Finding Equipoise

When we practice together, we devote almost a quarter of our time working on "balancing" poses (that's not the fancy, Sanskrit term, but you get the idea). The poses aren't easy; neither are they mastered quickly. It takes time, patience, humility, and--above all--an ability to concentrate our focus. Some days, we balance well. Others, we wobble, tip, and even fall out of the poses. And that's okay. Why would we spend so much time working on asanas that aren't completely attainable? What are the benefits of working so hard just to teeter over or grab for the security of a wall?

The first part of the answer is that balance poses work the entire body, especially the core or "powerhouse" muscles of the abs, gluts, chest, and back. Standing balance poses such as Utkatasana (awkward pose or chair) give us an opportunity to strengthen the quads and our shoulders as well as our core. Yet another standing balance pose, Attanasana or forward fold, lengthens the hamstrings and allows the lower back to relax. One-legged balance poses--Garudasana or eagle, Vrksasana or tree, Natarajasana or king dancer, Virabhadrsasana III or warrior III, Ardha Chandrasana or half-moon--require that one leg takes on the majority of our body weight. Arm balance poses such as Bakasana or crow, develops arm strength and our ability to move our center of gravity forward without toppling over. As we do these poses, we all discover that we have irregularities and asymmetry. One side of our body may be more dominant or developed. Alternating the poses from side to side helps us correct that imbalance. As we work on balance poses, we become more symmetrical, flexible, and, well, balanced.

And part of the reason why we do balance poses is to explore the experience of learning something new. As children, every one of us spent many, many hours working on our balance as we progressed from holding our heads up, sitting up, standing without help, and finally walking. The process took most of us the better part of the first year of our lives, and we developed those skills with an almost single-minded dedication. (Ask anyone about a baby's determination to walk.) Despite all the wobbling, tipping, falling, bumping, and false starts, we kept at our goals. If we fell, we got up, again and again. Never once did any of us say, "That's too hard for me. I quit." Every one of us mastered the skills and we all manage to walk into the Group X room for yoga. Call on your earliest past when you do balance poses: you'll get there. You went from a complete lack of coordination to walking within less than two years, when you weren't even old enough to speak in full sentences. You've done the difficult once; with the same amount of patience and a resilient attitude, you will do it again. There's no failure.

And finally, take a look at this familiar illustration from Ted Giesel's (Dr. Seuss) book, The Cat in the Hat. This is a character who really knows how to balance. If you are familiar with the story, I don't have to tell you that the zany cat managed to stay calm within a roiling sea of chaos and confusion. And when the tale ends, all is calm and peaceful. That's the intangible benefit of practicing balance poses. Our abilities to focus, to center our thoughts, to calm our breathing, and to be philosophical about the wobbles--that's why we practice those crazy poses. They help us stay a little more grounded and even a bit more secure within ourselves.

Namaste,
Nancy

The perfect fusion of holiday goodies and inspiration

The ingredients for the final batch of holiday cookies are still on the kitchen counter. Humm, the elves must be busy elsewhere. I'm realizing that if the goodies are to be baked, I must take a bit more initiative and actually measure, mix, stir, roll out, bake, and finally (gasp!) frost them. Weighing the time and calories involved--the cookies just might not get done. My husband, who usually begs for treats this time of year, has discovered that he must get serious about reforming his dietary habits. And as for myself, I don't really like cookies, but if there's a plateful around, I find the little morsels tough to resist. Letting a holiday tradition lapse is tough, perhaps because there is so much emphasis on recalling past holidays and wanting to keep a sense of continuity. Nevertheless, it's a good thing to phase out a tradition or custom that serves no one any good, even if my "inner Martha Stewart" gets twitchy.

    But next year will be different! I'm going to invest in these fabulous asana cookie cutters (due out to retail customers sometime in the spring) and strive for some lovely 100% gluten-free, almost vegan (except for the meringue powder in the royal icing) gingerbread yogis. Check them out! If need be, I'll order these cookies online and reverse engineer the cutters so that I can make my own. I love the playfulness and joy of this concept, so perfect for this time of year.

    Enjoy the best of the season. Keep centered. Live in the moment. And, most importantly, remember to breathe.
Namaste,
Nancy

Yoga and self-acceptance

One of my step-daughters turned 40 last week (yes, that DOES date me a bit). Her favorite present was the only piece of jewelry she's ever had from Tiffany's: a beautiful sliver snowflake necklace. It is lovely. When we all admired it, she said, "It's perfect for me. It's silver; it's pretty, and, it's . . . flakey." She laughed a bit in a self-deprecating way, but it hurt a bit to learn that, after 40 years of living, she didn't give herself enough credit to see the positive side of her personality. Okay, yes, she's a bit scatter-brained. But who isn't with two small children, a part-time job, three dogs, helping at two schools, and maintaining a solid marriage, a household, and many, many friendships?

What she interprets as "flakiness," I choose to see as a willingness to roll with the punches of life, to be spontaneous, to be open to change, and to live with a sense of excitement. She is among the more adaptable people in my life. There isn't much that can rattle her ability to make the best of an ever-changing schedule.

What qualities about yourself do you view as negatives? Be gentle with yourself. The discipline of yoga encourages us all to accept ourselves as we are, in this moment, at this place in time. Accept your limitations, forgive your failings, and breathe into your next asana, however you can. That's advice that we can use in our practice, and in our daily lives. As we practice together, we do more than poses, we learn the essential and intricate connections between our minds, our bodies, and our emotional well-being. And we come to accept that who and where we are is perfectly good. Release from judgement and self-criticism are great benefits of our practice.

After class today, someone shared that she hadn't been in class since late last spring as she was recovering from a back injury (and then a re-injury). She was glad to be back, and felt secure enough to know when to back out of a pose and sink into child's pose. She's got an essential part of yoga mastered--knowing herself and accepting that her limitations--today--are perfectly fine. And we're so glad that she came. Her presence was a great part of our learning today.

Namaste,
Nancy

Knowing yourself

At the risk of sounding like the literature teacher that I once was, the subject of this week's blog is the famous advice given my the oracle at Delphi, "Know thyself." Whether you are named Oedipus and lived back in antiquity, or are a resident of Southern California in the 21st century--knowing yourself remains essential.

We all bring unique and individual experiences into the Group X room. Some of us have been practicing yoga for years, even decades. Some of us have never attempted a single pose when we try yoga for the first time as a Group X offering. Chances are, we've been doing asanas for years, without even knowing that those position were yoga poses; many poses come to us naturally. Check out this little yogi doing his version of seated, cross-legged pose, Sukhasana.

And then, let's be realistic. There are some "givens" about each of our bodies that we have can't control. Some of us have body types that are limber and stretch easily. Some of us have tightly bunched muscles that resist being stretched. And then, there is the basic skeletal structure that might restrict us in some of our movements. For example, if the head of your femur (the part that attaches into your hip socket) is knobby, short of shaving those knobs away or dislocating your hips, you will never get your legs into a complete "split" with your perineum on the floor in an advanced pose such as Hanumanasana.

Unless you are contemplating a complete replacement of all your joints, ligaments, and muscle groups--the body that you live in is the body that you've got for your entire life. Honor that body; it's with you for your life's journey, every single minute. If your muscles are limber and lithe (and you know who you are), celebrate your body's ability to stretch and move into the fullest expression of a pose. But don't feel too smug--you have a bit of an unearned advantage. If your body resists when you are practicing, respect that "pull" on your muscles and back off a bit. Don't get impatient with yourself or compare your pose to others. Your muscles need more time to relax, to get warm, to release--and that's a good thing. Listen to what you know you are capable of doing. Know yourself.

There is an ongoing discussion within the yoga community whether or not some glossy publications should have covers of models doing poses that are advanced or next-to-impossible for most practitioners. Gymnasts, professional dancers, and contortionists doing yoga poses can make our discipline seem difficult and only for the most flexible of us. Some of the poses are downright silly. That's hardly a true picture of what yoga is about. Yoga is not the pose; yoga is not a picture. Never confuse the outward look of an asana or pose with "doing yoga." Yoga is self-awareness and centeredness; yoga is about knowing yourself and what your body needs. Bring self-assurance with you to your next class--you are the best judge of what your body can do and what it needs. Now, you're practicing yoga!

Namaste,
Nancy

The Perfect Holiday Gift -- a centered and refocused self!

Heading to class yesterday morning, I listened to Nigella Lawson on the radio (She's one fabulous and creative cook--that woman knows how to love her food!) as she discussed preparing holiday meals. Imagine my relief when she said that she opts for the simpler meals, in order to enjoy her friends and family. She asked this rather sensible question, "Why cook the roast duck with cherry brandy sauce if it means that you'll need to spend an hour or more weeping from the strain of making it all come out perfect?" Yes, why indeed. We hardly expect perfection from ourselves and others during any other time of year--not not back off our expectations for the holidays as well?

As I write this blog, I must tell you that there were HUNDREDS of hits when I search for the word string: "perfect holiday gift." That's a whole lot of expectations goin' on. We need lots of self-control and self-checking this time of year to not let marketing messages and consumerist frenzy take over our lives (and our bank accounts).

Take some cues from your yoga practice. What we do in class can help manage some of the stress that creeps into an admittedly frantic time of year.

First of all, remember to breathe. Pace yourself as you move through the day. Focus on one activity at a time and enjoy being "in the moment." Even if it's just washing dishes, direct your attention to the soap suds,  the sound of the water, the sheen of clean and sparkling glassware, the sparkle of silverware. Treasure the little moments.

Secondly, take time to nurture yourself. Schedule some "me time" whether it's time working out (those endorphins released will boost your mood) or enjoying a warm cup of herbal tea. You're worth it.

Finally, consider that a relaxed and well-centered you might be the best gift you can give to others. After all the wrapping paper is folded and the decorations are stowed for another year, what will you and those you love remember about this year's holidays? A "perfect" present given with tension in the air, or a relaxed and peaceful holiday season? It's next-to-impossible to create a holiday that is "camera ready" for a glossy magazine cover, but you have the power to make less-than-perfect moments memorable with your good humor, resilience, and positive attitude.

I recall one holiday when an enormous 15-foot tree fell over--ornaments, lights, and tinsel--as a particularly emphatic punctuation mark to our celebration dinner. We still laugh about the mess to this day--and tease each other about the rather ugly "guy wires" that we've used ever since.

The adage that we "practice" yoga and accept our limitations with good grace has almost universal significance, especially this time of year. Bring your practice out into the larger world this holiday season. Be good to yourself. Give the perfect holiday gift this year: a presence that is relaxed and appreciative of all that is good this season.

Namaste,

Nancy

Ta-dah! Standing tall in Tadasana

In Tadasana one stands firm and tall like a mountain. Tadasana can be practiced as a place to begin when doing standing poses, in between standing poses, or by itself in order to improve posture and groundedness. Standing poses are foundational to yoga, so clearly getting to a strong, well-aligned Tadasana is a large part of your practice. But the benefits of a well-aligned Tadasana aren't just for your yoga practice, once you've mastered what this asana "feels," just can use it to your advantage to lessen fatigue and build awareness of your posture.

When standing in Tadasana, your weight is mainly supported by your skeletal system, not by your muscles. You align your body so as minimize muscular strain. That's the external, or physical, benefit of Tadasana. This is a great asana to practice while you're doing errands that require standing, such as waiting in line. The second benefit is more subtle--an awareness of your body's placement in space. You gain inner focus. Viewed externally, Tadasana is "just standing"; from within the body, Tadasana requirements tiny and constant adjustments. 

Tadasana is a very inwardly active and focused posture.

When you're a beginning yoga practitioner, it's surprisingly complicated to master the art of rooting down through the feet while lengthening up through the spine, keeping your chest open without jutting your lower ribs out, and keeping the legs muscles strong and lifted without tensing the belly or jaw. But ultimately, Tadasana demands just one simple thing: that you stand in a way that supports the natural curves of a healthy spine.

In addition to maintaining your spines' natural curves, to function efficiently, your skeletal structure also needs to be aligned vertically. That means when you're standing, your ears should be over your shoulders, your shoulders over your hips, and your hips over your knees and ankles. When any body part falls out of that vertical line, the adjacent support muscles will feel the strain. For example, years of having a forward head will cause the muscles of the upper back and neck to become tired and achy from holding up the weight of the head against the pull of gravity.

So why is Tadasana so difficult? And why do we work so hard to master good posture in yoga—leaving class feeling taller and healthier—only to slump down in the car seat on the way home or revert to a swayback when we heft our overstuffed yoga bags onto our backs?To explore good alignment while standing, use a doorjamb-assessment. You can use this posture/asana check  several times a day—without putting on yoga clothes or getting out your mat—to learn "by feel" how to stay vertical and maintain the normal spinal curvature while standing.

Lengthen your spine up the doorjamb by reaching the crown of the head toward the ceiling while your shoulders melt down away from your ears. If you tend to have excessive lordosis, you may find it's much easier to reduce the lumbar curve by bending your knees. If that's the case, your hip flexors are probably tight and your abdominal muscles are weak. To work on strengthening the abdominals, stand at the doorjamb, bend the knees slightly, and draw your tailbone toward the floor and your back waist toward the doorjamb. Don't contract the abdominals so hard that you collapse in the chest or can't breathe—remember that the goal is to have a mild (not excessive or completely flat) curve in your lower back, combined with an open chest and a chin that's level to the ground. (If your chin and gaze tend to go up when you take your head to the doorjamb, kyphosis is probably still causing a forward head. It will take time to reduce the kyphosis; in the meantime, don't force your head to the doorjamb. Keep working to lift your breastbone, without overarching your lower back, and stay in the position in which you can keep your chin and gaze level.) Finally, step away from the doorjamb and train your body to remember the feeling. Focus your mind to remember the cues to good vertical posture. When this happens--ta-dah! you'll be standing in Tadasana. Your back, neck, and shoulder muscles won't have to work so hard and, in the long run, you'll have more energy throughout the day.

You are all in good hands while I am out of the country.

"Wow! We've got a sub!"

Remember when you were in school regularly and your "regular" teacher wasn't able to be in class? In elementary school, the substitute teacher was an object of fascination; in higher grades, the "sub" was a bit of a downer: the sub didn't know the routine, wasn't as familiar with the school, didn't know the names of everyone in the classroom, and maybe didn't even know the subject matter too well. Substitute teachers weren't always welcome.

At 24 Hour Fitness, we also have substitutes for Group X teachers who cannot be at their regularly scheduled classes. These subs are a big improvement over those from your school days. First of all, every substitute is certified in that specific class format. It's very likely (and in my class, a certainty) that the instructor who fills in for me will have years and years more experience teaching yoga than I do. Secondly, my three-week replacement is intimately familiar with the Glendora Sport facility; she teaches here twice a week. And, while her style of teaching is slightly different from mine, Lois has the same philosophy about yoga: the practice needs to be challenging, yet accessible, for all students to feel successful. Lois is gentle, patient, nonjudgmental, and extremely knowledgeable.

Just as you did when you were younger, you might do some things a bit differently in class. You'll have opportunities to try new combinations and new asanas. What will be interesting is that you when hear different "cues" for familiar asanas, you just might experience an "Ahah!" moment and feel the pose in an entirely new way. It's good to look at routines from a slightly new perspective; imagine that we are stretching ourselves a bit mentally as well as physically.

I will miss you all very, very much while I am out of the country. My mat will be with me as I travel on this long-planned adventure. Daily, as  I do my morning practice and as I wind down with evening practice, you all will be very present with me. My return to LAX is early on Monday morning, November 16th, and I will be back for class with you all that morning. While I'm not sure which asanas are recommended for jetlag, it will be my challenge to see if I can discover a few.

Until then, namaste,

Nancy

What makes Yoga different from other Group X offerings?

24 Hour Fitness offers a dizzying variety of ways to improve your well-being. There are machines, weights, trainers, and Group X classes. We all need a mix of these to stay in top form, but which ones and why? I am no authority on any of the machines and am certainly not a certified personal trainer, but I'm an avid Group X participant. I take most of the Group X classes (in fact, my trainer has called me a "Group X groupie")! I like 'em all. Between the intense cardio offerings (24 Cycle, Zumba, Salsa Moves, Turbo Kickboxing, Aerobics, S.E.T.), the strength classes (S.E.T., 24 Lift, Abs), and the mind/body classes (Pilates, Pilates Fusion, and soon-to-be PiYo), what does Yoga offer that the other classes don't?

If you measure athleticism by the amount of sweat and misery involved, yoga is dead last. There's neither groaning nor pain. However, if you don't believe that you get a good workout when in a yoga class consider this: My trainer and I took a yoga class together last year. She left halfway through the class, as the up and down of the vinyasa sequence (downward facing dog, plank, chaturanga dandasana, up dog) were too much for her. She certainly wasn't out of shape. But because she'd never had an exercise regime such as yoga, she was exhausted. All the muscles that she worked while weight training weren't being used in the same way. She had spent hours and hours shortening her muscles; yoga required that she lengthen and stretch the same muscles. Her abdominals were strong, but her lower back wasn't used to being moved within such a wide range of motion. She developed a deep respect for the folks in the Group X yoga classes who were apparently just "standing there." It wasn't as easy as it appeared.

Yoga is different. The poses can be challenging. Yoga requires that we practice new ways of standing, sitting, balancing, and even thinking. Consider this--in yoga, where your body goes, the mind follows. Yoga has been a mind/body discipline for centuries. It not only trains the body, it focuses mental energy. When you practice Group X yoga, you pick up the energy and enthusiasm of those around you. It's an experience that is both  positive and confidence-building. Your practice is yours alone, but you are not alone.

Yoga  works the physical body by keeping it fit while strengthening and elongating the muscles, it also helps the nervous and circulatory systems by purifying and balancing them. In the past, traditional healers used yoga postures as a method for healing emotional disorders and illnesses. As a result of regular practice, many benefits will occur. This includes greater endurance, flexibility, deeper breathing, and an overall improvement in mood and emotional well-being. Yoga provides powerful physical results. Yoga's hard work can silence a mind overstimulated by the near-constant demands of email, cell phones, family, workplace accountability, and all the other demands of everyday life.


The practice of yoga poses, or asanas,  promotes flexibility of the muscles and strength in the bones and tissues. It also massages the organs, brings balance to different internal and glandular functions, promotes the flow of vital energy, prana (also known as qi in Chinese, or ki in Japanese). Asanas are techniques that promote awareness, concentration, meditation, and relaxation through the physical body. As the practice becomes more regular, there are significant results. Such results include good mental and physical health through stretching, massage and the stimulation of the energy channels of the internal organs.

Yoga promotes energy and health. Our bodies have a tendency to build up and accumulate poisons like uric acid and calcium crystals, just to mention a few. Regular yoga practice can cleanse the tissues through muscle stretching and massaging of the internal organs. This brings the waste back into circulation so that the lungs, intestines, kidneys, and skin are able to remove toxins in a natural way. The time spent in savasana, or final relaxation, is vital for this process.

Yoga allows the luxury of maintaining mental spaces in our lives, of creating focus on the "present moment." While balancing in half-moon, it's darn-near impossible to worry about the grocery list or other little distractions that sap our positivity. Despite all our affluence and possessions, there's one thing that we cannot purchase--time. When we walk into a Group X yoga class, we have the opportunity to give ourselves a full hour of time spent without interruption, without judgment, without competition, and with full acceptance of our selves. For many of us, that's the best hour of our day. The focus on the physical self, the sense of being in the here and now--those are opportunities for our busy minds to relax, to unwind, and to attain equilibrium.

Namaste,

Nancy

Ujjayi, Victorious or "Ocean" Breathing

What we practiced at the beginning of class today was a type of pranayama or breathing called, in Sandskrit, Ujjayi Breath. This breathing technique concentrates and directs your breath to give you even more power and focus during your practice.

As we did in class this morning, practice this technique while seated in a comfortable cross-legged position. Once you feel confident, begin to use it actively during asana practice, particularly when you feel the need to focus or concentrate. Outside of the practice room, Ujjayi breathing can be useful when you need to direct your energy in a positive way (have I mentioned the many distractions that cause our minds and emotions to wander?). "Returning to the breath" is a great resource available to us anytime, anyday. There's no need to hiss like you're breathing through a scuba tank--slow, full, and conscious breaths are all that are required. Imagine that you are re-creating the sounds of the gentle surf as you lie on soft, warm sand. 

Here's the Ujjayi technique broken into small and easy steps:

1. Inhale and exhale deeply through the mouth.

2. On the exhale, begin to tone the back of the throat, slightly constricting the passage of air. Imagine that you are fogging up a pair of glasses. Say the sound: "haaaaaaah."

3. Once you are comfortable with the exhale, begin to apply the same toning of the throat to the inhales. Shape your mouth as if you are going to whisper the sound, "uuuuurrrr."


4. When you combine the sound of the exhale (haaaaaah) with the sound of the inhale (uuuuurrrrr), this is where the name of the breath comes from: it sounds like the ocean. (Much to the delight of my grandsons, this technique also sounds a bit like Darth Vader is in the room.)

5. When you are able to control the throat on both the inhale and the exhale, close the mouth and begin breathing through the nose. Continue applying the same toning to the throat that you did when the mouth was open. The breath will still make a loud noise coming in and out of the nose. This is Ujjayi breath.

6. Now start to use this breath when you need extra power or concentration during your practice. When you move on an inhale, make it an Ujjayi inhale. If you need a little something extra while holding a pose, remember this breathing technique.


Another way to think about Ujjayi Breath is to visualize your throat as a garden hose, with the breath passing through like a trickle of water. If you put your thumb partially over the opening of the hose, you increase the power of the water that is coming through. This is the same thing you are doing with your throat during Ujjayi breathing. The air that comes in through your constricted throat is a powerful, directed breath that you can send into the parts of your body that need it during yoga.


While Ujjayi breathing isn't necessary to practice yoga, it is a helpful breathing technique, part of your "bag of tricks" to link body and mind with breath.


Namaste!

Chaturanga Dandasana, or Four-Limbed Stick Pose

Thanks to all who stayed after class today for our mini "Chaturanga Clinic." Your questions, suggestions, and encouragement are what makes our group practice such a satisfying experience. 

Most every yogi and yogini would agree that Chaturanga Dandasana is not an asana for beginners. Remember that Chaturanga Dandasana is considered an "intermediate" pose. If you are new to yoga, don't get discouraged. You are in the process of building strength in your triceps and serratus anterior muscles, among many, many others (see below).

So if Chaturanga Dandasana isn't for the beginning student, why do we do it? Ironically enough, this pose is part of the vinyasa series that is part of most yoga practice, particularly in Sun Salutations. Making this more challenging pose part of our practice helps us build confidence, patience, and muscle mass. During Sun Salutations, we complete many vinyasas. A vinyasa is a series of asanas that flows from Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog) to Plank to Chaturanga Dandasana (a type of low pushup) to Bhujangasana (Cobra) or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward facing dog), and finally, back to Adho Mukha Svanasana. Whew! Doing a vinyasa utilizes many muscle groups and takes a lifetime to master.

In its ideal form, when in Chaturanga Dandasana, the body hovers above the floor, perfectly straight, the arms strengthened by their 90 degree angle. Getting to this position takes time and arm strength, which you gain by doing more and more chaturangas. Know when to say when, however; if your arms and shoulders start to feel fatigued and you are losing the integrity of the pose, switch over to knees, chest, and chin for the rest of the class. Note that vinyasas do not require that you move "up" from Chaturanga to Plank; rather, you move "forward" into Bhujangasana or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.

Here are the basics of Chaturanga Dandasana:

1. From Plank (either full plank or a modified plank on your knees), bend your arms straight back, your elbows pointing back toward your feet. Keep your upper arms hugging your sides.

2. Lower down toward the floor, stopping when your forearms and upper arms are at a right angle.

3. Keep the whole body very level; you're there!

4. To exit the pose, roll over your toes to come into either Bhujangasana (Cobra) or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward facing dog.

If you feel that this asana is no longer presenting a challenge for you, practice your plant with one leg lifted and moving into Chaturanga will keeping the leg lifted. Lower the leg to join the other as you move into Upward facing dog.

Okay, that was the short "mini-lesson" on Chaturanga (Four Limbs) Dandasana (Staff or Spine Pose). In the section below, I have listed the exact anatomical process of doing the asana, including the preparation pose (Plank). When you read all about the actions that you are performing as you move through a Chaturanga Dandasana, you'll understand just why the pose is so beneficial to your arms, shoulders, back, core, abdominals, and hamstrings. Keep the integrity of the pose, modify when you feel fatigued, and be patient with yourself as you build your core strength.

In the preparation stage, we are in plank pose with our wrists are stacked under our shoulders and our bodies parallel to the floor with our toes on the mat. While in plank pose, the pectoralis muscles of the chest are keeping us in a push-up position. To avoid sagging into the wrist joints, a common complaint in this pose, we need to recruit the larger muscles of our shoulders for support. Imagine your heart moving closer to the floor, and without bending the elbows allow the shoulder blades to glide closer to each other. This actively engages our rhomboid muscles between the shoulder blades and the spine, and the middle portion of our diamond shaped trapezius muscle. In plank pose, to avoid sagging into the low back or popping up with our hips, our core muscles must be engaged. Use a gentle contraction of uddiyana bandha (pelvic floor), sucking the belly button up and in, flattening the lower belly. This action corresponds to engaging the transversus abdominus, which provides stability to the lower spine. A slight tuck under of the tailbone can aid this action. To distribute the work away from our core and upper body, press back through the heels, sending weight into the legs. With our heels pressing back like we are pressing into a wall, we are activating the muscles that dorsiflex our ankles, namely tibialis anterior on the front of the shin. Our hamstrings lengthened by the action of the extended knee initiated by our quadriceps muscles in the front of the thighs. To keep our alignment, our thighs are pressing towards each other but not touching, like we are holding a block with the adductor muscles of the groin.

Moving into Chaturanga Dandasana, we start from plank, this place of stability and alignment, to safely flow into the pose. The most complex movements in Chaturanga come from our upper body. In order for us to lower, a number of actions must occur. Firstly, we must balance the action of inward and outward rotation at the shoulder joint. The outward rotation of teres major and infraspinatus muscles of the rotator cuff counteract the inward pull of the pectoralis muscles, and latisimus dorsi on the back. By nature of the fact that our palms are on the mat, the pronator muscles of the forearm are activating an inward rotation at the wrist. To maintain neutral rotation at our shoulder joint, our elbows must hug to our sides to engage the triceps, whose natural action is pure flexion and extension at the elbows. It is important that we keep the engagement of the scapular support muscles that we started with in plank pose. This means that we keep an open heart moving forward, broad across the collarbones, and our shoulder tips never drop below our elbows. The subscapularis muscle of the rotator cuff (on the underside of the shoulder blade) is working over time to prevent the arm bone from moving forward out of the shoulder joint. We maintain the contraction of the transversus abdominus throughout Chaturanga, which keeps our body parallel to the floor and avoids any lower back discomfort. Imagine your side body growing long as your heart shines forward and your heels press firmly back. The action of pressing back through the heels maintains length through the legs and deep hip flexor muscle, the psoas, which has attachments in the spine and the legs. The legs support our upper body so that Chaturanga becomes a full body pose, not just an arm balance.

Namaste? Is that like "Have a nice day"?

Yoga Journal recently addressed the practice of yoga instructors ending their classes with the expression, "Namaste." What does "Namaste" mean? If you've wondered why this is part of our practice together, wonder no more!

The word "namaste" carries a multiplicity of meanings and comes from ancient tradition. Namaste comes from three Sandskrit words: nama, "to bow"; as, "I", and te, "you." Literally, Namaste says "I bow to you." The word Namaste is usually accompanied by a gesture called the anjali mudra; hands are placed together, palm to palm, at the heart, with the eyes closed and the head slightly bowed.

According to Aadil Palkhivala, considered one of the world's best yoga instructors, "The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. . . . This is an especially deep form of respect."

As a fellow practioner, ending our time together with "Namaste" allows me to articulate my connection with you, my respect for your own life-force, and to acknowledge our time together. While we could begin as well as end class with Namaste, at the end of class our minds are more focused and peaceful. As your teacher, I pronounce  Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward you, my students, and to my own teachers. When you choose to return the gesture and say "Namaste," you in turn connect with and acknowledge  your life's  teachers. Thus we all recognize our oneness when we move from our hearts.

Namaste is not a mechanical phrase. It's not the same as "Have a nice day," or "See you next time," or even "Take care." One popular explanation is: "I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace. When you are in that place within you and I am in that place in me, we are one." A bit less florid is this: "I bow to what is alive in you and you bow to what is alive in me;" this translation emphasizing the essence of our existence here and now, gratitude for the moment.

Mind/Body classes such as yoga seek to make a direct connection between the body, mind, and spirit. In the midst of our practice we learn focus, gain strength, exercise patience, and treat our bodies with respect and compassion. Often when we stand in tadasana, we place our hands in the "namaskar" position--a mini-meditation and glimpse of our own heart-filled light. As the class ends and I pronounce the word, "Namaste,"  I show my gratitude and respect for you and all that you help teach me in my own life's journey.

Namaste,

Nancy

   

Non-judgment + Contentment = Santosha

  

"No courtesy workouts today."

"No pain, no gain."

"Welcome to the workout from hell."

"If you're not burning at least 300 calories, you're wasting your time."

     Wow! Those statements don't motivate me at all. How about you? While I love a challenge (especially when I am successful), I fear failure, negative judgments, and public ridicule. I'll admit that there are more than a few classes that I've avoided because I feared failing, the instructor's scorn, or being the "klutz."

     Don't get me wrong. You'll find me sweating it out doing cardio several days a week. But I am not inspired to work harder to gain an instructor's approval or to avoid a scolding. Yoga changed the way that I view my workout, whether it be cardio, strength, or stretching.

     From one of yoga's guiding principles, let me suggest this "mindset" for your workout: santosha, or nonjudgment and contentment within oneself. Santosha is essential to yoga.

    Your practice is just that: your practice. It's yours and it's an evolving process of discovery. If your fingers graze your shins while you're in forward fold--great! If your nose touches your knees in forward fold--great! Yoga's not about the pose. Yoga's not about the calories burned. Yoga's not about suffering, or pain. Yoga's not about competition. And yoga's certainly not about pleasing the instructor.

     Everyone who walks into the practice room comes with a unique anatomy, diverse experiences, and varied expectations. Acknowledge what is true for you at that moment. Let go of how you think things should be, of how you want things to be, of what you are "supposed" to look like in a pose. Yoga is as much about self-acceptance as it is about the poses that we do together. Some days you can balance well; others, not so well. Some days you might feel energetic; others, you take a break (or two) in child's pose and catch up with the class later. No judgment from others, especially the teacher. No pressure to conform to another's expectations.   

     Yoga is fueled by positive motivation and acceptance. You don't have to prove anything or pass any test to practice yoga. It's not about contortions; it's not about discomfort. It's about linking the body and the mind with breath, noticing the sensations, and staying focused. Truth be told, everyone else in the room is so busy working on his or her own practice, you are virtually invisible to others.     The mind/body connection in yoga is this: by acknowledging our human nature with all of our flaws and imperfections, we develop self-acceptance and a sense of humor. By extension, we open ourselves to witnessing the same qualities in others, without judgment. We learn to appreciate what we have and where we are today, in that very moment. Non-judgment brings inner harmony, contentment, joy, and curiosity about the world around us. As we change the way we think, so do we change the way we act.     Santosha, the state of contentment and non-judgment, begins to penetrate into our lives outside our practice room. Santosha can even move into our other workout routines. You just might discover that you don't need to have "your butt kicked" to try your best; you become your own best coach who uses encouragement and acceptance to challenge your performance.     You may think that you come to yoga to get into shape, lose weight, reduce stress, feel better--and you will. You do all of that with patience and self-acceptance, without competition or fear of embarrassment. You may get even more benefits: yoga can change your attitude, even your life.  I'm in those cardio and strength classes now, but I'm listening to my self and setting my own goals. Hope to see you there!

Uniting Mind and Body with Breath

     24 Hour Fitness offers mind/body classes such as yoga to help strengthen not only your physical self, but to help you connect more deeply with your true self. Your practice is enriched tremendously when you focus on your breath. From "Yoga for Beginners," here are the basic principles of yoga breathing. This brief introduction ends with a detailed explanation of one type of pranayama that we use to begin, to focus, and to balance our practice together.
     Breathing is a vital element of yoga. Practicing yoga breathing, or breath control in yogic terms is called pranayama. The word "pranayama" can be broken into two parts: Prana means life force and Yama means control. By conscious control of the breath, you can create a proper rhythm of slow, deep breathing.
     Pranayama breathing exercises are the link between the physical and mental disciplines of yoga. Because the breath, body and mind are so closely linked, a change in one immediately affects the other two. By developing control of your breathing, you can bring about beneficial changes in your body and mind. Yogic breathing energizes and cleanses the body, calms and relaxes the mind, and serves as a perfect warm-up for practicing yoga poses. In coordination with yoga poses, the breath unifies mind and body, balances opposing energies, and helps the body relax deeply and safely into each pose.


Physical Benefits of Pranayama Breathing


     Proper breathing provides sufficient oxygen for the correct and efficient functioning of every body cell. Without sufficient oxygen, the cells cannot metabolize food properly. Nutrients, including precious vitamins and minerals, are wasted. Proper breathing allows the body to metabolize food efficiently and to rid itself of all the noxious gaseous by-products of metabolism, especially carbon dioxide. It nourishes the muscles and organs with oxygen. It dispels fatigue and anxiety.
     Brain cells have a high rate of metabolism, so the brain requires much more oxygen, relatively, than any other organ of the body. A lack of oxygen results in sluggishness, fatigue, confusion, disorientation and a loss of mental balance, concentration, memory and control of the emotions.
     A mastery of yoga breathing techniques is the best - and most readily available - tool for stress reduction. The common remedy for stress is to take a deep breath. Supplying the brain with sufficient oxygen is the greatest tool in stress management.
     Yogic breathing exercises help to keep the two sides of the brain in balance. As well as controlling opposite sides of the body, the two halves of the brain deal with different functions and different aspects of our lives. The right side of the brain is calming, intuitive, inner-directed, emotional, subjective and deals with simultaneous reasoning and spacial and nonverbal activities. While the left side of the brain is aggressive, logical, outer-directed, rational, objective and deals with sequential reasoning and mathematical and verbal activities. Proper breathing helps the two sides of the brain to work together.
     Pranayama deepens breathing which stretches the intercostal muscles, strengthens the respiratory system and aids conditions such as asthma. Pranayama breathing has helped one class member regulate her asthma, and keeps her from dependence on a nebulizer.


Mental and Emotional Benefits of Pranayama Breathing


     By exercising control over breathing, you can learn to control the energy within the body, and ultimately gain control over a restless mind. In yogic breathing exercises, the breath is seen as the important link between our physical and mental aspects. Pranayama cleanses and strengthens the physical body, but its most important benefit is for the mind.
     Proper breathing soothes the nervous system; calms, steadies, and clears the mind; improves concentration, focuses attention, and increases the ability to deal with complex situations without suffering from stress.
     In addition, proper breathing calms the emotions, increases emotional stability, helps with emotional control and equilibrium, reduces craving and desire, combats depression, helps in the relief of grief and sadness, puts you in touch with your inner self and gives you poise and serenity.

Alternate Nostril Breathing: Calms and balances the mind and body, aids relaxation, improves concentration, and strengthens respiration.      In class, before we begin our practice in earnest, we often use this pranayama exercise to focus and balance our energies. Use Alternate Nostril Breathing whenever you need to find your own mental equilibrium. If you're in the middle of a tense meeting or other challenging situation, imagine your right hand on your nostrils as you focus on your breath.

Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position on the floor. Keep your spine and neck straight, but not tense. Do not lean forward. Place a cushion under the buttocks or the knees if you need more support. Rest the left hand on your left knee. Extend the thumb, ring finger and little finger of your right hand and fold down your other two fingers into your palm. Start by closing your right nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly and deeply through the left nostril. Then press the ring and pinky fingers against the left side of the nose, sealing the left nostril closed while keeping the thumb against the right nostril, and hold. Lift the thumb from the right side of the nose, opening the right nostril. Exhale slowly and fully through the right nostril. Inhale slowly and deeply through the right nostril, still holding the left nostril shut. Cover the right nostril with the thumb and hold. count. Release the left nostril and exhale through the left nostril. Repeat sequence five times. Practice alternate nostril breathing, working up to the ability to maintain each inhale, hold, and exhale for a count of eight.