Nude Erotic Yoga 28fragnent 29

VIVASTRA KAMA YOGA Vivastra-kama yoga may be seen as a new school, or as a variant of a very old one, Hatha yoga. In Vivastra-kama yoga the asanas of Hatha yoga are learned, practiced, and elaborated, but within a Dualist rather than a Monist perspective, and so with a different purpose. In Vivastra-kama yoga Self and Other are recognized as different beings, and as irrevocably and rightly bound. So the object of Vivastra-kama yoga is not meditation, but contemplation of the divine Other; not the withdrawal of the mind from external objects, but the intense concentration upon and appreciation of that Other. Yoga is “union”: the objective of the “union” of the Monists is spiritual, the All-Soul; the objective of the Dualists is the union, spiritual and physical, of the Lover and his Beloved. Vivastra-kama yoga presupposes not One nor None but Two: Seer and Seen, Lover and Beloved, He as Her pranayin and kamadeva, devotee and god of love; She as His devi, nidhi, shanti, kanti, nandi: goddess, treasure, peace, beauty and delight: Yogin and Yogini.

YOGIN AND YOGINI “Yogin” is the term for the male practitioner, which seems uncomplicated. But observe how “Yogini” has been linked to “witch,” “demon,” “sorceress”!

Can one not discern in these notions the influence of an ascetic viewpoint which shuns women, desire, and the Lover/Beloved divine pair? In Vivastra-kama yoga, the Yogini, to the contrary, is “(with Buddhists) a woman representing any goddess who is the object of adoration.”

VIVASTRA AND ASANA Let's start with some definitions: That “vivastra” means “nude” and “asana” means “posture” likely needs no further defense nor explanation. The controversy over whether there are five asanas, or eighty-four, or some other number, is best ignored; there are as many as it may be useful to distinguish.

HATHA AND KAMA Here are the definitions:

VIVASTRA KAMA YOGA NUDE EROTIC YOGA

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The element of “force” or “self-torture” has been eliminated, or at least thoroughly attenuated, in Western derivations of Hatha yoga, but “abstract meditation (forcing the mind to withdraw from external objects….)” remains, even if the mind is no longer “forced” but only “persuaded.” Visastra-kama yoga is a yoga of contemplation, in which the mind of the observer is induced, and even rightly seduced, to focus upon an external Subject, an Other, a Person who Is and is not “I” but “Thou.” Students may search “kama” at their own discretion, and will find it denounced in various scriptures as an enemy of the mind, an impurity and a poison; or else presented as one of the “objects of life.” Visastra-kama yoga leaves the denunciation to the ascetic schools, and affirms kama as a fulfillment of human life, which is a life of mind in a body, and spirit in flesh.

YOGA WHAT IS YOGA?

As usual, we start with a dictionary—this time with two. So there are many “yogas.” Perhaps we can learn more by asking “What is not Yoga?”

WHAT IS NOT YOGA?

The Sanskrit prefix “vi-“ expresses opposition, negation, contrariety. There exists a word “viyoga.” Which is thus “Un-Yoga.” And what is “Un-Yoga”?

So Un-Yoga may be understood as “separation from the beloved.” Can it then be wrong to understand by “Yoga,” “Union with the Beloved”?

YOGA AS UNION WITH THE BELOVED

“Yoga” as known in the West has had its physical meanings somewhat curtailed, as if its objective were limited to a non-physical spiritual union with the “Supreme Spirit,” the “allsoul.” or “the universal soul.” But nothing in “yoga” itself implies the non-physical union; the root word of “yoga” long ago reached English independently as the very physical term “yoke.” The basic meaning of “yoga” is yoking, joining, attaching; and the root attachment is that of physical bodies. And much more of the same can be unearthed from etymology.

Evidently we are justified to insist that there exists and has existed a Dualist Lover/Beloved union, a physical as well as a spiritual “union,” as a right understanding of “Yoga.”

VIVASTRA KAMA YOGA Perhaps you have seen photographs of yoga poses and noticed that they are not only challenging but beautiful. This project posits that the classic yoga poses are not accidentally beautiful, but are intended to be vehicles for the display and contemplation of beauty of formin-flesh. We propose to prove this point by demonstration.. For the first demonstrative proof, the project chose an experienced yoga practitioner and distinguished fine-art-nude model, Wenona, and the powerful fine-art photographer Mitchel Evans, and set them to display yoga postures in a series of demanding photo sessions. Let the viewer judge whether we have proved our thesis. Vivastra-kama yoga (nude erotic yoga) is a discipline to be practiced as a sequence of postures (asanas), in cooperation with and under the eye of a partner, who may be a teacher, a student, or, by preference, a lover. This book is a Vivastra-kama shastra, teaching the Vivastra-kama yoga asanas to those who would be, and therefore are, the Yoginis of this discipline.

ASANA GALLERIES

KNEELING

SUPINE

PRONE

SITTING

STANDING

INVERSIONS & ARM BALANCES

KNEELING

KNEELING GALLERIES

THUNDERBOLT Vajrasana

FROG KING Jalapadasana

KNEELUP Trishnasana

BENT HEAD Natashirasana

CAMEL Ustrasana

SLEEPING FROG KING Supta Jalapadasana

CHILD Balasana

RABBIT Sasangasana

BOWING Pranamasana

LIZARD Pristhasana

CAT Marjariyasana

TIGER Vyaghrasana

HERON Krounchasana

PIGEON Kapotasana

GATE LATCH Parighasana

THUNDERBOLT / VAJRASANA

Vajrasana is the beginning and resting posture for the kneeling series. Kneel, knees together, feet either beneath butt (as shown) or beside, hands on knees; palms may be up (as shown) or down.

VARIATION 1 Half-thunderbolt, or Ardha Vajrasana. Vary by kneeling on one knee; extend the other leg forward.

VARIATION 2 Twisted Thunderbolt, or Parivritta Vajrasana, aka Bharadvajasana. Parivritta= “twisted.” Bharadvaja= "name of a sage." Vary with body twist to side and one hand to knee, other touching floor.

FROG KING / JALAPADASANA Jala= “water,” pada= “foot,” jalapada= “Webfoot,” the name of a frog-king. (This pose is also known as Manduka, “frog,” but other poses share that name.) Begin in Vajra. Spread your knees wide, to 90 degrees or better; heels below or beside butt; hands to knees, holding knees wide if necessary.

KNEELUP / TRISHNASANA Trishna/trsna= “thirst, desire”. Begin in Jalapada. Use the quadriceps and rise up erect on your knees; hands on hips.

VARIATION 1 PART 1: Vary with one knee up and rotated out to the side.

PART 2: Then bend down, bring the crown of your head toward the ground, and reach back.

PART 3: Grasp hands behind your back.

BENT HEAD / NATASHIRASANA Natashirasana (nata= “bent,” shira= “head”). Begin in Trishnasana. Interlace your hands behind your head, lean back, arch your back and face up.

CAMEL / USTRASANA Begin in Natashirasana; reaching back and down to heels, lean farther back on straight arms.

VARIATION 1 PART 1: Ardha-ustrasana, half-camel. Begin in Jalapada. Lean back and ground your palms.

Then raise your butt up; then bend your head back.

PART 2: Next, sky-point.

VARIATION 2 PART 1: Bend farther back, grounding your elbows.

PART 2: Next, ground your crown: the pose is now purna supta jalapadasana.

PART 3: Finally, raise a leg.

VARIATION 3 Twisted Camel, or Parivritta Ustrasana. From Camel, twist your torso, place one hand on the opposite heel, and sky-point with the other hand.

THUNDERBOLT / VAJRASANA

FROG KING / JALAPADASANA

KNEELUP / TRISHNASANA

BENT HEAD / NATASHIRASANA

CAMEL /USTRASANA