asana practice for the old infirm and even the sick. I have known my guru Sri Krsihnamacharya teaching some simple vinyasas for very old and terminally ill people to get some improvement in prana and rakta sanchara and make them feel a bit better. 

The supine poses can be as per vinyasakrama  be divided into subroutines and these subroutines are considered preparatoty exercises for doing an important asana, sarvangasana. The first asana or procedure is to lie down following the lead sequence from standing or samastithi and going through the movements of uttanasana utkatasana, caturanga danasana urdhvmukha svanasan, adhomukha svanasana and then get to dandasana and then lying on the back. Those who are old or otherwise unable to do the lead sequence may straight away lie down to start the practice. The first routine would be a mudra known as tataka mudra or a procedure to lock the pelvic and abdominal muscles . This procedure done after complete exhalation and held for a few seconds is a good preparation to learn the bandhas as the back is well supported. This may be a done a few times.  Tataka mudra or tank pose/ tank seal is said to activate and smoothen the function of apana which is responsible for the proper function of the pelvic organs especially their excretory functions-- as the bladder, colon, uterus and other pelvic organs. The function of apana in tandem with prana maintains life. Here is a brief discussion about prana and apana.

Quite often yoga students struggle with the term "prana". One way of looking at it is to understand the function of prana, The prefix pra in prana would in this context something that helps inward movement. All creatures including human beings need to take in matter from outside like air, wate and food to sustain life. So prana the life force may be considered to control the functions of inhalation through the nose, eating and drinking by mouth, these functions being controlled by prana located in the chest. On the other hand, living systems need to eliminate waste products from the system by functions as defecation, urination, menstruation/.....,birthing. This function of elimination is said to be performed by apana. The prefix apa means 'away' here outward, So this force located in the pelvic area helps to remove waste products from the body by pushing the diaphragm upward for exhalation of stale air, and also the other excretory functions like defecation and others. So prana is the force to help take in life sustaining matter from ouside and apana helps to eliminate waste products from the system. Thus working in tandem prana and apana sustain life and thus along with three other minor functions (vyana udana and samana) is called main prana (mukhya) or life force --- PRANA. And Hatayogis by asanas pranayama and mudras help to strengthen and smoothen the fuctioning of PRANA in all its aspects of maintaining life.

The vedic rishis were conscious of the importance of the proper functioning of the life force PRANA and this cute little vedic prayer shows their concern

pranapanavyanodanasamana me sudhyantam....... May the prana apana vyana udana and samana the different aspects of the main or mukhya prana be purified and function well.

In the supine poses apart from tataka mudra and jatara parivritti, the other asana that are very helpful to keep the apana functioning well is an asana known as apanasana. Basically it is done while lying on your back. You bend your knees to keep the thighs against the lower abdomen, the movement itself being done while smooth and long complete exhalation. One would wrap the arms around the shins  or press the knees down with the hands while exhaling further, If one is comfortable with bahya kumbhaka one may hold the breath out and do the mula and uddiyana bandhas. This intense practice applied to the pelvic area would help stregnthen the apana aspect of the life force. Hence it is also called apanasana.

The other asanas that are in this suptasana routine would be dvipada pitam or desk pose also known as bridge pose. It has several vinyasas (Pl refer to my book Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga") The other subroutines will include urdhva prasarita pada hastasana and its variations. There are also several vinyasas of Jataraparivritti which can be done in the suptasana sththi. The jataparivriiti group also is helpful with the activation of apana. With strong smooth functioning of apana one may expect proper functioning of the pelvic organs like the uterus, colon, bladder, prostate etc.