Go for the Bananas
If aliens were to land on Earth and come across an apple and a banana, they would probably be amazed to discover that both are classified as “fruit.” Yoga, like fruit, comes in a vast assortment of varieties and styles.
Yesterday, I read an article in the Boston Globe entitled “How to Avoid Yoga Injuries” and was astounded to read the following: “Yoga is a strength building activity…so you need to give your muscles a chance to recuperate and recover from those microtears that occur after every workout.”
While I agree that Yoga is strength-building, I would argue that there are styles of Yoga out there which are not based on the current exercise model of how to strengthen muscles. In fact, I teach one of those styles, which is called “Svaroopa® Yoga” and which is based on a completely different paradigm of the body. In our classes, we build muscle strength and flexibility by releasing tension in the muscles connected to the spine. This approach does not result in “microtears” – rather it results in an amazing feeling of bliss and well-being.
As I read the Globe article, I thought that it was like someone saying “you may hurt your teeth while eating fruit when biting into the hard outer layer.”… Maybe for apples, but for bananas as well???
If you are considering trying a Yoga class (or if you have done Yoga in the past and didn’t like it), I encourage you to research the different types and figure out what you want to get from a class. Don’t deprive yourself of bananas just because you once tried an apple and broke a tooth! And if you are getting scared away from Yoga because you are reading all the articles in the current news, recognize that Yoga in the United States is so varied, it is hard to make generalizations. Again, do some research… and then try several different styles to see what best fits your needs.
Remember, it’s meaningless to compare apples to bananas. You might as well compare apples to oranges.
- Figure out what you are looking for in a Yoga class, and do some research first. Yoga styles range from gentle and meditative up to power and athletic workouts. If you are a middle-aged person who has not exercised much in the past few years, perhaps a gentler and more meditative style would be more appropriate for you.
- Ask the teacher some questions: What is their level of training? Where did they train? Are they registered with the National Yoga Alliance (YA)? YA is an organization that oversees the training of Yoga teachers in the US, and they certify training institutions. If a teacher is registered with YA, it means that they have completed a minimum number of hours of training with a recognized institution.
- Find out how big the classes are. Does the teacher actually go around and look at how students are aligned?
- What is the teacher’s philosophy with regard to Yoga? Are they promoting it exclusively as an exercise program, or do they have a spiritual component to the class?
- If you are a new student, make sure you tell your teacher about any health concerns that you have. And if you are a continuing student, and you have an injury or your health changes in any way, make sure your teacher knows.
- Be responsible for your own body, and know your limits. If a teacher asks you to do something that doesn’t feel comfortable, don’t do it. And if you are in a class where you feel uncomfortable doing that, then perhaps that isn’t an appropriate class for you.
The bottom line is that practicing Yoga with awareness and with a qualified teacher can reap you enormous benefits that go way beyond the physical. But that is probably a topic for an entirely new blog. Stay tuned…
We are all nomads in some way. Though we might have a single address, we can be all over the place. Ok, I speak for myself: I can be all over the place! When my nomadic mind runs wild, I lose my way and forget who I really am and why I am here.
That is why yoga and meditation are so important. When we practice, we stop and let our souls catch up with us. In yogic terms, we catch up with our Self.
What is Self? The yogis say Self is Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss. But Self is not something remote and unattainable by us ordinary folks. (Actually, we are extraordinary.) Self is what you experience when you practice yoga and immerse deeply within. You unravel the tension and dissipate the anxiety that obscure your true identity. Then your true Self comes to light. You get a taste of Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss. The more you practice, the more deeply felt and longer lasting the experience.
What is not Self? Self is not the irritable person we can be at times, or the selfish person, or the stressed out person. Irritation, selfishness, and being stressed out are symptomatic of being unconscious and separated from our Self. We are not our Self then. It’s like a dream in which we forget who we are and believe we are someone else. The dreamlike state can be so enticing and engrossing. Even when the warning lights flash, we cannot see them or heed them. We trudge on.
So, we need to stop. We need to catch up with who we really are. Yoga and meditation give us means to stop and catch up. We come to (as in “awaken”). We come to our true identity. We experience Freedom – a feeling of being untethered from all that which had been weighing us down. Self is that from which freedom, wisdom, clarity, compassion, and love arise. It’s your natural state. It’s You! So, stop, in the name of love! Forget the other words to the Supremes song – just be your Supreme Self.
I wish you a happy new year. You will have one if you stay connected with who you really are. The happiness you experience as Self does not depend on outer circumstances. It’s very close to you – right in your heart. You have probably heard plenty from the media and misinformed spokespersons about the year 2012 being a year of doom. It can be so only if we all look at it that way. The Mayan calendar is cyclical. This year can be seen as a beginning, not as an end – the beginning of a great shift in consciousness, culture, economy, and the way we live. It’s a move from unsustainable to sustainable living. This shift is already happening. Stay tuned to the Self. Wisdom, clarity, compassion, and love bring the best present and future. Our energy and attitude about 2012 can certainly make a difference not only to ourselves, but to everyone else and to everything that unfolds.
[1] The Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives, by Wayne Muller – first published in 1999 and growing increasingly more relevant today as unceasing work and the push for productivity have all but eliminated the time necessary for rest, renewal, and reconnection with spirit or soul.
Less is More 2
My mother is a hoarder, to put it mildly. She has a ton of stuff. And the thing that she really loves to collect is pictures. I think she must have about 10,000 photographs – many of them framed and on her walls.
Moving her meant that many of those photos ended up in my living room, and I have spent the last several days sorting through them all.It is amazing how much we seem to accumulate over the years. All of a sudden, I look around my house and all I can see is clutter.
This has been a lesson in downsizing for me. I have a very clear resolution for 2012 to de-clutter my house. I don’t want my kids to have to go through what I’ve been going through the past few weeks. Yoga teaches about simplicity and balance.
The purpose of Yoga is to quiet the mind, and a cluttered mind cannot be be still. Likewise, a cluttered house cannot be peaceful. With Yoga, we use the body as a gateway to the Self, and we do physical poses to quiet the mind. But there is far more to Yoga than physical poses.
It is a lifestyle that involves non-grasping, and being content with what you have in each and every moment. As 2012 begins, I look forward to gaining an even deeper appreciation of how I can integrate Yoga more fully into my own life and into the lives of all my students.
De-cluttering my house seems to be a great place to start…
I’m Too Stiff To Do Yoga!
“I can’t do Yoga – I’m not flexible enough!” This is something that potential new students often say. Because of the way Yoga has been advertised in this country over the last 25 years, most people associate it with bending your body into various pretzel shapes, or standing on your head. However, not all Yoga is like that, and really, the purpose of Yoga is to tune into your body and quiet your mind. Along the way, you begin to develop a new awareness of both your mind and body, and discover that you are far more than both of those (and far more than a pretzel).
At Tranquility Yoga in Westford, we teach a style of Yoga (called Svaroopa®) that is very gentle and meditative, which can be done by most people who are in reasonably good physical shape. Where other styles of Yoga often try to get students to achieve the “perfect pose,” Svaroopa® Yoga uses many props to help students settle into different angles. Every pose has a particular purpose of releasing a specific area of the spine, and that release happens when you are aligned properly. We help you find that alignment by using many blankets and blocks for support, and once you are in the correct angles, we let you settle there for a while so that tensions begin to melt away from your body. And when tensions melt away from your body – guess what? Tensions also melt away from your mind. That is one of the key ways in which Yoga is different from exercise. Yoga releases tensions in your body to quiet your mind.
If you’ve been feeling stressed lately, and want to try a different approach, then a Svaroopa® Yoga class may be just the thing for you. And if you’ve been achy or stiff, don’t worry – Yoga will help with that too. Remember – the purpose of Yoga is not to become a pretzel, but to become more of the human being that you already are.
Other Articles written by Becky Bronson, owner of Tranquility Yoga, one of the studios where I teach:
Link to Becky’s yoga blog posts in the Westford Patch
Written by my teacher, Lissa Fountain:
“In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Classical Yoga is outlined in eight limbs (or steps) that describe the progressive stages of spiritual development in a human being. These are: Yama– restraint; Niyama–observances; Asana–poses; Pranayama–breath technique; Pratyahara–withdrawal of the senses; Dharana–concentration; Dhyana–meditation; and Samadhi–absorption. Through your practice of Svaroopa® Yoga thus far, you have already explored many of these limbs, especially the physical practices of the poses, Ujjayi Pranayama, and beginning meditation. The effects have been powerful and life changing, and still, yoga has so much more to offer. By looking into the first two limbs, Yama and Niyama, you begin the path of the ten ethical principles of yoga: a sorting through of the clutter and reactions in your mind, and a clearing of the confusion and roadblocks in your relationships.
In yoga, ethics are practiced to develop a deeper relationship with your inner Self: to know yourself as the Self, at all levels of your being. This inner knowing then pours through your life, revealing a centerdness that is unmovable. To experience this, however, you must begin with a deeper awareness of your personality traits, your defects, your resistances. If you don’t meet the choppy surface waters of your life with a willingness to change your behaviors, the depth of inner peace you long for will elude you. And while it is true, that by opening your spine, yoga’s benefits are constantly working on you, still you must work directly with your mind.
The first Yama, Ahimsa, begins the uncovering of your resistances and fears, and is the foundation of all personal change. Ahimsa means non-violence: don’t harm yourself or others. This means be kind to others. Be kind to yourself: quit beating yourself up for being imperfect, and expecting others to meet your demands and expectations. It means keeping watch over your negative thoughts and recognizing old patterns in thinking and reacting. You can make things look ‘nice’ on the outside, but what kind of judging is really lurking under the surface of every encounter? Ahimsa can mean biting your tongue when you feel like making a stinging retort, or deleting phrases of rebuke from an email, and most importantly, letting the light of Consciousness shine through your eyes: but always!
If this seems daunting, it is! Fortunately, yoga excels in giving you many tools for practicing Ahimsa, because yoga is self awareness in action. For example, in this moment, you can choose to stop thinking, turn your thoughts off and breathe in the fresh air around you. Or you can repeat mantra, out loud or to yourself, as a way to calm your mind and shift your perspective. Patanjali also suggests that you can cultivate the opposite of what’s bothering you: if it’s negativity, you can retrain yourself to start thinking positively. This is not just wishful thinking, it is the truth: There is Good in Everything. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Chapter 2, Verse 35 states: ‘By abiding in nonviolence, one’s presence creates an atmosphere in which hostility ceases.’* This means inner and outer hostility. To do this, you begin to see that there is good in everything: every person, thought and action. This is possible because your own Presence, the Self, is the one experiencing any given situation. When you know this, you can perceive God in the world, in every moment.
Svaroopa® Yoga’s teachings are based in the Siddha Yoga meditation lineage, beginning with the root Guru, or Saint, Bhagavan Nityananda. His teaching to everyone was: ‘Paraspara Devo Bhava’ which translates as ‘Look upon each other as God.’ What a simple statement, yet it holds the universe within it. You could also add an “o” and say, ‘Look upon each other as Good.’ There is nowhere you will not find God, or Good, if you have the eyes to see it. Svaroopa® Yoga opens not only your spine, but your eyes, so they are no longer clouded over by fear, doubt and self-harm. Ahimsa: Non-harming, non-violence. This is the ground floor of personal transformation and self-realization…”
Namaste, Jane
(*taken from Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, interpreted by Mukunda Stiles)
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I wanted to share this treasure from a colleague, Phil Milgrom. Enjoy! Namaste, Jane
“I hope you are having a great summer, as good a time as ever to stop and smell the roses. I want to share with you here some thoughts about how important it is to stop, or at least slow down.
Rockport Roses -- Photo by J. Hallowell
Unfortunately, many of us have been caught up in a spinning wheel, and it seems hard to stop. Whenever I ask audiences how many feel rushed, an overwhelming number of hands dart up —except when I ask students near the end of a yoga class.
A few years ago, a survey found that about a quarter of all adults always feel rushed. This was significantly true for women, and especially for mothers and women in the workforce, and of course, even more so for working moms.
This is not pretty for anyone — man or woman. When we feel rushed, we tense up, our hearts work harder, our blood pressure rises and so does our anxiety level. If we always feel rushed, the sustained stress depletes our energy reserve and weakens our physical and mental health.
Not surprisingly, in that same survey, people who always feel rushed reported that they experience less satisfaction with many aspects of life, even with their free time!
Think about it: Have you ever felt tremendous love, joy, or peace when you felt rushed? How often have you received a great insight or creative idea when you felt rushed? When driving your car in a rush, were you able to enjoy the ride, the scenery, and all? Most likely, it was quite the opposite. When we feel rushed, the fight-and-flight response takes over. The part of our brain that we share with reptiles supersedes the part that has helped us become human and humane. For example, we are more likely to snap at others; we are less likely to listen lovingly to others, cooperate with them, or lend a hand. All our best qualities take the back seat to self-defense and the survival instinct.
But then, there is yoga. Think about that! Perhaps you remember coming to class from that rushed state. If you are relatively new to yoga, you probably thought you were never going to be able to leave that state behind. If you have become familiar with yoga, you probably thought otherwise: you know the magic happens every time. Whether new or experienced, by the time you melt into the second shavasana near the end of class, you are back in the groove.
You are back to your true nature: you are love; you are peace; you are bliss. You have boundless energy and creativity. You know again that life is good.
The words to an old favorite from Simon and Garfunkel come to mind:
‘Slow down, you move too fast,
you’ve got to make the morning last…
Life I love you, all is groovy,’
Thanks to yoga, I glow like a ruby! 
”
Much peace, love, and light
Phil Milgrom, CSYT, RYT
www.philmilgrom.com/yoga
800-815-7374
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PLAYING POSSUM
From a colleague, Becky Bronson, CSYT, RYT:
Yesterday, I had an interesting experience that I would like to share with you. I let my dog out in our yard, and after a while, I heard him barking crazily. Upon investigation, I discovered that he was captivated by what appeared to be a dead animal. Quickly, I shooed him away and tried to figure out what to do with this creature lying in our yard.
When my husband came home, we investigated further, trying to decide what it was. Perhaps it was a badger? Or a fox? Raccoon? After looking at many pictures online, we realized that it was probably an opossum. Now opossums, in case you don’t know, have an interesting way of dealing with adversity. When they are chased and in danger, they lie down and pretend to be dead (this is where we get the term “playing possum”). Then, when all danger has passed, they get up and slink away. Sure enough, the next morning, when we looked in our yard, the critter was gone without a trace.
This got me thinking about us as human beings. When we are faced with adversity, what do we do? Generally, our “fight or flight” mechanism kicks in, and we do one or the other. It would never occur to us to “play possum.” I’m not suggesting we fake our own deaths, but what if we could just surrender to the moment, accept it as it is, and not fight or flee? Clearly, in the case of the opossum, my dog did not win. He was simply completely confused and befuddled. And the opossum escaped safely. What would the people in our lives do if we didn’t react in the way they expected? If we didn’t fight back or run away, but rather just stayed present in the moment, allowing things to be the way they were? How would that change our relationships and our lives?
When you practice Yoga and connect more deeply with your Self, you begin to make choices from a deeper place, and perhaps you can choose not to give in to the fight or flight response. Try it! You may surprise yourself as well as all the others in your life.
(Posted on April 5, 2011, by Yoga Instead)
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From a colleague, Phil Milgrom, CSYT, RYT:
When I was transplanted to New England from California years ago, I came to dread winter. Physically, I was not prepared for it. My blood had been thinned by the California climate. But I was also unprepared mentally, and that was the main problem. I would cling desperately to autumn, making the inevitable approach of winter a painful ordeal. As I continued holding onto the season before, the cold months that followed did not get much better. How could they? I was not giving them a chance.
One day, it finally dawned on me that if I were going to keep this habit, I would be confined to unhappiness for five or six months every year. Not wanting to live almost half of my life that way, I began to push myself to learn to appreciate winter.
I had a similar awakening years ago about a propensity to look forward to weekends. I realized that if I was going to continue valuing weekends as my pinnacle of hope and enjoyment, then I was resigning five-sevenths of every week to the valley of doldrums. The odds for happiness were against me. So, I began to look for ways to enjoy my job and everything else that I did during the week. TGIF became TGIT: Thank God It’s Today! I also reminded myself to be grateful that I had a job (and still frequently do)…
Yoga is designed to remind us of the perennial splendor that exists within our own Self. Whenever we turn to that treasure within, we are brought to life.
Yoga is not just a physical practice. It is a means for developing ourselves both physically and mentally, and more. It’s definitely for the mind; for if the mind is ill at ease, the body will not be in good shape either. Even if we do have a beautiful or fit body, what good is that if the quality of our mind is less than beautiful?
For me, and I hope for you as well, yoga is the process that wipes the window clean to reveal the invincible summer within. That window needs to be wiped regularly. All the practices – shavasana, breathing exercise (ujjayi breath), postures (asanas), meditation, and so forth – help wipe that window clean so that we may be enlightened to who we really are….
The light within always shines. Nothing can dim that light. It’s a matter of allowing that light to shine through.
(Posted on November 7, 2010 by Yoga Instead)
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From my teacher and Senior Teacher, Lissa Fountain, CSYT, RYT:
Our Hatha Yoga style is spine-oriented: everything begins at the tailbone. All the angles of the legs lead you to the spine, or what we call “the mid-line,” releasing deep muscular tensions in your core, your center. Furthermore, the spine is the conduit of consciousness, and when your awareness is shifted there, an inner opening arises that spreads through your mind and body called Bliss.
(Posted on October 12, 2010 by Yoga Instead)
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Fourteen-year-old Maneh Kara-Yakoubian, who moved to Canada from Syria seven years ago, wrote the following poem on August 5, 2010. She has been writing poetry in English, her 2nd language, since last year.
EQUAL
If Wrong could be fixed with Wrong
Then violence could be solved with war
Tears could be dried by rivers
And uncertainty would become unsure
Hunger would be replaced with need
And pain would be healed with hurt
Frowns would turn into scowls
And filth could be cleaned with dirt.
But if Right overpowered Wrong
Peace would overshadow war
Laughter would replace all cries
And sensations would reassure
Craves would change to satisfaction
Well-being would outshine pain
Smiles would replace cheerless looks
And grime would wash with drops of rain…
At times equality can’t solve wrong
Enabling to reach the Good we desire,
Difference may have to rise above
For Fire cannot be fought with Fire
http://westford.patch.com/blog_posts/is-yoga-safe
