yoga during winter

December 21… Winter solstice… The shortest day and the longest night of the year… We experienced the solstice a few days ago. This year seems longer and darker to me. Ongoing terror attacks in our country is making these days longer and darker. Moreover, the summertime application is still underway in our country, which makes days darker. When we wake up in the morning, we see a dark day. When we get out of our homes to go to the office or school, it is still dark. It gets lighter when we are on our ways to school or office, which makes waking up in the morning harder than ever. We have understood how important the daylight is for people and how it biologically helps us live our lives.

When winter comes, I feel depressed. Even though I am a person who have been practicing and living in yoga for years, I cannot get accustomed to the duality of life. Actually, I have accepted duality in many areas, however when it comes to winter and summer, summer is much more important for me. In fact, the sentence saying “there is winter if there is summer” is not one that I feel like saying. Just try to imagine what has happened to me when I am waking up to dark mornings.

Winter… Cold, dark, dry and harsh… All these are characteristics of “vata dosha”, one of the three body types in Ayurveda (Indian science of living). “Vata dosha” resembles adjectives like airy, light and creative. The main feature of this body type is instability and inconstancy. “Vata dosha” controls the central nervous system. When this “dosha” is out of balance, it can lead to nervous problems, including anxiety and depression.

With the cold, dry and harsh weather during winter, the “vata dosha” in our bodies rise irrespective of what our ayurvedic body types are. When the “vata” in our bodies rise, the best thing to do is to ground in yoga classes. Therefore, we should give priority to grounding in our yoga practice during winter and we should keep our awareness in our roots and grounds.

Why do we have to ground when “vata” increases in our bodies? “Vata” is associated with not only cold, dark, dry and harsh but also light and airy. Therefore, when “vata” increases in our bodies, it is so normal to fell ourselves lighter, more airy and as if we are flying. To this end, we should reduce, balance or regulate the “vata dosha” in our bodies. If we give priority to inversions that increase “vata” during our yoga practice and mainly practice “sirsasana” (headstand), “adho mukha vrksasana” (handstand) and “pincha mayurasana” (forearm stand), we raise the “vata” in our bodies. Thus, our mind will be tired, we feel impatient, and we feel like we are flying. We cannot focus, we cannot stay at one place and we will lose attention.

If we have such complaints, we should focus on grounding more than ever during winter in order to ensure physical, emotional and spiritual balance because most probably, the “vata dosha” in our bodies has increased. The standing yoga poses, particularly “tadasana” (mountain pose), “virabhadrasana I” (warrior I), “virabhadrasana II” (warrior II), “trikonasana” (triangle) and “vrksasana” (tree pose) are all poses that ground us and help us regulate the “vata dosha”. These standing poses do not only make us stronger but also help us stand firm and balanced on our feet.
Actually, we do not only ground in standing poses. If our aim is to ground ourselves, we can feel our roots in every pose. You must be wondering how we can do that? For instance, let’s practice “paschimottanasana” (sitting forward bend). If we bring our awareness to our sit bones in this pose and aim to get rooted and ground towards the earth through these bones, we can also make ourselves be rooted and grounded in a sitting yoga pose.

Similarly, we can also get grounded and rooted in backbends. For example, we can get into “bhujangasana” (cobra) or “salabhasana” (locust) poses, and we can ground ourselves onto the earth from our abdomen while we raise only our chest from the ground.

Twists also help us regulate the “vata dosha” in our bodies. However, our breath should freely move when we are in a twist. If not, the “vata dosha” in our bodies can increase.

We can get cold or flu more easier during winter than all other seasons. Therefore, it could be useful if we focus on asanas opening the chest, throat and sinuses. After warming the bodies up with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series, we can open the chest with backbends like “ustrasana” (camel), “dhanurasana” (bow) and “salabhasana” (locust) and clean and purify the throat with “salamba sarvangasana” (supported shoulderstand) and “matsyasana” (fish pose).

Besides all these yoga asanas, warming the bodies up with “ujjayi pranayama” (conquerer breath) during the winter can be a good method to balance the increasing “vata dosha”. Other techniques that can warm the bodies during winter are “bhastrika pranayama” (bellows breath) and “kapalabhati kriya” (skull cleansing method). Particularly “kapalabhati” could help eliminate mucus from the bodies.

So, we can regulate and balance the “vata dosha” in our bodies by trying to ground ourselves more on the ground and earth during this cold, dry and harsh winter. Let’s try to ground ourselves more and more on earth in standing yoga poses but at the same time let’s try to feel the energy rising from our soles. Let’s try to flow our energy to the ground, and feel the energy coming from the earth and ground in every yoga pose.

Grounding… One of the main principles of life. Everybody and everything wants to have roots and belong somewhere. Winter is a good opportunity to get grounded and be rooted and to improve our sense of belonging. If there is duality in life, we should continue being grounded until the moment we need to take our feet off the ground, i.e. till summer. Don’t forget that the days when we will need to take our feet off the floor are also ahead of us…

springtime yoga

Long, gloomy, dry and cold winter is about to end. The north hemisphere is welcoming the spring. March 21 is the day when day and night are equal and when spring officially begins. With the spring on the way, we can see some changes in our bodies as well as our sportive activites and yoga practice. Spring makes us feel more tired, heavier and as if we are carrying hundreds of kilograms of load and we may not know how to cope with this fatigue. Actually, it’s so simple. According to Ayurveda — the Indian science of living — the “kapha dosha” in our bodies increases when spring comes. For this reason, we feel ourselves heavier and tired and we do not even want to move. So, what type of yoga should we prefer in spring?

Before discussing types of yoga during spring, it is better to talk about “doshas” in our bodies. Ayurveda divides types of bodies into three and name them as “dosha” including “vata”, “pitta and “kapha.” Every body consists of three doshas and one of the doshas prevail others and cause some phyical and spiritual changes from season to season. From person to person, one dosha prevails. Moreover, one dosha prevails over the other with seasonal changes. It is so natural that “vata dosha” increases in our bodies in long, cold, gloomy and dry winter. On the contrary, “kapha dosha” increases in our bodies as days get longer, flowers bloom and temperatures rises with spring. Kapha dosha balances elements water and earth in our bodies. Its duty is to stretch our joints, providing mucus to protect our sinuses, lungs and stomach and to regulate the amount and strength of our muscles.
When kapha dosha is in balance, we feel ourselves strong and solid. When it is out of balance, we may be exhausted, depressed and sleepy.
Therefore, it is important to balance the kapha dosha in our bodies when spring comes. Otherwise, we may have to cope with seasonal allergies and severe common cold.
When all these are taken into consideration, flow yoga is something I can recommend to yoga lovers to not only wake their heavy bodies up but also to feel themselves more dynamic. Particularly vinyasa and hatha classes, “surya namaskara” (sun salutations), standing asanas, backbends, inversions, arm balancing poses and twists are sine qua non poses of springtime. “Matsyasana” (fish), “salabhasana” (locust), “navasana” (boat), “dhanurasana” (bow), “simhasana” (lion), “ustrasana” (camel), “setu bandhasana” (bridge), “urdhva dhanurasana” (wheel), “sirsasana” (headstand), “sarvangasana” (shoulderstand), “pincha mayurasana” (peacock) and “adho mukha vrksasana” (handstand) open the chest, relieve congestion, stretch the throat and drains sinuses.

If you follow a flow like “garudasana” (eagle), “prasaritta padottanasana” (wide-legged forward bend) variations, “sirsasana” (headstand), “bakasana” (crow), “chaturanga dandasana-bakasana” (low plank-crow), “bakasana (crow)-adho mukha vrksasana (handstand)”, “salamba sarvangasana-halasana-karnapidasana-salamba sarvangasana-setu bandhasana” (supported shoulderstand, plow, ear pressure pose, supported shoulderstand, bridge), this will not only balance the kapha dosha in your bodies but also make you feel yourself stronger and more energetic.
In our classes or own yoga practice, we can welcome spring and ease spring fever with just 108 sun salutations. When flowing with “surya namaskara” series, we can focus on breath and add more oxygen and “prana” (life force) to our bodies with the breath, we can wake up and strengthen our bodies and we can clean and detox our minds as well.
Following such flows, you can go on working your core muscles, add some twists to your practice and do pranayama like “kapalabathi” (skull shining), “bhastrika” (breath of fire) or “agni sara” (cleansing breathing exercise) at the beginning or end of the class. You can also use “uddiyana bandha” (abdominal lock) throughout the class and wake your body up during springtime. Twists will also clean and detox our organs and strengthen the metabolism. Core strengthening asanas would activate the “element fire” in our bodies and can help us revive and feel more energetic.
Moreover, liver and gall bladder is overworking during cold winter days since we consume more caffeine, alcohol and sugar and eat more oily and protein-strong food. In order to relieve the liver and gall bladder, we should focus on inner thighs, groins and the outer parts of the legs. If we give priority to yin yoga and work the meridians believed to pass through the inner thighs, groins and outer parts of the legs, wee may relieve the liver and gall bladder, clean them up and revive them. “Swan”, “sleeping swan”, “dragonfly”, “frog”, “shoelace” are some of yin yoga poses for liver and gall bladder. Also we may do some hatha yoga poses such as “garudasana” (eagle), “prasaritta padottanasana” (wide angle pose), and “gomukasana” (cow face pose) for our liver and gall bladder.
As a result, spring is the time of the year when day and night are equalized, then days start to get longer after the equinox and nights start to shorten. Therefore, balance is so important. That is why we give priority to balancing the kapha dosha in our bodies in our yoga practice. We want to overcome fatigue and wake our bodies up and get more energetic in springtime and we focus on vinyasa yoga, i.e. flow yoga styles.
No matter what they say! Whether spring is a season that makes us feel ourselves heavy and tired, I feel happier as nature wakes up, flowers bloom, trees get greener, sun shines, days get longer and birds return to the north hemisphere. And I forget about the fatigue and heaviness as I feel happy. My body, soul and mind enlightens and shines with the sun rising up every day.
Yoga… Whether vinyasa, hatha or yin or any other type of yoga. I always think that what is important is the desire to do yoga irrespective of its style or the season. The type is not important. This is totally your choice and preference as long as you wake your body, soul and mind up, be in harmony with your body, mind and soul with the changing seasons, and just act in line with what they want.

throwing out…

I think you remember my last week’s post on how interesting the mind was and that we just curtained the old things and start forgetting them when we learned new things. (The related blog is available at https://burcuyircaliblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/cycle-of-giving-and-taking/) As I started to remembered the things I learned but had forgotten, I decided to use this information as the theme of my classes for about a few weeks. We would focus on “vayu”s (currents of prana/life force or literally winds) in my following classes. The first “vayu”, i.e. the “prana vayu” (inward and forward energy wind) was over and now it was time for the second “vayu”, i.e. the “apana vayu” (downward moving energy). Downward and outward moving energy…

We all know that the thing we call “prana” in yoga philosophy is not just “breath” but also “life force.” We also know that “prana” moves our body and helps our mind think. We can reinvigorate the body and mind with the help of “prana” in yoga practice, increase our awareness and reach high consciousness.
Therefore, yoga masters realized that “prana” was moving in five directions in the body and enumerated them as “prana vayu” (inward and forward energy wind), “apana vayu” (downward and outward energy wind), “samana vayu” (balancing air), “udana vayu” (upward energy) and “vyana vayu” (outward moving air). All these “vayu”s affect different parts of the body and when they work in harmony, the body and mind are healthy.
We would focus on “apana vayu” that day. Downward and outward moving energy… It is active in the pelvis and lower abdomen. Since it is a downward and outward moving energy, it governs digestive, reproductive and eliminative sysetm. It also governs the elimination of all substances from the body including carbon dioxide, urine and stool. Downward current of energy, originating at the navel and descending through legs and feet…
For all these reasons, we had to focus on exhales if we wanted to activate this “vayu.” We should aim to clean the digestive system and purify the body in each exhale. “Apana vayu” is related with “muladhara” (root) and “svadhistana” (sacral) chakras, i.e. with the elements earth and water. If we have an emotionally healthy “apana vayu”, we could feel rooted and safe as well as ligther and at ease.
“Apana vayu” is also responsible for the elimination of negative emotions from the body and what we are keeping inside. This “energy flow” strengthens the immune system and helps purify the mind from bad and negative thoughts. If “apana vayu” is weak the body-mind integrity is also weak and we become open to diseases, fear, doubts, insecurity and loss of purpose. On the contrary if this “energy” is strong and balanced, we feel grounded, have a strong and robust body and a flexible perspective.
In order to stimulate “apana vayu”, we had to extend exhales and give priority to standing asanas, hip openers and “mula bandha” (root lock).
Following the opening meditation, we went on with “pranayama” (breathing) technique. In this breathing technique, we would just focus on exhales, keep exhales longer than inhales and hold the breath after exhale. When doing all these, we would blow the abdomen in each inhale and try to feel the energy moving from the abdomen toward the coccyx down the legs and feet in each exhale. Thus, we would try to feel the energy of earth and grounding.
After the “pranayama” exercise, we worked “mula bandha.” Simply, “mula bandha” means contraction of pelvic floor muscles. When inhaling, contracting the perineum muscles in and when exhaling releasing them. Contracting the muscles to the front and then the rear and then concentrate on achieving a gentle contraction somewhere in the middle, drawing the pelvic floor in and up.
In simpler words, if you are stranded in traffic and in an urgent need to use the toilet but no chance to go, you are applying “mula bandha”. Or you can understand how “mula bandha” is done when you are in toilet and hold your urine for a second and then go on pissing.
After learning “mula bandha”, I told the students to use this “bandha” in all asanas that day and we began the flow. On all-fours, we practiced “marjaryasana-bitilasana” (cat-cow stretch), “uttana shishosana” (extended puppy pose), twist in all-fours and “utthita balasana” (extended child). Thus, we stretched the spine with pelvic tilt, bent the spine forward and backward, twisted the spine. Then a “vinyasa” (flow) that ended up in “tadasana” (mountain pose).
We started to warm the bodies with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) flows. As we were stimulating “apana vayu”, grounding was very important. We tried to feel the energy of the earth beneath our feet in sun salutation flows. Grounding the feet strongly, using the leg muscles, pushing the inner thighs to each other and particularly activating “mula bandha.” Trying to feel all these in standing asanas. Trying to feel rooted and grounded but at the same time trying to feel that we were rising to the ceiling. A two-way energy flow, i.e. “prana vayu” and “apana vayu.”
In order to stimulate “apana vayu” more in standing poses, we went on with “prasarita padottanasana” (wide-legged standing forward bend), “ashwa sanchalanasana” (high lunge), “anjaneyasana” (low lunge), “trikonasana” (triangle), “parsvottanasana” (pyramid pose), “vrksasana” (tree pose), “garudasana” (eagle pose), “utthita hasta padangusthasana” (hand-to-big toe pose) and “urdhva prasarita eka padasana” (standing splits). Naturally with “yogic squats” we not only strengthened but also stretched pelvic floor muscles.
Following a “vinyasa”, we jumped forward to “malasana” (garland pose) from “adho mukha svanasana” (downward facing dog pose) and stretched groin muscles. Then we sat down to try feeling “mula bandha” in sitting poses and “apana vayu” in hip openers.
If you ask me in which asana we could feel “mula bandha” more intensely, I think I would say “dandasana” (staff pose). After sitting on the ground, we extended the legs forward and got into “dandasana”. In general, we use the three bandas in this asana including “mula bandha”, “uddiyana bandha” (abdomen lock) and “jaladhara bandha” (chin lock). However this time, we just used “mula bandha.” After staying in “dandasana” for ten breaths, we bent forward with “paschimottanasana” (sitting forward bend). We activated “apana vayu” with “ardha padma janu sirsasana” (half lotus head to knee pose) as the heel was touching the lower abdomen. In order to feel this “energy” more and more, we tried to take the lower abdomen and pelvic floor in and tried to blow just the upper abdomen in this asana. The last forward bend to stimulate “apana vayu” was “upavistha konasana” (seated angle pose).
We continued to stimulate “apana vayu” with hip opening asanas namely “baddha konasana” (bound angle/butterfly pose), “eka pada raja kapotasana” (pigeon pose), “square pose”, “gomukhasana” (cow face pose). With “marichyasana I” (sage Maricy pose variation I), we continued opening the hips and activated “apana vayu” as we twisted the body in the same pose.
I wanted to try one last pose before relaxation. To feel “mula bandha” and “apana vayu” in the strongest way. To put the fists on the ground in “padmasana” (lotus) or “ardha padmasana” (half lotus), to activate “mula bandha” and lift the hip off the ground. If “padmasana” or “ardha padmasana” was very hard to do, then try the same thing in “dandasana.”
Just before deep relaxation and resting pose, we would practice “pranayama” (breathing) exercise and activate “apana vayu” with “kapalabhati” (skull shining breath). As this breathing exercise focused on exhales, it helped throw away hazardous materials from the body and reinvigorate “apana.” In this breath technique, inhales were passive but exhales were active and particularly core muscles were engaged. In each exhale, the abdomen was drawn in. The exercise was purifying and cleaning the body and mind. In this breathing exercise, we would keep the hands in “apana mudra” (downward moving energy lock) by touching the tips of middle and ring finger to the tip of the thumb and extending the index and little fingers. This mudra accelerated the eliminative system, cleaned the sinuses. In emotional sense, this mudra calms us down, makes us feel confident and safe, brings us internal peace and balance.
Now it was time for “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting position). In “savasana”, “prana” (breath/life force) would move equally throughout the entire body. Now the body was totally relaxed and at ease. The physical body was surrendered to the energy of the earth. The mind was calm and relaxed. Breath was steady, long and at ease. The body and mind were surrendered.
Ending up the class? “Apana vayu” was a downward and outward energy and it was related with what we kept inside. And how we could throw them out. How we could get cleaned and purified. How we could eliminate. If we kept all emotions and thoughts in our minds and souls, then we could find no room in our bodies and minds for those thoughts and feelings and we could explode. Then we should empty and discharge ourselves from time to time. Clean and purify. Just as how the body cleans, purifies and renews itself with the eliminative system every day, we should clean, purify and eliminate our minds and souls from time to time. Everything is related with throwing out and not to keep in. Instead of putting everything on each other and making a huge pile of thoughts and emotions, we should from time to time eliminate, clean and purify and thus become bodily and mentally healthy, happy, peaceful and flexible individuals. Strong, flexible and balanced…

yoga during winter

December 21… Winter solstice… The shortest day and the longest night of the year… When winter comes, I feel depressed. Even though I am a person who have been practicing and living in yoga for years, I cannot get accustomed to the duality of life. Actually, I have accepted duality in many areas, however when it comes to winter and summer, summer is much more important for me. In fact, the sentence saying “there is winter if there is summer” is not one that I feel like saying.

Winter… Cold, dark, dry and harsh… All these are characteristics of “vata dosha”, one of the three body types in Ayurveda (Indian science of living). “Vata dosha” resembles adjectives like airy, light and creative. The main feature of this body type is instability and inconstancy. “Vata dosha” controls the central nervous system. When this “dosha” is out of balance, it can lead to nervous problems, including anxiety and depression.
With the cold, dry and harsh weather during winter, the “vata dosha” in our bodies rise irrespective of what our ayurvedic body types are. When the “vata” in our bodies rise, the best thing to do is to ground in yoga classes. Therefore, we should give priority to grounding in our yoga practice during winter and we should keep our awareness in our roots and grounds.
Why do we have to ground when “vata” increases in our bodies? “Vata” is associated with not only cold, dark, dry and harsh but also light and airy. Therefore, when “vata” increases in our bodies, it is so normal to fell ourselves lighter, more airy and as if we are flying. To this end, we should reduce, balance or regulate the “vata dosha” in our bodies. If we give priority to inversions that increase “vata” during our yoga practice and mainly practice “sirsasana” (headstand), “adho mukha vrksasana” (handstand) and “pincha mayurasana” (forearm stand), we raise the “vata” in our bodies. Thus, our mind will be tired, we feel impatient, and we feel like we are flying. We cannot focus, we cannot stay at one place and we will lose attention.
If we have such complaints, we should focus on grounding more than ever during winter in order to ensure physical, emotional and spiritual balance because most probably, the “vata dosha” in our bodies has increased. The standing yoga poses, particularly “tadasana” (mountain pose), “virabhadrasana I” (warrior I), “virabhadrasana II” (warrior II), “trikonasana” (triangle) and “vrksasana” (tree pose) are all poses that ground us and help us regulate the “vata dosha”. These standing poses do not only make us stronger but also help us stand firm and balanced on our feet.
Actually, we do not only ground in standing poses. If our aim is to ground ourselves, we can feel our roots in every pose. You must be wondering how we can do that? For instance, let’s practice “paschimottanasana” (sitting forward bend). If we bring our awareness to our sit bones in this pose and aim to get rooted and ground towards the earth through these bones, we can also make ourselves be rooted and grounded in a sitting yoga pose.
Similarly, we can also get grounded and rooted in backbends. For example, we can get into “bhujangasana” (cobra) or “salabhasana” (locust) poses, and we can ground ourselves onto the earth from our abdomen while we raise only our chest from the ground.
Twists also help us regulate the “vata dosha” in our bodies. However, our breath should freely move when we are in a twist. If not, the “vata dosha” in our bodies can increase.
We can get cold or flu more easier during winter than all other seasons. Therefore, it could be useful if we focus on asanas opening the chest, throat and sinuses. After warming the bodies up with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series, we can open the chest with backbends like “ustrasana” (camel), “dhanurasana” (bow) and “salabhasana” (locust) and clean and purify the throat with “salamba sarvangasana” (supported shoulderstand) and “matsyasana” (fish pose).
Besides all these yoga asanas, warming the bodies up with “ujjayi pranayama” (conquerer breath) during the winter can be a good method to balance the increasing “vata dosha”. Other techniques that can warm the bodies during winter are “bhastrika pranayama” (bellows breath) and “kapalabhati kriya” (skull cleansing method). Particularly “kapalabhati” could help eliminate mucus from the bodies.
What type of a yoga class could we practice on the winter solstice? Focusing on standing poses could be a good alternative or we could just warm the bodies with only “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series. In yoga, it is a tradition to mark the solstice with 108 sun salutations. Why 108? First of all, 108 is the number of “Upanishads” (the last part of sacred Indian book Veda). 108 is the number of names of Shiva and Buddha. 108 is the number of beads on a Catholic rosary and “mala” (Indian, Tibetan beads). 108 is twice the number “54”, which is the number of sounds in “Sanskrit” (sacred Indian language). 108 is the number of “sutras” (aphorisms) in “Yoga Sutras” (oldest text on yoga). 1 stands for Higher Truth, 0 stands for Emptiness and 8 stands
for Infinity. Moreover, the diameter of the Sun is 108 times than that of the Earth.
So, we can regulate and balance the “vata dosha” in our bodies by trying to ground ourselves more on the ground and earth during this cold, dry and harsh winter. Let’s try to ground ourselves more and more on earth in standing yoga poses but at the same time let’s try to feel the energy rising from our soles. Let’s try to flow our energy to the ground, and feel the energy coming from the earth and ground in every yoga pose.
Grounding… One of the main principles of life. Everybody and everything wants to have roots and belong somewhere. Winter is a good opportunity to get grounded and be rooted and to improve our sense of belonging. If there is duality in life, we should continue being grounded until the moment we need to take our feet off the ground, i.e. till summer. Don’t forget that the days when we will need to take our feet off the floor are also ahead of us…

firm navel, firm stance…

I have focused on philosophical issues for some time for I could not self-practice, try new asanas and do asanas I used to do very well. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe I have handled yoga only on the basis of asanas for a long time and I distanced myself from philosophy I liked so much. As I have given up asana practice, I can spend more time on new books and researches, which makes me give priority to philosophical approaches in my classes. My private and group classes all focused on philosophy last week.

I am trying to focus on different parts of the body, work out and strengthen different parts of the body and reveal the emotions of that part in every class. As I have read books on “kundalini yoga” for some time, I focused on “chakras” in my last week’s classes. I worked on the first two chakras in the former classes and tried to strengthen “muladhara” (root) and “svadisthana” (sacral) chakras and ensure an emotional relief. Acceptance, trust and creativity. Now it was time for the third chakra, i.e. “manipura” (solar plexus/navel) chakra. Its emotion was “determination” while its shadow emotion was “anger.” What did this mean? If the navel chakra was working well, the person would be energetic and a person who could make his goals come true. If this chakra was week, that person did not have any energy to make his/her thoughts come true. S/he was unhappy and not content with whact life brought to him/her and a furious and a disappointed person. In physical sense, the stronger the core muscles were, the fewer the back problems were and the easier the body balance could be ensured. That meant the navel was both physically and emotionally important place.
That day, I had a private class in the morning and a group class in the evening. I talked about “manipura chakra” at the beginning of the private class and said that we would focus on core. After the meditation, we twisted the body in “balasana” (child pose) and then we sat in “virasana” (hero pose). We practiced “kapalabhati kriya” (skull cleansing method) and worked out core muscles and diaphragm. After a “vinyasa” flow we stood up in “tadasana” (mountain pose), warmed the body up with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series and rested in “tadasana”. Then came “nauli kriya” (abdominal cleansing method). “Nauli kriya” was difficult and it could take a long time to fully practice it. However, we just tried to completely empty the lungs and tighten core muscles. This was the first stage of “nauli kriya”. If we managed to do this, we would try to tighten the right and left abdominal muscles and those in the middle and then relax them. Then we would try to tighten one side of abdominal muscles and relax the other side. The last stage was to tighten the central core muscles, then tighten those in the right side and relax them and then tighten those in the left side and relax them. Thus, we could massage the abdomen. After trying the “kriya” for a few times, we went back to “vinyasa” flows.
We focused on “twists” in the private class and wanted to work out and detoxify the navel chakra with “twists.” Therefore, in-between “vinyasa” flows, we practiced “parsvakonasana” (side angle pose), “parivrtta parsvakonasana” (revolved side angle pose), twist in “ashva sanchalanasana”da (high lunge), twist in “tadasana” (mountain pose), twist in “uttanasana” (standing forward bend),  “parivrtta prasarita padottanasana” (revolved wide-angle pose), twist in “adho mukha svanasana” (downward facing dog). “Svarga dvidasana” (bird of paradise) was the last standing twist. It was time for the peak pose. We sat down. We stretched hips with “rock the baby”, “akarna dhanurasana” (archer pose) and “krounchasana” (heron pose) and twisted the body to the right and left in heron pose. Then we tried “parivrtta surya yantrasana” (compass pose). We ended twists with “parivrtta upavistha konasana” (revolved seated angle pose).
We balanced the spine with “dandasana” (staff pose), “paschimottanasana” (sitting forward bend) and “purvottanasana” (upward plank pose) and ended the flow with “ananda balasana” (happy baby pose). We relaxed the body totally in “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose).
In the group class, we focused on core strengthening poses. At the beginning of the class, we practiced “kapalabhati kriya” and after warming the body up, we tried “nauli kriya.” In-between “vinyasa” flows, we practiced “phalakasana” (plank), “chaturanga dandasana” (low plank), “vasisthasana” (Sage Vasista pose/side plank) and strengthened arms and core muscles. We inhaled and exhaled and flew between “phalakasana” (plank) and “adho mukha svanasana” (downward facing do) and between “urdhva mukha svanasana” (upward facing dog) and “adho mukha svanasana.” We tried to lift the bodies from “chaturanga dandasana” (low plank) to “phalakasana” and we moved forward and backward in “chaturanga dandasana”. In every inhale and exhale, we flew from “ardha salamba sirsasana” (dolphin pose) to “plank on elbows.” After working out core and arm muscles, we tried “bakasana” (crow pose) and “pincha mayurasana” (forearm pose). Those who did not want to practice “pincha mayurasana” chose either “salamba sarvangasana” (shoulderstand) or “salamba sirsasana” (headstand) or “adho mukha vrksasana” (handstand) in order to change the flow of blood in their bodies.
I wanted to end the class with “vinyasa” flows. My intention was to cool down the body with “vinyasa”s. In-between “vinyasa” flows, we put the back knee on the floor in “ashva sanchalasana” (high lunge) to stretch the quadriceps. We relived the chest with “bhujangasana” (cobra pose) and stretched the neck by looking to the right and left in every exhale. We stayed long in “uttanasana” (standing forward bend) to stretch the hamstring muscles. In the last “vinyasa”, we jumped forward to “dandasana” (staff pose). We lied supine and relaxed hip external muscles by “eye of the needle” pose and then twisted the body with “twisted roots.” We balanced the spine with “ananda balasana” (happy baby pose). Then came a long “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose).
How would I end the class? If “manipura chakra” (navel chakra) was strong, our stance in life would be strong. Ambitious and determined. When we said ambition, we were not talking about greed. We were talking about the talent to start a project and have the will to end it up. If we started playing a musical instrument and quitted, this meant the navel chakra was not working well. “Manipura chakra” was where one had the determination and power to start a project and maintain it. If we were determined and ambitious, we would be purified from the shadow feeling of this chakra which was anger. When every chakra had a positive emotion and we had the chance and will to fortify that emotion, what is the use of being the slave of the negative emotions of the chakras?

to be extraordinary…

I really do not know why I am like this these days. Whether it is because I had read so much about it and my mind has accepted it or I am really affected by the new and full moon both emotionally and bodily. There was full moon a week ago. I had written about it in my previous posts. The new moon is a good time to make a beginning and the full moon is a good time to conclude your projects. Yoga master Pattabhi Jois’ Ashtanga Yoga is not practiced during the new and full moon. Why? Because yo may feel so exhausted and tired during the new moon but energetic in the full moon. In either way, you can get injured. (You may read more on this topic by clicking https://burcuyircaliblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/why-do-we-feel-tired-one-day-but-energetic-the-other-day/) You may wonder why I have made such a long entry. I taught a class I had never done before last week with the influence of the full moon. I could not even believe what I did. Let me start from the very beginning.

I had an evening class at the gym club last week. Even though I felt so tired that day, I felt myself so energetic once I stepped in the studio. I saw some students who had arrived early for the class.They were resting. Some of them were sitting in a cross-legged position while some of them were lying in “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose). I was feeling myself so energetic so I started a vinyasa flow including “adho mukha svanasana” (downward facing dog), “chaturanga dandasana” (low plank), “phalakasana” (plank). Before going to the class, I had planned a hip opener as the peak pose of the day. But when I felt myself so energetic, I decided to focus on core strengtheners, arm balancing poses and inversions.

We began the class in “savasana”. I told the students to relax in “savasana” becase we would focus on core strengtheners, arm balancing poses and inversions. “Before starting the flow, let you rest.” After a five-minute deep relaxation and resting pose, we began to work out the abdominal muscles by lying on our backs. First both legs were lifted up to 90 degrees and then the legs were lifted and lowered them. When we kept one of the legs at 90 degrees, we lowered the other until only a few inches were left to the ground. We placed the hands beside the heads and began crunches.

I decided to go on with the abdominal muscles later and asked the students to roll on their spines and sit in a cross-legged position. Now it was time for “kapalabhati pranayama” (a breathing technique). The inhales were passive but the exhales were active and this technique was working out core muscles. We did the pranayama for three times.

Following “pranayama”, we went on with “navasana” (boat) variations. Then we stood up and placed static “phalakasana” (plank), “chaturanga dandasana” (low plank), “ardha salamba sirsasana” (dolphin) and “chaturanga dandasana” on elbows in-between “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series. “Vasisthasana” (Sage Vasistha pose/side plank) variations were the other core strengtheners.

After working out core muscles, it was time for arm balancing poses. “Bakasana” (crow), “parsva bakasana” (side plank) and “bhujapidasana” (arm balance pose) were among yogi’s choices. The class either tried all of them or picked the asana/asanas that suited them the most at that moment.

Next came inversions and again it was yogi’s choice. Students were free to choose among “sirsasana” (headstand), “sarvangasana” (shoulderstand), “pincha mayurasana” (peacock) and “adho mukha vrksasana” (handstand).

Some students tried inversions while some of them thought that they could not do any of them and started to watch other students’ trying. Every one should make best use of the class. So, I went beside them and said they could do some yin yoga poses like “butterfly”, “half butterfly” or “sleeping swan.”

After everybody had his/her own experience, I realized that the time was almost over. We had not worked on a peak pose in that class. We had not prepared the bodies to a certain pose and then did some neutralizing and counter poses. When I was thinking how to conclude the class, I found a good idea. I did not always have to prepare students for a peak pose and then end the class with neutralizing  and counter poses after the climax. That evening, I wanted to end the class just at its peak. Following three “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series, we did some standing balance poses like “vrksasana” (tree), “virabhadrasana III” (warrior III), “urdhva prasarita eka padasana” (standing splits), “utthita hasta padangusthasana” (hand-to-the-toe pose) and “garudasana” (eagle). We tried not to touch the feet to the floor when flowing between the asanas. When the right side was completed, we neutralized the body in “tadasana” (mountain pose) and then came the left side. Right energy and left energy; right balance and left balance.

We squatted after “tadasana” and sat down after doing “malasana” (squat/garland pose). We rounded the spine in “paschimottanasana” (sitting forward bend) and “baddha konasana” (butterfly/bound angle pose). Afterwards we did “supta baddha konasana” (supine bound angle pose/butterfly). Now it was time for deep relaxation and resting. Those who wanted could go on resting in “supta baddha konasana” or they could prefer “savasana”. Some stayed in “supta baddha konasana” for some time and then rested in “savasana.”

After a long “savasana”, I brought the class to a sitting pose very slowly and without any rush. I asked them to observe what it was like to end the class just as the energy was high. I told them that the balance could change any day, the right and left energies and balance of the body could always differ, and what was important was to find the balance not only on yoga mat but also our daily lives and live a balanced life.

It was an interesting experience for me. I had never ended the class when the energy was high before that day. Actually it was so fine. I did not always have to slow down the energy, do a twist, calm down the nervous system and end the class with deep relaxation and resting pose. Sometimes we could end the class when the energy was at the peak point and in fact this was a very different feeling and experience. I always say: “We should always be ready for new developments and projects in life.” That evening was just like that.

I tried the same class in one of my private classes a few days later. I worked the core muscles in the first 40 minutes of the one-hour class. Then we strengthened the shoulder girdle and arms. Then came balancing poses but first the arm balancing poses including “bakasana”, “parsva bakasana”, “bhujapidasana”. Then inversions including “sirsasana” and “adho mukha vrksasana”.

The class was about to end. This time, I planned to end the class just when the energy was at its highest level. After five “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series, we sat down from “malasana” and did “eka hasta bhujasana” (one hand arm balance) before “savasana.”

This class was a bit different than the evening class because we laid down in “savasana” when the energy was at its highest level and without calming down the body, mind and soul. Neither a forward bend nor a twist before “savasana”. Directly “savasana.” Therefore, I kept the deep relaxation and resting pose longer than usual.

During the closing meditation, I said that our lives were getting monotonous when we always did the same things like placing our mat to the same place in the studio or parking our car in the same place every day. They might seem simple but some time later they were making our lives monotonous. Actually neither our lives nor we were getting monotonous, what was monotonous was the mind. When yoga becomes a part of our lives, we start to observe how the mind masters us and how it could make us happy or unhappy and how it could make us ordinary or monotonous or make us live a very different and colorful life. We could sometimes do some changes in our daily lives and yoga practice in order not to become monotonous or ordinary but to keep our lives colorful and lively. This was what this class had taught me that evening.

just a breath!

Breath… The most important source of nutrition of our body and soul… Can you think of a life withouth breath? Will you manage to live without breath? So, breath is our main source of nutrition. Breath is also our source of nutrition when doing yoga. We flow from one asana to another with breath. So what type of breath should we use in our yoga practice?

We mention “prana” when we talk about breath in yoga philosophy. Prana means “life force.” However, in its simplest form, we talk about “breath” in our yoga practice when we say “prana.”
As we talk about breath, we should also mention “pranayama.” Pranamayama consists of two separate words, including “prana+yama” and “prana+ayama.” Do you wonder why have I talked about two different combinations? Because two different combinations end up in two different meanings. When we say “prana+ayama”, we mean expansion of breath. However when we say “prana+yama”, we mean constraint of breath. How interesting to see that only one letter can make such a big difference! In fact, our only aim is to expand our breath by first controlling with certain practices and to expand and increase our life force.
After so much information about breath, let’s discuss how we should use breath in yoga classes. I am usually asked this question in my classes. I used “ujjayi pranayama” not only during the hatha and vinyasa yoga teacher training program but also the classes I joined and my own internship class. “Ujjayi” means “victorious” in Sanskrit language. We use this breath in our hatha and vinyasa classes because it warms our bodies up. As it warms the bodies, it reduces the risk of injury and helps us deepen in asanas.
The “ujjayi” breath can be performed by narrowing the back of the throat. If you haven’t tested so far, I can give you a clue. Imagine that you are at home in a cold winter night. You come near the window and you exhale to the window and make a vapor on the window. Or we may say that you are inhaling with the sound “saaa” and exhaling with the sound “haaa”. After testing this breath with open-mouth for some time, you may close your mouth and start inhaling and exhaling through the nose. When doing so, you narrow the back of your throat and work this breath. Some call it “ocean breath.” Maybe it’s because they compare it with the sound of waves of the ocean. Who knows?
Again after such a brief information, let’s come back to the breath I use in my own classes. I am used to “ujjayi” breath so I continue using it in my own yoga classes. However, do I force all my students to use this breath? No. Breath is our life force. Therefore, I think we should not force it. If students are new to yoga, they can have difficulties in performing ujjayi breathing when trying to do the asanas. So, why should they try to do something by force? What is important is an expansion, a relief and stretch, isn’t it? To this end, I do not force my students to use a certain type of breath. First of all, I advise them to inhale and exhale through the nose because some people still have difficulties in doing so. After they manage to do so, now it’s time to deepen the breath. Deep inhales and exhales. Expanding the breath. Then comes “ujjayi” breathing when flowing from one asana to another. Because in my opinion, what is important is to remember to inhale and exhale when practicing asanas and not to hold breath. In further stages comes different “pranayama” techniques like “kapalabhati”, “nadi shodhana” and “bhastrika.” Either at the beginning or end of the class, depending on the impact of the class I am planning. I am using these breath techniques to make student feel a certain effect in classes.
Breath? How long can we live without breath? Therefore, “prana” and “pranayama” are two things that should take place not only in yoga but also in our daily lives. The final aim in yoga is to perform pranayamic respiration. In such respiration, we use both our lungs and our diaphragm. We use our lungs at full capacity and spread the breath to upper, lower, middle parts of our lungs as well as both of the sides.
For all these reasons, I allow my students to use whatever breath they want to use in my classes. We aim expansion, relief and stretch in a yoga practice. So let’s try to internally and externally expand when inhaling. Take the energy from the outside world when inhaling and to get rid of all emotions and thoughts when exhaling. To surrender to a higher subject when our lungs are breathless. Whether yoga asanas or pranayama, to expand, deepen and open up in our yoga practice. Only such a breath, nothing more…