The Breath, Self-study and the Practice

Hello Friends!

About a year ago, I felt that the next stage of development in my practice would come from a melioration of the breath, and it's something I work on constantly. The practice is, as one of my teacher's said, "a meditation on the breath".

On a recent vacation, I attended a yoga class and the teacher kept encouraging a VERY loud Ujjayi breath (see article to the right for a description). I listened carefully to her thoughts and instructions, and tried some things out in my own body.

In my opinion, especially for beginners, an extremely loud breath can be particularly helpful in tracking the breath and it's qualities, as well as learning to control it. And even as one's practiced becomes more advanced, I think it can be helpful on occasion to power up the breath depending on what's happening in any given day or pose; perhaps if one is losing track of the breath or having difficulty sustaining a consistent breath during a particular practice. But I don't think that the volume of the breath is the only indicator of its proper execution.

I often hear or see students in my class who have such an intensity in the breath, that it actually creates tension in the body. Additionally, the movement of the breath in the body is isolated to one particular area, and not necessarily because the breath is intentionally directed there.

At some point in one's practice, there is a refinement of the breath, making it more subtle, and I'm not referring simply to it's volume. The Ujjayi rhythm, always audible by it's nature, becomes an opportunity to regulate the breath in a controlled way, and in no way creates undue tension or tightness in the breath or body. As for where the movement of the breath can or should be found, watch this video of BKS Iyengar demonstrating JUST ONE BREATH. And notice, with an inhalation of nearly 50 seconds, his body barely moves. There's no radical pumping or expansion of the belly, it's as if the entire body is gently and calmly absorbing the breath equally. And listen to the sound... the beginning sounds exactly the same as the middle and the end.

As an experiment, try to make each of your exhalations sound like the inhalations, your inhalations sound like exhalations, and the duration and quality of each sound the same throughout your entire practice--WOW! It requires such focus and control. And at first, learning to direct the breath to certain areas of your body is helpful. Later, maybe one can achieve the ability to breathe as fully as Iyengar, as the entire body participates equally in the breath.

Yoga is a practice where everything, and I mean everything, is done with intention. Not a cell of your body is left out of your awareness, and everything has meaning and purpose. Your practice is a vehicle for self-study. Try new and different things out in your own body and decide for yourself what you think and why.

Treat your practice with respect and love. Whether you intend it or not, the beauty that occurs in your practice will spill out into your everyday life, so make it the best you can.

Warmly,

Liz Doyle
www.LizDoyleYoga.com

What is Ujjayi breathing and how is it done?

I like Tim Miller's description:

When done properly, Ujjayi (translated as "victorious") breathing should be both energizing and relaxing. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali suggests that the breath should be both dirga (long) and suksma (smooth).

The sound of Ujjayi is created by gently constricting the opening of the throat to create some resistance to the passage of air. Gently pulling the breath in on inhalation and gently pushing the breath out on exhalation against this resistance creates a well-modulated and soothing sound-something like the sound of ocean waves rolling in and out.

It is important to remember that the key to Ujjayi breathing is relaxation; the action of Ujjayi naturally lengthens the breath. Some small effort is required to produce a pleasing sound, but too much effort creates a grasping quality and a grating sound. Generally, it is the inhalation that presents the greater challenge. So begin by practicing on the exhalation where there is a natural letting go process.

To practice the inhalation, focus on creating a soothing and pleasing sound that is unhurried and unforced. I suggest working on your Ujjayi breathing in a seated, relaxed cross- legged position. Imagine sipping the breath in through a straw. If the suction is too strong the straw collapses and great force is required to suck anything through it.

Once Ujjayi breathing is mastered in a seated position, the challenge is to maintain the same quality of breathing throughout your asana practice.


Throughout your practice, try to maintain the length and smoothness of the breath as much as possible. Once you find a baseline Ujjayi breath in a pose that is not too strenuous (Downward Facing Dog for example), endeavor to maintain that quality of breath throughout the practice. Some asanas require great effort, and you may begin to strain in your breath. If you are straining in your breath, you may be pushing yourself too hard in your practice.

Use that feedback as a guide throughout your practice-if you start to strain, it may be time to back out of a pose and rest.

Moving Again... a study on impermanence.

I just moved for the third time in 2 years (don't ask!) and I was lying in bed last night, first night in the "new" place, and couldn't sleep. The feeling of the impermanence of everything in life, including my own life and the lives of those I love, was feeling so heavy.

The first line of the book The Road Less Traveled is "Life is difficult." I remember reading those words 10 years ago and thinking that it was stupid, but now I understand it in a different way. I realized that I have been waiting for life to get easy and things to settle down and change less so I could relax. I've been coming to understand in a new way (not simply from an intellectual perspective) that the nature of life itself is that it is constantly changing and it's challenging. So I might as well relax now, right? I was discussing this with my friend Mary Kay, and she said, "Instead of waiting for things to settle before you relax, why don't you relax and see what settles?" Amazingly profound.

I'm learning why the very nature of life feels so weighty to me at the moment. I suspect it's because this understanding is moving from an intellectual understanding, and into my being via the body, so I'm feeling this concept as emotions and sensations. And it feels like a loss. A loss of security in the traditional sense. Who knows what will fill it's place, or how long that will be around.

Although I'm not sure it's been all that practical, these moves, I think, have been good for me. They have been a constant reminder of the impermanence of Life, and everyone and everything in it. I have been unable to become complacent as it relates to change and impermanence because the minute I start to feel settled everything is changing again. I also just realized as I'm writing this that my moves have all been right at or very near solstices or equinoxes, which is another marker of change. Another friend, Karen, was suggesting I remain mindful of the unconscious associations I may make with these events as it relates to the time of year. For example, she was recalling when a beloved pet died in the late fall, and for a long time couldn't figure out why she kept getting depressed in the fall.

As I ponder the constant change, and the fleeting nature of everyone and everything around me, I am more appreciative of the time I have with people and circumstances. I've also realized which possessions I care most about. A person really figures out what belongings are meaningful when they have to haul them around all the time. And what has simply been hanging around is more easily discarded. It's a good exercise.

I'm not sure where this is all going, so for now, I'll settle for this understanding and more appreciation for everything Life has to offer. Even the stuff that doesn't seem so great at the time.

What are the Eight Limbs of Yoga?

What Are the EIGHT LIMBS of Yoga?

The eight limbs refers to the eightfold path of yoga. BKS Iyengar says, "When the eight disciplines are followed with dedication and devotion, they help the practitioner to become physically, mentally, and emotionally stable so that he can maintain equanimity in all circumstances. He learns to know the Supreme Soul, and to live in speech, thought and action in accordance with the highest truth."

The eight limbs are as follows:

1. Yama:
Our attitudes towards others

2. Niyama:
Our attitudes towards ourselves

(for more info on Yama and Niyama,
see a previous blog entry)

3. Asana:
Practice of the physical postures

4. Pranayama:
Practice of breath control exercises

5. Pratyahara:
Withdrawal of the senses

6. Dharana:
Concentration

7. Dhyana:
Meditation

8. Samadhi:
Total absorption, profound meditation

Hello Friends!

Socially unacceptable feelings. We all have them; anger, frustration, sadness, jealousy, resentfulness, impatience, the list goes on. Since we all have them and experience them, why do we find it so hard to be honest about it and express these feelings?

I think it's particularly challenging in the yoga community, where part of our practice is observing the yamas and niyamas (see the previous blog entry), and part of practicing yoga and "taking one's yoga off the mat" is living differently out in the world. It's seems to me that many interpret this as "I'm not supposed to have these feelings".

I was talking with one of my teachers about my perceived pressure, as a yoga teacher, to be a certain way. She summed it up so well:

"I am very up front with what I am going through. I don't want people thinking for a minute I live in an ivory tower and I will not perpetuate the perfect-life-yoga-teacher crap. I think we should let people know we are getting pummeled, so they can see us recover."

It's not real for people to pretend they are always happy and perfectly content and peaceful. It's a load of crap. As humans we all experience these "negative" feelings. As yogis, the yoga is not in avoiding socially acceptable feelings, or in denying them, but acknowledging them (satya), and still maintaining good behavior.

For example, it's normal to get frustrated while driving in traffic. Instead of pretending your not annoyed by the guy that almost crashed into you, hopefully, you'll recognize what you're feeling, sense what's happening in your body (for example, where you are holding tension and gripping, what's happening with your breath), stay calm and let it go. Either that, or you could go into a road rage and follow them yelling and honking and using your car as a weapon. We've all seen those people too, and hopefully we can avoid the "negative" action that might result from the "undesirable" feeling or experience.

Yoga is not about cessation of the mind, or for that matter cessation of an experience, like negative feelings; it is about refining the mind and consciously directing our attention to accomplish what we desire, with the tools (the mind and body) that we've been given. Stay present in the now. You won't always live up to your personal ideal of perfection, but that's normal. Have a REAL experience, and live to the best of your ability. There's no joy without sorrow, no pleasure without pain. The contrast of the the nadir of human existence helps us appreciate the pinnacle of human existence. Use your practice to help you understand how to fully experience everything that Life has to offer. And we'll all be right along side each other, occasionally tripping down the path.

Warmly,

Liz Doyle
http://www.lizdoyleyoga.com/

What the heck are the Yamas and Niyamas???

Hi All!

I thought I would post this from July's newsletter as a refresher. Also, I there was a typo in the newsletter, listing both the Yamas and Niyamas as "attitudes toward ourselves"... I suppose that was a Freudian slip of sorts alluding to my extreme narcissism-- HA! So here you go:

What are the Yamas and Niyamas?

Yamas - our attitudes toward others:

1. Ahimsa: Non-harming

2. Satya: Truthfulness or right communication

3. Asteya: Non-stealing or non-covetousness

4. Brahmacharya: Appropriate use of sexual energy or moderation

5. Aparigraha: Non-hoarding

Niyamas- our attitudes towards ourselves:

1. Sauca: Cleanliness

2. Santosha: Contentment

3. Tapas: Self-discipline or correct habits

4. Svadyaya: Self-study

5. Isvara Pranidhana:
Reverence to a higher intelligence or the acceptance of our limitations in relation to God

Living in Greatness

This mind-blowing picture is of our own Bernhard Weigl. Who would have guessed that the unassuming, hard-working practitioner with a graceful practice is also a cover-boy for a kite-surfing magazine??? All I have to say is, this is why we work on backbends in class!

So back to the title of the article. I've done a bit of ultra running, and after completing a 5 day stage race in the Colorado Rockies a couple of years ago, I was a bit teary-eyed telling a class about it. I was emotional because it was challenging, and there was a moment when I wasn't sure I could do it, so finishing it meant something to me. Someone actually asked me that question: "Why would anyone want to do that?".

It really set me back. After I was done being offended, it got me thinking: why DO I want to do those kind of things? As it turns out, that night I picked up the Tao Te Ching, and opened it to the 25th verse:

"There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born. It is serene. Empty. Solitary. Unchanging. Infinite. Eternally present. It is the Mother of the universe. For lack of a better name, I call it the Tao. I call it great. Great is boundless; boundless is eternally flowing; ever flowing; it is constantly returning. Therefore, the Way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, people are great. Thus, to know humanity, understand earth. To know earth, understand heaven. To know heaven, understand the Way. To know the Way, understand the great within yourself."

The point really is that you, I, we, come from greatness. We are gifted with this physical form and this is our vehicle to find our way through this life. How else to get a glimpse of the greatness from which we came unless we are doing things previously unimaginable? This is why I do "that".

Remember the first time you could balance in crow or headstand? Do you remember the thrill? Anytime you do something you thought was impossible, at least for you, you are reminding yourself of your greatness. And it doesn't have to be physical. Maybe you think that 15 minutes of stillness and contemplation is impossible for you. What if it IS possible? And I'm suggesting that you are capable of FAR more than you can ever imagine. Why not get a little taste?

From a yoga perspective, in my opinion, there's something valuable about challenging and complex poses and sequences. I don't think they are REQUIRED, but here's why I think they are beneficial:

1. They are FUN!

2. Through our accomplishments, we get a glimpse of that Ultimate Greatness, which is our source.

3. I believe that there is a connection between our physical body and our consciousness; and to maximize our capacity on every level, compassionately exploring our physical limitations and the maximum number of physical shapes our body can perform is stimulating on every level of our existence, and helps clear the energy channels.

Please understand that I am not suggesting that we do things inappropriate for us. And on any given day, year, or stage in life, something else will be appropriate, and learning to respect and honor that is part of the practice.

Why do you do what YOU do? Do you have a reason? Maybe Bernhard can chime in. I'm going to post this on my blog, because I know there are many inspiring people and scriptures from religions and spiritual traditions of all kinds, poetry, books, et al, and maybe there's something you can share that has inspired you to find your greatness. What helps you feel connected to your greatness?

What are your thoughts? Please, share it all on my blog, I want to hear from you. And I hope that you will all find inspiration to discover, remind yourself of and live in your greatness.

www.LizDoyleYoga.com