Shavasana

By bopyt on 2009/10/13

How can you not love a workout that ends with a nap?

Every yoga class everywhere ends with the pose called “Shavasana” (also spelled savasana, but pronounced with a “sh” sound). For at least a couple of minutes, sometimes as long as 10 minutes, at the end of every class I have a chance to relax and let the memory of the yoga practice settle within me.

The instructions for the pose are deceptively simple: lie down.

The more subtle aspects are to make sure that your are lying straight. If you can, have an instructor or partner check your alignment.

Tuck your butt under and encourage (but don’t force) the lumbar region to flatten to the floor. I usually just run my hand down my lower back to gently spread the skin downwards.

To properly spay your feet… first put your legs together tight, then touch your big toes together and move your heels outward as far as you can with still keeping the toes together. Then, keep your heels where they are and flop your feet over to open your legs all casual looking.

Your arms shoud be relatively straight and at a 45-degree angle from your body. Make sure your shoulders are down, your arm pits are getting a little air, and your hands are palm up.

Close your eyes.

Relax everything. Breathe.

Feel the yoga practice settle in to every fiber of your body. Stay awake and present, but let the thoughts go. Just feel: those hamstrings that moved for you in uttanasana; the side body that lengthened for you in trikonasa; the wide chest you cultivated in parsvottanasana. They all love you. You are strong, flexible, and energized. Everything is good. There is nowhere you need to go and nothing you need to do.

Soon, too soon, it is time to move your arms, bend your knees, and roll on to your right side. Rest there a moment. Then slowly sit up, bringing your head up last. Sit in an easy cross legged pose and bring your hands to namascar mudra.

Namaste.

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Inversions

By bopyt on 2009/09/26

I am now doing headstands and handstands. Who woulda thought.

I like to keep my eyes open during inversions. You get a different perspective down there. It’s not just that everything is upside down, but the floor is so much closer to your head than it is to your feet. My body senses that and knows that this is something new. My mind is free to think new thoughts in a new position.

Handstands are hard. I’m doing them against a wall still, and I don’t think my arms are getting straight enough yet, and I can only hold myself up for about 15 seconds. But I’m doing it and that in itself is cool.

Headstands are easier. The important thing is to work on arm strength and shoulder strength, pushing down strongly with your forearms and keeping the shoulders wide and down the back. This is intended to protect your neck, and keep as much weight off of the head as possible. I can get in to the position easily, and hold it for a minute or two before I start to feel some of the weight creeping back on to my head and neck. Then it’s time to come down. But meanwhile, I can begin to get comfortable in the pose, look around at the world upside down, and think new thoughts.

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The Hardest Pose

By bopyt on 2008/07/17

This morning during my yoga practice, it came time to do the bridge post. Oh! How I can’t do a bridge pose! I was tempted to just skip it. It’s just too hard. I can only lift my hips inches off the floor. It sometimes feels impossible. My back doesn’t seem to do backbends. Not voluntarily, and certainly not against gravity.When I do this pose in class, Beth always trys to adjust me by putting me more up on the tops of my shoulders and bending me and expanding me at the upper chest. My body doesn’t understand this….

So, I try the bridge. I lay on my back, raise my knees, and plant my feet as close to my butt as possible. I place my hands along my side with my hands coming close to touching my feet. I raise my hips up a little and try to scooch myself up on to my shoulders. I stay up only for a moment and then lower my hips back down. Now, my hands are closer to my feet. My chest is more expanded. I rest for a moment here and then raise my hips again and move myself a bit more onto my shoulders. This is mere fractions of a shift! Then try to lift those hips another millimeter! Every little bit counts!!

I’ll work on this pose for just a few minutes. They are looooonnnnggg minutes. When I’m done, I rest. I feel accomplished. I moved my hips!

The hardest poses are likely the ones that are most important to do. Even if you only do them assisted, for just a few moments, or just by millimeters. Doing them is what is important.

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Supta Boddhi Konasana

By bopyt on 2008/03/26

Supta Boddhi Konasa
Supported Bound Angle Pose
 
This one just looks like it is easy.
 
Setup a bolster or a couple of folded blankets crosswise on your mat. Have a block or another blanket handy if you feel your head needs support.   
 
Sit with your feet pressed soles together, legs akimbo (love that word!). If your knees don't go to the ground, that's OK. You might want additional blankets under your knees to support them.  There should be a gentle stretch there.  Now, use a strap around the feet and pull them closer to your groin. Yes, pull them as close as you can with out too much force.
 
Now, lie back across the support.  There should be gentle bend in your back. If it's too much bend, use the support for your head or turn the support parallel to your back. Arms out at 45 degree angle, palms up. Breath,  Relax. Relax more on the out breaths to fully disengage in the pose.
 
Enjoy.
-b

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Viparita Karani

By bopyt on 2008/03/26

The pose of the week is Viparita Karani.  This is one of my favorite yoga asanas.  It is relaxing, restorative and fun to get into!
 
Select a nice wall.  It should have no picture hanging above, be approximately three times your width, fairly smooth, and have either carpet or a soft pad beneath it. Have with you a blanket to use as a small pillow for your head.
 
Sit next to the wall, parallel to the wall…with the wall firmly next to your side. Simultaneously, lay back and swing your legs up on to the wall.  Try to keep contact with the wall.  In the pose, you will be laying with your back and head on the floor, your buttocks firmly in the corner between the floor and the wall, and your legs straight up the wall.  Pull a simple folded blanket under your head up to your shoulders to support your neck and head. Spread your arms at 45-degree angle. Slip your shoulders under slightly and open your chest. Rest in this pose for 5 or 10 minutes. Try it. You'll like it.
 
A variation of the pose uses props to support your lower back and provide more opening of the chest.  In class, we used two blankets, with a bolster on top of that, positioned about 6 inches from the wall.  Your buttocks kind of wedges into the space and your lower back drapes over the support.  Again, using a blanket for the head and neck.  This give an even better rest to the back. I love it.
 
This website has a nice picture of the pose: http://www.eldr.com/article/fitness/yoga-solutions-healthy-aging
 
Yoga Journal has a nice page showing the pose with supports. (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/690) and tells us the name Viparita Karani (vip-par-ee-tah car-AHN-ee) means:
viparita = turned around, reversed, inverted; karani = doing, making, action.
 
Don't let the lack of props stop you.  Put your legs up the wall today.
 
Cheers,
-b
 
 

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