Archive for the ‘Asanas’ Category

Yesterday we tried a new pose- new to me- the Albatross pose. It’s nice that a pose is named after a bird but when you try to albatross with your body it’s a whole new thing.

At first it looks simple enough. You bend over as if in uttanasana. You extend one leg behind and hold it there while balancing on the other. Then comes the tricky part: As you balance on one leg, you extend you arms to the left and right while bending in the extended leg closer to your hip AND bending down on the other leg as well. Done right it looks like an albatross. As for my asana, thankfully, I have no where to check– The yogi next to me blocks the mirror-I have only my inner feeling and thigh pain to use for assessment. How good am I at the Albatross pose? Ask my friend in front. She well tell you.

I plan to learn more about yoga poses and their names. That way I can write more accurately about our practice. I enjoy talking about the periphery of yoga–the essence minus the posture-such as feelings, peaceful moments, meditation, the challenge of living harmoniously: Over and over I have made connections with yoga as it manifests outside the class. At this point I want to refocus on asana. The reason being, the very basic physical movement sometimes releases a tide of hubris. One day, a couple of weeks ago, I experienced the mind body connection yoga makes. We were in the middle of the class and I was having trouble concentrating- no surprise. Suddenly during a hip rotation a knot came untied. I could feel the potent release of whatever it was I was holding– inside the tissue, inside my heart inside my brain. Instantly a change of state came over me and stuck with me throughout the rest of the class all the way to the drive home.

That’s why I want to study what we do. I want to learn why and how the body yields its own healing to the heart and mind. If my elbow, my knee, my shoulder, my thigh, my skin looks no different, why do I feel so much better? Where does this” bettering” start? I would like to know, and I plan to find out.

Yogini, writer/poet, teacher, irreplaceable friend!

I wish I had more to give you. Everyday, you offer me a way to silence my shuffle. God knows where this urban unrest comes from? Yet, in the soft amber light of the glowing candles we pause. Closing eyes is an option we can all take sometime. But what about the endless sinister suggestions that keep brewing a channel right down my middle? I am still rendering a new stop sign to that battle. “Give up already, I tell myself.” “No more tracking life, I admonish.” But I must keep admonishing myself. All the time.

Yesterday, your face looked beet root red. I concentrated on the trail of music, your brand of notes that lead us forward, and thought every new beginning made sense. For every new beginning makes a silent restoration of the past. Thus I paid homage to every ending note and stayed energized through every commencement. It would sure anatomize a new life. So when I glanced at your face and saw the flash of color spread across its horizon my hand rose tall and my arm lifted out from right underneath where will beats indifference. There I found my mystery buddy who awoke and responded to your daring happiness every time you raised or lowered the melody.

Just wanted to say I was there; I harmonized despite the battle and you showed mercy in flicking my flaws. Swept off my feet shall I say, by this Yoga!

Barsana Dham Yoga Retreat

Once you entered in the yoga center, you knew there was something special about this place.  The moment I saw you entering into the center, I knew there is something special about you.  The center is different, mystic, gentle, quiet and full of energy at the same time.  It is the place where we all leave our worries out, and throw ourselves in the arms of that energy in it.  It is with expectation, curiosity that you come through that door.  And I am so glad you did.  You never knew you were going to find you…

You come and participate with many words, weird words, Sanskrit words; and we chant together.  We take turns to listen to each other, to let the mind quiet down.  You let these powerful chant enter your being, and elevate your mood, prepare you for class.  Maybe you come and sit and participate, even without saying a word, with your hearts, and your own energy.  Your internal smile that breaks all barriers.  You gently close your eyes, looking inside, looking for your own truth, your heart.  You move your breath that just sits unmoved, holding keeping your deepest energy, inside.  And, you are reminded to just simply let it out, to exhale.  With that exhalation all the daily layers are peeled off, and you find your Self opened; the shoulders drop, the chest softens.  Then movement dances along with your breath.  Movement that invites muscles and nerves, bones and joints, fluids and blood, move in places you had forgotten were there.  The skin becomes alive, the senses deepen inward, and we feel moving floating, swimming in an ocean of energy; all seems intangible, maybe not logical, but equally real.

Sweat and effort come through your body.  The body takes you to places in your mind maybe forgotten.  Memories, distractions, things that were inside come running out.  The mind tries to hold on to things in the past, or expectations of the future.  The mind jumps, kicks, rebels, protests… Finally, the asanas take you deeper; you surrender.  The breath is fluent, the mind quiets down, the heart truly opens, the senses travel to unfathomable peaceful places.  We reach savasana…you let go, floating like a leaf carried but gentle wind.  Deep, imperceptible breath.

That special you that has walked through the yoga class at this little center in Houston – once or many times – has extended.  You are now everywhere.  You are in all corners of Houston, Clear Lake, Conroe, San Antonio, Austin, Galveston becoming

Enthusiastic Yogis

a doctor, Fort Davis being sharing yoga with others.  You are now in the East coast getting a better education, and the West coast pursuing your writer dreams.  You are North, way South, back in your home country.  You are in the UK, Netherlands, India, China, Colombia, South Africa, France, Costa Rica, Australia, Mexico… you are still in our hearts.  You make this yoga center.

I see this special person, walking in the yoga center.  That special heart.  That special soul, still part, connected.  I miss you.  I love you most for all that you give and that you are – really.

Namasté.

Inspiration. Don’t we all need to be inspired by something to be able to create and be moved to do. We all need that drive inside of us that awakens us. We all would like to look at life inspired, every day. We all have experienced this at one moment or another in our lives. We all have been moved to action by an incredible song, speech, story, a book, a personal hero, an experience in life.

We all have our heroes and moments and places we go for inspiration. Although, there is always that moment where we do not seem to find inspiration. I know I have been in places where I need that extra push, and do not find my Self. It is a lonely and difficult place to be. Life at that moment seems that sinks in altogether and at once. All loses perspective, and the world loses its natural brightness. Only then is when we are able to look inside and ask…humbly. Those “dark” moments are the most important movements in our lives, because from that place is when we are prone to grow, to change.

All great saints in history have had those moments. Imagine what about us simple mortals! St. Francis of Assisi called those his dark nights. The great Queen Kunti, from the Hindu tradition, used to pray to Krishna that He brought her moments on difficulty, because those were the only times she would sincerely not forget Him. So those dark nights are not a negative thing, they are our inspiration too.

Queen Kunti with Sun God Surya

Inspired, as I have heard from the author and teacher Wayne Dyer is to be “in-spirit”. We all need to remember our spirit. And it does not matter what we call that spirit, atman, soul, energy, chi. We all need to reconnect to that constantly. We do forget that we are a soul living the experience in this body. It is easier to identify ourselves with our limited exterior. We think we are our body, jobs, our bank account, our thoughts. Those are limited sources of inspiration. We have to remember, to re-member, or become members again, to reconnect to our spiritual source. There lies the source of our inspiration. Meditation, prayer, breath, silence, contemplation, etc., all these are tools to reconnect. Yoga has been the inspiration of my life, and still is. It is my moving meditation, my communication with my atman. It is through this practice that I find my inspiration to be of service to others. Be inspired…do not forget.

God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.
Mother Teresa

Another life lesson. We are fully engaged in making the website very interactive. All of the sudden we realized how much our expectations may always lead into disappointment. We had put all of our efforts in creating the best website for our students. We had worked so much in updating it daily, increased the volume of entries, updated the calendar, etc. Then, all of the sudden the site goes down and we are left dangling. It is disappointing to think of all the people that we know come to visit and read our entries. It may lead into frustration when we things are not under our control. But, when are they, really?

Haven’t we all experienced the same feelings?  Is this common or natural? I know even coming to the teach a yoga class with the expectation in my mind that all students come to experience the perfect class. Boy! That is a heavy burden to carry. I am not always there, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. It is always a very heavy responsibility on our shoulders when we have one of the 20 students not have a great class… It is hard to be in the moment and not fall in the trap of the false ego. It is hard to stay away from my own expectations, even the expectation to be of service to everyone. It is impossible to be all that all the time. What is it one to do?

Easier said than done. All I can do is our best every time. To show up in every circumstance, just to be there, and be opened and observant to what comes up in every breath. It is not meant to be pretty all the time. It is not meant to be easy all the time. It is not meant to make us look away, but look into. That is to practice yoga.

Perfection is an unattainable concept in this world. Perfection is a spiritual quality. We do experience glimpses of it, but they do not last here. They entangle us enough to make us believe we need more of this, our drug. That is the concept of maya in yoga. We think we need more things, another puff of a cigarette, another drink, another job title, another relationship, another drop of happiness. We are all thirsty for happiness and love.

We are in the process of making our lives more spiritual, and we will miss the mark, more often than not. Compassion and truthfulness have to be close companions. These are painful qualities that are best first applied to our own selves.

If we find ourselves so engulfed in our own ego, then love others. Service to others is the best way to make love practical. We will forget that we are or not perfect, what we lack or where we fall short. There are so many people in need around who need us. We will then realize our connectivity with others – we are nor alone. Maybe the lesson is to know that we are here together for one purpose alone, to learn to love God. Just another life lesson.

Things don’t have to be difficult to be worthwhile. What better place to learn this wisdom than in a yoga class? Anyone who attended class this past Wednesday might recall the ease with which we got into Uttanasana, not in the usual way of stretching out and bending forward from the waist, but in the reverse: Sitting down and balancing on our toes, we slowly raised an already supine waist, and found that our hands had got where they needed to be, effortlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed this delicious breeze of an extension as if I’d arrived there on a magic carpet. Usually I have to try so hard with any asana, that this easy breezy discovery of a forward bend made perfect joyful sense. Of course, we followed up with some lovely planks. Yet this feel good, rewarding beginning felt super great. Thank you so much. May we have more of these, a taste of dessert right before the actual meal?

It is amazing to see how everyone’s energy affect a yoga class. From an instructor’s perspective it is very nice to see the mind being so clearly affected by the body and breath. Time after time I see people being affected by taking the time to celebrate their connection to their physical body. I am affected by my breath and physical body.

I do not know if it is just reflexes, or a second nature from years of practice. We sat down after class and talked about with one student after class about ujjayi pranayama (breathing). This is the breath that sounds like “Darth Vader”. This breath consists of closing the back of the throat, with lips touching, mouth closed, and feel the air swirling in the mount and back of throat, as in a yawn. The simple sound of the breath and the focusing the mind into the “feeling it”, creates this intense liberating feeling inside out.  The mind has no other choice than to listen in. The senses quiet down, the body intensifies its energy and vitality. The whole system starts bringing energy from the abdomen upwards. This brings attention to the abdominal cavity and its muscles, its breath, its own bandha in the first chakra, in the pelvic area.

As I was explaining this, my entire body went into a sense of meditation and introspection. It was amazing to see how a breath may affect the intensity of our own energy. It was almost like opening a door, and an invitation to the depth of my body. 

Yoga does that for me. Makes my body react in such an intense sense of looking in.  What I find is amazing, ok, most of the time. If I simply let my self look into paramatman, the Divine waiting to be rediscovered in us. It is not us, it is that connection to the Divine living inside. It is that section of us that we recognize and acknowledge in a namaste. This only makes me humble to see that when we listen in, we can hear God inside. When we sit down, with devotion, with gratitude and love, we can feel the Divine inside. Not because He/She is inside of us, but because He/She is also inside of us. Many times, we say in class that yoga is moving meditation. Yoga really gives us chance to people that have so much going outwardly, to use the body. The body is honored through each move, each pose, each breath, as a temple for the spirit. This way we can connect to the Divine also living inside of each of us. That I see in every face after class…

“Rain is purifying. Rain is a blessing from God.”  I was reminded in class this week on the words of Swami Devanand. Like a seed, those wise words have stayed and grown with my heart. Almost 20 years later, I am reminded beyond the words, but through the energy and intent, that all we need to do is remember and never forget Gratitude and Love.

Yoga has affected so many aspects of my life. I look back and realize the beautiful experiences it has brought to me, so undeservingly. I have traveled many places, met many saintly people, practiced spiritual retreats, shed many tears of joy, and celebrated spiritual friendships. Last week, I was reminded of one of my first retreats with Swami Guru Devanand in the heart of the island of Dominican Republic.  I traveled to the mountains, within the heart of the island. The retreat was in one of the most magnificent locations, with so much green, so many sounds, such breath taking views. Furthermore, it also was very rustic lodging, no solid food, lemonades with honey, showers at 3:30am to be ready for our 10 hours of daily meditation. Seven days to simply be with oneself, in complete silence, with no books or distractions, except being with oneself.

I do remember struggling through the meditations, my knees reminding me constantly their need of attention, and my mind writing the most decadent cooking book. I cannot say it was easy. I cannot say it was pleasurable. I do remember clearly a midmorning meditation when the skies broke loose. The rain poured over the tin roof in the designated meditation hall. My most intricate pizza recipe was interrupted, and I had to listen. For the first time I had to pay attention, away from my thoughts and my struggle to maintain the presence of my mantra. In that moment I was awoken by the incredible force of nature. God had to remind me to pay attention. He wanted me present in the sounds and the silence, to the struggle and to the embrace, the hunger and the fulfillment, to the void and the love. I was able to surrender and listen to my heart.

I step onto my mat every day, and I am reminded of the sacredness of every breath, of every movement, of my surrendering mind (many times not so much!). I am even more humbled and awed at the yoga center we share. This center goes beyond individuals. This center instructs and loves me at the same time. I am especially touched to see the sincerity of the 1 (or 28 students) in class. I feel all the yogis around the world that had come through and have left their heart and vibrant energy with us. Their experiences live in it, and so their opened hearts; the loving intent of so many is still present. I am grateful to all of you. I am grateful to God for talking through the rain.

Thank you!

There are numerous modern physical culture systems designed to develop the muscles through mechanical movements and exercises. As Yoga regards the body as a vehicle for the soul on its journey towards perfection, Yogic physical exercises are designed to develop not only the body. They also broaden the mental faculties and the spiritual capacities.

The Yogic physical exercises are called Asanas, a term which means steady pose. This is because the Yoga Asana(or posture) is meant to be held for some time. However this is quite an advanced practice. Initially, our concern is simply to increase body flexibility.

The body is as young as it is flexible. Yoga exercises focus on the health of the spine, its strength and flexibility. The spinal column houses the all-important nervous system, the telegraphic system of the body. By maintaining the spine’s flexibility and strength through exercise, circulation is increased and the nerves are ensured their supply of nutrients and oxygen.

The Asanas also affect the internal organs and the endocrine system (glands and hormones).

Traditionally, Yogis practice Surya Namaskar, the sun salutation, before the Asanas. Although there are many Asanas (8,400,000 according to the scriptures) the practice of the 12 basic postures brings out the essence and all major benefits of this wonderful system.

These 12 Basic Postures are:

1. Headstand (Sirshasana)
2. Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)
3. Plough (Halasana)
4. Fish (Matsyasana)
5. Forward bend (Paschimothanasana)
6. Cobra (Bhujangasana)
7. Locust (Shalabhasana)
8. Bow (Dhanurasana)
9. Spinal twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana
10. Crow pose (Kakasana) or Peacock pose (Mayurasana)
11. Standing forward bend (Pada Hasthasana)
12. Triangle (Trikonasana)

At the end of the session one must do a deeper, final relaxation.
Sitting postures for meditation and Pranayama include the lotus pose.