Beginner Asana - er, advise on starting a routine

[11jono11]

Hello, I am looking to add a short Asana session to my practice before my SPB, what would you all advise. + Hopefully others will find this useful.

I am 22, quite fit, i think (I cycle everywhere), eat pretty much purely Sattvic, not massively flexible, for example cannot yet grab hands in Gomukhasana and cannot yet get my forehead to my Knee in Mahamudra. I have some basic experience with Asanas/have been shown some, but would just like to advise on a good thorough but brief (if possible) routine, to help open up energy flow + nudge that energy towards enlightenment that little bit more.

Also, I have come to AYP from Kriya where we practiced Mahamudra, i found this very powerful (even though I couldn't hold the full position), you can feel the energy going up/being stored in Ajna, if I were to add this to the routine where should I add it? in Kriya practice we were told to do it after SPB, to help lock in the energy from SPB, but I am assuming we are to do it before SPB, why is this?/why are we not to do it after SPB?

God bless

Om Shanti

[yogani]

Hi 11jono11:

The small AYP Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas book offers an approach to asanas that is consistent with keeping a balanced daily routine covering a full range of yoga practices. Included in the book is an "asana starter kit," and an "abbreviated asana starter kit."

Basic illustrations for the asana starter kit can also be found here: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/asana.html

All the best!

The guru is in you.

PS: The book also provides guidelines on how to progressively and safely modify an asanas-only practice to accommodate deep meditation, spinal breathing pranayama and other sitting practices, evolving the practice routine to produce the benefits of full-scope yoga encompassing all eight limbs. As we know, asanas (postures) are but one of the eight limbs of yoga.

[11jono11]

Hello, and thank you, Yogani.

Regarding the book/books, I was thinking of getting the complete set (when I get the funds together), What is contained in AYP, Easy Lessons for Ecstatic living, Vol 1 + 2? Does it have all of the lessons? And then are the individual books on topics more concise + have extra material than the lessons?

Blessings

Love and light

Om Shanti

[yogani]

Hi 11jono11:

The lessons are the more complete version of AYP, with more techniques and perspectives in most areas of practice than found in the Enlightenment Series books. However, because the lessons have been written "on the fly" over the past 7 years, they are not as well organized as the enlightenment series.

The enlightenment series does a better job of covering the core practices of AYP in an incremental way -- one compact book for each area of practice.

Btw, AYP Easy Lessons Vol 2 is not out yet. Most of it is online here on the website already, and the rest will be included when the complete book comes out in a few months. Once Vol 2 is out, the two Easy Lessons volumes will be the most complete coverage of everything that is in AYP, while the e-series will continue to provide organized incremental coverage of the core practices.

It's up to you whether to go with the lessons or the e-series, or both. If you are into ebooks, we have recently expanded to additional formats covering nearly all e-reading devices, and you get all formats with each ebook when downloading directly through the AYP website. There are also attractive offerings for "bundled" ebook downloads, where some or all of the AYP books can be obtained for substantial savings over buying them one at a time.

If you are into MP3 audiobooks (e-series only), all the "direct download" AYP audiobooks now come with the corresponding ebooks included for free in the zip file.

All of the ebook and audiobook "direct download" offerings can be found here: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/books-xdirdownload.html

Additional retail channels for all the books (paperbacks, ebooks and audiobooks) can be found on the main books page here: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/books.html  

If you prefer paperback books, and are looking at getting 5 or more, then take a look at the quantity discount program for possible savings here: http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=1248

All the best!

The guru is in you.