“The whole system that we live in drills into us that we’re powerless, that we’re weak, that our society is evil, that it’s fraudulent, and so forth. It’s all a big fat lie. We are powerful, beautiful, extraordinary. There is no reason why we cannot understand who we truly are, where we are going. There is no reason why the average individual cannot be fully empowered. We are incredibly powerful beings.”

“I think I spent thirty years of my life trying to become something, I wanted to become good at things. I wanted to become good at tennis, I wanted to become good at school, and grades, and everything I kind of viewed in that perspective: I’m not okay the way I am, but if I got good at things… I realized I had the game wrong — the game was to find out what I already was.”

“Now, in our culture we’ve been trained for individual differences to stand out, so you look at each person and the immediate hit is brighter, dumber, older, younger, richer, poorer, and we make all of these dimensional distinctions, put them in categories and treat them that way. And we get so that we only see others as separate from ourselves, in the ways in which they’re separate, and one of the dramatic characteristics of experience is being with another person and suddenly seeing the ways in which they are like you, not different from you. And experiencing the fact that which is essence in you, and which is essence in me, is indeed ONE, the understanding that there is no other, it is all one.”

— Zeitgeist, The Movie

Sri Dharma Mittra

Dharma Mittra, the inimitable (or eminently imitable) senior teacher, just emailed these tips for the new year:

1. Spend time Meditating. Meditation is unbroken concentration and the most effective type is self-reflection. Spend at least 15 minutes meditating every morning.
2. Get serious about your practice! One must get serious and simply attending class is not enough. Spend at least 15 minutes each morning doing Asana and focus on the main ones: Headstand, Shoulderstand, Plow, Fish and Cobra.
3. Drink lots of green juices and remember the first Yama, Ahimsa. As long as you are involved with violence, your meditation will go nowhere.
4. Understand the five subtle bodies or sheathes so that you can commence negating them at once.
5. How you begin something is of great significance. If you begin the New Year with a big mug of coffee, it sets the wrong tone for the entire year to come. Begin 2009 committed to the attainment of Self-Knowledge.
6. Outside of the three main texts, The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Yoga Padipika, read and study Swami Sivananda’s Self-Knowledge as it contains all the answers.
7. Dedicate the fruit of all action and be nice to everyone. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

I found them inspiring and hope you do too. Lots of good ways to start the new year here. I did my 15 minutes of meditation and asana this morning; it was great to be reminded that it’s not how much you practice, but how regularly, and that the basic principles are the most important achievements.

If you’re ever in New York for New Year’s, I highly recommend Dharma’s New Year’s Eve classes. The vibe is intense and uplifting. He did not do the midnight celebration last night, but taught his regular 6pm Asana and 7:30pm Meditation/Psychic Development. The former is an open-level vinyasa class, the latter is chants and breathing exercises to purify and strengthen the mind. Both began with Dharma talks that really cleared my mind. (And then my evening was free to see Blonde Redhead at Terminal 5!) The center is chanting 108 Hanuman Chalisas all day today, so if you’re near 23rd and 3rd drop by for a little spiritual high.

PS — You can download Swami Sivananda’s book, and others, for free at The Divine Life Society.

Today was a really interesting day in Yoga Anatomy. We learned anatomy of the mouth as it relates to breathing, aka Sanskrit. Did you know it’s the only language that is 100% consistent in rules of grammar, pronunciation, and spelling? Artificial intelligence translations used it as their base language for that reason.

Anyways, the point that hit home tonight was something completely different. A visiting Sanskrit teacher, whose name I did not catch, was saying “you’re not here to capture and keep each thing that Leslie says, to acquire his knowledge. You’re here for the experience.”

And I realized that she’d articulated something for me. When I attend an expensive workshop or training, I get vaguely (or very) frustrated when the teacher veers off topic, starts late, or entertains too much. It’s like I’m pricing the course by the word, like a magazine editor, and I can see my investment’s value slipping.

But, the best lessons are indeed experiences — and it might take just a few words to set them up. Or maybe a perfect joke, a comedic pause, and THEN the novel insight. Or a slow trip from visual to physical to verbal. It’s my rational mind that wants pages of notes, linear thoughts to follow and re-read. But some lessons are experiential, and though I can read a book and follow the steps and hopefully recreate the magic moment in the comfort of my own home… an experienced conductor is well worth the money.

When I first started meditating, it was not what you’d call meditation. I’d sit down, close my eyes, try to focus, and promptly have a panic attack about all the things I should be doing besides SITTING ON THE FLOOR DOING NOTHING.

Gradually, I learned that there is some actual technique to this hobby. Yes, it’s incredibly simple, but in the same way that running is simple — you can still trip on a rock or run into a tree.

Lesson number one: Sitting on the floor is a posture, just like Triangle or Down Dog. There are alignment tips that will make it way more comfortable. Alignment is even MORE important in a meditative pose, since you’ll be holding it for ten, twenty, sixty minutes. I used to get so mad at myself for fidgeting, until I realized IT’S ANOTHER ASANA and set up properly. Now, I usually spend the first couple minutes of my meditation adjusting my pose; I guess that’s actually the pre-med. :)

• Sit against a wall to start. We all know that the spine should be straight when meditating, but we might not realize we’re not actually sitting straight. Hard-core meditators might say this impedes the flow of energy or something, but I became WAY more relaxed and upright when I learned where vertical actually was. Plus, the pressure of the wall against my shoulder blades let my breath actually expand my lungs.
• Elevate the hips, so that blood can flow easily to the knees and the hip flexors can completely relax. Even if you’re in Full Lotus, sit on a blanket or a block.
• Cross the legs comfortably. You’ll have to experiment with this one — what’s comfortable for thirty seconds is not necessarily comfortable for thirty minutes. When you find that whoops, you’ve chosen an excruciating position, just make a note of that for next time, adjust your legs slightly, and begin your meditation again. (Note: any movement restarts your meditation, so you’ll probably have several short meditations in your early sessions, not one long one.) Don’t worry about getting to Lotus — the only thing you feel there is “wow, my back is straight!” Worry about your feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back, and what they’re telling you.
• Rest the hands easily on your thighs or lap. Palms face down is slightly more calming, palms face up is more open, and one palm in the other (non-dominant hand on top, thumbs touching) is more focusing.
• Release the shoulders. I have to roll them forward, up, and back a few times to get them to relax and hang straight. When they’re relaxed, you’ll be able to feel your sternum rising and falling with the breath.
• Elongate the neck. This is a tricky one. Your neck curves slightly forward, so you want to straighten the curve just a little by moving the chin an inch backwards, as if you’re pressing the back of your head into someone’s raised hand. You just want the muscles at the back of the neck to relax, so you have to make sure your big bowling ball of a head is not hanging forward. If you’re a yoga practitioner, you can stop doing ujayi now ;)
• Relax the face, including the eyes, ears, and tongue. It’s amazing how much tension we hold in the face. How many people have you seen on the street with a furrowed brow ’cause they’re thinking so hard? I used to feel like I should say something to them… until my mom said I do the same thing! The hardest part about releasing your habits is actually noticing them. A lot of times someone else has to tell us; that’s why we go to yoga class. (If you tend to stress, cup the hands and touch the center of the forehead. Draw the fingertips away from each other, across the forehead, to release stress. Repeat at the hairline, the crown of the head, and down the back of the head.) Let the eyes relax like bean bags in the eye sockets. Pointing them towards the tip of the nose (not up towards the Third Eye) will help.

OK, now you’re comfortable. You can have a nice meditation just slowly scanning through these points, finding the millions of subtle sensations inside the skin. If you train yourself to actually admit your knees are hurting a bit, or your stomach is aching, you will prevent injury and answer your own questions about diet and lifestyle. If you find any points of pain, spend a little extra time focusing there. Just notice what thoughts flow through your head as you focus on each part of the body. And relax.

Tomorrow I’ll cover some the mental pieces.

From the Iyengar Institute:

Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar
The classic guide to yoga. All yoga students should have this book. In addition to detailed instructions on over 200 asanas (postures), there is a comprehensive explanation of yoga philosophy.

Yoga in Action: Preliminary Course by Geeta Iyengar
Specifically geared towards students who are participating in Iyengar classes. Clear and easy-to-follow instructions on most of the postures encountered in the first couple of years of practice.

Tree of Yoga by BKY Iyengar
An accessible and easy-to-understand collection of talks and essays on yoga philosophy.

Yoga the Iyengar Way by Silva, Mira, and Shyam Mehta
For students from beginning to advanced levels. Includes an in-depth course of sequences to practice.

How to Use Yoga by Mira Mehta
Recommended for beginning students. Includes sequences with photographs for ease of understanding.

The Anusara website also has a long list of recommended yoga books for teachers.

Yesterday I finally made it to the Intro class at the Iyengar Institute. Before you take any classes there, you must take a 90-minute intro class covering the basics. They only hold it once a month, and last time it was sold out.

I forgot to bring my camera, so I’ve included some Flickr photos by Gerry Visco. Hope that’s okay!

Michelle, our instructor

Iyengar Yoga is known for its precise, detailed alignment instructions. Their teacher training is 2 years; most others are 6 months or even 1 month (intensive). It’s the most popular form of yoga in the U.S., because it’s commonly recommended for physical rehabilitation, beginners, and older bodies. (In New York, however, I’d guess that less than 10% of classes are Iyengar.) Most schools base their alignment principles on Iyengar’s seminal Light on Yoga, although they veer off to varying degrees. (“We would now say that Mr. Iyengar is hyperextended [in Down Dog],” my anatomy teacher said.)

I’m designing a yoga book right now, so I’ve been wanting to take some Iyengar classes and review alignment. I think I’ve forgotten a lot of my beginner’s insights and instructions; I wish I’d kept a practice journal then!

The instructor's stage

The space was, I dare say, ideal. I love when studios put the contrasting stripes of wood in the floor, to let students know where to line up their mats. The floors were spotless, and the changing rooms spacious. In each classroom, there’s an elevated stage for the instructor, so that everyone can see the demonstrations. One wall is custom-fitted with ropes and hooks, for more involved uses of props — Mr. Iyengar believed that all people, no matter their strength or flexibility, should be able to access yoga poses, so he taught an extensive use of props — so much that Iyengar is nicknamed “furniture yoga.” (We stuck to blocks and bolsters.)

The west studio

The class was a good overview, we did:

• Easy Pose — how to sit
• Mountain Pose — how to stand
• Chair Pose — bending from 3 joints, torso lifted
• Triangle Pose — bending from 1 joint
• Warrior II — bending from 3 joints, torso lifted
• Extended Side Angle — bending from 3 joints, torso bent
• Wide-Legged Forward Bend — how to arrange the feet
• Hero Pose — therapy for the legs and feet
• Child’s Pose — how to rest
• Downward Facing Dog — lifting up
• Cobbler’s Pose / Butterfly — hip opening
• Bridge Pose — using a bolster
• Corpse — final relaxation

The crazy wall

Michelle started with some helpful little exercises that really got some key points across. For example, we started sitting on blankets and then moved to the floor, so we could really see how flat sitting compromises the straightness of the spine and the relaxation/drop of the hips. Or, we sat on a block, and pulled the flesh of just one buttock out from under the sitbone, so we could feel the pelvis straighten on one side only. Or, we stood with legs wide, turning the feet out, parallel, and slightly in, so we could feel how the turn-in gave the most support to the hips.

Another great note was given in Triangle: turn out the foot with the thigh, so the rotation is coming in the hip and not the knee.

I had to remind myself to breathe; there are so many instructions in an Iyengar class that it’s easy to get a little mental and up-in-the-head. (I’ve heard it’s not the best yoga for perfectionists, who will just reinforce obsessive tendencies.) Remember: the benefits of the poses come from deep breathing in the poses, not from the poses themselves. (I don’t know if Mr. Iyengar would agree with that.)

I am excited to try a few different teachers at the Institute. They arrange their classes mostly in series — you sign up for a 5- or 13-week series of classes, instead of just showing up when you feel like it. (I have always thought studios should do this! It’s so chaotic to have everyone be drop-in.) Before you commit to a series, however, they recommend that you try a few different teachers, to find a good match. Some students like a strong commander, others prefer a softer, sweeter teacher. The people at the front desk said popular teachers are Carrie, Marcela, James… and a couple others I’ve forgotten. Lara Brunn also teaches there, she’s the Williamsburg teacher who fixed my pinchy backbend. I will probably end up back at her studio, it’s closer and cheaper ($16 drop-in versus $20), and she’s very very articulate and knowledgeable.

It’s weird to be going for this yoga that is not necessarily my ideal style, but it’s definitely the knowledge I want or need right now.

Leigh Evans

Whew! I headed to a 60-minute pilates class at Greenhouse that turned out to be a 90-minute vinyasa class with 20-second holds on most poses. It was “basics”, but I left with wobbly legs and a happy head.

Leigh taught this class, and I was really impressed with its arrangement.

First of all, she had everyone practice the beginners’ variations of poses as a warm up (e.g. Side Plank with one knee down) so that later, when she called out the full pose, she could just say “or do the beginners’ variation we did earlier.”

Secondly, she stayed really focused and used several different poses to illustrate a major principle of alignment. So we did Lunge, focusing on tucking the tail, rotating the back thigh in and up, straightening the back leg. Then, Warrior I with those same adjustments. Later, Dancer with the same adjustments. It was a really good way to ingrain a proper habit: slowly, repeatedly, in varied contexts. At a slow pace everyone, no matter their experience level, can do some work.

The steady, intense class turned out to be just what I needed. And the alignment details were great. Thanks Leigh!

Yesterday I took Julianna’s 10am class at Greenhouse, and only three people showed up. It was probably the fewest students I’d ever seen in a popular teacher’s class; her Monday night class is always completely full. The vibe was completely different. It was not as warm or energized, but it felt so personal, since she had time to adjust each one of us freely, and you knew that she was watching you. Plus, it was so nice not to worry about kicking someone in the head. It sucks that studios are forced to squeeze as many students as possible into each class, since it’s so hard to keep a studio afloat. (One place I knew in SoHo, with 3 practice rooms, had rent of $17,000 a month — and that was 4-5 years ago.) They do it in a kind way — wanting to allow as many students to practice as possible — but I definitely feel like the teachers who give up group classes altogether are justified. There’s no way to keep 30+ students safe, or pass on the individuality of yoga.

Anyways. Her opening talk asked us, “Why do you practice?” This stirred my brain, as I’m constantly persuading myself to practice more, in remembrance of the clear perfection I felt after 7 semesters of rowing practice 6–8x/week. Many, many mornings I did not want to get out of bed. I would be so tired that I had to hold onto the bookshelf by my alarm clock to prevent myself from bailing. I slept in spandex so I could go straight into the car. The whole team was crazy. We had multi-layer blisters on all fingers, stopped our periods cause we ate so little, and watched the best of our rowers vomit from exertion. Your body and mind scream “NO!” but there is something deep down underneath that pushes on. It’s part masochism, and part meditative addiction. Because after you’ve rowed for about two years, and you’ve memorized the physical motion so the “hands up hips back arms in” monologue disappears, you are focused only on the effort of each stroke. And when the boat is in sync, and you’re focused, it is such a feeling of energy and drive that you can’t get over it.

Anyways. I don’t think I’ll ever be in that condition again. The addictive feeling now is clean and clear, a tunnel of breath. A few times while sitting, I must have had perfect positioning, because my breath seemed louder, and I could feel it from the top of my head to the tip of my tail. Hissing like a snake, pushing downward through guts and hips. Whooshing out, pulling the stomach and ribs in and up to the sky. Sizzling like a sparkler floating down and up. That feeling, more than any words or rationale I can think of to describe it, pulls me to practice.

So how do we turn that attraction into habit? It’s hard to have the iron discipline to practice, yet maintain the softness required to get the benefits beyond miscellaneous exercise. I’ve been thinking that yoga studios should have semester-long classes, where you sign up for the Monday night class for three months, instead of just that night. I committed to crew, and they forced me to show up and pushed me to go further. On my own, I would make it to the track a couple times a week but that was it. With yoga, I’ve learned to relax and enjoy myself a little more, and then the frequency of practice goes up, all by myself. But again, I felt most clear and relaxed when I was forcing myself to practice yoga every day. Why is that?

POSTSCRIPT: My yogi tea fortune said “Where there is love, there is no question.” Reminder to love the work.

The first day, there was a small cross on the hill. The next day, there was a pirate flag.

Last week I vacationed w/family in the Outer Banks. A big shady deck with an ocean view might just be my dream yoga spot, and I don’t even like the beach. I have not felt so motivated to get up and practice in a while. Morning practice was easy, and daily! My aunt and sister joined a couple days, which helped. It reminds me of the importance of environment — and how weird it is to do yoga in a huge city.

On tired days, I started off with some reclined hip openers and seated spinal stretches. On energized days, I went straight into gentle sun or moon salutations, and did more standing poses, bends, and balances. I came up with a new warrior sequence that I liked a lot, I did it all week. Here are the chunks:

“I’M TIRED” WARM-UP

• Wind Relieving Pose (hug the right knee into the chest)
• Reclined Spinal Twist
• Straighten leg to the sky and point/flex/circle the foot
• Pilates Circles with the whole extended leg
• Reclined Side Soldier (take Yogi Toe Lock and open the leg to the side)
• Reclined Extended Spinal Twist (switch hands on the foot and take it across the body)
• repeat on the other side
• Single Leg Raises (10x, up and down to the count of 4)
• Double Leg Raises
• Bicycles (10x, holding for 3 counts each side)
• Full Body Stretch and sit up

“I’M TIRED” QUICK WAKE-UP
(short version of http://www.yogogogo.com/classes/?p=10)

• Camel Ride (sitting with hands on knees, flex spine forward and back w/Breath of Fire)
• Chinese Drum (hands on shoulders, twist left and right w/Breath of Fire)
• Shoulder Shrugs (hands on thighs, lift and drop shoulders w/Breath of Fire

BUILD-A-SWEAT

• Sun or Moon Salutations (3-6 each side) with focus on BREATHING and LIGHTNESS
• Triangle (both sides)
• Wide-Legged Forward Bend
• Extended Side Angle (right side)
• Forward Angle (right side)
• Forward Angle Bind (hands clasped behind back)
• Humble Warrior (slide back foot back, drop head to floor)
• Warrior I
• Warrior II
• Reverse Warrior
• Vinyasa and repeat on other side

Balance on Jockey's Ridge

BALANCE POSES (choose a few)

• Topping Tree (from Humble Warrior, straighten front leg and lift back leg towards sky)
• Half Moon
• Crow
• Tree
• Dancer
• Flying Crow

BACKBENDS (just the Sivananda basics)

• Sphinx or Cobra
• Locust
• Bow

GROUNDING

• Seated Forward Bend
• Reverse Plank
• Seated Spinal Twist
• Various Seated Twists (Marichyasana I-IV) after boogie boarding hurt my back

LONG-TIME POSES (essentials, held 10 breaths to 5 minutes)

• Headstand
• Shoulder Stand
• Bridge
• Full Wheel
• Fish
• Corpse

Each day’s version varied slightly, and at no point did I do all poses listed above, but the general arrangement stuck. I lost my breathing practice, though. I did some Breath of Fire in the poses, but I only did Alternate Nostril Breathing once. (That instance, however, was delicious and way more appreciated after missing it.) I meant to do both this morning before leaving for the airport, but 5:45 was already way early for my freelax body.

I’m heading out to Amanda’s Sweat & Flow tonight… or the park?

J. Brown in his Vinyasa days

This morning I got up early (9:15) and went to J.Brown’s class at Abhyasa. It’s the new studio on Metropolitan and Leonard. I really liked the essays he posted on the studio’s site; like me, he’s looking for something more than just acrobatics and athletic achievement of poses. (I should say for me, in addition to the athletics — see previous entries on the value of sweat.)

That something is breathing. Even if you’ve mastered the practice of keeping ujayi breath through each and every pose and transition — not an easy task — I learned today that you can still adjust the breath itself. It’s like practicing internal alignment: feeling out the strength, location, duration, and aftereffects of the pressure from your diaphragm/lungs.

This clarifies the infuriating phrase “go deeper into the pose.” (What does that mean??? I always wondered. We’re not spelunking…)

For example: as we lay in a Simple Reclined Twist (on the back, knees together, twisting to the left with both shoulders on the floor), J. had me inhale and hold for a brief moment. I felt the breath gathered in front of my shoulder blades, creating a slight tension. As I exhaled, I felt the tension release along with the breath. This was new.

He explained that stretching does not always release tension; many people are very flexible but still very tense. (Ahem.) Breathing releases tension. Approaching the poses halfway, and allowing room to breathe, will lead to a more transformative pose than going 110% with every muscle and nerve.

Alignment instructions were very good, although different than most classical classes. (e.g: Shoulders slightly up and back, instead of back and down, to wring out the upper back. Elbows slightly bent out in Chaturanga, for the same reason.) You can tell he has studied Vinyasa and Iyengar. He talks a lot; if you like instructions you will surely get them.

I am curious if this approach can be applied to a faster class. I feel that there’s this neo-Hatha slowness going around, über-Vinyasa sticking around, and a big chasm in between. Today’s class was Open level, but it was the same speed (and basically the same sequence) that he taught in the Beginners’ class in the park. (This might have been for my benefit, as he really rolled out the red-carpet-welcome-mat new student treatment for me.) My guess: eventually, by starting slowly and achieving breath awareness at each level, the pace can eventually pick up to cardio level. Crew and dance have taught me that it’s better to memorize something slowly and correctly, rather than quickly and wrong, so that’s kind of the approach I’m going for with deeper breathing.