Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Yoga: A wellness tool, not boutique fitness routine
Yoga has been accused of being an elitist passtime. The teaching and practice has been contorted to such a point that it has become inaccesible to ordinary folks. Now activists are having to step in to rescue its reputation by saying that it is meant for everyone, and can be used effectively in rehabilitation and healing. It is essential that it be made easily available to one and all irrespective of socio-economic standing or their current place in life, whatever that may be, they say. These activists are part of a movement that wants to take yoga beyond its image as a fashionable fitness fad, practiced only by the wealthy. They are saying that it can be applied as therapy for various groups considered at risk such as HIV/AIDS victims, homeless youth, toruture victims, drug addicts and those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, to name a few.
As a part of this effort started by George Washington University, yoga teachers and centres in the Washington DC area of America, are volunteering their time and services to help precisely these groups of people. It appears to be a collaborative effort between yoga centres and social services organizations to provide these groups of people the space for self-acceptance, healing and ultimately, integration back into society. One of the teachers participating in this effort says the goal is to give people access to the real yoga. The practice of asana, according to him, is not just about getting into a pose, but about getting grounded, observing the body and its limitations, accepting it and from there on, relating to the world around you.
Yoga is fast becoming a way to reach out to people and offer comfort during troubling times. It is being recongized as a form of therapy in the broadest sense. The time has come for this to happen because the world is looking for alternatives to traditional forms of therapy that are non-inclusive to begin with – that is, they diagnose the problem and prescribe a solution which often only serves to further isolate the victim.
Another yoga instructor and therapist says that giving people the possibility to empower themselves is a huge part of this inititative. Yoga scores highly in that area because it has the potential to do just that. These teachers are also attempting to deconstruct the idiom of movement in yoga so that more people can relate to it as a tool for wellbeing in the deepest sense of the word. The movements themselves could end up meaning nothing if they are not presented in the right way, body-awareness, breathing, observation and all.
As for the participants themselves, most feel that yoga has impacted their lives positively, and to them scientific verification is irrelevant as far as the effects of yoga go. There is a common perception amongst them that yoga can help heal deep wounds and make lasting changes for the better in people's lives. While some may prefer to use yoga explicitly for fitness, there is enough evidence to show that there is more to yoga than meets the eye. You don't have to stretch your imagination too far to see that, you just have to stretch, yourself.
Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/05/AR2009080504065.html?hpid=moreheadlines
As a part of this effort started by George Washington University, yoga teachers and centres in the Washington DC area of America, are volunteering their time and services to help precisely these groups of people. It appears to be a collaborative effort between yoga centres and social services organizations to provide these groups of people the space for self-acceptance, healing and ultimately, integration back into society. One of the teachers participating in this effort says the goal is to give people access to the real yoga. The practice of asana, according to him, is not just about getting into a pose, but about getting grounded, observing the body and its limitations, accepting it and from there on, relating to the world around you.
Yoga is fast becoming a way to reach out to people and offer comfort during troubling times. It is being recongized as a form of therapy in the broadest sense. The time has come for this to happen because the world is looking for alternatives to traditional forms of therapy that are non-inclusive to begin with – that is, they diagnose the problem and prescribe a solution which often only serves to further isolate the victim.
Another yoga instructor and therapist says that giving people the possibility to empower themselves is a huge part of this inititative. Yoga scores highly in that area because it has the potential to do just that. These teachers are also attempting to deconstruct the idiom of movement in yoga so that more people can relate to it as a tool for wellbeing in the deepest sense of the word. The movements themselves could end up meaning nothing if they are not presented in the right way, body-awareness, breathing, observation and all.
As for the participants themselves, most feel that yoga has impacted their lives positively, and to them scientific verification is irrelevant as far as the effects of yoga go. There is a common perception amongst them that yoga can help heal deep wounds and make lasting changes for the better in people's lives. While some may prefer to use yoga explicitly for fitness, there is enough evidence to show that there is more to yoga than meets the eye. You don't have to stretch your imagination too far to see that, you just have to stretch, yourself.
Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/05/AR2009080504065.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Labels: hatha yoga, wellness tools
Monday, October 20, 2008
Do you feel sleepy during your yoga practice?
Last night when I was practicing yoga, I felt really sleepy after the first few asana (done through deep stretching). On close examination, I realized that I wasn’t exactly sleepy, but just very relaxed after stretching those muscles.
How often do we mistake our feeling of deep relaxation for sleepiness or exhaustion or lethargy, plain and simple? Of course, our eyes can and often do become heavy when we are very relaxed, especially from deep inside the muscle. This relaxation tends to permeate the whole body and then the mind as well.
However, after a few stretches, and especially if you have already had a long day (those of you who practice after sunset will know what I am talking about), the feeling can be one of exhausted relaxation. Yes, it is very rejuvenating to stretch when tired. Yes, it is also very possible that you could fall asleep on your mat! It is best, however, to save that depth of relaxation for the last, that is, for shavasana, which is (or should be) done at the end of every practice. In the meantime, while inducing relaxation into the muscles during asana, keep your intention and awareness on the stretch, on feeling your body opening up and on getting the benefits of that practice beyond relaxation.
If you feel sleepy on the mat, keep your awareness on that feeling, notice how the body feels in general and work with that feeling. If you fall asleep anyway, when you lay down in shavasana, then so be it. Perhaps you desparately needed that rest anyway. Sleep after yoga is pretty profound too. It is deep and refreshing. I find that a deeply relaxing practice is itself a good and restful state for the body to be in. I feel rested after my practice. Like I went into deeper places in my body and freed some of those rigid spots. Freeing your muscles can itself be freeing – just simply freeing. The practice of asana must affect the mind in ways that we don’t even acknowledge on a regular basis. That is why, sleepy or not, I love my yoga everyday.
I love it more with each passing day. I have learnt to approach my body and my feelings with a respectful awareness, so that I don’t end up lashing myself about being lazy or tired. I know that simply being aware of what my body is going through every moment that I am on the mat can have far reaching effects for my body and soul. Awareness is key to unlocking so many hidden dimensions of the body and mind. Practicing with awareness, I find, takes me to a place of great contentment. I am happy to just be.
I must add, that this ability to stay with my body has grown with me and it can be a struggle as well at times. Usually though, once I overcome the struggle of actually getting onto my yoga mat and into my yoga space, I get into the groove of my practice and come out feeling a new person.
I will sign off now with an OM and return with more insights soon….
How often do we mistake our feeling of deep relaxation for sleepiness or exhaustion or lethargy, plain and simple? Of course, our eyes can and often do become heavy when we are very relaxed, especially from deep inside the muscle. This relaxation tends to permeate the whole body and then the mind as well.
However, after a few stretches, and especially if you have already had a long day (those of you who practice after sunset will know what I am talking about), the feeling can be one of exhausted relaxation. Yes, it is very rejuvenating to stretch when tired. Yes, it is also very possible that you could fall asleep on your mat! It is best, however, to save that depth of relaxation for the last, that is, for shavasana, which is (or should be) done at the end of every practice. In the meantime, while inducing relaxation into the muscles during asana, keep your intention and awareness on the stretch, on feeling your body opening up and on getting the benefits of that practice beyond relaxation.
If you feel sleepy on the mat, keep your awareness on that feeling, notice how the body feels in general and work with that feeling. If you fall asleep anyway, when you lay down in shavasana, then so be it. Perhaps you desparately needed that rest anyway. Sleep after yoga is pretty profound too. It is deep and refreshing. I find that a deeply relaxing practice is itself a good and restful state for the body to be in. I feel rested after my practice. Like I went into deeper places in my body and freed some of those rigid spots. Freeing your muscles can itself be freeing – just simply freeing. The practice of asana must affect the mind in ways that we don’t even acknowledge on a regular basis. That is why, sleepy or not, I love my yoga everyday.
I love it more with each passing day. I have learnt to approach my body and my feelings with a respectful awareness, so that I don’t end up lashing myself about being lazy or tired. I know that simply being aware of what my body is going through every moment that I am on the mat can have far reaching effects for my body and soul. Awareness is key to unlocking so many hidden dimensions of the body and mind. Practicing with awareness, I find, takes me to a place of great contentment. I am happy to just be.
I must add, that this ability to stay with my body has grown with me and it can be a struggle as well at times. Usually though, once I overcome the struggle of actually getting onto my yoga mat and into my yoga space, I get into the groove of my practice and come out feeling a new person.
I will sign off now with an OM and return with more insights soon….
Labels: asana, body awareness, deep sleep, hatha yoga, muscle release, rejuvenated, relaxation, relaxed sleep, shavasana
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Magic, on the mat
My 19-month old calls yoga “magic”. Although I couldn’t come up with a better description for it myself, I can’t help but be amused by his unintended insightfulness. He saw a video a few weeks ago of a famous contortionist yogi practicing on the mat and ever since, yoga is, for him, magic. For me too,Yoga is magic, however, for entirely different reasons. I find my moments on the mat quite magical. It transforms the present and makes the moment feel light and beautiful. Every time I feel exhausted before my practice, I come real close to giving up and making myself a drink instead. But something makes me get on that mat anyway and I must say, it is well worth the effort.
Sometimes though, yoga feels like a battle on the mat. A battle with my mind and body that is. As I fight it out to stay focused and present, I gain the benefits of it indirectly. I may not notice at the time, but I do feel transformed by the end of it. It’s amazing. When I am present in my practice, I become present in everything I do after that. It calms me down. I have two kids, you see and they can be quite an impossible handful, lovely though they be. It also makes me a better mother when I practice yoga regularly. It gives me some space and time to myself (well, with my son jumping on me and my daughter talking to me non-stop), but they do get the point sometimes and stay away from me, especially when I am trying a difficult asana!
The idea is (for me anyway) to practice, even if it is for just a few minutes. Those few minutes of simply sitting on my mat, in, say veerasana or doing a stretch from the pawanmuktasana series, can induce a feeling of serenity. Two things I must say here:
1. My mat has seen years of yoga practice from me. I don’t always treat my mat with the reverence it deserves, but somehow, despite that, it seems to hold the wisdom and energy of many years of sadhna. It comforts me.
2. My body is so used to the effects and benefits of my practice, it takes only a few seconds for its own intelligence to kick in and for it to start generating the healing response from within itself.
If this isn’t magic, then what is. It is the truth pure and simple – a stretch a day keeps dis-ease at bay. It has become a code word for yoga at home – and when we bring the mats out for a yoga practice, we say to one another “let’s do magic”!
Sometimes though, yoga feels like a battle on the mat. A battle with my mind and body that is. As I fight it out to stay focused and present, I gain the benefits of it indirectly. I may not notice at the time, but I do feel transformed by the end of it. It’s amazing. When I am present in my practice, I become present in everything I do after that. It calms me down. I have two kids, you see and they can be quite an impossible handful, lovely though they be. It also makes me a better mother when I practice yoga regularly. It gives me some space and time to myself (well, with my son jumping on me and my daughter talking to me non-stop), but they do get the point sometimes and stay away from me, especially when I am trying a difficult asana!
The idea is (for me anyway) to practice, even if it is for just a few minutes. Those few minutes of simply sitting on my mat, in, say veerasana or doing a stretch from the pawanmuktasana series, can induce a feeling of serenity. Two things I must say here:
1. My mat has seen years of yoga practice from me. I don’t always treat my mat with the reverence it deserves, but somehow, despite that, it seems to hold the wisdom and energy of many years of sadhna. It comforts me.
2. My body is so used to the effects and benefits of my practice, it takes only a few seconds for its own intelligence to kick in and for it to start generating the healing response from within itself.
If this isn’t magic, then what is. It is the truth pure and simple – a stretch a day keeps dis-ease at bay. It has become a code word for yoga at home – and when we bring the mats out for a yoga practice, we say to one another “let’s do magic”!
Labels: hatha yoga, magic, pawanmuktasana, sadhna, stretching, veerasana
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
On movement, awareness and awareness in motion
One of my yoga teachers would often comment that she never suffered injuries. Her observation was that she had a high level of body awareness and this prevented injuries from happening. This got me thinking. People with body awareness are less prone to injuries because they move effortlessly. When movement is effortless, you are unlikely to jostle, bump into objects or hurt yourself otherwise. Basically injury is your body saying something to you, most probably directing your awareness to something you need to know at that moment.
Therefore, injury is not a bad thing when it happens, even if you don't know how it happened. Ultimately it is all about bringing your awareness to your body - better before the injury than after, though. However, the intrigue in her statement was the fact that body awareness could actually prevent injury from occuring in the first place. How does this happen? When you practice any form of body awareness such as yoga, for example, you are allowing the body to open itself up and unlock its many dimensions. Even if you are not always conscious of it, you develop, or should I say, your body develops a sub conscious mastery over movement. Your muscles have opened up so much, they are agile and their range of motion is wider and the movement itself, smoother.
When you stretch your muscles and infuse them with your breath (and new oxygenated blood) they get rejuvenated. Continuous rejuvenation will leave them fresh and agile, rather than tired and clumsy. Life is very stressful, we all know that. Your muscles can easily get tired as can the rest of your body. Regular rejuvenating over a long period of time will give your muscles control, poise, flexibility and even grace in motion. That is not all. Posture will improve, and best of all, you will find yourself walking through a crowded street feeling your own space around you - you will pretty much glide through quite easily.
A regular practice of asana has many benefits - some obvious, some not so obvious. You will notice that asana creates space within your body for prana to flow. This means better heath, greater range of motion and overall sense of wellness. The next time you think of getting on that mat think in terms of building body awareness, not just the body. Bring your mind to your mat, body and soul. You will not only transform the way you practice (your yoga sadhana will be a dynamic and an evolving one), but also how you feel from the inside out.
Therefore, injury is not a bad thing when it happens, even if you don't know how it happened. Ultimately it is all about bringing your awareness to your body - better before the injury than after, though. However, the intrigue in her statement was the fact that body awareness could actually prevent injury from occuring in the first place. How does this happen? When you practice any form of body awareness such as yoga, for example, you are allowing the body to open itself up and unlock its many dimensions. Even if you are not always conscious of it, you develop, or should I say, your body develops a sub conscious mastery over movement. Your muscles have opened up so much, they are agile and their range of motion is wider and the movement itself, smoother.
When you stretch your muscles and infuse them with your breath (and new oxygenated blood) they get rejuvenated. Continuous rejuvenation will leave them fresh and agile, rather than tired and clumsy. Life is very stressful, we all know that. Your muscles can easily get tired as can the rest of your body. Regular rejuvenating over a long period of time will give your muscles control, poise, flexibility and even grace in motion. That is not all. Posture will improve, and best of all, you will find yourself walking through a crowded street feeling your own space around you - you will pretty much glide through quite easily.
A regular practice of asana has many benefits - some obvious, some not so obvious. You will notice that asana creates space within your body for prana to flow. This means better heath, greater range of motion and overall sense of wellness. The next time you think of getting on that mat think in terms of building body awareness, not just the body. Bring your mind to your mat, body and soul. You will not only transform the way you practice (your yoga sadhana will be a dynamic and an evolving one), but also how you feel from the inside out.
Labels: asana, body awareness, hatha yoga, sadhana, stretching, yoga