"Where Should I Feel It?"

This is a question I’ve often heard in yoga classes, and not just from absolute beginners.  People worry that they’re not doing a pose “right”.  I was reminded of it this morning in my self-practice: yesterday I had to wear heels all day, and this morning my ham strings were tight!  Not something I’m used to. 

And so, I felt my practice very differently to how it generally is.  Standing forward bend in the Sun Salutations became a challenge, rather than something to sink into and relax with.  Half moon became about my grounded leg, rather than about flying my other leg and arm upward and outward.

It reminded me of the fact that yoga can help with whatever is weak or tight.  On a physical level, for many men, the main benefit they notice with yoga is in terms of flexibility.  For many women, it is more the strength aspect that they notice.  And people who have balance issues notice that part of the practice most.  That doesn’t mean that the asana practice isn’t helping with all those aspects, but we tend to observe more the areas that come harder to us.

Today, I gave thanks for tight ham strings, as it made it far easier for me to stay mindful in my practice.  Each pose, each movement, felt different to how I’m used to, and so I noticed them more.

My teachers at White Lotus often said, “find your edge in the pose and play with it”.   Where our edge is will change from day to day, and so a pose is not a static thing, but rather a chance to explore where we are today.  And so there is no absolute answer to the question of where we should feel a pose, no “right” way to practice an asana.  Of course, some poses are more likely to be felt in one place than another, but it will always depend.  And that is one of the joys of yoga: finding where we can feel.

Ellen Barrett's Skinny Sculpt - Review

Today, I did Ellen Barrett's Skinny Sculpt routine for the first time, which I bought through Collage Video.  I'll admit, before I started I was thinking I'd need to add in another workout afterwards, to feel I'd actually done something.  This is the experience I've had with some light-weight workouts in the past.  However, it was not the case here!  Before the end I was wondering if I'd have to drop my weights entirely, even though they were only 1 kilo (2.2lbs), and I do normal weights workouts with 2 kilo weights (4.4lbs) and have been thinking of getting 3 kilo dumbells to add into the mix.  I also felt nicely warmed up and was breathing energetically.

I found some elements of the workout a little monotonous - the warm-up moves are then repeated with weights as the first exercise component - and for a "dance-inspired routine" there was precious little choreography.  Still, I finished the 45 minute programme feeling I had been challenged and worked out.

There are quite a lot of yoga-based moves - variations on warrior two, chair pose, wide-legged forward bend, seated twists, bridge pose, and more.  I like the way that these exercises could be added into a regular yoga class for a bit more of a strength challenge, and the fact that there is a slight cardio element to them.  I really like the "bigger ranges of motion" which Ellen says "help us connect lots of muscles at once".  This is much more yoga-esque than Pilates style, which I enjoy.  Also, Ellen's cueing is very good, both in terms of keeping track of equal counts on both sides, and in terms of her anatomical guidelines.

Overall, I will definitely be doing this video again, regularly, and would give it an 8 out of 10. 

You can see a clip from the DVD here.

Drishti - Yoga for the Eyes

Practising today, I noticed my gaze wandering just as my mind was wandering, and was reminded of the importance of drishti: sanskrit for gaze.  When training in Astanga yoga, we were taught the focal point for the eyes in every pose, as well as the sanskrit names for them.  For example, nasagrai means gazing at the tip of the nose, and is used in rather a lot of poses including badha konasana (cobbler's pose) and navasana (boat pose).  Sometimes the gaze changes, such as moving from the tips of the fingers in virabhadrasana 1 (warrior one) when practised as part of the vinyasa, to upward/skyward when practised as a pose in its own right.

The theory is that, with a still gaze a still mind follows.  And there is certainly some truth to this!  In part, it is a route to help bring mindfulness to our practice.  Another aspect is that where our gaze goes, there our focus follows.  How many of us have had the experience of sitting in a bar, cafe or restaurant with a TV screen and, even though we weren't interested in the programme, we got distracted by the images that kept attracting our eyes?  So, bringing greater awareness to our gaze is a way to be more mindful of what we are doing when we practice, and why we are doing it.

When I studied with White Lotus, Ganga and Tracey recommended always practising with open eyes, because it brings greater energy to the practice.  This is certainly true, however I have also really enjoyed practices with eyes closed some or even all of the time.  I find it allows a more inward-focused practice and, given I'm a bit of an insomniac, it's not like I'm going to fall asleep, even in Savasana.  This is also a valid use of drishti, as it is an inward gaze.  Keeping our eyes closed can help us focus on bodily sensations and bodily proprioception - our non-visual perception of where our body is in space.  So, it encourages a different kind of awareness, and is the exact opposite of practising with a mirror!

What do you think - eyes open, eyes closed, gaze fixed, focus soft?  Or does it depend on the day and time?  Like candlelit classes, perhaps there is a time and place for different kinds of drishti...

Xen Strength - Yoga DVD Review

With this DVD, instructor Danielle Diamond has created a distinctly kick-ass, yoga-based workout.  Claiming to deliver flexibility, strength and functional fitness through a combination of weights and yoga, this program actually delivers on its promises.  At the end of the workout I was sweaty, tired, yet also relaxed.

The DVD can be used as three separate workouts, or combined as a single 70 minute program.  The three sections are:

Upper-Body Blast (23 minutes)
Core Strength + Twisting Detox (19 minutes)
Lower Body Balance Challenge (28 minutes)

All of them are yoga-based, offering options with or without weights.  While Danielle claims that a beginner could also use this DVD, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who had no knowledge of yoga, or who was extremely unfit.  Although some form cues are given, you really need to know what the warrior poses, triangle and such are.  The variations offered are good, making it accessible to people with different strength, flexibility and fitness levels, though once again it does require a certain basic minimum of all three.

This DVD works very well as an intermediate and advanced practice.  The sections all flow nicely, and I never felt there was an issue with adding in the weights, as this was well sequenced.  So, after a short warm-up you pick the weights up, without any break in the flow.  As for combining weights with yoga poses, examples would be doing bicep curls in tree pose, tricep extensions in warrior three and chest presses in eagle pose.  Functional fitness elements include a fair number of moving balance poses, and cardio elements include jump switching legs between low lunge, coming up to high lunge, back down and switching legs again.

Danielle's approach is somewhat more at the fitness end of the spectrum than the esoteric end ("who  needs sit-ups, right?" "plug your shoulders back"), and the music is up tempo, though fairly relaxing.  If you like your yoga calm and spiritual, steer clear.  However, if you are looking for a challenging, dynamic and somewhat different practice to add into the mix, and have or are willing to get dumbbells, this is a very interesting, effective and enjoyable DVD.

As for teachers, those who work in a gym environment with easy access to free weights, and who also have fitness training, could certainly consider incorporating these moves.  Even those without could add in some of the cardiovascular and functional fitness elements, and even some of the weights work using blocks and slowing it down so even a light weight can be made the most of, a la Pilates.

In terms of production, the menu is easy to navigate, and the workout is shot in black-and-white.  This actually works really well, giving it a very clean feel.  I really enjoy this DVD, and recommend it highly.

If you want to take a little peek, check out this link for a clip on YouTube.

Chanting

These days, I tend to think of chanting as a meditation. Some people consider this a form of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion. However, it can also be seen in a more practical light.

Some people claim that chanting has health and spiritual benefits due to the vibrations it sets up in the body and brain. Even if that isn't the case, chanting can be a positive form of meditation. It has similarities to breath meditations, as the act of chanting requires us to focus on our breath, which we hear as sound and feel as vibration, as well as through the movements of our lips, tongue and vocal chords. The repetition of a chant sets up a structure to occupy our monkey mind, so that it doesn't have as much chance to drag us off in different directions.

Certainly, if you've tried meditating but find it hard to concentrate or to follow visualisations, it might be worth giving chanting a go. And if you enjoy other types of meditation and like singing, it could be one to add to your repertoire. You don't have to "be able to sing" in order to chant, many chants are more like speaking while staying aware of your breath. The only thing you do need is a time and place where you won't feel self-conscious if someone hears you ;)

To get you going here are a selection of chants, some more musical, some more spoken. To start, you can chant along.
Deva Premal - Gayatri Mantra
Om mani padme hum
Jai Uttal - Durga Pahimam
Donna De Lory - He Ma Durga
Krishna Das

Later, you may find you like to pick a chant and go for it. It's not about sounding great, or even being loud. You can experiment with almost whispering, or seeing how much your chest or head can resonate. The main thing is for your focus to be on your breath and the chant.

I'd love to hear what your favourite chant/artist is...