Strength In Yoga

Strength in Yoga

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will…your struggles develops your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength”, Mahatma Gandhi.

Welcome to the next session of Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu (LSSB) this Sunday at 7 AM in the Cambridge Chase Park (1359 Haversham Dr., Aurora, IL) when we incorporate the yoga sequences to strengthen the body, mind and spirit. The planks, supported arm and shoulder stands engaging myriad of abdominal muscles are sure to develop the biceps, triceps and a sculpted six-pack. But, the strength through yoga means much more than we normally envision.

Jesus was a yogi; so was Buddha; what made them different? They were able to arrest the deviation of mind. Was that not the classical definition of yoga by Patanjali, “Chittah Vrithi Nirodah”- it’s our ability to harness the mind; it’s our ability to prevent the deviation of the mind.

If we are not talking about mantra, jnana or karma yoga, why popular yoga (in the west) focus mostly on poses? We may spent hours in 105⁰F with rigorous (or athletic) vinyasa; same sequences again and again with counts; or hold poses for several minutes (while pondering an exit strategy- as I do in restorative!). They all proclaim the same philosophy. If one needs to connect the yoga definition with the asana practice, we need not go far – it is in the definition of asana, “Sthira Sukham Asanam”. Yoga poses need to be stable, comfortable and easy. Really? Instructors use comforting jargons to boost participant confidence in a class: “yoga is a journey”; “one needs to differentiate challenge and the struggle”; “with practice comes perfection”; “be where you are”; “honor thyself”, etc.  In order to access poses as Patanjali perceived we need to put our thoughts into it; we need to refine our thoughts; and our mind, body and spirit need to sync. Now…does it make sense to say, yoga, “Chitha vrithi Nirodha”?

How does yoga strengthen the spirit?

One of the cardinal rules in Ashtanga Yoga is “Iswarapranidhana” (see divinity in everything as an ethical observance, Yoga Sutra II.32) that spins off love, compassion and service and respect one self and others around you. Free, total and fruitful and faithful relationship emanating from that adherence is what we foster, slowly and steadily, through the path of Yoga.

We will work on a total body strengthening sequence focusing on all chakras- the lights one need to reach our goal, our destiny- purification of mind, body and spirit.Hope you will be able to join us.

Love,

Jay

P. S. What is new on 18^th? One of my good friends, Karen Ryan, has kindly agreed to lead part of the practice this Sunday. Karen is a practicing travelling yogi and a compassionate wellness consultant whose ability to deliver the art, science and philosophy of yoga is remarkable. I am happy and proud to have Karen on board. Thanks Karen!

Warriors in Yoga

Warriors in Yoga? Inexplicable?

When I first heard the English translation of Veerbhadrasana (as warrior), I was confused. I have never heard of a word that could candidly render the depth of that word (veer- valiant; bhadra-companion). Krishna in Mahabharata was Arjun’s bhadra; Katniss Everdeen was a bhadra for Peeta in Hunger Games for a cause. What a warrior has to do in Yoga where ahimsa (non-violence), love and compassion are paramount. How those poses got their names? What Veerbhadra means to you and me.

For starters: Veerbhadra is a legendary warrior, loyal and devoted to his Lord, Shiva. According to Hindu legend, Veerbhadra was born of the intense wrath of Shiva at the humiliation and death of his consort. Sati, the daughter of King Daksha, was in deep love with Shiva. Daksha did not approve this courtship as Shiva was an unorthodox and ill-groomed God. He slept in cemeteries; wore human skulls, ash, tiger skin and snake. A reclusive vagabond, he mediated on mountain tops. Daksha (as a loving father- as most Indian fathers are!) doubted Shiva would be able to spend any time with his daughter. The presumed safety, comfort and happiness of his daughter prompted Daksha to seek other suitors. Sati stood fast on her love and married Shiva. Later, Shiva was furious when his beloved had to face agonizing public humiliation from her father that lead to her death from the pyre materialized from her agony. Veerbhadra was born of the dreadlocks of Shiva to revenge the death of Sati. He sought grace from Shiva and meticulously executed a balanced fight with humility. The ensued exaltation was the result of his commitment to Shiva.

The story symbolizes the fight against ignorance (Daksha) by the inner self of love and compassion (Shiva); it’s a fight for shining light and seeking grace; it’s struggle for harnessing balance to establish stability. Warrior poses in yoga - warrior 1, warrior 2, warrior 3, meek warrior and exalted warrior- embody the attributes of the physio-spiritual significance of that original warrior: a valiant friend, a staunch supporter, an illuminating guide and a compassionate aide. Through practice of these poses in yoga, one achieves these attributes. Veerbhadra is a companion in all of us- committed and loyal to add balance and stability to succeed in our life’s journey. It reminds the practitioner the humility (meek warrior) through which one achieve the goal (exalted warrior).

You are invited to join some fine yogis and yoginis when we celebrate yoga at LSSB on Sunday at 7 PM in Cambridge Chase Park (1359 Haversham Dr., Aurora, IL.) The bravery in these gracious and skillful friends embody yet another unique meaning of yoga: body, mind and spirit cleansing through a vinyasa of warrior poses.  Hope to see you all when we incorporate a smooth flow of these poses to seek grace and nurture humility to reach that exaltation we all are intended to. We will end the practice with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

Love,

Jay

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu 2017

June 21^st is International Yoga Day. It is fitting to commemorate millions of yogis who paved the way; developed and refined this great science and philosophy of yoga. To promote the benefits of yoga, Twin Heart is excited to organize the morning yoga practice this year too- on June 4^th, 11^th, 18^th and 25^th. What an experience to practice with you all in the bright mornings of June (real Sun salutations!) in the vast expanse of Cambridge Chase Park in Aurora! (1359 Haversham Dr., Aurora, IL). These are all inclusive sessions; no prior yoga experience is needed. Please bring your own yoga mat.

The mind, body and spirit cleansing through grace, grounding, balance, humility, strength, ahimsa (non-violence), swadhyaya (self- teaching), mindfulness and pranayama is going to be the theme of Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavanthu (LSSB) 2017. LSSB is an opportunity for you to interact and practice with many fine yogis in the area who are committed to yoga. Please feel free to bring your children too. This time we have Indre Jasinskaite, an expert in working and practicing yoga with children to guide them in the endless practice of yoga.

The schedule:

Day 1: Cleansing through yoga. 7-8 AM on June 04, 2017

We will practice a detox flow sequence, poses and cleansing pranayama to prepare for days 2, 3 and 4. We will end the practice with meditation.

Day 2: Warrior in you! 7-8 AM on June 11, 2017

A smooth flow incorporating all warrior poses depicting the grace we seek, stability we need, balance we foster, humility we nurture and the ensuing exaltation in yoga practice (and life). We will end the practice with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through relaxation.

Day 3: Yoga for strength. 7-8 AM on June 18, 2017

Beyond the physical strength enshrined in yoga, strength also means our ability to face (and fight) extraneous influences that may affect us. I believe, the Patanjali definition of yoga (“Prevent the deviation of mind”) could be extrapolated to body and spirit.

Day 4: Satsung: 5-7 PM on June 25, 2017. Theme: Food as Medicine

After a brief yoga practice, we will explore the benefits of various preparations to heal our body. It is an occasion to interact with a group of committed people who believe in the benefits of yoga and practice it with dedication; a group whose thoughts and actions sync to open the discussion on benefits of yoga. It's a "crowd-sourcing" in yoga. Hope you will be able to join these wonderful yogis and yoginis.

Thy,

Jay

Christmas and Yoga

It is advent- a season to contemplate and evaluate; a time to clean our mind, body and spirit to prepare the room for the savior. I have been taught to eschew obsessions this time of the year and symbolically, I would forego meat, fish and alcohol. It works most of the time.

 I heard a good story a while ago and would reproduce as I heard then in a homily. Pastor Paul worked in a remote impoverished parish in India. They were, however, rich in sharing their love and resources with those who were not able to afford. The parishioners and the pastor took the message of Christmas around the village by singing carols and sharing the message of love and peace. One day they were to visit a rehabilitation center for lepers. The person who was to dress up as the Santa was not able to come on that day. The trustee of the parish, a rich man, decided to sub him. They dressed him up in red shiny trousers, matching jacket with fur trim, bright black shoes and belt, red hat with fluffy trim; substituted a mask for the white shiny beard and long hair; and filled his bag with chocolates. The group went to the center which treated and rehabilitated many stricken with the disease. They sang, gave chocolates and shared the love and the message of Christmas. Pastor Paul watched Santa shaking hands with a man in his early sixties and saw tears rolling out of his eyes.

Everybody was happy. They got into their bus and drove back to the church. Normally, Santa would change costumes in the bus; the trustee, however, did not. Not even the mask. The pastor was surprised. Even after reaching the church, even after everybody left the premises, he wore the mask. At last, at the insistence of the pastor, the trustee removed the mask. His eyes and the face had turned red; he bore a heavy saddened look on his face. No words came out of his lips and sobbed as soon as he took the mask.

“What happened”, the pastor asked. Broken words came out of his shivering lips. “In those few minutes that I spend with that old man in the center he told me who he was. He was a retired school teacher. His family left him in the center when he was inflicted with leprosy. He thinks of his children and grandchildren during this Christmas and every Christmas” He stopped for a minute. “I could not stop crying when he said, I would pray for you” He sobbed leaning onto the pastor’s shoulders.

The leper prayed for one of the richest persons in the parish. What an event to teach the power of prayer- pray for others wherever you are and to whomever you are praying for. We pray when we pray for others; we live when we give life to others; that is what the advent and Christmas is all about. Keep Jesus in Christmas.

The birth of Jesus heralds a new beginning: a life of love, compassion, service, peace, joy and hope; and a commitment to mend, guide, lead, protect and connect us with the divine. The goal of yoga is that union with the divine through practices in our life. One of the greatest yogis I have seen is Jesus; He is the personification of karma, jnana, bhakthi and Raja yoga. The warriors in your practice represent the grace you seek, the balance we cultivate, the resilience we foster, the humility we nurture and the accomplishment at the end. The manger, the shepherds and cattle is the height of the humility of that great king. The purity and the commitment of the holy family should be the goal of the every family in this season. May our good Lord bless you all abundantly.

I have taken love, compassion, service, peace and joy as the themes of my classes for this month. We will focus of heart chakra and the heart “openers” I will bring several essential oils, including myrrh, to my class. They have the attributes of spiritual fulfillment and the transcendence. Hope you may be able to join.

Peace, Love and Joy

Jay

Three Keys to alleviate low back pain

I was not prepared to take low back pain as the theme of my class. As always, when you hear your friends, their issues with low back (mostly through Facebook), and follow their discussion, I thought I would jump in. 25% adult Americans suffer from low back pain attributed to unused or misused muscles.  Numerous studies demonstrated the assuaging role of yoga on the back. Yoga being a combination of physical exercise with cognitive acuity, aligned postures, self-awareness, and relaxation, it makes sense to accept those conclusions. There are three keys for a strong back and ease lower back pain: stability of spine, strong core muscles and relaxation.

Stability of spine: first key for a strong back.

The instability of the spine is the core to many back issues.  Yoga’s ability to recreate, strengthen and maintain spinal curves (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral) enhance the stability of the back. Man is the only biped animal with such high center of gravity. However, the intelligent design endowed us with right curvatures to distribute body weight evenly by the concerted action of muscles. The weakness of these muscles (agonist and antagonist) creating these curves may be the beginning of back discomfort. Flexion and extension of the spine, alternatively working with the curves and against the curves, is an easiest way to recreate and maintain those curves. The simple sun salutation A is a classic example of such a therapeutic sequence. There are many other duo poses too- cat/cow; star pose/wide-stance forward bend; apanasana/dwipada pidasana; navasana/chatur pada pidasana…These therapeutic combinations have one commonality: they create the abdominal space by relaxing diaphragm. This is essential for proper alignment of the lumbar spine- a valuable key to ease the pressure in the low back.

Strong core muscles: the second key.

A strong core requires the vigor of internal organs (which control metabolism, digestion and elimination); calorie expenditure by the muscles in the midsection; and, of course, the strength of oblique and rectus abdominal muscles.  There is no exercise modality which could meet these demands to develop a flat and strong ab than yoga. The internal energy generated by the rocking motion in dhanurasana massages and sensitize the internal organs to burn fat accumulated between the muscle fibers of rectus abdominus (6 pack muscle). Deep diaphragmatic breathing massages internal organs and increase volume of oxygen intake. Once the efficiency of breathing is increased, additional oxygen molecules will seek the target for its action- or, in lay man’s term- burn calories. What would be the efficiency of the yoga poses if you could combine deep breathing and the abdominal twisting of some popular yoga poses like chair, moon and side angle. Imagine the number of modifications in yoga poses; properly aligned (yoga pose) modifications need to be construed as the gift from yoga to break insanity.

Relaxation: the third key.

Your ability relax in Savasana, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques, or mindful yoga sequences are valuable tools in your fight against lower back pain. In addition to the usual vinyas, I am planning to focus on breath awareness, diaphragmatic space, therapeutic-duo postures, MBSR and Chakra meditation.  Hope to see you in one of my classes.

Jay

Mindfulness and Kindness

I have written and talked about mindfulness, extensively, in the past. Today I had a different experience on the subject when I read a quote from mindfulness researcher Lisa Flook of University of Wisconsin: “This is the way of nurturing the seeds of kindness in children.” And, I am sure, it could inculcate that tender emotions in grown ups too.

20% of children in the US have anxiety, a predictor of depression. ADHD show no signs of waning, rather, it has gone from 7% in 2003 to 11% in 2011. 18% of the adult population suffer from anxiety disorders costing us 42 billion dollars every year. These numbers may seem like Goliaths, but, we have been given small stone- mindfulness. Let’s use it. New evidences emerge from the studies on mindfulness on how it reduce anxiety, depression and ADHD. Studies with children (as low as age 4) have shown how these techniques improve the attention and test scores. Mindfulness improved their attitude and awareness; and reduced bullying among children. Deep breathing in mindfulness triggers parasympathetic nervous system stimulating “rest and digest” and “feed and breed” mechanisms. This is opposite to the “fight or flight” stimulation triggered by sympathetic nervous system and shallow breathing.

What is our role in reducing the anxiety and stress in our children? Studies show a high level of stress hormone, cortisol, in children whose teachers reported “burnt out” Stress is contagious; if we are able to deal with our stress better, we trickle its benefits to our children.

Yoga, meditation, pranayama (breathing) techniques, corpse pose (savasana- easiest pose to perform but hardest pose to master), Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and prayer could all lead you mindfulness. Be mindful; teach children to learn mindfully; train them to be kind to themselves and others; and allow them to discover the genius in them.

Jay

Super Brain Yoga

Once I wrote:

…watched a movie that won 2015 Oscar for best actress- Still Alice. Julianne Moore, as Dr. Alice Howard, honorably recreated the character Alice based on a bestselling novel by Lisa Genova. The movie takes twists and turns when Alice’s initial diagnosis changed from mild cognitive impairment to an early onset of familial Alzheimer’s disease. The family tried to cope with the memory disruptions in a brilliant linguistic Professor at Columbia. The highlight was its ending which made warmth to an otherwise an unhappy plot. In the last scene, after reading Angels in America to her mom, Alice’s daughter asked what that meant to her. Alice, who could barely think, contemplate, or hardly speak utter this beautiful word: Love. Yes, it is all about love. The love and the compassion you show to the inflicted; the service you render to the patient and the peace that evolve from that relationship. It’s Alzheimer’s: a disease that eludes our efforts to stop, prevent or slow….

Today, I followed a discussion on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Facebook. The agony, frustration, faith, commitment emanated from that conversation were profound. My thoughts and prayers go to all those children, parents and their siblings facing those disorders. I wanted to be part of the solution they seek. My own research gave me several leads on what, as a life style coach and fitness instructor, I may able to contribute. I have talked to several people exposed to Autism, Asperger’s or Williams syndrome; I have seen the trauma in population suffering from Alzheimer’s. We may not be able to find solutions for all these soon, but we may be able to equip the patients and their loved ones to navigate through these squalls through practices we know are beneficial. We could, surely, equip them to stand right in the middle of those difficulties to face them.

I have taken “Super Brain Yoga” as the theme of my yoga classes for the whole month of October. I want to dedicate my teaching moments to all those families who are seeking some answers. My goal is to teach participants (in turn, I expect them to talk and teach others) on relaxation, breathing techniques, relevance of balancing and inversions, and “Super Brain yoga” sequences.

Hope to see you in one of my classes.

Thy,

Jay