Author: rafaelyoga1

These instructions for Śavāsana are a modified version of Chapter 30 in Light on Prāņāyāma (LoP). This script uses Mr. Iyengar’s words, but turns some of the descriptive passages into instructions so that when recorded, you can have an experience of Mr. Iyengar’s words leading you into Śavāsana when playing it back. All of this was originally prepared by Denise Weeks (Intermediate Junior II, IYNAUS Board member) for her students, whom she asked not to follow habitual patterns but instead to stay alert and implement the instructions.

So you know what to expect, instructions will take about 10-12 minutes. Be sure give yourself at least an additional five minutes of silence.
Enjoy!

Key:
Parenthetical #s = page number and instruction number from LoP.
Bracketed info = where Ms. Weeks rearranged words or added transitional words.
Italicized font = Mr. Iyengar’s words that offer explanations or alternatives.
In many cases, these instructions use “your” where Mr. Iyengar used “the.”

1. Spread a blanket on the floor.

2. Before starting, remove constricting garments, belts, glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, and so on. (234 #3)

3. [Remember, though Śavāsana means corpse, it] is intended for complete relaxation, and therefore recuperation. It is not simply lying on one’s back with a vacant mind and gazing, nor does it end in snoring. It is the most difficult of yogic asanas to perfect, but it is also the most refreshing and rewarding. (232 #1)

4. [To get started, visualize a straight line through the center of the blanket], and sit on the line with your knees drawn up and feet together. Gradually lower your back along the [imaginary] line, placing your body accurately so that the middle of your spine lies exactly on that line (235-236 #5)

5. Press your feet on the floor, lift your hips as well as the sacroiliac region, and manually, move the flesh and the skin from the back of the waist down towards the buttocks. (236 #6)

6. First adjust the back of the body. Then adjust the head from the front. From birth the back of the head becomes uneven, because babies lean to one side, resulting in one side of the head more compressed than the other.

Hence it is important to learn to adjust the head from the front and feel it from the back. (236 #7)
Make sure that your head is straight and parallel to the ceiling. If it tilts up, the mind dwells in the future. If down, it broods in the past. If it leans to one side, the inner ear follows. This affects the midbrain, and one tends to fall asleep and lose awareness. Learn to keep the head level with the floor so that your mind remains always in the present. (249 #23)

7. Fully extend one leg first and then the other. Join both the heels and knees. The joined heels, knees, crotch, center of the coccyx, the spinal column and the base of the skull should rest exactly in line. Then adjust the front of your body, keeping the center of the eyebrows, the bridge of the nose, chin, sternum, navel, and pubis’ center also on that line. (236 #7)

8. [Keep your body] straight and level. [To keep it straight,] draw an imaginary line straight along the centre of your forehead, eyebrows, root of the nose, middle of the lips, chin, throat and sternum, centre of the diaphragm, navel and pubis, and then through the space between the inner sides of the thighs, knees, calves, ankles and heels. To keep it level, start with the head, keeping your ears, the outer corners of the eyes, the lips and the base of the jaw bone parallel to the floor. Stretch and adjust the back of the neck, so that it is centrally placed on the floor. (239 #8)

9. Pin the [inner point] of each shoulder blade to the floor. Roll the skin of the top chest from the collar bones towards the shoulder blades and adjust your back to rest perfectly on the blanket. See that the dorsal and lumbar areas of your spine rest evenly on either side and that your ribs spread out uniformly. Rest evenly on both buttocks. Rest the center of the sacrum on the floor so that the buttocks relax evenly. Draw a line between the nipples, the floating ribs and pelvic bones to keep them parallel to the floor. (239 #9)

10. Keep your feet together and stretch the heels’ outer edges; now let the feet fall outwards evenly, letting your big toes feel weightless and non-resistant… Persons with stiff legs may keep their feet about a yard apart, as this will enable them to keep the back rested on the floor.

Keep the back outer corner of your knees touching the floor. If [the legs] cannot rest use a folded blanket or pillow behind them. If the legs do not feel relaxed, place weights on the upper thighs (25-50 lbs). This removes tension or hardness in the muscles and keeps the legs quiet. (241 #10)

11. Keep your hands away from the body, forming a 15 – 20° angle at the armpits. Bend the arms at the elbows, [and touch] the shoulder tops with your fingers. Extend the triceps at the back portion of your upper arms and take your elbows as far as you can towards the feet. Keep your whole upper arm, with the outer edges of the shoulders and elbows, on the floor. Do not disturb the elbow points. Lower your forearms. Extend your hands from the wrists to the knuckles, palms facing upwards. Keep your fingers passive and relaxed, with the backs of the middle fingers touching the floor up to the first knuckles. See that the median plane of the arms, elbows, wrists and palms are in contact with the floor.
The feeling of lying on the floor should be as though the body is sinking into Mother Earth. (242 #11)

12. [Watch for tension in the palms, the fingers, the soles of the feet, and the toes, and] when and where it occurs, drop these parts back to their correct position. (242 #12)

13. Relax the back of your body from the trunk to the neck, arms and legs. Next relax the front of your body from the pubis to the throat, where emotional upheavals take place, and then from the neck to the crown. Learn to relax your entire body this way. (246 #13)

14. Experience the feeling of non-existence or emptiness in the pits of the arms, the inner pits of the groins, diaphragm, lungs, spinal muscles and the abdomen. The body then feels like a discarded stick. In correct Savasana the head feels as if it has shrunk. (247 #14)

15. [Be serene] in all parts of your body. Silence in the body will bring about silence in the mind. (247 #16)

16. Gently move the upper [eye] lids towards the inner corners of the eyes [to] relax the skin just above the eyes and create space between the eyebrows. Treat the eyes gently like petals of a flower. Raise the eyebrows just enough to release any tightness of the skin in the forehead. (248 #18)

17. [Keep your eyes] passive, and [keep your ears] quiet and receptive. (248 #19)

18. Keep the root of your tongue passive as in sleep and resting on the lower palate… Keep the corners of your lips relaxed by stretching them sideways. (248 #20)

9. [Release] tension from your facial muscles, especially around the temples, the cheekbones, and the lower jaw. [Experience] a feeling of quietness between the upper palate and the root of the tongue. [Let the] pores of the skin shrink [so that] your nerves can rest. (248 #21)

20. See that the breath flows evenly on either side of the nostrils. Start by inhaling normally, but exhale softly, deeply, and longer.
[If you feel] restless, perform deep, slow and prolonged in and out breaths until quietness is attained. The moment quietness is felt… stop deep breathing and let the breath flow by itself. (249 #22)

21. When the art of exhalation is perfected, [you may] feel as if the breath is oozing from the pores of the skin on your chest, which is a sign of perfect relaxation. [Let] each out-breath take your mind towards your own self and purge your brain of all its tensions and activities. (249 #22)
22. Let the breath be like a string holding the pearls of a necklace together. The pearls are the ribs which move slowly, very steadily and reverently… When in that precise state, your body, breath, mind and brain move towards the real self, the Atma, like a spider returning to the centre of its web. Equanimity of mind, intellect, and self is felt at this juncture. (232 #3)

23. [Allow your mind to] dissolve and merge in the self, like a river in the sea… (250 #27)

24. [Experience a feeling of] equipoise between the two tides of emptiness of emotion and fullness of intellect. (251 #28)

25. [ …Some call this the “eternal now, beyond space and time,” in this state allow your body to be at rest as if in deep sleep, allow your senses to feel as if in a dream, but keep the intellect alert and aware.] (233 #8)

26. [In this state of discrimination, experience greater clarity and more and more relaxation. In this state, allow your doubts to vanish, feel a sense of illumination, and allow yourself to be merged in the Infinite.] This is the nectar of Savasana. (251 #29)

Set aside and additional 5 – 10 min. of silence, then end with more of Mr. Iyengar’s words.

27. Remain a silent observer until normal activity creeps into your brain and body. Gradually and gently open your eyes, which are at first unfocused. Remain in that state for a while. Then bend your knees, turn your head and body to one side and stay for a minute or two in that position. (252 #31)

28. In correct Śavāsana there is a minimum wastage of energy and maximum recuperation. It refreshes your whole being, making one dynamic and creative. It banishes fear (bhaya) of death and creates fearlessness (abhaya). (254 “Effect”)

29. [Now turn to the other side.]

30. [When you push into the floor to come up,] do not raise your head quickly. (252 #31)

31. [Sit quietly for a moment] and experience a state of serenity and inner oneness. (254 “Effect”)

Get a Hold of Yourself

By Therese Borchard

Deep breathing has become increasingly important in my recovery from depression and anxiety because I recognize that shallow breath contributes to my panic. In fact, at my worst hours, I would use a paper bag to keep from hyperventilating.

The practice of deep breathing stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), responsible for activities that occur when our body is at rest. It functions in opposite to the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates activities associated with the flight-or-fight response. I like to the think of the PNS as the calm sister and the sympathetic nervous system as the non-sympathetic crazy sister on the verge of a nervous breakdown. You know that woman in the movie Airplane, and the line of people awaiting with weapons while a few shake her saying, “Get a hold of yourself.” The woman represents the sympathetic nervous system, and the long line of folks with bats, ropes, purses, etc. are members of the parasympathetic nervous system trying to calm the panicked passenger.

Of all the automatic functions of the body—cardiovascular, digestive, hormonal, glandular, immune–only the breath can be easily controlled voluntarily, explain Richard P. Brown, M.D. and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D. in their book, The Healing Power of the Breath. They write:

By voluntarily changing the rate, depth, and pattern of breathing, we can change the messages being sent from the body’s respiratory system to the brain. In this way, breathing techniques provide a portal to the autonomic communication network through which we can, by changing our breathing patterns, send specific messages to the brain using the language of the body, a language the brain understands and to which it responds. Messages from the respiratory system have rapid, powerful effects on major brain centers involved in thought, emotion, and behavior.

In their eight substantive chapters, the authors discuss several techniques of deep breathing to reduce stress and anxiety. They start off with three basic approaches which provide the building blocks for the others:

Coherent Breathing
Coherent breathing is basically breathing at a rate of five breaths per minute, which is the middle of the resonant breathing rate range. I achieve this if I count to five inhaling and count to five exhaling. The five-minute rate maximizes the heart rate variability (HRV), a measurement of how well the parasympathetic nervous system is working. Brown and Bergarg explain that changing our rate and pattern of breath alters the HRV, which causes shifts in our nervous system. The higher the HRV the better because a higher HRV is associated with a healthier cardiovascular system and a stronger stress-response system. Breathing at a rate that is close to one’s ideal resonant rate (around five breaths per minute) can induce up to a tenfold improvement in HRV.

Resistance Breathing
Resistance breathing is exactly what its name suggests: breathing that creates resistance to the flow of air. Per the authors:

Resistance can be created by pursing the lips, placing the tip of the tongue against the inside of the upper teeth, hissing through the clenched teeth, tightening the throat muscles, partly closing the glottis, narrowing the space between the vocal cords, or using an external object such as breathing through a straw.

All that sounds a bit complicated to me. Breathing should be easy, right? So I simply breathe out of my nose, which, according to Brown and Bergarg, creates more resistance than breathing through the mouth. I do think it’s interesting when they explain that singing and chanting – all musical sounds created by contracting vocal cords—are forms of resistance breathing, and that is why they provide that relaxed sensation you can get meditating (if you CAN meditate).

Breath Moving
Breath Moving is when, well, the breath moves. Courtesy of your imagination. Brown compares this exercise to an internal massage. I’m not sure I’d go that far. I like the real deal. However, I do think sending your breath on a little journey around your body – as long as it doesn’t get too lost — does help you keep your concentration on the exercise and not on your to-do list because counting to five can get a little old. For example, here’s part of a circuit the authors offer in their book:

•As you breathe in, imagine you are moving your breath to the top of your head.
•As you breathe out, imagine you are moving your breath to the base of your spine, your perineum, your sit bones.
•Each time you breathe in, move the breath to the top of the head.
•Each time you breathe out, move the breath to the base of the spine.
•Breathe in this circuit for ten cycles.

The history of Breath Moving is fascinating. According to the authors, the technique was created in large part by the Russian Christian Orthodox Hesychast monks around the eleventh century. The monks would teach the technique of moving the breath to the holy Russian warriors to help protect them from harm and to empower them as they defended their territory against invaders.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/get-a-hold-of-yourself-3-kinds-of-deep-breathing/

Ayurveda and Āsana:
Yoga Poses for Your Health

by Mark Halpbern

Have you ever wondered why some yoga poses seem to leave you calm, centered, and balanced, while others make you agitated, sore, and off center? Or why your best friend flourishes in a rousing ‘Power Yoga‘ workout, while you do best on a regimen of slow, gentle, stretching?

The ancient Indian healing system known as Ayurveda can help you answer such questions. According to Ayurveda, different people require very different yoga practices. As a yoga teacher and doctor practicing Ayurvedic medicine, I’ve experienced firsthand how Ayurveda in addition to the dietary and lifestyle advice that it is best known for can shed light on the practice of yoga.

Take the case of the 31-year-old woman who came to me complaining of nervousness and chronic neck pain. She had been practicing yoga for six years and still could not understand why she was still experiencing these difficulties.

Our work with Ayurveda helped this woman understand how the āsana she had been practicing had aggravated the subtle energies of her body. She also learned new āsana that were more in harmony with her unique energetic balance. With this new knowledge, she was able to modify her practice and eliminate her neck pain and nervousness, bringing greater well-being to her body and mind.

Sister Symptoms
Yoga and Ayurveda are two paths intertwined in such a close relationship that it is hard to imagine traveling down one of these paths without knowledge of the other. Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life,” is the ancient art and science of keeping the body and mind balanced and healthy. Yoga is the ancient art and science of preparing the body and mind for the eventual liberation and enlightenment of the soul.

Like haṭha yoga, Ayurveda teaches how to keep the physical body healthy, and how this health relates to our spiritual journey. Both yoga and Ayurveda spring from the ancient Sanskrit texts called the Vedas. According to Vedic scholar David Frawley, “Yoga is the practical side of the Vedic teachings, while Ayurveda is the healing side.” In practice, both paths overlap.

In fact, Ayurveda and yoga are so closely related that some people argue that Patañjali, the first codifier of yoga, and Caraka, the first codifier of Ayurveda, may have in fact been one and the same person. Philosophically, both yoga and Ayurveda are rooted in Samkhya, one of six schools of classical Indian thought. The foundation of this philosophy can be described as follows:

1. There exists a fundamental state of pure being that is beyond intellectual understanding and which all life consciously strives for. This is the state of enlightenment or self-liberation.
2. Suffering is a part of our lives because of our attachment to our ego or self-identity (ahamkara).
3. The path toward ending suffering is the path of dissolving or transcending the ego. In doing so, all fear, anger, and attachment are eradicated.
4. To achieve this goal, we must live a purely ethical life. (Ethical guidelines are listed as the yamas and niyamas in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.)
5. Any disturbance within the mind or body interferes with this path. Ayurveda is the science of keeping the biological forces in balance so that the mind and body may be healthy.

Fundamentals of Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, the universal life force manifests as three different energies, or doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha. We are all made up of a unique combination of these three forces. This unique combination, determined at the moment of conception, is our constitution, or prakruti. The three doshas constantly fluctuate according to our environment, which includes our diet, the seasons, the climate, our age, and many more factors. The current state of these three doshas most commonly defines our imbalance, or vikruti. Since we all have a unique constitution and unique imbalances, each person’s path toward health will be unique. In addition, what will keep each of us healthy is also unique. Understanding our prakruti and vikruti offers each of us the potential to make correct choices.

The three dosha are generally described in terms of the five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and ether (the subtle energy that connects all things). Vata is said to be made up of air and ether. Likened to the wind, it is said to be light, drying, cooling, and capable of movement. Pitta is said to be made up of fire and water. Considered to be mostly fire, it is hot, light, and neither too dry nor too moist; it does not move on its own, but it can be easily moved by the wind (vata). Kapha is said to be made up of water and earth, which combine like mud. Kapha is heavy, moist, cool, and stable.

The three dosha fluctuate constantly. As they move out of balance, they affect particular areas of our bodies in characteristic ways. When vata is out of balancetypically in excesswe are prone to diseases of the large intestines, like constipation and gas, along with diseases of the nervous system, immune system, and joints. When pitta is in excess, we are prone to diseases of the small intestines, like diarrhea, along with diseases of the liver, spleen, thyroid, blood, skin, and eyes. When kapha is in excess, we are prone to diseases of the stomach and lungs, most notably mucous conditions, along with diseases of water metabolism, such as swelling.

When working with the dosha, remember these basic principles: Like increases like, and opposites balance each other. In other words, foods, weather, and situations that have similar characteristics as the dosha will increase them; those that have opposite characteristics will decrease them. Knowing this, you can adjust your yoga practice, diet, and other environmental factors to affect these forces in ways that create greater balance and harmony. (For example, vata types who are dry, light, and airy should avoid foods with similar qualities, like popcorn, and consume foods with opposite qualities, like warm milk).

The Three Gunas
Another fundamental Ayurvedic principle is the idea of the three guna, or qualities of nature. The three gunas sattva, rajas, and tamas are used to describe emotional and spiritual characteristics.

That which is sattvic is light, clear, and stable. Sattva is the state of being which comes from purity of mind, and leads to an awareness of our connectedness to God, a state in which we manifest our most virtuous qualities.

That which is rajasic is active, agitated, or turbulent. Rajas arises when we are distracted from our truest essence, and manifests emotions such as fear, worry, anger, jealously, attachment, and depression.

That which is tamasic is heavy, dull, dark, and inert. Tamasic actions include violent or vindictive behavior, along with self-destructive behaviors such as addiction, depression, and suicide.

All movement or activity is by nature rajasic (agitating) and heating to the body. Yet some movements are more agitating and others less so. Generally speaking, the slower the movement, the less rajasic and the less agitating to the body and mind. The faster the movement, the more rajasic and the more heating it will be.

Any movement practiced with great awareness becomes more sattvic. Movements done with distraction or less attentiveness are more rajasic. Thus, one way to enhance our experience of yoga is to practice slowly and with awareness.

No movement can be purely sattvic. The inherent nature of movement is rajasic, as rajas is the principal of energy, and movement requires energy. Hence our sattvic qualities are most nurtured in meditation and in the stillness of holding a pose, where we can find pure awareness.

The rajasic nature of movement does not necessarily make it bad for us. Rajas serves the useful purpose of stimulating our bodies and minds. We could not function in our world without a part of us being rajasic.

What Sort of Yoga is Right for You?
When determining the kind of yoga practice that is right for you, the most important factor is your vikṛti, or imbalance. Your vikṛti is, in fact, the single most important determinant of your entire regime. Once you have corrected your imbalance, you can stay in good health by choosing a yoga practice that balances your constitution, or prakṛti. (It’s sometimes hard for the lay person to distinguish between characteristics that are inborn, or constitutional, and those that result from an imbalance. For best results, consult a trained Ayurvedic physician.)

People of vata constitution or imbalance are most supported by a yoga practice that is calming, quieting, and yet warming. People of pitta nature or imbalance are most supported by a yoga practice that is calming, quieting, and cooling. And people of kapha nature or imbalance are most supported by a yoga practice that is stimulating and warming. Each individual has different needs. To practice in a way that does not support you is to invite greater imbalance.

Āsana for Vata
The āsana which are most suitable for balancing vata are those that are calming and grounding by nature. They will counter the tendency for those with a vata imbalance to be “spacey,” agitated, or nervous. These Āsana will help allay fear, worry, and anxiety and also improve vata physical imbalances such as constipation, lower back pain, and joint pains. The lower abdomen, pelvis, and large intestine are the main residence of vata in the body, so many of these asanas compress the lower abdomen or cause the lower abdomen to become taut. In addition, asanas that strengthen the lower back help alleviate vata.

In general, most yogāsana are good for balancing vata, since most āsanas are calming to the mind. There are, however, some that are particularly good and some that should certainly be avoided.

Uttānāsana (Standing Forward Bend) is an exceptional āsana for vatas. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. The arms may be raised over the head as you reach to the sky, or you may wish to bend the elbows, clasping the opposing arms just above the elbow and letting your forearms rest on or just above the crown of your head. Keeping your back straight, slowly bend forward from the hips as you exhale. Bend as far forward as you comfortably can. Your hands may remain crossed, touch the floor in front of your feet, or, if you are very flexible, be clasped just behind your heels. For the less flexible, the hands may be placed on blocks which rest on the floor. Let gravity assist the lengthening of your spine. All standing asanas tend to be grounding if awareness is placed on the feet, honoring the connection between your body and the Earth.

Note that this āsana can put quite a strain on an injured lower back, so care should be used. If the lower back is simply tight, a condition related to aggravated vata, this is an excellent āsana. The seated version of this asana, Paśchimottānāsana (Seated Forward Bend), will have similar value and may be easier if your back is sore.

Balāsana (Child’s Pose) is another excellent asana for compressing the pelvis and the vata region. Sit upright with your knees flexed and placed underneath your buttocks. Keeping your arms to your side, bend forward from the hips until your head is resting on the floor in front of you. If you do not have the flexibility to place your head on the ground, place a folded blanket or a pillow on the floor in front of you for your head to rest upon. Compression asanas are excellent for constipation and for chronic gas.

Supta Virāsana (Reclining Hero Pose) is another good āsana for vata. Kneel with your knees together and your buttocks resting on your heels. Move the legs out to the side of the pelvis so that the buttocks slide down in between both legs. Place the hands on the soles of the feet and lean back onto the elbows. This may be enough extension for many people. If you are flexible enough, gradually lower your back down to the floor. Your hands may lie by your side or be stretched above the head to lengthen the spine.

While this stretch does not compress the pelvis, it creates a mild extension of the lower abdominal muscles and lower back. This action increases the pressure in the pelvis, again alleviating vata. According to Ayurvedic doctor Vasant Lad, this asana is particularly useful as a part of treatment for vata-type asthma conditions.

Dhanurāsana (Bow Pose) also extends the lower back and places pressure on the pelvis. Lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Lift the head, shoulders, and chest off of the mat and bend both knees. Reach back and take hold of the ankles. Let your legs draw your chest farther into the air so that your body weight rests on the pelvic region. This is essential for the maximum relief of vata.

Virāsana (Hero Pose), Siddhasana (Easy Pose), and Padmasana (Lotus Pose) are very calming poses which sedate vata’s agitated nature. These meditative poses are excellent for calming the nervous system, which aids in the healing of anxiety, nervousness, sciatica, and muscle spasm. The most calming pose of all is, of course, the supine Śavāsana (Corpse Pose).

People of vata nature should avoid asanas that are overly stimulating to the nervous system, such as repetitive Sun Salutations, and those that place excessive pressure on sensitive joints in the body. The cervicothoracic junctionthe bony region where the neck meets the shouldersis one of these areas. Here, large vertebrae stick out like “sore thumbs.” People of vata nature and imbalance tend to have weaker bones, less fatty padding, looser ligaments, and more susceptibility to pain. For these reasons, Sālamba sarvāṅgāsana (Shoulderstand) and Halāsana (Plow Pose) should be avoided or modified by placing a blanket under the shoulders for extra padding. This also decreases the extreme flexion the neck is placed in. Even so, people of vata nature or imbalance should not hold these poses for very long, or they will risk injury.

Āsana for Pitta
The best āsana for pitta are those that are calming and not overly heating. People of pitta nature or imbalance tend to be more assertive and intense. Calming poses help sedate their intensity and ease the emotions of anger and resentment that they are prone to. By alleviating pitta, these āsana are good as part of the treatment for conditions such as ulcers and hyperacidity, liver disease, and acne.

Āsana that help balance pitta are those that place pressure on the naval and solar plexus region, in the small intestine where pitta resides. These āsana directly affect the liver and spleen and help regulate the strength of the digestive fire.

Uṣṭrāsana (Camel Pose) is very beneficial for pittas. Kneel with the buttocks lifted as though you were standing on your knees. Place your palms on your buttocks. Move your thighs and pelvis forward as you extend the lower back, bringing your hands to your heels. Gently extend your neck. Remember to breathe. This asana opens up the abdomen, solar plexus, and chest, allowing for freer movement of energy through these regions.

Bhujangāsana (Cobra Pose) and Dhanurāsana (Bow Pose) are also excellent solar plexus extension poses for pitta. These āsana can play a role in the treatment of ulcers and hepatitis.

To perform Cobra Pose, lie face down with your feet together and ankles extended. Bend the elbows and place your hands flat on the floor by your lower ribs. (Less flexible people may choose to place the palms on the floor at shoulder level.) Upon inhalation, extend the elbows and raise the head, chest, and abdomen off the floor while keeping the pelvic bones on the floor. The head may be held in a neutral position or in extension.

Sālamba śīrṣāsana (Headstand) should be avoided for people of pitta imbalance or constitution. Headstands heat the body, and much of this heat accumulates in the head and the eyes. The eyes are an organ controlled mainly by pitta. For this reason, Headstands can help cause or worsen diseases of the eyes. If a person of pitta constitution with no serious imbalance chooses to do Headstands, then the Headstand should be held for a very short period.

Āsana for Kapha
To balance the heavy, slow, cold, and sedated nature of kapha, practice āsanas that are more stimulating and heating. Āsana best suited to individuals of kapha nature or imbalance are those that open up the chest. The stomach and chest are the areas where kapha accumulates. In the chest, kapha takes on the form of mucous. These āsana are excellent for the prevention and treatment of congestive conditions like bronchitis and pneumonia as well as constrictive conditions such as asthma and emphysema.

Uṣṭrāsana (Camel Pose) and Setubandha (Bridge Pose) are useful asanas for kaphas. To perform Setu Bandha, lie flat on your back with your arms to your sides, with palms facing down toward the floor. Using your elbows and forearms, raise your pelvis off the mat as you keep your shoulders and feet grounded. Try to stay on the tops of your shoulders and increase the height of the pelvis by extending evenly through both legs.

As a gentle alternative to this posture, lie on your back in extension over a bolster and a pillow. Both of these variations do an excellent job of opening the chest, allowing for greater circulation of energy through this region. These asanas also affect the flow of energy through the heart chakra, aiding the development of compassion and unconditional love.

For those of kapha nature and imbalance, the calming and sedating effect of most asanas needs to be balanced by other āsana that are more stimulating and heating. People of kapha nature are the best suited to handle strengthening poses, as their joints and muscles tend to be strong and stable. Increasing flexibility is extremely important for those of kapha nature, as kaphas tend to become overly stiff or rigid.

Sūryanamaskār (Sun Salutation) is a very good aerobic exercise for kapha and helps in the treatment of obesity and depression, two common kapha conditions. The Sun Salutation is the ideal āsana for kapha, as it is very active, creates heat, and opens the chest.

There are 12 parts to this sequence of poses. Begin by standing erect with the feet touching each other. Bend the elbows and bring the palms together in the middle of the chest. Raise the arms above the head and extend into a slight backbend. Bend forward into convex Uttānāsana (head down) and bring the hands to the floor, bending the knees if you need to protect your back. From this position, arch the back and look up in concave Uttānāsana. Then jump with both legs or step backward with the right leg first.

Bring the left leg backward and place it by the right leg as you lift your back inner groins high into the air after coming into Adho Mukha Śvanāsana (Downward-Facing Dog). Pressing hands and keeping arms firm,  glide your body forward into Urdhva Mukha Śvanāsana (Upward-facing Dog). Then press into Chaturaṅga daṇḍāsana (Four-limbed Staff). Return to Upward dog. Next, looking forward, jump with both legs or take the right leg forward. Bring the left foot forward, if stepping, as you return to concave Uttānāsana. Follow with convex Uttānāsana.  Come up to a standng position and raise the arms once again over the head in Ūrdhva Hastāsana (Upward Arms), extending the back and neck. To complete the cycle, return the hands to the chest, palms together in Namaskārāsana (Prayer).

People of all constitutions can benefit from Sun Salutations during the time of day that is dominated by kapha energy (6:00 to 10:00 a.m and p.m.), as long as there is not a serious imbalance in pitta or vata. People of kapha nature should do many repetitions and perform them with great speed. While in general people of vata nature should avoid the speed, performing it very slowly and with great awareness will decrease its vata-aggravating tendencies. Pitta types should do limited repetitions, as this series is very heating.

Few āsana are harmful to kapha, as kaphas benefit from all forms of stretching and movement. Two weak areas of the body for kapha individuals, however, are the lungs and the kidneys. Āsana that place excessive pressure on the lower abdomen, such as Dhanurāsana (Bow Pose), can aggravate the kidneys if held for too long.

Other Factors
In some ways the prescription I have just given is overly simplistic. In developing a healthy yoga practice, you must take into consideration not only your constitution and imbalance but also your age, the season, and the time of day you are practicing.

At different times of our lives, different dosha play a greater role. This is a part of the natural fluctuation of these forces. From birth through puberty, our bodies and minds are more affected by kapha. From puberty until around our retirement years, the influence of pitta increases. The later years, post retirement, are most dominated by vata.

During each of these periods, we must pay attention to the effect our age has on us and modify our practice appropriately. When we are very young, our bodies can better tolerate the more aerobic styles of yoga. As we age, we need to practice more calming āsana.

The seasons also affect a healthy practice. The season of cold dampness increases kapha. The season of warm weather increases pitta. The season of cool dryness increases vata, as does the windy season. (In different parts of the country these take place at different times, so placing the names of traditional seasons upon them can be misleading.) During the kapha season, a practice that is more stimulating and warming is better. In the pitta season, a practice that is cooling is best. In the vata season, a calming practice supports greater health.

Finally, the time of day we practice will affect the balance of the dosha. Kapha naturally increases between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m and p.m, when we are moving slowly. Pitta naturally increases between 10:00 and 2:00 a.m. and p.m., when the digestive fire is at its height and, in the daytime, the sun is at its peak. Vata naturally increases between 2:00 and 6:00 a.m. and p.m., during the transition between night and day.

Most people practice yoga in the early morning, when the world is calm. Before 6:00, during the time of vata, a very quiet and gentle practice is recommended. After 6:00, during the time of kapha, a more stimulating practice is appropriate. Remember, though, that when designing a yoga practice for yourself, your overall vikruti, or imbalance, is more important than the influence of the season, your age, or the time of day. These should be seen as the factors that modify your practice but not the factors that create it. When you are in near perfect balance, you can create a program based almost entirely on your constitution, the seasons, and the time of day.

In Ayurveda, balancing the effects of the doshas is only half of the formula for creating health and well being. The other half is developing a more sattvic lifestyle and learning to express our sattvic nature: that aspect of ourselves that, through an awareness of our connectedness to Spirit, allows us to express our highest or most virtuous qualities.

Yoga, practiced in harmony with each person’s unique nature, is part of the Ayurvedic path toward balancing the dosha and enhancing sattva. Through this path each of us can reach our full potential.

Marc Halpern is the founder and director of the California College of Ayurveda in Grass Valley, California.

CREATING HARMONY BY BALANCING THE 3 GUNAS

by Megan de Matteo

In Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar offers some simple explanations to describe the three gunas: rajas, tamas and sattva. Rajas is the quality of activity and mobility that is responsible for movement, and an having an excess of rajas can lead to willful stubbornness. Tamas is the quality of inertia and form and is associated with delusion, obscurity and ignorance. Sattva is often considered a goal of one’s yoga practice, and is the quality of clarity, tranquility and truth-illumination.

When describing the gunas, I often feel like Goldie Locks in The Three Little Bears. It is tempting to say that rajas is “too much action” and that tamas is “too slow!” This leads me of course, to say that sattva is “just right!” implying that the other gunas are somehow ‘bad.’

However, it is important that we embrace all three gunas because they each have an essential role in our lives. As humans, tamas is built into our DNA. Without it, how would our muscles and bones maintain the oh-so-important density that supports us as we move through the world? Similarly, our minds might feel dominated by excess activity, or rajas, from time to time—especially when we’re feeling stressed or overworked. But if we did not have rajas, we would not be able to respond to the constant stimuli and activity of daily living.

So, while it’s tempting to want to ‘get rid’ of tamas and rajas, we must respect their role in our lives and embrace them as useful with an inclination towards finding balance. In doing so, we can view the gunas as a complete and functional system which, when utilized wisely, brings us into balance. Even if cultivating sattva is the aim of our yoga practice, we can utilize the gunas in the following ways:

1. Intelligently choose your āsana practice. Haṭha yoga is a great way to check in with the body and bring balance to the gunas. Wisely choosing āsanas that address your mental, emotional and physical states are an important part of this practice. The gunas come and go in different proportions throughout the courses of one’s day, week and even lifetime. If you’re heading to a yoga class because you feel imbalanced in some way, check-in to discover the cause of your imbalance. For example, if you’re feeling tired and physically unmotivated because of excessive thoughts or emotional stressors, an energetic and rajasic asana practice that challenges the body to move (rather than the mind) might bring about balance. However, if these rapidly moving thoughts are creating a lot of stress and anxiety, asanas that are too rajasic may be overly stimulating. In this case, a slower, tamasic āsana practice (think: gentle or yin yoga) intended to ground and encourage the experience of support is an ideal way to bring about balance. When you’re feeling out-of-sorts, consult your intuition, consider your particular constitution, and honor the circumstances in the present-day circumstances in which you find yourself.

2. Be mindful of your diet. We all know the adage, “you are what you eat,” so you can imagine how eating too many tamasic (or dense) foods could lead you to feel heavy and lethargic. Likewise, think of foods that are rajasic and catalyze action in the body, such as“hot” foods that stimulate digestion, like ginger or spicy curry. A sattvic diet includes both tamasic and rajasic foods, but like an intelligently designed āsana practice, the sattvic diet uses particular foods only when they lead a person’s energetic state into balance. Going back to the example of Goldilocks, we can think of it like this: on a cold winter’s day, warm porridge served with ginger and cinnamon might be “just right,” whereas on a hot summer day, cooler porridge served with a sprig of mint would be a better choice. Using discernment in the diet along with simply eating sattvic foods are easy ways of cultivating harmony in the body, mind and spirit.

3. Practice prāņāyāma. Our breath has a profound impact on our physiological states. Using breath to address imbalances of the nervous system is a very effective and powerful way to cultivate sattva. For example, did you know that simply extending the length of your exhales beyond the length of your inhales stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system (the “calm down” mechanism in your body)? On the other hand, taking breaths where your inhales are longer than your exhales has a stimulating (or rajasic) effect. Depending on how your body is feeling (overly stimulated or overly inert), you can choose the breath that brings you closer to balance.

Can you recall moments of imbalance in which you felt “stuck” or overly stimulated? What techniques brought you closer to a sattvic state?

A student recently asked me if yogāsana and prāṇāyama could provide complete fitness. “Don’t I need cardiovascular work?”, he queried. Off course, this depends on the length of practice and the frequency with which one does the aforementioned. The third and fourth limbs of Patanjali’s eight limb system certainly have the potential to increase cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, plus make one more flexible. If you doubt this, then you perhaps have not heard of John Schumacher, Iyengar Method teacher and founder of Unity Woods in Washington, D.C.

“Four years ago at age 52, Schumacher decided to prove his point. He signed up for physiological testing at a lab in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As he expected, Schumacher tested near the top of his age group for a variety of fitness tests, including maximum heart and exercise recovery rates. His doctor told him that he was in excellent physical condition and estimated that Schumacher had less than a one percent chance of suffering a cardiac event. ‘I’ve always maintained that yoga provides more than adequate cardiovascular benefits,’ says Schumacher. ‘Now I have the evidence that regular yoga practice at a certain level of intensity will provide you with what you need.’” https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/is-yoga-enough-to-keep-you-fit

If you increase your yogāsana practice and perform prāṇāyama regularly, there will be no need for the cardio burn.

Peace

Prakash, an Introductory Level instructor in Plano, TX has a keen understanding of why we practice yogāsana as taught by B.K.S. Iyengar

“Systematic intelligence in yogāsana is the methodical extension of awareness through each of the body’s organs moving from the gross to the finer parts so that you can begin to feel the freer flow of energy and begin to make adjustments internally where you feel obstruction and resistance. Parts that resist have to be reached and worked through correct action without causing injury. It is very easy to be sluggish in āsana and often an experienced teacher will make hands on adjustments on you so that you can extend the intelligence to that part that was asleep or that you were not even aware of but you could reach. Through this process injured parts heal and areas you have reached and worked exhibit more vitality.”

Peace

II.49 tasmin sati śvāsa-praśvāsayor gati-vicchedaḥprāṇāyāmaḥ
When that [āsana] is accomplished, prāṇāyāma, breath control, [follows]. This consists of the regulation of the incoming and outgoing breath.

“Prāṇāyāma as breath control is an ancient practice that can be found in the old Brahmana texts. Vyāsa explains that the svasa from this sūtra is the intake of air from the outside, and pravasa, the exhalation of air from the stomach. He defines prāṇāyāma to be the suspension, or absence, of both—in other words, the suspension of breath.”
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, Prof. Edwin F. Bryant

“Prāṇāyāma, the fourth constituent of yoga, is what the heart is to the human body.
It is interesting to note that Patañjali expressly advises the sadhaka to do prāṇāyāma only after attaining perfection in āsana. For the first time, he shows a distinct step in the ascent of the ladder of yoga, whereas he has not stipulated progression for the other aspects.
Normally the flow of breath is unrestrained and irregular. Observing these variations, and conditioning the mind to control the inflow, outflow and retention of the breath in a regular, rhythmic pattern, is prāṇāyāma.”

“Prāṇā is an auto-energizing force which creates a magnetic field in the form of the Universe and plays with it, both to maintain, and to destroy for further creation. It permeates each individual as well as the Universe at all levels. It acts as physical energy; as mental energy, where the mind gathers information; and as intellectual energy with a discriminative faculty, where information is examined and filtered. This same prāṇā acts as sexual energy, spiritual energy, and cosmic energy. All that vibrates in the Universe is prāṇā: heat, light, gravity, magnetism, vigour, power, vitality, electricity, life and spirit are all forms of prāṇā. It is the cosmic personality, potent in all beings and non-beings. It is the prime mover of all activity. It is the wealth of life.”

“This self-energizing force is the principle of life and of consciousness. It is the creation of all beings in the Universe. All beings are born through it and live by it. When they die, their individual breath dissolves into the cosmic breath. Prāṇā is not only the hub of the wheel of life, but also of yoga. Everything is established in it. It permeates life, creating the sun, the moon, the clouds, the wind, the rain, the earth and all forms of matter. It is both being (sat) and non-being (asat). Each and every thing, or being, including man, takes shelter under it. Prāṇā is the fundamental energy and the source of all knowledge.”

“Prāṇā (energy) and citta (consciousness) are in constant contact with each other. They are like twins. Prāṇā becomes focussed where citta is, and citta where prāṇā is. In yogic texts, it is said that as long as the breath is still, prāṇā is still, and hence citta is still. All types of vibrations and fluctuations come to a standstill when prāṇā and citta are steady and silent.
The wise yogis studied this connection between breath and consciousness and advocated the practice of prāṇāyāma to stabilize energy and consciousness.”
Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, B.K.S. Iyengar

“It is difficult to explain Prāṇa, as it is to explain God. Prāṇa is the energy permeating the universe at all levels. It is physical, mental, intellectual, sexual, spiritual, and cosmic energy. All vibrating energies are prāṇa. All physical energies such as heat, light, gravity, magnetism, and electricity are also prāṇa. It is hidden or potential energy in all beings, released to the fullest extent in times of danger. It is the prime mover of all activity. It is energy which creates, protects, and destroys. Vigour, power, vitality, life and spirit are all forms of prāṇa.”

“Prāṇa means breath, respiration, life, vitality, energy or strength. When used in the plural, it denotes certain vital breaths or currents of energy (prāṇa-vayus). ‘ayama’ means stretch, extension, expansion, length, breadth, regulation, prolongation, restraint or control. ‘Prāṇāyāma’ thus means the prolongation of breath and its restraint.”

“Prāṇāyāma is an art and has techniques to make the respiratory organ to move and expand intentionally, rhythmically and intensively. It consists of long, sustained subtle flow of inhalation (pūraka), exhalation (rechaka) and retention of breath (kumbakha). Pūraka stimulates the system; rechaka throws out vitiated air and toxins; kumbakha distributes the energy throughout the body. The movements include horizontal expansion (dairghya), vertical accession (āroha) and circumferential extension (viśālatā) of the lungs and the rib cage.”

“The disciplined breathing helps the mind to concentrate and enables the sādhaka to attain robust health and longevity.”

“All stages of [Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma (Expanding Conquest Breath control)] except those with retentions may be done at any time. However, if the heart feels heavy, full or painful, or the diaphragm is hard, and if you are agitated or the heart-beat is abnormal, lie down…”
Light on Prāṇāyāma, B.K.S. Iyengar

II.50 bāhyābhyantara-stamba-vṛttiḥ deśa-kāla-saṅkhyābhiḥ pariddṛṣṭo dīrgha-sūkṣmaḥ
[Prāṇāyāma] manifests as external, internal, and restrained movements [of breath]. These are drawn out and subtle in accordance to place, time, and number.

“Moving on to the second part of the sūtra, all these different types of breath restraint are regulated by place, deśa, that is, the surface area that is reached by the breath, says Vyāsa. He understands time as the seconds of duration of these cessations of the flow of breath, and number as how many sequences of inhalations and exhalations are restrained, and whether they are mild, middling, or intense in nature.”

“Time, kāla, refers to differing durations of each individual exhalation, inhalation, and retention,… Number, saṅkhyā, is the number of repetitions, or rounds of each cycle of inhalations, exhalations, and retentions at one sitting.”

“In other words, say the commentators, one can increase the duration of these intervals of breath restraint so that they become more and more prolonged and imperceptible in terms of the movement of air.”
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, Prof. Edwin F. Bryant

“The first three components of prāṇāyāma are regulated inhalation, exhalation and retention; all are to be performed, prolonged and refined according to the capacity of the aspirant. The components are to be observed with regard to place (deśa), here meaning the torso, kāla indicating length of breath and saṁkhyā, indicating precision.”

“There are two types of retention in prāṇāyāma. They are the interruption of the breath flow following either the in- or outbreath. The movements of the breath and the pauses between them are regulated and prolonged according to the capacity of the lungs (deśa), the duration and measured regulation of the breath (kāla) and the degree of refinement and subtlety (saṁkhyā) of the sādhaka. Mastery is attained by practising in harmony, with rhythmic regulation (paridṛṣṭa).
Focus on the regulation of breath (prāṇā vṛtti), exhalation (bāhya vṛtti), inhalation (antara vṛtti) and retention (stambha vṛtti) is called sabīja (seed) prāṇāyāma as attention is on the breath itself.
Inhalation moves from the core of being – the seer – towards the consciousness. As mahat or cosmic intelligence is the first principle for nature’s activity, its individual counterpart, citta, acts to stir the soul to activity. The inbreath is made to touch the five sheaths of the body: ānandamaya, vijñānamaya, manomaya, prāṇāmaya, and annamaya, or the elements: ākāśa, vāyu, tej, āp, and pṛthvi; while the outbreath touches in the reverse order.
Bracing of the inbreath is the evolution of the soul or the ascending order of the puruṣa. When the self comes in contact with the physical body, inhalation is complete. Here, the puruṣa embraces prakṛti. The outbreath moves from the external body towards the seer, layer after layer. It is involution, or the descending order of prakṛti to meet its Lord, puruṣa. If the inbreath is the divine union of puruṣa with prakṛti, the outbreath is the union of prakṛti with puruṣa. Retention of the former is antara kumbhaka, retention of the latter is bāhya kumbhaka. If antara kumbhaka establishes consecration of the seer (svarūpa pratiṣṭha), bāhya kumbhaka frees one from the four aims of life (puruṣārtha śūnya).”
Light on the Yoga Sūtas of Patañjali, B.K.S. Iyengar

II.51 bāhyābhyantara-viṣayākṣepī caturthaḥ
The fourth [type of prāṇāyāma] surpasses the limits of the external and the internal.

“The fourth, caturthaḥ, type of prāṇāyāma, says Vyāsa, refers to the total suppression of breath and so, like the kumbhaka mentioned previously, also involves the cessation of inhalation and exhalation. Vijñānabhikṣu calls it kevala-kumbhaka, pure kumbhaka. In his Yogasāra commentary, he quotes the Bṛihan-nāradīya Purāna as referring to it as śūnyaka. The commentators are not overly helpful in clarifying the precise difference between the third type of prāṇāyāma, kumbhaka, and the fourth type, caturthaḥ. As is the case with so much in the sūtras, it is clear that these are techniques to be experienced by practice rather than understood intellectually. Vyāsa states that the third type of suppression is brought about by a single effort, whereas the fourth takes place gradually with prolonged effort. Apparently, kumbhaka is performed independently of the suppression of breath in rechaka and pūraka that utilizes the system measurements: it is thus limited in duration. Caturthaḥ, in contrast, says Vijñānabhiksu, involves an extension of cessation of breath that occurs after exhalation and inhalation in  rechaka and pūraka that is not determined by time and number, and adept of this stage of prāṇāyāma. One might also suppose that in the state the body is being maintained by the internal circulation of prāṇa rather than any external flow of breath.
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, Prof. Edwin F. Bryant

“The fourth type of prāṇāyāma transcends the external and internal prāṇāmayas, and appears effortless and non-deliberate.”

“The fourth type of prāṇāyāma goes beyond the regulation or modulation of breath flow and retention, transcending the methodology given in the previous sūtra. It is a state similar to kevala kumbhaka, which is mentioned in the haṭhayoga texts and in the yoga upaniṣads.”

“When the movement of the breath functions without one’s volition or effort, the fourth stage of prāṇāyāma has been reached. The movements of the mind and consciousness cease. The flows of vital energy, intelligence and consciousness come to a standstill except for subliminal impressions. This is like virāma pratyaya, as explained in I.18. A state of pause is experienced, in both the breath and the mind. From this springs forth a new awakening and the light of intelligence vigorously penetrates the sādhaka’s innermost being.”

“Since this fourth stage contains no restrictions, it transcends the range of movements described in the prāṇāyāmas of II.50. It is therefore a ‘seedless’ (nirbīja) prāṇāyāma.”
Light on the Yoga Sūtas of Patañjali, B.K.S. Iyengar

II.52 tataḥ kṣīyate prakāśāvaraṇam
Then, the covering of illumination [of knowledge] is weakened.

“Prakāśa, illumination, as we know it from II.18, is a synonym for sattva. The covering of illumination, prakāśa-āvaraṇa, says Vyāsa, is ultimately karma, and this is destroyed by the practice of prāṇāyāma. He quotes a verse that speaks of karma as the ‘net of great illusion’ that covers sattva and impels one to commit immoral deeds. Karma, we recall, consists of actions that are all recorded in the citta as saṁskāras and that fructify at the appropriate time, conditioning one to act in certain ways. Karma is in this sense synonymous with the storehouse of saṁskāras, which trigger the behavioral patterns and preconditioned attitudes, perspectives, or responses to the world, such as the immoral deeds mentioned by Vyāsa.”
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, Prof. Edwin F. Bryant

“Prāṇāyāma removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.”

“Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire, and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, prāṇāyāma wafts away the clouds that hide the light of the intelligence.”

“In the Yoga Chuḍāmaṇi Upaniṣad, it is said that there is no discipline higher than prāṇāyāma. It is called an exalted knowledge (mahāvidyā), a royal road to well-being, freedom and bliss.”
Light on the Yoga Sūtas of Patañjali, B.K.S. Iyengar

II.53 dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ
Additionally, the mind becomes not for concentration

Manasaḥ is used here rather than citta, as it is the specific aspect of citta that interacts with the senses, and awareness must now make a transition from the sensory involvements of prāṇāyāma and the next limb, pratyāhāra, to the transitory stage of dhāraṇā, concentration. Dhāraṇā is the sixth limb of yoga, which will be discussed shortly. The commentators assume this sūtra to be self-explanatory and have little to add. For the mind to be able to fix on an object of concentration, it must be sattvic, that is rajas and tamas must be minimized.”
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, Prof. Edwin F. Bryant

“Prāṇāyāma is not only an instrument to steady the mind, but also the gateway to concentration, dhāraṇā.”

“Once the new light of knowledge has dawned through the practice of prāṇāyāma, the mind is fit and competent to move on towards the realization of the soul.”

“The implication here is clear that the sādhaka who had to struggle initially to cultivate a yogic way of life by self-discipline and study, now finds his efforts transformed into a natural zeal to proceed in his sādhana.”
Light on the Yoga Sūtas of Patañjali, B.K.S. Iyengar

Ujjāyī I, II and IIIp.pdf

Disciplined and dedicated practice or learning

“Just performing the āsanas is one aspect of sādhana, but to understand one’s own body, mind and breath through the practice is another aspect; this has to be clearly understood by each practitioner. Often, one thinks of either limiting the freedom of the body movements because of fear and/or pain, or one attempts to break the limits using willpower in a wrong way, thus resulting in injury. When the body is unprepared, both these approaches are wrong. In fact, asana is a process to look into oneself.”

“Often, one thinks of the inner journey for the sake of self-realization. However, as the inner journey begins, one has to look at the first object, the first instrument – the body – which otherwise is neglected totally. We know the body as we have read and studied about it in school. However, this study of our anatomy and physiology gives us an objective knowledge of the body. Many hidden depths and sensitivities like the precise and judicious stretching of the arms ad legs remain unknown to the practitioner. The opening of the palms and the bottom of the feet of the sole-skin is not understood at all as there is no awareness.”

“Moreover, the thoracic tilts or extending the abdominal band remains unknown. The inverted position of the body remains absolutely beyond one’s imagination. Normally, one lacks the courage to move, stretch, twist, bend or balance and go topsy-turvy. Faith and courage are required to do so. Every action has its effect somewhere, which has to be searched and noticed.”
Yoga in Action: Intermediate Course, Dr. Geeta Iyengar

This week we worked on Reverse Prayer Pose, a very difficult technique for some of us.  Greater success is possible using a Wall Rope.

In this video, Mr. Iyengar demonstrates Tāḍāsana Páschima Namaskārāsana around 12:00. Please note how far his shoulder blades travel out, to accept the hands and how much they return to open the chest. Starting around 15:00 he gives further details. For those of you unable to do it, please practice Tāḍāsana Páschima Baddha Hastāsana or holding above the elbows in back while in Tāḍāsana, demonstrated around 11:00.

A simple way to install Iyengar Wall Ropes is by purchasing Over the Door Hangers from Yogawall.com and pre-tied ropes from Yogaprops.com.  If you would rather tie your own, watch this how to video.

12′ of rope is likely necessary to do the knot and have a long enough wall rope.  A second way to tie one’s own is using a double Triple Fisherman’s. Susan G. Clark has a much more detailed video on YouTube on how to do this second knot.

Peace