Yoga teaches Forebearance.

Life is an ongoing experience of Pleasure and Pain. All the time we are seeking Pleasure and running away from Pain.

Experience some form of pleasure or pain --->  dwell on them (dwelling is nothing but fancying or dreaming about them) ----->  dream to increase pleasure and decrease pain ----->  this results in all sorts of conclusions & confusion ----> feel bound & trapped ----> the cycle goes on...

Solution to the problem? -  Not to dwell on Pleasure & Pain

Then do what? - Cheerfully accept pleasure & pain alike. This is called Forbearance. This is not a sign of weakness but is in fact a sign of strength. Because one is strong enough not to allow an event to mow you down. Weak people are swept off due to pressure of emotions. There is difference in cheerful acceptance and just putting up with things. The earlier attitude is born of understanding the truth, while the latter is due to the feeling that there is no other alternative.

But why?? - Because, pleasure & pain are fruits or results of actions done previously. This is the Law of Nature. The result has arrived now and we are experiencing it. It cannot change. You can change only what you do now, at this moment. 

What happens with this attitude?-  Forbearance adds to inner strength. Resisting, complaining and fighting against the pain  makes us weaker with every event. Even if one was to successfully maneuver one's way out pf the painful event, one would be a loser, because the conflict is within oneself regarding oneself.

Yoga teaches us Forbearance as the highest form of Sadhana. It is an advanced form of yoga practice. Being able to do difficult poses is not advanced yoga if we cannot practice forbearance and accept all situations, things and beings as equal. 

Understand the truth and be happy:)

WRIST PROBLEMS- Pose modifications

One of the common concern for students in my yoga classes is the wrist pain while doing some common poses like Cat-Cow pose (Marjaryasana), Hunting Dog pose, Plank pose variations and Downward Dog pose (Adhomukha Svanasana) in which your wrists are in extension and bearing weight.

The following modifications/precautions will help ease the pressure off the wrists and decrease the pain:

1. Make sure you are distributing the weight evenly between the heel of your hand and the ball of your hand. It is so common for practitioners to be dropping all the weight of the upper body down into the heel of their hands and not utilizing the entire palm for support. Create a suction cup effect in the center of the palm as well as the channel between the base of the thumb and the pinky finger, as it takes pressure off the wrist.

2.Practicing hands and knees (Cat-Cow pose) on your finger tips will take much of the pressure off the wrist joints and can be used for easier poses like Cat-Cow and Hunting Dog, but would likely not be so effective in Plank. In Triangle pose (Trikonasana), the fingertip method can be very helpful. Start with short periods of time in the poses and gradually work up to longer holds as your fingers and hands get stronger. 

3. Another simple modification is to make a fist with your hands and place the flat proximal phalanges (the closest finger bone to the hand) on the floor, with your two hands oriented so the inner wrists face one another. This keeps the weight on the wrist joints very even between the thumb and pinky sides of your wrists. It can work nicely for hands and knees (Cat- Cow), but should not be used for Downward-Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), as it will jam and compress the pinky side of your wrist joints. Remember to keep your fingernails trimmed so you can tuck your fingers into your palms to make a stronger, more stable fist.

4. A little lift under the wrists and heel of the hands can complete relieve pain and pressure in the hands. One inexpensive way to accomplish this it to simply tightly roll the front narrow edge of your yoga mat under a turn or two. Because it will tend to want to loosen or unroll, hold it in place with one hand as you get the other hand into position. Ideally the heel of your hands should press into the center of the rolled mat and the ball of the hands and your fingers will be on the bare floor in front of your mat. You will still want to press the heels and balls of your hand down evenly as recommended above. This can work well for Hands and Knees position as well as Plank and Downward-Facing Dog pose.

 5. Dolphin Pose- Using the forearms instead of hands while doing a Downward Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) also helps the students do the pose without hurting their wrists. Kneel on the mat. Lean forward placing the fore arms on the mat, shoulder width apart with palms facing each other. Inhale and tuck the toes behind you. Exhale and push your hips up and come in downward dog pose. Keep the weight evenly distributed on the fore arms and the legs.

I hope these small changes wil help the "wrist challenged" students!

Pause for a minute...

Just stop. And look at yourself. Observe your breath. Is the breathing shallow (just using upper chest muscles) or deep (using abdominal and chest muscles), is it slow or fast? Don't change anything about it. Now shift the focus from yourself to your immediate surroundings- what do you see, hear or smell? Just observe. Don't draw any conclusions or make any judgments about anything. 

This pause has brought you in the present moment. It has pulled you from the constant switch between past and future and brought you into the most precious moment, right now. Observe how you feel being in this moment. Free? That is the beauty of staying in the present moment. There is freedom, fearlessness, and lightness. This is real happiness. And isn't this what we are looking for from morning till night, day after day, year after year? In that perfect partner, holiday or a job? We find it (or we think we found it), when we get what we want and then it goes away. This cycle keeps on going. 

If you observe our mind consciously, 99% of the times you will catch it either in the past or the future. You will hardly find it in the present moment and we think that is normal. When all our lives, that background noise due to constant traffic of thoughts is there, we think that is what life is! Till it becomes quiet and you say "Ah! it feels better".  

We are hardly ever in the present,unless we are either in a high risk situation or doing a thrilling activity or in the nature. That is the reason we enjoy doing these things because they bring us in the present moment. At that time we just accept whatever it is and cope with it without any expectations or conclusions.

Now imagine the freedom and the power, if we slowly train our mind to do that all or almost all the time!! It is possible. It starts with being aware of our state by pausing and catching the mind in either past or future and then slowly bringing the focus to the present. Initially that presence in the present may last only for few seconds before we drift into past and future. But slowly with conscious awareness and effort that presence becomes longer and more frequent. You feel more calm, more accepting of the situations, and more fearless.

And this is what yoga teaches us and this is what the word "Yoga" itself means- to unite the mind with the body, to bring them together by being in the present.

The above thoughts are written after personally learning to pause and feeling the change slowly. Still, there is a long way to go but I feel blessed to begin this journey towards me!

Eightfold Path to Yoga

The Yoga system as outlined by Patanjali is known as the Eightfold Path.

1. Yama

2. Niyama

Yama and Niyama require observance of ten negative and positive moralities-avoidance of injury to others, untruthfulness, stealing, incontinence, gift receiving (which brings obligations) and purity og body and mind, contentment, self-discipline, study of scriptures and devotion to God.

3. Asana (right posture): The spinal column must be held straight, and the body firm in a comfortable position.

4. Pranayama: control of prana, subtle life currents.

5. Pratyahara: withdrawal of senses from external objects.

The last steps are forms of yoga proper:

6. Dharana: concentration, holding the mind to one thought.

7. Dhyana: Meditation

8. Samadhi: Superconscious perception.

This Eightfold Path of Yoga, leads one to the final goal of Kaivalya (Absoluteness) or realization of the Truth beyond all intellectual apprehension.

HEALING POWER OF YOGA

Besides the physical healing powers of yoga, the more amazing effect of yoga is the Emotional Healing!
Yoga teaches us to heal, to return home to our own nature.

How and Why?
Our true nature is to be loving. When we are hateful, we are not our real self. We become impulsive and send out negative thoughts which are destructive for us and others. Our body and mind separate and each does what it wants to.
However, when we practice yoga asanas consciously (not just physically), we unite our body & mind. The word "yoga" means "union" of body & mind. This union leads us to our true self- the loving self. We become one with ourselves and with everyone around us. 
That is the reason after a yoga class we feel quiet inside. There is an amazing lightness and a deep silence inside!
Any hateful or judgmental thoughts go away. With regular practice, we can make this feeling last for a longer time. We can experience this same feeling which we get right after the class throughout the day and slowly throughout the life!
Wow! what freedom and fearlessness...

After few years of conscious and mindful yoga practice everyday, I can now experience this wonderful feeling! Things or people which stirred up negative emotions, now seem to have almost zero effect. I am surprised at myself and feel blessed at this change. These situations are like a test for myself and the results just confirm my faith in yoga and its healing powers. Amazing!!!