The Secret Ingredient: Effortless Effort

Steve (featured in an earlier post), one of my students, asked me if he couldn't get the depth he wanted to in a pose, even though he practiced a lot and worked at it almost daily, what did he have to do to get into the ideal (from his perspective) pose.  Knowing Steve pretty well, and knowing that he practices almost daily,  I offered this response.

When we begin to practice yoga, many of us fall in love with it, enjoy the way it makes us feel, and want to improve so much that we commit a lot of time and effort to getting better and better at it.  We may take lots of classes from many different teachers. Sometimes part of our motivation is to find the "secret ingredient" that makes our poses perfect.  This is a wonderful way to begin our yoga journey. (Any reason to begin is the right reason).

The trouble is, all of this effort results in a tremendous amount of striving.  This very striving becomes a major distraction.  When we're trying so hard, sometimes we overdo and get burned out, discouraged, or injure ourselves. We have difficulty accepting the fact that we're not perfect, and we are unable to be happy with where we are.

In the Eightfold Path (ashtanga) spoken of in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, principle number five is called "pratyahara".  I quote Yoga Journal here:

Pratyahara, the fifth limb, means withdrawal or sensory transcendence. It is during this stage that we make the conscious effort to draw our awareness away from the external world and outside stimuli (distractions). Keenly aware of, yet cultivating a detachment from, our senses, we direct our attention internally. The practice of pratyahara provides us with an opportunity to step back and take a look at ourselves. This withdrawal allows us to objectively observe our cravings: habits that are perhaps detrimental to our health and which likely interfere with our inner growth.

I explained to Steve that once you get into the pose (the active/striving/effort-ful part of the pose) we withdraw from the active effort and begin to yield effortlessly into the pose.  Here we turn our attention inward, observing the inner landscape of the body, rather than the structural mechanics of the outward posture.  When we begin to relax into, or yield into the pose, our body finds wholeness, stability, and a measure of restfulness or effortlessness. 

At this point, there becomes a balance between effort and effortless, or activity and yielding.  This balance is pratyahara, wherein the mind/body/awareness lets go of the striving and becomes one with the pose.  The senses are withdrawn from the exterior and become one with the interior feeling tone of the posture.  

Sometimes when this balance is attained, when the body begins to yield, it will go deeper into the pose.  This new objective awareness makes it clear that where we are is perfect right now.  This opens up a whole new level of depth in our practice.  The result of active yield or effortless effort is the integration of the body, the mind, and the spirit. This is often defined by a very blissful feeling. This is when we truly start to experience yoga.

What's THE most important pose?

A few nights ago at SLCC class, after a 15 minute kin hin (walking) meditation and an hour of asana instruction, I had the class do SAVASANA.  Savasana is commonly known as "corpse" or "dead man" pose.  This pose is the final pose that we always do at the end of a class or practice.  It is the final relaxation. This pose is one that allows the body to integrate the work done in class and attain complete closure.  If this pose is done correctly, the body's energy stays spacious, alert, and calm for a long period of time after class or practice is over. 

I was watching the students as I guided them out of the relaxation.  I guided them out slowly, in stages. When the bell ending the pose sounded, about half the class sat up immediately, and in an incorrect way. They started putting their equipment away and generally became hyper-active.  I was a little bit disappointed, because many of them were not following instructions for coming up out of savasana at all. I need to review with them the benefits of doing this pose correctly.

Savasana is the most important pose of all.  It should NEVER be skipped, whether practicing or in a formal class.  It should be performed 5-15 minutes.  Fifteen minutes is optimum, but five is the minimum amount of time one should allow.

At the first of the class I asked each student why he/she signed up for the class.  About 80% of the students said "to reduce my stress levels - I'm just SO stressed!"  Sitting up quickly and putting equipment away after savasana is extremely counter-productive, in fact, it actually INCREASES stress levels. Coming out of savasana incorrectly puts you right back into high stress mode. The body's agitation will continue to be felt for some time after practice.

 If we get up slowly, allowing the body/mind/spirit system to transition in a slow, smooth manner, the well-being created in the asana practice session will continue to bring us benefits.  If the body does not rise up off the floor properly, the spine will be agitated. This stresses the auric (energy) body as well as the mental/emotional body.

The proper way to come out of a pose is just as important as how we go into a pose. The way to come out of savasana is to open the eyes, but keep the attention inward.  Stay there a few breaths.  Then bring the knees towards the chest, roll to one side, resting the head on the arm a few breaths.  Then turn the head and upper body towards the floor, look at the floor, and using both hands, push yourself up to sitting.  This method does not agitate the spine, but keeps it neutral. This insures that the body's energy will stay calm and spacious.

 

I agree with what Wikepedia.com says about Savasana:

After the exertions of the practice, Shavasana allows the body a chance to regroup and reset itself. After a balanced practice, the entire body will have been stretched, contracted, twisted and inverted. These means that even the deepest muscles will have the opportunity to let go and shed their regular habits, if only for a few minutes.  Furthermore, the physiological benefits of deep relaxation are numerous and include:

• a decrease in heart rate and the rate of respiration.
• a decrease in blood pressure.
• a decrease in muscle tension.
• a decrease in metabolic rate and the consumption of oxygen.
• a reduction in general anxiety.
• a reduction in the number and frequency of panic attacks.
• an increase in energy levels and in general productivity.
• an improvement in concentration and in memory.
• an increase in focus.
• a decrease in fatigue, coupled with deeper and sounder sleep.
• improved self-confidence.

Gentle Yoga Classes Begin in September!

We're starting new classes in Gentle Yoga at Granite Peaks Community Ed.  This class is for students who are less flexible, are in poor physical condition, recovering from injuries, pregnant, seniors, overweight, or those who would like a less strenuous and more relaxed workout. We're offering yoga accessible to students of any age, any size, and any level of ability.  The exercises will work all the muscles, tissues, and organs of the body, promoting better health and mind/body awareness.

  


Gentle yoga will provide a complete workout without putting unnecessary strain on the body. We incorporate simplified modifications of the standard hatha yoga poses.  The poses will be less intense and strenuous. We'll incorporate the use of yoga props to accommodate those with physical limitations. The classes will be one hour in duration.

Gentle yoga is based on formal hatha yoga poses, incorporating the same breathing techniques and alignments.  Gentle Yoga will provide a complete workout. Those in the area who are interested are invited to class!  Please go to www.granitepeaks.org to sign up.  Classes will begin Sept. 4 & 5, 2012. Please tell any friends or family you know who may be looking for a class like this!

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Aging Yogi Does Trikonasana

A couple of things happening as we get older seem to be more apparent.  One, we keep practicing yoga asana (poses) but we never seem to be able to stay flexible, no matter how many times a day we do it.  It seems like we ought to stay more flexible, but for some reason I wish I understood better, (any posts on that?) we stiffen up in between practices or classes.  

The important thing here is that we keep doing it, that we make it a part of our lives and never stop practicing.  Nothing is more important that our own health and well-being.  If we don't have our health, we have nothing.  We become disillusioned, crabby, self-absorbed, and our quality of life goes out the window.  

Two, even if we are doing yoga every day, the poses are not always easy.  We don't want to do challenging poses sometimes, we're just not "in the mood" or we're really tired, or any number of excuses.  If we do a few poses that challenge us and make us work hard, doing them lifts our spirits and elevates our vibration.  Every time we practice, it is a new practice.  Every time we practice, it brings our awareness back into the present moment. 

During some of the poses we may not be smiling, but hey, we're doing them!  The bones might creak more than we remember, areas of the body are stiffer than we want them to be.  We might not go as deep as last time, but we learn to respect where our body is right now. 
The body is changing every minute of every day. The activities we do (or don't do) during the day affect the body and may cause us discomfort when we practice, but we always feel better after yoga.

Just think where we would be if we WEREN'T doing yoga!  We'd be on the couch becoming a potato, immobile, lumpy, grouchy, and old.  Yoga keeps us young at heart, and certainly (this is scientifically proven) younger in our bodies. We don't stop exercising because we get old, we get old because we stop exercising!

Here are a couple of pics of one of my long-time students, Steve, doing Trikonasana. As you can see, he is very flexible, much more flexible than many students half his age.  This is because he practices or goes to class almost every day, (sometimes twice a day).He's a very committed yogi!

Steve is younger than me by a couple of years, by the way.  I admire his tenacity and his flexibility!  He can go deeper in some poses than I can. His comments about the pictures are: 

"Next time remind me to smile!  I don't think I'm ready for the magazine (photos) yet. Maybe the caption should read AGING YOGI does Trikonasana.  There's got to be some excuse for the pained, wrinkled expression, even though I thought I was having a good time".