Pose of the month for July - Visvamitrasana

This pose is named after an ambitious king who became a sage by a lot of hard work. This pose is a variation of Vasisthasana, who was the sage that king Visvamitra was trying to outdo. The yoga pose reflects the story behind it; Visvamitrasana is a much harder posture than Vasisthasana, better known as Side Plank. This posture incorporates the elements of a standing pose (think Hand to Big Toe Pose), an arm balance (Side Plank), a big side stretch (Gate Pose), a big twist (Revolved Seated Tree) and a major hamstring stretch (Split). Don’t look at that list and get intimidated. It just means that we will work on all of those elements, bit by bit, to get to the final pose. There are also many variations, options for props and entry level versions on the way. We will just take it one step at a time and warm up to the final pose. As we work on Visvamitrasana this month, remember: “It’s nice to have and end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” – Ursula LeGuin.

I can’t wait to get started! I’ll see you in class. Karin

The Foundations of Yoga Program

Each September I begin another round of my teacher training program with a course called Foundations. In this program we explore the physical, energetic, mental, emotional, intellectual and blissful layers of our yoga practice.  We get to dive deeper into our yoga practice than you can in any public class.  We explore the alignment and the physiological and energetic properties of the asanas. We also practice pranayama.  We dip our toes into  philosophy and we practice meditation.  These ten sessions are a deep immersion into your full yoga practice.

A sample day:

Meditation
We begin with an introduction of a topic or technique for meditation and then we sit and meditate for 20 minutes. This is followed by a writing in our journals to help us remember our meditation and to draw us deeper into the experience.

Asana practice
We explore a different group of postures each week starting with the standing poses and moving through all of the categories of poses:  Sun Salutes, inversions, hand balancing, hip openers, back bends, twists and forward bends.  We discuss the alignment, actions, benefits and contraindications of the poses.

Alignment
An in-depth look at the alignment of poses.  We start with the premise that every pose is based on Tadasana and then we look to see if we can find that in each posture.

Philosophy
We read and discuss pertinent Yoga Sutras as they relate to our practice on and off the mat.

Restorative practices
Each day ends with a pranayama practice and a restorative pose.

Sanskrit
Using Sanskrit is not mandatory,  but it is important to have some familiarity with the language of yoga.  We study the names of the poses and we work with mantras.

Homework
Each session has its own homework which can include asana practice, meditation, philosophical readings and writings plus an external practice such as observing silence.

You don’t have to want to be a yoga teacher to immerse yourself in this Foundations program.  In fact, it was designed for the serious yoga student who wants to dive deeper into their practice than you can in a public class.  Each session of this course is designed to be part workshop and part yoga retreat.

If you have any questions you can ask them in the comments section below or contact me directly.  Remember there is an Early Bird discount if you register by August 15th. To register contact Erin Lento at Cornerstone: 215.862.2200.

10 Signs That You Are Ready for a Yoga Teacher Training Program

You’ve had the thought that you would like to become a yoga teacher.

If you have ever entertained the thought of doing a yoga teacher training program it could be that your intuition is talking to you. I had this hit of intuition one day in a yoga class. The theme of this class was to know what you wanted to do with your life. The teacher asked us to get quiet and go inside and make a mental list of our 10 best qualities or strengths. She suggested that what we wanted to do was encoded in that list. I was at a stage in my life where I needed to make a decision about what to do next. I had just had what I called my midlife crisis; I quit my job, adopted a child and moved, all in one year! Part of what I needed to do was to stay at home and take care of my son, but I was also looking for something else: something more, something for me. When the teacher asked us to do this exercise, a voice in my head said, “I want to be a yoga teacher.”

What I wrote down as my 10 best qualities were:
1. I am outgoing and social. I like being around people.
2. I love to understand how things work.
3. I am good at explaining how things work to other people.
4. I am empathetic.
5. I am good at teaching. I taught woodshop for 18 years.
6. I am hard working.
7. I am conscientious.
8. I am dedicated.
9. I am organized.
10. I have always been a spiritual seeker.

These are all good qualities that helped me become a yoga teacher, but they are not the only “right” qualities. Now it’s your turn. What are your 10 best qualities? Do they fit with the profile of being a yoga teacher?

You’ve been waiting for the right time to do a teacher training program.

A friend once told me that if a thought pops into your head that you should do something, you should pay attention to that thought. It is there for a reason; otherwise you wouldn’t have had that thought. In the Yoga Sutras, the first sutra says, “Atha Yoganusasanam.” This translates as “Now is the time for yoga.” This has been interpreted to mean that yoga, or the union of the mind body and spirit is available now, in the present moment. You don’t have to be perfect, or be able to do a split or a handstand, lose 50 lbs or quit smoking to become a yoga teacher. You just have to be willing to show up. If you have that inspiration it could be your muse talking to you. We often feel that we don’t have enough time, or money, or that somehow we are not good enough, young enough, old enough, smart enough, etc. Life is often messy and if we wait for the perfect time, we can miss the opportunity. If the time is right for you, you’ll know. Listen to that muse. We all know that we will often regret the things we didn’t do.

You are passionate about yoga and want to share that passion with the rest of the world.

Yoga is your favorite form of exercise. You love to do yoga in a class, with your friends, in the park or on the beach. Whenever you travel, the first thing you look for is where you can take a yoga class. You may not be sure exactly what it is about yoga, but you know that it makes you feel better. You feel calm and more grounded after practicing yoga. If you can’t do your yoga practice for a few days, you feel as if you are missing something. It is a discipline that has improved your health and brought you a lot of happiness and you just want to learn more about it and share it with your friends. If someone you know has some kind of an ache or a pain you always find a way to let them know that yoga can help them. You are always trying to talk your friends, or their mothers, into trying yoga.
You love to learn more and more about yoga and about life.

You would be a perpetual student if you could.

You first got into yoga for the physical benefits of the practice but the more yoga you do, the more you realize the other benefits: you feel happier and more settled and your relationships are going more smoothly. You are becoming more interested in the relationship of the breath and your state of mind. You recognize the importance of meditation and are more interested in reading the Yoga Sutras or going to a kirtan or a mala making workshop than going out and partying on a weekend.
You already meditate or you want to learn how.

You may already have a meditation practice, or you want to start one but don’t know how.

You may have downloaded an app on your phone but wonder if it counts as real meditation. Mediation is something that is covered in teacher training. It may be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding practices you can undertake. It is also something that evolves over time.

You love to be around other yogis.

People in yoga teacher training groups often form fast and lasting friendships. There is something about going through the process that bonds people together. Some of it is the learning and sharing of information and some of it is the support that students provide for each other as they learn and grow. Trainings can be intense and wonderful; if you are willing to peel back the veils and look inside the lessons can be life changing.

You’ve thought of becoming a yoga teacher but you can’t touch your toes, or do a split, handstand or put your foot behind your head.

These poses are not necessary to do and in fact most students may never want to or be able to do these things. I once took a poll of my students where I asked them what they wanted from their yoga practice. Most of them said that they wanted to be calmer and less stressed. They were looking for clarity and peace of mind. The third, fourth and fifth reason for doing yoga was to improve strength, flexibility and balance. Advanced poses weren’t really mentioned. I always think it is an asset for a yoga teacher if poses not to come easily to them. If you could accomplish all of the poses you might falsely presume that these things are easy to do and you might wonder why other people can’t do them. When you have to work at being strong and flexible, you are able to better share the path with others and have empathy for them.

You are up for a challenge.

There is something about wanting to become a yoga teacher that excites you, yet there is something that is a little scary, too. Any new adventure will challenge you and make you grow. As with anything we set out to do there are the anticipated consequences and then there are the unanticipated ones. It is when the unanticipated challenges show up that the opportunity for real growth and change occur.
You are ready for a change.

You feel that there is something more to life than just working and trying to have fun on your time off.

You may feel that there is something else that you were meant to do, something bigger and more important. Often people get into yoga for the physical practices. Maybe they want to ease their back pain, or reduce the tension in their shoulders. But, often there is a sense of a deeper longing or seeking going on inside. Ultimately, the practice of yoga takes you deeper into yourself, into a search for meaning. This may be exactly what you have been looking for.

You want to change the world.

Have you had the thought that you’d like to be doing something in life that benefits others and/or our environment? One of the things that the Yoga Sutras teaches us is that we can only change the world by changing ourselves. While you may want to go out and tell everyone about the beautiful practice of yoga you have discovered, one of the best ways to spread the beauty and magic of yoga is to embody it yourself, to be a shining example of the practices. Ghandi said, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.”

You may have experienced some of these things or not. You may have had other feelings that have lead you to inquire about a yoga teacher training program. That is awesome. I encourage you to follow your heart. However, don’t quit your day job just yet. Becoming a yoga teacher takes time. First there is the training program itself; two hundred hours spread over 10 months. And then there is the experience you need to gain to build your experience and a following of yoga students. Like anything else, this takes time. Be patient, but take steps in the direction of your dreams.

If you have any questions about my Yoga Teacher Training Program which starts in September, feel free to contact of please leave your questions in the comments below. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Propasana

Props – devices used to help students align their yoga poses.

Propasana – the practice of putting all props away,  neatly folding the blankets and winding up the straps.

While walking down the street in Manhattan one day, my friend bends down to pick up a piece of trash and throws it out in the nearby trash can.  This is something I have done before, but I was surprised to see a native New Yorker doing it.  When I asked him about it, he said that there was an anti-littering campaign that advertised if every one of New York’s 8.5 million people would pick up just one piece of trash a day, there wouldn’t be any litter on the streets of New York City.  He thought it made sense and was doing his part.  What would the world be like if we all cleaned up after ourselves?

This is part of the idea of saucha, or cleanliness, the first of the Niyamas, or practices for the self, outlined in the Yoga Sutras.  Cleanliness can be interpreted on several levels.  There is the cleanliness of the body to promote health.  It is recommended that you eat a clean diet, with lots of whole and fresh foods.  Eating well promotes health and mental clarity.  Junk foods and intoxicants can cloud the mind.  Cleanliness can also refer to the thoughts.  We are more settled when our thoughts are not disrupted by disturbing emotions such as greed, envy, anger, pride, hatred, lust and delusion. Then there is the cleanliness of our bodies and our physical surroundings.

In How Yoga Works, Miss Friday tells the Captain that yoga works on the outside and the inside.  We do poses, breath work and meditation to knock on the pipes from the inside, but we also must knock on the pipes from the outside.  She explains it like this:  “And there’s this constant interchange going on, you see; this constant interplay of the forces outside and inside of you.  You get frantic at work often enough, and it ties up the inner channels.  That causes an injury like your back; actually just a reflection of something going on deeper, in the channels.  That makes you grumpier, which tightens the choke-points even more, and then because you don’t feel well you’re not as careful about things in general.  And one of those things is just simple neatness: tidiness.  A lack of this very basic kind of cleanliness – plain old tidiness – is almost a sure sign that your channels are ‘untidy’ too, deep down inside: the thought winds are jumbled up, ready to turn into a new choke-point at any time.”

“And so a very simple and effective way to take advantage of the interchange, the interplay, between outside and inside is just to . . .” I waved my arms around again “. . . clean the place up!  If where you live; if where you work; and especially if the place where you do your yoga poses is clean and tidy, then this is all reflected back upon the inner winds, . . .”  I paused.

“And the channels loosen up, and the poses work even better on fixing you; on keeping you strong and healthy,” finished the Captain.

“And you see, something else is at work here too.  If there’s less junk around the room, then when you go to focus and fix your mind on a single point, then there are not as many things that the mind has to sift through to get at what you want to focus on.  It’s a lot easier to find a friend in a group of ten people, especially if they are all lined up , than in a crowd of a hundred all milling around.  It takes less effort, much less effort to focus – all day long.  Focus is like food for the mind: the mind thrives on it, and so do the good inner winds.”

“And once you are done with your room, “I said, “You can go further.  I mean don’t just tidy things up – throw out absolutely as many things as you can.  Half the things that fill up our houses at any given moment are things that we don’t even use anymore, at all.  And a good part of the other half are things that we rarely use, or don’t really need to use anyway.

“And these extra things in our house, you see, they’re tricky.  I mean, it looks like they are just sitting there , pretty harmless, and that’s why we let them stay there.”

“But if I say right now, ‘Think of some of the things in your house’ . . . I paused again so he could do it – and he got sort of an odd look on his face.  “Then you can remember a great many things lying around your house, whether you ever use them or not.  And that proves, you see, that they were taking up a part of your mind: you can remember them, because information about each one of them is stored in your mind.  And the mind – although we don’t often think of it this way – has only so much capacity.  Every time you acquire another object – every time there’s one more thing cluttering up your home – then there’s one more thing cluttering up your mind as well.  And as the mind goes, so do the inner winds, and the choke points in the channels.”

“What you are saying, then,” observed the Captain, “is that the more unused, use-less things I have lying around, the worse it is for my back, and even my peace of mind, because it hurts my channels.”

“Just so,” I said with a smile.  “And when you’re done clearing out the extra things around your house, then you have to go on to your very way of life and do the same.  Throw out extra things you do that you really don’t have time to do well, so you can focus.  Throw out extra things you say that don’t really need to be said anyway; learn to be with your friends, a few good friends, in a happy sort of silence that you both understand and appreciate.  Cut down on all the extra, useless outside stimulation of your physical senses: too much food, too much news, too much ‘entertainment’, too much physical gratification with the opposite sex; all of them fine in themselves, all of them healthy, but in moderation: in amounts that you can focus on and enjoy deeply.”

“And the mind will be free to come inside, and arrive at its own nature: concentration, contemplation, uninterrupted attention – medicine for the channels, medicine for the inner winds, and so for health and a happy state of mind that lasts.  It’s all a kind of cleanliness, in a way:  tidiness on the outside, tidiness on the inside.”

Take a look at these two pictures:

How does each one affect you?  Your mind?  You can leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Does the fact that your house, office or car is a little cluttered have much to do with my yoga?  Master Patanjali seems to think so because the first Niyama, or self practice is cleanliness.  Y.S. II.32

Pain and Yoga

Occasionally the topic of pain comes up in yoga class.  I find this distressing.  I never want students to experience pain during or after their yoga practice, but sometimes it does happen.  You can experience soreness after a good workout, but what is the difference between soreness and pain?  And how do you tell them apart.

The Role of the Breath in Yoga Class

During practice, the breath should be paramount.  Calm, steady breathing as you move through the poses is an indicator of yoga - the yoking, or union, of the body, mind and breath.  Breath that is held, ragged or worse, it sounds like a steam locomotive, is the sign of imposing your will over your body.  So, the first question to ask is: “What is your breathing like during your practice?”  If you can stay focused on your breathing and keep it calm and steady, you are less likely to hurt yourself.

The next time you are in class, pay attention to your breath.  There is a common breathing technique in yoga called Ujjayyi, which means “upwardly victorious breath”.  This is where you breathe in and out through your nose with a slight constriction in the back of the throat (the glottis). This creates a breathing sound deep in the back of your throat that some say sounds like Darth Vader.  I like to say it sounds like the ocean or the wind in the trees.  The inhalations and exhalations should be of equal length, about five seconds each.  The breathing itself should not feel strenuous: it is possible to overdo even breathing exercises!   The sensation of the breath over the duration of an inhale or and exhale should be even.

The purpose of the breath is threefold:  First, is meant to keep you present.  In order to constrict the glottis, you have to stay attentive to what you are doing.  The moment you lose the sound of the breath, your mind has drifted off into the past or the future and you are no longer paying attention to your body.  Second, it is meant to build heat in order to increase circulation and promote flexibility.  And third, it is meant to keep you safe.  Accidents happen when our attention wanders. If the attention wanders away from the breath, it is also wandering away from the body.

What are you feeling while you do your yoga practice?

I often wonder what people are feeling during class.  Sometimes, I will have the class do a pose on one side and then I will ask the question: “How does that side feel different that the other side?”  This part of the practice is meant to prime the pump of turning your attention inward to experience what you are feeling.  Although I am no longer amazed when people say they don’t feel anything, I do these inquiries to send people inside to train them to pay attention to how they feel.  Our primary way of interacting with the universe is to experience it through our body and our five senses.  If you don’t feel anything, you can’t differentiate between what is good or bad for your body.  If you don’t know how you are feeling, who does?

Sensation and pain. 

How do you differentiate between sensation and pain?  First of all, you do not want to feel pain in a joint when working into your yoga poses.  Generally speaking, you should feel stretch in the belly of a muscle, not in the attachment site, which is usually at a joint.  Pain is something that does not subside as you stay in a pose; it often intensifies.  Discomfort is something that changes as you stay in a pose.  When you release any held tension anywhere else in the body, the discomfort lessens

If you have pain in the body; let’s say you have an injury that you are trying to heal, follow this protocol:  Assign your pain a number between 1 and 10.  Let’s say it’s a 6.  As you do your practice, the number may go up to a 7, but not to an 8.  (Rehabilitating an injury can be painful.)  When you stop the pose, or exercise, you are doing, the pain should drop back down to the original number.  If it doesn’t, maybe you went too far.   But, here is the important point: If you pain does not drop back down to a 6 or lower, then you went too far.  You only know this through hindsight!  It is very important to pay attention to how you are feeling during your workout.

There is also a big difference between chronic pain and acute pain.   Acute pain is the result of an injury and needs time to heal.  Chronic pain is serving a psychological purpose.  This is the subject of a different blog post.

Recovery and Over-training

When you were twenty, you could work out every day, stay out all night and get up and do it again the next day.  As you age, that doesn’t work so well anymore.  Up until I was 50 I felt I could do almost anything I wanted to do.  After 50 the rules changed: I need to nap sometimes, I need a day off to recuperate. And, at the same time, I need to be very consistent. I work out almost every day each week. But, I don’t do the same workout every day.  Sometimes I do yoga, sometimes I lift weights, for cardio I run, swim or ride my bike.  While I need a day off from time to time, I also need to commit to working out consistently each week.

The Signs of Over-Training

How do you know you are over doing it?  Over training affects your sleep; it may cause insomnia.  It is also fine to be sore after a workout, but after a while, as your body becomes conditioned your soreness should go away.  If you are consistently sore, you may be over training.  Also, if you body and your limbs feel heavy and lethargic, that may be a sign that you are hitting it too hard.  If you are feeling these things, back off, vary your workout and maybe take a day or two off to rest and recuperate.

When I did my yoga training, we were encouraged to have one day a week set aside for a restorative practice: meditation, pranayama, supported poses or yoga nidra.  Do you have rest built into your workout schedule?

Pain and the Ego

Often students push themselves too hard because they want to be seen as more advanced.  In a public class, sometimes the ego gets in the way.  Imagine you are a newer yoga student and you come to class and set up your mat next to somebody who has been practicing yoga several times a week for years.  It would be unreasonable to expect to do what they can do.  If you were new to lifting weights and saw somebody lifting 100 lbs and tried to do that, too, you might hurt yourself.  You might want to try 5 lbs. at first and slowly work your way up from there.  The same thing with yoga; in all of my classes I offer modifications for the range of abilities and limitations.  It is up to the student to accept where they are and work with what they’ve got.  That can sometimes be hard to do.

It is also important to make sure you are in the right class.  Often people come to class because it fits their schedule, not because it is the right class for them.  How can you tell if you are in the right class?  You should be able to do about 75% of the class.  If you can do less than that, find an easier class.  If you can do 100% of the class, you might want to stay there if you are comfortable, but if you want to improve you might want to find a more challenging class.

In choosing which class you go to, I recommend you take a long and honest look at yourself.  Are you in good shape?  This means that you work out regularly and feel fit and strong.  Or are you de-conditioned?  If you are de-conditioned, you might want to start at a very gentle level and work there for a while until you feel you are up for more of a challenge.  Do you have good proprioceptive sense?  Proprioception is knowing where your body is in space and what it is doing, even without looking at it.  While this is something that yoga enhances, if you are lacking this sense a beginner class is where you start to learn it.  Are you injured or do you have any other physical limitation? If you are injured, take it easy by starting with the basics and allow yourself to heal.  If you have a physical limitation, it is still possible to do yoga, but it takes some time to learn how to modify for your specific issue.  Also, if you have to modify more than 25% of the class, you might be in the wrong class.

Remember to keep the ego in check; stay connected to your breath and take the time to feel the sensations in your body.  If you get hurt in class because you were pushing too hard, you will be the one who doesn’t show up to class the next day.  While accidents can and do happen, the sign of a more advanced practitioner is someone doesn’t hurt themselves doing yoga.

There is a story in yoga where a student asks the teacher how long it will take before they can touch the floor in a standing forward fold.  The teacher asks them to bend over and reach as low as they can with straight legs.  The teacher then puts a stack of papers on the floor tall enough that the student can just touch the top of the stack with their fingertips.  The answer is: “Practice every day and remove one sheet of paper a day.”

That is the essence of yoga.  As Patthabi Jois was famous for saying:  “Practice, practice, all is coming.”

Do you have any questions about pain and your yoga practice?  If so, leave your comments below.  While I cannot guarantee that I can answer every question, I may use your question as a future topic for a blog post.

Recommendations for Yoga Books and Mats for New Students

People are always asking me for which yoga mats they should buy and which books should they read to learn more about yoga.  Here are some recommendations to get you started:

Books:

How Yoga Works by Geshe Michael Roche.  While this book doesn’t describe any asanas, it does touch on some frequently asked questions such as:  “How long should it take for me to be able to __________ (fill in the blank)?  What it does very nicely do is describe the inner workings of yoga and progress on the path.  The story is a bit simplistic, but sometimes I need my philosophy distilled down.  It’s an easy and enjoyable read.

The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V Desikachar.  This book provides an introduction to yoga practice with some basic asana instruction, including breathing practices.  It also introduces introductory philosophical tenets, including the entire Yoga Sutra (an important yogic text).

Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar.   This book is considered to be the bible of yoga postures. It is a reference book; something you flip through rather than read.   The first 50 or so pages describe yoga philosophy, although it is very dense and filled with a lot of Sanskrit terms that can make it difficult to comprehend by those newer to yoga.

Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee, by Rodney Yee.  This book  has pictures of poses with modifications to make them more accessible and it gives examples of sequences to create a sustainable home practice.

As a side note, if you are ever interested in deepening your personal yoga practice, these books are part of the required reading of my course: “The Foundations of Yoga”.   While this course is part of my Yoga Teacher Training Program, it is not just for teachers.  It meant for the serious student who wants to learn more about than you can get in a public class.

Yoga Mats

Jade:  The complaint that most students have about yoga mats is that they slide on them.  You will not slide on this mat.  These mats are very sticky.  Jade proudly claims that these mats are made of natural materials: rubber.  But that means if you have a latex sensitivity, you may find these mats irritating to your skin.   This also makes them photosensitive.  If they are exposed to the light, the outer surface becomes crusty.  You still won’t slide on the mat, but the mat can slide on the floor.  These mats should be kept in a yoga bag when not in use.

Lululemon makes a nice mat.  You can pick one up in a store, or buy them online.  I have never owned one, but I have tried them.  I think they are good mats.

I also like Manduka.  If you go to their site, you can take their quiz and they will help you pick a mat.  My dog chewed my Manduka mat :(

If patterns are your thing, try out Gaiam.  They have a great selection and people like their mats. I have never tried one. 

In general, buy a regular sized mat which measures  24” x 68”.  Longer mats are for people over 6’ tall.  Wider mats aren’t necessary and are heavier to carry around (and may be too big for a standard mat bag).  A standard mat is about 5mm or 3/16” thick.  If you want extra cushion you can buy a thicker mat, but they are heavier and bulkier.

Expect to pay anywhere from $60 to $120 for one of these name brand mats.  They are excellent fitness equipment and worth the price.  However, it is possible to buy inexpensive mats at places like: Whole Foods, Target, and Home Goods, even The Dollar Store sells cheap mats.  But be careful, some of those mats are cheaper because they are shorter, narrower and thinner than brand name mats.  I have had cheap mats that have worked as well as the more expensive mats. I started buying cheap mats after my dog chewed my most expensive mat.   If you find that you don’t like a mat you purchased, you can always use it as a pad under an area rug, let the dog have it, or, I use my old mats in the back of my car.  It is easier to shake out the mat when it gets dirty than it is to vacuum the rug.

(I do not get any compensation from any company for recommending yoga mats.) 

What's your favorite mat?  I know there are a lot of other brands out there.  What have I missed Share your opinions in the comments below.

Pose of the Month – Natarajasana, or Dancer's Pose

Nata means dancer
Raja means lord or king.

Natarajasana, is the name of the pose dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Lord of the Dance. In his Himalayan abode on Mount Kailasa and in his southern home, the temple of Chidambaram, Shiva is said to dance. The god created over a hundred dances, some calm and gentle, others fierce and terrible. The tandava is the fierce, violent dance, signifying the destruction of self-limiting awareness; and lasya is the gentle, lyric dance in which Shiva reveals the beautiful, loving, and tender aspects of existence. Shiva, as Lord of the Dance has inspired some of the finest Indian bronzes and sculptures.

As we prepare for Natarajasana this month we will need both fierceness and playfulness.

Natarajasana is quite an advanced pose. Mr Iyengar rates it a 58/60; one of the most advanced poses in Light on Yoga. To prepare for it we need to open the front body: the shoulders, heart, belly and the fronts of the thighs – quads and psoas. We also need to strengthen the back body: the glutes, hamstrings, middle and upper back. We also need to find strength and stability without rigidity combined with a grounded sense of playfulness and open-heartedness.

There are 2 version of Dancer’s Pose that make this asana more accessible to every student. One is what I would call Baby Dancer where you reach back for the bent leg with your arm behind you as in Bow. The gateway pose for this version is Bow Pose. The full version of Dancer’s Pose is where your arms reach over your head for the bent leg foot. The gateway pose for this version is Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (Wheel on your forearms with your legs straight).

Notice how both of the poses I mention as gateway poses are symmetrical postures. That is because it is much easier to do symmetrical poses than it is to do asymmetrical poses. Once these poses are mastered you can begin to play with asymmetrical versions of these poses.
Another important pose for this sequence is Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior III. The ability to balance on one leg gives us the strength and steadiness for Natarajasana.

Let’s approach this posture fiercely and playfully. Come to practice ready to work and play. I’ll see you in class! Karin

Mantra for the Month of June

Om, Asatoma Sat Gamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

Lead me from the unreal to the real
from darkness (ignorance) to light (knowledge)
and from death to immortality

One of the first Kleshas, or obstacles on the path of yoga is avidya which means not seeing things clearly.  This is a great mantra to chant when you are stuck.  Often we are stuck when we can't see the thing right in front of us.  Chanting this mantra will help clear the mind.  Once the mind is clear, the path is often revealed.

Try chanting this mantra for 21 days to gain the wisdom of clear sight.

Happy Memorial Day!

It seems an oxymoron to wish someone a "Happy Memorial Day" if you know the true meaning of the holiday.  To most of us it is the unofficial start of summer.  It's when swimming pools open and we fire up the backyard barbecues.  While I hope you do enjoy this holiday weekend, I invite you to remember why we have this holiday: to remember those who have died in wars for our country.

Here's the background and history of Memorial Day:

Now observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and dates back to the years following the Civil War. At the time, groups would decorate the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers, a practice still acknowledged with people often visiting cemeteries to decorate veteran graves.

While the tradition existed throughout the U.S., in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York - which had commemorated the day since May 5, 1866 - the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, May 30 was set aside as a nationwide Decoration Day, with the date selected because it didn't correspond to the anniversary of any particular battle.

After World War I, the day became known to honor veterans of both the Civil War and the more recent conflict. It remained on May 30 until 1968, when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to create a three-day holiday for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971, the same day Memorial Day was designated a federal holiday.

Namaste,

Karin

How is Progress on the Path Measured?

In one of the yoga teacher training programs I took, I had a manual that had an interesting index heading:  "Measuring the Efficacy of Practice".   I turned eagerly to the page to read what it said.

“Progress on the path of yoga is defined by an increase in happiness and contentment; your relationships improve, your feathers get ruffled less easily and you can find contentment in any moment, even if it is painful.” ( I paraphrased, it was actually quite a bit longer, but that is the gist of it.)

The goal of any authentic spiritual practice is to stop suffering and attain perfect happiness.  We are hardwired to seek pleasure and avoid pain.  But, most people seem to be living in a state of vague discontent.  How do we become happy?  The first step is to look around us and see how unbelievably lucky we really are.  Count your blessings.  Focus on all that you do have.

In order for this to be effective it is necessary to establish the practice of gratitude.  Once a day stop and take stock of 5 things you have to be grateful for.  You can keep a journal if you like a writing practice, or you can simply pause during the day and think of these things.

There is a well known saying:  It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us happy.

The next step is to go on a complaining fast.  If you don’t like something and you can change it, then do so.  If you can’t, complaining won’t help.

You may be surprised at how much of what passes for conversation is actually complaining.  Once you become aware of this habit you may notice when others are complaining.  In that case, don’t judge, simply take note and turn the mirror on yourself.  Is that what you look and sound like when you are complaining?   Does complaining help you get happier?  According to the laws of karma, complaining only brings about more of the same.

One interesting note is that there has been less complaining in class.  There are no good poses or bad poses unless we assign them such qualities.  Challenging yoga poses are the perfect opportunity to practice breathing with equanimity under pressure.

Try these three practices: Count your blessings, keep a gratitude journal and go on a complaining fast and let me know how you are making out.  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment in the space below.

Namaste,

Karin

P.S.

I wanted to share a poem I heard on my favorite podcast "On Being"  with Krista Tippet. It seemed to fit with the theme of gratitude.

“I had no idea that the gate I would step through / to finally enter this world / would be the space my brother’s body made. He was / a little taller than me: a young man / but grown, himself by then, / done at twenty-eight, having folded every sheet, / rinsed every glass he would ever rinse under the cold / and running water. / This is what you have been waiting for, he used to say to me. / And I’d say, What? / And he’d say, This — holding up my cheese and mustard sandwich. / And I’d say, What? / And he’d say, This, sort of looking around.”  - Marie Howe