Om Hop Yoga

Yoga Therapy: Going back to the basics to improve the quality of our lives

Ganesh Mohan's Module 3 culminated in applying what we've learned the last 4 days to real-life case studies and developing appropriate programs for each, as well as, a brief overview of heart disease and how yoga can be a tool to help manage it.  

The most powerful piece of knowledge I came away with from this module is that while the practice of yoga may not be able to fix problems, it may help manage them and help us in improving the quality of our lives if we do suffer from certain afflictions....and let's be honest, so many of us do.  

I once took an Iyengar yoga class with Kevin Gardner, who said that for the most part, when we reach 30 years old our bodies slowly begin to break down, so to prevent injuries, pain or other physical ailments and to maintain our physical vigor we need to put in more effort and place more emphasis on alignment and process.  This proved to be very true for me.  This year, for the first time in my life, I developed an injury.  In the process of pushing my body slightly beyond its edge, without proper engagement of certain muscles I should have been paying more attention to, I pulled my hamstring.  I began the healing process a few months ago and it still continuing.  Sitting in a chair most of the day isn't helping, but I do what I can to keep moving and engaging in exercises that help break up the connective tissue and scar tissue, strengthen both hamstrings and bring back proper movement.  In a crazy way I feel blessed to have had this injury happen because I'm learning so much about my body, where my weaknesses are, and what my body needs to be health and prevent injury.  

What does this have to do with breathing?  The process of learning how to tune into our breaths and understanding the dynamics of the breath trains us to tune into other aspects of our physicals selves.  We develop an inner intuition that permeates into our everyday lives and not only helps us catch small issues before they become bigger, but if we don't catch them in time, gives us the tools to manage them properly so as to maintain a certain balance and peace within.  

The beauty of yoga is that it can be applied and practiced at various levels of rigor.  Yoga is breathing, it's meditation, it's the asana practice, it's how we nourish ourselves, it's a lifestyle.  Yoga is also a process and not an end in itself.  So if something does happen that prevents us from diving right into a rigorous asana practice and we need to give our bodies a break, we always have our breath and we can always start there, just as we did when we were first born.  And everything else is just another step in this beautiful process.  

I will leave you with this incredibly precious and completely thought-provoking video: Baby Liv 

(This video presents a snapshot of the practical applications and principles of the Feldenkrais method, developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, developed for anyone who wants to reconnect with their natural abilities to move, think, and feel. For more info: www.TheNExt25Years.com)

Enlightening Yoga Articles 1

While the simple practice yoga brings so much wisdom, absorbing a little extra knowledge and familiarity from the written word can enhance our practice and how we relate with it.  It can clarify, illuminate, change our perspective and even intrigue us to pursue a different type of yoga!  I will begin sharing thoughtful pieces on a regular basis, so peruse at your leisure and click on any link that peaks your interest!  

Interview with Eddie Stern, an Ashtanga teacher

This is for anyone who would like to get a glimpse of Ashtanga from the point of view of Eddie Stern who heads the Ashtanga Yoga New York schoo.  Stern studied with Pattabhii Jois, an ashtanga yoga master who was based in Mysore, India and talks about the uniqueness of the practice in that it cultivates a discipline and an independence that other forms of yoga may not.  This is the type of yoga I've dedicated myself to in the past 6 months and my practice has really blossomed.  

The Ultimate Guide to Yoga Lingo

From Yoga styles, to poses, the anatomy, to catchphrases like chakras or namaste, this is an excellent introductory guide to yoga-world terminology!

Defining the Purpose of Hatha Yoga Poses

This is a really insightful and on target explanation of the purpose of hatha yoga (the physical yoga practice).  It is not so much about looking better, gaining flexibility, or acquiring strength and endurance, but rather a way to clear the blockages and tension in our bodies that prevent clarity of mind, spiritual oneness and a connectedness with the inner self.  It explains how we must look beyond the benefits of hatha yoga to the original true purpose of it.  A quick read that can bring perspective to your practice.  

Forget Envy + Remember Who You Are

Here a yoga teacher from Santa Monica, CA shares insights to her own realization that jealousy makes us forget our own gifts and abilities that no one can take away from us.  It's remembering we are unique and have been graced with wonderful qualities.  

Commitment + Perseverance = Progress

I am elated.  It's been almost 7 months since I've begun my Mysore Ashtanga Yoga practice and I've noticed an immense amount of progress.  My hamstrings and calves are more flexible.  My core is stronger.  My arms can carry me through my ten warm-up Surya Namaskaras with ease. And I have an better connection with my body.  All because I've committed to something and am set on perservering through the challenges to reach my goals.  

The formula is so simple, yet there are many reasons we lack the willpower to embrace it.  As I saw most recently in my Ashtanga practice, it’s not until we begin seeing the benefits or having little victories, do we fathom that the combination of commitment and perseverance means reward.  

Mysore Ashtanga differs from other styles of yoga in the sense that 1) the student goes at their own pace with the guidance of a teacher/guru, 2) the student performs the same sequence each time and is advanced by the teacher in accordance with his/ her progress, and 3) there is more accountability since if you keep practicing on a regular basis you see how much you're progressing and it makes you want to keep going and cross the hurdles.  As I’ve stated in previous posts, I practice with Guy Donahaye at the Ashtanga Yoga Shala in East Village.  I chose Mysore Ashtanga for the above distinctions and because I needed more rigor and discipline in my practice, which I wasn’t getting at other studios.  While my attendance was choppy in the first few months, as my body and mind adjusted to the early mornings, and as I conditioned myself to get up early with every blissful practice, I began to go as often as my body allows, which is about 5 days a week at the moment.

With Ashtanga, it is important to drop all expectations and put trust in the teacher.  At first seeing others around me doing more advanced poses and further along in their sequence than I, played with my ego.  I wanted to get to where they were, fast.  However, as soon as I began trusting Guy’s guidance, the ego no longer dominated.  I began to look at my practice as my own and I began to be more compassionate toward my own body.  I wanted to challenge myself, but I didn’t want to push too far.  The process began to be joyful.  I forgot about being given the next pose in the sequence and focused on the ones that I had.  Eventually, a wonderful sense of ease settled in my practice and before I knew it, I had Bhuja Pidasana added to my sequence - a pose, that in my opinion, represents a real breakthrough for me!  The dedication resulted in a sense of accomplishment; and that powerful feeling that I was heading somewhere.  

This is what life is about. With most pursuits we will not see immediate results.  And many times, if those results are immediate, they may not be long-lasting.  Along the way, as we commit to something, we need to change our mindset, be true to the process and drop our expectations.   Only, then can we experience breakthroughs that help lead us toward our goals.  And with those little breakthroughs comes elation and the sense that you’re close to where you ultimately want to be.  This drives us forward.  

As lifestyle plays a powerful part in affecting how my body reacts to my yoga practice and since I'm still exploring my limitations with food - eating more vegetarian vs not - I know that the ease that I've been feeling in the studio can be fleeting in conjunction with my lifestyle choice.  However, there is beauty in the process and I learn from every action I take.