Pandoraspace

Day 4 of cramming for Faeq Biria’s workshop: I could not attend class today. What a major bummer. I did try to do some posses at home on my own.  I have come to the realization that the most difficult part of yoga is practicing alone.

Day 3 of cramming for Faeq Biria’s workshop: Today’s class is not so good (or should I say I was not good during this class). I was late for class and was not allowed to join the mediation. When I did adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog), my hands were all sweaty and I slipped. I got cramps while doing parivritta parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose). Worst of all, I could not bring myself do my favorite pose, sirsasana (headstand). It is one of those days and I am wondering whether I will survive Faeq Biria’s classes.

Day 2 of cramming for Faeq Biria’s worshop: The word to describe today’s class in UNEXPECTED.

To borrow the words of Forest Gump - “[Yoga] is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get.”

I was not expecting Rina to teach today but she did.

Before class started, Rina asked if anyone had asthma.  I thought that Rina had asked this question to warn us that today’s class would be difficult.  I was wrong.  Rina asked the question because she wanted to light incense to scent the room.  Also, I thought today’s lessons would be standing poses, which I dread.  I was pleasantly surprised that today was all about forward bends and twists.  Although forwards bends and twists are tough, I enjoy them because I am at peace when I execute those poses.  

Classes usually begin when the teacher tells the students to sit in sukhasana (sitting with you legs crossed and your palms pressed together), and with eyes closed, say “Om”.  Today, Rina began the class, with a short talk about the Puruksha (the Seer or soul) and the Prakrti (the Seen or everything else). From what I remember, Rina said that the soul or Puruksha is our true selves. Our true selves know no sadness, happiness, pain or joy.  Rather, in our true selves, there is peace from finding ourselves.  Often times, however, we do not recognize our true selves. For this reason, we feel sadness, pain, happiness and joy.  Rina further explained that Prakrti is everything else that we sees.  Prakrti is what gives us false impressions about our true selves.  According to Rina, our Puruksha is like the sun, which is the true source of light.  Whereas, our Prakrti is like the moon, which is capable of giving light but is not the true source of light.  Like the moon, our Prakrti bears something of our true nature but is not quite us.  The reason Rina spoke of Puruksha and Prakrti is because today’s lessons are intended to aid us look within ourselves to find our Puruksha and rid ourselves of the impression of ourselves that we get from the Prakrti.  According to Rina (and by experience I confirm that what she says is true), today’s lessons allows us to fold into ourselves when we do forward bends and to open up our chest and hearts when we do twists.

Half way through the class, we were told to go into paryankasana (this is a pose where you start by kneeling on the floor and slowly bend backwards).  In the variation of paryankasana that Rina asked us to do, I suddenly felt fear as I was bending backwards.  For some unexpected reason, I felt that I was going to drown head first.  It called to mind that time, when I was in college and would get nightmares that I would not be able to wake up because I was drowning head first.  After reminding myself that my fear is baseless, I forced myself to get into the pose and I was able to sustain the pose for some time.

As a rule, I am a very realistic person.  I believe that you cannot squeeze blood from the stone.  During this class, Rina forced us to get into another pose when we were all tired and she said that she would try to squeeze blood from a stone and she did.  Rina was able to get everyone to do several more poses.  This was unexpected to say the least.

So, do I think that I would survive Srichan Faeq Biria’s class?  Maybe.  But, he will have to squeeze blood from a stone like me.

Day 1 of cramming for Faeq Biria’s workshop:  The only word to describe myself on this first day of cramming for Sricharan Faeq Biria’s classes is SHAKY.

I was shaky while paying for the fee for this month’s classes and for the special classes by Faeq Biria.  The miser in me was wondering whether I paid for classes that I will not be able to attend.  I was also shaky while doing one of the most basic standing poses, Tadasana (moutain pose).  Worse, I was shaky just assisting my partner get into a pose.  Even worse, I was shaky even after the class.  Parts of my body ached from non-use.  My shakiness is discouraging to say the least.

I wonder whether I could actually will myself to attend class every day as, right now, even my will is shaky.

Preparing for Shicharan Faeq Biria’s workshop

Since the beginning of this year, I have not been practicing yoga as much as I should. My excuse: work, travel and getting the flu thrice. The real reason: I did not have the will to attend classes or practice on my own.

A few weeks ago, on that rare occasion when I willed myself to go to class, I was reminded that Sricharan Faeq Biria will be visiting the Philippines to teach our yoga classes for two days.  According to the Iyengar Yoga Manila website,

“Sricharan Faeq Biria is the director of the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Paris, and Chair of the Technical Committee of the Iyengar Association of France. For almost 30 years, he has studied directly with B.K.S. Iyengar. He teaches regularly all over Europe, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, Southern and Northern Africa, Russia, and South and North America. Faeq Biria’s integrity and devotion to B.K.S. Iyengar’s philosophy are manifest in his teaching. His courses are a source of dynamism and inspiration for all yoga practitioners.”

Of course, I want to attend the classes of Sricharan Faeq Biria.  The question is, will I survive the classes.

I have two weeks to get my act together, i.e., pull myself out of this lethargy, attend classes regularly and get my mind to focus on yoga.

Wish me luck!