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.