Azahar Mahamad 10days after SEA Bodybuilding Championships

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Home Practice: Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, and Start All Over Again

by Nina

People who know me are often impressed by my dedication to my home yoga practice. Although I take class once a week, most of my yoga practice consists of what I do on my own, in my own house. And in general I'm very steady and consistent about practicing. But, of course, I'm only human, and sometimes I fall off the wagon. 

The two main times I fall off the wagon is when I have house guests (I just cannot bring myself to sneak off and practice while friends or relatives are in my house) and when I'm traveling. Yes, I know, we're posting all kinds of information about yoga you can do anywhere and everywhere, at the airport, in your hotel room, blah, blah, blah, but here I am in Austin, Texas, at a bed and breakfast, helping a family member who is going through some hard times, and, you know what? I'm not practicing. My days are long, with a lot of walking, unpacking of boxes, shopping for necessities, etc., and practicing just doesn't feel possible. 

But years of experience with similar situations have taught me that when I return home and things get back to normal, I'll simply resume my practice, with no harm done. It's like that song from the Fred Astair and Ginger Roger movie "Swing Time," where Ginger teaches Fred to dance: "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again." Years of experience with this have also taught me that it's easier dust yourself off and start all over again if you don't judge yourself and just accept it as a normal part of yoga for real life. If you're too hard on yourself, your more likely to think of yourself as a failure and give up entirely. And the more often you do pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again, the easier becomes. Maybe even as easy as it is for Ginger to teach Fred to dance!

Ginger tells Fred not to be discouraged:

 And, of course, Fred learns to dance really quickly:

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Resting Between Poses

by Baxter

Cattle at Rest by Brad Gibson

Have you ever found yourself in one of those classes where the teacher has you in some challenging standing pose forever, chatting with one student, while apparently oblivious to the rest of class? There you are, shaking to your feet, uncertain what to do. Well, one option you have is to come out of the pose when you feel it is appropriate, and simply rest until the next pose is introduced. This is actually an advanced skill, as you have to have the experience, understanding, courage and confidence to know when enough is enough for your body and mind. And when we are newer to yoga practice, this is not usually the case; the newbies will stick it out to the bitter end, for better or worse!

If you look around at some of the varied styles and traditions of yoga practices out there, you will come upon several that employ this idea of resting between poses often. In one case, Savasana or Corpse pose is practiced between every other pose you do!  This may feel a bit cumbersome, so what I recommend and do myself when employing this strategy, is to do one of the following:

• If I am doing supine poses (on my back), I will rest in Savasana.
• If I am doing seated poses, I will rest in simple Sukasana or Easy Seated pose.
• If I am doing standing poses, I will rest in Tadasana or Mountain pose.
• If I am inverting, I will simply rest by floating above the floor (just kidding!) or come down into Child’s pose.

You get the idea!  The question naturally arises, why am I resting, other than for the distracted teacher abandoning me in Half Moon for 5 minutes? Well, there are a variety of reasons this technique can be helpful. In a home practice, you can use it to do your Post Asana Assessment, which not only lets you notice the immediate effects of the last pose, but may guide you to your next pose. If you are suffering from fatigue, recent colds or flu, or recovering or dealing with treatment for serious illness like cancer, the brief rest can allow you to safely do a practice, while allowing the body these essential pauses to truly get some rest.

In this last scenario, because the mind is so easily distracted and disturbed, I’d recommend you let your attention focus on the movement of your breath, or perhaps, if in a class situation, you can utilize the rest as a time to observe your fellow students still in pose, as a learning opportunity to deepen your understanding of how the pose can be done. I found this particularly useful during a period of low back pain, when I could not fully participate and had to sit out many poses during a class. Instead of wallowing in my inability to do a full practice, I decided to see what I could learn by observing my fellow students. And I learned a lot!

So, if you have not experimented with resting between poses, why not try it this week in your home practice? See what you discover.

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Friday Q&A: Scoliosis

Patterns in the Sand by Michele McCartney-Filgate

Q: Scoliosis. I have a mild case of it and find that twists and side bends make my back feel good. Any other advice? When I look at my students doing forward bends, it seems that a lot of them have one side of the back of the rib cage that protrudes higher than the other side. Just how common is scoliosis anyway?

A: The conventional wisdom when working with scoliosis is to apply some therapeutic principles to the spinal structural changes. They include to lengthen the concavity, strengthen the convexity, and to try to neutralize the curvature in asana. This isn't as easy as it sounds because most scoliosis patterns that are in an "S" shaped curve will have a more pronounced primary curve and then a compensating secondary curve.

To successfully work with your own scoliosis you need to first know if the curve is from postural imbalances or from structural changes. The quick way for this to be screened is to have someone watch you as you bend into Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana). If the curve worsens, then it is structural. If the curve evens out, then it is most probably postural overlay. But the only conclusive way to know if you indeed have scoliosis is to have an X-ray of your spine from head to tail. A skilled radiologist needs to read it to measure the curve.

That said, your observation that twists and side bends make it feel better are reinforcement that you are probably stretching your concavity. There is a way that spines move that is unconscious (meaning it just occurs) and that is the law of side-bending and rotation. In a neutral spine (like Mountain pose or Tadasana,  side bending and rotation occur to opposite directions (we are talking about how the vertebra individually are moving. So, that is why in Triangle pose (Trikonasana) you are asked to rotate your torso over a fixed pelvis. But in forward bends or backbends, spinal movement changes. In this case rotation and side-bending occur to the same side (picture One-Legged Forward Bend or Janu Sirsasana). So this is where the confusion comes in because you need to move the spine differently depending on the asana you are practicing. Also the scoliotic spine is not symmetrical and there are elements of side-bending and rotation already present so when you bend forward in Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), you are increasing the spinal rotation; this is why the curvature worsens.

So it depends on how much information you want or need to apply to your yoga practice. Some teachers recommend doing your poses three times, starting and end a pose with the problematic side, that is, the side for which twisting is more difficult. I would recommend you obtain Elise Browning Miller's yoga DVD on scoliosis, and, if you live in the Bay Area, try to take her workshops on yoga and scoliosis because they are excellent. See http://www.ebmyoga.com/.
—Shari

A: Regarding the prevalence of scoliosis, out of every 1000 children born in the US, 3-5 will develop an abnormal curvature of the spine serious enough to require intervention. The scoliosis usually first shows up during growth spurts, especially around puberty. In 80-85% of the cases, the cause is unknown, and so it is labeled “idiopathic scoliosis.” Most of these students will not require serious intervention, and yoga could be a great way to address the spinal curve and twist.

Recently loss of bone density has been shown to cause lateral deviations in the spine that may contribute to the onset of scoliosis in postmenopausal women. Estrogen hormones are very important for the maintenance of bone mineral density, and during menopause, the normal levels of circulating estrogen decline. So there is increased risk for losing bone density, and therefore an increased risk for degenerative scoliosis. Recent evidence also suggests that the development of scoliosis in postmenopausal women is much higher than in juveniles and adolescents. One has to wonder if there was a mild scoliosis present, perhaps undiagnosed, that becomes more apparent at menopause. Also, kyphosis, or dowagers hump, is well know to arise at this time as well, and is likely a combination of posture and osteoporosis.

Other stats on scoliosis:

• Scoliosis curves measuring at least 10° occur in 1.5% to 3.0% of the population
• Curves exceeding 20° occur in 0.3% to 0.5% of the population
• Curves exceeding 30° occcur in 0.2% to 0.3% of the population
• Small spinal curves occur with similar frequency in boys and girls, but girls are more likely to have a progressively larger scoliotic curve that will require treatment

And I agree with Shari's insights on scoliosis and also recommend Elise Miller's DVD and workshops around the US on yoga for scoliosis. One example of how one approaches this would go like this: if the main curvature is to the right side of your thoracic spine, that is, the convex bulge is easily seen in Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) as a skyward prominence on the right side of the back rib cage, you would likely approach asymmetrical poses like Triangle differently going to the right side and to the left side. When going to the right side, focus on spreading from the spine around the side of the ribs toward the front of the chest, something Elise calls "de-rotation."  When going to the left side, focus on lengthening the left side of the waist and torso, from the left hip crease to the left armpit. No specific attention would be directed at the right-side prominence on this side. This same principle could be applied to other poses such as Extended Side Angle, Warrior 2 pose, and Half Moon pose. The principle may change with symmetrical poses, as Shari said.

Another good East Bay resource is Sandra Safadirazieli, who trained with Elise, has been working with her own scoliosis, and offers classes at Piedmont Yoga Studio on an ongoing basis. Teachers from other parts of the country should chime in with recommendations for other teachers and workshops.

—Baxter

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Featured Pose: Simple Chair Backbend

by Baxter and Nina

Another one of our five essential office yoga poses, the simple chair backbend is the perfect antidote to the typical postural habits of slumping forward that we develop from sitting all day at our desks, in cars, and airplanes, and from the many everyday activities where we are bending forward, such as gardening or washing dishes.

The basic back-bending shape re-establishes the natural curve of your lower back, correctly aligning your spine in its natural curves, which helps to keep your back healthy. The backbend also lengthens the front of your body, allowing many of us to breath in with greater ease. It helps release stress from your upper body, especially the upper chest. And while stretching the front of your body, the pose strengthens your back body muscles, which tend to be overstretched and weak if they are ignored.

Because backbends in general tend to be uplifting, you may even find this pose helps encourage a more positive mood as you take deep inhalations and exhalations.

The pose can be done almost anywhere. Although a chair without arms is preferable, you can use almost any chair, as long as the back is low enough for you to rest your shoulder blades on.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• Kyphosis of the upper back
• Chronic lower back pain
• Head forward syndrome
• Scoliosis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (when symptoms are coming from the shoulders)
• Sore back from traveling or sitting at your desk
• Depression
• General digestive concerns (such as heart burn and acid reflux)

Instructions: If possible, try to find a chair with a back that touches you near your lower shoulder blades. Then move your chair away from the wall or other furniture so you leave some space behind you.

Next sit on the chair, either it the center (if you’re shorter) or near the back (if you’re taller) so the soles of your feet are flat on the floor. If you’re small, you might need to add some support on the chair seat and/or underneath your feet. Align your feet below your knees, with your thighs parallel to the floor. Now, reach your hands around to grab the lower sides of the chair (where it meets the seat) or, if this is not possible, rest your palms on the back of the chair seat.

Root down through your feet and arms, lengthen up from your tailbone to the crown of your head, and mindfully arch your spine up and back until your upper rib cage touches the chair back and rests there lightly. Keep your chin tucked toward your chest.

If you are very comfortable deeply bending your neck, you can take one or both hands behind your head for support as you allow your neck to follow the backbend of your spine, as shown below.

As you inhale, encourage the lift and arch of your spine. As you exhale, maintain your lift and arch. Continue for four to six breaths, working your way up to 12 to 16 breaths as you become stronger in the pose. Come out with a strong exhalation.

Take a moment to notice how you feel. You should feel stretched, strengthened and alive, not painful and miserable. If you experience any pain afterwards in your neck or back, this backbend variation might not be for you.

Cautions: Not all forms of low back pain (such as, spondyolisthis, facet arthritis, spinal stenosis or disc herniation) will be helped by the chair backbend, so you have a back condition, check with your doctor before doing this pose. If you have cervical spine or neck issues, be careful with the position of your neck, keeping your chin tucked toward your chest as you go into the backbend. If you have osteoporosis, adding padding to the top edge of the chair so there is less pressure on your spine is recommended.

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Iyengar-Style Sequencing, Part 1

Flowers in Summer by Michele McCartney-Filgate

by Nina

Before I start delving into some of the more subtle aspects of how to sequence yoga poses in the Iyengar tradition, I thought it would be useful to give you an overview of how to sequence the basic categories of poses. Typically most Iyengar sequences are based on the following template:

1. Starting Poses
2. Standing Poses
3. Headstand
4. Backbends
5. Neutral Pose
6. Twists
7. Shoulderstand (and Plow)
8. Forward Bends
9. Restorative Pose
10. Relaxation Pose

Obviously if you were going to do all those kinds of poses within a single practice, your practice would end up rather long! To create a shorter practice, you simply eliminate certain categories of poses from the list while keeping the remaining ones in the same order as they are on the list. The following examples show typical formats for Backbend, Twist, Forward Bend, and Standing Pose practices.

Backbend Practice 
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Backbends
4.    Neutral Pose
5.    Relaxation Pose

Twist Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Twists
4.    Relaxation Pose

Forward Bend Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Forward Bends
4.    Relaxation Pose

Standing Pose Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Standing Poses
3.    Shoulderstand (or another inversion)
4.    Relaxation Pose

Although our classes typically include standing poses, they are by no means required. You could, for example, use the inverted poses to prepare yourself for forward bends as in the following sequence.

Forward Bend Practice with Inversions
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Headstand
3.    Shoulderstand
4.    Forward Bends
5.    Relaxation Pose

Or, you could design a seated practice with twists and forward bends.

Seated Practice
1.    Starting Poses
2.    Twists
3.    Forward Bends
4.    Restorative Pose
5.    Relaxation Pose

The Starting Poses and Standing Poses you select for your sequence typically relate to the focus of the practice. For example, if you are focusing on forward bends, you might do leg stretches as your starting pose and the standing poses with straight legs to prepare your hamstrings for the forward bends. For backbends, you would do shoulder openers, lunges, passive backbends and/or standing poses with backbend elements (such as Warrior 1). For twists you might select poses that lengthen your side body (Half Dog pose), that move the spine in all directions (various standing poses), and that incorporate twisting elements (such as Revolved Triangle).

I’ll do a separate post on how (and why) to choose warm-up poses in the near future. But, in general, sequencing is art rather than a science, so start out by practicing some of that “post asana assessment” that Baxter recommended in yesterday's post (and probably some pre-asana assessment while you are at it). You'll soon start to learn which sequences of poses suit your particular body and which do not, and which warm-up poses help you do your subsequent poses with more ease and comfort.

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Post Asana Assessment

by Baxter

One of the most essential skills for yoga asana practitioners to develop is something I like to call “post asana assessment.” And although I wish it were a skill that beginners came downloaded with, my personal experience and what I have observed with my students over the years has shown me that it is a skill you only learn with encouragement and practice. So what, you may be asking, is this PAA? Quite simply, it is the deliberate pause in your asana practice directly after completing a particular pose, the purpose of which is to assess the effects, positive, negative or neutral, of your practice. This may seem pretty straight forward, yet unless post asana assessment is actively encouraged, it is often overlooked or simply not considered as part of practice. 

Especially for the new student or even the student whose asana practice is of the faster flow variety, the time and space for such reflection is often not given in formal classes. And when newbies take their practice home for the first time, there is the tendency of the mind to be overwhelmed with planning ahead for what the next pose should be that the actual experience of the present moment is not fully appreciated. It is often the case that the mind is trying to recall a few ways of working in the pose heard via their memory of their last class experience, while simultaneously planning for what is coming next!  So the chance to learn more deeply what the effect of the asana has been is lost.

Rock and Reflection by Joan Webster

Today, while reading through one of the many training texts I have collected over the years, I came across one by Esther Myers, a long time student of Vanda Scaravelli.  (If you don’t know about Vanda, I would encourage you to read up on her fascinating story.) As I was already ruminating about post asana assessment as I read through the text, one comment by Esther caught my eye, as she talked about the role of breath in yoga:

“Breathing is essential to your Yoga practice.  The focus of attention on the breath brings you to a state of quiet attention which is the essence of Yoga.”

This is so simply and beautifully stated. One way to enter into this process of post asana assessment is to initially notice the effect of the pose you have just completed on your breath: calming, speeding up, agitating, slowing down, etc. From there, consider resulting physical sensations in the most objective terms possible, such as, where do I feel sensation now, is there a sense of effort still lingering, am I experiencing fatigue or weakness, vitality or aliveness? And what is the effect on my mood or emotions? 

What might initially seem cumbersome and challenging to do after your poses can become quite efficient and fruitful with practice. It can literally guide and help you create wonderful practices that are in alignment with any intention you may have set for your practice on a given day. The feedback may send you in new and unimagined directions as you notice an openness, strength or vulnerability that could easily be missed if you were to work in a more automatic way.

If it seems to daunting to do after each pose of a practice, consider spacing out your post asana assessments after every few poses until it becomes easier to integrate the assessments into your existing practice style. I feel this skill advances you from the beginner to intermediate level of awareness that leads to a rewarding, relevant and safe practice over time. 

For more by Esther, see The Ground, The Breath, and the Spine by Esther Myers, Lynn Wylie.

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