to live the moment

We had worked on and practiced two different types of classes during yoga teacher training program. One of them was a circular class and the other one was a class with a peak pose. After I had started teaching yoga, I preferred classes with a peak pose. I prepare the bodies and minds to the peak pose in the first half of the class and I neutralize, relieve and make the bodies rest in the second half of the class. Last week in one of the group classes, one of the students asked whether we could do something “mixed” that day, a class that included everything. At that moment, I remembered the circular-style class.

After the opening meditation, we warmed up the bodies with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series. Once the bodies were warmed up, we focused on standing asanas. We were refreshing the bodies with a “vinyasa” (flow) after each “asana” (pose) and then we were practicing another “asana.” Moreover, we were doing a “vinyasa” immediately after we did the right side in assymetrical poses. This way, the class was lika an “ashtanga yoga” class. But of course, I was not a professional at “ashtanga yoga” series but when I decided to teach a circular-style yoga, the class looked like an “ashtanga yoga” class.

We went on with forward bends and backbends. We were practicing two or three “asana”s from each asana group. Twists, core strengtheners and hip openers. One “asana” followed by a “vinyasa”… It was hot, the class was hot, the “agni” (element fire) in us was burning and maybe this was the first time that I had ever practiced such an active class like that with this group.

In the end came inversions. Since the class was cosmopolitan with the beginners and the advanced students, I asked the students to choose among “salamba sirsasana” (supported headstand), “salamba sarvangasana” (supported shoulderstand) and “adho mukha vrksasana” (handstand).

We ended the class with “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose). I was thinking just one thing at the end of the class. Why do I love and prefer classes with a peak pose? I guess I have found the answer. I do not like monotonous things. I do not like to know the next move and to act by knowing what is coming the next. I loved the unknown. “To live the moment”, “to stay in the moment”, “to be happy and peaceful without knowing what the next moment will bring but just to live that single moment.” I loved that. When we live by knowing the next step, the mind has already known everything and it moves before the body and the breath, i.e. the mind. Then we become people directed and steered by the mind. We become puppets. However, it is possible to live just the “moment” and be happy. And this is what I am trying to do.

yoga during summer

I have been waiting for summer to come for almost two months. As I am waiting, it is not coming. I love hot weather, sun, pool, sea and sunbathing. The more I want all these summer-linked things, the longer it takes for summer to come. Moreover, I want to write an article on what type of yoga we can do during the summer. However, I cannot write it as the summer has not arrived yet. I decided to write anyway June 21, the summer solstice, has passed away. What type of yoga should we do to celebrate the summer solstice?

Before answering this question, let’s try to explain what summer solstice mean and what happens that day. We experience two solstices a year, including winter solstice on December 21 and summer solstice on June 21. It is the time when the movement of the sun’s path (as seen from Earth) comes to a stop before it reverses direction.

The summer solstice or June 21 is the longest day of the year. It is the completion of the cycle that began at the winter solstice. The sun is at its highest point on this day. After June 21, days start to get shorter and nights grow longer until September 23 — the autumnal equinox. I should remind you that all these things happen in the northern hemisphere. It is just the opposite in the southern hemisphere.
Let’s come back to the solstice after this brief scientific information. The solstice is the best time to let the nature embrace us. Particularly during the summer solstice, we can find ourselves dancing with bare feet on grass or sand with the sun warming our bodies and soul. So far, we have only talked about the effects of the solstice on our souls.

If you ask me what type of yoga we could do to mark the summer solstice, I would just tell you to perform 108 “surya namaskara” (sun salutations). The sun is at its highest point on this day, so it is so meaningful to mark the day with sun salutations. This way we can burn the fire within us. We can expand each time we inhale and imagine that the sun is warming us each time we exhale.
Can we only mark the summer solstice with a flow yoga? Of course not. We can also mark June 21 with yin yoga. We cannot burn the fire within us with this type of yoga but we can extinguish the fire and we can calm ourselves down on this summer solstice. These are types of yoga we may perform on June 21 summer solstice. Now let’s try to find an answer to the question “what type of yoga during summer”.
As you may remember from my previous articles, our bodies are divided into three groups according to Ayurveda (Indian science of living). They were “vata, pitta and kapha”. Only one type was dominant on some bodies. On some bodies, two or three types were active. Also, one of the body types can be dominant over other during different seasons. During cold, dark, severe and harsh winter, the “vata dosha” (air and space) in our bodies was increasing. Therefore, we were giving priority to grounding in our yoga practice. During winter, the “kapha dosha” (earth and water) was dominant and to this end, we were feeling heavy and exhausted.

What happens to our bodies during summer? When summer comes, the “pitta” (fire and water) in our body increases. We may feel ourselves tired due to hot weather. Moreover, as the “pitta dosha” increases in our bodies, we may be aggressive and demanding. For this reason, it will be good for us if we begin our yoga practice by lying supine during summer. Starting with “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose) to bring the awareness to our yoga practice, then a lateral stretch and a twist will make us feel well at the beginning of our yoga practice. This way we can balance our internal heat.
Not only at the beginning of our yoga practice but also during the entire practice we may prefer a calmer yoga style than a fast and active yoga style. This way, we can give more priority to relaxation and meditation. But, this does not mean that we should not practice a flow yoga during summer. We can do it in a calmer and more aware way when we practice flow yoga.
Naturally, we can begin the practice with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series and go on with all standing asanas such as “trikonasana” (triangle), “ardha chandrasana” (half moon pose), “utthita parsvakonasana” (wide angle pose), “setu bandhasana” (bridge), “urdhva dhanurasana” (wheel), “bharadvajrasana” (sage Bharadvaj pose), “upavista konasana” (seated angle pose), “parivritta janu sirsasana” (twisted head to knee pose), “baddha konasana” (bound angle pose), “paschimottanasana” (east looking forward bend), “halasana” (plow pose), “salamba sarvangasana” (supported shoulderstand), “karnapidasana” (ear pressure pose), “matsyasana” (fish pose). We can focus on forward bends in our yoga classes or own practice in order to calm the mind and body down.
In addition to all these asanas, we can use a “pranayama” technique called “sitali” to cool our bodies down. In short we curl the tongue and protrude it slightly past the lips. We inhale deeply and smoothly through the tongue and mouth and exhale through the nose. This technique calms and cools us. You may feel cooler when you do this pranayama for a few minutes.

Another “pranayama” technique we can use during summer is to close the right nostril and just breathe through the left nostril. Right nostril is the male and solar side of our bodies and named “pingala nadi” (solar energy center). The left nostril is the female and lunar side of our bodies and named “ida nadi” (lunar energy center). When we close the right nostril, we close the male, active and warming side of our bodies and when we inhale and exhale through the left nostril, we use our female, passive and cooling side.

At the end of our yoga practice, we can either rest in “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose) or we can reverse the flow of the body and rest in “viparita karani” (legs up to the wall).

Have you noticed that yoga is such a wide world that you may practice different types and use different “pranayama” techniques in every season. It is possible to warm or cool our bodies during winter and summer with these breathing techniques. So you may ask how to breath during spring or autumn? There is a breathing technique to equalize the right and left energies in our bodies, which can be used especially during spring and autumn. That is, yoga offers us many different things.
This or that way, summer or winter. Or spring or autumn. Not important. What is important is to love yoga and have yoga in our daily lives during all seasons maybe only by asanas; or by asanas, pranayama and meditation; or by asanas, pranayama, meditation and philosophy.

 

 

determination and progress

I am aware that I am flying once the spring has come. One of Turkish poets once said, “this beautiful weather has messed me up. I am just as the poet said. I did not want to sit in front of the computer and post a blog. Instead, I wanted to go to the countryside, watch the blue sea and enjoy my time there. But surely, this laziness should end, shouldn’t it? Back to real life and back to my posts.

In my previous post, I had wrote that our bodies changed with the spring and told you about what type of yoga we should practice in springtime. This week, our classes were just how I wrote in my blog. In some classes, we only practiced “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) while in some “vinyasa” (flow) classes we focused on backbends and balancing poses. In some “yin” (feminine energy) yoga classes, we focused on liver meridian and tried to purify the liver, which has been affeceted by the cold and long winter.

In one of classes we focused on backbends, I witnessed the progress of some of the students. I have been practicing with the same group for about a year and that day, I decided to try “urdhva dhanurasana” (wheel) as the peak pose. “Urdhva dhanurasana” was one of the poses in which most students have difficulties. Even though how challenging it is, students want to try this “asana” (pose) from time to time and want to get used to it and deepen in the pose.

As usual, that day, we prepared the bodies for the pose by stretching the chest, shoulder girdle and hip flexor muscles. We tried the peak pose in three stages. In the first stage, we tried “setu bandhasana” (bridge pose), in the second trial we got into “setu bandhasana” and then we put the top of the head on the ground and placed the hands on both sides of the head. In the last stage, we tried the full “urdhva dhanurasana.” Some students stayed in the second stage whereas some asked for my assistance and got in the pose that way, In the meantime, I realized the progss in two students. Both of them did the “asana” on their own. One of them was thinking that her chest was closed and her chest was making “weird” noises in backbends. I asked the student to try the pose again. She did it again, rose on her arms, took another breath and opened her chest so widely. This was one of the happiest moments in my life. To see a student progress this much in time and to observe that she was doing a pose she thought she could never do. This was the greatest happiness.

The other student was also one of the students who found “urdhva dhanurasana” the most challenging pose. That day she rose on her arms and opened her chest up. Maybe she could not lift her chest as much as desired but she tried this pose with courage and made a progress. Determination was the most important thing if we wanted to make a progress.

Another student deeply affected me that day. I asked the students to get into “urdhva dhanurasana” from “camatkarasana” (wild thing pose). I realized that one of the students was so flexible and strong to do the transition however she was afraid. I stood by her to encourage her and told her that I could help her when trying. I just stood by her and encouraged. That student got into “urdhva dhanurasana” from “camatkarasana.”

That day, I realized that determination was the most important thing if we wanted to make a progress. We just need to be aware of the power within us and have confidence in ourselves. And of course, we should practice a lot. We should not give up but try and try. One of yoga masters, Pattabhi Jois says: “yoga is 99 percent practice and one percent theory.”

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…

throughout breath

One of the main questions I come across in my yoga classes is about how breath should be used in yoga. When we are flowing in yoga classes, we inhale as we open the chest and broaden ourselves and exhale as our chest is closed and as we narrow ourselves. Whe exhale as we bend forward but inhale as we open our spine up. We, the instructors, give breathing directives to students throughout the flows. However, we still face problems and questions about breath in yoga classes. So what should be done is to elaborate on this topic.

One of the main problems I face in yoga classes about breath is to inhale and exhale through the nose. In almost all other physical activities, we exhale through the mouth but in yoga we prefer exhaling through the nose. Those who show up in yoga class for the first time might have problems in exhaling through the nose.

The second problem is faced during “vinyasa”s (flow). People who have been practicing yoga for a long time can extend and deepen their breath however the new students cannot deepen and prolong their breath so they are out of breath during the flow. We can face such problems mostly in gym clubs because new students always show up in the gym clubs as well as group classes. Most yoga studios solve this problem by teaching basic yoga classes, advanced or intermediate classes. However, there is not such a classification in gym clubs so there can always be new ones in a group of students who have been practicing for a long time. If we are teaching an intermediate or an advanced class, we may face problems in not only “asana”s (pose) but also “vinyasa”s and breath. Advanced students can take in and out deep breath and do one “asana” in each breath but the new students need to take more than one breath throughout one “asana.”

Maybe one of the most important problems about breath is holding breath. During a “vinyasa,” we — the instructors — give breathing directives and students practice in line with the directives. However, students tend to hold breath in any “asana” we add in-between “vinyasa”s or in poses which are hard and challenging for them. Particularly in backbends, arm balancing poses and inversions. When we hold our breath, our heart beat is quicker, adrenaline is released and we are not able to do that pose since the sympathetic nervous system is activated. However, if we do not hold breath and go on breathing as if we are sitting in a meditative position and if our heart beat is calmed down, the parasympathetic nervous system will be activated and we may have a chance to do that “challenging” pose. What we want to do in yoga is to always keep our breath calm and deep, slow down the brain waves, calm down the mind and thus activate the parasympathetic nervous system and be able to do the most challenging pose in a “calm and peaceful” way. Unfortunately, we cannot achieve this goal when we hold our breath.

We want to harmonize the body and breath in yoga flows. One breath for one “asana”. Exhale to “uttanasana” (standing forward bend) inhale to “ardha uttanasana” (standing half forward bend)… Exhale to “chaturanga dandasana” (low plank) inhale to “urdhva mukha svanasana” (upward facing dog) and exhale to “adho mukha svanasana” (downward facing dog)…

We practied “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) and a few “asana”s in-between the sun salutation series throughout a class. Just by watching the breath. First we tried inhaling and exhaling in three counts. We did each “asana” when inhaling in three counts and another when exhaling in three counts. Then we prolonged the breath to five counts. Some students felt difficulties in prolonging the breath to five counts at first but as the “surya namaskara” series continued, the breath prolonged and body and soul become more harmonized. Instead of acting separately, the body and soul tried to act together. And in the end, each “asana” was done in five breath counts. Each “asana” without being quickly done… Slowly and deeply…

One pose in each breath. One pose throughout one breath. When the exhale ends, the final shape of that pose as if each pose is that day’s peak pose. To prolong the pose throughout one inhale or exhale. Yoga was the harmony of the body, mind and soul. If “asana”s were the physical and bodily part of yoga, the breath was the spiritual part of yoga. When we harmonized body and breath, the only thing we should do is to make the mind watch and follow the body and breath. But the priority was always the harmony of the body and breath.

yin and yang

I have been focusing on core strengthening flows and inversions in my yoga classes for a long time. I do not know why but if it is summer and if it is hot, almost all students want to focus on flow classes and get the most benefit from that class. We forget to stretch our bodies in those times. And when we start stretching our bodies, the body reminds us for how long time it has been neglected.

 

Last week was the week of fall equinox, So we focused on “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) flows and core strengthening flow classes in last week’s yoga classes. One of the groups told me that they wanted to stretch their bodies. However, they did not want to stay long in “asana”s (poses) as “yin yoga” style but wanted a dynamic stretching instead.

Following opening meditation, we sat in cross-legged position and laterally stretched the spine. After bending the spine forward, we got on all-fours for “marjaryasana-bitilasana” (cat-cow strtech) and relieved the spine with a twist.

As the students wanted dynamic stretching, we got into “adho mukha svanasana” (downward facing dog) after the twist on all-fours. In this pose, we stretched calf muscles and then we bent the knees and straightened them in order to extend “hamstring” muscles.

Throughout the class, we mostly did standing poses like “lateral stretching” in “tadasana” (mountain pose), “uttanasana” (standing forward bend), “parsvakonasana” (side angle pose), “ashwa sanchalanasana” (high lunge), “anjaneyasana” (low lunge), “eka pada raja kapotasana” (pigeon pose), “square”, “gomukhasana” (cow face pose) and did the arm position of “garudasana” (eagle) pose when sitting in gomukhasana. After “upavistha konasana” (seated angle pose) we ended the class with a twist and “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose).

As we would not wait long in poses that day, I started to do the flow together with the students. We closed the eyes and felt the warming up of the spine. Then we got into downward facing dog and realized how tense our hamstring and calf muscles were. When dynamically stretching the body, we flew from one pose to another with the help of our breath and as if we were dancing. No interruption between the poses, and a class like a dancing class.

In the poses, I tried to find out for how long we had been focusing on flow classes. Of course we are strengthening the bodies with flow classes but what about the flexibility of the body? We were stretching our mind and thoughts when we stretched our bodies, weren’t we? How tense we got without even realizing. I saw that I was having difficulties in poses which I used to do so easily and it was so hard to wait for even a few breaths in these poses. My body got strongther ok, but it also needed a good stretch. I had forgotten the yin-yang cycle. I decided to always remember the yin-yang cycle in my daily life and my yoga classes, starting from that moment. Life was not just full of excitement, heavy flows and entertainment but it was also full of calm times and the times we turned inward. I once more thank my students for reminding me this very important motto and I bend with respect in front of them. Namas’te.

to stand up after falling down

Why do we afraid of in our lives? If we are a kid, we are not afraid of anything. Falling down and getting up is not a problem for us if we are a kid. If we are a grown-up, we are afraid of falling down. At least most of the grown-up. And this fear of falling down is a big obstacle before us in our yoga classes when we experience inversions.

I wanted to teach inversions in one of my private group yoga classes last week. Even though I had been teaching this group for a few months, we had refrained from trying inversions. When I say, “let’s try inversions today”, the group always says in return “why don’t we try core strengtheners” or “why don’t we stretch our upper back or chest.” However, I had made up my mind before I went to class that day. We would try inversions that day and our peak pose would be “salamba sirsasana” (supported headstand).

Following opening meditation, we warmed up the bodies with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series. To strengthen arms and shoulder girdle, we did “phalakasana” (plank pose), “chaturanga dandasana” (low plank), “ardha salamba sirsasana” (dolphin pose) and forearm plank pose. We strengthened the core with “utkatasana” (chair), “viparita karani” (legs up to 90 degrees), “marjaryasana-bitilasana” (cat-cow stretch) and “navasana” (boat pose) variations.

It was time for the peak pose. I showed two variations of the headstand: “Salamba sirsasana” and “tripod sirsasana” (tripod headstand). Some may ask if it is wise to show alternatives to students. Some students were afraid to hurt their neck when trying sirsasana on the top of their head. Why were they thinking so? I do not know. Unfortunately we can no way know the reason of our fear. If we knew, we would confront them. Therefore, I showed tripod headstand as an alternative and wanted them to feel safer on not only their heads but also on their arms. Some students asked me to stand by their side and help them try the pose in the middle of the class, not by the wall. Some of the students said they would feel safer by the wall and tried the pose there. At the end of the class, students said they were afraid of headstand and they wanted to try the same pose in the upcoming few classes.

We tried headstand again in our next class after warming up the bodies. The second trial was much more better than the first one. The students who stood by the wall tried to lean on the wall and lift their legs up by themselves. When they did it, they were astonished at how they did the pose, triggered their fear and caused stress. When they got stressed, their adrenalin was triggered and they were under the influence of sympathetic nervous system. In fact in yoga classes, we wanted to keep the mind as calm as we could even though in the most difficult poses instead of the “fight or flight” mode. When the students felt that they were doing the headstand, they wanted to run away from the pose with the fear they were feeling. The only thing we should do was to try the pose often, confront our fear and start doing the pose as if it was the easiest pose we had ever done. This could be achieved only by controling the mind and calming down the nervous system. What was important was to keep the mind calm. Even though we are just sitting in a meditative pose or we were doing a headstand or a handstand, our aim should be keeping the mind calm and keep body, mind and breath in full harmony. Thus, we could stand up even though we fell down. As how children are not afraid of falling down and we – the grown-up – teach the fear of falling down to children, we — the grown-up – would not be afraid of falling “just like children” by trying it again and again and learn to stand up when we fall down.

compass

Upper back and core are the main “asana” (pose) groups students want to practice in almost all yoga classes. Or maybe my students always want to focus on these two areas. Personally, I do not like the routine in my daily life and so I do not want to teach same type of class and “asana”s in my yoga classes. That is why I am trying to find different “asana”s and teach them in the classes to make the students happy. What I am trying to mean by “finding” is to try to remember “asana”s I used to know but threw to the back of my mind.

Last week, students wanted to practice a class focusing on the upper back. Then some of the students told me that they wanted to stretch hip muscles. Then what I would do was to find a peak pose combining both parts of the body and prepare the bodies for that peak pose. That day the peak pose would be “parivrtta surya yantrasana” (compass pose).

After the opening meditation, we warmed up the bodies with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series. We should stretch hamstrings, hip external rotator muscles and the shoulder girdle and prepare the spine for twisting. In the first half of the class, we practiced “uttanasana” (standing forward bend), “vrksasana” (tree pose), “ardha baddha padmottanasana” (half bound lotus standing forward bend), “ashwa sanchalanasana” (high lunge), “anjaneyasana” (low lunge), “padangusthasana” (big toe pose), “eka pada raja kapotasana” (pigeon pose), “garudasana” (eagle), “gomukhasana” (cow face pose) and twists in “uttanasana”, “ashwa sancahalanasa”, “anjaneyasana” and “gomukhasana”.

Just before the peak pose, we bent on the leg front in “half frog” to stretch hamstrings and then we stretched in-between two legs in order to stretch groins and inner thighs. After a last stretch of hamstring muscles with “paschimottanasana” (seated forward bend), we started to warm up the hip external rotators with “rock the baby”. After this pose, we drew circles inside and outside with the hip. Before “parivrtta surya yantrasana”, we got into “akarna dhanurasana” (archer pose) and “krounchasana” (heron pose). Immediately after heron pose, we placed the right leg over the the right shoulder and placed the right hand on the ground. The internal rotation of the shoulder was pushing the leg back and extending the hamstrings. As the leg became straighter and straighter, the spine was twisting to the left. We grasped the right foot with the left hand and twisted the spine to the left side as much as we could for the last stage of “parivrtta surya yantrasana.” Some students had flexible hamstrings and could so easily do the pose. Some bent their knees but tried to do the pose as much as their bodies let them. Then came the other side.

We neutralized the spine with “dandasana” (staff pose), “paschimottanasana” and “setu bandhasana” (bridge pose). We hug the knees to the chest (apanasana). We laid supine and did pelvic tilt on the ground. The flow ended with “ananda balasana” (happy baby pose). We ended the class after “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose).

Why did compass pose come to my mind those days? Every one was so confused, sad and unhappy due to recent incidents in our country. We were like passengers travelling on a highway but had lost our way. Our compass was out of order. By practicing compass pose that day, we tried to bring together the body, mind and soul and correct our compass. Whenever our compass is out of order, yoga will show us the path and will enlighten our path only if we can perceive and listen to what yoga is telling us.

can you always please everyone?

I like to be in interaction with students in my yoga classes. I like to take their needs into consideration and teach a class in line with their needs. However, sometimes students can make different requests for the class. In such a case, I do not know what to do. If I teach a class in line with one of the students’ request, then the others can feel sorry. This was what I experienced in one of my students last week.

When I entered the studio, some of the students had already come and settled down. After chatting a while, I asked them if they wanted to practice a certain “asana” (pose) group that day. A few students said they wanted to practice a hip opening sequence while one of them said she wanted a back focused class. I can hear you say, “ok, the majority wants a hip opening sequence. Do what they want.” Under such a circumstance, I decided to do something totally different not to hurt any of the students. Then something came up in my mind. This “asana” was really good for both a hip opening and a back relief sequence. The problem was solved. It was time to begin the sequence.

After the opening meditation, we warmed up the bodies with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) series. That day, we had to stretch hip flexor muscles, groins, hamstrings and shoulder girdle for the peak pose. We stretched hamstrings with “uttanasana” (standing forward bend), “padangusthasana” (big toe pose), “paschimottanasana” (seated forward bend). In order to stretch groins and hip flexor muscles, we used “ashwa sanchalanasana” (high lunge), “anjaneyasana” (low lunge), “prasarita padottanasana” (wide-legged forward bend) and “half frog”. We stretched shoulders with “garudasana” (eagle) and “gomukhasana” (cow face) arm positions and by interlacing hands behind the head.

It was time for the peak pose. Could you guess the peak pose? Yes, it was “kurmasana” (tortoise pose). Before the peak pose, we warmed up hip flexor muscles with “upavistha konasana” (seated angle pose). And then came “kurmasana”. The hardest part of the peak pose was the internal rotation of the shoulders. I recommended students not to push themselves hard and to step back if they felt any problem in their shoulders.

To neutralize the spine, we bent backward with “setu bandhasana” (bridge pose). We relieved the spine with twists and ended the class with “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose).

It was a challenging class for me. I was planning to teach a class in line with the requests and needs of students and I was almost pleasing some of them but hurting others. Luckily, I could teach a class that pleased all the students that day. But I would not be so lucky all the time. But we cannot always make everybody happy, could we? This was the lesson I took from that day’s class.

everything happens for a reason

Sometimes we do not live a life exactly as we imagine. We want one thing but that thing does not happen. And we get sad as that thing does not happen. Maybe it is for our benefit that it does not happen but we want that thing to happen. I know that I sound like a riddle. Let me begin from the outset.

When I went to one of my private yoga classes last week, the hall we were practicing was full. So we had to practice in another place that was cooler with a high ceiling where your voice echoed a lot. As that was our first class after a week-long vacation, the student’s body was tenser than ever. I was thinking of what type of a flow I should teach that day. And as our usual hall was full and we would practice in a cooler place, I decided on a flow class. I would warm up the body and focus on balancing poses. When I told this to the student, she said she also wanted to practice balancing poses and she was about to tell me that. What a coincidence!

Following opening meditation, we began balancing poses on all-fours. We warmed up the body with “surya namaskara” (sun salutation) flows and added new balancing poses in-between “vinyasa”s (flow). One knee bent, leg up, one leg up extended forward, one leg extended backward. After such warm-up poses, we practiced “vrksasana” (tree pose), “garudasana” (eagle pose), “eka pada utkatasana” (one-legged chair), “virabhadrasana III” (warrior III), “ardha chandrasana” (half moon pose). And a few more balancing poses. The peak pose of the class was “vasisthasana”… One hand extended to the leg and grabbing the big toe.

A few forward bends and twists after the peak pose… Then came “savasana” (deep relaxation and resting pose).

The student was thinking the same with me at the end of the class. Everything happens for a reason. If we had been in the hall we always practiced, balancing poses would not have been that easy. That hall was carpet-covered. The poses on our knees, hip openers and forward bends were easier to practice there. However, it was not so easy to practice balancing poses in that hall because one could not get grounded well and establish balance. The floor of the hall we were practicing that day was made of wooden. When we were practicing balancing poses, we were standing on the wooden ground. So, it was easier to do the balancing poses that day. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes we were not happy with what happened to us and we got sorry because what we wanted and planned did not happen. Actually, we should accept everything as it was and let us go with the flow. Then life would be easier, wouldn’t it?