Tag Archives: Wellbeing

Musing about Mudras

Posted on July 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

Perhaps you have been to a yoga class where your teacher has explained something about mudras to you or perhaps this is the first time you have even heard of them…either way an understanding of mudra and how it affects yoga practice can greatly enhance your spiritual experience of yoga.

The word “mudra” is a Sanskrit word that literally means gesture or attitude.  A mudra can be psychic, emotional, devotional or aesthetic in nature. The mudra will have an effect on the mind creating a sense of peace, well-being or even a connection to something “bigger” than yourself.  From a Tantric perspective a mudra will provide a way of capturing dissipated prana (vital energy) and therefore will calm and introvert the mind helping to create a state that is more conducive to deeper meditative experience.

There are different types of mudras but the most common are those of the hands particularly ….Chin and  Gyana (sometimes spelt “jnana”) mudra where the index finger is connected to the base of the thumb or thumb tip  and the hands are placed in a relaxed fashion on the knees facing up or down respectively.

In these mudras the index finger represents individual consciousness and the thumb represents higher consciousness.  The curling or bowing of the finger to the thumb is symbolic of the desire for unity of the individual with the higher consciousness….the very essence of yoga and life…that of union.

Some of the specific benefits of mudras include:

  •  bringing awareness to large areas of  the cortex – physiologically the hand and the head areas take up 50% of the cortex
  •  establishing pranic balance (keeping the energy within the body),
  •  helping  to express some of the more elevated states of mind like peace, joy, compassion, devotion, surrender and inner beauty
  • linking the yoga practitioner with higher cosmic forces
  • deepening awareness and concentration

Swami Niranjananda (Prana, Pranayama, Prana Vidya 1994) describes the activity of mudra in this way ….There can be no expansion of awareness without firstly starting to become  aware. During mudra practice, we start to become aware of the thoughts which emerge before, during and after the practice. We are creating fixed, repetitive postures and gestures which can snap the practitioner out of  instinctive habit patterns and establish a more refined awareness.

To read more about Mudras try the following links:

http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2002/bmar02/mudras.shtmlo

http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1979/cmar79/mudras.shtml

http://yogatherapy.org.au/doc/mudras_abstract_poster.pdf   —-  an interesting study on how hand mudras help to deal with particular health problems

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Salute to the Sun…Surya Namaskara

Posted on June 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

As winter settles it can be difficult to keep active and vitalised.  Levels of  energy can drop quickly  and one of the best ways I know to keep the pranic energy active is through the practice of Surya Namaskara or “salute to the sun”.

This practice  combines  several asana or postures into a series of 12 movements each designed to stimulate different parts of  the body and in this way all the body systems are massaged,  charged with energy and finally relaxed.

The sun in Surya Namaskara represents your inner light…it helps you to recognise the radiance and power within yourself…your potential to expand beyond the known into higher realms of clarity and consciousness.

Care must be taken to become familiar with each pose and maintain the correct alignment so slow practice is best to begin with.  This can be accompanied with slow rhythmical breathing to strengthen, stabilise and to take the awareness within the body (pratyahara).  Once you are familiar with the practice you may wish to practise more quickly, making the practice more energising and revitalising.

The practice of Surya Namaskara can be modified to suit different levels of yogic experience and different physical abilities. (you could talk to your teacher about this)

This practice is both a physical and mental practice as you need to concentrate on the transition from one posture to the next  and counting the number of rounds you have decided to do.  Swami Niranjan suggests that 4 rounds each day is sufficient for general health and wellbeing whilst practising 10 rounds each day will lead to higher levels of spiritual development.

You may have experienced practising Surya Namaskara whilst mantras have been repeated for you and if you can learn these they will strengthen  and uplift the mental state making the practice a complete sadhana.

It is wise to always rest in Shavasana after completing the practice of Surya Namaskara.  This allows the full benefits of the practice to be integrated as the para sympathetic nervous system is able to “kick in” so to speak after the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (stimulated by the practice) and the body is brought back into balance.  Resting until the heart rate and breathing returns to normal is recommended.

For more information on solar energy and the practice of Surya Namaskara see the following link:

http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1977/haug77/solar.shtml

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A balancing act

Posted on May 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

How do you get a more balanced perspective on life and develop equanimity?

You are standing on one leg with your arms raised above your head and feeling very wobbly as your teacher asks you to breathe through the practice…to ground yourself in the supporting leg, to focus your awareness and  feel the strength of the pose.

Then one day without realising it you suddenly notice that you are not wobbling anymore.  All the conscious effort in the practice evaporates and the pose seems to flow smoothly as you maintain your awareness on your breath.  What has caused this transformation? How have you been able to ward off the wobbles?

Through balancing asana you develop physical balance but also a mental and emotional balance.  The strength required in these poses develops a strength of will.   You know that you are supported and consequently you know that no matter what life throws at you…. ..you will manage it.

The steady breathing required to maintain the pose is exactly the same steady breathing you need when faced with the ups and downs of life.  All too often we panic when things start to get difficult …we breathe shallowly and allow the mind to race off predicting the future or reliving the past rather than staying present.  It is the balancing poses in particular that teach us to be present.  (you may have noticed that you become wobbly all over again if you let your mind drift and the awareness is lost).  To balance successfully you need to feel your whole body, to focus the awareness, to breathe steadily and ground yourself into the supporting leg.

If you are interested in exploring balancing asana a bit more here are a couple of useful links:

http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1242

http://www.ayl.com.au/pdf_docs/Adam_asana_25.pdf

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What is happening at home?

Posted on April 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Home practice is one of the key elements to integrating yoga into your life.  It is often something which people find difficult to apply and the reasons vary from “not enough time’, “nowhere quiet and comfortable to practice” to “I can’t remember all the poses” and “I just don’t know how to sequence practices”.

Some of these may sound familiar to you if you have been putting off starting your own yoga practice at home.  You may well be attending weekly classes but have just not got around to finding time to explore yoga yourself in your own home.  One of the most rewarding things I have done is to establish a routine of home practice for myself. Sure there are times when I am too tired or not well enough but that is ok because Yoga is about listening to your body (but be careful that you are not listening to your mind..which has the habit of finding reasons why this or that is no good or not working!)

So how do you go about it?  Well the important thing is to begin….set aside a short period of time each day either early morning, or late afternoon. Do not restrict yourself with unrealistic expectations like “I will do a one and half hour class every day before I have breakfast.  (this may be quite easy to do at the ashram where you do not have your other obligations of family and work)  Start with a shorter session but try to allow enough time for a few asanas as well as some breathing practices and or relaxation.  This may even be making sure that you allow yourself 5-10 mins lying in Shavasana at the end of your other asanas.

Find a space that feels right.  It does not have to be huge.  You can enhance the energy and atmosphere with a candle and some incense if you have some. I have set up a small yoga room in one of the spare bedrooms but I often just go outside especially if the weather is good. ( I find that nature is the best atmosphere for me)

Let your body tell you what poses are right for you on each occasion.  Some will be repeated perhaps each day but sometimes you will just feel like doing one pose more than others.  Begin with gentle movements and warm the body up then try to balance the practices out a little with a few forward and backward bends, a couple of standing asanas, a twist and if inversions suit your body an inverted pose to increase the flow of blood to your brain (it is also a great way to gain a new perspective on something!)

Swami Niranjan suggested the practices of Tadasana, Tiryaka Tadasana and Kati Chakrasana  as excellent general practices for the spine.

I like to do at least some observation of the natural breath at the beginning and end of my practice and usually incorporate at least one other pranayama or breathing practice.  (A good one for beginners is abdominal breathing )

Do not despair if you find that your practice is a little erratic at times…show compassion to yourself …just roll out the mat once again and begin with stillness.  There is a great article in the current  issue of  Australian Yoga Life Magazine….sequencing a home practice if you would like to read more.

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Opening up with back bends

Posted on April 16, 2012 | 2 comments

Back bends are probably the most commonly thought of yoga postures when you think of yoga. Just about everyone will have seen an image of someone in the cobra or Bhujangasana pose.

Back bends expand the chest and open the heart space.  Usually performed on inhalation the back bend is a stimulating practice that produces heat and energy. In contrast to forward bending (see previous post) they work against gravity and therefore require some strength especially in the lumbar spine.

With this in mind yoga students should always begin gradually with some of the less intense poses such as the flying locust (Ardha Shalabhasana), as this posture helps to develop the necessary strength in the back.  You can then move on to Saral Bhujangasana (half cobra).  Another excellent practice to prepare for the stronger back bends is Khanderasana (the shoulder pose).   As always it is important to work within the limitations of your body so that strain of spinal joints is avoided.

The stimulating nature of these postures means that they are considered to be more extroverting…allowing the practitioner to be open to life’s experiences.

Back bends should normally be followed by a forward bend like Shashankasana or pose of the child  (see previous post) as this helps to balance out the body and allows the previously compressed vertebra to open up again.

 

 

 

 

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So what about Asana?

Posted on March 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

Asana is the name given to the physical poses or postures of yoga.   It is what most people think of when they think of yoga and is often referred to as Hatha Yoga.  “Ha” meaning sun and “tha” meaning moon, where the sun represents the positive energies and the moon the negative ones.  It is bringing these into balance through postures that is the practice of asana.

Asana are quite different to other exercises though, as you are asked  to be aware of the breath and use the breath to move into and out of asana.  Often the exhaling breath is used to help steady the body and mind and enable the muscles to lengthen or strengthen depending on what the asana is aimed at doing.  You also need  to keep the mind with the practice…..all too often the mind wanders to this and that so the practice of asana helps to balance the wild fluctuations of the mind.

Swami Satyananda says in the introduction to his book Asana, Pranayama, Mudra and Bandha that

 “The body and mind are not separate entities although there is a tendency to think and act as though they are.  The gross form of the mind is the body …and the subtle form of the body is the mind.”

In this way  the actions of the body will affect the mind and the activity of the mind will affect the body.   You probably know from your own experience how negative thoughts can make you feel lethargic or more aware of aches and pains and you may also have experienced the “good” feelings you get when you have been out riding a bike, walking in nature or doing some form of exercise.  Most doctors now agree  that exercise is not only good for the body but good for the mind.

According to Patanjali (who is often referred to as the father of yoga) asana is about finding a position that is steady and comfortable.  So the practice of asanas is developing the ability to be steady and comfortable in different poses, bringing the mind and body into harmony. Ultimately the  practice is designed to enable one to sit comfortably in meditation.  However there are many other benefits of asana practice.  Regular practice keeps the joints flexible, the muscles and ligaments are gently stretched and strengthened, tensions and toxins are released and the mind is brought into balance with the body.

So what are you waiting for???.. find a teacher and get onto that mat!

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Sankalpa

Posted on January 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Sankalpa or resolve in yoga nidra is a short positive statement that you make for yourself. It requires you to contemplate the most important goal in your life.   According to Sw Niranjan “it is a process of training the mind to develop the will and to develop clarity of thought”. The Sankalpa then works to sustain motivation and drive as you work toward your goal.

It is not just a wish such as “I wish to become that” but a conviction that “I will become that”.  In that way Sankalpa is not just a thought but a power or force.

By repeating it three times at the beginning of yoga nidra (when the body and mind are relaxed) and toward the end this force is implanted into the subconscious mind. When you make your Sankalpa at this stage you are surrounded by your own feelings and expressions of your inner spirit.

Sw Niranjan says that

 “Your Sankalpa is not only thinking you are that, but striving to become that.  It is taking a step forward and once you take a step forward, stepping back has no meaning.”

You do not need to have a very big Sankalpa…you can start with something small but the more positive and optimistic you are then the more strength you gain and the further you will go.

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