Here is my schedule of classes for this last week on the island. Hope you’ll join for a graceful and inspired practice and to meet again before I’m off!
Monday - 9:00-10:15 @ Vikasa Yoga
Tuesday – 8:30-10:00 @ Amari Resort lawn Chaweng
Wednesday - 9:00-10:15 @ Vikasa Yoga
Thursday – 8:00-10:00 AcroYoga @ Melati Beach – free play
16:00-17:30 Charity Class @ Vikasa Yoga – by donation
Friday – 8:30-10:00 @ Amari Resort lawn Chaweng
Contact me for details or to arrange another class for Samui-ans!
Heads up for an event I’ve organized. If you’re on Koh Samui come by for the class, check out the Vikasa Yoga Studio and the Art Cafe, and enjoy life!
Also, Vikasa Cafe is also back to normal hours of operation, 9:00-14:00 and 16:00-20:00, until the next teacher training, so come try the delicious healthy treats! After that it will be back to buffet for breakfast and dinner, 10:15 and 19:15 respectively.
The long awaited day has finally arrived! It’s funny too because through the latter half of the 7th day and waking up this morning I felt terrific, as if I could have gone on for a few more days actually. Well, there’s always next time. This morning I got up to an amazing sunrise and managed to practice pranayama without falter, wavering focus, or energy dipping so low I need to lay down. It was just easy and beautiful with an amazing intention set during the last antar kumbhaka(retention of inhalation).
“Love, Happiness, and Health are my nature and expanding in all directions”
After practice I cleaned myself up and got everything ready for my debut back in public. My prime objective: to return to Vikasa Yoga and make juice! I brought with me something I made last night to aid in friendly flora love returning to my digestive tract. A weakly fermented coconut juice. I used the meat, the juice, another 50% water, and about one teaspoon of a special probiotic product from Japan called EM Probiotics(which smells delicious!) It has a large variety of healthy bacteria stabilized in molasses. This was the first thing I had this morning, mixed with another 50% water. The leftovers of this blend is also for making my first coconut “cheese” later!
It’s a rose quartz, yea.
I let it set in and moved to the real deal. Juice. I think most juice concoctions have been invented but I seem to have come up with this one independently. A lot of cucumber, some aloe vera, not too much pineapple, and a little bit of mint. I also added more fermented coconut water. The first day breaking a fast is a delicate matter. You should avoid strong concentrations of sweetness and keep everything soft. Mostly green juices mixed with a little bit of fruit and probiotics throughout the day are ideal. Then go to soft fruits. The flavor explosion was ecstasy. I sat in a chair, reveling in the mint and pineapple twist, cooled by the cucumber, while I munched thoroughly on the un-blended aloe chunks and looked into the trees and greens around me. Did everything look this bright and colorful ever before? I must admit I probably looked funny. That aside, success! No “pit” feeling in my stomach and only a slight sugar high. I lay around and talked with Vikasa friends for about an hour before making my next juice. The day continued on like this and my power quickly soared. I went out to do errands, set up work projects and practiced a few Asana.
Today's Intake:
8:30 Fermented coconut water, aforementioned juice
9:30 Cucumber and Orange juice 60%/40%
11:00-12:00 Coconut Oil Massage
1:00-2:00 2x Carrot, Parsley, Celery, and Orange juice then a spoonful of coconut yoghurt
4:00 1 Shot of Wheat grass with an orange slice(first solid thing requiring chewing!)
5:00-6:00 2 Dragonfruit with fresh lime juice
6:45 1 Orange
7:30 1/2 glass carrot juice and Coconut Milk soup rich with lemongrass, Kaffir Lime leaves and Carrot, little bit of chili powder!(couldn't resist!)
7:45 1 spoon of coconut cheese
On Carrot Juice and Vitamin A or β-Carotene…
While having dinner I talked with Stan and Catherine, mostly about fasting. Both of them informed me having either too much Vitamin A or beta-Carotene after a fast is bad for the liver. I had never heard of this so last night I checked it out. Thanks guys. Like many things, moderation is best. It turns out that these beneficial nutrients can be harmful in excess. While Vitamin A is detoxifying for the liver, in excess it itself is toxic. Beta-Carotene is a precursor to Vitamin A which the duodenum uses a special enzyme to split in half making…Vitamin A. So, you were both right! The question here is how present is the enzyme after a fast? Beta-Carotene does not seem to be toxic in excess since the body stores it in the skin to no ill effect other than making you turn orange. Moderation again. Most sources I checked said no more than 8-24 ounces of carrot juice a day for normal diets. For fasters and breaking fasts I’d recommend two 4-8 ounces mixed with green juice twice a day.
What would I do different?
Next time I need to bulk up more, especially if I want to do a 10 day water fast as I’m intending. This has always been a challenge for me as I’m a very active and Yoga seems to turn anyone who practices lithe and lean. I didn’t have a scale around to measure the weight differences but I got really skinny in 7 days. It’s also difficult because healthy eating does not put on fat easily.
So…how will I do it? I’ll keep researching but I plan on keeping this coconut yogurt and cheese in my life. A week before I’ll eat a lot of nuts and avocados, and alternate dinners between fatty fish and hearty pasta or grains.
Take more Bentonite clay during the fast. I had never used this substance before so I was using it modestly. Some people recommend taking 1-2 tablespoons mixed in water every morning. It seemed like a lot of clay to me. I slowly built up to a full teaspoon by my last day and now think the full tablespoon is a good idea to get maximum effectiveness.
After this carrot juice lesson I think I’ll drink less carrot juice as well when I break a fast. I didn’t exceed 24 ounces and my body felt fine drinking it but I did have a lot and again for dinner, lots of carrot. So, little less next time for moderation sake. Feeling great and looking forward to tomorrow!
My water fast has been quite the interesting challenge but not without it’s high moments as well. I’ve been in solitude mostly for the last 3 days. With less stimulation my own internal experiences seem clearer, as if I can see the point from which my thoughts emerge. A lot of songs I know, some from recent times, and some I haven’t heard in years come tinkling up out of my subconscious at the most unexpected moments. Physically I’m exhausted, as to be expected. I do a little bit of swimming and stretching feebly and even managed to do a slightly wobbly headstand today. Since my digestive tract is completely empty I’ve also managed to learn how to do nauli kriya while in a sitting position. The majority of my time I’ve been napping, laying around, reading books, and using the internet to watch movies about yoga or high paced action anime like Ghost in the Shell.
Water fasting gives your body a chance to purge toxins and generally chill out. The first night’s nausea and dizziness hasn’t come back but my mouth has had a foul taste as my tongue expels heavy metals. My skin has broken out a little bit but as a whole is more uni-tone and healthy feeling. Water fasting also gives you a chance to develop a better relationship with food and eating. When I go back to eating I plan on eating the freshest, healthiest, best combinations and definitely cooking more of my own food once I leave the Vikasa organic cafe. I’ve also been thinking about the underfed and will organize some yoga charity events to get food to people who need it. That being said, the last two nights I’ve dreamt about eating. The first night it was steamed Thai green veggies the name of which I’m not sure. I was hanging them above my mouth, slowly lowering them in and savoring the flavor. And last night it was at a salad bar on a boat at sea. I was absolutely magnetized towards the eggs and nuts. My body is definitely craving protein and fats. As long as I stay in generally the same state I’ll continue my fast. It’s only two more days and I think they could be the most beneficial as even as I’ve been writing this I’ve felt a little more uplifted and energetic.
How to Fast with Supplements and Colonics
Since before I started the fast I’ve been taking the liquid light mineral supplement that Kosta gave to me as a birthday present and he said it helped him through his last fast. It also has a detoxifying affect for the body as it is a natural electrolyte, increases cell permeability, is the strongest chelating agent(removes heavy metals) in nature, and supplies 92 different trace minerals to keep all cellular functions operating at optimum while there is no calorie intake.
The other two items, Psyllium husks and Bentonite Clay, assists with the removal of toxins. Psyllium husks are the shells of seeds from the Plantago psyllium which grows in the Middle East and India. It’s fibrous bulk absorbs a lot of water and helps to brush off stuff that is stuck in the colon. Most people doing a detox of any kind will take it 3-5 times a day, about a table spoon in a glass of water. Drink it quickly or it will bulk up into a thick mush! Because of how much water it absorbs you should drink another glass of water immediately afterwards and plenty throughout the day. Once a day I’ve also been adding in the bentonite clay. Just a teaspoon. This clay attracts and attaches to positively charged pollutants in the body. It’s also very small so it can clean deeper than the psyllium husk. Clay has many other uses like cleaning the skin as well. Check out the link for all the ways you can use it.
Now…Colonics. You can do this yourself and it’s not scary or difficult. The only thing that can be scary is what comes out. Because I’ve done some light fasts before, all the yoga practice and a mostly healthy diet, this time I don’t have too much of that stuff, but, it’s still surprising. Even after 5 days of no eating and 3 days of colonics already, there is still a bit of waste coming. Anyhow….a simple colonic kit can be used any bathroom you can hang it up above the floor. Essentially a bottle connected to a plastic tubing with a soft tip, and a stopper is all you need. Fill the bottle with water, lay down, and with a little bit of lubricant like coconut oil, slide the tip of the tubing where the sun don’t shine. Make sure it’s in at least about 1 inch. Then release the stopper and let the water, about 1 or 2 liters, fill up your colon. When it’s empty, or you feel full, take the tube out and stand up. Work to hold the water and move your body around to shake the water and loosen up any accumulated fecal matter in your colon. I like to twist quickly, pulse my abdomen, and do nauli kriya as well. Eventually you will feel “it’s time”. Then, take a seat. Let it go. Sometimes it takes a little while for all of it. I’ve been doing this process twice in a row to get out all the stirred up toxins. Afterwards do something refreshing, like take a shower, and then go for a swim and relax. It’s also really good if you can get massage during this time. You could also give yourself a coconut oil massage. I forgot to get a brush, but skin brushing is also good to help the lymph system clean up as well.
Just two more days! Next post I’ll share how to know when to finish a fast and how to go about eating again. For those that are excited about the detoxification and regeneration a fast can provide just make sure you do it under guidance the first few times unless you are extremely healthy and tuned in with your body. And start easy with juice fasts for just a few days. You might still be surprised!
Peace,
George
P.S. If you were curious for some male perspective on our recent teacher training @ Vikasa Yoga here are links to blogs by two of our gentleman/yogi/vikasa teachers.
Congratulations to our first Vikasa Yoga Teacher Graduates!
What an amazing month! The course ended spectacularly with deep practices and insightful discussions. Kosta covered the business of yoga; how to market yourself, build networks, set attractive deals and membership packages, and gave advice for free-lancing and managing a studio.
Ram lead a very deep final lecture on all the implications of being a yoga teacher and how to flourish as well as be genuine to your spiritual practice. We also re-kindled the lantern of the most sincere aspects of the nature of Yoga and human evolution to which I added many of my own thoughts. We breached controversial subjects such as the future of Yoga Alliance, national governments interaction and view of the yoga community, and how once you’ve blossomed into a more expanded consciousness, there is no going back. It’s about seeing what is possible and it’s always more than you can know at this moment. Ram concluded with chanting an entire chapter from the Vedas, which has been the duty and honor of his family’s lineage to memorize for a long, long time. He recited more syllables in 10 minutes than anyone I know does in a day. It was beautiful. I had profound experiences listening to Ram. I could see subtle yantras opening in my mind as if I was being pulled through a portal. I also felt old emotional events being dredged up and resolved into peacefulness. Straight up, it was cosmic. Thanks brother Ram.
I was also able to join Tingting’s last sessions which were very opening as well, to one another as humans. With everyone arranged in two lines, holding hands, so close you touched your partner toes, she had us stare deep into each others eyes while instructing us to look sincerely into that person and be completely open ourselves. To allow our entire soul to be visible through our eyes. Yes, there was laughter. Yes, there were shifty eyes. But a few of you…my, did we ever look deeper and deeper until a mirror like sense of vertigo occurred and you couldn’t be sure who was who! I also felt energetic sensations and used vibrant auric visualizations of peace and spiritual power with my “strong” partners who I thought could handle it…
Classic… On Consciousness
Finishing Up!
The very last day we kept practice bright and light in the morning. 6:00 We started our pranayama session in a big circle on the fine, soft sand at the beach. Once everyone was done I got the group to stand up, hold hands, and then make it’s way into the ocean for aqua yoga! What ensued was a fun yoga poses in the water, laughter, and picking each other out of the ocean to be tossed back in again. We gave the students some free time before meeting back at the studio later.
9:00 Back at the studio we commenced with some partner practice and basic acro yoga led by Tingting and I. We did some very relaxing back to back seated poses with breathing, twists, and forward folds. It felt great to be the acro base for some of our students and give them a little massage love. One student got over her fear and felt liberated while hanging on my feet allowing her spine to relax and elongate towards the ground. Acroyoga is a great practice I’m glad it’s part of what I can offer people.
The last day for the teacher’s we did a photo and video shoot at sunrise on the beach. Jon, the camera man Kosta hired, has done some amazing work for us already. He’s also a very friendly guy and I like hanging out with him. His history is rather inspiring too. He’s currently rehabilitating from an accident and only one month out of his wheel chair. Yoga has helped him immensely and he’s already climbing all over rocks and anything else to get the good angles for his shots. Here are some of my own behind the scenes shots by myself and my brother Michael.
Students Blogs
Many of our students kept blogs about their experiences for the course and some will continue to use them for their own yoga careers I believe. Here are a few if you are interested in the Vikasa Yoga Teacher Training program and the student’s experiences.
I had decided sometime during the course that once everything was finished up it would be a great opportunity to do another fast. It’s been over a year since the last one where I tried the “Master Cleanse” drinking only a lemonade of water, lemons, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. This was pretty easy with the maple syrup. I felt pretty great the whole time, lots of energy. The lemon alkalize your body and the cayenne pepper has many benefits such as stimulating circulation and anti-inflammatory properties. This time I am doing a 7 day water fast. The tissue detoxification will be deeper. After approximately 24 hours of zero calories to ingest the body changes gears. It will begin purging toxins from the intestinal walls and other tissues. It also puts most of the glands into a state of rest. Most importantly, for yogis, fasting can elicit more subtle understanding of the mind as it becomes rather quiet, which can cultivate spiritual awareness. Finally, it gives one a much greater appreciation for food, healthy, delicious, fresh foooood.
What you eat before fasting is important, especially if you have never fasted or have lots of toxins. You should prepare up to a week in advance, or really all the time, with a mostly raw, and mostly vegetarian diet at the least. You should also consider supplements like spirulina, intenstinal cleansing herbs, and liquid minerals. My last day before starting I ate the following.
7:00 1 Wheat grass shot, then a slice of orange
8:00 20-ish mangosteens
13:00 more Durian than I’ve ever eaten…a lot, so much it made me feel high
13:30 – 16:30 random bananas think I had 4 in total?
20:00 1 salad loaded with celery, garlic, carrot, avocado,coco oil, lime, and apple cider vinegar
20:45 3 more huge sticks of celery
The first night I joined friends and students at a Japanese restaurant. It was amazing how sharp my sense of smell was. I could smell each individual item of food all together at the same time. I didn’t feel the least bit impulsed to eat however about 30 minutes into everyones meal, about 23 hours after my salad the night before..I started to get headache and nausea. I excused myself and went to lay down in another room of the restaurant which had some comfy cushions. The Yoga Vacation director, Vadim, gave me a lift back to my room after they finished dinner. Whenever I lay down I felt fine. I rode in the back of the pickup truck on the bench, clutching the side railing and looking up at the stars. When I got home I promptly fell asleep.
This morning I went for pranayama on the beach, as I do everyday I’ve been here, and had a great practice. Everything felt open and easy. My physical energy is very low however today. I don’t have the nausea of last night but my legs feel achy. My muscles just don’t want to do a thing, which is fine. People are being very nice to me. While on the cushion last night I talked with my girlfriend on the phone. She called this afternoon to check on me during her short break. Thank you Si! Other people have been giving me rides, and I also got a massage today from a co-worker. Thank you Alisa!
I’m practicing a shut down, to assimilate the experience of the last month, to rest my organs, cleanse my skin, go into some deep meditation, and come back with more life and motivation than ever to be a giving person and renowned and wise yoga teacher. Tonight I’ll teach my last class at Vikasa Yoga for the week and then move up into the mountains to basically be a recluse where Kosta will join me for the last three days of my fast. It will be comforting to have someone around.
I’ll be updating again near the end of the fast with how it’s going and to also breakdown how to come out of a fast, which is even more important than how you go in.
Our first Vikasa Yoga Teacher Training at Koh Samui, Thailand is already to it’s midpoint! We couldn’t be more pleased as everything came together with perfect timing for us to welcome 26 amazing people from all over the world as our students. Like the relaxing pace of the island life style, it’s going by smooth with teachers and students getting closer with one another. There is a great deal of respect between all of us. I’ve seen many nice relationships developing, and also amusing, or provocative interactions amongst us all. We have a crew of characters, comedians, and instigators that make things interesting. pushing the boundaries a little to help us all see more clearly what is important to each of us.
It also racing by. Two weeks already? Where did the time go? Maybe the techniques are working and just like a perfect stillness the concept of time seems vague. We are covering a lot of material however and having two practices a day. I lead morning practice and Kosta leads evening practice. In each class we give 10-15 minutes at the end for free style self practice. We also gave last Friday evening’s practice for total self practice. The teachers practiced with the students and as we did I certainly kept a pranic antennae out and felt pleased with the energy of the room. Everyone is getting more confident and better at focusing through it all. I think it is to our benefit to be able to practice regardless of the situations that arise around us. The yogi/yogini is forever peaceful within the heart of the soul.
For two weeks we’ve been working vigorously on practice, anatomy, and philosophy. Now the gear is starting to shift towards teaching as we go through our studio’s signature book of Asana and have students assisting each other during practices. Soon they will be leading portions of classes and I can’t wait to hear the “teacher’s” voices that will speak out clear and confident from the knowledge being ingrained in their bodies and minds. It might also help after we run through my manual on the principles of teaching and using the voice powers!
Amongst our students we have a rather amazing photographer(actually many), R2. She is really documenting and producing an amazing album of group sessions and everyone’s Asana. I’ve been going to the beach at Chaweng noi every morning for sunrise and many of the students are keen on coming along. After my morning pranayama and swim I join in on the Asana playground we make for R2 to shoot and of course play along. Here’s some photos and you can check out more on fb.
I haven’t made much a go at blogging the last couple weeks because I’ve been rather busy completing course material for the upcoming Vikasa Yoga Teacher Training. I am writing the practice and teaching modules for our book. It’s been a revealing process, putting my knowledge and understanding into a presentation specifically for those who will become Yoga teachers. I may have actually learned more from reiterating my information, creating structural relationships, and checking some references than I did learning it originally! I’m very excited with the personal results, and also for what I will be offering to the students of this first Vikasa teacher training.
Here’s a teaser…!
Practice, practice, practice. We all know Yoga is about practice and we need to practice to get results. Or do we? Is Yoga about getting results? …Or, is it about surrendering to the divine source of your being? As is often the case, it is both. They are two perspectives of one reality. For simplicity, let’s consider these two perspectives, “attitudes”. The first, results oriented, is a masculine attitude. It wants to use tools and the knowledge it has to perfect conditions for obtaining enlightenment. It has dangers of becoming overly identified with those tools, of the body, mind, ego, and the illusory future. The second, receptive attitude, is feminine. It wants to release control so the only remaining experience is the true grandeur of being, the unfolding of existence in this moment. It also has dangers, of becoming inert, dull, and unfulfilled. These two “attitudes” are the epitome of duality. From a cursory observation they seem contradictory, impossible to compromise, but, if we can look at our lives from an external perspective momentarily, it becomes easy to blend them into harmony.
What is Infinity?Let’s pretend that instead of being the self contained you that has a will and makes your decisions you are actually a being directed by some Universal sense of energy which always remains in a balance with the whole of creation. Typically when considering energy in this context, the concept of infinity comes to mind. In the concept of infinity, even a portion observed within it also retains an infinite nature. This can be demonstrated in simple mathematics and sacred geometry, such as Pi and the Flower of Life respectively. If we take a portion of distance or volume, we can extract infinite information by making ever smaller divisions or dimensions within it. All of these divisions will also have a traceable connection back to the original information. This is why in the entity of yourself, you can look inwards to discover the true infinite nature of Self or consciousness. It’s also why classical physicist will always find smaller fundamental particles if they can utilize enough energy for their ridiculous particle smashing machines. This same principle also radiates outwards as creation, creating infinite possibilities from an original movement. Now, looking at ourselves again from the external perspective of the Universe we can see how we are beings of freewill, feeling our own power of choice, who also fit in with the destiny of creation, which I’ll explain in a moment. It’s the reason why in our thought experiment on balance within infinity, we can see that ANY action or decision we make, of which there are an infinite potential of possibilities, is within the fundamental balance of this Universal energy. In fact, it is the drive of this existing-ness to become ever more complex in it’s balance and thus reveal ever more subtle levels through which consciousness can become aware of itself, by it’s own process of creation, the destiny I mentioned. How involved we are in this revelation of consciousness is in part an aspect of our own wills and personal drive for evolution. Simultaneously we can experience both our own individual will and destiny, the divine exploration of being, the universe creating and experiencing itself through itself as the human being. They are one and the same. This is why when practicing with this balance in the context of our individual experience, we feel unbounded freedom and peace, oneness.So how can we find more time to practice and feel our sincere balance and connection with oneness? Make your life your practice. Observe yourself constantly and be open to act immediately on your most intimate intuitions right in the present. Bring loving kindness and awareness to your interactions, both within and without and see how you will experience an increase in the flow of life through you. Take your practice off that mat, be active, and let all those actions be the will of the divine in the moment. There is no destination, simply to be ever more aware, ever more present, ever more loving of your creation. Practice.Metaphoric Image: Be as a valve opening in a pipe of water. The more open you become, the less you hold back what is designed to flow through you, the less resistance and stress you experience, the more powerful and life giving you become. It’s up to you how much you open up.
It’s somewhat on the mystical poetry side. It’s my opinion that to have any hope of understanding the nature of existence intellectually, we have to break some boundaries in the ways we normally think.
Hope you enjoyed it!
While I’m away (April 12 – May 30ish) I will have one of my dear friends and “brothers” teaching Yogable classes in the park and several other locations. May I present to you Tommi.
Tommy has a very generous nature, full of wisdom even in casual conversation. He’s also been a dedicated Yoga practitioner for a long time, especially if you consider about 20 years of a close connection to nature through surfing. The class he taught in the park last Thursday was excellent. Grounded, therapeutic, and encouraging for us to discover our limits. Thanks Tommi! I think the students will enjoy practicing with you very much!
If you are needing to contact Tommi his number is 082 672 7633
The most straight forward way to develop energetic balance and spiritual awareness is by our most essential energy. That energy is most easily regulated by the breath and it’s balance in the left and right sides of the body. You may have often heard the differences described of the two hemispheres of the brain, or considered what it might mean being left or right handed, extroverted or introverted. The qualities of energy in each side of the physio-logical action of breathing are unique and influence our attitudes and behaviors. We can also work backwards from behaviors that influence which side of the breath is predominant. For a little background info look up Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna nadis here.
Before we continue I think I should state that the following practices in today’s post are more effective when we utilize an expanded area on the interior surface of the lungs. This is done by a healthy and vigorous asana practice, deep breathing in forward folds, backbends, twists, and finally side bends as these asana lead to an understanding of side breathing and breath balance.
The body has internal pressures from how we “hold” ourselves. By the actions of the abdominal sheath, diaphragm, spinal extension, and intercostal muscles we develop a unique pattern of muscular activity that creates a “breath map” of how much and where our lungs can expand and contract. Many of these “breath maps” are habitual, working from influences in biochemical rhythms, mental activity, and even conscious intention. This causes the breath to work in cycles of left and right dominance. At times the breath may also be experienced as equally open in both sides. This is the ideal condition for evolution of awareness and accessing Sushumna nadi, if you believe in that kind of stuff. And if you don’t, it feels… awesome, so please, try this out.
Watch your breathing for the next few days. Notice when there is breath dominance and when it is equal on both sides. Note how you “hold” your body and observe your emotional states for the differences in experience. When the breath is equal on both sides you might feel inwardly receptive and ready to receive life’s lessons, but also, an excitement is there right under the surface, ready to spark spontaneously with the world and the people in it. It’s like feeling energized with gratitude for everyone and everything + breath and peace right?
If you’ve witnessed breath is mostly on one side more than the other, consider how it relates to your temperament. Have you or can you see yourself described as introvert or extrovert? By conscious effort and special practices you can move towards balance. If you feel introverted work on right side breathing. If you feel extroverted, work on left. To develop balanced breathing its important to understand these two aspects of yourself relative to the other.
As I stated before, side bending can help bring balance to breathing. It does this by giving practice stretching and relaxing the intercostal muscles of the ribcage. Stretching is the best way to find tough spots, where muscles may be holding tension. Side stretching is also one of the best ways to develop lung capacity and to vitalize and exfoliate deeper tissue. Some of the best poses for this are…
Parvritta Janu Sirsasana Standing Side Bend
Another technique for working with breath flow i.e., Ida and Pingala nadis, is by use of the yoga danda. The body has a natural reaction when it feels breath may be hindered on one side of the body. By placing the Yoga Danda under the armpit, breath will begin to open more on the other side. You can usually feel the same thing when you lay down on one side long enough, a trick I learned as a child with frequent sinus congestion. Cool, right? So the ancient Yogi’s used this stick in meditation and pranayama practices to explore and balance the energies of breathing. Asana will also achieve this result to an extent but I wouldn’t try doing long meditation or pranayama in the pose below, Yoga Dandasana.
Here’s a way to classify these two main energies… Left side(Ida) is internalized mental energies. Right side(Pingala) is dynamic, catalyzing energies. And balanced(Sushumna) is spiritual energy and harmony awareness.
The resonance of balanced Ida-Pingala in the body-mind complex creates a higher vibrational frequency. The result is often portrayed as the ascent of Kundalini energy rising up the central channel, Sushumna. To me, this phenomenon is a natural part of who we are, but exists in a dimension beyond our normal senses. To develop the balance to feel and develop Sushumna, there is also the alternate nostril breathing practice, called Nadi Shodhana. In the most basic version one simply breathes in through one side, out through the other, and then repeats starting from the opposite side. This has a calming and balancing affect on the nervous system. When Ida and Pingala are equally active you can begin using more advanced pranayama techiniques to coax sushumna kundalini experience into consciousness. Or is it that you begin to bring consciousness into another dimension? There are truly no bounds to being.
Let’s remember Yoga is a system of techniques and information we use for physical and spiritual liberation and is designed to be accessible. Some aspects of it then will be generalizations, in fact, all forms all generalizations, but helpful for pointing us in the correct direction. It is the duty then, and blessing of each individual practitioner to translate the language of Yoga systems into their own practice. Experiences of “what happens” when we practice should be completely unique.
Traditional Yoga Vedanta describes five main “layers” of the human being which make up our experience. Each successive layer supersedes the previous in terms of intricacy and subtlety and also works on a larger scale, encompassing all of the qualities of the layer before it. These layers in Yoga are called the Koshas.
Let’s look at the outer most Kosha, the body, Annamaya Kosha. All the Koshas use the word maya in the name, meaning illusion. That is this kosha is the appearance of a seemingly food made body. This kosha is composed of all physically observable structure. It is worked on primarily by physical activities, eating, Asana, and resting posture. The refinement of these physical activities leads to an awareness of the underlying movement of energy through the body. This is electrical, kinesthetic, vibratory energy in the…
Pranamaya Kosha or energy apparent body. Developing greater sensitivity to the movement of energy by internal stimulation or lack of it refines this kosha. Pranamaya Kosha happens in the nervous system, the breath, and the magnetic field generated by heavy metals flowing through the blood. Breathing techniques and energetic practices such as visualization and concentration work on this kosha. When this refinement results in a high degree of organization, a paradigm shift comes in our understanding of the mind in the…
Manomaya Kosha is the the first Kosha that divulges a sense of ego. It creates individualized concepts and feelings through the emotions and the five sensory organs. By developing steadiness in the movements of the mind the next level of experience is accessed in the form of…
Vajnanamaya Kosha is the development of an awareness that has realized the different aspects of mind and can see them and the superficial koshas as the tools of divine consciousness, used for gaining knowledge. This level of identification is like a still point in the mind which observes all other internal identifications and modifies them for seeing their underlying truth.
Anandamaya Kosha is the bliss apparent body. It is like a reflection of divine awareness in the form of the individual. It becomes identified with when the Vajnanamaya kosha has aligned all the components of the four other koshas into a configuration that sees through ego and turns all experience into the bliss of being a part of the continuing birth of the universe in the ever present moment. This is the last layer, a localized phenomenon of the grandeur of the Universe.
Stepping into the true Self, assimilates all superficial experiences into a new context, and a new process for experiencing, awakened beyond the focal point of the body. Each of us has a different internal program to unlock our individual evolution and all the keys we need are right along the way inside of ourselves.
Open your eyes wide and take a deep breath. Something new is rising to the surface of your experience. It breaks older and smaller concepts. The structure of your relationship with life can encompass a bigger picture and the truth of yourself emerges into greater clarity. You know what I’m talking about. You’ve experienced it your whole life becoming the person that, through our friendship or mutual interest in Yoga, is sitting here reading this now.
Yesterday at Yoga Elements I watched two senior Yoga teachers working together. One was in the position of the student. During the half an hour that I observed they worked on only two Asana. Virasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana. It’d be normal to think that the student, having 20+ years of practicing and teaching Yoga, would have experienced all these poses have to offer. However, with genuine encouragement by speech and touch, and the repeated suggestions guiding his actions through the structure of the body, he was lead into the pose with the completely amazed look on his face of an undefinable experience and remarked, “I don’t know how to explain what just happened.” An excited smile then flashed across his face. I was immediately reminded of when I started practicing Yoga. It was a time of frequent and intensely new sensations and often unexpected revelations about life. I recall many nights in bed, before sleep, and practicing Paschimotannasana with my toes energetically spreading wide, curiously reaching towards something new yet undeniably myself.
It is the movement outward that gives relevance to who and what we are. Each experience influences the direction of our continuing growth and thus our available subsequent experiences. We are never finished with this process. We continue to grow in more refined ways as we age. Even beyond our individual bodies it is happening. We all influence each others’ attention and help steer the growth of humanity at large, indefinitely. Yoga offers models for exploring these relationships that bring the clearest insight about the nature of where it all comes from. We are only limited by our imagination. We can be thwarted only by the foolhardy belief that we have already “gone all the way” or by developing without an sense of balance. Like a fractal, life is infinitely complex.
I am often times drawn towards the growth of trees as the perfect metaphor. The leaves and branches reach through the open air for the sunlight, thesymbol of awareness, and the roots dig deep down, fusing into the ground and stability. The newest growth is at the fringe. It is the finest, the most alive, the most subtle, just on the edge of awareness, and bringing ever greater sense of balance. The truth of our nature is even more beautifully grandiose. The world of experience is a great array of lights through which we move as a flowing cascade of consciousness generators. We realize the expansive nature of ourselves when we grow in the experiences that bring fresh insights and the enthusiasm to live.
It is the movement outward that gives relevance to who and what we are. Each experience influences the direction of our continuing growth and thus our available subsequent experiences. We are never finished with this process. We continue to grow in more refined ways as we age. Even beyond our individual bodies it is happening. We all influence each others’ attention and help steer the growth of humanity at large, indefinitely. Yoga offers models for exploring these relationships that bring the clearest insight about the nature of where it all comes from. We are only limited by our imagination. We can be thwarted only by the foolhardy belief that we have already “gone all the way” or by developing without an sense of balance. Like a fractal, life is infinitely complex.
