Winds of Yoga

The Vayus - or winds are subtle forms of energy

Prana Vayu

governs the chest and respiration

Apana Vayu

governs the lower abdomen and elimination

Samana Vayu

stokes the gastric fire and aids digestion

Udana Vayu

which dwells in the thoracic cavity and governs intake of air and food

and Viyana Vayu

which pervades the entire body and distributes energy from food and breath.

from the Introduction of Light on Yoga

Music

"Yoga is like music:

the rythm of the body,

the melody of he mind and
the harmony of the soul create the
symphony of life."

Asanas

“My body is my temple and asanas are my prayers.”

“Do not treat the asana as a physical exercise meant to keep the organs healthy. Treat the asana as if you are using them to adore and adorn the soul.”

BKS Iyengar

Brave Choice

"The decision to relax rather than to grip, even in the face of impatience or fear, is a conscious and brave choice."

B.K.S. Iyengar


Thanks for sharing this quote, Cynthia!

Human Empathy

"Behaving morally toward other people requires that we respect them for themselves, instead of using them as a means for enrichment or glory."

OM

“The essence of all beings is earth, the essence of earth is water, the essence of water is plants, the essence of plants is man, the essence of man is speech, the essence of speech is the Holy Knowledge, the essence of Holy Knowledge is Sama-Veda (word, tome, sound), the essence of Sama-Veda is OM”
Changogya Upanishad

Are you cha-cha-chataranga challenged?

I am. Chataranga is definitely on my "do not like too much" list of asanas. A few weeks ago, I learned a way of getting into chataranga, that is appropriate for chataranga challenged yoginis like me. Thanks Margot for teaching this modification.

Start lying on your belly
Place your hands by the sides of your trunk, near your lower ribs. In the final pose, the fore arms are perpendicular to the ground.


Phase 1: Lift Trunk with Bent Knees
Tuck the toes under
Press Knees into the floor
Press into the palms of your hands
Lift the chest
Move the Shoulder blades into the body and down towards the waist
Lift the Navel towards the spine
Tuck the tailbone
Lifht the hips and thighs up (roll the inner thighs up)

Phase 2: Final Pose
Now straighten the legs, lift the knees up
Extend through the inner heel

Voila! Chataranga Dandasana. Now I just have to keep practicing, so that I learn to hold the pose for more than 5 seconds :)

No, I didn't trip when I went hiking at Ptarmigan Cirque in Kananaskis, but this is Phase 1 of getting into Chataranga Dandasana, starting with the knees on the floor. This way, it helps me to keep the integrity in the upper body...

...final pose: Chataranga Dandasana

First IYAC - Alberta Gathering

Yesterday was an IYAC Alberta gathering at the Tree Yoga Studio. which is a cosy two story yoga studio just up on Edmonton Trail in Calgary. The gathering was to celebrate Geeta's teachings from the recent AGM in Penticton.

The event started with a yoga class, led by several different teachers and it turned out to be a great way of exchanging and getting feedback on yogasana knowledge.

Marilyn demonstrating Chatuspadasana on lots of blankets. The blankets are used to learn to roll onto the tops of the shoulders and to keep the neck relaxed.

After the class, I was definitely ready to hit the buffet, and I can honestly say: I L.O.V.E. potlucks by Yogis - it's a Vegetarian's paradise: Michele's chocolate mousse and lentil soup, Isabel's Couscous Salad, Sonja's secret family recipe of almond cookies and everything else was delicious.

Good Food AND good music. Thanks for organising, Michele and thanks for playing - Musicians! Michele suggested another gathering sometime this year: sounds good to me!

Asanas for the 3rd Chakra (Solar Plexus)

In her essay "Balance Your Chakras, Balance Your Life" by Marianne Woods Cirone (click on the picture above to read the entire essay), she lists some asanas that help to balance the chakras.

For me, it is the Solar Plexus, that needs a little stimulation. And to do so, she suggest abdominal strengthening poses like Navasana (boat) and Chataranga (plank). Oh no! Totally my best friends in the realm of asanas (I am being facetious)! Oh well, I will give it try - to get the yellow disc "Manipura" spinning.

Third Chakra (Manipura)

Phalakasana (plank), stomach crunches, belly rolls. To increase fire: risk-taking, eating hot foods, avoiding iced drinks. To decrease fire: limiting spicy foods and caffeine, taking time to relax and meditate.

To enhance the third chakra, abdominal-strengthening poses: surya namaskar (sun salutations), navasana (boat), virabhadrasana (warrior I, II & III), twists. To cool the chakra: restorative, passive backbends.

Kukkutasana (cock balance), viparitakaranichakrasananavasana (reverse, or legs up the wall), (wheel), (boat). Affirmation: If I wish my consciousness to grow, I must feed it, rest it, exercise it.

"I free myself to the power of living my life to the fullest, feeling worthy of all that I receive."

Always Time for Creation

Today I experienced a special kind of guided meditation. Audrya took us on a journey with her didgeridoos - it was wonderful! Check out her website by clicking on the picture. I didn't know what kind of sounds can come out of a hollow piece of wood. But I guess, when you have your eyes closed and nothing else to do, you can discover a whole new world of sensations, vibrations and sounds from Audrya and the didgeridoo.

IYAC 2008 T-Shirt

Sthira Sukham Asanam
Yoga Sutra II.46

Asana is perfect firmness of the body,
Steadiness of intelligence and
benevolence of the spirit.

Great job in designing the T-Shirt, Sharoni!

Adho Mukha Virasana

Adho Mukha Virasana on a bolster

One of the great take aways from the weekend with Geeta: detailed instructions on how to open the armpit chest. I am not quite sure, if this term is known outside of the Iyengar yoga circle: it is the front area of the armpit and the side chest. The skin of this area moves upward towards the head. Here are the instructions:

Kneel on the floor, toes together, knees apart.
Extend the torso forward, extend the arms forward.

Rest the forehead on the bolster,
Roll the inner arms towards the ceiling,
Suck the flesh of the arms to the bone,
Move the elbows further away from the shoulders
Take the outer corners of the shoulder blade towards the spine
Move the shoulder blades towards the waist.

On the front body:

• the skin of the abdomen moves towards the head,
• the lower ribs expand towards the head,
• the middle ribs move towards the floor,
• the upper ribs and collar bones move towards the head.

The armpits move towards the floor.

Stay in this asana for a while, allow the spine to lengthen, adjust the elbows and move the bolster further away, if necessary. Take your time - focus on the breathing and allow the armpit and chest to open even more!

I think, slowly I am getting, what it means to open the armpit chest. Now I just have to keep doing it.

AGM IYAC Penticton 2008

I just got back from a wonderful trip to BC. It's amazing how a road trip through the beautiful Rockies and a 4-day yoga conference with the Iyengar Association of Canada and Geeta and Abi Iyengar can bring clarity and rest to the mind, fire and power to the body, and peace and awareness to the soul!

Geetaji came to Canada for an event put on by the ascent magazine in an ashram, but decided to stay for another week and share her knowledge and wisdom with the Iyengar Association of Canada.

Be certain that the posts to follow will be highly influenced by Geetaji's teachings, expect

• some words on tapas - and I am not talking about the Spanish appetizer, but the sanskrit tapas - a burning which involves purification and self-discipline.

• and surely something about shoulder and heart openers - my upper back has never felt like this before.

On the way to the Okanagan - at a lunch break stop at the Columbia River. Pilot Shelly was not just steering the Subaru perfectly, but was also sharing tales and stories of the area. After an 8 hr road trip and sharing a room, Shelly now knows more about me than she ever wanted to know ;). I on the other hand learned about the lake monster Ogopogo that lives in Lake Okanagan (imagine Nessie's cousin) from Shelly.

Trish celebrated her 55th birthday at the conference and Barbara picked out a wonderful cake made at the local bakery. Right on the first day, I learned a lesson of non-attachment: I was helping out in the bookstore and while I was swiping credit cards, the room where my bag was, got locked (well, it was the secured "locked" room - so this could have been expected). But I learned to let go of getting angry or upset about not having my wallet or shoes , instead I went on an afternoon trip in Penticton without shoes. If I had to pick a place in Canada: BC is probably the safest area in Canada to run around without shoes without being judged as crazy.

Oh, and it was a surprise for Trish, she didn't have a clue about the party! Some of the guests were even hiding in Trish's bedroom to surprise her on her special happy birthday!

Asana practice and lectures in the mornings and pranayama and chanting of the yoga sutras with Abi in the afternoon at the Penticton convention center. Accompanied by big dinners, one gala dinner with music and Geetaji, and a board meeting.

Ingelise, senior Iyengar teacher from West Van surprised Geetaji and the audience with a beautiful voice and thoughtful lyrics.

The leaves were out in BC, the fruit trees blooming, what else could you wish for!

Vrksasana Shelly on tree stump

There is even a beach!

At the gala dinner: the Calgary crew with special guest from BC

Kim, Nimmi, Shelly at dinner

Michelle and Trish

Surrender the head to your heart,...

...or in other words: Jalandhara Bandha, chin lock. In Light on Pranayama, B.K.S. Iyengar says this relaxes the brain and also humbles the intellect.

Jalandhara Bandha is performed by lengthening the back of the neck, then extending the chin forward, and then lowering the chin towards the chest, as if one would holds an orange between the chin and the chest. Or imagine, you are baby kitten and mama cat picks you up by the back of the neck: It is a relaxed, lengthening sensation in the neck area. The chin is not forced towards the chest, but rather the chest moves closer to the chin on every inhalation. This creates space in the throat area and allows the throat to relax, the 5th chakra to open.

Lastly the frontal brain relaxes down towards the heart, while the chest keeps lifting upwards, allowing the thinking mind to listen to the heart for a change.

Especially since I learned the cue about the frontal brain, I enjoy Jalandhara Bandha in poses such as Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana or Salamba Sarvangasana.

Ear Candling

This afternoon I tried ear candling. It was quite a surprise - my friend Heather got some candles and treated me to a treatment.

Basically I was lying on my side and had my head supported. I also had a blanket between my ankles and knees, which made it even more comfy. Heather cut out a big piece of cardboard with a hole in the middle to pass the ear candle through. The ear candle is hollow, made from beeswax and cotton. Heather sat next to me and cut off the burnt pieces of the candle, as it burnt down slowly. Knowing that Heather was there to ensure I didn't catch on fire made it a very relaxing experience.

We did 2 candles per ear; the theory being the first candle is the warm-up (literally) and the second the end spurt. Hearing the crackling of the flame, feeling the warmth enter my ear and sensing the air moving was all very soothing.

People's opinion on ear candling differ drastically. School medicine and even Health Canada say it's dangerous and should not be undertaken. They report burns and a punctured ear drum. Promoters say it's an ancient way of healing used by the ancient Greeks and Romans and Shamans and some say it can change the energy field of the body.

All I can do is speak from my experience: I neither got a burn or injured my ear drum (but I did have a competent person around). Afterwards I felt relaxed and my head felt clearer. I'd do it again.

Sirsasana

I have had a crazy week. Lots to do at work, and each evening I have been busy meeting people too. It's good, but I notice how the busy-ness competes with my time for asana practice. Not good for my stress level. ESPECIALLY when life is busy, a regular practice would be so beneficial. But, hey, I am human.

I do try to get Sirsasana (head stand) and Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) in every day. According to the Iyengars, these two poses are the king and queen of asanas. And I can see why. They definitely do magic.

Just did my five minutes each and I feel MUCH better.

I am in the process of re-learning sirsasana . I had issues, or more specifically neck pain, when I was in sirsasana for an extended time. But I think I found the solution: I was not on my crown, but a little too far on towards my forehead. I was looking down towards the floor, which created a misalignment in my neck. After a few minutes, some of the little muscles in my neck started screaming. Now I adjusted my crown position and I know put my gaze towards the corner between the back wall and the ceiling, in other words slightly up, not towards the floor. It seems to work. My neck was fine! I have gone back against the wall though, as the change in position means that I am a little wobbly, so i stable wall behind helps me to not roll over. I am sure it's just a matter of time until my muscles adjust and I will find my balance and can go back into the middle of the room to do sirsasana.

Good Pain - Bad Pain

Father Joe in supported Salamba Sarvangasana

At his Restorative Yoga Workshop two weekends ago, Father Joe said, there is no Iyengar yoga class without pain.

I have to go into the pain to transform it. Breathing loving attention into the area of the physical body that is tense can do wonder. By going into and through the good or healthy pain the bad or unhealthy pain is removed. Through diligent practice, that is. And to do this safely, I need to have sufficient body awareness and wisdom to distinguish between good and bad pain. Better safe than sorry - aka better gentle than forceful. Especially after I heard from a chiropractor that he has seen more ripped hamstrings from yoga than from any other exercising program!

Iyengar Yoga Blogs

I have been searching for Iyengar yoga blogs, but currently, the interim mission report would say that it appears that Iyengar yogis and yoginis spend more time on the mat than on blogger or typepad.

But this morning I was successful, when I stumbled upon Brenda Plakan's blog Grounding thru the sit bones. She is a Iyengar yoga practitioner and Yoga Journal contributor. I look forward to following her blog - it looks like a great resource.

2hr Practice - Focus: Standing Poses

I went to Patti Dusel's class in Edmonton and to the best of my memory, this was the practice we did yesterday. It was a good practice - 2 hours - and my quads worked hard in the standing poses.

Warm Up Cycle - Hold every pose 40 secs:

• Addho Mukkha Virasana
• Uttanasana
• Addho Mukkha Svanasana - feet against wall
• Chataranga Dandasana
  
• Addho Mukkha Svanasana - hands against wall *active pose, yet recovering*
• Uttanasana
• Addho Mukkha Svanasana
• Ardha Mukha Vrksasana - Half Handstand against wall
• Addho Mukkha Svanasana
• Addho Mukkha Virasana

Standing Poses

• Tadasana *take the arms back, turn the palms back, as if you were hanging off the ropes*
  
• Urdhva Hastasana
• Parvatasana in Tadasana
  
• Vrksasana (with the right leg bent: the right hip bone moves towards the center, the thigh rotates outward; standing leg: lift the knee caps, engage quads, lift front of the pelvic rim)
• Trikonasana *drop buttocks, lift front rim of pelvis, take the tb in by using the gluts, the head and torso is on the outside of the leg (back)*
• Utthita Parsvakonasana
• Ardha Chandrasana
• Utthita Hasta Padangustasana
• bend one knee and hug it into your torso
• put the strap around the foot and extend the leg out
• extend through the inner heel

Inversions

• Sirsasana Cycle (5 min)
• Salamba Sirsasana - 3 min
• Eka Pada Sirsasana -1 min
• Salamba Sirsasana - 1 min

Abdominal

• Paripurna Navasana - Feet are above eyes
• Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (90 degrees, 45 degrees) - ensure the sacrial band is pressing into the floor
• Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (90 degrees, 60 degrees, 30 degrees)

Twist

• Jathara Parivartanasana (first hovering, the second round - on floor)

Closing Sequence

• Upavista Konasana
• Supta Baddhakonasana * do always after core work like Navasana - for recovery of the hip flexors*
• Salamba Sarvangasana
• Savasana (in Supta Baddhakonasana) *the focus is on the front of our brain, our throat and our heart - to connect the 4th, 5th and 6th chakra*

back bend

Heather in
"eka pada viparita dandasana"
or
"one-foot-inverted-staff pose"

study

I haven't seen too many scientific studies about iyengar yoga yet. But one study from the University of Washington State concluded that iyengar yoga promotes well being in breast cancer survivors.

You can read the full story here.

Rather than just focusing on restorative poses, the traditional Iyengar approach was taken:

• standing poses (to develop physical strength);
• chest and shoulder openers; and
• inversions - the back bone of Iyengar yoga.

They study also concluded that yoga provides positive psychological effects on the breast cancer survivors, but doesn't elaborate on the topic.

Scientific research aside, I have observed yoga's psychophysical effects in my own experience: an asana practice usually clears my mind and balances my emotions.

The 3 Stages of Yoga Poses

A yoga pose can be divvied up into three stages:

• the going into yoga pose
  
• the being in the yoga pose
• and the coming out of the yoga pose
  

Depending on your personality (or patterns), you might be good at all three of them. My personality appears to be focusing on the first half of the three stages: I am usually enthusiastic, among the first ones in the pose, but I am also among the first ones who lose interest and come out of the pose in the fastest way possible, which often feels more like a sloppy dance move, if not a falling-over, than a mindful yoga movement.

And in real life, that's true too. 100% Enthusiasm. Not-so-many % Follow-Through.

Here is another New Year's resolution:
In my next yoga pose, I will make sure that I put as much awareness into the coming-out as the coming in. It can't be too difficult.

acarya

Today was week 7 of teaching a lunch-hour Iyengar beginner class at work. On average I introduce 1 or 2 new poses each week. Especially in the beginning, repetition is a great learning tool. I think too many new poses would just confuse the beginning student. At the same time, I work towards 1 or 2 more challenging poses, to keep the students interested. Ardha Chandrasana or Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) are good challenging poses for beginners.

"The acarya (teacher) gives you one quarter, one quarter comes from your fellow students, one quarter comes from your own intelligence and one quarter comes from the passage of time."

Manu

(From the book Yoga Touchstone by Norman Sjoman)

Awareness & Knowledge

...People are more aware of what yoga is now. You don't need to educate people as much. People know it's not something exotic like sitting on a bed of nails. It's a deep practice of self-awareness and self-knowledge that also connects you to those around you in a way that is beneficial to everyone....

Judith Hanson Lasater

Yoga Studio

What should a yoga studio be like?

According to the Yoga Pradipika, "...the Yogi should practice Hatha Yoga in a small room, situated in a solitary place, being 4 cubits square, and free from stones, fire, water, disturbances of all kinds, and in a country where justice is properly administered, where good people live, and food can be obtained easily and plentifully..."

I think my place in Canada probably meets this description - not quite sure how big 4 cubit square are, but people are good and food is plentiful!

Yantra

Check out this beautiful video by Bobby Clennell, where sacred geometric patterns mingle with B.K.S. Iyengar's asana practice.

Vanda Scaravelli

An inspiring yogini, who spent time with and learned from B.K.S Iyengar and Krishnamurti and added some feminine softness to the teachings.

...One of the wonderful gifts of Vanda Scaravelli's work is its simplicity. Vanda spoke of three friends, Breath, Gravity, and the Wave. These three principles remain the same regardless of whatever your level of practice. Vanda believed that poses required undoing, having no goal, and going with the body, rather than pushing or telling the body what to do in a linear fashion, which causes movement to be fragmented. Taking time to understand and feel the principles at work in our practice can revolutionize the way in which we work. If uncertainty arises, we come back to the breath, reconnect with the ground and the body will find its steadiness again. This keeps the practice simple. Following the principles helps to understand the natural intelligence of the body; which is designed to move rhythmically in response to gravity and breath. Thus postures emerge from an inner movement without the need to impose or perform postures externally. As we learn to let go and release the outer tension from the body, the postures become a catalyst for the wave of the breath and spine to awaken and dance...
excerpt from Inspired by Vanda Scaravelli by June Durkin


"If you are kind to the body, it will respond in an incredible way."

Talk Ahimsa

Ahimsa, one of the yamas, means non-violence. On the yoga mat we try to avoid competitive, and berating thoughts and we try to repect our physical limitations. Ahimsa goes beyond the mat. In essence, it means to honor and respect life. It includes all aspects of life: non-violence towards ourselves, towards others, the planet, and the universe in general. It is not limited to physical violence, but applies to the mental level as well, including communication, which is the prevalent way of relating and connecting with others.

Here is a concept of ahimsa applied to communication: Non-violent Communication (NVC) was developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D http://www.cnvc.org/ and encourages to converse without emotional reaction to some expected outcome, but to simply observe. Very Yogic.

NVC consists of 4 steps:

• observing (stopping to recognize what is actually happening in the moment, rather than voicing your opinion about it)
• feeling (identifying the feelings arising in you and your sense of the feelings arising in others);
• needing (getting clear about what needs you and others might have in the situation); and
• requesting (asking to have those needs met) – often forgotten by me - i assume, my request should be clear by expressing my feeligns and needs. A clear request makes things a lot easier though.