Tag: hatha yoga altea

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Musings: The unsung note

I had the great pleasure of returning to the stage this Thursday past.  Yes, dear yogis, in my spare time I am a singer-songwriter.
I began this odyssey years ago. In fact, I could say that I have always been a musician.  As  child I played the oboe, and the recorder.  I used to sit there with my tape recorder, registering a harmony to then play the melody on top.  Too bad I only had one track!  I gave up classical music, as most teens do, only to then buy a red Yamaha bass at the age of 18.  I played in a band, and enjoyed mild local success, before shyness and nerves forced me off the stage.  Life continued apace.  I began writing more and more, diaries, poetry, laments, and soon, songs.  It took me 10 years to buy a guitar  and another four before I could tune by ear and play with some fluency. At this point, I bought my lovely Taylor 414CE cutaway and began composing the songs that I still play today.

How does this relate to yoga?

Vishuddah chakra and overcoming fear.

Singing is related to the throat (vishuddha) chakra.  Mine was most definitely blocked.  I used to speak in  a whisper and was plagued by the sensation of something in my throat.  (In TCM, this is called plum-pit throat and is related to the Liver Qi).  I bought a couple of books (Finding Your Voice, Zen Guitar), took a workshop (The Healing Voice with Jill Purce), but, mostly, I just sang.  Over and over, through smiles and tears.  Overcoming my incredible fear, I took to stage in open mic nights and small gigs in and around London.  It was terrifying but I knew it did me good.  Still, the fear was being pushed down, not truly overcome.  But, I think that in yoga we have to push past our fear, be brave and have great faith, in order to grow.  So, that was one phase of my growth.

Control of the diaphragm

Another phase of my work was taking control of my diaphragm muscle.  The diaphragm is fundamental to the singer.  My yoga teacher gave me a short personalized practice in which I did krama in the exhale.  This means, the exhale was broken up into two or more parts, and then the breath retained with the lungs empty.  For the first time in my life, I could actually locate my own diaphragm.  My colleague Santi, a fantastic osteopath, adjusted my diaphragm and pericardium, loosening the tendons and leaving my breath much freer.

Control of the perineum 

By now, my voice was vibrating nicely in my chest and abdomen.   It was mellower and sweeter and easier to control.  But, still, on the high notes, something was missing.  In my ongoing reading – I am voracious, and practically only read on theme – I came across a few lines in The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H. David Coulter. 

  A famous conductor…once shouted…”No! No! Squeeze it in – push it up!”  He may not have known it, but he was telling them to seal off and control the anatomical perineum – the base of the pelvis -and thereby cultivate what we have been calling abdominopelvic energy.  All trained singers have learned that the purest and richest sound originates from this region.  In the language of singers, the base of the body “supports” the voice.

Wa-hey!  that’s the secret.  On the high notes, all that perineum work I’d been doing in yoga would pay in by holding my voice up in a clean, sweet note.  Hallelujah!

Believing in myself

Yoga teaches us that within each and every human being there is a tiny spark of Divinity.  We don’t need any mediators when we talk to God because God is within.  When we first learn, then internalize this, our faith in ourselves grows and grows and we begin to value ourselves for who we are instead of what we do.  Through yoga, I realized that my music, my words, my beliefs and my message are not only valid but beautiful and even Divine.  And having that behind me, I take the stage with courage and honesty, and never try to emulate the music or sound of anyone else.  This is freedom.  And now, the fear is not being suppressed. It is no longer there.  I offer it all to God with the simple mantra, Ishvara Pranidanah.
There is karmic cleansing here.  My grandfather went down to London in the 1920’s and played his clarinet in the earliest SoHo jazz clubs.  From my limited research, there was only a handful of jazz clubs in the UK at that time, so both he and my grandmother – they met on the jazz scene – were well ahead of their time.  They married, and moved up to Yorkshire where dreams of jazz music were replaced by granite houses and the family woolens mill.  A frustrated musician to the end of his days, Grandsir, as well called him, would get drunk on G&Ts and pull out the clarinet at Christmas, even as his dentures popped from his gums.  My mum sang.  In the choir, in Gilbert and Sullivan productions, in the singalong Messiah every Ottawa Christmas.  My father was the greatest music fan.  He wept and danced and collected music.  His LP collection filled the basement of a huge Saskatchewan house by the time he died.  I come by it in honestly.  Music is in my blood.  But yoga helped – and helps – me realise it in a sane and safe way.
When our karma (work) and our dharma (lifepath) unite, we find liberation (Kaivalya).  Let yoga guide you towards Self-realization.  And don’t think for a moment that Self-realization means isolation in an ashram.  For some, maybe, but not for everyone.  Sri Aurobindo’s contribution to modern yogic thought was the idea that liberation can be found here and now, in daily life, not only when the soul leaves the body.  Be happy here and now. Bless y’all.

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Well woman massage

I have spent the past 11 years of my life as a professional massage therapist, and 8 of those dedicating myself to the gentle art of Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD).  MLD is a very gentle and highly specific massage technique that is used in cancer rehabilitation.  Many who opt for allopathic cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and surgery are left with impaired lymphatic drainage in the affected area.  This manifests as swelling known as lymphedema (sometimes lymphoedema).
In massage training, touching of the breast is generally verboten.  In MLD it is an integral part of the treatment, especially in women who have had lumpectomies, mastectomies, radiotherapy, reconstruction (implant or TRAM).  I consider myself an expert in the treatment of breast conditions.
Drawing from my massage training, I have always emphasized the importance of the abdominal massage.  Deep abdominal massage is used in many healing modalities including, but not limited to, Tui-Na, Mayan massage, modern Osteopathy, Ayurvedic massage,  and Swedish massage.  MLD includes very important abdominal work, but the touch is light, as it is in all aspects of the technique.
In hatha yoga, we learn and teach techniques to release the diaphragm muscle, deepen the breath and connect with the muscles of the pelvic floor.
I propose to you a Well Woman Massage: 

  • Hatha yoga to stretch the body and deepen the breath, connecting with the perineum and diaphragm.  
  • Deep abdominal massage, back massage (lest we forget that the abdominal obliques and the hip flexors originate in the spine)
  • MLD for abdomen and breast. 

Women have special physical needs not seen in men – hormones and hot flashes and pregnancy and childbirth and breastfeeding and, and, and…If you feel it’s time to care for yourself the way you’ve always wanted to, please feel free to drop me a line.  Treatments available in Altea, Benidorm and Teulada.  For treatments booked in April 2013, I offer a 5% discount on the normal price of €60.  This is a two-hour program.

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Oranges – to juice or not to juice

Oranges have always posed a juicing problem for me.  I don’t find that they mix very well with greens – not as well as apple or pear, that’s for sure.  I find even the sweetest oranges probably prefer to be on their own, or mixed with carrot, lemon or another sweet fruit like mango or peach.  I just don’t get orange and celery or orange and chard.  And my stomach doesn’t, either.
The Macrobiotic diet is staunchly against citrus.  I don’t agree with most of their philosophy, and here there’s no exception.  I mean, what does some Japanese guy know about a Valencia orange, in season and in it’s own land?  Nuthin.
Ayurvedic diets include seasonal fruits and orange is no exception.  Again, seasonal is the key here.
I read once about a high-profile raw foodist who decided to de-bulk his muscular body and used an orange mono-diet to do so, with no ill effects.  He lives in Southern California, though, so again we see “seasonal” and “local” pop up.
As a kid in Canada, I remember those wooden boxes of Christmas clementines with great fondness.  My mum told me that, in Yorkshire after the War, children would be given a single orange in their Christmas stocking.  And perhaps a banana.  How times have changed, eh?
So, to juice or not to juice oranges?  My conclusion is that OJ is best drunk solo and on an empty stomach.  If you want green juice, avoid sweet fruits anyway, all but a little apple or pomegranate or pear.

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Yoga and the Fire

One of books I constantly refer to is “Yoga and the Sacred Fire” by Pandit Dr. David Frawley.  Frawley is an American Vedic scholar and a very worthy writer.  I bought the book in India – Pondicherry or Mysore, perhaps? – and posted it home.  It is a crappy Indian binding, but the information contained within is the only thing of importance.
Frawley discusses in depth the role of Agni (fire) in the practice of yoga.  Fire is central to many parts of yogic/ayurvedic thought.  First of all, it is one of the main five Elements (Bhutas) of which the entire universe is formed.  Secondly, it is one the three main doshas, or characteristics, in the classification of body types.  Fire is the transformative element, that which allows creativity to manifest, food to digest, minds to change and the old to give way the the new.  Too much fire burns us up, too little leaves us sluggish.  As ever, the yogic path is the middle path, the joyful and harmonious seeking of balance.
At my seminar this weekend, my teacher commented on my ability to eat and digest salad in early Springtime.  I have a good digestive fire, and my creative fires also burn brightly.  This wasn’t always so.  Like many women, I tend to retain water in the thighs and often used to find myself dragging from one thing to another, making it through the day, yet exhausted.
I have spent the past few years learning about then cultivating my own inner fire.  Part of this process has been the tending of the home fires.  In October last year (2012), as winter began to make itself felt, I began trying to light the fire.  I found it so incredibly difficult to get it going!  I often found myself spending 45 minutes in front of the grate, blowing uselessly on burning twigs.  I even bitched about it on Facebook, and got the expected comments about making a tee-pee and using small stuff at the bottom.  Thanks, I knew that part already.
Nowadays, I’ll have you know, I am a one-match girl.  I can get that fire lit in about five minutes and the house warm in an hour.  I also find myself with much more spirit, a crackling, happy sort of energy, not brittle at all.  Here, I leave you with a short clip of last night’s merry fire.  I hope it brings you warmth and joy.  https://vimeo.com/62053010

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Musings on Meditation

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the path of yoga is very clearly laid out.  Book 1 talks about the kind of person who undertakes to stay on the path, and the pitfalls that may arise whilst there.  Book 2 talks about the practical part of yoga.  It is here that you will find the first mention of hatha yoga – the postural part that we are now familiar with – and the other 7 branches of Astanga Yoga (there are eight limbs in total).
We start with character-building, as Swami Radha calls it in her brilliant book “Kundalini Yoga for the West”.  These are the yamas and niyamas.  Once this is established, the yogi can then confidently practice asana  (postures) and pranayama, (breathwork) leading to pratyahara, or retraction of the senses. I found the concept of pratyahara difficult to understand before directly experiencing its effects. Your path and my path of yoga are each distinct and unique, so I won’t elaborate too much here.  But, in my case, pratyahara meant a softening of the impact of external influences – loud noises make me jump less, bright lights don’t annoy, strong smells…well strong smells still bug me.  Okay, but you might get the point.
The next limb of Astanga Yoga is dharana, or concentration.  This is not, note, meditation, which is dhyana. Dharana is the ability to focus the mind on a single object for increasingly long periods of time.   Eventually, one become “one” with the object, and enters into samana with it.  This is the beginning of Book 3 of the sutras.  The object can be something external like an icon or candle, or it can be more subtle, like the breath or the heartbeat.
Still, the point I want to make here is that dharana, and eventually dhyana, are the fruits of previous practice.  I was a terribly meditator.  For years I fidgeted on my zafu, wondering where all the mental peace was.  Well, the answer is it’s coming…be patient.  Practice and all is coming, said Sri Pattabhi Jois.   I use the spinal breathing method described in the book “Advanced Yoga Practices”.  (http://www.aypsite.org/)
My advice is:  don’t jump straight into meditation without toning the body and breath first.  Some people can – hey, we’re all different – but many people can’t.  And don’t give up.  Propel yourself forward on wings of faith.  Look up at the sky and realise that the Universe is boundless and you are a speck and rejoice in all the incredible freedom that gives you.  OM.

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Apanasana: A powerfully simple pose

Apanasana is a basic yoga pose that is very easy to learn and grants rapid, noticeable benefits.
Use a yoga mat or folded boiled-wool blanket to cushion your back.  Lying on the back on the floor, legs are bent, feet flat on the floor, parallel and hip-width apart, heels near the buttocks.  Extend the neck and lower the chin to make a double-chin.  Maintain this neck gesture throughout.
Breathe in.  Breathing out, lift the feet off the floor, bringing the knees to the chest.  Place the palms of the hands on the knees. Breathe in.  Breathing out, pull the knees gently in towards the chest.  Breathing in, move the knees back and away from the chest.  Breathe out and rock the knees back in.  Breathe in and rock them away. Repeat.  Take note:  the movement is small.  Don’t straighten the legs on the inhale.   The elbows flex and extend, but the knees mostly don’t.
Repeat this movement for 6-8 breaths, three times per day and you will almost certainly reduce lower back pain (LBP).
LBP is one of the main reasons people visit the Doctor’s office.  Although in some cases surgery might be the only option, for most people a good program of chiropractic care and yoga would keep them pain-free and mobile.
Most of us know that weak abdominal muscles contribute significantly to lower back pain. The internal organs protrude behind the weak muscles, hanging forward and rocking the pelvis forward with them.  With the pelvis tipped forward this way, the hip flexors shorten and pull on their opposing muscles, the piriformis and gluteals.  Muscle tensions accumulate over the years and the tissue becomes rigid and inflamed.
It is important to have your spine checked by a chiropractor or osteopath.  Ask friends for recommendations – it is always the best way to choose a therapist.  But, always trust your instinct about whose hands you place yourself in.
Hatha yoga is a very good ally in the struggle against LBP.  Stretching, freeing, loosening and unbinding muscles, ligaments and tendons, yoga gently eases the aches and pains, realigning our bodies and calming our minds.  The anatomy of this posture is a full spinal and gluteal stretch, a contraction of the abdomen and compression of the abdominal cavity.
In the subtle anatomy of yoga, there is a dominant downward running energy and a dominant upward rising energy.  Apana is the downward facing energy.  It runs from the navel down to the tips of the toes.  It governs elimination, reproduction and the rooting, terrestrial facets of life.  Apanasana derives its names from the energy apana.  It is the posture (asana) that actuates directly on the downward energy current (apana).  Combining this gentle movement with the precise breathing technique of lengthening and counting the breath changes the direction of the flow of apana, sending it upwards.
When it flows upwards, apana nourishes our nervous system, giving us vitality, vigour and zest for life.
Observe carefully any limitations you might have including herniated disks or difficulty rising from the floor. If this is the case, you may wish to try practising on your bed.  Do not undertake any physical activity without consulting a professional first.  But also, don’t worry. This is a very safe pose, reclining, head neutral, feet raised.
Practice 6-8 breaths in apanasana three times per day, for one month.  If you wish you keep a diary of your experiment, you may find it informative. I welcome any feedback on your practice.  Keep it up!

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World Yoga Day – Día Mundial del Yoga

Hello and hola!  This Sunday 24, February, 2013, is World Yoga Day.  Participating yoga studios and teachers pledge the proceeds from 2 hours of teaching to FIAN, the (formerly) FoodFirst Information and Action Network.  This NGO works to eliminate hunger worldwide, proclaiming the right to have sufficient food to eat.
Este domingo, 24 febrero, 2013 es el Día Mundial del Yoga.   Centros y profesores participadores van a destinar las ganancias de dos horas de clases de yoga a FIAN, un ONG que se dedica a aliviar el hambre, revindicando el derecho fundamental de tener de comer.
Dejame un comentario si quieres hacer una clase conmigo para celebrar el día.  Leave a comment if you would like to do a class with me to mark the day.