Can pain be good?

Pain means you are doing it wrong. Now does it really?

I Continue enjoying Guruji... (the book), and keep on getting food for thought.  I am reading the interview to Brad Ramsey these days, and his relationship to pain is making me look at it in a different way:

"The pain is the beginning, a sign that the body and mind are waking up, things are moving"

Found that beautiful. But perhaps what I find even more interesting is this idea that we in the West see pain as a stop sign. He says

...Americans especially. In a lot of schools of yoga, if it hurts you are doing something wrong. And if you were a perfect physical and mental psecimen already, then I can see how that might be true" 

He is not however advocating going for the pain, but rather "When it hurts put your mind on God instead of your pain, whatever your concept of God..."

I remember listening to Richard Freeman on his Yoga Matrix and how he linked this to the Gita, how it is important to recognize the path we must travel.  When it comes to pain, I guess it comes to finding the edge, and working with it.  Yes we want to avoid injury, but we also want to avoid dullness.

It also relates to the gunas, or psychological states, if we want to be away from rajas (pushing too hard) and tamas (falling asleep), then we need to play with the edge to get to the satvic (or balanced state).  Then again, striving for balance could get us out of balance if we pursue it in an addictive way or anxiously.  It seriously requires a lot of balance!

What do you think?
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8 Reasons why you and me should stop complaining

I have noticed that it is a lot easier to relate from anger and criticism than being a hero and stopping the bad mouthing.  Point being I called a doctor on a Sunday, I had an emergency, she did not consider it an emergency and it made me really angry.  No, I was not dying, but I was not fine either.  The specifics are irrelevant, the point is that I noticed how quickly I went into judging and thinking awful things about this doctor.

Let me tell you, it took A LOT to stop the negative thinking and pray that she may be well instead.  How often do we do this? and why? I realize now we do it cause it is "easier",  people "relate better", it makes for "better elevator conversation".

But from the yogic point of view, and for general health, you and me should really stop it, here is why:

1-Santosha is the yogic principle of contentment.  It does not mean we do not act where the situation calls for it, but it means we commit to a positive attitude, to learn the lesson that comes our way, whatever form it might take.

2-When we talk positive even in the face of hardship we allow our internal hero to manifest:   Coming out with a phrase like: "I am happy", say, in a social situation, takes a lot more courage than we would think. It almost takes a hero, if you don't believe me try it. and if you try it, keep doing it, it might be good for it to spread.  Taking a stand of being positive produces alchemy, it is magic.

3-Ahimsha is the yogic principle of non-harming.  Complaining is usually directed at someone or other, or a group of "others".  This goes against the concept of non-harming, even if from the mental state.  Most advanced practitioners in yoga say that this (one of the mandates of the first two branches of yoga) is much harder than the poses, and I believe them.

4-It isn't cool.  Complaining can cause wrinkles and indigestion.  When I got angry at the doctor I frowned. I can only imagine how repeating this would not help the complexion. Coolness may not sound much like a yogi thing, but it is, yoga is all about equanimity, which I am coming to the conclusion is pretty much like "coolness".

5-Nobody likes to hear someone complaint.  Have you been on the receiving end?  have you felt that either you join in or you are uncomfortable? Next time you feel compelled, stop yourself instead and notice what happens inside, it is far more growth promoting, might lead to better meditation experiences, and who knows? even a happier life.

6-Complaining usually acts as a self fulfilling prophecy.  "Focus on what you want" say the sages, so when we are complaining we are actually sending a lot of energy into the things we do not want, oops!.  Who was it that said? "what you focus on expands".

7- We waste precious energy. Compare complaining to a leak, bursts of energy being lost in pointless, useless painful words.  Although obviously we might feel anger, it is better to "stay with the feeling", rather than put it out into the world of words, it is always advisable to deal with the internal sensations (which is the beginning of meditation), rather than provoke the snow ball effect of coming down into low negative energy territory.  The climb back up is very expensive.  Again this does not mean we become vegetables, we do act, but from a position of strength.

8-Kindness is my religion.  the Dali Lama said that, and I suspect that kindness goes beyond what we do and into what we think too.  Hard? Maybe, but doable.

Once at a seminar I was taught this technique by which we would wear rubber bands, and every time we caught ourselves complaining we would pull the rubber band to at least 2 inches and let it go, so that it would slap our wrist, and even hurt.  It is a great exercise!

How do you deal with complaining bursts?
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Backbend progress July 2010

Oh! the summer months, the sweating, the opening, the backbends!.

I am putting all focus on walking the hands in, and hoping that the rest will take care of itself.  Granted, it is probably not the best strategy, but it is the one I am trying right now.



And here are the drop-backs.  Dear Shiva, let me please drop back without the wall :-). Thank you




For previous months on this series, the link is here

How is your drop back coming along?
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Coming out of my shell s.l.o.w.l.y.: Kurmasana Video

I am delighted to read the accounts of very long term practitioners and their experiences with Pattabhi Jois through "Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois through the eyes of his students" which I am reading right now.   Today I realized how a specific story had touched me deeply. The interviewee is Nancy Gilgoff, and she is talking about a pose that was very difficult for her in the beginning (baddha konasana (a deep forward bend while you are sitting on the floor with both legs folded and soles of the feet touching)).  About the experience, she says:

" He [Jois] would take me down through the entire pose and my knees would go down on to the floor... and my mind would snap. The body was fine but my mind definitelly snapped... I saw it was my mind holding me down"

Can you relate?  I certainly can.  And for me, the monster has always been kurmasana.  The first time I was deeply adjusted in it I had an adrenaline rush go through my body so intensively that I almost fainted.  I had to come out and lay on the floor, for a while.  I guess that is the equivalent of my own "mind snapping"

This is why I am so glad to see how daily practice indeed brings one deeper, seeing this video has made me really happy, I can see how the work pays off, in the long run.  Very.  Loooooong.  Run

The pose has a long way to go, but at least the mind can stay quiet while in it, no more snapping.  I wonder in what other situations in life I might be able to remain calm if I can do this?


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Book Review: Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings, by A.G. Mohan

Krishnamacharya died on February 28th, 1989.  I first realized that he was the master behind my lineage (and pretty much any lineage around these days) in the early 2000s, so as much I as I would have wished to travel and meet him, I never had a chance.

This is why a book like Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings by A.G.Mohan is so valuable, so precious. Consider for example when Mohan attends his first lecture with him:
"... The subject of the lecture was ancient rituals, but Krishnamacharya linked the practices of yoga to the subject, I became spellbound, immersed in Kirshnamacharya's discourse and the power of his presence, as if I were sitting at the feet of an ancient sage".

And a sage he was.  Kirshnamacharya was, for what I gather in the book and by sheer force of the devotion of his direct students, a Guru's Guru.  I was impressed at how he would refuse students he did not consider serious.  

He used unconventional methods to test the level of truth behind the desire to learn from potential students, for example when once Mohan asked him what would he do if a wealthy student of dubious intentions came by asking for teachings and he replied he would, for example, ask for him to come back with the equivalent of, say, 5000 dollars, and if the student did bring it, then he would return the money, content in the knowing that the student was serious.

Krishnamacharya was fiercely and one pointedly committed to the spread of yoga, and he succeeded.  I almost felt he would wink to all people out there showing fancy poses, talking about yoga, discussing through blogs, propagating, advertising, letting yoga work its way into our collective imagination.  This, is the reason behind all his (and students) demonstrations of advanced asanas, even to people who could clearly not do them at once, or so he told Mohan, it was advertising.

However, when it came to actually teaching: "Taking into the account the structure of the body and the distortions in the body, one should do the appropriate asana. Only experts can guide the student..."

On the chapter of asana, his words about headstand are quite remarkable:  "Remember, headstand is not just an asana. It is classified as a mudra".... "He [Krishnamacharya] felt that the rate of breathing [in headstand] should slow down to as few as two breaths per minute, for a duration of at least tenty-four breaths"


When Mohan suggested buying a tape recorder to retain his teacher's words for posterity Krishnamacharya was actually all in favor.  This is why some of the quotes are so vivid, and this is a great asset which I as a student rejoice in.  Mohan still has these recordings and they are available for purchase in his website (although the links do not seem to work for me at the moment), here  with all proceeds going for the preservation of Vedic knowledge.

On the chapter of pranayama, kryias and yoga teraphy there is an excerpt of an interview where he discussed how stopping his pulse and heart beat"  "...All happened automatically... I did it by practicing pranayama, vishama vrtti, in nadishodana pranayama and meditation as well..."   Easy does it, you see?

I almost do not want to tell more for fear of spoiling it, but let me just for a moment take you to a room where the master is about to die, he is 100 years old, and Mohan asks him "What is most important in life?" among other things, he replies: Health, longevity, a tranquil mind.

I am very glad I read the book, and I think I will be re-reading it, this one of those rare "long term keepers"

RELATED POST: 
Krishnamacharya 8 Short Stories that Show What Kind of Person He Was
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8 Reasons why I chose to practice Ashtanga (and continue to do so)

I will never preach, or try to convince anyone of anything, but I can tell you "some" of the reasons why I came into Ashtanga. Why it has worked for me and how it continues to work.

Picture is from the wonderful yoga magazine Namarupa

1-Regularity and no mind

It is practiced every day, six times a week, (no Saturdays, and no full moon or new moon), no questions asked, no excuses. I liked this because it gave me a tremendous sense of discipline, and a focus for the day. There is also a great feeling in knowing that you have "accomplished something" and it is not even 9 AM.

2-I like to travel  

The practice is portable. Whenever I land anywhere, primary series is the first thing I do, and I don't need a teacher (unless I want to go to a studio).  Primary series re-aligns me, and helps in easing the jet-lag symptoms.

3-Weight release happens

The practice revealed to me how out of shape I was, quickly, and corrected it quickly.  Primary series helped me in releasing 30 pounds and becoming leaner within the first year of practice. As a friend puts it: it restored my body to its original blue print.  

4-More than a workout

The Primary series shattered the belief I had that yoga was: “easy and calm” and "not really a workout". Really? with a fixed set of over 30 poses and no no way to just “skip” some, and at a minimum of 1.5 hours practice daily there was nothing easy or calm about it. The system is determined. We surrender, practice, and learn about patience and discipline.

5-It is not just a pretty face

This one is a confession. When I started practicing I wanted to look good, and I noticed that most of the people (about 90%) who practice the poses of ashtanga look really good. Their bodies seem evenly proportioned, their muscles toned but nothing stands out in a grotesque way, it is all very elegant.

However, regular practice revealed to me a much deeper sense of what yoga means, not just physically but also mentally, and spiritually.

6-Guaranteed

"Do your practice and all is coming" said Pattabhi Jois, and is true.  It is a proven system, ask anyone who has been practicing it for over a few years and you will see how much they love it, and how their lives have been transformed, most likely for the better.

7-It's a challenge

The series (6 in total so far) increase in difficulty. Pattabi Jois is known to have told students that the primary is the most important, the other ones are good, but the first one is the most important one.

The primary series is called Yoga Cicitsa, and it means the yoga of purification. It is a good place to start.   The journey overall is so long-six series!- that surrendering to the life-long process becomes a given.

A street in Mysore near the Shala

8-You go down the rabbit hole

At some point it happens, maybe we visit Mysore or maybe we come across a very good teacher that encourages scripture reading, and we read the yoga sutras, or the Gita, or the Upanishads, and all of a sudden we find ourselves in a whole new world, where the possibilities opened by yoga go far deeper than we ever dreamed of.


Coincidences start to happen, we begin to be in the right place at the right time, life becomes a thread of well-being, and we find ourselves on the path to peace and happiness, curious about all limbs (branches of yoga) and deeply immersed in a practice of health and abundance.

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9 Reasons why Vippassana is the most effective meditation teaching tool today

You may have heard of Vipassana meditation.  Vipassana means 'to see things as they are', and their centers around the world provide a space and a proper setting for students to come in and experience things: just as they are.  The first for anyone is a 10-day course, and it is very rigorous, as in: complete silence; internal focus (no looking around);  two meals and a very light dinner (for new students); men and women separated; no reading writting or asana practice.  But the rewards from such 10 days are of great value.

Many ashtanga teachers recognize the value of Vipassana, recently fellow blogger Bindy posted about her commitment and desire to return to a course as an old student (old students are those who have completed a first 10 day course), and Kinno MacGregor talks about it in the courses in her audio casts.  I have tried other methods but find that Vipassana is the most effective and adequate to practice together with a daily asana practice.

Yoga teachers tend to focus on just asana, or maybe asana and pranayama (poses and breathing exercises), leaving everyone else to figure out where to go for meditation instruction, here are the 9 reasons why I think Vipassana is the place to go, as always, do your own research and come to your own conclusions:

1-It is based on direct instructions from the Buddha
This is what Vipassana teachers claim.  When I asked John Campbell about this he was not so quick to say, there are many currents of thoughts and the reality is that we cannot say with certainty that indeed this is how the Buddha taught.  However, I have to say that the lack of fluff (see point two), makes me wonder and adds validity to the claim.

2-There is no fluff
There is no mantra, japa, breathing techniques or anything involved, the total focus is on concentration.  The third upper limbs of yoga are concentration, meditation and samadhi (enlightenment).  Vipassana aims towards exactly that, the course starts with three days of just breathing and focusing on the tip of the nose.  This may sound like a long time but it is not when you realize how difficult it is to just sit and pay attention to the inflow of air. It is an enormous task.  I equate this to an attempt at concentration.  Even if all you get is knowledge of how difficult it is to concentrate that is in itself very valuable.  The course then goes on to more advanced techniques directed at leading students towards actual meditations, or rather "setting the conditions for it", as meditation itself is not something we "do" but rather something that "happens to us" when certain conditions are met.

3-Meditation and very basic body needs are the only activities allowed
A very funny friend of mine described what happens at a Vipassana retreat in four steps -you eat, -you sleep, -you poo, -you meditate.  That's it! nothing else.  The focus and space created by the amazing volunteers that provide service is very effective.  People are even advised to bring enough clothes so that laundry can be minimized and the focus completely directed towards meditation.  All cell phones, books and papers are surrendered at the beginning of the course, hence limiting distractions.

4-Men and women are separated
In the meditation hall men sit on the right and women on the left (from the point of view of the teacher), and they never mingle, dorms as well as dinning halls are separated.  This allows for all the sexual tension to vanish.  And there is a lot that we hold on to whenever we know that we will be interacting with the opposite sex.  Being free from these details allows even more space.  I am not sure how this works for people who are gay, I suppose it would be interesting to hear what their thoughts are.

5-Food is good, but not great
Food is served after morning meditation and at noon, and it is healthy and tasty, but not great.  One of the administrators of the course I was in told me that it was so that students would be nurtured but would not get attached to the food.  She also said that the people doing service need to check on their own agendas if they felt like making food more "tasty" to if they would be trying to "please" or "get attention from the practitioners".  I thought that this was a very good point, a thoughtful one.  Old students are not allowed to have dinner, other than tea with no sugar or milk. Dinner for first time students is very light, and this ends up helping with meditation.

6-It takes about 3 days for any mind to begin to quiet down
I was surprised to hear that after day 3 things would change.  For the first three days we worked very hard on concentration, just on the  way the air comes in and out of the nostrils.  Then things get a little deeper, and more interesting.  Of course "interesting" is probably not the best word, as we are trying to get away from "interesting" or "curious" and into the silence, and allowing the right conditions for meditation to happen.

Other students in my course had amazing realizations. One girl I talked to on the dinner hall at the end of the course mentioned that she saw herself disappear and merge with the rest.  I wish I had such experiences, but I did not.   These are not ideas we should get attached to, but I suppose it made me realize the power of the course if followed properly, with right attitude and dedication.

7-The lectures increase in depth as the days go by
The lectures at the end of each day feel like pearls of wisdom, they help in going deeper and in detaching from the whole practice.  Mr S.N. Goenka delivers these teachings in each and every retreat thought video.  Videos are also available in a few other languages other than English.  I had never ever heard a meditation teacher go as deep as he goes in the teachings, in the exact instructions nor did I ever felt them resonate so truthfully within me.  I will not go into the details as I believe anyone interested should attend a course and hear them first hand.

8-It is free

Well, not really, at the end of a course there is a suggested donation and a speech that goes with it so people are educated on how much it cost to maintain a center, which is not cheap.  I believe that effective teachers should always be paid for their services, because they are adding value to others, and the amount we pay reflects how much we care and appreciate the instructions.  Nevertheless, nobody is turned down from a course and their marketing line on this is that they do not charge because spreading the truth should be free.  I think this is a wonderful opportunity for any person truly interested in meditation to take advantage of.

9-It has a "maintenance" program

After leaving the course people are instructed on how to maintain their practice.  This might be sometimes not possible depending on the stage of life/yoga one is at, for example, for a married couple with children it could potentially be difficult to up-keep an hour meditation routine both in the morning and in the afternoon, but for those who can it certainly leaves them with the tools and the preparation to continue the practice.

Here is their main website.

picture from here

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Very much liked the book "The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America", here is why

I just finished reading Stefanie Syman's The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America and found it fascinating, especially the part where I am in the book.   OK, maybe I am not literally in the book per say, but (spoiler warning) the text ends the day after the NYC memorial for Guruji in 2009, with a yogi (herself) climbing the stairs towards the pink glowing studio where Eddie teaches, and where I practiced on that exact day.  It made me feel as much a part of the history of yoga as the author, or as you who are reading this right now.

Although very much steering me away from the 99% practice and 1% theory premisse I found myself wondering about each of the yoga teachers/indian gurus depicted, their lives, how human they all were and how yoga, slowly at times and fast at others, caught on with a passion within our fiery imagination.  Perhaps I allowed myself to wonder into gossip territory, feeling the sensations of being in the shoes of an Indra Devi, or one of the Beattles while at yoga teacher training in an Indian ashram.

Highlights for me were the outset going back to Henry David Thoreau.  I can see the fundamentals of a yogi life in him after reading Walden, learning that he translated Sanskrit sacred text, and, in Stefanie's words:


     ... The more I returned to the sources of Thoreau's yoga, the more convinced I became that Thoreau was in fact practicing yoga as he understood it...

The tour through the major figures of yoga in America is a delight to read.  A recount of Vivekandanda (refusing to teach asana and exalting the religious side of yoga), in contrast to Indra Devi (who trained with Krishnamacharya just like Iyengar and Patthabi Jois) and who:

     "...Taught a form of yoga that was intensely physical and made purifying your body the necessary first stage of spiritual training"

I laugh at myself when I realize that the questions I think are so originally mine are not new at all.  For over a century there has been a lot of debate around them. What is the best way for yoga to reach us as westerners, what can help us? is there a way for us towards liberation? or do we just compromise at getting our workout done.  Then again, is a century or so really that long when it comes to us coming to terms with a so-claimed 5000 years old philosophy?

The intriguing story of Theos Bernard gets its own chapter (and by the way there is a whole book about him "The Great Oom"), as does the daughter of former president Woodrow, Margaret, whom I have come to associate in my mind with the Eat, Pray and Love of last century.

And then there is David and Shanon (of the rock'n'roll school of yoga: Jivamukti), quite charming the paralel between the Shakti energetic female strength of Bernard's (somewhat secret) wife Blanche and Shanon.

Wealth  does not get its own chapter but maybe it should cause it plays an enormous part, and speaking of parts, Sunset Boulevard comes in front of, but yet in as big letters as the"Psychedelic Sages" (Ram Das and all that Harvard acid jazz). Guruji and Iyengar do not get their own chapters but I feel a deep respect and admiration for them in the author's tone.

A surprise was her account of Bikram who is one of those teachers I have a hard time making sense of.  But in the context in which he appears here it makes so much sense. He is an important piece in us receiving yoga into our hearts even if through perspiration, I almost feel greatful. You and I enter in the last chapter, "The New Penitents", oh yeah!.


The one thing that left me thinking and re-thinking was a particular sentence right at the beginning (location 1707-17 in the kindle) of the book:

"Lineage, far more than scriptures or even locale, is the biggest determinate of what yoga is."

I feel yoga come alive when I read this, I feel how the story is still being written, how we are a part of it, how weather we become enlightened or not is not even in question but that we try, that we explore, that we make it our own and then surrender to what it really is, or at least in the meantime, what we make it to be.

The website "Slate" has an article today by Claire Dederer called Why Americans Love Yoga, with an in-depth review of the book.

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9 Ways in which shala practice is worth every penny

Recently I wrote about the 9 ways in which home practice can be fun, which of course led me to think about how the shala, or studio practice might be good in its own way.  Here are the 9 reasons why I find going to the studio is so valuable:


Peer pressure
Just being among people has this tremendous effect whereby you want to do things better.  It works in sports and in high school, and  wherever your priorities are. If you want better asana, then watching people who are more advance provides an incentive.   For example, I though I would never be able to put my hands flat on the floor in Bhuja Pidasana, but after watching a peer learn it and do it, for some reason it just happened. Isn't that curious?

Sometimes just watching someone else provides visual cues that are very difficult to put into words, we "feel" how the energy is directed, we "sense" how the weight is being distributed, we can "perceive directly" how the balance is elegantly achieved.  Then these visual cues do wonders to our own practices.

Momentum
Recently I looked up the definition of momentum in Wikipedia and it is so technical (math formulas and all)  I began to wonder whether I am using the word properly. In my mind momentum means that discipline and agility you only achieve when you have been doing something for a while, when you feel "greased up" so to speak, "flowing" as it were, "connected"...  I find that the shala gives me this.

Commitment
I find that when I pay for something I normally want something in return, so paying for a monthly membership  is a great incentive to go deeper, explore yoga further, and make the most out of the experience.

Sharing the laughter and pain
Sometimes the silence of a class is broken by a person who cryes out for help. Recently a friend of mine celebrated getting in a very advanced asana, she told the class that she had been trying for years, and she meant it, you could feel it in her voice. Sharing the victories and the pain makes us more aware of the common thread of our humanity, it humbles us and makes us happy.

Adjustments
When the teacher is good the adjustments feel like pearls of wisdom.  I realize a lot of people do not like to be touched, and I understand that, it is personal, but I have discovered that as I get deeper into asana I crave an understanding of the full energetic line-up of each pose, and having an adjustment helps not only with the body positioning but also with the direction in which the energy flows. For example, how was I ever to discover that in dropping back the action is really in sending the hips forward?.

Learning about the other limbs
All the other limbs of yoga were revealed to me through other students or through teachers, who led to the reading of scriptures, workshops, seminars etc.  The other limbs sort of happen to come into context in group settings.  I have began to suspect that we really "get" the other limbs in community, in relation to "others".

Inspiration
It is by going to a class that we might hear a remark, a comment about an asana, a line from the yoga sutras, something that a good teacher said once, or something funny about the practice.  I find that these little one liners or remarks give new meaning to the routine of everyday practice, they keep me inspired, and make me want to come back to the mat, and to the group.

Community
I have met a lot of people through yoga and made life long friendships, and I find that these friends are very worth keeping.

Humbling effect
There will always be another person who is "better" in our eyes, no matter how advanced, no matter how deep we go.  We are humans, and becoming humble is part of the yoga experience. After all, renouncing or destroying the ego is no easy feast, it would be much harder to accomplish as a loner.  The group experience has a great humbling effect, it reminds us that we are human, that we have limitations and that we need to keep it real.

I am lucky to be able to split practice between home and the shala, what is your ratio?

Picture was taken at the Yoga Thailand shala in Ko Samui during TT in February of 09
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Yoga for beginners: 7 DVDs to start practicing with

My road into yoga started by a detour while I was looking for peace, at first and once upon a time I would just listen to the cable channel that had new age music because it calmed me down, then I discovered yoga  dvds (back then through vhs) at the NY Public Library.  The peace I found in a dvd like "Yoga for Meditation" for example (see below), centered me and led me to more challenging ones.  Here is a list of the ones I still like to watch once in a while and that got me started on the path to deeper asana:

A.M. and P.M. Yoga - Yee/Walden:

When I first started practicing yoga I used to love the amazing focus obtained by doing the morning practice that Yee leads in this dvd, and relax to the short practice that Patricia Walden offers by night.  I was surprised that the night practice includes back bending but judging by the results and the fact that I am still practicing yoga it must have worked.

Relaxation and breathing for meditation

This is my favorite dvd on yoga.  Rodney Yee uses wonderful imagery to open the body and lead it into a state of meditation.  I still play it once in a while when I want to soothe myself.

Ashtanga Yoga: The Primary Series

Richard is in my eyes the most advanced, yet humble, most accurate yet detached yoga teacher that the United States ever had.  A treasure to learn to, he has a wonderful way to his wording and way of teaching the sequence.  He is a poet as well as an ashtangi and provides detailed metaphors that lead to precise alignment.

Yoga for Beginners

Patricia Walden is one of the most respected senior Iyengar teachers in the US, and it shows.  This DVD has been recommended to me, although I admit I have not watched it or practiced to it, I do add her to the list because she is a very effective communicator.

Yoga for flexibility (Beginner's practice)

This dvd was part of my repertoire when I got started and I was fascinated by the backbending sequence in it. Patricia goes into much detail to get us into the brige pose with right alignment.  It is a bit of a challenge, but very worth the practice.

Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series DVD, Mark Darby

I have written before about Darby's DVD and it continues to be my first recommendation for those who want to learn the primary series.  I particularly love that Nicole does variations for the most challenging asanas providing a clear relief for beginners.  It also has a French version, which is amazing considering not many dvds are available on the subject in other languages.

Bryan Kest Power Yoga

Bryan Kest has three levels of practice in this dvd and they are more and more challenging as you go along.  They guarantee a good sweat and a fantastic savasana.  I liked that he actually leads a class and you see students of all levels going through his sequences.

What did you start practicing to?

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Backbend/Drop Back progress June 2010

I feel the backbends are getting better in the sense that I am now able to bring the hands closer.

The other side of the coin though is that as the hands walk in the legs tend to get more bended.  I am trying to straighten and even use a trick from Richard Freeman on the second one (going on tip toes), but the whole thing is rather painful.  So I am giving it time, that is all it needs, time and practice, practice, practice



As per the drobacks, they are what they are, and I am quite content, exercising my santosha (contentment as per the yoga sutras)



Here is the May edition of the dropbacks, and the backbends is here. All previous are here
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10 Lame excuses that keep perfectly good people away from yoga

Have you ever heard someone tell you that they would love to do yoga-asana, but... (Fill in the blank)?

Recently a friend asked me to come up with common excuses that prevent perfectly capable human beings from getting to the front of the mat.  At first I did not want to, but when I began to write I found an almost evil pleasure in them. Here are the ones I have heard most often,  and by the way, forgive my attitude, I feel passionate about this subject.

1- I do not know the poses

When my uncle (who is now 60 years old) was scheduled for his first day of elementary school, my grandmother says she found him hiding under the bed all scared because he did not know how to read or write. Cute. When we were 6.

2-I am not fit enough
Really? and who is? do you know anyone in your immediate environment that declares without joking:
I am fit enough!,   or:   Look how fit I am! Neither do I.

3-  I do not want to take my shirt off
Nobody has to take anything off.  There are no rules other than being dressed up, although I have to say this whole thing on naked yoga is scaring me, so avoid them in the beginning if you can.

4-  I am not flexible
Only mind flexibility is required. The body is just a reflection of it.

5-  I do not want to chant
No need.  most classes keep it at only Om in the beginning.  Ashtanga has a whole chant. There is no chanting police that I know of, and noticing your feelings around others who are chanting is a great exercise in meditation.  Does that make you feel edgy? uncomfortable? non-serious? embarrassed? great notice!, and you should know, nobody really cares.

6-  I want a real workout

Oh boy, do I love this one!  Believe you me, try doing only the standing sequence of the primary series, just put on Darby's DVD and go along.  Then let us talk. Comment about it if you dare... hee hee

7-Will there be group hugs? will I join a cult?
No such thing.  But do your research and if your local place seems cult-like just go to another class.  Working on your boundaries and ability to say "no" when needed is also a great exercise.

8-  I don't have the money
Yoga can be practiced at home with a dvd that costs no more than 20 dollars or so. Classes of course are a great way to get corrections and inspiration and, if possible, always recommended. NYC features the 10 dollar class, and there is a "yoga by donation" initiative in many major cities.  Online classes are popping up everywhere with fantastic deals, if you find a good place let me know.

9- I have no time
There are short classes everywhere, especially in gyms, or local clubs.  You can also leave classes earlier, although teachers tend not to like that, but you can make an arrangement.  People in the yoga world understand, they are approachable.  If you do happen to leave a class early always remember to do savasana (corpse/relaxation pose) before re-entering normal paced life, your nervous system will thank you with extra years of life.

10- It will take years for me to do any of those impressive asanas
Maybe, maybe not.  There are a few really cool looking asanas that can be mastered rather quickly, for example: the head stand (see here for 8 tips on how I learned it).  I know! it looks difficult, but it is not, and pretty much every class includes an attempt, so you will build up fast and impress the yogi out of all your friends.

So those are the ones I hear more often, what have you heard? what is your excuse?

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Let me ask you a question

If for a minute we really believe in what physicists and women/men of God are telling us these days:  that all we see/perceive are just nerve impulses in our brains, that there is nothing "out there", then...could it possible be that all those things people say about the intermediate series (see some bellow) actually conspire to create a cahotic life around the practitioner?


I mean, could it be that just the mere action of starting a series that I know will cleanse my nervous system (by disrupting it first, big time!), is conspiring in co creating around me a life that seems well, a bit disrupted?  or are these events complete uncorrelated and myself going mad?

What do people say about the intermediate series?

1. Going as close as my yesterday's post Ahu's comment (who by the way inspired this one) talks about getting "edgy", more "emotional"
2. My friend Eduardo whom I met in Mysore went as far as comparing the intermediate series to a washing machine that turns and churns your spine, so in so many words you will experience something close to hell (I am paraphrasing, he probably used dirtier words and spoke Spanish)
3. People tell me they cry and release
4. They stop eating
5. Get really teary
6. Fellow yogi Skippetty has documented her ordeal through part of second
7. Your turn

Now that I think about it, all the time while I embarked on the Primary Series project (which is still in progress of course), it being the series of purification, my life got "purified".  For example: I released a home I could not care for, weight, old habits, and learned about new habits that cleansed my body and my life.  My library now contains only books I love.  I got a lot more conscious of my spending, I became, dare I say: "more efficient"!  and "clean"

Could it be then that as I enter the intermediate series I am firing new brain nerves which in turn are co-creating the supposedly expected reality?

What do you think?

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Three more poses

I am now practicing Krounchasana, Shalabhasana A and B, in addition to Pashasana.  John led me through the vinyasas and adjusted me, he touched my shoulders so I would relax them (will I ever learn?), and pointed my feet in the Shalabhasanas.

I will have to look at some videos for Krounchasana, as I understand flying in from the downward dog into the position where one leg is facing front and the other one is folded, but I am having trouble visualizing how will the extended leg fly into being right up in the air?

Picture from here, the yogi is Richard Freeman in Krounchasana.

The practice is changing dramatically and so is life for me.  So many changes are taking place sometimes I feel disoriented.  New poses bring in new insights and I trust they are coming to me right now to provide better understanding.

Also, I feel that the intermediate series being the nerve cleansing one, as I get deeper into it, will probably bring up "issues in the tissues" that will need to be inspected.  Hope it also gives me the deeper meaning and tools to work through whatever may "come out of those gates" in real life, meaning off the matt.  I could certainly use all the insight I can get these days.

Are you learning new things? going through changes these days?
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