Category: Physical / Ashtanga / Yoga
Difficulty: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Best For: Ashtangis, Int. Vinysasa Students, Teachers
The feeling of “float” that is an important component of various transitions during Ashtanga Primary Series can be difficult for beginners to access. Picking oneself up from seated, lifting one’s own body weight, and swinging back during the seated series of poses in Primary Series can be called a Jump Back (Grimmly shown above in the first 20 seconds). A correctly executed Jump Back has a moment of float in it.
For the purposes of this post – and to avoid confusing the movement described above with Hopping Back from standing (Samastitihi/Tadasana to Uttanasana to Chaturanga) - I will call what’s described in the preceding paragraph a “Jump Back” and what’s described in this paragraph “Hopping Back.” (note: one does not need to hop or jump.)
Even after breaking Jump Backs down into a series of smaller steps for students in the past (as a combination of Lolasana and lifting up) I’ve not felt satisfied with the teaching method. Students also struggle with Jump Throughs for a variety of reasons. (For those not familiar with the term, a Jump Through is jumping from Downward Dog, between the arms, and into a seated position.)
I do think that if teachers can find a way to give someone the feel of even part of a movement in their body then the real learning happens . Those in class this week found I spent a bit of time trying to help Ashtanga students get the “floaty” feeling in the Jump Back (which is also found in Hopping Back and the Jump Through), and worked with Vinyasa students to practice their Hop Backs.
Let’s look at three ideas to start.
What I found helpful in Tim Miller’s article was a slight shift of focus in the Jump Through (which then teaches something about the Jump Back and the Hop Back):
- “Allow the hips to descend as low as possible” to Jump Through (not something I’ve heard emphasized before)
- Think of the Jump Through almost as a forward fold (forward flexion of the spine)
If you then look at the video with the Hopping Back, you will notice the technique he is using. He takes his chest to his thighs (and I’m assuming this is out of a Vinyasa Krama technique). This puts him almost in “forward flexion” for the Hop Back (just like Tim’s article suggests being in forward flexion for the Jump Through). So it may help to think “forward fold” in your Jump Throughs, Hop Backs and, you guessed it in that moment of float in your Jump Backs.
So to focus on the Jump Back first take a look at Grimmly’s video from when he was a beginner (most easily seen on the last link listed immediately above, after clicking scroll about half way down his blog page) and you get these steps:
- Lift legs as in Navasana / Boat
- Tuck your feet
- Place hands in front of feet
- Use the feet like a lever (or I’ve often said “a jack from your car”) and push lightly against the floor
- Curl forward into forward flexion (like in the Hopping Back Video, and like Tim suggests)
- Pick up the feet and do a little hover push up as in Grimmly’s video (to get that “floaty” feel)
- (modification to build strength: keep the feet on the floor for support)
- Either way (and especially if you lift the feet) engage abs and bandhas NOW!!
- Experience the float and use the bandhas (mulha, uddiyana … bonus points for mulhadara chakra) to …
- hop back
I think combining what is outlined above should allow practitioners to experience the floaty feeling in a Jump Back. Wherever they experience it (whether in the Jump Back, Hop Back, or Jump Through) they can then look for the feeling in the other transitions.
The added plus is that with the Jump Back modification the feet can always remain on the floor so students can modulate and build strength over time. This is a technique Gregor Maehle recommends (similar to the Lolasana technique I first used) of building up to 10 breaths with the legs supporting you, then building up to 10 breaths with the legs hovering above the floor.
Om Shanti.
