More Benefits of Yoga

Bev Hurt shared with me that one of her students has been going home and lying with his legs in a chair for 30 minutes. He said his blood pressure and cholesteral readings are normal for the first time in 10 years.

His words: I am proud that you see any value in an old man enjoying what he is doing. Please use this image and your words as you see fit. Through your Yoga instruction I am becoming more at peace with Life.

Many thanks to Bev and her student for sharing this.

If you want to know more about the benefits of restorative yoga through Bev and the restorative teachers at Yoga East: Traci D'Antoni, Sara Foerster, Bev Hurt, Julie Rubio, Kay Sanders and Becky Thompson, you can take a Restorative Yoga Workshop the first Sunday of each month at Holiday Manor. Go to our Gentle Yoga webpage: Gentle and Restorative Yoga. 

Speak Only Uplifting Words

Our teacher Grace Kellawon shared this with me today:

*What is that wonderful/blissful feeling you get after teaching yoga? I get it from nothing else?

* When I get the students relaxed, I feel that I must carefully choose only positive words and imagery because everything I say from this point on--goes deep into their koshas, so this is what I said as they relaxed this morning

We're exactly in the right place together

 all is right with the world
 the building is fine and strong
 the floor is supportive and sturdy
 so many things are going right
 everything worked out well for us to be here today
 this is a perfect moment
 so much is going right
 there is so much more rightness than wrongness in the world
 nothing is really broken
 nothing needs to be fixed right now
 all is well with the world
 relax and breathe easily
 begin to notice your inhale and exhale
 begin to notice the soft movement of your belly
 the breath moving in and out of your body
 relax and connect to the breath..

The first comment was from one student was that she liked that I said only positive things. I think it's very very important (and a struggle) to be careful to only speak in the positive. It is so difficult when everything around us focuses on the one minor thing that's not going well...this is a great struggle for me.

I think it's a struggle for all of us. The tendency of the mind is to find fault and complain.  This is certainly the tendency of my mind.  Especially in challenging situations, I tend to see everything that's wrong and wish it was some other way.  I try to remind myself to see things as they are, objectively, without being negative, then discover what is positive and beneficial in the situation.  The discipline of speaking only words that are uplifting is a very powerful practice.

Thank you, Grace!

The Four Gateways

Two yoga teachers contacted me this week asking my advice on how to respond to a condescending, patronizing, or rude email they received from another yoga teacher. These were two different situations involving different people and different emails, but evidently a common issue. An internet search on "email ettiquette" shows that people often write and send emails without reading them aloud to check the tone of the email.  Hastily composing an email tends to leave out words that convey a more polite or thoughtful tone, such as "please" and "thank you", and it also makes the email seem abrupt and angry.


I'm sure I've been guilty of this and have sent emails that express frustration, annoyance, superiority and self-righteousness.  I've discovered the hard way that emails with this tone don't accomplish anything, and venting doesn't make me feel better, either.  I've realized that my anger and annoyance is really at myself rather than the other person.  When I analyze the situation, I usually recognize that I'm angry because I made an incorrect assumption, glossed over important facts or ignored the truth hoping to avoid dealing with the matter.  I've learned that I need to be more aware of the tone of my communications and examine my intention in sending the email. I usually hit "delete" instead of "send" and call the person or arrange to meet them to talk it over.


Swami Dayananda, the spiritual head of Arsha Vdya Gurukulum, once said in explaining a passage from the Bhagavad-Gita, "It's okay to be angry, but not to inflict it on others. You should write it out to resolve it. Don't give someone a piece of your mind."
If you receive an email with a piece of someone's mind, act with compassion and understanding. Make sure that there is no misunderstanding between you.  Don't take it so personally. Ramanand once asked his students how we would react if someone called us an "arrogant pig".  The next day one of the students posed the question to Swami Dayananda. He answered, "Don't get involved in that conversation. Keep external objects external. Don't take them into your mind, and that way it won't bother you."


I'm sure many of us have heard of the Four Gateways of Speech, four questions to ask oneself before speaking:
(1) Is what I am about to say true?
(2) Is it kind?
(3) Is it necessary?
(4) Is my timing appropriate?

Renowned yoga teacher Judith Lasater and her husband, Ike, are co-authors of a helpful book on nonviolent communication called What We Say Matters.  Through the teachings of Marshall Rosenberg, their book explains how to find the truth and to speak it without violating the principle of nonviolence, even when that truth is painful. 

In Memory of Carrie Ruffra

Carrie Ormerod Ruffra was in Yoga East's 1996 class of teacher trainees.  She taught prenatal yoga at Baptist East Milestone for many years, was a massage therapist and trained in infant massage. She was found on July 4, 2012 at Otter Creek Park after having been missing for several hours.  Her death was ruled a suicide by drowning. I've talked to several people who knew her, and we are all baffled and saddened by the circumstances of her death.  She was a bubbly, cheerful, optimistic person who seemed to have many personal resources including lots of friends, a close, loving family, and a creative, artistic personality. She was very active, loved teaching yoga, and loved the outdoors and camping. Otter Creek Park was one of her favorite places.
Life is a mystery - sometimes there are no answers.

Practice for the Week of July 9-15 - Cooling Breath

There are several traditional pranayama (breathing) exercises which are cooling and refreshing. 

For all of these pranayama exercises, sit in a comfortable cross-legged position with the spine upright and chest open. Sit on folded blankets, a bolster or firm cushion to elevate the seat and relax the back.  You can also sit in a chair with the spine upright, and both feet on the floor. It might be helpful to support your back by placing a pillow behind you.  Rest your hands on the thighs or fold the hands in the lap - whichever feels most natural for you.  Keep the face soft and relaxed at all times. Make sure no strain is felt in the body or mind.

Sithali
Form a U-shape with your tongue and sip the breath in as if sipping through a straw; breathe out normally. Let the inhalations and exhalations be as extended as is comfortably possible. 

Sitkari
Some people are not able to make the U-shape with the tongue. Sitkari is an alternative form of cooling breath.  Touch the teeth together and touch the tip of the tongue behind the teeth and breathe in making a gentle hissing sound. The breath will feel cool. Breathe out normally.

Chandra Bhedhana (Moon Piercing Breath)
This is a form of alternate nostril breathing. With your right hand, use your thumb to gently press the right nostril closed and inhale only through the left nostril. Breathe out normally through both nostrils. This is one round of Chandra Bhedhana. You may start with five rounds and gradually increase the repetitions, making sure that no strain is felt.  Pranayama should always feel relaxing.

Stay cool, stay calm, stay centered.

The Importance of Home Practice

One of our students recently emailed me her home practice. First of all, I was impressed that she maintained a regular home practice. Secondly, I thought her home practice routine was excellent, so I taught it in our next class.  Another student asked for a copy of it, so here it is:

Susan's Practice:
Turn on music
Mountain Pose
Cherry picking
Standing side stretch
Shoulder rolls
Forward Bend
Sun Salutation with lunges 1-3 times depending on my strength (In Swenson’s book, Ashtanga Yoga, the sun salutation I do is my level [version] of Surya Namaskara B.)
Standing Postures (5 breaths):
Triangle
 Revolved Triangle
 Balance on one hand with one foot up (I don’t know the name of this; we have done it in class and I like it.) [It's Half-Moon Pose - Ardha Chandrasana - Laura]
 Warrior Posture
 Extended Side Angle Posture
Feet Spread Forward Bend (Prasarita Padatanasana) I really like this one, too!
Balance: Tree Pose (5 breaths)
Bridge with block on increasing levels
Happy Baby
Tea Cup Posture with Each Leg
Cat/Cow
Child’s Pose
Hero’s Pose (This is really hard for my knee even with props, but I am improving. JOY!)
Seated Spinal Twist
Seated Forward Bend
Cobbler’s Pose
Feet exercises (spreading toes and rocking each leg)
Feet up wall and then extending them over my hips (holding my hips up with my hands) and then bending my straight legs over my head so that they are pointing towards the wall behind my head (I don’t know what this asana is called.) [It's called Halasana - Plough Pose. Rest your legs on a chair if needed. - Laura]
Savasana with feet up wall and eye bag on.

It's so important to have a home practice in order to develop a strong, mature, asana practice. If you have a home practice, you can work on things that are challenging - at your own pace.  There are many important asanas we are not able to spend much time on in classes - certainly not as much time as is required to develop a level of ease in the asana. Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) and Headstand (Shirshasana) come immediately to mind. 

For ways to practice at home we recommend books that we use for teacher training: Yoga the Iyengar Way by Mira Mehta; Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar for more intermediate students; and Relax and Renew by Judith Lasater for developing a restorative yoga practice.  Mysore Ashtanga students learn the Ashtanga sequence and practice at home when they are not able to attend class. 

If you have your own props at home, you are more likely to use them. Having your own set of props is important for a dedicated yoga student. I suggest that you have a sticky mat (of course!), two blankets, two 8 foot belts, an assortment of blocks and a bolster.  This prop set allows you to develop a restorative yoga practice, which is useful for those times when you are more tired or stressed than usual.

Practicing at home allows you more time for relaxation and meditation, too. Our delightful teacher Francois Raoult often reminds us that most of us need more restorative yoga and quiet, calming practices to offset the busy nature of our lives.  

Kudos to Susan Masters for maintaining a balanced home practice, which she says has brought her so many benefits!

God dwells in our heart in the form of light...

From an email sent to me by one of our Yoga East teachers, Lavenia McDaniel:

Experienced on so many levels…Thank You, Honor & Reverence to “all My Teachers” forever Grateful..
In the yoga shastra it is said that God dwells in our heart in the form of light, but this light is covered by six poisons: kama, krodha, moha, lobha, matsarya,and mada. These are desire, anger, delusion, greed, envy and sloth. When yoga practice is sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long period of time, the heat generated from it burns away these poisons, and the light of our inner nature shines forth.
Namaste

Click here to go to Lavenia's Mysore experiences page.

Gurupurnima - July 3

July 3 is the full moon day called Guru Purnima, the day traditionally set aside to honor the Guru. This day is chosen because the full moon of the month of July is considered to be the most perfect full moon of the year, and so it symbolizes the fullness and perfection that is the Guru and that the Guru brings forth in a true disciple.

What is a "Guru"?  The word has several means in the yoga tradition. The syllable "gu" means "darkness" and the syllable "ru" means "light", so it is said the Guru is one who leads us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. The word "guru" also means "heavy", so the Guru is one whose presence in our lives is weighty, one who cannot be ignored or brushed aside.

I practiced and studied yoga for almost 25 years before I met my Guru. Back at that time, I thought I understood a lot about yoga, but when I met my Guru, I realized that I had only been skimming along the surface.  Through my association with my Guru, I have profoundly deepened my practice and understanding of yoga and that has transformed my life.  I now have a deeper appreciation for the love and wisdom I have received from so many people in my life.

My mother used to sing this rhyme:

I see the moon; the moon sees me.

The moon sees the one that I want to see.

God bless the moon and God bless me.

If I get to heaven and you're not there,

I'll wait for you on the golden stair.

Then all the angels in heaven will see

How much I love the one that I want to see.

When I see the beautiful full moon, I think of those people whose influence has made my life so rich and full of blessings: my family, my Guru,  my teachers and my students.

Happy, happy Gurupurnima!

Changes to the Morning Mysore Classes - July 1

Starting July 1, I will be making some changes to the morning Mysore classes. For the Monday-Thursday classes, the studio will open at 5:45 am for students at all levels, including new students, and the studio will close at 8:30 am. I am adding 2 self-practice sessions for Intermediate students on Fridays at 8:00-9:30 am; and Sundays 5:45-7:15 am. Intermediate students are those who are practicing Intermediate series or students practicing Primary series who have my prior permission and need no adjustments. There is no change to the afternoon Mysore class times for now.

Jude Vanderhoff has been assisting me in the mornings and now teaches the Tuesday afternoon Mysore. Jude has been attending Mysore classes on a daily basis for three years, has now completed Primary series, and he will be making his first trip to study in Mysore in October.  Before Jude leaves, I will be looking for someone who can assist me while Jude is away.  From now on, I plan to have a regular assistant in the morning classes. 

I'm delighted that our Mysore program has grown. The morning classes now fill both rooms one or two days a week.  I need assistants.  In the past I've relied on volunteers such as Karen Cairns, Patty Stark and Jude, but we can't continue to run our Mysore program with volunteers. 

The Ashtanga system sets a high bar for teachers.  Ashtanga teachers are expected to maintain a 6-day-a-week practice and teaching schedule, must be proficient in all the postures he or she teaches, and must continue to study in Mysore annually under the supervision of Sharath Jois, the current head of the Ashtanga system.

This is not easy to do, and traveling to Mysore every year is expensive - not that any of us are complaining or consider this to be a tiresome chore. Far from it - we understand the importance of our annual time in Mysore and we value it. 

I hope that our community understands the importance of it and values it, too.  For all of these reasons, I am raising the Mysore tuition beginning in September, which will give everyone enough time to evaluate your practice and determine the level of your commitment to it.

Starting September 1:

Attending up to 12 days per month (3 times a week):
Non-Recurring: $100 (no change from the current fees)
Recurring debit: $85 (no change from the current fees)

Unlimited Attendance (22-24 days per month):
Non-recurring, monthly: $115
Non-recurring, 3 Months:  $310.
Recurring Debit: $100
Recurring debits require a 12 month minimum commitment with a penalty for early cancellation.

This is Yoga East's highest tier of tuition, and Mysore members may attend classes at all other locations, but must still maintain Mysore practice requirements. Remember - if you are not practicing 6 days a week, you are not experiencing Ashtanga Yoga as it is meant to be experienced.

There are special rates for Yoga East (non-Ashtanga) teachers, teacher trainees and work-study students.  You can view these on the website.  I do not want to turn anyone away who is not able to pay the fees, but I do expect a high level of committment from anyone who requests a special rate.

On a slightly different note, one of the reasons I'm making the change is that I find I no longer have time to practice before the morning Mysore class. My practice takes almost 2-1/2 hours now, and it's very hard for me to complete my practice by 6:30 am.  My practice has suffered lately by having to rush through it, skipping poses sometimes so I can finish and start teaching at 6:30 am. Jude and I are going to try to switch off practice and teaching to enable each of us to get our practice done and still both be available to give adjustments during the time when most students need adjustments.

Someday I hope that we will have 3-4 people assisting in class and that we will be able to expand the afternoon Mysore hours into the evening times with assistants, and add more led, beginning and intro Ashtanga classes in the traditional format.  KPJAYI sets the standard for Ashtanga teachers: one must have studied in Mysore at KPJAYI and be Authorized or Certified by KPJAYI.  An Authorized teacher is allowed to have assistant teachers, and those individuals must be dedicated Ashtanga students who have studied with the teacher for a substantial period of time (Sharath prefers 3-4 years), and who are planning to study in Mysore.  Gail Minotti has been practicing with me since 2002; Patty Stark has attended for a long time and has been to Mysore; Erin Cronin has practiced with us for years and is headed to Mysore this Fall.  If you are interested in teaching or assisting in the Mysore class, keep practicing to meet the requirements, and I invite you to talk to me.

After every practice I feel so blessed to have discovered this practice, to have been receptive to it; to have practiced it regularly, to have sought out teachers like David Swenson and Tim Miller, to have been encouraged by them to go to Mysore, to have gone to Mysore, to have met Pattabhi Jois, Saraswathi and Sharath; to have hosted Sharath here; and to have gone to Mysore so many times.  This practice has changed my life, and everyday I thank God and my Guruji that I found it.

Much love is there,
Laura Spaulding

Practice for the Week of June 18-24: Set the Example

This weekend in Ramanand's workshop someone asked how to convince one's spouse to practice yoga.  Ramanand answered, "Give up your agenda for other people.  Change yourself instead of trying to change others.  Set the example."

Practice for the Week of June 4 - June 11

Love and Remembrance

This past weekend I attended my high school reunion. It was not our reunion year, but we gathered to honor Mike De Gruy, a classmate of ours who was killed in a helicopter accident in Australia while scouting locations for a documentary he was filming. Mike was an award-winning cinematographer, oceanographer and environmentalist, and his untimely death was a shock to all of us.  Mike's high school roommate, Lee, was asked to speak of Mike at the Alumni reunion memorial service.  Lee is a writer, a poet and an eloquent person, but he was having trouble.  Mike's wife, mother, brother and son were to be there.  What could Lee say?  Lee had written out reams of sheets of words, and crumpled them away, unsatisfied. 

The night before, we had gathered in Lee's cabin at the hotel.  We were talking about Mike and old times in high school.  So Lee asked us, "What should I say?'  One of us - I don't remember who - said simply, "just say how much we loved him." 

In his talk, Lee spoke of Mike's many accomplishments, but then Lee said, "Before Mike had ever done any of those things, we loved him. That's the kind of person he was." 

Love and remembrance... what I was thinking of during the weekend with my old high school friends. Love and remembrance make this human life special and worthwhile.

"And even if we are occupied with most important things, if we attain to honour or fall into great misfortune—still let us remember how good it was once here, when we were all together, united by a good and a kind feeling which made us…better perhaps than we are.”

--Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Practice for the Week of May 28-June 3

For the past two weeks, we have been practicing bhavana, the cultivation of positive and uplifting attitudes.

Through yoga we learn to cultivate positive feelings, even when we feel downhearted, discouraged, or frustrated.

Doug Keller writes:

"Hatha yoga poses call forth feeling: they give voice to noble feelings through movement, disposition of muscle, breath and bone. Backbends evoke exuberance; standing poses express strength and daring; forward bends counsel quietude and patience. Each pose is like a gesture of a yogic attitude; each pose reaches deeply into the heart and pulls up greatness, leaving you feeling cleansed and uplifted - not just physically but on a deeper, more emotional level than you would think physical exercise could reach. Each posture brings forth an experience of an inner yogic feeling and restores you from the wear and tear of life."

Douglas Keller, “Like Breath and Heartbeat,” Darshan Magazine 127-128 (1997): 15.

Our practice for this week is to develop awareness of the ways in which yoga asanas and breathing cultivate our feelings.

Doug Keller teaches yoga classes and trainings in the Washington, D.C. area at the Health Advantage Yoga Center in Herndon, Virginia and at Willow Street Yoga in Takoma Park, Maryland, as well as at other locations in the U.S. and Europe. Doug will be teaching a weekend workshop at the Holiday Manor studio August 10-11.

Click here for more information and how to register.

Practice for the Week of May 21-27

Last week we introduced "bhav", a Sanskrit word meaning the "state of being", and "bhavana" meaning the conscious cultivation of a positive attitude as a yoga practice. Sometimes it's difficult to cultivate a positive attitude, particularly during times in which we are stressed out, frustrated, or downhearted.  In these circumstances, it becomes even more important to practice bhavana.  Swami Anantananda, a teacher in the Siddha Yoga tradition, defined bhavana is the practice of "pretending the truth"... kind of like "faking it until you make it".  Bhavana is the cultivation of attitudes of compassion, grace, serenity, etc, even if we don't feel that way in the present moment.

One of my favorite ways of "pretending the truth" is to pretend that I am already enlightened, and that everyone else is, too! It helps me to see the world in a new way.

Many affirmations from the yoga tradition, quotes from our teachers and traditional mantras are bhavanas. 

"Practice... all is coming." Shri K. Pattabhi Jois
"The heart if the hub of all sacred places; go there and roam." Bhagavan Nityananda
"Wake up to your inner courage and live the life of your dreams." Swami Chidvilasananda
"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace."  St. Francis of Assisi
"In yoga, no effort is ever lost or wasted." Bhagavad Gita
"I Am That" Traditional mantra
"Open the window in the center of your heart and let the spirit flow in and out." Rumi

Practice for the Week of May 14-20: Bhavana

Bhav is a Sanskrit word which means (among many other meanings): coming into existence, state of being, or becoming.  In the practice of yoga, bhav is one's attitude or state.  Sometimes we informally refer to the "bhav" of a yoga teacher, student, or studio, as the "state of being" of that place or person in terms of whether the state is perceived to be peaceful, non-peaceful, devotional, worldly, etc...
Bhavana means "cultivation"... to "cultivate, assume or practice an attitude". 
Some examples from the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:

2.33  Vitarkabhadane pratipaksabhavanam ||

Thoughts contrary to the yamas and niyamas are to be countered by taking the attitude of the opposing point of view in a debate.

1.33 Maitrikarunamuditopeksanam sukhaduhkhapunyapunya
vishayanambhavanatascittanirodhah ||

Undisturbed stillness of mind is cultivated by practicing an attitude of friendliness toward those who are happy, compassion toward those who are unhappy, delight in those who are virtuous and dispassion toward those who are wicked.

Our bhav (attitude) gives meaning to our experiences.  If we cultivate an attitude of sarcasm, dismissiveness and negativity, then our mind becomes colored by those negative feelings and our experiences become trivial and unworthy.  If we cultivate an attitude of reverence, devotion, compassion, and deep feeling, then our experiences become meaningful and uplifting. 

The practice for the week is to become aware of your bhav and practice bhavana - cultivating positive and uplifting attitudes.

Practice for the Week of April 30-May 13: Dharana: the First Step to Meditation

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the first texts about yoga written about 2500 years ago, dharana is defined as "a flow of awareness toward an object".  The "object" can be a real, physical object, or it can be something that has no physical existence, such as a mantra or a chakra. 
About twenty years ago I was in my meditation room practicing a form of concentration called Tratak, and I had a profound first experience of the feeling of meditation. I was focusing on a crystal pendant, allowing my gaze to rest on the pendant. After a few moments I was aware of being in a state of unusual clarity, still hearing everyday sounds like the voices of people downstairs and the sounds from outside, but my attention was completely absorbed in the crystal. I experienced a state of extraordinary clarity, stillness and easefulness.  After about 30 minutes, my awareness gradually returned to "normal", but its effects have remained with me for over twenty years. 

      

The practice for this week is Tratak.
Gaze steadily at an object. You will notice that the eyes tend to move around. This is a natural movement of the eyes. Keep bringing the gaze back to the object. Allow the eyes to rest on the object or image with minimal  movement. Notice how the mind becomes still as the gaze becomes still.
Traditional objects for Tratak: unwavering candle flame, crystal, clouds, flower, sand patterns.
Om Shanti!

Practice for the Week of April 23-29 - The Heart is the Hub of All Sacred Places

- The Heart is the Hub of All Sacred Places: Go There and Roam -
This was the primary teaching of Bhagavan Nityananda (1897-1961) who maintained an ashram (retreat center) in Ganeshpuri, India. Nityananda spoke very little, but people received insight and blessings from simply sitting in his presence. Little is known of his early life. It i said that he was orphaned when very young and raised by foster parents. His foster father was a judge and hoped that young Nityananda would also study the law. Instead Nityananda renounced worldy pursuits for the life of a wandering yogi. He ultimately settled in Ganeshpuri, a small village in Maharashtra state in western India, the site of natural hot springs near Mandagni mountain, a dormant volcano. He attracted devotees who built schools and hospitals and created other charitable projects in his name. His modest ashram and samadhi shrine (burial place) can still be visited in Ganeshpuri and even after his death, he continues to inspire deep devotion.

The practice for this week is to contemplate his teaching.

Practice for the Week of April 16-22: The Soft Sound of the Breath

To regulate the breath during the practice of asanas, the technique of ujjayi breathing is important. In ujjayi breathing you constrict your vocal cords slightly as you breathe so that you feel the air as it flows past. A slight hissing sounds often results - the more you constrict your throat and force your breath, the louder the sound. The goal is not to create a lot of sound but rather less sound. With practice and greater control, you should be able to breathe slowly and very smoothly. Then the sound will diminish and you can direct your attention to a subtle indicator: the internal sensation of your breath flowing.

--A.G. Mohan, Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings, (Shambhala: Boston, 2010), 24.

quoting Krishnamacharya on breathing and asana.

This week, pay attention to the breath understanding how the quality of the breath reflects the mental fluctuations. Notice how the thoughts become still as the breath becomes more subtle.

Om Shanti!

Practice for the Week of April 9-15: Friendliness, Compassion, Delight and Dispassion

Undisturbed stillness of mind is attained
by cultivating an attitude of

friendliness toward those who are happy,
compassion toward those who are unhappy,

delight in those who are virtuous
and dispassion toward those who are wicked.

--Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1.33

Through this practice we overcome selfishness, envy, greed and anger. We strengthen ourselves and develop compassion, forbearance and patience.  We become free from malice. Other people take comfort in our presence.
A yoga practitioner becomes a blessing to everyone, uplifting oneself and others.

Om Shanti!



Practice for the Week of April 2-8: Om Pranayama

This is a traditional form of pranayama and meditation from our tradition.


Sit in a comfortable posture. See the sitting instructions for Breathe Easy.

Visualize a placid ocean reflecting a luminous, translucent sky.  Imagine that this luminous ocean is within the space of the heart and that you are also within that space.  As you inhale, mentally intone the sound "O", and as you exhale, mentally intone the sound "M".  Gently and quietly inhale and exhale to the sound of "Om".  The quality of the breath should be light and free.  Hold the image of the ocean within your heart as if you are holding an object within.

Do an internet search for "salar de uyuni mirror" for beautiful images of this lake in Bolivia which is a perfect mirror of the sky when filled with water.

Southeast Regional Iyengar Yoga Assocation Conference

Alex Cleveland, the conference chair, has extended a special invitation to the Yoga East community -

This is a special offer for all present and past students and friends of Yoga East. Join Iyengar Yoga teachers at Maitri Southeast, the first regional yoga conference in the southeast.



http://www.iyengarconferencedc.com/www/index.php


Join us in Washington DC, May 3-6 for the most exciting yoga opportunity of the year.
In the spirit of Maitri (friendliness) we are offering you a discount price of $395. Email us at registerformaitri@gmail.com to receive a code for this special discount on registration. The code is valid through April 10.


Our days will be full of practice and learning. Senior teachers from around the country and region will guide our practice in pranayama, asana and philosophy. There will be panel discussions on yoga philosophy, yoga therapeutics and teacher assessment/certification.


Our evenings are free to enjoy a stroll on the mall, a visit with old and new friends or a delicious meal at one of the fine restaurants in DC.


This special conference highlights our region, the Iyengar system, our teachers and our practice, and open to practitioners of all traditions and experience levels. Don’t be left out!!


We will be welcoming yogis from around the country to DC. Volunteers embody the spirit of Maitri and hospitality. There are many ways to help make this conference a success. If you are willing to serve in some way, Chuck Parvis will be delighted to find a volunteer position for you. Email him at cparvis@hcpss.org for information on how you can be a vital part of Maitri Southeast.

I strongly urge yoga students and teachers to take advantage of this opportunity to get involved with a great community of dedicated teachers and practitioners from our region.

Practice for the Week of March 26 - Breathe Easy

Take a few moments for this practice and your whole day will feel more relaxed.


Sit in a comfortable posture. If sitting on the floor use a folded blanket or meditation cushion to raise your seat slightly. This will relax the legs, lengthen the spine and open the chest for better breathing. You can also sit in a chair with your feet on the floor and hands in your lap. You can also lie down, with your upper body elevated using a pillow, folded blankets or a bolster. Make sure your spine, neck and head are aligned and that your position is comfortable. Relax your shoulders and consciously soften the face so that there's no tension in the muscles of the neck and face.

Ujjayi is a form of breathing that makes a slight breathy sound in the throat. It's a gentle, velvety breath that sounds like gentle ocean waves splashing onto the shore and then ebbing away.

Using Ujjayi breath, hold your hands at the your side ribs and inhale so that your expanding ribs push the hands apart. Slowly exhale the breath. Repeat a few time and notice how the breath begins to deepen and elongate. Keep the inhalation and exhalation smooth, deep and even. Listen to the soothing sound of the breath as if you are listening to ocean waves, or the sound of the wind brushing through tall grass or pine trees. Let the sound of your own breath be soothing and relaxing.

Enjoy your day!

Dangers of Yoga - Part 2

This is a continuation of my thoughts on the weblog article given to me by a student.
Here's a link to the blog: Alan Little's weblog

The International Association of Yoga Therapists published an article several years ago concluding that most yoga injuries occurred in classes in which there was an emphasis on external alignment. Reason - the teacher is trying to force everyone to conform to an arbitrary aesthetic standard or an an idea of what he or she thinks the pose should look like. I don't have any particular opinion on the forward bends issue Alan raises.  Forward bends are difficult for many people and take a long time to develop. Forward bends, as in the photos of Perturbs Jois and Krishnamacharya, look different because they are using bandhas. Their forward bends are similar to forward bends in the Bikram system in which the abdominal region is more engaged.  Folding from the hips and extending the spine is also a valid method, depending on the flexibility and experience of the student.


Regarding the part about inexperienced teachers teaching Ashtanga - this has always been a problem, which is why Mr. Jois and Sharath have always said that Ashtanga teacher training is 20 years long. I've been practicing Ashtanga now for 17 years and feel like a beginner. However, I take care to teach it correctly, following the Mysore method.  I feel comfortable about what I'm doing, based on Mr. Jois authorizing me to teach starting in 2004, and Sharath having given me Authorization Level 2 in 2009.  I participated in the first Ashtanga teacher training ever given in Mysore, which was for authorized teachers who had been going to Mysore for at least 10 years.  It allowed us to spend a month under Sharath's guidance, both practicing and teaching.

 I prefer to teach Mysore-style Ashtanga and I have a restrictive attitude about attendance. Only students who are willing to practice according to this system come to the classes, which creates a cohesive community of practitioners.  I think everyone has been in a class in which a student who is not "in with the program" has had a disruptive and unsettling influence on the class.  I make sure that this doesn't happen by screening the students and making sure that everyone agrees to practice according to the Mysore-style principles - working slowly and patiently at your own pace, stopping at postures you are not able to do, and attending on a regular basis so that progress is made. 

In my non-Mysore classes, I follow the guidance of the Mysore system, but I also use what I've learned from Iyengar teachers with whom I've studied such as Francois Raoult and Ramanand Patel.  I'm not sure that the issues with forward bends which the article attributes to the Iyengar system, really stem from the teachings of Mr. Iyengar.  There are plenty of "Ashtanga" classes out there that are not taught according to Mr. Jois's principles, and I'm sure the same is true of Iyengar classes.  It's important to find experienced, knowledgeable teachers who can articulate why they are teaching postures in a particular manner. It's also important for a student to be discerning, inquisitive and to think critically about what we are practicing and why we are practicing in particular way. 

Yoga is supposed to free us from our limiting thoughts, beliefs, habits, assumptions, and emotions. 

The Dangers of Yoga

Today an article appeared in the New York Times Magazine (January 8, 2012) by William J. Broad, a senior science writer at the Times.  The article is an excerpt from his forthcoming book, The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards, to be published by Simon & Schuster.  Several students have linked to the article on Facebook or given me copies for my comment.  After the Saturday, January 7, Hatha class at Holiday Manor, a student also gave me a copy of an article published on "alan little's weblog", entitled "notes on nancy, part three".  The blog relates comments made by Nancy Gilgoff, a senior Ashtanga teacher, about yoga injuries.

Here are my thoughts on the subjects....

First of all, there is controversy among yoga practitioners and scholars as to whether yoga is intended to be used for therapeutic purposes.  I began practicing yoga over forty-five years ago for spiritual liberation. 

Yoga classes - up until 1990, I couldn't find a a yoga class at all.  Most people thought yoga was "weird", and I often heard people say they wouldn't practice yoga because it conflicted with their religious beliefs.  I met my first teacher, Maja Trigg, in 1990 here in Louisville. Maja was the founder of Yoga East, and she had been teaching yoga since the '50's.  Her classes were very small.  I began teaching classes in 1994 and I saw that most people who attended classes already had a yoga practice at home, had read yoga books and were primarily interested in deepening their yoga practice.  At that time, our yoga classes had 4-12 students.  Fine.

In 1993, Bill Moyers and PBS produced an Emmy-award winning series called Healing and the Mind which mentioned yoga as a healing modality.  Soon after that, articles about yoga's health, fitness and therapeutic benefits were featured in many mainstream magazines, and we began to see a surge in yoga's popularity and class attendance.  Many students then began to come to classes for health and fitness reasons and often told us, "My doctor told me I should start doing yoga."  Students with back pain, headaches, Crohn's disease, and many other ailments began coming to yoga classes.

At the same time, Baby Boomers, concerned about the aging process and wanting to stay youthful, began coming to yoga classes, and they often showed up with a litany of injuries from jogging, weight-lifting, step aerobics, and cycling. We had to contend with knee injuries, hamstring pulls, back injuries and rotator cuff tears.  Naturally, everyone wants to do Lotus pose and forward bends, even if they've already destroyed their knees and back.  Weight-lifting makes the shoulders so tight that back bends become very difficult (if not impossible).

My opinion - yoga is not intended to be a panacea for every health issue.  No matter how much yoga you practice, you are still going to die of something.  I always tell my students that yoga will help you to face your challenges with equanimity.  Yoga will not change your genes, either.  One of the teachers of our tradition once said that yoga is not intended for those who have a weak mind.  One needs a strong mind to practice yoga, and so I tell my teachers that yoga is not intended to be for those with serious psychological imbalances. Yoga will not help someone with a bi-polar disorder, for example, and can be harmful. Some yoga practices are not recommended for people with depression.

Yoga Asanas - the postures are intended to make the body strong to help the mind become still and fit for meditation.  I have found for myself - that yoga makes me feel better.  I started out with a very simple and gentle practice and gradually over time began practicing more intense forms of yoga.  Now at the age of 59 I feel better than I did at age 29, and I'm certainly stronger and more flexible. I can do yoga postures now that I never dreamed of being able to do when I was younger, and every day I can do more and more. I have no pain.  I take no medications except hormone replacement therapy.  (Disclaimer - I couldn't make my fibroid tumors go away with yoga, so I had a hysterectomy when I was 48.)  At age 56 I stood up out of a back bend for the first time - something I couldn't do when I was 26.  The older I get, the better I get.  I have no injuries and no pain.

Now - to look specifically at the issues raised in the article ...

Mr. Broad says that he was doing "extended-side-angle pose"  when his back "gave way".  Who knows that that means?  How was he doing it?  Was he in a class?  What does he mean by "gave way"?  For a science writer, that's pretty vague language. Next he cites an anecdote for a teacher who says he saw a man's ribs go "pop, pop, pop" in a yoga class.  No further information, so that's pretty vague, too.  Not to belabor the point, but to say that "students and celebrated teachers, too... injure themselves in droves...."  How many is a "drove"?  It sounds like Mr. Broad has an ax to grind. 

Anyway - the article goes on like that.  Maybe it's because I'm trained as a lawyer that I can pick out the vagueness and logical inconsistencies, but shouldn't a science writer be more accurate?  (Just sayin'.) 

I'm having too much fun slicing up this article, and I could go on, and probably will in future blog entries, but let me turn instead to the blog on Nancy Gilgoff's comments.

Nancy Gilgoff is one if the first Western students of Pattabhi Jois, and I think she knows what she's talking about.  The primary point made in the blog is that emphasis on "alignment" causes injury...  a point with which I agree.  I studied yoga with an emphasis on alignment from 1990 to 1999.  I worshipped alignment.  I thought alignment was the be-all and end-all of yoga practice and teaching.  Then I met K. Pattabhi Jois in August, 1999, and he blew apart my ideas of teaching yoga with an atomic bomb.  There is alignment in Ashtanga Yoga.  Mr. Jois said  many times in my presence, "The spine should be straight," but he allowed students to approach it gradually.  I do not think alignment proctects one from injuries. I think the human body is incredibly resilient and can cope with poor alignment.  However, I think that good alignment is equivalent to good awareness. A student who is aligned in a pose is also aware, and that is perfect yoga, even if one is a beginner and not "deep".

The essence of Ashtanga Yoga is found within the Mysore-style of teaching in which you practice the postures you can perform proficiently in the presence of the teacher.  In Mysore style, students are held back.  Yes, we hold students back until you can perform the posture correctly. Then and only then can you go on to the next pose.  This system prevents injuries and insures that you only practice the postures you are intended to be practicing. 

In the horrible disasters mentioned in the article - the student who held vajrasana for three hours until he damaged the nerves in his legs, or the student who arched her head back until she occluded her neck arteries - or Mr. Broad, practicing the postures he selected that he believed would help his back ... perhaps none of these injuries would have happended. 

Yes, injuries happen in yoga... serious injuries, even death.   However, one should practice in the presence of a qualified teacher, doing only those postures which one can perform proficiently.  As Pattabhi Jois always said, "Slowly, slowly...."

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons advice for yoga