Yoga: Moving Meditation

I have written on the relevance of meditation (Dhyana) - the sixth limb of ashtanga yoga. Meditation is a stepping stone to Dharana (realization) and Samadhi. In transformative meditation, perception gives way to realization; its ability to disconnect the mind, the body and the spirit is an exercise to recognize them. Meditation is like dismantling a machinery, clean them and reassemble to enhance its function. Thirty minutes of asana practice, ten minutes pranayama and twenty minutes of meditation used to be the formula for holistic wellness. Things have changed now; asana practice dominate yoga practice; and meditation sidelined. Most yoga classes in the west end with savasana. We have now changed corpse pose, passively, to a time to rest. In a yoga class once I attended, after instructing the class to get into this last active pose, the teacher left the scene saying, “lie down as long as you want in this pose, get up and go.” Really?

It is not easy to get participants into the meditative stage after an intense vinyasa practice. At the same time, we need to consider the power of three limbs of ashtanga yoga – Asana, Paranayama and Prathyahara- as an opportunity to train the mind and body to get into the meditative stage. Yoga practice is a time to bring the mind back to your body; it could be a prelude to meditation; yoga could well be positioned as a moving meditation.

Meditation requires focus. How to get focus into the yoga practice? If we are able to “quantify “focus, like any other measurable, we will be able to optimize it. There are four ways to quantify focus in a yoga practice:

1. During inhalation: Imagine the air going through your pharynx, larynx, filling the lungs, pushing the diaphragm down, lifting the navel up and (imagine) air hitting the pelvic floor.

2. During the exhalation: Imagine to empty the abdomen as much as you can, imagine to squeeze the lungs by sternum, diaphragm and collar bone. Listen to the “Oceanic voice” of breath by squeezing the glottis. Listen to that majestic symphony!

3. Make the holding phase as long as possible: This is the time to engage the internal locks (bandhas) and sensitize chakras.

4. Measure your pose. Imagine the Body part, figure out the Energy flow, reinforce the Action and Direction, Elaborate the pose as instructed and seek the Dynamic stability. Make your poses BEADED

What are the other benefits of meditation?

1. Meditation improves immunity by protecting the body defense.

2. Twenty minutes of deep meditation is compared to two days of deep sleep.

3. Meditation helps to reduce stress and anxiety in general.

4.  Meditation Improves learning, memory and creativity; and enhances the ability for information processing, memory recall and decision making.

5. Low blood pressure and psychosocial stress factors associated with meditation reduces the risk of heart diseases.

Hope to work with you on this moving mediation- the theme of my class for next few weeks.

Jay

Three Keys to alleviate low back pain

My yoga classes, mostly, start with few open- ended questions to participants: Do I need to know anything about you? Is there any specific yoga poses you would like to practice today- or, something you do not want to do? Participants always want to work on lower back. Sometimes, after the class, they linger to learn poses to alleviate lower back pain. It’s a trend.

I have witnessed my fiends’ experience with chronic back pain attributed to unused or misused muscles. A recent survey found 25% adult Americans suffer from low back pain.  Numerous studies demonstrated the assuaging role of yoga on the lower back. So, I thought to take low back pain as the theme for my classes for the next few weeks. Yoga being a combination of physical exercise with cognitive acuity, aligned postures, self-awareness, and relaxation, it makes sense to accept the conclusions of those peer-reviewed scientific studies: yoga improved back function in adults with chronic or recurrent low back pain. In one study (Annals of Internal medicine 155 (9), 570 (2011)), lead authors conclude, “a 12-week yoga program to adults with chronic back pain led to greater improvements in back function than did usual care”

There are three keys to 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 multitude 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 the 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 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.

Strong core muscles also add to the stability of the spine. A strong core require the vigor of internal organs (which control metabolism, digestion and elimination); calorie expenditure by the muscles on 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. For example, dhanurasana which can massage and sensitize the internal organs is an effective deep tissue massage. The warmth created by the rocking motion burns the 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 common term- burn calories. What would be the efficiency of yoga poses if you could combine deep breathing and the abdominal twisting in 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.

(Insanity: doing the same thing again and again expecting a different result. Humans, by evolution, is designed to preserve energy. The amount of energy used for the latter crunches would be much lower than your first abdominal crunch. Muscle have “brain”; by doing the same stuff again and again you train them to preserve energy. You make them to work smarter- not harder. When your yoga instructor gives modification, take that as a challenge to trick your muscles)

Relaxation: the third key

Your ability relax in a yoga class 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 in LA Fitness, Signature Fitness or Twin Heart Yoga

Thy,

Jay

Synergy in Yoga, Meditation and Breathing

       The evolutionary adage “survival of the fittest” gave way to a new paradigm “the fitting will thrive.” Integration of brain (hemisphers), body and union of bodies are essential for our wellness and wellbeing of the society we live today. The physical, cognitive or spiritual embodiments need to complement one another for a wholisitc development of an individual. The synergy emanating from that balanced union is wellness; and that is the key for a refined character. Thomas Jefferson believed a strong body ensured a robust mind. Later in his life, it was the fostered resilience that helped him to start horse riding as an exercise. Strong body and sound thoughts complement spirituality. None of them- body, mind or spirit- should overshadow the other; the synergy in that unity is the base for prosperity in your identity and relationships

What is the origin of that synergy?

Our brain is lateralized. One hemisphere of the brain dominate in most cognitive and motor skills even though both halves could perform the same task. For example: left side works with language and numbers and perceiving details while right side controls proficiency in  playing music and holistic perception. The ability to communicate between the two hemispheres makes the brain powerful. If the two halves need to communicate, both sides need to be strong. One dominating other will not create synergy. This communication between the right and left cerebral hemispheres is achieved by corpus callosum- a huge bundle of fibers. Corpus callosum plays a key role in inter-hemispheric integration and communication; it’s a key for creating synergy between the right and left hemispheres. Thick corpus callosum observed in meditators indicate greater connectivity between the hemispheres and higher integration of prefrontal cerebral processes (Neuroimage. 2012 May 15; 61(1):181-7) Mindful breathing (accessing the power of thoracic and abdominal cavities; consciously controlling inhalation, exhalation and holding phases as in pranayama) and pranayama techniques also aid in removing this inherent lateralization. Yoga, especially balancing poses, has shown to enhance hemisphere integration and synergy in the brain function. Integrated mind-body training has great effect on the corona radiate as well. 

Can we create synergy in our creativity, pragmatism and decision making?

Now shift from the brain to our body. Every individual is born with certain physiological constitution. According to Ayurveda, the ancient system of medicine originated in the Indian subcontinent, these are called Doshas.  Doshas would decide physical and behavioral attributes of a person. Doshas are controlled by the contribution of universal elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether and their related properties) and are the blue prints for health and fulfillment. The three doshas – Vata, Pita and Kapha- are basic body physiognomies. Vata means “wind”. Pitta means “bile”. Kapha means “mucous or phlegm”.  Once established at birth, our body types do not change. Every dosha has its strengths: vata- creativity; pita-Perseverance; kapha-Commitment. These three qualities form the trio for the success. Imbalances depend on the contribution of each dosha or its predominance. Normally one dosha predominates in a person. This preponderance of one over others in our nature (prakruthi) establishes our natural body type and determines our strengths and weaknesses. However, there may be influences from other doshas. 

The acquired deviation from the prakruthi by life styles (by what we do and what we do not do) is called vikruthi. If the proportion of doshas in one’s current state is close to birth constitution, health will be vibrant. A divergence between these states, however, indicates a state of imbalance. Each dosha has several differentiating qualities or “gunas”; and has a specific location (seat), as well as corresponding energy center (chakras). When any one of these become excessive in any particular area, it is then considered to be in a state of imbalance. The slings and arrows of life do not often permit us to remain in that state of balance and we frequently find ourselves out-of-balance. The seeds of future illnesses take root in this imbalance. It is important to understand that weaknesses is not caused by the balance of doshas in the prakruti, but rather by the imbalance between our prakruti, the natural body type we were born with, and our current dosha balance. These behaviors are also controlled by certain areas in the body. Imbalances in those areas lead to significant changes affecting the mood, behavior and appearance of the individual. Aggravated imbalances could be controlled by practicing yoga poses suitable for that behaviors and staying away from poses that aggravate them. One size does not fit all in yoga. The most important quality a yogi need to have is to know “why I am doing what I am doing” –Swadhaya (self-teaching). Do I need grounding, uplifting, or balancing poses? Assess yourself and capitalize your strengths to complement your limitations. 

Now we move to relationships and friendships; if our changeable brain, thoughts and body are slices in all these amities, they should all be associable; and I trust in the power of yoga to achieve that synergy. If you are to practice with someone whom you care; understand their strengths and weaknesses; complement their yoga; prop (I mean it!) them up when they falter; guide them in their journey; or just stay with them, you make those relationships vibrant. The key to sustenance (in yoga, life and relationships) is the social, emotional and environmental support. That is what yoga synergy is- it is our ability to generate synergy through yoga practice; it is our ability to create the balance and strength required to succeed. From microscopic level to relationships, yoga and meditation have been a valuable tool to create synergy within our self and in those unions we are part of. It is not in the strength of the one; it is in the balance emanating from that combination and that is what we seek in yoga!

I want to thank my friend Monika for remarkable renditions (on the right and the top) depicting the synergy of “two hearts”- reminding “We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.” (Pierre Teillhard de Chardin) Yoga is about the balance in your mind, body, spirit and in the relationship you are in 

Location of various chakras in the body

Stereotype threat!

Dear all,

Trust the New Year is treating you well and all are staying warm!

Recently, I happened to hear a research report on a notion which have been lingering in our society for a long time, a concept quantified two decades ago- Stereotype threat. It is a risk of confirming the negative stereotype about one’s group. Some typical pre-conceived notions: “Christians and Science don’t get along, women perform low in math… If one is reminded of the stereotype, they perform low in their abilities. If you are reminded of the sex in a math test, the score differ for men and women; or, if you are reminded that you are a Christian, your performance in the scientific reasoning goes down (This may change now. Pope Francis’ recent efforts to bridge the gap between “people of reason” and “people of faith” echoes the alliance of reason and faith; and science and faith are no more at odds. Science is a gift. Genesis is science, it is a fast forwarded evolution. Humans, however, are not a random product).

 How many other stereotypes we have created. Men’s birthday (fathers’ days too) gifts are, often, lawn mowers, grills (the grill my wife presented is unused in my backyard for the last four years) and “fancy wrenches”; TV and electronic games (oh…yeah…we do not do house chores). Blaring radio and TV advertisements for fathers’ day are, mostly, from Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears and Menards. And for women: flowers, fragrances, dinner at fancy restaurants…Social scientists have not yet studied the negative influence of these stereotyping and these are bound to continue! I recently followed a discussion on the Facebook on “how to engage men” workshop themes. Ideas ranged from “make stuff”, “make the world a better place by recycling”, “build things”, “wine and anything”…really?? Is that all men can do?? Anyway, that is not my point.

I have always been intrigued by the fact of low participation of men in yoga classes in the West. Is it a stereotype threat? Cannot stretch, cannot bend, cannot focus…Traditionally, most yoga classes were attended by men. Spirituality was almost “exclusively confined” to men. Things are very different in the West; yoga studios are yet to attract men. Once somebody told me that he is unable to come to yoga because he can’t practice brahmacarya (I have written in the past why brahmacarya became such a predicament for men) My experience in teaching yoga and interaction with my students is that women seem to be more spiritual (and yoga oriented) and men more physical. In classes mostly attended by women, I tend to deliver the practice more spiritually. On the other hand, when the class has higher number of men, I may go little physical. I did type them.

It is time for us to change; it is time for us to define yoga clearly. It is the ability to refine body, mind and spirit. It’s our ability to reunite them as it was in the beginning. It is our calling to reach the divinity; “it is an awakened state of nostalgia”. Why would one exclude men from that union? There is a yogi in every men. Give a brake to up-plank, chaturanga, shoulder stand, headstand for men; add few hip openers to them; use “let it go” kind of words and essential oils for them too. I am sure men could handle them well.

Have you ever been a victim of stereotype threat? Or, do tend to stereotype others? Love to hear from you.

Jay

 I was in the middle school then; and was, once, cast to play the role of a boy fostering the wishes of his parents to become a doctor. The plot of the drama was set under a banyan tree where Swami Vivekananda meditated.

(Vivekananda attended world parliament of religions in Chicago in 1893 and was the most sought after guru after his debut speech in the parliament. His salutation, “My Brothers and Sister in America”, gave him a three minute standing ovation.  Vivekananda is accredited to the introduction of Indian life practices – including Yamas, Niyamas, Pranayama and Prathyahara -to the West.)

One day the Swami confronted the boy whose brisk walks (I visionary writer has depicted the child as somebody in the instant gratification gen) might have disturbed him. In the brief discourse Vivekananda tried to convince the boy of seeking the truth through latter limbs of Ashtanga yoga. The boy did change. But the script did not say anything about how his parents perceived it. The presentation was a hit in the school anniversary celebrations. For me, it was an opportunity to know Swami Vivekananda. Even though I did not have access to his style of meditation, I tried to practice it through instructions from one of my friends. I had many friends practicing Vivekananda style of meditation then. I too was attracted.

Few year later the practitioners felt the act of focus and thoughts as a work to the brain. That might have fueled the popularity of another branch of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh yogi- Transcendental Meditation (TM) I saw an Ashram by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi popped up in my neighborhood. Expensive cars and white westerners (we thought all were Brits) flocked in the Ashram. Now I realize that was the time Maharishi had tremendous following in the west including the Beatles. I wanted to try that too; did not work then. I had to wait for another fifteen years to practice TM (Why? It could be another standalone blog!)

Both meditative styles have their own strengths. Both have the ability to calm the body, mind and spirit. Among the numerous benefits of TM, reduction in BP, relaxation, reduction in cardiac diseases and improved cognitive and work efficiency are my favorites.

 I am doing a workshop on pranayama and meditation on January 17^th. The attached flyer has all the details. Hope to see you there.

Jay

Role of Detox in Yoga

Yoga is, “Chitha vrithi Nirodha”- 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 yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga or raja yoga, why the popular yoga (in the west) focus mostly on poses? We 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 seem to be a part of same yoga philosophy. If one need to connect the yoga definition with the asana practice, we need not go far – it is in the definition of asana, “Sthira Sukham Asanam”. The yoga pose need to be stable, comfortable and easy. Really? Instructors use comforting jargons to boost participant confidence: yoga is a journey; one need to differentiate challenge and the struggle; with practice comes perfection; be where you are; honor thyself etc.  In order to access the pose 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 do you combine or melt the mind, body and spirit. It’s like welding; unless the surfaces to be welded are clean it may take some effort to join them. Cleansing your body, mind and spirit is yoga; and its power to detox is the beginning of your journey to reach samadhi. Intelligent breathing, mindful poses and cognitive focuses form the triangular base on which you are going to build your character.

I want to thank all who have registered for Twin Heart Yoga Detox workshop on December 06. I am happy to be a part of your journey and wish could accommodate more. Hope you may be able to join in a later workshop.

Jay

Yoga for patience, persistence and balance.

I visited an Indian nutriceutical company several years ago and was surprised to see the schedule of the day: afternoon session started with, “Visitor planting a tree”. My astonishment was the prominence the event occupied the agenda. In Indian culture trees and plants are revered and (even) worshipped (the Bodhi tree under which Budha attained enlightment; the national tree of India- Banyan tree, Thulsi -ocimum sanctum- in front yards are example.) Flowers, fruits and leaves of several trees have been part of various religious ceremonies in India. Trees planted near tombs represented memories; their fruits, its values, integrity and karma! Trees occupy a great position in other cultures too: Yule tree in Germanic mythology; the tree of knowledge in Judaism and Christianity. Trees symbolize life, perseverance, balance, transformation and the inherent desire to reach the higher truth while grounded in reality. The metaphor of two birds perched on a tree in Rigveda and Upanishads represent the mind-spirit duality. The first bird (Jiva), distracted by the appealing sensual pleasure, ate the fruit. The other one (Atma), not distracted by the fruit, watched the first one and abstained from the corporeal desire. “The tree of knowledge” represents the sensual and spiritual dimensions of our self. If Adam was not tempted by the fruit offered by Eve or if Adam had just watched Eve (without eating the fruits), Cane and Abel would have ended up as ideal children!

Trees are more than a symbol of balance. Rooted in reality, reaching to unite with the higher truth and its determination to accept and unite with other trees and organisms embodies the fine human attributes we aspire; a great lesson to be learnt. We do have folks rooted in reality; we do have spiritual people; we do have people who yoke with others. What we, often, do not have is a committed balance of these three- a culture where we interact, support, complement each other.

There was not a single pose in yoga that has generated such an excitement in my yoga class than the tree pose- a pose mostly confined to focus and balance. Tree pose has also been under scrutiny since recent reports that a lack of balance in a tree pose could be an early indication of a possible memory loss later in the life. If a lack of balance is perceived as a warning sign, an increased balance, by practicing the tree pose should be indication of sharpened cognition. For such an outcome, the traditional tree pose need to be taken out of “strength of the standing legs and the flexibility of hip adductors and abductors.”

Normally, one variation of the pose by placing the feet on the inner thigh above the knees (or below knees or kickstand style) is practiced. In vinyasa styles it’s transitory to hip opening poses. I have seen practitioners fall like chopped trees in the pose and the bilateral asymmetry is often blamed for this imbalance. The strength of the standing leg; strength of quadriceps, hamstrings, glute and psoas major muscles and pranayama techniques have always been overlooked. Practice the pose with one knee flexed and puling the feet towards buttocks (make sure to keep thighs parallel). This will work on the quadriceps. To work on the hamstrings and the glute lift the bend leg towards the chest and the press knees to the chest (combined with a lifting action). Continue the preparation with uttitha padangustasana and natarajasana. The combination of these four poses prior to the traditional tree should help one to get the required strength, flexibility and balance for the tree pose (prior you scan the brain!) By the time you gain the balance through patience and perseverance, you will realize the path of yoga and discover the yogi in you.

Thy,

Jay