The Boa Constrictor

The boa constrictor is a reptile that finishes off its prey by a process of constriction. What is constriction? Its a process in which the grip of the reptile gets progressively tighter over its prey. The prey is breathing and as it breathes in, the lungs expand and as it breathes out, the lungs constrict. The boa tightens the grip around the prey each and every time it breathes out, hence leaving less space for the next breath in. Finally the prey simply does not have the space to breathe in and passes away.

Why am I giving this analogy in a Yoga blog?

The way to continuously deepen the pose, lies in our ability to go deeper every time we breathe out and still continue to breathe in. Every time we breathe out the upper and middle body constricts giving us the "space" to get deeper. As we progressively move deeper into the position, breathing in also becomes that much of a challenge as it is for the prey of the boa constrictor. The secret to keep the in breath going, is in bringing the awareness on the diaphragm and the way it moves down every time you breathe in.  As you go deeper into the poses and keep the breathing going on, (and if possible breathing deep enough to reach your perineum as explained earlier) the massage that is given to the internal organs that lie below the diaphragm, the digestive system, the endocrines (in the abdominal area), many of the joints, the lymphatic system and the nervous system, is simply amazing. It requires the practitioner to bring deep awareness and observation of what is happening in the asana to "realize" what I am saying over here!

Asanas in which the benefits of constriction are most obvious and realizable are Pavanamuktasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Paschimottanasana and many others where the effects are in the lower torsal levels and the squeeze is an important aspect of the asana.

Keep constricting till the prey of sub-potentiality, both in terms of how deep you can get into the asana as well as the awareness that could be mustered in the process, is killed! What I mean here will be realized only when the above is practiced and internalized!

Keep practising, keep learning. AUM

Yoga is not about touching your toes but what you learn on the way down! - BKS Iyengar

Engaging the "Tail" to improve your forward bends!

One of the most important aspects of the asana practice is the forward bend. This is done in many asanas such as Upavishtha Konasana, Paschimottanasana, Janu Shirshasana, Hastha Padasana, etc

Most experienced Yoga instructors would tell you not to bend your back when doing the forward bend, but keep your back straight and move down by engaging the back. One of the best ways of doing this is by engaging the tail bone (mooladhara) and moving forward from the tail, feeling the glutes (buttock muscles) stretch deeply.

The cat pose helps us in understanding the concept of engaging ones' tail very well. Specially when you are looking up, pushing your navel down and contracting your lower back. At this point, the tail is engaged. Remembering how things feel is very important in Yoga as it helps you align accurately without the aid of a mirror or a friend who can guide you and correct you. So bring to memory the 'feeling' of the tail being engaged in the cat pose!

Work on engaging the tail as this helps deeply in deepening the forward bending asanas both when getting into the asana as well as coming out of it. Bringing the awareness to the tail bone and engaging the glutes helps in going much deeper in the forward bend than most other techniques and tricks.

Other tricks to get deeper into the forward bends is stretching from the armpits as well. Remember to breath and breath comfortably in all forward bends. Yes, you do breath out when going forward, but once in the position, do breath comfortable, and then breathe deeply right down to the mooladhara (as explained in my previous post) to maximise the benefit of the asana!

Breathing deep and with awareness of the Pranic flow!

Awareness is the hallmark of Yoga. Any asana done without the awareness of how we are getting into the posture, staying in the posture and coming out of it, ALONG WITH how we are breathing in each of these stages, takes away the spirit of Yoga in the practice.

In one of the beautiful books on Yoga by Osho, the great master speaks of how the normal breath can be felt till a point that is just below the navel, the Manipuraka chakra. He goes on to explain that in Japan this point is called HARA and the warriors who were cornered or humiliated, would pierce this point with a short, thin and extremely sharp knife, doing which life would end almost immediately. It is said to be the most painless way to end ones' life. Hence the word HARA-KIRI came to being!

When we breathe the lungs expand and the diaphragm gets pushed down  and in the process pushes the entire set of organs and intestines below. This is the reason why the stomach region expands and comes out when we breath in and contracts when we breath out.
The video below visually explains this very well
https://www.facebook.com/Surgery.AhmedJalil/videos/1273015322736628/

When we breath in normally, the Prana is felt right down to the Manipuraka Chakra (an inch or two below the navel). However this is just half the picture. When we breath out, if we notice carefully, the Prana bounces back to the Vishuddhi Chakra or the throat. If we breath a little deeper the breath is felt till the Swadhisthana (genital area) and when the breath goes out, the Prana is felt till the Ajna Chakra (Between the eyes). When we breath the deepest, the Prana goes right down to the Mooladhara and on breathing out, bounces back to the Sahasrara Chakra (Top of the head). When we work to breath as deep as this in our asana practice, the effects are deeply meditative. Most asanas can be benefited maximum when we breath right down to the Mooladhara and observe how the Prana bounces back to the Sahasrara,

The deep breaths and the diaphragmatic movements corresponding, give an outstanding massage to the entire digestive, endocrine, urinary, lymphatic and nervous systems. Doctor Yogis can add to this list if required!

Happy Yoga!

Prana and Breath

Posting what my Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar has said on Prana and Breath. No one could have explained this better

What is Prana or Life force energy?

There is a lot to know about prana. The breath is connected to neuro-physiology. When the left nostril is dominating, the right side of the brain is active. When the right nostril is functioning, the left side of the brain (logic, thinking and understanding) is active. When the breath predominantly goes in and out through the right nostril and very little through the left nostril, is when knowledge permeates. When the breath predominately goes in and out through the left nostril, you listen and enjoy without understanding the knowledge, like it is music. When the breath flows equally through both nostrils, meditation and prayer happen. Or nothing happens.

If you are in the presence of someone who is very spiritual, then both nostrils will flow equally.

If you come to meet a guru, or pass by a temple, a church, a place of worship or spiritual activity, you will find both nostrils are equally functioning.

Prana, or life force, moves through the nostrils where there are three nadis. The sun nadi is the right nostril. The moon nadi is the left nostril. The fire nadi is in-between both. This is known as the Sushumna nadi. We are living in an pop ocean of prana. Prana and Truth, or consciousness, is the prana of prana.

The five types of prana in the body are Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana and Vyana.

Prana is the energy in the upper part of the body, in the region above the heart. If prana is too high or is imbalanced you cannot sleep.

Apana Vayu is the energy in the lower part of the body. If Apana is too high, then you feel lethargic, sleepy, and dull.

Samana Vayu is in the stomach region, it aids digestion.

Udana Vayu is in the upper chest and throat region, it is responsible for emotions. If Udana Vayu is imbalanced, you have no emotions, you become like a stone or you become so mushy-mushy and weak.

Vyana is all over the body, it is responsible for movements in the joints, the circulation in the body. If Vyana Prana is disturbed, then the circulatory system is disturbed, your joints are not flexible, there are aches and pains.

Panch Prana, the five different types of prana are present in everybody, and different pranas dominates at different times. The imbalances in the pranas are corrected during Pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya.

To understand prana takes a long time.There are 172,000 nadis or prana channels which function in our body.

The breath changes with every action, and certain prana functions at certain times.The Vedas teach us that the metabolism of your body is twice when you are breathing through the right nostril than it is when breathing through the left. Following this, when the left nostril is functioning, it is a good time to drink; when the right is functioning, then it is a good time to eat. If you do the reverse, then within six months time you may fall sick. Ayurveda also says that you should not eat and drink at the same time, and when you do eat you should leave a gap of half an hour to an hour before drinking. The nadis, the breath, changes every hour. Similarly, prana changes, the energy in the world changes, all the time.

A.U.M

Much has been written and discussed about the AUM or the OM as is commonly spelt. AUM is a combination of exactly what it is spelt out here, A....U....and M. Known as the ANAHATA NADA or the sound that is caused without friction of 2 objects. Most non vowels will require your tongue to hit the palates, or the the lips to purse together, or any other union that we can all experience right now by going through the various letters in the alphabet by reciting them out loud! (Remember being a witness to what is happening? Being mindful, observant and attentive are the hallmarks of Yoga)

AUM is a sound that balances the Prana in the body. Chanting the AUM giving equal span of attention to the 3 sounds that comprise it, will make the practitioner experience what I am saying. The feeling of equanimity, calmness of mind and the experience of just being! Most Hindu mantras start with an AUM simply to give the rest of the mantras chanted the benefit of being chanted in a calm and equanimous mind.

Chant A.U.M and experience yourself! Nothing more...Nothing less

The love of a strict mother

Many a time we get into the mode of laziness (Ahlasya) or the mode of 'logical arguments with ourselves ás to why we need to take a break from Yoga (Sthyana). How to handle the mind in this state? After all Patanjali has clearly stipulated that for Yoga to take root in the practitioner, one has to be with the practice for a very long time(Dheerga Kaala), continuously without breaking the practise (Nairantarya) and engaging in the practice with love and respect (Satkaara Sevita).

The answer is to be a strict but loving mother to your own body. I remember as a child whenever I did not want to go to school and cooked up false tales, my mother would immediately catch my bluff and simply refuse to comply with my demands. At the same time, when I was genuinely down with fever or any other illness, she ensured that I took the well deserved rest.

Whenever I am injured badly or simply unwell and down, I restrict my practice to just a few Surya Namaskars (maybe 12?) and a few asanas that I can still do. Though I never take a break from Sudarshana Kriya! Be kind to yourself and at the same time be strict. Like our mothers to us. Be to your body!

AUM.....

A 108 Surya Namaskars

Surya Namaskar is a set of 12 (depending on which school of Yoga we belong to, it could be having different number of steps too) asanas performed in succession.

12 steps. Stand in front of the mat with feet around 2 inches apart
1. Namaskarasana - Inhale and Exhale. Exhale when you say the mantra - forearms should be perpendicular to the ground
2. Ardha Chandarasana - inhale - focus on the stability of the pose and keep stretching the hands towards the ceiling. Gently push the hips forward
3. Pada Hastasana - exhale - do your best here. Flexibility and depth comes with practise
4. Ashwa Sanchalasana - inhale - the knee of the non stretched leg should not cross the tip of the toes. Take care. The leg stretched out, ensure that the soles of the feet are looking at the ceiling. If you have stretched your right foot out, when coming back, bring the right foot back again in step 9. The next step change the sequence to left foot
5. Dandasana - HOLD the breath. Check me in the video. My entire body is one straight line.
6. Ashthanga Namaskara - exhale - only the 2 feet, the 2 knees, the chest, the chin and the 2 hands - totalling 8 parts of the body should touch the ground.
7. Bhujangasana - inhale - navel on the mat. elbows as close to the body as possible and shoulders as far away from the ears as possible. Don't attempt to straighten elbows if the above rules cannot be adhered to
8. Adho Mukha Shwanasana - exhale - check if the entire soles of both the feet can be flat on the mat. Check my posture in the video.
9. Ashwasanchalasana - inhale
10. Pada Hastasana - exhale
11. Ardha Chandrasana - inhale
12. Tadasana - exhale

The most amazing benefits of most asanas and Surya Namaskars in particular could be

1. Mind Body co-ordination
2. Aerobic activity
3. Amazing extent and range of stretches
4. Profound effect on the Asana practice of a Yogi

I will relate my own experiences with Surya Namaskars.

I started practising Surya Namaskars as just one more of the asanas in my sequence of asanas that I learnt from The Art of Living more than 10 years ago. I used to do 12 rounds everyday and the practise was intermittent. Somewhere around 6 years ago, I regularised the practice. Once the practise was regularised, the efforts to increase the counts of my practice from the daily 12 started taking place. Somewhere around 3 years ago I started to increase the number of counts that I was doing daily from 12 to 24 and then to 54 on a daily basis.

Then the BIG thing happened. In 2014 October when I was doing a Teachers Training Program in The Art of Living Ashram in Bangalore, we had to undergo some very deep cleansing processes which resulted in my developing a mild fever. A Russian Yoga teacher called Fil Dunsky took the initiative to make the entire batch of students to do a 108 rounds of Surya Namaskars. In spite of my illness, I did not want to let go of this awesome opportunity to do the 108 rounds, something I had never done till then. After pushing myself through the process in my unwell state, I was stunned that once I had completed the process, my fever was done with and I felt ill no more!

With this wonderful and healing experience with me, I took this home and started slowly practising to do a 108 Surya Namaskars in anticipation of a YOGATHON where participants do a 108 Surya Namaskars! Once the event was over, the feeling of goodness that I carried with me was so strong, that I never had the heart to either drop the practice or even move back to my regular 54 rounds. The greatest consequence of the practice has been that depth to which my regular asana practice has got to. The 108 SNs practice is like lighting up a flame in every muscle and joint of my body. This has deepened the extent and limits of my twists, my forward bends, my back bends and not the least my physical strength.

The daily practice of a huge number of SNs has a definitive effect on the body. It is for all of us to experience.

I am embedding a video link of my doing the Surya Namaskars. Have a look at it and do comment on the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYeujlpIaqc