Using Breathing to Unite with God, with Jesus, is Pranayama.

It takes regular practice to develop the ability to feel something as subtle as when the God and the individual self begin to separate in the course of a breath, and recognition is what pranayama is all about. By practicing pranayama and regulating the flow of prana with measured observation and distribution of the breath, the mind becomes still. When this happens, we can allow the energy we normally use to process the world to instead bend inward.

Exercise, like the Yogic Asana practice, makes the body fit for pranayama, and pranayama practice makes the mind fit for meditation. In order for us to reach the ultimate union of our self with God, we need to experience meditation.

You’ve probably heard that the word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means to yoke or unite. The ultimate goal of yoga is liberation, also known as samadhi, through the union of the individual self with the universal soul. But just how do we unite what we perceive as a small individual self with something as vast, invisible, and ineffable as the universal soul?

The three stages of the breath in pranayama—inhalation (puraka), retention (antara kumbhaka), and exhalation (rechaka) connects us to the God. During our inhalation, we are inviting prana to come in. The individual self must then move out of the way in order to make room for the soul. Through this process, we are able to generate energy, expansion, and awareness within.

Think of the contact of the breath against the inner lung as the connection between universal soul and individual self. When we consciously stop the flow of breath (retention), we organize the mind’s thoughts and the body’s experience. The length of the retention varies. It should last just until the content (prana) begins to move away from the container (the lung). We must keep the mind connected to the experience of the body to know when it’s time to exhale.

The Breath/Brain Bond
It is our goal to know at exactly what second the soul and the self begin to release away from each other. That is exactly when the exhalation should begin. Developing the ability to feel something as subtle as when the universal soul and the individual self begin to separate in the course of a breath takes regular practice and is what pranayama is all about.

In normal breathing, the brain initiates the action of inhalation and draws energy to itself. This keeps the brain in a state of tension. When the brain is tense, the breath is constricted. But in pranayama, the brain remains passive, and the lungs, bones, and muscles of the torso initiate the inhalation. Rather than suck in air, the lungs, diaphragm, ribs, and abdomen receive the breath. The breath must “be enticed or cajoled, like catching a horse in a field, not by chasing after it, but by standing still with an apple in one’s hand. Nothing can be forced; receptivity is everything. We are to do pranayama with our intelligence, as opposed to our brains.

By practicing pranayama and regulating the flow of prana with measured observation and distribution of the breath, the mind becomes still. When this happens, we can allow the energy we normally spend engaging with and processing the world to bend inward.

Asana practice makes the body fit for pranayama, and pranayama practice makes the mind fit for meditation. In order for us to reach the ultimate union of our individual self with the universal soul, we must first experience dhyana, or true meditation.

Meditation cannot be done if the practitioner is under stress, has a weak body, weak lungs, hard muscles, collapsed spine, fluctuating mind, mental agitation, or timidity. When performed correctly and without strain, pranayama cools and rests the brain and floods the body with vital energy. It relieves stress and, therefore, prepares us for meditation.

If at any time during the practice of pranayama you experience pain in the head or tension in your temples, it means that you are initiating the breath from your brain, not your lungs. If this happens, return to normal breathing and relax.

Supine Pranayama
Lie down in a variation of Savasana, in which the spine and chest are supported, to create enough relaxation so the breathwork can be done safely.

The drawback to lying down is that the breath is constricted because the back lungs press against the support. Longtime practitioners prefer to sit because the entire torso is free to move— in front, in back, and on the sides. In Light on Pranayama, the practitioner needs two essential things: a stable spine and a still, but alert, mind. Both of these are built up with a strong asana practice. Given the hazards of forcing a pranayama practice, it’s best to build your practice slowly and with care.

When lying down for pranayama, use blankets to support the spine and head. When the props are positioned correctly, the chest opens and relaxation results. When positioned incorrectly, the lower back and neck harden. Lie so that the buttocks rest on the floor and the blankets support the sacral and lumbar regions of the back. Your height and level of flexibility will dictate the distance between your buttocks and the end of the bottom blanket as well as between the bottom edges of the two blankets. The end of the top blanket will be between three-fourths of an inch and an inch and a half from the edge of the bottom blanket. If your head tips back when you lie down, put a block under it with a blanket on top. The skin of the forehead should flow toward the eyebrows.

Pranayama begins with observation. As you lie there, relax your entire body and begin to observe your breath. After several minutes, you will notice that your breath has become slower and slightly deeper, because you have relaxed. As you breathe normally, notice where you feel the breath in your body. Does your abdomen move with each breath? Do you feel your ribs move when you inhale and exhale? At the end of a normal exhalation, pause for a second or two before taking your next inhalation. It should be soft and smooth. If you feel tense, or are gasping for air, your pause was too long. Add a slight retention at the end of the exhalation several times. Then try taking a slightly deeper inhalation. To initiate the breath, move your ribs outward to the side. Instead of forcing the breath in, move the ribs to allow it in. When you have taken that slightly deeper breath, pause for a second before you slowly and smoothly exhale.

If you feel tension anywhere in the body, or if you find yourself gasping for air, you have done too much and have been too aggressive. If you feel relaxed and calm in your body, especially in your head, practice the complete cycle: a short pause at the end of an exhalation; then a slow, relaxed inhalation initiated by the rib cage moving outward; a slight pause at the end of the inhalation; then a slow, complete exhalation followed by a short pause. All of this should be done without any tension in the body. If you feel tense or nervous at any time, simply return to normal breathing, observe your breath, and relax. Practice this pranayama as long as you can stay focused and relaxed. Start slowly and build up your practice over time.

Seated Pranayama
Sitting properly takes a great deal of effort and strength. In order to do pranayama in a seated position without strain, the body must be quite supple and strong. A steady asana practice will build the necessary strength and flexibility to sit correctly. When you’re learning to do seated pranayama, it is essential that you feel stable in the posture before adding the breath. If you cannot take a deeper inhalation without strain while seated, just practice sitting without adding the breath. You can continue to learn the breath while lying down. When the seated posture is correct, the breath will come. Don’t force it.

Sit in a simple cross-legged position. Use enough blankets under your hips so that your knees are parallel to or below your hips, not above them. In an attempt to lift the spine, many of us harden the lumbar spine and draw it inward, which moves us to the front of our sitting bones. To sit correctly, center yourself on the points of the sitting bones and draw the front spine and side chest up without creating hardness in the low back. Release the back of the neck and move the head down.

When you practice pranayama in a seated position, you must move the head down to create Jalandhara Bandha. A lifted head brings pressure to the heart, brain, eyes, and ears.

Postpranayama Savasana, Variation
After practicing pranayama of any kind, it is important to end with Savasana in order to soothe the nerves and erase any tension that you may have inadvertently created during the practice. Also, after pranayama, you should wait at least 30 minutes before practicing asanas. It is too jarring to the nervous system to go immediately from the quiet, calming practice of pranayama to the more active, physically demanding practice of asana. Allow for a gentle transition between your pranayama and any activity you choose to engage in following the practice.

To set yourself up properly place one thin, folded blanket on the floor. Lie over it so that the blanket is perpendicular to the spine and below the base of the shoulder blades. Place another folded blanket under the head. Allow the shoulders to rest on the floor. This support creates a gentle lift for the sternum, which is soothing to the nerves.

The following are (6) breathing techniques used as part of practicing Yoga. They may be performed during meditation, asana, or any time you like. The aspirant should be in a seated position with spine vertical and straight.

1. Relaxed Yogic Breathing
Breath in through the nose, breath out through the center of the lips. Deep, long, relaxed.

2. Bhastrika – Bellows Breathing
Bhastrika primarily consists of forced rapid deep breathing which serves as a basis for many varieties of exercises, all of which may be described by the same name. Although air is forced both in and out, the emphasis is placed upon the expulsion or explosion of air. A series of such expulsions, each following the other in quick succession without either Full or Empty Pause, is called “A Round”. Beginners should limit a round to about five explosions, though the number may be increased to ten, or even more if needed to obtain the desired effect. The desired effects range from increased ventilation, increased Blood Circulation, clearing of the Nasal Passages and increased thinking capacity to eliminating of all Mental Disturbances. Please be warned against generating such powerful explosions since it can cause injuries to lung tissues. Extending a series for so long can also cause dizziness. Comfort and not reckless excess should guide your motives and manner of doing the Bhastrika or Bellows.

Although you can breathe through your mouth or both mouth and nose, regular breathing is limited to either both or one nostril. The breath-stroke in the rapid succession of breaths may or may not be very deep, but it is customary to finish or follow a round by the deepest possible inhalation and exhalation. A series of normal breaths should occur before undertaking a second round. A deepest possible inhalation and exhalation may, and perhaps should, introduce each round. Some nasal hissing can be expected but avoid unpleasant sound and fluttering of the nasal skin surfaces. You may perform the Bhastrika exercise while standing but it is advisable to do it in a Seated Position in order to allow maximum Relaxation of the abdominal muscles and easy diaphragmatic breathing. Variations include using a full pause after each round, partial glottis closures and Alternation of Nostrils.

3. Kapalbhati – Brain Purification Breathing
“Kapal” means skull and “Bhati” means purification or polishing. As this practice ‘clears’ the head, so it derives its name.

People with cardiac troubles or high Blood Pressure should do this practice only after taking expert advice. Even if you suffer from diabetes or peptic ulcers, it is advisable to avoid this.

In this practice, first be seated in a squatting position. In yoga, there are a number of seating positions for this practice such as Siddhasana, Padmasana or Vajrasana.

Method:
While seated, please make sure that your back and neck are erect and the head is upright. Let there be no slackness or slouch in the trunk. However, be seated calmly and in a relaxed position. Shut your eyes lightly.

Now exhale forcefully from the abdomen, while contracting the abdominal muscles and drawing them inward. There is no need to focus on inhalation, which is automatic. The focus has to be only on the exhalation. Do this exhalation and automatic inhalation 11 times in a minute, without a pause. In the beginning do it slowly and then gradually increase the pressure and tempo. After 11 cycles, exhale fully and HOLD while withdrawing you anal sphincter inside to the fullest extent possible. Hold for as long as comfortable and then inhale slowly. This is one round of Kapal Bhati. In the beginning one should do only two rounds, gradually increasing to five rounds. The cycles may gradually be increased from 11 to 30 in a minute.

Benefits:
This is a very important cleansing process in which the entire nervous system is rejuvenated. Excess fat in the stomach is reduced and “cold” condition of the lungs such as phlegm is reduced. The brain is greatly oxygenated and the respiratory system is greatly strengthened.

4. Ujjayi – Victory Breathing
Ujjayi means rising victoriously. When practiced regularly the chest and torso remain up giving the practitioner a look of pride. This is also good for the lower back and reduces the mass around the waist line.

Inhale gently allowing the air to pass into the body with ease and no resistance.

Exhale make a sound with the mouth closed that sounds like “hhhhha”.

Make the sound the same throughout the exhalation. This will indicate the same amount of air leaves the lungs throughout the exhalation. An uneven sound usually indicates an unsteady nervous system. This will smoothen out during practice.

Resistance created by the sound slows down the breathing rate and creates a back pressure that helps keep the airways open.

Careful not to use too much force. A sound that is too loud indicates too much internal conflict. Muscles are used in the exhalation and other muscles are used in restricting the exhalation and also to create the sound. Use the muscles lightly so that the conflict of energy within is soft and pressure does not exits around the temples.

5. Bhramari – Bumble Bee Breathing
While performing this pranayam, the humming sound of a ‘bumble bee’ is produced; hence the name. (‘ Bhramara’ means bee.)

Method:
Sit in a suitable yogic posture like Padmasana(lotus pose) or Vajrasana(thunderbolt pose). Cover your ears by pressing the thumbs of both your hands. Place your index fingers on the forehead and let the remaining 3 fingers close your eyes. Inhale through both the nostrils, taking – a real slow deep breath. Exhale through both nostrils and use the throat to make a soft sound, like the buzzing of a bee. Do this 5-10 times. Do not strain yourself, though. 2 minutes of

Benefits:
Besides having a profound effect on ears, nose, eyes and mouth, it enlivens your looks; improves the glamour of the face. Its benefits do not end here – it improves one’s concentration levels, relieves migraine pains, reduces stress and mental agitation, hypertension, and successfully combats and helps prevent many a disease.

6. Udgeet/Omkar – OM Breathing
The aspirant chants the OM sound on the exhale while performing relaxing yogic breathing.

Here are a few notes from the camp this past week.

May your journey of “Light” continue to grow and expand with each and every breath.

1) Remember to stop for 2 minutes (When your mind wants you to do something compulsively, as we all have to free ourselves from the clutches of our mind.)

2) Remember to take 10-15 minutes of daily silence for yourself.

3) Breathing in through nose and breathing out through the center of lips.

4) At least allow 30 minutes of walk preferably daily.

5) Allow five sectional breaths, conscious breaths every two three hours apart. (First while breathing in push your stomach outward
, then chest forward and finally neck upward, while exhaling first let neck drop, then chest collapse and finally suck stomach inward and repeat)

6) Visualize any service project in your mind. If nothing else, share breathing techniques with your friends. Serve, serve and serve.

7) Determine to spend some days without any complaint against anything, any person, any time (as a complaint lowers you and limits you and prevents you from expansion and progress),

Increase acceptance of life appreciating moments in your life as to what you have and not what you do not have.

9) Furtherance of accepatance give joy of life rather than rejction and depression.

10) May we become more and more aware of mineness and I ness to allow further potentiality of identity without identity.

Rest is essential to living peacefully each day of our lives.

2009

Sleep is the greatest rest of all.

A good nights sleep is the bases for rest. I will learn to sleep well.

When my brain is wound up, the accumulated internal tension does not allow my mind to become steady and focus on sleep. And when there is excessive tension in my physical body, my muscles get tight and hard. This, in turn, stresses my nerves and prevents them from unwinding, relaxing, and allowing my body to sleep.

The four major aspects of taking a holistic approach to solving sleep problems involve asana, breathing, nutrition, and meditation. Muscle tension can be caused by either too much or too little activity during the day; a regular asana practice will help unwind the muscular tension so that the nerves can relax. If I am overactive during my day, I need restorative poses, so I need to be sure my practice includes Supported Bridge Pose, Supported Child’s Pose, and Supported Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, followed by Truth Pose. If my day is low in activity, I will need a more dynamic practice to remove the built-up tension adding (3) Sun Salutations, Supported Shoulderstand, and Supported Downward-Facing Dog Pose.

Proper Breathing is also needed. While in Truth Pose, do “Against the Flow Breath” for about 10 minutes. This is done lying down and involves taking an uninterrupted inhalation and an interrupted exhalation. Start by lying in Truth Pose for a few minutes, then exhale whatever breath is in the lungs. Take a long, deep inhale without any pause, filling the lungs completely without strain. Exhale slowly for two to three seconds, pause, holding the breath for two or three seconds, exhale, and repeat. Continue until the lungs feel completely emptied, which may entail three to five pauses. At the end of the last exhalation, release the abdomen—this completes one cycle of “Against the Flow Breath”.

Alternatively, you may also do one-two breathing for 54 to 63 cycles of breath. To do this, make your exhalation twice as long as the inhalation, without strain. Both of these breathing practices soothe the nerves and promote sleep.

Nutritional adjustment can help promote sleep by emphasizing foods that ground the body’s energy, such as root vegetables, grains, and beans. Your dinner should include them. Avoid salads and spicy foods for dinner.

Meditation is another key to getting a good night’s sleep. Ask your yoga teacher to show you how to center your brain energy using your hands and your breath. This will prevent your mind from jumping from thought to thought.

Make it a priority to set aside five minutes each evening to focus on centering yourself before you go to bed.

Practicing the above, I am well on my way to enjoying a deep and sound sleep.

By practicing Yoga, I am more fit and empowered to choose my responses to life instead of merely reacting. In awareness, I can choose to respond, or not, to situation. I can choose, or not, to use my energy. Practicing Yoga sharpens my awareness in a stimulating environment to consciously not react, but instead choose, how to respond.

One way to become aware of choosing our responses to life, versus just reacting, is to practice Savasana (Corpse Pose).

This pose is done lying supine on the floor and is the practice of relaxing deeply.

The first stage of Savasana involves physiological relaxation. In this stage, we become comfortable, there is first an awareness of the muscles gradually relaxing, then of the breath slowing, and finally of the body completely letting go.

In the second stage of Savasana we are withdrawing from the external world without completely losing contact with it. We register the sounds occurring around you, for example, but these sounds do not create disturbance in our mind. It is in this state you are practicing non reaction.

par-ee-GOSS-anna)
parigha = an iron bar or beam used for locking or shutting a gate

The pose described immediately below is a simplified variation of the full pose. Then we describe the full pose afterward.
Step by Step

Kneel on the floor. Stretch your right leg out to the right and press the foot to the floor. Keep your left knee directly below your left hip (so the thigh is perpendicular to the floor), and align your right heel with the left knee. Turn your pelvis slightly to the right (so the left hip point comes forward of the right), but turn your upper torso back to the left. Point the kneecap toward the ceiling, which will require you to turn your right leg out.

As you inhale, bring your arms out to your sides, parallel to the floor, palms down. Bend to the right over the plane of the right leg and lay your right hand down on the shin, ankle, or the floor outside the right leg. Contract the right side of the torso and stretch the left. Place your left hand on the outer left hip and push the pelvis down toward the floor. Then slip the hand up to the lower left ribs and lift them toward the shoulder, creating space in the left waist.

With an inhalation, sweep the left arm over the back of the left ear. The side bend tends to drop the torso toward the floor. Without pushing the left hip back (continue to roll it slightly forward), turn the upper torso away from the floor.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. Come up as you inhale, reaching through the top arm to draw the torso upright. Bring the right knee back beside the left, and repeat with the legs reversed.

Full Pose
Full Parighasana is a deep side bend. From the starting position described in Step 2 above, lean to the side over the straight leg. Lower the underside of the torso as close as possible to the top of the straight leg. Press the back of the lower hand on the top of the foot, then sweep the top arm over the back of the ear and join the palms. Finish as described in Step 4 above.

Anatomical Focus
Hamstrings
Calves
Abdomen
Groins
Side torso
Shoulders
Spine
Liver
Kidneys
Lungs

Benefits
Stretches the sides of the torso and spine
Stretches the hamstrings
Opens the shoulders
Stimulates abdominal organs and lungs

Contraindications and Cautions
With any serious knee injury, kneeling might be difficult or impossible. In this case, perform the pose sitting on a chair. Arrange your legs either in front of your torso, with knees at right angles, or stretch one leg out to the side, mimicking the full pose.

Beginner’s Tip
Beginners might not be able to press the foot of the straight leg flat onto the floor. There are two options: either raise the ball of the foot on a sandbag or thickly folded blanket, or work against a wall, with the ball of the foot pressed against the wall.

Partnering
Have your partner stand facing your straight-leg side; in this example, we’ll use the right leg. Inhale your right arm out to the side, parallel to the floor. Have your partner grasp your wrist and, at the same time, press the toes of his foot into your right groin. As you tip to the side, have your partner pull on the wrist and push on the groin. Lengthen out to the side, stretching the underside ribs and reaching the arm away from the deepening groin. When you reach your maximum stretch, have your partner let go. Then round yourself over to the side into the full pose.

Preparatory Poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Baddha Konasana
Prasarita Padottanasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Upavistha Konasana
Utthita Parsvakonasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Virasana

Follow-Up Poses
Parighasana can be used as a preparation for many of the standing poses, including Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)and Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). It’s also a good preparation for Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose).

1 Thunderbolt Pose with arms overhead
Come into Balasana (Child’s Pose) with your arms along your sides. Slowly begin to move the breath into your upper back. As you inhale, extend your arms forward. Press your palms down and straighten your arms by lifting your forearms and elbows, then sit back on your heels. Hold a block between your hands at its widest and reach your arms overhead. Extend your arms from your waist. Press your palms into the block and firm the muscles in your upper arms. Soften the muscles at the base of your neck and continue to reach up. Visualize your arms and the sides of your body as one unit. Soften your facial muscles and breathe smoothly. This pose might look easy, but after holding it for at least a minute—longer if you can—your arms will let you know where you are weak.

2 Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Come onto all fours. Place your hands 2 inches in front of your shoulders. Press into your palms as you draw your shoulders away from the floor. Firm your upper arms and draw your forearms toward each other. With an exhalation, lift your hips and come into Downward Dog. Notice that your hips are above your heart—you’re already in an inversion. Instead of looking at your navel, keep your ears in line with your upper arms (to strengthen the upper back) and let your gaze fall wherever it will. Relax the muscles at the base of your neck and let them slide down your back. Lengthen your arms and torso by using your legs to lift your hips away from your shoulders. Start by holding this for 10 breaths and build up to 1 minute. Repeat the pose three times, coming down into Child’s Pose in between.

3 Vajrasana with Gomukhasana arms (Thunderbolt Pose with Cow Face arms)
From Vajrasana, reach your arms out to the sides about shoulder height and draw the muscles onto the bones. Release your shoulders away from your ears. Bend your right elbow behind your back, and walk your hand up your spine, with the palm facing out. Use your left hand to coax your right elbow higher up the back. Resist rounding your right shoulder forward. With an inhalation, bring your left arm up. As you exhale, bend your left elbow and clasp your right hand—use a strap if you can’t clasp hands. Stay here or fold forward, directing your breath into any areas of tightness. Before switching sides, extend your arms sideways and then reach them overhead to release tension. Hold each side for 10 breaths to 1 minute.

4 Virabhadrasana III, variation (Warrior Pose III)
Place your hands on the wall, shoulder distance apart and at hip height. Walk back until your arms are fully extended and your feet are directly under your hips, creating a right angle. Work your arms as you did in Downward Dog. Step your feet together and squeeze your outer hips toward the midline of your body. Press your feet down to lift and strengthen the front of your thighs. Keep your arms straight and the weight even in your hands. As you begin to lift your right leg to hip height, pay attention to both hips. Resist sitting in the left hip; instead, draw your outer hip toward the midline. Notice how your right hip tends to lift, throwing your weight more into your left side. To correct this, spiral your right leg in, keep your hips level, and reach your leg as far away from your body as you can.

5 Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
Place your hands 2 to 3 inches away from the wall and go into Downward Dog. Shift your shoulders directly above your wrists. Press down with your palms to lift your shoulders away from your ears. Squeeze your forearms toward each other and firm your outer upper arms. Keep in mind the rotation and extension of your leg in the previous pose. With an inhalation, step one foot in and lift your lower body up and over your shoulders toward the wall. Rest your heels on the wall, flex your feet, and reach your legs away from your hips. Hold for 5 breaths to 1 minute—as long as possible without straining your shoulders. If your shoulders are stiff or you have trouble straightening your elbows, make a loop with a belt and place it just above your elbows. When coming out of the pose, rest in Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). If you’re new to Handstand, it may take several tries before you kick up—or you may not kick up at all. Simply repeat Warrior III at the wall and you’ll soon be able to kick up.

6 Dolphin Pose
Kneel on your mat, facing away from the wall. Curl your toes under and place your heels on the wall. Press your forearms and elbows into the floor. Make sure your elbows are shoulder width apart and interlace your fingers. Rotate your arms externally, toward your ears. Slowly lift your hips off the floor, as you would in Downward Dog. Keep your head off the floor and relax your neck and head. Avoid rounding your back—draw your upper spine into your body. Stay here for 5 breaths to 1 minute. You’ll build the arm and upper back strength you need in order to move safely into Headstand.

7 Sirsasana (Headstand)
If your upper spine rounds in Dolphin Pose and your shoulders feel weak, or if you’ve never done Headstand before, continue working with Dolphin Pose.

If you’re ready to move on, place your hands close to the wall. Interlace your fingers comfortably, crossing your thumbs and cupping your hands. Keep your wrists firm as you place your elbows shoulder width apart and reach the crown of your head toward the floor. Strongly press your forearms into the floor to lift your shoulders. Rotate your upper arms externally so as not to splay your elbows. Inhale and draw your knees into your chest to come up. Reach your legs vigorously out of your hips. Soften your eyes and listen to the flow of your breath. Start by holding the pose for a few rounds of breath, then gradually increase the duration—you will experience therapeutic benefits when you can hold it from 3 to 5 minutes.

Keep your head down as you come out of Headstand, then rest in Child’s Pose. Repeat Down Dog before continuing.

8 Viparita Dandasana (Inverted Staff Pose)using a chair
Take your mat away and place a chair about a foot from the wall. With your legs through the back of the chair, sit facing the wall with your knees bent. Hold the chair and lean back so your shoulder blades touch the front edge of the chair. Arch your upper back and release your head and neck. Bring your feet to the wall and slowly begin to straighten your legs. Press your heels down and rotate your upper thighs inward. Reach through the chair and grab the back legs. Pull on the legs of the chair to help you lift and open your chest. To come out, bring your hands to the top of the chair, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor. Inhale and rise to sitting. Sit quietly with your eyes closed for 10 to 20 breaths before moving on.

9 Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)
Stack two blankets neatly on top of each other. Lie down with your shoulders on the blankets and your head and neck off the blankets. Bend your knees and bring your feet 2 inches in front of your sitting bones. Keep your knees hip width apart, inhale, and lift your hips. Rotate your upper thighs in. Turn your palms to face each other and press the pinkie finger side of your hand down. Press your outer arms down to create a lift between your shoulder blades. Now interlace your fingers and increase the lift in your chest. The base of your throat should remain soft and the muscles of your face quiet. Stay for 3 to 5 breaths.

10 Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)
If your elbows tend to splay in Shoulderstand, place a belt above one elbow. Carefully stack two blankets as shown above and lie back. The tops of your shoulders should be at the edge of the blankets; your head should be on the floor. Slowly inhale, bringing your legs over your head into Halasana (Plow Pose). Interlace your fingers, and if you’re using a belt, place it over the other elbow. Press your outer upper arms down to create a lift between your shoulder blades. Keep your shoulders in line with your collarbones, rather than forcefully dragging them away from your ears. Now place your hands on your back, fingertips pointing toward the ceiling, and lift your legs one at a time to come up. Reach through your legs and the balls of your feet. Hold the weight of your body on your shoulders and elbows, not on your neck. Stay for 10 to 20 breaths. Roll down slowly, through Halasana, until you’re lying on your back. Rest here for a few breaths, soaking in the full effects of the inversion.

Round Out the Practice
Begin by lying down in a simple spinal twist or in your favorite gentle stretching pose. Stay there until you’re ready to move on.

OM Chant three times.

BREATHING EXERCISE Begin in Supported Corpse Pose with one block under your thoracic spine and another under your head. Rotate your arms open with your palms facing up; let your chest be full. Begin Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath). Make the inhalation as long and as smooth as the exhalation.

WARM-UP VINYASAS Warm up your upper back with Cat/Cow Pose. Come to a tabletop position, kneeling on your hands and knees, with your shoulders directly over your wrists. Take a few rounds of breath, alternately lengthening and rounding your spine. Inhale deeply as your tuck your tail, round your upper back, and drop your head. Exhale as you lift the sitting bones, arch the upper back, and gaze up.

SUN SALUTATION Once your spine feels warm, transition to Sun Salutations—three “A” and three “B.” If you practice late in the evening or have shoulder problems, modify the salutations to make them less strenuous. Skip the Chaturangas, and instead hold Plank Pose for a few breaths and move directly into Downward Dog. Otherwise, hold the last Upward Dog of each salutation to open your upper back and chest.

STANDING POSES These poses open the upper back and shoulders, which is helpful for inversions: Chair Pose, Warrior I, Revolved Triangle, and Intense Side Stretch Pose with hands in reverse prayer. Begin with either Triangle Pose or Side Angle Pose, then move into the poses mentioned, playing with the sequencing and finding what works. Get creative and experiment from day to day.

Be sure to take a pose on both the right side and the left, then come back to center and hold Mountain Pose or Standing Forward Bend to rejuvenate yourself before moving on to the next pose.

FEATURED SEQUENCE Repeating poses is helpful. Often it isn’t until the second round that we learn something new. Repeat each pose in the sequence twice, except for Shoulderstand and Headstand.

FORWARD BENDS AND TWISTS After Bridge Pose, practice Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose using a belt around the lifted foot.

CLOSING POSES Do Legs-up-the-Wall Pose. Fold two blankets in half and place them 2 to 3 inches from a wall. Sit on the blankets and, using your hands, lie back and extend your legs up the wall. Keep your buttocks close to the wall and place your arms in a soft U shape with palms facing up. Stay for at least 5 minutes. Gradually move into Corpse Pose. Place one blanket under your head and one over your thighs, and cover your eyes, if you like. Completely let go into a fully relaxed state.

Laughter. I release the gladness of my soul into the environment.

If I want to feel younger and look younger, then it’s only natural that part of my daily routine is to laugh more. Laughing gives the muscles of my face, chest, and abdomen a workout. A hearty laugh stimulates my heart rate, causes me to breathe deeply, and releases happiness hormones, my endorphins.

Laughter is one of the ways I express my gratitude to God. As I laugh, I release the gladness of my soul into the environment–creating something that’s good for me and good for all those around me.

A typical Laughter Yoga session involves some warm-up clapping and chanting (“Ho, ho, ha, ha, ha”), a few deep breaths with prolonged exhalation, 15 to 20 minutes of laughter exercises interspersed with deep breathing, and then 15 to 20 minutes of laughter meditation.

How do you laugh when nothing’s funny? Just open your mouth into a wide smile and force the breath out. You may feel silly at first, but when you’re in a group of people committed to laughing, the make-believe version often transforms into the real thing.

Here’s a primer to help you get started:

Greeting Laughter
Walk around to different people with palms pressed together at the upper chest in the Namaste greeting or shake hands and laugh, making sure to look into other people’s eyes.

Lion laughter
Thrust out the tongue, widen the eyes, and stretch the hands out like claws while laughing.

Humming laughter
Laugh with the mouth closed and hum.

Silent laughter
Open your mouth wide and laugh without making a sound. Look into other people’s eyes and make funny gestures.

Gradient laughter
Start by smiling and then slowly begin to laugh with a gentle chuckle. Increase the intensity of the laugh until you’ve achieved a hearty laugh. Then gradually bring the laugh down to a smile again.

Heart-to-heart laughter
Move close to a person and hold each other’s hands and laugh. If people feel comfortable, they can stroke or hug each other.

Step by Step

Fold a thick blanket or two into a firm support about six inches high. Sit close to one edge of this support and stretch your legs out in front of your torso on the floor in Dandasana (Staff Pose).

Cross your shins, widen your knees, and slip each foot beneath the opposite knee as you bend your knees and fold the legs in toward your torso.

Relax the feet so their outer edges rest comfortably on the floor and the inner arches settle just below the opposite shin. You’ll know you have the basic leg fold of Sukhasana when you look down and see a triangle, its three sides formed by the two thighs and the crossed shins. Don’t confuse this position with that of other classic seated postures in which the ankles are tucked in close to the sitting bones. In Sukhasana, there should be a comfortable gap between the feet and the pelvis.

As always, you should sit with your pelvis in a relatively neutral position. To find neutral, press your hands against the floor and lift your sitting bones slightly off the support. As you hang there for a few breaths, make your thigh bones heavy, then slowly lower your sit bones lightly back to the support. Try to balance your pubic bone and tail bone so they’re equidistant from the floor.

Either stack your hands in your lap, palms up, or lay your hands on your knees, palms down. Lengthen your tail bone toward the floor, firm your shoulder blades against your back to you’re your upper torso, but don’t overarch your lower back and poke your lower front ribs forward.

You can sit in this position for any length of time, but if you practice this pose regularly, be sure to alternate the cross of the legs. A good rule of thumb: On even-numbered days, cross the right shin in front of the left, and on odd-numbered days, do the opposite. Alternately, you can divide the practice time in half, and spend the first half with your right leg forward, and the second half with the left leg forward.

Anatomical Focus
Upper back

Therapeutic Applications
Stress

Benefits
Calms the brain
Strengthens the back
Stretches the knees and ankles

Contraindications and Cautions
Knee injury

Beginner’s Tip
Sit with your back to a wall, slightly closer than the length of a yoga block, and wedge the ends of the block between the wall and your lower shoulder blades.

(veer-ah-bah-DRAHS-anna)
Virabhadra = the name of a fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva, described as having a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet, wielding a thousand clubs, and wearing a tiger’s skin

Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana. With an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down.

Turn your right foot in slightly to the right and your left foot out to the left 90 degrees. Align the left heel with the right heel. Firm your thighs and turn your left thigh outward so that the center of the left knee cap is in line with the center of the left ankle.

Exhale and bend your left knee over the left ankle, so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor. If possible, bring the left thigh parallel to the floor. Anchor this movement of the left knee by strengthening the right leg and pressing the outer right heel firmly to the floor.

Stretch the arms away from the space between the shoulder blades, parallel to the floor. Don’t lean the torso over the left thigh: Keep the sides of the torso equally long and the shoulders directly over the pelvis. Press the tailbone slightly toward the pubis. Turn the head to the left and look out over the fingers.

Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Inhale to come up. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left.

Anatomical Focus
Shoulders

Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica

Benefits
Strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles
Stretches the groins, chest and lungs, shoulders
Stimulates abdominal organs
Increases stamina
Relieves backaches, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis, and sciatica

Contraindications and Cautions
Diarrhea
High blood pressure
Neck problems: Don’t turn your head to look over the front hand; continue to look straight ahead with both sides of the neck lengthened evenly.

Beginner’s Tip
When you bend the left knee to a right angle, bend it very quickly with an expressive exhalation, and aim the inside of the left knee toward the little-toe side of the left foot.

Variations
In the description above, the shoulders are centered over the pelvis with the sides of the torso equally long. You can also lean the torso slightly away from the left leg, tilting the arms parallel to the line of the top shoulders. This stretches the left side of the torso. Repeat on the right side.

Modifications and Props
If you have difficulty supporting yourself in this pose, position a metal folding chair outside your left leg, with the front edge of the chair seat facing you. As you bend the left knee to come into the pose, slide the front edge of the seat under your left thigh (taller students may need to build up the height of the chair seat with a thickly folded blanket). Repeat with the right leg bent.

Partnering
A partner can help you strengthen your back leg. Have your partner stand behind your back leg. Loop a strap around your inner groin, and as you bend the front knee into the pose, your partner can pull firmly on the strap while you resist the back-leg inner groin away from that movement. Feel how this helps to open the groins.

Preparatory Poses
Baddha Konasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Vrksasana

Follow-Up Poses
Bakasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Vrksasana

Deepen The Pose
To increase the length and strength of the arms in the pose, turn the palms and inner elbow creases to face the ceiling while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Then maintaining the rotation of the arms, turn the palms from the wrists to face the floor again.

(sha-la-BAHS-anna)
salabha = grasshopper, locust

This is a deceptively simple posture that can deliver dramatic benefits. Relax on your stomach with arms folded on the floor above your head. Similar to Savasana (Corpse Pose), in which you lie face-up, Locust Pose allows you to release all of your tension, but because it puts your belly and face to the ground, it can make a socially anxious person feel less exposed and vulnerable. In Locust Pose, you can practice yogic breathing (consciously using your diaphragm), which feels both calming and empowering.

For this pose you might want to pad the floor below your pelvis and ribs with a folded blanket. Lie on your belly with your arms along the sides of your torso, palms up, forehead resting on the floor. Turn your big toes toward each other to inwardly rotate your thighs, and firm your buttocks so your coccyx presses toward your pubis.

Exhale and lift your head, upper torso, arms, and legs away from the floor. You’ll be resting on your lower ribs, belly, and front pelvis. Firm your buttocks and reach strongly through your legs, first through the heels to lengthen the back legs, then through the bases of the big toes. Keep the big toes turned toward each other.

Raise your arms parallel to the floor and stretch back actively through your fingertips. Imagine there’s a weight pressing down on the backs of the upper arms, and push up toward the ceiling against this resistance. Press your scapulas firmly into your back.

Gaze forward or slightly upward, being careful not to jut your chin forward and crunch the back of your neck. Keep the base of the skull lifted and the back of the neck long.

Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation. Take a few breaths and repeat 1 or 2 times more if you like.

Anatomical Focus
Buttocks
Hamstrings and calves
Lower back
Lungs
Upper back
Upper arms
Neck

Therapeutic Applications
Fatigue
Flatulence
Constipation
Indigestion
Lower-back pain

Benefits
Strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, and backs of the arms and legs
Stretches the shoulders, chest, belly, and thighs
Improves posture
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve stress

Contraindications and Cautions
Headache
Serious back injury
Students with neck injuries should keep their head in a neutral position by looking down at the floor; they might also support the forehead on a thickly folded blanket.

Beginner’s Tip
Beginners sometimes have difficulty sustaining the lift of the torso and legs in this pose. Begin the pose with your hands resting on the floor, a little bit back from the shoulders, closer to your waist. Inhale and gently push your hands against the floor to help lift the upper torso. Then keep the hands in place as you do the pose, or after a few breaths, once you’ve established the lift of the chest, swing them back into the position described above in step 3. As for the legs, you can do the pose with the legs lifted alternately off the floor. For example, if you want to hold the pose for a total of 1 minute, first lift the right leg off the floor for 30 seconds, then the left leg for 30 seconds.

Variations
A challenging variation of Salabhasana is called Makarasana (mah-KAH-rah = often translated as “crocodile” or “dolphin,” but literally “sea monster”). The legs are raised in this pose exactly as in Salabhasana, but the fingers are clasped and then the palms are pressed against the back of the head, with the index fingers hooked up underneath the base of the skull. With the upper torso lifted, open the arms out to your sides.

Modifications and Props
Beginners sometimes have difficulty holding this pose. You can support the area around your lower sternum with a rolled-up blanket to help maintain the lift of your upper torso. Similarly you can support the front of your thighs with a blanket roll to help support the lift of your legs.

Partnering
A partner can help you get a feel for the work in the back of the upper arms. Have your partner stand straddling your torso while you perform the pose. He should then lean forward and press his hands firmly against the backs of your upper arms (triceps). You then push up against this resistance. The partner might also, as he’s pressing down on the upper arms, draw the skin away from the shoulders, toward your wrists.

Deepen The Pose
Advanced students can challenge themselves a bit more with a variation of Salabhasana. Instead of stretching the legs straight back from the pelvis, bend the knees and position the shins perpendicular to the floor. Then, as you lift the upper torso, head and arms, lift the knees as far away from the floor as possible.

Let us learn from all peoples, from all cultures, from all experiences.

The following is a list of sanskrit words and there meaning. They are in deed very interesting. Certainly adding to our growth.

Please feel free to comment. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and the addition of more words to expand this lexicon.

Abhyasa: practice; cf. vairagya

Acarya (sometimes spelled Acharya in English): a preceptor, instructor; cf. guru

Advaita (“nonduality”): the truth and teaching that there is only One Reality (Atman, Brahman), especially as found in the Upanishads; see also Vedanta

Ahamkara (“I-maker”): the individuation principle, or ego, which must be transcended; cf. asmita; see also buddhi, manas

Ahimsa (“nonharming”): the single most important moral discipline (yama)

Akasha (“ether/space”): the first of the five material elements of which the physical universe is composed; also used to designate “inner” space, that is, the space of consciousness (called cid-akasha)

Amrita (“immortal/immortality”): a designation of the deathless Spirit (atman, purusha); also the nectar of immortality that oozes from the psychoenergetic center at the crown of the head (see sahasrara-cakra) when it is activated and transforms the body into a “divine body” (divya-deha)

Ananda (“bliss”): the condition of utter joy, which is an essential quality of the ultimate Reality (tattva)

Anga (“limb”): a fundamental category of the yogic path, such as asana, dharana, dhyana, niyama, pranayama, pratyahara, samadhi, yama; also the body (deha, sharira)

Arjuna (“White”): one of the five Pandava princes who fought in the great war depicted in the Mahabharata, disciple of the God-man Krishna whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita

Asana (“seat”): a physical posture (see also anga, mudra); the third limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path (astha-anga-yoga); originally this meant only meditation posture, but subsequently, in hatha yoga, this aspect of the yogic path was greatly developed

Ashrama (“that where effort is made”): a hermitage; also a stage of life, such as brahmacharya, householder, forest dweller, and complete renouncer (samnyasin)

Ashta-anga-yoga, ashtanga-yoga (“eight-limbed union”): the eightfold yoga of Patanjali, consisting of moral discipline (yama), self-restraint (niyama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), sensory inhibition (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi), leading to liberation (kaivalya)

Asmita (“I-am-ness”): a concept of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, roughly synonymous with ahamkara

Atman (“self”): the transcendental Self, or Spirit, which is eternal and superconscious; our true nature or identity; sometimes a distinction is made between the atman as the individual self and the parama-atman as the transcendental Self; see also purusha; cf. brahman

Avadhuta (“he who has shed [everything]“): a radical type of renouncer (samnyasin) who often engages in unconventional behavior

Avidya (“ignorance”): the root cause of suffering (duhkha); also called ajnana; cf. vidya

Ayurveda, Ayur-veda (“life science”): one of India’s traditional systems of medicine, the other being South India’s Siddha medicine

Bandha (“bond/bondage”): the fact that human beings are typically bound by ignorance (avidya), which causes them to lead a life governed by karmic habit rather than inner freedom generated through wisdom (vidya, jnana)

Bhagavad Gita (“Lord’s Song”): the oldest full-fledged yoga book found embedded in the Mahabharata and containing the teachings on karma yoga (the path of self-transcending action), samkhya yoga (the path of discerning the principles of existence correctly), and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion), as given by the God-man Krishna to Prince Arjuna on the battlefield 3,500 years or more ago

Bhagavata-Purana (“Ancient [Tradition] of the Bhagavatas”): a voluminous tenth-century scripture held sacred by the devotees of the Divine in the form of Vishnu, especially in his incarnate form as Krishna; also called Shrimad-Bhagavata

Bhakta (“devotee”): a disciple practicing bhakti yoga

Bhakti (“devotion/love”): the love of the bhakta toward the Divine or the guru as a manifestation of the Divine; also the love of the Divine toward the devotee

Bhakti-Sutra (“Aphorisms on Devotion”): an aphoristic work on devotional yoga authored by Sage Narada; another text by the same title is ascribed to Sage Shandilya

Bhakti Yoga (“Yoga of devotion”): a major branch of the yoga tradition, utilizing the feeling capacity to connect with the ultimate Reality conceived as a supreme Person (uttama-purusha)

Bindu (“seed/point”): the creative potency of anything where all energies are focused; the dot (also called tilaka) worn on the forehead as indicative of the third eye

Bodhi (“enlightenment”): the state of the awakened master, or buddha

Bodhisattva (“enlightenment being”): in Mahayana Buddhist yoga, the individual who, motivated by compassion (karuna), is committed to achieving enlightenment for the sake of all other beings

Brahma (“he who has grown expansive”): the Creator of the universe, the first principle (tattva) to emerge out of the ultimate Reality (brahman)

Brahmacharya (from brahma and acarya “brahmic conduct”): the discipline of chastity, which produces ojas

Brahman (“that which has grown expansive”): the ultimate Reality (cf. atman, purusha)

Brahmana: a brahmin, a member of the highest social class of traditional Indian society; also an early type of ritual text explicating the rituals and mythology of the four Vedas; cf. Aranyaka, Upanishad, Veda

Buddha (“awakened”): a designation of the person who has attained enlightenment (bodhi) and therefore inner freedom; honorific title of Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, who lived in the sixth century B.C.E.

Buddhi (“she who is conscious, awake”): the higher mind, which is the seat of wisdom (vidya, jnana); cf. manas

Cakra or Chakra (“wheel”): literally, the wheel of a wagon; metaphorically, one of the psycho-energetic centers of the subtle body (sukshma-sharira); in Buddhist yoga, five such centers are known, while in Hindu yoga often seven or more such centers are mentioned: mula-adhara-cakra (muladhara-cakra) at the base of the spine, svadhishthana-cakra at the genitals, manipura-cakra at the navel, anahata-cakra at the heart, vishuddha-cakra or vishuddhi-cakra at the throat, ajna-cakra in the middle of the head, and sahasrara-cakra at the top of the head

Cin-mudra (“consciousness seal”): a common hand gesture (mudra) in meditation (dhyana), which is formed by bringing the tips of the index finger and the thumb together, while the remaining fingers are kept straight

Cit (“consciousness”): the superconscious ultimate Reality (see atman, brahman)

Citta (“that which is conscious”): ordinary consciousness, the mind, as opposed to cit

Darshana (“seeing”): vision in the literal and metaphorical sense; a system of philosophy, such as the yoga-darshana of Patanjali; cf. drishti

Deva (“he who is shining”): a male deity, such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Krishna, either in the sense of the ultimate Reality or a high angelic being

Devi (“she who is shining”): a female deity such as Parvati, Lakshmi, or Radha, either in the sense of the ultimate Reality (in its feminine pole) or a high angelic being

Dharana (“holding”): concentration, the sixth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga

Dharma (“bearer”): a term of numerous meanings; often used in the sense of “law,” “lawfulness,” “virtue,” “righteousness,” “norm”

Dhyana (“ideating”): meditation, the seventh limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga

Diksha (“initiation”): the act and condition of induction into the hidden aspects of yoga or a particular lineage of teachers; all traditional yoga is initiatory

Drishti (“view/sight”): yogic gazing, such as at the tip of the nose or the spot between the eyebrows; cf. darshana

Duhkha (“bad axle space”): suffering, a fundamental fact of life, caused by ignorance (avidya) of our true nature (i.e., the Self or atman)

Gayatri-mantra: a famous Vedic mantra recited particularly at sunrise: tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat,”

Gheranda-Samhita (“[Sage] Gheranda’s Compendium”): one of three major manuals of classical hatha yoga, composed in the seventeenth century; cf. Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, Shiva-Samhita

Goraksha (“Cow Protector”): traditionally said to be the founding adept of hatha yoga, a disciple of Matsyendra

Granthi (“knot”): any one of three common blockages in the central pathway (sushumna-nadi) preventing the full ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti); the three knots are known as brahma-granthi (at the lowest psychoenergetic center of the subtle body), the vishnu-granthi (at the heart), and the rudra-granthi (at the eyebrow center)

Guna (“quality”): a term that has numerous meanings, including “virtue”; often refers to any of the three primary “qualities” or constituents of nature (prakriti): tamas (the principle of inertia), rajas (the dynamic principle), and sattva (the principle of lucidity)

Guru (“he who is heavy, weighty”): a spiritual teacher; cf. acarya

Guru-bhakti (“teacher devotion”): a disciple’s self-transcending devotion to the guru; see also bhakti

Guru-Gita (“Guru’s Song”): a text in praise of the guru, often chanted in ashramas

Guru-Yoga (“Yoga [relating to] the teacher”): a yogic approach that makes the guru the fulcrum of a disciple’s practice; all traditional forms of yoga contain a strong element of guru-yoga

Hamsa (“swan/gander”): apart from the literal meaning, this term also refers to the breath (prana) as it moves within the body; the individuated consciousness (jiva) propelled by the breath; see jiva-atman; see also parama-hamsa

Hatha Yoga (“Forceful Yoga”): a major branch of yoga, developed by Goraksha and other adepts c. 1000 C.E., and emphasizing the physical aspects of the transformative path, notably postures (asana) and cleansing techniques (shodhana), but also breath control (pranayama)

Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika (“Light on Hatha Yoga”): one of three classical manuals on hatha yoga, authored by Svatmarama Yogendra in the fourteenth century

Hiranyagarbha (“Golden Germ”): the mythical founder of yoga; the first cosmological principle (tattva) to emerge out of the infinite Reality; also called Brahma

Ida-nadi (“pale conduit”): the prana current or arc ascending on the left side of the central channel (sushumna nadi) associated with the parasympathetic nervous system and having a cooling or calming effect on the mind when activated; cf. pingala-nadi

Ishvara (“ruler”): the Lord; referring either to the Creator (see Brahma) or, in Patanjali’s yoga-darshana, to a special transcendental Self (purusha)

Ishvara-pranidhana (“dedication to the Lord”): in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga one of the practices of self-restraint (niyama); see also bhakti yoga

Jaina (sometimes Jain): pertaining to the jinas (“conquerors”), the liberated adepts of Jainism; a member of Jainism, the spiritual tradition founded by Vardhamana Mahavira, a contemporary of Gautama the Buddha

Japa (“muttering”): the recitation of mantras

Jiva-atman, jivatman (“individual self”): the individuated consciousness, as opposed to the ultimate Self (parama-atman)

Jivan-mukta (“he who is liberated while alive”): an adept who, while still embodied, has attained liberation (moksha)

Jivan-mukti (“living liberation”): the state of liberation while being embodied; cf. videha-mukti

Jnana (“knowledge/wisdom”): both worldly knowledge or world-transcending wisdom, depending on the context; see also prajna; cf. avidya

Jnana-Yoga (“Yoga of wisdom”): the path to liberation based on wisdom, or the direct intuition of the transcendental Self (atman) through the steady application of discernment between the Real and the unreal and renunciation of what has been identified as unreal (or inconsequential to the achievement of liberation)

Kaivalya (“isolation”): the state of absolute freedom from conditioned existence, as explained in ashta-anga-yoga; in the nondualistic (advaita) traditions of India, this is usually called moksha or mukti (meaning “release” from the fetters of ignorance, or avidya)

Kali: a Goddess embodying the fierce (dissolving) aspect of the Divine

Kali-yuga: the dark age of spiritual and moral decline, said to be current now; kali does not refer to the Goddess Kali but to the losing throw of a die

Kama (“desire”): the appetite for sensual pleasure blocking the path to true bliss (ananda); the only desire conducive to freedom is the impulse toward liberation, called mumukshutva

Kapila (“He who is red”): a great sage, the quasi-mythical founder of the Samkhya tradition, who is said to have composed the Samkhya-Sutra (which, however, appears to be of a much later date)

Karman, karma (“action”): activity of any kind, including ritual acts; said to be binding only so long as engaged in a self-centered way; the “karmic” consequence of one’s actions; destiny

Karma Yoga (“Yoga of action”): the liberating path of self-transcending action

Karuna (“compassion”): universal sympathy; in Buddhist yoga the complement of wisdom (prajna)

Khecari-mudra (“space-walking seal”): the Tantric practice of curling the tongue back against the upper palate in order to seal the life energy (prana); see also mudra

Kosha (“casing”): any one of five “envelopes” surrounding the transcendental Self (atman) and thus blocking its light: anna-maya-kosha (“envelope made of food,” the physical body), prana-maya-kosha (“envelope made of life force”), mano-maya-kosha (“envelope made of mind”), vijnana-maya-kosha (“envelope made of consciousness”), and ananda-maya-kosha (“envelope made of bliss”); some older traditions regard the last kosha as identical with the Self (atman)

Krishna (“Puller”): an incarnation of God Vishnu, the God-man whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata-Purana

Kumbhaka (“potlike”): breath retention; cf. puraka, recaka

Kundalini-shakti (“coiled power”): according to Tantra and hatha yoga, the serpent power or spiritual energy, which exists in potential form at the lowest psycho-energetic center of the body (i.e., the mula-adhara-cakra) and which must be awakened and guided to the center at the crown (i.e., the sahasrara-cakra) for full enlightenment to occur

Kundalini-Yoga: the yogic path focusing on the kundalini process as a means of liberation

Laya Yoga (“Yoga of dissolution”): an advanced form or process of Tantric yoga by which the energies associated with the various psycho-energetic centers (cakra) of the subtle body are gradually dissolved through the ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti)

Linga (“mark”): the phallus as a principle of creativity; a symbol of God Shiva; cf. yoni

Mahabharata (“Great Bharata”): one of India’s two great ancient epics telling of the great war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and serving as a repository for many spiritual and moral teachings

Mahatma (from maha-atman, “great self”): an honorific title (meaning something like “a great soul”) bestowed on particularly meritorious individuals, such as Gandhi

Maithuna (“twinning”): the Tantric sexual ritual in which the participants view each other as Shiva and Shakti respectively

Manas (“mind”): the lower mind, which is bound to the senses and yields information (vijnana) rather than wisdom (jnana, vidya); cf. buddhi

Mandala (“circle”): a circular design symbolizing the cosmos and specific to a deity

Mantra (from the verbal root man “to think”): a sacred sound or phrase, such as om, hum, or om namah shivaya, that has a transformative effect on the mind of the individual reciting it; to be ultimately effective, a mantra needs to be given in an initiatory context (diksha)

Mantra-Yoga: the yogic path utilizing mantras as the primary means of liberation

Marman (“lethal [spot]“): in Ayurveda and yoga, a vital spot on the physical body where energy is concentrated or blocked; cf. granthi

Matsyendra (“Lord of Fish”): an early Tantric master who founded the Yogini-Kaula school and is remembered as a teacher of Goraksha

Maya (“she who measures”): the deluding or illusive power of the world; illusion by which the world is seen as separate from the ultimate singular Reality (atman)

Moksha (“release”): the condition of freedom from ignorance (avidya) and the binding effect of karma; also called mukti, kaivalya

Mudra (“seal”): a hand gesture (such as cin-mudra) or whole-body gesture (such as viparita-karani-mudra); also a designation of the feminine partner in the Tantric sexual ritual

Muni (“he who is silent”): a sage

Nada (“sound”): the inner sound, as it can be heard through the practice of nada yoga or kundalini yoga

Nada-Yoga (“Yoga of the [inner] sound”): the yoga or process of producing and intently listening to the inner sound as a means of concentration and ecstatic self-transcendence

Nadi (“conduit”): one of 72,000 or more subtle channels along or through which the life force (prana) circulates, of which the three most important ones are the ida-nadi, pingala-nadi, and sushumna-nadi

Nadi-shodhana (“channel cleansing”): the practice of purifying the conduits, especially by means of breath control (pranayama)

Narada: a great sage associated with music, who taught bhakti yoga and is attributed with the authorship of one of two Bhakti-Sutras

Natha (“lord”): appellation of many North Indian masters of yoga, in particular adepts of the Kanphata (“Split-ear”) school allegedly founded by Goraksha

Neti-neti (“not thus, not thus”): an Upanishadic expression meant to convey that the ultimate Reality is neither this nor that, that is, is beyond all description

Nirodha (“restriction”): in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, the very basis of the process of concentration, meditation, and ecstasy; in the first instance, the restriction of the “whirls of the mind” (citta-vritti)

Niyama (“[self-]restraint”): the second limb of Patanjali’s eightfold path, which consists of purity (saucha), contentment (samtosha), austerity (tapas), study (svadhyaya), and dedication to the Lord (ishvara-pranidhana)

Nyasa (“placing”): the Tantric practice of infusing various body parts with life force (prana) by touching or thinking of the respective physical area

Ojas (“vitality”): the subtle energy produced through practice, especially the discipline of chastity (brahmacharya)

Om: the original mantra symbolizing the ultimate Reality, which is prefixed to many mantric utterances

Parama-atman or paramatman (“supreme self”): the transcendental Self, which is singular, as opposed to the individuated self (jiva-atman) that exists in countless numbers in the form of living beings

Parama-hamsa, paramahansa (“supreme swan”): an honorific title given to great adepts, such as Ramakrishna and Yogananda

Patanjali: compiler of the Yoga Sutra, who lived c. 150 C.E.

Pingala-nadi (“reddish conduit”): the prana current or arc ascending on the right side of the central channel (sushumna-nadi) and associated with the sympathetic nervous system and having an energizing effect on the mind when activated; cf. ida-nadi

Prajna (“wisdom”): the opposite of spiritual ignorance (ajnana, avidya); one of two means of liberation in Buddhist yoga, the other being skillful means (upaya), i.e., compassion (karuna)

Prakriti (“creatrix”): nature, which is multilevel and, according to Patanjali’s yoga-darshana, consists of an eternal dimension (called pradhana or “foundation”), levels of subtle existence (called sukshma-parvan), and the physical or coarse realm (called sthula-parvan); all of nature is deemed unconscious (acit), and therefore it is viewed as being in opposition to the transcendental Self or Spirit (purusha)

Prakriti-laya (“merging into Nature”): a high-level state of existence that falls short of actual liberation (kaivalya); the being who has attained that state

Prana (“life/breath”): life in general; the life force sustaining the body; the breath as an external manifestation of the subtle life force

Pranayama (from prana and ayama, “life/breath extension”): breath control, the fourth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eigthfold path, consisting of conscious inhalation (puraka), retention (kumbhaka), and exhalation (recaka); at an advanced state, breath retention occurs spontaneously for longer periods of time

Prasada (“grace/clarity”): divine grace; mental clarity

Pratyahara (“withdrawal”): sensory inhibition, the fifth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path

Puja (“worship”): ritual worship, which is an important aspect of many forms of yoga, notably bhakti yoga and Tantra

Puraka (“filling in”): inhalation, an aspect of breath control (pranayama)

Purana (“Ancient [History]“): a type of popular encyclopedia dealing with royal genealogy, cosmology, philosophy, and ritual; there are eighteen major and many more minor works of this nature

Purusha (“male”): the transcendental Self (atman) or Spirit, a designation that is mostly used in Samkhya and Patanjali’s yoga-darshana

Radha: the God-man Krishna’s spouse; a name of the divine Mother

Raja-Yoga (“Royal Yoga”): a late medieval designation of Patanjali’s eightfold yoga-darshana, also known as classical yoga

Rama: an incarnation of God Vishnu preceding Krishna; the principal hero of the Ramayana

Ramayana (“Rama’s life”): one of India’s two great national epics telling the story of Rama; cf. Mahabharata

Recaka (“expulsion”): exhalation, an aspect of breath control (pranayama)

Rig-Veda; see Veda

Rishi (“seer”): a category of Vedic sage; an honorific title of certain venerated masters, such as the South Indian sage Ramana, who is known as maharshi (from maha meaning “great” and rishi); cf. muni

Sadhana (“accomplishing”): spiritual discipline leading to siddhi (“perfection” or “accomplishment”); the term is specifically used in Tantra

Sahaja (“together born”): a medieval term denoting the fact that the transcendental Reality and the empirical reality are not truly separate but coexist, or with the latter being an aspect or misperception of the former; often rendered as “spontaneous” or “spontaneity”; the sahaja state is the natural condition, that is, enlightenment or realization

Samadhi (“putting together”): the ecstatic or unitive state in which the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation, the eighth and final limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path; there are many types of samadhi, the most significant distinction being between samprajnata (conscious) and asamprajnata (supraconscious) ecstasy; only the latter leads to the dissolution of the karmic factors deep within the mind; beyond both types of ecstasy is enlightenment, which is also sometimes called sahaja-samadhi or the condition of “natural” or “spontaneous” ecstasy, where there is perfect continuity of superconscious throughout waking, dreaming, and sleeping

Samatva or samata (“evenness”): the mental condition of harmony, balance

Samkhya (“Number”): one of the main traditions of Hinduism, which is concerned with the classification of the principles (tattva) of existence and their proper discernment in order to distinguish between Spirit (purusha) and the various aspects of Nature (prakriti); this influential system grew out of the ancient (pre-Buddhist) Samkhya-Yoga tradition and was codified in the Samkhya-Karika of Ishvara Krishna (c. 350 C.E.)

Samnyasa (“casting off”): the state of renunciation, which is the fourth and final stage of life (see ashrama) and consisting primarily in an inner turning away from what is understood to be finite and secondarily in an external letting go of finite things; cf. vairagya

Samnyasin (“he who has cast off”): a renouncer

Samprajnata-samadhi; see samadhi

Samsara (“confluence”): the finite world of change, as opposed to the ultimate Reality (brahman or nirvana)

Samskara (“activator”): the subconscious impression left behind by each act of volition, which, in turn, leads to renewed psychomental activity; the countless samskaras hidden in the depth of the mind are ultimately eliminated only in asamprajnata-samadhi (see samadhi)

Samyama (“constraint”): the combined practice of concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi) in regard to the same object

Sat (“being/reality/truth”): the ultimate Reality (atman or brahman)

Sat-sanga (“true company/company of Truth”): the practice of frequenting the good company of saints, sages, Self-realized adepts, and their disciples, in whose company the ultimate Reality can be felt more palpably

Satya (“truth/truthfulness”): truth, a designation of the ultimate Reality; also the practice of truthfulness, which is an aspect of moral discipline (yama)

Shakti (“power”): the ultimate Reality in its feminine aspect, or the power pole of the Divine; see also kundalini-shakti

Shakti-pata (“descent of power”): the process of initiation, or spiritual baptism, by means of the benign transmission of an advanced or even enlightened adept (siddha), which awakens the shakti within a disciple, thereby initiating or enhancing the process of liberation

Shankara (“He who is benevolent”): the eighth-century adept who was the greatest proponent of nondualism (Advaita Vedanta) and whose philosophical school was probably responsible for the decline of Buddhism in India

Shishya (“student/disciple”): the initiated disciple of a guru

Shiva (“He who is benign”): the Divine; a deity that has served yogins as an archetypal model throughout the ages

Shiva-Sutra (“Shiva’s Aphorisms”): like the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, a classical work on yoga, as taught in the Shaivism of Kashmir; authored by Vasugupta (ninth century C.E.)

Shodhana (“cleansing/purification”): a fundamental aspect of all yogic paths; a category of purification practices in hatha yoga

Shraddha (“faith”): an essential disposition on the yogic path, which must be distinguished from mere belief

Shuddhi (“purification/purity”): the state of purity; a synonym of shodhana

Siddha (“accomplished”): an adept, often of Tantra; if fully Self-realized, the designation maha-siddha or “great adept” is often used

Siddha-Yoga (“Yoga of the adepts”): a designation applied especially to the yoga of Kashmiri Shaivism, as taught by Swami Muktananda (twentieth century)

Siddhi (“accomplishment/perfection”): spiritual perfection, the attainment of flawless identity with the ultimate Reality (atman or brahman); paranormal ability, of which the yoga tradition knows many kinds

Spanda (“vibration”): a key concept of Kashmir’s Shaivism according to which the ultimate Reality itself “quivers,” that is, is inherently creative rather than static (as conceived in Advaita Vedanta)

Sushumna-nadi (“very gracious channel”): the central prana current or arc in or along which the serpent power (kundalini-shakti) must ascend toward the psychoenergetic center (cakra) at the crown of the head in order to attain liberation (moksha)

Sutra (“thread”): an aphoristic statement; a work consisting of aphoristic statements, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra or Vasugupta’s Shiva-Sutra

Svadhyaya (“one’s own going into”): study, an important aspect of the yogic path, listed among the practices of self-restraint (niyama) in Patanjali’s eightfold yoga; the recitation of mantras (see also japa)

Tantra (“Loom”): a type of Sanskrit work containing Tantric teachings; the tradition of Tantrism, which focuses on the shakti side of spiritual life and which originated in the early post-Christian era and achieved its classical features around 1000 C.E.; Tantrism has a “right-hand” (dakshina) or conservative and a “left-hand” (vama) or unconventional/antinomian branch, with the latter utilizing, among other things, sexual rituals

Tapas (“glow/heat”): austerity, penance, which is an ingredient of all yogic approaches, since they all involve self-transcendence

Tattva (“thatness”): a fact or reality; a particular category of existence such as the ahamkara, buddhi, manas; the ultimate Reality (see also atman, brahman)

Turiya (“fourth”), also called cathurtha: the transcendental Reality, which exceeds the three conventional states of consciousness, namely waking, sleeping, and dreaming

Upanishad (“sitting near”): a type of scripture representing the concluding portion of the revealed literature of Hinduism, hence the designation Vedanta for the teachings of these sacred works; cf. Aranyaka, Brahmana, Veda

Upaya (“means”): in Buddhist yoga, the practice of compassion (karuna); cf. prajna

Vairagya (“dispassion”): the attitude of inner ren

(bah-LAHS-anna)
bala = child

Step by Step

Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.

Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs. Broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis and narrow your hip points toward the navel, so that they nestle down onto the inner thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis while you lift the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.

Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.

Balasana is a resting pose. Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes. Beginners can also use Balasana to get a taste of a deep forward bend, where the torso rests on the thighs. Stay in the pose from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lengthen the front torso, and then with an inhalation lift from the tailbone as it presses down and into the pelvis.

Anatomical Focus
Thighs

Therapeutic Applications
Stress

Benefits
Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
Relieves back and neck pain when done with head and torso supported

Contraindications and Cautions
Diarrhea
Pregnancy
Knee injury: Avoid Balasana unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.

Beginner’s Tip
We usually don’t breathe consciously and fully into the back of the torso. Balasana provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that. Imagine that each inhalation is “doming” the back torso toward the ceiling, lengthening and widening the spine. Then with each exhalation release the torso a little more deeply into the fold.

Variations
To increase the length of the torso, stretch your arms forward. Lift your buttocks just slightly away from your heels. Reach the arms longer while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Then without moving the hands, sit the buttocks down on the heels again.

Modifications and Props
If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.

Partnering
A partner can help you lengthen the “dome” shape of your back in this pose. Have your partner stand to one of your sides. He/she should place one hand on your sacrum (fingers pointing toward the tailbone) and the other hand on your mid-back (fingers pointing toward your head). As you exhale, your partner can press gently down (toward the floor) and, without physically moving the hands, scrub them in opposite directions. Help your partner regulate the pressure on your back—ask for more or less—but have him/her apply more pressure only on an exhalation.

Preparatory Poses
Virasana (Hero)

Follow-Up Poses
Balasana is a resting pose that can precede or follow any asana.

(veer-AHS-anna)

vira = man, hero, chief

Discussion

At first glance, Virasana (Hero Pose) looks simple. You don’t have to balance on your head or bend your spine backward or support all your weight with your hands. Yet the classical seated posture can be enormously challenging the first, say, 12,000 times you practice it. Some students have reported feeling that their thighs were on fire, that their knees would explode, or that their ankles were going to break off. Since you don’t come to yoga to increase your physical and mental discomfort, how can you make this pose more accessible?

The answer is not simply to avoid it. While Virasana’s benefits aren’t immediately obvious, there are many. The pose increases flexibility in the knees and ankles, teaches internal rotation in the thighs, reduces tension in the legs, and is said to aid digestion and soothe abdominal discomfort. It is also one of the traditional seated postures for meditation and breath awareness. When your body is properly supported, you can sit in Virasana for several minutes at a time, becoming aware of the natural curves of your spine, the contours of your chest, the movement of your breath, and other internal sensations.

Step by Step

Kneel on the floor (on a folded blanket to pad your knees, shins, and feet if necessary), with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, and touch your inner knees together. Slide your feet apart, slightly wider than your hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the floor. Angle your big toes slightly in toward each other and press the top of each foot evenly on the floor.

Exhale and sit back halfway, with your torso leaning slightly forward. Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet.

If your buttocks don’t comfortably rest on the floor, raise them on a block or thick book placed between the feet. Make sure both sitting bones are evenly supported. Allow a thumb’s-width space between the inner heels and the outer hips. Turn your thighs inward and press the heads of the thigh bones into the floor with the bases of your palms. Then lay your hands in your lap, one on the other, palms up, or on your thighs, palms down.

Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum like a proud warrior. Widen the collarbones and release the shoulder blades away from the ears. Lengthen the tailbone into the floor to anchor the back torso.

At first stay in this pose from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually extend your stay up to 5 minutes. To come out, press your hands against the floor and lift your buttocks up, slightly higher than the heels. Cross your ankles underneath your buttocks, sit back over the feet and onto the floor, then stretch your legs out in front of you. It may feel good to bounce your knees up and down a few times on the floor.

Anatomical Focus
Upper back

Therapeutic Applications
High blood pressure

Benefits
Stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles
Strengthens the arches
Improves digestion and relieves gas
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
Therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma

Contraindications and Cautions
Heart problems
Headache: Practice this pose lying back on a bolster.
Knee or ankle injury: Avoid this pose unless you have the assistance of an experienced instructor.

Beginner’s Tip
Often the inner top feet press more heavily into the floor than the outer top feet. Press the bases of your palms along the outer edges of the feet and gently push the pinky-toe sides of the feet to the floor.

Variations
Clasp your hands, extend your arms forward (perpendicular to your torso and parallel to the floor), turn the palms away from your torso (so the thumbs point to the floor), then raise the arms on an inhalation perpendicular to the floor, with the palms facing the ceiling. Stretch actively through the bases of the index fingers.

Modifications and Props
If your ankles are painful in this pose, roll up a towel and place it underneath them before you sit back.

Partnering
A partner can help you learn to lengthen the spine in this pose. Perform Virasana. Have your partner sit behind you and firmly grasp the base of your skull with the thumb and index finger of one hand. As you lengthen the tailbone into the floor, have your partner tug up on the skull base, lengthening the back spine between its two “poles.” Release the crease of your neck into this space between the base of the skull and the back of the neck.

Deepen The Pose
Cup your hands around the knees, straighten the arms fully, and pull on the knees. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, lift the top sternum, and release your chin down onto the chest without straining the back of your neck. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Then let go of the knees and raise your head back to neutral without losing the lift of the sternum.

This post discusses Asanas (Yoga Poses) to energize different parts of the minds energy centers or Chakras.

There are seven chakras, or energy centers, in the body that become blocked by long held tension and low self-esteem. But practicing poses that correspond to each chakra can release these blocks and clear the path to higher consciousness.

The chakra system provides a theoretical base for fine-tuning our yoga practice to suit our unique personality and circumstances. Traditionally, Indians saw the body as containing seven main chakras, arranged vertically from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel, and these “wheels” were thought of as spinning vortexes of energy.

Each chakra is associated with particular functions within the body and with specific life issues and the way we handle them, both inside ourselves and in our interactions with the world. As centers of force, chakras can be thought of as sites where we receive, absorb, and distribute life energies. Through external situations and internal habits, such as long-held physical tension and limiting self-concepts, a chakra can become either deficient or excessive—and therefore imbalanced.

These imbalances may develop temporarily with situational challenges, or they may be chronic. A chronic imbalance can come from childhood experiences, past pain or stress, and internalized cultural values. For instance, a child whose family moves every year to a different state may not learn what it’s like to feel rooted in a location, and she can grow up with a deficient first chakra.

A deficient chakra neither receives appropriate energy nor easily manifests that chakra’s energy in the world. There’s a sense of being physically and emotionally closed down in the area of a deficient chakra. Think of the slumped shoulders of someone who is depressed and lonely, their heart chakra receding into their chest. The deficient chakra needs to open.

When a chakra is excessive, it is too overloaded to operate in a healthy way and becomes a dominating force in a person’s life. Someone with an excessive fifth (throat) chakra, for example, might talk too much and be unable to listen well. If the chakra were deficient, she might experience restraint and difficulty when communicating.

Muladhara Chakra (Root)

Centered at the perineum and the base of the spine and called Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra), this energy vortex is involved in tending to our survival needs, establishing a healthy sense of groundedness, taking good basic care of the body, and purging the body of wastes. The associated body parts include the base of the spine, the legs, feet, and the large intestine.

Circumstances that pull up our roots and cause a first chakra deficiency (like Anne’s) include traveling, relocation, feeling fearful, and big changes in our body, family, finances, and business. Some people, often those with busy minds and active imaginations, don’t need special challenges to become deficient in this chakra; they feel ungrounded most of the time, living more in the head than in the body.

We experience deficiencies in this chakra as “survival crises.” However mild or severe—whether you’ve been evicted, gone bankrupt, or just have the flu-these crises usually demand a lot of immediate attention. On the other hand, signs of excessiveness in the first chakra include greed, hoarding of possessions or money, or attempting to ground yourself by gaining a lot of excess weight.

There are many yoga poses that correct first chakra imbalances, bringing us back to our body and the earth and helping us experience safety, security, and stillness. Muladhara Chakra is associated with the element earth, representing physical and emotional grounding, and with the color red, which has a slower vibration than the colors that symbolize the other chakras.

When our hamstrings are tight, the contraction creates a sense that we’re constantly prepared to run away. As Anne slowly stretched the backs of her legs in Standing Forward Bend and Head-to-Knee Pose, she received some of the gifts of the first chakra: calmness, patience, and a willingness to slow down and stay in one place. As she strengthened her quadriceps and opened her hamstrings, she renewed her confidence and commitment to the next steps on her life’s journey. Her fears eased as she allowed herself to trust the earth and her body.

Anne and I ended our session with peaceful restorative poses, like Reclining Bound Angle Pose, Corpse Pose, and Child’s Pose, all of which settle an overactive mind and encourage us to surrender to gravity. By the end of our session, she no longer felt so worried. At home in her body, she was more prepared for the challenges she faced.

Svadisthana Chakra (Hips, Sacrum, Genitals)
In Sanskrit, the second chakra is called Svadisthana, which translates as “one’s own place or base,” indicating just how crucial this chakra is in our lives. Getting things in order was the work of the first chakra. The tasks of the second chakra include allowing for emotional and sensual movement in our life, opening to pleasure, and learning how to “go with the flow.” Associated with the hips, sacrum, lower back, genitals, womb, bladder, and kidneys, this chakra is involved with sensuality, sexuality, emotions, intimacy, and desire. All watery things about us have to do with this chakra: circulation, urination, menstruation, orgasm, tears. Water flows, moves, and changes, and a healthy second chakra allows us to do so too.

Trying to influence the outer world is not the province of the second chakra. Instead of demanding our body or a relationship be different, the second chakra encourages us to feel the feelings that arise as we open to life just as it is. As we allow ourselves to accept what is, we taste the sweetness (and bittersweetness) of life. When we relax our resistance to life, our hips let go, our reproductive organs become less tense, and we’re open to experiencing our sensuality and sexuality.

In a culture as confused as ours is about sexuality, pleasure, and emotional expression, there are an infinite number of pathways to an imbalanced second chakra. For example, people who were raised in an environment where emotions were repressed or pleasure denied will be more likely to lack energy in the second chakra. Symptoms of a second chakra deficiency include fear of pleasure, being out of touch with feelings, and resistance to change. Sexual problems and discomfort in the lower back, hips, and reproductive organs can also signify that this chakra needs some kind attention. Sexual abuse during childhood can lead to feeling closed down in this chakra or may result in making sexual energy the most dominant part of the personality. An excessively charged second chakra may reveal itself through overly emotional behavior, sexual addiction, or poor boundaries. Excessiveness may also result from a family environment where there’s a constant need for pleasurable stimulation (entertainment, partying) or frequent emotional drama.

Second chakra asanas help us with adaptability and receptivity. The leg position in Cow Face Pose, forward bending with the legs in the first stage of Pigeon Pose, Bound Angle Pose, Open Angle Pose, and other hip and groin openers all provide freedome of movement in the pelvis.

Manipura Chakra (Navel, Solar Plexus)
Located in the area of the solar plexus, navel, and the digestive system, the fiery third chakra is called Manipura, the “lustrous gem.” Associated with the color yellow, this chakra is involved in self-esteem, warrior energy, and the power of transformation; it also governs digestion and metabolism. A healthy, spirited third chakra supports us in overcoming inertia, jump-starting our “get-up-and-go” attitude so that we can take risks, assert our will, and assume responsibility for our life. This chakra is also the place of our deep belly laughter, warmth, ease, and the vitality we receive from performing selfless service.

Sensible risk-taking is one way of gaining confidence and flexing your third chakra power muscles. For some people, a risk is dropping back from Tadasana (Mountain Pose) into Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose); for others, it might simply be getting to their first yoga class. Risks may involve confrontation, setting limits, or asking for what we need—all ways of reclaiming our power.

Digestive problems, eating disorders, feeling like a victim, or experiencing low self-esteem can all be indications of a deficient third chakra. When you feel disempowered or in need of re-energizing, third chakra poses fan the flames of your inner fire and restore vitality so that you can move from the strength of your core. Practice Sun Salutation, abdominal strengtheners Boat Pose, Half Boat Pose, and Leg Lifts, Warrior poses, twists, and Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath or Breath of Fire).

Perfectionism, anger, hatred, and too much emphasis on power, status, and recognition reveal an excessive third chakra. In addition, taking in more of anything than you can assimilate and use also indicates excessiveness. Restorative, passive backbends cool off the belly’s fire and act as calming agents for third chakra excess.

Anahata Chakra (Heart)

The fourth chakra, the heart chakra,rests in the center of the chakra system, at the core of our spirit. Its physical location is the heart, upper chest, and upper back. The fourth is the balance point, integrating the world of matter (the lower three chakras) with the world of spirit (the upper three chakras). Through the heart chakra, we open to and connect with harmony and peace. The health of our heart center registers the quality and power of love in our life. In Sanskrit, the heart chakra is called Anahata, which means “unstruck” or “unhurt.” Its name implies that deep beneath our personal stories of brokenness and the pain in our heart, wholeness, boundless love, and a wellspring of compassion reside.

This chakra’s element is air. Air spreads and energizes. Like water, air assumes the shape of whatever it fills, yet it is less subject to gravity than water. When you feel swept up in love, you often need to replant your first chakra in order to stay grounded. Air permeates breath, so pranayama practice helps balance and tone this chakra. All forms of pranayamacan help you use more air, more prana, thereby increasing your vitality and enthusiasm for life.

If you notice that you are sitting with your head forward, shoulders rounded and your chest collapsed, it’s a good time to start practicing fourth chakra poses to give your heart some breathing space. When we lead with our head and not with the heart, we may be overly focused on thought and tend to cut ourselves off from the emotions and the body. When the heart chakra is deficient, you may experience feelings of shyness and loneliness, an inability to forgive, or a lack of empathy. Physical symptoms can include shallow breathing, asthma, and other lung diseases.

Asanas enlivening the heart chakra include passive chest openers in which we arch gently over a blanket or bolster, shoulder stretches such as the arm positions of Eagle Pose, and backbends. Doing backbends develops the trust and surrender we need to open the heart fully. When we feel fearful, there is no room for love, and our bodies show contraction. When we choose love, the fear melts away, and our practice takes on a joyful quality. In many backbending poses, the heart is positioned higher than the head. It’s wonderfully refreshing to let the mind drop away from the top position and instead lead with the heart.

Some signs that the heart chakra is overpowering your life can include co-dependency, possessiveness, jealousy, heart disease, and high blood pressure. For these symptoms, forward bends are the best antidote, because they are grounding and foster introspection. While people with deficient heart chakras need to open to receive love more fully, those with excessive heart chakras find healing by slowing down to discover inside themselves the nourishment they have been seeking from others.

The most powerful way to open, energize, and balance not just the heart chakra but all of our chakras is to love ourselves and others. Love is the greatest healer. In our hatha yoga practice, remembering what we love and appreciate as we practice fourth chakra asanas enhances the power of the poses and our general well-being.

Visuddha Chakra (Throat)
Since the heart chakra is the bridge between the lower, more physical energy centers and the upper, more metaphysical ones, as we ascend through the chakras, the fifth is the first primarily focused on the spiritual plane. The throat chakra, Visuddha, is associated with the color turquoise blue and with the elements sound and ether, the field of subtle vibrations ancient Indians believed pervaded the universe. Located in the neck, throat, jaw, and mouth, the Visuddha chakra resonates with our inner truth and helps us find a personal way to convey our voice to the outside world. The rhythm of music, creativity of dance, the vibration of singing, and the communication we make through writing and speaking are all fifth chakra ways to express ourselves.

Visuddha means “pure” or “purification.” Purification of the body through attention to diet, yoga, meditation, and exercise opens us to experience the subtler aspects of the upper chakras. Some yogis notice that drinking more water and letting go of products such as tobacco and dairy helps to loosen up the neck and shoulders and clear the voice. In addition, sound itself is purifying. If you think of the way you feel after chanting Indian kirtans, reading poetry aloud, or simply singing along with your favorite music, you’ll recognize how the vibrations and rhythms positively affect your body, right down to the cellular level.

Deficient energy in this chakra leads to neck stiffness, shoulder tension, teeth grinding, jaw disorders, throat ailments, an underactive thyroid, and a fear of speaking. Excessive talking, an inability to listen, hearing difficulties, stuttering, and an overactive thyroid are all related to excessiveness in this chakra. Depending on the ailments, different neck stretches and shoulder openers, including Camel Pose, Bridge Pose, Shoulderstand, Plow Pose, can aid the fifth chakra.

Ajna Chakra (Third Eye)
Can you recall last night’s dream? Can you imagine how you would like your body to feel tomorrow? These imaginative abilities—visualizing the past, creating positive pictures of the future, and fantasizing—are all aspects of Ajna Chakra, whose Sanskrit name means both “the perception center” and “the command center.” Associated with the element light and the color indigo blue, the sixth chakra is located between and just above the physical eyes, creating the spiritual third eye. While our two eyes see the material world, our sixth chakra sees beyond the physical. This vision includes clairvoyance, telepathy, intuition, dreaming, imagination, and visualization.

The sixth chakra is involved in both the creation and perception of art and in the recognition that what we see has a powerful impact on us. Even when we’re not aware of it, we’re all sensitive to the images we find in our environment.

When the third eye is excessively abuzz with energy, we experience headaches, hallucinations, nightmares, and difficulty concentrating. When this chakra is deficient, we have a poor memory, experience eye problems, have difficulty recognizing patterns, and can’t visualize well.

As a yoga teacher, I occasionally like to work with this chakra by having my students wear blindfolds during an entire class. Temporarily deprived of sight, which provides such a huge percentage of our sensory input, students have a very fresh experience of yoga. They can’t be distracted by the room, by other students, or by looking critically at their own bodies. Instead, they experience pratyahara, the drawing inward of the senses. After these classes, students have shared with me profound insights about their bodies and lives that came up because their vision was directed more deeply inside themselves. Another yogic approach to supporting the health of the Ajna Chakra is to do supported forward bends, adding an extra bolster or blanket to press upon and stimulate the third eye area. Also, creating positive images and visualizations is a practice that helps create a healthy sixth chakra. Such affirmative visions act as natural magnets, drawing the imagined situation into your life.

Sahasrara Chakra (Crown)

The Sanskrit name of the seventh chakra is Sahasrara, which means “thousandfold.” Although this chakra is represented by a thousand-petaled lotus (the symbol of purity and spirituality), the number 1000 is not meant literally; instead, it implies the infinite nature of this chakra, which provides us with our most direct connection with the Divine. Although some teachers associate this chakra with the color violet, it is usually associated with white, a combination of all colors, just as this chakra synthesizes all the other chakras.

The seventh chakra is located at the crown of the head and serves as the crown of the chakra system, symbolizing the highest state of enlightenment and facilitating our spiritual development. The seventh chakra is like a halo atop the head. In art, Christ is often depicted with a golden light surrounding his head, and the Buddha shown with a lofty projection on the top of his head. In both cases, these images represent the awakened spirituality of the Sahasrara Chakra.

The element of the seventh chakra is thought, and this chakra is associated with the highest functions of the mind. Even though the mind cannot be seen or felt concretely, it creates the belief systems that control our thoughts and actions. As the mind thinks, so we create our lives.

Excessiveness in this chakra appears as being overly intellectual or feeling yourself to be a member of a spiritual or intellectual elite. Deficient energy manifests as difficulty thinking for yourself, apathy, spiritual skepticism, and materialism.

Meditationis the yogic practice best suited for bringing this chakra into balance. Just as our body needs a shower frequently, the busy mind filled with so many thoughts and concerns also needs a cleansing. Why tackle today’s problems with yesterday’s muddled mind? Furthermore, the energy of this chakra helps us to experience the Divine, to open to a higher or deeper power. All the various forms of meditation, including both concentration and insight practices, allow the mind to become more present, clear, and insightful.

The ancient Hindus associated the chakras with the sleeping serpent goddess, Kundalini. She coils around the base of the first chakra and, when awakened, spirals up the energy channels (nadis) and pierces each chakra, bringing successively higher states of awareness that culminate in enlightenment at the crown chakra.

Focused on transcendence, many people seeking higher consciousness have disregarded the importance of the lower chakras. Yet we all need strong and solid support of our base chakras in order to open to the spiritual in a healthy and integrated way. The lower chakras focus on details such as our home, family, and feelings, while the upper chakras develop synthesizing views and wisdom that help us understand the grander order of things. All of our chakras affect one another and ultimately work together. As we learn to use this ancient Indian system to understand our lives, we can gain insight into personal issues that require our attention—and we can use the techniques of hatha yoga to bring our chakras and lives back into harmony.

Twists are often taught as balms for sluggish digestion, low energy, stifled breathing, and a variety of muscle aches and pains. Best of all, they feel good from the inside out. Reclining Twist offers an opportunity to feel the power of wringing out the body from its core. It can improve breathing, ease back and neck tension, and soothe frazzled nerves. Its reclined position lets us linger in the posture’s curves and spirals, inviting the twist to penetrate deep into the spine. If you’re anything like me, this pose will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and rinsed clean.

Ease into the Earth

To begin, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet comfortably on the floor. If your neck and shoulders feel tense, or if your chin juts upward toward the sky instead of settling comfortably toward your chest, elevate your head a few inches with a folded blanket or pillow.

Take a few moments to make sure the back body is long. Roll gently toward your left side and slip your right shoulder blade down toward the hips to create additional space between the ear and shoulder. Repeat this action on the other side.

To relax the lower back, lift the hips off the ground and gently draw the tailbone toward the heels. Maintain this length as you set the pelvis back down. Let a few soft breaths ripple through your body as you surrender to gravity’s embrace.

Consider the sensations in your back body. If you notice that you are at all kinked up or wrinkled, adjust your position until you feel as if you are resting atop a well-made bed rather than a tired and lumpy mattress.

Invite the skin of the back body to spread and soften, settling with ease and relief into the earth. Try to let go as you rest quietly here, breathing comfortably and drawing your awareness inward.

Move with Mindfulness

When you feel the urge to move, grab hold of the back of the right thigh or the shin with your hands and draw the right knee toward your ribs. (If you find it difficult to reach your leg, wrap a strap behind the knee, hold one end of the strap with each hand, and gently bring the knee toward you.) Rock gently from side to side to massage the lower back, and invite your exhalations to lengthen.

Still drawing the right knee toward your chest, slowly straighten the left leg by reaching your foot toward the end of your mat. Ideally, the leg will end up fully outstretched, as in TruthPose (veritas). If this action causes you to wince, though, extend the leg only as far as is comfortable. Linger here for just a few moments, allowing the leg and hip muscles to release while encouraging the breath to feel as free and rhythmic as possible.

Now comes the fun part. Imagine you’re lounging around in bed on a sleepy Saturday morning. Roll onto your left side, bringing your right knee and both arms along with you as you turn. You should end up on your left side from ear to ankle, with your right hip stacked directly on top of your left and both arms resting on the floor to your left. If rolling over feels awkward or gawky, try this tip: As you begin to roll toward your left, bend your right arm so the fingertips point upward, then press the right elbow firmly into the floor on your right side. This should give you a little leverage to roll over toward the left without strain.

Once you’ve rolled over, take a moment to assess the situation. For some, the right knee will drop easily toward the floor. For others, the floor will feel like it’s a million miles away. If the latter is the case for you, slip a folded blanket or bolster between the right knee and the earth. In this twist, it’s more important that the right knee is supported enough for you to feel grounded than to force the leg to reach all the way to the floor.

Free Your Torso

Before completing the twist, visualize the possibility of maintaining the well-rooted feeling of the lower body—with the pelvis still looking toward the left. From the pelvis down, you’ll stay nestled on your left side in that sleepy Saturday-morning pose. But from the rib cage up, you will spin toward the right—ending up on your back as if you were resting in Savasana.

To do this, first anchor the inner right knee by imagining that you’re stitching it to the ground. Press the left elbow into the floor to help you rise up lightly through the chest, so the ribs and heart can spin toward the right ever so slightly. As you do this, reach the right arm up above the body and extend from the heart all the way through the fingertips, with the palm facing the same direction as the face.

Now imagine you have eyes in the front of your heart. When you are resting on your left side, these eyes are looking toward the left. But as you revolve the upper chest toward the right, the heart spins so it gazes upward toward the sky. This deep rotation at the body’s core will encourage the right arm and shoulder blade to sweep outward toward the floor on your right side. Let the head follow the action of the twist, so you end up looking toward your right hand.

It is likely that in the beginning, muscle tightness will prevent the right shoulder from releasing completely onto the ground as you spin the upper body open. If this is the case for you, don’t despair. Instead, bend the right arm and rest your hand on your ribs. Positioning your arm in this way is a better solution than plopping your right hand onto the ground while the shoulder still bobs in space, which risks straining the upper body.

In your mind’s eye, trace a diagonal line from your right knee to your right hand and then lengthen through the torso along that line. If you feel yourself kinking up in the right waist, place your right thumb in the hip crease and actively draw the right hip away from your shoulder and toward your feet. Then bring the right arm back to its place.

The action of twisting will compress the diaphragm, so you may feel your breathing get more shallow. Bring your attention to the space you have created in the right side of the rib cage and imagine flooding the right lung with your breath. Once you’ve settled as far into the twist as your body will allow, release any sense of effort and let gravity do the rest of the work. Enjoy the deep spiral of the spine. When you feel the urge to unwind, release out of the posture and lie flat on your back in Savasana.

Explore Asymmetry

Remain here for a few moments and take stock of any new sensations moving through you. After exploring the asymmetry of this twist, it is likely that the two sides of your body—your shoulders, ribs, belly, hips, and legs on the left and right—feel like they belong to different creatures. How does your right shoulder feel compared with your left? Can you detect any new pattern to your breathing after practicing just one side of Reclining Twist? Does your spine feel more fluid and free?

When you’re ready, repeat the pose on the second side. Remember, the name of the game in this exploration is to anchor the legs while revolving the spine and torso in the opposite direction; on this side, that will maximize the stretch in the left side of the body.

When you’ve reached your comfortable limit, remember to settle in and breathe. Soften the body, relax the skin, and surrender into the stretch of the twist. Observe how breath by breath, time and gravity allow you to release ever more deeply into the pose, wringing out your spine from bottom to top.

Now sink, stretch, ooze, and release. Relinquish any grasping from your bones all the way out through the skin, so you feel softer, warmer, and stretchier. In your mind, trace the snakelike spiral of the twist from your tailbone to the top of your head. Linger here for a few more breaths, yielding and growing more supple with each exhalation.

When you’re ready, unravel yourself, coming onto your back. Draw both knees toward your chest, rocking gently from side to side, then place your arms and legs on the floor and settle into Truth Pose (veritas). Let your breathing be full and deep, with each inhalation bringing you renewal and vitality, and each exhalation offering a sweet sigh of relief. Note the effects of the twist—you might feel an evenness in your body from left to right, an increased ability to breathe deeply, or a sense of stillness and equanimity—and bring this increased awareness with you the next time you come to your mat.

(SET-too BAHN-dah)
setu = dam, dike, or bridge
bandha = lock

Step by Step

Lie supine on the floor, and if necessary, place a thickly folded blanket under your shoulders to protect your neck. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.

Exhale and, pressing your inner feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders.

Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Lift the pubis toward the navel.

Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum and, firming the shoulder blades against your back, press the top of the sternum toward the chin. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck (where it’s resting on the blanket) up into the torso.

Stay in the pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Release with an exhalation, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.

Sun Salutations are traditionally performed in the morning to greet the new day. The sequence of 8 postures can be a complete practice in itself, or can prepare you for a longer asana routine. Sun Salutes are often performed in sets of 5, but if you are new to the practice it’s wise to begin with 2 or 3. Each time you flow through this sequence, synchronize your breath with the movements of your body.

1. To begin, stand in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Distribute your weight evenly over both feet. Establish a slow, steady rhythm for your breath. Find your center.

2. Next, inhale and stretch your arms out to the side and overhead into Upward Hand Pose (Urdhva Hastasana). Reach your heart and arms to the heavens, sending your greeting to the sun.

3. As you exhale, hollow out your belly and fold into Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), connecting down into the earth. Keep your legs firmly engaged.

4. Inhale and lengthen your spine forward into Half Standing Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana). In this pose, the gaze is lifted, the spine is extended, and the fingertips can stay on the floor or rise to the shins.

5. Exhale and step or lightly hop your feet back behind you into Plank Pose. Your wrists should be flat on the floor, shoulder-distance apart, and your feet should be at hip distance. Take a full breath in as you lengthen through your spine.

6. Exhale and lower into Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana), keeping your legs straight and pushing back into your heels or bringing your knees to the floor. Build heat in the center of your body as you hold this challenging posture.

7. Inhale and carve your chest forward into Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), directing that energy out from your heart. Pull your shoulders back and open your collarbones. Engage your legs but relax your gluteal muscles.

8. Exhale and roll over the toes, coming into Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Ground down through your hands and feet as you lengthen your spine. Remain here for five breaths.

9. On your fifth exhale, bend your knees and look between your hands. Then inhale and step or lightly hop your feet between your hands, returning to Half Standing Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana).

10. Exhale back to Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), surrendering into the fold.

11. Inhale, reaching your arms out wide to your sides and coming to stand through a flat back. Feel a renewed sense of energy as you draw your arms overhead into Upward Hand Urdhva Hastasana.

12. Exhale and return to Mountain (Tadasana), your home base. Remain here for a few breaths, feeling the movement of energy through your body, or continue on to your next salute.

OOT-kah-TAHS-anna)
utkata = powerful, fierce

Step by Step

Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing inward, or join the palms.

Exhale and bend your knees, trying to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible. The knees will project out over the feet, and the torso will lean slightly forward over the thighs until the front torso forms approximately a right angle with the tops of the thighs. Keep the inner thighs parallel to each other and press the heads of the thigh bones down toward the heels.

Firm your shoulder blades against the back. Take your tailbone down toward the floor and in toward your pubis to keep the lower back long.

Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of this pose straighten your knees with an inhalation, lifting strongly through the arms. Exhale and release your arms to your sides into Tadasana.

The Mala consist of 9 Rounds of the Sun Salutation Series. Each series consist of 12 Asana’s. Yep, this totals 108 poses.

The following explains how to conduct a Mala and is followed by a crude diagram.

Enjoy.

Mala brings together hatha, bhakti, jnana and karma yoga.

There are many approaches to leading a Yoga Mala, 108 Sun Salutations, and some yogis and yoginis will go through all without a break. Some new Western approaches open to a Yoga Mala like a marathon, receiving donations for how many salutations they do.

A Yoga Mala is a minimum of two hours best at 2.5 or 3 hours so there is time to introduce the mala and time for a long shavasana and the addition of meditation and kirtan.

Pre-Event Prep

Step One: Create a sacred space.
Decide if you are doing a mala in a circle with an altar in the center (as simple as candles, fruits and flowers or of your own choice) or with everyone facing forward. The circle empowers the community and is symbolic of a mala but not all spaces lend themselves to a circle.

Step Two: Placing the Mats.
If you are doing a mala in the round, place a few mats as guidelines as people enter. The mats radiate from the center like rays of the sun.

Step Three: Preparation – Counters and Music
Counters: You can create two bowls to count from if you are leading the mala and moving with participants. Bowl One with 18 seeds, beads, beans – Bowl Two – Empty. Every time you go into a forward bend put one seed into the empty bowl. This way you will not lose your count. Because there are 2 Bends per round, when you reach the last bend you will have counted 18 beads.
Music: It is possible to use Music to enhance the Mala experience however, silence is preferred when possible. The greater awareness by the aspirant of the Mala experience, the greater the benefits.

Step Four: Intro to the Yoga Mala – 10-15 minutes
Start by unifying the group with OM or an invocation chant to introduce your yoga mala-global mala and your intention.
Some communities may want to have a talking circle which everyone speaks taking a bit longer, but can be done with everyone making one-word dedications.

Introduce the form:

Work with Surya Namaskar A, from Krisnamacharya’s sequence and Ashtanga, that can be modified for all levels.

Surya Namaskar – FLOWS, BUT DOWNWARD DOG IS NOT HELD FOR 5 BREATHS, ONLY A FULL INHALE AND EXHALE. YOU WILL NEED TO GUIDE THE FIRST 3-5 WITH THE 4-5th ROUND HAVING THE LEAST INSTRUCTION. REMIND PEOPLE OF THE POWER OF MOVING TOGETHER AND TO NOT GET AHEAD OR BEHIND ONE ANOTHER. LISTEN AND TRY TO STEP FORWARD TOGETHER. THIS IS THE PART THAT TAKES SOME COMMUNICATION AS THE FIRST TIME LEADER “just say step forward” until people find the rhythm – you are the rhythm maker so breathe slow.

Modifications:
ALWAYS STEP FORWARD AND BACK – JUMPING IS TOO INTENSIVE FOR MOST PEOPLE FOR 108 ROUNDS
ALWAYS GIVE PEOPLE PERMISSION TO REST IN CHILD’S POSE, TO PRAYER IN A SEATED POSITION, IF THERE IS KIRTAN ACCOMPANYING YOUR MALA, THEY CAN CHANT ALONG.

THE MOST IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS:
1) BENT KNEES IN FORWARD BENDS (there are 216 forward bends in a 108 mala)
2) BENT KNEE CHATURANGA, KNEES CHEST CHATURANGA, OR EVEN CAT’S BREATH
3) COBRA OR CAT’S BREATH INSTEAD OF UPDOG
4) BENT KNEE DOWNWARD DOG OR CHILD’S POSE

 If people listen to their bodies and feel this as a moving prayer, THEY WILL BE EMPOWERED BY THE WHOLE PROCESS

Dedications – There are four rounds
Dedications are made at the top of each Sun Salutation. You can create a pause in the beginning but believe it or not one’s heart begins to teach you in the flow. As you make the dedication at the beginning of each salutation, meditate, move, breathe and circulate that prayer through the whole round.

The Ritual Begins: Round One – Dedications for Personal Transformation and Realization.This round is for all of one’s prayer for your personal activation, healing, fertilization and manifestation of the potency of one’s life. Self-realization and actualization. No prayer is to earthy or heavenly. If your car is broken down and unsafe or a gas guzzler, you may need a round in dedication to a hybrid car. Typically, the prayers are for healing qualities: compassion, love, creativity and the specific areas and projects that are part of the transformative fabric of one’s life.

Round Two: Dedications for Family, Friends and Precious Jewels (anyone you have unresolved conflict with)

Round Three: Dedications for the World – The Bodhisattva round where we pray for what we care about and are active in transforming from war, global warming, children with AIDS, to your local needs. A very powerful round.

Round Four: Dedications to the Source – The conversation between you and God, the praise, gratitude and joy.

You can finish the last 3, 5 or 8 rounds in Surya Namaskar B if you like with celebratory music.

Last Round: Shavasana and Meditation and reading of Sacred Texts or Poetry.

Link to Sun Salutation Sequence

(OORD-vah don-your-AHS-anna)
urdhva = upward
dhanu = bow

Step by Step

Lie supine on the floor. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your head, forearms relatively perpendicular to the floor, fingers pointing toward your shoulders.

Pressing your inner feet actively into the floor, exhale and push your tailbone up toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths. Then firmly press the inner hands into the floor and your shoulder blades against the back and lift up onto the crown of your head. Keep your arms parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths.

Press your feet and hands into the floor, tailbone and shoulder blades against your back, and with an exhalation, lift your head off the floor and straighten your arms. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward and firm the outer thighs. Narrow the hip points and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees, lifting the pubis toward the navel.

Turn the upper arms outward but keep the weight on the bases of the index fingers. Spread the shoulder blades across the back and let the head hang, or lift it slightly to look down at the floor.

Stay in the pose anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds or more, breathing easily. Repeat anywhere from 3 to 10 times.

Anatomical Focus
Wrists

Therapeutic Applications
Osteoporosis

Benefits
Stretches the chest and lungs
Strengthens the arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine
Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary
Increases energy and counteracts depression
Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility, and osteoporosis

Contraindications and Cautions
Back injury
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Diarrhea
Headache
Heart problems
High or low blood pressure

Beginner’s Tip
The knees and feet tend to splay as you lift into this pose, which compresses the lower back. In the beginning position, loop and secure a strap around your thighs, just above the knees, to hold the thighs at hip width and parallel to each other. To keep the feet from turning out, place a block between them, with the bases of the big toes pressing the ends of the block. As you go up, press the feet into the block.

Variations
Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana (pronounced ACHE-ah POD-ah, eka = one, pada = foot or leg)

Perform Urdhva Dhanurasana. Shift your weight onto the left foot and, with an exhalation, bend your right knee and draw it into your torso. Then inhale and extend the right leg at about a 45 degree angle relative to the floor. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, exhale, bend the knee and return the foot to the floor. Repeat with the left leg for the same length of time.

Modifications and Props
Often the armpits and/or groins are tight and restrict full movement into this pose. You can support either your hands or feet on a pair of blocks to help yourself realize the full backbend. Be sure to brace the blocks against a wall, and if you like, cover them with a sticky mat to keep the hands or feet from slipping.

Partnering
A partner can help you learn about the work in the shoulders in this pose. Have your partner stand at your head, facing you. Perform the pose. Your partner can bring his/her hands around the sides of your torso so that his/her palms cover the shoulder blades and encourage them to widen away from the spine.

Preparatory Poses
Bhujangasana
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Virasana

Follow-Up Poses
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Supta Padangusthasana

Deepen The Pose
Once in the pose, lift your heels away from the floor and press your tailbone toward the ceiling. Walk the feet a little closer to the hands. Then, from the height of the tailbone, press the heels into the floor again. This will increase the depth of the backbend.

It was the greatest leap ever taken. The speed of Hanuman’s jump pulled blossoms and flowers into the air after him and they fell like little stars on the waving treetops. The animals on the beach had never seen such a thing; they cheered Hanuman, then the air burned from his passage, and red clouds flamed over the sky . . .” (Ramayana, retold by William Buck).
This pose then, in which the legs are split forward and back, mimics Hanuman’s famous leap from the southern tip of India to the island of Sri Lanka.

(hah-new-mahn-AHS-anna)

Practice this pose on a bare floor (without a sticky mat) with folded blankets under the back knee and front heel.

Step by Step

Kneel on the floor. Step your right foot forward about a foot in front of your left knee, and rotate your right thigh outwardly. Do this by lifting the inner sole away from the floor and resting the foot on the outer heel.

Exhale and lean your torso forward, pressing your fingertips to the floor. Slowly slide your left knee back, straightening the knee and at the same time descending the right thigh toward the floor. Stop straightening the back knee just before you reach the limit of your stretch.

Now begin to push the right heel away from your torso. Because we started with a strong external rotation of the front leg, gradually turn the leg inward as it straightens to bring the kneecap toward the ceiling. As the front leg straightens, resume pressing the left knee back, and carefully descend the front of the left thigh and the back of the right leg (and the base of the pelvis) to the floor. Make sure the center of the right knee points directly up toward the ceiling.

Also check to see that the back leg extends straight out of the hip (and isn’t angled out to the side), and that the center of the back kneecap is pressing directly on the floor. Keep the front leg active by extending through the heel and lifting the ball of the foot toward the ceiling. Bring the hands into Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal) or stretch the arms straight up toward the ceiling.

Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out, press your hands to the floor, turn the front leg out slightly, and slowly return the front heel and the back knee to their starting positions. Then reverse the legs and repeat for the same length of time.

Anatomical Focus
Thighs
Hamstrings
Abdomen
Groins
Chest
Shoulders

Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica

Benefits
Stretches the thighs, hamstrings, groins
Stimulates the abdominal organs

Contraindications and Cautions
Groin or hamstring injuries

Beginner’s Tip
To increase the length of the torso and spine, press the back foot actively into the floor and, from this pressure, lift the shoulder blades firmly into your back.

Variations
From the position described in step 4 above, lean the torso into a forward bend over the front leg and take hold of the foot with your hands. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, then come up on an inhalation.

Modifications and Props
Students just beginning to learn this pose are often unable to get the legs and pelvis down on the floor, which is usually due to of tightness in the backs of the legs or front groins. While in the starting leg position then (as described in Step 1 above), place a thick bolster below the pelvis (with its long axis parallel to your inner legs). As you straighten the legs, slowly release your pelvis down onto the bolster. If the bolster isn’t thick enough to comfortably support your pelvis, add a thickly folded blanket.

Partnering
The partner can help you create a lift through the arms in the completed pose. Perform Hanumanasana with the arms raised. Have your partner stand straddling your pelvis. She should then press her hands against the outsides of your upper arms (just above the shoulders) and scrub up along the arms toward the hands. Press out against your partner’s resistance and release the side ribs downward, away from the arms.

Preparatory Poses
Baddha Konasana
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana
Prasarita Padottanasana
Supta Virasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Supta Padangustasana
Upavistha Konasana
Urdhva Prasarita Padasana
Uttanasana
Virasana

Follow-Up Poses
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Natarjasana
Paschimottanasana
Upavistha Konasana

Deepen The Pose
The arms are raised overhead from the “trigger” of the lower back ribs. Take the back ribs away from the top of the pelvis, and use this lift to reach the arms closer to the ceiling. Lengthen along the backs of the arms, stretching your pinkies a little closer to the ceiling than the index fingers. Then pin the fingertips against the ceiling and release or “hang” the ribs from the arms.
Yo-yo the ribs between the arms and the pelvis: relative to the pelvis, the ribs lift, boosting the arms closer to the ceiling; relative to the arms, the ribs drop toward the floor, increasing the stretch in the armpits.

1. Sit comfortably and shake out your hands, as if you were flinging water off your fingertips. Deepen your breath slightly. When your hands feel energized, place them on your thighs, palms facing up. Take a few moments to focus on the sensations in your hands. Feel, if you can, the pulse in your fingertips.

2. As your breath deepens, see if you can activate your belly, diaphragm, rib cage, and upper chest. Breathe deep into your belly. Fill your upper chest with air at the top of the inhalation, then see how much you can relax with each exhalation.

3. Imagine a light at the core of your being. As you breathe in, let the light pulse a little brighter. When you exhale, let it pulse a little dimmer. You can even give it a temperature or assign a color to the sensations in your belly.

4. With each breath, imagine this energy filling your chest and shoulders. Feel it flow down your arms and into your palms. Notice light and warmth filling your chest cavity, your rib cage, your arms, your hands.

5. Rest your awareness in and around your hands. Feel the air touching your palms, fingers, and thumbs. Feel the outline of your hands and the space between your fingers. When you’re ready, gently lift your hands off your body just enough to release them into the air, then let them be perfectly still. Relax your shoulders, arms, and palms.

6. Then lift your hands as slowly as possible, almost imperceptibly. Feel the smallest movement in your awareness as you continue to life your hands. See how much you can slow down. Imagine the molecules of air rolling between your fingers. See if you can slow the motion down so much that your hands feel as if they’re moving by themselves.

7. When it feels right, turn your palms toward each other. As your hands come together, pulse them ever so slowly. Imagine, if you can, the edges of the energy field between your hands. You may feel as if you’re holding a ball of pulsing energy, or as if your hands were opposite poles of a magnet. Your mind is relaxed but also aware, witnessing the flow of sensation into your hands.

8. For the next few minutes, let your hands move naturally and your mind observe the smallest details of sensation. At some point, bring your hands to a place on your body that needs healing or attention.

9. In your own time, let your hands come to rest in your lap and sit for a few more minutes in silence.

Before you practice take a moment to feel your connection with the Divine and to dedicate your efforts to that all-encompassing sense of Self or Essence or God.

You can imagine the Divine as a deity or a person or nature or something as abstract as pulsating energy.

Hold your concept of the Divine in your mind’s eye and offer up all the fruits of your practice to it.

When you come into Balasana (Child’s Pose), place your hands overhead. Bring your hands together in prayer. Bend your elbows and place your praying hands on the back of your heart. Surrender to a force greater than yourself and notice the increased sense of safety and freedom you find when you do so.

When you sit for meditation or chanting or rest in Savasana (Corpse Pose), place your open hands on your chest. Breathe love into your heart and out into the world. Feel the warmth emanating from your heart center; notice how loving your true nature is. Feel an inner calm knowing that you’re connected to the Divine.

The moon has a rich symbolic significance in yoga mythology. In hatha yoga, for example, the sun and the moon represent the two polar energies of the human body. In fact, the word hatha itself is often divided into its two constituent syllables, “ha” and “tha”, which are then esoterically interpreted as signifying the solar and lunar energies respectively.

(are-dah chan-DRAHS-anna)
ardha = half
candra = glittering, shining, having the brilliancy or hue of light (said of the gods); usually translated as “moon”

Step by Step

Perform Utthita Trikonasana to the right side, with your left hand resting on the left hip. Inhale, bend your right knee, and slide your left foot about 6 to 12 inches forward along the floor. At the same time, reach your right hand forward, beyond the little-toe side of the right foot, at least 12 inches.

Exhale, press your right hand and right heel firmly into the floor, and straighten your right leg, simultaneously lifting the left leg parallel (or a little above parallel) to the floor. Extend actively through the left heel to keep the raised leg strong. Be careful not to lock (and so hyperextend) the standing knee: make sure the kneecap is aligned straight forward and isn’t turned inward.

Rotate your upper torso to the left, but keep the left hip moving slightly forward. Most beginners should keep the left hand on the left hip and the head in a neutral position, gazing forward.

Bear the body’s weight mostly on the standing leg. Press the lower hand lightly to the floor, using it to intelligently regulate your balance. Lift the inner ankle of the standing foot strongly upward, as if drawing energy from the floor into the standing groin. Press the sacrum and scapulas firmly against the back torso, and lengthen the coccyx toward the raised heel.

Stay in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then lower the raised leg to the floor with an exhalation, and return to Trikonasana. Then perform the pose to the left for the same length of time.

Anatomical Focus
Ankles
Calves
Thighs
Knees
Groins
Shoulders
Chest
Spine
Abdomen

Therapeutic Applications
Anxiety
Backache
Osteoporosis
Sciatica
Fatigue
Constipation
Gastritis
Indigestion
Menstrual pain

Benefits
Strengthens the abdomen, ankles, thighs, buttocks, and spine
Stretches the groins, hamstrings and calves, shoulders, chest, and spine
Improves coordination and sense of balance
Helps relieve stress
Improves digestion

Contraindications and Cautions
If you have any neck problems, don’t turn your head to look upward; continue looking straight ahead and keep both sides of the neck evenly long.
Headache or migraine
Low blood pressure
Diarrhea
Insomnia

Beginner’s Tip
Many beginning students have difficulty touching the floor with their lower hand, even when resting it on the fingertips. These students should support their hand on a block. Start with the block at its highest height and, if your balance is steady and comfortable, lower it down first to its middle height, then finally if possible to its lowest height.

Variations
To increase the challenge of this pose, raise the lower hand away from the floor and rest it on the standing thigh. Balance solely on the standing leg for 15 to 30 seconds.

Modifications and Props
Balance is always tricky in this pose for beginners. A wall is a useful prop, which you can use in one of two ways. Stand with your back to the wall, one leg’s length away from the wall. Exhale and bend forward into a standing forward bend, then inhale and raise your left leg parallel to the floor and press the left sole against the wall. Start with your toes turned toward the floor. Exhale again and rotate your torso to the left; at the same time, turn the left leg and foot until the inner foot is parallel to the floor. Rest your left hand on the left hip. The pressure of the raised heel against the wall will help you maintain your balance. You can also perform the pose with your back to, and leaning against, the wall.

Partnering
A partner can play the role of a “living wall.” Have him stand behind you as you perform the pose (on the right side). He should angle himself to face slightly toward your head, with his left hip toward your buttocks. Have him brace your outer right buttock with his left hip, and reach across with his left hand to support your left hip. Make sure he doesn’t pull this hip up toward the ceiling; let it release toward the floor as you rotate your upper torso to the right. He can also use his right hand to help lengthen your right (underside) ribs.

Preparatory Poses
Baddha Konasana
Prasarita Padottanasana Supta Virasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Uttanasana
Utthita Parsvottanasana
Utthita Parsvakonasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Virasana
Vrksasana

Follow-Up Poses
Ardha Chandrasana is usually sequenced somewhere in the middle of a standing pose series, usually after Utthita Trikonasana. There are no hard-and-fast rules about what should follow this pose, but you might try:
Parivrtta Trikonasana
Parsvottanasana
Prasarita Padottanasana

Deepen The Pose
Advanced students can raise the top arm, with an inhalation, perpendicular to the floor. Firm the top scapula against the back. Imagine there’s a wall in front of you, and press the top hand actively into this pretend wall. Then, if your balance is steady, try slowly rotating the head to gaze up at the raised hand.

(vip-par-ee-tah car-AHN-ee)
viparita = turned around, reversed, inverted
karani = doing, making, action

Step by Step
The pose described here is a passive, supported variation of the Shoulderstand-like Viparita Karani. For your support you’ll need one or two thickly folded blankets or a firm round bolster. You’ll also need to rest your legs vertically (or nearly so) on a wall or other upright support.

Before performing the pose, determine two things about your support: its height and its distance from the wall. If you’re stiffer, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; if you’re more flexible, use a higher support that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your height: if you’re shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from the wall. Experiment with the position of your support until you find the placement that works for you.

Start with your support about 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall (left-handers can substitute “left” for “right” in these instructions). Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this, you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on the floor. Don’t get discouraged. Try lowering the support and/or moving it slightly further off the wall until you gain some facility with this movement, then move back closer to the wall.

Your sitting bones don’t need to be right against the wall, but they should be “dripping” down into the space between the support and the wall. Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you’ve probably slipped a bit off the support. Bend your knees, press your feet into the wall and lift your pelvis off the support a few inches, tuck the support a little higher up under your pelvis, then lower your pelvis onto the support again.

Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Don’t push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin. Take a small roll (made from a towel for example) under your neck if the cervical spine feels flat. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.

Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.

Stay in this pose anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift your pelvis off the support. Then slide the support to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn to the side. Stay on your side for a few breaths, and come up to sitting with an exhalation.

Anatomical Focus
• Legs
• Abdomen
• Chest
• Neck

Therapeutic Applications
Gheranda heaps praise on this pose (though that he’s probably talking about a version more akin Headstand) and states that Viparita Karani “destroys” old age and death. “You will become an Adept in all the worlds and will not perish even at world dissolution (pralaya)” (Gheranda Samhita 3.36).
Svatmarama (who’s probably got something more like shoulderstand in mind) claims that after six months of practice, “grey hairs and wrinkles become inconspicuous” (Hatha Yoga Pradipika 3.82). We should take these traditional benefits with a pinch of salt. Modern teachers do, however, believe that Viparita Karani is good for most everything that ails you, including:
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Digestive problems
• Headache
• High and low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Migraine
• Mild depression
• Respiratory ailments
• Urinary disorders
• Varicose veins
• Menstrual cramps
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Menopause
Benefits
• Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet
• Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck
• Relieves mild backache
• Calms the mind

Contraindications and Cautions
Many teachers maintain that Viparita Karani is an inversion, and as such should be avoided during menstruation. Others though recommend the pose even during menstruation. Check with your teacher before performing this pose during menstruation. As with any inversion Viparita Karani should be avoided if you have serious eye problems, such as glaucoma. With serious neck or back problems only perform this pose with the supervision of an experienced teacher. If your feet begin to tingle during this pose, bend your knees, touch your soles together, and slide the outer edges of your feet down the wall, bringing your heels close to your pelvis.

Beginner’s Tip
Use your breath to ground the heads of the thighs bones into the wall, which helps release your groins, belly, and spine. In the pose imagine that each inhalation is descending through your torso and pressing the heads of your thigh bones closer to the wall. Then with each exhale, pin your thighs to the wall and let your torso spill over the bolster away from the wall and onto the floor.

Variations
If you have enough wall space, you can slide your legs apart into a wide “V” to stretch your inner thighs and groins. You also can bend your knees, touch the soles of your feet together, and slide the outer edges of your feet down the wall, bringing your heels toward the pelvis. Then you can push your hands against the top inner thighs to stretch the groins. Remember, however, never push on your knees to open the groins.

Modifications and Props
In addition to a bolster or blanket for support, two props are very popular for Viparita Karani–a strap and a sand bag. Once in the pose you can snug the strap around your thighs, just above the knees. The strap will help hold your legs in place, allowing you to further relax the legs and soften the groins.
The sand bag is a little harder to get in place. Once in the pose, bend your knees and slide your feet down the wall, but keep your ankles flexed, soles parallel to the ceiling. As best you can, lay the bag across your soles (or heels) and then re-straighten the knees, pushing the bag actively toward the ceiling. This weight on the legs helps release tension in the lower back.

Partnering
A partner can also help you ground the heads of the thigh bones into the wall. Have her stand at your head as you perform the pose. She should then lean forward and spread her hands around your front thighs, just where they join the pelvis. On your inhale she should push the thighs closer to the wall, and as you exhale, she should hold them firmly to the wall as you release the front torso away from the thighs. Repeat for several breaths.

Preparatory Poses
Viparita Karani is usually considered to be a restorative pose, sequenced near the end of either a restorative or active practice. But Viparita Karani can also be practiced as a pose in itself. Excellent preparations include:
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
• Supta Baddha Konasana
• Uttanasana
• Virasana

Follow-Up Poses
• Viparita Karani is usually sequenced near the end of a practice just prior to Savasana or sitting pranayama.

(OORD-vah MOO-kah shvon-AHS-anna)
urdhva mukha = face upward (urdhva = upward
mukha = face)
svana = dog

Step by Step
Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the floor. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.

Inhale and press your inner hands firmly into the floor and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward along the floor. Then straighten your arms and simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor on an inhalation. Keep the thighs firm and slightly turned inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.

Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel. Narrow the hip points. Firm but don’t harden the buttocks.

Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward. Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back. Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is one of the positions in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. You can also practice this pose individually, holding it anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily. Release back to the floor or lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana with an exhalation.

Anatomical Focus
Wrists
Therapeutic Applications
Sciatica

Benefits
Improves posture
Strengthens the spine, arms, wrists
Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
Firms the buttocks
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve mild depression, fatigue, and sciatica
Therapeutic for asthma

Contraindications and Cautions
Back injury
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Headache
Pregnancy

Beginner’s Tip
There’s a tendency in this pose to “hang” on the shoulders, which lifts them up toward the ears and “turtles” the neck. Actively draw the shoulders away from the ears by lengthening down along the back armpits, pulling the shoulder blades toward the tailbone, and puffing the side ribs forward. If you need help learning this, lift each hand on a block.

Modifications and Props
Often it’s difficult to keep the legs strongly suspended above the floor. Before you move into the pose, position a thick blanket roll below your top thighs. When you are in the pose, lightly rest your thighs on this roll as you press the tailbone closer to the roll.

Partnering
A partner can help you learn about the lift of the chest in this pose. Come into position with a strap looped around your back torso (across the shoulder blades) and under the armpits. Have your partner sit in front of you, a foot or so away, and grip and pull the ends of the strap, while at the same time pressing his/her feet lightly against the fronts of your shoulders. Release the heads of the upper arm bones away from this pressure as you dig the shoulder blades into the back, away from the strap.

Preparatory Poses
Bhujangasana
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Follow-Up Poses
Backbends
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana will help you learn to lift the chest in poses like Tadasana and Virasana.

Deepen The Pose
To increase the strength and lightness of this pose, push from the backs of your knees along the calves and out through the heels. The tops of your feet will press more firmly against the floor; as they do, lift the top sternum up and forward.

(chaht-tour-ANG-ah don-DAHS-anna)
chaturanga = four limbs (chatur = four
anga = limb)
danda = staff (refers to the spine, the central “staff” or support of the body)

Step by Step

Perform Adho Mukha Svanasana, then Plank Pose. Firm your shoulder blades against your back ribs and press your tailbone toward your pubis.

With an exhalation slowly lower your torso and legs to a few inches above and parallel to the floor. There’s a tendency in this pose for the lower back to sway toward the floor and the tailbone to poke up toward the ceiling. Throughout your stay in this position, keep the tailbone firmly in place and the legs very active and turned slightly inward. Draw the pubis toward the navel.

Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. Don’t let the elbows splay out to the sides; hold them in by the sides of the torso and push them back toward the heels. Press the bases of the index fingers firmly to the floor. Lift the top of the sternum and your head to look forward.

Chaturanga Dandasana is one of the positions in the Sun Salutation sequence. You can also practice this pose individually for anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds. Release with an exhalation. Either lay yourself lightly down onto the floor or push strongly back to Adho Mukha Svanasana, lifting through the top thighs and the tailbone.

Anatomical Focus
Wrists

Benefits
Strengthens the arms and wrists
Tones the abdomen

Contraindications and Cautions
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Pregnancy

Beginner’s Tip
The completed form of Chaturanga Dandasana is quite difficult to perform at first, until your arms, back, and legs are strong enough to support you. From Plank Pose, begin by lowering your knees to the floor and then, with an exhalation, lower your sternum to within an inch or two above the floor.

Variations
If possible, slowly roll over the balls of your feet onto the tops of your feet and shift the torso slightly forward. This will bring the hands back beside your waist and increase the challenge of the position.

Modifications and Props
You can get a feel for this challenging position by practicing it standing upright. Stand and face a wall, a few inches away from the wall. Press your hands against the wall, slightly lower than the level of your shoulders. Imagine that you are trying to push yourself away from the wall, but the firmness of your shoulder blades against the back prevents any movement. Lengthen your tailbone into your heels and lift the top of your sternum toward the ceiling.

Partnering
A partner can help you learn to anchor the pelvis in this pose and lengthen the spine. Perform Chaturanga Dandasana (using a blanket support under your thighs if needed). Have your partner straddle your waist, pigeon-toe his/her feet, and squeeze the top rim of your pelvis with his/her lower legs. Your partner can drag your pelvis back slightly, toward the feet, while you lift the top of your sternum in the opposite direction.

Preparatory Poses
Plank Pose
Bhujangasana
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Follow-Up Poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Deepen The Pose
Even experienced students have difficulty with Chaturanga Dandasana. Lay a thickly rolled blanket on the floor below your Plank Pose, parallel to your spine. Lower yourself lightly onto this support. Use it minimally, just enough to keep yourself afloat.

(oo-dee-YAH-nah BAHN-dah
uddiyana = upward (cf. ud = “up, upwards”)
bandha = binding, tying a bond, fetter; putting together, uniting, contracting, combining; mundane bondage, attachment to this world (as opposed to emancipation, mukti or moksha).

There are a few important points to remember when beginning the practice of Uddiyana Bandha: perform it only on an empty stomach, and only after an exhalation, never before an inhalation. During the time you hold the bandha, also perform Jalandhara Bandha. Most teachers recommend that you learn this bandha in a standing position, and only move to sitting after you’ve gained some experience. Similarly, wait until you’ve been sitting for a while before using this bandha during pranayama. T.K.V. Desikachar suggests that Uddiyana can also be learned in a supine reclining position (see the Variation section below).

Step by Step

Stand with your slightly feet apart, eyes open. Different teachers have different ideas about the proper way to perform this bandha. Here are four possibilities:
a) Practice with your torso rounded forward, knees bent, hands resting on your knees.
b) Learn the bandha first with your torso rounded forward and then, after getting some experience, practice the bandha standing upright, hands on hips.
c) Practice throughout with your torso upright.
d) Start the practice with your torso rounded forward, perform Uddiyana Bandha, and then stand upright, with your hands on your hips (Iyengar).

Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale quickly and forcibly, also through your nose (or pursed lips). Contract your abdominal muscles fully to push as much air as possible out of your lungs. Then relax your abdominals.

Perform what’s called a “mock inhalation”; that is, expand your rib cage (thorax) as if you were inhaling, but don’t actually inhale. The expansion of the rib cage (without the inhalation) sucks the abdominal muscles and viscera up into the thorax and hollows the belly (some teachers say to actively but slowly lift abdominals, or navel, toward the spine). Because you should always perform Jalandhara Bandha along with Uddiyana Bandha, come into Jalandhara Bandha at this point.

Hold the bandhas for five to 15 seconds. Then slowly release the abdominal grip and inhale normally. Perform three to 10 rounds, depending on your capacity, with one or more normal breaths between each round.

Anatomical Focus
Abdomen
Thorax

Therapeutic Applications
Constipation
Indigestion

Benefits
Strengthens the abdominal muscles and diaphragm
Massages abdominal viscera, the solar plexus, and the heart and lungs
Increases gastric fire; improves digestion, assimilation, and elimination; and purifies the digestive tract of toxins
Stimulates blood circulation in the abdomen and blood flow to the brain
Stimulates and lifts the energy of the lower belly (apana vayu), to unite it with the energies localized in the navel (samana vayu) and heart (prana vayu)

Contraindications and Cautions
Stomach or intestinal ulcers
Hernia
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Glaucoma
Menstruation
Pregnancy

Beginner’s Tip
Instead of simply resting your hands on your knees in the standing position (as described above in Step 1a), firmly press the bases of your palms against the very tops of the thighs (right hand on the right thigh, left hand on the left). This downward pressure on the femur bones will create a slight natural hollowing of your lower belly.

Variations
The hollow belly of Uddiyana Bandha can be approximated in a reclining position. Technically this position is called Tadagi Mudra, the Tank Seal (tadagi = tank), because the hollow belly is reminiscent of a water tank. Lie on your back and stretch your arms overhead, laying the backs of the hands on the floor. Extend through your heels in the opposite direction. The opposing stretch of the arms and legs sucks the belly into the torso, shaping it like a water tank or pool. Don’t, however, hold the breath; breathe normally, allowing the upper belly to expand fully on the inhalation, while keeping the lower belly hollow. Gheranda says that this seal “destroys decay and death.”

Preparatory Poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Baddha Konasana
Dandasana
Paschimottanasana
Sarvangasana
Sirsasana
Supta Virasana
Viparita Karani
Virasana

Follow-Up Poses
Perform Uddiyana Bandha at the beginning of your asana practice to stimulate the energy resident in the belly.

(sim-HAHS-anna)
simha = lion
Step by Step

Kneel on the floor and cross the front of the right ankle over the back of the left. The feet will point out to the sides. Sit back so the perineum snuggles down onto the on the top (right) heel.

Press your palms firmly against your knees. Fan the palms and splay your fingers like the sharpened claws of a large feline.

Take a deep inhalation through the nose. Then simultaneously open your mouth wide and stretch your tongue out, curling its tip down toward the chin, open your eyes wide, contract the muscles on the front of your throat, and exhale the breath slowly out through your mouth with a distinct “ha” sound. The breath should pass over the back of the throat.

Some texts instruct us to set our gaze (drishti) at the spot between the eyebrows. This is called “mid-brow gazing” (bhru-madhya-drishti; bhru = the brow; madhya = middle).Other texts direct the eyes to the tip of the nose (nasa-agra-drishti; nasa = nose; agra = foremost point or part, i.e., tip).

You can roar two or three times. Then change the cross of the legs and repeat for the same number of times.

Anatomical Focus
Knees
Ankles
Abdomen
Chest
Hands/Fingers
Diaphragm

Therapeutic Applications
According to several sources, Simhasana is a useful pose for people with bad breath or for those who stutter.

Benefits
Relieves tension in the chest and face.
An often-overlooked benefit of Simhasana is that it stimulates the platysma, a flat, thin, rectangular-shaped muscle on the front of the throat. The platysma, when contracted, pulls down on the corners of the mouth and wrinkles the skin of the neck.
Simhasana helps keep the platysma firm as we age.
According to traditional texts, Simhasana destroys disease and facilitates the three major bandhas (Mula, Jalandhara , Uddiyana).

Contraindications and Cautions
If you have a knee injury, always be cautious in flexed-knee sitting positions and, if necessary, sit on a chair to do the pose.

Beginner’s Tip
The hands and shoulder blades are sympathetically connected. As you spread the right palm on the right knee, feel how the shoulder blade spreads across your back. Similarly, as you press each palm against the same-side knee, feel how the same-side shoulder blade presses more deeply into the back, helping to lift the heart.

Variations
Sit in what’s called Mandukasana (Frog Pose; manduka = frog). Kneel on the floor and sit back on your heels; then wiggle your buttocks down onto the inner arches of the feet, which together form a kind of saddle. Then, keeping the inner tips of your big toes touching, spread your knees wide, at least as wide as your outer hips. Now lean your torso forward and press your palms on the floor between your legs, fingers turned back toward your pelvis. Keep your elbows as straight as possible. Then perform the pose as described in Step 4 above.

Modifications and Props
If you find the leg position described above to be uncomfortable, simply sit in Virasana. Sit on a block positioned between your feet.

Partnering
Nobody wants to partner with a lion.

Preparatory Poses
Baddha Konasana
Dandasana
Siddhasana or Sukhasana
Supta Virasana
Supta Baddha Konasana
Virasana

Follow-Up Poses
Simhasana is a good pose to use to “clear the air,” so to speak, at or near the beginning of an asana or pranayama practice. So almost any pose would be appropriate to practice next.

Deepen The Pose
Some old instructional manuals teach that Jalandhara Bandha should be performed during Simhasana.