Friday, December 26, 2008

Why Practice Yoga

I began a hatha yoga practice before my Zen practice and feel it is an invaluable contribution; the two work together perfectly. In many ways Buddhism is a yoga practice, one of my yoga books notes that the best know yoga practitioner the world over is the historical Buddha. Siddhartha was practicing yoga on his path on the Way.

One of my Zen teachers asked me one day what was the benefit of my yoga practice and here's what I came up with: Yoga teaches me to be patient and present in discomfort, staying with my breath. It teaches me to stay with the moment and in my body even when I'd rather just curl up under a blanket and hide.

Many yoga poses are not comfortable and my practice has one hold in poses, sometimes for many breaths, minutes. Holding and staying in an intense pose puts the mind no where else but the present moment. Oh it might take a moment to think about how it doesn't want to be there, that it wants to be elsewhere, however the sensations in the body will help keep the mind present. It is a part of the purpose of doing it, to empty the mind and be present. The poses teach us to do that while challenging ourselves. From that, we learn to quiet the mind when just sitting. We learn to do it in everyday moments too.

The sage Patanjali who is credited with writing the Yoga Sutras wrote in the second sutra that "The purpose of yoga is to calm the fluctuations of the mind" .

I remind my yoga students of this a lot. That the purpose is not to have a buff body or touch your toes, it is to settle the mind into silence. The poses do improve health over all and you learn deep practice with the breath, but they are also a very powerful tool in teaching one how to be quiet and present mentally. If as a side benefit you end up with a great backside, can touch your toes, or stand on your head, then be grateful your practice is so physically beneficial!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Virabhadrasana I

Sanskrit:

Virabhadra - A warrior


Warrior Pose I

Benefits:
  • Tones and stretches the legs; calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings
  • Strengthens the hips, spine, chest, and neck.
  • Increases blood flow to the legs, pelvis, lower spine and abdomen
  • Tones the abdominal organs
  • May help some types of back pain due to the lengthening and strengthening in the hips and spine.
  • Opens across the chest and allows for the breath to be very deep.
  • Improves concentration and calms the mind, relieving anxiety and nervous tension

Contraindications:
  • People suffering from high blood pressure or back injury may want to perform pose by bringing the palms of the hands against a wall, keeping the spine extended and long.
  • Those suffering abdominal ailments may want to avoid pose

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Parivritta Trikonasana

Sanskrit:

Parivritta - Revolved or twisting
Trikona - Triangle

Revolved Triangle Pose

Benefits:
  • Tones and stretches the legs; calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings
  • Strengthens the hips, spine, chest, and neck.
  • Increases blood flow to the legs, pelvis, lower spine and abdomen
  • Tones the abdominal organs
  • May help some types of back pain due to the lengthening and strengthening in the hips and spine.
  • Opens across the chest and allows for the breath to be very deep.
  • Improves concentration and calms the mind, relieving anxiety and nervous tension

Contraindications:
  • People suffering from high blood pressure or back injury may want to perform pose by bringing the palms of the hands against a wall, keeping the spine extended and long.
  • Those suffering abdominal ailments may want to avoid pose

Parsvottanasana

Sanskrit:

Parsva - side or flank
Uttana - from Ut, for intense and Tan, for extend, stretch or lengthen

Intense Side Stretch Pose

Pose will provide an intense stretch through the side of the chest

Benefits:
  • Stretches legs and hips
  • Improves elasticity and relieves stiffness in the hips, spine, neck shoulders, elbows, and wrists.
  • Tones the muscles of the abdomen
  • With the shoulders drawn back in the full pose it is possible for the breath to be very deep.
  • Calms the mind, relieving anxiety and nervous tension

Contraindications:
  • People suffering from high blood pressure or back pain may want to perform pose by bringing the palms of the hands against a wall, keeping the spine extended and long.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Vrksasana

Sanskrit:

Vrksa - A tree

Tree Pose

Benefits:
  • Strengthens the legs; thighs, calves, and ankles. Especially helps to stabilize weakness in the ankles
  • Stretches inner thighs and groin as well as chest and shoulders, when the arms are raised up.
  • Tones the muscles of the abdomen and spine
  • Improves concentration and sense of balance

Contraindications:
  • People with balance problems should perform pose with the down leg side to the side of a wall, backside against a wall or facing into a corner. This may also apply those those with low blood pressure
  • Those with high blood pressure should not raise the arms overhead
Technique:
  • Start in Tadasana
  • Shift weight into the left foot, spreading out the toes.
  • Bend the right knee and open the hip out towards the right side.
  • Lift the right foot and place upon the left leg, anywhere but the side of the knee, with toes pointing down to the floor.
  • As much as the right foot pushes into the left leg, push back into the right foot with the left leg. Extend through the right knee, as if pointing it down to the floor.
  • Keep the gaze forward at an unmoving point, Drishti
  • When balance has settled, bring the palms together at the heart center.
  • Hips should be even, tailbone dropping down, pubic bone move towards navel, and navel draws in and up towards the heart center.
  • Again, when balance is settled, raise the arms overhead on an inhalation. Biceps come by the ears, shoulders shrug down the back and little fingers turn inwards towards one another.
  • To release the asana bring the palms together at heart center again and step the right foot back down, into Tadasana
  • Repeat pose, bringing left foot up to rest upon right leg

Tadasana

Sanskrit:

Tada - A mountain

Mountain Pose


Tadasana is the foundation for all standing postures just as Dandasana is the foundation for all seated postures.

Benefits:
  • Standing correctly is grounding to both the body and mind
  • Helps to improve posture by strengthening the back, abdomen, and legs.
  • May help to alleviate types of back pain aggravated by poor posture.

Contraindications:
  • Those with low blood pressure may need to avoid elevating the arms and/or may benefit by using a wall as a support.

Technique:
  • Stand with the feet either hip width apart, big toes slightly closer than heels, or touching and toes spread out.
  • Press towards the ball of each foot and the outside of the heels.
  • The outside of the feet should be parallel; check that the second toe of each foot is in alignment with the shin.
  • The knees and backs of the thighs should lift up, hips will contract.
  • The tailbone drops down towards the ground while the belly moves towards the spine and the pubic bone moves up to the belly.
  • When the shoulders shrug down and back the breastbone will reach upwards.
  • Head should rest lightly on the first vertebra, ears above the shoulders.

Variations:
  • If hands are extended at sides the middle finger should be in alignment with the illiotibial band
  • With hands extended overhead the biceps should come alongside the ears, shoulders dropping down the back, fingers spread, and the smallest fingers reaching inwards slightly.