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All of us who have studied for years with Laurie are accustomed to various projects around the abdomen (and the feet and hands!). This sequence is intended to show how the abdomen can be the engine at times but also the grateful recipient of actions in other parts of the body.  Abdominal control can also bring the sense of ease and relaxation within a pose that is mentioned in one of the very few yoga sutras that mention asana.  That sutra appears below, along with a relevant (and interesting) sutra from the yogic “superpowers” chapter of the sutras.  

YS III.30 By samyama on the navel plexus of the body comes knowledge of the arrangement of the body.

YS II.47 Such posture should be attained by the relaxation of effort and absorption in the infinite.

Check back to our earlier post ” More than a little stretching” for a pdf of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and a quick click to buy Light on the Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali by BKS Iyengar.

Continue reading “Be an engine for action, and a grateful recipient”

It may feel like our lives are paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the world continues to spin and seasons continue to change. Winter becomes spring! Spring is a time of renewal and cleansing. We use this time to clean our homes and yards, welcoming sunny, warm weather. We ramp up our exercise routines and, maybe even, get a new haircut! In our yoga practice, we also cleanse our internal body by practicing twisting asanas (or revolved asanas). These asanas create flexibility of the spine and rejuvenate the abdominal organs. They bring a peaceful state of mind when the breath is used to support the twisting action.

In the sequence provided, find the stability needed in the hips/legs to support the movement in the trunk and chest. In the twisting asanas, use the inhalation to lift and lengthen the sides of the trunk and the exhalation to deepen the twist and massage the abdominal organs. It’s encouraged to repeat the twisting asanas several times to reduce stiffness and get deeper into the poses. As seen in the sequence, the wall is a helpful prop to support the turning of the torso. Use the hands on the wall to deepen the twist and find stability.

Continue reading “The World Continues to Spin, from Becca”

While we are all enclosed and sheltered and being responsibly distant I’m reminded of the practice mode of encasing one pose in the center of a series. We do a chain of asanas towards one center asana.  The phase of going in is called pratiloma vinyasa.  Pratiloma vinyasa moves from simple to complicated; it charges the body and ignites intelligence.

From that center pose, we then practice the same poses in reverse order returning to the first pose.  This phase of returning is called anuloma vinyasa.  Anuloma vinyasa is returning as we pacify the complete system of body and consciousness.

This mode of practice reminds me of moving towards and away from things. How arriving is different than leaving, and how we will all see this current crisis through to the other side.

Continue reading “The Action of Encasement – Samputana Kriya”