Writing Sample - Learning to do Yoga

             Yoga is both a popular workout for all ages and a technique to calm the mind. There are two basic types of yoga. We will review the more active style first, which is called a vinyasa flow. During this style of yoga practice, a teacher will guide you through several poses, or movements for your body. One flow contains a series of poses on the floor, rising up to standing, and as you get more advanced, balancing on sides of your body. This style of class moves quickly and gives the yogi a more aerobic pace. For yogis that do not want to commit to a full class, a quick internet search for “yoga videos” can provide a number of free options to try.

 Most yoga classes require nothing more than a mat. According to online yoga hub Yoga International, the mat not only helps yogis to be more comfortable during class, but it serves as a physical reminder that the class is a break from a busy day. Vinyasa flows can be invigorating and are great exercises to begin the day, according to John Hopkins Medicine’s website.

Balance is a key part of yoga. According to Yoga Journal, regularly moving your body helps to strengthen your overall balance. Each pose must be done equally on both the right and the left side of the body to achieve muscular and spiritual balance. Poses that stretch the limbs are done both ways, like the popular “Cat-Cow Pose” for the back. In this pose, the yogi gets on his or her hands and knees with their back long, imagining a table with a flat back. As the yogi rounds the shoulders and pulls in the stomach to the back like a cat, he or she holds the position. The yogi releases the position after a breath into the starting hands and knees pose with a neutral back, like the cow. The repeating of this pose assures the back and spine get a stretch in two different ways. Vinyasa classes incorporate breathing into each of the poses. You may inhale in for cat pose, and release the breath as you move into cow pose. There is another form of yoga that relies more on breathing techniques to achieve balance.

Breathing is the main focus in Hatha yoga. The breath, or “pranayama” as it is called in its original Sanskrit, helps the yogi achieve balance in poses. You will of course use breathing to count out the length of the poses and breath will strengthen the connection between the body and mind. Over the course of a Hatha class, a yogi will move at a slower pace and control their in/out breath, which can help calm the parasympathetic nervous system. This regulating part of the body controls things like pulse and digestion. The body’s slowdown in breathing will help a yogi relax in as little as five minutes, according to The Himalayan Yoga Institute.

Hatha classes spend more time meditating in each pose. You may find mental balance while working on your physical balance. People without yoga experience are encouraged to do their best and make modifications to their poses as they go through each gentle flow. This style of yoga focuses more on the journey than on the end result. A popular pose in Hatha classes in “Legs up the Wall,” also known as Viparita Karani in the Sanskrit language. This pose is best done before bedtime, according to wellness website MindBodyGreen.com. The yogi should lie on the floor next to an open wall with a mat for support, and walk the legs up the wall until the body is in an “L” with the arms resting comfortably at the sides. This pose raises the legs over the head for an extended time, helping the body power down into a meditative state.  As always, modifications cane be made for this pose. A yoga block (about 2” x 5” and made of foam) may be a good option to place at the base of your spine if you do not have a wall available to lean against. Home staples such as towels, blankets, or an extra yoga mat can be placed under the bottom of the spine to alleviate pressure on the back and hips, according to Dr. Andrew Weill, an integrative medicine doctor at the University of Arizona.  

As with all yoga classes, Hatha and Vinyasa classes end with a rest period called a “Savasana.” Many yogis enjoy these last 5-10 minutes of the class more than the poses. Instructors will dim the lights during this time and guide the yogis through a meditation or “scrunch and relax” exercise with each region of the body. The yogi lies in the “Corpse Pose,” flat on the back with arms and legs stretched out on the mat. A small yoga block or rolled up piece of fabric can be a helpful cushion for the head in this pose. The yogi takes this time as a meditation to clear the head and absorb what has been done in the class. This could be taking in the physical benefits of stretching, or enjoying the metal benefits of quiet time spent focusing on the breath. Peloton Yoga instructor Kristin McGee suggested on her blog that a meditation can be as simple as repeating,” Breathe in, breathe out,” as a mantra. In conclusion, yoga is a fun, free, and beneficial way to exercise both your body and mind.  

 

  

Figure 1: Cat Cow Pose, as Demonstrated in PopSugar  article.

Figure 2: Legs up the Wall from Yoga Journal article.

Yoga Week! - Let's Twist Again

The Pose: Seated Spinal Twist

How Its Done:
You begin crossing one leg flat (left) out in front of you. The next step is bend the opposite leg (right) at the knee and cross over the flat leg. The bent knee should reach toward your opposite hip. The arms will then support and tighten your form. Now the right knee is bent and you rest your left elbow on the outer side of the knee at a 90 degree angle. The right hand goes on the floor, on your right side and behind your body. You turn your torso and head toward the right also. It resembles what I like to call a "reclined Cleopatra."

What I Learned:
Sometimes when I do twists, I feel my body caving in to get more of a twist. This is the exact opposite of what you are supposed to do to make a twist work! The key to making this pose work is to keep youe body open. Your shoulders  need to be open (think shoulder blades touching). In order to keep the form and strong stomach,  I realized I need to keep my flutes (butt cheeks) flat against the floor. This will establish a stronger base and help you twist much further.

Yoga Week! - The Squat Problem

The Pose: Goddess Squat

What I Learned:
I am good at many poses, but I squat like a hippo. I will never be successful at "getting low" as the great Flo Rida would say. I can get into a  hovering position, but my body can't commit fully because I have tight hips. I tragically have come to terms that I will never be a sumo wrestler. The pose reminds me of a sumo pose because you stand with legs squatted to each side and arms turned up like balancing the scales of justice.

Self-Reflection: In all seriousness, I'm now going to talk about what I learned in doing the pose. I've learned a lot about myself. One of the tenants of yoga is not to compare what you're doing to what anyone else is doing. I firmly believe that. I also know that my hips are extremely tight and a little observation (of my fellow yogis) helps me greatly. I am a visual learner and adapt well to and something about modeling my movement after someone else's is very helpful. This comes from my background in theater. Any actor worth their movement class has learned from sitting on a bench and watched others.

In the Pose: What have I learned from squatting? I learned first that my calves are pretty strong. For someone with 5 feet of total length, my calves take up decent real estate on my body. They also get easily knotted up. My solution for this has become to foam roll my entire legs after class. The foam roller helps to break up little cranky muscles. In essence, the more I squat, the more my muscles will build strength.

Yoga Week! -Making Triangles

The Pose: Triangle (Trikonasana)

What I Learned:
Triangle pose is a great stretch for the back, legs and when done properly, the arms.  With legs wide open, you bend from the waist to one side (the right, then left). Your right arm reaches for your ankle and your left arm extends into the air. I always thought my lower arm supported my body. A recent adjustment by my instructor changed my view of this pose.

The teacher told me to release my ankle-grabbing hand to see if I was still in the form. I began to cave slightly. She tapped on my abdominal muscle, indicating that should be used to keep the form. This is really a core workout! For the last few weeks, I go into triangle and immediately dangle my lower arm to make sure my stomach is supporting my weight.

Yoga Week!- Pose and Learn

Hello and Happy New Year! I'm kicking off 2018 with posts about yoga poses. It's time for a new focus in my practice. Please note, these are not just my favorite poses, but they are definitely ones that have taught me a lot.

New Year's Resolution: More Yoga in 2017

     The act of practicing yoga is often regarded by some people as transformation experience. I'm no expert, but I try it as best I can. Unlike most other types of fitness classes, a yoga class is more about the journey than the end result. Tonight I had my first class in a few weeks and I got back on the mat.

     I came to yoga with some reservations, but tried to keep an open mind. I wasn't sure if would fit in, or if I could be as flexible as another person in the class. After over a year of back pain that turned out to be really coming from a weak hip, I was up for anything. I had been working with a chiropractor, received hip injections because of a tear in a muscle, and done two separate rounds of physical therapy. I jumped in 4 years ago with some new leggings and a new mat, remembering that at the end of the class there would be a rest period, called Shavasana. I have fallen asleep a few times during this time, and it is glorious.

     I struggled with my first class, dropping from downward dog to plank much slower than other people. It took a few weeks to get the poses down. Over time, I got used to doing a flow. I've been in classes, in the dark, in a bar, outside, and in a sweaty heated room.  Each time, I'm trying to do my best, trying to plank a little straighter or for a few extra minutes. Some days I've got a chance of balancing in some poses, and some days I'm swaying like a palm tree in a hurricane. Yoga, like us as humans, is imperfect. It's always going to give you something back if you give your energy to it.

     Two years ago, I lost my practice after having foot surgery. After living with a burning hot sensation in the ball of my foot for 6 months, I would have done anything to make it stop. My yoga practice was occasionally strained by the pain, as I could not point or flex that foot. I went to yoga classes until a few days before the surgery, promising my two classes I would be back by February. I went to my first few classes still in my boot. It was terrible. I had trouble standing and I could not balance. At all. I kept at it. A few more months taught me how I needed to modify poses with my slightly desensitized foot (blocks are a lifesaver)  and I got back to my old form after several months. It was during that time that the instructor's notes on breathing began to click. I would forget to breathe when I moved from pose to pose and I was losing energy trying not to focus on my pain. It was really that pain that pushed me farther. The more I began to breathe through the challenging poses, the more I appreciated them. In time, I could start to balance. For the record, I am still struggling with breathing through my poses.

     This summer, I again had to pull the ripcord on yoga. Terrible  unprovoked neck pain began, and I paused practicing. After a month of doctor visits and tests, it was decided that I had a slightly herniated disc in my neck. It's only herniated in certain positions, making it all the more difficult to control. My arm became weaker on one side and I couldn't hold poses.  I then began months of physical therapy and could not keep up with yoga. About a month ago, I began taking classes again. I may stay a little longer in my spinal stretches, but I have gotten back to a rhythm.  It is imperfect, but it's my rhythm and I'll stick with it. In some ways, I think yoga has helped me keep going through the tough times. It may be as simple as sitting in a twist and trying alternate nostril breathing, but I try to squeeze something in a little each day.

     After the Shavasana, we wake our bodies up slowly and rise up to a seated position. The instructor thanks everyone for coming and repeats a phrase that means "the light within me respects the light within you." We all acknowledge each other (even in a class of 3) and thank ourselves for devoting the class and the time to ourselves. It's a very peaceful moment and can turn even the toughest class into time well spent. In conclusion, take time to respect yourself in 2017. Follow your bliss, learn a new skill, and devote some time to yourself. Namaste,