Pimping up Krishnamacharya's Life saving yoga

sequence plus 8mm vintage video app for

iPhone.

8mm vintage video app for iPhone

I've been exploring Krishnamacharya's so called ' Life

Saving" sequence from th
 
Der Atmende Gott
 

movie this week. At rst I tried it pretty straight, just as it's

outlined on the DVD box, makes a nice extra evening
practice. That straight version is represented belo

Even added a video, mainly an excuse to play around

with the lters on th
 
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 Vintage 8mm video app
 

from itunes

What I'm nding more interesting though is using it as a

framework for my main morning practice. I've included a
couple of ideas for how you might pimp it up at the end of
this post

....or you could just use it as an alternative nishing

sequence to your Ashtanga practic

Krishnamacharya's

 'Life saving yoga session' 

from the movie Der Atmende Gott

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"Starting from the 50s more and more visitors came from
the West to Krishnamacharya in Madras, to learm Yoga
from him, the 'teacher of teachers'. Krishnamacharya
developed for them a speci c sequence that he named
'Life saving yoga session'. Yoga to extend life, the name
did not fail to work. Krishnamacharya's idea was to use
this sequence to lead Westerners to an unconfessional
and undogmatic experience of the Divine, since their
pluralistic culture would not permit an automatic access to
religious matters

The sequence, which was not taught anymore after

Krishnamacharya's death and which was taught by his
son TK shribayam to director Jan Schmidt-Garre after
years of acquaintance during the lming of 'Der atmende
Gott', is here disclosed in its original form

Characteristic of the later Krishnamacharya and of the

'Life saving Yoga session' is the connection of postures,
breathing and concentration in the sense of the
orientation of the gaze and awareness of a focal point.
Only when these elements form an organic connection
can Yoga happen, according to Krishnamachary

1. sit for 30-60 seconds with crossed legs in Padmasana.

Concentration on Nasagra (point of the nose

2. 16-24 Kapalabhati breaths (breath of re, energeti

inhale and exhale
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3. 12 breaths of ujjayi anuloma. Inhale: ujjayi, with slightly
constricted throat, to drwa air into the lungs. Exhale: the
hand forms a claw with thumb, ring- and little- ngers with
which one nostril is alternately kept closed. Exhale very
slowly through the open nostril, without ujjayi, beginning
with the lef

4. 3 breaths in matsyasana. Legs are closed in the lotus

positio

5. 3 breaths in bhujangasana. Start with open eyes and

during the progression of movement, which start with the
forehead, close the eyes. Concentration on Bhrumhadya
(between the eyebrows

6. 12 breaths in sarvangasana. The chin is closed in front

of the straightened body. Hands close to the
shoulderblades, concentration on Kanta (throat

7. 12 breaths in sirsasana. Concentration on Nasagra (tip

of the nose
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8. 3 breaths in halasana. Arms on the oor, hands
clasped, palms towards the outsid

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 Pimping up Krishnamacharya's 'Life Saving' practice with some Vinyasa Krama

Start off the same with 1. and 2., the breathing preparation, perhaps just seated
with the legs crossed if you nd moving directly to lotus a little tough ( the movies
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 director, Jan Schmidt-Garre sits crossed legged in the lm rather than in half or full
lotus).

I then come back up to standing for the basic 10 minutes Tadasana hand and arm
variations that I like to use as a warm up, I do this whether I'm practicing Vinyasa
Krama or Ashtanga.

I tend to follow this with a couple of Sun Salutations A and B, the full ten, ve of
each or 2x A and  3x B or just one of each taken nice and slow, or perhaps with
the surynamaskara mantra, depends how much warm up you feel you need that
morning.

I like to include Trikonasana A and B whatever I do because it's such an excellent

twist.

Next up I include the Utthita hasta padangusthasana sequence because I still hate

it so gure it must be good for me one way or other.

Transition back to seated for...

Ardha badha padma maschimottanasana as lotus prep ( this morning I preceded

that with janusirsasana A)

Other Asymmetric subroutines or parts of subroutines are an option here, perhaps

to include some mores twists.

Back on program with stages 4. and 5. matsyasana and bhujangasana

After Bhujangasana I like to do some more backbending Bow postures followed

by Ustrasana and possibly kapotasana  nishing backbends with urdhva
Dhanurasana and perhaps a drop back or two.
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 from my Kindle Vinyasa Yoga Practice book

The vinyasa krama shoulderstand prep that Ramaswami recommends

6. Shoulderstand
Another bow posture, Salabhasana perhaps as counter to the shoulder stand

7. headstand

And of course one could include some of the shoulderstand or headstand

variations.

8. halasana

9. Bhujangasana again or another bow variation.

10. maha mudra

I like to add another twist here, Ardha and/or purna matsyendrasana or perhaps
Bharadvajrasana to keep the more meditative vibe going from maha mudra

back on program again with

11. A long paschimottanasana and it's counter purvottanasana

12. and 13. Pranayama

14. Japa mantra/prayer meditation.

But of course it's exible, at each stage you can add more or less of a particular
Vinyasa krama subroutine or two. 

Each day could have a different focus,  Bow postures one day after stage 5.
another day Supine vinyasas at 6.  or More Asymmetric at 9. or 10., seated
subroutines at 11.

See Ramaswami's Complete book of vinyasa yoga

or my own practice book for the practice sheets perhaps

Either way Krishnamacharya has included what he considers the key, essential
postures of maha mudra, paschimottanasana, Shoulderstand and headstand.

In the video above I included a few jump back and through variations, use as many
as those as you wish or perhaps keep it very simple transitioning only between
stages.
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