by brightyoga -

Supta Kurmasana According to Body Proportions

 

Supta Kurmasana is one of the core postures in Ashtanga primary series. This pose requires: deep internal rotation in the shoulders, flexion of the spine, external rotation on the hips and flexibility in the adductor muscles

Internal rotation of shoulders

In the sequence, some poses will prepare you for the shoulder rotation that you need, asanas like Prasarita Padottanasana C, Parsvottanasana and Marichyasana A- D

If you can put the legs behind the head or cross the feet in front of the head, but you cannot reach your hands behind the back, staying in the poses mentioned above for 8- 10 breathes it is going to help you to lose the shoulders and create the need it flexibility for Supta Kurmasana.

External rotation on hips

In case that you can bind the hands but can’t cross the feet, this will be due to a lack of ability in externally rotating the hips. All the Marichyasanas will help you to work in this mobility

You can also hold Kurmasana for 8- 10 breathes keeping the legs close the side of the body and lift the heals up, this will work as well in the external rotation of the hips

Flexibility in the adductor muscles

In the standing sequence, all the Prasarita Padottanasana are excellent preparation. Bring your torso thru the legs and hold all this variation for at least eight breathes

Flexion of the spine

To achieve deep flexion of the spine, it is necessary that you can round your spine. Poses like Janu A-C will work in the mobility of the spine, instead of work with the back straight, try to bring the shin or the forehead to the knee, as you keep the hips grounded

If you have all these qualities but still can’t get into the poses, it is time to have a closer look in the proportions of the body.

Short arm and legs and long spine

This combination will make this asana extremely difficult as you will need a deep external rotation in the hips, deep internal rotation in the shoulder joint and even so, perhaps you will still need to use a strap or towel to facilitate the bind

Possess that can help you to deepen the internal rotation is Parsvotanasa and Marichyasanas. Move reverse prayer hands in Parsvottanasana and the bind in Marichyasana higher in the back

To work in the external rotation, according to the proportions mentioned above, some new poses have to be added out of practice.

Pigeon Pose

With the right shin bone parallel to the top of the mat and the foot in line with your heart center, rest your upper body down.

To go deeper in this pose walk your hands to the left away from the sole of the feet

Approach to this asana as a Yin Yoga pose, surrender and let the gravity facilitate the stretch

At the beginning can be right that you use props to assist you as you hold this asana

Stay in the pose for 2- 3 minutes

Wider Baddhakonasa

Put your legs in a diamond shape, bring your upper body down. Your face should be behind your feet and your knees as close as possible to the ground. Stay for 2- 3 minutes

Second variations walk your upper to one side stay 2- 3 minutes followed by the other side

Advise

It is also important to recognize, that if you have had a regular practice and after trying many alternatives exercises Supta Kurmasana didn’t improve, take a modification instead.

Use a modification that can bring you as close as possible to the full version of the pose that is not creating any pain in the ligaments and joints and move forward in the sequence.

Pattabhi Jois used to say that not all the poses are for everybody.

Practice with awareness and let your body gradually open, always feel your body and breathe as you move thru the sequence.

by brightyoga -

Alcances de la Practica de Ashtanga

 

La práctica de Ashtaga Vinyasa Yoga tiene una amplia gama de beneficios que pueden ser percibidos por cualquier practicante independientemente del tiempo o nivel de práctica

En principio la práctica empezará a trabajar a nivel físico, todas las posturas ejecutadas durante la práctica permitirán que la gran mayoría de las articulaciones en el cuerpo se flexibilicen, este proceso de apertura se amplifica al combinar la respiración, bandhas o cierres energéticos y las posturas; cuando estos elementos son combinados durante la sesión de yoga, se producirá un incremento en el calor interno que permitirá calentar el cuerpo desde el interior hacia el exterior, este fuego interior generado es llamado en los textos de yoga “Agni” el cual no solo tiene la capacidad de incrementar el calor interno sino que adicionalmente promueve la eliminación de toxinas a nivel físico y mental, en este caso los alcances de la práctica no únicamente se limitan al cuerpo físico si no que se extiende al nivel mental y muchas otras capas de nuestro Ser

¿Cómo una práctica que parece netamente física puede trabajar a distintos niveles?

La respuesta se encuentra en los diferentes elementos que son utilizados en la práctica.

El principal punto de atención en la práctica es la respiración Ujjayi, este tipo de respiración se ejecuta contrayendo ligeramente los músculos de la epiglotis, esto generará mayor fricción entre el aire y la tráquea lo cual no únicamente permitirá tener un mayor control sobre el flujo de aire que entra y sale de los pulmones, sino que adicionalmente la fricción producida entre el aire y la tráquea generará un sonido similar al de las olas del mar

Este sonido facilitará que la atención sea dirigida a la respiración y no al dialogo interno y procesos mentales.

Cuando la atención se ancla en el sonido de la respiración serás capaz de llevar tu atención hacia adentro, es en este momento tendrás la posibilidad de percibir impresiones mentales que hayan sido almacenada en el subconsciente y progresivamente trabajarlas, reconocerlas y entenderlas; auto-entendimiento permitirá cultivar ecuanimidad hacia estas experiencias del pasado y poco a poco estas serán liberadas de la mente y el subconsciente

Cuando las impresiones mentales son procesadas y reducidas por medio del trabajo interior de auto- reconocimiento, el practicante puede experimentar un incremento rápido y progresivo en la flexibilidad ya que los músculos, tendones, tejido conectivo entre muchos otros almacenan, al igual que la mente, emociones y tensiones. Liberar este tipo de impresiones no únicamente generará mayor apertura a nivel físico sino mayor aceptación y ligereza a nivel mental, facilitando una percepción más clara de la realidad

En este caso como puedes notar la práctica no únicamente trabaja en el plano físico, sino que se extiende a muchos otros niveles, es por esto que la práctica tiene la potencialidad de cambiar la persona a nivel físico y mental

Practica con paciencia, estos beneficios pueden ser percibidos por cualquier practicante lo único que necesitas es dedicar tiempo a tu práctica y el resto poco a poco se irá revelando ante ti

by brightyoga -

What is the Ashtanga Yoga Method, and how does it work?

 

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According to Larry Schultz, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga can be defined as “a fixed sequence  of movements where you use Ujjayi breathing, Bandhas, and Dristi to create transformation.”

When these three elements — Ujjayi breath, Bandhas, and Dristi — are combined during the asana practice, the attention will move inward, giving the student the opportunity to move the attention inward, helping the students to realise about unattended or unresolved issues or emotions, resentment, anger, or any memory from the past, present, and past lives. It is only when we have the ability to see whatever is inside of us can we begin  progressively letting go of these past experiences, whether good or bad. The first step in inner transformation is to realize where you are, and then you will realize exactly in which direction you have to move towards.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, when approached in the traditional way, is a great practice method to promote transformation. If you dedicate yourself with this method, you will have to practice the same sequence everyday, and stop whenever the teacher asks you to stop. This may sound boring to some, but this is actually one of the strongest points of the practice — be able to realize how the mind fluctuates through the same sequence or stimulation. This awareness in your practice will give you a very clear idea of the tendencies and attachment of the mind.

By understanding how your mind works, accepting its tendencies and attachments, you will give yourself the ability to change and improve your life, and also will give you the tools on how to understand and support others, as all these fluctuations that you witness in your practice are part of our human condition and they will be presented with more or less intensity in others.

Even if the practice seems to be very physical, it has the potential to change your life in a positive way. With all of that said, we would like to invite you to practice, and experience the benefits described above, regardless of your age, gender, flexibility, or strength.  

Have a good luck in your Yoga Journey

by brightyoga -

¿Cuales son las fortalezas de la práctica de Ashtanga?  

 

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, es un sistema de práctica que se basa en la conexión de la respiración y el movimiento del cuerpo, cuando estos dos elementos son combinados la atención del prácticante se moverá hacia adentro, faciltando la instrospección y el auto- estudio. Es debido a esto que la practica de Ashtanga ha sido descrita como un método que promueve no únicamente transformación física, sino que se extiende al nivel mental y espiritual

Si se practica Ashtanga de forma tradicional el estudiante empezará a practicar saludos al sol, poco a poco el profesor le enseñará una a una las posturas de la secuencia de pie, seguido ha esto el estudiante aprenderá una a una las posturas de la secuencia de piso. En este caso se le permitirá al estudiante solo practicar cierta parte de la secuencia, es necesario que el practicante desarrolle cierto nivel de comodidad basado en alineación y fluidez en la respiración, una vez que este nivel sea alcanzado el profesor le enseñará al estudiante la siguiente asana en la secuencia.

Tener la oportunidad de practicar la misma secuencia cada día te permitirá conocer tus capacidades y limitaciones en detalle, al igual que las tendencias  y apegos de la mente, tener este conocimiento no únicamnete te permitirá mantener tu práctica a largo plazo sino que te dará las herramienta necesarias que te permitirán generar cambios importantes en tu vida. El primer paso para cambiar algo es hacerse conciente de qué es lo que necesita ser atendido y segundo saber donde nos encontramos, conociendo esto podremos saber con certeza en que dirección debemos de movernos para generar el cambio que estamos buscando en nuestra vida

Esto son algunos de los beneficios que pueden ser percividos por cualquier persona que desee practicar, sin importar tu fuerza, flexibilidad, edad o género 

Nos vemos en el Mat =)

by brightyoga -

Yin Yoga in our Modern Life:  A reflection  

 

By Russelle Beardon

We are modern people having a human experience in the world…active, moving, constantly going forward, striving, improving, performing, achieving, seeking and pursuing.

We stride toward our goals and deadlines, we literally lean into the future – physically craning and straining the head, neck, shoulders, jaw and eyes.  The brow furrows deeply with intense concentration and the gut is habitually gripping.  We hold our breath in anticipation of what comes next.

All of this…for what reason?  To respond to the constant invitations and expectation of life?  Not least of all, technology, social media and the endless engagement with our various ‘devices’.

Anxious when we are cut off from the internet and mobile network, disconnected from the wild procession of social media images, events and messages.  What if we are missing out on something?

Constantly we are scanning, assessing, comparing, worrying, planning…constantly the body and the mind are moving.  We crave the result from whatever we do, often we want to get to the end before we have even begun.

It is exhausting right?   So this is why yin yoga.  Sarah Powers, a key founder of the yin yoga style offers three tattvas (truths) about yin yoga practice.  They are simple:

• An appropriate beginning (to the pose)

• Personal resolve (to be still)

• Wait (hold the pose)

Yin invites you to slow down, to redirect your attention, to venture inward below the surface images and the shiny baubles of ego titles and possessions.  You can journey to the deep seat of your grace, it is always there, and you can reconnect any time.

Practising yin yoga is a potent way to attend to the parts of yourself that cannot be seen.

In yin yoga, the body becomes still and surrendered in the poses, and the breath becomes your barometer, it will tell you what is going on.  Once the body stops fidgeting and becomes still, and we compassionately accept the rhythm of the breath, we have a chance to see clearly the activity, the fluctuations of the mind…and maybe when we see the more clearly, the mind too might become quiet.

Simple strategy?  Yes.

Easy to do? No.

Uncomfortable?  Absolutely!

Could you (will you) give yourself permission to abandon expectations and just witness your body, breath your mind and your mood?

by brightyoga -

Yoga Based on Concentration, Meditation Based on Mindfulness

 

In the Ashtanga practice, we use three main ingredients as we move through the asana sequences: Ujjayi Breath, Bandhas, and Drishti. When all these elements are applied in the sequence, you will develop the ability to restrain the modifications of the mind as the power of your concentration increases as well.

Concentration can create a momentary state of calmness and peace; however, there will be moments where this state will cause suppressed thoughts or emotions to rise to the surface of the mind, and it could be quite overwhelming to deal with, as it will create not only a lot of suffering in the mind, but in the body as well. While concentration is important in developing mindfulness and insight, too much concentration will refrain us from seeing and realizing the true nature of our selves, giving us the wrong idea that everything is permanent, that there is no suffering, and that we can control everything.

Observe the nature around you, and notice that everything is in constant change — as in our daily life, job, relationship, family, and so on. We cannot control things 100%, and because we, as human beings, are greatly influenced by the nature around us, we, too, are constantly changing.

 Vipassana Meditation, a meditation practice based on mindfulness, is a great tool to help you understand your true nature as it is. It will also help you in adjusting the level of concentration, which will help you realize through direct experience the three characteristics of all natural phenomena, these being:

         • Suffering

         • Impermanence

         • Non-self or Non-control

         Understanding this will lead you into a less stressful life, and a life with more compassion and kindness toward yourself and others. Truly understanding that nothing can be controlled all the time, and that change and suffering are part of life, will help you cultivate non-attachment and acceptance. Together, all these wisdom and qualities will improve many aspects of your life, and will give you the experience that you need in order to share all this with others as well.

 For this reason, it is important as a yoga practitioner (especially of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga) and as a yoga teacher to add a mindful practice into our daily life, as this will help us deal with all the desires or memories that will arise from the asana practice. Having that mindfulness allows us to acknowledge whatever is rising to the surface of the mind, slowly let it go, reducing its imprint within the mind. If the yoga practitioner lacks mindfulness, it will be very easy to be swayed away by the fluctuations of the mind, and perform actions according to these fluctuations.

 An example of this are the many cases of sexual assault reported by many yoga students against well-known teachers from different yoga traditions. This is a result of desire – and if desire is not acknowledged, it turns into greed, and if the person lacks mindfulness or does not have enough strength to control him/herself, then something like sexual assault and other types of negative feelings that may arise will drive your actions.

 Mindfulness is not difficult to practice; however, it requires patience, time, and dedication. Find the time and space to practice mindfulness in your daily life, and see how it affects not only your practice, but also your life in a positive way.

 

by brightyoga -

Karandavasana Technique

 

Karandavasana is one of the core postures in the Second Series of the Ashtanga Vinyasa practice. This asana requires a lot of strength in the shoulders, hips, and core because to enter the pose, you have to jump into Pincha Mayurasana in one inhale, and then build lotus on the legs as you exhale, and use that same breath out to slowly lower the legs down and stay for 5 breaths. All throughout this fast transition to Pincha Mayurasana with lotus legs, the shoulders, core, and bandhas must remain engaged to avoid collapsing on the shoulders, or else going bak up to Pincha Mayurasana after 5 breaths will be almost impossible.

Some aspects of the Primary Series can help you build the foundation to work on Karandavasana in terms of core and bandha strength. In the Primary Series, all the jumping back in Vinyasas, when done properly, will help you build a solid connection with your bandhas, as well as good core and holder strength. If you have been stuck in Karandavasana for a while now, try to practice your jump backs without any sound as your feet touch the floor. This will teach you the following:

• How to use your breath more efficiently to control your movement

• Learn the biomechanics of the body. In this movement and in

Karandavasana, bringing the shoulders forward is key in order to control the action of going down, and slow down your jump back

• When jumping back, keep your spine as rounded as possible from the moment you move your hips up, back, and up — when you learn how to slightly bend at the elbows as you work on bringing the shoulders forward (as shown in the photo), it will help you build the foundation on how to get into Karanavasana

In addition to all this, Bhujapindasana (also from the Primary Series) is a great preparatory pose for Karanavasana. However, try to work on Bhujapindasana in a different way — after you cross your legs and use an exhale to move down, try not to let any part of your body (except for the hands, of course) to touch the floor. Lower the chin down, but work on keeping it hovering an inch above the floor and use the strength of the core, bandhas, and shoulders to hold the pose. At this point, it is very important not to collapse the body weight over your foundation. Instead, keep the back rounded, suck the belly in, and keep pushing down away from your foundation, creating a lifting feeling while you hold the pose. After 5 breaths inhale to come up and out of the asana, remind yourself to keep the toes off the floor at all time

Try and practice these techniques we discussed above to build up a strong connection with your bandhas, core, shoulders, and breath, all of which are necessary for Karandavasana.

Have a good and safe practice 

by brightyoga -

The Importance of Meditation

 

In the yoga practice, particularly in the asana practice, we can explore the realms of the body and the mind; and, body-mind connection. If you have been practicing for a while, then you probably know how that the asana practice helps us create a deeper level of body awareness, which not only allows us to develop better and more beneficial physical alignment, but also allows us to immediately recognize whether something is feeling off in our body, thus avoiding any future discomfort and possible injuries from over-straining in certain asanas.

All our feelings are responses toward any input may be categorized into three main groups: like, dislike, and neutral. When we move our body during the asana practice, we are creating internal heat, and forcing the energy to flow in certain directions within our body — the nature of the particular posture you are performing can either create comfort, discomfort, or even a neutral state. Likewise, when the body moves through an asana sequence, different emotions different emotions or imprints on the mind that have been stored in our subconscious and in our muscles may be resurface — and, again, our feelings towards them may either be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.

As these feelings occur in our practice, our breathing is what is going to allow us to observe all these fluctuations of the mind without getting attached to the said feelings. When we develop the ability to observe them, acknowledge them, and let them go, we begin to purify the mind, as this releasing process will reduce the amount and/or intensity of negative feelings such as anger, desire, or delusion — all of which are by-products of this lifetime and previous lives. Once we get detach ourselves and our mind from all of the anger, desire, and delusion through the powerful practice of acknowledgement, it is said that we will no longer be part of Samsara or the cycle of birth and death.

It is important to keep in mind that the asana practice can help you purify the mind only up to a certain extent because it mainly cultivates concentration, and not enough mindfulness, which is what is needed to be able to observe the full spectrum of the mind fluctuations. At one point, it is necessary to combine the asana practice with a form of mindfulness-based meditation.

A constant meditation practice will not only assist in purifying the mind and body in a deeper level, but will also allow you to do your asana practice in a more efficient way. The reason for this is because a mindfulness-based meditation will sharpen your awareness enough to be able to access different groups of muscles in a more subtle and refined way — particularly, your connection with your bandhas or energy locks will improve.

These are only a few of the endless benefits one may reap from a meditation practice. How will this affect your daily life? Find out as we discuss this in our next article.

~Ricardo Martin~

by brightyoga -

Bend So You Don’t Break

 

“Saying you are not flexible for yoga
is like saying you are too dirty for a bath.”

Throughout our years of experience in teaching yoga, we have met students with different capabilities, understandings, and approaches when it comes to the yoga practice.

One of the most common concerns beginner students have is, “I am not flexible, so I don’t know if yoga is for me.” If you worry about this, too, then yoga is actually one of the best ways to release stiffness and tension in the body, as well as improve your joint mobility. It is very common nowadays for not only elders, but also in fairly younger people, to have very limited joint mobility, especially on the knees and the lower back. Lack of mobility in the joints (perhaps due to lack of daily stretching/movement or any exercise in general) leads to poor posture, more serious joint injuries and other health implications.

Mobility on the hips is one of, if not the most important part of the body to keep in check because the more mobile you are on your hips, the more mobile you will be on the other parts of your upper and lower body. Likewise, if you are too tight or stiff on your hips, your upper and lower body muscles and joints will compensate for this lack of mobility on your hips. For example, in a physical activity as simple as walking, there will always be a gentle twisting motion happening in both the lower back and the knees if the hips are tight – the more we are mindful of this simple reminder, the more we can prevent suffering from lower back and knee pain in the future.

In practices such as Ashtanga Vinyasa and Rocket Vinyasa, there are so many postures in the standing and seated sequences that work on hip opening, which make these asana practices are a great way to alleviate pressure on the lower back, as well as a safe way to maximize the knees’ anatomical function – flexion, extension, and a little bit of rotation.

With regards to poor posture, these yoga asana sequences are especially beneficial for people who are used to working around 8 hours a day seated and hunched over a desk. Not only will the standing and seated sequences give you the opportunity to practice stretches that release the back of the body, but you will also cultivate good posture by practicing correct spinal alignment.

Moreover, as having flexible hips will release stiffness in the spine, it will also eventually increase your lung capacity, thereby allowing you to take deeper breaths. Deeper breaths cultivates more energy into your life, strengthens your immune system, slows down the aging process, calms the mind by reducing tension and stress, and fortifies your body’s natural ability to heal, among many other benefits

All of the amazing benefits that having a flexible body are available to anybody who wants to practice yoga – as long as one’s mind is open to the idea of not letting one’s capacities and limitations be a barrier to the practice. Just get on your mat, practice with patience and persistence, and soon enough, you will experience progress.

by brightyoga -

Kurmasana Technique

 

Kurmasana or Tortoise Pose is practiced after Bhujapidasana in the Ashtanga Vinyasa sequence. This asana requires a lot of flexibility on the hamstrings as it demands a deep external rotation on the hips, as well as strong activation of the core muscles.

As you can see in the final version of the posture, your heels are supposed to lift off the floor.

There are some postures that can help you to get deeper in Kurmasana such as Prasarita Padottanasana A and Marichyasana A-D, to name a few.

When you practice Prasarita Padottanasana A, keep your hands active as they touch the floor; however, fold forward by using your core muscles and the activation on your quadriceps more than your hands – this will allow you to access to deeper levels of flexibility in the posterior part of your body, which are the groups of muscles you need to work on opening before you can get into Kurmasana.

With regards to Marichyasana A-D – in A and B, as you bind, reach lower on your shinbone and work on the inner rotation of the shoulder of the binding arm. This is the same type of rotation you will use in Kurmasana, and later on in Supta Kurmasana.

For Marichyasana C and D: In the C variation, grounding the hip of the bending leg will assist you in opening the hips muscles that will allow you to deeply externally rotate your legs. In the D variation, when you bind, reduce the gap between the armpit and the shinbone and work on lowering the sitting bone of the bent knee toward the heel, as this will open the hip rotator muscles even deeper.

As you can see every single asana, will allow you to build the foundation for whatever posture is coming next. Keep in mind to always practice with awareness from the beginning until the end of the sequence.

Do you Want to learn more?
Join us in our Daily Mysore classes or Yoga Teacher Trainings in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia