Monday Night Advanced Class with Nina - Intense groin opening pose to make you sweat and relieve back pain!

Yesterday night's class finally made me sweat. The theme of this class was "groin opening poses". Read "intense poses that generate heat and really make you sweat". So all of you who think yoga doesn't give you an intense workout - eat your heart out! This was hard, intense and sweaty.

The class was estrogen majority. I was the only male (what happened to the other two) in class and probably most "pose challenged". With tight hamstrings, I couldn't dare stretch the back leg in "Hanuman Asana". We did a number of groin openers and supporting poses to allow the groins to really open. Supta Virasana, variations of Adho Mukha Svanasana, Raj kapot Asana (Pigeon Pose).

Nina borrowed some inspiration from Nuvana's back-care class. Its strap trick. A small strap tight around your lower waist. The belt is wrapped around your sacrum, and high part of the gluteus muscles real tight. I use this trick when I have lower back ache or when I am long flights to India. Then you add a wider belt at your sacrum in loop around the tight belt. You then pull down the wider belt with your feet. It pushes your buttock muscles down, releasing the back. This provides amazing relief to your back.

This trick was taught to me by Nuvana early on in my training with her. Back and shoulder ache were to most persistent problems I encountered - both of which are now much better since I started yoga. There are so many benefits to yoga, but I must say I use this Nuvana trick all the time to relieve lower back pain. If you are in metro Portland or visiting try the saturday morning back care class at Sunset Yoga. You will be amazed!

Namaste

The Yogi

Getting back to Sunset Yoga - Yoga with Nina Pileggi level 2

I attended my first class at Sunset Yoga after being gone for 3 weeks. Level 2 with Nina. She was happy to see the ropes I brought back that will be hung soon on the wall. The class almost seemed like a continuance from Nuvana's class yesterday. A lot of shoulder work with Adho Mukha Svanasana, Chaturanga Dandasana, and then on to Adho Mukha Vriksasana (Hand Stand). I completely bombed on the hand stand, as I did in Pune. The 2 months of sciatic pain and scant attendance and practice is the culprit. I was just too tired. We then started on some quad work and gently back bends mostly geared towards getting into Setu Bandh Sarvgasana by the wall. That was hard. I was sweating and so was most of the class. It was a good work out and I got some baby steps before I get back to the Level 3 class. Nina also gave me a book on Medicine and Yoga, which I forgot at the center despite her reminder to not. My absent mind! There is a whole section on my recently discovered lumbar spondilysis. Forward Bends , but no back bends. I need to read it and will report back here on what they have to say.

Coming back to classes at home, I realized how much I missed the tranquility of the classes at Sunset Yoga and Nina's gentle and demonstrative style of teaching as compared to rampant instructions at Pune. They are all different shades of grey. I have learn't to appreciate the beauty in all these styles and diversity in teaching of yoga. If we could only appreciate such diversity in life. Have tranquility, peace, patience and a smile in our lives, by letting go of our ego and anger. This world would be a much peaceful and happier place to live.

Namaste

The Yogi