No props? You can still practise yoga!

Although some students don’t like props because they seem like such a hassle and maybe also because they’re seen by some as a sign of ‘weakness’, props are essential.

You need to relax into yoga poses and you can relax more effectively if your body is being fully supported, rather than you having to use your muscles to support you.

But using props doesn’t mean you need to spend loads of money. For almost every prop we use in our poses, there is something in your house that you can use in its place.

Blocks. In most cases, you can use a book or a stack of books in place of a block. The only time you need to be careful about this is when you are placing both hands on a height (for example, in Downward-Facing Dog with hands on blocks). In this case, make sure the books are exactly the same height. And, of course, if you’re handy, there is no reason why you can’t make your own blocks out of pieces of wood you happen to have out in your garage. Just be sure to sand them well so you don’t get any splinters!

Straps. For a yoga strap substitute, look no further than your wardrobe. You can use a belt (leather or cloth), and the sash from a bathrobe works quite well. You could even use a tie. Although it’s sometimes useful to have the ability to make a loop, you could tie a knot in a belt for the same effect. Just make sure that the cloth isn’t stretchy, as it won’t provide the necessary support if there is a lot of give to it.

Bolsters. You can fake a bolster by rolling a couple of blankets into a firm roll. Start with one single blanket that is folded into quarters. Then, from the narrow side, roll the blanket into a tight, firm roll. Then fold your second blanket into quarters. Finally, place the rolled-up first blanket on top of the flat second blanket, lining up the edges of both at narrow end, and then roll the second blanket around the first. Another possibility is to use a sleeping bag that has been rolled up inside its bag for storage.

In many poses, the bolster doesn’t even need to be a round shape. In this case, you can fold some blankets into long, thin rectangles and stack them on top of each other.

Blankets. If you don’t use blankets at home, a stack of towels can do the trick. Because towels are thinner than wool blankets, you’ll have to use more to achieve the same height.

Yoga Mats. If you are practising in a room with a wooden or carpeted floor, you might not even need a yoga mat at all for your standing poses. Try it and see. If you are resting your head on the floor, and the floor is too hard, you can put a thin towel under your head. You can also use a towel for cushioning your knees or any other part of your body.

Eye Pillows. I don’t use them, but for those that do,  an eye pillow has two functions. The first is to block out the light, which can also be achieved by draping a scarf or soft fabric over your eyes. The second purpose is to add a little weight to your eyelids, to enhance relaxation, so you could wrap the scarf around a folded flannel or a small bag filled with rice.

You can also be creative with furniture such as chairs, sofas, benches, ottomans, and coffee tables in a variety of poses.

These ideas are just for starters – I’m sure you can find more of your own.

Enjoy!

Practical ways to make your home yoga practice really happen

Everyone struggles with achieving a home yoga practice consistently and everyone beats themselves up about not achieving it, at some point. 


Whether you are trying to do this for the first time, or if you previously had a regular home practice and can’t understand why it’s so difficult to re-establish it, we all love making ourselves our own judge, jury and executioner.


(Surely, the phrase should put the jury first? I’ve always wondered about that.)


Here are some practical ways recommended by teachers way more experienced than me – I hope some of them help:

Plan it. The boring task of simply blocking out a period of time on a day and time is the first step in making sure practice happens. Write your practice times in your diaries and hold yourself to them, just as you would a professional appointment or a lunch date with a friend.

Write down your Why-Power. Decide why you want to do this (and if you can’t think of a good enough reason to do a home yoga practice just don’t do it.) Write down the benefits somewhere to remind yourself of why it’s better for you to do it than avoid it. Phone alerts, post-it notes, and text messages to yourself are all good!

Start small. Set yourself up for success by making your practice plan highly realistic and utterly doable for you given everything else you’ve got going on in your life. Remember, you can always do more. Be willing to do less if needed too; even 15 minutes is better than nothing!

Consistent doesn’t mean every day. Think ‘regular’ – you can always add if you want to make practice more regular.

Have your equipment out and visible. Leaving the mat in a place you will always see it makes it more likely that you’ll use it.

Practice as early in the day as you can. Although everyone’s body clock and home commitments are different, it is generally accepted that getting your practice in before anything else can get in the way not only makes it more likely for your practice to happen, it also allows you to enjoy the benefits of your practice all day long.

Welcome yourself to practice with complete and utter self-acceptance. Start by acknowledging that you are exactly where you are. Take a moment to sit before you begin or while you are rolling your mat out, to consciously acknowledge yourself with appreciation for coming to your mat. Welcome yourself, as you are, to your practice. No judgment or self-criticism allowed. If either of those unwanted guests arrive, once you notice them, release them with your breath and come back to the feeling of acceptance and allowing.

Start with something you love that feels great in your body. It might simply be lying down on your back with your knees bent into your chest and rolling around. It might be stretching your legs up the nearest wall for a few minutes. A few rolls of your shoulders or your wrists. Anything you remember or anything you love to do is a great place to start.

Observe the effects of your practice. Have a small notebook near you, and at the end of practice take a couple of minutes to write down how you feel, the effects of your practice, any insights, or questions. Or, simply notice and comment on the effects of your practice inwardly at the end of practice.

Thank yourself for showing up. Whatever your practice was like, even when it falls short of your expectations, be grateful that you did it. Some simple ways to do this are by bringing your hands together in the centre of your chest, bowing your head toward your heart, or spending a moment of conscious breathing and self-connection as you conclude your practice for the day. Inwardly expressing appreciation to yourself for your efforts makes it easier for you to come back next time.

Enjoy!

Lying Down and Doing Nothing counts as a Yoga Practice - Who Knew?

Did you know that most people’s favourite pose is also one of the most difficult to practise?

Relaxation pose, or Savasana, is often the part of a yoga class that students most look forward to, because they know that after the body has been asked to move for 45 minutes or so, the rest and relaxation at the end feels so good.

At one level, it is just lying down and doing nothing – and a lot of people don’t understand or appreciate the value of not doing. 

But practising yoga is just that. On the mat you are experimenting with your self-awareness, your self-understanding. Moving your body into unfamiliar positions interferes with what you normally think of as You. 

Rather than doing something to fix it, we try to undo what’s getting in the way, which means we need to surrender, or let go. 

That’s what you get a taste of in Savasana. It’s just stopping doing, and letting what’s being interfered with come out. 

(And the same applies to life off the mat of course but that’s a bigger subject.)

When practiced correctly Savasana provides deep physical rest, allowing you to completely relax your musculoskeletal system in an anatomically neutral position. And if you practice it with a mental focus, this pose triggers the relaxation response, reducing your stress levels and allowing you to spend time in the Rest and Digest state.

So, if you are at home telling yourself off for not getting around to doing the Sun Salutations you meant to do twice a week, remember that lying down and doing nothing, practising Savasana, is practising yoga.

How to practise Savasana

Start by lying on your back with bent knees. Then straighten your legs and position them eight to ten inches apart. Turn your arms out so your palms face up and your hands are six to eight inches from your body. 

Position your head perfectly between your two shoulders, with your eyes about equal distance from the ceiling. 

Adjust your body so it is as symmetrical as possible and your weight is even on both sides. 

Now make a commitment to stay still, and turn your awareness inward. The focus for your mind can be your breath, the gradual relaxation of your body (sometimes called a body scan), or a peaceful image. Rather than simply letting your thoughts wander as they would if you were lying on the grass, intentionally keep your mind focused.

To come out of the pose, take each step slowly. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the ground, and then turn over onto your right side. Then use your hands to push yourself up to a seated position, allowing your head to release downward until you are upright. Finally, when you are seated upright, lift your head. Take a few breaths in the seated position before moving on. 

If you need support for your neck or head

To set up for the pose, place a folded blanket near the end of your mat where your head will be. (You may need to experiment with the thickness of the folded blanket to find the support that suits you best.) 

When you come into the pose, make sure that only your head is supported by the blanket (not your neck), and that your shoulders are resting comfortably on the ground. 

Follow the instructions in the classic pose for aligning yourself and for finding a mental focus. 

If you need support for your Lower Back 

To set up for the pose, place a bolster, or folded blankets, or a cushion, on your mat where you estimate your knees will be. Add a blanket for your head if desired. 

To come into the pose, lie on your back, with your buttocks on the floor in front of the bolster and the backs of your knees on top of the bolster. 

Follow the instructions above for aligning yourself, moving the bolster if needed so it comfortably supports your legs. 

From there, follow the instructions for the classic version for finding a mental focus. 

If you experience discomfort lying flat on the floor, bend your knees

To come into the pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor. Position your feet so they are hip-distance apart and far enough away from your sitting bones so your shins can be perpendicular to the floor (not slanting back towards your pelvis) or even slanting away from your pelvis. 

Let your knees fall toward each other, so the back of your pelvis widens. Add a blanket for your head if desired. 

From there, follow the instructions for the classic version for finding a mental focus. 

Enjoy :-)

The two qualities in every yoga pose

The two qualities in every yoga pose

The Sanskrit word ‘asana’, translated into English as ‘pose’ or ‘posture’, means to sit, or to stay, or to be in an established, comfortable position. That’s one of the reasons your yoga teacher will often ask “where is your breath”, because you cannot be in an established and comfortable posture if your breath is laboured or strained in any way. It’s a very useful signpost for whether you are in the pose or on your journey towards it.


Once you are in an established and comfortable pose, it has two essential qualities, known in Sanskrit as ‘sthira’ and ‘sukha’.


Sthira represents that sense you have of being firm, steady, strong, steadfast, alert and determined.


Sukha is the ease, lightness, calm and comfort in that moment, that feeling that you could stay here forever.


In those moments when you can sense the presence of both sthira and sukha equally strongly at the same time, that’s when you are established in the pose, that’s when a yoga pose becomes an asana.


And if we do not yet experience these two qualities in a particular pose, if we are still on the journey towards that state, we do NOT beat ourselves up about it. We are where we are, and we celebrate that moment without self-criticism or judgement.


Stepping away from your yoga practice, when you are living your life off the mat, how can we use these qualities in our everyday life?


Can we practise sthira and sukha in our relationships? Can we fully appreciate the strength of the bond we have, at the same time as sinking into the ease and comfort, turning off our tendency to nit-pick and winge about our nearest and dearest?


Can we practise sthira and sukha when we consider our health, acknowledging where we are strong, where we are less strong, and basking in the comfort of any good health we have?


Can we use these two qualities to examine areas of worry or anxiety we are experiencing? Can we look at our concerns and see our strength, our ability to cope, as well as the calm which descends as we acknowledge that we are where we are?


Whether on or off the mat, can we find that space inside us which is strong and simultaneously surrender to the present moment, accepting that there are many things we cannot change?

Where is ‘the work’ in your yoga practice?

There is something that everyone practising yoga shares. Whether you are a complete beginner in your first class or an advanced yogi with decades of experience, you know where the ‘work’ is when you practise.


The beginner may be struggling with wrist pain or tight hamstrings, unable to stay in Downward Dog for more than a few breaths, and the advanced yogi may be struggling to get that left knee behind the head which is really frustrating because the right one only took 10 years to get there . . . . .


Whatever your work is, that’s where the yoga takes place.


Observe the point where the work is, examine your reaction to it, because this is where the real yoga occurs.


Yoga doesn’t happen when you ‘master’ a pose, whatever that means. Yoga happens when you accept your body is not yet ready to get into positions that your mind wants it to go.


Yoga happens when you push your body hard enough so it learns what might be possible one day, but steps back from causing yourself an injury. You take it right to the edge, but no further. Knowing where that edge is, that’s yoga. To use Erich Schiffman’s terminology, when you can ‘flirt with your tight spots’, that’s yoga.


By observing yourself closely at these points you are practising:

• ahimsa (non-harming)
• satya (facing the truth in the moment, being honest with yourself)
• svadhyaya (studying your own reactions and learning about yourself)

and it is an opportunity to practise santosha (contentment and satisfaction of being where you are, without judgement).

So the next time you are struggling, observe how your mind is responding to the physical challenge and dwell on this:


this moment is teaching you exactly the same lessons that you will learn again when you go to more advanced poses, so why get frustrated that you are where you are?

Final Day (18) - Yoga Studies Tour 2014

“A traveller doesn’t know where he's going, and a tourist doesn’t know where he's been.”

After 18 days of being a traveller, I’m back home and it’s time to be a tourist, to think about where I’ve been.

 

 

Maybe the first way to look at this is to consider the number of miles I have travelled in the last 18 days - nearly 17,500 by my reckoning (analysis available on request).

That’s 4 planes from 3 airports, 3 trains from 5 railway stations, 18 minibus journeys, 6 pseudo-suicidal tuk tuk rides, 4 car journeys, and 2 boat trips - not counting the elephant ride and the many miles I must have walked.

 

 

Another view would be to look at the trip from the yoga viewpoint - after all, it was a Yoga Studies Tour . . . . . and I had nearly 40 hours of yoga learning experiences:

• 13 hours in pranayama/asana classes - 3 at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, 5 in the Conference Room at the Ideal River Resort Thanjavur, and 5 hours in ‘public’ yoga classes in Cochin and Kovalam Beach
• 9 hours in philosophy classes or discussion groups - 3 at Chennai, 6 at Thanjavur
• 7 hours in meditation classes - 3 at Chennai, 4 at Thanjavur
• 4.5hours in Vedic chanting classes - 3 at Chennai, 1.5 at Thanjavur
• 5 personal pranayama/asana sessions in my hotel room or around the pool

 

 

I couldn’t have done this without 8 great teachers:

• Chennai: Sri Sridharan, Sunita Nair, Shobana, and Padmini
• Thanjavur: Wendy
• Cochin: Manoj
• Kovalam: Raju and Venu Gopa

I am truly honoured to get the chance to benefit from their extensive knowledge and experience and only hope I can do them justice - thank you everyone!

Yet another view would be the accommodation on the trip - always having a comfortable base to return to made a huge difference so here’s a thank you to the 5 rooms in 4 hotels, the 4 swimming pools, 3 wet rooms, and the hundreds of staff that made them run so smoothly.

 

You may have noticed that food was an important part of the trip - according to my notes I either ate or sampled:

• 40 curry dishes
• 20 starters
• 12 mocktails
• 10 aloo masalas
• 7 dosas
• 6 naan breads
• 5 vadas
• 5 poori
• 3 chapati
• 3 samosas
• 3 omelettes
• 2 paratha
• 2 peanut masalas
• 2 gulab jamon
• 1 vegetable biriani
• 1 mullet
• 1 red snapper
• 1 bhatura
• 1 roti
• 1 picnic on a train

I couldn’t actually count the chillis in all these meals and it might be best if I don’t . . . . .

 

 

And in case you were wondering, I weighed myself when I got home - I lost 4 lbs whilst away!

I think the diet suits me (plus the sunshine, and the yoga, and the walking, and the 2 Ayurvedic body massages).

A cultural view of the holiday might be expressed by the visits to 3 temples, a museum, and a royal library and archive, and possibly the purchase of 7 chanting CDs and 14 books (and the 5 books I read), plus 5 blessings received from priests.
 

 

 

It would also be wrong to ignore the following experiences which all made a huge contribution:

• Friendships made with 17 people - getting to know my 16 fellow travellers plus myself via the avatar that was the Keith that appeared for this trip, who may be unrecognisable to people used to the ’normal’ me. I hope he stays in there with me in the months to come.
• Conversations littered with laughter and positivity
• Interaction with too many local people to mention, with special recognition for the South Indian entrepreneurs of the retail persuasion - if I didn’t always get best price I reckon I always received good value!
• Brief encounters with too many insects and mosquitos to count but thanks guys, every single one of you left your mark . . . . . .
• Memories of maybe 40 elephants - festival elephants, rescue elephants, plus Gobalan, the she-elephant I will recall whenever I do a walking meditation
• Skype conversations with the UK and Australia, many of which were of the Type/Skype variety
• A stunning performance of Kathakali dancing

Not forgetting . . . . .

• 1 blister
• 1 pair of flip flops purchased
• 1 cut toe after tripping over said flip flops
• 1 bad case of flip flop toe
• 4 plasters
• 1 pair of bloodstained flip flops discarded
• Several rants about aforementioned item of footwear

Or . . . . .

• 1 haircut
• 1 cut throat shave
• 1 face massage

Not to mention . . . . .

• One encounter with an uncooperative hammock.

 

I must say a big thank you to my Panasonic Lumix compact digital camera (or to be strictly accurate, Angela’s Panasonic Lumix compact digital camera) which enabled me to take approx.1,600 photos without fault or falter.

 

I should also remember some of the phrases that cropped up time and time again. They made sense at the time even if they won’t in a few week’s time:

• Check the Chill (Lynne & Linda)
• Show Me The Label (Keith, with acknowledgement to Paul)
• PanTan, short for Panic Tanning (Gail, with acknowledgement to her Dad)
• MICE - Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (Gail & Helen with acknowledgement to the Chief Steward on our first Sri Lankan Airways flight)
• All’s Fair in Love & Tuk Tuks (Anonymous, for obvious reasons)

And finally, the phrase of the trip has to be ‘Same Same But Different’ which seems to explain the paradox and contradictions in the tiny slice of India we experienced, or so it seems to me as a naive and idealistic first-time visitor.

The phrase sums up how India seems to be comfortable with ambiguity, never providing one answer (or God) when several will do. Whatever happens next is generally the right answer, so let go of your expectations and go with the flow.

The poor living cheek by jowl with the rich?

Same Same But Different.

A dedication to the commercial act of selling anything and everything to make a rupee or two, alongside a spiritual approach to life?

Same Same But Different.

Trying to explain to a customer, who does not share his language, that two types of nut bar on his shelf are very similar (both are nuts, but one has a spicier coating) the shopkeeper says ‘Same Same But Different’.

Beggars allegedly deliberately mutilated so they can get more money, juxtaposed with the joy and exuberance of people in the street (and countryside) who just want to practice their English, or take your photo for you?

Same Same But Different

The ugliness of a rubbish dump in a Chennai street, with several species trying to scratch a living from the same source - people, cats, cows, crows, dogs - and the beauty in that scene, each prakriti-ridden soul doing what it must to survive, giving to another what it cannot use, taking re-cycling to it’s radical limit?

Same Same But Different

So that’s it from me . . .the blog will revert to its previous purpose now, as a repository for my flash fiction and it would be great to hear from you about any of my previous or future posts any time you feel like it.

I’ll leave you with a picture of some of my postcards, tastefully displayed in my home office:
 

 

Namaste!

　

 

Day 17 - Yoga Studies Tour 2014

Today can be summarised in a few words: my 1^st yoga class, then bhuta yagna, a full body Ayurvedic massage, my 2^nd yoga class and dinner - plus modelling my new look . . . . .

Yoga on the roof at 7.30, led by the hotel’s Ayurvedic doctor, would have been better without the air conditioning unit screeching away in the background but it didn’t matter much because it more like a demonstration that we followed than a lesson.

At breakfast on the balcony at the German Bakery (dosa, sambar and coconut chutney) a crow perched on a lamp post a few inches away. Photos were taken and we broke up a biscuit and left it on the concrete shelf about three inches away and he (?) seemed very grateful - bhuta yagna in action!

At 1.00 p.m. I was in the hands of Raju the Ayurvedic doctor again, this time for an hour-long full body massage which left me feeling relaxed and looking like a slippery Greek wrestler. The resulting selfie is not for publication at any price . . . . .

After a quick repair of the new sore on my foot which I call FFT (Flip Flop Toe) it was off to a 4.30 yoga class taking place on the roof of a shop. I was the only participant so I paid the extra £ (taking the fee to a fiver) for a 2-hour personal lesson including talk, pranayama and asanas.

It was great - I achieved my best dhanurasana yet, and the teacher claims that with work and some regular practice I could start binding when in ardha marichyasana. Impressive or wot?

The last dinner in India was a group session at Fusion where thank yous and presentations were made to our Group Leader, Wendy, who has provided us all with some fantastic memories.

Wendy - Nandri! (Tamil) and Nani! (Mayalayam).

This was followed by grilled king fish plus an Indian version of crème brulee made with coconut vanilla custard, which tasted a bit like bread and butter pudding.

 

Right now I’m trying to close the suitcases because I have a 5 a.m. start tomorrow for the 24-hour trip home.

Look out for the next, and last, instalment, by which time I will be clutching a hot water bottle J

Oh yes, here's the new look . . .

Namaste!