Prashant’s Class that I Can’t Remember

Day 4 RIMYI

Today I am finding it hard to write, because I don’t really know what happened. There is always a gem that sticks to my mind in Prashant’s class. So I asked my suite mates what the class was about because I just didn’t seem to remember. They all said they didn’t remember anything either. That it was an amazing class, but it was all a fog.

Prashant started by talking about what happens when we have breathing problems. We go to the doctor. Does the doctor ever check the pelvis when there’s a breathing problem? Is the pelvis not important to our breathing? Isn’t the pelvis a support to the breath? There are some things doctors don’t know. Science doesn’t know. 

We took turns in ceiling rope Sirsasana, Parivritta Swastikasana, rope Adho Mukha Svanasana to accommodate the probably 100 people in class. That coordination in itself is a gift that the Iyengars have. That everyone has a space. That he knows if you didn’t get a rope for rope Sirsasana. That he gives a big adjustment for the woman who has back problems while walking around and seeing everyone. (Today was a monsoon day, so it looked like we had extra space in class.) 

His message was to have our consciousness in the pelvis. To breathe into the pelvis. To do each pose for the pelvis. The whole pelvis. Bottom, sides, top, inside, outside, the connections from the pelvis, to the pelvis and for the pelvis. This is where the muladhara region is. He defined it as the origin, or the beginning. 

He told us to keep our attention there in each pose and to concentrate. We all really are doing a different class, because not only was he was telling us that we had to teach ourselves, but we are doing the groups of poses in different order. He said that he was not going to teach us the poses and tell us what to do. That’s for beginners. But we are not beginners. We were to be pelvis focused. Then shoulder blade focused and compare. 

He choreographed us into Trikonasana, parsvakonasana, baradvajasana, ropes 1, pars a upavista Konasana, ropes with Knees on the bolster, Supta padangusthasana and parsva Supta padangusthasana. We did brick Setu bandha, then ended with a menu choice of Janu Sirsasana, Viparita Karani, or Sarvangasana. 

All I know is that I disappeared. When the lights were turned on he said to clear the room, I had no idea where I was or what had happened. The effect of the class spilled into my practice, where I decided to do some hip work to stay pelvis focused. When I got home afterwards, I felt like I had been drugged. Drugged by the touch of Iyengar Yoga.