In sequencing, as I said on that day, all three aspects are to be blended: the technicalities, the sequencing and timing. Even if you meticulously observe all technicalities, you will not get the effect. You also have to practice for timing. If you do Sirsasana for one minute very, very precisely, you are going to get no effects. You have got to stay for some length of time, like a gestation period. There must be some time between input and output. Even if food is cooked fast in your microwave, you cannot say it is done in no time. So the timing is important and sequencing must be a blend of all the three. You cannot just do an asana by following timings, you have got to follow the technicalities: how to do, what to do, how not to do, what not to do.
Then, also the sequencing will depend upon how you do the pose. Of the three aspects, sequencing has an equal role, compared to other technicalities and timings. Without sequencing you will not have the building built in a proper structure. You do Sirsasana in the morning and effects are brought; after one hour or two, for Sarvangasana again, it starts from the base. The structure has to be raised up and for that you require sequencing and quick succession. You cannot do Sirsasana, wander about for ten minutes, taking a stroll, walk, do nonsense and then go into Sarvangasana or chat with people and go to Sarvangasana again; it will not have the effect, because the structure has to be continuously maintained. This is how the sequencing is important; it can give you structure.
One pose will not give you a structure even if you do as well as Guruji does. Guruji also will not enjoy just Sirsasana, or just Sarvangasana perfectly. He knows Urdhva Dhanurasana perfectly, Setu Bandha perfectly, but still he will not get the effect which he would by sequencing. He will not get the total effect unless the sequencing is observed, and that is why he has discovered the sequencing.
Can you give an example of sequencing?
You are observing this in the class everyday! Sequencing again cannot be a regimentation, like Light on Yoga mentions a course or daily practice. That way sequencing cannot be defined as "these are the cycle of asana: first, you do standing poses, then twistings, then Sirsasana, then Sarvangasana." It is not so regimented. Sirsasana will depend on how you have done the standing poses, why you have done the standing poses. There are various reasons to do standing poses, various paradigms to do standing poses. So, once you understand that, then sequencing is something which is to be developed subjectively. Until you develop that intelligence, the teacher has to guide you: "after this, do this"; "before this, do this." But once you understand yoga psychology then you will know how you have done Sirsasana and what should follow that Sirsasana. It is not necessary that Sarvangasana should always follow Sirsasana immediately. It depends upon how you have done Sirsasana, why you have done Sirsasana. If you have done Sirsasana to do backbends immediately afterwards, there is no point in doing Sarvangasana after that Sirsasana; it will not give that much effect.
Suppose you are practising Sirsasana and you are going to do backbends afterwards. When finishing Sirsasana, you get a phone call saying that you must come back in half an hour. You will say, "why should I do backbends, I'll do Sarvangasana," but you will not get the benefit of it because this Sirsasana was conditioned by your backbends which were to follow.
So in the class, suppose we take Sirsasana as a preparation for backbends but something happens, you get an emergency call and you need to go in 15 minutes and hence you cannot do backbends. The teacher says, "go to Sarvangasana." You will do Sarvangasana, there is nothing wrong, but the effect will not be struck - there should have been Sarvangasana after backbends. So, sequencing is not such a regimented thing. It depends upon your frame of mind, how you have done it; then it depends upon how you should do forward-bends, or you should do twistings before Sarvangasana, or straight away Sarvangasana. There are very subjective judgements. Only in classes can we give you several varieties and all these varieties will not be suitable to all the seventy, eighty members of the class, because it depends upon in what state of mind they have come here. Somebody might have got an appointment to go to the court after the class, so there is a tension. So many things are there, there are so many subjective judgements, and I think there would be no such book mentioning that "these are the sequences." General outlines will be there as you get it in Light on Yoga, but then, if you go into the deeper aspect, there cannot be such a science, such a rigid science. It is a science, but it is a very subjective science. It depends upon the particular state of mind that you are in, at that point of time: if you have to go to the court, or if you are going to travel.
All those things condition your mind. You have come to the class which ends at 9 o'clock and you have got to catch your train at 9:20; naturally, all those things influence your mind. The teacher might be telling you "be quiet," "be serene," but definitely, compared to others, you will not be serene. So it is a very subjective thing, it cannot be generalised. But you must know the principles of it. Once you know the principles, once you know the psychology and physiology of the asana, then you will be able to make a proper schedule of sequence of asana. All of them take Sirsasana in a class, all of them don't do identically, they will not be able to do it because of a different frame of mind. So in class, to some extend there is a regimentation; but when it comes to your practice, you need not regiment. You should know what state you are in and how you should build up your sequence. It is a science, but it is not such a rigid science; it is a fluid science, because it is subjective. It involves a subjective judgement.
These judgements are like inner laws that we have to understand and to follow?
Yes, that is why you have to know the physiology and psychology of the pose. Once you know those aspects, then you will be able to have your own proper judgement for sequencing, otherwise you will have to depend upon the teacher. If you are doubtful: "what should I do after this, this or something else?" And you might ask your teacher, "what should follow and how should it be done." But, once you know those things, you will have subjective judgement. You don't have to think, "after this should I do this or not this?" That faculty of subjective judgement has to be developed, and for that, you must understand the psychology of the pose, the physiology of the pose, what is happening to the pose, what is happening in the pose.
But it takes time.
Of course it does. Until then, you have to depend upon your teacher.
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