7 Reminders To Keep Your Yoga Practice Pure

 

7 Reminders To Keep Your Yoga Practice Pure

7 Reminders To Keep Your Yoga Practice Pure

Featured on MindBodyGreen   By Rana Waxman

Around this time of year, you seem to begin to hear more about “spring detoxes,” “spring cleaning,” and, “cleansing.” Even non-yogis are hailing kale and dropping the “cleanse” buzzword. So what does it all mean? Where does the special focus come from and why this time of year?

Cleanliness, or purity, is an ongoing part of the yoga system. Patanjali calls our attention to it in sutra 11.40: “Purity protects one’s body and brings nonphysical relationships with others.” According to T.K.V. Desicachar, the word tapas in the yogic system means, “Something we do in order to keep us physically and mentally healthy; a process of inner cleansing. We remove things we do not need.”

For those of us who had a cold winter, spring is when Mother Nature’s sunny smile makes things defrost and blossom; the maple syrup runs, we shed boots, scarves, hats and sweaters. We reorganize our closets to find our lighter clothing. We often have runny noses, allergies are irritated with all the pollen in the air, and the body tries to decongest itself of excess mucous.

Some students and friends have been telling me they’re exhausted, their joints hurt, and they’re feeling completely lazy. You don’t have to call it “cleansing” or feel like a hot toxic mess, but you may want to change up a few things to keep that spring in your step and the purity in your yoga practice. Here are seven things to be mindful of as we transition from one season to the next.

1. Food

Add more greens and fresh food to your menu (pizza is not your boyfriend, so just date it once a week).

2. Movement

Twists and forward bends tone the liver; walking outside to get some fresh air, listening to the birds and watching the new budding flora tone the spirit.

3. Rest

Go to sleep a little earlier in order to wake up rejuvenated.

4. Breathe

Make friends with a Neti-pot.

5. Write

Journal to get all these lurking negative emotions OUT.

6. Clean

Spruce up your closet and give what you don’t need to charity.

7. Shhh

The meditative state of silence and deep relaxation cleanses the mind!

Giving yourself a little extra support during any transition is a positive act. Just keep in mind that beyond all the recipes for detoxing is the system of yoga itself, which supports maintaining nourishing habits and self-reflection throughout the year. No matter how green you eat, if you’re not in touch with yourself emotionally, you won’t be able to rest and digest.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Published April 1, 2013 at 7:24 AM

Yoga and the Art of Listening To Your Body

Yoga and the Art of Listening To Your Body

published on MindBodyGreen
Yoga and the Art of Listening to Your BodyLearning to listen to your body is a process that requires patience and compassion.

I taught yoga to a marathoner recently and explained that the physical practice of yoga is not mind over matter, like pushing yourself to excruciating lengths to cross a finish line. Yoga is mind in matter, the focus on synchronicity between breath and movement. It’s a holistic process.
If our hamstrings say, “this feels too tight, this is my edge,” we learn self-respect by listening to them, and back away a bit. We learn to distinguish from an array of sensations as we decipher pain from discomfort, which is not always straightforward.
Pain can be sharp or dull, an ache, a NO and it can be quite uncomfortable. It can be a symptom of a health concern you should get checked by a doctor, and it can be psychological and emotional, stored in the body and masquerading in your neck, lumbar spine, hips…
Discomfort can feel like tightness with possibility. With a bit of stretching, focused breathing, an intention to move into comfort, some discomfort can shift. It is really personal as well. You may see glimpses until you get the full picture, as it is a process.
People initially confuse listening to the body with listening to the mind with all its frenetic I shoulds… With time, you become inwardly sensitive, a connoisseur of sensations. How deep you go is relative to what you feel, and to what you know.
How to hear the messages from your inner guidance system can be a practice on its own, with rewards that spill over into daily life, as instincts are key to positive, nurturing choices, to our health and to our safety.
Here are some tips to start listening to your internal guidance system:
1. Make notes of anything in your life that is difficult, painful, joyful, and notice how your breathing, heart rate and other bodily sensations respond to each of these.
2. Pay attention to what your body feels like. For example, do you feel fluid, numb, or stuck? These feelings are your body’s wisdom; clues in your inner guidance system.
3. When you experience a bodily sensation such as “gut reaction,” back pain, a headache, a stomach ache, pay attention to it. Are emotions such as anger or fear connected with any areas of your body? When a sensation arises, stop, lie down, breathe and wait with the emotion or sensation – what insights come up through this process?
4. Notice how you routinely talk to yourself. Do you chastise or appreciate when you look in the mirror? Are you hyper critical or do you give your body positive messages, and gratitude. Your body digests meals, breathes in and out, and your heart beats 24/7… Cultivate a positive chain between your inner mental dialogue and the rest of you.
5. Understand that you risk your health when you consistently undermine your body. Burning the candle at both ends, worrying incessantly, food choices, activity choices, friendship choices…it all affects our system as a whole.
Here are my top three tips to begin to accept and love yourself unconditionally:
1. Standing in front of the mirror, affirm:  “I accept myself unconditionally right now.  I love my body and I love myself just as I am”.  Try this mantra two times a day for 21 days.
2. Learn how to breathe to create inner calm. A simple practice is to inhale to a slow count of  3 or 4, exhale to a slow count of 6 or 8 (adjust as needed). Try this minimum 5 minutes per day for 21 days.
3. Remember that the “attitude of gratitude” is what brings an inner and outer smile. About 90% of our bodily functions take place without you the personality telling it how to do the job. Acknowledge that your body today grew from a glint in your parents eyes, and is quite a miracle.
You are beautiful inside and out, let me know how you progress!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Published February 18, 2013 at 6:22 AM
About Rana WaxmanRana Waxman is a Yoga Therapist, who has taught in Montreal for over 17 years. Her background in the healing arts of massage have earned her the nickname ‘the muscle whisperer.”  Often called, the “modern yogini,” Rana likes to empower students to take their practice home with them so their yoga becomes a tool for transformation. Her inspired style is a blend between alignment, vinyasa and restorative yoga to promote healthy posture, peace and positivity. Follow Rana on Facebook and Twitter.Connect with Rana Waxman:
ranawaxman.com
@yoginiqueen on Twitter
FacebookMore from Rana Waxman on MindBodyGreen

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Use Mantras to Focus Your Mind and Change Your Life
Why You Need to Carve Out Time for Silence
How to Handle Major Life Changes Like a Spiritual Warrior
If You’re Getting Injured In Yoga, Something Isn’t Right

Going With the Flow

my yogaRecently published on Cafe Truth

I was recently sent the question; “What do you think of vinyasa?”…Those of you who know me by now are probably laughing, “that’s it, here she goes, it’s never a one word answer, it’s always a blog post!” Correct! It is certainly a layered subject.  Phases of the moon, sunrise/sunset, the flow of seasons, a flower blossoming, birthdays…these all reflect underlying patterns of fluidity and transformation in Nature. One of the grandfather teachers of yoga,  T.K.V. Desicachar, writes, “Vinyasa is, I believe, is one of the richest concepts to emerge from yoga for the successful conduct of our actions and relationships”.  I agree.

The word “Vinyasa” is a derivative of the Sanskrit term, nyasa, which means “to place” and the prefix, vi, which means “in a special way”. Musicians will relate to this, as the sequencing of notes forms a melody. Yet another meaning of vinyasa in the Yoga teaching world, relates to sequencing of postures which needs to be carefully planned to properly ensure students are warmed up for challenging poses, then move through a counter pose and then rested for integration.  In this way, vinyasa teaches us to cultivate an awareness of one action linking to the next, both on and off the yoga mat, a meditation in motion.

 

Vinyasa as a style of yoga is basically a class that continues to flow, and many of these are based on Sun Salutations.  You do not always get a chance to deepen into a pose or learn all the foundational skills required, because one posture moves into the next, flowing hopefully with a strong connection to one’s breath. If done without this crucial link, it just becomes a sport, and plays into the modern day need for an adrenalin rush. Yoga is a system not a sport.

 

As a  Yoga Therapist,  I assess the needs of a student, and choose a progressive approach towards meeting these needs, so vinyasa as sequencing can include different components:  it is a way to warm up the body in specific ways, to learn the skills required in the postures I am going to be including  in the session.  To me, vinyasa is not equal to sun salutations, there are many different sequences that can be utilized.  Vinyasa should not be a one size fits all.  I also hold postures with support, to build strength, teach the body kinetic skills and alignment that will improve posture and challenge one to maintain a calm breath and deep focus while all this is happening.  It helps to wake up the body’s sluggish or stagnant or underworked zones.  I like restoratives, again, with support, to calm the body’s overworked areas.  My vinyasa, in other words, is a flowing sequence but the flow allows me to stop, look inside, and listen…in addition to strengthen, tone, build strength, relax.

 

To understand the concept of a one-breath per movement vinyasa, here is a little sequence to try now:

1.  Sit tall, bring hands in front of chest to prayer pose.

2.  Inhale as you stretch your arms up, come to about 10% above shoulder height, turn the palms up, reach up to parallel.

3.  Exhale, bring the arms back to prayer pose 10-15 times.

 

This simple exercise shows you how there is a mindfulness built into our little flow.  Also, how when you use your breath, you get absorbed in a steady stream of consciousness (flow).

 

Foundational to the system of Yoga, is that vinyasa, or “artful sequencing” as Shiva Rea calls it, is intended to apply to our daily life as well. Whether this means something simple as brushing your teeth after a meal, setting up your appointments so you have scheduled some time for your own peacefulness, saying “thank you” to someone for cooking you the perfect dinner, “job well done!’ after your team completes a project at work. The approach of the practice of vinyasa is to honor each of the stages and understand how each step builds a foundation for the next one.  Preparedness and mindfulness go hand in hand.  Consistent Yoga practice builds this in your consciousness, and evolves it in your life, the way a seed grows, forming roots, into a tall tree.

You can’t take the next step before being aware of where you are starting from, so every action plan begins with this question.  This is what I would ask the man who sent me the email.  What is your physical, mental, emotional starting point?  Then, be open to the honest answers that are generated from your own inner guidance system.  This will help you create an action plan, your vinyasa, for wellness – on or off, the yoga mat.

Om shanty, shanty, shanty

Photo credit: Rana Waxman

 

 

RanaWaxmanMeet the Author: Rana Waxman

Rana Waxman is a registered Yoga Therapist.  Her own love of Yoga began in the late 1990’s and she has been teaching ever since.  Rana’s extensive background in somatics and practice as a licensed massage therapist, have earned her the nickname “the muscle whisperer”.  She is well-known in her home city, Montreal, as being a pioneer of bilingual Yoga TV, with her show, “Yoga Chez Vous” which translates to “Yoga At Your Home”.  Rana believes that Yoga is a system which is accessible to everyone, although not a one-size fits all practice.  Her specialty is seeing the unique needs of each individual and tailoring the yoga practices that will help empower her students to lead meaningful lives off the mat.  Rana is a regular contributor to MindBodyGreen, Greenster and Elephant Journal, and CaféTruth and is often called the “Modern Yogini”.  Her inspired style blends, vinyasa, kinetic skills, alignment and restorative work.  Rana sees and teaches Yoga as an unfolding meditation in motion, leading to improved performance, posture, and peaceful positivity
February 12, 2013 |