Cooling and Quieting Moon Salutation Sequence

The Moon Salutation, also called “Chandra Namaskara”, is a series of poses performed in a particular sequence. Like the Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskara), each pose in a Moon Salutation is synchronized with your breath: While Sun Salutations are heating and stimulating, Moon Salutations are cooling and quieting.

There are many variations of Moon Salutations. This sequence is a simple one that is suitable for all levels.

Start with Mountain pose (top center) and follow the sequence around clockwise back to the top and then repeat going counter clockwise and back to the top.

Standing Mountain Pose — Tadasana
Side Bend/Half Moon — Urdhva Hastasana
Goddess Squat — Utkata Konasana
Five Pointed Star Pose
Extended Triangle Pose — Utthita Trikonasana
Pyramid Pose — Parsvottanasana
Low Crescent Lunge — Anjaneyasana
Low Side Lunge
Garland Pose — Malasana
Low Side Lunge
Low Crescent Lunge — Anjaneyasana
Pyramid Pose — Parsvottanasana
Extended Triangle Pose — Utthita Trikonasana
Five Pointed Star Pose
Goddess Squat — Utkata Konasana
Upward Salute Side Bend/Half Moon — Urdhva Hastasana
Standing Mountain Pose — Tadasana

How much flexibility do you need to do yoga?

The most common reason people give for not trying yoga is that they think they are not flexible enough and will look out-of-place in class.

You don't have to be flexible to start a yoga practice. Yoga is there to help you get flexible. I've seen students, who started out stiff, gain flexibly over several months of regular practice. Will these students ever become ultra-flexible? Probably not. Most people who practice yoga have average flexibility.

If you ever felt you were “too stiff” for yoga, it’s time to put that aside and check it out for yourself. Here are some tips for dealing with tight bodies doing yoga.

Don’t be afraid to use props: Props are your best friends. Sitting on a blanket will help lift your hips, giving you more space between the seat and the floor, so those with tight hamstrings can sit comfortably with a straight and relaxed back. Use a block to bring the floor up to you. When you can't touch the floor in a standing pose, the block helps keep you aligned properly so you don't have to strain. With the use of a prop, you can comfortably stay in the pose long enough to get the benefit from the stretch.

Fold carefully:  For those with tight hamstrings, any sort of forward fold will cause the short muscles to pull the pelvis down and the lower back will round. This can strain the lower back more than it stretches the hamstrings. Use of a belt or a block will help you keep a longer spine and allow the fold to start from the hips, not the lower back. With consistent practice, you will start to fold more comfortably while keeping the natural curve of the spine.

Twist tenderly: Twisting is an excellent way to massage organs and improve thoracic spine mobility. For seated twists, if you find you lower back rounding when you sit on the floor, prop yourself up with a blanket or block so the lower back can lengthen comfortably. Use your breath by inhaling to extend the spine, then exhale into the twist. Engage your abs for lumbar stability. Make sure you twist from the mid-back rather than the pelvis, lower back, or shoulders. Keep hips level.

Work the core: Strong abdominal and spinal muscles mean a more stable and supported lower back and pelvis. Regardless of your flexibility, a strong core will take you so much further, making your yoga practice more enjoyable and may help reduce the risk of injury. Typically, athletes and serious exercisers tend to be the least flexible people in a yoga class, but may excel at poses that require good core strength like plank pose, boat pose or balancing poses. Yoga will help you develop a good balance between strength and flexibility.

Pay attention to your body: By focusing on the feeling in your body, you will know when you have moved past your edge. The discomfort you feel from stretching is okay, but you should never feel pain. If a pose is painful, come out of the pose. Also pay attention to your progress. Let your body and your breath lead you. Have confidence that your stiffness will dissolve with practice. You will enjoy the benefits of a body that can move comfortably in the day-to-day world, as well as on the yoga mat.

Gate Pose "Parighasana" (pahr-eee-GAHS-uh-nuh), stretches the side of the torso from the hips to the armpits, including the abdominal muscles, spine, and hamstrings. It opens the shoulders, and helps to reduce neck and shoulder tension.

This pose also stretches the intercostal muscles which connect the ribs. These muscles can get short and tight from sitting for a long time, which can restrict the movement of the ribcage and result in poor breathing habits. Stretching the intercostals may help to improve breathing capacity.

Remember:

• Keep the side of your torso aligned with the thigh of the extended leg.
• Keep your torso open and lifting. Do not let your chest or shoulders drop forward.
• Only bend as far as your comfort level allows. Even if that is just an inch or two, you will still gain the benefits of the pose.

Here are two variations of Parighasana

Kneeling Gate Pose

• Kneel on your mat
• Extend one leg out to the side
• Line up the foot of the extended leg with the knee on the floor
• Keep the knee on the floor under the hip
• Press the heel of the extended leg into the floor and rotate the leg to turn your knee cap up.
• Inhale and reach the arm of the bent knee side up overhead
• Place the other arm down so the hand rests on the extended leg
• Exhale and lean sideways in the direction of the extended leg
• Keep the upper arm along side your head with the bicept resting by your ear
• Reach the fingers of the upper hand toward the toes
• Stay in the pose for 5-10 breaths.
• To come out, slowly lift the torso back to center, repeat on the other side

Seated gate pose

• Sit with legs out straight along the floor
• Bend one leg, keeping the leg on the floor, so the knee is off to the side and the heal rests near the pelvic floor
• Keep the other leg straight and swing it off to the side making a V shape with the legs
• Turn your torso so your shoulders are on the same plane as the straight leg
• Inhale and reach the arm of the bent knee side up overhead
• Place the other arm down so the hand rests on the straight leg
• Exhale and lean sideways in the direction of the straight leg
• Keep the upper arm along side your head with the bicept resting by your ear
• Reach the fingers of the upper hand toward the toes
• Stay in the pose for 5-10 breaths.
• To come out, slowly lift the torso back to center, repeat on the other side

How I see my practice as a process

Over the last seven years I have practiced yoga asana on a regular basis. I was drawn to yoga initially for exercise, but as my practice continued on a regular basis, things started to happen. I found myself a little more relaxed, more confident, less anxious, more focused, better organized, and with a clearer memory. Still, not stellar, but better.

The more I practiced asana, the more I saw how physical and emotional experiences were drawing me closer to other aspects of yoga. I discovered several important concepts that thread their way throughout the system. One is the concept of finding the balance between effort and ease. Another is the  combination of practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya).

I know I desire to continue to grow in my practice as my body gets more fit and capable of deeper poses. I also know that this is a process, and I can't get attached where I have very little control over the outcome. Merriam-Webster defines the word process as: "a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result."  I guess that's where I am, always heading toward that elusive result.

I know I'm supposed to check my ego at the studio door and come to my mat from where I am at that moment. And if that moment says, "No, you are not getting into tree pose today." I can live with that. Someday I will not be able to stretch and bend and move the way I can today. I will keep practicing and traveling forward. The result here, to me, is more organic, it continuously changes with my practice.

turning upside down

Yoga inversions are poses that position your body so your heart is higher than your head, such as downward facing dog, standing forward fold or pyramid pose. With inversions like shoulder stand, headstand and handstand your feet are also higher than your head.

Flipping yourself upside down creates a change of perspective both mentally and physically. Physically your body is using muscles, bones and organs in a very different way than it is used to. When your body inverts, gravity causes the blood to flow to your head, this may temporarily reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Inverting also allows blood to flow from the lower to upper lungs, ensuring a more even exchange of oxygen in the blood promoting healthier tissues.

Aside from the physical effects, inversions also allow the student to see the world from an unfamiliar, opposite perspective. Judith Hanson Lasater said, "When you do headstand you can only see the world, not yourself. When you do shoulderstand you can only see yourself, not the world. They are the perfect yin/yang, king/queen, mother/father energies."

Going upside down requires balance, strength, and trust. If you are in good health and have none of the contraindications for doing inversions,(high blood pressure, recent back or neck injury, or pregnancy) then why not give them a try.

A good place to start is by building strength in your upper body. Plank pose and Dolphin dives are good for working the muscles in the upper arms and across your chest. Dolphin dives have the added benefits of also being an inversion where your head is lower than your heart and placement of the forearms on the floor is the same base used for sirsasana (headstand).

Steady balance requires a stable pelvis and spine which can be acquired by strengthening the core muscles around your trunk. Plank pose is great for this, causing the core muscles to fire in order to keep the hips in line. Work in side planks to engage the muscles on the sides of your waist as well challenge your balance.

Along with strength and balance, flexible hamstrings can make sirsasana and pinchu mayurasana (forearm balance) more attainable by allowing you to walk into the inversion rather than jumping into it. Walking in makes you less likely to lose your balance and you will get up with better control.

Now that your body is ready to go upside down, will your mind go along also? Fear is probably the biggest obstacle when it comes to balancing inversions. There is fear of falling, or fear of not being able to get into the pose, or fear of being disoriented once you are up. B.K.S. Iyengar said, "The best way to overcome fear is to face with equanimity the situation of which one is afraid." Fortunately, disorientation subsides fairly quickly.

Trust your body. For headstand, start in Table pose facing a wall. Place your hands about 6-8 inches away from the wall and rest on your forearms. Grab opposite elbows to determine how wide your arms should be. This ensures proper alignment of the elbows under the shoulders. Keep the elbows where they are and bring your hands together. Interlace your fingers. Tuck the bottom little finger in towards your palms. Turn the crown of your head toward the floor and rest your head in your hands. Push your forearms down so the top of your head barely touches the floor. Push your feet down and lift your hips up. Start walking your feet in closer to your body. When you've walked into the pose as far as you can, bend one knee and lift your foot off the floor, tucking your heel in toward your buttocks. Then bend the other knee and bring your foot off the floor. Find your balance with your hips over your shoulders. Slowly start to straighten your legs, bringing the souls of your feet to face the ceiling. Pull your belly in to engage the core and squeeze your legs together as you reach your heels toward the sky. Gaze straight ahead and breath. You can only see the world, not yourself. Try to stay for at least 3 breaths. Bend your knees and lower them toward your chest to come down and take Child's pose.

Approach your inversions with respect. Taking such a different view of the world can be daunting at first. Trust in the process. Once you start to feel at ease with this perspective, you may notice events in your life that once sent you upside down emotionally, are now handled with greater confidence and stability.

rolling up the straps

I love that small period of silence after a class. After savasana and the closing ohm, but before students start to roll their mats, gather belongings and quietly start talking to each other as outside stimulation slowly becomes part of the consciousness again.

Some classes end with students walking out in total silence, still reverent after so much inward reflection. Other times chatter comes quickly, mats are rolled in a hurry and students rush on with their day.

Today, there was purposeful movement in the silence after the ohm when all the students simultaneously picked up their straps and rolled them up, very neatly, with intention, and mindfully put them back in the basket.

They probably didn't notice the quiet choreography or feel the weight of the stillness, as I did, while enjoying the bliss of  this very present moment. Maybe they were aware, I don't know. But I certainly took in as much as I could, as my atman peeked outside and thought, this is why I teach yoga.

What's up with all the vinyasas?

Plank, chaturanga, updog. Over and over and over again. Why do we do so many vinyasas?

Vinyasa from Sanskrit breaks down to nyasa "to place" and vi "in a special way"

Vinyasa is also a term used to define dynamic flowing styles of yoga.

Use as a noun. As in, "Come through vinyasa." the term refers to a series of three poses, plank, chaturanga, and updog, used in sequence between forward fold and down dog. Most often done as part of a sun salutation. (Surya Namaskara).

A popular dynamic style of yoga is known as vinyasa flow. This style can be challenging, the classes are usually fast paced and include a lot of, well, vinyasas. Often synonymous with a puddle-of-sweat type yoga.

If we take a look at the translation from Sanskrit, "to place in a special way", that denotes, at least to me,  a slower pace with acute attention to breath and movement.

Why do we do so many? Well, they link movement of the body to the breath, creating a moving meditation. They create heat in the body, keeping it warm so we can stretch and hold asana longer. They help to refocus the breath after holding a pose, keeping the attention drawn inward.

Think about it, what a way to proceed through life, where everything, every thought, every motion is given the attention that it deserves.

Maybe not always, but sometimes,  it's OK to slow down. Pay attention. Focus awareness slowly and hold it a split second longer. Make sure that thing, that foot, that breath, that coffee cup, is placed in a special way. Relish it, live it, love it, even when there is a puddle of sweat.