Practicing yoga with arthritis?

One of the things I love about yoga is that it can be practiced by almost anyone, and can accommodate most ailments or injuries people may be practicing with. 

If you're suffering from an ailment or injury, it takes a little knowledge and confidence to practice safely, and I wrote this article specifically for people with arthritis. This is also for teachers who need some information about the presentation of the disease so they can help their students.

Check out this article I wrote for Zen Monkey on this topic.

Intentions Are Good...

... but ACTION is best!

I'm writing this post about yoga, but really it can be applied to any area of life.

Are you wondering how it relates to this picture? Well, I drew it after many weeks of avoiding a 'crazy' desire I had to draw something. I bought a sketch book and pastels, and yet found every excuse to avoid it.

The blank pages stared back at me for weeks, mocking me. The excuses ranged from being tired, to not having enough time, to not having enough space to do it. Eventually I made a deal with myself to draw three pictures, and accept whatever happened. No judgement.

So it's not the best pic in the world, but I DID IT (it's a peacock feather by the way). I loved doing it, learnt something, and it paved the way to some more interesting doodles... And it's so therapeutic! More than anything, I don't have this creeping uncomfortable feeling that I'm missing out on something anymore.

I meet so many people who say "I would like to start yoga, but ...
... I'm not flexible enough"
... I'm self-conscious"
... I'm too short / fat / thin / old"
... I don't have time"
... I'm too tired"
... I haven't exercised for years"

All I can say is - try anyway. The worst that can happen is you don't like it and you don't do it again. The best that can happen is you love it and it's the beginning of something really positive in your life. Either way, you've learnt something, and you can say you've tried.

Can you find a place within yourself where you
... give it a bash anyway?
... don't let laziness win?
... listen to desire rather than fear, just for one evening?
... trust yourself to make the decision and stick with it?
... trust someone else to show you something new?
... learn about yourself?
... quit the excuses?

It might turn out to be great! Maybe not. Either way, you learn. Here's to all the 'tryers' out there...

Come to a class!

Find our what you can expect from a typical yoga class, check out FAQs, and if you're a guy - find out if yoga is just for chicks. 

Savasana - Corpse Pose

This is just a bit of fun I had doodling some notes on Savasana, the corpse pose.

You can expect to be doing Savasana at the end of most yoga classes you go to. It's the simplest posture of all - but often the most difficult - as the requirement will be to lie absolutely still and just let go for a few minutes.

Teachers will often tell you that this is where you will reap all the benefits of the class you have been through.

Find out more here about what else to expect in a typical yoga class.

<<< In the meantime, here's a kind-of silly cheat-sheet for all you need to remember (or forget) to do Savasana right... if there is such a thing as doing it 'right'.

The Paths of Yoga

In a previous post I described asana, the physical practice of postures, one of the eight limbs of yoga. In this post, I explain some of the paths of yoga, with some emphasis on Hatha Yoga, the yoga of effort.

The word yoga comes from a Sanskrit term, which means to 'yoke'. In other words, it refers to union, integration or wholeness. So while we usually think in terms of doing yoga, you can also say that you can achieve yoga, a state when the mind, body and spirit work together.

Traditionally, the paths are identified as:

1. Raja Yoga - yoga of the mind, as described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
2. Jnana Yoga - yoga of knowledge or knowing
3. Bhakti Yoga - yoga of devotion
4. Karma Yoga - yoga of action

Then depending on which texts you read, you might find the following:

5. Hatha Yoga - yoga of forceful action / physical practice / effort

6. Mantra Yoga - yoga of sound 

7. Tantra Yoga - yoga of technology or technique

So when we're thinking about the paths of yoga, it's important to remember that they all lead to this sense of unity or wholeness.

The paths overlap and cross-over, so they should not be seen to exist in isolation. In addition, different scholars or commentators use different definitions so its possible to find contradictions. The point is, the paths developed to suit different temperaments or strengths, for example Jnana Yoga is best suited to someone with an intellectual temperament, and Karma Yoga may be best for someone who more action-oriented.

Hatha Yoga refers to the physical postures (asanas) which are designed to align the body and mind. This word is often used to describe yoga classes, and it usually refers to a static or relaxing style of yoga. Technically speaking though, all physical yoga can be categorised as Hatha. In some explanations Hatha may also include Kundalini yoga.

Hatha can be translated as ha meaning 'sun' and tha meaning 'moon'. This refers to the balance of masculine qualities (eg. active, hot, projective) and feminine qualities (eg. receptive, cool, receptive) which exist in all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites, creating a balance between strength and flexibility, between effort and surrender, thereby helping us to be more present in every moment.

Yoga and the 10 bulls of Zen

In the 12th century, Zen master Kakuan, painted 10 pictures illustrating a boy’s search for a bull.

Zen often uses simple stories to illustrate important points—this series of pictures depicts the stages someone might pass in search of their own true nature.

Yoga is often seen as the process of becoming ourselves, or finding our own true nature.

The 10 phases lend themselves to the stages we might pass on our journey, and provide a map to show us where we are and where we may be heading.

Find out more about the 10 stages in an article I wrote for the Elephant Journal. 

Is yoga just for "chicks"?

It's true that there are usually more women than men in yoga classes. But no, yoga is not just for 'chicks'. In fact, some of the best and most popular yoga teachers in the UK, and the world, are men.

Another comment I often hear from men is that they can't do yoga because they're not flexible enough. That is almost the same as saying that you can't go to France because you can't speak French... What would you do in that case? Buy a phrase book, start with the basics and before you know it, you can say hello, please, thank-you, where is the Louvre... and off you go! Similarly, if someone wanted to start weight lifting, they start with light weights to build strength, and slowly they move up to heavier weights. It's exactly the same with yoga - start with a class where beginners are supported, and go from there. Many people start off with little flexibility and they build it over time.

Admittedly, it can feel intimidating for a guy to join a yoga class full of women, but I can tell you from my own experience of practicing and teaching.... everyone is so busy with their own stuff, they're probably not looking at you!

I love teaching and practicing with women, and have often ended up having a good laugh with the other ladies, but I also find that having men in a class really adds something different. Because men tend to be physically stronger, especially in the upper body, it can help lift the energy of the class when there are a few men who are doing well in the more challenging postures. In addition, men bring a humour and detachment which is different from the feminine energy.

So if you're a guy, and you're reading this, consider trying it! Bring a friend for some broga :)

Find more information here:
7 reasons men should do yoga
12 reasons I love having men in yoga class
 

What I learnt from the headstand

I recently conquered a mental block by teaching myself to do the headstand.

I love how in your yoga practice, the body can often be used as an analogy for the mind.

In this process, I learnt something about myself, my body, and life in general.

I wrote a little piece about it, and it was published in the Elephant Journal (one of my favourite yoga journals) here: The Wisdom of the Headstand