So, I have been teaching a fair amount lately. Almost exclusively beginners which I love doing. I had a real hankering yesterday to spend some quality time with myself. I put on some Carlos Nakai and went into my nice warm yoga room w/ some Nag Champa burning. I just started to flow into asanas without any preconcieved “routine”. I just moved into what felt right at that very second. About a half hour (or so it felt) in, I realized that I had been going along with my eyes close. Hadn`t even really noticed it. I just kept flowing until I “felt” like I was done. To my surprise, I had practiced for a little more than 90 minutes. It felt like 30. Has anyone ever practiced asanas with eyes closed? I was doing a very slow flow and I felt that it allowed me to feel the poses from within. I held most poses for about a 20 breathes. It was one of my most liberating and satisfying yoga sessions in my 25 years of practice!
How important is a pre set routine to you?
Preset? My sequencing is never preset. I never walk into a class with a chiseled sequence - even when teaching a workshop. And I don’t approach my own practice with a concretized sequence. So by this you might ascertain that a preset sequence means nothing at all to me. But that is not the case. It is the preset part. Sequencing is potent however it takes an experienced practitioner (or one with a great deal of awareness) to note that power consciously.
The practice you describe sounds very lovely (for you) and it may very much suit your life (now) and your svadharma, your mood, and your constitution. And that is completely appropriate. Of course these things are not identical from person to person and they do not remain constant for us as individuals either.
Generally speaking, active poses are done with the eyes open while passive poses are done with the eyes closed. This is to prevent confusion in the nervous system itself or to re-pattern an already agitated/confused nervous system. When the student is intermediate or advanced in their practice then the eyes can be closed for the purpose of a deep feeling or connection with the self through the pose. But it’s not advised for beginners or those dealing with anxiety.
It does sound like a lovely practice and I’m delighted you were able to both experience it and share it with others (us).
I attend a fair amount of classes as a student. So I guess what I meant by preset, is like Bikram or Ashtanga series. Every pose is sequenced the same every time. My teacher also has like 5 different series that are the same every class. When I teach a class, I have what I am going to do pretty well laid out in my mind. I mostly teach beginners, so it is pretty basic. I also find that in my own practice I have a general idea of what I want to focus on before beginning. The day I spoke of is the first time that I just stood in Mountain with the breath and then just “let it happen”. I can`t explain it, nor am I sure that I can do it any time I want. Maybe. Thanks for your input. Insightful as always.
That sounds wonderful! I follow along with DVD instruction so I guess that would mean preset, but to answer your other question I mostly enjoy slow vinyasa and often have my eyes closed. Feels so good. Meditative.
MTNyoga, congrats and im so jelous! i got brand new baby and just do not have an ability to do what you did:) i love to practice with eyes closed and it is wonderful experience, you kinda flow right into a meditation after the asana practice…so sweet