Waterfall

A Large part of Yoga is actually focusing on the breath and finding a deep state of relaxation. For many experienced Yogis the practice becomes much like a meditation, and traditionally postures are regarded as a means to tone and shape the body for meditation. We are the cause of most of the suffering in our own lives, we create it, both mental and physical. We are constantly thinking of the past, what we did or didn't do, or the future, what we need to do. We think about these things so much that we forget to be in the present moment, the only actual moment we have to worry about. If we were always aware of our present moment, we would never misplace our keys, or forget to turn the oven off, because we would always be aware of what we are doing as we are doing it. Yoga is an attempt at allowing you to be completely present and attuned to your body and mind. Therapeutic or restorative yoga is just as important, if not more important to practice for this very reason. How often in a day are we simply present to our own being.

Waterfall, or legs-up-the-wall pose is a great way to not only have a physical benefit, but an emotional one as well. While in this posture we are changing the flow of blood from what our body is used to. As will all inversions it has a great benefit on the mind because of increased blood flow to the brain. Having our legs elevated releases their fatigue and swelling as well as enhances the immune system.
Most people find this posture very relaxing, and it is great to do before bed or if you suffer from insomnia. It's simple and easy to get into and put of, the most important thing here is to have your bum as close to the wall as possible, preferably touching it.
As with any inversions there are contraindications if you suffer from high blood pressure, or have a history of stroke or heart attack, and if you have any kind of eye disorder such as glaucoma or detached retina.
Traditionally legs are kept together and straight, but I Have included some variations that I like. The Pose can be held from five minutes to 45 minutes, it is normal for legs to possibly fall asleep, but not be uncomfortable.

Gita Verse:

Chapter 5 Verse 26

Sri Krishna:
Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the Self. Abiding joy comes for those who still the mind. Freeing themselves from the taint of self-will, with their consciousness unified, they become one with Brahman.

This one is easy to understand. All through out the Gita we are reminded that whatever it is we seek, we already have. TAT TVAM ASI- That thou art. If you are looking for confidence, look inside your self, you have it. Success, beauty, love you are all of these things, they are all inside you as part of your true Self. We often forget this and search for these things in the material world, or expect others to provide them to us. Look inside your self, but beware, you can also be hatred, anger, resentment, you are what you choose to be, so choose a positive thought.

Namaste.

Fierce Pose

Utkatasana OOT-kah-TAHS-anna, fierce pose or chair pose, is another favourite of mine. It is very challenging because it uses so many muscles at one time. Depending on your core strength you may feel it more in the legs, or shoulders. You can feel it's effects in the hips and lower back as well. You want to have your spine straight and as lengthened as possible. As always focusing on breathing is essential. Your chin should be over your knees and your nose should be over your toes. Drishti (gaze): thumbs. Your weight should be back, grounding into the heels and shoulders are relaxed down. Have your feel together ideally, but for beginners hip-width apart is fine. The resistance of gravity and finding a balance are the obstacles with this pose.

Muscles working:

Spine: intertransversarii (small muscles in between vertebre), interspinalis, transversospinalis group (all down the back), erector spinae psoas minor.

Shoulders and arms: upper trapezius (lower neck, upper shoulderblade) , serratus anterior (side of upper ribs), deltoids (sholders), biceps, triceps, abs.

Legs: gluteus medius and minimus, quads, tibialis anterior and soleous (shins, calfs), intrinsic feet muscles.

Gita Verse:

Chapter 3 Verse 32

Sri Krishna:

Those who violate these laws, criticizing and complaining, are utterly deluded, and are the cause of their own suffering.

The laws that Krishna is referring to is staying free from the "fever" of the ego. For a lot of us our ego runs our life. You can distinguish your ego by recognizing it as the voice in your head that judges, complains, wants and decides based on those wants. What I think Krishna is trying to say here is that we choose whether to listen to this voice, and those who constantly do are deluded into thinking that there is no other voice. Listening to the ego is a choice because we attach meaning in our lives, and we choose what is important and what we can let go. If it were up to the ego everything would be a big deal, the ego is chronically dissatisfied and that is a recipe for a very stressful life.

Namaste.

D-DAWG

I chose to write the first of the Yogition blogs, which will be mainly about yoga postures and philosophy as well as nutrition, about Downward facing dog pose, in my opinion the bread and butter of yoga.

Downward dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana (AH-doh-MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna) is my favourite posture because it works so many muscles and one can see a great improvement in shoulder, arm and wrist strength, as well as a stretch for everyone's tightest muscles, the hamstrings. In this posture we are working and lengthening our arms, legs and spine. The motion of d-dog is up and back. In this posture we work to have our bum pointed up into the air as high as we can, while at the same time pushing back and down into our heels. This is what makes the posture so difficult but rewarding. The gaze or drishti here is ideally at the navel and the posture can be held from anywhere between five breaths and five minutes.

Muscles working:

Triceps, deltoid, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus , rectus femorous, hamstrings, gastrocnemius.

Today's Gita verse:

The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Hindu scripture used by Yogis as a timeless, practical manual for daily living.The date and authorship of the Gita is unknown but the general scholarly opinion is that the scriptures date back to between the 5th and 2nd century BCE.
The Gita is a conversation between a manifestation of God, Krishna, and a man, Arjuna. Arjuna is on the battle field in a war against his cousins and is having an ethical dilemma about fighting. Krishna comes down to help Arjuna learn very valuable life lessons, and it is these teachings about living a positive, good life that make it one of my favourite and most valuable possessions. In each entry I will incorporate an important lesson from the Gita to enrich your practice and your existence.

Since we started with my favourite posture, perhaps we should include my favourite Gita verse as well. It is chapter 2 verse 23-25.

Sri Krishna says:

The Self can not be pierced by weapons or burned by fire; water can not wet if, nor can the wind dry it. The self can not be pierced or burned, made wet or dry. It is everlasting and infinite, standing on the motionless foundations of eternity. The Self is unmanifested, beyond all thought, beyond all change. Knowing this you should not grieve.

The reason this is my favourite verse is becasue it spoke to me and I had a deep understanding of it's meaning to me. Every verse is interpreted differently by each individual, I believe that it is meant to be that way. For me, this verse became fundamental in my grieving process. Luckily I have not had to deal with many deaths of loved ones, and for that I am fortunate. But when I have to deal with something like that I always revert back to this verse. Krishna is talking about the Self. In Hindu and Yogic philosophy the Self refers to that which is pure, free forever, unborn, undying and unchanging. This is the very essence of all living things. We are never born so we can never die. In western religious understanding one might equate this to the soul. The Gita stresses that that essence is the same for all of us, we are all that essence, that purity that is unchanging. So when someone dies it is their body that dies, not they themselves. The body is a temporary vessel for this existence. It is our temple to lead us to enlightenment. If enlightenment is not reached in this existence we are given another body to use and another life, but our essence remains the same for all eternity.

Namaste