yin Yoga Principles&Practice

yin Yoga Principles&Practice

10thANNIVERSARYEDITION

paulgrilley

WhiteCloudPressAshland,Oregon

Copyright©2012byPaulGrilley.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproducedinanymannerwhatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermissionexceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsembodiedincriticalarticlesandreviews.

Inquiriesshouldbeaddressedto:WhiteCloudPressPOBox3400,Ashland,Oregon97520.Website:www.whitecloudpress.com

BookDesign:ConfluenceBookServices

Photography:BruceBayard

Illustrations:AnnDiSalvo

Firstedition:200212 13 14 15 16 10 987654321

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataGrilley,Paul,1958—Yinyoga:principlesandpractice/PaulGrilley.--10thanniversaryed.p.cm.

Includesbibliographicalreferences.ISBN978-1-935952-75-61.Yinyoga.I.Title.B132.Y6G6782012613.7'046--dc23

2012027786

Contents

Foreward

Prologue

1 AncientScienceofYoga

2 YinandYangYoga

3 HowtoPracticeYinYoga

4 DesigningYourPractice

5 AnOutlineofYinYogaPostures

6 Sitting

7 ChakraTheory

8 BandhaPracticestoAwakenShakti

9 PranayamaPractices

10Meditation

Bibliography

Appendix

AbouttheAuthor

Thisbookisdedicatedtomyteachers,

Dr.GarryParker,whotaughtmeanatomy,PaulieZink,whotaughtmeTaoistYoga,Dr.HiroshiMotoyama,whoseworkdemonstratestheunityofTaoistandTantricpractice.

Acknowledgements

IwouldliketothankmybeautifulwifeSuzeeforposingandfor thecountlesshours of discussion, Ann DiSalvo and Bruce Bayard for their artwork, SteveSendar and Christy Collins ofWhite Cloud Press for their support, andmostespeciallySteveSchollofWhiteCloudPress,whoinsistedthisbookbecreatedinspiteofmyhesitations,Iowehimagreatdebt.

Foreword

Ithasbeentenyearsofstudy,teaching,andpracticesincethefirsteditionofthisbook,much ofwhich is reflected in this second edition. I have expanded thepsychological and theoretical descriptions of yin yoga andhave tried to betterpreparethestudentaboutwhattoexpectwhenpracticing.Themeditationsectionhasbeencompletelyrewrittenandthepracticeselaboratedinsystematicdetail.Ihave tried to show that controlling one’s chi is the thread that leads fromphysicaltoemotionalandspiritualdevelopment.

Whatever form of yoga the reader prefers, I hope she finds the outline ofprinciplespresentedhereusefultoherfuturestudies.

Prologue

It was never my intention to promote yin yoga as an independent system ofasanapracticebecauseyinyogais,bydefinition, incomplete.Itwasandismyintentiontopromoteyinyogaasasupplementtoyangformsofexercise.Yangexercise isabroad termmeant to includenot justyang formsofyogabutanyformofexercise thatfocusesonmovingthebloodandexercisingthemuscles;examplesincludeweightlifting,running,cycling,andswimming.

Yinandyangformsofyogabalanceeachother.Themeridiansinourbodycan be favorably compared to irrigation canals: yin forms of yoga dredge thecanalofaccumulateddebris,andyangformsofyogastimulatetheflowoffluidthroughthem.

Yinandyangformsofyogaalsobalanceusemotionallyandmentally.Yinyogasoothesandcalmsus,yangyogainvigoratesandrefreshesus.Eachformofexerciseisneededatdifferenttimes.Themodernworldisveryyang;lifeshouldbe a balance between competition and compassion, between ambition andcontentment,butthisbalancehasbeenlost.Anoveremphasisonyangqualitieshas polluted the planet, split our families, and emptied our homeswhile bothparentsworktogetaheadorjusttostayafloat.Yinyogacanhelpbringbalancetoanoverlyyanglifestyle.

It hasn’t always been the case that yang is overemphasized. In somecommunitiestheoppositehasbeenthecase.Inpasttimes“monk’sdisease”wasacolloquialexpressionusedtodesribesomeonewhowasoverlysensitivetoanydisturbance.Theantidotetomonk’sdiseaseisyangactivity,whichisreflectedinthe fact that hatha yoga, kung fu, chi gong, tai chi, and other yang forms ofexercise originated in monastic communities. I have recently heard of apsychotherapistspecializingindepressionwhowon’tacceptclientsunlesstheycommittoaregularexerciseprogram.Yinandyangarenecessaryaspectsofahealthylife.

Anyskillrequiresdeliberatepractice.Thisisastrueofcultivatinganinnercalmasitisofbecomingoutwardlyathletic.Yinyogacanhelp.Learningtostayinaposeforfiveminutesatatimetrainsthemindandbodytobecomecalmandenduredistraction,bothphysicalandmental.Itookupthepracticeofyinyoga

to cultivate greater flexibility inmy joints, butwhat I discovered is a style ofyoga thatcultivatesphysicaleaseandmentalcalm. Ihave longabandonedmyambitionsforgreaterrangeofmotion,butthedeeperqualitiesofyinyogahavekeptmepracticingforovertwentyyears.

Yogaingeneraliswidelypopularandsociallyacceptable.Thisisaseismicshift from the social norms of fifty years ago. I remember my grandmothertellingme, “If youhave time to exercise thenyouhave time towork,”whichwas her way of saying my yoga practice was a waste of time. But mygrandmotherwas a product of her generation—she raised a family during theDepressionandlivedthroughWorldWarII,theKoreanWar,theVietnamWar,andtheColdWar.Mostofheradultlifewasspentdoingtheveryrealworkofbuildingupthephysicalinfrastructureofthecountryshewasbornin.

Mygeneration,thatofthepost-WorldWarIIbabyboom,isheirtothelaborandsacrificesofourparentsandgrandparents.Thankstotheirworkweliveinatime of material luxury, and many of the physical dangers and diseases thatthreatened our grandparents seem distant to us. What then will be ourcontributiontothefuture?Ibelievepartoftheansweristolivenoblelives,livesof kindness and tolerance and gratitude and contentment. But none of thesethingsispossibleifweareunabletocontrolourimpulsesandquietourminds.

I do not believe that happiness lies in carrying Darwinian survival of thefittest to its extreme. I donotbelieve that constant accumulation is thepropergoal of a human being. I do believe, however, that it is noble and proper tovoluntarilytraceacircumferencearoundourdesiresandtodeliberatelyincreasethetimewespendcultivatingkindness,tolerance,gratitude,andcontentment.Ifmygenerationcanpassdownpracticaltechniquesthatcultivatethesequalities,thenIthinkwehavefulfilledpartofourresponsibilitiestothenextgeneration.

ThreeThreadsofRecentHistory

Whatisyinyoga,andhowdiditgetitsname?Thisbookisdedicatedtothreepeoplewhorepresentthethreethreadsthatarewovenintoyinyoga.ThefirstisDr. Garry Parker. Dr. Parker taught me anatomy and encouraged my firstattemptsatteachingyogaatFlatheadValleyCommunityCollegein1980.FromhimIlearnedtoappreciatethescientificprinciplesofhumanmovement.ItwasbecauseofhimthatIacquiredtheconceptsandvocabularytocompetentlystudyanatomy on my own. My view of yoga was shaped by anatomy from the

beginning,andIwillalwaysbegratefulforthis.ThesecondpersoninthisstoryisPaulieZink.Paulieisamartialartsexpert

andteacherofTaoistYoga.PaulietaughtmethebasicsofTaoistYogain1989.IfirstsawPauliebeinginterviewedonapublicaccesstalkshowdedicatedto

themartialarts.AtfirstIwasimpressedbyhisgentleandrestrainedanswerstothe questions put to him.He seemed to have noneof the arrogant swagger orchallenging stare of other martial artists I had met. Then he gave a briefdemonstrationoftheyogathatwasthefoundationofhismartialartstraining.Iwasveryimpressed.

IcontactedPaulieandhegraciouslyinvitedmeto joinhisweeklyclassonTaoistYoga. Paulie practiced poses for five to tenminutes at a time, chattingcontentedlyasheledtheclass.Afternearlytwohoursoffloorposeswewouldstandanddosomemovingyangformsthatimitatedthemovementsofanimals.It was all very interesting and all very different from the hatha yoga I wasteaching.

I stopped trainingwithPaulie after about a year.By then I understood thesimpleprinciplesofyinyoga. Ihadpracticedsomeofhisyangformsandhadevendabbled in someof his kicking andpunching exercises, butmy interestswerethefloorposes,anditseemedinappropriatetotakeupPaulie’stimewhenhehadseveralstudentswhowishedtolearnallaspectsoftheTaoistYogahehadtooffer.

When I started to teach long floorpostures inmypublicclasses thestudioownerswantedtoknowwhattonamethestyleintheiradvertising.EventhoughI includedmany traditional hatha yoga postures inmy classes, the long, slowholds were certainly different from what everyone else in the studio wasteaching,sooutofrespectforPaulieZinkIsuggested“TaoistYoga.”AndthatwasthenameIusedfortenyears.

Thethirdpersonin thisstoryisDr.HiroshiMotoyama.Dr.MotoyamaisaShintopriestandhasdoctoratesinphilosophyandphysiologicalpsychology.Hehas demonstrated objectively the existence of both chakras and meridians inexperiments. Iwasdrawn toDr.Motoyamaafter readinganearlyworkofhisentitled “Theories of the Chakras.”My wife and I have been students of Dr.Motoyamasince1990.WehavevisitedwithhimmanytimesbothinJapanandat his graduate school in Encinitas, California. Our own yoga andmeditationpracticeshavebeenprofoundlyinfluencedbyhiswork.

Dr.Motoyamahasdemonstratedthatthemeridiansofacupuncturearewater-richchannelsintheconnectivetissuesthatinterpenetrateallthestructuresofthe

body.Ofthistheorywewillhavemoretosaylater,butfornowitisenoughtosay that it confirms ancient theories and illuminates why the system of yogapostureswasdevelopedandhowtheywork.

SarahPowersandHowYinYogaGotItsName

The three threads of yin yoga are the anatomy I learned fromDr. Parker, thepracticeI learnedfromPaulieZink,andthemeridiantheoryofDr.Motoyama.But none of this would be of interest to very many people if not for SarahPowers.

Intheyear2000mywifeSuzeeandIpresentedaworkshoponTaoistYogainBerkeley,California.SarahandTyPowerswerepartofthatsmallgroup.WehadbecomeacquaintedyearsbeforeinLosAngeles,butSuzeeandIhadmovedtoAshland,Oregonin1994andSarahandTyhadrelocatedtotheSanFranciscoarea.Sarahattendedourworkshopbecauseshewas interested in revisiting theTaoistYogashehadexperiencedinmyclassesintheearly1990s.

AfterthatBerkeleyworkshopSarahresumedherbusytravelingandteachingschedule. She began introducing long, slow poses into her classes, explainingthattheflowingstandingposesweretheyangofherpractice,andthelongfloorposesweretheyin.Whenstudentsaskedwheretheycouldgetmoreinformationabout the yin practice, Sarah graciously referred them to me. I started to getinquiries from studio owners asking me to come and present “yin yoga”workshops,andIgladlyaccepted.AyearlaterIthoughtitwouldbeconvenientto have my spiral-bound manual on “Taoist Yoga” professionally printed byWhiteCloudPress.Itseemedinappropriatetopublishitas“TaoistYoga”sinceabookwiththatnameshouldoutlinebothyinandyangtraining,sowepublishedthebookasYinYoga:OutlineofaQuietPractice.

IsYinYogaNew?

Yin yoga is not new. It is a descriptive term that was coined to differentiatebetweenthissofter,moretraditionalstyleofyogaandthemodernvinyasastylesof yoga. To understand the need for making this distinction, we need a briefhistoryofyoga’slastthirtyyears.

HathayogahasbeenapartofAmericanphysicalculturesincethe1890s,but

it had never been very popular. Mainstream America either thought it wasbizarre or suspected itwas a subversive practice taught byHindu evangelists.Exercise instructorswereboredbyitbecauseithadnoneof themovementsormusculareffortdemandedbythecalisthenicstheywereusedtoteaching.Thisisbecause,withfewexceptions,hathayogawastaughtasagentlesystemofstatic,standing poses followed by gentle floor poses followed by gentle breathingexercises. In other words, yoga was yin. Yoga had found acceptance by the1970s, but even as late as the 1980s yoga was still a distant last place inpopularitywhencomparedtoaerobics,weightlifting,andanyformofsport.Butthiswasabout tochangeinabigway.Averyyang,verystrong,sexy,sweaty,muscularwaveofyogawasabouttocrashontotheWestCoastoftheU.S.andsweepallthingsbeforeit.

Theriseinthepopularityofyogatodayhasbeendrivenbythemanyhybridsof the Ashtanga Vinyasa system taught by Pattabhi Jois. The gentle yoga ofearlier decades was submerged in an ever multiplying number of flowing“vinyasa”styles.Therewereandstillareavarietyofyogastylesrangingfromtheyinofrestorativeyogatotheyangofashtangavinyasa,butitisthehotandmuscularstylesofyogathathaveattractedsomuchattentionfrommainstreamexerciseculture.

Ilearnedashtangain1985fromDavidWilliams.Davidhadfirstlearnedthegentleyogaofthe1960sandthenwenttoIndiatolearnmore.WhileinIndiahewitnessedapublicdemonstrationofgymnasticsthatwassointerestingheaskedwhattraditionitwasfrom.Hewastold,“Itisastyleofyoga.”Davidlookedattheacrobaticmovementsandnonstopflowofposesandsaidaloud“That’snotyoga!”David’s reaction sums up howbig a changewas about to occur in theyogaworld.

Starting in the late 1970s and early 80s, yang yoga styles inspired byashtangavinyasabecamesopopularsoquicklythatwhenIstartedteachingyinclasses in 1992 people thought itwas something new.The popularity of yangyogaclassescontinues,but there isagrowing interest inyin formsofyogaaswell. This is inevitable—yin and yang must eventually balance each other ineveryaspectoflife,includingexercise.

Most yogis, even themost dedicated yang yogis, eventually develop a yinpractice on their own. I have rarely presented aworkshop on yin yogawheresomeonedidnotsay“Ihavepracticedyogalikethisforyearsbutdidn’tgiveitaname.”Yinyoga isanatural,healingpractice that talentedyoga teachershavealwaysbeenrediscoveringandintegratingintotheirpractice.

CHAPTER1 AncientScienceofYoga

ThreeBodies

Fromancient timesyogis havepostulated that there are three levels of humanembodiment:

1.Acausalbodyofthoughtandbelief.2.Anastralbodyofemotionanddesire.3.Aphysicalbodyofmaterialsubstance.

Spiritual adepts assert that our consciousness is not limited to theseembodimentsandthatwithsystematicpracticewecanfreeourselvesfromthemandexperienceaunionwithall thingsintheuniverse,aunionthatisfulfillingbeyondanythingourpresentlylimitedexistencecanoffer.

ThreePillarsofYogaTheory

The systematic practices that slowly disentangle our consciousness from ourthreebodiesarecollectivelyreferredtoasthescienceofyoga.Allscienceshaveatheoreticalandapracticalaspect.Thesearethethreemainpillarsofthetheoryofyoga:

1.OurthreebodiesareknittogetherandinfluenceeachotherthroughspecialcentersinthespineandbraincalledChakras.

2.TheenergythatflowsthroughthesechakrasiscalledChi.

3.ThisenergyflowsthroughourbodiesinchannelscalledMeridians.

Thefundamentalgoaloftaoistandtantricyogaistouniteourawarenessandchiandguide them intoourchakras.Aswebecomemoreskilled in thisendeavorwe become more conscious of our emotional attachments and mentalmisconceptions. Ifwe can patiently dissolve these knots, then our energy andconsciousness can slip free of all three bodies and expand into realms ofunimaginedwisdomandbliss.

ThreeDimensionsofChi

A yogin who sits to meditate will become absorbed by one of threemanifestationsofchi:physical,astral,orcausal.

Themanifestationofchiinthephysicaldimensionisawarenessofsomepartofthebodyorapleasantsensationofenergyflowingthroughthemeridians.Ifthisflowisblockedthentheyoginexperiencesdiscomfort.

Themanifestationsofchiintheastraldimensionarememoriesanddesires.Thecontentofthesememoriesorthenatureoftheseemotionscanbesurprisingandshocking.Thisisbecausetheyaremanifestationsofourunconsciousmindthatweusuallysuppressand try toreject.Othermemoriesanddesiresare lessshocking, but all bring with them strong emotional content that needs to beexaminedifwearetobefreeofthem.

The manifestations of chi in the causal dimension are much subtler thaneither the physical or astral dimensions. As meditation deepens, the yogibecomesawareofthefundamentalideasthatformherorhispersonality,suchasreligiousbeliefsorideasofsocialjustice.Becomingawareofthesebeliefswillnotdestroythem,butitallowsthepractitionertounderstandwhysheorhehasthem,whichprovidesthepowertodissolve,modify,orretainthem.

TwoTraditions,OneSystem

Accordingtoseveralancientviewsofcyclictimetheworldenteredaperiodofspiritualdarknessaround800BC.Priortothisdescent,thecivilizationsofIndiaandChinahadproducedwonderfulworksofartandscience,but thisdarkagebrought about their destruction as humans became brutish, selfish, and

shortsighted. Ignorance and intolerance led to more and more schools beingclosed, temples being sacked, and libraries being burned. What fragments oflearning survived to thepresent ageare the shipwrecked remainsofoncewelldeveloped sciences. Nonetheless, the skeletons of these ancient theories arebasicallysoundandmodernscienceisonthevergeofreanimatingthem.

Twosystemsofmedicalenergeticshavecomedown tous fromthosedarkages:theIndianTantricandtheChineseTaoisttraditions.InTantratheenergyiscalledprana.Thecentersthatcontrolpranaarecalledchakras,andthechannelsinwhichprana flowsarecallednadis. InTaoism theenergy is calledchi.Thecentersthatcontrolchiarecalleddantians,andthechannelsinwhichchiflowsarecalledmeridians.

The descriptions of nadi-channels in tantric texts are very sparse, but thedescriptionsofthechakra-centersareverydetailed.Itistheoppositewithtaoisttexts: the descriptions of meridian-channels are very detailed, but thedescriptionsof thedantian-centersaresparse.Soweuse the tantric termwhenreferringtothechakras,butweusethetaoisttermschiandmeridians.Thisisadeliberateattempttopresentthesetwotraditionsasdifferentdescriptionsofthesamesystem.

Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama has painstakingly detailed the correspondencesbetween taoist and tantric descriptions of chakras, chi, and meridians, and IrecommendhisbookTheoriesoftheChakrastotheinterestedreader.

OldWine,NewBottles

The taoist yogis of China based the science of acupuncture on their subtlespiritualperceptionofchimovingthroughmeridians.Theydevelopedbreathingandmeditationtechniquestomovethischiintotheirspinesandslowlydissolvethe knots tying their consciousness to their three bodies. But sitting andmeditatingforlonghoursisveryhardonthebodyandcausesthechitostagnateandcreatepainfuldistractions,sotaoistyogisdevelopedexercisestoharmonizethe flow of chi and heal the body,making it easier tomeditate longer. Theseexercises were later codified into systems like Tai Chi Chuan and Kung Fu.Indianyogisalsodevelopedposturesandexercises toprepare thebodyfor therigors of meditation and to gain control over the chi flowing through themeridians.Thesetechniqueswerelatercodifiedintosystemsofhathayoga.Ourmodern cities are now honeycombed with yoga studios filled with people

practicingandenjoyingthebenefitsoftheseancientsystems,buttheymightbesurprisedtolearnthatthetheoreticalfoundationsonwhichtheywerebuilthavebeendismissedbymodernscience.Thatis,perhaps,untilnow.

ModernMeridianTheory

Dr.Motoyama is a Shinto priest and a doublePhD scientistwho has from anearlyagepracticedthereligiousausteritiesoftheancientShintoreligionaswellas the meditation practices of Indian yoga. Basing his research on his ownintuitive perceptions as well as his scientific studies of other spiritualpractitioners,Dr.Motoyamahas for the last forty years beendocumenting theexistenceofasystemofenergychannels in thebody.Usingmodernelectronicinstruments Dr. Motoyama has demonstrated that this energy flows throughwater-rich channels in the connective tissue.What is more, the behavior andlocationofthesechannelsareincloseagreementwiththeancientdescriptionsofmeridians.

IftheinsightsofDr.Motoyamaarecorrect, thenwhattextbookshavebeencalling connective tissue is in fact a living matrix that conducts life-givingenergy toevery tissue,cell,andorgan in thebody. I refer to this theoryas theModernMeridianTheory.

ConnectiveTissue

Connectivetissueisnotwhatwethoughtitwas.ThatisthemessageofthelastthreeFasciaResearchCongressesheldinBoston,Amsterdam,andVancouverin2007, 2009, and 2012. Scientists at these congresses have presented a largenumberofstudiesthatdetailhowconnectivetissueisanelectricallyconducting,water structuring, contracting and expanding structure that regulates howcellsfunction.Allofthisresearchisdirectlyandindirectlycorroborating,correcting,andexpandingDr.Motoyama’sModernMeridianTheory.

Everyorgan,muscle, andbone inourbodies is formedbya frameworkofsponge-like material called connective tissue. All of our 100 trillion cells arenestedwithinthespacesofthiselaboratelyinterconnectedsystemofpocketsandtubes.

Dr.JamesL.Oschmansummarizesthecurrentviewofconnectivetissueand

meridiansasfollows:

Theconnectivetissueandfasciaformamechanicalcontinuum,extendingthroughouttheanimalbody,evenintotheinnermostpartsofeachcell.Allthe great systems of the body—the circulatory, the nervous system, themusculo-skeletal system, the digestive tract, the various organs—areensheathedinconnective tissue.Thismatrixdetermines theoverallshapeof the organism as well as the detailed architecture of its parts. Allmovements,ofthebodyasawhole,orofitssmallestparts,arecreatedbytensions carried through the connective tissue fabric. Each tension, eachcompression, each movement causes the crystalline lattices of theconnective tissues to generate bioelectric signals that are preciselycharacteristicofthosetensions,compressions,andmovements.Thefabricis a semiconducting communication network that can convey thebioelectric signals between every part of the body and every other part.This communication network within the fascia is none other than themeridian system of traditional Oriental medicine, with its countlessextensions intoeverypartof thebody.As these signals flow through thetissues,theirbiomagneticcounterpartsextendthestoriestheytell intothespace around the body. The mechanical, bioelectric, and biomagneticsignals traveling through the connective tissue network, and through thespacearound thebody, tell thevariouscellshow to formand reform thetissue architecture in response to the tensions, compressions, andmovementswemake(quotedinHaraDiagnosis:ReflectionsontheSeabyKiikoMatsumotoandStephenBirch,p.164).

WhatisChi?

WhenDr.Motoyamaandotherscientistsconductresearchontheflowofenergyin meridians they do not directly measure chi, they measure electrical andchemical changes. So what is chi? Chi is the energy that coordinates theelectricalandchemicalchangesthatscientistsmeasure.

An analogy from modern physics might be helpful. When solar energyarrivesonEarthandstrikestheupperatmosphere,thisenergybecomesmanifestasthemovementofair.Asthesewindsofairmoveovertheoceantheycreate

waves of water.When these waves of water crash onto a beach their energybecomesmanifest as vibrations in the sand. The energy itself is not made ofsunlightorairorwaterorsand,butitmanifestsitspresenceinthemovementsofthese“tissues”oftheEarth.Inasimilarwaychiisnotelectricityorchemistryoremotionsormemoriesorthoughts,butallofthesethingsaremanifestationsofchiinthedifferenttissuesofourthreebodies.

TheIllustrationatleftisaviewoftheskeletonfromthefront.

Theinsertbelowdepictsasectionofthespineandincludestheconnectivetissue.

TheIllustrationatleftisaviewoftheskeletonfromtheback.

Theinsertbelowdepictstheviewofthepelvisandincludestheconnectivetissue.

Modernmeridiantheorypostulatesthatchirunsthroughtheconnectivetissuesofthebody.

Thisillustratesthetraditionallocationofthemeridiansalongthefrontofthebody.Thesearetheyinmeridians.

This illustrates the traditional locationof themeridiansalong thebackof thebody.Theseare theyangmeridians.

Dr.Motoyamahasdemonstrated that thesemeridians lie in thewater-richphaseof theconnectivetissueoftheskin.Thisconnectivetissueiscontinuouswiththerestoftheconnectivetissueofthebody.

CHAPTER 2 YinandYangYoga

YinandYang

Toincorporatemodernmeridiantheoryanditsinsightsintoouryogapracticewemustreacquaintourselveswiththetaoistconceptsofyinandyang.Yinandyangaredescriptivetermsthatareusedtodescribealllevelsofphenomena.Yinisthestable, unmoving, hidden aspect of an object. Yang is the changing, moving,revealingaspectofanobject.Thesetwoaspectsalwayscoexist—thereisneveronewithouttheother.Everythingcanbedescribedintermsofitsyinandyang;stones,horses,thebody,life,thoughts—allhaveyin-yangaspects.

Thefollowingtableofexamplesmayhelpclarifytheconceptionofyin-yangpolarities:

YIN YANG

hidden exposed

dark light

cold hot

still moving

downward upward

Earth Heaven

calm excited

YinandYangareRelative

Yinandyangdescriptionsof anyobject are relative.Thedescriptionvaries asdifferent aspects are considered. For example, when considering location, theheartisyintothebreastbonebecauseitismoreinside,morehidden.Butwhenconsideringmovement, theheart isyang to thebreastbonebecause it ismoremobile.

Itcanbedifficulttodeterminewhichaspectofanobjectshouldbecalledyinandwhichshouldbecalledyang.Forexample,aroomismadeofwallsandthespace thewallsenclose.Wecouldsay thewallsareyinbecause theyaresolidand the space isyangbecause it is empty,orwecould say thewalls areyangbecause they are what we see and the space is yin because it is not directlyperceivable.Eventhoughitistroublesometodeterminewhichisyinandwhichisyangitisnotdifficulttoappreciatethatwallsandspaceare“yin-yang”toeachother.

Thereisnosinglestyleofyogathatcanbecalled“yin.”Allstylesofyogacanbedescribed inyin-yangrelation toeachotherandthiscategorizationwillchange depending on which aspect of yoga practice is considered. If we arebasing our distinction on movement-stillness, then the style with the mostmovement is yang.But ifwe are basing our distinction on effort-ease, then astrongseriesofstaticinversionsmightbemoreyangthanagentle,flowingstyleofyoga.Context is everythingand in thisbookourcontext is theelasticityoftissue.

MuscleTissueisYang,ConnectiveTissueisYin

Allformsofyogacanbedescribedasyinoryangbasedonwhichtissuesofthebody they target. A practice that focuses on exercising muscles and movingbloodisyang.Apracticethatfocusesonconnectivetissueisyin.

Whenwemoveandbendour jointsdoingyogapostures,bothmuscle andconnectivetissuearebeingstretched.Themusclesareyangbecausetheyaresoftand elastic, while the connective tissues are yin because they are stiff andinelastic. To illustrate the different elasticity of these two tissues, imaginecarvingaturkey.Theactual“meat”ofthedrumstickismuscle;the“gristle”atthejointwhichmustbecutthroughorsnappedoffisconnectivetissue.

Based on the earlier presentation of the all-pervasiveness of connective

tissue, itmight seemconfusing todistinguishbetween“connective tissue”and“muscle.” It is true that there is no such thing as “just muscle,” but theconnective tissues that make up muscle are intermixed with other fluids andproteinsthatgivemuscleitscharacteristicelasticity.Inasimilarwaythetendonsthatbindmuscle toboneand the ligaments thatbindbones toeachotherhavedifferent elastic characteristics. For our purpose the word “muscle” refers tomusclesandtheirtendons,andthephrase“connectivetissue”referstoligamentsandfascia(broadbandsofconnectivetissue).

YangYogaFocusesonMuscle

The fundamental characteristic of yang exercise is rhythmic movement. Allforms of yang exercise, such as running, weightlifting, and swimming,alternatelycontractandrelax themuscles.Muscle tissues respondverywell torhythmic yang exercise. Most popular forms of yoga—ashtanga vinyasa orpower yoga—are yang. They emphasize rhythmic movement and muscularcontraction. Most dancers, martial artists, and gymnasts also develop theirflexibilitywithrepetitive,rhythmic,yangstretches.

Musclesarebundlesoftubesfilledwithfluids,mostlywater.Musclesareupto90percentwaterduringintenseexercise.Theelasticityofmuscletissuevariesdramaticallywith its fluid content—much like a sponge. If a sponge is dry itmay not stretch at all without tearing, but if a sponge iswet it can twist andstretch a great deal.Most yoga students like towarmup by doing a series ofmuscularstandingposturesorinversionsbecauseworkingthemusclesfillsthemwithbloodandmakesthemmoreelastic.

Exercising muscles also helps bones stay healthy because when musclesvigorouslypullonbones thebones respondbybecoming thickerandstronger.This is how a forensic anthropologist can determine if she is examining theskeletonof a sedentaryaristocrator apeasantwho laboredall his life.This isalsowhyvigorous,notgentle,exerciseisprescribedtopreventosteoporosis.

YinYogaFocusesonConnectiveTissue

Exercises that create a gentle traction of the connective tissue are yin. Asimportantas it is forourphysicalandmentalwell-being tobestrong, it isnot

muscularstrengththatgivesusthefeelingofeaseandlightnessinthebody,itistheflexibilityofthejoints.Ihaveknownmanymuscularlypowerfuladultswhoarephysicallyincapacitatedoruncomfortablebecauseofjointproblemsintheirback or legs. Athletes don’t retire because of muscular problems, they retirebecause of joint problems. Bad ankles, bad backs, bad knees—these are theinjuries that forceathletes to retireandoldpeople to shufflearound.Yinyogapostures gently stretch and rehabilitate the connective tissues that form ourjoints.

Yin formsofexercise seemnew toourwayof thinking.Peopleaccept thefactthatmuscletissueshrinksorgrowsinresponsetoexercisebutimaginethattheconnectivetissuesofthebodyareinertandunchanging.Thisisnottrue.Allthetissuesofthebodyarechangingandadaptingtothestressesputuponthem.

If we never bend our knees or stretch our spines, the connective tissue isgoingtoshortentotheminimumlengthneededtoaccommodateourmovements.Ifwetry,afteryearsofabuseorneglect,toflexourkneesorbendourspines,wewon’tbeabletodoitbecauseourjointswillhavebeenshrink-wrappedbytheshortened connective tissue. If we want to maintain our joints flexibility, wemust exercise them. But we should not exercise them like muscles, we mustexercisetheminayinway.

Isn’tStretchingtheJointsBad?

Moderately stretching the joints does not injure them anymore than lifting abarbell injures themuscles.Bothformsofexercisecanbedonerecklessly,butneitherisinnatelywrongordangerous.Ofcourse,ifsomeonebouncesintotheirjointstheywillhurtthemselvessoonerorlater,butbouncingisayangactivity,andyinconnectivetissueshouldn’tbetrainedthatway.

Ourteeth,forexample,areanchoredinboneandappeartobeimmobile.Weknowfromexperience,however, that theychange.Still,noonewould think itviableto“exercisetheteeth”bygrabbingholdofthemandwigglingthembackand forth as in yang activity. But with patient, methodical use of braces andretainers,evenour teethcanbemovedand realigned.Likewise theconnectivetissues that form our joints can be safely and desirably “exercised” by gentlystretchingtheminyinyogapostures.

YinandYangSupplementEachOther

Both yin and yang formsof exercise are necessary, and they supplement eachother. Consider as an example the modern medical practices of traction andweighttraininginphysicalrehabilitation.Peoplewithbrokenlimbsandinjurednecks are frequently put in traction to relieve stress on fragile bones that aretrying to knit together. Once the bones have healed, physical therapy mightincludeweightliftingtostrengthenthemuscles.Thisisanexampleofhowyinandyangprinciplesareintelligentlyemployedtorecoverjointmobility.Tractionis theyinprincipleofstatic,elongatingstressapplied fora long time.Movingthe neck against resistance is the rhythmic yang aspect of strengthening themuscles.

Viewofthespineandpelvisfromthefront.

Thispicture illustrateshow theyinandyang tissuesoverlay thebonesof theskeleton.Thewhiteareasarethedeep,yinconnectivetissuesthatbindbonetobone.Thedarkareasarethesuperficial,yangmuscletissuesthatcontractandmove.

CHAPTER3 HowtoPracticeYinYoga

TheTheoryofExercise

Alltissuesofthebodymustundergostresstostayhealthy.Ifwedonotexerciseourheartitwilldegenerate,ifwedonotexerciseourmusclestheywillatrophy,ifwedonotbendourjointstheywillbecomestiffandpainful.Astronautslivinginaweightlessenvironmentforafewweekswillloseupto18percentoftheirbonedensityand30percentoftheirmuscularstrength.Tissuesmustbestressedonaregularbasistostayhealthy,evenifonlybygravity.IncolloquialEnglish,itis“useitorloseit.”

All formsofexercisecanbeclassifiedasyinoryangbasedon the tissuesthey target.Exercises that focusonmusclesandbloodareyang,exercises thatfocusonconnectivetissueareyin.Yangexerciseischaracterizedbyrhythmandrepetition,yinexerciseischaracterizedbygentletraction.

Short-termandLong-termEffectsofExerciseareOpposite

The long-term goal of weight training is to make the muscles stronger, butimmediately after a vigorous training session the muscles are weak andexhausted.Weightliftersboastabouthowmuch theycanexhaust theirmuscleswith expressions such as “My legswere sowasted after squats I could hardlywalktomycar.”Sotheshort-termeffectofweighttrainingismuscleweakness,butafterweeksandmonthsofregulartrainingandrestthemusclesgetstronger.

Thelong-termgoalofaerobicconditioningislowerbloodpressureandheartratebutthegoalinanaerobicsclassistoraiseone’sheartrateandkeepitraisedfor several minutes. Even after class it takes an hour or more for the bloodpressureandheartratetoreturntonormal,butafterweeksandmonthsofregulartrainingtherestingbloodpressureandheartratedroptolowerlevelsthatmore

thancompensateforthehigherratesduringexercise.This is thenormal trainingeffect: theshort-termeffectsofexerciseare the

oppositeofthelong-termeffects.Thesameistrueofyinyogapractice.Oneofthe long-term goals of a yin practice are strong, flexible joints. Immediatelyfollowinga longyinpose,however,our joints can feel fragile andvulnerable.Thisfeelingisbriefandshouldpassafteraminuteortwo.

YinPosturesShouldBeHeldForaLongTime

Denseconnective tissuesdonot respond to rhythmic stresses thewaymusclesdo.Connective tissues resistbriefstressesbutslowlychangewhenamoderatestressismaintainedforthree-to-fiveminutes.Toexplainwhy,wewillrevisitouranalogyofconnective tissueasa sponge.Tomake theanalogymoreaccurate,wemust imagine thespongesofourbodiescompletelysoakedwithfluids thatbehavelikebutter.Whenthebutterissolidthespongeisstiffandhardtobend,but when the butter is melted it is easy to stretch and twist the sponge. Thischangefromstiffbutter tomeltedbutter iscalleda“phasechange.”Holdingastress on connective tissue for several minutes creates a phase change in itsfluids,which results in a lengthening of the tissue and a feeling of ease. Thisphasechangealsoallowsagreatermovementofchithroughthetissues,whichisbothpleasurableandpromoteshealing.

Someone new to yoga will probably experience a phase change during aposturebutthephysicallengtheningmightnotbeveryprofound.Inotherwords,theywillexperienceapleasantenergeticreleaseeveniftheydonotsinkmuchdeeperintothepose.Butwithpersistentpracticethefibersofconnectivetissuewillgrowandrealigntoallowforagreaterrangeofmotionaswell.

YinPosturesShouldbeHeldwithMusclesRelaxed

Tostresstheconnectivetissuearoundajointthemusclesmustberelaxed.Ifthemuscles are tense then the connective tissue doesn’t take the stress. You candemonstratethisforyourselfbygentlypullingonthemiddlefingerofyourlefthand.When the left hand is relaxed you can feel the connective tissue of the

fingerjointstretchingatthejointnearestthepalm.Whenthefingersofthelefthand are tensed and extendedyou can feel themuscles resist thepull, but theconnectivetissueisnotbeingstretched.

The stretching of the knuckle may seem a trivial example but the sameprincipleappliestotheknees,hips,andspine:themusclesintheseareasmustberelaxediftheconnectivetissueistobestressedwhendoingapose.

Notethatitisnotpossibleorevendesirableforallthemusclesofthebodytobe relaxed when doing yin poses, but the muscles in the target area must berelaxed.Forexample,inaforwardbendyoumaywanttogentlypullwithyourarms or contract your abdomen to increase the stress along the spine.But themuscles along the spine must be relaxed or the connective tissue will not bestretched.

ThreeLayersofaJoint

There are three layers to a joint: the bones, the connective tissue, and themuscles thatmove thebones.When themusclesare relaxed, thebonescanbepulledapartandtheconnectivetissueisstretched.Whenthemusclesaretensed,thebonesarepulledtightlytogetherandtheconnectivetissueisnotstretched.

YinandYangAttitude

Allthingshaveayin-yangtothem,evenourattitude,andonewaytoillustratethecontrastisbycomparingtheattitudeofanaturalistwiththatofanengineer.

Anengineerhasayangattitude,anengineerwantstochangethings,shewantstotearanoldbuildingdownorbuildanewoneup,shewantstodamtheriverordredgethecanal.Heryangattitudeistoalterandchangewhatshesees.

A naturalist has a yin attitude. A naturalist wants to know how plants oranimalsbehavewithouttryingtoinfluencethem.Anaturalistwithaninterestinbutterflieshas togo towhere thebutterfliesareand thensitandpatientlywaitfor them to dowhat butterflies do.A naturalist cannotmake butterflies fly ormate or lay eggs, he can only wait and observe. His yin attitude is to try tounderstandwhatheiswatching.

Whenpracticingyinyogaitisbesttohaveayinattitude.Donotbeanxiousor aggressive and force your body into the poses. Make a modest effort toapproximatetheposeasbestyoucan,andthenpatientlywait.Thepowerofyinyogaistime,noteffort.Ittakestimeforourconnectivetissuestoslowlyrespondtoagentlestress,itcannotberushed.Learningtopatientlywaitcalmsthemindanddevelopsthenecessaryattitudeformeditationpractices.

Modern culture appreciates the strengthof theyangattitude to “go for it,”butthereisnoendtoourdesires.Tobetrulyhappywemustalsocultivatetheyinqualitiesofpatience,gratitude,andcontentment.

YinandYangAlwaysCoexist

Thereisnosuchthingasapureyinorapureyangattitude, justas thereisnosuchthingasapureyinorpureyangyogapractice.Thesetwoaspectsalwayscoexist.Yin or yangmight be dominant in expression but the other is alwayspresent.

Whenpracticingayinposesuchasaforwardbend,wewanttobeasrelaxedaspossible.Butifwecompletelyrelaxeverymuscleinourbodythenwemightactually fall out of the pose. Some muscular effort is required to balanceourselvesinaposeandtomaintainthegentletraction,soyangeffortispresenteveninyinyogaposes.

Thesamecanbesaidofourattitudeduringyinyoga.It isyin topassivelyobserve the sensations that arise, but it is yang to make the effort needed tomaintainthepose.

Breathing

Manybeginnersunconsciouslyholdtheirbreathwhenpracticingyogapostures,soteachersoftenadvisethemtobreatheacertainwaytokeepthemfocusedyetrelaxed.When practicing yin yoga my general advice is to breathe normally.Each posture affects our breathing in a different way. It may be that somepostures were specifically designed to alter the breath and thereby alter theperceptions inmeditation.To force yourself to breathe the sameway in everypose is a yang attitude, and it obliterates the possibility of assessingwhat theposturedoestoyournaturalrespiration.

TherearetimesinyinpracticewhenIexperimentandholdmybreathforafewmomentsorbreathe rhythmically fora littlewhile,but themajorityof thetimeIjustpassivelyobservetheeffecteachposehasonmynaturalrespiration.

FeelingtheRebound

Afterpracticingaposeforseveralminutesitisagoodideatorelaxonyourbackand feel the rebound. Poses temporarily block chi and blood from flowing insomeareasandredirectittowardotherareas.Thereboundiswhatwefeelafterwereleasetheposeandrelaxonourbacks.

Thephysical sensationsof stretchingmuscles and joints usuallydominatesourawarenesswhenweareholdingapose,butwhenwerelaxonourbackswecancalmlyfocusonthesensationsofchi.Thiscanmanifesteitherasasenseofpressuredispersingawayfromanareaandspreadingthroughoutthebodyorasamore specific feeling of energy in our spine or legs.After aminute or so thesensationsmorphandchangeintoageneralfeelingofpeacefulcalmnessthatisnotcenteredinanyparticulararea.

Cultivating awareness of chi is an important part of yogapractice becausechi is the thread that ties all three bodies together. Learning to feel chi in thephysicalbodyisafirststeptoobjectivelyexperiencingtheemotionsoftheastralbodyandthethoughtsofthecausalbody.

ReboundandCounterStretching

The short-term effects of yin practice are the opposite of the long-term. Thefeeling immediately following a long yin pose is a sense of fragility andvulnerability.Sometimesyoucanfeelareboundingcontractionbuildingupthat

seemsas if itwillgrow intoapainful spasm,but ifyou staycalmduring thisprocess you will find the dreaded painful spasm does not come, and thereboundingwavewill reach a crescendo and then subside.This can be a life-changing experience for many people. I have heard frommany students whosufferedchronicpainforyearsbuthealedthemselvesbylearninghowtorelaxinyinyoga.

Somestudentsbecomealarmedat these sensationsand immediately roll totheirsideorhugtheirkneesordosomeothersimplecounterpose.Itiscertainlypermissibletodocounterstretchesafterapose,buteveryonceinawhileresolvetolieonyourbackandcalmlyobservethereboundwithoutreacting.

ExerciseinAwareness

Some students say that they “Do not feel anything”when practicing asana orwhen they are relaxing on their back. This is not possible. There are alwayssensationsarising fromourbodies, andweonlyhave to focusourattention toexperience them.Ourchiwillmove towhereverweplaceourawareness. It isalsotruethatwhereverourchimovesitwillbringourawarenesswithit.

Trythisexercise:Sitcomfortablyandfocusonyournose.Isitwarm?Doesititch?Isthereapulse?Istheinhalationinthetopofthenostril,orthebottom?Is one nostril more open than the other? Exercises like this are endless anddemonstratetheimpossibilityofbeingwithoutfeeling—weneedonlydirectourawarenesstoit.

Ifastudentinsistsheisnotfeelingsomething,wecanonlysurmisethatheisnotfeelingwhatheimaginedchishouldfeellike.Itisamisconceptiontothinkchionlyflowsthroughthemeridiansdepictedonachart.Chiflowsintoeverycell of the body. The meridians depicted on acupuncture charts are just thesurface meridians accessible by needles. There are larger, deeper meridiansreferredtoas“reservoirsofchi.”Thesearethesourceofthesurfacemeridians.Chicirculates fromthesedeepermeridians into thesurfacemeridiansand thenbackagain.Themovementofchiinthesedeepermeridiansisfeltinthebones,muscles,andorgans.

Iamnotdissuadingstudents fromtrying to feelspecificmeridianchannelsbut I am encouraging them not to overlook the more obvious “physical”sensations of chimovement throughout the body and the pleasant calmness itbrings.

LearningtoRelax

Onehundredyearsago theAmericanphilosopherWilliamJamessuggestedanexperiment to illustrate the mind-body connection: Relax on your back andbecomecalm.Onceyouhavesucceeded in relaxing, then try tomakeyourselfangrywithout tensingoralteringyourbody inanyway. Inotherwords, try tobecomeangrywithouttensingyourmuscles,changingyourbreathing,clenchingyour teeth, raising your blood pressure or your heart rate, ormanifesting anyotherphysicalchange.Impossible!Everythought,everyemotionputsitsimprintonourphysicalbeing.

In our highly intellectual, head-oriented world many of us are physicallystressedanddonotknowit.Weimaginethatbymaskingouremotionstheyarenotaffectingus.Butmaskingsuppressesonlythecrudestoutwarddisplayofouremotions—ourbodies are still takingabeating. Ifweweremoreawareof thephysical toll of our inner life, we might take more precautions againstundesirablementalstates.

LearningtorelaxinposeslikethePentaclehelpsustoidentifyandreleasetensionsthataredeepwithinus,notjustintheskeletalmuscles.Tensionintheeyes, jaw, heart, diaphragm, and stomach can be isolated and relaxed. Thishealthyhabit helpsus todissolve thenegative tensions that accumulate inourbodies.Thisisavaluableskillinourheartattack-pronesociety.

LearningtobeStill

Dr. Motoyama has demonstrated that the meridian system and the nervoussystemareyin-yangtoeachother.Thismeansthatif theenergyinonesystemincreases, the energy in the other system decreases. Yin yoga amplifies chienergyandreducesnervousenergy;thereforeacommonreactionafterdoingyinposesistodesiretojustliestillandnotmove.Whendeeplyrelaxed,theeffortittakestomovethelimbsjustdoesn’tseemworthit.

Thisinhibitionofmovementisadesirablestateanditisaperfectpreludetomeditation.Manypeoplearesonervoustheyliterallycannotsitstillforseveralminutes.Ayinpracticecanchangethis.Ifyoufindyourselfwantingtoextendyourrestphasesduringyourpractice,don’tfightit.Recognizeandenjoyit,andthiswilldevelopyourabilitytorecreatethepeacefulstateofimmobilizinginnercalm.Whenyoucando thisyouarenearlyover thefirsthurdleofmeditation,

whichissittinguprightandrelaxedforextendedperiodsoftime.

CHAPTER4 DesigningYourPractice

YogaPracticeShouldChangewithTimeandCircumstance

Dr.Motoyamaonceadvisedmethatpracticingaspecificsetofposturesfortheappropriate period of time could save your life, but that same routine, ifcontinuedfortoolong,couldcausegreatharm.IhadthisexperiencewithSnailpose. Itwasmy favoritepose for fifteenyears, and I did it frequently and forlongholds.ThenIstartedhavingupperspineand ilio-sacralproblemswhichIdeterminedwerecausedbymy favoritepose! Iwasgrieved,butbowed to thetruth of experience. I didn’t practice Snail for nearly a year, except for someoccasional experiments. My symptoms disappeared almost immediately andwouldreturnwheneverItriedtosneakmoreSnailintomyroutine.

AfterayearIresumedregularfiveminuteSnailposes,butdidonlyonepersessionandvariedmy shoulderpositioneach time. I nowagain enjoy the fullspinalstretchandwholebodyrelaxationthatSnailbrings,butwithoutthespineproblems.WhytheproblemsdevelopedIstilldon’tknow.Thepoint,however,isthat our yoga practice should be alive and adaptable to our needs as we gothroughtheseasonsofourlives.

GuidingPrinciples

Asyoudevelopyourownsequencesofposes,pleasekeeptheseideasinmind:1. Every yoga pose is bad for somebody. Everyone’s anatomy and history areunique,andthismeansthateachposeaffectseachpersondifferently.Usuallythedifference is trivial, but it can sometimes be significant and harmful. Do notbecome fixatedon“masteringapose.”Theposes aremeant tobe therapeutic,not to challengeyourpride.Someposesmaybeuncomfortablebut result in ahealthyresponse,butotherposesmightjustbebadforyou.

2. Forwardbendsareyin.Theybringtheheadlevelwiththeheartmakingiteasytopumpbloodtothebrain.Theheartmuscleisrelaxedandthebloodpressurealloverthebodyisreduced.Forwardbendsharmonizechiflowalongthemeridiansnearthespine,whichiscalmingandsedating.

3. Backward bends are yang. They stimulate the nerves and invigorate theyogi.Backwardbendsdonotneed tobeheldas longas forwardbends.Experimentwithdoingmorebackbendsforshorterperiodsoftimeratherthanlongerholds.

4. Timeofdayandseasonareimportant.Amoreyangpracticewithshorterholds might be desirable in the morning or on a cold day. Amore yinpracticemightbeappropriateintheeveningsoronawarmday.

5. Themoreyangyourpractice,thegreateryourvarietyofposesshouldbe,with shorterdurationsandmore repetitions.Themoreyinyourpractice,lessvarietyisneededandtheemphasiscanbeplacedonjustafewposes.

6. Itisfinetopracticeyangexercisebeforeyin,oryinexercisebeforeyang.Justallowadequateadjustmenttimewhengoingfromonetotheother.

7. Use pillows, blankets, and bolsters to support yourself if you find posesstressful.Yinyogashouldneverbeastrain.Ifyoufindyourselfunabletorelax,youarebeingtooaggressive.

RoundSpine,StraightSpine

Ifforwardbendsaredonewitharoundedandrelaxedspine,thentheconnectivetissues of the torso are stressed more. If forward bends are practiced with astraightspine,thenthemusclesofthelegsaremorestressed.Eachversionofaforwardbendhasadifferentemphasisandayogastudentcouldconsiderthemastwoseparateposes.

Fixation

Fixationisthevacuumsealthatstickstwosurfacestogether,themostcommonexample being a moist drinking glass set down on a coaster. After a fewmomentsthefluidbetweencoasterandglassisforcedouttothesides,andwhenwepickup theglass thecoaster is stuck to itby thevacuumseal.Theway tobreakthisfixationistoliftoneedgeoftheglassawayfromthecoastersothatthevacuumsealisbroken.Thisisaccompaniedwithafaintpoppingsound.

All joints are susceptible to fixation, especially the joints of the ribs andvertebra.These joints have flat, smooth surfaces that are continuouslypressedtogetherbygravityandmusclecontraction.Sometimeswhenwebendor twistourspinethebonesmoveenoughtobreakthevacuumsealandcreateapoppingsound.Thisimmediatelyfeelsgoodbecausethejointcannowmovemorefreelyandchiflowisincreased.

SacralFixation

Thebonemostsusceptibletofixationisthesacrum,andoncethesacrumfixatesitisdifficulttomovetheboneenoughtodefixate.

In youth the sacrum is inclined forward and helps create the curve of thelower spine, but aswe age the sacrum fixates andwe unconsciously tuck thepelvisandlosethecurve.

Curves reduce compressive stress by flexing front and back. This is whyorganic thingsgrow incurves—consider, forexample, the tendrilsofplantsorthearchesinourfeet.Thisisalsowhywehavecurvesinourspine.Ayouthfulspinehasnice,fullcurvesandeasilyflexesforwardandback.Anagedspinehaslostitscurvesandmaynotflexatall,andthisleadstocompressionofthespinal

discsandbackpain.SaddleposeandCaterpillarposehaveayin-yangeffectonthesacrum.They

arethemosteffectiveself-treatmentIamawareofformaintaininghealthysacralmovement.

Upper-BodyStrength

Althoughthisisabookaboutyinyoga,itisimportanttosayafewwordsabouttheyangofupper-bodystrength.Inataoistanalysisofthebody,thelegsareyinbecause they are heavier, denser, and closer to the earth. The arms are yangbecause they are lighter, more mobile, closer to heaven. As we age, the legsbecomemoreyinas theybecomeheavyandlessmobile.Bycontrast thearmsbecome more yang, less dense, and less strong. To combat these naturaltendenciesayoginishouldemphasizestretchingconnectivetissuewhenworkingthelowerbodyandemphasizemuscularstrengthwhenworkingtheupperbody.

Lower-bodypostureis influencedmostbytheflexibilityof thesacrumandthe curves of the lumbar spine.But upper-body posture is influencedmost bymuscularstrengthratherthanflexibility.

Failuretodoupper-bodyexerciseslikeTripodorCrocodileisdisastrousforupper-bodyposture.Themusclesbecomeweak,thebonesbecomefrail,andtheupperspinestoopsandrounds.

ThreeSampleRoutines

Thefollowingroutinesareintendedtogiveabeginneratasteofthevarietywithwhichtheyinposescanbesequenced.Thereisnoonecorrectwaytopracticeyin yoga. Different people have different needs. I suggest practicing the firstroutineeveryotherdayforaweekandmakebriefnotesonhowitaffectsyou.Then practice the second routine every other day for aweek andmake notes.Thenrepeatthisprocesswiththethirdroutine.

Once you are familiarwith each routine, I suggest that you practice threetimes per week, following a different routine each day. Better yet, youmightchoosetocombineacoupleposesfromeachroutineandcreateyourownroutineofeighttotenposes.

Whateverroutineyoupracticeitisimportantthatyourelaxaftereachpose.

Thisisthebestwaytofeelwhattheposesaredoingtoyou.Relaxingbetweenposesisalsoagoodwaytonotstrainanything.Goslowlyandenjoy!

FirstSampleRoutine

This first routine is more yang than the others and is focused on the spine’smovements rather than thehips.Anyor all of thepostures canbe repeated asmany timesasneeded. Ifoneor twosets isnotenough, thendo threeor four.Justbesuretorestenoughandtoavoidstrain.

1.LegRaises2.Snail3.Caterpillar4.Tripod5.Crocodile6.Camel7.Child’sPose8.Saddle9.FoldedPose10.Butterfly11.SpinalTwist12.Pentacle

SecondSampleRoutine

This routine focuses on the hips and legs. Any or all of the postures can berepeated as many times as needed. Just be sure to rest enough and to avoidstrain.

1.SleepingSwanorShoelaceontheWall2.Half-FrogorFrogontheWall3.DragonflyorDragonflyontheWall4.Swan5.HalfSaddle6.FoldedPose

7.Caterpillar8.SpinalTwist9.Pentacle

ThirdSampleRoutine

Thisroutineisamixofhipandspinemovements.Anyoralloftheposturescanberepeatedasmany timesasneeded.Justbesure to restenoughand toavoidstrain.

1.SquarePoseorShoelaceontheWall2.HalfButterfly3.Caterpillar4.Dragon5.Infant6.Seal7.Child’sPose8.SpinalTwist9.Pentacle

CHAPTER5 AnOutlineofYinYogaPostures

Pentacle

WewillstartourexaminationoftheyinposeswithPentacle.Thereasonforthisis it isoftendifficult to feelchiandbloodmoving inourbodieswhilewearepracticing the poses. The effort required to do them often obscures the subtlesensations. But if we relax in the Pentacle after practicing a difficult posture,thenitisquiteeasytofeelthebloodandchirushintooroutofcertainareasofourbody.Eventhediscomfortthatwefeelinthejointswehavebeenstretchingisaformofchiandwecanlearntoobserveitobjectively.Thispracticeisagreataidtolearningtoguidethechiwhenmeditating.

Pentacleisdonebylyingonone’sbackandspreadingthearmsandlegsoutinanycomfortableandcompletelyunguardedposition.Closeyoureyesandletthephysicalbodysinkintothefloor.Theultimatementalyinattitudeofmindistowaitwithoutanxiety.Trytofeelthevarioussensationsofchi,bloodandfluidsmovingintooroutofthepartsofthebodythatwerestressedduringthepreviouspostures.

Thebodypositionasdescribedaboveisonlyasuggestion.Byspreadingthearmsandlegs,moreofthebodymakescontactwiththefloor,whichishelpfulinlearningtofeelthebody,butanyrelaxingposturewillsuffice.

PracticePentacleforonetofiveminutesormorewheneverdesired.

HalfButterfly

HalfButterflystretchesthebackofthestraightlegandthespineontheoppositeside.Ithelpstocorrectimbalancesintheflowofchioneachsideofthespine.Italso helps to decompress the spine, which is valuable in a culture where 80percentofthepopulationultimatelyexperiencelowbackproblems.

HalfButterflyisdonebysittingwithonelegstretchedforwardandtheotherleg folded with the foot near the opposite groin (A). Drop your chin to yourchest, lean forwardand try tograspholdofyourankleor foot (B).Trynot toloseyourgripasitgivesmoreleveragetothestretch.Thekneeoftheextendedlegmaybebentabit in thebeginning,but this is fineas longasyou feel thestretchalongthebackoftheleg.

Holdthisposethreetofiveminutes.

Butterfly

Butterflyisastretchforthelowerspineandgroin.

Sitwiththesolesofthefeettouchingtogether(A)andleanforward(B).Ifyoustartwiththefeetclosertothegroin,thegroinmusclesarestretchedmore.If you start with the feet further from the groin, the lower spine is stretchedmore.

Isometimessuggestthisposetopeoplewithverytighthamstringsasitisagoodwaytostretchthelowerspineanddoesn’trequirehamstringflexibility.

HoldButterflythreetofiveminutes.

HalfFrog

HalfFrogstretches thehamstringsand thegroin.Because thepelvis ispushedforward by theHalf Frog position, the stretch on the hamstrings and groin isboth easier to achieve andmore effective than inHalfButterfly.Thebeginnerwill feel thehamstringsmore than thegroin,butas thestudent loosensup thegroinisalsostretched.

Sit with one leg straight and the other leg foldedwith the foot near yourbuttocks.Thefootofthebentlegmaybepointedorflexed(A).Openthelegstoacomfortablewidthandleanforward.Ifyourtorsostaysoveryourstraightleg,thehamstringsarestretchedmore(B).Ifyouswingyourtorsotowardthemiddleof your legs, the groin of the extended leg and the hip of the bent leg arestretchedmore(C).Becarefulnottostrainthebentknee.

HoldHalfFrogtwotothreeminuteseachside.

Dragonfly

Dragonflystretchesthebackofthethighs,lowerspineandparticularlythegroin.

Thisposecanbeveryfrustratingforabeginnerasprogressseemsslowtonon-existent. The only advice I can offer is persistence. Stay with it and as youprogress in the other forward bends this posewill eventually respond to youreffortsaswell.

Dragonflyisdonebysittingwiththelegsabout90degreesormoreapart(A)andthenleaningforward.Trytotouchyourhandsonthefloorinfrontofyou.As your flexibility increases try to rest first your elbows and eventually yourheadonthefloor(B).

HoldDragonflythreetofiveminutes.

SleepingSwan

SleepingSwanexternallyrotatesthefemurofthefrontlegandstretchesallthemusclesandconnectivetissueonthelateralsideofthebuttockandthigh.Italsogentlystretchesthehipflexorsoftherearleg.

Getonyourhandsandkneesandthenmoveyourrightkneebackafootorso.Moveyourleftfootandplaceitinfrontoftherightknee(A).Keepingyourleft footwhere it is slide, the right knee backwards as far as possible so yourpelvis lowers toward thefloor.Leanforwardand takesomeofyourweightonyourelbows.Yourpelvisshouldbesuspendedjustabovethefloorwithtensioninbothlegsbutprimarilyinthelefthipandthigh(B).Asyougetmoreflexibleyoucanmovethefrontfootmoreforwardandtrytolayonitwithyourchest.

HoldSleepingSwanthreetofiveminutesandthenchangesides.

Swan

SwanaddsabackbendmovementtotheSleepingvariation.Italsostretchesthehip flexors of the back leg more effectively. Some students find that it alsostretchesthefronthipbetterthantheSleepingSwanandsopreferit.

Swan isdoneby firstassuming theSleepingSwanpositionand thenusingyourarmstopushthetorsoupandevenbackward.Ifyoudropyourheadback,the bend on the spine is increased. When bending backwards, you should

experimentwith keeping your pelvis down andwith letting it twist up as youbendback.Thesevariationswillreachintodifferentpartsofthespine.

HoldSwanaminuteortwoeachside.

Square

Squarehasmuch thesameeffecton thehipsand thighsasSleepingSwanbutalsostretchesthelowerspine.

Sitwithyourlegsfoldedinfrontofyou.Pickuptheleft legandtrytolaythe outer bone of the ankle on top of the right thigh, near the knee (A).Dependingonyourflexibility,yourleftkneemaybehighintheair.YoushouldfeelastretchalongthehipandthighsimilartoSleepingSwan.Nowtrytoleanforward.Asyoudosoyourchestwillpushagainsttheleftlegandincreasethestretch(B).Ifyourhipsarelooseenoughandyoucangodownfurther,thenyouwillalsobegintofeelthestretchalongyourlowerspine.

HoldSquarethreetofiveminutesthenchangesides.

Shoelace

A variation of Square is Shoelace. Cross your knees so that they very nearlyoverlieeachother(A)andthenleanforward(B).DuetoindidvidualdifferencesinanatomyyoumaypreferShoelaceorSquare.Letexperiencebeyourguide.

Caterpillar

Caterpillarisoneofthemostbasicandimportantpostures.Itstretchesthelegs

and the entire spinal column and balances the chi flow. It is a great aid inrelaxing the mind and drawing the senses inward, therefore it is a goodpreparationformeditation.

Caterpillarisdonebysittingwithbothlegsstretchedoutinfrontofyou,feetabouthipwidthapartornarrowerifyouprefer.Dropyourchintoyourchestsothe muscles and ligaments at the base of the skull are stretched. Now leanforwardandtrytograspyouranklesorfeet.Trytokeepyourlegsstraightbutdon’tworktoohard.Thethighsshouldberelaxedandaslightbendofthekneesis fine as long as you still feel the stretch.Relax themuscles of the legs andspineandfeelthestretchmoveupthroughthelegsandhipsandallthewayuptotheskull.

Trytoholdthisposethreetofiveminutesormore.

LegRaises

Legraisesareamuscular(yang)exercise(seepage11).Increasingtheflexibilityof the lower spine brings with it a greater need for abdominal, lower back(quadratuslumborus)andhipflexorstrength.LegRaiseseffectivelystrengthenthese areas. Some students, especially after forward bends, also experiencewonderfuladjustmentsoftheirsacrumwhenperformingthisexercise.

Lyingonyourbackplaceyourhandsunderyourbuttocks,bendyourkneesanddraw themup towardyourchest (A).Now try to straightenyour legsandlock your knees (B). Lift your chin to your chest and slowly lower your feettowardthefloor(C).Stopwhenyourfeetarejustafewinchesoffthefloorandtakeafewbreaths.Thisisonerepetition.

Youshouldrepeatthisfivetimesormore.Tovarythetraining,pauseforseveralbreathswiththelegsatvariousheights

above the floor. If you tilt your head back, the stress on the lower spine/hipflexormusclesisincreased.Youcanalsovarytheexercisebybringingthelegsupstraightratherthanbent.

Snail

Snailstretchestheentirespinalcolumnandinducesawithdrawalofenergyfromexternal sensesand turns themind inward.Mostpeople,even those forwhomthisisadifficultpose,findtheaftereffectspleasant.

Snailisdonebyfirstlyingonone’sbackwithhandsunderthebuttocksandthenrollingthelegsupoveryourhead(A).Beginnersshouldendeavortokeepthelegsstraightandmaywanttousetheirhandsontheirhipsforbalance(B).Thefeetmaynot touch thefloorbut themusclesof the legsandspinewillbestrengthenedandstretchedeffectively.

After somemonths the feet should touch the floor atwhich timeyoumaywanttoclaspholdofyourcalvesorankles.NotethatatthisphaseoftheSnailyoumaynotwanttorolluponyourneckbutratherkeepthehipslowandtheweightmorebetweenyourshoulderblades.Thisversiongivesanicestretchtothelowerandmiddlespineaswellasthelegs(C).

Afinalvariationistorollupontotheneckandshouldersasmuchaspossible(D),evenbendingthekneesdowntowardthefloor(E).Thisversionisthemoststrenuousfortheneckandupperspine.

Use plenty of padding under your spine and shoulders so the tips of thespinousprocesses arenotbruised.Don’t do this pose if youhave eaten in thepast twoor three hours. If it is a struggle for you to roll yourself up into thisposturethenavoiditfornowandcontinuewithHalf-forwardbendandForwardbenduntilyourspineismoreflexible.Womenintheirperiodshouldavoidthispose.

TrytoholdSnailonetothreeminutesormoreandthenslowlyrolldown.

Tripod

Tripodisamuscular(yang)exercise,itstrengthenstheupperbody(seepg.11)andisawonderfulstretchforallthemusclesofthetorso.Itisanicecountertoforwardbendsandpreparesthebodyforbackbends.

Situpandplaceyourlefthandafewfeetbehindyouonthefloor.Keepyourleft leg straight but bend the right knee and place the right foot near yourbuttocks(A).Usingallthemusclesofyourbody,particularlythoseinyourarmandupperback,pushyourpelvisupashighaspossible.Turntolookatthefloorwhile reaching up and over your headwith your right hand (B). Stretch yourwaistandribslikeyou'retakingadeepyawn.

Hold Tripod one or two breaths and then change sides. Since Tripod is amuscularyangposeIsuggestrepeatingitthreetimesormore.

Crocodile

Crocodile is a yang, upper body strength posture (see pg. 11). It is the old

fashionedpush-up.Don'tletbadgym-classmemoriesspoilyourappreciationofthis pose, it is a wonderful way to develope overall body strength andconfidence.AlthoughCrocodileisfeltmostkeenlyinthearmsandshoulders,itdevelopsthestrengthofthestomachandspineaswell.

Startingonyourhandsandknees,straightenyour legsandkeepyourbodyperfectlystraight(A).Inhaleandthenexhaleandslowlyloweryourtorsotowardthefloor,keepingyourelbowsnearyourribs(B).Hold thispositionforafewseconds,inhaleandthenexhaleandpushbackuptothestartingposition.Asabeginneryoumaywanttodothisposturewithyourkneesontheflooruntilyouarestronger.

Repeatthreetimesormore.

Infant

Thispose isayangstimulation forall themusclesalong thespinalcolumn. Italsostimulatesbloodcirculationintheabdominalorgans.

Lieonyourstomachwithyourarmsatyourside.Nowinhaleandraiseyourheadandchestupashighasiscomfortable.Youmayormaynotwanttoraiseyour legs and youmay ormay not want to keep them together. Follow yourinstinctsastowhatevervariationsstrengthenthespinemore.

HoldInfantthreetofivebreaths.Repeatifyoulike.

Seal

Thisposeisastrongarchforthelowerspine.Thisistheareaofthebodywheremostpeopleareverystiffatbestandinpainatworst.Sealworkstoreestablishalumbarcurveinthespine.Thiscurveisabusedandeventuallylostbysittinginchairsforhourseverydayforyearsandyears.Sincemostofuswillcontinuetobechair—boundbyourjobs,cars,restaurantsandsocialdecorum,theneedtoconstantlycombattheabuseofthelowerspineisever-present.Ifyouareoneofthemanywhohavea“badback,”thisposturewillbeastruggleforquiteawhilebutdon’tdespair,ifyougentlypersistyourspinewillbendagain.

LieonyoustomachasinInfant,withyourhandsonthefloorinfrontofandtothesideofyourshoulders.Everyone’sbodyproportionsandflexibilitiesdifferso you will want to experiment with exactly where you place your hands.Straightenyourarmsandraisethetorsooffofthefloor.Turnyourhandssothefingers are turned out to the sides, this makes it easier for most people tostraighten the arms. The spine and belly are suspended above the floor.Dependingonone’sproportionsandflexibilities,one’spelvismayormaynotbeliftedabovethefloor.SomeYogisliketotensethemusclesalongthespineandothersprefertojust“hang”andslowlyletthespineformitselfintoanarch.

Variationsof theSeal can effectively isolatedifferentpartsof the spine. If

youkeepyourlegsapart,thestressinthelowerspinewillbemorepronounced.Ifyoukeepyour legs together, thestretch ismoreevenlydistributedalong thespine.Keepingthebuttocksandthighsflexedorrelaxedalsochangesthestressbut not in a uniform way for everybody. You will have to experiment foryourself.Ifyoutiltyourheadbackthereismorecurveplacedintotheneckandlowerspine.

HoldtheSealforaminuteandthenslowlyloweryourselfdown.Repeatasmanytimesasyoufeeltheneed.

Child’sPose

Thisposturegentlystretchesthespinesoitisanaturalcountertobackbends.Italso inclines the head so the heart can rest instead of trying to force bloodupward to the brain. If you are feeling cold or vulnerable after practicingpostures,thenChild’sPosehelps.

Child’sPoseisdonebykneelingwithbuttocksonheelsandfoldingforwardtorestyourheadonthefloorwithyourarmsrestingcomfortablybesideyouorinfrontofyou.Closeyoureyesandemptyyourmind.

RestinChild’sPoseoneminuteormore.

Dragon

Dragon stretches the groin, ankles, and hip flexors. It also makes backbendseasiertodobecausethepelvisbecomesfreerinitsmovements.

Dragonisdonebyplacingonefootforwardonthefloorinfrontofyouandresting theoppositekneeon the floorbehindyou.Useyourhands forbalanceandslowly lower the thighofyour rear leg to the floor so the top/frontof thethigh takes thestrain (A).Dependingonyour flexibility,youmightalsofeelastretchinthegroinofthefrontleg.

If your stance is not toowide, you can push down on the front knee andexaggerate the stretch on the ankle and achilles tendon (B). If your stance iswide, youwill feel the hip flexors on the back legmore (C). Front splits is avariationofDragon(D).

TrytoholdDragontwoorthreeminutesthenchangesides.

Saddle

This pose stretches the feet, knees, thighs, and arches the lumbar and sacralvertebrae.

Saddleisdonebysittingonyourfeetwithkneesspreadapart.Formanythisis enough stretch for the ankles, knees, and thighs (A).As you becomemorelimber,trytoloweryourselfbackwardsandsupportyourweightonyourarms.Ifthisbecomeseasy,gotoyourelbows.If thisbecomeseasy,archbackandresttheweightonyourhead(B).Ifeventhisbecomeseasy,youmayrestyourupperspineonthefloor(C).Letthelowerspinearchandtakethepressureofthebend.

ComingoutofSaddle isperhapsmoredifficult thangetting into it. I haveconsultedmanydifferentYogabooksovertheyearsandalladvisetojust“comeupoutofthepose.”Myownexperiencehasbeenthatformanyitislessstressfultorollor leantoonesideandunfold the legsoneata time.Letexperiencebeyourguide.

TrytostayinSaddleoneminuteandgraduallybuildtothreeormore.CAUTION:Whenpeoplecringeatthethoughtofoverstressingajoint,this

is one of the postures they are thinking of — and for good reason. Foolishaggressivenessorimpatiencecanprovedisastroushere.Strongmedicinecanbestronglyabused.Itmaytakeyearsforyoutocomfortablydothemoreadvancedversionsof thispose.Becautiousbutdon’tbeparalyzedwithfear.Ourchair–boundsocietywithitsdanglinglegshasinjuredmanyofus,butbasicrangesofmotioncanberecoveredbyasaneandpatientyogapractice.

Camel

Camelisavariationof,orpreparationfor,Saddle.Ifyourkneesoranklesaretootight todoSaddle,Camelposewill help loosen the thighs andarch the spine.Even ifyoucanpracticeSaddleeffectively,youmay like todoCamelaswellsincethearchinthemiddleandupperspineismorecomplete.

Kneelingwith knees apart, try to reach backwith your hands and supportyourselfonyourfeetorcalves.Trytokeepthepelvispushedforwardanddropyourheadback.

TrytoholdCamelaminuteorso.

Half-Saddle

AnothervariationofSaddle isHalf-Saddle.Thispose ismuch like theSaddlebutdonewithonlyonelegatatime.Thearchonthesacro-lumbarspineislessthaninthefullSaddlebutthestretchonthethighismore.

Half-Saddle is done with the foot resting alongside rather than under thebuttock.Thefreelegcanbepositionedasonewishes(AorB).

HoldHalf-Saddleonetothreeminuteseachside.

FoldedPose

Thisposeisagentlestretchforthespineandamildexerciseforthehipjoints.Itis a nice way to help unwind any tension in the spine from doing backwardbendssuchasSaddle.

Lyingonyourbackdrawyourrightkneetoyourchestclaspingbothhandson the knee (A). For a gentle stretch of the upper spine, youmay bring your

foreheadtowardyourkneeaswell.Hold this posture about three breaths, then change sides.After doing each

sidedobothlegstogether(B).

SpinalTwist

Thisposerelaxestensioninthemusclesandmeridians.Itisanexcellentposetoendyourpracticewithsinceithelpsrelieveanykinksorstrainsthatsometimes

occurfromYogapractice.TodotheSpinalTwist,firstlieonyourbackandbringbothkneesuptoward

thechest,feetoffthefloor.Crosstheleftlegovertheright(A),andthentwistbothlegstotheright(B).Youmaywanttolayyourrighthandoverthekneestohold themcloser to the floor and you can also turn your head and reachwithyour left arm to bring the left shoulder closer to the floor andmake the twistmorecomplete.Howhighupyoudrawyourkneesvariesthetwistsoyoushouldexperimentwithdifferentpositions.

Holdtheposeaminuteorsoandthenchange.

ShoelaceontheWall

This version of Shoelace is useful to anyonewith tender spines or knees, butevenyoungandhealthyyogislikethisstretchbecauseitcanberelaxing.ItisaneffectivevariationofSleepingSwan,Shoelace,orSquarepose.

The target areas of the pose are themuscles and connective tissue on thelateralareasofthebuttocksandthighs.

Lie down on your back with your buttocks close to a wall and your legsextendedupthewall(A).Thecloseryourpelvisandbuttocksaretothewall,themoreintensethestretchwillbe,soadjustyourdistanceaccordingly.

Bend your knees tomove your feet down and then, bracing yourselfwithyourarms,useyourlegstoliftyourpelvisupoffthefloor(B).

Place your left ankle just above your right knee, as shown (C).Your rightfootispressedagainstthewallforthedurationofthepose.

Slowly loweryourhips (D).Thiswill cause the legs to fold in toward thetorsoandcreateastretchinthebuttockorthigh.

HoldShoelaceontheWallforthreetofiveminutesandthenchangesides.

FrogontheWall

ThisposeisasubstituteforeitherDragonflyorHalfFrog.Thetargetareaisthegroinmuscles.

Lie down on your back with your buttocks close to a wall and your legsextendedupthewall(A).

Bendyourkneesandslidebothfeetdownthewall(B).Then,withahandoneachshin,openyourkneesandwalkyourfeetouttothesidessothatthefeetareabout thesamewidthas theknees(C).Thewideryourknees, thestronger thestretch,soadjustyourwidthaccordingly.Thecloseryourpelvisandbuttocksareto the wall, the more intense the stretch will be, so adjust your distanceaccordingly.

Youmightchoose togentlyrestorpressyourhandsonyourknees,butdonotforcethestretch.

HoldFrogontheWallforthreetofiveminutes.

DragonflyontheWall

This pose is a substitute for Dragonfly. Its target areas are the groin and

hamstrings.Lie down on your back with your buttocks close to a wall and your legs

extendedupthewall.Slowlyspreadyourlegsapartandslideyourfeetdownthewall.Thewider

yourlegs,thedeeperthestretch,soadjustyourselfaccordingly.Thecloseryourpelvisandbuttocksaretothewall,themoreintensethestretchwillbe,soadjustyourdistanceaccordingly.

Yourlegsdonothavetobecompletelystraightinthebeginning,butasyourflexibilityincreasestheywillgetstraighter.Donotrush.Itisthestretchthatisimportant,nottheaesthetics.

HoldDragonflyontheWallforthreetofiveminutes.

CHAPTER 6 Sitting

YinYogaPreparesUsforSitting

Thepracticeofyinyogaculminatesintheabilitytocomfortablysitinanuprightposture foranextendedperiodof time.Untilwecando this,ourability togodeep in meditation will be hindered. When most people try to sit they soonbecome distracted by discomfort in their hips, knees or lower spine.Acupuncture theory says this discomfort is due to the stagnation of chi andblood.The connective tissue in these areas is so tight that the pressure of theposturesoonchokesofftheflowofchi.Adeepyinpracticemakesthesejointsmore flexible and you will be able to sit much longer before chi stagnationbecomesadistraction.

ValueofSitting

Theancienttextsonyogasaythatpropersittingcanhealmanydiseases.Inmyownexperiencethisseemspossible.MystudentsandI,whensittingforahalf-hour ormore, have experienced subtle adjustments occurring along the spine.These adjustmentsor “cracks” along the spine areusuallyprecededby a slowbuild-upofpressureatoneortwopointsaccompaniedbymuscletensionoverabroader area. When the tension reaches a certain point, a slight twist oradjustmentofthebodycausesthevertebraeandribstomovewitha“cracking”soundandthisisaccompaniedwithawonderfulsenseofrelieforfullness.ThiswholeprocessmightrecuronceortwiceiftheYogisitslongenough.Iintuitthatthesespinaladjustmentsfreetheflowofchitoallthebodyandaffectourlong—termhealth.

Allofuscometoapracticeofsittingwithsomehistoryofinjuryorneglectofourspines,andlearningtositisgoingtobringuncomfortablesensationsdueto spinalmisalignments and blocked chi flow. The practice of yin yoga helpsminimize these symptoms, but even the most flexible and healthy of us willsuffer through some physical discomfort as the body slowly readjusts itself.These symptoms are an inevitable part of spiritual discipline and sometimesrecurforevenveteranmeditators. Imention this toencourage thosewholaborundertheillusionthattheyaretheonlyoneswhofindsomethingso“simple”assittingadifficultthingtodo.It isnotfornothingthatovertwothousandyearsagoPatanjali,thegreatsystematizerofYogaphilosophy,listedlearningtositasoneoftheessentialskillsaYogimustdevelop.

TiltofthePelvis

Allsittingposturesaimatonething—acomfortable,uprightposture.Strainingorslouchinginaposecreatesuncomfortablepressurepointsandthisinterfereswith the flow of chi up and down the spine. Themost fundamental factor inachievingacomfortablesittingpostureisthetiltofthepelvis.Theupperbodytakescareofitselfifthepelvisisproperlyadjusted.

Whenapersontireswhilesitting,thetopofthepelvisisunconsciouslytiltedbackward.Asaresultthewholebodyslouches,theflowofchiisreduced,andina matter of minutes the would-be meditator gives up. When this person“straightensup,”theyaretiltingthetopofthepelvisforward.Itisthisverticalorslightly forward tilt of the pelvis that establishes a comfortable meditationposture.

Siddhasana

Siddhasanaisthemostpopularofthemeditationpostures.InSanskrititmeans“theperfectedpose.”Onefootispulledinwiththeheelascloseascomfortabletothegenitals.Theotherfoot ispulledinfrontof thefirst.Youmightwant tooccasionallyalterthefootpositions.

The hands should be placed so that the arms and shoulders can restcomfortably.Youmightresthandsfoldedtogetheronyour laporonthekneeswith palms up or palms down. I sometimes assume an asymmetrical positionwithonehandonmylapandtheotherpalmdownonmyknee(A).

Thekeytosiddhasanaisthatthehipjointsshouldbeelevatedatleastashighastheknees,ifnothigher.If thehipsarelowerthantheknees,thenthetopofthepelviswillbe tiltedbackwardsand thiswillquicklyfatigue themusclesofthe lower spine, causing discomfort. Sitting on the edge of a pillow or rolledblanketmakesallthedifferenceinbeingabletositcomfortablyasthisraisesthe

hipsabovetheknees(B).

Seiza

Seizaiscommonlycalled“sittingJapanesestyle.”ItismuchlikethebeginningphasesofSaddleexceptthekneesarekeptclose.Thebuttocksrestontheheelsand the hands rest folded on your lap (A).Very flexible people sometimes sitbetween their feet rather than on them (B). Either variation ismade easier bysitting on a small cushion or folded blanket. This relieves the pressure on theback of the knees and calves. Many bookstores now sell “seiza benches” or“meditationbenches”thatworkmuchlikeacushion(C).

SittinginaChair

ThemostaccessiblepostureforWesternersissittingontheedgeofachairwiththe spine straight and not touching the back of the chair. This is the postureParamahansaYoganandataughttohisWesternstudents.

CHAPTER 7 ChakraTheory

ChakraswithinSushumna

The three pillars of yoga theory are chi, meridians, and chakras. We haveexploredchiandmeridians.Wewillnowelaboratethetheoryofthechakras.

Chakrasarespiritualcentersinthebrainandspinalcordwherethephysical,astral,andcausalbodiesareknit togetherandinfluenceoneanother.Thereareseveralchakras:someareconsideredmajor,someminor.Sometraditionsfocuson five chakras, others focus on nine. In this textwewill focus on the sevenmajorchakras.

Thechakrasare locatedwithinaspecialmeridianthat lies insidethespine.Thismeridian iscalledsushumna.Thechakrasarestrungalongsushumnalikebeadsona string.Sushumna is said to start from thecoccyxand reachall thewayuptoanopeninginthetopoftheskull.Theopeninginthetopoftheskullis called the fontanel. It is quite soft in infants and remains thatwayuntil thebonesoftheskullgrowtogethersomemonthsafterbirth.ThisopeningiscalledBrahman’s Gate. Brahman is the name for the Absolute, the source of allcreation.100

ChakraLocation

When trying to describewhere a chakra “is,” one finds oneself in a dilemma.Commonlanguagesuggestschakrasarephysicallylocatedinthespine,butthereadershouldbearinmindthatthisisbothtrueandfalse.A“brokenheart”isarealexperiencethatindeedseemscenteredintheheart,butthatisnotwherethefeelings actually reside.The chakrashave aphysical correspondence, but they

aremorethanphysical.Bearthisinmindwhenreadingabout“where”achakra“is.”Don’tbelimitedbyonlyphysicalconceptions.

Dr.Motoyamawrites thatchakrasmightbedescribedashavinga rootandflower.Therootsofachakraareinsushumnawithinthespine,buttheflowerofachakraopensoutfromthespineandintothebodyinasignificantlylargerbutless defined region. Some people are more sensitive to the sensations in theflower region of a chakra, while others are more immediately drawn intosushumna.Itisbesttofocuswhereyouaremostsensitive,butdon’tforgetthatourexperienceofachakrawilldeepenandchangeasweprogress.Meditatingontherootorflowerofachakraisonlyastartingpoint.

CHAKRA ROOT FLOWER

Sahasrara TopofBrain AbovetheHead

Ajna CenterofBrain ThirdEye

Vishuddha C-7Vertebra Throat

Anahata T-7Vertebra Heart

Manipura L-2Vertebra UpperAbdomen

Svadhisthana Sacrum LowerAbdomen

Muladhara Coccyx FloorofPelvis

ChakrasandtheThreeBodies

Our three dimensions of existence constantly interplay with one another. Ourcausalbodyofthoughtsisofadifferentdimensionthanourphysicalbody,butastirring patriotic speech or outrageous social injustice can impact our physicalbody very strongly. The same is true of the emotions of our astral body.Ourheart rate, blood pressure, adrenalin, indeed all of the systems of the physicalbody,arealteredbyour thoughtsandemotions. It isalso true thatalteringourphysicalstateaffectstheastralandcausaldimensions.

The causal body gave birth to the astral body which gave birth to thephysicalbody.Butweidentifysostronglywiththephysicalbodythatwehavebecomeunbalanced inour life’spursuits.Allof thevastwisdomof thecausalworldsremainunknowntousandthedeeper,lessselfishemotionsoftheastralworld are not consciously developed. The yogin seeks to expand his or herconsciousnessintothesehigherrealmsbylearningtostopthemovementsofchiasitmanifestsineachdimension.Inthephysicaldimension,thismeanssittingstill and slowing the breath. In the astral dimension, it means controlling ourresponses to the emotions we experience. In the causal dimension, it meanscalmlyobservingourthoughtswithoutreactionorattachment.

ShaktiandShiva

FundamentaltothetheoryofthechakrasaretheconceptsofShaktiandShiva.Shakti is the energy that forms all things and Shiva is the consciousness thatguidesandcoordinatesthem.

All things in theuniverse, fromatomsandstars toanimalsandangels,arecomplex webs of energy coordinated by a guiding consciousness. But thedivisionofthingsintoenergyandconsciousnessisnotabsolute,onlyapparent.ShaktimustbeconsciousinsomewayoritcouldnotrespondtothecoaxingsofShiva.AndShivamustpossess some formof energyor it couldnot influenceShakti’swork.ShaktiandShivaaretheultimateYin-Yang,theultimateFemale-Male, they do not exist without each other, they are two aspects a single,indescribableAbsoluteReality.

ShaktiandShivainthePhysicalDimension

Shaktiprovidedtheenergyneededtomultiplyasinglefertilizedhumaneggcellinto the tens of trillions of cells that comprise our physical body but withoutShiva consciousness guiding this process then these tens of trillions of cellswould have only been a shapeless, wriggling ball of flesh. It is the power ofShakti thatmultipliedandgrewourcells. It is theconsciousnessofShiva thatcoordinatedthisgrowthtoformourwonderfullycomplexandelegantbodies.

As our bodies grew Shakti became less active and She now sleeps in thelowestchakraatthebaseofthespine.MostofHerpowerisdormantnow,butsomeofthatpowermanifestsitselfasthechicirculatingthroughourmeridians.After our bodies were formed according to our various karmas, the vastconsciousnessofShivawithdrewbut leftuswithanawarenessofourphysicalbeingandonlyadimawarenessofourdeeperdimensions.

ChakraPurificationinthePhysicalDimension

The chakras are said to hold the seeds of all our past desires and habits. Thefunctionofthechakrasistomanifestthosedesirestoourconsciousnesssothatplanscanbemadeandactionscanbetakentosatisfythem.Yogictheoryisthatifwehadnounfulfilleddesiresandcoulduprootourprevioushabitsofbehavior,then we could easily slip free of these three bodies. Becoming aware of thekarmic seeds stored in the chakras and dissolving them is called chakrapurification.Webecomeawareoftheseseedsbymeditatingonthechakras.Atfirst our meditation is focused on the physical location of the chakras but asmeditationdeepenstheemotionalandcausalcontentofthechakrasisrevealedtoourconsciousness.

Inthephysicaldimension,purificationisachievedbysittingstillandslowlyrestrictingthebreath.Chiisconsumedbyceaseless,unconsciousmovementandirregular breathing. Sitting without movement and reducing the breath rateliberates a large amount of physical chi that can then be transmuted by thechakras into energies of the astral and causal bodies. This enables a yogin toconsciouslyexploreanddevelopthesedimensions.

ChakraPurificationintheAstralDimension

As her meditations become more profound a yogini will start to experiencethoughts,memories,andemotionsthatareactiveintheastraldimensionsofeachchakra. The general term for whatever occupies our conscious field is vritti.Vritti literallymeans “whirlpool,”but in context itmeans thoughts,memories,and emotions.Theyoginimeditatingon a chakra gradually becomes aware ofmemoriesandemotionsshedidnotsuspectwerethere.

At first thevrittis sheexperienceswillbe related tohereverydayconcernsandrelationships,butwith furtherpractice theybecome thestrongerandmoreemotionally charged events that have shaped her personality. Re-experiencingthese vrittis can be shocking and humbling. They range from early childhoodeventstobeingrejectedbyaloverorbeingfiredfromajob.Theyincludenakedlustsandshamefulmomentsoflyingorcowardiceoringratitude,orbeinghurt,or being unfairly treated. Although she is rarely conscious of them, thesesuppressed vrittis will continue to influence her behaviors until they areconsciouslyconfrontedanddissolved.

Nonattachment

When vrittis arise the yogini should examine them without attachment. Sheshouldletthempassthroughher,notholdontothemoramplifythem.Butsheshouldnotdenythem,either.Eachtimesheobjectivelyexaminesthemtheywilllosesomeoftheiremotionalenergy.Whenshenolongerhasastrongreactiontothem,theybecomeanewsourceofstrengthandwisdom.Shewillnolongerbeunconsciously compelled to repeat those behaviors or be plagued by anunreconciled past. Shewill become truly compassionate and understanding ofothers,eventhosewhonegativelyaffecther.

Ofcoursenotallvrittisaredistressing.Somememoriesandimpulsescanbea sourceof strengthandcomfort, andafter ayoginihasexperienced themsheshoulddismissthemandreturntothefocusofhermeditation.

Itispossiblethevrittisayoginiexperiencesarenotarisingfromthechakrasheisfocusedupon.Theymightbeemanatingfromachakrathatjusthappenstobe more active at the moment. Whichever vritti arises, a yogini shouldobjectivelyexamineitandthendismissitorfollowittoitssource.

ChakraPurificationintheCausalDimension

Asour spiritual life deepens, our vrittiswill reflect our causal bodyof beliefsand ideas, beliefs so near to our sense of self that we have never thought toquestion them. We are more attached to our ideas than our physical bodies.Peoplearewillingtodieorarewillingtokillfortheirbeliefs.Inonesenseitisnoble to die for ideals; in another sense, attachment to our causal ideas canprovokeustocommitmurder.

Ourcausalbodyofbeliefsandideasshouldnotbeconfusedwithknowledgeofvariousfacts.Eventhemost ignorantofmenhavebeliefsandopinions thatguide their lives, and they hold onto their opinions in spite of facts thatcontradict them. A yogini should be able to examine any vritti withoutattachment.Thiswillnotcompelhertoabandonherbeliefs,butitwillgivehertheabilitytomodify,reject,orretainthem.

Insights,Attitudes,andIdentification

Thecausalworld is theworldofwisdomand insight aswell asof infatuationand folly. Insights of a causal nature compel us to re-examine what we oncethought was true. An insight might be the realization that someone has beendeceivingus, and in that flashof insight ahundredpreviouslyunnoticedhintsandcluesassembleintoanobviouspicture.

Insights into our personal life are important but essentially self-centered.Artisticandspiritualinsightsareofahighercausalnatureandtheyareagifttotheworld.Theyarealsoindicativeofspiritualprogress.Paradoxically,thelossof concern for a limited self is accompanied by even greater satisfaction.Einstein said that his insight into relativity was one of the most profoundlysatisfyingeventsofhislife.

Thedescriptionof causalvrittis as “beliefs and ideas”doesnot capture alltheirnuances.Attitudes likepessimismandoptimismarecausal innature,andevenmoreprofoundareouridentificationssuchasthebeliefthatweareamanorawomanor thatweare thisbody.Dr.Motoyamasays thatwhen thevrittisthatpullayogini’sawarenessareofacausalnature,shehasprogressedveryfarindeed.

VrittisandVasanas

Longsuppressedvrittisarecalledvasanas.Vasanascanliedormantforyearsorlifetimes, but when they become active they are more powerful then thepresently active vrittis. Dr.Motoyama likens vasanas to inflatable balls beingheldunderwater,eachballstackedontopoftheother.Thefurtherdownaballisheldunderwater,themoreviolentlyitwillbreachthesurface.

Thetopballofoursubmergedstackofdesiresrepresentsoureverydayvrittisofworkandrelationships.Oncewedissolvethemthenextballofdeepervrittisrises to thesurface.Vrittisarenotaceaselessstream,andaswedissolvethemwewill experience periods of refreshing calm. But when the next submergedvasana rises to the surface it will affect usmore strongly than the superficialvrittisofourhabitualpreoccupations.

An everyday example of the power of vasanas is themidlife crisis. Everysignificantchoicewemakecompelsus toputasidethethingsnotchosen.Ourfriendships, our schooling, our mating, our chosen profession: all of thesechoices require us to put aside other options. But at midlife, many of theeverydayvrittisthatpreoccupiedusforsolongstarttolosetheirpower.Thisiswhen the suppressed vasanas break onto the surface.Didwe choose the rightprofession?Didwemarrytherightperson?Wouldwehavebeenmorefulfilledifwehadpursuedtheseotherdesires?Theseemotionallychargedvrittisstarttohauntus.

DangersofChakraMeditation

Vasanas are not rational, but they are powerful. They have seduced smart,successful people into having affairs, leaving their jobs, abandoning theirfamilies,andabandoningtheirspiritualpractices.Afewyearslaterthesepeoplesadly realize that thepain theycaused themselves andotherswasunnecessaryandthattherewerebetterwaystomakethesetransitions.Butvasanasbreaktothesurfacewithanurgencysimilartotheimpulsesofadolescence.Itishardnottobesweptawaybysomethingthatpromisestofulfillforgottenlongings.

Chakrameditation accelerates thematurationprocess and takes us throughseveral layers of “midlife crisis.” This is the danger of chakra meditation:vasanasmakeusbelievethattheyrepresentourrealselves,ourtruedesires,andthat trying to fulfill themwillmakeushappyat last.But ifweexamine these

vasanascalmly,wewilleventuallygainthecausalinsightthatthesedesiresarenotmoreuniquelysatisfyingthanourpreviousdesires.Thiscausalinsightwillslowlyabsorbtheastralenergyoftheemotionallychargedvasanas,andtheywilldissolve.This absorbedenergynowbecomesadeeply satisfyingandenduringwisdom.

Wemust bewilling to objectively examine all of our beliefs and feelings,andnotbeattachedtothem.Everynobleandupliftingthoughtandfeelingwilleasilywithstandobjectiveexamination.ObjectiveexaminationoftheloveIhavefor my wife does not diminish or dissolve that love, but it will purify it oflingering selfishness. Reflecting on the thingswe love is called Bhakti Yoga;reflectingon the truthsofspiritual teachings iscalledJnanaYoga(pronouncedgyanayoga).

SummaryofYoga

Withsomuchdiscussionofnonattachmentanddissolvingourvasanas,itmightseemthatyogaisleadingustoadryanddesolateplace.Butthisislosingsightoftheforestforthetrees.Eachtimeweresolvehabitualthoughtsandemotions,each timewe dissolve our attachments, the harvest is greater strength, greatercontentment, greater fulfillment, greater wisdom.Nor is yoga a path intendedmerelytomakeuscontentwithless.

Nowmightbeagoodtimetorevisit thepurposeofyogaasoutlinedat thebeginningofourtext.

Fromancienttimesyogishavepostulatedthattherearethreelevelsofhumanembodiment:acausalbodyofthoughtandbelief,anastralbodyofemotionanddesire, and a physical body of material substance. Our three bodies are knittogetherandinfluenceoneanotherthroughspecialcentersinthespineandbraincalled chakras. Spiritual adepts assert that our consciousness is not limited totheseembodimentsandthatitcanexpandbeyondthemandexperienceaunionwith all things in the universe, a union that is fulfilling beyond anything ourpresentlylimitedexistencecanofferus.Thesystematicmethodsthatdisentangleourconsciousnessfromourbodiesarecollectivelyreferredtoasthescienceofyoga. Chakra meditation makes us aware of our emotional attachments andmentalmisconceptions.Ifwecanpatientlydissolvetheseknots,thenourenergyand consciousness can slip free of all three bodies and expand into realms ofunimaginedwisdomandbliss.

CHAPTER8 BandhaPracticestoAwakenShakti

ShaktiandChi

Chi is constantly circulating through our meridians but the vast potential ofShaktiliesdormantinthefirstchakraatthebaseofourspine.TherelationshipbetweenchiandShakticanbelikenedtotheliquidandsolidwaxofaburningcandle.Allthechipresentlycirculatingthroughthebodyisliketheliquidwaxrisingupthewickandbeingburned.ThesolidwaxofthecandleisthesleepingShaktienergybeingheldinreserve.

In traditional languageShakti is said tobe sleeping.But sometimesShaktiawakensand infusesuswith theenergyneededforneworpowerfulevents.Asexual orgasm, the growth of a fetus, and the incredible transformations ofpuberty are all manifestations of something more than chi, they aremanifestationsofapartialawakeningofShakti.

ThesacredpowerofShaktiisvitaltothetantricyogi.Practicingasanaandbreathingexercisescanharmonizetheflowofchiinthemeridians,buttoopenthe chakras requires something more than chi—it requires energy of greaterstrength and subtlety. Shakti must awaken and add her energy to our efforts.Shaktiisawakenedbyintenselyfocusingourchiintoachakra,bandhapracticeshelptoachievethis.

OutlineofBandhaPractice

Thereareseveralspecificmuscularcontractionsthatstimulatechiflowaroundachakra.ThesecontractionsarecalledBandhas.Bandhameanstorestrictorbind.

Bandhapracticescombinegentlemuscularcontractionswithdeepbreathing

and breath retention. They are usually practiced before meditation, but if ayogini finds her attention wandering during meditation, she might performbandhapracticetorefreshandrefocusherattention.

Bandha practices gather extra chi into the body and focus it into the areaaroundachakraandalsohelptoawakenShakti.

Chakrameditationissubtlyfatiguingbecausebreathingisreducedtoalowlevel for a long time. Bandha practices relieve this by bringing extra chi intosushumna, and this allows the yogini to stay comfortably focused for longerperiods.

Moving chi continuously in the same pattern will slowly magnetizesushumna. If bandha practices are sustained for a long time, the magnetizedsushumnawill continue to induce a strong flow of chi even after the bandhapracticehasended.

Bandhapracticesbeginbyexhalinggentlywhilecontractingthemusclesthatfocuschi intotheareaaroundachakra.Theinhalationis initiatedbyreleasingthebandha.

Bandha practices are yang, but it is important not to strain. Themuscularcontractionsshouldbegentle.

Bandhapracticesare likeplayingamusical instrument—it isabout rhythmandcontrol,notspeedandpower.

Common rhythms for the number of seconds per exhalationinhalation-retention are: 4—4—8, 4—4—12, 4—4—16, 8—8—8, or 8—8—16. Thesenumbers are for comparison only. It is not necessary to actually count whenbreathing.

Thesesuggestedrhythmsareonlyapproximate,notstrict.Theessentialthingistofindacomfortablerhythmofexhalation—inhalation—retentionthatiseasytomaintainforseveralminutes.

Donotclosethethroat(technicallytheglottis)duringretention.Keepingthethroatopenrequiresthattheyogimaintainaneffortasifstillinhalingduringtheretentionphase.Thiscreatesacontinuous flowofenergy into thechakraeventhoughnoairisbeingdrawnintothelungs.

MuladharaBandha

Inyogictextsthisbandhaiscalledmulabandha.Theflowerofmuladharaisthefloorof thepelvis, the area that surrounds and supports the anus andgenitals.

Whileexhaling,contract the floorof thepelvisandpause foramomentwhilefocusedonmuladhara.Nowreleasethebandhaandguidetheinhalationintothatarea.Holdyourbreathwithyourthroatopenforaslongascomfortable.Slowlyexhale while contracting the floor of the pelvis. Pause for a moment whilefocusedonmuladhara,andthenstartthenextround.Continueinthiswayfor7,or14,or21repetitions.

During exhalation, contractmuladhara bandha and imagine the energies ofShiva and Shakti uniting insidemuladhara chakra.During inhalation, imagineShivaenergydescendingdownsushumnafromthetopof theheadandunitingwithShaktienergyinsidemuladharaat thebaseofthespine.Duringretention,imaginetheenergiesofShivaandShaktiareuniting.

The floorof thepelvis consistsof severalmuscles.Exactlywhichmusclesbest stimulate muladhara chakra varies from person to person. A man mightcontractthemusclesoftheanus,theperineum,orboth.Awomanmightcontractthe anus, vaginal muscles, or both. Practice whatever contractions mosteffectively create tension in the pelvic floor and stimulate awareness ofmuladhara.

The dominant vasana of muladhara is the desire to exist in this physicalworld. It is the power that underlies all the other vasanas, which is why thischakramustbeawakened.Itmanifestsasidentifyingwithoutwardthingssuchasourbody,possessions, and reputation.Tohelpdissolveand transform thesevasanas a yogini should habitually reflect upon her inevitable death. Asmuladharaopens, theawakenedShaktiwillgiveher thepower toexamine thedeeplyburiedvasanasinallherotherchakras.

SvadhisthanaBandha

In yogic texts this bandha is called vajroli. The flower of svadhisthana is thelower abdomen, the area between the navel and pubic bone.While exhaling,contract the lower abdomen and pause for a moment while focused onsvadhisthana.Now release the bandha and guide the inhalation into that area.Contractmuladharabandha andholdyour breathwithyour throat open for aslong as comfortable. Release muladhara bandha and slowly exhale whilecontracting the lower abdomen. Pause for a moment while focused onsvadhisthanaandthenstartthenextround.Continueinthiswayfor7,or14,or21repetitions.

During exhalation imagine the energies of Shiva and Shakti uniting insidesvadhisthana chakra. During inhalation imagine Shiva energy descendingsushumna and entering svadhisthana. During retention contract muladharabandha and imagine Shakti rising up sushumna and uniting with the Shivaenergybeingheldinsvadhisthana.

The vasanas of svadhisthana are related to unconscious impulses of lust,anger, and fear. These are typically expressed as overreactions to everydayirritationsorassecretorirrationalbehavior.Tohelpdissolveandtransformthesevasanas, ayogi should reviewhisdailybehaviorsanddetermine if theyare inlinewithhislife’sgoals.Svadhisthanaispurifiedbykeepinggoodcompanyandbeing honest with oneself. As svadhisthana opens, the yogi stops identifyingwith his body. This helps him overcome his fears and increases his physicalstrength.

InthetaoistandZenmeditationtraditionsofChina,Korea,andJapan,focusontheharaisofsupremeimportance.Thehara,alsocalledthedantian, is thearea that includes both muladhara and svadhisthana chakras. Dr. Motoyamastrongly recommendsspendingamajorityofone’smeditation timefocusedonsvadhisthana. Shakti sleeps in muladhara, but when she becomes active shemoves into svadhisthana. If svadhisthana is not open, our chi cannot betransmutedintoastralorcausalenergy.

ManipuraBandha

In yogic texts this bandha is called uddiyana. The flower of manipura is theupper abdomen, the area between the navel and the sternum.While exhaling,slowly contract theupper abdomen andpause for amomentwhile focusedonmanipura. Now release the bandha and guide the inhalation into that area.Contractmuladharabandha andholdyour breathwithyour throat open for aslong as comfortable. Release muladhara bandha and slowly exhale whilecontractingtheupperabdomen.Pauseforamomentwhilefocusedonmanipura,andthenstartthenextround.Continueinthiswayfor7,or14,or21repetitions.

Duringexhalation, imagine theenergiesofShivaandShaktiuniting insidemanipurachakra.Duringinhalation,imagineShivaenergydescendingsushumnaand entering manipura. During retention, contract muladhara bandha andimagineShaktirisingupsushumnaandunitingwiththeShivaenergybeingheldinmanipura.

Thevasanasofmanipuraarerelatedtogreedandworry.Tohelpdissolveandtransformthem,ayoginishouldputasideherjudgmentsandlistentootherswithcompassion.Asshetranscendsherownlikesanddislikes,manipurachakrawillopen and she will be able to clairvoyantly feel other peoples’ emotions andintentions.Inwardlyshewilldeveloppatienceandenduranceandtheability toholdthebodystillforalongtime.

AnahataBandha

In yogic texts this bandha is called ujjayi. The flower of anahata is the chestcavity.Whileexhaling,slightlyclosetheglottissothattheexhalingaircreatesasofthissingsounddeep in the throat.Nowinhalewith theglottis stillpartiallyclosed so that a similar hissing sound is made deep in the throat. Contractmuladhara bandha, and hold your breathwith your throat open for as long ascomfortable.Slowly exhalewithujjayi.Pause for amomentwhile focusedonanahata, and then start the next round. Continue in this way for 7, 14, or 21repetitions.

Duringexhalation, imagine theenergiesofShivaandShaktiuniting insideanahata chakra. During inhalation, imagine Shiva energy being drawn downsushumnatoanahata.Duringretention,contractmuladharabandhaandimaginethe energies of Shakti ascending sushumna and unitingwith the Shiva energyyouareholdinginanahata.

Breathingwithapartiallyclosedglottiscreatesasofthissingsound.Itneednotbeloudorevenaudible,butinthebeginningitiseasiesttolearnbymakinganaudiblehissdeepinthethroat.

Remembertotakeafullinhalationandallowthechestandribstoexpand.Thevasanasofanahataarerelatedtoaggressionandresponsibility.Tohelp

dissolve and transform them, theyogi should constantlypracticegratitude andcontentment. Manipura is the chakra that receives other people’s chi, whileanahataisthechakrathatcontrolsandprojectsourownchi.Asanahatachakraopens,ayogiwilldevelopahealingtouch,usuallymanifest throughthehandsbutalsothroughthevoice.Hewillalsobeabletoeffectivelymovehisownchiinto his spine and quiet his heart and his breathing. In anahata chakra a yogifindsarestfulretreat,aplacethattheceaselesssensorynoiseoftheouterworldcannotreach.

VishuddhaBandha

Inyogic texts thisbandha is called jalandhara.The flowerofvishuddha is thethroat.Exhalewiththesameujjayibreathusedforanahatabandha.Nowinhaleacomplete breath while using ujjayi. Close your glottis, contract muladharabandha, and hold your breath for as long as comfortable. Release muladharabandha and slowly exhale with ujjayi. Pause for a moment while focused onvishuddha,andthenstart thenextround.Continuein thiswayfor7,14,or21repetitions.

Duringexhalation, imagine theenergiesofShivaandShaktiuniting insidevishuddhachakra.During inhalation, imagineShivaenergybeingdrawndownsushumnatovishuddha.Duringretention,closeyourglottis,contractmuladharabandha, and imagine the energies of Shakti ascending sushumna and unitingwiththeShivaenergyyouareholdinginvishuddha.

Remembertotakeafullinhalationandallowthechestandribstoexpand.Duringretention,relaxtheabdomenandribcagesothatagentlepressureis

raisedagainsttheclosedglottis.Thisistheonlybandhawherethethroat(glottis)isclosedduringbreathretention.

Thevasanasofvishuddhaarerelatedtoprideandgrief.Tohelpdissolveandtransform them,ayogini shouldmake itahabit to see thebeauty inall thingsand yet recognize that all things are passing. As vishuddha opens, a yoginidevelopstheabilitytoholdherattentiononanysubjectforlongperiodsoftime,andhermemoryimproves.Shewillalsobeabletoquicklydiscernbetweentheessentialandthenonessentialaspectsofaperson’sproblemsorworries.

AjnaBandha

Ajna bandha differs from the bandhas of the lower five chakras because itcirculatestheenergiesofShivaandShaktibetweenmuladharaandajna.Thesetwochakrashaveaspecialrelationshipandthestimulationofonestimulatestheother.IfmuladharaisShakti’shomeinthebody,thenajnaisShiva’shomeinthebody.Continuouslycirculatingenergybetweentheseoppositepolesmagnetizesallofsushumnaandhastensthebalancedopeningofallchakras.

Therootofajnaisthecenterofthebrainandthefloweristhefrontofthebrain.Thebandhaforajnaisthesamecontractionoftheupperabdomenthatisusedinmanipurabandha,butitisusedduringinhalationratherthanexhalation.

This creates a slight lifting movement of the rib cage that is not present inmanipura bandha. The contraction of the upper abdomen is not a largemovement; it is intended to provide resistance to the natural expansion of theupperabdomen.

The bandhas of the first five chakras focus on Shiva descending duringinhalation.AjnabandhafocusesonShaktirisingduringinhalation.Ofcoursethefinalgoalistounitebothenergiesateverychakra.

Beginwithanexhalewhilefocusedonmuladharachakra.Nowinhalewhileslowlycontracting theupperabdomen,and imaginedrawingShaktiup toajnachakra.Holdyourbreathwithyour throatopenforas longascomfortableandimagineShivaenergydescendingandunitingwiththeShaktibeingheldinajna.Then exhale slowly as you relax the upper abdomen and imagine the unitedenergies ofShiva andShakti descending sushumnadown tomuladhara.Pausefor a moment while focused on muladhara, and then start the next round.Continueinthiswayfor7,14,or21repetitions.

Ajnachakraisthecenterofwisdomthatproperlyinterpretsourvasanasandenables us to see through illusions, attachments, andmisconceptions. It is thechakrathroughwhichtheyoginimakescontactwithhigherspiritualpowers,andifitisnotopenthensheisindangerofbeingsweptawaybythevasanasthatareactivatedinthefivelowerchakras.

Tohelpawakenajnachakraayogishouldmake itahabit topauseseveraltimesadayandlistentothenadaofajna.

VariationsofAjnaBandha

Variationsofajnabandhaaresomeofthemostimportantpracticesoftantricandtaoistmeditation.Atextinthetaoisttraditionentitled“TheSecretoftheGoldenFlower”proclaimsthatnoothertechniqueisnecessaryforayogi.ParamahansaYogananda (1893-1952), a twentieth-century Indian yogi, was of the sameopinion,andinhiswritingsemphasizedvariationsofajnabandhathathecalledKriyaYoga.

Taoist versions of ajna bandha are referred to as “Circulation ofLight” or“Reverse Breathing.” In taoist practices the path of energy circulation is nottypicallydescribedasupanddownsushumna,itisdescribedasanorbit“upthebackofthebody”and“downthefrontof thebody.”Inmyexperience,energymovesbothwithinsushumnaandalongthefrontandbackofthebody.Ibelieve

the energy felt nearer the body surface is chi, and the energy felt withinsushumna is Shiva-Shakti energy. I also believe both types of energy flowinfluenceeachother.Movingenergyupthebackofthebodyanddownthefrontofthebodyinfluencestheenergywithinsushumna,justlikeanelectriccurrentmovingaroundanironbarwillmagnetizeit.

CirculationofLight

Thisversionofajnabandhabringsenergyupthebackofthebodyanddownthefront.Thispracticeusesbothmuladharabandhaandmanipurabandhaduringtheinhalationphase,muladhara bandha starts the inhalation andmanipura bandhacompletes it.Startwithanexhalationwhilebringing theenergyofajnachakradown the front of the body to svadhisthana. Pause for amoment and contractmuladhara bandha. Then release muladhara bandha to start the inhalation.Continueinhalingwhilegentlycontractingmanipurabandha,thishelpsdrawtheenergyuptoajnachakra.Holdyourbreathwithyourthroatopenforaslongascomfortablewhilefocusedonajnachakra.Exhaletostartthenextcycle.Duringinhalation,theenergyfirstdescendsfromsvadhisthanatomuladharaandisthendrawnupthebackofthebodytoajnachakra.

ReverseBreathing

Thisversionofajnabandhabringsenergyupthefrontofthebodyanddowntheback.Startwithanexhalationwhilebringingtheenergyofajnachakradowntheback of the body tomuladhara chakra. Pause for amoment, then inhalewithmanipurabandhaanddrawtheenergyup thefrontof thebodytoajnachakra.Hold your breath with your throat open for as long as comfortable and thenexhale while bringing the energy down the back of the body to muladharachakra.

SahasraraBandha

Sahasrarabandha is unique among thebandhas as it attempts to liftShakti upthroughsushumnaandoutofthebody.Sahasrarabandhapurifiessushumnaand

is particularly helpful after meditation. The effort of concentration cansometimes stagnate chi in the head and create uncomfortable stuffiness orpressure. Sahasrara bandha opens Brahman’s Gate at the top of the head andallowsthisexcesschianaturalpathofescape.

Brahman’sGateistheopeningatthetopofthehead,butitisneithertherootnortheflowerofsahasrarachakra.Therootofsahasraraisthetopofthebrainandtheflower is imaginedasapoint inspaceabove thehead.Theopening inthe top of the head is a gate throughwhich the energypasses, but it does notresidethere.

Thebandhaforsahasraraisthesamecontractionoftheupperabdomenthatisused inmanipurabandha,but thebandha is appliedduring inhalation ratherthanexhalation.Thiscreatesaslightliftingmovementoftheribcagethatisnotpresentinmanipurabandha.Thecontractionoftheupperabdomenisnotalargemovement; it is intended to provide resistance to the natural expansion of theupperabdomen.

The bandhas of the first five chakras focus on Shiva descending duringinhalation.SahasrarabandhafocusesonShaktirisingduringinhalation.

Beginwithanexhalewhilefocusedonmuladharachakra.Nowinhalewhileslowly contracting the upper abdomen, and imagine drawing Shakti upsushumna and out through the top of your head. Hold your breath with yourthroat open for as long as comfortable and imagine the energy of ShivasurroundingandunitingwiththeShaktiyouareholdinginthespaceaboveyou.Then exhale slowly as you relax your upper abdomen. Imagine the unitedenergiesofShivaandShaktidescendingthroughthetopofyourheadanddownsushumnatomuladhara.Pauseforamomentwhilefocusedonmuladhara,andthenstartthenextround.Continueinthiswayfor7,14,or21repetitions.

Some yogis imagine raising their Shakti a foot or two above their head.Othersimagineitrisingtogreatdistances.Experimenttoseewhichimaginativeeffortbeststirsthemovementofyourenergyandawareness.

Ourbeliefsdeterminehowwejudgetheeventsofourlife.Howwejudgetheevents of our life determines how we react to them, and these reactionsdetermine our pleasurable and painful experiences in this life as well as thevasanasforthisandfuturelives.Ourstrongestlimitingbeliefisthatourbodyisthebasisofourexistence,and itcolorsallother judgments.There is reallynocure for this until we consciously experience a state of existence beyond thebody. Sahasrara is the gate through which a yogini must consciously pass toexperienceexistencebeyondthebody.

TohelpawakensahasrarachakraayoginishouldimagineherselfrisingoutofBrahman’sGate and try to feel her body is inside her consciousness ratherthanfeelherconsciousnessisinsideherbody.

CHAPTER9 PranayamaPractices

YangPranayamaasanAlternativetoBandhaPractice

Someyogins donot like themuscular effort of bandhapractices, even thoughtheseeffortsaregentle.OtheryoginsfindthevisualizationsofShivaandShaktienergy movement distracting, especially as a beginner. These yogins mightprefer touseamoregeneralyangpranayamatofocus themindandgatherchiintothechakras.

Indian yogis tell us that the vibration of inhalation is very much like thevibrationofthesyllableso,andthatthevibrationofexhalationisverymuchlikethe syllable ham. So rhymes with toe and ham rhymes with thumb. TakentogetherthesesyllablesaretheSoHammantra.Yangpranayamausesthismantratolengthenanddeepenthebreathandthisgathersmorechiintoachakra.Yangpranayamaispracticedasfollows.

FocusonachakraandinhalewhilementallychantingthemantraSo.Drawout thesyllableasa longsooooooooofor thedurationof the inhalation,whichshouldlastfromfourtoeightseconds.Holdyourbreathwithyourthroatopenfor as long as comfortable. Then exhale while mentally chanting the mantraHam.Draw out the syllable as a long hammmmmmm for the duration of theexhalation,whichshouldlastfourtoeightseconds.Repeat7,14,or21times.

Thereisayinandayangtoeverythingandyangpranayamaisnoexception.Yang pranayama can also be done while chanting the syllable ham on theinhalationandthesyllablesaontheexhalation.Hamrhymeswiththumbandsarhymeswith saw. This mantra is called HamSa and it is the yang version ofSoHam.Itisusedasfollows.

Focuson a chakra and inhalewhilementally chantingHam.Drawout thesyllable for the duration of the inhalation, which should last four to eightseconds. Hold your breath with your throat open for as long as comfortable.ThenexhalewhilementallychantingSa.Drawoutthesyllableforthedurationof theexhalation,whichshould last four toeight seconds.Repeat7,14,or21times.

UsingtheSoHammantrahelpsthedescentofchiandShivaenergydownthespine.UsingtheHamSamantrahelpsdrawchiandShaktiupthespine.Ayoginmust experiment to determine which mantra works best on each chakra. IhabituallyuseSoHamforthethreelowerchakrasandHamSaforthefourhigherchakras.

BreathinThreeDimensions

Thefirststepinchakrapurificationis toconservethechiof thephysicalbodyandthisisachievedbysittingstillandreducingthebreath.Butallthreebodiesinterpenetrateeachotherandbreathingismorethanphysical.Yogateachesthatour thoughts,emotionsandbreathare intimatelyconnected. Ifourbreathing isrestless or uneven, it reflects an emotional or distracted mind, and if thebreathingissubtleandslow,itreflectsacalmandconcentratedmind.Itisalsotrue that ifwequietourphysicalbreathwewillcalmandfocusourastralandcausalenergies.

ThreePhasesofNormalBreathing

Thereare threephases tonormalbreathing: inhalation,exhalation,andneutral.You can easily observe these phases by calmlywatching your breathing for afewminutes.Watchwithayinattitude,theattitudeofanaturalist.Donottrytoalteryourbreathing,justcalmlyobservethethreephases.

Thefirstphaseisanautomaticinhalation,agentleexpansionoftheabdomenorribsthatiscontrolledbytheautonomicnervoussystem.Inhalationisalmostimmediately followed by a passive exhalation. This exhalation is consideredpassivebecausenomusculareffort is required toexhale—thenaturalelasticityof the ribs and abdomengently force the air out of the lungs as they contractbacktotheirneutralposition.

Duringtheneutralphasethereisnourgetoinhaleorexhale.Thisphaselastsforseveralsecondsormoredependingonhowcalmyouare.Afterthisneutralpause,thenextinhalationwillbeginandthecyclecontinues.Allofthishappenswithoutourconsciousinterference.

YinPranayama

The goal of yin pranayama is to effortlessly extend the neutral phase of thebreathcycle.Thisisverydifferentfromyangpranayama,thegoalofwhichistoextendbreathretentionafterinhalation.YinpranayamausesthesameSoHamorHamSamantras that are used in yang pranayama, but they are used in a verydifferentway.Yinpranayamaispracticedasfollows.

Focusonachakraandwaitforthenaturalinhalationtoarise.MentallychantSo when the inhalation begins, andmentally chant Hamwhen the exhalationbegins.Thesemantrasarementallychantedjustonceandtheirpronunciationisnotextendedastheyareinyangpranayama.Inhalationandexhalationgraduallybecome very brief and very shallow, and the neutral phase grows longer andlonger.Itisimportantnottoholdthebreathorresistinhaling,juststayfocusedonthechakraandsinkintothequietstateofnotbreathing.

Thereisayinandayangtoeverythingandyinpranayamaisnoexception.YinpranayamacanalsobedonewiththeHamSamantraratherthantheSoHammantra.BreathingwithHamSafollowsthesamepatternasSoHambuttheyogimentallychantsHamontheinhalationandSaontheexhalation.

TheuseofSoHamandHamSaeffectthesensationofachakramuchlikethediastole and systole phases of theheart beat.The effect of eachmantra is feltmost powerfully during inhalation. Mentally chanting So on the inhalationcreates an expanding feeling around a chakra.Mentally chantingHam on theinhalationcreatesacontractingfeelingaroundachakra.Experimentwithbothtobecome familiarwith their effects.This is theonlyway to intelligentlydecidewhichmantraisappropriateonanygivenday.

CHAPTER 10 Meditation

ListeningtoNada

The common thread to all phases of yoga practice is controlling chi withincreasingly subtle techniques. Starting with asana exercises and physicalstillness, yoga thenprogresses to thegentlemuscular contractionsof bandhas,andthento themoresubtleyangpranayama,andthento theevenmoresubtleyinpranayama.Thenextphaseofpracticeisbeyondthebreath,itislisteningtointernalsoundscalledNada.

Theactoflisteningquietsthebreathandthemind.Trythisexercise:Pausefor amoment and focus on a sound that is quiet, almost inaudible, perhaps aquiethuminyourroomoramuffledsoundfromoutside.Whateveritis,observethat as you listen you unconsciously suspend your breathing.Themore subtlethesoundthequieterthebreathbecomes.Yogishavetakenthisprincipletoitssubtlestlevelandprescribethatstudentsfocusonsoundsthatcanonlybeheardwithin themselves, sounds created by the vibrating chakras. These sounds arecalledNada.Tolearntohearnada,trythefollowingexercise.

Restyourmiddlethreefingersonyourtemplesrestthelittlefingerslightlyon the outer corners of your closed eyes.Thiswill inhibit eyemovement andassistacalmfocus.Nowuseyourthumbstopressthetragusintoyourears(thetragusisthesmallflapofcartilagenearlycoveringtheearcanal).Nowlistentosoundsarisingfrominsideyourears.Therightearissaidtobemoresensitive,butwithpracticeitwillmakenodifferencewhichearyoufocuswith,justlistenforsounds.

Whenyoufocusonnadaasameditationitisnotnecessarytouseyourhandsorpressthetragusintoyourears.Withpracticeyoucanhearthenadawheneveryouareinaquietplaceandfocusyourawareness.

NadasoftheChakras

Each of the chakras has a unique nada sound that is tabulated below. In myexperienceeachchakrahasasmallrangeofnadasounds,butthereisamarkeddifferencebetweenthenadaofonechakraandanother.Bearinmindthatthesetraditionaldescriptionscanonlycrudelyapproximatetheactualsounds.Whatayoginihears inmeditation isdifficult todescribe,but theseapproximationsdohelpherdecipherwhatsheishearing.

CHAKRA NADASOUND

Sahasrara OmSound

Ajna OmSound

Vishuddha Ocean

Anahata DeepBell

Manipura HarpStrings

Svadhisthana Flute

Muladhara BuzzingBees

NadaMeditation

Yinpranayama seamlessly blends intoNadaMeditation.Start yourmeditationwithyinpranyamaandasyougetquietlistenfornada.Thesetechniquesarenotmutually exclusive and it is perfectly fine to continue yin pranayama whilelisteningtonada.Astimepasses,letgoofbreath-awarenessandfocusonlyonnada. If your attentionwavers, resumeyinpranayamauntil you are calm, andthenslipintonadaagain.

After listening tonada for awhileyouwill becomeawareof twoormorecompetingsounds.Continuetocalmlyfocusonwhichever is themostobviousnadauntilitfades,andthenfocusonthenextnadathatbecomesapparent.

Differentchakrasaremoredominantthanothers,sodonotassumethatthenadayouarehearingisemanatingfromthechakraonwhichyouarefocused.Itis possible the nada is coming from another chakra that ismore active at thistime.Onlyahighlyadvancedmeditatorcanselectivelyexperience thenadaof

thechakraofherchoosing.

NyasaRitual

It is good to begin and end meditation with nyasa. Nyasa means “to placewithin.” There are several variations of nyasa practice, some simple, someelaborate.Theyeffectivelyprepareusforchakrameditation.

Open your meditation by imagining the vastness of the consciousness ofShiva,aconsciousnessthatextendstoallpartsoftheuniverseinalldimensionsofexistence.Imaginethisconsciousnesscondensinganddescendingdownintoyourbody,stoppingbrieflyateachchakrauntilunitedwithShaktiatthebaseofthe spine.Enjoy this unionof consciousness and energy for awhile, and thenbeginyourmeditation.

End your practice by drawing your energy and awareness intomuladhara,then imagineyourself risingwithShaktiup throughsushumnaonechakraatatime,andthenoutthroughthetopofyourhead.ContinuerisingandexpandinguntilyoudissolveintoShiva.

Bijamantras

Nyasa practice can be assisted by bija mantras. Bija means “seed” and bijamantras are simple sound vibrations that stimulate specific chakras. Whenfocusingonachakra,mentallychantitsbijamantraandfeelitsresponse.Repeatthemantraasmanytimesasyouwish,andthenmoveontothenextchakra.

Thebijamantrasforeachchakraareasfollows:

Sahasrara Om Rhymeswithhome

Ajna Om Rhymeswithhome

Vishuddha Ham Rhymeswiththumb

Anahata Yam Rhymeswiththumb

Manipura Ram Rhymeswiththumb

Svadhisthana Vam Rhymeswiththumb

Muladhara Lam Rhymeswiththumb

BijaMeditation

I frequentlyuseavariationofnyasapracticeasmyprimarymeditation.Usingbijamantras, Icirculatemyawarenessandenergyupanddownsushumnaonechakraatatime.EachcycletakesapproximatelytwominutestocompleteandIpracticefor7,14,or21cycles.

Throughout this practice I remain focused on nada and when I finish thecyclesofcirculationIremainabsorbedinnadaforaslongaspossible.

MeditationRoutine

Thefollowingisanoutlineforabeginningmeditationpracticeofaboutfifteenminutes.

1.Oneminuteopeningnyasapracticeendingatmuladhara.2.Sevenroundsofbandhapracticeoryangpranayamaforonechakra.3.Fiveminutesyinpranayamaonthatchakra.4.Fiveminutesofnadameditationonthatchakra.5.Oneminuteclosingnyasapracticeendingabovethehead.

SuggestionsforMeditation

Isuggestthatbeginnersfocusononlyonechakraeverydayforaweek,andkeepa diary of your experiences. Then focus on another chakra each day for oneweek.Insevenweeksyouwillhavemeditatedoneachofthesevenchakras.

Onceyouhaveexploredeachchakrayoumightrepeatthecycleoffocusingononechakraeachweek,oryoumighttryfocusingonadifferentchakraeachday.

Aftera fewmonths, try toexpandyourmeditation to includemorebandhapracticeandlongernadameditation.

Ifyourmeditationorpranayamapracticescreatetensionordiscomfort,thensomethingiswrong.Thinkofdoingyourpracticesasifyouwereachildgoingtoschool.Itobviouslyrequiressomedisciplinetoprogress,but ifeverydayatschool createddiscomfort, thenprogresswouldeventually stopand thechild’ssoulwouldwhitherratherthanblossom.

Bibliography

BooksonAnatomy

Thomas W. Myers, Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual andMovement Therapists, Second Edition, (Churchill Livingston, Philadelphia,2008).Fascia isnotgivenenoughemphasis instandard textbooks.Thisbookcorrectsthatdeficiency. It isanextensivediscussionof theprevalenceof fasciaand itsinfluence on movement and movement pathology. The illustrations alone canleadayogiorbodyworkerintonumerous“aha!”moments.

DeaneJuhan,Job’sBody:AHandbookforBodywork,(StationHill,Barrytown,NY,2003).Theclassicand inmostwaysunsurpasseddescriptionofhowfascia integratesallthesystemsofthebodyandwhytouchingandmassagingthebodyhassuchhealingeffects.

MichaelSchuenke et al.,ThiemeAtlas ofAnatomy:GeneralAnatomyand theMusculoskeletalSystem,(Thieme,NewYork,2010).Thisispartoneofathree-volumeatlas.Itisespeciallyusefulforyogisbecauseit combines the muscles and bones of anatomy with charts that illustrate thedifferentmovementsof eachmusclegroup.Thepictures aregorgeous and themany graphs and schematic charts are invaluable and not readily availableelsewhere. This atlaswaswrittenwith the eager student inmind, unlikemostreferenceworks.

Andrew Biel, Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones, andMore,(BooksofDiscovery,Boulder,CO,2010).Thisisanexcellentguidetolearninghowtofeelthroughtheskinandlocatethestructuresthatarepicturedinanatomytexts.Itisliterallythehands-onapproachtoanatomythatateacherorbodyworkerneeds.

Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews, Yoga Anatomy, (Human Kinetics,

Champaign,IL,2010).Thishugelypopularbookontheanatomyofmusclesandbonesshowshowthemusclesareworkedinavarietyofyogaposes.Thisismuchmorehelpfultoayogastudentthanthestatic“corpseposition”ofstandardanatomytexts.

BooksonAcupuncture

JosephM.Helms,AcupunctureEnergetics:AClinicalApproachforPhysicians,(MedicalAcupuncturePublishers,Berkeley,1995).Chinese medicine and acupuncture are vast subjects that include herbs,diagnosis, needling technique, and soon.What ismost relevant to a yogini iswhere themeridians are and how they influence one another. This is the bestresource I have found for cogently and clearly identifying the meridians andtheirfunctionalgroups.Inmanywaysthisbookisacupuncture’sresponsetotheThieme Atlas of Anatomy described above. It takes great skill and insight tocreate charts and schematics that accurately clarify a confusing body of facts,andthisbookisfullofthem.Obviouslywrittenbyamasterteacher.

Claudia Focks, ed.,Atlas of Acupuncture, (Churchill Livingston, Philadelphia,2008).This stunningly complete atlas collates the work of most of the atlases ofacupuncturenowinprint.Itsmixofphotographsandillustrationwillmakeitastandardreferencebookonpointsandmeridiansforyearstocome.

EdwardF.Tarabilda,AyurvedaRevolutionized:IntegratingAncientandModernAyurveda,(LotusPress,TwinLakes,WI,1997).AyurvedaistheancientmedicaltraditionofIndia,butlikeanyformofmedicineithasgonethroughmanydevelopmentsandchangesinthethousandsofyearsofits existence. Tarabilda argues that although many of the basic notions ofayurvedaare correct, severalkey ideasonhow toapply themeffectivelyhavebeen lost. He reconstructs several of these key ideas based on his originalinsightsintoVedicastrology.Oneaspectoftheseinsightsisthereintegrationofmeridiantheoryintoayurvedicenergetics.

JamesL.Oschman,EnergyMedicineinTherapeuticsandHumanPerformance,(Buterworth-Heinemann,Philadelphia,2003).Not really an acupuncture book, but it is included because it is a 350-pagediscussionof theways inwhichmodern research isconfirmingandexpanding

onthebasicinsightsofyogaandacupuncturetheory.Chaptersoncells,fascia,waterflow, liquid crystals, electrical and magnetic signaling, and more aredescribed and illustratedwith pictures and drawings.Oschman spells out veryclearlytheimplicationsofthisresearchandthenewviewofbiologythatisjustaroundthecorner.Ifyouareinterestedinwhatmodernsciencehastosayaboutancientscience,thisbookisforyou.

BooksonYogaAsana

BernieClark,TheCompleteGuidetoYinYoga:ThePhilosophyandPracticeofYinYoga,(WhiteCloudPress,Ashland,OR,2012).ThestrongestrecommendationIcangiveBernie’sbookistosayitisatextbookformyowntrainingprograms.Thefirstsectionoutlinesthephilosophyofyin-yang, the second section details each pose, and the third section explains thesciencebehindthepractice.Studentsvalueitsclear,logicaloutlineofyogaandtherelevantanatomicaldiscussion.

SwamiMuktibodhananda,HathaYogaPradipika,(BiharSchoolofYoga,Bihar,India,1998).Thisisamoderncommentaryonanoldtextofhathayoga.Theancienttextisonly400verseslong,butthiselaborationisover700pages.Aseriousstudentofanysubjectshouldknowsomethingofitsfoundationaltexts,andthisoneiskey.Amodernyogimightbeshockedtolearnhowlittleemphasisisplacedonasanapractice. Most of the original hatha yoga practices are pranayama andpurification practices. The goal was to awaken the chakra by purifying themeridiansandbecomingabsorbedintonada.Nadameditationisemphasizedasthekeytoreachingthehigheststatesofyoga.

SarahPowers,InsightYoga,(Shambhala,Boston,2008).SarahPowersintegratesyinandyangyogawithmindfulnesspractices,andthisthree-leggedapproachmakesherbookatrulycompleteyogasystem,notjustayinsystem.Powersincludesdetaileddescriptionsofmeridianpathwaysandhowthey are related to yoga poses. This helps connect the practice of yoga todisciplines such as shiatsu, acupuncture, andbodywork. Integrationwith otherdisciplinesiskeytoyoga’sbroaderacceptanceintothemodernworld,andthisbookisanaturalstartingpointforinterestedyoginis.

B. K. S. Iyengar,Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika, (Schocken Books, New York,

1995).Everyseriousstudentofyoganeedsareferencebookofpostures,andthisoneisit. There are others, but none are really better. There aremore postures listedhere thanmoststudentswillneed,but that is thefunctionofa referencebook.Thestep-by-stepdescriptionsofeachposehaveneverreallybeensurpassed.

CheriClampettandBiffMithoefer,TheTherapeuticYogaKit:SixteenPosturesforSelf-Healing throughQuietYinAwareness, (HealingArtsPress,Rochester,VT,2009).IfIwereinjuredorrecoveringfromillness,thisisthesystemandthesearetheteachersIwouldstartwith.ClampettandMithoeferhavehonestlyandhumblytested these techniques for years. Their students range from people who areinjuredtotheagedtocancerwardpatients.Thecombinationofbook,flashcards,and CD make it possible for even beginning students to safely learn thesetechniques.

BiffMithoefer,TheYinYogaKit:ThePractice ofQuietPower, (HealingArtsPress,Rochester,VT,2006).BiffMithoeferhastaughtandpracticedyogafordecades.Aseveryoneknows,ateacher canmakeorbreaka student’s interest in the earlyphaseof study, andMithoefer is one of the good ones.He teaches energetic principles of chi andmeridiansandintegratesthemwithasanasandmindfulness.Theuseofabook,flashcards,andCDisextremelyeffectiveforaself-learner.

BooksonMeditationandSpirituality

Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, (Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,2000).Thisisapersonalbookaboutthelifeandgoalsofayogi.Oneman’sexperiencecannot illustrate every aspect of yoga, but yoga is the most personal ofexperiences. Not only is the science of yoga discussed at length, but thefootnotescanleadthereaderintomanyrewardingareasofscientific,historical,andreligiousstudy.

Hiroshi Motoyama, Awakening of the Chakras and Emancipation, (HumanSciencePress,Encinitas,CA,2003).Based on talks given to advanced meditators, this book details the postures,pranayamas, and concentration exercisesDr.Motoyama recommends for each

chakra. It includes descriptions of what to expect at the physical, astral, andcausal levelsofchakraawakening,aswellas thesignsofproperprogressandthe signs of improper practice.This is themost detailed description of chakrameditationofwhichIamaware.

Paramahansa Yogananda,God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, (Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,2001).Thefirstonehundredpagesofthisthousand-pagecommentaryontheBhagavadGita integrates the teachings of theGita, Samkhya philosophy, and Patanjali’ssutras. It is a colossal intellectual and spiritual achievement. If any of thesesubjectsinterestyou,considerthistwo-volumework.

Rudolf Steiner,How to Know Higher Worlds, (Wilder Publications, Radford,VA,2008).This book outlines the spiritual practices of Dr. Steiner. It includes detailedpsychological descriptions of the chakras and their usefulness in spiritualpractice. It is always worthwhile to read about chakras from a variety ofbackgroundsandtraditions.

HiroshiMotoyama,KarmaandReincarnation:TheKey toSpiritualEvolutionandEnlightenment,(AvonBooks,2008).MoresimpleanddirectthanmanyofDr.Motoyama’sworks,thisbookisaboutthe varieties of karma that affect us.Karma is not just personal—there is alsofamilykarma,landkarma,nationalkarma,andtheinfluenceofgreaterspiritualbeings.

SwamiVivekananda,RajaYoga,(Ramakrishna-VivekanandaCenter,NewYork,1980).Patanjali is the codifier of yoga meditation. His succinctly written book hasguidedyogis and attracted scholarly commentary for centuries.This book is aclear introduction toPatanjali’ssystem.It includesseveralpreliminary lecturesthatsetthestageforPatanjali’swork,aswellasthegreatswami’sversionofthesutras. It takes a good teacher to make the material clear and SwamiVivekanandaisateacherfortheages.

ParamahansaYogananda,TheScienceofReligion,(Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1953).An expansion of Swami Yogananda’s first talk in America, this book is

especially helpful in delineating the difference between the four paths toenlightenment,andtheuniquecharacteristicsofyoga.

Richard Wilhelm, translator. C. G. Jung, commentary, Secret of the GoldenFlower:AChineseBookofLife,(Harcourt&Brace,NewYork,1962).This is a translation and commentary on the ancient variation of ajna bandha,herein called “Circulationof theLight.”Wilhelmhas clarified themeaningofthe deliberately flowery language used to describe the practice. A dedicatedstudentwillfindthetechniquefamiliarandthenoblesentimentsinspiring.

HiroshiMotoyama,Theoriesof theChakras:Bridge toHigherConsciousness,(QuestBooks,Wheaton,IL,1982).This bookwas written to fulfill three objectives: demonstrate that tantric andtaoistyogisweredescribingthesameenergysystem;detailaseriesofpracticesto awaken the chakras; and report on the scientific investigation of chi,meridians, and chakras. This was my first introduction to Dr. Motoyama’svaluablecontributiontothefutureofenergymedicineandspiritualpractice.

RudolfSteiner,Theosophy:AnIntroductiontotheSpiritualProcessesinHumanLifeandintheCosmos,(AnthroposophicPress,Hudson,NY,1994).ThisbookoutlinesDr.Steiner’s viewsof thedifferent bodieswe inhabit. It isilluminating to read about themultiple body theory from aEuropeanmystic’sviewpoint. It isalwaysencouragingtohavephenomenaconfirmedbydifferentpractitioners from different traditions. This is the essence of the scientificmethod.

Hiroshi Motoyama, Varieties of Mystical Experience, (Human Science Press,Encinitas,CA,2006).If Awakening of the Chakras and Emancipation describes the techniques ofpractice,thisbookdescribesthegoal.Itisadescriptionofthevariouslevelsofsamadhi,thestateofspiritualunionwithhigherbeings.Itgoesintogreatdetailabouthowourconsciousnesschangesasweenterintohigherspiritualstatesofawareness.Itmakesclearwhatourattitudeandmotivationshouldbeifwewishtoconsciouslyprogress.Thisisamind-expandingandinspiringbook.

Swami Hariharananda Aranya, Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali, (SUNY Press,Albany,NY,1984).Thisisthebookforphilosophers.IfVivekanandaisthepopularizerofPatanjali,

then Hariharananda is Patanjali’s meticulous analyst. Hariharananda was adedicatedpractitioner,andhisanalysisofeachsutraisnotmeanttobepedanticbut rather to uncover its explicit psychological and spiritual meaning. Thepremise of the book is an ancient one, that the sutras were meant to be thepractical application of the ancient samkhya philosophy. Studying this textmeansabsorbingtheideasofsamkhyaaswellasyoga,andthisiswhatmakesthebooksorewardingtothededicatedstudent.

EdwinF.Bryant,TheYogaSutrasofPatanjali:ANewEdition,Translation,andCommentary,(NorthPointPress,NewYork,2009).TherearemanytranslationsofPatanjali,andthislatestoneisexcellentinmanyways, not the least of which is the presentation of how commentators on thesutrashavespokentoeachotheroverthecenturies.Beingexposedtodifferentpeoples’ reactions to the same material makes us re-examine our own. AfterreadingRajaYogabyVivekananda,thisbookisthenextstep.

Appendix

Yinyoga isanewname,butnotanewpractice.Withfewexceptions,yogapracticebefore theashtangavinyasarevolutionof1980swasprimarilyyin.Thequoteslistedbelowarefromfouryogabooks,oneforeachdecadepriorto1985.Theywereallwrittenbyauthorsconsideredauthoritiesinthefield.Eachquoteincludes a few example poses, the recommended time for holding them, and the yin attitude that wasrecommendedwhenpracticing.

HathaYogabyTheosBernardRiderandCompany,1950

Seal:1minute10timesCaterpillar:1minute10timesorforseveralminutes.Snail:Upto10minutes

Yinattitudedefined:“Iwassatisfiedtoplacemyhandsonmyanklesandletmyheadcomeasclosetothekneesaswascomfortablewithoutforcingit.”(p.26)HathaYogabyShyamSundarGoswamiL.N.FowlerandCompany,1959

Seal:6minutes.Caterpillar:6minutes.Snail:15minutes

Yinattitudedefined:“Inthestaticformofexercisethewholebody...shouldremainabsolutelymotionless...fortheperiodoftimeduringwhichtheposturecanbemaintainedwithease,i.e.withoutthefeelingofdiscomfort.”(pp.80-81)YogaSelf-TaughtbyAndréVanLysebethHarperandRow,1971

Seal:severalminutesCaterpillar:3to15minutes.Snail:5to30minutes.

Yinattitudedefined:“Theexpertkeepsaperpetualcheckonmuscularrelaxation...everythingrelaxes:theface, arms, hands, feet, calves, thighs, and especially themuscles that are being stretched.” (p. 73)TheSivanandaCompaniontoYogabyLucyLidellSimonandSchuster,1983

BackBends:2minutesForwardBends:5minutesInversions:5to10minutes

Yinattitudedefined:“Aboveall,neverriskinjurybyforcingyourbodyintoapositionorstrainingtogofurtherthanyouarepresentlyable.Itisonlywhenyourmusclesarerelaxedthattheywillstretchandallowyoutoadvanceinaposture.”(p.29)

AbouttheAuthor

Paul andSuzeeGrilleyhavebeen teachingyoga since1980.Theypracticeyogapostures in the styleofPaulie Zink and pattern their philosophy on the writings and research of Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama. ThisphilosophyintegratesthemeridiantheoriesofChinawiththechakratheoriesofIndia.PaulandSuzeehavedeveloped the anatomically based Yin Yoga Teacher Training program which they present all over theworld.

Tolearnmoreabouttheirwork;books,DVDs,andotherresources,pleasevisitwww.paulgrilley.com.

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