Lotus Pose

By admin | October 27, 2010 - 6:18 am | Seated and Twists

Padmasana

Padmasana Lotus Pose When you first learned of yoga and the practice of yoga asanas, images of bendy people sitting crossed legged in what you later learned was called Lotus Pose most likely came to mind. While it does look cool, this most iconic of yoga poses happens to be great for facilitating a seated meditation and also for pranayama/bandha practice. Positioning your body in this seated “seal” aligns the spine and calms the mind. Lotus position encourages the dormant energy residing at the base of the spine, the Kundalini Shakti (awakened and enlivened with asana or pranayama practice), to move up and through the energy channels of the body and bring life force (prana), healing and vitality to the whole person. Physiologically, Padmasana stimulates the spine, pelvis, abdomen, bladder and reproductive organs.

Padmasana is a Beginner to Intermediate level pose, however, it is not necessarily appropriate for everyone. It really depends on your body. Some people have little to no difficulty entering this pose and for others, it may not be accessible for a period of time or perhaps ever. And that’s okay.

If you would like to try this pose, just be mindful that knee, hip or ankle injuries and tightness require special attention as these areas receive a deep stretch in Lotus Pose. The Half Lotus variation is a much more accessible position for many people and can be a great starting place (see instructions below).

If a Full Lotus Pose is not available to you yet, there are other yoga poses that you can do to prepare your body. For example, Ardha Matsyendrasana can help relax the lower spine and stretch the outer hips and Virasana is great for opening the knees and ankles.

Instructions for Padmasana, Lotus Pose

Cradle the Baby. As with any physical exercise, a warm up sequence is important to prevent over-stretching and injury. Also, just prior to taking your Lotus seat, you can bring your first knee towards your chest and then cradle it in the elbow of that same side of your body (so, if you are using your left leg first you would hook the left knee into the left elbow) and the sole of that foot into the opposite elbow with the foot flexed. Holding the shin with your hands or clasping the arms together in front of the shin, begin to make a cradling motion with your arms and breathe slowly and calmly. This is a great way to open and warm up that hip. Repeat on the other side.

Levels of Lotus. Gently ease one foot onto the opposite thigh so that the outside of the foot settles into the hip crease with the sole of the foot perpendicular to the floor and the heel in towards the belly.

At this point you can evaluate whether or not you want to proceed into Full Lotus or take the Half Lotus variation. You will know. If the knee of the first leg seems to be way up in the air, it will be difficult to place the other leg on top of that one. You might also be feeling quite a stretch on the leg you have already positioned.

For Half Lotus, simply bend the second leg and and allow it to rest on the floor with the foot close to the body.

For Full Lotus you will place the other foot on top of the other thigh in the same position – outer edge of the foot in the hip crease and foot flexed. Your knees are to be as close together as possible but not in an uncomfortable way. In other words, don’t force it.

Basically, you want to find a position, either Half or Full, that you can hold comfortably for about 1-2 minutes.

You may place your hands in prayer position, or comfortably on your thighs with palms facing up or down, or in the mudra of your choice.

Beginner’s Tips for Padmasana, Lotus Pose

Keep your feet gently flexed with the heel extending in order to avoid over-stretching the outer ankle and to keep the knee in alignment.
Be sure that in your daily practice, you alternate which leg is on bottom and which is on top. Your tendency might be to always use the side that is easier or more comfortable but alternating sides will help avoid creating imbalance in the joints.
If you are unable to place your feet at your hip crease, you can modify by placing feet in the crease between you calf and thigh, close to the knee. Still, keep the feet gently flexed to protect the knees and ankles.
At first you might only be able to sit for a few minutes. With regular practice this will change and you will be more comfortable sitting for longer periods of time.

Feel free to post any questions or comments below!

Author Lindsay Fields is a yoga teacher and blogger currently residing in Asheville, NC. You can find out more about Lindsay and her love of the sweatier variaties of hatha yoga by visiting LindsayFields.com.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Facebook for the Yogi: Is it a Teacher or my personal Torment?

By admin | October 26, 2010 - 6:26 pm | In and Of The Moment, Wisdom

So just to be up front about it, I am a Facebook addict.

I check it every day, and if I don’t get to check it, I miss it. I recently took a week off of Facebook for our “Reading Deprivation” week in The Artist’s Way. Being without it got me thinking. Is Facebook truly an addition in my life that is worth the space it takes up? What is it’s inherent value? What are its detractions? Especially for a Yogi like me, is it part of raising my consciousness? So I thought to myself, “Self, let’s do an examination on the issue of Facebookiness in your life!” So here is my question: Is it my teacher or my torment? Or maybe a little of both?

Teacher: Facebook allows me to be connected with lots of people I don’t get to see on a frequent enough basis. I have friends all over North America, and some on other continents. It gives me the opportunity to stay connected with people that would be impossible to do without the tool to go and check up with what is happening to them on a daily basis (or however often they update). It reinforces in me the value of community.

Torment: I have a pet peeve about people who use Facebook to update about bodily functions or other TMI minutae. I really don’t need to know that you are taking a shower. I think it is a great place to give your opinion, get support if you are having a tough time or let people know about significant things in your life. However, I think it is disturbing to “see” people updating about some things that really are a private matter. Now, I am all for honesty in this world – if you need to say something, say it – but take a moment and consider what you are posting is really contributing to the greater good of personkind. Remember, SOMEONE is going to read what you post. It torments me with information I don’t need to know!

Teacher: Facebook is an invaluable networking tool for the independent businesswoman. It gives you an opportunity to check in with your clients, to maintain relationships and gain new relationships. I have directly gotten income from letting people know about my events as a yoga teacher on facebook. This is a great thing! It teaches me to be a responsible businesswoman and community member.

Torment: Don’t invite me to every event you have on your entire calendar! Especially if I am your fan and I don’t live any where near where you are. I mean, if you are giving a workshop in Texas, and I live in Asheville – do you really think I am going to fly all the way there for a 3 hour workshop? Please, people, use ahimsa, the yogic concept of non-violence, when you are choosing who to communicate your events to. That person is going to need to take 2 seconds of their life to click “no” on your event – do you really want them to spend that time when they live 2,000 miles away? It teaches me to have good boundaries!

Teacher: Facebook is one of the ultimate utilitarian tools. It is FREE, accessible to all who have an internet connection, and it can create a community that is truly vibrant in your life. Many times I happened to catch someone on Facebook and we met up or exchanged info that directly bettered my life or gave me info about something I was interested in. It teaches me to be open to possibility!

Torment: So the dark side to free access is that that anyone can decide they want to “friend” you. Do you accept friends that you have never physically met? It’s easy to pretend to be someone else on the internet. Also, people are in your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Do you really want to re-establish friendship with people you haven’t seen in 20 years? Lots of people I know have had to make that choice – either an ex or old high school buddies try to re-establish relationships and most of the time, they haven’t spoken in a really long time. Time is precious – it is definitely the dark side of facebook that you are exposed to any and all who want to communicate with you. It teaches me to value my privacy and to honor who I am in THIS moment.

Teacher: Of course, you can meet some really great people on the internet! Especially in places like Asheville, where you are never more than a person or two away from someone you know – there are only 3 degrees of separation here, not six! I’ve gotten to know some great people through hooking up electronically on FB first. Maybe we go to a kirtan or yoga class together, and then they friend me. Now I have a name to attach to the face and my network gets stronger.

Torment: It can be tempting to get on Facebook and ignore what else is going on my life. Someone else’s drama allows me to forget my own! But that is just a trap – my drama then gets bigger and more difficult to deal with. I don’t get into all the games and all that stuff – just watching the movies and reading the articles that pop up in my newsfeed is time-consuming enough! Thankfully, I have a 6 month old puppy that keeps me oriented to the world and to the natural rythyms of life. It teaches me to remember that this moment is all I have – and I want to be in it, fully aware and fully awake!

I could go on and on, but what this little expose teaches me is that I can have my cake, and eat it too. As long it is a small slice! Facebook is great to keep up with your community and to create opportunities, but when it becomes a time suck that affects other parts of your life, it’s time to go on a diet.

Namaste Friends! Now, get off your computer and go hug someone!

Read the original post on Anna’s blog.

The author, Anna Ferguson, is a yoga teacher, artist, photographer and writer. She teaches weekly classes at Asheville Yoga Center and other studios in Asheville, NC. Find out more about her at ushasyoga.com.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Yoga is Like Ice Cream

By admin | October 24, 2010 - 5:52 pm | Wisdom

2 Comments

I love Jamocha Almond Fudge ice cream.

I’ll admit that I’m not really sure what a Jamocha is, but I think it might be Sanskrit for coffee.

To me Jamocha Almond Fudge ice cream is a delightful balance of coffee, chocolate and nuts. I think it is delicious. As a matter of fact I think it might just be perfect.

Now that doesn’t mean I will pass up a creamy bowl of butter pecan or a simple chocolate cone. Digging into a carton of pistachio reminds me how good it is. How could I have forgotten? But personally, I’ll pass on cherry ice cream. It’s not for me.

You may argue that Jamocha Almond Fudge does not have a monopoly on coffee, almonds and nuts. Coffee ice cream with nuts and chocolate sauce is the same thing, right? Maybe you feel that your homemade ice cream is superior to anything you could buy because it’s organic, pure and doesn’t advertise. Perhaps you’ve never met a bowl of ice cream you didn’t like and you’re secretly happy that my ice cream preferences will leave more cherry ice cream for you. And you would be right.

Yoga flavors are a lot like ice cream flavors.

I love Anusara Yoga. I think it’s a delightful balance of spirit, body and mind; of attitude, action and alignment. The ‘heart centered’ language speaks to me like no other; the alignment sings to my body and soul. I think it’s delicious. In fact I think it might just be perfect.

Now that doesn’t mean that I’ll pass up a great flow session or a classical ‘hatha’ class. Wandering into an Ashtanga class reminds me how good it can be. How could I have forgotten? But personally, I’ll pass on ”Hot” yoga styles. They are just not for me.

You may argue that Anusara does not have a monopoly on ‘heart’. All yoga claims to balance the mind body and spirit. Maybe you feel that ‘classical’ hatha yoga is organic and pure because it does not sell t-shirts. Perhaps you’ve never met a yoga class you didn’t like and my preference just leaves more mat space for you in the 6:30 Bikram class. And you would be right.

We need to remember that yoga is like ice cream. One person’s preference does not invalidate another’s. It is not a question of right or wrong. There is a flavor for everyone and plenty to go around.

So let’s make like ice cream. Keep it cool, keep it sweet, keep it fun and don’t forget to pass the sprinkles!

Rosemarie Lyle is a graduate of the Tampa Road Show Edition of Asheville Yoga’s 200 hour teacher training program. She has been a registered occupational therapist since 1992. Rosemarie is currently finishing her 100 Hour Anusara Immersion at Lake Center Yoga in Longwood Florida with her primary teachers Sri Ekan and Nirgunavathi and will start Anusara Teacher Training next year. Rosemarie takes John Friend workshops around the country whenever she saves up enough hotel and airline reward points. (About four times a year – does that make me a stalker??) Rosemarie blogs sporadically and tentatively at Atypical Yogini and feels very silly writing her ‘bio’ in the third person. Namaste

Photos: Ice Cream Photo 1 Credit Ice Cream Photo 2 Credit

Popularity: 10% [?]

Tapas and Turmoil Part 2: Finding Gluten Freedom

By admin | October 21, 2010 - 6:51 pm | In and Of The Moment

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Yoga for Sanity and the Gifts of a Gluten Free Lifestyle

By the way, if you haven’t already, you can read Part 1 and catch up.

While traveling the aisles of all the local grocery stores, screening every label for gluten, and also every internet site and bookstore for anything I can find on being gluten-free, I have learned that it is enough to make you nuts if you let it! It turns out gluten is in just about everything you eat, and surprisingly products you touch as well! (FYI Auto-immune disease and gluten are not compatible).

Here is something else I have picked up on:

Phases of dealing with a gluten-free life

Stage 1 Initial panic – What is gluten?
Stage 2 Dumbfounded – Jeez, what is left to eat?
Stage 3 Feeling lost – You have to be kidding me – gluten is in that, too?
Stage 4 Despair and frustration – Seriously, I can’t eat anything anymore! I give up!
Stage 5 Acceptance

I am continually finding out how many things have gluten in them. Thankfully, I found myself having one craving I can do something about - I was craving that 21 square feet of my turquoise oasis (translated: my yoga mat). As I practiced, and it wasn’t for long, a remembrance struck me – something that I had read or heard somewhere:

“Don’t eat something that your Grandmother wouldn’t have known what it was!”

Something about that simplicity resonated with me on a deep level. It was soothing, almost calming to my frazzled nerves. That simplicity has stayed with me, and made me want to apply it to other areas of my life.

This “Simple is Good” philosophy has become my mantra for life. Maybe the most noticeable effects it has had on my life is with … my house! I was feeling more tired and crappy after weeks of a monster schedule. My home certainly took the brunt of my lack of time. It had become, shall we say “piled.” A little clutter in one spot is my norm. But it seems that single pile had spawned more piles over the last couple weeks, which is unlike me. I was just going from one job to another and my answer to the clutter and the frenzy was just drop and go!

As I slowly took control of the things I could literally control (the physical clutter in my home), I was surprised to notice how much my stress level was reduced. The less visual clutter I saw, the easier I could breathe. After just a few hours, I was amazed. I felt myself becoming more grounded. This was the first time in months that I had been able to find real relaxation off the mat.

So instead of yoga being my lifeline as it was at my first diagnosis, it has happily turned into more of an anchor that I am grateful for everyday!

By the way, I would love for these posts to serve as a supportive community for people going through something similar. Has yoga practice helped you deal with a health crisis or another trauma? How has yoga helped you in your off-the-mat life?

Please share your thoughts, advice and questions in the comments below. Thank you!

Some Helpful Links for Gluten Freedom

The author, Michele Mathiesen has spent 1/2 her life becoming a yogini & vegan and has been a body/energy-worker for the last 8 years. She is an avid cook, traveler, and does dog rescue in her spare time. For more about Michele, visit her website Wildflower Path Yoga.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Getting My Pre-Baby Body Back With Yoga

By admin | October 17, 2010 - 5:09 pm | Wisdom

1 Comment

When I got pregnant, I was convinced that I would NOT gain more than 25 pounds and that I would be back to my normal self within 2 weeks after having my baby.

What I did not count on was having a tiny giant! Even though I worked out every single day of my pregnancy and ate less than I would if I wasn’t pregnant, I still gained 41 pounds and was so fat that I couldn’t fit behind my steering wheel. I gave birth to a 9 pound 2 ounce baby boy who was extremely healthy and twice as big as I thought he would be. The number he did on my back and body was astounding. As someone who could do back walkovers, splits and cartwheels at the drop of a hat, I now can barely bend over and pick up toys without groaning.

So what’s a mommy to do? Yoga.

I’ll admit, the first few yoga classes I took after having my son were tough to get through, and I was sore the next few days, but over the course of a few weeks I started to notice that I was bending over more easily and didn’t feel as “stiff” as I usually did. The poses and stretches that I am working on in my yoga classes are increasing the blood flow to the “tight” areas and stretching joints and ligaments that have been tense and stressed for months.

It is a wonderful and freeing feeling not to hurt and to be able to play with my son and clean without pain is such a blessing. Who knows, after a few more classes, I might be turning cartwheels in the months to come!

Helen is a freelance writer and the resident blogger for gocollege.com, a free informational website offering tips and advice about online colleges.

Popularity: 7% [?]

A Year of Heart Opening

By admin | October 13, 2010 - 4:40 pm | Wisdom

1 Comment

When I went to college, my mom told me that she was excited for me to finally (emphasis mine) “come into my own.” In other words, I was pretty awkward and shy as a teenager, and she thought (hoped) that would change as I went out on my own.

I did come out of my shell a bit, but that was often at the expense of trusting my own intuition and voice. I think I learned to fit in more than I learned to become more of myself.

For a long, long time I was that person who weathered any storm with seeming equanimity. People always called me calm and reliable (which I think might translate to boring, but I’m going to pretend that’s not true). What they didn’t know is that inside I was a hot mess. I internalized my feelings to the point that I didn’t even know I was doing it, much less how destructive it was. It wasn’t until I started getting sick, and then sicker (because it takes me a long time to get a message–especially if it’s coming from my own body) that I finally started listening.

I’ve done quite a bit of work around this, especially this year. In an effort to keep doing that, I’m taking a step. A leap of faith, if you will. I’m going to spend 10 minutes each day for the next year doing heart opening yoga. (Since I said it online, I think that means I have to do it. I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of clause or something.)

10 minutes seems like a reasonable commitment–enough to actually do something but not so much that I know I’ll give up in the first 17 days (or, most likely, sooner). I’ve seen the many benefits of yoga in my body and life, and I know that if I spend 10 minutes/day opening–physically and emotionally–that I will see a difference this time next year.

If you’re interested in joining in (or even just trying this out for a day), here are several poses to consider:

Reclining Bound Angle Pose: this is my favorite pose (of all time, or at least so far). If anything is going to get me to practice heart opening for 10 minutes/day, the promise of this pose is it.

Bridge Pose: I’ve recently embraced a love for this pose. Now that I know how to modify it for my body, I am rocking it.

Cow Face Pose: This one is great because (a) it’s called cow face pose and (b) it also does amazing things for your shoulders (often another tight area–especially for people who have difficulty expressing their emotions because we tend to collapse through the chest).

Sphinx: I used to think this pose was a sad substitute for either Cobra or Upward-Facing Dog. After I added it back into my practice, though, I realized the beauty of forearm support.

Lion Pose: This one might not do as much for opening your chest physically, but who won’t feel lighter and brighter after making that face?!

So here’s to the next year (I like the idea of starting in October instead of January–less New Year stress and obligation) and discovering the benefits of continuous openness, stillness, and mindful breathing.

Anna Guest-Jelley is an advocate for women’s rights by day, a yoga teacher by night, and a puppies’ mama all the time. She is making her way through life with joy, curves and all. Visit her at her website and on Facebook and Twitter.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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