Once More Into The Breach, Dear Friends, It’s Day 8! January 18, 2011
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“In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:”
– William Shakespeare’s Henry V (I:3)
For most of the first week of the Yoga Journal 21-Day Challenge, I was house sitting for a friend. I had tons of space, tons of quiet, and two computers in the room where I practiced the video sequences. didn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone, or about being disturbed. The cat and I did not compete for the shower. It was a peaceful way to practice. Yes, the volume was an issue, as was the height of the desk when I was lying on the floor, but I didn’t have any downloading issues and all was good. Despite the fact that I was a little off staying in a new place and working out the logistics of traveling to and from a different home base, it was pretty relaxing. It was almost like a retreat – a retreat with a great view and some really good yoga teachers.
Fast forward to Monday, Day 8 of the challenge. As much as I enjoyed practices led by teachers I had never met, I was itching for a real class with a real live, real time, teacher. Truth be told, I was also itching for something familiar. I got myself geared up to take a class from a teacher who has also been my student and whose class I had sorely missed because of my work schedule during the holidays. I walked into the studio and discovered there was a sub. Still, I was excited, because the sub was someone I’d met and from whom I had hoped to take a class. The schedule just hadn’t worked out.
As the class started, my body warmed up; my mind focused on the breath; and the movement; I smiled some and I was glad to be right there, right then. Suddenly, about midway through the Sun Salutations, I found myself in the middle of a “let go of what you know” moment. Or maybe, instead of calling it a moment, I should call it a battle. Or a war.
My breath stayed steady throughout the practice. However, as we proceeded my body felt more and more out of balance; my mind started to fluctuate; and I couldn’t let go of the sensation that things were going downhill fast. Watching me, the teacher probably had no idea I was fighting – and failing – to stay on my mat. As I made my way through some fairly challenging asanas, I doubt anyone in the room was aware that I just wanted to shout, “Are you kidding me?!?!” and then storm out of the room.
Contrary to what I wrote yesterday, I didn’t do what I knew would work for me and I didn’t go into an extended Child’s Pose. I wanted to move. I wanted to be open to the moment. So, I took the suggestions, as they were given, until we got to the final supine twist. Then, I just had to do what I had to do: I twisted to the left first, instead of the right. I settled into Savasana, feeling fairly confident that there was a method to the teacher’s “madness” – as well as a message I would have appreciated if it had come by way of a different method. I also realized I hadn’t done myself any favors by being resistant to what was being offered, as it was being offered.
Leaving the studio, my body felt a little cranky and I found myself staring into space. I joked to one of my students that all the “Shoveling Snow Pose” I had to do that afternoon wouldn’t leave me incapacitated, but that the class I took might. Two hours later, when every step felt like someone was poking a cattle prod in my right buttocks, I was no longer laughing. I was trying to figure out how I was going to restore myself.
Even though I didn’t preview any of the videos during Week 1, I was fairly certain the Week 2 videos were in the same order. I was looking forward to doing the Day 1 sequence again, just to see how it would feel after all the other sequences. At least, that’s how I felt before the cattle prod sensation. Afterward, I started reconsidering my options. Part of me really wanted to just flow on my own or stream a vinyasa practice from a teacher with whom I’m familiar. Another part of me really wanted to do the video sequence from Day 4, Day 5, or Day 6 of the challenge. I even considered Day 2, even though it was going to be evening before I could practice. Ultimately, however, I decided to give the sequence from Day 7 another shot. It had, after all, the elements I needed to fix what ailed me.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the practice until after I left the “retreat.” I had to make space to heal and restore. The tub was less than appealing. And, I hadn’t counted on having problems with the download. I decided it was all for the good. Repeating a section until the video unfroze worked until I realized I was cold – therefore not doing my stiff muscles any favors – and needed to do more. So, based on what I remembered about the video, I started throwing in restorative postures I knew would fit with the sequence and which would help my cranky low back and hips. Throw in a little Supine Pigeon here, a little Supta Padangusthasana there, some twisting and hip flexing, plus Ananstasana Thirty minutes later, the video had only progressed through 11 minutes of the recorded sequence and I was still cold. I did Legs-Up-The Wall, considered staying there for the 18-Minute So Hum meditation, and then decided to do shift into Savasana. There was just no way I could sit for that long and wasn’t sure it was a good time to do an inversion for that long, even a mild one. Once again, I set my alarm for the wrong time and went over.
Oh well, it’s just another day on the mat. In the end, I got through it and I feel peace.
~ Shanti, Shanti, Shanthi ~
Day 6, If Thinking Makes It So, So Be It January 16, 2011
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Day 6
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. “ – Guatama Siddharta, Buddha
“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.” – Denis Waitley
I am constantly amazed at how the mind works. The Yoga Sutra describes the 5 ways we think: correct perception, incorrect (or mistaken) perception, imagination, deep sleep, and memories. Patanjali explains in this same section that these thoughts, or perceptions, can be afflicted or free of affliction (YS I:5 – 6). It’s more than Cogito, Ergo Sum or even Dubito, Ergo Cogito, Ergo Sum. It’s Cogito Ergo Mundo Est: I think therefore the world (my version of reality) exists.
Sometimes we find out our perception of a situation is incorrect. It can be a devastating discover. No matter how much the realization shakes us, however, we ultimate fail or succeed based on our ability to accept the truth, recover from our mistake, and keep moving. Equally fascinating is what happens when we make a decision to do something, fully commit, and – in doing so – discover that everything around us seems to adjust to make space for our commitment. The world changes, reality shifts, all because we made up our mind.
Over the last 6 days, I have settled into a routine. I’m not sure how I feel about it; other than that I am astounded at how my schedule has shifted and coalesced around my commitment to Yoga Journal’s 21-Day Challenge. I drag myself out of bed every morning; mediate for 5 minutes (or not, depending on how many times I hit the snooze); prepare for my classes by practicing 30 – 90 minutes; rush off to teach my classes; and then round off my day with the video sequence, the 18-minute So Hum mediation, and a blog entry. In between, I deal with the rest of my life – which includes dealing with the snow. It hasn’t even been a full week yet (unless you count Day 0) and every day is different, but this is the schedule that seems to work. Sometimes I consider changing it. Other times I am content to let it evolve. At all times I am committed to the process, and the challenge.
Today, Day 6, is one of those days when I considered change and, in doing so, almost faltered. By the time I got home I was exhausted – and fighting it. At some point I recognized the pointlessness of not taking a nap. Still, because I hadn’t done the video sequence for the day or the mediation, I fought my body’s desire for sleep. Needless to say, I lost that fight. I woke up much later than I would have if I had set an alarm, but I was rested. Even though I woke up and accepted the need for a nap, Part of me dreaded pulling up the video. I wasn’t sure I could handle an intense practice and definitely didn’t need anything invigorating. Something restorative, I thought, would be nice right about now.
And this is when my thought manifested itself in the form of Rebecca Urban’s 30-Minute Tension Release Hip Openers. I couldn’t have asked for a better practice – oh, wait, I did ask for it! This was no slacker practice. It combined a sublime amount of surrender, hip flexion, and hip extension with just enough intensity and challenge. And even though I’d put my hips and hamstrings through the proverbial wringer for the last two days, my whole lower body felt nurtured and encouraged.
Towards the beginning of the sequence I wondered why this practice didn’t precede the one for Hanumanasana. By the end of the practice I realized it was a sequence that could be used to integrate the body for a peak pose like Hanumanasana; it could be expanded into a longer span of time; or it could be used as the surrender portion at the end of an intense vinyasa practice. It could also be practiced as it is; and what a wonderful thing it is.
My body felt ready for Savasana. It also felt ready for the seated meditation. My mind…well, that’s a story for another day.
~ NAMASTE ~
Day 5, One Giant Leap For Yogi-kind January 15, 2011
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(or, How Small Steps Lead To A Giant Leap)
I was super excited to wake up Friday morning and discover the Day 5 video featured Elise Lorimer working towards Hanumanasana. The story of Hanuman is one of my favorites and I’ve told or referenced the story on more than one occasion while teaching the pose. But, as much as I love the story and the benefits of the pose, I suck at the full expression. I always have; even as a pre-teen gymnast I sucked at doing the splits. In fact, there’s a Junior High year book picture of me on a Maryland gymnastics team and to this day I cringe when I see it because I’m not the girl doing the splits. Still, I teach the pose because (a) even the modified version (or Hanuman prep, as I call it) can be incredibly beneficial; (b) I love the story; and (c) some of my students have incredible Hanumanasana practices.
Given my affinity for the story and my on-going struggle with the pose itself, I wanted to do the practice first thing in the morning. I was further inspired because I was already planning to include the pose in my Saturday morning class. But, I had early AM obligations – specifically, getting ready for my regular Friday classes. I spent the morning practicing a sequence inspired by the ruminations I had after finishing the Day 4 Standing Pose sequence. The irony of the way I work is that I was inspired by a 30-minute practice, but I wished I had more than 60 minutes to teach (and practice) the resulting class. This only makes sense when you know that sometimes I think like a Faulkner novel.
At the end of another snowy day I set up to practice the video. Keep in mind that my day included a little slipping and sliding, a little dancing, a practice set of Hanumanasana – just to give myself a base line, and another set of “Shoveling Snow Pose”. For whatever irrational reason, a part of my brain expected the sequence to be so overwhelmingly powerful that I would melt into the full expression like butter. Right. Keep dreaming.
The reality is that no one melts into the full expression of Hanumanasana. Even people who make it look effortless, do the work. They practice – if not every day, then every chance they get – and part of the practice is the process, the krama, those small sequential steps that lead to a giant leap.
True, there are some incredibly flexible people on the planet – and most of them are kids – but even Gumby Jr. has to practice the splits in order to do the splits. Choosing Hanumanasana as a peak pose for this challenge was brilliant, because it simultaneously reinforces the power of a sequence to open the body into a particular pose, as well as the need to dedicate one’s self to regular practice. Also, because it is such an extreme pose, it’s a great opportunity to tune into the body. Elise Lorimer’s practice highlighted all the muscle groups engaged in Hanumanasana. When I reached that peak pose, I didn’t melt into the full expression. I did, however, ease into my deepest expression at that moment. Ultimately, being where you are in the moment is what it’s all about.
Is it my imagination or are the Savasana moments getting longer? Even though I know the videos are pre-recorded, I feel like the universe is responding to my comments about the lack of Savasana. Tonight, I was more than ready for a little moment of reclined stillness. I stayed a few minutes past the end of the video and then sat for the 18-minute So Hum meditation I’ve been doing. My whole body felt prepared and, even though I was tired, I managed to finish the meditation in pretty good shape. Again, my legs felt divine and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
~ NAMASTE ~
2 Days of Yoga Down, 19 To Go January 12, 2011
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21 Days of Yoga (& Other Stuff)
Day 2
When am I going to fit in my yoga practice?
What, exactly, am I going to practice?
And, where did all this snow come from?
Yes, after 40-plus years on this planet, over 10 years of yoga practice, and going on 4 years of Minnesota winters, these are still the questions I ask at the beginning of a January day. While the latter may be unique to me, anyone even contemplating a daily yoga practice in this day and age has to answer the first two questions again and again.
“When am I going to fit in my yoga practice?” translates to: How am I going to work in time for what I need/want to do given my obligation(s) to a significant other, children, pets, work, my commute, my friends, etc.? Also, in order to maintain the practice, the timing has to be convenient, a space has to be available, and you have to feel up to the challenge. All of this, before you ever even get to the question: what, exactly, am I going to practice?
I feel most myself in the late afternoon and evening. If I had a completely flexible schedule, I would almost always practice after 11 AM. That might not be traditional or ideal, but I’d be comfortable with such a schedule. In fact, when I first started practicing, the majority of the classes I attended were during a business/corporate lunch hour or in the evening. More often than not, however, my current work schedule dictates a morning practice. It’s how I begin my day. And, I’ll admit it: more often than not, it’s the way I love to start the day.
Waking up a little late on Day 2 of the Yoga Journal challenge, I was naturally concerned about how I was going to answer my first two questions of the day. Imagine my pleasure (and relief) to discover that the recommended video sequence was a 15-Minute Morning Sequence with Kate Holcombe. Boy, was this perfect – and refreshing! After a minor hiccup with the downloading, I was waking up with the flow. Again, the sequence was well thought out and, in this case, I felt like it was simple enough for anyone to follow along and get energized. I also felt like the fitness level was exactly where it needed to be to serve as positive reinforcement for someone new to the mat. Part of me wonders why this wasn’t the Day 1 sequence. In fact, as I continue to encourage people to take the challenge, I am recommending that my students start with Day 2 as their Day 1. I can only imagine how joyful it would feel to start with this simple 15-minute practice and then, 21 days later, find yourself flowing through the current Day 1 hip openers. (Maybe, at some point, even putting together the sequences from Day 1 and Day 2 – but in the opposite order.) Sublime.
The video sequence turned out to be a perfect integration sequence for what I was already planning to teach and practice on Day 2. While I did not teach this sequence to my students, I easily segued from the video into my own personal sequence. Best of all, I felt prepared for the challenging sequences I had outlined. With the dulcet sound of Sammy Davis Jr. singing I’ve Gotta Be Me playing in the background, I ended my practice and started my day on a high note. I felt balanced, focused, and ready to take on the world. Even now, going on 14 hours after the morning practice, I still feel that way.
After teaching my first class and having lunch with two of my favorite people, I sat in the back of a coffee shop and completed the So Hum meditation. The recording is fairly quiet and I was in a semi-private room, so I wasn’t worried about disturbing the other patrons. In hindsight, I should have used headphones to block out some of the ambient noise. However, I was amazed to observe how my mind and body tuned into the audio for the meditation and tuned out the competing elements. Yesterday, I counted 9 sets of 12 as I went through the mediation. Today I timed it. At some point I will use an actual mala, but right now I’m interested in noting how I tap into the practice without the beads.
~ NAMASTE ~
Looking For Something To Do This Weekend? August 20, 2010
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Click on the “Karma Yoga” subpage and check out ways to dedicate your efforts to others.
The Art of Getting Unhooked July 29, 2010
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Food, Health, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Movies, Music, Philosophy, Science, Texas, Twin Cities, Yoga.Tags: Shenpa & The Practice of Getting Unhooked
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Before you can get unhooked, you have to recognize that you are hooked and recognize how you got hooked.
Pema Chödrön‘s birthday week (July 12 – 18, 2010) was a great opportunity to introduce my regular classes to the concept of shenpa and the practice of the 4 R’s (Recognize, Refrain, Relax, Resolve).
Check out the shenpa subpages (on the right side of the Newest Thoughts tab) to learn more.
~ Namaste ~
A Little Love, A Little Kindness Go A Long Way July 22, 2010
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Health, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Philosophy, Science, Twin Cities, Uncategorized, Yoga.Tags: Meditate with a little help from Shakespeare.
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“Two households, both alike in dignity” – Romeo and Juliet, opening line by William Shakespeare
A statement Kim Jeblick made at a recent Dharma Yoga workshop really stuck with me: the first words in a Sanskrit text are the most important; everything else comes from those first words.
It seems to me that the same can be said about a Shakespearean text. Take for example, Romeo and Juliet: a tragedy which starts off by reinforcing the fact that these two groups of people are exactly the same. Sure, we eventually learn one family has a daughter, one a son; but, each family clearly loves their own child wholeheartedly and wishes them the very best. At the beginning of the play, the lovers feel safe, secure, happy, peaceful, and healthy enough to be curious. They see in each other a mirror, a soul mate, someone who comes from the same place and wants the same things out of life. Of course, the tragedy is that the families don’t see the same thing. The families forget the opening line; they get hooked and start focusing on their differences rather than on their similarities.
In our own lives, we are simultaneously the lovers and their families. We are surrounded by our own image, mirrored in the visages of others. When we recognize the best part of ourselves in another, we become curious, try to get to know them, and we wish them the best of everything. A lot of times, however, we focus on the differences – and, just like in the play, conflict arises.
Here’s a question to consider: Does conflict always result in tragedy?
Shakespeare would say no, and wrote the comedies to prove it. Some of the people who had the privilege of seeing Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending! at the Capital Fringe Festival this month would also say no.
What about in your own life: How often are your personal conflicts resolved amicably and without hard feelings? Keep in mind, every real life tragedy does not automatically end in bloodshed. In fact, the biggest tragedies we experience on a regular basis are (1) not recognizing ourselves in others (i.e., not recognizing someone worthy of our love) and (2) not wishing the very best to someone we love just because we don’t agree with something they’ve said or done. Historically, Metta Meditation can be seen as a prescription for conflict resolution.
LOKAH – World(s); habitat(s); planets; universe; plane of existence; people; all living beings
SAMASTA – All inclusive; all kinds of (root word: “sama” = same)
SUKHINO – Happy; very happy (root word: “sukha” = happiness, delight, joy, pleasure, comfort)
BHAVANTU – Let them become; they will have to; may there be
Mettā (Pāli; Devanagari: मेत्ता) or Maitrī (Sanskrit) meditation is a way to offer loving-kindness, friendship, benevolence. Most people are familiar with seated or walking meditations, traditional to Buddhist traditions. Some Buddhist traditions also do a written meditation. In yoga, meditations are done seated, walking, lying in Savasana, and even during asana. In fact, when practicing 108 Sun Salutations for the equinoxes and solstices, each round can be dedicated in the same way each round of the mettā meditation (described in link below).
Traditionally, the physical practice of yoga (Hatha Yoga), in any form, is a way to prepare the body-mind-spirit for deep meditation. As mentioned above, the physical practice can also BE the meditation. My personal practice has always been a moving meditation so I try to bring that same experience to the classes I teach. Sometimes we add a mantra to the breath (In this case: Inhale Loving; Exhale Kindness). Often I encourage people to view various parts of their body as an extension of their breath, their heart, and sometimes their love. Over the past few weeks I’ve even invited people to visual their love shooting out of their fingers and heels, kind of like in a comic book. It may sound silly, but sometimes we forget arms are meant for hugging. And, everything we do can be an expression of love – especially if we make that our intention.
PRACTICING Mettā (Pāli; Devanagari: मेत्ता) or Maitrī (Sanskrit) Meditation:
Before you begin, familiarize yourself with the meditation breakdown. (NOTE: The Yale School of Medicine website had one of the best breakdowns I’ve seen. That link is now busted; however, the meditation breakdown can be found at this mindfulword.org site.) Review it and the visualization guide below. Once you understand the dedications, give yourself permission to really work on them one at a time. It’s important to notice how you feel (emotionally, mentally, and physically) at each stage. Also, notice how those sensations change as you progress. Regardless of the form you decide to use for your meditation, get comfortable and remember this is a practice.
(BIG TIP: Set an alarm clock so you don’t get distracted thinking about time.)
- Get comfortable. Begin by focusing on your breath. Don’t try to control it. Just notice the interaction between your breath and your body. Allow your breath to naturally deepen itself, and to naturally bring you into the present moment. Relax.
- Visualize yourself holding a baby. This baby can be a human child, a puppy, a kitten, a duckling. The type of baby doesn’t matter so long as you you find it adorable. Feel the baby’s warmth and the way it snuggles into you. Notice it’s peaceful expression. Now, focus on the baby’s breath. Notice it is deep and steady. See if you can match the baby’s breath, so that your breath becomes deep and steady. Feel the exchange of breath you are sharing with the baby: You each inhale love from one the other; you each exhale kindness to the other. Notice how you feel. Notice how your brow and shoulders soften; how your breath deepens.
- Begin to recite the meditation for yourself (out loud or silently). Breath at least one round of breath (deep breath in; deep breath out) between each line. Notice how you react to each offering/blessing/idea. Repeat as needed. If you feel resistance (e.g., distraction, the urge to fidget or scratch an itch), bring your awareness back to your breath and/or practice the 4 R’s (Recognize, Refrain, Relax, Resolve – more on these later) before proceeding.
- Visualize how you would feel and appear when you are safe and secure; peaceful and happy; healthy and strong; at ease, etc.
- Visualize the person(s) associated with the next round of dedications. Imagine how it would feel to give them a hug and have them hug you back. Steady your breath and feel the exchange of breath (Inhale Love; Exhale Kindness). Begin to recite the meditation accordingly (inserting gender; repeating as desired; and noticing your reaction).
- Visualize how the other person(s) feel and appear when safe and secure; peaceful and happy; healthy and strong; at ease, etc.
- Repeat steps 6 & 7 for the remaining rounds. When you get to the round for the “difficult person” consider referring to them as Shiva Rea does: as “precious jewels.” This is a great way to remind yourself that the person who pushes your buttons is valuable. You might even want to use their name. Also, leave space in your visualization for the precious jewel(s) to be shocked by your hug and, maybe, to take a while before hugging you back.
- After the final round, chant “Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu: May all beings everywhere be happy and be free. May my thoughts words and deeds somehow contribute to that happiness and that freedom. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om**”
This can be an intense practice. Save time to sit quietly or lie down before moving on with the remainder of your day or night.
May you be happy and free! May this somehow contribute to your happiness and your freedom! Peace, peace, peace (to you and to everyone you encounter)!
###
Note on translations: Since I am not a Sanskrit scholar, I usually cross reference several sources when I’m looking up Sanskrit translations. I recently came across vedabase.net, which cross references words with their various meanings, as they appear in ancient text (which, of course reminds me of the OED). Naturally, given my lit degree, I am predisposed to consider this a pretty useful resource. (Root word translations from Light on Yoga by B. K. S. Iyengar) (** “Om” brings supreme awareness/consciousness. “Shanti” means peace. When chanted the last “Shanti” can be extended which essential means, “Peace, because I said so/it!”)
A Lesson In Svadhyaya Dedicated to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois May 30, 2009
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Last Friday I started leading a week’s worth of tribute classes dedicated to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois – the founder of Ashtanga Yoga – who died May 18, 2009.
I am not an Ashtanga instructor, nor a regular practitioner of Ashtanga; however, Sri Pattabhi Jois is part of my “yoga family tree” (coming soon) and the style of vinyasa he taught predates the style I teach. What he taught – and how he taught – informs not only what I practice, but also what I teach and how I teach it. In fact, his influence on me and my practice is very similar to the genetic influence that my great grandfathers had on me and my body. So, the tribute classes I taught over this last week highlighted the heritage of Hatha Yoga and the major lesson I’ve learned because of Ashtanga Yoga.
My Yoga Family Tree
The umbrella of Hatha Yoga, the physical practice of asana (posture) and pranayama (breath control), covers a lot of seemingly different styles. However, each style is rooted in an oral tradition dating back to the Vedic Period (circa 4000 – 1000 BCE). While most of the names of those early yogis are lost to us, like the many of the names of our earliest biological relatives, the way the early students practiced was transcribed by Patanjali between 200 BCE and 200 AD. Patanjali called his work Yoga Sutras, literally “Union Threads” – a title which calls to my mind the threads of DNA polymers described by a team of researchers in the 1950’s (most notably James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins). During the 15th and 16th Centuries, Yogi Swatmarama began to further define and outline the physical practice of asana and pranayama in The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (“Sun-Moon Union Illuminated”).
Yoga could have easily remained in India were it not for Swami Vivekananda and Sri T. Krishnamacharya. Vivekananda was a dynamic and engaging speaker who introduced the sciences of Yoga and Vedanta to the World Parliament of Religions during the 1893 Chicago World Fair. He then proceeded to tour the world giving lectures and demonstrations. A lot of teachers and students practiced over the next 31 years, but 1924 is notable because it marks an official beginning for the teaching career of Krishnamacharya. Considered the Father of Modern Yoga, Krishnamacharya emphasized the concept of teaching according to each individuals needs and abilities. He was directly responsible for a resurgence of yoga’s popularity in India and his students carried the seeds of yoga into the modern world.
If we consider Krishnamacharya the top of the trunk, then his students mark the beginnings of ever expanding branches. These students include: Sri Pattabhois Jois; B. K. S. Iyengar; Indra Devi (the first woman, and non-Indian, pupil); Srivatsa Ramaswami; and Krishnamacharya’s sons, most notably T. K. V. Desikachar. While there are some exceptions (such as people practicing Bikram Choudhury’s hot yoga, which links back to the “yoga family tree” trunk through Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi) most people practicing Hatha Yoga inherited their practice from Krishnamacharya and his students.
My “Ashtanga Lesson”
The history and lineage of Hatha Yoga continues to be extended, because within each of us is a teacher – and the lessons taught to us (by the teacher within us) are the most important ones we will ever learn. For this reason, I consider Svadhyaya (self study) the ultimate lesson of yoga, and the legacy of Sri Pattabois Jois.
It’s easy, especially when one is first starting out, to get caught up in the appearance of hierarchy in the Ashtanga system. There is, after all, a Primary series, an Intermediate series, and a series of Advance series (A – D). Such categorization implies, for some, a value system; as if one sequence of poses is superior to another sequence. However, if you pay attention to a room full of people practicing Ashtanga – or even one individual with a dedicated practice – you begin to see that the emphasis isn’t on what is being practiced so much as it is on how it is being practiced. In fact, a room full of people “doing it Mysore-style” may not be doing the same asana (pose) or even the same series. Instead, each individual works through that which challenges him or her, moving through at a pace designated by his or her breath and progressing when the mind-body is ready to learn more about itself.
I explained to my classes that if you didn’t know anything about the series designations, you might just think of any given sequence or pose as “the asana I am doing today.”
Which begs the question: Why am I doing this asana, this way, today?
A question which can only be answered honestly when you know yourself, your mind, your body, and your spirit. As David Swenson points out, “Advancement in your practice is not in the asanas. It’s in your awareness, and in the extent to which you can carry that awareness over into the rest of your life.”
At various points during these tribute classes I quoted Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Sri Pattabhi Jois:
Tapah svadhyaya….”With burning desire reflect upon and understand the Self.” – YS (II:1)
“If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter – if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental, and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood toward the Self.” – Sri Pattabhi Jois
Both quotations reference “the Self” and reinforce the fact that in yoga “the Self” – note the capital S – indicates the individual (as mind-body-spirit) plus the individual’s community. We are all one. We are all connected. We are all related. Thus, when we study ourselves we not only become aware of our own individual mind-body-spirit connections, we also become aware of how we all fit together.
Since I haven’t started any group chanting in my newer classes I used one of the meditation moments to guide each class through their lineage, ending with the people in the room at that given time and then finally with each individual who, I told them, in turn exposes yoga to the people in their day-to-day lives.
If you have a moment, sit quietly, and visualize your family trees. Maybe you even “sit” in Vrksasana (“Tree Pose/Seat”) while you honor your teachers, and your teacher’s teachers (making sure to include yourself). Consider, in this moment, how all these teachers inform who you are, what you do, and how you do it – not just on the mat, but in your life.
~ Namaste ~
Vinyasa Class Notes
Key Asana Sequence(s): Vrksasana, *modified (“Tree”) to Uttanasana+Vrksasana legs (“Forward Fold” with “Tree” legs) and, later Vasisthasana+Vrksasana legs (“Side Plank” with “Tree” legs) to Parvritta Ardha Chandrasana (“Revolving Half Moon”) to Virabhadrasana III+Anjali Mudra (“Warrior Three” with “Offering Seal” a.k.a. Prayer Hands at Heart Center) rising up to Vrksasana (“Tree”)
(*NOTE: Since I teach non-Ashtanga classes, students were encouraged to begin the series with a Vrksasana modification, keeping the toes of the bent leg on the floor or on the shin. A key lesson in personal creativity comes in for people modifying Vasisthasana: You already have something that looks like “Tree” legs, now refine the look – and keep the modification!)
Song(s) That Had To Make The Cut: “Sister Moon” by the Sting and “Dogs” by Damien Rice
Song(s) Played Loud For Motivation: “The Foundation” by Thievery Corporation
Song(s) Related To Theme (if you think about it): “The Air Between Us” by Hammock and “Into the Infinite” by Calming Massage
TAKE A DEEP BREATH! April 3, 2009
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Philosophy, Science, Twin Cities, Yoga.8 comments
Smile. You may not know it, but your life just changed.
Skeptical?
Take another deep breath. Now, deepen your expression.
Whether you are new to yoga, a dedicated practitioner, or just someone trying to sort out all of the hullabaloo (and not call it “yogart” in mixed company), a joyful practice can help you find things you didn’t know you needed – and explore gifts you didn’t know you had to offer.
Still skeptical? That’s cool. It doesn’t change the fact that somewhere between that first deep breath and this next one (Inhale….Exhale.) your brain chemistry changed!
And just think, you didn’t even have to step on a mat.
Namaste!
A Joyful Practice 