How you put poses together matters. Each pose has a particular kind of energy: some poses are heating and others are cooling. Some postures energize the body and mind and some are more pacifying. Certain postures may have a contracting and wringing out effect on the muscles and organs and other poses have a more expansive and opening effect.
There is a difference between sequencing and choreography.
Sequencing is a process of putting poses together in order where one pose builds on another towards and apex and then balances the effort and strain put on the body with counter poses and eventually bringing the body to a state of relaxation in Savasana.
Choreography is the smooth transition between poses. Both sequencing and choreography are equally important.
In this chapter, Mr. Iyengar talks about how to sequence the twists, abdominal asanas and the supine postures introduced in the last several chapters.
Every pose has its benefits, but it is important to realize that every pose also has its problems.
Twists like Marichyasana (Marichy’s twist) and Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja’s twist) churn the spine and the nerves contained within.
The inversions; Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall Pose), Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) and Halasana (Plough Pose) can subject the lumbar spine to strain. This strain can be relieved by the twisting poses.
The abdominal asanas like Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Upwards Stretched Out Legs Pose) and Paripurna Navasana (Boat Pose) massage and tone the visceral organs, increase the efficacy of the digestive system and reduce excess weight. It is important to do these poses correctly because their negative effects are the ability to cause prolapse of certain organs and hernias. Heart patients should avoid these poses unless they are using the support of a wall.
In this chapter, he gives more contraindications for who are pregnant, post-partum and those suffering from ulcers. As Mr. Iyengar says, “In the final analysis, each of us is accountable for our own health and well-being and prudence should be the first priority in your yoga practice.”
Then he gives a sequence for these three groups of asanas:
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
2. Paripurna Navasana
3. Supta Padangusthasana I & II
4. Bharadvajasana
5. Marichyasana
6. Utthita Marichyasana
7. Halasana
8. Salamba Sarvangasana
9. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
10. Viparita Karani
Concluding the sequence with inverted asanas soothes the nerves after the intensive twisting and abdominal asanas and complement their effects.
Mr. Iyengar cautions about overdoing asanas and he tells us how to recognize the symptoms of over doing. He says that modern medicine measures stress by an increased heart rate. In Yoga, we gauge stress by the amount of heat or tension felt in the head, eyes, ears and temples.
He also talks about the difference in the order of learning an asana and the proper placement of an asana in a sequence. For example, Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) is learned before Sirsasana (Headstand) but in a sequence, Sirsasana should always come first and Sarvangasana should always be positioned near the end of a class.
The sequence of learning the asanas is important in order to prepare the specific parts of the body to respond. And, while it is essential to do the asanas correctly, technical precision is not instantaneous. For example, it takes time to learn to lift ehs sacral spine in Navasana or to elongate it correctly in Urdhva Prasarita Padasana. However, if we have learned the lift and extension of the sacrum in the inverted and twisting asanas, it becomes easier to correct it in the abdominal poses. It takes an asana to teach an asana.
Ailments and weakness lie dormant within the body and often manifest at the slightest inducement after a certain age. Even a minor event can precipitate a major illness. Incorrect asanas can put undue strain on certain parts of the body. It is therefore important to:
Perform the asana correctly
To know the asanas that release strain on specific body parts
Sequence the asanas to erase all deleterious effects at the end of each practice session
There is a lot packed into this chapter. If you’d like to read more of the details about the effects of these particular asanas, you can read the chapter here.