inner power yoga

When I was asked to write a blog about Yin yoga, I wanted more than anything to shed some light on this lovely practice.  I could probably write several pages on the what, how, and why of Yin yoga, however writing a book is very different than writing a blog!  The intention for this blog is to share how Yin yoga balances our more active practices, and how it benefits other aspects of our lives.

I would like to take a moment to touch on Vinyasa yoga, which is probably what most of us have heard about or practice presently.  In a Vinyasa class students move through a flowing sequence of asanas, or postures, that connect the breath to movements, while building heat in the body.  This type of practice is loved by the muscles!  The muscles respond to the repetitive movements found in a Vinyasa class, which allows them to be stretched and strengthened.

Yin yoga beautifully complements our more active (Vinyasa) yoga practice and our active lifestyles because it is a more cooling practice.  When we have too much of one thing, we naturally become imbalanced.  One of the goals of yoga is to move towards balance, creating harmony in our bodies and system as a whole. Think of those days that are jam packed with things to do, full of running around and a ton of stimulation.  Those days can leave us feeling drained and depleted.  On the flip side, when we have those days where we are relaxing and sitting all day, we may feel the urge to do something, anything that moves us.  That is why balance in our yoga practice and our lives is so important in restoring our body, mind, and spirit.

Yin yoga is yoga for the joints and deeper connective tissues.   Postures are held anywhere from 1-5 minutes to allow time to reach these deeper areas, releasing tension and stress.  The postures in a yin class mostly target the hips, pelvis, and low back.  This practice is passive yet intense as we are opening deeper areas of the body to promote healing.

When our joints and deeper connective tissues are strengthened and nourished through a Yin practice, we receive greater range of motion in these areas, which also encourages these areas to stay healthy and happy.  As we hold certain postures for some time, areas even deep into the organ system are reached.  Whatever is in excess (tension), releases out, and whatever is lacking (weak), is nourished.  As we get older our bodies start drying up!  The thought of that is an interesting one; however, it is true…especially for our joints and our bones. Practicing Yin encourages these areas to stay healthy, which in the long run will increase their vitality.

The nature of the practice creates a strong inner focus, allowing us to become fully in tune with ourselves and our own rhythms. It empowers us to fully inhabit our bodies no matter how we may be feeling or what we may be dealing with.  This not only supports us on our mats, it also trickles out into our daily lives.

What’s next?  Come to class, roll out your mats, and see how this practice can be a delightful complement to your daily lives!  Class is held every Monday and Wednesday evening at 7:45 pm.

Warm Regards,

Coleen

If you’ve been to a class at IPY, you’ve invariably heard the instruction, “lead with the heart, lift the heart, open the heart.” Why do we say these things so much? The answer is simple, the reasons are many. It’s just good for your heart to do so. When you practice yoga, a number of things occur within our five koshas (coverings of the true self which range from the outer Anna-maya kosha, which represents the physical layer, to the innermost Ananda-maya kosha, where the soul resides) when we expand through the chest.

Reasons why:

1. Vinyasa flow consists of spine lengthening, side and back bending, inversions and rest (a favorite – Savasana!); all of which help to control and prevent heart disease. Spine lengthening asanas promote good posture and reduce compression on the heart and lungs. Side bending asanas open energy channels of the liver, gallbladder and heart to remove energetic blockages. Upper back bending asanas improve heart function and respiration. Inversions allow the heart to rest and improve blood circulation (note: contraindicated with un-medicated high blood pressure – check with your doctor). Savasana is deeply restorative and has been shown to reduce high blood pressure.
2. Your capacity to breathe fully into the lungs increases as you practice Ujjayi pranayama (or breathing). Ujjayi breathing is conducted through the nostrils with the throat constricted; which emanates an ocean-like sound as you inhale and exhale. We teach this form of breathing in all of our classes.
3. When you bring awareness to your breath, your the heart rate slows and becomes regulated. Your breath also influences the rhythm of the heart through inner connections in the central nervous system. This results in more oxygenated blood flow and feelings of calm and well-being.
4. Asana (physical) and pranayama practice have been found to reduce stress hormones.

Energetically speaking, the heart chakra (the fourth of our seven chakras) represents compassion, selfless love and devotion. An unbalanced heart chakra results in despair, jealousy, abandonment, isolation and lack of empathy for us and others. When we work to bring this energy center into balance, we can let go of these feelings and enjoy emotional empowerment. We also feel the welcome embrace of prayer and cultivate more awareness towards the higher powers of the universe; which invite a sense of hope, more open connections with others and increased compassion.

As if the above are not reason enough to come to your mat, add meditation to the mix! Meditation is known for its ability to also calm the mind and limit stress by reducing heart-harmful emotions such as anxiety, hostility and hopelessness. Studies show that a daily meditation practice can also reduce the amount of fatty deposits in your arteries, as well as lower blood pressure.

So the next time you are asked to “lead with the heart, lift the heart, open the heart” know that all of these benefits and more await you!

Namaste,

Jessica

Friend and fellow blogger Julia Kalish of Double Dog Yoga recently posted a great piece on the common and challenging pose chaturanga dandasana. Check it out here.

Julia has photos of how the pose should look if done properly and common mistakes, as well as a succinct, easy-to-follow description of how to do the pose.

I would like to add that it is important to support chaturanga dandasana from your back (the lats specifically) and your core and not just from your upper front body (the pectorals, etc.). If you’re relying only on your pectorals and triceps to support you, you most likely don’t look like the first picture on Julia’s post and you could be putting your rotator cuffs at risk.

Thanks Julia for the great information!

most of us, yogis, have our favorite asanas, and we also have those that are difficult, challenging and uncomfortable. let’s just call them “second favorite” poses. for me, those were backbends, any and all kinds.

early on, I tried to avoid them at all cost, which was not too difficult since my personal practice was Ashtanga, and there are not too many backbends in the primary series. but then came second series with all kinds of goodies, and I had to make peace and befriend all those great postures. it has taken me a while, and I am still working on it, but now I absolutely love backbends, any and all kinds. I still can’t say I feel comfortable a moment before kapotasana, but I look forward to practicing them.

I have had students over the years who have been able to do many advanced backbending postures at ease and don’t understand what the hoopla is about, because they are naturally bendy. it’s no big deal for them to get to their ankles in kapotasana or walk their hands up on the calves from urdhva dhanurasana…oh, the lucky ones! we, as normal not bendy people, still like them. but I, along with many others, appreciate those poses so much more, because I had to work hard to get to where I am today.

I will be teaching a backbending workshop on 4/18 at DMY (for details, please see www.dancingmindyoga.com; ). this workshop will be suitable for those who are in the process of learning to love backbends, and also for those who are naturally bendy as I will be offering more advanced variations as well. my goal is to help deepen the experience and take out the fear of practicing backbends. if you have any questions, please send me a note!

Shoulderstand (salamba sarvangasana) is a wonderful pose: it can be light and energetic — as if you’re reaching for the ceiling; it strengthens your back and core; and since it’s an inversion, it’s good for your circulatory and lymphatic systems. But, if you already have neck pain, or if your neck and shoulders are tight, practicing shoulderstand can be unpleasant or worse, aggravating your issues and causing serious injury to your neck.

Enter the shoulderstand platform.

The shoulderstand platform is a dense foam “block”, covered with corduroy, that lifts your shoulders and arms up away from the floor by about 2 inches. The extra height reduces the angle on your neck: in a full shoulderstand without the platform, your neck needs to bend at a 90 degree angle, with the platform your neck and body make something more like a 120 degree angle. When your shoulders and arms are on the platform and your head is on the floor, your neck is completely free. C7, the vertebra that sticks out at the base of your neck, and the rest of your vertebrae are not pressing into the floor potentially causing strain to your neck.

In some forms of yoga, two or more blankets (and a sticky mat) are used underneath a student’s shoulders and arms to support shoulderstand. Superficially, practicing this way provides the same benefits as the platform — your neck is free and at a greater angle from your body than when the pose is unsupported. However, the blankets tend to give underneath your weight so that you don’t have the ability to press strongly into your shoulders and arms to lift up into the pose. The firm, dense foam of the shoulderstand platform provides a stable base that allows you to press down and lift into the pose as if you were practicing without props, while still providing the extra space for your neck.

In my own practice, I’ve been using the shoulderstand platform for a few months now, particularly when I want to hold the pose for more than a few breaths. The platform is appropriate for all students and is recommended for anyone who cannot stack their shoulders, hips and ankles while creating space between your shoulder blades in the pose.

Recently, several of my students tried out my shoulderstand platform. Every student that tried it was pleased with how much easier the shoulderstand was with the platform and how much better it felt. One student even went so far as to say that it made the pose “1,000 times better”!

If you want your very own platform, you can purchase them locally at Health Advantage Yoga Center in Herndon, or you can order them online from Yogaware (listed simply as “platforms”).

I like to set mine up by wrapping a sticky mat around it to hold my arms/elbows together (the thin ones work better than the thick Manduka mats) and then placing a single blanket folded in half lengthwise at one end so that it makes a T with the platform. My hips go on the folded blanket (“the launching pad”) and my shoulders come about an inch from the opposite edge of platform.

No matter how you set up for the pose, once you come into shoulderstand, no part of your neck should be on the platform (or the floor). If you feel the platform, come down and move closer to the edge, so that your neck can be free.

If you have serious structural issues with your neck (e.g., bulging or degenerated discs), if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, or your doctor or your regular yoga teacher has advised against inversions generally or shoulderstand specifically, please do not practice shoulderstand with or without a platform.

Several students in my Wednesday evening class requested that I post the references for the class and the “spiral sutra”. (For the rest of my students, do not worry, I’m planning similar classes for Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. )

The source material came primarily from Doug Keller’s Yoga Therapy book. The book is pretty intense though, so I don’t recommend it for casual readers.

If you’re interested, but not quite ready to tackle the therapy book, similar material on the feet/arches, knees and hips can be found in Doug’s Yoga+ therapy articles, which he also posts on his website.

Over the last 10 years or so I’ve noticed a shift in yoga classes towards emphasizing the “core”. I’ve seen this both in the inclusion of specific abdominal exercises as well as more frequent mention of how the core works in more traditional yoga poses.

However, often in faster-paced vinyasa classes like Ursula and I teach, there is not time to discuss the core in detail, possibly leaving students with misconceptions and confusion. So, today I’d like to take a bit of time to remedy that.

First, it is important to know that your core is composed of the abdominal muscles and the muscles of the lower back, hips and buttocks. Together these muscles support your spine and keep you stable and balanced.

A strong core can make it easier to stand or sit and can allow you to perform more dynamic activity such as running, jumping or perhaps balancing on a slippery surface.

Weak core muscles lead to poor posture, particularly over-arching in your low back. In most people the postural imbalances are small, so that when you are young you don’t usually notice the strain placed on your spine. However, as you age (starting as early as your late 20s or early 30s), the strain caused by weak core muscles becomes more noticeable and can lead to low back pain, loss of mobility and decreased ability to maintain balance. Many problems of old age can be traced to weak core muscles.

Beyond allowing you to maintain a natural curve in your spine in all yoga poses, a strong core allows you to properly practice chaturanga (low plank/low push-up), inversions, arm balances and backbends. Many of the intermediate and advanced poses are simply not accessible with a weak core.

So, how do you strengthen your core? I have two favorite exercises that I will describe below and then a simple sequence that can be practiced in less than 15 minutes.

Half Plank

This pose is most effective if done in front of a mirror. Especially if you are new to the practice, it is difficult to know if your body is properly aligned without being able to visually check. If your body is not in the right position, you will not work your core muscles properly.

1. Begin on your hands and knees and then come down to rest on your forearms, making sure that your elbows are directly underneath your shoulders. Sink your spine down between your shoulder blades so that you are not pushing your upper back away from the floor.
2. Extend your legs out behind you a comfortable distance, curling your toes under. Extend your tailbone down towards your heels, lengthening your spine. Lift the weight of your torso with your thighs and abdomen so that your entire body from your shoulders to your heels is one straight line — like a plank.
3. Hold this pose without lifting your buttocks, bending at your hips, or sinking your belly to the floor. Begin by holding for a count of 10-15 and work up to a minute or more.

Curl-ups

Throughout the exercise it is important that your neck and shoulders as well as your thighs and hip flexors (the muscles at the crease of your hips and thighs) remain relaxed and as disengaged as possible. Hardening these muscles will cause you to perform the movements incorrectly.

Beginners or students who have trouble relaxing their thighs and hip-flexors should practice curl-ups with the soles of their feet at a wall such that their shins and thighs make a 90 degree angle (shins parallel to the floor). This contracts the hip-flexors making it more difficult to use these muscles to perform the movement.

1. Place the soles of your feet on the floor, bending your knees comfortably. Try to relax your hips and thighs.
2. Bring your hands, face-in, to either side of your hips/thighs.
3. Extend your arms as you roll your head, shoulders and shoulder blades up off the floor, leaving your mid-back, lower back and hips on the floor. Relax your neck and shoulders! If you have a mirror, check to make sure that your back is rounded.
4. Hold the pose for a 5 to 8 breaths. Then roll down coming back to the floor.

In class I typically have students do two curl-ups to the center, two to each side (with both arms to the outside of the legs), one back in the center and then add variations extending the legs. If you extend your legs in this pose it is important to make sure that your heels are 1-2″ off the ground so that your hip flexors are not engaged.

A Simple Core Sequence

Here’s a short sequence of exercises that you can perform a few times a week to strengthen your core.

1. Cat/Dog Tilts – From your hands and knees round your back up towards the ceiling and drop your spine to the floor a few times. This will warm up your spine and core muscles.
2. Half Plank – Come into half plank as described above and hold until you are tired, but can still maintain the proper position. Rest for a few moments on your belly and then repeat.
3. [optional] Salabhasana (Locust) – Come into locust pose and hold anywhere from 10 seconds to 30 seconds. Although I did not discuss this pose in today’s post, this pose helps to strengthen the core muscles in the back.
4. Balasana (Child’s Pose) – Rest in child’s pose for a moment.
5. Curl-ups – Perform a few curl-ups according to your ability. Remember that it is important to tire your abdominal muscles but only to the point that you can still perform the exercise correctly. Be honest with yourself and stop when you begin “cheating”.
6. Stretching – Bring your arms over your head and extend your legs (as long as it is comfortable to do so). Lengthen your entire body. Lengthen through your right side. Lengthen through your left side. Lengthen your entire body again.
7. Lunges – Roll to your side and come up and perform one or more lunges on each side to stretch your lower front body.