Nancy Gillgoff in Berlin
I’ve just got back from Nancy’s adjustment clinic in Berlin. Four days mysore practice in the morning and then in the afternoon a chance to talk and discuss with Nancy and learn how to give adjustments. The final day is an adjustment clinic going through the whole of primary giving adjustments. The five days was aimed at teachers or students with a regular self-practice.
Nancy’s style is very personal and she was open to sharing her experience from her early days in Mysore. These stories really brought the workshop to life, some humorous, others touching, all giving a very personal insight into her experience of being taught by Guruji.
I found her insights on the different influences that have permeated Ashtanga and how the method has changed over time fascinating. From the influences of international teachers, as well as different periods of Guruji’s life. She reminded us the the nature of the Mysore shala was research and research involves making changes to see what works or not. As a teacher she had a great respect for different teachings, yet always remained grounded in her own experience based on how she was taught.
Some lesson learned!
1) “Free breathing with sound” – referring to what we know as ujjayi breath. This is NATURAL breathing with sound, not a controlled, forced or extended inhalation and exhalation.
2) Bhandas – The action of tucking the tailbones down and under and the rib cage back helps to engage the bhandas, as does the motion of bringing the head directly toward the knee, and then moving the chin forwards if comfortable. This feels a much more rounded motion than titling the tail bone back and lenghtening immediately in the spine.
3) When Nancy learned vinyasa was not done between sides, and janu sirasana A, B, C was often done as a block with vinyasa before A and after C, and marichyasana A, B, C, D as a block with vinyasa before A and after D. However, most of us chose to keep in all the vinyasas!
4) Practice should get shorter with time, apparently it is possible to do primary and intermediate in one hour! Eventually more time will be needed for pranayama and meditation.
5) Nancy learned primary and intermediate straight through (in around 3 months!) and only began back bending after the end of intermediate. It was not recommened for a student to be doing primary for more than a year before moving onto intermediate.
6) She was told not to practice at anytime of bleeding during a period, but to rest. She recommended women to stay off practice at least until they are able to engage mulhabanda comfortably again.
So the five days were inspiring and a good way to renew wavering faith. Berlin is cool, I love the city, very laid back and unpretentious, with a very raw urban feel. Ashtanga Yoga Berlin who hosted the workshop were really hospitable, letting me stay in the shala and made breakfast for everyone every morning!
And for anyone who misses Shari she was assisting Nancy and demonstrated a far-out Chakrasana (roll over backwards) her feet didn’t even tough the floor! 
And so we ended with the Loving Kindness Meditation
May I be filled with love and kindness
May I be well
May I be peaceful and at ease
May I be happy
September 5th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Hey Laura,
Sounds like an awesome 5 days! Thanks for sharing your insights too. I found your points 3 – 5 very interesting.
At Manju’s workshop I asked him why Urdhva Dhanurasana is not included in Yoga Mala. He said that in preparation for the first release of the book both him and his sister posed for pictures and these included Urdhva Dhanurasana. He didn’t know why they were omitted.
In John Scott’s book Ashtanga Yoga covering the primary series which was published much later (in 2000) he did include Urdva Dhanurasana. Guruji also gives his blessing in the foreword and asserts that the book shows the correct method.
Every single Ashtanga teacher I’ve read or practiced with has had different takes on various details of the practice.
Some of which are directly contradictory. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the seemingly confusing paradoxes. The one thing they all agree on is that regular asana practice is good for body and mind.
In an interview with Manju last week he said practicing twice a week is good, he also warned that the body gets addicted to asana and practicing every day was addiction. I’ll be blogging more about his visit next week.
G