Playin’ The Edge

I went to a Bikram class one time and the teacher yelled at a young 20-ish guy that his backbend pose sucked because of video games. “You can’t do too many backbends,” she said. You gotta love the sargeant approach to teaching yoga hey? But regardless of her delivery, her message was bang-on. Our culture is designed to keep us sitting for as long as possible, whether it’s in the car, on the couch, at a desk working or playing we need a good backbend as often as possible.

But sometimes you don’t have the time to warm up for, or the energy to do, a Bow or Camel pose, you need some easy options too. Here are three:

- Kneel down into Hero pose. Put your hands on the floor behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your hips. Let you head relax back as you lift your chest toward the ceiling and your hips away from your ankles. My arms are a little short so I feel this mostly in my shoulders, if this is true for you too, try making fists or tent your fingers if they’re strong enough so that you can get more height in your hips. This will move more of the stretch into the front of your body. Stay for 3-5 breaths.

- Here’s a variation on the first - sit with legs straight, place your hands on floor behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your hips. Let your head relax back, puff your chest up. Lift your lower ribs away from your hip bones. If you feel more energetic, bend your knees them over your ankles for Reverse Tabletop. Keep working the lift in your hips, keep head relaxed.

- When you’re ready to relax try this one, it’s kind of a gentle supported Fish pose for your back - lie back with legs straight or in Reclined Bound Angle. Grab the cushion from your couch, because it’s usually the shape that will fit perfectly under your upper torso. For this one your shoulders and head are not supported so that they can relax toward the floor. Arms are away from your body, you might want to try a palms-up T-pose resting on the floor. The cushion supports your upper back to open your chest and stretch the front of your shoulders. Make any adjustments needed to make it more comfortable. Stay here for 5-10 minutes.

Even if you’re doing a few minute of morning yoga to get warmed up for your day, try to work in some easy backbending poses. These poses help work against the sitting ’slump-asanas’ that we find ourselves in the rest of the day, and make you feel more energized and positive.

I was asked by someone in class how long to hold poses when they’re practicing at home. I wanted to come up with a more useful answer than “3-5 breaths”, or “as long as you want”! So I said she use each pose to listen to her body and try to understand what’s happening wherever she felt stuff happening. Whew, that’s hard to do especially when you’re new to it. It’s hard for me to do today. Maybe “3-5 breaths” is a better answer, it’s simpler. Anyways as I was explaining, I swear I could *see* her think “what the HELL can I learn from my tight hamstrings?” but she was too nice to voice it. And I wonder that too, like big deal, my hips are tight yet again . But we are mind/body/spirit organisms. It’s all integrated although it may be tough to see and even tougher to understand.

I keep tripping over advice lately about getting to know yourself and it’s hard because I think - yeah I know what bugs me and I know my favorite color, what else is there? But of course there’s plenty. It goes so much deeper than that. Yoga is a great way of getting to know ourselves. Iyengar calls it a “system of self-realization”.

And yoga has just made me aware of the tip of the iceberg. I go for Reiki treatments somewhat regularly with Ann Perry the wonder-gal. After a session she’ll say “yeah I noticed a lot of stuff around your shoulders - you’re carrying too much these days?” Um, yeah. And she’ll tell me that my second chakra is dead to the world. I used to think the chakra stuff was pretty woo-woo but over time I’ve found she’s dead-on with what’s going on in my life. And usually I’m too busy staring at trees to see the forest. When she says my second chakra has gone AWOL it’s my wake-up call that I need to play more - and stop being such a responsible adult. Do I want to be on my deathbed saying “well at least I - without fail - tackled my to-do list!”. Nope.

It’s all integrated. It all means something. You are your tight hips and short hamstrings and funky shoulder. And thanks to yoga you just never know what all you can know about yourself.

I like to take time for Savasana when I teach. I’ve been in classes where Savasana feels ‘rushed’. It’s like people are just waiting until they’re allowed to get up and run off. But I think *especially* in our crazy rush-rush culture we need to have the space to just lie there and *be*.

I also find that while lying there is great, “thinky” people appreciate help staying focused. So visualizations can be a great tool. I read somewhere that visualization is powerful because as far as the brain is concerned what you’re seeing in your mind’s eye you’re really seeing - it’s as good as being there. So bring on the tropical beach! Whew I’m more relaxed already. Here are some guidelines to offering a juicy relaxing visualization:

Play some good music . If you’re playing something with nature or water sounds, take advantage and build on that for your visualization (the Solitudes CDs can be useful here).

- Invite everyone into Savasana pose. Legs are far enough apart that the feet can flop open, hands are palms up, shoulders resting away from the ears.
- Start with 3 deep breaths (Ugayai, 3-part if you like) to transition into relaxation. Encourage everyone to really relax deeper into the mat with each exhale.
- Then ask them to let their breath become relaxed without controlling it.
- Keep the music soft and keep your voice soft. Allow people to ignore you and just zone if they want to. Also, use lots of pauses so it never feels rushed and people can sink into the silences.
- Start by offering a setting. Let’s stay with the tropical beach example. “Imagine yourself on a perfect beach - one you’ve been to or one you’d like to visit”.
- Work all the senses - Ask them to notice how it looks (color of the water etc.), what they smell, the sounds (”notice the sound of the water, notice any birds sounds, see if there are tree sounds”), the air on their skin, notice the sensation of the warm sand that molds against their body as they sink deeper into it. And whatever else that comes to mind that will enrich the visualization.
- Allow a few minutes of silence at the end so that they can just enjoy and go deeper.
- Come out gradually. I usually bring people back to their breath, then bring tiny movements back to fingers/toes, then roll onto their right side for a moment with eyes closed and then come back to sitting. I think that keeping with a gradual, consistent ‘coming out’ process allows people to relax even more. They learn fast that I’m not going to ask them to jump up and run off.

Things to watch out for:
- Keep the visualization simple - don’t get wordy or complicated. One time I suggested in the visuatization that they come across an object. And then I said to pick up the object in their hand. Someone told me later that their object was a house so my instruction wasn’t very useful. Keep it simple and clear.
- Avoid anything too distracting - a setting like a beach is pretty universally relaxing but not everyone would find camping in the woods at night relaxing, for example.

This may feel like a wacky thing to try the first time, but I think people appreciate having the permission to enjoy a juicy Savasana. Don’t underestimate how open and open-minded we all are after a good yoga session.

Here’s a good strength-building flow I’ve been playing with that starts in Downward Facing Dog:

- Belly Dog - From Downward Facing Dog, slowly lower your knees to an inch or two above the floor, contract your core muscles and take a deep breath. Straighten legs again.
- One-Arm Dog - Bring your right hand up and “bind” it around your back (the back of your hand slides along your lower back toward the opposite side of your waist). Open up your right shoulder and look up. If this is too intense, drop your knees to the floor. Take a breath here as you work the twist. Bring your hand back down to Downward Dog.
- Knee-to-Nose - Drop your head and bring your right knee toward your nose - hold for a breath and contract your core muscles pressing your navel into your spine.
- Leg Up - Bring your head up and straighten the right leg and lift it up behind you. Walk your hands toward your left foot for Standing Splits. Take a breath and hold. Then walk your hands back to the top of the mat for Plank.
- Transition - Keep your right leg raised as you come into Plank. Keep it raised as you lower to Chaturanga or the floor. Then relax the leg down for Cobra and come back to Downward Facing Dog to do the flow for the left side.

Fun fun fun so much fun for your buns (and the rest of you) enjoy

The word ‘pasteurize’ jumped off the page at me from June’s Yoga Journal. The sidebar of the Tree Pose article talked about ‘tapas’ or creating heat. It said that we create heat in yoga to ‘pasteurize’ the body. We burn off impurities and imbalances so that the prana or energy can move freely. And so that we can feel clear and calm.

What a great way to describe it. Sometimes people come into class tired and want to head right to Savasana but there’s a reason that yoga class isn’t just naptime - it wouldn’t be half as effective. Your mind would still be churning about your day and your body would be tense and stiff. We do Sun Salutations and standing poses to pasteurize our bodies and take care of all that. More active styles like Power Yoga, Vinyasa and Ashtanga classes build the heat really well. But even when I teach more gentle classes I keep it active with 1/2 Sun Salutations, or swingy stuff borrowed from Kundalini or Breath of Joy type moves from Kripalu. Or even simple poses done on repeat with the breath, like cobra, can work well. You’ve gotta get your yah-yahs out before you can relax.

I find that when I’ve had a really intense workday and I’m exhausted, it’s really my head that’s exhausted and my spirit that’s depleted. My body isn’t tired as much as it is tense and leaden from sitting absorbing all the adrenalin of the day. I may have been in Fight or Flight mode but I didn’t actually do either. So all that stress and tension settles in the body (always the same places right?) making it stiff and tight or dead feeling. Not to mention that without taking a deep breath all day, it’s no wonder my toes feel like they’re attached to someone else’s body.

When I get home from a day like that I *think* that I need to camp out on the couch, but that’s the worst thing to do.

And this is where yoga comes in - we move, breathe and oxygenate, use the muscles, heat up, then stretch deeply and *then* we’re ready for Savasana. And a good sleep.

I’m sure you’re all flowed out and ready for Savasana. Here’s the last one for this week.

- Start in Warrior 2, hold for a few breaths.
- Then lean back so your back hand is touching your thigh and the front hand reaches up to the ceiling. Hold and enjoy the stretch up the long side of your torso.
- Come back to center and bring your hands down to the mat on either side of your front foot. Straighten the front leg enough to find a stretch. Let your torso relax over your thigh, let your head hang loose. Relax.
- Then bring your back leg up straight for Standing Splits and hold.
- Return back leg to the mat, on your toes with them facing front so that they’re in position for Lunge. Keep hands on the floor or bring them up overhead and hold.
- Bring front foot back for Plank, Cobra and Downward Dog to transition to the other side.

Option: you can also do this flow with your breath - exhale from Warrior 2 as you lean back, inhale back up to center and exhale into the easy forward bend, inhale the back leg up, exhale it down and back into Lunge, inhale as you press your chest forward and/or bring arms up. Have fun with it!

Alright let’s keep the flows a-flowing! Here’s another one to poke into some Sun Salutation fun:

- From Downward Facing Dog, lower your elbows to the mat shoulder width apart to bring you to Dolphin. Slide your shoulder blades down your back toward your waist. Walk your toes toward your elbows a little until you have a nice stretch up the back of your body. Hold for a couple of breaths.
- Lower your knees toward the floor slowly and stop at the point where you find your edge. Hold here or raise and lower a few times.
- Straighten your legs again and raise one leg straight up so you’re in a version of Standing Splits. Hold for a breath.
- Bring the leg down, bend and place it on the mat for Pigeon pose, stretching your other leg back. Hold for a few breaths.
- Then do a Plank, Cobra, Downward Facing Dog transition and repeat the flow on the other side.

Options: If you’re feeling keen and your shoulders are healthy, you can also raise and lower your hips slowly 3x in Dolphin before walking your feet closer to your elbows. Also, if this is an active flow, instead of resting in Pigeon inhale your arms up, exhale them down and move right into the transition.

This flow is a good strengthener - enjoy!

I’ve been working on some mini-flows to mix with Sun Salution flows or to use as warm-ups. Here’s one:

Start in Mountain. Bring your hands behind your back and clasp for Yoga Mudra. Press your chest up, and look up as you inhale. Then on the exhale fold forward, letting your arms relax away from your body for a shoulder stretch. Take another breath here. Bring arms back to your body, unclasp the hands and bring them down to the floor or to your legs for a Standing Forward Bend. Stay for another breath. Bend knees and bring arms up straight for Chair. Hold for a breath. Then lower your arms has you straighten your legs and come back to Mountain. Repeat often.

I like this flow because it stretches the legs as it warms them up. I also like Standing Yoga Mudra and Forward Bend together because they’re both calming and destressifying. It’s a warm-up flow that helps get you centered too. Give it a try!

I was in a class at the last yoga conference taught by a Kripalu teacher and she had us do the Flamingo pose which I hadn’t done before. I can’t find a photo of it, but here’s an easy description:

- From standing clasp your hands behind your back, but keep your arms loose. Or put your palms on your lower back, fingers down and press your elbows together gently.
- Bring your right foot to your left leg just above your knee. Keep your standing knee soft. Stay here if this is enough challenge or,
- Tuck your chin to your chest and round down bringing your nose toward your bent knee. Stay here for a few breaths.

I always like to have new balancing pose challenges to add to my yoga sessions and to classes. This one is a do-again!

I bought Light on Life , the latest from Iyengar, opened it up and found a little nugget that I’ve been sharing with my classes this week (page 33):

Extension and expansion always stay firmly rooted in one’s center. They originate in the core of one’s being. When most people stretch, they simply stretch to the point that they are trying to reach, but they forget to extend and expand from where they are. When you extend and expand, you are not only stretching to, you are also stretching from.

I like how he says that. When we first come to yoga we’re kinda scattered and looking around and trying to reach as far as our neighbour does in a pose. But over time as you become more centered you realize you’re reaching from your base, that foundation of who you really are. It’s not about where you get *to* it’s more about where you’re coming *from*. We talked about this in class with Warrior 1. How it’s all about building the pose from the ground up, feeling the bottoms of your feet right to the outward edge of your back foot. It’s about having strong legs, firm hips and an engage core. And then it’s from that base that you can reach and extend your spine and arms to the sky.

Also in seated forward bends newbies always work on touching their toes when really the stretch is all originating in your hips. Your sit bones need to be grounded in the mat so that they can dig in as the hips tilt forward. If it’s a Head-to-Knee pose there’s also a twist happening in the hips and torso. All those elements produce the hamstring stretch. The pose isn’t about rounding your back and diving *to* your toes or your knee (regardless of it’s name). It’s about stretching out from your center in your hips. And that’s what creates the space that Iyengar goes on to talk about.

Speaking of Head-to-Knee, here’s one to try. If you’re stretching your right leg first, get your legs in position but with a straight spine twist to the right and hold it for a few breaths before doing the pose. After twisting it’s easier to keep your shoulders somewhat square to your leg. Then twist left and hold. Then come to centre only until your right shoulder is in line with your right leg. Then drop that shoulder down toward your leg, tuck right hand under your leg and side bend, sweeping your left arm overhead and stretching your torso long from your hips. Very juicy.