The 3 Gunas of Nature

In the philosophy of Yoga, all matter in the universe arises from the fundamental substrate called Prakriti. From this ethereal Prakriti the three primary gunas (qualities) emerge creating the essential aspects of all nature—energy, matter and consciousness. These three gunas are tamas (darkness), rajas (activity), and sattva (beingness). All three gunas are always present in all beings and objects surrounding us but vary in their relative amounts. We humans have the unique ability to consciously alter the levels of the gunas in our bodies and minds. The gunas cannot be separated or removed in oneself, but can be consciously acted upon to encourage their increase or decrease. A guna can be increased or decreased through the interaction and influence of external objects, lifestyle practices and thoughts.

Tamas is a state of darkness, inertia, inactivity and materiality. Tamas manifests from ignorance and deludes all beings from their spiritual truths. To reduce tamas avoid tamasic foods, over sleeping, over eating, inactivity, passivity and fearful situations. Tamasic foods include heavy meats, and foods that are spoiled, chemically treated, processed or refined.

Rajas is a state of energy, action, change and movement. The nature of rajas is of attraction, longing and attachment and rajas strongly binds us to the fruits of our work. To reduce rajas avoid rajasic foods, over exercising, over work, loud music, excessive thinking and consuming excessive material goods. Rajasic foods include fried foods, spicy foods, and stimulants.

Sattva is a state of harmony, balance, joy and intelligence. Sattva is the guna that yogi/nis achive towards as it reduces rajas and tamas and thus makes liberation possible. To increase sattva reduce both rajas and tamas, eat sattvic foods and enjoy activities and environments that produce joy and positive thoughts. Sattvic foods include whole grains and legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables that grow above the ground. All of the yogic practices were developed to create sattva in the mind and body. Thus, practicing yoga and leading a yogic lifestyle strongly cultivates sattva.

The mind’s psychological qualities are highly unstable and can quickly fluxuate between the different gunas. The predominate guna of the mind acts as a lens that effects our perceptions and perspective of the world around us. Thus, if the mind is in rajas it will experience world events as chaotic, confusing and demanding and it will react to these events in a rajasic way.

All gunas create attachment and thus bind one’s self to the ego. “When one rises above the three gunas that originate in the body; one is freed from birth, old age, disease, and death; and attains enlightenment” (Bhagavad Gita 14.20). While the yogi/nis goal is to cultivate sattva, his/her ultimate goal is to transcend their misidentification of the self with the gunas and to be unattached to both the good and the bad, the positive and negative qualities of all life.

The Inward Journey Through the Koshas

The ancient yogis have drawn a map to explore the deepest levels of our being and to facilitate the inward journey of yoga. The concept of having five selves (atma) within our body appeared in the earliest yogic texts, the Upanishads . Fifteen hundred years later Advaita Vedanta refined these five selves into the koshas, the five sheaths or coverings that veil the light of our True Self (Atman). The koshas are imagined as layers of an onion and form a barrier from realizing our true nature of bliss and oneness with the universe. Yoga is the tool to peel back these layers to bring our awareness deeper and deeper into our bodies, eventually reaching the innermost core, our True Self. When we can clearly see through the layers of the koshas we then attain a state of yoga, oneness with the universe. The outermost layer is our gross physical body, the Annamaya kosha. Anna means 'food', as this sheath feeds our awareness into the other layers and provides the ability to sustain the other 4 koshas.

The next three layers of the self are considered to be part of the subtle body or suksma-sarira. The next layer within the physical sheath is the energy body, the Pranamaya kosha. Prana means 'life force energy" as this sheath contains and regulates the movement of the physical and mental energies through the energy channels (nadis) and energy centers (chakras).

The next layer in is the mental body, the Manamaya kosha. Mana means '"mind" as this sheath contains mental thoughts and emotional feelings. This kosha governs the rational, linear, and sequential thought processes.

The last layer of the subtle body is the wisdom body, the Vijnanamaya kosha. Vijnana means "knowledge" as this sheath contains intuition, wisdom and witness consciousness.

The last kosha covering the True Self is the bliss body, the Anandamaya kosha. Ananda means "bliss" as this sheath contains the pure unchanging happiness, joy, love, peace and ecstasy that is found here at the deepest layer of our being. These are not merely feelings, but a state of being that has always existed yet has been buried by the other koshas. Behind this thin layer resides the pure consciousness of our True Self.

The koshas serve both a guide for the deeper practices of yoga and as map for our journey. The path of yoga is one of progressively moving inward, through each of the koshas, to experience the radiance of the True Self. At the same time, yoga allows this inner radiance to shine through our individuality.

In the beginning of yoga practice, the primary focus is on Annamaya Kosha, the alignment and physical sensations of the physical body. Once we have connected with this kosha we can use the breath as a bridge into the Pranamaya kosha, connecting with the energy manifesting in the body. Focusing on the body, breath and the energy absorbs the mind and the thoughts diminish allowing the Manamaya kosha to dissolve. Now we can explore the Vijnanamaya kosha to access our intuition and inner wisdom. Finally we move through the first four layers and taste the bliss, extacy and joy of the Anandamaya kosha. True enlightenment happens when all the koshas dissolve and we become absorbed in our True Self.

Moksha and Maya

Liberation is not a place; it does not exist in the heavens, the earth or the spirit-world. Freedom has no space, no time, no location; it can only exist in the now, in the present moment. Moksha (liberation, freedom) is the state of non-ego, where the “me” vanishes and one stands free from all desires, actions and consequences in a total state of oneness. We are bound to this material world through attachment, desire, and the inability to see or experience the oneness of all life. Maya (illusion) is both the psychological separation between ego and the universe and the psychological filter that colors all of our experience. Maya is our memories, conceptions, judgments, and biases that present a distorted sense of reality. These impressions of past experiences become superimposed or projected on current experiences creating a false reality. Maya reinforces the ego, strengthens attachment, and defines our individual “story” that defines who we are and our relationship to the external world.

To achive moksha, maya must be cast off, anava (ego) must be dissolved, and both our attachments to pleasure and our aversions to discomfort must be severed. Moksha arises spontaneously when we become completely absorbed in the sensation of an experience without thought. This “taste” of total absorption is common yet fleeting. Through the practice of yoga, we seek to create the tools to consciously and willfully "pierce the veil" of maya and see the transcendent nature of reality. These tools include selfless work (karma yoga), self-dissolving love (bhakti yoga), absolute discernment (jnana yoga), and meditative immersion (raja yoga).

The most fundamental tool yoga gives us to create moksha is conscious awareness. Through the use of awareness we can slowly begin to see our projections, desires, attachments and judgments for what they are. Once these distorting factors become conscious, they are able to dissolve and unblock the way to a direct experience of reality. When we become liberated from the illusionary world of maya we are able to be in yoga: the union of the inner self (Atman) with the oneness of all life (Brahman).

The Cause of Suffering: The Kleshas

The Buddha says life is suffering; both the ancient yogis and the Buddhists point to the kleshas as the causes of our suffering. These "afflictions" distort our mind and our perceptions effecting how we think, act and feel. The five main kleshas vary in intensity on our psyche, from being inconsequential in their effect to utter blindness. The kleshas not only create suffering, but are said to bind us to the endless cycle of birth and rebirth, and thus preventing us from achieving enlightenment. Avidya (ignorance) is the misconception of our true reality, believing that the temporary is eternal, the impure is the pure, and pleasure to be painful. This false representation of reality is the root klesha and produces the four others.

Asmita (I-am-ness) is the identification of ourselves with our ego. We create a self-image of ourselves that we believe is us, but it is not us. This self-image can contain both external (I am poor) and internal (I am a bad person) false projections. We become trapped within the projections we have created of our life.

Raga (attachment) is the attraction for things that bring satisfaction to oneself. Our desire for pleasurable experiences creates mindless actions and blind sighted vision. When we cannot obtain what we desire, we suffer. When we do obtain what we desire, our feelings of pleasure soon fade and we begin our search for pleasure again, becoming trapped in a endless cycle.

Dvesha (repulsion) is the opposite of raga, aversion towards things that produce unpleasant experiences. If we cannot avoid the things we dislike, we suffer. Even thinking about unpleasant experiences produces suffering.

Abhinivesha (will to live) is the deepest and most universal klesha, remaining with us until our deaths. We know that one day we will indeed die, yet our fear of death is a deeply buried in our unconsciousness.

The first stage of working with the kleshas is to simply acknowledge them. Reflection promotes self-awareness, self-understanding and self-knowledge to uncover and see the kleshas and their roots as well as how they create suffering.

The direct opposition of concentration and other yogic techniques can counteract simple kleshas. Gross kleshas are overcome with meditation, tapas and seeking wisdom. Yogic techniques are said to burn away the impurities of the kleshas to purify the mind. By ridding ourselves of our kleshas, we are able to clearly see the reality of the world and our own true nature.

The Law of Karma

Central to the philosophy of yoga is the universal spiritual concept of reaping what you sow: the law of Karma. Karma is the future consequences of one's current intentions, thoughts, behaviors and actions. While the Karma you currently create is the seeds that present future life experiences, your Karma is not your fate. You have the ability to consciously choose how you respond and react to Karmic generated events, thus reducing the current impact of your Karma and reducing or eliminating future Karma. This is both a psychological and physical practice, with the mental attitude much more powerful than the physical deed. The law of Karma is connected to the constant changing physical world the yogis call Samsara, the spinning wheel of life and death. This wheel is said to have six spokes: virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion. These spokes are the types of Karma that bind us to the wheel and keep it spinning. The goal is to break the spokes of Karma to become liberated from the mundane and suffering world of Samsara.

Good Karma is good, bad Karma is bad, but attaining any kind of Karma is undesirable. The goal, through the practice of yoga, is to stop the cycle of Karma by ceasing further Karmic accumulation. The yogis tell us the only way to not produce Karma is to act selflessly, without ego, without the desire for any reward. Liberation from Karma and Samsara is known as Nirvana, a highly esteemed spiritual state. But striving to attain a state of Nirvana is not a necessary goal; any reduction in Karma will improve one's life, well-being and happiness.

The Five Niyamas of Yoga

The second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed yoga system contains the five internal practices of Niyama (observance). These practices extend the ethical codes of conduct provided in his first limb, the yamas, to the practicing yogi’s internal environment of body, mind and spirit. The practice of Niyama helps us maintain a positive environment in which to grow, and gives us the self-discipline and inner-strength necessary to progress along the path of yoga. Shaucha (purification) is a central aim of many yogic techniques, and is the first principle of Patanjali's five Niyamas. The yogis discovered that impurities in both our external environment and our internal body adversely affect our state of mind, and prevent the attainment of real wisdom and spiritual liberation. The practices of asana, pranayama and meditation cleanse and purify the body and mind, as well as strengthening their capacity to maintain a pure state of being. We must also consciously work at surrounding ourselves with a pure environment (including food, drink, friends, entertainment, home furnishings and transportation) to not add any external impurities back into our bodies or minds.

Samtosha (contentment) is not craving for what we do not have as well as not coveting the possessions of others. The yogis tell us that when we are perfectly content with all that life gives us, then we attain true joy and happiness. It is easy for the mind to become fooled into thinking that we can attain lasting happiness through the possession of objects and goods, but both our personal experience and the teachings of the sages prove that the happiness gained through materialism is only temporary. Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different, and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of life’s blessings.

Tapas (asceticism) is a yogic practice of intense self-discipline and attainment of will power. Basically, Tapas is doing something you do not want to do that will have a positive effect on your life. When our will conflicts with the desire of our mind an internal “fire” is created which illuminates and burns up our mental and physical impurities. This inner fire can also be used as a source of spiritual energy; the yogis say the sole practice of Tapas can lead to the release of kundalini and attainment of enlightenment. Tapas transforms and purifies us as well as enables the conscious awareness and control over our unconscious impulses and poor behavior. Tapas builds the will power and personal strength to help us become more dedicated to our practice of yoga .

Svadhyaya (self-study) is the ability to see our true divine nature through the contemplation of our life’s lessons and through the meditation on the truths revealed by seers and sages. Life presents an endless opportunity to learn about ourselves; our flaws and weaknesses give us the opportunity to grow and our mistakes allow us to learn. Examining our actions becomes a mirror to see our conscious and unconscious motives, thoughts, and desires more clearly. The yogic practice of Svadhyaya also involves the study of sacred and spiritual texts as a guide to our interior world where our true self resides. Self-study requires both seeing who we are in the moment and seeing beyond our current state to realize our connection with the divine.

Ishvara Pranidhana (devotion) is the dedication, devotion, and surrender of the fruits of one’s practice to a higher power. This Niyama fuses two common aspects of yoga within it: the devotion to something greater than the self and the selfless action of karma yoga. Patanjali tells us that to reach the goal of yoga we must dissolve our egocentric nature and let go of our constant identification with ourselves. To do this, our yoga practice and all of the benefits we may receive from our practice must be seen as an offering to something greater than ourselves. Through this simple act of dedication we become reminded of our connection to our higher power, and our yoga practice becomes sacred and filled with grace, inner peace, and abounding love.

The foundation limbs of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga, yama and niyama, create a solid foundation and strong container for the yogini to move into the deeper stages of yoga with focus, inner-strength, and success. Practicing the Yamas and Niyamas is a journey and process. Take one step, one Yama or Niyama at a time and proceed with compassion and without worry of perfection. As Swami Sri Kripalvanandaji said, " When you pick one petal from the garland of yamas and niyamas, the entire garland will follow."

The Five Yamas of Yoga

At the beginning of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga lays the Yamas: the moral, ethical and societal guidelines for the practicing yogi. These guidelines are all expressed in the positive, and thus become emphatic descriptions of how a yogi behaves and relates to her world when truly immersed in the unitive sate of yoga. While we may not strive to reach such a pure state ourselves, the Yamas are still highly relevant and valued guides to lead a conscious, honest and ethical life.

Patanjali considered the Yamas the great, mighty and universal vows. He instructs us that they should be practiced on all levels (actions, words, and thoughts) and that are not confined to class, place, time or concept of duty (YS 2.31).

Ahimsa is the practice of non-violence, which includes physical, mental, and emotional violence towards others and the self. We create violence most often in our reactions to events and others, habitually creating judgment, criticism, anger or irritation. I have found the Buddhist practice of compassion to be an excellent tool to foster non-violence in my life. Compassion is the ability to accept events as they are with an open and loving heart. It is a letting go of reacting to a situation in a conditional and negative way, and replaces those thoughts or feelings with kindness, acceptance and love. At first practicing compassion is hard, frustrating and not fun. But the key is to have compassion for oneself for not having compassion, and to smile at this contradiction.

Satya (truthfulness) urges us to live and speak our truth at all times. Walking the path of truth is a hard one, especially while respecting Patanjali’s first Yama, Ahimsa. Since Ahimsa must be practiced first, we must be careful to not speak a truth if we know it will cause harm to another. Living in your truth not only creates respect, honor and integrity but also provides the vision to clearly see the higher truths of the yogic path.

Asteya (non-stealing) is best defined as not taking what is not freely given. While this may on the surface seem easy to accomplish, when we look further this Yama can be quite challenging to practice. On a personal level the practice of Asteya entails not committing theft physically and/or not causing or approving of anyone else doing so--in mind, word, or action. On the level of society, Asteya would be in opposition to exploitation, social injustice and oppression. While not easy, practicing Asteya encourages generosity and overcomes Lobha (greed). And as Patanjali tells us, “when Asteya is firmly established in a yogi, all jewels will become present to him/her.” (YS 2.37).

Brahmacharya (continence) states that when we have control over our physical impulses of excess, we attain knowledge, vigor, and increased energy. To break the bonds that attach us to our excesses and addictions, we need both courage and will. And each time we overcome these impulses of excess we become stronger, healthier and wiser. One of the main goals in yoga is to create and maintain balance. And the simplest method for achieving balance is by practicing Brahmacharya, creating moderation in all of our activities. Practicing moderation is a way of conserving our energy, which can then be applied for higher spiritual purposes.

Aparigraha (non-coveting) urges us to let go of everything that we do not need, possessing only as much as necessary. The yogis tell us that worldly objects cannot be possessed at all, as they are all subject to change and will be ultimately destroyed. When we become greedy and covetous we lose the ability to see our one eternal possession, the Atman, our true Self. And when we cling to what we have we lose the ability to be open to receive what we need.

In a practical sense, the practicing the Yamas eliminates or reduces the accumulation of bad karma as well as prevents the draining of our energy when we lead a false and/or unconscious life. When we practice the Yamas we are striving towards living a healthier, holier and more peaceful life and at the same time we strengthen our powers of awareness, will and discernment. Engaging in these practices is not an easy task, yet by doing so we fortify our character, improve our relationships with others, and further our progress along the path of yoga.

Breathing in Asana

Our natural tendency is to hold the breath or use stress induced breathing while holding a posture. This creates stress in the body. To create relaxation, breathe slowly and deeply in all of the asanas. There are several ways to breathe in asanas, and these will differ with teacher and tradition. I like to emphasize different breathing techniques or pranayamas while holding different postures.

Use Dirga pranayama in most postures. Focus on actively breathing into the chest in backbends and chest opening poses (pigeon, yoga mudra, warrior I, fish, bridge). For forward folding postures and belly down postures you can focus on just breathing into the belly (child, forward fold, cobra, boat)

Use Ujjiaj pranayama when holding strength building postures to increase endurance and focus (downward dog, standing squat, warrior III, warrior I, sun salutations).

Use Kapalabhati Pranayama when you want to intensify holding a pose and to strongly activate the prana in the body.  Kapalabhati can also create a strong focus during an challenging pose to allow us to stay present with the posture.

Healing Depression with Yoga

It is common to feel the blues from time to time, and when this happens it can be healing to simply feel and be with your emotions. Acute feelings of depression can be sign that your body needs rest and your mind needs a break. Take a nap, read a book, let yourself be lazy and accept what you are feeling. If you are experience depression for more than a few days, however, you may need to take action and work on moving through it. Yoga’s regulating and energizing properties can help alleviate many of the symptoms of mild depression*. Yoga postures will activate and move prana in the body, open the heart center, stimulate the nervous system and balance the body-mind-spirit. If you are mostly feeling frustration, use postures that open the insides of the legs (bound angle, standing angle) and stretch the sides of the torso (half circle, half moon). For feelings of sadness and grief, focus on postures that open the chest and inner arms (fish, threading the needle, boat). For low motivation or low energy use back and forward bending postures (cobra, forward fold, sun salutations). A slow, gentle practice is recommended; do not overexert yourself or you may end up more tired than you began. Practice as often as possible; daily is most beneficial.

Other yogic exercises are very effective at moving through depression. Practice Kapalabhati Pranayama to energize the body and Nadi Sodhana Pranayama to reduce stress and anxiety. Meditation reduces stress, calms the mind, reduces negativity and creates a positive attitude.

Severe or chronic depression (over four weeks) needs to be treated by a medical professional. If you are having thoughts of suicide, get help immediately, calling 911 if necessary. If you are not sure of the severity of your depression, take this quick on-line quiz.

*Yoga is contraindicated with severe depression or other serious mental disorders. A yoga practice should be used to supplement conventional therapy, not replace it.

Yoga and Pregnancy

Yoga physically, mentally and emotionally prepares one for the birth of a new child and supports both the mother and child throughout the pregnancy. Physically, yoga improves circulation, helping to lesson leg cramps and varicose veins and nourishing the fetus. Yoga strengthens postural muscles and can alleviate some of the minor discomforts of pregnancy such as heartburn, backache, hip joint and ribcage aches.Pranayama (breathing exercises) ensures a proper supply of oxygen, blood and energy to both fetus and mom, and reduces fatigue.

A yoga practice of postures, breathing and meditation creates mental focus, concentration, discipline and stillness, enabling a smooth pregnancy and a relatively easy childbirth.

Emotionally, yoga and meditation reduce and control stress, anxiety and fear. Yoga also improves general mood and the ability to manage pain. Meditation can also create a deeper awareness and connection with the baby.

Although yoga is great to do during pregnancy, there are a few things of which moms-to-be should be careful. Avoid prolonged poses on your back after the first trimester. The weight of the fetus pressing against the Aorta can restrict the blood flow to the lower body, including the uterus.If you feel dizzy or lightheaded while on your back, immediately bend your knees and slowly roll over to your side. Avoid poses that stretch the muscles too much, particularly the abdominal muscles. You are more apt to tear and strain muscles now because the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which allows the uterus to expand, also acts on all connective tissue. Avoid all postures that put pressure on your abdomen, especially forward folds, twists and belly down postures. Modify forward folding poses with the legs apart so the belly comes between the legs, and bend from the hips, not the back. Modify the position of the legs in twists so the legs do not press against the belly, and twist more from the shoulders and back. Listen carefully to your body. If you feel any discomfort, stop. You will probably need to adapt most postures to your body's physical changes.

Improving Memory and Concentration

There are many yogic techniques that stimulate the brain and nervous system to improve memory and concentration. Dharana, the sixth limb of yoga, is a state of focused attention used during asana, pranayama and meditation. Dharana trains the mind to become clear, focused and one-pointed. In asana, using a drishti (gazing point), especially during balancing postures, improves mental concentration. Spine lengthening postures, the forward and back bending poses, activate the spinal column and stimulate the nervous system. Inverted postures nourish the brain by increasing circulation of blood and oxygen.

In pranayama, the mind is focused on the breath as it flows in and out of the body. Oxygen and prana (energy) are also increased in the body and brain by the regulation of breath. Thus, pranayama increases concentration as well as nourishes the brain.

Meditation is a step beyond Dharna, requiring even more mental focus and concentration. The practice of meditation either by itself or in conjunction with asana and pranayama un-clutters the mind by reducing excessive thinking. Excessive thinking consumes mental energy and fogs the mind from seeing and thinking clearly. Meditation on the sixth chakra or third eye will activate the brain as well as focus the mind.

Asana, pranayama and meditation are all powerful tools that stimulate the brain and improve the power of the mind. Our membership site has two “Brain Boost” sequences, as well as a third eye meditation to improve memory and concentration.

Yoga Rx for Headaches

Yoga not only provides relief for the pain and cause of headaches, but can also prevent headaches from occurring in the future. Most headaches are due to stress and tension held in the head, neck, shoulders and upper back. When these muscles are continuously contracted, they constrict the flow of blood, oxygen and prana (energy) to the head. Since the brain is the first part of the body that will die if denied this blood and oxygen, it gets cranky really fast and usually lets you know via a pain in your head.
When you feel a headache coming on, the first thing to do is stop what you are doing and take a break. Close your eyes, relax and take a few deep breaths through the nose into the belly. Scan your upper body for tension and tightness and consciously allow it to release and relax. Adjust your posture: reach the crown of the head up to lengthen the spine, let the shoulders drop down and back to open the chest. If you cannot consciously release the tension, you may want to give yourself a shoulder, neck and face massage. Gently press and lightly circle on the tops of the shoulders, the back of the neck, the third eye and temples.
During a headache, yoga postures and pranayama can help alleviate pain and release tension and stress. Practice in a calming environment with low lights and soft music. Focus on calming and restorative postures like child, puppy dog, seated forward fold, supine bound angle, bridge, plow and knee down twist. Finish your yoga practice with shavasana using an eye pillow or a small, folded towel placed over the eyes. Start your shavasana with Dirga pranayama – slow deep breathing in the belly and chest.
A general yoga practice is the best preventative medicine for headaches. Focus on postures that will release tension in neck and shoulders, increase circulation to head and stimulate the nervous system. A general practice will reduce stress and tension in the whole body while increasing circulation and absorption of oxygen. Dirga, Ujjayi and Nadi Sodhana Pranayama will calm the mind, release tension, and increase circulation of blood and oxygen.
Talk to your doctor if you are having more than two or three headaches per week, or if a bad headache lasts for several days. Migraines and cluster headaches can be helped with yoga, but you must have the supervision and approval of your doctor.

Emotional Release through Yoga

Feeling stuck and inflexible in a yoga posture may be more than just tight hamstrings; it could be some old feelings holding you back. Unexpressed emotions become stored and held in the body and, over time, create physical tightness, stress, tension, and sometimes pain. Yoga is the perfect tool to release emotional tension in the body and to experience the healing that comes with this release. There are many tools that we can use within a yoga practice to uncover deeply stored emotions, bring them to the surface, and let them completely release from the body. Pratyahara: inward focus Pratyahara is a deep inward focus, rooted in the sensations of the breath and the body. As we bring our awareness inside the body, we can feel things that lie under the surface of ordinary awareness. When holding a yoga posture, keep the mind focused on where you feel sensations. Explore where the sensations start, stop, and travel to, paying attention to any emotional feelings in the physical sensations. When emotional feelings emerge from the physical sensations keep your focus on them to encourage these feelings to be drawn out and released. Pratyahara: inward focus Pratyahara is a deep inward focus, rooted in the sensations of the breath and the body. As we bring our awareness inside the body, we can feel things that lie under the surface of ordinary awareness. When holding a yoga posture, keep the mind focused on where you feel sensations. Explore where the sensations start, stop, and travel to, paying attention to any emotional feelings in the physical sensations. When emotional feelings emerge from the physical sensations keep your focus on them to encourage these feelings to be drawn out and released.
Pranayama: yogic breathing There are several breathing techniques that can encourage emotions to be stimulated, brought to the surface, and released. Dirga pranayama brings energy and awareness to the chest, belly, and hips and allows emotions to be released from deep within the body. Kapalabhati strongly stimulates and moves emotions that lay near the surface of the body, bringing them up and out. Breathing through the mouth invokes the emotional body and is highly effective in expressing and releasing emotions that have been brought to the surface, especially sadness and grief. Hara breathing (exhaling with a “Haaa” out of the mouth) helps release anger and frustration.

Vocalize: make sounds Making sounds while holding a yoga posture opens the throat chakra and can allow tension and emotions to release from the body. Letting out a loud sigh eases frustration; humming releases joy; groaning softens fear; howling unbinds sadness. When emotions become activated and start to rise to the surface, vocalizing is especially important to completely release them out of the body.

Asana: backbends and hip openers The hips, shoulders, chest, and throat are the primary places where emotional tension resides in our bodies. Make note of these places during asana practice or do a body scan at the start of your practice, looking for tension or tightness in these areas. Once you are aware of where emotional tension is held in your body you can focus on postures that target that area.

Intensity: holding the postures When you find the posture that opens areas of tension and invokes emotional sensations, it is important to hold the posture to your edge. Just going to the physical or mental edge in any posture hold can activate an emotional release, but it will be especially cathartic in the postures where you hold tension. While holding these poses, utilize all of the above techniques for the strongest effect and most complete emotional release. Longer hold times can be facilitated with the use of props and restorative postures or physically supported by a yoga teacher or yoga therapist.

Contraindications: keep it safe Using the above techniques can be extremely powerful and release intense emotions. If you are not familiar with this type of work, start off slowly and practice only one technique at a time. Too much emotional release can be harmful; do not do this work more than two to three times per month. This work is contraindicated with a history of emotional or psychological instability, and would be cautioned with a history of intense trauma.

Yoga Rx for Arthritis

Arthritis is a real pain, usually a very intense pain in one or more joints of the body, effecting almost 20 percent of the population. One of the most important therapies for treating arthritis is exercise, and yoga is one of the best types of exercise for this condition. Arthritic joint pain is a big discouragement to do any exercise or move the body at all, but without exercise the joints become stiffer and lose range of motion that exacerbates the progression of the disease. There is no known cure for arthritis, but several studies have shown yoga effective for reducing and even eliminating the symptoms of this disease. A gentle yoga practice is recommended, using repetitive movements to warm up the body, then holding postures to build strength and flexibility and finally resting in Shavasana, relaxation pose. Postures that focus on flexibility will help open up the joints and increase range of motion and the circulation of blood, energy, and oxygen. Postures that focus on strength will build muscles around the joint, nourishing and stabilizing it. Shavasana is essential to allow the body to rejuvenate, integrate, and use the energy that was created and released in the postures to now heal the body. Using restorative yoga postures will be especially beneficial for relaxing and healing the body.
With osteoarthritis, focus on a warming and energizing yoga practice using more standing and strength building postures and using Kapalabhati and Ujjayi pranayamas.
With rheumatoid arthritis include appropriate inversions to increase circulation of the lymphatic system and balance the immune system. Focus on a cooling and balancing yoga practice using more floor postures and Dirga, Shtiali, and Sitcari pranayamas.
Yoga is contraindicated in acute flare-ups of pain, swelling, or inflammation. Avoid postures that torque or put excess or direct pressure on the joints.
At the beginning of a yoga program, you may feel pain in the effected joints as they move and open. If this pain exceeds what is normally experienced in daily living, back off or modify the postures. You may feel some continuing pain after a yoga practice, but not for more than one to two hours. If longer than this, modify or reduce your program. With consistent practice, preferably two to four times a week, joint pain, swelling, and inflammation will slowly decrease. Start slowly with easy postures and gradually build up the intensity and length of your practice over time.
  
Exercises for Arthritis Pain Relief : Hip & Knee Strengthening for Arthritis Pain Relief 

 

Yogic Secrets to Holiday Bliss

Yogic Secrets to Holiday Bliss

The practice of yoga gives us valuable tools in managing the stress and anxiety through the holidays. Practicing meditation, pranayama, pratyahara and sakshin allows us to be calm, centered and in control of our normal unconscious reactions to holiday stressors. Meditation allows the mind to be calm, centered and relaxed and is a quick and effective way to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety before, during and after stressful situations. Pranayama is yogic breathing techniques that can be used anytime to calm, energize, harmonize and tranquilize the body. Pratyahara cuts off external distractions and draws the focus of the mind inwards to our bodies’ core. Sakshin is a detached state of consciousness, where we witness life events and have the perspective to choose how to respond to them.

These four techniques can be combined for an effective approach to dealing with any stressful and emotionally or psychologically reactive situation. The key to dealing with holiday stress is to become aware of the events and situations and their corresponding physical, mental and emotional reactions. Once you have identified potential holiday stressors, follow the five steps below to emerge un-stressed, calm and happy.
 
Be Prepared
If possible take a few moments to meditate and center yourself before leaving home or engaging in a stressful situation. Create a calm, compassionate and patient mind space and attitude. Visualize yourself in the situation reacting in a positive yogic way.

Become a Witness
Consciously step back from the situation and become a witness to your external and internal environment. See your life as a car driving down the highway and become the driver of the car, watching everything that is happening outside of the car and being in conscious control of what is happening to the car itself.

Breathe and Feel
Stop or pause any unconscious immediate mental or emotional reactions to the events around you and simply see and feel what is going on. Draw your awareness deeply inside your body and experience and feel what is happening in the present moment. Focus on your breath, breathing slowly, smoothly and deeply into your belly. Feel your body’s physical response to the situation without reacting.

Choose Consciousness
Once you have short-circuited your initial unconscious response to holiday stressors, then make a choice on how to respond to the situation. You may choose to simply not respond and continue being present to everything that is happening in the moment. You may choose to deepen your practicing of meditation, pranayama, pratyahara and sakshin. You may want to choose the opposite of your usual response, instead of becoming irritated and angry, practice patience, compassion and kindness.

Take Time to Recover
After any hectic holiday experiences take some time to recover and rejuvenate your body and spirit. Just a few minutes of pranayama or meditation will eliminate any accumulated tension or stress and help calm the body, mind and spirit.

Yoga Rx for Sciatica

Yoga Rx for Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, originating from the sacrum and traveling down the back of the legs to the toes. Compression of the sciatic nerve can cause one sided numbness, tingling or pain in the sacrum, buttock and back of the leg. The nerve can become compressed for several reasons, most commonly from a herniated disk in the lower lumbar spine. Inflammation, stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) and tight piriformis muscles (deep muscles in the buttocks) are other common causes of compression. The pain, compression and inflammation of sciatica can be reduced through a gentle yoga practice. Focus on postures that lengthen and align the spine (mountain, puppy dog, bound angle), back bends (bridge, camel, cobra), postures that stretch the piriformis (knee down twist, revolved triangle, prayer twist), abdominal strengthening poses (boat, half boat) and inversions (shoulder stand, down dog). Engage in the postures slowly, carefully and for short durations and avoid any movements or postures that create or intensify the pain. Slow deep yogic breathing will encourage the body to relax as well as decrease inflammation and pain.

Practice good posture and body mechanics throughout your day. Take frequent breaks to breath, stretch and relax. Avoid sitting for long periods and rest on your back with your knees bent.

Remember to always speak with a physician before beginning any type of physical exercise. If the sciatic pain is acute, resting for 1-2 days is recommended before addressing the pain with yoga.

Forward bending poses are contraindicated; side-bending poses are cautioned. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience loss of bladder or bowel control, or increasing weakness or numbness in the legs.

Yoga Rx for Digestive Complaints

Yoga Rx for Digestive Complaints

When the Gastro-intestinal (GI) system becomes unbalanced a myriad of symptoms and diseases can occur and even the mildest symptoms can cause much distress and dismay. A yoga practice combined with diet and lifestyle changes can strengthen and harmonize digestion and elimination to heal and reduce many GI complaints. Yoga is such an effective therapy for digestive complaints due to its ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to nourish and activate digestion and elimination. Yoga also has a regulating effect on the enteric nervous system, which independently functions to digest, move and eliminate our food.

Yoga can also be used to balance the digestive fire, called Agni in yoga. If Agni is depleted or low then digestion becomes weak creating symptoms of diarrhea, bloating, gas. If Agni is excessive then there is too much heat in the GI system creating symptoms of constipation, acid reflux, and burning. To stimulate Agni practice an energizing vinyasa with standing yoga postures (especially the warrior poses) and practice Kapalabhati and Ujjayi pranayamas. To reduce Agni, a gentle practice of floor postures (especially supine) is used and Sit Cari and Shitali Pranayamas can be practiced.

The most common digestive disorder is irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) effecting 30 percent of the world’s population. Yoga’s general ability to regulate and balance the digestive system is helpful for IBS and all digestive complaints, but yoga can also be used to address specific symptoms.

To relieve constipation, practice postures that compress the abdomen such as prone (belly down) postures, forward folds and twists. Use similar poses to reduce excessive gas, adding hip opening poses if the condition is chronic. Inversions, backbends and hip opening postures help alleviate diarrhea. For abdominal bloating and distention use twists and hip openers. To relieve cramps, practice backbends, side bends and hip openers to open and stretch the abdomen. For stomachache and indigestion practice prone postures, forward folds, twists and hip openers. If nausea or acid reflux is present avoid inversions and postures that compress the abdomen and practice grounding, lunging and squatting poses.

If IBS or digestive symptoms become aggravated with stress, then use the calming practices of meditation, dirga and nadi sodhana pranayamas, and add an extended shavasana pose to your yoga practice.

Remember to always speak with a physician before beginning any type of physical exercise. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience bleeding, fever, weight loss, and/or persistent severe pain.

Using Yoga for Weight Loss

Using Yoga for Weight Loss

Within yoga’s ability to create total well-being, lies its ability to reduce excess weight through burning calories, boosting metabolism and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Yoga is not a quick fix, but can be an excellent long-term holistic approach to loosing excess weight – and keeping it off. Not only that, yoga creates many other positive changes: improves self-esteem, increases mental focus, reduces stress, promotes flexibility and increases strength and balance. Metabolism is the chemical processes that create energy in the body that are regulated by the endocrine system, especially the thyroid. Yoga has a powerful stimulating and strengthening effect on the endocrine organs and thus can boost metabolism to burn more calories. The twisting and compressing of the yoga postures massage the internal endocrine organs regulating their function and improving local circulation. But even with yoga’s effect on metabolism, the age-old weight loss formula of reducing calorie intake and increasing calorie output is still important to follow.

Twisting poses, back bends, forward bends and inversions are used to stimulate the endocrine system and boost metabolism. If the weight gain is due to a hormonal imbalance poses that affect the thyroid in the neck will be helpful: camel, shoulder stand, rabbit, plow, and bridge. Practicing the Sun Salutations will be especially helpful in boosting the body's metabolism as will moving quickly (vinyasa) between any series of poses. Do not attempt a fast paced vinyasa until you have achieved a basic understanding of the poses. Being significantly overweight may cause difficulty in forward folding poses and inversions, you may want to avoid or minimize these at first.

The standing poses, especially the warrior and lunging poses are used to strengthen and tone the muscles, build endurance, warm the body and increase caloric output. The standing poses are empowering and grounding, and regularly practicing them increases self-confidence and self-esteem. Use Kapalabhati and Ujjayi Pranayama to help warm and energize the body and further boost metabolism. Practice Kapalabhati before or after your yoga practice, and use Ujjayi with vinyasa and holding yoga poses.

Incorporating a yogic diet and lifestyle will create a holistic weight loss program and positive long-term change. A yogic diet is high in fiber, whole grains, legumes and vegetables; and low in fat, animal protein and processed foods. A yogic lifestyle encourages awareness and consciousness, compassion, self-knowledge, and the practice of the principles of right conduct and lifestyle of the yamas and niyamas. Yama, respect for others, includes nonviolence, truth, honesty, moderation, and noncovetousness. Niyama, positive self-action, includes purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, and devotion.
 
Yoga is a process and should be approached as such. Focus on slowly increasing your commitment to the yogic practices outlined above and enjoy the gradual changes that appear. Ideally practice yoga 6 times per week or alternate your yoga practice with other forms of movement taking one day off per week for rest.

Yoga Rx for Infertility

Yoga Rx for Infertility

Approximately 6 million couples in the U.S. have fertility difficulties, and with expensive medical treatments achieving only a 50% conception rate many are looking to non-traditional ways to promote fertility. A holistic approach to improving both partner’s general health is essential to successfully conceive a healthy child. Overwork, stress, smoking, alcohol and a poor diet must all be avoided as they are known contributing factors to infertility. Yoga’s effectiveness at promoting fertility is due to its emphasis of a healthy diet and lifestyle as well as its ability to balance hormonal problems and stimulate and strengthen the reproductive organs. Hormonal imbalances are usually due to a deficiency (Langhana) or under activity of bodily functions and insufficient production of bodily substances. Deficiency symptoms of infertility include: fatigue, dizziness, depression, backache, general weakness, chronic illnesses, scanty menses and long or short periods.

For hormonal imbalances, focus on activating and balancing the endocrine system, especially the ovaries/testes, hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Practice child, seated head to knee, pyramid/runners stretch, side seated angle and meditation to stimulate and balance the hypothalamus and pituitary.

Practice hip openers, low back bends and belly down poses to stimulate and balance the ovaries as well as strengthen the reproductive organs. To tonify a deficiency pattern use a gentle practice with long posture holds, focus on inhalation, and practice Mula Bandha frequently throughout the day.
Structural or functional problems usually involve excess (Brahmana) patterns of overactive body functions and obstructions of energy. Excess symptoms of infertility include: abdominal pain, easily irritated or angered, PMS, irregular periods with dark blood and clots.

For structural or functional imbalances, practice hip openers, twists and low back bends to stimulate and strengthen the reproductive organs. To reduce an excess pattern, use an active and dynamic practice of repeating vinyasa movements with short or no posture holds, use calming meditations, focus on exhalations and end your practice with a long relaxing shavasana pose.

Even though 70% of infertility is due to problems with the woman’s body, both partners should practice yoga, preferably together. Your practice should be in a calming, nurturing and loving environment. 

Yoga for Menopause

Menopause is the natural cessation of menses that occurs in a woman’s late forties or early fifties. Menopause usually begins slowly with irregular periods and occasional hot flashes, and once the menses have completely stopped it may take several years for the body to readjust and rebalance due to the change in hormones and body chemistry. This adjustment comes easily for some women and is very difficult and frustrating for others. There are several factors that effect this transition including stress, diet, attitude and lifestyle. The main discomforts of menopause are hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, depression, anxiety, insomnia and decreased libido. These are all symptoms of the body adjusting to the fluctuations of hormones and changes in the endocrine system due to the natural decrease in functioning of the ovaries.

Yoga’s ability to reduce stress, promote a healthy lifestyle, create a positive attitude and regulate and balance the endocrine and hormonal systems make it an excellent therapy to soften the transition into menopause.
In general, a gentle, slow paced yoga practice that emphasizes floor poses is recommended. Inversions nurture the cooling yin aspect of the body and regulate the endocrine system. Low back bending poses such as bridge, cobra and bow tonify the kidneys, nourish the adrenal glands and alleviate fatigue. Side bends and poses that stretch the insides of the legs regulate the liver’s soothing and stabilizing influence on the emotions. Chest opening poses such as fish and standing yoga mudra calm the mind and reduce anxiety. Shitali and Sit Cari pranayamas can be used to clear heat from the body.

A complete resource including poses, sequences, pranayamas, books and articles for menopause is in the Yoga Therapy section of theYogaBasics’ premium membership site.