I’ve been doing a little research on Ashtanga lately. I have taken Ashtanga-inspired yoga classes before, but never ventured into Primary Series territory. Then recently I found myself browsing around the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute site, Ashtangi.net and Ashtanga.com, and I even ordered a primary series DVD with Richard Freeman. I guess you can say that I’m a little Ashtanga-curious.

In my search for Ashtanga info I came across this delightful video on YouTube of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the guru of Ashtanga yoga. He believes in practicing. A lot. (He is famously quoted saying “Practice and all is coming.”) Now I’m going to follow his advice and go to class: “You can take practice. Don’t talk.”

Being an occasional insomniac I’m always on the lookout for good advice for sleepless nights. You can increase your chances of a good night’s sleep by doing a short restorative yoga practice just before bedtime. One of the main causes of insomnia is stress and an over-active mind, and yoga triggers the relaxation response in the body. (Although some nights there just isn’t anything you can do but get a good book and a snack and settle in on the couch. But don’t give up before you’ve tried this sequence!)

Timothy McCall’s excellent book Yoga as Medicine has a chapter on insomnia, and he mentions some pretty interesting points on how yoga can help:

1. Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body and mind calm down and reducing the level of stress hormones such as cortisol in the blood.
2. Studies show that inverted yoga poses promote sleep by triggering the baroreflex (a blood pressure reflex), decreasing blood pressure. Regular practice of inversions is believed to be especially calming for the nervous system. If you are comfortable practicing shoulder stand and headstand, include these in your regular practice.
3. Ayurveda sees insomnia as something caused by an excess of Vata (one of the three doshas, dosha = “that which becomes unbalanced”). Ayurvedic advice for insomnia are meant to reduce Vata: Establish a general routine going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, eat warm nutritious meals at regular times, and stop all work one or two hours before bed.
4. If you wake up in the middle of the night, try practicing some gentle Ujjayi Pranayama while lying on your back in bed. Count each exhalation until you reach ten, then start over.

So what can you do when you can’t sleep? Here is a restorative yoga sequence you can do right before bed to relax and hopefully banish the insomnia. Hold each pose as long as you need to (this will vary, it could be anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes). Put on some warm socks and pajama, and find a softly lit spot where no one will disturb you. You need one or two blankets for the supported poses, or you can use a couple of pillows.

Bedtime Yoga Practice against Insomnia

Simple cross-legged seated pose (Sukhasana)
Ujjayi Pranayama
Supported seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana)
(Rest your head on a padded chair or a folded up blanket.)
Reclining bound angle pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Knees-to-chest (Apanasana)
Legs-up-the-wall (Viparita Karani)
Corpse pose (Savasana) in bed

Sweet dreams!

I’m a bit on the fence when it comes to playing music during yoga class. I love an energetic vinyasa or flow class with great music, but I find that it often leads to “spacing out” instead of concentration. I have started including classes without music in my own practice, and it’s actually quite a different experience. Silence lets your mind be involved in your practice on a much deeper level. If you are used to always going to classes where the teacher plays music I highly recommend trying a class or home practice without it.

Now that I made my argument for sometimes practicing without music, here is a really fun vinyasa playlist for when you want to include some sound. If you’re feeling down or lethargic, play these great songs and do some sun salutations!

Vinyasa Flow Playlist
(click the song to download from iTunes)

Mul Mantra - Snatam Kaur
Hari Har - Snatam Kaur
Gopala Hare - Wah!
Gayatri Mantra - Deva Premal
Jaadu - Ustad Sultan Khan
Tarana - Ustad Sultan Khan & Thievery Corporation
Jana (Sad Bachelor Remix) - Ustad Sultan Khan & Radar One
Hari Om Shiva Om - Deva Premal
Devi Puja - Krishna Das & Prana
Raghupati - Bhagavan Das

This morning I started thinking about what brings me back to my yoga practice, day after day. The answer is pretty simple: a feeling of joy. Not happiness exactly, but a feeling of being alive and seeing the world more vividly.

Yoga and meditation can be tools to access an inner joy that is independent of external circumstances. This joy is always there, but it is often muddled with the concerns of everyday life. Stephen Cope writes beautifully about this still pool under the disturbances of the mind. In his book The Wisdom of Yoga he quotes Buddhist meditation teacher Mahasi Sayadaw:

When the mind is concentrated on the object of meditation, it does not attach itself to other thoughts, nor does it desire pleasant sights and sounds. Pleasurable objects lose their power over the mind. Dispersion and dissipation cannot occur… As concentration takes the mind to more subtle levels, deep interest arises. Rapture and joy fill one’s being. This development frees the mind… for anger and aversion cannot coexist with joy.

By focusing the mind on a single point, action and awareness come together. This experience is similar to what is often described as “flow.” Time becomes irrelevant, and we feel completely absorbed in the moment. Subduing the usual chatter in our mind lets us connect with the present moment, feeling like we are exactly where we are supposed to be. This moment may be fleeting, but through continued practice we can learn to access it again and again, for longer periods of time.

Think you’re too old for yoga? Then read this inspiring story about 87 year old Ann Husch, who practices yoga every day and teaches three yoga classes a week:

From the St. Louis Post:
At 87, no worries: Yoga helps keep her going

What an amazing woman! In the article Ann shares her philosophy about yoga: “With yoga, you learn that life is not for worrying. Life is for learning to live.” I hope that at 87 I will still be doing yoga, with the same wisdom that Ann seems to have.

Yoga has physical and mental benefits that can be accessed at any age, and the practice changes with you as you follow the winding road of life. If you’re interested in reading more about the health benefits of yoga for seniors there’s a really good article at the American Senior Fitness Association web site.

I came across a quote by Richard Freeman earlier this week that really reminds me that the practice and philosophy of yoga is available to everyone, regardless of age and physical ability. I think Ann would completely agree with Freeman:

Yoga is freedom. It’s freedom from the fear of not knowing who you are. It’s freedom from having to present a face that isn’t your true face. It’s freedom from pretending to believe in something that you really don’t know to be true. It’s the return to the present moment, to the natural mind, to the state of complete happiness.

~ Richard Freeman

How can anyone be too old or too young to practice this state of mind?

Recently I have come across lots of really good yoga books, DVDs, and blogs, and here is a shortlist of the ones I’ve enjoyed the most. Let me know if you have other yoga books or resources that you love and want to recommend!

The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living
by Stephen Cope

Ready to delve deeper into yoga philosophy, but don’t know where to start? This book by psychotherapist and Kripalu-teacher Stephen Cope is a great down-to-earth introduction to the yoga sutras and the eight limbs of yoga, and how it all applies to everyday life. I especially like the personal stories weaved into the text. Really well-written, with lots of insight and reflection.

Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living
by Donna Farhi

Practical advice from long-time teacher Donna Farhi about integrating yoga in your life. No quick fixes, but lots of advice on using the wisdom of yoga to live an authentic life. (Note: This book is about “practical philosophy,” not about asanas.)

Yoga Kids: For Ages 3-6
by Marsha Wenig

Really fun DVD for small kids, introducing them to what yoga is through animal poses, stories and songs. Made me want to bark like a dog and hiss like a snake!

Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat
by Kimberly Wilson

Cute and funky book and blog (http://www.hiptranquilchick.com/)combining yoga and modern girl living. Think vinyasa class, life philosophy, creativity, and Marc Jacobs all rolled into one… This is definitely not the book for yoga traditionalists, but it’s a really fun read full of life and creativity! The web site has a blog, podcasts, and list of events and workshops. Also check out Kimberly Wilson’s article on Examiner.com, Define your life as art.

I think it’s been established by now that yoga is good for you. There is a general consensus that yoga improves your health, has a de-stressing effect, and increases well-being. (Ok, occasionally you see news articles where doctors complain about an increase in yoga injuries, but with a good teacher and respect for your own limits most injuries can be prevented.) But why exactly is yoga good for you?

One of the keys to yoga’s health benefits lie in its effect on the nervous system. Yoga works as an antidote to the body’s stress response. When humans perceive a looming danger, whether it’s a blood-thirsty tiger, a deadline, or a traffic jam, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, triggering what we often call the fight-or-flight response. The heart rate and blood pressure increase, digestion is reduced, adrenaline production is stimulated, and the pupils dilate, preparing the person to deal with the danger of whatever it was that triggered the stress response.

When the perceived danger is over the body activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Heat rate and blood pressure decrease, digestive activity returns to normal, endorphins are produced, and the pupils constrict, restoring a resting condition in the body. The problem with modern life, however, is that often the parasympathetic nervous system gets challenged by chronic stressors, and we are never able to fully relax. Sounds familiar?

Taking time out for your yoga practice and allowing time for yourself is in itself de-stressing. But this isn’t the only reason yoga is good if you are running around yourself in circles. Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system directly, working to counteract the effects of stress.

If you are feeling stressed out, try targeting the relaxation response in your practice:

• Focus on deep, slow breathing that fully activates the diaphragm.
• Include poses that target sections of the spine linked to the parasymphatetic nervous system (neck->T1 and L2->tail). Poses that access the neck or the hips can be very calming. Try Supported Shoulderstand and Reclining Bound Angle Pose (with or without props).

After practice, climb into bed with some herbal tea and a good book, and things might not seem so bad after all! 

More about the health benefits of yoga:

77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga
ABC of Yoga: Benefits of Yoga - Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You
MayoClinic.com: Yoga: Improve your stress management and relaxation skills

I know it’s not really the season for warm salads, but since the farmer’s market is full of fresh chard and beets I couldn’t resist. I never liked beets growing up (this was the pickled variety), but once I tried using it as a fresh vegetable I discovered that it’s really good in salads and luckily tastes nothing like pickled beets.

Interestingly, chard is actually a type of beet, cultivated for it’s leaves. Beets are high in vitamin C and folate, and are also considered to have medicinal properties ranging from reducing high blood pressure, fever, and constipation to being an aphrodisiac. So beets seem to have you covered on all fronts.

Try mixing several different kinds of beets for this salad, if you can find them. Just try to keep the dark red ones separately until the last moment to avoid having a bright pink dish. And don’t wear your favorite bright summer clothes while cooking…

Warm Beet and Chard Salad
Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 

6 medium beets (red, golden, Chioggia)
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch chard, Rainbow or regular
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (canned is fine, but rinse well)
2 tablespoons good olive oil

1. Roast the beets: Wrap beets in foil two and two together (of the same type so they don’t stain each other), place on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and roast at 375 degrees for about one hour. Take the beets out of the oven to cool in the foil for a while. (Keeping them in the foil will help loosen the skin.) When cold enough to handle, remove the skin and slice beets in big pieces. Keep aside in a bowl. 
2. Sauté the onion and garlic on medium heat for about five minutes. Add roughly chopped chard, stems removed, and cook until the chard is done (5-10 minutes). Add the garbanzo beans and beets and heat for a few minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

I can’t believe my yoga teacher training is over already. The four weeks flew by in a whirlwind of practice, lectures, and studying. After being immersed in the training for a month I woke up early Monday morning not knowing what to do with myself. No class to go to? I got up and did a Yoga Works sequence at home similar to what we used to do every morning. I miss having a steady 2-hour morning asana class. I miss having people around me whose eyes don’t glaze over when I start talking about the finer points of Adho Mukha Svanasana wrist alignment.

The training was a great experience and I already miss it, but it was kind of refreshing to go to my usual yoga class this weekend. I felt like a naughty child doing all the things we were taught not to do: Reverse Warrior, Vira I -> Vira II transitions, linking lots of poses on one side before doing the other. But some of these things are really fun! In my own practice I love doing crazy linking sequences. But I digress…

The Yoga Works training curriculum was really good, well planned, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. There was a strong focus on learning alignment points, anatomy, sequencing, injury prevention, and teaching principles and techniques. My own practice improved, and I had several ”aha!” moments almost every day. 200 hours of training sounds like a lot, but it really is barely enough to cover the basics. I feel like I have learnt a lot, but also that I just got started as a yoga student. Isn’t there a saying, “the more you know, the more you know that you don’t know”?

Yoga Works has made a few choices that you should be aware of if you are considering the Yoga Works teacher training:

• Yoga Works style = Ashtanga flow/vinyasa + Iyengar alignment emphasis.
• Strong focus on alignment and Yoga Works teaching principles.
• Mandatory anatomy weekend (which was immensely helpful!).
• Practice teaching segments are rolled into the lecture almost every day, but there is no full-length class practice teaching. I think their theory is that once you’re out in the real world you’ll figure this out pretty quickly if you have the right foundation.
• A good chunk of time is spent on the Yoga Sutras, yoga history, and Ayurveda, but the main focus of the training is teaching asanas.

In addition to the Yoga Works manual these books were on our reading list:

Anatomy and Asana by Susi Hately Aldous
The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit by Donna Farhi
Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda

If you’re just getting into teaching this is a great foundation course! However, if you’ve been teaching for a while and you’re looking for a more philosophical focus, you might consider other options.

I think it must be a sign that I’ve been studying too much lately, but I found this new asana mentioned in the blog Samadhi & the City really, really funny. From the post New York: Beating the Heat with Bikram? by Valerie Reiss:

“I thought it could be a good way to jumpstart my practice–seeing as lately I’m most familiar with Sitonmyasana.”