headstand and shoulderstand...

[Guest guest]

I like iyengar yoga very much too - before

turning to astanga, I used to practise iyengar for 3

years. Some time ago, I even decided to return to

iyengar yoga & do it along with my astanga routine; but

then, after 2 weeks, I started doing astanga pure &

simple every day again - Monday to Friday 1 hour,

Saturday & Sunday 2 hours, save on new & full moon.

Somehow, I have found that doing the same postures in the

same order every day helps focusing my mind: it's like

a mantra you keep repeating yourself... I also

agree with what astanga goddess Dena is quoted saying

in Cara Jepsen's article,

<a href=http://www.yogachicago.com/jul99/dena.shtml

target=new>http://www.yogachicago.com/jul99/dena.shtml</a> : "If you take a

piece of metal and rub it in the

same place every day, it eventually will bend." How

true.<br><br>As to why in iyengar yoga head stand is always done

before shoulder stand, I guess a main reason is that

iyengar isn't practised in a strict sequence as we do in

astanga. And if you do head stand straight after shoulder

stand, without any asanas in between acting as

counterposes, like matsyasana & uttanapadasana, you may

eventually end up breaking your neck. So that's why in

iyengar yoga, head stand is always done first. In astanga

it's the other way round: first shoulder stand,

afterwards head stand. But then, in astanga you do have the

counterposes in the finishing sequence.