OCT 30th, 2005

Namaste,

Some of you have indicated that a note about the list/sequence of postures we practiced in the class would be very helpful. I will be sending a recap every week to all those actively enrolled in the classes. If you prefer not to receive such recap,  please email me. The emails will also include answers to questions many  who attend my classes elsewhere ask and I hope that benefits everyone. This week you will find below how to coordinate your breathing during the intermediate Sun Salutations.

Use your energy creatively: Involving in  creative activities is a great way to relax the mind. Try something that the whole family would be interested in . Have you heard of Sudokus? These are numeric puzzles that is a whole  lot of fun to solve. Read more about them at www.sudoku.com or Google for 'Daily sudoku' for a free copy of the daily sudoku.

Last week's recap: We started the classes with centering, observing the breath while practicing Yogic breathing. We chose the 'Eye center' to focus on for a few moments. We went through the three parts of the  Yogic breathing  as we lay on the mat and combined the three steps all together. This was followed by the knee-to-chest posture and the Lying Bound Angle posture. We then let both the knees drop to a side as we practiced a lying twist on either side of the body. Some of us got a deeper twist with the top leg stretched on towards/to the mat. This was followed  by Half Cobra and Full Cobra.  We practiced the Cow-Cat stretch followed by Balasan/Child posture with modifications for those with heavy-headedness or headaches. We eased  into the Seated Hero or the Diamond posture. This was followed by a standing forward bend with the trunk resting on the thighs. We  did a couple  of Half Sun Salutations followed by standing Hero variations.  Back to the mat, we ended the posture session with Seated Bound Angle while centering ourselves more; a forward bend while holding the toes;  a simple twist in the easy posture. Instead of the winding up (or down) with the Corpse, we practiced more focused breathing enjoying the peace within  ourselves. Whew, and it was about 60 minutes!

Co-ordination of breathing during Intermediate Sun salutation:

In answer to an excellent question in a session I taught last Sunday by a participant, below is a table outlining how to coordinate your breathing while practicing the Intermediate Sun Salutation. Stage I, II and III represent advancement in practice.

As a general guideline, you would inhale as the spine lengthens and exhale when it is released. You can find more about breathing coordination and the impact correct breathing has on the body in an excellent chapter in the book Yoga Self-Taught. You can find a review of this book and many other Yoga related books/music at Ash's reviews on Amazon.com. 

Remind yourself the  need to  smile when you remind yourself the need to breathe!

Regards,

Ash Aragam, RYT

Dear Shiva,

Here are some notes from last Saturday's class. We emphasized breathing right quite a bit. During a practice session, make sure

·         You can hear your breathing. This can be accomplished by slightly pushing the chin into the base of the throat. This technique of breathing is called Ujjayi.

·         The breath is complete, following the Yogic breathing. Yogic breathing uses the chest cavity to the maximum possible, with the diaphragm, mid-chest cavity and the top of the lungs participating (in that order) during inhalation and the reverse during exhalation.

·         The mind stays focused on the above two and there is no attachments to any thoughts that come by. If the mind wanders, don't blame yourself but knowing it is the nature of the mind, ask it to focus on the above two.

We practiced postures, starting with some gentle stretching. Some of the ones you can incorporate in a short routine are below:

·         Yoga mudra: holding a wrist with the opposite hand and bending towards the opposite knee. Repeat on the other side and then bending towards the front-centre.

·         Child's posture. Kneeling and bending forward, resting the forehead on the mat to the front.

·         Supine bound angle posture: Lying on the back, bringing both the feet onto the mat, legs bent at the knees and dropping each leg/knee to its own side.

In all the above, emphasize deep/yogic breathing, enjoying each and every moment of it.

We ended the class with relaxation. Lying on the back, with the arms and legs to the side, we focused on different parts of the body identifying any tension that part could be holding and consciously trying to relax the part.  Whether you can find time to practice above or not, you should practice about 5-10 minutes of breathing before going to bed, breathing completely and using Ujjayi, letting the mind to just observe.

Yoga Rx was the book I mentioned. I have seen it at the Wissahickon library.. You can check it out at Amazon - Yoga Rx 

In the upcoming classes we will learn more breathing and pranayama techniques. Let Yoga help you the way it helped me.

Regards,

Ash Aragam, RYT