Yoga practice and the yogi

American Astanga Vinaysa teacher David Swenson once quoted a definition of yoga and the yogi:-

"A yogi is one who leaves a place a little nicer than when they arrived"

Just because we practice yoga does not make us yogis. A lot of people mistakenly imagine the world of yoga to be different from the rest of the world, whereas actually in a lot of cases yoga amplifies us more, defining not just our better qualities but also those not so nice ones as well. Those prone to ego can grow an even bigger one as it were.

Practicing yoga doesn't change a person overnight. All the difficulties of everyday life are still there as soon as you get off your mat and the only thing we can control is our reaction to these difficulties.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. However hard we try we will probably continue to make mistakes. And while it is easy to spot flaws in other people it is maybe not so easy to spot them in ourselves.

There is much competitiveness in the yoga world today and a lot of this comes out in our projections onto ourselves and other people. For example, and strong flexible teacher battling with their equally strong ego may berate and chastise a scoliosis sufferer because they cannot perform the asanas to the incredibly high standard they expect from themselves, they do not understand the condition and their lack of understanding and empathy comes out in aggression and ego. However there are two sides to the same coin. Yoga practice can also amplify that lack of self-esteem and self-acceptance that the scoliosis sufferer may have; the negative thoughts towards their body for not physical postures in the way they thing they should, the lack of acceptance towards their own body just the way it is. The strong flexible teacher reacts negatively to the condition of scoliosis and the scoliosis sufferer reacts negatively towards their practice. While both may be practicing yoga, neither is a yogi. Neither leaves the practice room nicer than when they arrived.

We have to cultivate patience, we cannot control the actions of others, and it is not these actions or statements per se that we must concern ourselves with but rather the way in which we react to them. We can choose to listen, to participate, in competitiveness, ego and negative feelings or we can tread our own path and try to create examples of openmindedness and compassion, transcending not only the competitiveness around us but also our physical bodies themselves, wonky spines and all. It is our choices in life that define us, and thus we should all strive to become yogis rather than yoga practitioners.

Yoga, as a wise and wonderful woman once told me, is not about standing on your head. It is about standing on your own two feet.

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and yoga practice

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the "Holy Trinity" of Hindu mythology.

Brahma is the Creator, who brought the whole universe into being; the impetus for all life.

Vishnu is the Sustainer, the provider of all we need to grow and evolve in the physical universe. Without him life could not exist.

Shiva is the transformer or destroyer, responsible for the changes of everything, breaking down the old to allow it to be reborn. The concept of Shiva is sometimes feared because he is associated with death, but without the transformation, new life could not occur.

These three aspects of life can be brought into yoga practice - and thus into our life off the mat - by remembering that every one of us, and everything around us, is born, will live and will die. When I first come into a yoga pose, I am creating it, finding my alignment and my breath, by breathing into the pose rather than resisting it I can open myself to the pose and the aspect of Brahma.Then I must sustain the pose, quieting the mind and surrendering into it. By experiencing Vishnu sustaining the posture, I can move more deeply into it. Finally, I release the pose. Rather than just stop doing it, I must come out of it mindfully using the breath. By remembering Shiva when exiting the pose I can transform the pose ready for the next one.

These concepts can change the perspective of yoga practice for the scoliosis sufferer. Some postures are difficult, alignment proves hard, modifications, adjustments and props are essential, but by using the archetypes of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva on the mat, I become away of the essence of the posture rather than the posture itself. As mentioned in an earlier entry the move is away from any sort of hierarchy of pose, how "well" the pose can be performed, towards examining the more subtle aspects of the pose and how I feel in the pose, thus deepening its effects without forcing myself into something that could have contraindications for me. I can work on a more subtle energetic level.

Particularly important is the aspect of Shiva. How we come out of a pose is as important as how we go into it and maintain it. Desikachar uses the story of the monkey who climbed the tree but couldn't get down again. Don't go up if you don't know how to get down. Attaining full posture is never as important as maintaining and coming out of the posture with the same strenth, stability and gentleness.

Away from the mat, these three aspects can then be applied to life, by everyone, not just the yogi. By balancing the three aspects within ourselves we can live a more balanced life. It's not easy because each aspect brings with it fear. We must learn not to fear the new territories and experiences that Brahma's creation brings, we must learn to trust in the abundace of Vishnu's sustenance, letting go of worries about safety, security, finances and love and trusting that there is enough of everything to go around, and we must move away from our fear of death, not just of ourselves or our loved ones, but of the various stages in our lives.

The things yoga can do for scoliosis...

To bring the practice of yoga into the everyday life of a person with scoliosis (or indeed without scoliosis!) it is important to begin by re-aligning the body and breath. This is something that can come off the yoga mat and into day to day life. Whilst washing the dishes, for example, think about standing in Tadasana with the navel drawn in towards the spine and the shoulders, head and pelvis aligned. Whilst out walking, draw awareness to the breath. Ask yourself if you are breathing into the chest or the abdomen, if the breath is even or or uneven, smooth or ragged and begin to allow yourself to breath with more ease. With practice and positivity lifelong habits can be overcome.

Choosing the path of yoga to remediate scoliosis is a lifelong commitment. With guidance from a good teacher and by developing awareness of our own bodies; our movement, our muscles, our structure and our breath, we can use our pain and discomfort to guide us into an awareness adn understanding of the curvature of our spines.

The practice of yoga is a continuous journey where, whatever our experience, we constantly re-treading the same ground as we realise our own bodies, our capabilities, our limitations. Through my practice and my teaching I have come to realise that every person has a body as individual as their fingerprint - postures that work in an asana practice for one person may be painful and unbeneficial for another. A yoga practice helps each of us to learn and read our own breath and bodies from day to day, being to learn what we need and, as Desikachar says, "to attain what was previously unattainable" (The Heart of Yoga p. 5).

Whilst for some this may be attaining full Astanga Vinyasa Primary Series, for others it may be attaining the ability to sit in stillness with a straight spine for 10 minutes, overcoming discomfort. Neither of these attainments are more or less beneficial than the other in themselves, and yoga practitioners should not feel any pressure to attain what another person has attained – we should instead let go of our ego and be comfortable with our own achievements and our own bodies.

In many ways I look upon my scoliosis as a blessing. Rather than it being an obstacle to my yoga practice I have come to understand the curvature of my spine as a lesson in self-observation and self-acceptance. This is the body I have been given and I will work with it to attain what, to me, was previously unattainable. My scoliosis helps me, as I develop my yoga teaching, to understand to a greater degree the limitations and abilities of my students.

Yoga practice is not a “cure-all” for back problems of any kind, or scoliosis specifically, and should always be undertaken with a qualified (and sympathetic) teacher who understands the back problem and in conjunction with advice from a physical therapist. It is also important to find a style of yoga that is right for you. For me this has been predominantly the Viniyoga developed by TKV Desikachar in the 1960s, which is a gentle posture and breath practice, taught in small groups and catered to the individual. This said, yoga practice by its very nature will strengthen and stretch the back muscles and focus the mind on lengthening the spine.

For me, however the most important part of the yoga practice is its ability o lead the practitioner towards acceptance of themselves and their bodies, to be happy with the skin they are in and to love themselves just the way they are.

The things that yoga can do....

Yoga incorporates the whole person, not just the physical body - it promotes the balance between body, mind, emotions and spirit. The emphasis is on awareness and encouragement to learn about all aspects of your personality through yoga. By awakening individuals' awareness and inherent self-healing power, physical dis-ease and mental stress can be managed and relieved. By steadying the emotions and calming the mind, a sense of perspective can be gained, bringing a feeling of peace and freedom and inner strength.

Practicing yoga detoxifies and rejuvenates all systems of the body, to purify thoughts and emotions and promote deep stress release. Almost all yoga postures are woven around the spine to ensure its flexibility and strength. If the spine is healthy, the central nervous system is strong and steady, and energy can flow freely in the body preventing dis-ease and promoting wellbeing. Asana practice is a means to deepen our self-awareness in order to bring about self-transformation.

This last paragraph ties in with the concepts of nadis and shusumna in relation to scoliosis which I will explore soon.

Pranayama - the breath's journey

Breath practice (or pranayama) is of great benefit to the scoliosis sufferer. Not only does a limited thoracic capacity lead to short, uneven breath, usually up in the chest rather than down in the belly where the diaphragm is engaged, but the constant pain of socliosis can lead to breath retention. Holding the breath during the asana practice is counterproductive as it can block the movement of pranic energy and lead to exhaustion. Scoliosis sufferers commonly simultaneously suffer from conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. From a physical perspective this is not surprising as their chest capacity and length of breath can be limited. However, from a more metaphysical point of view we can liken the spine to a fibre optic cable, such as that used for an internet network; to work correctly the fibre optic needs a clear line of sight, the energy it carries cannot go round corners. In the same way the path of energy that travels up the scoliatic spine finds limitations in its movement. By working on a feeling of lengthening and elongating we can help the energy within us to flow more freely.

Donna Farhi suggests in The Breathing Book that holding the breath in an attempt to relieve pain will not get the sufferer anywhere. Instead she recommends using the breath itself as pain relief.

The breath provides a natural massage to the entire body. This massage, in and of itself, is a pain reliever, signalling to the nervous system that all is well. When we hold our breath in response to pain or in the hope that htis will eliminate the pain it will actually increase the pain. What causes pain is often not the original sensation but our reaction to it and our imagining of what might happen if the pain continues or gets worse.
-- Donna Farhi - The Breathing Book (Henry Holt & Co Inc - 1996) (p.222)

Farhi goes on to suggest exhaling as soon as painful stiumli is anticipated, as our natural impulse is to inhale and hold the breath. We must try to stop this habit, we must try to stop dwelling on the possible outcomes of pain if it increases, and instead direct our breath into the area that is causing us pain. Once again we are practicing breaking lifetime habits in order to attain ease.

More on Prana and Pranic Body and pranayama practices to follow!!

Core Strength and the Bhandas

Abdominal strength is vital to an asana practice, but even more so to anyone with back problems as power in the deep abdominal core takes pressure off the lower back. This is not just important when practicing yoga, but also when carrying oout many day to day tasks, such as lifting and even walking! We can achieve this core strength by gently drawing the navel upwards and backwards towards the spine. You will probably notice the pelvic floor muscles contracting slightly as well. Both of these movements work the deep core muscles, which we can feel particularly well when we cough, sneeze or laugh. You will notice that this movement will give you extra strength and freedom in strong postures such as Adho Mukha Svanasana, balances and Viabhadrasana (Warrior) postures.

More on Core and Bhandas to follow!!!