Beyond the Asana. History, Myth and Ayurveda.

Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ayus for life and veda for science.  

Ayurveda is the science and study of life.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj which means to yoke or union.

Ayurvedic Medicine and its sister science, Yoga, are approximately 5,000 years old.  By yoking in the wandering mind the Yogi or Yogini (male and female Yoga practitioners, respectively) started down the pathway of self discovery.  These ancient sciences have given current practitioners the gift of thousands of years of introspection within their personal practice and then passing on those discoveries to a newer generation of seekers.   

Yoga and Ayurveda are not religions, although they have the ability to lead the practitioner towards God-realization within the practitioner's own personal religion or spiritual belief system if the student so chooses.  Yoga can also be just Asana and Pranayama based (Yogic postures and breath manipulation) in which Yoga and Ayurvedic Medicine are tools to keep the practitioner's body healthy.  That's the pure beauty of both sciences is that you choose how deeply you want to learn more about yourself and the cosmos.

The next Yoga workshop I am teaching is titled, "Intro to Yoga:  Beyond the Asana.  History, Myth and Ayurveda."  

Foundations: Saturday Yoga Workshop Series

In the course of the 3 hour workshop we will attempt to fit in:

~OM (or the more advanced AUM); the cleansing power of the chant

~the Invocation to Patanjali; some background on the mythical creature Patanjali and then we will learn the "call and respond" chant

~Asanas (Yogic postures) will be incorporated into the class.  This is not a full 3-hour only Asana class but there will be some stories and imagery within the class to give a historical perspective behind the Asana names.

~Prana means life force.  We will end with some cooling poses so that we can do a little Pranayama at the end of the workshop.  The gentle breath manipulation is powerful stuff when approached gently and with keen observation.  We will go over the basics of this powerful Yogic tool.

I know this won't be your usual Yoga class and that is the beauty of it.  


It is time to learn a little more about those Yogic postures that you have been performing at home and in class.  You will learn to integrate a simple but profound mantra into your daily life.  Infuse a new curiosity and playfulness into your Yoga home practice.  You may even want to start a journal about how Yoga affects you.  Anything is possible if you are receptive......and quiet.

   

Stress can make you sick.

The antidote to stress is relaxation.  To relax is to rest deeply.

Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.

~ Judith Hanson Lasater

The effects of stress have reached epidemic proportions resulting in dis-ease.  And because of the plethora of modern diseases that have manifested from chronic stress, stress borne illnesses have become a medical specialty.  "I am stressed out," is a familiar phrase in our daily vernacular.  Stress can affect our mood, cause headaches and tight muscles, as well as digestive issues.  Even being around a stressed out person can affect everyone around them including family, friends, and co-workers.  In the short term, stress prepares the body for the obstacle at hand.  In the long term, chronic stress can make you sick.

One of the first studies on relaxation was performed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson.  He wrote, You Must Relax, about his revolutionary relaxation techniques and their benefits.  His new approach successfully treated high blood pressure, indigestion, colitis, insomnia, and what he called "nervousness."  

Edmund Jacobson relaxation technique     

All of us inherently know not only how to relax but that we need to relax.  Part of the issue at hand is......taking the time to relax.  You can take the time now with Restorative Yoga or even Dr. Jacobson's method or later down the road you can see a doctor about stress related health issues.  It may sound harsh, but you choose.  Everyone that attends my Yoga classes if only once or over the course of a decade can attest to the fact that they feel better and relaxed after class.  I have student's husbands and wives that send their loved ones to class knowing that it helps alleviate stress.  I am not saying that Yoga is a panacea but it can be yet another tool to use to help us decompress and recharge in our daily, hectic lives.

Of course, a good night's sleep helps, too.  :-)

  

Restorative Poses are Key to Health

Dis -ease.  
Stress has a compounding effect when it becomes chronic.  This chronic stress can have a negative effect that leaves a residue in the body that may manifest into a disease.

Stress is a factor in daily life.  One of my Yoga teachers from years ago, Laurie Blakeney, stated that Eastern and Western perceptions of stress are quite different.  The current Western mentality seemed to think that stress was something to be avoided.  Acknowledging that stress can cause high blood pressure and a host of other ailments and somehow individuals needed to remove this contagion from their daily life in order to be healthy.  


Eastern thought has a different approach to stress.  There is an acknowledgement that stress exists but instead of avoidance there is a level of control within the acceptance.  The normal, everyday stresses of life affect us by how we think, speak, and act.  Someone may pull their car out in front of us while we are driving to work but our angry, knee-jerk, negative reaction is the habit that can have long term effects on our health over time.  Cultivating a level of constant serenity may not available to most humans and yet there are tools at everyone's disposal that allow a level of clarity to deal with stress.


That is where Restorative Yoga comes in.  


The seemingly constant barrage of stress inducing chaos that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) which in turn overworks the adrenals until they cannot function properly which in turn not only depletes your energy but doesn't help you sleep soundly at night.  It's enough to keep your head spinning.....but there are options available.  


By spending just 20-30 minutes every day in a Restorative Yoga pose, the practitioner can start to affect the body's parasympathetic response and thus enabling them to relax.  The restorative asana (Yoga postures) is performed in a room that is still, quiet, dark, and warm which enables the practitioner to focus completely on smooth, relaxed breathing while softening the muscles of the body while full awake and aware.  It is harder than it sounds for most people to relax, but with daily practice the effects of stress may be reversed.  


Come experience for yourself the amazing effects of Restorative Yoga this Saturday, January 21st from 12 noon to 3 pm at Align and Stretch Studio.  


Please check out my other blog for Workshop details:  catofoz.blogspot.com  


    


      

Eye bags for sale at Restorative Yoga Workshop

Eyebags for sale at the Restorative Yoga Workshop for only $10.00! 

Cash only, please.

I purchased my first eyebag several years ago at a Judith H. Lasater workshop.  

These eyebags are VERY light compared to what is being sold out there today.  People with contacts can use them.  I bring my eyebag to all the Yoga workshops I attend now (and if I forget it at home I purchase one at the workshop). They are an essential tool for the practice of relaxation and make a great gift.

  

What you do affects you.

The magic doesn't happen if you don't do the poses.

~ Judith H. Lasater

My favorite Yoga teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater, said something to the effect that there is a residue felt in the body after each asana (Yogic posture).  She went on to say that the previous posture's residue then affects the mind and body in the next asana.  A well rounded Yoga class will end with some sort of introspective and restorative postures so that the student will feel refreshed as well as relaxed when the class ends.  


I know that after leaving a 4 hour class on restorative poses, my daughter commented on how peaceful I looked.  She also noticed how every Yoga student looked happy and relaxed upon descending the long staircase and onto the streets of San Francisco at the end of each day of the workshop.  It truly felt magical.

Intentions  

My intentions for the restoratives workshop will be to give the student enough information that they will want to practice these amazing postures at home.  They don't have to do all of the asana (postures) taught in the workshop to see immediate results.  One pose for 20 minutes without distraction every day is a wonderful addition to a healthy and relaxed lifestyle.   


Once the student has integrated the one Restorative Yoga pose into their daily routine, they may want to increase to two asana (postures) a day.  And by changing the restorative asana routine after a  week or two (thereby setting the timer to 30 minutes instead of 20) the Yoga practitioner may discover a new residue of relaxation within the mind and body.  It is an experiment worth trying.  


Humans are experts on how to manipulate the body to stay awake longer but we desperately need to relearn how to relax fully and completely.  Come discover the real you that is relaxed and renewed on January 21st at Align and Stretch Studio.


More information about workshops at:  catofoz.blotspot.com


Questions:  ardhachandrasana@yahoo.com