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Travels Yoga

The Habitat

July 11, 2016

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“Make sure your doors and windows are securely locked, the petrol full and even if someone tries to stop you for ‘help’ DO NOT STOP. And also, go there during the day, you don’t want to be mauled by wild beasts when night falls.”

This was the directive given to me the first time I headed to what I now simple call The Jungle.

So it was natural that we were a bundle of nerves when we headed towards the Bannerghatta National Park. Slowly and gradually the hustle and bustle and the traffic IMG-20160403-WA0033 and the potholes of the Bannerghatta road faded away and we were on the dusty country roads. Here there were no signboards and everything looked the same. Perhaps the danger of getting lost was very real, which is why our host kept on repeatedly calling us to ensure we were safe. That is, when we got connectivity. The rest of the time we kept on going on a hunch. Driving a rickety old Alto over craggy rocks and stones and on terrain meant for four wheel drive is no mean feat. Every time I saw a mound of formidable rocks, I would set my jaw and press along. My own man vs nature adventure.

I had no idea what to expect that first weekend at the farm. I discovered that the IMG-20160403-WA0050 temperature deep in the jungle is a couple of degrees lower than in the city. And I certainly didn’t expect to sleep out in the open inside a mesh hut. The still remember my first night at the farm. The croaks of the frogs, and right outside the hut, the river illuminated by the light of the moon, the silhouette of the trees framing my view. I snuggled deeper into my warm razai and drifted off into the most peaceful sleep ever.

I’m back from another restful weekend at the ‘Vishnu’s Farm’. Deep in the Bannerghatta jungles, this place has come to symbolize peace, serenity and the Slow Movement (even before it became the latest fitness fad). This time I took my sister (visiting from Hyderabad). I explained to her that most of the farm has no lights, no real means of cooking your own food, and that we might spot an elephant or a bison while walking around the acreage. But nature is constantly evolving and moves on no matter what. So the Farm is always a bit different every time I go. (There is a valuable lesson in this.)

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However, the past couple of times I’ve been to this haven, an idea has been taking shape in my mind. In our frazzled lives, oasis of calm such as Vishnu’s Farm are difficult to come by and this place is just perfect. Devoid of the trappings of modern existence (no cell phone coverage and other such fancy accoutrement), this place hits your reset button. The closer you are to nature, the closer you feel to yourself. This past weekend I decided on a retreat. A retreat focused on peace, quiet and getting back to nature. A simple retreat aimed at appreciating how we can live the best possible life by staying aligned and attuned to nature.

Vishu’s Farm is more appropriately called a habitat. Vishnu has made sure to integrate himself with nature rather than modifying the existing ecosystem to suit his needs. So he’s made sure not to disturb the trees, and continues planting new ones. He’s built lakes in the property so that the water life thrives instead of perishing (you may spot a cat stealthily waiting for it’s next meal). When the elephants repeatedly broke a wall somewhere in the habitat, Vishnu stopped rebuilding it. In his own words – “It’s their land, I’m just an encroacher.” Perhaps this belief fuels his tireless work for conservation in the area.

So when you come on this retreat, you aren’t checking into a fancy resort with exotic scented soaps. You are spending time in someone’s life’s work. A home that Vishnu has painstakingly created against odds such as red tape and litigation, indifference and corruption. And how can we forget the quarry mafia?!

It is no surprise then, that a retreat such as this will always be for a closed group. Comprising people who will be able to appreciate the passion and belief that it takes to live a lifestyle where there are no TVs and limited net connectivity. Where lunch takes time to come from the nearest village. Where there are no dustbins around the property because waste disposal is a challenge and you are encouraged to take your trash back to the city with you.

Where the days are beautiful and the nights peaceful.

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Why Things Are Working Out

June 16, 2016

I’ve been mulling over the power of positivity for a while now. It started with a book recommendation by a student. According to this extremely empowered, intelligent, successful and smart woman, just following the tenets of visualization and positive thinking helped her immensely and since then she’s been a Believer. Always one to be wary of cult-ish balderdash, I politely nodded and said I’ll put the book on my TBR list, which of course didn’t happen. Then came the past life regression workshop that a friend of mine dragged me to. I was unable to devote any time to channelizing my present thoughts, so the idea of involving my past life in creating a better future for myself was fanciful. However, I’m glad I went because the one thing that I took away was that your thoughts are indeed powerful and the ability to shape your future lies within you. For months now I’ve been working on visualization in the quest to live a more wholesome life. While I can’t claim that I have successfully manifested my wildest dreams through the power of positive thoughts, I can vouch for the fact that there has been a shift in my days after I started consciously changing the tenor of my thoughts. I also know that a lot of people would like to live more meaningfully but are at a loss as to where to start. After months of practice, I feel I have come up with a method that can help just about anyone inculcate the habit of positive thought

First and foremost is an honest assessment of yourself, warts and all. Have you become complacent with your situation in life? Do you find yourself explaining away selfish or hurtful behaviour? Once, a friend of mine tried to give me advice about how I can curb my ‘natural’ instinct to be selfish. Her heart may have been in the right place, but unfortunately, my heart hurt. I value her advice, but I wish she had focused more on what actions I can take rather than dwelling on a characteristic of mine she didn’t like (and which, to give me the benefit of the doubt, may just be her personal opinion). Conversely, a few reek of self-satisfied smugness. They believe there is no other way and the choices they’ve made are the only ones that can be made. They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are living their lives in the best possible way they can. Hey, if you are happy and elated with your life and leap out of bed daily to live another inspired day, then I have a lot to learn from you. But if you believe there is more, then introspect. Remember, if you continue to be the kind of person you are right now, with the same thought patterns, the same reactions and the same behaviour, then your life will continue to be the way it is now. It’s great if you’re happy with the status quo. But there is a whole world out there that you might just enjoy exploring if you decide to improve yourself a little bit.
Start with small. I believe in small. Less stuff, less baggage, small changes, small portions (:)). You may be someone who believes they have a lot of scope for improvement, but self-improvement is something that has to be done patiently and with baby steps. Start with one thing about yourself that you would like to change. Make this something to do with a thought pattern and watch how your life starts to mirror goodness and positivity. One day you’ll wake up grateful for all your good luck and for everything working out for you.
Once you identify what that negative thought pattern or habit is, work on consciously replacing it. Essentially you are eliminating a negative and immediately utilizing that space for a positive. This also ensures that you leave no space for a negative to come back to your life. You’re driving it out and consciously renting that space out to a positive more nurturing thought or action. A few years ago I was watching a ballerina practicing and I thought of how pretty, delicate and feminine she looked…and before I knew it I had told myself that I would ofcourse never be able to practice ballet because I wouldn’t fit into a tutu nor ever look so pretty, delicate and feminine! Now, I may not be ballerina material, but it’s not for me to tell myself that. The thing to do is to give it a go. Or alternatively, replace thoughts of a negative body image with that of a positive image such as appreciating how I can hold a chaturanga forever or how gracefully I do the Natrajasana.
Once you are on the path to change your deeply ingrained involuntary habits, it is important to assess yourself from time to time. Are you trying your best to put in place a system of new habits and thought patterns? Or are you just congratulating yourself about putting in effort? Too frequently people think it’s the thought that counts, but here we’re trying to change the thoughts themselves, so it’s the action that counts. Exercise the utmost honesty with yourself. Are you actually trying your best to coax your subconscious into rephrasing your words? Do you let yourself off the hook easily when you slip up or do you tell yourself sternly that this behaviour is not acceptable and you must not let this become the norm? For instance, every time I catch myself starting a sentence with ‘No, but…’ I stop mid-sentence and instead say ‘Sure, however…’ or ‘Hmmm, however…’. I’ve found that instead of breeding a sense of no, can’t, won’t etc., the other phrases immediately put me into a state of let’s move on and look for a solution or an alternative. It works, try it.

Your thought patterns form a blue print for your days and consequently for your life. So if you work on consciously changing your thoughts you will clear the path to a better existence. I’m a great believer in small actions bringing big rewards and when you replace a negative with a positive, then you will change your world. After all, if you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.

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The Yoga Practice

June 16, 2016

A system whereby you can practice yoga daily in the comfort of your own home through a combination of personalized videos and customized yoga plans crafted and created for you by an experienced yoga teacher.

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With the increase in lifestyle related conditions and diseases, there is an increase in an interest in living a holistic and healthy life. However, time constraints, a lack of motivation, and inaccessibility to a good studio/trainer, contribute to most people not incorporating yoga into their daily routine.

This program is for those who want a good, experienced yoga teacher but don’t have access to one. At a very reasonable cost you get not only personalized attention but also the tools to enable you to practice yoga daily with a focus on constant improvement in your health and fitness levels.

The Offering

We will meet you in person and assess, analyse and understand your needs.

Based on this assessment a personalized video will be created for you.
During a fixed personal appointment, we will help you do the video the first time in person in order to clarify any doubts you may have regarding the alignment of the asanas and to ensure that you are comfortable with the sequence.
Weekly calls to touch base with you regarding your yoga routine will be scheduled. This will be a time for us to share our feedback/concerns/changes regarding the plan.
Bi-monthly Sunday meetings for a group exercise session and for you to practice your routine with me and to introduce any changes together.

This program is available to anyone living in Bangalore.

Monthly Program Components:

2 f2f meetings
2 individual appointments

4 consultation calls (weekly)
Weekly group exercise sessions
Personalized video made for your routine and updated periodically.

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To enrol in this program or to get more information about it drop a message here.

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Some More for Your Back

May 4, 2016

My blog about how you can use a rope to manage, heal and even reverse causes of back ache has been hugely successful. It’s great that a lot of people with chronic back ache and even disc bulges and slipped discs have tried this blog and come back to me with positive reviews. In this blog I’d like to explore alternative asanas which also provide relief from back ache.

1. Start with the Ashwasanchalanasana, also called the Low Lunge. Ensure that your back knee is locked and try and push your hips as close to the floor as possible. This creates opposing forces within the body and this helps in easing out the kinks in your lower back. This also stretches the hip joint and strengthens the quads. When you focus on pushing your heel back, you will feel a stretch on the back of the calves as well.

2. Now place the knee on the floor and intensify the stretch a bit more.

3. Now place your elbows on the floor and allow the hips to open up even more. This pose is called the Lizard pose.

4. Next is the Pigeon pose. Place your knee on the floor and try and try to get the opposite thigh as close to the floor as you can. Do this by squaring the hips. The more you align the hips the better the stretch.

5. And finally for the Agnistambasana or the Firelog pose. I try and include this as much as I can in my classes. In this pose the point to remember is that the knee and the ankle should be directly on top of each other for both legs.

Hold these poses for as long as you feel like. If you have the time, even 2 minutes on each side would be great. Since I’m heavily influenced by the Iyengar style I would recommend you find out how to use props to do poses which are a bit challenging for you.

Practice these daily and even more than once a day to manage your back aches.

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Yoga

For All You Goddesses…

March 8, 2016

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And the last pose for this series is, befittingly, the Goddess Pose. The Sanskrit word for this one is Utkata Konasana (I did have to look this up). Of all the hip openers in this series, this one is the most intense. The simultaneous movement of opening up the hips and sinking the hips down to the floor ensures that the stretch is deep and intense. Reaching up with the arms also helps in opening up the chest to enable better breathing.

Benefits:

Great stretch for the hips and the groin.
Strengthens the core.
Holding for long periods will help in strengthening the legs
Opens up the shoulders and chest and makes you feel like a Goddess.
Helps in preparing the body for childbirth so can be done by pregnant women all the way to the end of the pregnancy.

Those of you with stiff ankles, hip and knee joints will face some discomfort when practicing this pose. My suggestion is to use blocks or roll up blankets and place them under your ankles. This will give you a stronger stance. Gradually you will be able to do this pose without the help of props.

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Pose #6 for Women – Malasana

March 6, 2016

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Today’s pose is awesome because it’s one of those poses that our bodies have been designed to do, but because of how our lifestyles have changed in the last 50 years, we’ve lost the mobility and the range of motion to perform the Malasana or the Squat. The fact that it’s taken only 50 odd years for our bodies to ‘forget’ a basic and intuitive movement is unsettling. After all, the last 50 years is a minuscule time frame in the history of human evolution. Imagine the kind of effort required to undo the effects of millions of years of evolution! POMELO_20160306192112_save

There are some contraindications for the Malasana. If you have a knee, ankle or hip injury then I would suggest that you practice with props.

Benefits of the Malasana:

Great to open up the hip joint.
Massages the abdominal and digestive organs and stimulates elimination.
Strengthens the legs, ankles and knees.
Helps in reducing back ache, even for pregnant women.
Conditions the lower body for child birth.

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Pose #5 for Women – Setu Bandhasana

March 5, 2016

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I remember when I first started practicing yoga, the Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) used to be my least favourite pose. It felt really uncomfortable and even gave me a back ache sometimes. I put it down to being overweight. I thought that because I was heavy, my hands were unable to support the weight of my lower body. Of course now I know better. And now I come across so many people who don’t! So many people tell me that their arms are not strong enough or their thighs/hips/butt are/is too big/heavy which prevents them from doing this pose well. Study your technique. The key to any yogasana lies in the technique. Study your technique.

Benefits of the Setubandhasana:

Stretches the chest, neck, and spine
Strengthens the core muscles and the legs.
Enables blood flow to the brain and this helps in reducing stress and bringing about a feeling of rejuvenation and wellbeing.
Provides an excellent massage to the abdominal organs.
Massages the Thyroid gland.
Helps in reducing discomfort during
Reduces discomfort and pain during menstruation.

To avoid making the mistakes I did when practicing this asana remember to:

Evenly distribute your weight on the soles of your feet.
Push your soles into the floor evenly.
Engage the thighs and the core muscles.
Roll your shoulders back and away from your ears.
Using your legs push your chest closer to the chin.
Keep the back of your neck long and pushed against the floor.

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Pose #4 for Women – Trikonasana

March 4, 2016

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In an interview with Prannoy Roy, BKS Iyengar said that he was still working on his Trikonasana. In my yoga class we work on Trikonasana every day and the teacher always frowns in disapproval. In an interview I watched a couple of weeks ago Maty Ezraty talks about how she can judge the level of a student by how they perform the Trikonasana. Personally, the Trikonasana has a heavy influence on my practice. Some days I break into the asana with great ease. Other days (like this morning) there’s some stiffness and soreness and I creak through the asana. Maybe it’s a combination of shoulder and hip opening. Or maybe it’s the stretch along the sides of the body or the release of tension from the shoulders….but this pose makes me want to linger.

Benefits

Great for the legs and torso.
Relieves pain and tension from the lower back.
Maintains the flexibility of the spine.
Provides a great massage to the abdominal organs and stimulates them.
Good for digestion since it provides a massage to the abdominal organs.
Relieves backache, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
Helps in managing flat feet (I’ve seen it even reduce the condition).
Helps in managing and preventing osteoporosis and sciatica.

When practicing the Trikonasana, remember to:

Keep the legs straight.
Keep the chest open.
Keep the spine long and strong.
Bend the torso laterally (from the hip).
Keep the hip joint open.
Reach out with both hands.
look down if you get migraines or have a BP condition.
look down if you have a heart condition or neck pain.

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On the Yogi’s Bedside

February 21, 2016

‘Light on Yoga’ is currently with a student.

All yoga practitioners reach a point when they start to look beyond their yoga class for resources to explore more. Some look for more guidance and some for answers. Usually we turn to the internet and look up all the books and their reviews we can find. We start to look for teachers and students see if we can find the light through the avenues which they are seeking answers.

There are many many books written on the subject of yoga. From coffee table books to instruction manuals. YouTube gives you access to teachers old and new. I’ve been through my fair share of texts. Some have been forgettable, some have been good and some I consider essential. The books below have not only given me food for thought, but have also helped with my asana practice, philosophy etc. I still have a bunch of books that I’m waiting to devour (birthday shopping), but until now, the below are books I consider indispensable

Light on Yoga by B.K. S. Iyengar. None of the other books on this list come close to being as detailed as this one. Published some time in the 60s (the earliest editions I could find are from 1965), it is astounding in terms of the sheer attention to detail. I guess this is only a reflection of the practice of Iyengar yoga. You’ll find the asnwer to almost any question about yoga in this book. I also love the simple and crisp tone of the book. There are no frills and cup cakes. It’s forthright, businesslike and super technical. When in doubt, this is my go-to resource.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Muktibodhananda. I’m currently reading this one. I borrowed the one published by the Yoga Publications Trust of Munger (the Bihar School of Yoga). I like the fact that the appendix contains the Sanskrit text as well as the English translations for the Sutras. It has illustrations which help in understanding asanas and ideas. This is an excellent, easy to understand, comprehensive translation for anyone who can take the time out to patiently go through it (the book is a thick one.)
Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. This text focuses on the physical side of the practice. So there are lots of illustrations and the descriptions of the asanas, mudras etc are detailed and amazing. I haven’t been through this book cover to cover, but I have come back to it every once in a while when I need to understand the nuances of an asana. The drishti and the bandhas for each asana are also specified, which is important as you deepen your practice. In this way I think this book serves beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
Yoga Mala by K Pattabhi Jois. I hadn’t heard about this (or much about Ashtanga for that matter) before I went to Mysore. I love this book because I felt it broadened my approach to yoga. In Mysore, not only was I practicing Ashtanga yoga but I was also interacting with long time Ashtangis. Reading this book around the same time put a lot of things into context. Being an Iyengar practitioner, I’ve never really looked to read books by other teachers, and I felt that this book changed my perspective about yoga as a whole (in a good way). After reading this book I realized that it’s important for yoga practitioners to actively pursue the teachings of a range of teachers/traditions. The value of the teachings of all great teachers should not be underestimated.
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S Iyengar. This book is quite intense, so you need take your time with it. In fact, you can even use this book as a reference book. Some Sutras will make sense to you right now, some will make sense to you 10 years from now. But every Sutra has been explained exhaustively in Iyengar’s easy, free flowing and concise style. You’ll read a lot of translations of the Sutras and meet a lot of teachers who will expostulate about them, but this book is a great way to start your studies of the Yoga Sutras.

The only kind of shopping I can indulge in.

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How Yoga Can Help Create a Better India…and a Better World

January 25, 2016

I’ve been watching a lot of videos of master teachers Saraswati and Sharath Jois lately to glean wisdom from their philosophy. Yoga is a living breathing philosophy. The way it was taught and practiced a hundred years ago was different from how it is being taught and practiced now. The world is changing. And with that, yoga’s role in this changing world.

Just 50 years ago perhaps the greatest challenge in the yoga world was the lack of awareness of the practice. Now the challenges are greater. Advances in science, increases in population, changes in lifestyle etc., have brought along an increase in stress and psychosomatic diseases. Which has resulted in an increase in crime.

Sharath Jois, in one of his many interviews says that besides asanas we have to practice Ahimsa and Satya. And if hundreds of people practiced Satya and Ahimsa, then it will be good for society. There will be no violence and no bad things happening. That’s the message that yoga is trying to give us. Sharath goes on to say that our responsibility is not only to think about ourselves but also to think about the plants and the animals and other living beings. I guess here he’s trying to tell us that to live in harmony is perhaps the best way to co-exist with each other and with the life around us. And if every one of us practices Satya and Ahimsa, we can change the world.

In recent years a lot of young people have started coming forward to drive change. Whether it’s in politics, entrepreneurship, social work, education etc., the youth has made an impact. However, at a deeper level, to make a change in the fabric of the social psyche itself, maybe we need to practice Ahimsa and Satya with ourselves. Know when to push forward and to hold ourselves back. To know which battles are worth fighting and which are just fueling our ego. To sometimes accept that though we tried our best, but our best wasn’t good enough. (Which is OK because there are too many more mountains to climb so wallowing in self pity isn’t a good idea.)

Sharath also says, “Life is very precious, life is very important. So how you lead your life is very important.”

A little more Satya and Ahimsa with the usual Asana will help us create a better world.

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