Northwest Yoga Conference Interview with Liz Doyle!

I was recently interviewed by Melissa from Northwest Yoga Conference (February 18-19, 2012) where I'll be presenting Saturday February 18th, 9-11AM on Hidden Meanings in Yoga Asana (half practice/half lecture and discussion)- sign up for my workshop or the whole weekend HERE!

Read on...

Ever wanted to know a little more about your yoga teacher? Here is your chance! We asked teachers at the conference to share what inspires their teaching and practice and let us know about their yoga favorites. They also share what they are looking forward to most at the Northwest Yoga Conference. Enjoy!

Meet Liz Doyle, a prominent yogi in the northwest, who will be teaching yoga practitioners about the “Hidden Meanings in Yoga Asana”. You can find Liz Doyle teaching yoga classes and workshops on both sides of Lake Washington and at retreats, teacher trainings and festivals throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to teaching adults, Liz also offers yoga classes for children. Learn more and sign up for Liz’s email newsletter at: LizDoyleYoga.com

Inspiration:

What was your first yoga experience?

My first yoga experience was when I was a sophomore in college. I raided my parents’ library before I left for school that year, and one of the books I took was Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s a great little book and a well-rounded sequence. I followed the plan religiously, and I loved it. For some reason, I didn’t keep it up, and did not practice again until I was 30, when I began a regular practice with an Iyengar teacher in San Francisco. The rest, as they say, is history.

What does yoga mean to you?

Yoga is a science for Self and/or God-realization. It’s a well-charted path for uncovering the Self, and becoming better versions of ourselves, and along the way developing an understanding that the Kingdom of God is within us.

Why did you decide to become a yoga teacher?

My original intention was to sign up for yoga school to develop my own practice. Simultaneously, I was really struggling with my job and my boss, and things were not working out. I was out of town for a weekend, doing a lot of soul searching and praying for guidance as to what the heck I was supposed to be doing with my life. I remember sitting by a river, quite emotional about my situation, literally begging for a sign as to what I should do—and lo and behold—nothing happened. Such a disappointment, but it was time to head to the local yoga class, so I got up and went. At some point during class, I handed the student next to me a block. After class, totally out of the blue, the teacher came up to me and said, “You should be a yoga teacher.” I figured signs don’t come any clearer than that, so I quit my job, went to yoga school and started an organizing business to support myself until I could teach.

What do you hope students learn from attending your yoga classes?

What I hope my students learn is that they are far more than they think they are, and the beauty of who and what they are has nothing to do with the physical practice. I know that sounds funny coming from someone who’s known for an intensely fun and challenging class—I just hope that an unusual experience in the physical practice helps them come away with a feeling of wonder and curiosity about the world around them and within them. I wrote a mission statement that encapsulates what I’m trying to create for my students, so I’ll include that here:

"It is my fundamental belief that yoga is a transformational process for the development and reorganization of one’s consciousness. With that said, it is my heart’s intention to utilize yoga to create the appropriate energetic space, and provide techniques and tools to enable the true yoga practitioner to operate from their authentic Being."

Which teachers have influenced your yoga practice and teaching?

Kathleen Hunt: Kathleen is an amazing soul, and an incredible teacher. She is a master at holding energetic space, conveying the teachings during an asana class and sequencing to a peak pose. You can check out her studio at: Samadhi-yoga.com

Edward Clark: Edward applies an uncommon level of intellectual rigor to the practice. He has designed a practice and cultivated an ujjayi method that is well-grounded in yoga philosophy, and emphasizes Grace and Beauty in asana to cultivate eka grata (single-pointedness) to connect to the One. Read an interview with Edward at: http://sattvayogaonline.com/one-enchanted-morning-the-return-of-tripsichore-to-seattle/

Andrey Lappa: Andrey is another intellectual yogi who has developed a system, a precise methodology for a complete and whole experience in the practice. It’s a rather complex system for kundalini awakening and stimulating one’s consciousness for the purpose of Enlightenment. Read more about it at: universal-yoga.com

Katerina Wen: Katerina introduced me to Edward and Andrey and in my opinion, is the perfect blend of the two. I had a magical time the two years I spent at her studio before it closed, and I cannot thank her enough.

About the Conference:

Share with us some of the highlights of the workshop you are presenting at the Northwest Yoga Conference.

The workshop I’m leading at the NW Yoga Conference is one of my favorites. As practitioners, we spend so much time contorting our bodies into shapes and hurling ourselves through space- but where do these poses come from and what do they mean? I believe that the names of the poses give us hints and clues about the lessons contained in the poses and how to unlock them. It’s these names, stories and symbols that we’ll be exploring for the purpose of adding meaning and richness to the lessons of the practice.

What are you looking forward to the most at the Northwest Yoga Conference?

I’m really excited about connecting with the yoga community on a larger scale. It’s always a good feeling to be among fellow practitioners who care enough about the practice to hang out learning for a weekend.

Ask the Teacher! January 2012

Here are the latest questions and answers! To ask your own, submit a question directly to me at: lizdoyle@msn.com

Is there an aspect of yoga that can help protect us from what other people say, especially stuff that hurts our feelings?
Well, first let me say that I’m sorry you’ve been hurt. It’s part of Life, naturally, but heartbreak and pain aren’t fun. Oddly, it’s these painful moments where some of the best lessons live. How a yoga practice can help is in the development of equanimity in all situations. It’s not that the feelings are not there—your feelings are important indicators for you—it’s simply that whether you are generally happy in Life will not be dictated by events beyond your control, or you will less likely be swallowed by the complexities of everyday life.
The precursor to equanimity is concentration. This concentration, according the Bhagavad Gita (among other yogic texts) leads to equanimity, which leads to detachment. Detachment should not be confused with a lack of involvement, passion, or feeling. The best analogy for me is that of an old oak tree. The true essence of the oak tree has something to do with the acorn from which it grew. It grows into an enormous tree with a large, sturdy trunk, many branches, and many more leaves. Being attached and controlled by our feelings and emotions would be like the oak being identified with its leaves, which get blown about by the wind, and even dry up and fall off in winter.
Your feeling and emotions are like the leaves, and the true Self, the real YOU, your Soul, whatever you call it, is something deep inside you, not even a physical thing—and it can be touched by the winds of time, the storms of human existence and relationships. Yogis seek to understand the eternal, changeless Self, and THIS is how yoga can help.
I’ll also add that as you become more familiar with your own energetics, through your practice, you will also be able to effectively energetically brace yourself when necessary, and perhaps make different choices regarding how and IF to interact with people.

What happens if I don't move with my breath?
This question is more relevant to vinyasa practitioners, who are, in theory, obsessed with synchronizing breath and movement. I would suggest that if you are NOT at least making an attempt at synchronizing movement and breath, you are not practicing vinyasa. This may also be one of the things that distinguish yoga from exercise, gymnastics and acrobatics. And I think we have to ask ourselves this question all the time: “What distinguishes yoga from other forms of movement?” If you’re just making shapes with your body, doing the poses, is it yoga? I contend that it is not. Yoga requires something beyond contortion of the body, something that requires concentration, and one of those things is the relentless effort to synchronize movement and breath.
The question might also be asked as “what WILL happen if I DO move with my breath?” It’s not so much that the world will come to an end if you don’t move with your breath; it’s more about the effects and experience of moving with your breath. The definition of vinyasa can be examined by breaking the word down to its roots: Nyasa denotes "to place" and vi denotes "in a special way." As we work to place our body in a special way, the breath is the perfect catalyst and vehicle for this placement.
As vinyasa practitioners, the effort to navigate transitions and challenging moments with Grace, Ease and Beauty is paramount. The work of yoga was eloquently (though unintentionally described by Do Hyun Chor:
“Stillness is what creates Love. Movement is what creates Life. To be still and still moving—this is everything.”
The breath will have a tendency to create motion in the body, and when we can ride this wave of energy, it’s easier to achieve the Grace and Beauty to which we aspire. Experiment moving with an inhale, then with an exhale for the same movement, then holding breath in, and then holding breath out. Decide which you think is best. Continual experimentation and refinement is the practice.

Aren't handstands and other inversions just about ego?
It sort of seems like that sometimes, doesn’t it? And it’s easy to get the ego involved, and that’s part of the practice. That said, hand balancing, and other so-called “glory” poses of yoga play a special role. As yogis, we seek to know and understand the eternal, changeless Self. Much of what we do on a physical level, like handstands, is to point to our true Self. When you can be calm in a handstand, hanging out, breathing in an evenly metered way, you are at least a little bit closer to that part of you that is always the same, even when everything around you has changed. Perhaps more importantly, as Edward Clark says, when you are in a handstand and you can stay and be calm—that’s great—you are developing mastery. And when you can maintain that same state of mind as you fall, or don’t make the pose—well, something real has happened—and mastery really only counts in a crisis situation. In this way, much like the rest of your practice, hand balancing is fantastic training for Life-- the discipline of developing mastery, and the practice of maintaining equanimity in crisis. These are the moments that you can take with you where the real yoga happens—outside the practice room.

What is a bandha, and how are they supposed to help your yoga practice?
First, I should say that these things are best taught in person, and easily misrepresented and/or misconstrued via the written word. Secondly, it’s important to note that the idea of bandhas in asana is relatively new, and bandhas have traditionally been used during pranayama (breath control and expansion exercises) with kumbhaka (retentions with the breath held in or out). It’s up for debate whether actual “locks” are used during asana, or if it’s a refined control of the region of the bandha in question. Third, it takes years of practice to really know and understand -- let alone meliorate the action-- of the bandhas. Just know that if you are holding yourself in a yoga pose AND breathing, you are using your bandhas- at that point, it’s just a matter of understanding and learning to control them during your practice.
According to all the classical yogic texts, we are ultimately attempting to get Prana (breath or Life Force) moving through the Sushumna (primary energy channel, roughly correlated with the spinal cord). The use of bandha is helpful for containing and directing the flow of Prana (much like damming water). We use bandhas to contain energy and build pressure in the cavity of the torso for stimulation and directing of Prana into the three main nadis (energy channels) of Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Depending on how it's performed, when we release these “locks”, there is a stimulating and cleansing rush of energy – imagine opening a dam and the subsequent rush of water. These descriptions are oversimplifications; entire books could be/have been written on how this works, the effects of this building of pressure on the glandular system and its resulting effect on the brain and one’s psycho energetic state.
Here’s a quick overview of the three most commonly discussed bandhas:
Bandhas, or “locks”, are ways to direct the flow of energy in your body. There are many ways to create a bandha (can also be defined as “construction” or “formation”, as in the bridge pose “Setu Bandha Sarvangasana”: Setu=bridge, bandhas=construction or formation of, sarva=all, anga=limb), but the most commonly referred to are Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha and Jalandhara Bandha.
Mula Bandha, or “root” lock, is to reverse the natural downward flow of earth energy (apana vayu). Think of it on a gross physical level, like lifting the perineum or pelvic floor - technically mula bandha is contraction and lifting of everything from the anus to the genitals. Ultimately, all of the bandhas will be more of an energetic thing. It’s obvious from a quality of groundedness in a posture when this bandha is being used effectively.
Uddiyana Bandha, or belly lock, is to encourage the bird of Prana to continue flying upward. Uddiyana, in fact, means “flying up”. Again, this can be achieved with a lifting of the uddiyana region, a hollowing of the belly up under the ribs. When well-utilized in asana, there will be a light graceful ease to the pose or movement.
Jalandhara Bandha, the throat or chin lock (jala=net, dhara=bearer/supporter), is achieved through a slight dropping of the chin towards a lifted chest. One of purposes of this bandha is to prevent the heat generated in the torso from moving into the cooler lunar plexus of the head region. Forgive the over-simplification of the anatomy to follow- but this bandha is of particular interest during bahya kumbhaka (retention with the breath held OUT) because it closes off the carotid sinuses which are involved in the sensing of O2/CO2 balance and help the brain know when to signal the body to breathe. In short, what this means is that one can hold the breath longer, without anxiety and panic with the use of jalandhara bandha, thereby allowing a greater accumulation of effects.
My recommendation is, of course, dedicated practice and self-study to master these concepts and acquire an experiential knowledge of the bandhas and their physical and energetic effects. Experienced, qualified teachers offer differing descriptions and opinions, so it must be experienced to arrive at your own Knowing.
Please feel free to ask any further questions you may have, and I hope to see you in the practice room soon! To find my schedule, please visit my website at www.LizDoyleYoga.com.


As a teacher, how do I handle someone with an injury without excessive disruption in my class?
If the person tells you before class, you can have a quick conversation with them about the nature and cause of the injury, and offer them a few modification suggestions. I would also make it clear to them that they should feel free to modify as they deem necessary during class, and if they feel confused as to how to protect themselves, they should get your attention.
If they do not tell you before, but you notice during class, you can have a QUICK conversation (keep to 5 breaths!) in downward dog. If you need, you can continue the conversation in the next static pose (e.g., down dog). You might be able to figure out enough to offer them a quick modification or two and then ask them to see you after class for more discussion.
Additionally, I will sometimes do the poses next to the person, showing them the modifications I would like them to do as I call out the poses. That way, it’s less disruption to the flow of the class, but they get the idea. I find this particularly effective with beginners in a class a little beyond their level of development.
It’s important for you to be clear in your own mind, so that you can communicate to your students in words and energy, that they are ultimately responsible for their own practice and well-being. Help them as much as you can, and just know that you can only do so much for someone in a group class, especially if they have not shared with you their issue and/or injury.