Intention

I've been doing yoga for 20 years and I've only been experiencing the poses at a deeper level in the last few.  The difference is that I am finally experiencing the poses from the inside, not the outside.  Instead of forcing myself to attain what I think is the goal of the pose, I am simply feeling the sensations of the poses and relishing in that.  It is so simple.  The wonderful result is that on some days, I may notice, wow, I am really going further in this pose.  It was not my goal to do that, it just happened without me realizing it!  The physical pose is now an expression of what's inside of me. 

Which brings me to intention.  Focusing on intention is different than focusing on a goal.  Intention is not oriented on a future outcome.  It is focused on how you are being in the present moment.

You set your intention based on what is important to you and then make a commitment to align your actions to this intention.  During the centering pose at the beginning of class, scan your thoughts and settle on an intention that seems to fit with your disposition at the time.  

To set your intention - think about these questions:  Why do I practice?  How can I go deeper into my practice?  What's missing in my practice?  How am I going to be in this practice?  Be short, positive and precise.  Your intention can be honed down to a word, which can act like a mantra throughout your practice. 

Your intention can be the same over many days of practice, or can change from day to day.  For example, if you have noticed that you are complaining of being tired all the time, you can set your intention to be energetic.  If you notice that you have been very self-critical, you can set your intention to be gentle with yourself.  If you have been feeling sorry for yourself, you can set your intention to be grateful.

After you have set your intention, return to it throughout your yoga practice. 

Some examples of intentions honed down to mantras are below. When you read the following list, some of the words will resonate with you more than others.  (Think - how am I going to be in every pose).

Energetic                       Gentle                            Kind                                Free

Celebratory                   Loving                            Patient                             Enthusiastic

Playful                           Fierce                             Trusting                           Compassionate

Grateful                         Vigourous                       Steady                             Creative

Accepting                      Strong                            Balanced                          Generous

Content                         Open                              Tolerant                            Fearless

Courageous                   Confident                        Bold                                Still

Breathe!

The breath is the anchor, foundation, life of each pose.  There are several "techniques" to help you find and stay with your breath.  We can control our breath to go deeper into the poses.  One of the most commonly used techniques is "ujjayi" or breath of victory.  In power or Ashtanga yoga, it is recommended to maintain the ujjayi breath throughout your entire yoga practice.  I'm not one to expound the one size fits all method.  When you feel the pose from within you, you will know which breath is needed in each pose.  We already know that a backbend invites an inhalation and a forward bend invites an exhalation.  Eventually you will know when to add ujjayi or a breath retention or any other breath technique.  Why not try alternate nostril breathing while doing pigeon pose? 

Ujjayi breath controls the flow of air through your airway.  By narrowing the passageway, we can draw out and control the flow of air.  This allows us to extend the breath and go deeper into the poses.  There is a slight constriction of the throat, like when you whisper, you create resistance to the passage of air, or like sipping the breath through a straw.  You will hear a very slight sound, like that of a shell when you bring it to your ear.  Bring your attention to the notch between the collar bones at the base of your throat.  

You can start by breathing in through the nostrils, and whispering Ahh or Haa when you breath out, direct the breath over the back of your throat. The breath is still relaxed, no strain!  If  you find you are turning into Darth Vader, you're trying to hard. 

Be patient, it takes time to perfect this breath so that it is smooth and even.  With time, you can practice ujjayi on the in and out breath with your mouth closed.

Stomach Lock

 Another breathing technique that allows you to extend the exhalation and massage your internal organs is the stomach lock or uddiyana Bandha.  This can be performed standing, sitting or lying down or even on all fours.  I find it easiest to find this bandha while lying down, you might like to try it standing as well.  Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale completely.   Contract your abdominal muscles fully to push as much air as possible out of your lungs.  Do not inhale but hold the breath.   Perform what's called a "mock inhalation"; that is, lift your rib cage as if you were inhaling, but don't actually inhale. The expansion of the rib cage (without the inhalation) sucks the abdominal muscles into the rib cage and hollows the belly.  Let the chin drop toward the chest (chin lock or  Jalandhara Bandha).  Enjoy this lock for for five to 15 seconds. Then slowly release the abdominal grip and inhale normally. Perform three to 10 rounds, depending on your capacity, with one or more normal breaths between each round.

Push or Yield

Two weeks ago the theme for the week was "ground" and I had a fun time playing around with and investigating the concept of yielding the body to gravity and waiting for the corresponding rebound from the body.  As so often happens, while my mind was tossing these concepts around, I came across a few interesting quotes that also look at this from a slightly different perspective.

Vanda Scaravelli - There is a division in the center of our back, where the spine moves simultaneously in two opposite directions: from the waist down towards the legs and the feet, which are pulled by gravity, and from the waist upwards, through the top of the head, lifting us up freely.

Donna Farhi - In a "collapse" relationship with gravity, the body lacks tone and sags downward into the Earth. Our breath feels like stagnant water, dull and lacking in vitality, and we may be depressed and lethargic. We often try to remedy this state of collapse by swinging to the "prop" end of the spectrum, constantly pushing the ground away, projecting ourselves into space by holding the body in a state of hypertonicity, and negating our connection to the Earth. Our breathing becomes strident, high up in the chest, and tense. We feel distrustful, convinced that the only way we'll stay vertical is through constant, self-willed effort. The third choice, balanced between these two extremes, is to yield to gravity. When we yield our body weight—when we trust the Earth to support us—an upward rebounding action effortlessly lifts us away from the Earth. Our muscles come into a balanced tone, neither too gripped nor too released, and our breath centers itself in the middle of the body. Gravity becomes our friend, not our foe, and we feel in harmony with ourselves. We make the necessary effort, provide the necessary work to maintain the body's integrity, and then we let something beyond what we know and control happen to us. We trust that life will support us.


Erich Schiffman - Every yoga posture involves a "push" and a "yield".  Pushing is an active force that moves the body further and deeper into the posture, gently exploring areas of tightness.  Yielding is a passive force with which you wait and listen to the moment-to-moment feedback from your body; it's a letting go of resistance that allows the active force to be successful without being aggressive.  The pushing and yielding elements occur simultaneously, as in a dance.  Done properly, therefor, yoga is a matter of pushing and yielding, of "doing" and "not-doing" at the same time.


All these contradictions/paradoxes are with us as we balance and re-balance through all the moments of our lives, and you could probably add a few lines of your own:
 

Push	Yield
Active	Passive
Yang	Yin
Act	Not act
Separate	Together
Particle	Wave
Do	Be
Heavy	Light