Yoga for Beginners - Series 2

In this series we will delve deeper into Niyamas, one of the eight limbs of yoga.

Niyamas are personal practice of self care.
Saucha - cleanliness
Santhosha - contentment
Tapas - perseverance
Swadhyaya - Self study
Isvara Pranidhana - humility

Warm up Asanas
Sukhasana
Neck Rolls
Shoulder Stretch
Seated Cat/Cow
Simple Twist
Janu Sirashasana

Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskar
Great for warm up. Click here for the complete sequence.

Pranayama
Dirgha - Deep abdominal breathing
Ujjayi - Contracted throat breathing
Inhale a long deep breath through the nose.
As you hold the brat for a few moments, Gently contract the throat.
Exhale slowly you may hear a sold hissing or ocean wave like sound.
It's a warming breath. Helps reduce insomnia and headaches.

Standing Asanas
Tadasana
​Build Pada Bandha, by rooting down through the four corners of the feet, engage knees, abdomen and gluteus. Bring your index fingers at the top of the throat and gently swipe them back and up like a smile sign😊. It's called "Swan's neck" action. This way you align the neck with your spine by adjusting the head with the hyoid bone.
​
​Urdhva Hastasana - Upward Salute

rom tadasana inhale and raise your arms up from the sides, bringing them alongside your ears, keep palms together in Anjali Mudra or prayer. Gently tip your head back to gaze at the thumbs. Remember to keep both dabs and gluteus engaged. Follow long slow inhales and exhales. After 5 breaths, on the last exhale gently lower the arms and your gaze.
Strengths abdomen and shoulders. Anatomically strengthens obliquus internus, externus, transversus abdomins, latissimus dorsi, teres major, infraspinatus.
Stretches biceps brachii, seratus anterior, rectus obdominis.

Variation : Moon

To add lateral stretch to the same posture. Inhale lengthen, as you exhale extend your arms to the right thus stretching the whole left side. Stay here for a few breathes. On the next inhale come back to the center and exhale to extend to the left.

Utkatasana - Chair or Awkward Pose

From tadasana, inhale and swing your arms up. Exhale as you bend your knees coming to a chair pose. You will notice that your upper body will be slightly forward, this is necessary to keep the lower back straight. Tuck your tailbone under. Keep your shoulders away from your ears, and your chest open. Relax your calf muscles and feel your weight balancing on the heels. Stay here for 5 to 8 breaths and inhale to rise back to tadasana,
Strengthens spine, arms, abs, hips. Stretches shoulders, lower back, thighs, shins and calf muscles.
Anatomically strengthens extensor digitorum, triceps brachii, biceps brachii, seratus anterior, rectus abdomins, iliacus, iliopsoas, transverse abdomins. Stretches pronator teres, flexor digitorum, brachioradialis, latissimus dorsi, deltoideus, obliquus externus, tensor fasciae latae, vastus intermedia, lateralis, gastrocnemius, adductor longus, sartorius, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior.

Virabhadrasana I - Warrior Pose 1

From tadasana, step left foot back 3 or 4 feet. Align both feet then turn the left foot out at 45 degrees. Both feet are flat on the ground, bring your hands to the waist and ensure the hips are square. Now roll your shoulder back and down. Inhale and raise your arms up. Exhale Engage your abs, tuck tail bone under. Inhale lengthen the spine, exhale as you bend your right knee ensuring it stays stacked about the ankle or a little behind. Keep your gaze forward or slightly titled up. Stay here for a few breaths.
On the next inhale straighten the right knee. Exhale lower your hands. Inhale turn your left feet in. Exhale to step back into tadasana. Repeat by stepping right foot back.
Strengthens chest, shoulders, sides of the abs, thighs, gluteus. Stretches abs, hips and knees.
Anatomically strengthens deltoideus, seratus anterior, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, obliquus internus, externus, gluteus medius, gluteus Maximus, rectus femoris, sartorius, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, adductor Magnus. Stretches rectus abdomins, transverse abdomins, iliacus, iliopsoas, vastus intermedius, lateralis, gracilis.

Virabhadrasana II - Warrior Pose 2

Inhale coming into tadasana in the center of the mat, exhale to step your feet 3 or 4 feet sideways. Inhale and raise your arms parallel to the ground. Exhale to turn right foot out at 90 degrees. Inhale turn left foot out at 45 degrees. Exhale and bend the right knee ensuring the knees are stacked above the ankle or a little behind. Inhale turn your gaze to the right fingertips. Exhale engage the abs and tuck the tail bone. Stay here for a few breaths. On the next. Inhale straighten the right knee. Exhale to turn both feet back to neutral. Repeat the sequence but turning left foot at 90 degrees.
Strengthens abs and thighs. Stretches the sides of the thighs, inner thighs and hip joints.
Anatomically strengthens rectus abdomins, obliquus externus, internus, transverse abdomins, vastus lateralis, intermedius and medialis, rectus femoris.
Stretches biceps femoris, sartorius, tensor fasciae latae, adductor longus and Magnus.

Sun Salutaions - Surya Namaskar

Most people think of sun salutations when they think of yoga. But the fact the sequence of sun salutations is nowhere mentioned in any of the yoga related scriptures be it yoga sutras or hata yoga pradipika. The current sun salutations probably originated as a military regimen during the British rule in India. A more detailed discussion on the origins of sun salutation can be found on Ekhart's website
https://www.ekhartyoga.com/blog/the-origin-of-the-sun-salutation

After reading through such informations and going through a detailed yoga teachers training I decided to limit my sun salutation practice. Although it's only basic yoga postures but in a deliberated sequence and also great for warm up I would not want to practice it daily nor recommend the same. The more we alter the practice or even alter the props used it the practice it helps rewire our brains differently and create new pathways. It's not just in words that yoga is a body, mind and soul work!

Okay let's practice Surya Namaskar. Here is a pretty long detailed write up.
The image sequence that follows is much more spot on. I hope to add in a video if possible.

Come to tadasana
Stand with feet hip or fist width distance apart
Big toes pointing in, heels out, outsides of feet parallel to edges of mat
Arms along the side on the body or folded in Anjali mudra
Let's Create Pada Bandha
Lift toes and spread wide.
Root down through the four corners of the feet
As the arches rise release the toes softly.
Lift kneecaps up toward the hip
Lift pubic bone up to navel engaging abs
Lift sternum drawing shoulders down and back
Slightly tuck chin

Inhale sweep arms overhead
Exhale and forward fold half way
If you don't have any lower back pain or injury slightly bend and knee and come to a complete fold into Uttansana or Standing Forward Bend with crown chakra reaching downward and root chakra reaching up.

On the next inhale swing the right foot all the way to the back of the mat coming to a lunge
Ensure the left knee is stacked above the ankle or slightly behind.
Shoulders should be stacked above elbows and elbows above wrist.
Use blocks to support your palms if you find your shoulders are rounding forward.

On the next exhale swing the left foot coming to a Pattasana or Plank
Inhale and lower knees to the mat with the tops of the feet facing down.

As you exhale, hips rise, bend the elbows hugging them close to the ribs, lower down chin, chest and belly to the mat
Inhale raise head and chest off the mat as you press down through the tops of the feet coming into Bhujangasana or cobra. Keeping the eye gaze upward or a few feet in front if you have neck pain or injury.
To take it further draw your palms down beside the chest and raise chest and abdomen up straightening the arms coming into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana or Upward facing dog.

Exhale lower down and curl your toes transitioning to table top pose

Inhale sit hips back to rest on heels.
Exhale bow forward resting chest on thighs and forehead on the mat
Rest in Balasana or child's pose with arms stretched forward with palms down or along the sides of the body with palms up.

Inhale and come back to table top
Exhale and lift the tailbone toward the sky, bending the knees if needed
Root down through your feet
Lengthen the spine keeping the neck in line
Take a few breaths here in Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing dog.

Variations
1. turn big toes and thighs slightly in towards the midline and heels slightly out to open the pelvis.
2. Rope wall dog
3. Lifting one leg up

On the next inhale sweep the right foot and place them between your palms coming to a lunge
Exhale bring the left foot to match the right coming to a forward fold

Inhale and rise slowly one vertebrate at a time, neck being the last and arms all the way up overhead
Exhale slowly lower arms to the sides or the heart in Anjali mudra as you come back to tadasana.

Benefits of Yoga Therapy

When I started training for running a half marathon a few years back, I was always reminded to stretch before and after the run. Although I tried different stretching exercises within 3 weeks of running regularly I developed unbearable pain above my arches on the right foot that I had to limp. I went to my general physician, a chiropractor and got an x-ray and we found nothing and there was no help to fix my pain. I thought I will quit running and almost did so for a week and a half. Since I had begun running I could not catch up on my yoga classes and now with pain I was not planning to go. So I went online and searched for yoga for runners. I found Fiji McAlpine's yoga videos for pre-run and post-run each 20 minutes long. I began practicing and decided to give running another shot. Eventually the pain subsided and In another four months I completed the half marathon !!!

After than I continued doing yoga. When I started teacher training in yoga, I was introduced to so much of anatomy and physiology that I loved listening to and reading all the biology stuff. Recently when my sister told me about her tennis elbow issue I went searching for the reason behind it and the kind of yoga that would help. The Doyogawithme.com is an awesome resource.
The following is what I found, it was from a forum that was answered by Erica Fritch

When a muscle, tendon, ligament, or nerve is damaged from overuse or trauma, the body will attempt to repair the damage with scar tissue. Scar tissue contains the same protein (collagen) as the tissue that it replaces, but instead scar tissue is made up of very tough, fibrous material. This material binds itself to the damaged tissue, resulting in a thick mass of fibrous scar tissue.
When scar tissue forms around an injury site, it is never as strong nor as functional as the tissue it replaces, resulting in compromised flexibility of the tissue. These scar tissue adhesions left untreated perpetuate the cumulative injury cycle. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, nerves can become trapped, and it can most often lead to muscle or joint dysfunction. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, pain and muscular inefficiencies. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness."

"Overuse" could explain most of our movements in contemporary life! Small movements, limited range, limited diversity of movement, are together a recipe for overuse. And it explains why someone working at a keyboard all day long would get scar tissue in their shoulders, hands, even upper back. Similar to how an athelete will get tennis elbow - not a direct injury, but build up from repetitive motion.


So Yoga Therapy has solutions to recover and restore scar tissue issues.
Here are links to Yoga Therapy videos from doyogawithme.com
Under teachers tab search for Erica Fritch.

Yoga for beginners - Series 1

What is Yoga?
Yoga Sanskrit for 'to yoke' meaning to unify.
Unifying body, mind and soul is a generally accepted meaning. But it's much deeper, that is to unify all as one. By practicing the 8 limbs of yoga, one diminishes the feeling of being a separate entity in this universe and realizes the oneness.

What type of Yoga?
The following is a Hatha (ha means sun and tha means moon) yoga practiced and taught by B.K.S. Iyengar.

Why practice Yoga?
Although the prior question, what is yoga? answers why one needs to practice, over the years the reasons for yoga practice has unnecessarily branched out. Such as for flexibility, relaxation, stress relief. Yes yoga does help with all the reasons. But the best reason is having no reason. Let me explain, all our life we have taken up different endeavors for different reasons, we set goals, expectations and rules and at the end feel elated by positive results or depressed by failures or push harder to succeed. All these only end in fortifying the 'I'. So let us "Just Be". Let us not own our practice nor surrender our practice, may the practice bloom gently like a flower.

8 Limbs of yoga as compiled in the Yoga Sutras or Aphorisms (pithy observations)
Yama
Niyama
Aasana
Pranayama
Pratyahara
Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi

In every module we will focus on one limb and certain aasanas and pranayama.
First limb is called YAMA meaning ethical or moral observation of oneself while interacting with others. It includes 5 sutras.
Ahimsa - Non harm towards oneself or others.
Sathya - Truthfulness
Asteya - Non stealing from others
Brahmacarya - Moderation in all things
Aparigraha - Non possessiveness

Pranayama - Dirgha Pranayama or deep abdominal or deep belly breathing.
Initially start the practice by placing one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Take a 6 second inhale and a six second exhale. As you progress you can increase number of seconds.

Aasana

Sukh Asana - Easy seated Pose
Sit on one or two folded blankets to keep your hips elevated above your knees.
If you have a knee injury or pain keep your legs extended.
Upon every inhale lengthen your spine to remain seated tall.

Balasana -Child's Pose
Seat your hips on your heals or widen your knees and add blankets over your calf muscles to rest your hips.
Rest forehead on the floor or blankets.
Arms can extend forward or by side.
Alternate Asana is Aapanasana, were you lying on your back and hug your knees to your chest by wrapping your arms around your knees or shins.

Tad Asana - Mountain Pose
Foundation of all standing poses. Keep feet hip width distance apart, toes pointing in and heals out. Lift the toes off the floor and root down thru the four corners of the feet.
Lift up thru the thighs and curl the pelvic bone up a gagging the abs. Then soften the toes back to the floor. Inhale lengthen the spine and lift the sternum and slightly tuck the chin. Let your arms stay beside your body palms facing forwards, fingers spread wide.

Uttanasana - Standing Forward Fold
From Tadasana bend your knees as much as needed and swan dive down to reach you fingers or palms to the floor.
If you have lower back injury or pain you can come to half fold or camper pose, by keeping your spine long and resting your arms on your thighs and clasping the palm.

Lunge - a transition pose
From Uttanasana place palms down on the floor or blankets you may bend your knees as needed. Step right foot back coming into high lunge. If holding the pose is strenuous start by lowering the left knee to the floor coming to a low lunge. Keep your gaze forward. Repeat on left side to balance the stretch.
Very important
1. keep knees above ankles or behind never too forward from the ankle.
2. Keep shoulders over elbows over wrist. Avoid rounding, use block as needed.

Pattasana - Plank Pose
From Lunge step booth feet back coming to plank. Very important to keep shoulders over elbows over wrist. Again you may lower both knees to the floor, but keep your abs and flutes engaged.

Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog Pose
From Plank, place the heels on the floor, press chest back, lengthen spine and lift tailbone to the sky.

Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose
From plank release your body to the floor, on the next inhale lift chest, shoulders and head up. Keep the gaze a few feet out in front on the floor. Important keep your elbows tucked close to your ribs.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - Upward Facing Dog Pose
From cobra push through your palms and lift chest, abdomen and thighs off the floor.
Keep the gaze forward. Important keep your shoulders over elbows over wrist.

Savasana - Corpse Pose
Relaxation pose lying prone on the floor. Release any tension or with holding in any part of the body.

Yoga Nidra

Based on the book Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Thanks to by Yoga Nidra instructor Anna for sharing this book with me and also offering Yoga Nidra every Thursday evening at Blue Anjou.

What is Yoga Nidra?
It's a tantric form of conscious relaxation. Tantra although now is considered as a system by itself in historic times it was part and a way of life. Tantra literally meant awareness of the conscious leads to liberation. So making it a way of life helped man to live every moment in awareness and the process itself was liberation and not a distinction to reach.
Coming back to Yoga Nidra, Nidra means sleep and yoga Nidra is conscious sleep when the mind, body and ego are sleep but the conscious Self is ever aware. The differ nice with regular sleep and yoga Nidra is the level of awareness. When we have a sound sleep and wake up we are able to say that we enjoyed a sound sleep earlier how is that possible? This is because the Conscious Self is aware all the time and once we wake up the ego or the impostor says "I" had a good sleep because the Self that is ever aware can feel that. In Yoga Nidra one can consciously rest the body, mind and ego and feel the relaxation that sleep can provide during sleep rather than recollect the feeling from memory.
An hour of yoga Nidra relaxes one far greater than hours of sleep.

How does one go to Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is begun by systematically rotating the consciousness in the body followed by breath followed by sensations and visualizations.
It's best to practice with an instructor in the beginning and later with a recording and when we'll familiar one can practice on his own.

Module 6 - Niyamas - Svadhyaya

I don't seem to completely comprehend the difference between kriya yoga and Svadhyaya. I guess svdhyaya is more focused on the "how" than just the introspection. 
Main suggestions we're reading or listening to meaningful to 'spiritual' discourses.
keeping a diary of actions that we were not proud of, so rereading brings awareness about ourselves.

Swadhyaya means self study. To make it simple for me I see that observation and awareness of the activity of thought is necessary to understand what the "I" thought projects. My kundalini yoga teacher always says that learning that I am not my thoughts was one of her best light bulb moments of yoga training.

That probably does not mean that one separate the "I" and the other thoughts. Basically that is what is happening in the mind and knowing this is the first insight. But going further into the subject means keeping the awareness that "I" is itself a thought or the primary thought at sets the stage for more thoughts.

Module 5 - Niyamas - Tapas

This is the most difficult for me. To keep at something either for a purpose or for the sheer joy of keeping at something.
Discipline and effort are the basis of tapas and I shamefully lack both.