| Hi,
Wow. I’m impressed by your dedication to doing the "jump back," etc. I share your enthusiasm; it is a wonderful feeling once you get it: probably the closest to flying you’ll ever get without leaving the ground.
It took me about six months to do it, or so I remember. Here are some suggestions. You probably already have most of this, but it may help. First of all, in your video I see you lifting up prior to the jump back, but your feet are on the ground. The first thing you need to achieve is to lift your entire body from the floor with your feet off the ground. You should flex your feet very tightly while crossing them (right over left is usually easier, but I alternate), lift them well off the floor and bring your knees up to your chest in preparation for lift off. Your hands must be right next to your hips; (you mention this too on your blog, but in the video your hands are well in front of your hips, because your feet are on the ground). Then do something that might sound sacrilegious, but it works: hunch your shoulders, (this will prepare you to push down). To lift up, push down as hard as you can with your arms while simultaneously applying all your bandas and crunching your abs. Off course, keep your fingers splayed; this will provide a nice wide, firm base of support for the whole procedure (and you will get an extra push from your fingers).
Personally, I wouldn’t bother with the feet on the floor lift. If is bad form because it pulls you forward. As you say on your blog, you want to be perpendicular to the floor. Indeed, your body needs to go straight up. If you are leaning forward you arch your back and create unwanted tension. Just practice lifting up as I describe above, even if you can’t get off the floor at all at first. Over time you will strengthen your core and soon enough you’ll pop right up. I never did the feet-on-the floor thing . . . and lo-and-behold, I can do the jump back. And I can tell you this: back when I was starting I was one of the few people who could do the vinyasa at all at the school where I practiced; (it was a very popular school in New York). Everyone else did what you are doing in your video (including the instructors). They called it the “scoot back;” and no-one ever got any better. I believe I did because of the approach I describe, which I think I learned from David Swenson at one of his workshops.
After you lift up, if you can’t get your body off the floor, just do whatever you can or need to do to bring your legs back to chaturanga. If you can lift up then all you need to do is increase your strength to the point where you can pivot your body back and extend your legs. Then do your dog thing and jump through.
As for your jump through, I think you can improve it as follows. First of all, I think you need a little more space between your feet and your hands. In the video you actually walk your feet closer to your hands. I would avoid this. Second, when you prepare you need to bend your knees much deeper. They should be almost touching the floor. (I gathered this from watching Richard Freeman and David Swenson.) This is the only way to get the spring power you need to go up. You must also be sure to push with your toes. If you do these two things you will get so much upward force that you may go head over heels, but you will also be able to do the jump through. In your case you barely go up at all and your butt ends up pulling you down before you ever have a chance to do your thing. You need to get your butt up higher, find a balancing point, and then apply just enough abdominal strength as necessary to guide yourself through. Finally, be sure to lower your head. Don’t keep it up, because it will then fight against the upward momentum of your trunk. (You need to eventually fold in half to achieve the ultimate “straight-leg jump through;” having your head up will make this more difficult until you achieve a truly extraordinary level of flexibility.)
Anyhow, these are the fine details that I recall helping me to finally get the vinyasa. I hope it helps.
Of course, the most important thing is to keep at it and not get discouraged. But I would add, (and I think you already know this, based on things you said in your blog) don’t get too hung up on any one part of the practice. While refining your technique is essential, you should be sure to enjoy your practice first and foremost, and don’t fetishize it too much or it will become a hindrance to itself.
And one more thing: if you have any extra weight on your belly, lose it. Losing ten kilos was the single best thing I ever did for my jump back/through. Imagine trying to do it with a ten kilo weight strapped to your gut.
Hope it helps.
Andrew
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| Oh, one more thing. Just my opinion, but I would lose the grip socks. I guess I'm a purist, but what I love about Ashtanga is that you don't need such things. My fear is that it will become a crutch over time. Also, I don't quite understand why you need them (or any "yoga aids.") Many thousands of people have achieved proficiency in yoga without such things. Why do you need them? I believe all one needs for yoga is a body, (and maybe a mat -- but even that one can do without . . .)
Edited by ahubbard 2008-07-13 7:30 AM
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| Many many thanks Andrew, have provided a link to this post on my blog and quoted your section on the lift up (hope that's ok). Not enough written about the lift up and it's the area i'm really struggling with. Maybe i just need more core strength or bandha work. Am trying your approach and seem to be getting more lift (hand position helped, thanks) but my feet still seem to drop and catch on the mat. I watched Doug's DVD again and that helped too, i thnk i had lino's lift up and jump back stuck in my head. Doug's seem much more realisting and achievable. Anyway will keep trying your approach (hunching shoulders bit is good).
I agree about the purist, just a body and a mat thing, and that's how I like to do my morning practice, the grip socks and bricks though, i find useful tools outside of the morning pracice a little Extracurricular work if you like.
Thanks too for the paragraph on the Jump through, not focussing on it enough. i know i'm doing something with my hips....i think doug puts it "dropping the landing gear too soon" I think your right about the balancing point, need to find that.
thanks again.
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| Hi Grimmly,
Great! I really hope it helps, and I am flattered that you would make a link to this thread. You made me think back to when I was struggling with the jump back and all kinds of details resurfaced. I remember Richard Freeman once saying that Ashtanga is comprised of clusters of techniques. I think that applies most to the jump back/through. I’m no expert on Ashtanga; but all of the details I gave come from workshops and talks I’ve attended with him and David Swenson. (Although I haven’t been to such a workshop in over ten years; their approaches may have changed by now . . .)
On the jump through: one thing I remembered that might help is David Swenson having everyone just practice jumping up from downward dog; not doing the jump through, but just practicing getting their butt up in the air and finding that balancing point. I think that little exercise was key to my eventually mastering the jump through. But again: you really have to bend the knees and you must push with your toes. If you are doing “extra-curricular” Ashtanga work, this exercise is a must.
Please let me know how things progress.
All the best,
Andrew
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jump back blog
