A NÁLISIS

The yoga mat has come to define the limits of a traditional yoga practice. The standard yoga mat measures about three feet wide and can be between five and seven feet long. Most vinyasa prac-tices begin “at the top of the mat,” meaning that most of the mat is behind the student. From here, the student usually steps forward and back into various positions, as instructed by the teacher. Cer-tain advanced practitioners may incorporate gymnastic transitions (such as rolling from the back into Downward Facing Dog, a com-mon movement in Ashtanga Yoga). However, it rarely occurs to most practitioners to question the space restriction that the mat creates.

The term “multi-dimensional vinyasa” has many layers of meaning.

The first meaning and the one on which we will focus for the time being is that asanas and their associated vinyasas occur in three-dimensional space. For sake of ease, we can define these three dimensions as:

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Forward-and-back

1. . Characterized by moving from the “front” of the mat to the back of the mat and forward again. An exam-ple of this sequence would be stepping back from uttanasana into adho mukha svanasana and back again. This is the most common movement pattern in vinyasa classes.

Side-to-Side.

2. Characterized by moving laterally on the mat.

Because of limitations of the standard mat formation, most students come in to side-to-side movements by stepping back, rotating to face the “long edge” of the mat, then moving later-ally. However, this can also be achieved by stepping or jump-ing wide “off the mat” and comjump-ing into the same movement.

Up-and-down.

3. Characterized by moving vertically up-or-down.

This occurs in most vinyasa classes by coming from a head down to a head up position (e.g. uttanasana to tadasana).

However, advanced practitioners can also achieve this through somersaults (forward or back) or using inverted positions (such as Handstand) to transit directly into head up positions.

To these three dimensions, we need to add the concept of rotation or spin. In three dimensional space, all objects can spin along its axis, or central point. As we all know, the earth rotates around its axis creating, among other things, day and night. For the human body, the central axis is the spine and our center of gravity, the imaginary line of force that keeps us fixed to earth and is integral to our sense of balance.

one dimension Practice: Basic Concept

These four elements—the three dimensions and rota-tion—are the conceptual foundation for a multi-dimen-sional practice. In order to both simplify the concept and give it a practical focus, we can speak of one, two, or three-dimension vinyasa flows. At this time, we will focus on the idea of a one dimension vinyasa flow.

In one dimension vinyasa flow, we use one yoga mat. Within the structural limit of the mat, we have one dimension of movement—

forward-and-back—with rotation. The simplest example of a one dimension vinyasa is the Sun Salutation, in which we start and end at the front of the mat, and use steps forward and back to transi-tion between the two points.

In addition to forward and back steps, we can also use rotation to change the orientation of the class. The following is a sequence that uses rotation to transition from one side in an asana sequence to another:

Prasarita Padottanasana (90° degree rotation to the left)

4.

Anjaneyasana (90° degree rotation to the left)

5.

Parvritta Jagghika Prasarita Padottanasana (90° degree

rota-6.

tion to the left) [literally, twisted legs spread out foot pose, where the thighs are crossed and feet are wide, hands come to the floor]

This is a simplistic sequence that utilizes 90° degree rotations to come to each pose. It is also possible to use 180° rotations from lunges to change sides in a pose. For example, in virabhadrasana II/B we can start the pose with left foot back, right foot at front; to change sides, we can simply rotate to face the back of the mat.

one dimension Practice: asana Selection

In all levels of practice, the instructor selects asana based on the functional outcome of the practice. In a one dimension practice, asana selection is also governed by the relative ease of transit from one pose to another. The general rule in this matter is that poses that share the same base can be linked together. For example, the

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base in utthita trikonasana is the feet with the legs in a spread position. Poses with a similar base include virabhadrasana I and II, utthita parsvakonasana, parsva virabhadrasana II, among others.

All of these poses could be possibilities for the next pose following uttihita trikonasana.

In performing the asanas within a one dimension vinyasa practice, the only additional recommendation for new instructors is to en-sure that the sequence is balanced between the right and left sides of the body.