Karnapidasana- my Celestial Bliss

Karnapadiasana is a variation of Halasana (Plow pose) in which the legs are dropped further down so that the knees are also on the ground next to the ears.

 

pic courtesy Leslie Anatomy

Anatomically this pose offers a deeper journey into a complete extension of the spine flexion, intense stretch of the hips and allowing each vertebrae to bath with a therapeutic fluid. 

Beside above the various other benefits are

• Calms the brain
• Stimulates the abdominal organs and the thyroid gland
• Stretches the shoulders and spine
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Reduce stress and fatigue
• Therapeutic for backache, headache, infertility, insomnia & sinusitis.

But my attachment to this pose is to the feeling of Celestial bliss, which I experience when I close my eyes, gently cover my ears with hands and start the process to go inwards. I recreate an image of myself as a baby, soothingly placed inside my mom's womb in fetal position, isolated from the senses and stimulation of the outside world.

With the only sense left is to LISTEN to my heart beat IN & OUT, beckoning me to travel beneath the flesh and bones to the heightened sensations. While all the asanas under traditional Hatha yoga have the potential to heighten the internal awareness, making it meditative. I always feel the sensation of being nurtured, calm and in a safe place in Karnapidasana. Meditating on the gratitude towards a healthy heart that beats with life and healing. 

So next time as you be in this asana explore the mystery and magic of the breath, renew your hopes and dreams in this calming but energy releasing posture.

Shiva: The Adiguru of Yoga.

Shiva: the Adiguru of Yoga.

In the yogic culture, Shiva is not known as a God, but as the first Guru or the Adi Guru. He is the Adi Yogi or the first Yogi. 

Mahashivratri is a festival that was chosen to honor Shiva, The Adi Guru, from whom Yoga originated. It also means a great night of lord Shiva & marks the convergence of Shiva & Shakti.

Forms of Shiva

Shiva has many forms through which his different aspects and attributes are worshiped and brought into our lives.

·       He is Nataraj, the great lord of the cosmic dance of ecstatic dissolution,who consumes the entire univers in the all-pervasive cosmic fire.

   He is Dakshinamurti, the enlightened youth who sitting beneath a banyan tree teaches through silence even the most senior of the sages.

·   He is Chandrashekhar, who holds the crescent Moon on his head as an ornament and has the power to control the mind.

·        He is Nilakantha, or the blue-throated deity who can transform poison into bliss.

·        He is Gangadhara, who holds the Ganga River on his head, allowing the cosmic waters to 

 stream into the Earth.

·        As Shankara, the giver of boons, he is auspicious, and promotes healing, blessings & abundance.

·        As Rudra, the fiery one, he is fierce, demanding purification, humility and self-abnegation.

Shiva as the supreme Yogi

Shiva as Yogeshvara or the Lord of Yoga is the ideal ascetic, monk, swami and sadhu. The worship of Shiva pervades in the Yoga tradition from the most ancient to modern times. 

Relative to specific Yoga practices, Shiva is the master of asana; particularly the seated pose that

 is the most important of all the asanas. He is usually portrayed in either Siddhasana or Padmasana

 (lotus pose) often surrounded by animals that symbolize the other asanas as well.

Shiva is also the great lord of Prana or the cosmic life energy. The mantras “So Hum”, is the natural 

sound of the breath, represent the voice of Shiva reverberating at the core of our being. 

Pranayama also rise the power of the Cosmic Prana, which is another aspect of Shiva.

Shiva is the great guide to meditation, the supreme guru, teaching us to observe, contemplate & not react. Shiva is not the deity of a mere intellectual meditation or any mere personal self-analysis; he is the deity of merging the mind back to its source in the infinite, giving up the personal mind for the universal consciousness. 

Shiva is also the supreme healer, bringing rest, peace and rejuvenation to body, mind and heart.  This occurs when we surrender to his power as holding a deeper love and bliss. In this regard, Shiv   is also the deity of doctors, known as Vaidyanath or the Lord of all Ayurvedic physicians. 

Interesting Scientific Facts on Shiva & his Dance:

Chanting Om resonate our inner pulse rate of 7.83 Hertz, the frequency at which DNA is replicate.

The OMMMMMMM vocal sound of OM mantra accelerates the production of Nitric oxide, the chemical essential for control of blood and blood vessels in the human body.

Modern physics has revealed that every subatomic particle not only performs an energy dance, it's a pulsating process of creation and destruction. The Nataraja depicts he dancing universe, he ceaseless flow of energy and scientist believes that an atomic particle energy dance is similar in pattern as to lord Shiva cosmic dance. 

Start your Spritual journey on Shivratri

Maha Shivratri is supposed to be the best day to start your spiritual journey since this was the day 

universe was created and preserved in its current form. Meditation on Maha Shivratri is said to be 100 

times more powerful then meditating on normal days. On this night the planetary positions in the

northern hemisphere are such that there is a natural upsurge of energies. If one just stays awake and 

keeps one's spine erect throughout the night, it naturally pushes a person towards his spiritual peak.

It’s time to celebrate the Adi Guru & uncover the Shiva within Me.

Yoga- A Skill for Life

A thought shared by my Teacher KapoorJi in Sivananda is embossed on my mind “Yoga has changed you, it will stay in you forever and you will never be the same again EVER”…so true

As I got back to my life post ashram environment, I found myself struggling trying to maintain balance between leading a Yogic life & the world around me. It was in one such unsettling moment, when I resolved to stay as present, open, stable and clear, as I felt after my practice session. But the big question was ‘HOW’? Then the above quote echoed in my mind & I truly got attuned to the relevance of the above statement.

I started reading the Niyamas or observances from the Yoga Sutra, with a new perspective of keeping it in harmony with my real surroundings. I focused on the last three- Tapas (Effort), Svadhyaya (Self study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to divine).

Yoga is much more than a discipline and will power…it is a study of self. With a healthy dose of surrender, I decided to practice these three together to go deeper in my practice; to be mindful of its influence on my day to day living & how it promotes clarity and peace of mind.

Place of Persistence- Tapas

We are slave of our habits and habits become nature. Often when life sets us a challenge, our mind responds in despair or act in desperation to avoid the situation. So what Tapas got to do with habits?

Derived from the word root ‘Tap’, tapas is defined as austerity, discipline or unwavering commitment. Simply put, tapas is the hard work involved in to break the barrier of unfruitful Habits and bringing transformation in life. One appropriate & simple example of tapas can be sitting in a sweltering hot sauna to sweat out toxins. 

There have been days when I was tempted to stay  in the bed for few more minutes, pushing myself to practice even when I don't feel like. Then my mind tricks me with flashing a visual of me in a seemingly impossible asana and nudges me to attempt the challenge, creating conflict between mind and heart. But the discipline developed because of the daily routine restricted the vacillating thoughts. So now I've accepted to comfortably live through my phase of sore back, throbbing hamstrings and quivering arms to boost my will power to stick with challenges, no mater what. 

So if you are thinking, planning or dreaming anything then, JUST DO IT.

Attune to Introspection- Svadhyaya

Traditionally Svadhyaya means the study of scriptures. But in the mundane life, Svadhyaya is a way to be self aware and taking an honest glance at one’s thoughts. The mind tends to be a mechanical sort of instrument, which keeps going round and round in circle stuck in fixed action and fixed outlooks. For eg: The increase in the number of Teenagers who are struggling with ‘Body Image Problem’ and are willing to go to any length to be accepted by others. They fail to observe it as a natural phenomenon of their body undergoing changes and be comfortable about it.

As for myself, I am getting more aware of my surroundings. I no longer get caught up in a Target driven life and miss out the simple joys of yoga. Once in a desperate attempt to be in a Scorpion pose, I end up bouncing off the wall.  But without awareness (Svadhyaya), I’d have missed appreciating my efforts (Tapas) of being in a Headstand (Sirsasana) for few minutes & comfortably attempting variations. I realized that my effort (tapas) gives me the courage to venture for new challenges & Svadhyaya is giving me the mindfulness to take safe, accident free risks, bring me more clarity of action & thought.

With endless information available at our disposal on the click of button, the importance of Svadhyaya has become vital & inevitable to keep our peace of mind. We have to relentlessly remind our self to be an inquirer of truth and not just attain knowledge.

Surrendering to the Divine- Ishwara Prani Dhana

Doing yoga is a lot like gardening. As a gardener you cultivate the ground, plant seeds, water them, and diligently pull out all the weeds. You know you can’t actually make your flowers bloom, but you do all you can to create the optimal conditions for that to happen. Similarly as a yoga practitioner, I cannot force myself into an asana. As a teacher I can’t force an open minded attitude to learn yoga on my students, either. But I can engage in the process of being a committed, consistent practitioner, paying attention to how my students’ body and mind unfold along the way of learning and surrendering  the outcome. Ishvara Pranidhana gives me the patience and the ability to trustfully receive the fruits of my actions.  

Yoga is a way of Life. It encourages us to practice diligently, listen carefully to the whisper of your soul and stay open to the outcome, not just on a yoga-mat but in all aspects of life.

Being a kid @ Kids Yoga Camp

Attending the Kids yoga camp last week by MAYI (Malaysian Association of Yoga Instructors), validated my belief that a person can learn a lot from kids. They are true spirit of what Yoga Philosophy is all about.  They live each day with unbridled exuberance, seizing the moment and following their hearts.

Majority of them were trying out a yoga camp for the first time and the yogi in me was filled with joy and happiness, because it’s that first, hesitantly shy step which will change their lives for the better.

Each passing day stimulated their thought process asanas, various fun activities & made them more receptive of challenging limit of the body & mind.

In the due course they gave their complete trust to guide them on the journey of self awareness. I felt so anxious initially & tried to guide to the best of my ability, of whatever little knowledge I have. To what extent I succeeded, I don’t know. But it changed me to be a better teacher and person.

There fragility serves to remind me of the softness that exists within each of them, even when I can’t see it and helps me to keep in mind that we all need to be treated tenderly, at least from time to time. 

Work on the ROOT cause, of good health

The pelvic floor is one of a significant muscle of our body’s core. To state that it is the essence of our very being, is not an understatement.  The foundation of all movement, balance, stability and flexibility begins in the pelvis. Both men and women have a pelvic floor. Yup you read it right, it is not just the women’s health issue.

What is Pelvic Floor:-

In women, the pelvic floor is the muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and nerves that support the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum and it help these pelvic organs function.

In men, the pelvic floor includes the muscles, tissues and nerves that support the bladder, rectum and other pelvic organs.

What is Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions:-

Pelvic floor dysfunctions refers to a wide range of issues that occurs when muscles of the pelvic floor are weak, tight, or there is an impairment of the sacroiliac joint, lower back, coccyx, or hip joint. It includes many clinic conditions, with the three most common conditions encountered like urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapsed.

Symptoms:-

Women

The Pelvic floor can weaken as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, cesarean section, large uterine fibroids, smoking, frequent straining during bowel movements, obesity, Having diets processed foods, menopause and hysterectomy. Even simple inactive lifestyle can lead to decreased tone, strength and Flexibility of the pelvic floor.

Men

The disorder is known as Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in medical term. Defined as chronic pain, pressure, or discomfort localized to the pelvis, perineum, or genitalia of males, lasting more than 3 months and not due to any infection, neoplasm, or structural abnormality. Patients may also have urinary symptoms (slow, intermittent stream) and/or increased frequency or urgency. Sexual dysfunction is common.

Statics:-

Women

According to a study funded by National Institutes of Health, 10 percent of women ages 20 to 39, 27% percent of women age 40 to 59, 37 percent of women ages 60 to 79 and nearly half of women age 80 or older, are suffering from pelvic floor disorders. To say that the problem is common is an understatement. A study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that nearly 50 percent of all women will at some point in their lives contend with urinary incontinence, whether they ever give birth or not.

Men

Even thou A CPPS pose serious health problem, affecting the quality of life in men. Limited in depth studies exists on the same. But the symptom flares commonly in the age of 30-45 and have additional symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety disorders.

Yoga & pelvic floor muscles

Yoga provides a holistic way of  working on the pelvic floor muscles and is a perfect place to start, especially with not much awareness of its presence in out body & unless someone had experienced health issues related to it. 

In Yogic term, the pelvic floor is called Mula bandha (Root lock). It consists of 16 muscles, who work in sync with each other as a single unit. Visualize the muscles of pelvic floor as a hammock, which hangs from the four corner of the pelvis. From your two sitting bones in the side of your hips, to public bone in front & tied to tailbone in back. 

So a yoga mat can be a perfect place to start. You can practice the below asanas specifically helpful in building pelvic floor strength. Just remember to keep your pose steady, comfortable and as per your flexibility.

1.    NAMASKAR ASANA

A)                                                                                                                

Sitting in a squat with the feet flat on the floor (Pic A-1)

Have the knees fully bent and separated at a comfortable distance.

In case you find it challenging to maintain balance in the squat position. Place a folded blanket under your hips to get better balance throughout the asana. (Pic A-2)

B)

Join the palms together in front of the chest in the prayer gesture. (Pic B-1)

Keep the arms between the knees throughout the practice.

With an inhale, using the elbows, press against the inside of the knees to separate them as wide apart as comfortable. (Pic B-2)

Open the chest, raise the chin slightly and relax the face.

Hold this position for one deep breath.

Exhale and straighten the arms and stretch them forward, draw the knees in together gently pressing on the outside of the arms. (Pic B-1)

Simultaneously press the chin towards the chest.

Hold this position for one breath.

Repeat 5-10 rounds.

2.    POORVAH UTTANA ASANA (Upward Plank pose)

For beginners:

Since the whole weight of the body in this asana is to be supported mainly by the hands and wrists.  People with weak wrist or  any neck problem should practice the same with the support of a Pillow under the head and shoulder.

Lie down on your back with both legs bend from knees and feet placed firmly on mat.(Pic-1)

Palms on the floor and arms on the side on body. (Pic-1)

Place your head, neck and shoulder on the pillow, giving a complete cushion support. (Pic-1)

Inhale and lift your hips up from the floor with arms placed on the floor. (Pic-2)

Hold position for few seconds, Keep breathing normally.

Exhale and bring hips down on mate. ((Pic-1)

Repeat 3-5 times.

Variation for regular practitioner 

Sit up with the legs stretched out straight in front of you, keeping the feet together and the spine erect. (Pic-1)

Place the palms on the floor around the waist or at shoulder level, fingertips pointing away from you. Do not bend the arms. (Pic-1)

Lean back and support the weight of your body with your hands. (Pic-1)

Breathing in, raise the pelvis up, keeping the whole body straight. . (Pic-2)

Keep your knees straight and bring the feet flat to the floor. Place the toes on the ground and then sole if you are comfortable to stretch further. (Pic-2)

Let the head fall back towards the floor. People with cervical can keep the head straight gazing at their navel.

Hold the pose for few seconds and continue breathing.

As you exhale, come back to a sitting position and relax. (Pic-1)

 3.     Badhakonasana(Butterfly Pose)

Sit with your spine erect and legs spread straight out.

Now bend your knees and bring your feet towards the pelvis. The soles of your feet should touch each other. (Pic-1)

Interlock fingers of both hand and grab your toes tightly underneath the feet, with your hands.

Gently make an effort to bring the heels as close to the genitals as possible.

Take a deep breath in. Breathing out, press the thighs and knees downward towards the floor, with the pressure of your elbows. Make a gentle effort to keep pressing them downward. (Pic-2)

Inhale and bring both knees up in between your chest.

One more time with an exhale bring knees down and now place both hands on your knees pushing them closer to floor, maintaining your comfort. (Pic-3)

Feel the stretch in the inner thighs and take long, deep breaths, relaxing the muscles more and more.

Gently release the posture. Straighten the legs out in front of you and relax.

Note: If you are suffering from groin or knee injury, make sure you keep a blanket under the outer thighs for support. Do not perform this pose without blanket support. Also, sciatica patients should either completely avoid the pose or sit on a cushion to raise the hips.

4.    Ananda Balasana (Happy baby Pose)

Lie on your back.  With knees bend and feet on floor. (Pic-1)

With an exhale, bend your knees into your chest. (Pic-2)

Inhale and bringing both arms in between the inner thighs.  

Grip the thumb of your feet with a hook made with joining your Thumb, Index and Middle finger. (Pic-3)

Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, and bring them up toward your armpits. (Pic-3)

Position each ankle directly over the knee, with sole of feet up towards roof.  

Exhale and gently push your feet down with your hands, bringing the knees as close as possible to floor with comfort. (Pic-4)

The whole back should be placed on the mat and with every exhale make a gentle effort to bring your thighs down toward the floor.

Hold the pose steadily for 30 seconds to one minute. Then release the feet back to the floor with an exhale and rest for a few breaths.

5.    Utthanasana (Squat and Rise pose)

Stand with the feet about one meter apart and have the toes turned slightly out to the sides. (Pic-1)

Place right palm on top of left palm and let them hang loosely.

Keeping the spine straight, slowly bend the knees and lower the buttocks down about ⅓ of the way. (Pic-2)

Raise the buttocks, straighten the knees and return to standing. (Pic-1)

Keeping the spine straight, this time lower down ½ way.

Return to standing.

Finally, bend the knees and lower the buttocks down as near to the floor as appropriate.

Return to standing and relax the body.

Practice up to 5 rounds.

6. Marjariasana (Cat Stretch pose)

Sit in squatting position. (Pic-1)

Bring the knees down on mat. Raise the buttocks and stand on the knees.

Lean forward and place the hands flat on the floor beneath the shoulders with the fingers facing forward. (Pic-2)

Have the hands in line with the knees, so that the arms and thighs are perpendicular to the floor.

Separate the knees so that they are under the hips.

Inhale and raise the head and lower the spine to concave the middle back. Focus on bring your navel down towards the floor. (Pic-3)

Expand the abdomen, open the chest, fill the lungs and stretch the whole front body. (Pic-3)

Breathing normally, hold position for a few seconds. (Pic-3)

Exhale and lower the head and arch the back, drawing the belly button towards the spine. (Pic-4)

Simultaneously tuck the tailbone under the hips. Contract the abdomen releasing all the oxygen.

Practice 5-10 upwards and downwards movements.

Once you become aware of your pelvic floor muscle, you can practice off the mat, too. Just lift your pelvic floor with an exhaling breath by hold these muscles (imagine holding the pee), while getting up from chair or lifting the kid from the floor.

Enjoy working out on your Ground Floor 

Suryabhedana- An Instant Energizer

For thousands of years Indian yogis have believed that many diseases are connected to disturbed nasal breathing. The goal of Pranayama in traditional Hatha Yoga is to integrate and harmonize the breath.

Our nose is directly linked to our brain and nervous system. Another interesting fact about nostrils, is that we don't breathe through them equally all the time. If you check right now, the breath will be dominant in either your left or right nostril.

Our right nostril is associated with Surya Nadi (Sun energy) and the left is associated with the Chandra Nadi (Moon energy). The purpose of breath through alternate nostril is to create balance in the “warming" and "cooling" of the body-mind and vice versa.

Right Nostril Breathing – Suryabhedana (Surya = Sun, Bhedana = Piercing)

In Suryabhedana, the inhalation is happening through right nostril and exhalation through left nostril.

Technique

              Sit in Sukhasana or any comfortable posture. Place your thumb on left side of nose, index & middle finger in between your brows & ring finger on your right side of nose.

Step one: Use right thumb to close your left nostril.

Step two: Inhale slowly through right nostril

Step three: Pause for a second

Step four: Now close right nostril with ring finger and release thumb off the left nostril

Step five: Exhale through your left nostril.

Continue the whole process for 10 to 12 times.

Benefits

Suryabhedana creates heat in the body and activates the left part of our brain, which is associated with “Thinking” thus bring more alertness & concentration. It is also said to fortify the liver and immune system, purifies the blood and cures gas problems, intestinal ailments, leucoderma and other skin diseases.

Contraindications and Cautions

Avoid Suryabhedana if you have high blood pressure or any heart disease. 

So next time when you feel low or lethargic, just pratice few rounds of above breathing and get instantly charged up!!

The Art of Holding your Horses

You’re standing in line at the bank, the grocery store, or on hold on the phone—your feet start to tap and your blood pressure rises. You start getting agitated, and what goes through your mind -“there’s so much to do and so little time”.

But, has time really rushed up or is it our expectation of how quickly things should happen? Is it really the pace of life or the buzzing of your brain, trying to keep up with the zillion tasks and obligations on your plate?

We are in the world of INSTANT. From twitter to facebook news feed, an E mail to what’s app. Excellence is based upon the quick action and reaction. Then wonder why the stress, anxiety, depression and burn out. Cos SHUT OFF is requisite and relevant to keep us going.

So why not look at the above situation from a different perspective. What if those moments of waiting, those moments when you are forced to stop and stand still, are not an irritation, but an opportunity?

What if it’s a perfect moment to take a few deep breaths, relax your body, look around and be grateful, be joyful and observe little miracles around?

Patience is an art and one has to practice it to get better. So start with small windows of time to consciously slow down. Enjoy a long drive, play time with kids, take in the view—it’s a beautiful world out there!!

Love and Light.