Think Crazy, Take Chances...

Hello Friends!

I've never considered myself a particularly fearful person, I've always thought of myself as being strong, resilient and open to change. I recently butted up against my own limitations with the latest project I'm working on, which is a children's yoga DVD (ultimately with a book and yoga cards, for those of you with kids). One thing at a time!!

If I'm to be perfectly candid, I've been procrastinating a little, and been a little half-rumped about it. I don't have a ton of money to spend on production, and I've been fortunate to be introduced to a professional filmmaker/videographer, who is highly qualified, and will do it for very little.

Anyhow, I was supposed to send him an email a couple of weeks ago, and I told him I would do it in a few days. I just didn't send it, and wasn't sure what was holding me back. I had spent the time to outline all the steps to completing the video-- find some kids, figure out what I'm going to do, etc. I finally figured out that I hadn't sent the email that would put it all in motion because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pull it off. And it sounds so ridiculous, it's just a video, and really, who cares?

I suppose it started to feel like a lot of pressure. I get a gaggle of kids lined up, and their parents have expectations, and if I tell people, my friends and students will have expectations, and what if I am not good enough to make it interesting and compelling and finish it??? I'm afraid. And that stopped me from doing the simplest things.

It became clear that if I broke it down into tiny steps, I could do those steps and it wouldn't feel scary. So, I made a list of kids currently in my classes that would be good candidates for the video, and I wrote notes to their parents asking permission to include the child. And then of course, I had to deliver them! What if they say "yes" and then it never happens, do I look like a jerk? etc, etc.... so I thought, I'll just write the notes. And then I was able to get the chutzpah to pass out a couple of them, and then a couple more...

My mind was making up all kinds of stories and reasons why the parents would say "no", why I couldn't do it, and why it wouldn't work out for me. It's almost embarrassing to be telling all of you this. I had already written out everything I needed to say to the videographer in the email, and simply did not send it. Why? Why?? So silly. So finally I just typed it up (which took a full 1.5 minutes! I'm sure he's thinking "this took you TWO weeks????") and sent it. So far, the world has not come to an end.

Now it's done and I can move forward. This was such a good lesson showing me that I just have to try. Coincidentally, if there is such a thing, I've been running across inspirational quotes about simply making an effort and trying. Reminding me that the failure is not in a lack of success, but a lack of trying to do anything meaningful. I finally convinced myself that I have to go for it. Not just in this situation, but in Life. And if it doesn't work out, so what? What am I afraid of? Seems so obvious, doesn't it?

So I encourage you to think crazy and take chances. Live a good life. I mean, why not?

Warmly,

Liz Doyle
www.LizDoyleYoga.com

My Family: The Best Yoga Teachers

I was home for Thanksgiving, and my parents and I went to visit my grandmother in the assisted living facility. We were all sitting around chatting when suddenly grandma looks at me and says, "You've gained weight. You're fat, you need to lose some weight." What a sweetie, no?
Anyhow, it got me thinking about Satya (truthfulness) and Ahimsa (consideration for self and others). We all know that we're not supposed to lie and we're not supposed to hurt people. What is interesting to me, as a human and a yogi, is striking that right balance between these principles. At what cost to Ahimsa do we tell the truth? And at what cost to Satya do we spare someone's feelings? I don't know the answers, but this is what make the yamas and niyamas an interesting study. Let me know when you figure it out! ;)

RROOOOOAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Imagine you're a lion today and receive these benefits:

~Relieves tension in the chest and face.
~Stimulates the platysma, a flat, thin, rectangular-shaped muscle on the front of the throat. The platysma, when contracted, pulls down on the corners of the mouth and wrinkles the skin of the neck.
~Simhasana helps keep the platysma firm as we age.
~Facilitates the three major bandhas (Mula, Jalandhara, Uddiyana).

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