Alchemy! The secret roots of hatha yoga.

Did you know that alchemy is part of the roots of hatha yoga?

The desire to transmute the body into a worthy vessel was inspired in part by the alchemical explorations of turning lead into gold.  “The siddha is a spiritual alchemist who works on and transmutes impure matter, the human body-mind, into pure gold, the immortal spiritual essence.”  – Georg Feurstein, “The Yoga Tradition, Chapter 18: Yoga as Spiritual Alchemy: The Philosophy and Practice of Hatha Yoga.”

Learn more about the history of alchemy with this fun podcast from the gals of “Stuff you missed in history class.”  An interesting detour into one of the influences of our modern day yoga.

Protect thy neck: further thoughts on yoga injuries in headstand and shoulderstand

Tonight in class, one of my students asked me to expand on the response article to “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body,” particularly as it relates to two asana: shoulderstand and headstand.

Headstand and Shoulderstand – labelled the King and Queen of Asana by Iyengar for their therapeutic properties – got a bad rap in the NYTimes article.  And no wonder.  These are high demand poses, asking practitioners to support the entire weight of their body with their mobile shoulder girdles.  Unfortunately, some practitioners foray into them before they’ve developed the strength and flexibility to sufficiently support their body weight, which means that they are slinging weight instead into their cervical spine.

How to Protect yourself in Headstand

Tip 1: First of all, practice Sirsasana A, not B.  Sirsasana A is performed with the forearms on the floor and the hands interlaced behind the head.  Sirsasana  – also called tripod headstand, or teddy bear – is done with head on the floor and the hands flat, elbows at a 90 degree angle.  The problem here is clear: in Sirsasana A, you have the opportunity to use your the muscles of your arms and back to take weight off of your neck, while in Sirsasana B, there is no choice but for your cervical spine to bear weight.

I know, I know.  Some of you have heard that Sirsasana B is “easier.”  It’s not easier, it’s more accessible.   There is a critical difference between the two. It’s more accessible because it doesn’t require your shoulders to be as open and you have an easier time balancing.  However, it’s far more treacherous for your neck since your head is weight-bearing.

Tip 2: Support yourself on your forearms, not your head.   Although yogis extol the virtue of stimulating the crown chakra by having the head on the floor, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s probably wiser to start by protecting your neck.   Keep your head light, and root like heck through your forearms – especially during your transitions.  Worry about the subtle body after you take care of your spine.

Tip 3: Never jump or hop into headstand.  Be patient.  There’s no gold pot of liberation once you get up there, so practice until your body can smoothly and safely sustain the transition.  Therein lies the actual reward.

Tip 4: Neck feel cramped?  Some of us have lovely long necks.  If this is you, there won’t be any amount that you can press through your forearms to get the weight off your head because your proportions will make this impossible.  Instead, place blankets under your forearms evenly so that your arms are artificially longer.   Presto.  Instantly reliever for neck compression.  Now press down your forearms with gusto and get the weight off your neck.

Tip 5: Keep your neck in its natural curve.  Take care when you’re on your head (even though you’re not putting a lot of weight there), to ensure that you are not rolling forward or back on you head, but that you can lengthen through all four sides of the neck evenly.  Maintaining the natural curve of your cervical spine will protect the delicate vertebrae of your cervical spine, which are not designed to be weight bearing.

How to Protect Yourself in Shoulderstand

1. Use blankets.  For the love of God.  Please.  I know you want to “get into the pose already” and going and getting props is a drag (especially when the teacher doesn’t suggest them), but trust me.  For the long terms health of your neck, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain by folding some blankets and putting them under your shoulders so that you’ve got some space for your neck.  Here’s why:  when we’re in shoulderstand, the weight should actually be on the triceps, elbows, shoulders and (slightly) the back of the head – not the upper thoracic spine or the neck.  Most of us can’t sufficiently lift through our upper backs (nor do we have the opening in our shoulders in extension) to get our vertebrae off the floor without props.  So instead, we wind up putting all of our body weight on our upper spine, rounding through the upper back, and bringing the neck into extreme flexion.   While this may not bother you now, over time this can cause an over lengthening of the ligaments in the back of the neck that protect the natural cervical curve.  Read more about this in Roger Cole’s Yoga Journal article.  

Dr. Jeremy Brook add, “As a chiropractor, the problem I have with shoulderstand relates to most people’s habitual patterns, injuries and structural imbalances. Many people sit at a desk for hours, collapse on their sofa and sleep on their stomachs. While this example is extreme, most modern bodies are far different from those of the ancient yogi who practiced asana hours each day, meditated, read sacred texts and slept on a hard straw bed. Thus, a modern practitioner may possess the same spirit, but in a body with a far different, and likely compromised, neck. ”

2. Do a modified pose if you don’t have blankets.  Grab a block and come into a restorative shoulderstand with your hips on a blocks, legs up, and your upper back essential in bridge pose.  Same benefits, much less risk on the cervical spine.

3. If you’re a teacher, then Teach the Pose.  Let’s get rid of the habit of tossing shoulderstand in as an “if you want to,” or “if it’s in your practice” last minute offering.  Take some time, get out the props, teach it conservatively, and let’s reclaim the therapeutic potential of this Queen of Asana.  Maybe then it can really become the “the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages” (Iyengar, Light on Yoga).  

When the muse stops talking: how to teach when inspiration doesn’t strike

A yoga teacher and galpal of mine recently emailed me about the proverbial drying of the creative yoga well.

“Last Wed I feel like I taught the WORST yoga class of my life: it was so vanilla, last minute sequencing on my feet (which sometimes I’m good at, but this time I lost the muse), and I felt like I kept saying the same damn thing over and over- just uninspired. I think I need a workshop or something to inspire me again, but saving my pennies. I guess I was wondering if you’ve ever felt that way and/or how you deal with it. I need some stimulation!”

Girl, we have all been there.  Who hasn’t taught the occasional class that feels repetitive or uninspired?

I’ve always found that the solution lies in my own practice.  Usually when I teach a cringe worthy class (at least that’s the way it feels), the root of the problem is my own lack of connection; I don’t feel like I have anything to share authentically from myself.  Investing time to practice and prepare holds the antidote – and doesn’t require spending money on a workshop.  Everyone gets jazzed differently through their yoga teaching:  some people find their soul connection through theming, others through sequencing, others through music.

If your muse doesn’t show up, here’s some tips to help hunt her down.

  • Give yourself an hour to just play physically – not even to do a “yoga practice” per se, but sure, start there and see where it takes you. Then take whatever you discover as an inspirations to share in your class
  • Take 20 minutes to journal on the message you want to share with the world. What lessons have been hard for you? What is a tool that you use when you come up against this challenge? Is there a way that you can share this tool through a physical yoga practice?
  • Open up your favorite inspirational books. Theme a class around your favorite quote.
  • Prepare a sequence to a kick ass, fun peak pose.  Be creative about how you get there.
  • Give yourself an hour to create an awesome music mix (of stuff that you like), then create a dynamic class to go with it.
  • Get back to what YOU need from your yoga practice, then share that gift with your students. Forget all the rote blah blah – speak truthfully from exactly where you are and see where that takes you.
  • And if exactly where you are is in the duldrums, then investigate what tools you can use to move beyond that (not just in yoga, but in life) and share those tools in the practice (like playfulness, or community, or non-judgment). Then everybody wins.
  • And…if all else fails…plan some accessible partner work. That makes almost any class fun. The community energy will feed itself.

 

“How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body”: A Response

The New York Times recently ran an article, “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body,”that has a rather sensational and silly title and a fairly simple point: doing yoga can cause injuries.  The article, citing the musings of yoga teacher Glenn Black, references the medley of yoga injuries that have been developing through the West over the last ten years.  The article whispers to us in horror: ‘Black has come to believe that “the vast majority of people” should give up yoga altogether. It’s simply too likely to cause harm.’

The response to this: Well, duh.

Of course it can cause injuries.

Hatha Yoga (which includes power, flow, Anusara, “hatha”, and every other physical form of yoga) is a physical, bio-mechanical practice.  Ask any yoga teacher and – if they’re over 30 and being honest – you’re likely to find some sort of medical history.  To share my personal trophies, I’ve torn my hamstring in Prasarita Padottanasana, damaged the meniscus in my knee from too many lotus attempts, and dislocated a rib facet falling out of handstand.  And these days, with the emphasis on “getting” handstand in the middle of the room to be a “real yogi” or pushing through thirty chaturangas in a class to “test your edge”, it’s no wonder that we are limping to the physio and crying to our RMT’s.  But before you gasp in shock and tremble because yoga is supposed to be a cure all, listen up.  Injury and stress is the nature of any repetitive physical endeavor done passionately over time.  I’ve also tweaked my hamstring playing touch football on the beach, damaged my wrist skiing, and hurt my back in Cross Fit.  Golf causes injuries.  Martial Arts causes injuries.  I may be going out on a limb, but I bet you can develop repetitive stress injuries in swimming too.

Anyone who expects yoga to be a panacea for all ills isn’t paying attention.  The author of the article, William Broad, describes his experience: “While doing the extended-side-angle pose, a posture hailed as a cure for many diseases, my back gave way. With it went my belief, naïve in retrospect, that yoga was a source only of healing and never harm.”  William, thank you for the wake up call.  We should all set our naivete aside.  Living on this plane of existence with muscles, bones, tendons, and blood, we are subject to the forces of time and aging.  We move in a world of form and limitation.  Expecting yoga to transcend the nature of this Universe is like expecting dinner to cook itself or time to move backwards.

Does this mean you shouldn’t do yoga?

Absolutely not.

Yoga is revelatory for self-connection.  Yoga wakes you up and asks you to breathe.  Yoga cultivates strength, suppleness, and fluidity. Yoga asks you to commit to your deepest and most passionate self and cultivate a deep inquiry into your life and your place in this world.  Yoga is a tool for helping you to become more fully yourself.   And – when done mindfully and with kick ass alignment – yoga heals.  So yes, do your freakin’ yoga.

But here are some tips:

  • Set aside your naivete that yoga will fix everything.  Physically, it won’t.
  • Listen to your body.  For reals this time.
  • Practice the style of yoga that you need, not just that you like.  If you need more strength and less flexibility, get your ass out of yin.
  • Please, focus on your alignment.  Do less, and do it better.
  • Complement your yoga practice with other sensible physical fare.  You’re not invalidating your yoga by doing your physio exercises, taking a jog, or going to the gym.
  • When you do these other physical activities, leave your Ipod at home.  Really pay attention to what you’re doing, and these activities can be yoga too.
  • Go to yoga class to work on your mind, not just your body.  Take the pressure off your yoga practice to be your workout, and you’ll find that you can actually move move deeply, find more ease, and (crazily enough) your practice will actually advance faster.

Yoga is one of the best things that has happened in my life.  If you’re reading this, my bet is that it’s transformed you, too.  But let’s remember what our yoga is really about: self-revelation, compassion, and a deep connection with the world.   Yoga is a tool for co-creating with the Universe; for nourishing our bodies, minds, and hearts and exploring the wonder of our own expression while we live on this marvelous world.

Do your yoga.

Just do your yoga smart.

Sugarcane in the moonlight: Ardha Chandrachapasana

Who doesn’t like sugarcane in the moonlight?  De-lish.

Photo courtesy of Yoga Journal

But let’s face it, getting into this variation of Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana) can test your balance, flexibility, and coordination as you reach back and grab your lifted leg.  Never fear, here are some tips that help make this elusive pose more accessible.

Component Parts

First, to approach the pose, we must understand its component parts.  Let’s start with Ardha Chandrasana:

External Rotation of Standing Leg

The key to Half Moon is the strong external rotation of the bottom leg.  (Think about it for a moment: the bottom leg.  Often we get confused and think it’s the lifted leg in rotation, but actually the lifted leg is neutral.)  The strong external rotation of the lower leg is counterbalanced by the drawing in of the lower shin and anchoring of the inner edge of the bottom foot.  Together, these two actions create a diagonal spiral effect that keeps your standing leg stable.   Against the external rotation of the standing thigh, the pelvis can open to the side plane.  If you lose the anchor of external rotation, the standing knee will collapse in, the booty will swing with abandon to the back plane, the the containment of the pose will be lost.

Great poses to teach this external rotation in a non-balancing position: Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II), Triangle (Trikonasana),  Gate (Parighasana), Side Angle (Parsvakonasana).

Hamstrings/ Adductors

The standing leg hamstring must be open, as well as some of the adductors.  Imagine triangle pose on its side, so the back leg is now in the air, and you have Half Moon with a balance added.  Good standing poses for opening the hamstrings: Uttanasana, Triangle (Trikonasana), Wide-legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana), Hanumanasana and Ardha Hanumanasana (splits), Pyramid (Parsvottanasana), and Standing Hand to Foot Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana).

In traditional Half Moon, the torso stays steady in all three plane so that it is like Tadasana, but with the arms wide.  If the neck is comfortable, the gaze anchors to the top hand.

Getting into Ardha Chandrasana

To move into Ardha Chandrasana effectively, you must impress upon your students the imprint of the external rotation of the standing leg so that you can steady the knee appropriately.  Without this rotation, the inner knee will collapse in and the foundation will usually become unsteady.  The knee will torque and the lift that we need out of the standing leg will deflate.  Rooting through the inner edge of the bottom foot while strongly externally rotating the standing leg thigh will create a powerful dual action to steady the lateral lines of the leg.

For this reason, coming to the pose from another externally rotated pose is ideal.  Trikonasana is an obvious choice, but Parsvakonasana (Side Angle) is also effective.  Once you have transferred your weight to the standing leg, pause, and bend the standing leg knee.  With the knee bent, you can clearly discern the efficacy of your external rotation.   Strongly wrap the standing leg buttock under you until the sitting bone actually feels like it’s sliding towards your lifted leg.  When this action is effectively performed, your standing leg knee will again track over the center of your ankle.

Now, maintaining that rotation and lateral engagement, begin to straighten your leg by rooting strongly through the standing leg heel.  Because you’ve entered the pose from Trikonasana or Parsvakonasana, the torso is likely already facing the side.  Maintain the rotation of the bottom leg as you open the pelvis further.  (Rather than turning your chest, first turn your pelvis.)  Where the pelvis leads, the body follows.

In traditional Ardha Chandrasana, the body is essentially in Tadasana with the arms wide, except the bottom leg is strongly externally rotating.

Ardha Chandrachapasana

When we elevate the pose to Ardha Chandrachapasana, we add two elements: the bending of the top leg and a backbend.

Adding a thigh stretch to the upper leg requires balance, coordination, and open hip flexors.  Prepare for the action of this variations in non-balancing poses such as Anjaneyasana (low lunge), Crescent (high lunge), and variations with a thigh stretch.  I recommend doing a low lunge with a thigh stretch where the student reaches back with the ipsilateral hand for the leg, in order to imprint of holding the foot with the same side hand in ACC.  Awkward pigeon with a thigh stretch is also an interesting warm up, as the hip are mimicking some of the actions of ACC: the front leg is externally rotating while the back thigh’s hip flexors are stretching.

Backbending requires thoracic extension, which can be efficiently added to poses like lunges and thigh stretches, and warmed up separately in poses such as Bhujangasana (cobra), sphinx, and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Dog).

Putting it Together

To enter the pose from Ardha Chandrasana, the obvious transition is to simply bend the top knee and reach for the top of the foot.  However, this is frequently inaccessible to many students.  Another way in is to bend both knees and actually draw your top knee into your chest.  For most, this makes it easier to find the top foot.  From this contracted position, actively hug towards the core of the body until you are stable.  Then, unfurl the pose by pressing your back knee towards the back of the mat.  The back thigh stays parallel to the floor; watch the tendency to float the knee towards the ceiling, which diminishes the stretch of the front of the thigh.

Like Ardha Chandrasana, the external rotation of the bottom leg is essential.  That rotation is the “brake” that allows the body to then uncurl into a backbend.  Without the hip drawing under, there is little leverage for the body to move back.  With the bottom leg still bent, reaffirm the external rotation of the leg by drawing the hip firmly under and lengthening your tailbone towards the lifted knee.  Now keep that strong action as you begin to draw the shoulder heads and the throat back and open the chest.  The foot and the hand form a reinforcing energetic loop; press the foot strongly into the top hand to further open the heart.  When the body is steady, take the gaze to the ceiling.

Releasing the pose

Coming out of the pose is just important an opportunity as coming into the pose.  Bring your gaze to the floor to create a visual anchor.  Re-establish the steadiness of the bottom leg.  Energetically maintain the bend of the top leg as you release it from your hand and bring the spine back to Tadasana.  Re-connect to the external rotation of the bottom leg as you step back to Trikonasana or Parsvakonasana.

Playtime

Experiment with this pose at the wall.  Place your standing foot parallel to the wall and about 18 inches away (everyone’s distance will be a little different, you’ll adjust if you need to.)   Come into Ardha Chandrasana.  Then bend the top leg and place the top of the foot on the wall behind you.  With this third point of contact, the body will have a chance to settle more so that you can work the actions without worrying so much about balance.  Also, you can explore the actions here without actually holding on the foot.

If possible, reach back to hold onto the top foot. Otherwise, wrap your standing leg hip under, press the top foot into the wall, and begin to explore the opening of the backbend with the top arm simply lifted towards the sky. The connection of the foot to the wall will begin to imprint the actions of the pose into the body.

 

The Elegant Wheel

Photo courtesy of YYoga

Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow, also known as “Wheel”) is one of the most delicious and expansive of yoga asana, inviting a full opening of the “Eastern,” or front, side of the body.  As in all yoga asana, the stability (sthira) of the back body is essential for supporting the full expansion and sweetness (sukha) of the front body.  Also, Urdhva Dhanurasana calls for a profound opening in the hips and shoulders in order to access the fullest expression of the spine.  Since the body has to put all these parts together effectively, accessing the full expression of this pose can sometimes be elusive.

However, with some preparation and variation, the benefits of this pose can be readily be made available to a wide range of students.

Component Parts

Hips

Finding the full range of motion in the lower body for Urdhva Dhanurasana is more than a matter of spinal flexibility.  For most of us, we can find about 45 degrees of mobility through the spine, and an additional 15 degrees of extension between the hips and the thighs.  What this means is that in order to access the full “bow-ness” of Upward Bow, we must be conscious to open the hips as well as the back.

The muscles to target here are the psoas, iliacus, and rectus femoris (one of the quads).  By effectively opening these muscles, over time the full hip extension of Urdhva Dhanurasana becomes accessible.  While opening the quads can be targeted through thigh stretches (think low lunge, bending the back knee, and drawing the heel towards the buttock), the ilio-psoas needs to be stretched by a differential between the angle of the back thigh and the pelvis.  Crescent and Upright Low lunge are great candidates.  When stretching the psoas, the back leg will often turn out in a clever attempt to avoid the stretch.  Focus on softening the upper inner thigh of the back leg towards the back plane of the body until the thigh is neutral in the socket.  Once space and alignment is created, the anchoring of the tailbone down will create the posterior action needed to begin stretching this important muscle.

Because the psoas attaches all the way up the lumbar spine towards T12, conscious alignment of the hips is one half of the equation.  Note that in the stretch, the lumbar and thoracic spine will want to pull forward in space.  Instead, consciously draw the lower belly and sides of the waist back and up (almost like scooping your belly with an ice cream scoop).  This lifting and scooping action will draw the superior fibers of the psoas away from its insertion on the back thigh.  Like ice cream: delicious.

Shoulders

Urdhva Dhanurasana requires a lot of openness through the shoulders.  Invariable, this is why some of our sturdier male students remain landlocked on the ground.  The arms need the facility to flex fully at the shoulder joint.  External rotation of the upper arm is preferred to help anchor the scapulae firmly on the back.  Prepare the body for this position by focusing on poses that get the arms above the head: crescent, chair.  One of my favorite poses is to do Chair (utkasana) with a block firmly positioned between the hands.  Work on pressing your hands into the block as you externally rotate the upper arms, straighten the arms, and then lift them overhead.  Once you’ve worked in these positions, move the body in weight-bearing positions to open the shoulders in such asana as dolphin and handstand.

Thoracic Spine

Naturally, a backbend ain’t a backbend without the extension of the thoracic spine.  Start small and target the upper back through poses such as cobra and sphinx.  Once the upper back has been educated, then you can move to fully spine extensions such as full cobra and updog.  When working in spinal extension, it is important to maintain the stability of the lower back in order to avoid over-compressing in the lumbar and lower thoracic.  The lower back is the backbendiest place of the spine, and the juncture between the lumbar and thoracic is particularly mobile.  While we do use this mobility when we backbend, we don’t want to overly capitalize on it and neglect the opening that needs to occur in the upper spine.  Create length and stability by maintaining a broadness in the mid and lower back and focus your backbending efforts higher up.  Use the external rotation of the upper arms to facilitate a greater sense of drawing the scapulae into the back.  This will help with your thoracic extension.  (Try it: do a mini standing backbend with your arms externally rotated, then internally rotated – which is easier?)

The pumpkin

The buttocks in backbending can become overly zealous.  My teacher Catherine Munro called this phenomenon the “pumpkin.”  While the glutes work, we want to be careful that they don’t overly engage.  The secondary action of the glutes is to externally rotate the thigh, which can lead to compression through the lower back and inability to lengthen the tailbone.  Use the muscular midline (adductors, internal rotators) to keep the legs neutral even when the glutes engage.

You can teach proper engagement in your backbends, but also in poses such as crescent or 3-legged dog, where the back leg needs to find a slight internal rotation to bring it back to neutral.

Getting up there- Two hand positions

After you warm up your students thoroughly and appropriately, start your students in bridge and confirm the neutral placement of the feet.  The feet – as a distal reflection of the thighs – will attempt to turn out when the glutes engage.  Use midline to keep the legs (and feet) parallel.  As your students lift into bridge, confirm the action of the legs and pelvis in this non-weight bearing position.

From here, they place their hands in position #1: by the ears and close.  The proximity of the hands to the head will give them more muscular access to lifting up.

Once they come onto their heads, widen the hands into hand position #2, which creates a little more space into the shoulder girdle.  While they will have less power to press up, most students appreciate the extra space.  They can also turn their hands out slightly to create even more room.

Now it is time to affirm the lift into the thoracic spine and appropriate action of the shoulders –  before they become weight-bearing through their arms.  Have your students roll towards their hairline to draw their chest forward through their arms as they root the upper arms bones back into their sockets (towards their hips).  This will anchor the scapulae on the back.  From here, they can then press into the hands and feet evenly (watch the feet don’t move – continue to hug the midline) to come up.

There are two variations of Urdhva Dhanurasana. In variation 1, the student works to create an even bow through the whole body, with the pelvis and ribs level.  While this is easier on the shoulders, it’s harder on the wrists as they are at a very acute angle.  In version 2, the student begins to bring their shoulders forward over their wrists (see pic above). Easier on the wrists, but asking for lots of space in the shoulders.  Eventually, you can take version 2, then walk the feet in as is comfortable to tighten the bowstring.  Students should maintain the capacity to feel grounded in the feet (good for standing up eventually from this pose) as well as rooted in the hands (great for shoulder opening).  Here’s a tip from Asthanga teacher Chris Richardson: To keep the lower back long, move everything from the navel through the thighs towards the feet, while the navel through the back spine reaches forward into the hands.  Move both parts of the body away from each other to create spaciousness in the center.

If you have students who are limited through their shoulders, you can have them hold your ankles.  They should place the webbing of their hands into the crease where your leg and foot meet and hold there, rather than wrapping their hands around your lower leg.    (Make sure to keep your feet on the wide side.)  Otherwise their hands will slide down to your feet anyway, giving you a you an unwelcome skin massage.

 

One step at a time

Many times students will forget about the foundation in the excitement of getting up and turn their feet and leg out every which way in an effort to “do the full pose.”   While this may be initially exciting, it is far better to proceed with patience so that the whole body can be integrated in the pose – from the toes to the fingers.  Otherwise, cranky low backs will ensue rather than the adrenal stimulating, expansive awakening that Urdhva Dhanuarasana provides.

The”full expression” of Urdhva Dhanurasana allows you to leverage the action of the arms to open the upper back and chest, your students in bridge are still experiencing the delights of spinal extension.  Over time and patient practice, the body will become more receptive and open to this luxurious expression.  Warm up intelligently, manage your foundation and actions, and allow the pose to unfold from there.

 

 

 

 

 

Headstand: a lesson in patience

Headstand is like the grandpappy of inversions.  Unlike the 5-year old exuberance of handstand, or the slightly more moderated enthusiasm of forearm stand, headstand evokes a deep seated patience and – dare I say – necessary dignity in the practitioner.

Kicking up into headstand is a big ol’ no-no, primarily because the head is rooted into the floor and any instability in the body can translate into torquing of the delicate cervical spine.  Unlike other inversions (where we can willy-nilly get ourselves up there without too much of a problem), handstand requires us to move slowly from a deep connection to our core.   Without momentum, how do we safely get up into the darn thing?

Well, the point is, maybe we won’t.  Maybe not today.  But by calling upon our reserves of patience and a deeply felt commitment to process, we can eventually find our way into a headstand that is light, stable, and sustainable.

Step 1: Set the foundation

If this pose is new to you, practice at the wall until you find your inverted center.  Interlace your hands up to the webbing and tuck your bottom pinky in so that the foundation is flat.  Keep a small space in the center of your hands so that the bones of your arms creates a straight line through your to your knuckles.  Place your elbows directly beneath your shoulders.  Look at your wrists.  See how you can roll them in and out?  Instead, position the wrist so that the inner wrist is stacked directly onto the outer wrist.

Place the top of your head on the floor between your hands and pause to make sure that you are really on the plumb line top of your head.  Your chin should be level with the floor and the natural curve of your cervical spine should be maintained.

Step 2: Cultivate stability

Lift your shoulderblades away from your ears and hug the scapulae onto your back.  Press down firmly into your forearms as you curl your toes under and lift your hips. Press into your forearms to de-weight your head, and make sure that you can lighten the burden on your neck by using the strength of your shoulder girdle.

From here, walk your feet towards your arms, continuing to lift your shoulder blades into the back of your body.  Press down through your forearms and lift your hips high into the air.

Step 3: Taking flight

Pressing into your forearms, draw one knee into your chest.  Hug your knee in towards your face until your hips move past your shoulders and you can de-weight your other toes.  This is not time for jumping.  Practice finding the subtle lifting and gathering of your core that you need to stabilize your center and give your legs freedom.  Often this step is the one requiring the most patience, so take your time so that you can organically find the opening and stability that you need to unearth your feet.

Once you have found lightness in both legs, bring both feet to the wall above you and slide your feet up.  Press down firmly into your forearms so that your neck can continue to be spacious.  Breathe smoothly and calmly.  When you are ready, come out the way that you came in.  Slide your feet down the wall, then very slowly bring one foot at a time back to the floor.

Component Parts:

  • Hamstrings
  • Upper arms: flexion and external rotation
  • Scapular stabilization
  • Core
  • Midline/Neutral legs

When preparing the body for headstand, consider the benefits of some of the following poses:

  • Standing twists (Scapular stabilization; midline/neutral legs)
  • Small backbends (Scapular stabilization; midline/neutral legs)
  • Prasarita Padottanasana (Hamstrings; midline/ neutral legs) with or without a twist
  • Crescent with a backbend (Midline/neutral legs; scapular stabilization; arms)
  • Gomukhasana arms (Flexion and external rotation of upper arm)
  • Dolphin: an excellent preparation and modification of headstand.  Practitioners should practice dolphin until they have enough scapular stability and upper body strength to hold the pose for a minute.

Happy Inverting!

 

Why everyone should do a yoga teacher training


By Rachel Scott
From YYoga’s blog

You catch sight of it out of the corner of your eye. There’s a perky little splash of red on one of the YYoga Events Boards. You look closer. It’s the announcement for an information session for the upcoming 200-hour teacher training.

Something inside of you starts buzzing. Teacher training, hmmmm… It sounds kind of intriguing. Imagine spending 200-hours really exploring your yoga practice, finding out more about yoga and figuring out how to really do those darn poses. And you know, it would be great to learn how people get that floaty thing happening when they jump forward….

But no, you squelch the feeling. Teacher training is not for you! What were you thinking? You scoff. Teacher training is for people who absolutely want to be teachers. Teacher training is for students who can put their foot behind their head or do a one-handed handstand. Or at very least, surely teacher training is for people who don’t have tight hamstrings. Right?

Wrong.

Teacher training is just about the only place where you can take a solid chunk of time and completely invest in your own personal yoga practice. Ever wondered how to take your Warrior II to the next stage? The answers are in Teacher Training. Are you curious about how exactly it is that people get up into handstand anyway? Take a teacher training. Want to know more about pranayama? Teacher training. Have you ever wondered just how the heck yoga came about? You got it: Teacher Training.

There is simply no other forum for taking such a deep dive into yoga. Asana, philosophy, anatomy, history, subtle body…all this and more is covered in teacher training while teachers go over your personal practice with a fine-toothed comb (and perhaps kick your butt a little). And while you’re at it, how about some personal transformation to boot? Not bad for just 200 hours.

Top Ten Reasons to Take a Teacher Training:

1. Get a supercharged yoga practice. You think your alignment is good now? Wait until we get our hands on you.

2. Learn the “why” behind the “what” in asana by learning anatomy. Why do yoga teachers say the things they say? How can you make your own practice safer, more effective, and more functional? The answers lie in applying anatomy to yoga. What you learn in your anatomy sessions will serve you in all physical areas of your life.

3. Make friends. The YYoga community is an amazingly welcoming place as it is, but just imagine being in an intensive with a crew of cool, like-minded travelers. Deepen your connection with YYoga, the students, and our teachers.

4. You want to learn more about the “juicy” stuff. Take the time to explore pranayama, meditation, and the subtle body in a way that’s not possible in a regular class.

5. Ask your questions. Have an itch to know something? Wondering how we do that thing? Trying to figure out that pose? Here’s your opportunity to get your questions answered.

6. Explore philosophy. Where does yoga really come from and why did it start? How can I be happier? If you like mulling on the deeper questions of life, you’ll love taking forays into yoga philosophy. You’ll be surprised by how little we’ve changed in 2000 years.

7. Speak in Public. We know you may hate it. Here’s your chance to get over it.

8. Take time for you. Take a breather from daily life. Give yourself the time to get reacquainted with who you really are, while investing in your health and growth.

9. You love yoga. Has yoga made you happier? Healthier? Learn more about your passion.

10. Learn to teach. Sure, we’ve even got stuff in here on how to teach yoga to students, should you choose that path. Learn to share your passion effectively, safely, and dynamically with your students.

When I took my first 200-hour training, I actually had no intention of becoming a teacher; I was simply hungry to know more about something I loved. So what are you waiting for? Dive in. Invest in yourself.

But be warned: yoga insight can become addictive.

Sutra II.i chants by Rachel

This chant is inspired by my intrepid teacher trainees up here in Whistler, who asked me to figure out a chant to the first sutra of the second pada of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. (For those unfamiliar, the Yoga Sutras are a 2,000 year old text with tons of good tidbit on how to make your mind less crazy. It’s good stuff.)

This sutra has a special place in my heart. Roughly translated, it means that yoga in action has three parts: 1. willingness to endure intensity for the sake of transformation (tapas), 2. self-study (svadyaya), and 3. surrendering it all back to the big ol’ Cosmic Spirit (Isvara Pranidhanani). It reminds me of the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the strength to change the things I must, and the wisdom to know the difference. Sutra II-i Another a capella version: Sutra II-i a capella

Feel more. Do less.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking a therapeutics training with Susi Hately Aldous.  On the basis of that training, I want to propose a crazy idea.

Work less.

Rather than working our way into poses that “look right,” how about we invite your bodies into pure movement…and leave it at that? For example, in Warrior 2, we tend to set our hips up, line up our knee over our front ankle, then take a twist in order to face our body to the side.  Essentially, we’re compensating in upper body because our hips (for 95% of us) won’t square safely to the side and allow us to also protect the knee.  While this is fine, it illuminates our automatic tendency to make the pose look like something we see on the cover of Yoga Journal rather than actually considering the movement.  This tendency must give us pause.

Our intentions are coming from the right place.  We see that the pose is supposed to look a certain way, we hear cue that indicate it should be done that way, and so we mimic the form of the pose rather than having the opportunity to really feel what our body can do.  If we leap to the look, rather than the feel, then we’re missing part of the process.

I’d like to invite you to a process of feeling.  As you explore your asana, rather than jump to the end, explore how your body actually moves into the pose. Notice if a lot of static is happening (wiggles, maneuvers, compensations…) or if you’re able to move smoothly from the largest joints (the Major girdles – the hips and shoulders).

When we start to move from a place of feeling rather than doing, our ability to explore the inner landscape of our body increases.  As our sensitivity to ourselves to ourselves increases, we may be surprised by the textures and feelings that arise.  We may uncover tension and pain we did not formerly recognize, or we may find unexpected strength arising from a deeper place.

Be kind.  Feel more.  Do less.

And see what happens.

Vinyasa Krama – bring the present into practice

“Vi” = in a special way

“nyasa” = to place

“krama” = step by step

Change is challenging.

When confronted with change, it’s easy to get swept up in anxiety, discomfort, depression, or panic.  We distract ourselves, or seethe as we create a million contingency plans.  We cling to our “creature comforts” – those small habits we’ve created that anchor us in an easy ride of familiarity, that soothe us when we get ragged around the edges.

So how can we cope?

While she was going through a particular challenging time, my Mum said to me, “It’s not one day at at time, honey.  It’s one hour at a time, one minute.”  We can cope with change by getting out of our head – which is wired to try to analyze and “fix” our problem – and move into the spaciousness of the present moment.  In the present moment, we are generally “okay.”  However, we are so used to living in the past and the future (in analyzing past actions, in projecting future results), that we have forgotten how to arrive in our own skin.

Our yoga practice can help.

In the “vinyasa krama” practice, which literally means “to place step-by-step in a special way,” we cultivate our capacity to return to each unfolding moment.  When we bring our attention to how we place our feet, our hands, or move in and out of our asani – we are continually brought back to each arising moment.

The first yoga sutra is “Now the exposition of yoga is being made.”  The very first word in the sutras is “atha” or NOW.  This is a clarion call to return to the Now, the only moment that truly exists, the only moment in which we can actually accommodate change.

As you practice your vinyasa krama, open to step by step progression of your asana.  Use this practice as a reminder that our deepest creature comfort is our fundamental and eternal connection to ourselves.

Pema Chodron writes, “Only to the extent that we expose ourselves again and again to annihilation, can that which is indestructible in use be found.”  As we ride the currents of change, the dauntless center within us becomes polished and revealed.

The Hard Work of Letting Go – call out to Kali!

Why is it so hard to let go?

Of habits, relationships (healthy or toxic), of expectations, of dreams? Even when we know we’re hurting ourselves by hanging on, what drives the compulsion to keep gripping?

What do we do when old behavioral patterns no longer serve our life?

First of all, don’t beat yourself up.

In the transition stage between awareness and change lies a really sucky phase of awareness without change.  It’s torturous.  “Why do I do this?”  “Why can’t I change this?”  We lament.  We tear out our hair.  And we still don’t change.  But now we’ve spiced up our situation by hating ourselves.  Stop adding fuel to the fire.  Rest assured, you created your habits for excellent reasons.  To cope, to deal with stress, to survive.  They have served you well.  But now the time has come to change.  So let go of the blaming and put that fabulous energy into changing your situation.

Cultivate tolerance for discomfort.

You can either be uncomfortable in your old habits, or uncomfortable in your new habits, so why not choose with awareness?  Once you start, it becomes easier every time. Remind yourself that following your old habits may bring short-term relief, but longer term suffering.  Find ways to take care of yourself during this time, whether it’s yoga, massage, tea, time with friends, or a trip somewhere that grounds you.  Cultivate your capacity to take pleasure in the little things, moment to moment.

Reach out to your community.

You are not alone.  You are wired like a human being, and we’re all programmed to create habits in order to become more efficient.  As your awareness increases, you may realize that some of your autopilot tendencies aren’t ideal for you.  Reach out to others who may be experiencing similar growing pains.  There is comfort in community.

In the spirit of radical change and letting go, I’m including some inspiration below from different sources, even Dr. Phil 🙂  The first is about the Hindu goddess Kali.  Put this girl in back pocket when you need to up your potency for radical transformation!

Here’s a blurb from Anita Revel’s Goddess Site:

Kali
Kali’s esoteric attributes are PASSION and physical and sexual energy. Be alert to those who undermine your self-confidence – Kali is here to hurl your life onto a new path that will ultimately prove to be more fulfilling than your current path.
SUGGESTED MANTRA:  AWAKENING

SUGGESTED AFFIRMATIONS:

  • My new life path reveals itself to me
  • I say goodbye to destructive influences
  • There are rainbows in every rainfall
  • I am awake to my life’s calling
  • I welcome Kali’s strength & recuperative powers
  • I trust the Universe to provide
  • It’s OK to release my juicy anger
  • I can say “no” to negative influences

ESSENCE: Goddessence KALI 100% pure essential oil blend

GEMSTONES: Ruby, garnet, bloodstone, tourmaline, smoky quartz (red stones)

 kali210.jpg (12971 bytes)

Kali 100% pure essential oil blend for the
Base Chakra
– Reclaim your independent spirit

If you are feeling “stuck in a rut”, use this Base Chakra blend to energise your intention. The blend of five 100% pure essential oils represents strength, unwavering willpower and insight. It helps you purge elements of destruction in your life and reclaim your independent spirit by directing your life onto a new path – your true path. Walk with confidence and know your place in the world.

MORE ABOUT KALI

According to ancient Hindu tradition, Kali is the mother of us all. Kali is often depicted as a bloodthirsty harbinger of destruction, but this is so that through death we can experience the wonder of rebirth. Hence, when our lives seem as though they are out of control, this is Kali telling us that we have not chosen the right path. Through Kali’s strength, we are forced out of complacency and fear to find the right path for ourselves.

HER MODERN ENERGY

Kali has unwavering judgement, strong willpower and penetrative insight. She also characterises how we feel about our attachments to people and possessions, and how we react when we are threatened with losing them. Don’t be afraid to shed – Kali offers you the strength to rid your life of excess baggage, to confront the forces that threaten you, to destroy the elements of destruction in your life. Once this is done, you can celebrate new life!

DO THIS

Kali is related to our root chakra, home of the kundalini energy. When our root chakra is in balance, we feel secure, alert, stable – our lives are full of active and positive energy. If you are not feeling like this, it is no wonder Kali is speaking to you today. Sit on the floor, close your eyes, and while nurturing a related gemstone, feel your spine grow and take root in the earth. Feel the strength of the earth energise your spine and your body. You are indestructable! You are strong! You can shake the weight from your shoulders and conquer the demon shadowing your life.

Go Warrior Woman!!


From the Buddha Dharma Education Association:

If we contemplate desires and listen to them, we are actually no longer attaching to them; we are just allowing them to be the way they are. Then we come to the realisation that the origin of suffering, desire, can be laid aside and let go of.

How do you let go of things? This means you leave them as they are; it does not mean you annihilate them or throw them away. It is more like setting down and letting them be. Through the practice of letting go we realise that there is the origin of suffering, which is the attachment to desire, and we realise that we should let go of these three kinds of desire. Then we realise that we have let go of these desires; there is no longer any attachment to them.

When you find yourself attached, remember that ‘letting go’ is not ‘getting rid of’ or ‘throwing away’. If I’m holding onto this clock and you say, ‘Let go of it!’, that doesn’t mean ‘throw it out’. I might think that I have to throw it away because I’m attached to it, but that would just be the desire to get rid of it. We tend to think that getting rid of the object is a way of getting rid of attachment. But if I can contemplate attachment, this grasping of the clock, I realise that there is no point in getting rid of it – it’s a good clock; it keeps good time and is not heavy to carry around. The clock is not the problem. The problem is grasping the clock. So what do I do? Let it go, lay it aside – put it down gently without any kind of aversion. Then I can pick it up again, see what time it is and lay it aside when necessary.

You can apply this insight into ‘letting go’ to the desire for sense pleasures. Maybe you want to have a lot of fun. How would you lay aside that desire without any aversion? Simply recognise the desire without judging it. You can contemplate wanting to get rid of it – because you feel guilty about having such a foolish desire – but just lay it aside. Then, when you see it as it is, recognising that it’s just desire, you are no longer attached to it.

So the way is always working with the moments of daily life. When you are feeling depressed and negative, just the moment that you refuse to indulge in that feeling is an enlightenment experience. When you see that, you need not sink into the sea of depression and despair and wallow in it. You can actually stop by learning not to give things a second thought.

You have to find this out through practice so that you will know for yourself how to let go of the origin of suffering. Can you let go of desire by wanting to let go of it? What is it that is really letting go in a given moment? You have to contemplate the experience of letting go and really examine and investigate until the insight comes. Keep with it until that insight comes: ‘Ah, letting go, yes, now I understand. Desire is being let go of.’ This does not mean that you are going to let go of desire forever but, at that one moment, you actually have let go and you have done it in full conscious awareness. There is an insight then. This is what we call insight knowledge. In Pali, we call it nanadassana or profound understanding.

I had my first insight into letting go in my first year of meditation. I figured out intellectually that you had to let go of everything and then I thought: ‘How do you let go?’ It seemed impossible to let go of anything. I kept on contemplating: ‘How do you let go?’ Then I would say, ‘You let go by letting go.’ ‘Well then, let go!’ Then I would say:

‘But have I let go yet?’ and, ‘How do you let go?’ ‘Well just let go!’ I went on like that, getting more frustrated. But eventually it became obvious what was happening. If you try to analyse letting go in detail, you get caught up in making it very complicated. It was not something that you could figure out in words any more, but something you actually did. So I just let go for a moment, just like that.

Now with personal problems and obsessions, to let go of them is just that much. It is not a matter of analysing and endlessly making more of a problem about them, but of practising that state of leaving things alone, letting go of them. At first, you let go but then you pick them up again because the habit of grasping is so strong. But at least you have the idea. Even when I had that insight into letting go, I let go for a moment but then I started grasping by thinking: ‘I can’t do it, I have so many bad habits!’ But don’t trust that kind of nagging, disparaging thing in yourself. It is totally untrustworthy. It is just a matter of practising letting go. The more you begin to see how to do it, then the more you are able to sustain the state of non-attachment.

About letting go of love, from Dr. Phil:

Have you been dumped, betrayed or left so heartbroken that you didn’t ever want to love again? Are you still stuck on an ex and don’t know how to move on? And how do you know when it’s time to let go and look for love somewhere else?

  • If you’re “the other woman” who’s waiting for a man to leave his lover, don’t waste your time. “If he’ll do it with you, he’ll do it to you,” Dr. Phil says. The man you want lacks integrity and can’t make a commitment.
  • Are your standards too low? Dr. Phil asks a guest who’s waiting around for a man that’s let her down time and again: “What is it about you that causes you to settle for somebody that you know will cheat on you, know will lie to you, know will make a commitment and then break it? What is it about you that you believe about yourself that you’re willing to settle for that?” Recognize that you’re settling and that you deserve more. Set a higher standard for yourself.
  • Does he really even make you happy? Be honest with yourself about the extent to which he’s really meeting your needs. Chances are you’re longing for the relationship that you wish it could be, and that you want to be in love with the person you wish he was. Dr. Phil reminds a guest: “There are times when you break up with somebody and you start missing them and you start thinking about all the good things. And then you’re back with them for about 10 minutes and you go ‘Oh yeah! Now I remember why I hate you!'” Don’t kid yourself about what it was really like or glorify the past.
  • Don’t wait around because you think he’s going to change. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, so the chance that he’s going to ride in on his white horse and do the right thing is pretty slim. Dr. Phil explains, “To the extent that there’s some history, you don’t have to speculate, you just have to measure.”
  • Don’t put your life on hold. Every minute you spend focusing on your ex is a minute that’s holding you back from a better future. Dr. Phil tells his guest, “As long you are obsessed on this guy, you will never put your heart, soul and mind into getting your life in order and starting another relationship if you want one.” Set some goals and start putting your life back together.
  • Ask yourself: Are you hiding in the relationship so you don’t have to face the reality of being on your own? Don’t stay with someone because it’s comfortable and safe. It may seem more secure, but it’s not healthy for you and it certainly won’t help you get to a better place. Why would you want to settle and waste your life away just to avoid getting back in the game?
  • Be clear with him. “You’ve got to say not just ‘no,’ but ‘hell no,'” Dr. Phil tells his guest. “‘Get out of my life. Stay away from me. Don’t call me.'” If you live together, it’s time to move out, or you may need to change your phone number. Dr. Phil reiterates: “Do what you have to do.” If the circumstances are more complicated or severe, you may need to get a lawyer in order to get child support or to hold him accountable for any other outstanding issues.
  • Don’t hold all men responsible for the mistake your ex made. Why should he pay for the sins of someone else who may have wronged you?
  • Learn to trust again — by trusting yourself. Dr. Phil tells a man who’s having a hard time letting women back into his life: “Trust is not about how much you trust one person or another to do right or wrong. How much you trust another person is a function of how much you trust yourself to be strong enough to deal with their imperfections.” Have enough faith in yourself to be able to put yourself on the line with someone, without any guarantee of what will happen next. If you’re playing the game with sweaty palms, it’s because you’re afraid of what you can or can’t do, or dealing with your own imperfections — it’s not about the other person.
  • Know that you will get hurt if you’re in a relationship. There is no perfect person without flaws. Even a well-intended guy is going to hurt his partner. He’s going to hurt your feelings. He’s going to say things that you don’t want him to say. He’s going to do things you wish he wouldn’t do and not do things you wish he would do. A relationship is an imperfect union between two willing spirits who say, ”I’d rather be in a relationship and share my life, share my joys, share my fun, share my activities, share my life than do it alone.” If you want to be in a relationship, know that getting hurt comes with the territory. You just have to decide that you are durable enough, that you have enough confidence in yourself that you can handle it.
  • Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose. While it’s important to move forward, you need to take things one step at a time. Don’t put so much out there that you’ll be emotionally bankrupt if things go south.
  • Don’t beat yourself up. You got through your last experience, you’ve learned from it, and now it’s time to move forward. Dr. Phil tells his guest, “You’ll move on and be a champion in your next endeavor as you did in your past … Life is not a success-only journey. You are going to get beat up along the way.”
  • Focus on yourself. All of us come into relationships with baggage, but you need to have closure on past experiences before you can start a new relationship with the odds in your favor. Dr. Phil tells a guest who’s had trouble with her father, her brother and two previous husbands: “Unless and until you’ve figured out everything you’ve got to figure out about that and you get closure, you will never come into a relationship with a fresh and clean heart and mind and expectancy and attitude.” You’re probably not ready to get into another relationship until you heal the wounds of your past.
  • Listen to what he’s saying. If he’s telling you that you want different things out of life and there’s no way you can work as a couple, don’t turn his words around into what you want to hear. He’s being quite clear.
  • Know the statistics. Dr. Phil tells a guest who’s waiting for her ex to come around: “There’s a 50/50 chance a marriage is going to work if both people are head over heels in love, passionate and willing to climb the mountain, swim the river and slay the dragon to get to each other. That’s with everybody crazy in love and running toward each other in that field that we see in the commercials. The problem you’ve got here is he’s running the other way in the field! So if it’s 50/50 when you’re running toward each other, what do you think it is when the other person is running out of the field and hiding in the woods?”

    • Why Bell Mobility is good for my Yoga

    I got disconnected three times.

    Three times.

    In a row.

    “Just hold one moment while we transfer you to confirm,” they’d say sweetly, just before I heard a strange sound.   The sound of silence.  The vacuum of a disconnected phone line.  The sound of my impotent, mediocre frustration growing to a boiling point of irrational, helpless rage.

    Nothing can be quite so delightful as customer service, eh?

    Or how about when the woman in customer service would ask me for all my details, “I’ll just need that information before transferring you,” and the guy in cancellations would say, “I’ll just need all that information again, you’re in a new department.”  Then, moments later, the guy says, “You seem irritated at me already!”  I say through gritted teeth, “I’m not irritated at you, it’s not personal, I’m irritated because I’ve been disconnected twice already and -” CLICK.  I think he’d decided he didn’t want to deal with one more stress case on the phone.

    Ah, the rage of powerlessness.  A tiny fist shaking at an faceless, stonewalling bureaucracy.

    And finally, when I do finally get to someone who can help me, wouldn’t you know that I then had to sigh, “I have to go.  I’ve run out of time.  Just make a note on my file,” knowing that I’d just have to call back and start everything All. Over. Again.

    During this little adventure, I was not at my yoga best.  As I left the phone and the house behind me to bike downtown for class, I was still fuming with the tape of “angry and wronged customer” running through my head.  How dare they have such lousy service!  How dare they be so inconsiderate of my time and my needs!  How dare they WRONG ME SO!

    But what could I do, I realized.  It was done.  Over.  The moment was past.  Now, I couldn’t change a thing.  If I wanted to enjoy my commute and my class, I was going to have to find a way to let it go.  To leave my anger behind me.

    It’s a challenge to leave anger behind, especially when it feels sooooo righteous.  My brain would much rather stew in a morass of “why I’m right and they’re wrong” than think about how nice the weather is or even (*gasp*) contemplate how difficult it must be to have to talk to angry customers all day.

    But what good does being “right” do me?  Sure, I get to shore up my ego, but at the same time I get this strange hardening sensation happening somewhere in my chest.  The brick laying of an impenetrable walls of certitude.  It certainly doesn’t get me any closer to actually getting a resolution on my phone issue.  Customer service is completely unaware that I am sending psychological daggers at them during my bike ride.  Absolutely no one was benefiting – least of all me – from rehashing the situation.  All I was doing was wasting time that I could have spent enjoying the ride, feeling the wind, breathing.

    As I rode, I had to laugh to myself.  Or really, at myself.  I don’t want to live a life hashing out imaginary conversations in my head just to prove that I can come out of a situation looking better.  Looking “right.”  I tried to let go.  Which is really hard to do, because it’s really a matter of undoing something.  But the intention was there.  And my anger started to fade.   I started to enjoy the ride.  And sure, I caught myself circling back into my defensive brain loops more than once.  But I’d just laugh at myself, tell myself it was okay, and try to focus on riding my bike again.

    There is a Zen koan.  Something to the effect that there is a monk hanging out on the side of a cliff by his fingernails.  He will soon fall off.  He can’t pull himself up, and below him there is a Tiger circling, ready to pounce.  Just then, he spies some strawberries and is able to take a bite of one.  How sweet the juice is!

    “Eka pada Koundin-What?”

    Eka Pada Koundinyasana.  It’s one of those poses that you see on the cover of yoga journal, performed by someone smiling peacefully (and seemingly in no state of stress or panic) that makes you go, “Huh?  Riiiiiiiiiight.”  As my boyfriend said with alarm upon seeing this picture to the left, “Jesus!  That is not good!”  (Photo courtesy of Yoga Journal.)  But despite it’s daunting appearance, there are accessible roads into this seemingly impossible position.

    Eka Pada Koundinyasana #1 (there are two versions of this pose) is not only an arm balance, it’s also a deep twist.  To warm up the body effectively, we must first imprint our body (especially our upper body) with the alignment necessary to support the pose.

    Common misalignments

    In a word: hunching.  Coming into this arm balance from a deep twist, we tend to slouch our shoulders forward and collapse in our chests.  In fact, we tend to do this even in more accessible twists.  For example, bring to mind parivrtta parvakonasana (revolved side angle).  (See right, thanks again, yoga journal!)  Usually in order to get our arm to the outside of our leg, we make a big ‘ol C curve in the spine – anything to get that (in this case, left) elbow over there.  Our head and pelvis are no longer lined up, and we shorten the upper side of our torso.  This causes the left shoulder to droop forward, which means that we can’t get that left shoulder blade down and INTO our back to facilitate the twist. We get stuck.

    To protect the shoulder joints and create maximum length in the body, we instead need set up for this pose by maintaining even alignment in both sides of the spine.  As we lengthen the spine, the keep the shoulder blades ON the back, so that they act like little shovels  and lift our thoracic spine up and INTO our body.  We maintain a virtual backbend in our upper back.  Our chests lift and our collarbones stay wide.

    Then we need to keep this openness through the upper body AS we move into a twist and balance on our hands.  No biggie, right?

    Component parts

    Upper back/Thoracic: As discussed, this is essential for the pose and for the happiness of the shoulder joint.

    Shoulderblade Position: On your back. This goes with upper back.  Upper arms gather in.

    Core: Yep, you gotta find a some core stability here  – even while you keep the chest open.  That means we need to engage the deep core muscles like the transverse abdominis rather than the rectus abdominis (those six-pack, or “crunching” muscles).

    Legs: Work those legs.  If you want to get airborne, stretch through the legs and feet with great enthusiasm.

    And actually, that’s kind of it.  No hamstrings, no great flexibility needed here. Just a brave, open heart and some core engagement.

    Sequencing:

    This week, I’m sequencing this pose with an intent to work on maintaining the lift and openness of the spine during the twist.

    To get everyone imprinted with the right body in the action, I start everyone at the wall with a block.  Standing in tadasana a little aways from the wall, place the block on your shoulderblades so that the block is giving encouragement for the thoracic to draw in and up.  You may have to play with your distance. You want to be far enough away that you don’t have to lean forward, but close enough in that you are upright and getting the feeling of the block lifting your spine up and in.

    Then do the same thing, this time with the block in the middle of your buttocks (so the tailbone is lengthening down to your heels).  Imagine the block moving up and into your chest.

    Tadasana into Urdhva Hastasana with a block between your hands.  Imagine the other two blocks now: one into your upper back, the other pressing your tailbone down to the floor.  Straighten your arms, stretch your legs, and reach, baby, reach!

    Then, use the recall of the two block positions all through class to encourage chest open, long lower back.  Here are some highlighted poses I’ll hit:

    Dandasana (seated on block – length and evenness of spine)

    Maricyasana III, both sides.  No bind – remember, we want to avoid the rounding of the spine and sliding off of the shoulder blades.  Focus on keeping skull atop pelvis, even length through both sides of waist, and lift in the thoracic.

    Sun salutations – again, weaving the focus of the upper back lift throughout.

    Low lunge (back knee up)

    Low lunge with twist)

    Trikonasana (triangle) to focus on even length of both sides of waist

    Twisting chair (no C-curve)

    Parivrtta Parsvakonsasna – less is more.  Have them keep length in both sides of waist rather than end gaining and getting elbow across at all costs.

    Getting into it:

    To actually get into the pose, I like YJ’s description below, with a couple of modification possiblities.

    As a modification of the pose, Ardha Mastyendrasa with the bottom leg extended.  Work on keeping the lift and openness in spine – all the same actions we’ve been doing all class.

    As a variation, put the sitbone of the crossed over leg on top of a block (not everyone can sit on their heels).  Work the twist from there, but don’t bring your hands to the floor.  Instead stay upright.  Explore the constraint of the legs as you lift, open, and twist.

    Here’s the YJ exerpt with my notes in blue:

    Step by Step

    Come into it from a standing position. First bend your knees as if to squat, then take your left knee to the floor. Turn your left foot so it points to the right and sit on the heel. Cross your right foot over your left thigh and place it, sole down, beside your left knee. Your right knee should point toward the ceiling.  (Okay, here’s where I say, place a block underneath your right butt if you can’t sit back on your left heel.  Work the lift and twist from there and be happy.)

    To twist, bring your left waist, side ribs, and shoulder around to the right. Place your left upper arm across your right thigh and slide your left outer armpit down the outside of the thigh. Use movements similar to those you used in Parsva Bakasana to maximize your twist and make good contact between your left upper arm and right outer thigh.  (Okay, you may need to do a little rounding here, but as soon as you find the connect, work the same actions you have been.  Get your shoulderblades back on your back, lengthen your chest forward.) Maintaining this contact high on the arm and far to the outside of the thigh is the secret to the pose.

    To place your hands on the floor, first straighten your left elbow and put your left palm down (you may need to lean to the right to bring your hand all the way down). To place your right hand, carefully lift both hips without losing the left-arm-to-right-thigh placement, lean even more to the right, and put your right hand on the floor. Your hands should be shoulder width apart, with your middle fingers parallel to each other. Most of your weight will still be on your knees and feet.

    Without losing contact between your left arm and your right outer thigh, lift your hips so you can flip your left foot and stand on the ball of the foot, heel up. Next, lift your left knee off the floor so most of your weight is on your feet. Lift your hips a little higher and start shifting your weight to bring your whole torso above and between your hands with its midline parallel to your middle fingers. Leaning your weight slightly forward, bend your left elbow a little, then tilt your head and shoulders a bit toward the floor. This should leverage your right foot up in the air. When your right foot is up, lean your weight farther forward until your left foot becomes light, then lifts up with an exhale. (Keep your shoulderblades ON your back, reach your sternum forward.  No droopy shoulders!)

    To finish the pose, straighten both knees simultaneously with an inhale. Lift the left leg until it’s parallel to the floor. Bending your left elbow more, lift your right foot higher, and reach out through the balls of both feet. Adjust the height of your right shoulder so it’s the same as the left. Lift your chest to bring your torso parallel to the floor. Breathing smoothly, hold the pose for 20 seconds or longer (Um, whatever?  Be happy with whatever you do, even if you just get an inkling of taking the weight off your feet), then release both feet to the floor with an exhale. Repeat on the other side for the same length of time.

    Have fun, see you in class!

    Getting Quiet in Practice: Halasana

    During the holidays, it’s more important than ever to have some quiet time. With all of the distractions – parties, relatives, drama, presents, planning, joy, baggage – it’s easy to get swept away on a holiday rollercoaster!

    This week’s pose is halasana (plow). By turning ourselves upside down and folding over, we are literally looking into ourselves. The pose helps us to pull our energy in and become more contained and centered. As in inversion, halasana encourages us to challenge our point of view and get out of sticky patterns. Its (literally!) navel-gazing properties can help us become less reactive and more grounded. How do we want to greet the new year?

    Halasana is rather like dandasana – on its head. While many of us do a “soft” halasana that resembles a forward fold, the full expression of the pose more closely resembles a backbend, with the shoulder blades drawing strongly into the back, the hips reaching up into the sky, and the spine perpendicular to the floor rather than rounded.

    Component parts:

    Arms: extension, external rotation.

    Thoracic: drawing in strongly.

    Hamstrings: must be warmed up to approach the pose

    Neck: cervical spine in flexion

    Hips: reaching into the air

    Poses for preparation:

    Downward Dog: teach the reaching of the hips up toward the ceiling, lifting away from the floor.  Also, this pose will start to warm up the hamstrings, warm up the shoulders (albeit in flexion), and actually looks like halasana – in a different orientation

    Backbends with the shoulders in extension: salabhasana, bridge, baby cobra, dhanurasana.  These will start to teach both the essential drawing in of the thoracic spine as well as warm up the extension of the arm at the shoulder.

    Forward folds to open the hamstrings: Uttansanasa, Parsvottanasana (with arms in reverse namaste you will also treat extension of the arm), Prasarita Padottanasana B and C (wide-legged forward fold with the hands at the waist or fingers interlaced behind you).

    Jalandhara Bandha (chin to chest): practice this in dandasana.  With jalandhara bandha,  you must continue to strongly lift the chest up.  Do not compromise the pose by drooping in the thoracic spine.

    Teaching the pose:

    I like to teach this pose with the shoulders stacked on foam blocks or on 2-3 neatly folded, thick (Mexican style) blankets.  Just as in shoulderstand, lifting the shoulders onto a support will enable you to lift more strongly through the thoracic spine, as well as protect the cervical spine from flattening. Use more support rather than less when you’re starting.

    Try placing the blankets about a leg’s distance away from the wall, with the folded edges toward the center of the room.  Come onto the blankets with your head TOWARD the wall and your shoulders on the blankets/supports.  First press your upper arms down firmly into the support and tuck your shoulder blades underneath you.  Press the outer arms and palms down as you swing your legs over your head and bring them onto the wall at the same height as your hips.  (You may have to play with the distance you are from the wall until you find the right position.)  You will make an L-shape with your body.  Roll your upper arms more deeply underneath your body to facilitate the lifting of the thoracic spine.  Bring your hands to your back, as close to the floor as possible to lift the thoracic spine up and in. Press your arms down to lift the chest up.  Reach your hips straight up to the ceiling.  Press your feet into the wall and your quads to the ceiling in order to lift the hips up higher.  To the extent that is accessible, you may walk your feet down the wall towards the baseboard as far as you can without compromising the vertical lift of the hips.

    Smooth out your breath.  Keep pressing your arms down in order to lift your chest and hips up.  Press the back of your head down gently to maintain the gentle curve of the cervical spine.  Breath, and turn your attention inwards.  Embrace the quiet.

    To come out, keep pressing your arms down firmly as you bring your hands back to the floor and slowly begin to roll out.  Let your knees bend when your hips hit the floor.

    Counterpose:

    Move yourself toward the wall until your shoulders are on the floor, giving you a slight backbend.  Take a gentle spinal twist to each side.  Downdog to release the back of the neck.

    Variations:

    In case of neck injury or high/low blood pressure issues, you can do a modified version by doing viparita karani (legs up the wall) with a block underneath the hips.  Tuck the shoulderblades under you and lift the thoracic spine up and reach through the heels (legs together).  Another alternative is dandasana, or a restorative backbend with a bolster underneath the back and the legs extended out straight.

    Chakras – the practical side for the dubious

    The chakras can seem a little…well, out there.  Whirling wheels of energy?  Rainbow light?  Huh?

    But if we think about the body and its functions, the chakras do seem to match up pretty well to how we work.

    The root chakra – muladhara – is at our pelvic floor and deals with earth, downward energy, and groundedness.  If we think of our hips and legs as what connects us to the earth and literally roots us, well, it makes sense.  If people are “ungrounded,” they tend to be light, frenetic, “in their heads,” and not connected to their lower body.

    The second chakra below the navel – svadisthana – is a water center and deals with sexuality and creativity.  Sure, the kidneys and the sexual organs.  Makes sense, right?

    The third chakra at the solar plexus – manipura – is a fire center and deals with our will power, transformation, and heat.  Sure, the stomach, digestion, core power, the adrenals.  Hmmm, things are still matching up….

    The fourth chakra, anahata, is our heart center and deals with our relationship to ourselve and other and our capacity for compassion.  Anyone who’s had a broken heart has probably had that terrible “heavy-heartedness” or collapsed feeling in the chest.  Similary, “open-hearted” people often meet the world with a physically expanded chest.  Sensibly, the element of this chakra is air, which relates to the lungs and heart.

    The fifth chakra in the throat, vishuddha, deals with space and communication.  Literally the home of our vocal cords, this chakra’s energy reflects our capacity for self-expression.

    The sixth chakra at our forehead, ajna, relates to our ability to visualize.  We are entering into the land of imagination and are leaving the world of physical sensation.  Not surprisingly these final two chakras have to do with the higher functions of our mind.

    The seventh chakra at the crown of our head, sahasrara, is the least physical – the furthest away from our feet – and involves self-realization and our connection to a higher power.    Whether we think of this connection as relating to a higher spirit or Heaven, we usually relate spiritual expression to something “above” or “beyond”.  Not unusual then, to find the home of this chakra at the highest point in the body.

    Though at first the chakras can seem esoteric, some of these practical connections between the individual chakras and our physical body may give us pause.  Here are things that make you go “hmmmmm….”  If some of these parallels pique your interest, check out one of my favorite books: “Eastern Body, Western Mind” by Anodea Judith.  She offers fascinating correlations between developmental psychology, jungian archetypse, and the chakra system.

    Bakasana – stoking the inner fire

    Bakasana, photo by KSHBakasana is one of those asani that looks impossible until you actually do it.

    “You want me to put my knees where and balance on my what?” we think with dismay.

    But with just a few steps, you two can begin to find the effortless flight that characterizes this arm balance. And the key lies in finding your core. The gateway to the core? Your inner thighs. Very simply, by using your adductors (the muscles that allow you to squeeze your legs together), you begin to activate your core – namely your transverse abdominis. Once this engagement starts, you are on your way to flight.

    Finding the Adductors

    To find the adductors, try “scissoring” your legs together in poses such as lunge, virabhadrasana I, parsvottanasana, and other neutral-legged postures. This scissoring action will help “square” your hips, create a sense of buoyancy through the pelvic floor, and add stability to your posture. Another great way to find the adductors is to bring a block between your feet or your inner thighs and squeeze – presto! Instant adductor action.

    Here’s a good sequence to help you find your core:

    -Place a block on medium width between your thighs and stand in tadasana (it’s okay, your feet will be under your hips)

    -Inhale arms up into urdhva hastasana (squeeze the block)

    -Exhale uttanasana (squeeze the block)

    -Inhale halfway (squeeze the block)

    -Exhale uttanasana (squeeze the block)

    -Inhale urdhva hastasana/ arms up (squeeze the block)

    -Exhale tadasasna (squeeze the block)

    You get the idea? You can do a whole sun salutation with the block by jumping (with your knees bent) into down dog and moving through the vinyasa from there. Holding plank or forearm plank with the block between the upper thighs can change the dynamic of the posture by encouraging the activation of the legs and the core. When the legs start working for you, the pose becomes easier on the arms and the wrists.

    It’s All in the Shape

    The shape of the back in bakasana is similar to that in an arching cat. When many of us start to come into bakasana, we flatten out the spine, which actually makes is more difficult to engage the abdominals. Also, instead of trying to balance the knees in the armpit, instead, clamp the knees onto the outer upper arms. This clamping action allows you to find the inner thighs, which has a trickle up effect to the pelvic floor and abdominals, giving you lift.

    Poses to find the rounding of the back aren’t common in yoga, as we tend to work toward a straight spine. However, here are a few that can help:

    -The cat part of cat/cow

    -Garudasana (Eagle), if you hinge from hips and round the back

    -Arching cat in downward dog. To do this, come into downward dog. Extend one leg back. Shift your shoulders over your wrists (a la plank). Draw your knee to your nose, press into your hands, and round your spine toward the ceiling. Stretch the leg back into three-legged dog and repeat a few times.

    Doing the Pose

    My favorite way of doing bakasana is to start with the feet together on a block.

    -Place your feet on the block and widen your knees.

    -Place your hands on the floor shoulder distance apart and spread your fingers wide. Claw the fingers into the floor so that you are distributing your weight through the whole hand and not just bearing down through the wrist

    -Hunker down and clamp your knees onto your arms as high up as you can. Squeeze. Feel your adductors fire up.

    -Look forward

    -Begin to shift your weight forward off the block and into your hands

    -As you shift, keep your tailbone reaching down so that you your spine is round and not flat, scooping your abdominals up

    -Bring one foot off the block, maybe both. If you have both, then squeeze the sides of your feet together, lift your addominals up, and straighten your arms

    -Come down by bringing one foot to the block and then the other.

    If you felt your adductors firing and your back rounding, then you are on the right path!

    Possible Sequence

    Bakasana is a great pose for the wintery months, when we feel as if our inner furnace is a bit dimmed.

    Cat/Cow (focus on rounding of spine)

    Cat/Cow – add leg extension and knee to nose

    Extended child’s pose

    Downward Dog

    Cat/Cow in Downward Dog (students have option to return to easier version on their knees if necessary)

    Low lunge (scissor legs and fire adductors)

    Forearm plank (do forearm plank rather than plank to preserve the wrists for later)

    Repeat on other side

    Sun Salutation with block between inner thighs or feet 3-5 times

    Utkatasana

    Eagle with forward fold to round spine

    Surya B (focus on adductors) 1-3 times

    Surya B to downward dog, step into lunge, parivrtta parsvakonasana (revolved side angle) – Both sides

    Parsvottanasna (Pyramid pose)

    Malasana (squat) – squeeze inner thighs in

    Navasana (Boat)

    Bakasana (as described above)

    Table or purvottanasana to release front of body

    Upavista Konasana (wide-legged forward fold) to release inner thighs

    Baddha Konasana (cobbler’s pose)

    Maricyasana C (seated twist)

    Pascimottanasna (seated forward fold)

    onto back: Reclined Ankle to Knee

    Savasana

    The King of the Asanas – Headstand

    Headstand in MexicoMoving with our fear.

    Headstand is an elegant inversion, insisting on patience, presence, and control to be done properly. For many of us, headstand is an opportunity to brush against our fear. Fear of the unknown, of falling, of not being in control. As such, the practice of headstand become an opportunity to practice intimacy with this fear. When we move slowly and with awareness, we can breathe through our fear reflex and assess where we really are. Rather than getting caught up in a fear narrative, we practice slowing down and observing our response. Whether we actually go upside down or not is actually irrelevant! More interesting is developing our capacity for self-observation and spaciousness.

    Iyengar writes, “Regular and precise practice of Sirsasana develops the body, disciplines the mind and widens the horizons of the spirit. One becomes balanced and self-reliant in pain and pleasure, loss and gain, shame and fame, and defeat and victory.” -Light on Yoga

    Risk factors:
    The neck. When we practice sirsasana, it is important that we work gradually to put weight on the head. When we are starting, place very little weight on the head and instead work to support the body through the work and stability of the shoulder girdle. This will prevent the delicate cervical spine from being overloaded.

    The lower back: It is easy to “banana” in the lower back and crunch the lumbar spine. We must work to open the shoulders and engage to core to prevent collapse in the low back.

    High/low blood pressure: Since we are increasing cranial pressure, it is prudent for students with blood pressure issues to proceed with caution or ask their doctor. Also, students with similar pressure issues such as glaucoma or hiatal hernia should seek advice from their physician before working on headstand.

    Component Parts:

    The upper arm and lower arm are both in flexion.  The upper arm will be working towards external rotation.  Investigate poses such as Utthita Hastasana (arms raised in tadasana), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog), Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Vrksasana (Tree with arms raised), and Gomukhasana Arms (cow-faced pose, the top arm).  Dolphin and Forearm Stand Prep are great preps.

    Thoracic Spine.  Even though we’re not backbending in sirsasana, the action of the upper back feels like backbending as we draw the shoulderblades deeper into the body.  Backbends and twists are great way to access this action in the upper back.

    Core.  To support our body weight and keep the lower back long.  Poses such as plank, forearm plank, Vasisthasana (side plank) are all great educators for the core.

    Neutral legs.  Find the connection of the adductors and the neutral position of the legs in lunges, Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), Utkatasana (fierce/chair pose), and parsovttanasana (pyramid pose)

    Warmed-up hamstrings.  To get into headstand requires walking the legs in to the body, which is facilitated by long hamstrings.  Warm up the hamstrings in uttanasana (forward fold), prasarita padottanasana (wide-legged forward fold), parsvottanasana (pyramid pose)

    Variations:

    Do at wall or in corner.  I highly recommend practicing this pose at the wall until confidence in one’s balance is developed.

    Dolphin – prep only (head off floor, legs in Adho Mukha Svanasana).  Raise one leg at a time

    Prep (head on or off floor, but feet stay on floor), with block at wall, pressing into shoulderblades to encourage thoracic action (need a friend to help with this one!)

    Possible Sequence:

    Virasana on a block (neutral legs)

    Add utthita hastasana, fingers interlaced (flexion in upper arms) x 2, right and left interlace

    Extended child’s pose (arms in flexion).  Work action of thoracic spine

    Plank, forearm plank variations (core)

    Adho Mukha Svanasana (flexion, hamstrings, neutral)

    Lunges (neutral legs)

    Lunge with open twist (thoracic)

    Surya A (hamstrings, neutral legs, arms in flexion, core) x 5

    – last time add parivrtta parsvakonasana (thoracic)

    Uttanasana – held (hamstrings)

    Trikonasana (hamstrings, possible flexion arm variation)

    Vrksasana (balance and arms in flexion)

    Utkatasana, holding block (arms flexion)

    Parvsottanasana (R/L), with straight back (hamstrings, work thoracic)

    Parivrtta Trikonasana (thoracic, hamstrings)

    Tadasana with Gomukhasana Arms

    –To Wall–

    Virabhadrasana III with hands at wall (core, neutral legs, hamstrings)

    Virabhadrasana III with back foot on wall (core, neutral legs, hamstrings)

    Dolphin (Sirsasana prep)

    Sirsasana

    Child’s pose

    Adho Mukha Svanasana (to release neck)

    Variation of Salamba Sarvanghasana (shoulderstand) with block under pelvis and legs in air

    Twist

    Reclined Ankle to Knee

    Savasana

    Clearing the Windshield

    Our ego is like a sheet of glass that exists between the world and our mind.  As information from the world filters through our senses, it passes through our ego on its way to our conscious thought.  We screen though everything we perceive: “I like this because I did something like it before and that was good,” “This has made me look bad in the past,” or “This reminds me of the time…”.  Whether we’re aware of it or not, our mind is continually making lightning quick assessments based on previous experiences in order to organize ourselves in the world.

    Through the years, the sheet of glass begins to get a little, well, dirty.  Our experiences, both positive and negative, begin to form a film over the glass that distorts the way that we perceive our environment.  As these mis-perceptions get confirmed over the months and years, we soon have a good ol’ crusty cake of samsara baked over our plate of glass.  Like a windshield that has endured a lengthy road trip, our glass has become overlaid with the splatters of past experiences.  Soon we aren’t able to see through the glass anymore at all!   Instead, we’re just acting out based on previous experiences.  We’re sleepwalking.

    Now, our mind is designed to draw the line between cause and effect; it’s one of those nice things it does that keeps us safe.  (Who wouldn’t want to remember that the stove is hot after burning themselves once?)  But our mind sometimes is indiscriminate or can get too good at its job, and begins to draw lines of cause and effect that aren’t really useful to us.  Instead of keeping us safe and aware, our mind traps us in narrow lines of expectation.

    Part of our work in our yoga practice is to PRACTICE freeing ourselves from expectation.  I’m emphasizing the word practice here because it’s really okay if we’re not good at it.  By actively letting go of expectation, we can start to clean off our nasty, cluttered windshield.  We can begin to perceive the world as it is – not as how we expect.

    In your yoga practice this week, can you dare to not know what will happen?  Dare to surprise yourself?  By undoing expectation, we can discover that there is a wealth of feeling, sensation, and intuition that we may been neglecting.  The world will literally look and feel different.

    Be patient with yourself and keep clearing off your windshield.  Soon, who knows?  You may even get that new car smell.

    Aum Shanti Meditation – from Alan Finger

    Shanti, of course, is the Sanksrit word for peace. (The tradition of reciting “shanti, shanti, shanti” 3 times reflects the trinary nature of existence – – the relationship of peace within yourself, peace between you and others, and peace throughout the universe. Buddhists also refer to the Threefold peace of the body, mind and speech). Aum, or Om, is perhaps the most commonly-known Sanskrit mantra, but it has so many significances an entire newsletter might not address them all! However, a few insights follow…

    The simplicity of Aum is married to its complexity and its fundamental importance. It is considered the primary sound of the universe, the essential sound of consciousness or creation. Thus in vibrating our bodies and consciousness to Aum, we are aligning ourselves with the divine essence of the universe!

    Written and chanted as A-U-M, the mantra again represents a trinity: that of the energies of creation, sustenance and destruction that together bind the universe together. These are sometimes represented by the Hindu deities Brahma (A = Creation), Vishnu (U = Sustenance) and Shiva (M = Destruction or Transcendance). (See below for a wonderful illustration of this representation!) Other trinities for the A-U-M include body-mind-spirit, or self-personal world-universe… there are many possible concordances.

    To deeply experience the power of this simple mantra, sit comfortably in your usual meditation seat. Begin by simply working with A-U-M. As you chant aloud, resonate each sound for several seconds before moving to the next sound: Ah…. Oh…. Mm. Notice where you feel the vibrations of each sound in your body. Sense the “Ahh” emanating from the base of your body, vibrating and cleansing the root and belly. Sense the “Ohh” purifying your heart center and throat. Feel the “Mmm” resonating throughout your face and skull to the crown of your head. Repeat aloud at least six times.

    Now, repeat the path of A-U-M, but repeat the mantra sounds silently, and feel the same internal vibrations. As you move to this more subtle layer of sensing the mantra, its purifying abilities move more deeply from the physical into the subtle body, releasing the emotions and burdens of the lower self. As this release occurs, the central channel of consciousness is opened and the jiva, your individual spirit, is freed to reunite with paramatman, the source of divine love and inspiration.

    Now allow the A-U-M to combine into Aum, and feel you are receiving the divine light of Paramatman, the universe, through that central channel, from the crown of your head, flowing down into your heart, the seat of your jiva, your unique spirit, and into your body.

    As you tune in to your breath, let the inhale carry this light down into the center of your body. Begin to let the exhale release from your heart center. Feel on this release the sound of Shanti, peace. As this cycle of inhale and exhale continues, you draw in the inspiration and unconditional love of the universe, filtering it through your unique essence and sending it back out into the world.

    You might direct this powerful vibration of peace anywhere you’re inspired to: from your loved ones, to those in need, to places of conflict anywhere in the world. This simple, powerful practice reconnects you to the love, peace and divine oneness within your own heart and throughout the universe.

    Alan Finger