Sting

I was a huge Sting fan, when I was a teenager. My very first concert ever was a Sting concert (Nothing like the Sun)

He is a good example how yoga keeps you healthy and in shape in your fifties. He even does Yoga before his concerts (just like me sometimes before parties!), as I just found out in this interview of Sting with the YogaJournal.

Intelligence and Mind

Yoga makes a distinction between intelligence and mind. The specific quality of the mind is cleverness...yoga states clearly that it is not a fact of being less clever than your neighbour that makes you stupid. Stupidity is the absence of intelligence. Stupidity can be behaving in a certain way or not learning from your mistakes...Let me give you an example: Scientifically advanced nations invent many complex and terrible weapons. To do this they must be clever. Then they sell those weapons indiscriminately around the world, and the arms end up in the hands of their enemies. Is this clever or stupid?...

B.K.S Iyengar, Light on Life

Crushed

And she will crush your sand-like castles, then find you where you hid and offer you her hand like nothing ever happened, and nothing ever did.

expressed by Kirtana

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.

Mark Twain

The Traveller

"There was once a wise woman traveling in the mountains who found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and she opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked if she might give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But only a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman who had given it to him.
"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I'm giving it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. I want you to give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."
-Author Unknown

Awareness

Let us not look back in anger
or forward in fear

but around in awareness.

James Thurber

Mixed Level

Parighasana - Gate Pose

For the months of October and November, I am teaching the 5:30 Mixed Level Class on Friday at the Yoga Studio. Also - if you have never been to the studio: The first class is free!

Do you know why Ganesha had an elephant's head?

I heard, so that people would have more respect for animals and also remember the story better:

The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.

Now you know!

Adha Mukha Vrksasana

Downward Facing Tree or Handstand

Calming for the brain while invigorating for the body

Eyes

Today I learned that we all have a dominant eye. It does make sense; I just have never thought of it. Apparently one eye is looking more intensely and it's physically sticking out more than the other; the passive eye is more relaxed, receiving and sits deeper in the eye socket. I was told that my left eye is dominant. When I put my attention to my seeing, I could actually feel it. It felt like my left eye was trying harder.

Yoga teaches us to balance. I am guessing this also applies to our eyes: From now on I will take some time (whenever I remember) to consciously make my right eye the dominant eye.

Like right now. That definitely feels weird.

Isn't the right eye connected to the left brain? Will this make me more creative?

American Yoga

In the last few weeks I have had the privilege to attend yoga classes with senior Iyengar yoga teachers in San Francisco and Washington DC. By the way, I am positively surprised by the positive vibe going on in Washington DC! I love it here! It helps that I am surrounded by fantastic people at an international symposium regarding sustainable buildings.

In San Francisco I visited the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco. I went to Janet McLeod's and Kathy Alef's class. In Washington DC I attended Giulia Mainieri's class at Unity Wood Yoga. In all three classes we did standing poses, forward bends and padmasana. We focused on the groins and shoulders. I took very valuable information from all three of these classes, the main points being:

• sitting in dandasana - rolling the top inner thighs down towards the floor
• extending the spine by elongating and relaxing - this is not a forceful movement. This allows the shoulders to relax into the correct position, rather than pressing it back
• relaxing the trapezius, outer shoulders moving back, armpit chest moving forward and up

In Padmasana:

• rotating the shin, so that the sole of the foot faces the ceiling and is high up on the thigh (ideally it presses into the abdomen)
• ensuring that the downward movement of the knee originates from the top of the femur.
• pubus moves up, so that the groins can release; lower abdomen moves in and up.

Leg Lifts

Variation of Malasana to relax the trapezius:
Squatting with your upper arms pressing down on to the knees/thighs. Elongates the trapezius down, away from the ears. Chest lifted.

Padanghustasana - looking up. Instead of thinking "looking up" Ingelise encouraged us to lengthen the throat, the seat of a vayu that is most often blocked.

Adho Mukkha Svanasana
Downward dog with blocks between the inner heels (the soft part of your inner heel, not the ankle)

Flow between Upward and Downward Dog with block between heels; can you roll your toes under in upward dog? Then do the same with block between knees

Downward Dog with block between lower arms

Chataranga with blocks between toes

Urdhva Prasarita Padasana Leg Lifts with block between heels

Jathara Parivartanasana - with block between heel; this teaches to extend through the inner heel and to keep the feet together - not an easy task!

• with partner's foot on the opposite shoulder - helps to keep the shoulder down
• with the thumb and one finger holding the ft of a chair, do this asana without pulling the chair - hard!

Variation of Jathara Parivartanasana - side leg lifts (if tired with bent legs) look up: the action is more in the lower back on the pelvic rim. Looking to the opposite side makes it rajasic in the chest area

Supta Virasana your buttocks on the bolster too, head on second bolster or block: strong stretch in the quads! keep top of shin bone down, knees moving towards each other; open chest. long front body, relaxed throat.

The Science of Yoga

First one has to study the poses. Not studying by reading about them, but by doing them. By experiencing whatever effect they have on us. Often we hear: it's not about who can be the biggest prezel. If it's not that, what is it about?

It's about the energy a yoga pose brings forward. There is nothing to get, there is nowhere to go to. It's already here. Waiting for us to discover it.

We need to understand the three energies that are the fabric of the universe, the three gunas: tama, raja and sattva. Tama is the earth energy: grounding, heavy, still. Its negative aspects are laziness, doubt, hesitation, heaviness. Raja is air; excitement, action, restlessness. Sattva is the peaceful energy that emerges when tama and raja are in balance.

Life is a play, a constant change between these 3 energies. So let's make peace with them and play with these energies! In a yoga pose, let's say tadasana mountain pose, you always want to ground with your feet and legs, that's the tamasic aspect. Tamasic in the positive way, heavy yet strong and engaged. You also want to lift: raja. Lift your chest, lift the sides of your torso equally on both sides. And suddenly there is sattva. Finding that peaceful place in between tama and raja: sattvic energy. An alert, vibrant, peaceful, joyful feeling. That's yoga.

The science of yoga is observing your body, your energy, experiencing how certain poses affect parts of your body or mind. And sometimes this science will turn into art.

"To work with these patterns is to play the music of our own body, our own mind. You count your way into the order of things." N.E. Sjoman

Anatomy

I highly recommend this book, if you want to deepen your understanding of the human body and hatha yoga. Understanding certain muscles and seeing them helps me to visualise relaxation or elongation or whatever is necessary in a certain pose. Two thumbs up!

Bec-bending (aka Backbending with Rebecca)

Rebecca - doing a variation of Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana on a chair. Is there a name for this variation? This variation is a crazy, intense shoulder opener!

Urdhva Dhanurasana.
Very important: to extend the chest and lift the thighs, otherwise it is too much in my lower back.

Urdhva Dhanurasana. Rebecca's wheel is beautiful. Compare the two pictures and you can see how she really opens her chest in the top one. Also her knees are moving towards each other, which protects her lower back.

Variation of Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana on a chair. Get up into headstand, put your feet against the wall and slowly work your way down to the chair. Open chest.

Pincha Mayurasana (peacock) towards Vrschikasana (Scorpion).

The block between the hands helps to keep the thumb side of the hand grounded. This pose develops the muscles in the shoulders and back. It tones the spine and stretches the abdominal muscles.

Meditation is...

...being the seeing.

Meditative awareness is an alert, empty, watchful consciousness for living all of life, without interference by conditioned, prejudiced, thought forms.
from Patanjali Now, Foster Walker

A story about Ahimsa

From the Vedas, the vast collection of ancient philosophical teachings from India:

A certain sadhu, or wandering monk, would make a yearly circuit of villages in order to teach. One day as he entered a village he saw a large and menacing snake who was terrorizing the people. The sadhu spoke to the snake and taught him about ahimsa. The following year when the sadhu made his visit to the village, he again saw the snake. How changed he was. This once magnificent creature was skinny and bruised. The sadhu asked the snake what had happened. He replied that he had taken the teaching of ahimsa to heart and had stopped terrorizing the village. But because he was no longer menacing, the children now threw rocks and taunted him, and he was afraid to leave his hiding place to hunt. The sadhu shook his head. "I did advise against violence," he said to the snake, "but I never told you not to hiss."

Protecting ourselves and others does not violate ahimsa. Practicing ahimsa means we take responsibility for our own harmful behavior and attempt to stop the harm caused by others. Being neutral is not the point. Practicing true ahimsa springs from the clear intention to act with clarity and love. From the Yoga Journal

Non-Attachment

"The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome hisfirst interest; success comes only later."--Confucius

Sounds like Patanjali’s “Don’t be attached to the Outcome” to me!

Practical Hint in Raised Arm Pose

Focus on extending through your ring finger in Urdhva Hastasana. This helps to gently extend from the waist up.

Other variations are

• having a block in between the palms, or
• a strap around the elbows.

It looks like an easy pose, but keeping everything aligned is actually quite a challenge. Key points in Urdhva Hastasana are:

• ground through your feet
• Calves move forward
• Knee Caps lift
• Inner thighs rotate backward
• Tailbone drops
• Extend both sides of the trunk equally
• Front ribs stay in
• Shoulders drop
• Throat relaxed
• Gaze relaxed

Wow - that's quite a list! Can you think of anything else?

On a side note :)

"I hint nothing happens. I hit everything happens." BKS Iyengar

Inversions and Twists Class

Baddha Hasta Sirsasana

Maha Mudra

Marichiasana III

Here is an intermediate sequence focusing on twists and inversions. I am still a beginner when it comes to the sanskrit terminology, therefore a mix of English and Sanskrit.

Downward Dog – head resting on a block (Note: move neck and shoulders away from the head)

Handstand – with strap on forearm below elbow
Forearm Stand (with block and strap against the wall)
Forearm Stand with palms facing up and sandbags on palms.
Sirsasana III (against the wall – hands clasp elbows – do both sides)

Gomukasana (hands only; then feet as well)
Marichiasana III (binding – both sides)
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Ardha Padmasana (Dandasana – left leg straight, right leg in Padmasana, right hand binds on the back clasps the shin of the right leg, left hand holds the left foot on the pinky side)

Maha Mudra

Salamba Sarvangasana
Sarvangasana (clasping hands – press down arms)
Sarvangasana (hands over head)
Sarvangasana (hands at your thighs)

Setu Bandasana

Savasana

Class on Jan 28

Tadasana
Tadasana with block between thighs - focusing on the inward rolling action of the upper thighs and the taking in of the tailbone
Also: lifting toes to really ground on all four corners of the foot at the same time
the bottom of the shoulders press into the body - lift the chest

Urdhva Hastasana
eyes of the elbows look towards each other - outer elbows to inner elbows

then with strap - just above the elbows to get a feeling of the elbow action

Tree Pose
right knee bent - knee towards the back - lift the pubis, tuck the tailbone, roll in thighs, compact the left hip, rotate navel slightly to the left

Utkatasana
rolling in the thighs, tucking the tailbone - lift the chest.

Baddha Konasana against the wall

Janu Sirsasana - tail bone in - roll upper thighs back - press through the top of the heel

Setu Banda on a bolster and with a strap against the wall

Savasana