Category: Asana

Why I Do Yoga or Hey Everybody, I Have Bipolar Disorder

4/26/2017

I’m supposed to be making a flier to convince people to take my yoga classes at Shall We Dance. I tried putting all the usual things on the screen: Do something great for your body and mind! Build inner and outer flexibility, strength, and balance! Check out my awesome credentials!

But my heart just wasn’t in it.

You want to know why I do the physical practice of yoga? It may not be for the reasons you think.

I do yoga to help me get through the week. It’s no secret that I have multiple anxiety disorders (OCD, panic disorder, generalized anxiety). But recently I’ve been diagnosed with Bipolar 1, which makes a lot of sense given my hugely productive upswings and staggeringly apathetic lows.

But no matter what mood I’m in when I get to the mat, by the time class is over I’ve moved back toward the baseline, back toward feeling like everything is going to be OK.

It isn’t magic. I looked it up, because I fear being duped and appreciate scientific evidence. Yoga really does change your brain chemistry, if you’re paying attention. It’s the conscious act of placing your attention on the experience of moving and being still that

initiates the process of flushing out stress chemicals,
provokes the release of serotonin and GABA and a bunch of other feel-good neurotransmitters, and
activates those parts of the brain responsible for feelings of peaceful equilibrium as well as patience, empathy, compassion, creativity, and the ability to concentrate.

Caveat: it works best if you move . . . very . . . slowly.

I say some weird stuff in class because of this connection between feeling the physical sensations of the present moment and the mental effects of practicing yoga. This is why I say:

Stay in your body.
Feel your whole body: front, back, left, and right.
Be aware of the stretch, and on another level be aware of your entire body.

I say all this craziness and other stuff to remind us (myself as much as everybody else in the room) to “stay embodied,” which is another odd thing I say. Because staying aware of being embodied is the trick to why yoga feels like magic.

So that’s why I do yoga. The rest is bonus. Sure, it makes it so my body hurts less when I wake up in the morning. Sure, I’m more flexible than a whole lot of other women in their mid-40s. Sure, my lung capacity is huge, I can open my own pickle jars, and I feel secure standing on my tiptoes reaching for stuff on the top shelf. There’s no doubt that a physical yoga practice helps maintain us physically. So would a lot of other types of exercise.

But what matters to me is being kind and present with my family and friends. And without yoga, my brain gets tangled in knots. Yoga smooths it out. That’s why I teach what might be the slowest (non-yin or restorative) class in town. That’s why I say strange things like “Feel your skin.”

There are other classes, other teachers, other styles, that serve other purposes. And I would absolutely recommend them if you want to sweep through the beautiful flows of sun salutes or gain mastery of the more challenging acrobatic poses.

But if you want to practice slowing down, being present, and changing your outlook, at first temporarily and then maybe even lastingly, you should check out my classes at Shall We Dance.

Now, how do I fit that onto a flier?

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6 Do’s and 2 Don’ts for a Home Yoga Practice

12/6/2016

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Why Have a Home Practice?

To go along with the five 20–30 minute gentle sequences that you can print off and do at home, this seemed like a good time to talk about the benefits of having a home practice and how to get the most out of it.

A home yoga practice is an enormously powerful tool for physical, mental, and spiritual growth. It can help you develop greater awareness of your body, build discipline and concentration, and tap into your inner wisdom.

Of course, classes are great for learning new postures and getting help refining old ones, and for that incredible experience when the consciousness of the class comes together. A home practice, on the other hand, lets you determine what to practice and how. You can take your time to begin or end with meditation. And it is the only way to really internalize the practice and make it your own.

Below are some do’s and don’ts to help you get the most from a home practice.

Do enjoy your practice.

This is your time to go within and set everything else aside. Intention makes all the difference. Consider making a ritual of it by turning off your phone and lighting a candle or incense. Set aside enough time and/or don’t try to cram too many postures into the time you have. Consciously commit to being nurturing toward yourself.

Do take time to turn inward before you begin.

The mental aspect of yoga sets it apart from other types of exercise. Even before a short sequence, slow down. Either in savasana or in a seated posture, be still for anywhere from ten breaths to five minutes or longer. Slowing down at the beginning of a practice cultivates a meditative aproach. It also helps us generate movements from the inside out, in slow motion, which prevents overstretching or holding beyond our reasonable endurance.

Do be present.

Throughout your practice let go of your thoughts about the past or future. Let go of any judgments and just observe your body and mind as you move into, hold, and come out of each posture. Do what you can to keep your awareness not just inward but also downward. Most of us spend a nearly the entire day in our heads; when on the mat, try to keep your awareness throughout the rest of your body. That will help you to be fully present right here, right now, which is the only place and time we can truly be at peace.

Don’t feel like you have to do every pose.

Yoga should never hurt. If you come across a posture that doesn’t feel good, modify it so it works for you or pass it by entirely. You want to feel a stretch and to feel your muscles working, but there should never be pain or strain.

Do hold each pose for a few breaths.

Flexibility, strength, and balance take time and patience. How long you should hold a posture depends on your body and how you feel that day. Three to six slow, easy breaths is a good average to begin with. If your breath becomes fast or jagged, take a resting pose until it returns to a calmer rhythm.

Don’t overdo.

Pictures of poses are guidelines not mandates. Remember that we practice yoga to enhance all the other aspects of our lives, not for the sake of yoga alone. So don’t let your practice to make you so tired, sore, or even injured that you can’t embrace the other parts of life.

Do savasana.

Always. If you only have time for one posture, do savasana. Set a timer so you can let go completely. Take the time to settle in and relax. Then turn your attention to your breath. When your mind wanders, notice. Then let go of that line of thought and direct your attention back to your breath. It’s normal for the mind to wander. Don’t get discouraged. The idea is not to stop thinking but to expand the space between thoughts.

Do keep at it.

Make a plan and stick to it. You don’t have to practice every day, but you might discover you want to. If you miss a day that you had planned, don’t let it get you down. We do yoga to soften that harsh voice of self-criticism, not to add to it! Be gentle with yourself. After a while, your home practice can become a sanctuary and lead to all of the benefits that yoga has to offer.

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Warrior: The Origin of Virabhadra

8/26/2016

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Shiva Dreaming, by Cornelia Kopp. CC BY 2.0

If it were up to Shiva, he would sit, meditating on Mount Kailasa all the time. It is only because of his interactions with the goddess in her many forms that Shiva takes any kind of active role in the world.

Here is the story of Shiva and Sati, and of how Virabhadra (of virabhadrasana/warrior pose fame) came to be.

The goddess Sati is the daughter of Daksha, and Daksha is the son of Brahma the Creator. Now, as children of the Creator, all of Brahma’s children also create. Daksha creates culture.

Shiva, the Destroyer, stands outside of culture, setting up a polarity between Shiva and Daksha. And indeed, there are many stories that set Shiva and Daksha against one another. This is one of them.

Sati married Shiva against her father’s wishes. So, when Daksha held a huge fire ceremony (yajna) and invited all of the gods and goddesses and the great sages, he did not invite Shiva and Sati. When Sati heard of this, she was angry and determined to go anyway. Shiva said, “Nothing good will come of it,” but he did not stop her.

The Yajna

Daksha's Yajna, Public Domain. In the foreground Sati pleads with her father, Daksha.

When Sati arrived, the ritual was already underway and a great fire was burning. Her father was not happy to see her. When she asked why she and Shiva had not been invited, Daksha ranted. He told her that Shiva was worthless and not deserving of respect. He called Shiva names he considered disgraceful: king of the goblins, beggar, the ash-man, and the long-haired yogi.

Sati countered, “Shiva is everyone’s friend. No one but you speaks ill of him. All that you said, the gods and goddesses know and still they adore him.”

According to the custom (to the culture) of the time, when a wife heard her husband reviled, she was to either leave the place with her hands over her ears. Or, if she had the power, she should end her life.

Sati walked into the raging fire and died.

When Shiva heard the news, he was furious. In his grief and rage, he tore out one of his dreadlocks and from it created the personification of his anger – Virabhadra, a thousand-armed demon.

In Sanskrit, vira means hero and bhadra means blessed, fair, and beautiful. Just as in the renaming of Rudra, the Howler, into Shiva, the Auspicious, we see a wild and violent deity beseeched to mercy through renaming.

Virabhadra

Shiva Carrying Sati Away from the Yajna. Wall picture at Srikhanda Bhoothnath Temple in West Bengal. Photo By Sripat Srikhanda. CC BY 2.0

The description that follows of Virabhadra and the ceremony is from Tales of the Shiva Purana, compiled by H. G. Sadhana Sidh Das.

“Virabhadra shone with energy and he had thousands of mouths and eyes. His hair glistened like lightning and his hands were full of all sorts of weapons. When he spoke it was like thunder. From his body, Virabhadra created a female demon named Bhadrakali.

“’What are our orders?’ asked Virabhadra and Bhadrakali of Shiva. ‘Go and destroy Daksha’s Yajna,’ was the order. To help them in this mission, Virabhadra created several other demons from the parts of his body. All of them had a thousand arms and carried weapons. Virabhadra, Bhadrakali, and these other demons headed for Daksha’s Yajna. When they got there, they found that the sacrifice had already started and the sacred fire was burning.

“The sages were reciting hymns and the Gods were watching. Musical instruments were being played. Virabhadra roared and the sound of the roar was so loud that several of the Gods began to run away. The earth shook and there were tidal waves in the ocean.

“Daksha was frightened. But he summoned up courage and inquired who they were. ‘We are Shiva’s assistants and we have come to take part in the sacrifice,’ replied Virabhadra. Virabhadra and the other demons then proceeded to burn down the structure where the sacrifice was being held. They tied up the priests and threw all the offerings away.

“With their weapons, they attacked the Gods. Whatever resistance the Gods tried to put up was taken care of by Virabhadra’s [trident] and Bhadrakali’s spear. The Goddess Sarasvati lost her nose and the God Agni lost his arms. The sage Bhaga had his eyes gouged out and the sage Pusha lost all his teeth. Virabhadra sliced off Daksha’s head and gave it to Bhadrakali. Thousands of thousands of Gods died and the sacrifice became a battlefield.

“Vishnu tried to fight it out and he and Virabhadra shot arrows at each other. But one of Virabhadra’s arrows struck Vishnu on the chest and he fell down unconscious. Spurred on by Brahma, the Gods began to pray to Shiva. These prayers pacified Shiva and he asked Virabhadra and Bhadrakali to refrain from causing further damage. Brahma asked about the Gods who had been killed to bring them back to life.

“When Shiva calmed down, he returned the lives of the dead Gods and everyone was back to normal. But Daksha’s head could not be restored. So a goat’s head was put instead and Daksha was forgiven.”

Shiva, the long-haired yogi who lives outside of culture and is concerned only with meditation, defeats the Culture Maker whenever they come up against one another. Culture is maya, an impermanent illusion. Culture led Sati to throw herself in the fire and Shiva sent a vicious reminder that some things are more important than following the rules.

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Loosening the Knots in the Heart

2/20/2016

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When all the desires that surge in the heart are renounced,
the mortal becomes immortal.
When all the knots that strangle the heart are loosened,
the mortal becomes immortal.
This is the teaching of the Upanishads.
--Katha Upanishad

The spiritual path is full of paradoxes. The one I’m taken with today is this:
We must contract in order to expand.

To say this a couple of different ways, we must turn inward before we can move outward.
We have to practice self-discipline before we can effectively offer compassion to the world.

In practice this means that order to grow, to expand to our full potential, first we have to stop.

Just stop—and witness . . . witness our thoughts and emotions and reactions to the worlds that are both within and without. This is how we find the knots . . . the knots that bind us to our limited conceptions of who we are and what we can be.

To undo these knots, to be free of them, we have to let go of fear, whatever our fears might be—fear of the unknown, of failure, of looking ridiculous (<-- that’s a big one for me).
Whatever your fear might be, it will become apparent to you if you just watch, just turn inward and listen.

And then, after we’ve gone within, witnessed and done the work of recognizing the arbitrary constraints that we’ve incorporated from culture, from family, from wherever . . .
After we’ve cut through these knots that tie us to the small, limited self . . .

Then we can expand!

Then we become what we always already are--divine consciousness in physical form. And we are able to live from a place of ease and spontaneity, a place of trust and love.

Now, if this seems far away, or even hokey, that’s o.k. Because the practice we do when we come to our mats, to unite body and mind in mindful movement and stillness, this practice has short term and long term benefits that come with or without the goal of radical freedom. All you have to do is keep coming back to your breath and your body, to the experience of right now.

And maybe by turning inward,
by letting go of the rest of the world,
by contracting,
it will be easier later
to move outward,
to expand out into the world
with compassion.

Written for Soul Expansion in Bisbee, 20 February 2016

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Natarajasana, the Dancer Pose

1/31/2016

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Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. Tamil Nadu, ca. 990, bronze. Freer Gallery, Washington DC "Shiva-nataraja" by I, TomR. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

The Dance is life.

Shiva is the Lord of the Dance, of Destruction, Transformation, and Yoga. He spends his days on Mount Kailash deep in meditation, only drawn into the world by his love for the goddess.

In Tantra and Hatha Yoga, Shiva is pure consciousness. In the microcosm of the human form, he abides in the crown chakra, the sahasrara or thousand petaled lotus. The goddess, in her form as the Kundalini-Shakti, is the creative force of the material world. In the body, she sleeps at the base of the spine.

Our intention in Yoga is to awaken her. When she is free from her dormancy, like lightning she travels up the spine (the world pole or axis mundi on the individual scale) to reunite with Shiva—bringing together earth and heaven, matter and mind, lower and higher, and we realize that we are living incarnations of the Truth that All is One.

Two Dancers
There are two versions of natarajasana. We will start with the one seen less often these days, found in the occasional old-school class and in James Hewitt’s Complete Yoga Book (1977).

It is in imitation of the posture assumed by Shiva at the finale of his Ananda-Tandava, his Dance of Bliss. (For the full story scroll down on this page about my tattoos.) Standing on a demon, who represents our ignorance of our own divinity, Shiva’s right leg is firmly planted and gracefully bent. His left foot is circling precariously in space, moving toward the right which symbolizes the path of the seeker from the material to the Sacred. His right palm is raised in abhaya mudra, meaning do not fear. And his left hand is angled down in a gesture of grace.

The second version is the one we see more often. It was made iconic by gracing the cover of Iyengar’s Light on Yoga (1966). More than drawing from Yoga’s past, this shape rises out of Yoga’s rebirth at the turn of the 20th century. Demanding balance, strength, flexibility, and concentration, it is an elegant example of the blending of asana and gymnastics that informed the creation of modern postural yoga.

This natarajasana has a number of variations.

To begin, a standing quad stretch is all it takes. Balance on one leg and bring the other foot up toward your seat. Take the same-side hand back to the foot. Bringing the hand to the outside fo the foot for a gentler variation or to the arch if you know you'll be taking the posture further.
For those who need help balancing, a hand or finger on a wall or chair will usually suffice. A strap can be used around the ankle of the lifted foot if reach is an issue.
From quad stretch, take the free arm forward, parallel to the ground, and begin to press the lifted foot into the hand. This action will initiate a back bend.
Two options present themselves at this point. One is to keep the upper body as upright as possible, as in Iyengar’s version. The other is to tilt forward, bringing the abdomen parallel to the floor. In Hewitt’s book, he calls this Toppled Tree.
Finally, for those bodies with sufficient strength and flexibility, the index fingers of hands wrap around the big toe of the lifted foot in an overhead grasp and eventually bring the foot to the back of the head.

The benefits of natarajasana are the same as those for all one-legged balance postures.

Increased foot, leg, core, and side muscle strength
Increased proprioception and balance
Encourages bone strength in standing leg
Builds concentration

In addition, the second version of dancer increases flexibility by stretching the shoulders, spine, chest, abdomen, and the quadriceps of the lifted leg.

The benefits of the first version have to be experienced for themselves. A powerful practice in Tantra Yoga is to identify with a deity through meditation. Natarajasana is one of the rare postures where we practice this with our whole selves, body and mind.

In dancer pose, we become the outward manifestation of the Sacred that inwardly we always already are.

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Dhanurasana - Bow Pose

1/24/2016

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Take, my friend, this bow,
This great weapon of upaniṣad [secret teaching];
Place veneration on it
As the whetted arrow;
Stretch it with the thought fixed on the nature of that;
That very imperishable is the target, my friend.
Strike it!

The bow is OṂ, the arrow’s the self,
The target is brahman, they say.
One must strike that undistracted.
He must be lodged in that.
Like the arrow, in the target.

From the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, 2.2.3-4.
Trans. Patrick Olivelle

History

The bow is an important symbol in Yoga. It represents the effort of the seeker for enlightenment. So it's not surprising that dhanurasana or bow pose was among the first ever Hatha Yoga āsana recorded.

From the Hatha Yoga Pradipika:
"Having caught the toes of the feet with both the hands and carried them to the ears by drawing the body like a bow, it becomes Dhanura âsana."

And the Gheranda Samhita:
"Spreading the legs on the ground, straight like a stick, and catching hold of (the toes of) the feet with the hands, and making the body bent like a bow, is called by the Yogis the Dhanurâsana or Bow-posture."

Variations

Now days, there are a whole bunch of variations of dhanurasana. James Hewitt lists them in his Complete Yoga Book (1978):

Bow I – the traditional posture, pictured above, catching the ankles.
Bow II – bring your arms overhead and grab the toes of each foot, bringing the feet close to or onto the top of the head.
Bow III – from Bow II, bring your feet to rest on your shoulder blades.
Bow IV – beginning with your palms against the tops of your toes, first bring your feet toward your seat, then move them to the outside of your hips. This is much more of a leg stretch than a back bend. Iyengar calls this bhekāsana or mandūkāsana (both of which mean frog posture).
Bow V – bring one foot to the side of the hip and the other to the top of the head or shoulder blade.
Bow VI – grab one foot with an overhead reach and keep the other arm and leg extended. This is often called half bow pose.
Bow VII – grab one foot reaching back for the ankle, extend the opposite arm and leg, and then lift the extended limbs.

Another variation is parsva dhanurasana or side bow pose, where from bow I, you roll onto one side, pause there, and then roll back to center and to the other side.

Considerations

When just beginning

A strap around the ankles can make this pose accessible for those with less flexible spines or shoulders.
One great piece of advice that comes from many sources is to begin with the knees wide, lift, and then work to bring the legs closer together.
Work to lift the pelvis and the ribs. When this is accomplished, experiment with the addition of rocking forward and back. Let the movement of your breath facilitate the rocking.

Who shouldn’t Bow?

Pregnant women. (Lovers of the obvious, you’re welcome!)
People with high blood pressure should not strain in this (or any) pose.
Those experiencing low back, neck, or shoulder pain ought to stick with half bow or find an alternate back bend.

Benefits

Increases shoulder, spine, and hip joint flexibility
Strengthens back muscles
Increases circulation
Is a heart opener and a stretch to the whole front side of the body
Is energizing. Just as folding forward helps us slow down, opening up the front side of the body increases our alertness. This has both evolutionary and physiological explanations.
- First, we are ridiculously weak skinned creatures. Any time the whole front side of the body is stretched open, we might as well be wearing our organs on the outside. There is no skeletal protection. Maintenance of the species requires what we call “heart openers” to trigger alertness.
- Deep back bends squeeze the adrenal glands that sit on top of our kidneys, basically juicing them and releasing adrenaline into our blood stream.

Taking Aim

The bow is above all things a weapon. Arjuna, the great archer of the Pandava brother, was taught by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita that the real aim of all effort is internal, the struggle to release our attachment to the petty pulls of the ego and realize our shared divinity in the Sacred. Whether bow comes easily to you or not, whether you have to use two straps and a hoist or you delight in contorting through all the variations listed above and more, the real work is in recognizing that what your body is doing is not the key to growth. What your mind is doing, that's the key.

"Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual awareness. Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do. When consciousness is unified, however, all vain anxiety is left behind. There is no cause for worry, whether things go well or ill. Therefore, devote yourself to the discipline of yoga, for yoga is skill in action."

From the Bhagavad Gita, 2:49-50
Trans. Eknath Easwaran

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Setu Bandhasana, a.k.a. Bridge Pose

1/16/2016

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"Shoulder pose" by Satheesan.vn - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

You know bridge pose. You start on your back. Bend your knees, and bring your feet to the floor. Tuck your tail to lift your hips and roll the spine up off the mat, from your sacrum to your thoracic (upper back). From here, maybe you wriggle your shoulders underneath you, bring your hands together and interlace your fingers under your seat.

If your hips are really high, you might bend your arms at the elbows and bring your hands to your low back. If you do this, make sure you have your hands just like in shoulder stand, with the thumbs out. Having the thumbs in puts them in a vulnerable position.

From here you keep your chin tucked just slightly into jalandhara bandha (chin lock) to extend the back of your neck. Then, keep pressing down through your feet, arms, and shoulders while you continue to lift your hips and press gently forward through your knees.

Eventually, and you may not believe me now but I promise it is true, this pose can be restful. It’s strengthening to the back, abdominals, and legs. It increases flexibility in the neck and chest. And it’s an inversion, raising the heart above the head, so it has all the benefits I talked about last week that go along with that.

Coming out of Setu Bandhasana needs to be as slow and mindful as getting in to it. Take each piece in reverse. Release your hands; wriggle your shoulders out; role the spine down from the upper back to the sacrum taking the time to feel the articulation of your spine; extend your legs. Stretch lengthwise and maybe twist if that feels right, and then come into knee-to-chest (Apanasana) and rock around.

History of Setu Bandhasana

If you were to look up Setu Bandhasana in Iyengar’s Light on Yoga, you would see something that looks like an extreme fish pose. The yogi is in a strong backbend, facing upwards with the top of his head on the mat and the rest of his body making a single, long curve up through the neck and upper back and back down again through his lower back and straight legs, to touch the mat only with his heels. His arms are crossed in front of his chest. This variation of bridge pose is still used today in Ashtanga Yoga. In an easier version the back of the yogi’s head, neck, and shoulders are on the floor beginning the curve up at the upper back and coming back down from the waist with the legs still extended. His elbows are on the floor and hands on his back like in shoulder stand.

That might not be what we're used to, but you have to admit, it makes a lot more sense for it to be called "bridge."

In Sivananda Yoga, when you look up Setu Bandhasana, you find instead Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, a pose that comes after Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) and Halasana (plow) and leads into Matsyasana (fish). From shoulder stand, you bring your feet down one at a time, into what most Hatha Yoga teachers now call bridge pose, then walk the feet out into what looks just like the easier version of Iyengar's Setu Bandhasana above. This is one of my favorite sequences in Sivananda.

Setu Bandhasana is not an old pose. It comes from the merging of Hatha Yoga with various fields of physical culture in the early 20th century. The fact that it has been modified over time to accommodate less flexible and strong bodies only shows that Yoga is not a static discipline.

Even within the last ten years there’s been a change in the way we teach bridge pose. It used to be taught that we should start with the heels as close to the seat as possible with the goal of grasping the heels or ankles once the hips were raised. That is what she’s doing in the photo at the top of this post. Look at her knees. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on the tendons and ligaments of the knees in this position, with the knees in front of the ankles.

For safety, it’s now recommended that the heels be directly under the knees, just like in warrior poses, to avoid that strain.

With Props

There are a couple of nice ways to use props with bridge pose. To help establish the right distance between the legs, since a lot of people tend to splay their feet and end up with their knees moving away from each other rather than their inner thighs spiraling inward, you can place a block between the thighs. Watch it with this, though. If the student has big thighs, the standard four inch block might be too wide and actually cause misalignment. It does for me.

Another variation, one which turns bridge into a restorative pose, is to use a block under the sacrum. Then experiment with extending one leg at a time or both. This brings the body into a supported version of the Sivananda style bridge. Bridge is said to help with digestion, and in this position you can see why.

Maybe our bridges don’t look so much like bridges anymore. But they truly are bridges to a better life, strengthening and lengthening the spine to help us into more comfortable, longer, and deeper meditation sessions. The first Hatha yogis developed the asana so the physical body would be strong enough to endure the spiritual awakening of the Kundalini. Bridge might not be an ancient posture, but it’s certainly a useful one, whatever your goal.

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Ardha Pīnchā Mayūrāsana, a.k.a. Dolphin

1/9/2016

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Ardha pīnchā mayūrāsana, half peacock pose, or as it is more often called, dolphin, can be used for many purposes. In any case, you begin by kneeling. Then, bending forward, bring your forearms to the mat with your elbows no wider than your shoulders. Traditionally palms are flat but you’ll often see hands in anjali mudra or fingers interlaced these days.

From this position, on forearms and knees, curl your toes under so that the balls of your feet are on the mat and then lift your hips, as if you were going into downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana). In fact, dolphin can be a useful variation of downward facing dog, if you have sore or injured wrists.

From this position, many use dolphin as a core strengthener by pivoting between the high hip position to forearm plank and back. The distance between your feet and your elbows will depend on the length of your body’s extension in the plank position. You want to be able to come into a straight line from your head, through your shoulders, hips, and legs. This movement is probably how dolphin got its English name, since this replicates how dolphins move in the water. Using dolphin this way strengthens not just the core but shoulders and legs as well.

"Yoga Scopion 2" by lululemon athletica - Flickr: Yoga Journal Conference. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The other purpose dolphin can serve is as a preparation pose for forearm balance, also called peacock pose (pīnchā mayūrāsana). In peacock pose, the torso and legs are extended vertically while the body is balanced on the forearms. Peacock pose is old. It’s in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (14th century) and Gheranda Samhita (17th century).

Scorpion pose (vṛscikasana) is closely related. From peacock pose, the yogi moves into a backbend, eventually placing the soles of their feet on the back of their head. Scorpion is described in the Hatharatnavali (also 17th century).

To use dolphin as a forearm balance preparation pose, walk your feet in toward your elbows as far as you can, lifting your hips and bringing your torso as vertical as possible. From this position, experiment with raising one leg at a time, eventually bringing both legs up. You’ll want to do this at the wall to start, to avoid over-rotating which could lead to neck or back injuries.

Dolphin is a strong pose. Make sure you’ve warmed up adequately before moving into it. And not just your shoulders and back, which are obvious, but your hamstrings and calves which get a mighty stretch here, too.

The benefits of dolphin, besides the strength and the stretch, include all the benefits of inversions. It’s good for your vascular system because it challenges the normal flow of blood against gravity; it helps your immune system by moving the lymphatic fluid along; it benefits your bones by giving your arms some weight-bearing exercise; and it's a mood lifter, because it’s really hard to go upside down and stay depressed or really even serious.

The ancient yogis named poses after animals because they shared their environment. Now days, we can use the animal names and characteristics of poses to remember our connection with Nature and the interconnectedness of all life. And maybe we can use dolphin to emulate the playful, friendly disposition of these beautiful, intelligent, endangered creatures.

Dolphin playing in the wake of a boat. "Tursiops truncatus 01-cropped" by NASA - http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=21807. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

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Padmasana

1/3/2016

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“Now, here [in the heart] in this fort of brahman there is a small lotus, a dwelling-place, and within it, a small space. In that space there is something—and that’s what you should try to discover, that’s what you should seek to perceive.”
Chandogya Upanishad 8:1, trans. Patrick Olivelle

"Sacred lotus Nelumbo nucifera" by T.Voekler - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The lotus represents enlightenment in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It grows in swampy, mucky places, where its roots burrow down through the mud and its strong leaves keep the petals dry.

Lotus pose, padmasana, is one of the earliest asana. It’s one of only four poses that are mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Siva Samhita, and the Gheranda Samhita. It’s cherished for its stability; because the pelvis is neutral, the spine can maintain maximum axial extension. In other words, we can sit up nice and tall, clearing the path for prana to flow through the central nadis.

Lahiri Mahasaya, guru of Paramahansa Yogananda's guru, in padmasana

The ability to sit for long stretches of time in study, concentration, and meditation is a vital part of Yoga. In American Yoga (for lack of a better term), padmasana has sometimes been seen as an achievement that must be accomplished to make real spiritual progress.

But many American bodies are unable to enter padmasana without strain or even injury. And of those who can, the duration before the tingles start (from compressed nerves or restricted blood vessels) may be short.

Luckily, there are other sitting postures that permit the spine to extend axially and prana to flow freely. Easy pose (sukhasana), adept’s pose (siddhasana), or even sitting upright in a chair will work just as well for long periods of inner practice.

Working up to padmasana is itself a practice in patience. Take it easy; never force knees or hips, only invite them to comply. Use blankets or other props if they increase your comfort. And remember that padmasana is an asymmetrical pose, so you have to do both sides. In other words, make sure to spend equal time with the right leg on top as with the left.

And keep in mind that being able to sit in lotus pose is not the goal. Being able to accept your body as it is, to quiet your mind, and to rest in stillness—those are the real goals.

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How to Practice Yoga, according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika

11/2/2015

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Folio from 1600s

From the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, as translated by Pancham Sinh, in chapter three. Further translations in brackets added by me.

I am going to describe the procedure of the practice of Yoga, in order that Yogis may succeed. A wise man should leave his bed in the Usâ Kâla (i.e., at the peep of dawn or 4 o’clock) in the morning.

Remembering his guru over his head, and his desired deity in his heart, after answering the calls of nature, and cleaning his mouth, he should apply Bhasma (ashes).

In a clean spot, clean room and charming ground, he should spread a soft âsana (cloth for sitting on). Having seated on it and remembering, in his mind his guru and his God.

Having extolled the place and the time and taking up the vow thus: ‘To day [sic] by the grace of God, I will perform Prânâyâmas with âsanas for gaining samâdhi (trance) and its fruits.’ He should salute the infinite Deva, Lord of the Nâgas [Śiva], to ensure success in the âsanas (postures).

Salutations to the Lord of the Nâgas, who is adorned with thousands of heads, set with brilliant jewels (Manis), and who has sustained the whole universe, nourishes it, and is infinite. After this he should begin his exercise of âsana and when fatigued, he should practise Śava âsana. Should there be no fatigue, he should not practise it.

Before Kumbhaka [breath retention], he should perform Viparîta Karnî mudra [reverse pose/modified shoulder stand], in order that he may be able to perform Jâlandhar bandha [chin/throat lock] comfortably.

Sipping a little water, he should begin the exercise of Prânâyâma, after saluting Yogindras [Gods of Yoga], as described in the Karma Parana [Kūrma Purana], in the words of Śiva.
Such as “Saluting Yogindras and their disciples and gurû Vinâyaka [Ganesha], the Yogî should unite with me with composed mind.”

While practising, he should sit with Siddhâsana, and having performed bandha and Kumbhaka, should begin with 10 Prânâyâmas the first day, and go on increasing 5 daily.
With composed mind 80 Kumbhaka should be performed at a time; beginning first with the Chandra (the left nostril) and then sûrya (the right nostril).

This has been spoken of by wise men as Anuloma and Viloma. Having practised Sûrya Bhedan [single nostril breathing beginning on the right], with bandhas (the wise rust [sic]) should practise Ujjâyî and then Sîtkârî Śîtalî, and Bhastrikâ, he may practice others or not.

He should practise mudras properly, as instructed by his guru. Then sitting with Padmâsana, he should hear anâhata nâda [unmade sound] attentively.

He should resign the fruits of all his practice reverently to God, and, on rising on the completion of the practice, a warm bath should be taken.

The bath should bring all the daily duties briefly to an end.

At noon also a little rest should be taken at the end of the exercise, and then food should be taken.

Yogîs should always take wholesome food and never anything unwholesome. After dinner he should eat Ilâchî [cardamom] or lavanga [cloves].

Some like camphor, and betel leaf. To the Yogîs, practising Prânâyâma, betel leaf without powders, i.e., lime, nuts and kâtha, is beneficial.

After taking food he should read books treating of salvation, or hear Purânas and repeat the name of God.

In the evening the exercise should be begun after finishing sandyhâ [a Vedic religious ritual], as before, beginning the practice ghatikâ or one hour before the sun sets.

Evening sandhyâ should always be performed after practice, and Hatha Yoga should be practised at midnight. Viparîta karni is to be practised in the evening and at midnight, and not just after eating, as it does no good at this time.

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Why I Do Yoga or Hey Everybody, I Have Bipolar Disorder

6 Do’s and 2 Don’ts for a Home Yoga Practice

Why Have a Home Practice?

Do enjoy your practice.

Do take time to turn inward before you begin.

Do be present.

Don’t feel like you have to do every pose.

Do hold each pose for a few breaths.

Don’t overdo.

Do savasana.

Do keep at it.

Warrior: The Origin of Virabhadra

The Yajna

Virabhadra

Loosening the Knots in the Heart

Natarajasana, the Dancer Pose

Dhanurasana - Bow Pose

History

Variations

Considerations

Taking Aim

Setu Bandhasana, a.k.a. Bridge Pose

History of Setu Bandhasana

With Props

Ardha Pīnchā Mayūrāsana, a.k.a. Dolphin

Padmasana

How to Practice Yoga, according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Yoga Talk

Archives

Categories

​Why Have a Home Practice?

Do enjoy your practice.

​Do take time to turn inward before you begin.

​Do be present.

Don’t feel like you have to do every pose.

​Do hold each pose for a few breaths.

Don’t overdo.

Do savasana.

Do keep at it.

The Yajna

Virabhadra

History

Variations

Considerations

Taking Aim

History of Setu Bandhasana

With Props

Yoga Talk

Archives

Categories

Why Have a Home Practice?

Do take time to turn inward before you begin.

Do be present.

Do hold each pose for a few breaths.