Often students prefer one type of yoga over another. Some students prefer a strong, vigorous practice and others prefer a softer, gentler practice. And they never usually cross over. In order to balance ourselves, we often need to, as it says in the Yoga Sutras, “practice the opposite”.
There are times we feel healthy and strong and then there are times when we feel tired, sick or even injured. The Yoga Sutras tell us that we are supposed to practice yoga “whether we feel like it or not.” Of course, there are illnesses or injuries where you should stay in bed and not practice yoga. However, most of us stop practicing if we feel tired, or have a headache, or have an injury to part of the body. It is those times where we can and should still practice yoga. Maybe a vigorous vinyasa class is out of the question, but we shouldn’t abandon our practice of yoga altogether.
When I broke my foot, there was a lot of upper body work I could focus on. When I broke my wrist, there was a lot of lower body work to improve.
Right now, I have a slight knee problem. I can’t do certain bent leg positions with my left leg. But I am still practicing, with modifications for my left knee. My ego takes a beating when I cannot do Lotus position, or even Seated Tree on the left. But, I don’t want the rest of my body and mind to suffer, so I keep practicing.
Supta Tadasana with weights on the knees
One of the practices my mentor has told me that I should do every day, and this is standard knee therapy, it to lie in Supta Tadasana with a thin folded blanket between my legs. I then belt my legs with one belt at the widest part of my calves and the other at my upper thighs. I lie down with my feet at the wall and a weight on my knees. I am supposed to hold this position for at least five minutes and up to 20 minutes. It is a nourishing pose and it feels great.
Maybe the title of this chapter should be: Restoring Strength After Illness or Injury and Relieving Fatigue!
In this chapter, Mr. Iyengar teaches us that the three restorative poses: Supta Swastikasana, Supta Baddha Konasana and Supta Virasana are good for various ailments and conditions. They are rejuvenating and particularly good for relieving exhaustion, something that he says most people suffer from.
Supta Swastikasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Supta Virasana
Here are some of the benefits derived from these poses:
- Relief from abdominal pain, hyperacidity or hiatal hernia
- Frees the diaphragm which provides relief from asthma, shallow breathing and fatigue
- Helps relieve high blood pressure, headache, pain in the eyes, heaviness in the head and facial tension
- Relieves exhaustion
- By stretching the body vertically, horizontally and elevating the chest region, these poses stretch muscles that have become taut from fatigue, spreads the diaphragm which aids in respiration which removes mental stagnation and rejuvenates the mind.
The beauty of these asanas is that they require no conscious effort to induce deep breaths. The positioning of the chest ensures deeper and effortless breathing which helps to lay the foundation for Pranayama.
People often do other exercises to tighten the abdominal muscles, but in yoga, the lower abdominal muscles need to be freed from each other and released towards the spine. This frees the breath and provides relief for people who suffer from chronic issues in the lower abdominal area.
These supine asanas are beneficial for calming the mind and improving mental performance. They are helpful for those recovering from chronic illness, are debilitated or have a sluggish metabolism, suffer with constant aches and pains in the legs or chest, experience fatigue associated with diabetes, high blood pressure or have kidney or liver disorders.
Just as the skin and muscles are nourished by an oil massage and bath, these asanas nourish the body by kneading and oxygenating the internal organs and bathing them in pure, fresh blood.
One of the benefits of these poses is that they can be practiced at any time of the day and even immediately following a meal.
If you wake up during the night due to uneasiness, disturbed sleep, or frequent urination try practicing these asanas immediately before bedtime to prevent the interruption of sleep. If you have chronic insomnia, see if it helps.
If you want to read the chapter, click here.