2014 YLT 4th Weekend Summary

Posted on May 17, 2014 by admin

Theme of Weekend 4: The Physics of Asana: Understanding fulcrums and leverage, props and support, in your practice and teaching of asana.

Meditation: Resting in Being (Hsin Hsin Ming for clues!)
Mantra Practice: Continue from last month.

Sutras Discussion: 1. Please talk about brahmacharya (from Sutra II-38): Brahmacharya literally means ‘walking in God’. As living beings, we are endowed with a certain amount of energy, strength, and power (virya) to be used in the world. How we use that energy determines the quality of our lives. Are we self-centered? Lost and confused? Chasing shadows? Sexual energy is a major driving force in nature and Patanjali addresses this here, but celibacy is a common but poor translation of brahmacharya. The sutras do have a masculine/transcendence/purusha bias versus the feminine/immanence/prakriti, and if we read between the lines, many commentators (all guys by the way) seem to imply that sex is a hindrance to your spiritual development. It certainly could be, if the 2nd chakra energy is not integrated into the whole being and runs amok in the subconscious. But trying to repress the sexual energy is not a solution either, as can be seen by the Catholic Church scandals of the past decades. Use the energies of life wisely. It takes life times of practice and study to do this, so be patient and persistent. But liberation does not require the suppression of the creative energies, only its integration.

2. The gunas; In sutra II-18 and II-19, Patanjali discusses the gunas, the three qualities of prakriti. In II-19, he connects the gunas to the 24 components of the Samkhya model of reality dealing with prakriti, dividing these 24 into 4 categories, ranging from most tangible to most subtle. There are 16 most tangible or gross body components and they include the 5 organs of action, 5 organs of perception, and the 5 gross elements. Those are obvious. Manas or ‘lower mind’ is the 16th, as it is the least subtle of the mental components. Next come the 6 subtle components; the 5 energies that correspond with he organs of perception: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell; and ahamkara, the egoic mind, more subtle than manas. Mahat or buddhi is in a category by itself, as it is more subtle than the previous components, but still distinctive as a separate entity. The final category is prakriti itself, before it manifests as any particular form. These models or maps are fun, but don’t get too distracted by them. Live…Fully… that is all you need to awaken.

3. Vibhuti Pada? Forget the third chapter, after samyama, as it is too technical and not relevant to awakening. Keep your study practical. Can you immediately apply this sutra to your moment to moment experience? If so, go for it. If not, find something else. There is plenty to work with, but try not to get lost in theoretical speculation. It is a waste of time if your goal is awakening. If your goal is to be a Yoga Sutras scholar, that is another story.

Here are some practical sutras to work with: I-12 to I-16, the practices of abhyasa and vairagyam.

Abhyasa: choosing to put your energy into actions/thoughts/practices that stabilize mindfulness, emotional balance (samatvam), clarity, joy, delight; or any mind state that comes from a deep sense of inner peace and wisdom; and doing this lovingly, persistently, over many years and lifetimes. Make this practice moment to moment!

Vairagyam: Choosing to withdraw energy from habits, actions, thoughts, beliefs, mind states that perpetuate unnecessary pain, negative emotions and suffering. This is also known as ‘maturing’ or growing up into spiritual adulthood. Make this practice moment to moment! (Sutra I-16 has some anti-feminine bias, so be careful with that one. It is crucial to differentiate Purusha from Prakriti, the changeless eternal from the transient world of forms. Differentiating leads to deeper levels of integration. However, ‘indifference to nature’, is not awakening. On the contrary, it is a place of ‘stuckness’.)

Asana Practice:

As we continue our inquiry into the energy and information flow passing through our body/minds, we come to the practical side of asana practice. There are many ways we use yoga postures to enhance perception and sensitivity to energy, and using props to highlight keys places of leverage and balance is one of B.K. S. Iyengar’s greatest gifts to the modern yogi. The Iyengar system has spawned an amazing number of ways to use props to improve leverage, awaken a deeper sense of space in the poses, and open and integrate the chakra energies. We will explore a few possibilities.

Because of the long bones of the limbs and the action of the joints, the human body is an amazing place to explore leverage and the role of fulcrums in creating a sense of balance and ease, of sthira and sukham. This class of leverage is the see-saw action we use in opening the hip joints. When we grow a tail, and use the inner back heel as a continuation of tail energy, the center of the front leg hip socket is the fulcrum around which the pelvis can rotate freely, and also a center around which the body can find the stillness of perfect balance. The leverage of the back leg/tail counter-balancing the torso is most clearly seen in half moon pose, especially when you compare Iyengar to the class 1 level picture. The same principle applies to trikonasana and the other standing poses.

The use of belts allow us to further enhance the connection of the back leg/tail and front hip joint in the main hip opening postures such as parvsvottanasana, here demonstrated by Iyengar teacher Roni Brissette, and supta padangusthasana. Note the second belt in supta padangusthasana from the upper hip to the lower foot. A more precise placement of the belt would have it around the metatarsal bones, especially the big toe of that lower leg. That gives you the ability to adjust inner and outer rotations. Most beginners use only the upper leg belt and never quite get into the hip joint. The same action can be taken into ardha chandrasana and revolved ardha chandrasana.

Another old favorite, done with belts or wall ropes is the hanging dog pose. Here the rope loop acts as an accessory tail, teaching the muladhara to trifurcate, giving a strong traction to the hip sockets and tops of the thigh bones. When the hips are open, the leverage releases the spinal column. Speaking of belts and tails, here is a great photo from Lauren Cahn in the upside down downward dog, or urdhva dhanurasana. Notice the action and direction of the pull of the belt. The tail lengthens out dynamically. The tendency is to confuse the tail and the hips and overly contract the muladhara. The use of blocks takes some of the effort from the shoulders.

Once the hips and tail are awake and the energy is flowing freely, (1st chakra) we can look to opening the sacroilliac joints, a key, but challenging action. Here we switch to a wooden block, or brick as they say in Pune. Iyengar instructor Holly Walck is demonstrating the use of a block in bridge pose to open the core. The release the sacrum the fulcrum shifts from the hip joints to the sacro-illiacs. The feet stay engaged, the pelvis is anchored to the block, and the tail can adjust up or down to find the happy spot for the sacrum. In this photo, the student needs to release the throat as the fifth chakra is compressing. More height under the shoulders and a slight rotation of the skull will align 5th and sixth chakras with the sacral area or the 2nd chakra.

For those looking for a deeper experience, check this out. Here Iyengar is using a stool with blankets to open his sacral-lumbar region and the heart, the wall to activate his feel and muladhara, and another stool to anchor his hands (notice the length through his wrists, elbows and armpits.) He has been exploring these deep supported backbends for years, as this is his (and the human’s) edge.

Leveraging the different vertebrae of the spinal column can also be done with chairs. These poses are quite intense and care must be taken not to hang out or hold on, but to use the chair to direct perception. Iyengar teacher, Kisa Davison, at left in viparita dandasana, is demonstrating the classical Iyengar chair backbend. Her head is supported, legs dynamic, but there is some compression at T-12 as seen by the sharp angle between the bottom of the ribs and the abdomen. The seat of the chair would be better located either lower or higher on the spine, as T-12 is very vulnerable to this hinging. If you work organically, rotating the liver would also help ease the transition between 3rd and 4th chakras.

Here the back of the chair is used by Noah Maze to open the 3rd chakra region. Note the hands and compare the length of the armpits to those of Mr. Iyengar, just to get used to seeing energy patterns. Priscilla Polonia is using the chair and a bolster in supported camel pose (ustrasana). Feet stay active, pressing down, tail energy keeps lengthening, and the head is supported by the back of the chair. Adjust the placement and size of the bolster to fit the needs of your body.

Finally, Iyengar’s chair sarvangasana, here demonstrated by Iyengar teacher Witold Fitz-Simon, uses blankets (or a bolster) for the shoulders, padding for the sacrum, and the arms extend through to the back legs. The arms can also be outside if the shoulders are lacking in flexibility. A bolster can also be placed on the seat of the chair and the legs can then extend back into its support.

A simpler pose for beginners, and everybody, is viparita karani, one of the main restorative postures. Witold has the bolster near the wall so the legs are supported and a belt contains the leg energy.

Belts can also be used in baddha konasana and supta baddha konasana. In baddha konasana, a belt (or two, if you want to do both legs) is wrapped around the pelvis and one knee. Make sure that when you tighten the belt, the inner knee skin is pulled from the inside out and around to the outside of the knee. Use the femur bone to push straight out into the belt. Do not try to pull the thigh back toward the wall or down to the floor. Use the belt as a vector and feel its effect of the opposite sacro-illiac joint. Do second side, flipping the belt completely over. Satnd up and walk around to feel the effects.

In supta baddha konasana, the belt wraps around the pelvis and comes under the feet at the ankles. Loosen or tighten to find a happy place. Slightly extend through the feet to simulate an extending tail so the muladhara energy lengthens the groins. Use blocks, blankets or bolsters to support the thighs so there is no sense of pulling in the inner thigh (gracilis muscle) which can lock up quite easily. A bolster or blanket can also be used to support the torso and head.

2014 YLT: 2nd Weekend Summary

Posted on May 1, 2014 by admin

Theme for Weekend # 2. An Introduction to Anatomy and Kinesiology

Class begins with: Heart Field Meditation,
followed by Dan Siegel’s Hub of Awareness Meditation

Sutras Studies: review I-1 to I-16, and II 46 – 48. Get a feel for basic vocabulary. Find a sutra or two you can work with practically.

Asana practice: Continue to refine energy flow from heart to feet, into earth/ground, and back up through core. Special attention to standing poses and dog pose. Refine action of feet, ankles, knees and hip joints to relieve unnecessary stress on spine and, using DFL as guide, track through all axes of movement through hips. Become more clear on the three basic movements of the pelvis and the femurs: saggital flexion and extension (forward and back bending); lateral flexion/extension or ‘fish body’ as seen in trikonasna, ardha chandrasana and parsvakonasana; and rotation or twisting as in revolved half moon, revolved triangle and side angle and parsvottanasana. .

Main Theme: Somatic based spiritual practice requires an understanding of soma, the embodied expression of spirit. This weekend we will start with the obvious, muscles/bones/connective tissue structures. looking for ways to work holistically, and later in the course bring in the organs, physiology and the cellular levels of consciousness. But first, an overview from a yogic perspective.

In the Vedic tradition, human ‘anatomy’ consists of three nested bodies:
1. The gross body (Sanskrit: sthula sharira) is the body of mass and weight. It is tangible, and includes all structures from muscles and bones to cells, water and more. Our key word here is ‘stability’, sthira in Sanskrit. (sthira sukham asanam, PYS II-46)

2. The subtle or energy body (Sanskrit: sukshma sharira) includes the energies of the body such as heat, electricity, motility and motion, including the physiological and psychological processes of aliveness. It can be directly felt, but is not ‘tangible’ like the gross body. Neither is it separate from the gross body, as matter, as Mr. Einstein points out, is just a very dense form of energy. The key words here are flow and fluidity, or sukha, sukham in Sanskrit.

3. The causal body (Sanskrit: karana sharira), seed of all seeds: No perfect English translation but rainbow light body or the body of limitlessness can be useful. Another way to consider this ‘body’ is as the organizing intelligence of the cosmos, manifesting as fields: gravity, electromagnetic, strong and weak nuclear. The key words here are space, spaciousness and light.

For a yogi, kinesiology, the study of movement, is more important than anatomy. The main principle of kinesiology is known as joint congruence, which states that any joint, whether still or in motion, is most stable and safe when the center of one of the bones is exactly centered on the opposite bone. This is where alignment in yoga meets kinesiology. If my hip joint is aligned properly, the center of the femur head will remain exactly centered on the mid-point of the acetabulum of the pelvis throughout any healthy movement. This implies that all the muscles and muscle groups in the region are in balance throughout movement. An unhealthy movement will disturb the alignment by contracting one or more muscles asymmetrically and pulling the femur slightly off center. This will be felt as having a ‘tight hip’. As we build perception and begin to feel our way through the sensations, we can start to use simple movements to re-align the hip joints. Here the energy body and gross body work as one and we will start by moving in and out of the basic yoga poses. See Notes from St. John for details on working in the poses.

For our anatomical enquiry into the gross body structures, we will approach the muscles and bones from a holistic perspective, using as our primary reference “Anatomy Trains” by Tom Myers. Anatomy tends to be taught by learning/memorizing the body as a series of parts: muscles, bones, organs, nerves, etc. This approach totally misrepresents the reality of the human body which is a living, dynamic, integrated presence. We will use Tom’s work as a map to begin to see and feel the fascial continuities that link and integrate the layers and levels of the body in action and perception. Later on in the course, we will take a deeper look at four levels or layers of fascia: the pannicular or superficial fascia; the axial fascia with anterior and posterior compartments; the meningeal fascia and the visceral fascia.

The key Anatomy Train line for yogis is the ‘deep front line’, or DFL, which allows us to connect the myofascia of the muscles with the visceral fascia of the gut body, as it includes the diaphragm and pericardium. This line integrates the core of the body from head to feet and is the root of tadasana, our primary standing pose.

1. Find the DFL origins in your feet. The heel bone is bypassed, so the gastroc/soleus muscles, which become the achilles tendon where it attaches to the heel, is not part of the action. Overusing these outer muscles is a habit that is difficult for beginner to overcome. Learn to be ‘on your toes’, which actually means to carry your weight on the tarsals and metatarsals with the heels very light. This allows instant movement in any direction and is the foundation for all skillful movements that begin with the legs. Watch a cat or dog as they move and notice their heels and wrists never touch the ground.

2. Feel the inner thighs awakening. We overwork the quads and hamstrings, neither of which are part of the DFL. The adductors can be taught to be engaged in trikonasana, parsvakonasana and ardha chandrasana. They are the ‘mediators of the legs, the muscles in the middle that bring a balanced energy flow. Find this. Repeat. Again.

3. The iliopsoas is a major player in the DFL’s healthy functioning, but these muscles tend to be overly contracted and isolated from the legs. Most lower back issues stem from this dissociation. By learning to slowly move in and out of the standing poses such as uttanasana and trikonasana, without collapsing the upper torso, we can begin to reconnect the psoas muscles with the rest of the DFL in the legs. Ida Rolf, pioneer somatic innovator described the psoas as linking walking and breathing, as the diaphragm is the next section of the DFL to be integrated. Moving in and out rather than holding brings the breath more clearly into focus. Most beginners ‘hold’ their breath if they are ‘holding’ a yoga pose. This is an unconscious habit that needs to be transformed asap.

4 Diaphragm: He we find a huge muscle dividing abdomen from chest cavity, attaching to ribs, spine, heart. It has opening for the blood vessels and esophagus, but is pretty strong and relatvely unconscious. Our work in exploring the breath will help differentiate ribs from diaphragm and learn to recognize the pressure cavities that play a major role in the shape they take on. Most important is to feel an upward lift to the lower dome of the diaphragm coming up from the feet. The diaphragm should ride on the aliveness of the feet through the integration of the DFL.

Now Into Skull and Upper Limbs: As the diaphragm receives support from below, the intercostals can awaken and support the ribs from the inside. this then relieves pressure on the scalenes from trying to hold up the front ribs. The shoulders can also relax and the arm connections through the blood vessel highways can now be felt. Hands can connect directly to the feet, head to the tail.

From the awakening and refining of the DFL, we can see the role of some of the other Anatomy Train Lines. The Superficial Back Line, or SBL, and the Superficial Front Line, or SFL, work as a pair when integrated with the DFL. In a forward bend such as uttanasana, the SBL lengthens if the DFL maintains its core support and low. In a backbend, the SFL lengthens, again if the DFL is supporting. Notice the SFL breaks at the pelvis. The quads need to lengthen for everyone. They chronically over work. The upper SFL is trickier as the abdominals are often weak and the inner muscles of the chest wall to tight. There needs to be two differetn action for most beginning students to fully open the SFL.

The lateral lines, right and left, are opened in the lateral poses like trikonasan, parsvakonasana and ardha chandrasana, again with support form the DFL.

The spiral lines can be explored in standing twists, using the support of a wall for extra clarity.

Samyama in Asana (pt 1)

Posted on September 6, 2013 by admin

Summer of 1984 saw two major conventions happening in San Francisco. The Democrats were first, in July, nominating Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro for the ticket to run against Ronnie Reagan and George Bush the elder. Ferraro was the first female ever nominated for either President or Vice President, but, unfortunately it was a Republican world and they had no chance.

Later that summer, the world wide Iyengar community descended upon the Bay Area for the first (and only!) International Iyengar Yoga Convention. (Check out the hairy guy with Judith Lasater in the flyer!) During one of the question and answer sessions at the convention, Ramanand Patel asked B.K.S. Iyengar “what is ‘samyama in asana?” As asana is the main focus of the Iyengar system, Ramanand’s question was designed to link posture with the meditative depths of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. We recorded the sessions on those old fashioned audio cassettes and I transcribed Iyengar’s answer word for word. Carol Cavanaugh and I edited it for punctuation and clarity and we published it as the lead article in the Iyengar Yoga Institute Review in October 1985.

I wish I could include the audio but I cannot find it. I listened to this so many times back in the 80’s his voice has burned into my brain cells. Even as I write this I hear his animated voice. After almost thirty years of my own enquiry I find his words ringing with amazing genius and depth. Words are not his strength, but he was inspired that day. As you read the transcript, recognize that the words were being spoken to an audience. This first part will include the article in full, as it first appeared in 1985 and I have also added some photos and charts that were not part of the original publication. In part two, coming soon, I will integrate my own commentary from the perspectives of neuro-science and my personal practice.

****************

Note: the following is a transcript of a discourse given by B.K.S. Iyengar at the First International Iyengar Yoga Convention in August, 1984. Unfortunately, Mr. Iyengar’s first sentence or two were not recorded and the text begins in mid sentence. However, his ensuing discussion strongly implies that the missing segment introduces the five gross elements: fire, air, earth, water and ether. These elements compose part of the 25 principles of the Samkhya model of reality. Samkhya is the philosophical foundation of yoga. (See accompanying chart.)

In this model, the evolution of consciousness proceeds from the most subtle aspects of mind to the grossest aspects of matter. Mr Iyengar describes the use of asana to retrace this process from the gross level back to pure consciousness. This requires the integration, the uniting of all the diverse aspects and elements into a single harmonious flowing consciousness. The yogic term for this integrative process is Samyama. Samyama is the simultaneous practice of Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi, the last three limbs of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga and is described and discussed in Chapter Three of the Yoga Sutras. Kofi Busia’s succinct translation of the first few sutras of this chapter may be of use to the reader who is unfamiliar with these terms.

“Concentration (Dharana) consists of keeping the attention centered in one area. Keeping the attention uninterrupted in that state is meditation (Dhyana.) Enlightenment (Samadhi) comes when the attention-keeping ability shines forth as an entity in its own right, quite separate from the means or objects first used to create or draw it forth. These three together are called insightful perception (Samyama). Achievement of it brings the very highest wisdom. It is used to discover higher and higher planes of wisdom.”

Mr. Iyengar’s discourse begins … “have peculiar qualities known as touch, form, sound, taste and smell. Our body is made up of these five elements with these five qualities of the elements; it comprises flesh, bones, bone marrow, blood, and so forth. Along with the five elements and five qualities of elements, each human has in their system to know five organs of action and five organs of perception. Legs, arms, excretory organs, generative organs and mouth are known as organs of action. Eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are known as organs of perception. The elements are felt by action from the organs of action. There is tremendous communication between the organs of action and the organs of perception. While performing the asanas, the flesh, the marrow of the bones and the bones are organs of action, The skin, the feeling, the smell, the touch, the vibration, the movements are all connected to the organs of perception.

While performing the asanas, you and I, we have to very carefully observe that if the muscles are extended strongly, heavily, or with speed, the organs of perception cannot receive the action done by the fibers, by the cells, by the spindles, or the muscles. Hence they do not receive the actual functioning of the inner system which can only imprint on the organs of perception – the skin – to be felt later by the other parts: the eyes, the ears. So, when performing the asanas, one has to be very careful. The spindles of the physical elemental system (the fibers of the muscles) should act so as to not disturb the fibers of the organs of perception, the inner layer of the skin. If they are not overstretched, naturally the organs of perception can receive the exact action done by the flesh. So when we are performing the asanas, we have to adjust in such a way that the fibers of the flesh do not protrude toward the skin more than what is essential.

(In making contact between the movement and the organs of perception, all the elements become involved.) The power of intelligence you use to make contact is the element of air flowing in the system. They call it bio-energy, we call it prana. The will, the mind that you use, is the fire; the circulation which take place is connected to the element of water, and the mass of flesh within is nothing but the element of earth. And, while performing, as there is a pause between two sounds, a pause between two actions, as there is a space between two words, so also in the system there is an inner space, which is known as the element of ether.

When the asanas are performed, the power of intelligence, the element of air, should be spaced in such a way that the spindles of the organs of action, the flesh, allow the movement to come in contact with the spindles of the organs of perception, the inner layer of the skin. Then you understand the perfect balance of the presentation of that asana. If there is an overstretch, they are hard; you hit the organs of perception so strongly that they become insensitive. If there is an under-stretch there is no feeling; the organs of perception do not perceive the action. So when the organs of perception maintain their sensitivity, the fibers of the flesh, the organs of action have to be carefully handled inside, using the intelligence so that the fire, the mind, may not burn or move the fibers too fast or extinguish them.

And if you can do that way, than you know the contacting and balancing of the cells of the organs of perception through the cells of the organs of action; the ligaments, fibers and so forth. When they commune while performing, when you have understood the tremendous inner balance, without aggravating the organs of perception or of action, then you have mastered the asana. Only that asana! So the communication between the organs of perception and the organs of action should commune to the intelligence a certain rhythm and balance while performing. When that is performed, that asana is mastered. Sometimes we overstretch, sometimes we under-stretch, sometimes we use with will, sometimes we use the force of our body. These are known as imbalances in our presentations. When these are removed, the asana is perfect.

Now, there needs to be tremendous reflection because the elements have no reflection at all, they only act; but in acting they send a message to the organs of perception, triggering them to feel the essence of the action. In order to feel that, the organs of perception, which are connected to the brain, which is connected to the mind because the flesh is connected to the bone, and intelligence which is connected to the consciousness, must be intermingled to create the exact mixture, the exact blending of the fibers of the flesh with the fibers of the organs of perception. This requires tremendous repose, rethinking, reflection. Flesh acts, so it is a forward action from the flesh. Organs of perception should receive, should draw back. In order to draw back you have to create a pause, a space for the action, or the force of action which has been used, to be received by the organs of perception. That receiving movement is meditation in asana.

The acting movement requires skillful action. You have to create even more skillfulness to receive that skillful action with skillful organs of perception. That is why I said you have to communicate with each cell, with the air which is intelligence. So the intelligence acts as a bridge to bring the space, the ether, through vibration, sound, so that the organs of action and the organs of perception are brought very near, without hitting each other. Each cell of the skin, while performing an asana, should exactly face level to the top layer of the flesh, or the cells of the flesh should be exactly facing the cell of the skin. One head of the spindle actually facing the other head of the spindle of the organs of perception. If that is done, that is known as integration, Samyama: that my cells of the body are completely one with the cells of the organs of perception. When the cells of action and the cells of perception have become one, the intelligence dissolves in those two, and makes these three vehicles of the consciousness as a single conscious movement in the entire body – this is samyama, or samadhi in that pose. I hope you understand – it is very difficult.”