Sivananda Yoga

Please read through the "teachings" pages on this website HERE

Iyengar Yoga

Follow this link to read up about Iyengar yoga. Like Ashtanga yoga, derives from their mutual teacher Krishnamacharya.

IYENGAR YOGA

Grace: Mind/Body Practice

USING YOUR BREATH

• What does breath do?
• breath moves the body
• Vayus
• inhalation and prana and udana vayus: 
• exhalation and apana and samana vayus
• Mula (root)
• moves forward (I) and backward (B) with breath
• breath is the communication between your mind and your body

GRACE

• What is grace?
• using just the right amount of effort to complete a task/movement/posture
• only what is essential
• moving with your breathing
• breath leads movement (starts just before the movement does)
• spiritual grace and physical grace...are they connected?
• imagining your essential self/nothing that isn't you = self-realization
• evenness of breath coupled with evenness of movement equals evenness of mind

FLOW

• Flow (inner focus) is a state where the right amount of effort is applied, no more or less, creating a single minded focus (eka grata) so that the body moves as one coalesced piece. (peak experience)
• needs a certain amount of challenge to maintain interest for focus
• needs to avoid frustration
• needs to be without self-consciousness (extra)
• Technique allows one to be embodied, 
• hyperfocus is a characteristic of flow., but it is not always described in such universally glowing terms. 
• For example, some cases of spending "too much" time playing video games, or of getting side-tracked and pleasurably absorbed by one aspect of an assignment or task to the detriment of the assignment in general. In some cases, hyperfocus can "grab" a person, perhaps causing him or her to appear unfocused or to start several projects but complete few. 
• Can a practice suffer from hyperfocus to the detriment of the prospect for flow? (yes) What percentage of practice should be focused on technique, and can our technique get in the way of the peak experiences that we seek? 
• In her doctoral thesis, studying the meditative experiences of Zen Buddhist practitioners, Aska Sakuta looks to neuroscience to understand altered states based in embodied practices. Sakuta notes the central importance of the “meditative, attention training processes, embedded in the act of movement” in various somatic disciplines, from dance to theatre, and within other performance styles:…within this process of meditative moving, the mover experiences an altered state of consciousness, which can be expressed as the state of ‘no mind’– a sense [of] complete emptiness of the mind. It is thought that the strong concentration on the felt experience of moving facilitates a state of deeply embodied consciousness by stripping the mind of distracting thoughts. The mind, thereby ‘emptied’ of higher level cognition, allows for movement execution at the most intuitive level.
• This intuitive execution of movement is akin to the state of flow (described above), a state of deeply embodied consciousness; and is acquired through training in techniques (specific to each discipline), which, once mastered, allow for the practitioner to achieve peak performance through altered sensory states 
• This state is achieved through practice in a series of stages beginning with effortful concentration (cognition), advancing into “optimal movement economy” (embodiment), culminating in “complete automation” (phenomenology), where the body seems to move on its own; the experience may be described both as effortless and spiritually charged.
• Learning technique is a necessary stage in the process of mastery which allows for optimal movement, and only after such knowledge is mastered—integrated into one’s body/mind -- can movement occur naturally, and a meditative state be achieved. This is embodied as ease of movement, and may be observed aesthetically as “grace.” It is this grace which in vinyasa practice may be likened to seamlessly moving with both attention to and in response to one’s breath.

ALIGNMENT FROM WITHIN

• ujjayi breath will allow for inner alignment
• moving from the mula (hips as your primary center of gravity) will allow you to move from within
• make space on the inhale, deepen on the exhale. This is true for EVERY POSTURE! (even backbends). The inhale will always take you out of the depth of a posture.
• BANDHAS and MUDRAS
• locks, seals and ways to close the circuit, so they can be very useful in creating alignment
• mula, uddiyana, jalandara
• maintain the natural curves of the spine
• keep the arms and the legs engaged. 
• Surfing the edges: Knowing where you are at the moment and exploring deeper variations with absolute mindfulness. 
• views the practice as fascinating (interesting)
• helps with focus and attention
• Control versus surrender: 
• this is an issue of grace.
• con be utilized in the process of surfing the edges
• control is necessary in the body, but only what is essential: when we are first learning something, we often over do it. In fact, as we advance in our practice, our awareness gets more and more subtle, as does our control.
• bodily surrender is not useful in hatha yoga where engagement is required, but may be in yin styles, however the surrender is in the limiting notions in the mind which prevent the body/mind from full ability to observe at that moment
• Finding Balance: Balance is found in yoking the body into one piece which acts in unison. This is called Kinesthesis. High levels of kinesthetic function are indictive of high levels of embodiment and a balanced state
• balance can also be viewed as distributing the "work" of yoga throughout the body, so that one part is not strained by taking on too much of the load or effort.
• this entail proper technique and full bodily engagement
• Full bodily engagement (somatic integration)
• innervation
• resistance
• isotonic
• isometric
• resisting force (gravity)

Where are students?

Where are you?

• Understanding where you are is the key to creating a safe and enjoyable practice that will advance you to the "next level." What that next level is, depends on where you start. Being clear about where you are is an important component of self awareness and self knowledge.
• your job as a teacher is to help make your students more embodied and more aware of their internal state.

• There are three types of people:
• those who think they are less capable
• those who think they are more capable
• those who know where they are.

• Capability is a subjective term which is often misunderstood, as is "advanced" practice.
• ADVANCED PRACTICE is defined as practice that exists on subtler and subtler levels
• it is not the ability to achieve a posture (shape)
• it is not inversions
• it is not being the strongest or most flexible
• it is the ability to understand the workings of one's mind and body and deeper levels
• it is the ability to control and channel one's breath for different purposes
• it is the ability to regulate one's own practice to fit one's needs at each MOMENT
• Your CAPABILITY is determined by the following:
• your current state of knowledge
• your current physical state
• your current mental state
• your motivation (aspirations)
• your determination (work ethic)-how regularly you practice

• LIMITATIONS
• physical
• mental
• fear
• comparison and competition
• body
• discipline
• perfection
• concentration and attention

LongView: A Lifetime Perspective

• Yoga is a process of listening to this perspective
• You will change as you travel through the lifecycle. Deal with it.
• Every day you are different
• Every breath is unique

• Asanas/Vinyasa are TOOLS FOR EFFECTS, not goals.
• Practice is about gaining a certain perspective or impact, NOT postural shape. 
• Understanding KRAMAS (levels) of postures is key, because it allows you to see what are the important aspect of a posture and make sure that is what you are practicing. 
• This is especially true when a desired shape is either inappropriate or unachievable.
• practicing this way increases awareness, embodiment, and the positive effects of practice
• Asana are man-made and not the product of any sacred geometry. There is little evidence of the ancient nature of most asana.
• therefore, shapes are arbitrary and creativity and experimentation are encouraged in practice (to achieve certain effects).
• Every asana or movement should be practiced in a specific way for a specific reason, at a specific moment. 
• practice without purpose is not yoga. 
• purpose is found in your theory and methods, and exacted through techniques.

• Advancing practice entails learning to LISTEN TO THE FEEDBACK you give yourself during practice
• even when you are in class, you should be the one that makes choices (assuming you are ATTUNED).
• even more important as we move on with virtual practice outside of in person studio classes

• STRENGTH and FLEXIBILITY are a dialectic.
• strength and flexibility should always be worked to achieve a BALANCED RELATIONSHIP. 
• our culture valorizes flexibility, especially for women, but this thinking will only lead you toward constant injury.
• strength provides the foundation for flexibility
• MOTTO: "Strength and Stability Precede Flexibility"

• Practice should have a mental motivation, either INNER and OUTER-directed.
• This means that one can focus on internal sensations 
• this is most easily and naturally achieved in holding postures (ASANA), and the subtle internal movements of the mind and body
• the longer the holding, the more internal the focus becomes
• Also one may focus on connecting to things outside of us
• this is most easily and naturally achieved in VINYASA (moving practice), where there are no real postures ( in its most extreme expression) but only constant transition. 
• the more sustained the movement, the greater the external focus

The Mind-Breath-Body

• It is foundational in yoga practice that the mind and the body are one, and that they communicate through the breath. 
• The BODY
• Skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, nervous systems make up what we know as the body. These Systems are NOT SEPARATE, but interact with each other forming a WHOLE which is greater than the sum of its parts. (Dialectic)
• Systems are either controlled voluntarily or are sustained as a function of the autonomic nervous system.
• of the autonomic functions, only BREATHING is capable of conscious control
• through controlling breathing we can indirectly affect the functioning of the other autonomic systems.
• this is why breath is so crucial and controlling and attending to breath is foundational to yoga.
• The MIND
• the mind is part of the body as it is principally a electro-chemical neurological phenomenon. 
• We can use our mind through breath to become more EMBODIED
• EMBODIMENT is the degree to which a person feels that the wholly occupy their body. It creates a fluid sense of self. 
• Disembodiment by contrast, would describe a degree of bodily disengagement, separation, or dysmorphia. When we increasingly engage with our bodies, we are able to have more heightened levels of experience in which we see ourselves as full human beings.
• As Merleau-Ponty writes, “The body is us. We are not simply our minds. In fact, experiences in our bodies create who we "are" [mind].”   Embodiment is a way of thinking about bodily experience…it includes pleasures, pain, suffering, sensorial and sensual engagements with the world, vulnerabilities, capabilities, and constraints as they arise within specific times and places. It is both the experience of corporeality, of living in and through the body, as well as phenomenology, the philosophical study of conscious experience from an individual’s subjective perspective.  
• In short, we become who we are through our experiences in our bodies; it is the dialectic between our bodies and minds that interacts with the world. 
• Culture, Emotion and the Mind
• Culture and Perception: What we perceive and give meaning to (experiences) is conditioned by our culture. Any experiences we have are therefore "real," within the context of what is "possible" in our worldview.
• Emotion and Perception: Emotions are called "feelings" because they are bodily sensations that indicate mental states.  Emotions may be channeled in the service of yoga practice for peak experiences. 

What we have set out to do as teachers is help students cultivate a greater awareness of and attunement to their internal state as they practice (the truth of a posture or movement). This is an acceptance of the inevitability of constant change, and the the lack of sustained "truths."

Ashtanga Yoga (Vinyasa)

Ashtanga Yoga

Discipline and authority lie at the heart of Traditional Yoga (But how do we deal with this in modern TNY in the USA?) How is authority established through teaching and practice in the West?

·         GURU-S’ISYA (teacher –disciple) relationship

·         Physical Challenge of Daily Practice

·         Textual foundations and antiquity of practice

·         Physicality of teaching and traditional authority of the teacher

·         Progressing through teacher’s touteledge

History

·         First trained Norman Allen, David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff.

·         1974 brought PJ to calif

·         Now popular around the world mostly in urban contexts

·         Purpose: keeping fit and flexible and managing stress

Seriousness of Practice

·         Physically demanding nature of asana practice

·         Emphasis on daily practice

·         Programmatic form guided by teacher

·         Orientation toward PROGRESS (DRIVEN PERSON)

Role of HEAT

·         Internal heat (TAPAS) integral to practice

o   With heat even iron will bend

o   Aestheticism, discipline and generation of actual INTERNAL HEAT

o   Leads toward the perfection of the body-samadhi-blissful state

o   Ritual heat is linked to personal transformation and spiritual refinement

·         AGNI: purifying heat (burning out the impurities)

o   Head heat turns one into a seer as well

o   Tapas  practice is in al important yoga textual sources

§  Gita: austerities of body speech & mind

§  Manusmriti: methods are prescribed for priests- to minimize their attachments

§  Yoga sutras: part of the definition of Kriya yoga (action)- Tapas is essential to the achievement of perfection alongside self study (Svadhyaya) and the worshipping of god (isvara pranidhana) 2.1

·         Also third of the NIYAMA observances – activities conducive to the achievement of spiritual liberation. They provide the foundation for the higher LIMBS of yoga 2.43

·         4.1 foundation for Siddhis (extraordinary powers) and achievement of perfection

·         YOGA MALA

o   The strength gained through practice …we can come to know the method for bringing the mind and sense organs under control

o   Yama, Niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana Samadhi

o   The perfection of the body and sense organs …due to the intensity in spiritual practice (tapas), being the elimination of impurities.-observances performed to discipline the body and sense organs.

o   Purification is about the GROSS PHYSICAL BODY, and the SUBTLE/ENERGETIC BODY.

§  SIRA- kind of nadi (internal mechanism) Dhamini, nadi sira…gross, subtle and very subtle channels which move internal energies within the body. (from the HYP)

§  When the body is purified, so is the breath, and then the mind because of this subtle linkage of the body to the “message center” through the siras.

o   Pranayama (Ujjayi)

§  The breath regulates the vinyasa and ensures efficient circulation of blood. The result is a LIGHT, STRONG body.

§  Asana plus pranayama purifies the blood. 32 days and 1 drop of blood make VITAL NECTAR *Vria-life force). Stored in the crown chakra. Vria travels downward and is consumed by the upward flow of agni (digestive fire). If it is gone, we are lost. Asana and INVERSIONS safely store and maintain this vria in the AMRTABINDU

·         Teaching authority

o   Highly regulated by PJ and grandson now

o   Emphasis on sweating as an indication of internal heat production

o   Rub in sweat (LIGHT SHEEN is better than profuse sweating) (HYP)

o   Sweating after the casting out of impurities leads to the trsansformation of the body which is the first stage of yogic transformation. (HYP) FIRM AND LIGHT

Achievement, Discipline, and Authority in Practice

·         Controls yoga teachers certification and authorization

·         Performance of spirituality (Nevrin) is regulated by PJ

·         High energy atmosphere characteristic of the shala-COLLECTIVE NATURE

·         No nonsense style of teaching

·         Reverence for the guru

·         Control over development of each students practice

·         Weekly “conference” with guru, seated on a chair or raised dias while students sit on floor and listen

·         Students wait in line to bow down in front of their guru and kiss or tough his feet three times in the traditional gesture of devotion

·         Use of Sanskrit quotations in question and answer sessions, limited English tio answer questions. Relies on parable

·         Challenging ADJUSTMENTS of AYRI-authority of teacher

o   “openings” or injuries?

o   Inherited from K who emphasized fierceness???

·         Practices seen as CORRECT or INCORRECT by PJ

·         Sequences confirmed by the YOGA KARUNTA and are unalterable

o   Eaten by ants, acquired by K, but taught directly to PJ by K

In the WEST, the emphasis the PJ had on internal heat as a way of achieving spiritual transformation through cleansing the BODY (foundation for higher practices) is often replaced by the idea that the practice is about PERFECTING the body as a lean, strong and flexible machine through the perfect performance of asana. Tapas=EAST: (HYP)

·         Elimination of toxins through the skin

·         Internal purification of the gross and subtle aspects of the body

·         Transubstantiation of bodily fluids into vital essence of AMRITA

*Heat will destroy all obstacles to transformation vs heated practice will perfect the body.

PDF CHEAT SHEET

Bikram Yoga (Physical Culture)

Bikram Yoga Website

Read "About" section. Know 

• the principles behind Bikram Yoga
• the 26 postures
• health claims and healing stories
• connection to "lineage"

Yoga and Physical Culture

Bikram states in his book, that Westerners "ruin their bodies by blindly running around 'exercising' and playing sports...I tell my students no barbells, no dumbells, no rackets...Games are okay for children, for recreation and to teach them sportsmanship. But after that you must give up trying to put a little round ball in a hole all the time".

• Yoga is better than anything else for fitness
• all other styles of yoga are junk (bogus yoga)
• tried to trade mark yoga (lost)

Physical Culture & Science

• VITAL CAPACITY (1900)
• ability to breath deeply (good measure of fitness at the time) 'vital index'
• the maximum amount of air that an individual could exhale after a deep inhale
• foundation of metabolism
• expression of the human spirit and the soul 
• (fanned the body's metabolic flames)
• Gune and pranayama as vital capacity
• gave lungs, chest and abdominal muscles a comprehensive workout
• improved flexibility of the ribcage
• aptitude for deep breathing
• Vigorous sports
• improved the performance of virtually every tissue in the human body
• jogging
• cross training
• challenging CARDIO
• How does yoga measure up? 
• 1970s and 1980s science began to study yoga as it became popular
• poor aerobic conditioning
• self reporting
• subjects feel better about themselves
• enhanced sleep, energy, health and flexibility
• better moods
• looked better
• social benefits reported

Modern Styles which claim "total fitness"

• UC Davis studies (poor peer review)
• Rigorous styles (Ashtange/Vinyasa)
• YogaFit/Hybrids

Ashtanga as a model. Still no real aerobic benefits according to scientific studies.yet the myth persists.

• METABOLIC studies still show that yoga SLOWS your metabolism which runs counter to wait loss
• may make people eat less because they are burning fewer calories in their efforts
• more efficient metabolism?
• slows heart rate

How to explain weight loss/etc?

• yoga has ancillary benefits which may contribute to an overall HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE.
• daily exercise
• improved self-image
• interest in healthier eating
• interest in plant-based diet
• heightened mood