A new post finally - new yoga props.. new level of experience ....

What a struggle its been to write the last few weeks but today I mustered the energy and write. My last post was nearly a month ago on Feb 17th discussing "Igomania" and a snapshot of my one on one session with Nuvana. I took off for Pune the next week on a very short 5 day trip for work. I packed three private sessions with one of my intermediate teachers Abhay at his studio in his house and what an amazing experience it was. He read my body and my mind without me saying much. I have been unable to perform handstands and pinchmayursasan for the last many months. He had me in Pinchmayurasana in minutes. I grabbed the rope hooks at the base of the wall, he pressed my right lower arm with his foot and off I flew.
"You need to feel light in the hips" and "I want your calves to be soft"! We did a lot of hip work and leg work, lots of variations of uttanasana, adhomukha svanasana, navasana, pagangusthana, wall, floor chairs, round blocks, ropes, Abhay standing on my back while I was in a restorative adhomukha virasana. There was a lot discourse on yoga philosophy, my doshas, improving my tejas etc etc etc. Three sessions of complete enlightenment. I had little jet lag on this trip. I packed in 15 hours of work per day and I mustered the courage to bring back some great props, including my favorite "Viparita Dandasana Bench" in lieu of luggage. I travelled light and that allowed me to replace baggage with props. All made it back in one piece.

So finally it all got assembled last Friday with Nuvana's assistance. I am still learning to use them, but 15 minutes on the bench was amazing and well deserved... there will be more coming in the future but enjoy the following pictures for now.

Life has been its usual self for me lately, it seems like there is no end to my misery and pain, but that is the test of the universe and it the test of my resolve to bear it, take it, all for my two munchkins, who I care about and love the most. As Nina said in her tough level 3 class today "try to be still in the pose a bit longer and try to bear the pain as the sutras say..."! I am trying ... my best... In the meanwhile Iyengar yoga keeps moving forward and not look back and the props just make this journey more interesting than ever. I do know one thing for sure, it has given me strength to bear and not react, but observe, be still and try to be neutral.

Namaste

The Yogi

Balance and Faith - I am back home

I am home after a long journey and jet lagged. I returned to quiet, cold, but somewhat sunny day. From extreme heat to a relatively cold April. I live in the hills with many tall fir trees, nice views of a valley and some snow capped coastal mountains but nothing compares to the chirping of the birds at dawn and dusk in Pune. I am really missing it. It is so quiet here. I hardly see my neighbors - everyone shut in their McMansions. I am missing India, but I missed my girls more than anything so I am glad to be back.

On my journey back I re- read two books. The Holy Cow and Good Life and Good Death. They are excellent books. I plan to write about these books in the near future. While on the plane, I also put some thought into the idea of faith and balance in life and how it may relate to yoga and asana practice.

I find asana practice to be most challenging. It is not like walking or running or swimming. Asanas are far more complex than a breast stroke, or step forward of your foot to walk. Mr. Iyengar says “you have to align the physical with mental”. What does that really mean? My experience tells me that you have listen to the instruction and follow it to its absolute truth. By absolute truth I mean not just following the instruction, but observing the manifestation of that instruction in your body. With that action you gradually adjust till you can feel the asana and really follow the teacher. I have experienced it many times including performing Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana, a very challenging backbend. It requires another dimension of thought and action and following of a gradual process. It requires a sense of balance of the physical and mental manifestations that occur when you are performing the asana. You have to let go of your ego and fear as your slide all the way down the chair for the very first time. You have to do it in steps and gradually.

The physical manifestation maybe a stretch or pain and the mental manifestation maybe an urgency and desire to push yourself further. I call it running ahead of your body. Your mind simply wants to peform ahead of what your body can handle but at the same time fear and pain provides a resistance. It’s a trap and its called Ahamkara – the ego. To get the most out of the asanas you have to perform them in a balance of your ego, your mind and what your body can handle physically. Once you learn how to balance them, you can enjoy a journey to your inner mind smoothly. It really is very meditative, however momentary it may be. Some teachers in Pune will tell you “Try to understand it”. I think what they really mean is try to achieve a balance so you can really feel the asana and how it helps you approach the inner mind. That’s probably the meditative state that Guruji talks about.

So where does faith come into all this? Faith is very critical in the journey to learn and perform asanas well. Many of us cannot practice as religiously as others because our lives our complex and full of distractions. Discipline is a relative word. Many a times I cannot attend regular classes for a variety of personal distractions that require more attention. You get in a slump and suddenly asanas that were so easy to perform become impossible. In my case it is very apparent in my ability to perform Adho Mukha Vrikasana. If there are distractions and stress in my life, my arms and shoulders sag and become weak. I lose the ability to lift on my own and keep myself inverted by pushing up with my arms. It can be a major hurt to my ego as well, I must admit.

Now here is where faith comes into action. Without it, I would lose momentum and suddenly yoga is going to be out of my life. It has happened to me so many times at the gym. There are personal moments in life where I seem to have lost faith. As a result I got results that I had never wanted in the first place. The negative emotions surrounding that lack of faith brings results you don't expect or want. I feel strongly that maintaining faith is an important characteristic of a true yogi. Faith brings a lot of positivity to your life but it can only exist when you can balance the negative in your life with the positives. You have to try hard to maintain balance or you will lose faith. Faith and Balance go hand in hand. You have to try hard to maintain your faith or you will lose balance. These are two forces co-exist in your life to help you move ahead towards your ultimate goal. Similar rule applies to your asana practice. You cannot truly achieve the benefits of asana unless you have faith and balance.


Namaste

The yogi

Advanced Yoga with Nina Pileggi at Sunset Yoga Center

With much courage I attended the level 3 class this evening. Tonight I was as humble as I could be. I was rusty and apprehensive. The class is nearly full and I am at the back rather than the front at my usual spot. I am nervous. We go through the usual call and response invocation of OMs and Patanjali prayer. We start with adhomukha virasana and then to adho mukha svanasana (dog pose). My left leg hurts, I still can't fully stretch it. Then to chaturanga dandasana. I can't do it well at all, but I have to keep going. We are preparing for back bends, so Nina gets us to do the back pack pose with a belt. This is where you wrap the straps around your shoulders and upper back. You then pull the straps down as if you have a back pack. Your shoulder blades are pulled down, the trapezium muscle is pulled down and your shoulders naturally roll back. It gives the actions that are needed for many poses including back bends and you get a perfect upper body Tadasana. It is also an amazing therapy exercise for stiff neck and shoulder pain. One of the first therapy exercises I did with Nuvana. Yes I have seen many sorts of pain - shoulder, back, hip, sciatic, butt.

I can never get the straps to wrap correctly so Nina helps. Then we try the hand stand - adho mukha vrikshasana. My favorite. But I bomb. Nina has to spot me. I am tired already. Where is my ego when I need it !!! We then do the head stand. I did it longer than I ever had. We then transitioned to back bends on the chair. And this was the highlight of the entire class - Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana or Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose.

We used a chair by the wall (with a mat and blanket on the seat), back of the chair facing the way. Sitting in the reverse form (chest facing the back of the chair), I lowered myself on the seat with shoulders slightly over the edge of the seat and then pushed myself away from the wall. You get the coil in your back and look at the world turned upside down and faces panting on the other end of the studio. I wish I could have video taped this moment. Your world upside down in a back bend kind of way! Carolyn you are right - this is why we yogis don't get sick. It is the inversions and back bends.

This was the first variation. We attempted the shoulder action, learn't in the strap based Dandasana. That helps get the coil. Then came the harder variation. Blankets were placed on the floor and then you had to lower yourself till your head touched the blanket. Then the hands came down into the headstand. I couldn't do it. I felt I was choking and the reaction was to come right back up.

Nina says "stay in the previous pose - you haven't been attending classes for a while". Ah! there goes my ego again. I am tired and back bends open up my heart chakra. I hold back my tears. She asks if I was OK. The ego comes back and I say "yes I am OK". Another student also felt the same as I did. She felt like she couldn't breathe. So I am not alone in this. The fear had set in but my inner voice said "let go of your fear and just observe, breathe and have patience. Let it come slowly". I was reminded of the progression I experienced when I first accomplished the hand stand on my own. Its progression stupid!
Then the belts come to the chair legs to help you pull down. I put three blankets and could lower my self. My head touched - Bingo! The confidence was back and the ego was still in check. I cannot over-extend and kill my right glute this time. The short girls on both sides are completely down on the floor with their heads and hands around the heads. They did it, despite their very tight shoulders and height. Everyone is crowded over them watching Nina help one of them through the progression.

It motivated me to let go of the fear and try again. I go down again as I push my shoulder blades down (or up as I am upside down) and my back coiling as I push down further. I shove the blankets out of the way and there goes my head all the way down to the floor and the arms come down and the hands cup around the head. I DID IT! While everyone momentarily watches my moment of accomplishment - I am humbled but fearless at the same time. All the pain and discomfort was worth the moment in which my arms, head and hands touched the floor and the back coiled. I was in Dwi Pada Viparita Dandansana heaven - even if it only lasted a few seconds. There was a surge of energy in my body - i am back in the groove of yoga. Bud, a teacher at the center and a student of Nina commented "it was great to see you progress into the complete pose!". Go away Ego but thanks Bud for the compliment - it made my evening. Thanks Nina for a wonderful class! I have the badly needed energy and fearless mind for a very hectic day tomorrow.

Here is Guruji practicing the same pose and additional back bends reminiscent of today's class! I spent hours sitting on the stairs next to this hall this summer watching him and others - awestruck and inspired. Enjoy this beautiful moment of yoga with guruji and memorable sounds of India.

Namaste!