Finding balance in sari. Tamil Nadu, December 2007

While we were out for a drive the other day, my mother mentioned that her physical therapist friend has been treating a rising number of patients with yoga related injuries. This brought to mind something a very wise teacher of mine once said. It was something along the lines of, “Yoga has and can never hurt me. I have only hurt myself by misusing (misunderstanding) yoga.”

Our culture can nurture an air competitiveness that sometimes drifts into unnecessary places. It can float off the streets and into yoga studios. Yoga is, has, and should never be about group competition, but instead about understanding, caring for, and enhancing the mind-body connection on an individual level. In many ways, there is no such thing as an advanced or basic posture. As H. David Coulter states in his book The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, “Practicing with total attention within the body is advanced yoga, no matter how easy the posture; practicing with your attention scattered is the practice of a beginner, no matter how difficult the posture.” The more I progress in my study of yoga, the more wonderfully complex the poses I once considered “basic” become. I am always realizing subtleties I never knew existed.

I grew up in a relatively competitive environment. When I began practicing yoga, this mindset followed me onto the mat. Over time, however, I have found that yoga has helped me become less insecurely competitive with those around me and more honestly able to embrace and develop the skills within me.

Yoga is about constructing sturdy foundations by working with the available resources. Each individual has a different comfort zone and set of limitations that should always be respected. Yogasanas are about building and nurturing physical and, as a result, mental stability in a slow and controlled manner. By listening to your mind and body and staying within the framework of your limitations, your asana practice will certainly flourish. This will spill over into other aspects of life.

Blind girls practicing yoga at the Ranga Rao School for Visual Impaired Girls in Mysore, Karnataka, South India. Photographed by Sophie in August 2006.

In his work, the Yoga Sutras, the great Sanskrit sage Patanjali mentions asana in just 3 of the 196 aphorisms. (The performance of asana is just one small [yet very important] component of the path of ashtanga and hatha yoga. Asanas are intended to help purify the body and mind in order to prepare for seated meditation.) In this brief sutra, Patanjali sums up so much:

sthira sukham asanam

or

Steady and comfortable posture/seat

By working towards finding this composure in every asana, we can more easily carry this groundedness off the mat.

Embrace and love your practice as it is today and everyday. Find a practical balance between fearfulness and fearlessness while still respecting your limits. Remember each day is different.

One more note- Many yoga injuries occur during transitions from one pose into another. Remember to maintain control and comfort as you flow from one asana into the next. Allow the breath to guide you.

Honor your body, be aware of the climate. Sophie in Borovoy, Kazakhstan, March 2007.

Sundar playing around on a trip to through the largest mangroove in South India.

Sundar assisting me with tittibhasana in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, North India in 2005. (a slightly blurry photo…)

Performing the same arm balance at Deenabandhu in March of 2008.

How long should I wait after eating before practicing asana?

Just as you don’t eat right before going for a run, it is important to have the stomach (and preferably the bowels) as empty as possible before performing yogasana. Not only will this precaution help reduce discomfort in the practice, but it protects healthy and wellbeing. Asana can work far deeper than the body’s surface. Many poses provided a self-massage to the internal organs, such as ardha matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist) and other twisting poses. Inversions, such as sirsana (headstand) and sarvangasana (shoulderstand), powerfully affect the digestive system.

yum.

So how much time should I allow between a meal and practice?
In general, it is suggested to wait 4 hours after a large meal and 1 to 2 hours after a very light meal.
B.K.S. Iyengar states in Light on Yoga:

“Asana should preferably be done on an empty stomach. If this is difficult, a cup of tea or coffee, cocoa or milk may be taken before doing them. They may be practiced without discomfort one hour after a very light meal. Allow at least four hours to elapse after a heavy meal before starting the practice. Food may be taken half an hour after completing the asana.”

Waiting to eat for some times after practice is important as well. This helps the entire body receive the full benefits of the asana.

If you practice in the morning on an entirely empty stomach and experience light-headedness, try having a light snack, such as a banana, nuts, or other fruits, an hour or two before.

Green and young coconut water is very energizing and nutritious. It can be enjoyed a little before practice.
If fresh coconuts might not be available where you live, try packaged Zico or Vitacoco.

Some bread I baked at my old apartment in Astoria, NY. It’s best to wait a few hours before practicing after eating something like this.

I watched my yoga teachers in wonder as they effortlessly lifted their bodies and hovered their torsos above the earth for long intervals of time. For a while, I shied out of trying to follow them. I am so grateful to my dear partner Sundar, who helped me work beyond my hesitation and attempt arm balances with more confidence and focus.

The first time I managed to maintain bhujapdasana, or shoulder-pressing pose, for a few breaths was a slight “a-ha!” moment. I suddenly comprehended on a physical level that arm balances have as much, or perhaps more, to do with core engagement than arm strength. Likewise, as soon I confidently shifted my gaze, or drishti, more forward, the pose opened up.

I have since come to embrace arm balances. Each time I discover how to perform a new one is like unveiling an individualized formula balancing strength, weight, and flexibility. Arm balances have also kindly forced me to trust and become more aware of my own strength and weaknesses, and do so with patience and focus. These asana have also helped me increase my strength to more safely use my flexibility.

Ravi Kumar, at Deenabandhu, practicing a lifted variation of eka pada sirsasana.

Shortly after I decided to post something on arm balances, I discovered a great article from yoga journal by Julie Gudmestad. It provides a few excellent tips and poses to help build up core and arm strength for those who are new to arm balances and more experienced practitioners. I encourage you to read it!

Trying to balance in sari…

Asana are important, but there is much more. Sundar performing flying crow beautifully.

Overall, the article seemed to gauge one’s level of yoga by how well one can manipulate the physical body. Sure, we can contort ourselves into crazy positions, but perhaps it’s a bigger challenge to focus on the subtleties of a single posture and exercise patience. Asana, after all, are just one small (but still important and therapeutic) component of “yoga” (ashtanga and hatha yoga). The postures are tools to help the individual become more grounded, compassionate, and centered for meditation. There are a few quotes from members of the yoga community, such as Annie Carpenter of Santa Monica’s Yoga Works and Cynthia Lee of OM Yoga in New York, that remind the reader of this. These statements, however, are hardly extended upon. The author touches upon pranayama and meditation, but quickly shifts back to the subject of how deeper “poses” define advanced yoga.

Categorizing asana classes by level is important and class distinctions should be respected to honor the yogic tradition and prevent injuries. These delineations, however, should not nurture competitiveness. My teachers in New York and India, who I respect so deeply for selflessly and devotedly pursuing the path of yoga over a course many years, would never label themselves as accomplished or “advanced”. It’s just not about that. I believe that the article would have been more powerful, engaging, and well-rounded had the author firmly addressed the fact that asana is far from everything, instead of stressing how advanced students are “suffering” from a lack of higher-level classes.

As a New Yorker, I also found that the article omits a number of wonderful yoga studios in New York that offer “advanced” and serious classes, such as the Iyengar Institute, Dharma Mittra, and a number of other well-known studios (focusing on Mysore Ashtanga, Anusara, and more). Nor does it shed light on any of the wonderful institutions that focus on exercising the mind, such as meditation centers like the Integral Yoga and Tibet House.

Mother Teresa.

Seeing these children in such command of their bodies made me think about how dependent I am on my outer gaze in my own asana practice. Thus, I decided to experiment and practice with my eyes closed. At first, my body felt foreign and my sense of center easily faded. Throughout the session, however, I began developing a deeper awareness of my inner drishti, or gaze and became much more conscious of the subtleties of my breath and my overall physical alignment. I admit that I should be more disciplined and practice like this routinely, as it will bring deep benefits, starting on a physical and mental level.

Me in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, North India. July 2007

I do, however, make a point to integrate brief tests of balance with closed eyes into my regular practice and classes. These short challenges have strengthened my core and, more importantly, my overall sense of balance and inner drishti. Here are two techniques I like:

1. Balancing on the toes with closed Eyes

This is a little technique I have learned my dear friend and mentor David Hollander. Stand in tadasana (heels and balls of the feet touching). Keeping the arms by the side or raising them in prayer in front of the chest, lift the toes.
Close the eyes. Begin to focus on how the weight is distributed between the feet. Are you putting more pressure in the front of the foot than the back? Are you rolling onto the outside edges of the feet?
Try to find balance here for a few deep breaths.
Place the toes back on the ground, starting from the big toes and working your way out. Open the eyes.

Lift the heels, trying to bring the heels towards each other.
Now, experiment with closed eyes. Try to maintain balance for at least 5 deep breaths.
With the eyes still shut, slowly release the heels to the ground.

Tip: Keep the abdominal muscles strongly engaged and the tailbone and lower ribs tucked in. (Avoid allowing the butt or lower chest to stick out.) Keep the chin parallel with the floor. Imagine a string pulling your body up from the crown of the head (like a martinet).

2. Vrksasana (Tree Pose) with closed eyes.

15 year-old Anand, from Deenabandhu Trust, practcing vrksasana with closed eyes.

Assume vrksasana (If needed, click here to for Yoga Journal’s instructions).
Find balance with the hands folded in namaskar in front of the chest or the arms above the head (only if your shoulders remain relaxing down the back).
Now, try to find balance with the eyes closed. Hold for as long as comfortable.

Tips: Keep the abdominal muscles strongly engaged and the tailbone and lower ribs tucked in. (Avoid sticking out the butt or lower chest.)
If you’re feeling particularly unsteady, stand with the back or side body near a wall.
Remember, some days are different than others.
Keep trying, keep smiling.

Girls at Ranga Rao in padmasana (lotus pose). Setting up for matsyasana (fish pose).

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) is a great preparatory asana for sarvangasana . Thanks to Sundar for demonstrating at his family’s home in Tamil Nadu.

If practiced properly and regularly, the asana can treat menstrual disorders, infertility, asthma, sinusitis, and depression. It can strengthen the back, neck, legs, and abdomen. In addition to this, Savangasana is considered one of the most powerful asana for improving the function and health of the thyroid gland. A healthy thyroid will result in improved metabolism and digestion, reduced fatigue, and an overall better state of wellbeing.
The thyroid, which is one of the body’s largest endocrine glands, controls how rapidly energy is burned in the body. The thyroid produces and processes the hormones responsible for regulating the rate of metabolism, most notably thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The thyroid also helps balance blood calcium levels.
Sufficient blood circulation plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy thyroid. While performing savangasana, slight pressure is applied to the thyroid, which essentially provides a gentle massage to the gland. This action helps stimulate circulation and remove blockages created by stagnant secretions.
Practicing other asana in the sarvangasana cycle, such as halasana (plow pose) and karna pidasana (knees to ear or ear pressure pose), will yield similar benefits.
It is important to counter shoulderstand with matsyasana (fish pose). Please click here to for information on how to perform this shoulder-opening pose. Try to maintain fish pose fish pose for 1/3 of the time shoulderstand was practiced.

Yoga Journal provides excellent instructions for sarvangasana on their website. Click on the image below to link to their site (The tutorial is for basic salamba sarvangasana, supported shouldstand).


As a reminder, please familiarize yourself with any contradictions before acquiring this or any asana. (Do not practice savangasana during menstruation or if you have a neck injury, high blood pressure/ hyper tension, or diarrhea.)

©Sophie Herbert, 2008, as to writing and photographs

It’s been three weeks since I arrived back in New York after a 9-month voyage in India and Kazakhstan. I love this city for its diversity and action, and for how enormous yet intimate of a place it can be. I am thankful to report that it has been a relatively calm transition back into fast-paced metropolitan life.
Upon returning home, I made a goal to try my best at finding more balance and calm in this potentially hectic environment. So, as I now find myself constantly in need of a date book after months of hardly using one (as my life was more contained in one place at a time), or sometimes allowing petty things to stress me out as I race from here to there, I am realizing how enormously beneficial a restorative yoga practice can be.
Even 5 to 10 minutes of relaxing asana or breathing practices can be a powerful remedy to calm the body and mind.

So, as I conquered the final set of subway stairs after a full but pleasant day on my feet, I looked forward to resting with my legs up the wall. This simple and reinvigorating posture, referred to in Sanskrit as viparita karani (inverted action), acts to drain old lymph from the legs and improve circulation. It can also alleviate mild back pain and give a subtle stretch to the neck, shoulder, legs, and front torso.
A teacher of mine told me that performing legs-up-the-wall properly for 20 minutes is the equivalent of 2 hours of sleep! I have been practicing this pose for almost 2 years since and cannot beg to differ.
There is a wonderful tutorial for legs-up-the-wall on Yoga Journal’s website.
To learn more about this beautiful relaxation technique, click here:

It’s time for spring-cleaning. Dust off some extra tension with this restorative hip-opening asana.
Click on the image below to find out how…


Special thanks to Sundar for his wonderful modelling! The photographs were taken last month at his family’s home in Southern Tamil Nadu. Sundar has since returned to Prana Yoga in Astana, Kazakhstan where he was recently featured in the Kazakh magazine shown below.