try this

A little something I've been trying in my own movement practice:
Allow your body to move and then interrupt it and reverse what you've just done. 
It is so simple, but it is really challenging to keep your body responding differently to the movements required in 'undoing' something.
Breaking patterns is hard work!

Le squelette joyeux (1895)  Auguste & Louis Lumière

Jill Miller

Jill Miller is the creator of Yoga Tune Up, a fitness therapy that combines conscious corrective exercise with precise self-myofascial release using therapy balls and I am a big fan of her work. Jill is insatiably curious about the human body, deeply thoughtful and heartfelt about what she has to offer and incredibly well-educated.

Short of taking Jill miller home with you to reset your scapular, there is no better guide out there for step-by-step self massage and care then this book (not that i have come across anyway...please do say if you think I'm wrong!).

I also LOVED what Matthew Remski had to say about the images of herself in Yoga poses she had chosen to use in the book. he makes a very important and valid point.

"You might have heard of Jill Miller. Her new book, The Roll Model, is the culmination of years of yoga practice, injury, biomechanics research, massage experimentation, and recovery. There’s a lot to say about the book, but I’d like to close by focusing on a few out-of-the-way captions she writes beneath images of herself demonstrating difficult postures. The captions put talent in its place.
In the first (Kindle loc. 5707), she stands on two blocks in a forward fold so deep that she can flatten her palms onto the floor. The caption reads:

I am demonstrating a fairly extreme range of motion in this forward bend. Please do not try to force yourself into this shape. I use this image to make it obvious that this sequence aims to open the entire back of your body.

In the second (loc. 5762), she’s in a mesmerizing expression of revolved side-angle. The caption:

I am demonstrating an extreme range of motion in this twisted side bend. Please do not try to force yourself into this shape. I use this image to make it obvious that this sequence targets the sides of your body.

Finally, loc. 6494 shows her in three advanced postures, including padmasana. Here’s the best caption of all:

Just because you can do a pose does not mean that you should. These are poses that I have retired from my repertoire. Retired. They made my hips, knees, and spine click and pop and are not suitable for my body.

I might be wrong, but I believe this is the first time in the history of yoga instructional literature in which a teacher/presenter has disclaimed images of their own achievements with the warning “Do not try at home.” It’s like the caption in the sports car commercials: “Closed track. Professional driver. Do not attempt.”

Here’s someone who has the courage to demonstrate a unique skill — a talent — that was maladaptive to her, and that she knows would be toxic for others to mimic. In a way, Miller is sneaking a paraphrase of Krishna’s key teaching in through the backdoor of a biomechanics manual: “It is far better to follow one’s own dharma poorly than someone else’s dharma well.” (Gita 3.35) Don’t imitate, says the avatar."

-- Matthew Remski

Go and put it  (and some yoga tune up balls) on your Xmas list.  

Tibetan Eye Chart

Eye exercise using Tibetan chart

Spent to much time in front of the computer? (guilty!) My first yoga teacher once sent me home with one of these...

These exercises are to be done without glasses or contacts. Do each movement for 30 seconds while in a sitting position, spine elongated and do not move the head side to side. Move only the eyes.

1.) With the palm of each hand cup both closed eyes to relax them.

2.) Move the eyes clockwise around the outer circle of dots

3.) Repeat this movement in a counterclockwise rotation

4.) Move the eyes back and forth between the dots at 2 and 8 o’clock

5.) Repeat this movement back and forth between dots at 4 and 10 o’clock

6.) Blink the eyes briefly and finish therapy with the palming same as exercise #1

Repeat exercises as desired being careful to avoid strain.

more info here. image and text from here.

details

The inspiration for all that deep groin release in class this week was this post from Anna Karkovska McGlew at fleshcontext.

"...this is an active groin release, not a passive one. It involves a strap, so go get one (the longer the better; if not, you might need to connect two straps to make a long one). The video will show you how to loop the strap around your feet, shins and thighs. Notice that the heels are not together in this variation, only the toes and the balls of the feet are touching, the heels never touch. Once you get there, anchor your upper arm bones against the floor. As you pull on the tails of the strap, actively press the balls of the feet into each other and resist the heels away from each other (same idea as above). At the same time, lift your heels away from the floor, as if someone is prodding the outer heels and the outer edges of the feet up from underneath. By this time, you will probably feel a stretch from the pubic bone through the upper inner thigh. Don't forget to breathe and keep space between the upper and lower jaw. Also, your buttocks will be working, but don't confuse working with overworking and gripping. If you feel like you are gripping, think of broadening the buttocks away from the sacrum and lengthening the center of the buttocks away from the top of the pelvis in the back. Finally, check once or twice to see that the heels are evenly lifting away from the floor. Often one will be higher than the other, as in the upright version--you  might also be able to discern this from the tone of your buttocks against the floor/mat..."

It's been helping me with my hip movements in overhang climbs too.

The Art of Improvisation

When it comes to my own movement practice, be it yoga asana, climbing, dance, making things or going out for a run, the holy grail is improvisation. Ido Portal is a big advocate of this and it's his 'Three I's' that have inspired me here....I've added the first I...

Intention

What do you need from your practice right now?

Regardless of what you actually do, if your practice is an expression of what is alive in you now, that practice will help you stay present during your time on the mat. That experience can serve as a model for practicing presence all day long. It will also satisfy you and thus help give you the impetus to practice again tomorrow. If you force yourself to practice because you think you should, because you didn't yesterday, or for any other more external reason, even the most technically polished poses will not answer your inner need for ease and wholeness. 

Isolation

Break down the patterns that make up the shape you are working towards, or the area of practice strength/flexibility/ease of movement that you want to work on.

Isolating the basic movement patterns and practicing them with care is like taking a daily shower. These movements will always be useful and will keep your system open and mobile.

Integration

Start to combine those basic actions by creating simple sequences that helps you address your movement patterns or the components of the particular posture you are working towards.

Improvisation

Uneducated improvisation is disconcerting: beginner dancers attacking an irish jig, your housemates experimental cocktail you are still trying to forget...Good improvisation is usually (there can be exceptions) grounded in strict theory that becomes plient when mixed with a little creativity. You have to know the technique behind what you are trying to do, then depart from it.

Once you learn how the big patterned movements work together in your body and where your limitations are you can start to improvise with sequences. What this means to you depends on the movement qualities you have developed and what you are working on now. It’s a personal thing. Everyone moves differently.

Work on finding that connection with the parts of you that meet the ground. When well grounded we may be still but the slightest impulse can initiate movement and breathing can adjust appropriately. Any unhelpful tension will stiffen us, fix the breath and take away the potential for free movement away.
Keep yourself in motion, keep working—this practice won’t give up anything easily, but it will reward your work and your curiosity and your commitment.

Take inspiration and instruction from class, ofcourse, but balance that with some healthy questioning of what you are told. You have as much intuition, self-awareness and self-knowledge as the next person. Use it. Trust your self! You are looking for freedom, not someone else’s idea of how your body should move. 

Simple practice.

Your first job when approaching movement is to lose tension.
Tension = unnecessary effort in any given movement or shape.
The skill is in moving without bringing your old tension with you. Ofcourse, this takes time and regular interested practice.

Whatever your 'movement practice' is today can you watch for when unnecessary holding/griping/tension creeps in and then repeat the movement without tension if necessary? Make your practice about the quality of the process rather then a final shape or number of reps or time held.

Ofcourse this process is about developing awareness more then anything else, and the intention is that that awareness seeps into every aspect of your moving life - not just the way your knee is pointing in a squat...

Where there is quality and attention there is LOVE. 

YOGA DO'S

 1. Start where you are.
 2. Make space.
 3. Use what you've got.
 4. Commit to it.
 5. Do what you can.
 6. Be present without judgement.
 7. Sense the quality and clarity of the movement.
 8. Feel moment by moment through the movement.
 9. Add nothing unnecessary to the movement.
10. Constantly return and realign.
11. Act without expectation.
12. Be curious.
13. Experiment.
14. Listen to your body.
15. Have fun.
16. Be soft.
17. Remember the one thing that is constant is change and what worked for you once may not right  now or ever again.

Meditation and movement is not a constant state. Things change and shift, reverse and skip steps, your job is to constantly return, reassess and realign. Be your own student and teacher. Educate yourself about what works best for you...no-one else can do it for you!

Yoga to go: The keys to a rewarding home practice

Newsflash!!!
WORKSHOP ALERT

Where? Triyoga Chelsea 
When? 31/01/2014
Time? 19:30 - 21:30
Price? £25

So if you are interested in nurturing or developing a home practice or if you find your self at a loose end, or not knowing where to take a new pet, human or otherwise I really must recommend you come along and say hi and get your stretch on...click HERE for tickets.

And here is the blah blah...

Do you love your yoga practice at the studio but your home practice never quite meets your expectation?

Our bodies represent the life we have lived thus far; a map of our personal history. The physical aspects of Yoga provide a useful tool to view the way we move. For this practice to be of use, it makes sense to tailor it to your life and body. That’s where rolling out the mat at home comes in.

Going to class is brilliant, of course, but translating that to a home practice can be tricky.  In this workshop you are invited to make clear choices about which feelings in your body you pay attention to - building your self-knowledge, intuition and self-trust that, if used intelligently, will help you direct a practice that fits within the boundaries of where you are, what you're feeling, and what you're needing.

Join Rachel in starting and/or nurturing your home practice, to get the most out of your body in the safest possible way. Prepare to:

     

·         Focus the mind for the moment-to-moment noticing and decision-making that takes place during asana practice

·         Create templates for your own safe sequencing

·         Get rid of the myths and inspire yourself to help make things a little easier when removing the obstacles to practising at home

teacher bio:

Rachel’s teaching springs from the very precise Iyengar system, but is also greatly influenced by the study of functional movement, the work of Vanda Scaravelli and her current teacher Anna Ashby.  Classes combine an appreciation for alignment with a real love of movement, while including more restorative practices where appropriate.  Rachel’s training includes the Karuna Yoga Teacher Training Diploma (RYS 500 hours, 2007-  09) and the Restorative Yoga (36 hours, 2011) taught by Anna Ashby and Chris Swain.

www.rachel-and-yoga.com


(image found at goldlionaz)

When well grounded we may be still but the slightest impulse can initiate movement and breathing can adjust appropriately. Any unhelpful tension will stiffen us, fix the breath and take away the potential for free movement away.

Work on finding that connection with the parts of you that meet the ground. Keep yourself in motion, keep working—this practice won’t give up anything easily, but it will reward your work and your curiosity and your commitment.

(gif found here)

Recommended Read

Lovely article from Judith Hanson Lasater on home practice...

"I don't have a rigid view of what my practice is going to be. My practice needs to listen to my life. We're trying to make our life listen to our practice. So let your practice conform to your life. Don't make it something outside the boundaries of where you are and what you're feeling and what you're needing. "

--  Judith Hanson Lasater

Yoga guide.

Know your shit!
Read, watch, try, re-evaluate, PRACTICE. 
Have the confidence to take the space and time you need, to question and experiment with what you are told and to hold back if you feel something is not quiet right for you.

Sequence: with swimming in mind...

1.Virasana.
(swimmers use the ankles as the foundation of movement propelling the body forward with a kick. In freestyle the top of the foot should hit the water as if in Virasana at 180 degrees.)
2. Balasana 
3. Kneeling Twist/Thread-the-needle
4. Adho Mukha Svanasana to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana x3
(Rotator cuff injuries or shoulder tendonitis occur when the rhomboids are not held in place when the arm is raised in freestyle stroke. Instead of the muscle carrying the weight of the arm, the tendon bears the burden. Over time the tendon becomes frayed and aggravated. Adho Mukha Svanasana and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana are great for teaching the action of the shoulder blades needed in freestyle)

5.  Balasana  - to - Adho Mukha Svanasana – to -. Uttanasana - to –  Malasana - to - Uttanasana - Adho Mukha Svanasana (Reapeat a few times keeping the space in the belly and inner groins as you move)
6. Baddha Konasana
(Baddha Konasana demonstrates a healthy external rotation of the hip. For many people, though, the hips can feel locked and stiff. In a swimmer, this congestion can manifest in a faulty breaststroke kick. Without free, loose hips, it's difficult to complete this stroke effectively and efficiently.)
7. Savasana
 

Practice

"You should not be practicing to have a “good” practice, but instead to keep steadiness within yourself. Practice happily regardless of whether it is “good” or not. Sometimes some postures will not be possible, but when you accept the good and the bad and everything becomes equal for you, that is yoga."

 -- R. Sharath Jois

Home practice can be a challenging thing to get started with, but once you get going it is well worth the effort. You get to learn, explore and play at your own pace, to suit your own energy needs and (most importantly) you learn to listen to your own intuition. 

There's is no template for a perfect home practice and it certainly doesn't need to be complicated. All you need is yourself so lets go over a few of the things you do not need... 

1. You do not need a dedicated yoga space, you don't even need a mat. you just need enough space to move and breath. simple. 

2. You do not need to practice for a set or extended period of time. Sometimes I only have time for 5mins sometimes 2 hours. It all counts. 

3. You do not need to find a space where you will be uninterrupted. There will interruptions, invited or not. Can you remain in your body, gather your focus, and start again?

4. You do not have to be a yoga teacher to come up with sequences. Go to class to learn the basic rules (I gravitate to teachers that teach to make themselves redundant) and then come home and play with those rules...maybe even break them...I do what feels good for me in the moment, it's fun!

5. You don not need to achieve anything. It's not a competition and there is not final goal and that's the beauty of it all.

Now go, be free and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

(photo of me and my dirty feet...more Yoga Do's)

Pose of the week

Parighasana (Gate Pose) 

Parighasana really stretches and lightens the side body and invites the breath to become truly three-dimensional. The pose stretches the intercostal muscles that connect the ribs (and much more...) When these muscles are tight, which commonly happens when we cough and sneeze repeatedly or have poor posture, the rib cage's movement is restricted, and so is respiration. Elongating the intercostal muscles improves breathing; consequently it's a pose i like to practice before exploring the breath with the three-part breath exercise.  

Sequencing Parighasana can be used as a preparation for many of the standing poses, including Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)and Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). It's also a good preparation for Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose) and a nice addition to an asana practice that is preparing the body for Pranayama.  

Benefits Stretches the sides of the torso, intercostal muscles and spine, Stretches the hamstrings and iliopsoa, Opens the shoulders and frees the breath.  

Cautions With any serious knee injury, kneeling might be difficult or impossible. In this case, perform the pose sitting on a chair. Arrange your legs either in front of your torso, with knees at right angles, or stretch one leg out to the side, mimicking the full pose.

Pose of the week

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Savasana is a pose of total relaxation, which can make it one of the most challenging poses to be in.

  

After a balanced practice, the entire body will have been stretched, contracted, twisted and inverted. Savasana allows the body a chance to regroup and reset itself.  This means that even the deepest muscles will have the opportunity to let go and shed their regular habits, if only for a few minutes. Most importantly the physiological benefits of deep relaxation are numerous.

In the classic pose you lie out flat on the ground, like the image above, with no support, but this isn't a truly comfortable position for us all. Comfort is essential in the pose! The fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea always comes to mind when preparing for this pose. The slightest point of discomfort can be endlessly distracting. There are a few things you can do to support the body in this posture, for example placing a bolster or rolled blankets under the knees to help relax the low back, or placing a blanket under the head to help lengthen the neck and release tension at the base of the skull. You might also like to have something over the eyes, if that helps you soften the face,  and make sure you are warm enough.

Savasana can come at the beginning and/or at the end of a practice. I often start and always finish my practice with a version of corpse pose, and there are loads of visualisations for relaxation out there, but i like the simplicity of melting, with a focus on the breath.

When you come into the pose it's nice to start by internally patrolling the body, you cannot release tension until you know where it is! See if you can let go of that tension bit by bit, from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes. Have the idea of simply allowing your body to melt as a whole, like butter, into the floor.

As you continue to let go you'll feel like your body is spreading into the ground, the whole of the back of your body literally taking more and more space.

Just enjoy watching all your muscle tension melt with gravity and an easy breath into the ground. It's bliss!

One of the most challenging aspects of this pose is keeping your attention on what you are doing as you are doing it...a challenge in all yoga asana!

Your attention often seems to want to run ahead of you, so that you feel like you are constantly trying to keep up with it. It may help to think of your attention as a young and eager puppy. Every time you catch yourself wandering off call your attention to heel so that it follows what is happening rather then trying to lead. Over time you'll find that you've trained it into to staying with you for longer and longer.

Last of all, and most importantly (i think) is to be careful not to judge what you you come across when relaxing. See if you can be with yourself without judgement and accept what ever you come across in each moment. Let yourself be, allowing your attention to linger in the places that you feel it might benifit from most. 

image from here

Hip Happy

I like to do this sequence, or a version of it, every week. I find spending quality time stretching, toning and relaxing the muscles of the hips and pelvis has a really positive effect on the rest of my practice and the way my body feels. Releasing these big muscles helps take stress from the smaller joints, like the knees and ankles, brings the pelvis back to a more 'neutral' position and has a direct affect on the diaphragm, freeing the breath. 

As you practice (without judgement!) take the time to notice the affect each movement has on your body so that you can adjust as necessary.

Constructive rest pose 

Be careful not to flatten or exaggerate the curves of the lumbar (low back) or cervical (neck) spine as you lie down, instead focus on allowing the whole of the back edge of the rib cage to settle towards the floor. Once comfortable shift your attention to the support of your bones sinking into the floor and take note of any part of the skeleton that feels as though it is suspended from the floor. Any place where muscular contraction is preventing the bones from surrendering to the pull of gravity. as the psoas muscle continues to relax, the distribution of weight will start to feel increasingly even through the body. Stay here until you feel this happen.

Windshield wiper twist
Lying abdominal twist (shava udarakarshanasana)
Cross leg side lying twist
Sucirandhrasana (Eye of the needle)
Sucirandhrasana twist (Eye of the needle twist)
Supta Padangusthasana 1-2-3
Supta Gomukhasana
Supta Virasana
Malasana
Baddha Konasana
Upavistha Konasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Savasana

ENJOY!

Image of Mr Iyengar in Supta Padangusthasana found here.

A chair for yoga

The Iyengar yoga chair is one of my favorite class props, but it can be a little daunting to get to grips with. If you are interested in getting one to aid your home practice then I recommend the book 'A Chair For Yoga' to help you on your way.

This is a really practical guide and will teach you everything you need to know about using a chair to improve your practice, whatever your level.

The author uses simple, accurate language and focuses on the specific benefits of using the chair for some familiar postures. There are some nice tips for beginners, in terms of teaching how to relax and soften into the poses, and also shows you how to extend your range and duration if your level is more advanced.

Here's a little youtube guide if you need some more convincing...i love the cat spine vest the lady is wearing!

Top image of BKS Iyengar from here

Indra Devi

Indra Devi (again and again) - Yoga For You

Found here

Sequence: Tiredness/Recuperation from Illness

The following sequence is from The Breathing Book by Donna Farhi.
I've been practicing it, with amendments, this week to get my body back on track after illness and it certainly works for me...i highly recommend the book too.

Focus on improving the quality of how you feel, rather than on how many repetitions you do or how long you stay in the different movements.

Practice Sequence (30-40 minutes)

1. Pelvic and hip openers.
    Constructive Rest Pose
    Pavanamuktasana
    Supta Padangustasana 1, 2, 3
2. Jathara Parivartanasana
3. Supta Baddha Konasana
4. Setu Bandha (supported)
5. Viparita Karani
6. Savasana

Pose of the week

Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand)

To loose the unnecessary tension in the body (especially the shoulders!) needed to do this pose you have to find adequate support from your bones. The grounding is important. A well grounded body can become still, like the way a bowl of water becomes still if undisturbed - unlike being still like a brickwall - the bowl of water always has the potential for free movement. 
Also, always keep in mind that it is the quality of the pose that is more important then the length of time you hold the pose. 

Practice

The biggest challenge coming in is maintaining the moment by moment attention needed to preform the pose. It is only when you are able to proceed with complete attention on what you are doing and feeling, rather then what you are anticipating, that this pose becomes truly safe. 

Based on the variation in the second image,  learning how to take weight into the elbows, forearms and the crown of the head is an essential first step. You need to strike a balance between pushing the base of the pose into the floor to help maintain a lift in the shoulder girdle and (as much as possible) thinking about your weight being transmitted through the bones of the upper arms into the elbows and through the spine into the crown of the head.  There should be no compression in the neck.

Note, the abdominal muscles are not what haul you up and keep you in the pose. Although you need good core strength, the belly actually remains fairly soft and the abdominal muscles really only act to help you balance the weight of the pelvis over the head.

It is worth experimenting with the different variations to find the right one for your body. If your upper arms are fairly short and your neck long then you might be better of trying the tri-pod (1st and 2nd picture) or taking a lift under forearms, like a folded blanket. If your upper arms are comparatively long then you might want to try placing the elbows further away from the head or taking the folded blanked underneath the crown of the head. Play! There is a variation for everyone, you just have to find it.

Sequencing
Salamba Sirsasana requires stability at the base, long, strong shoulder muscles that also know how to release, the muscles of the neck and spine need to be strengthened and you need a length in the hamstrings and shoulder flexors before attempting to lift the legs. Great preparation poses include;

• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Salamba Sarvangasana
• Uttanasana
• Virasana
•  Dolphin pose 
• Plank (including side plank and forearm plank)

Follow up with Adho Mukha Svanasana and Balasana.

Benefits

There are numerous benefits to the body when you turn yourself upside down; you are reversing the effects of gravity for starters, allowing all the oxygen rich blood that pools in the legs and feet throughout the day to flow down towards your vital organs and brain (which makes you feel like you've had a double espresso!), it can certainly help strengthen the arms, shoulders, legs, and spine and i've read claims that it can stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands and improve digestion. But, for me, one of the biggest benefits is the challenge to the nervous system. You need to beable to manage the fear, anticipation and desire that arises from attempting this pose to beable to make it safe. A big challenge!

Contraindications and Cautions

• Back injury
• Headache
• Heart condition
• High blood pressure
• Menstruation
• Neck injury
• Low blood pressure: Don't start practice with this pose
• Pregnancy: If you are experienced with this pose, you can continue to practice it late into pregnancy. However, don't take up the practice of Sirsasana after you become pregnant.
• Sirsasana is considered to be an intermediate to advanced pose. Do not perform this pose without sufficient prior experience or unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher. Some schools of yoga recommend doing Sirsasana before Sarvangasana, others vice versa.