Alignment Yoga

Positive Change or Pathology - Video Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:37:34 PST

Positive Change or Pathology?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:37:44 PDT

Since you’re reading this, you likely have at least a passing interest in Yoga. Perhaps you’ve already mopped your proverbial brow with the thought I already practice yoga, so I’ve already cooled down my nervous system. Many Yoga practitioners think this, though are often surprised when they start to develop the symptoms of an overheated nervous system. Having taught thousands of therapeutic Yoga sessions, I’ve watched many well-intentioned Yoga students actually cause some of the problems they’d hoped to avoid! The following story is a compilation of many students’ experiences. While overall it is therefore a fictional account, these are real situations that have been reported by real Yoga students.

Tina’s friends had been after her for years to try Yoga. Despite her friends’ insistence that Yoga was indeed a workout, it wasn’t until the local studio offered the two-week unlimited Yoga special that she gave it a shot. After just a few minutes in the heat, Tina felt the familiar muscle burn and tremble that indicated – this really is a workout!

As her friends predicted, Tina was hooked. Adjusting her schedule to fit in at least five classes per week, Tina was surprised to find that she really did feel drawn to change her diet – just like her friends described! She no longer felt very well when she ate her breakfast scone, and was finding that her favorite comfort food, ice cream, made her feel all bloaty.

Simultaneously, Tina found that she needed less sleep. Where she used to sleep 8-9 hours per night, she was now bounding out of bed after only 7-8 hours. Some nights she’d even wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning, yet felt completely rested. Woo-hoo!

In addition to changing her eating and sleeping habits, Tina also noticed her social interests changing. Being around a bunch of people at a concert was just too much...too much noise, too many distractions and too much negative energy. Staying close to home became more appealing, and if she were out and about too much, would often come home feeling frazzled and drained.

After a few more months of Yoga, Tina began to notice her tastes in clothing changing, too. Her old workout gear began feeling itchy, and she found herself drawn to natural, organic fabrics. Even though the synthetic fabrics held up so well in the heat, her tastes drifted to organic cottons, silks and linens. Sometimes even a cute blouse in organic cotton would be problematic – the tag would rub on her neck and leave a mark!

Her favorite Yoga teacher talked a lot about de-toxing; and sure enough, Tina began to see the signs of de-toxing he kept referring to. Tina’s favorite necklace, a gift from her best friend, began to cause a rash, as did her watch. Understanding that these rashes were related to purging her system of toxins, she gladly put her jewelry away in favor of a simpler aesthetic.

All was not perfect, however. Tina did notice a few aches and pains crop up, though her teacher assured her it was another aspect of the process of de-toxing. The pain at her sitting bones, however, could be a literal pain-in-the-butt. And the front of her shoulders would often get sore after doing sun salutations. The solution, however, was easy – more yoga!

Does this story sound familiar - someone you know, or perhaps you? I hear similar stories all the time. Each of these shifts – change in diet, social interests, clothing tastes, etc. may indeed be signs of positive change. They may also be signs of pathology. In the following blog posts, let’s take a look at each of Tina’s changes and see how they may point to positive change, pathology, or some combination of the two.

Thanks for following! This blog is offered a free resource and source of inspiration, and we invite you to share with your friends.

~Scott
alignmentyoga.com

A New Discussion in the Yoga World

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:11:20 PDT

We are the inflammation nation. Virtually all of our health concerns are in some way related to inflammation, and oddly enough, this is something we rarely discuss in the Yoga world. This silence is unfortunate, as an intelligent approach to Yoga holds the potential to significantly reduce the inflammatory responses that often lead to aches and pains, insomnia, vascular disease and even some forms of cancer. This may sound a bit far-fetched, like the claims that the juice of a previously unknown tropical plant will cure any number of diseases; though recent research confirms inflammation’s role in many disease states.

The Nervous System
The overactive inflammatory response is often related to the state of the nervous system. The nervous system can respond to the same stress in various ways, and the inflammatory response is a modern epidemic.

The autonomic nervous system is in charge of many of the body’s functions, including the immune system, the gut, sexual functions, emotional heartiness, etc. The list goes on and on! Autonomic can be a mouthful, and if one simply remembers automatic, you’ll have a good start on understanding this complicated system.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
The autonomic nervous system is made up of two parts– the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The former relates to the fight, flight or freeze reaction, while the latter implies a calmer and quieter response to life’s stress. Sympathetic nervous system is not inferior to parasympathetic nervous system, as both aspects are essential for optimal health. It’s the balance of sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system response that is significant.

When the sympathetic is dominant, the body and mind go into survival mode. This survival mode causes significant changes in the gut, immune system and emotional reactivity, to name a few. Survival mode also increases the inflammatory responses of the body.

The terms can get confusing, can’t they? To really understand this subject, I recommend Robert Sapolsky’s book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. It’s a very readable and understandable discussion of a subject we’d all do well to understand. In addition to recommending this book, I’d also like to develop a more Yoga-friendly set of terms – "overheated" and "cool".

Overheated and Cool
I like to think of a cool nervous system as displaying an appropriate response to life’s stress. Stress is inevitable in life, isn’t it? While we can’t do much to change the stresses, we sure can change our response to stress. Responding to stress in a way that’s healthy in body and mind is evidence of a cool nervous system, and is related to the parasympathetic nervous system.

An overheated nervous system, on the other hand, tends to magnify each stress to the status of BIG stress. When we mobilize a BIG stress response, inflammation is sure to follow. The overheated nervous system is related to the sympathetic nervous system.

What does that mean for you?
Many aches and pains in the body are related to chronic inflammation. If you’ve been chasing pain around your body, resolving the pain in one area only to have to have it show up in another area, you may have an overheated nervous system.

If you live with food sensitivities or other symptoms of an overactive immune system, you may have an overheated nervous system.

If you find that loud noises or other sensory input is unusually jarring, you may have an overheated nervous system.

In the next blog entry, I’ll discuss how Hatha Yoga relates to the nervous system. While Yoga holds promise to help cool down a chronically overheated nervous system, it can also fan the flames. You may be surprised which techniques are cooling, and which techniques overheat the nervous system!

I'm interested in your thoughts and experiences! Please feel free to comment below.

Namaste,
Scott

alignmentyoga.com

Decafeinated Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:09:49 PDT

I could not believe what was being said about Greg Mortensen, and chose not to believe the initial reports. After all, I was getting my news from Facebook, and even in this era of news-from-blogs, I'm disinclined to consider Facebook a reputable news source.

The murmurs about the esteemed author of Three Cups of Tea continued, though, and I decided to investigate a bit further. What I found was most definitely troubling! That being said, this blog entry is not about the veracity of Mortensen's stories, nor the efficacy of his charitable organization; rather, it's about what I consider most in danger in this situation - our reluctance to dream big, and our skepticism that others can live big dreams, too.

We eagerly build the pedestals we put our heroes on, and at the first signs of their fall, we're often the first in line to dismantle these pedestals. This enthusiasm to dethrone our heroes - what does this tendency say about our minds?

We're often hesitant to embody our hopes and dreams. The mental tapes of too old, too fat, not smart enough, not rich enough are compelling background noise, and this static often comes to rule us. Every so often we find a person, a cause or an organization that jolts us out of the ordinary, and we get to touch the raw potency of the human experience. With Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortensen shook many of us out of the ordinary; and at least for a time, we dared to dream big. We imagined a world where the actions of one person created a cascade of positive results, and for a moment we touched our own latent capacity.

We may deny it now, though I distinctly remember the murmurs of enthusiasm as Three Cups of Tea made the rounds of book groups. The possibility of one person creating positive change awakened something beautiful in so many of us!

May we remember this feeling of inspiration, and know that it is latent within each and every one of us. While Greg Mortensen may have been a catalyst for contacting this feeling, he was not the creator of that feeling. It had been there, dormant, all the while. It can be scary to contact that inspired place, and when it is jostled open, fear and hostility often arise.

There are many people doing great things in this world. Some of them we hear about, and the majority work quietly in anonymity. In our busy and hurried lives, we may not notice the good things going on in our own neighborhoods, schools and communities. Our news sources have found that doom, gloom and apprehension grab people’s (and advertisers’) attention, so that’s how they portray our world. While we may feel betrayed by placing our trust in the story of Greg Mortenson, this one incident does not diminish the possibility for individuals to make positive change in this world. It is my sincere hope that the anger and cynicism I’ve observed arising from the recent controversy surrounding Greg Mortenson can be transformed into the burning desire to embody positive change.

Thanks for listening,
Scott

www.alignmentyoga.com

Natural Human Activity

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:21:44 PDT

Walking and running are among the most natural of all human activities. Children are generally up on their feet before they’re even potty-trained, and it’s not uncommon that they’re running, too!

Running is a uniquely joyous human activity. Children at play can scarcely contain their joy in running after each other, and we often find joy watching others run. Witness the popularity of watching various athletic events – the human body in motion, and specifically running, is a joy to behold.

Many of us hope to recapture that joy by running for fitness, yet how many of us have captured the ease and lightness we’re seeking? I witness the majority of runners on the trail, and their facial expressions indicate some sort of pain or discomfort. In my work as a Yoga Therapist, this observation is reinforced – many runners suffer injuries and often are in pain.

This is unfortunate, as running is a natural movement of the human body. We don’t generally believe that walking will ultimately lead to injury, and at a certain age we’d best give up walking for good. With running, on the other hand, we generally assume we have some good years in us, with the sword of injury hanging inevitably above our knees and back.

The problem is not with the activity of running – the problem is with our approach and technique. With the proliferation of highly-cushioned shoes, running technique has devolved from what our body was designed to do into an activity that bangs and jars the body. Jogging is not running, and is very hard on the body.

Because many of us have been jogging, and not running, there may be some habits to re-learn. As with most habits, a good start is to learn what the desired motion is, then utilize specific exercises to reinforce the healthier habits into the body-mind. At the same time, a balanced yoga practice can show us the imbalances imbedded into our body that may impact our natural ability to run; using yogic techniques, a more aligned and balanced body will be naturally resistant to injury.

From Monday August 1st to Friday the 5th, from 6-8am each day, I will be showing how yoga is a logical lead-in to rediscover the joys of running. This camp will have three distinct parts.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION:
The basis of growth in yoga, and arguably life in general, is mindfulness. Each morning session will start with instruction in mindfulness meditation. Greater mindfulness opens the doors to learning new things, in addition to all the scientifically proven benefits of meditation.

YOGA:
Following the meditation session, participants will enjoy a brisk yoga routine. This routine will emphasize re-aligning the body, and developing the breathing. An aligned body moves more efficiently and resists injury, while learning yogic breathing can help both newer and experienced runners develop greater aerobic capacity.

RUNNING:
Having spent the first hour of our morning session indoors in the yoga studio, we’ll turn our attention to running. The second hour of each morning session will focus on running technique, and will be held outdoors on the shores of Lake Wingra.

The running instruction will start by watching videos of great runners, and observing what makes their movement so fluid and efficient. With an understanding of what’s possible, participants will learn simple exercises to feel these movements in their own body. Once these movements become the new normal, participants will practice easy-to-learn running drills that reinforce healthy and efficient running technique.

By the end of the week, participants will have an understanding of healthy gait, and the steps that lead to efficient running. Regardless of starting fitness level, each participant will possess a roadmap to enjoy the natural activity of running.

For more information, questions or to register for Summer Camp 2011, visit https://www.alignmentyoga.com/ubercart/summer-camp-yoga-and-joy-running.

Namaste,
Scott

www.alignmentyoga.com

Change Your Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:49:41 PST

While in New Delhi last Fall, I had the chance to hear Daniel Goleman moderate some of the fascinating discussions with His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Mind & Life XXII. The science continues to reinforce what practitioners have known for thousands of years - this stuff will positively change your life in a lasting way!

To view an interesting article by Daniel Goleman about meditation and my teacher Mingyur Rinpoche, please click on the title Change Your Mind.

Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:16:03 PDT

For the past few months I've been teaching monthly courses at the Yoga Center of Eau Claire. It's been a joy to share Alignment Yoga with such a capable group of students, and also to develop new friendships along the way.

I've truly enjoyed teaching with YCEC owner Sandra Helpsmeet, and have treasured spending more time with her husband, Mark Helpsmeet. I've known Mark for several years, though only in the past few months have spent enough time with Mark to more fully appreciate his rich sense of humor and spiritual depth. When Mark invited me to appear on his radio show, Spirit in Action, I enthusiastically agreed.

The interview is a little under one hour in length, and discusses a wide range of subjects related to Yoga, the spiritual path, and the Spectrum Yoga Therapy program. I hope you get a chance to listen!

If you get a chance to listen to this interview, please feel free to share your comments - we'd love to hear your stories of the spiritual path, and any comments and questions that may arise.

Namaste,

Scott A. Anderson

Alignment and the Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:52:17 PDT

It has been about 16 years since I last crossed paths with BKS Iyengar. So much has changed since then – what would it be like to see my old teacher?

The opportunity arose at the twenty-second meeting of the Mind and Life Institute in New Delhi, India. I had the great fortune of receiving an invitation (a big bow of gratitude to my friend, RD) and I eagerly added another week to my already-planned trip to India.

"Building a scientific understanding of the mind to reduce suffering and promote well-being." Quite a mission, isn’t it?! The Mind and Life Institute is a marvelous organization that brings masters of the contemplative traditions and scientists together to share their experiences and findings. With His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the catalyst, these meetings demonstrate how the techniques of various contemplative traditions can change lives for the better. In the here and now, and in means compatible with our secular cultures, there are techniques that have been proven to literally change the mind for the healthier.

This particular meeting of the Mind and Life Institute was auspicious, as it was the first time some of the contemplative traditions of India had been included. Masters of Yoga, Advaita Vedanta and Jainism came together to share their commonalities and examine their differences with the contemplative practices of Buddhism.

The official meeting was set to start on a Saturday evening, and Mr. Iyengar’s session kicked things off earlier in the day.

My heart was beating at a faster clip as I waited outside the India Habitat Center for the doors to open. It was serendipitous that I was even at this Mind and Life meeting, and there were no assurances I’d gain admission to this meeting with His Holiness and Mr. Iyengar. Providence smiled, however, and at the 11th hour I was graced with a ticket to this event, and gratefully took my seat besides my Madison friends Marc and Astrid.

Mr. Iyengar took the stage first, and described how through Hatha Yoga practices the practitioner (sadhaka) moves the intelligence from the outer body to the inner body, and how this wisdom then flows back outward to the skin and beyond. Mr. Iyengar then brought two of his brave students onstage to demonstrate Utthita Trikonasana.

Mr. Iyengar asked them to prepare for the pose (arms outstretched), then described how the alignment of this pose gave insight into their inner states, and correspondingly how changing the outer form of the pose would rewrite their inner state. Mr. Iyengar’s students had been working in the preparatory pose intently for more than five minutes when Astrid leaned over and asked me if their arms may be tired. Yes, I replied, they most likely are rethinking their decision to appear onstage with Mr. Iyengar!

Thankfully, each demonstrator was allowed to shift into the full expression of Utthita Trikonasana, whereupon Mr. Iyengar observed various alignment points and how they related to inner states such as fear, apprehension, etc. At this point I began to revisit the doubts that first began to visit in the early 90’s – does the minutiae of alignment really feed the healthy mind, or simply reinforce extant patterns of control? The demonstrators on-stage looked like deer in the headlights, and compared to HH the Dalai Lama a few steps away, it was evident their mindstates were apples and oranges.

This is a question I’ve been wrestling for almost 20 years. Certainly alignment in the poses has its place; we tend to move from our strengths to avoid our weaknesses, and correspondingly move from our existing flexibility to avoid the stiff places. Healthy alignment in the yoga poses helps create a more balanced body by moving not only from the places that are easy and familiar, but more importantly, from the shadow places that we tend to avoid.

Alignment also helps focus the mind. Maintaining awareness throughout the body in a yoga pose keeps the mind from wandering, which supports the yogic technique of Dharana, or focused attention.

But does realigning the body make us more attentive, focused, loving, forgiving and compassionate? Or is a sitting meditation practice a necessary part of the equation?

I’d really like to hear from this blog's readers. What are your experiences, thoughts and impressions with regards to Hatha Yoga and the mind?
From India with Love,
Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

India!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:38:57 PST

Perhaps, like me, some of you read The Onion? The Onion claims to be America’s greatest news source, though I’m not entirely sure their criteria. Regardless of whether The Onion is the ultimate or penultimate news source, its columnists rarely fail to deliver a unique worldview.

A case in point is Jim Anchower. Anchower’s column rarely graces the pages of The Onion these days, though it’s not for lack of good intentions. In fact, the majority of Anchower’s columns describe the myriad reasons why he’s been unavailable. A broken car and/or job loss are almost always factors, though eviction and girlfriend trouble certainly are known to contribute, too.

After a long hiatus from this blog, I am feeling vaguely Anchower-like. Thankfully none of the aforementioned distractions have been a factor, though it has been a long time since I’ve shouted out to y’all. I’ve been busy.

I’d hoped to see my book released sometime last Winter. Daffodils came and went – no book. A warm Summer passed, and still the book was gestating. Pumpkins were harvested – no book. Every step of the way, the next layer of edits shaped it into a resource that was more visually pleasing and usable, though delays accompanied each addition and improvement.

Each delay required more of my time and attention too. There were sections to rewrite, photos to re-shoot and ideas to rehash. I feel blessed to have worked alongside the creativity of Greg Grube, Linda Mundt, Ngawang Pema and countless others who asked “what if?” Thanks to their creativity, Alignment Yoga – An Intelligent Approach to Ancient Wisdom has come to fruition.

My goal with the Beginning Practice Manual has been to provide a resource that describes how to practice yoga at home. There are many resources that describe how to practice a prescribed routine, though few resources that describe the more creative and rewarding practice that comes from within. There’s a time and a place for a template, though what’s promised to work for everybody rarely works for anybody.

Yoga poses confer benefits, and in some ways can be likened to pharmaceuticals. In the yoga world we generally shy away from pharmacology, though if you’ll bear with me for a moment, the comparison may be illustrative.

The neighborhood pharmacy is filled with medications, and each medication has relieved the pain and suffering of somebody at some point in time. Since each medication has relieved pain and suffering for some person at some time, one may conclude that taking a little bit of each medication may be the most powerfully therapeutic path. Imagine walking up to the pharmacy counter and saying “I’ll take one of each.”

Likely the pharmacist would look askance at your request, and rightly so. Medicines can react with each other, and often offer countervailing benefits. Taking amphetamine alongside a depressant may have recreational benefit, though rarely therapeutic benefit. Taking an antibiotic for a viral infection may offer a placebo effect, though doesn’t do much to help the cold. It generally makes more sense to make an intelligent diagnosis, and on the basis of what’s needed, determine which medications to take and when to take them. The same pattern holds true with yoga.

The choice of poses and their order is important. A stimulatory practice is different than a calming practice. The practice that helps resolve lower back pain may be different than the practice that helps resolve shoulder pain. One of the commonly cited impediments to developing a home practice is the uncertainty of knowing what to practice, and in what order. The Beginning Practice Manual explains how to organize a practice, and the fundamental points that support taking the practice from the mat out into the world.

The first printing of the practice manual arrived the day before my departure to India. It was hugely satisfying to page through the book and see the fruits of all these edits and delays, particularly on the cusp of this long-anticipated trip.

As I write this, I’m somewhere over Russia en-route to New Delhi. With regards to the blog, I’ll be making up for lost time in the next three weeks. I hope you’ll stay tuned, as this trip will be covering lots of territory!

I’ll be spending the first few days of this trip in New Delhi with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the world’s foremost meditation and yoga researchers. The conference promises to be eye-opening and inspiring, and I look forward to sharing the highlights in the coming week.

From the New Delhi conference, I’ll be heading up to Kathmandu with my friend and colleague Ngawang Pema. We’ll spend a few days practicing in the temples, along with the obligatory shopping for Tibetan and Nepali handiwork (holidays are just around the corner).

From Kathmandu we’ll return to New Delhi to pick up our crew of friends from back home. For many of our 18 participants, this is their first trip to India, and one of our goals in offering this tour was to provide a safe, comfortable and affordable view of India. I’m eager to show them my favorite places in India!

We’ll load up our chartered tour bus and trek to Dharamsala, where some of the participants will choose to take a course with HH the Dalai Lama (37 practices of a Bodhisattva.)

There’s even more to the trip than this, though I trust you’ll check back to the blog over the next few weeks. The trip participants have their own blog as well - http://ayindia.blogspot.com. You can keep track of our comings and goings, and learn the unedited and unfiltered experiences from the participants themselves.

It’s good to be back to blogging!

Namaste,
Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

Yada Yada Yada

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:35:24 PDT

I never expected to hear a mindstate described by the term "Yada-Yada-Yada", nor was I expecting the twinkly-eyed Tibetan man to define "Yada-Yada-Yada" as "Blah-Blah-Blah". Imagine my surprise when the shorthand for this particular mindstate became Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah!

Mingyur Rinpoche (http://tergar.org) was describing the constant stream of thoughts in our mind as the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah. Our reaction to the stream of thoughts tends to follow two paths. We either follow the directives of these thoughts (what he termed "Yes Sir"), or we fight these thoughts ("Get Out").

What are these thoughts, and how do we come to react to them by believing them ("Yes Sir") or rejecting them ("Get Out")? I recently had the chance to observe both reactions to Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah.

Yes Sir

I looked out the window at my yard this morning. Seeing the tall grass, I immediately thought of the person coming over to mow later in the week - I’ll need to pay Randy! I didn’t have the cash set aside, so I’d have to go to the cash machine. When would I do that? The day was already planned out! Tomorrow? Ugh - I didn’t want to make a special trip to Mt. Horeb. I can’t believe how much I have to do this week, and so little time!

This whole discourse started by simply looking out the window. There were people, cars, trees and the sky to look at, though I chose to see only the length of the grass. With the catalyst of the grass, my mind immediately began a stream of thoughts, one linking to the other. This stream of thoughts (the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah) had seized me! I deferred to this stream as being something substantial and concrete, and let it change my view of the day and upcoming week. Yes, there was plenty to do this week; though there was also plenty of time to get everything accomplished, practice some yoga and get out on the bike too. Under the influence of the “Yes Sir” reaction to Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah, however, I momentarily forgot the objective reality of my week, and fell into the scarcity mindset that can stress me out.

The stream of thoughts is omnipresent for most of us, most of the time. Without realizing it, we often say “Yes Sir” to these thoughts, and they end up shaping our view of ourselves and the world around us. As Rinpoche and other great meditation teachers remind us, this stream of thoughts does not have to constitute our reality. We can learn to train our mind to recognize the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah as being changeable and fleeting, rather than concrete and real. It’s our choice; and meditation helps train our mind to recognize our participation in making our own view of the world.

Get Out

If you’re anything like me, random songs often pop into your mind. A few days ago I found an old Yello song in my mind; and even worse, the soundtrack was stuck on repeat. Being a long-term meditator, I immediately recognized this as an option - I didn’t have to fall prey to these silly thoughts, as I was the master of my mind. Or so I thought. The more I tried to shove the song (a form of Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah) out of my mind with a "Get Out" response, the fiercer it came bouncing back. Do you remember the old toy, Weebles? Weebles were known far and wide for wobbling without falling down. Like an uber-Weeble, the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah kept coming back into my mind, despite all my efforts to shove it aside. As I struggled to concentrate on answering e-mail, my mind battled the soundtrack of Yello. Undeterred, the tune just kept popping back up into my mind like a crazed Weeble. My work efficiency and happiness had been thwarted by my “Get Out” reaction to the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah.

Rinpoche taught us that saying “Get Out” or “Yes Sir” to the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah generally fuels the fire, which doesn’t tend to make us happier and more capable people. By the practice of meditation, on the other hand, we learn another way to interact with our thoughts - a way toward a more expansive and joyful life. While this may sound like snake oil, it’s really a profound path - to be aware of the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah without reacting with the “Get Out” or “Yes Sir”.

Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah is generally catalyzed by a sensation: a sound, sight, smell, taste or feeling. These sensations are by themselves harmless - they aren’t even the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah; rather the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah is the overlay atop the sensation. What if we developed a relationship with our senses - perhaps a friendship?

Moving Meditation

Rinpoche teaches meditation practices that come from a Tibetan Buddhist lineage, and as a long-term meditator, I appreciate his simple and direct approach. At the same time, I am very interested in yogasana, and continue to study how the seventh limb of yoga (meditation) relates to the third limb of yoga (asana, or postures).

How do we practice “Get Out” or “Yes Sir” when we practice the yoga postures? Among the many possibilities within the physical practice, fatigue can be a great teacher. It’s virtually inevitable we’ll experience fatigue in some pose, at some time. The fatigue can serve as a bodily form of Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah. Do we react to fatigue with the “Get Out”, or the “Yes Sir”?

Perhaps you’ve been in a yoga class and an enthusiastic teacher is pushing you well beyond your perceived limits. As your legs tremble in Virabhadasana II, the mind is often doing cartwheels - I’m so tired! What if I fall down? Is anybody else this tired? Does the trembling mean there’s something wrong? This stream of thoughts is an example of the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah, in that one thought careens into the next thought, which generates another thought, which leads to another idea...

We often recognize this thinking as counter productive in our yoga practice, and therefore we try to stuff those thoughts away. Think about your breathing. Bend that knee. Deeper! We have many strategies to push the thoughts aside (Get Out), and quite often we get through the task at hand, and move on to the next. Too often, however, the “Get Out” reaction to fatigue comes back to bite us via injuries. Sensation is the voice of the body, and saying “Get Out” to the body’s voice thwarts the two-way conversation that is the essence of a mind/body activity.

If we don’t react with “Get Out”, we often say “Yes Sir”. In a movement practice, the “Yes Sir” has us believing the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah. When we believe the I’m so tired, what if I fall down, is anybody else this tired?, does the trembling mean there’s something wrong?, we’re likely to come out of the pose before we’ve had the chance to see what’s beyond our perceived boundaries. When we always operate within the comfortable confines of what’s familiar, we’re assured to become stiffer in both body and mind. Sensation was the starting point of the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah - in the yoga pose, can you stay present with the sensation?

With the body, ignoring the stream of thoughts has drawbacks, while believing the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah has its own perils, too. If we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t, what’s a yogi(ni) to do?

When we’re in Virabhadasana II, there are a flood of sensations. The thigh muscles have a story to tell, as do the hips and the arms. Can we be present with those sensations, even though the mind wants to take any one of those sensations and go running with it (my thigh is so tired, I wonder if my knee’s properly aligned, I had knee pain years ago, I hear knee replacement surgery is very painful, I’d better come out of this pose, no - I’d best hold this pose and strengthen my knee, is that my car out there? did I park my car legally? parking tickets suck...)? That stream of thought is business-as-usual for the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah. Without saying either “Yes Sir” or “Get Out”, can we simply perceive the sensation? There are so many sensations in each moment, and we don’t need to remain rigidly a-fixed to one or two. We can allow the mind to have a longer leash and observe how when we notice a smell, we may feel the thighs, and a moment later feel our yoga-shorts bunching up. It’s all just sensation; and without overlaying anything atop those sensations, they’re perfectly harmless. With that elevated level of awareness, the poses will confer greater benefit in both body and mind!

Namaste,

Scott

www.alignmentyoga.com

Yoga for Athletes - Cycling Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Tue, 24 May 2011 15:59:58 PDT

Local Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:27:28 PDT

Things are a bit unique in Madison, WI. You're as likely to see your doctor riding a bike to yoga class, as observing that your lawyer just got another tattoo. It has been said that Madison is 78 square miles surrounded by reality.

This past weekend was different, however, even by Madison standards. At the Overture Center for the Arts (the home for the Madison Symphony Orchestra and other yardsticks of Western culture) monks and adepts from around the world were present in unprecedented numbers. Less than one mile away, the leaders of mind/body science presented their recent research findings to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Later in the afternoon, the Dalai Lama dialogued with renowned scientist Richie Davidson about his latest research...to a packed concert hall! The dedication of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds was a weekend to be remembered - even by Madison standards. Check out the slideshow here: http://www.news.wisc.edu/slideshows/26/slides/194.

The best and brightest Western minds have masterfully studied the diseased mind. With admirable precision, mental illness has been described, and a dizzying array of medications made available for their treatment. While this has been a boon for those with severe, crippling mental illness, this approach has done little to spread happiness in the world. While we may have less disease, it doesn't appear as though we've made much headway toward happiness.

The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds is among the first facilities dedicated to studying those qualities of mind that create health, happiness and contentment. Long the province of spiritual seekers and monastics, a handful of forward-thinking scientists have turned their attention to the fundamental quest for a happy life. What could be more simple, yet dauntingly profound?

As a long-term yoga practitioner and teacher, and "recovering Physicist", the melding of the contemplative with the scientific is a dream come true for me. I was initially drawn to study Physics as a means to gain an understanding of how this world works. Sometimes this was a joy (understanding laws of motion and mechanics), while other times this quest shook the very ground I stood on (coming to view the natural world as an interconnected series of probabilities). Though I ultimately found Yoga my preferred path for studying the universe, I've long remained interested in the breakthroughs and progress of science.

The opening of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds inspires our continued research into yoga for those on the autism spectrum. Spectrum Yoga Therapy has been bringing the wisdom of yoga to the ever-growing autism spectrum community for several years. We've had some inspiring successes, and also had our why-didn't-that-work moments too! Regardless the outcome, we continue to ask "how can we do this better" in the hopes of doing more with less.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) used to be a rare condition, with an estimated incidence of 1 out of 10,000 children on the autism spectrum. Autism is now identified in 1 out of every 110 children. While better diagnosis is certainly a factor in these statistics, the actual incidence has most assuredly skyrocketed, too. Autism is now part of the fabric of schools, communities and workplaces across the country.

Madison, WI is recognized worldwide as one of the best places for someone with ASD to live. The University of Wisconsin's Waisman Center has long been a go-to resource, and the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP) are among the many local organizations dedicated to offering support to those on the Spectrum. The Madison public schools continue this trajectory by offering some of the most comprehensive and innovative programs for ASD found anywhere in the world.

Yet for all our local resources, every day we see people with ASD whose opportunities are cut short by a lack of resources. It was this observation that motivated the development of Spectrum Yoga Therapy. Our founding mission was to develop the simplest possible routines that delivered the absolute maximum benefit.

People with autism are often very bright and creative. They can be very interesting, and funny! And most importantly, they're people. As people, they carry the spark of something truly magical, mysterious and inspiring. Through Spectrum Yoga Therapy we hope to give those on the autism spectrum the tools to help them be all that they can be. It's a daunting task, though with organizations like CIHM blazing the way, our work seems more do-able than ever.

Thanks for following your passion and purpose,
Scott

www.alignmentyoga.com

Yoga for Athletes

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Sat, 01 May 2010 11:07:44 PDT

Very early in my studies, a teacher pointed out a number of my weaknesses. Though a humbling moment, it ultimately inspired me to practice the things I had been avoiding. Like so many of us, I found that working from my existing strengths blinded me from seeing much below the surface.

This can be a painful process. We build a notion of who we are and then we assemble evidence to support this notion. We generally watch the news channels that coincide with our existing view of the world, and when we encounter a radio or television program at odds with our worldview, we generally turn the channel quickly. It's human nature, and one of our greatest impediments to growth.

The role of a capable teacher is to guide us to visit our blind spots. Rather than practicing the same thing in the same way, the teacher asks us to see the world another way. Along the way, we find more effective and efficient ways to navigate this life.

My teacher had a particularly hard-headed student on his hands. Despite his clear descriptions of how I was deceiving myself, I alternated between denial (my body's different than his, or this is my special technique that's perfectly suited to me) and anger (he's just a fool who doesn't know what he's talking about). Finally, this teacher did what all good teachers do: he set a trap I couldn't escape from. Since I'm a very visual person, seeing a videotape of myself was the much-needed irrefutable evidence that even The Court of Scott A. Anderson would accept as evidence!

This was many years ago, and videotape was in its infancy. The cameras were tethered to a bulky shoulder pack, and the mere presence of a video camera generally gathered a small crowd. (If it wasn't the TV news being filmed, certainly something very interesting must be going on to merit being videotaped!)

As the crowd gathered around, my teacher began filming. Perfect, I thought, the crowd would serve as the de facto jury! When we finished filming, we would hook the VCR to the TV to verify that my existing worldview was indeed correct.

The next moments were transformational. What I saw on the screen was astounding...was that me?! Hearing my friends murmuring “yeah, you always do that” and “maybe you can improve”, were exactly what I needed to hear, though far from what I wanted to hear!

From that point on, I worked more agreeably with my coaches. My high jumping improved very quickly once I learned that inner perception and outer observation rarely yielded the same data. It was the start of a rewarding athletic career, and simultaneously the birth of a spiritual practice that continues to this day.

Though my athletic career eventually yielded to an increasing interest in yoga, meditation and recreational outdoor activities, I've long found working with athletes to be interesting and rewarding. Given a chance to see themselves more clearly, many athletes are very enthusiastic and willing to shed outmoded ways of being. In the face of hard work, many athletes roll up their sleeves and set about doing what needs doing. In short, the path of the athlete can be similar to the path of the yogi.

For nearly twenty years I've taught Yoga for Athletes. In these classes we examine how yoga can reduce injuries, how yogic concentration can enhance mental focus and the ways in which our unconscious habits/patterns thwart our efforts.

Virtually everyone has structural imbalances in their bodies, and an imbalanced body is susceptible to injury. Some muscles are too weak, while other muscles are overworking. Sometimes the muscles are healthy enough, yet the movement patterns use these healthy muscles in the wrong way, which can also lead to injury. An intelligent practice of yoga can help balance the body, which can dramatically reduce the risk of injury.

The best trained, most balanced body doesn't necessarily predict great results. A great athlete not only has a powerful body, s/he also has keen powers of concentration. Athletic competition requires that the athlete rev-up their nervous system to the highest level of arousal. In that ready-to-pounce state, the athlete enjoys the full powers of his/her body, and the attendant laser-focus of the mind. The trick is to not over-rev either body or mind in this peak state, which requires tremendous powers of concentration. Yoga has withstood the test of time in developing these peak levels of mental focus, which will immediately benefit the athlete. Whether serious competitor or weekend-warrior, greater clarity in gauging your inner-state will keep you performing better for many years to come.

My old track coach used the videotape to show me my blind spots, and Yoga does the same. The patterns we're blind to are the ones most likely to cause unhappiness or injury. I often encounter runners with injured knees who have a hitch in their shoulder movement. While the shoulder movement isn't something they're consciously aware of, the slight imbalance in their gait can lead to the frustrating "overuse" injuries. Yoga is an effective technique to reveal the hidden patterns straining our body.

I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon the practice of yoga so many years ago, and enjoy sharing this practice with athletes. Just this past year l taught yoga to four University of Wisconsin athletic teams and many top-notch Masters athletes. These classes were so well-received, I'd like to make them available to the Mound Street Yoga Center community this summer.

This summer, I will offer a six-week Yoga for Athletes class at Mound Street Yoga Center - keep an eye out for the announcement in an upcoming newsletter. To kick off this series, I will teach a two-hour workshop for athletes at the Blue Mounds Dharma Center on June 12, 2010 from Noon-2pm. This workshop is a condensed version of what we will cover in greater depth in the class series.

For those of you in the Madison, WI area, I hope you can join us. For those of you at a distance, please post a comment, letting us know where you're reading this, and what your favorite activities are. If we get enough responses, we'll post a video blog entry with a suggested routine for the activity getting the most mentions.

Thanks for reading, and get out to enjoy the spring sunshine!

Namaste,

Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:00:52 PDT

Each March, the Alignment Yoga Advanced Studies program graduates a new class of teachers. We're as pleased as ever with our current graduating class, and wish them all the best. Below is the message we send them off with:

Congratulations on completing this 15-months of study. We’ve covered a lot of ground together, and it’s been gratifying to watch where you’ve each gone with this yogic path.

What now? Where to go from here?

As we found with your Diversity of Practices projects, there are any number of ways to express the practice of yoga. The goal of this course has been to give you the tools to make intelligent choices in your practice and teaching. There are only a few rules to follow when working with bodies; and similarly, very few rules in working with mind and spirit, though there are many interpretations.

The primary thing is to practice. Even if you only have five minutes to practice on a given day, you’re building the principle in your Yogic Savings Account (YSA) with each minute you spend practicing. Regular practice is the key.

What you practice isn’t as important as your commitment to practice. There are so many interpretations of yoga, of which Alignment Yoga is one. Whether you choose to pursue further studies in Alignment Yoga, Svaroopa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, etc…find a path and stick with it. The old expression, "an inch deep and a mile wide," frequently applies to American spiritual pizza. We’ll take a little of this, a smattering of that and make it into a pizza, and then proclaim how spiritual it all is. Any path will inevitably become boring, and at some point we’ll question its veracity. Hmm…that path over there sure looks a lot better! While it’s essential to broaden horizons and study with a variety of teachers, this restlessness is a frequent companion on the inner path. You can almost hear the ego breathe a sigh of relief when practitioners jump from path to path!

This being said – be sure to keep exploring! There are so many avenues to growth, and we can grow from each of them. The potential for inner and outer transformation exists in meditation, Pilates, Yoga, family life, martial arts, gardening, volunteering and more. Keep your eyes on the horizon, even as you focus on your path.

Keep in touch! We love to hear where participants in this program end up. We’ve had students study abroad, open studios, change careers, start families, the list goes on and on. We sure hope you’ll keep us abreast of your adventures!

We’re honored to have worked with you the past 15 months, and sure hope our paths may continue to cross in the future.

Namaste,

Scott A. Anderson
www.alignmentyoga.com

Yoga Conferences

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:10:44 PDT

The first yoga conference I ever attended was in the Spring of 1992. The Ann Arbor MI yoga community hosted the Iyengar Yoga Convention, and it was a thrill to be in the presence of so many experienced teachers - particularly the presence of Mr. Iyengar himself.

Most everyone was referring to Mr. Iyengar as Guruji, and despite some misgivings, I began trying this on for size. Mr. Iyengar my guru? What would that be like?

Being very tall and one of the youngest attendees, the convention organizers quickly put a top-hat on my head, and asked me to announce room assignments. Without even thinking about it, I used my loudest outdoor voice to announce the whereabouts of Guruji. It came out of my mouth... my mouth! Guruji will be in room ___ at 9:30am! I wondered where the confidence to say Guruji came from? Was it the top-hat, or did I really mean it?

That spring found me deeply conflicted. I'd been steadily advancing toward my Iyengar Introductory certification until Jumpin' Julie introduced me to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. I was immediately smitten with this vigorous form, and found my practice vascillating between precision alignment and blow-out-the-cobwebs vinyasa. The winter of '91-'92 was long, cold and snowy in Minneapolis, and provided the perfect backdrop for my 20-something angst. Surely there had to be the one, true way? But what was it?

Already my yoga library was swollen with titles, including Dona Holleman's seminal book, Centering Down. I'd studied this book cover-to-cover, and its margins were filled with notes, questions and observations. It was, and remains, one of the most thoroughly studied books in my library.

While at the Iyengar convention, I heard word that Dona Holleman would be teaching a course outside of Boulder, Colorado that summer. While my finances were already stretched painfully thin to attend the Iyengar Convention, I vowed to one way or another study with Dona Holleman as soon as possible. Just a few months later I found myself driving up the long driveway to Shoshoni Ranch after having sold my house; and I was thrilled to finally meet the teacher whose book had transformed my practice.

That first morning I felt distinctly out of place and intimidated. Participants kept filing in and unrolling their green mats (Molivos mats were the only mats available at the time), and it was like a who's who of yoga. Authors of yoga books and videos had traded in their role of teachers for the role of student, and it was evident this retreat would be memorable.

We began with a long meditation on the back deck, which was like a drink of cool water. I'd put my meditation practice aside in deference to the teaching of Iyengar, who believed a mastery of asana is the prerequisite for the quieter practices. I hadn't sat in meditation for years, and it felt so good to be home again! Each morning began with sitting meditation, and I was thrilled that my mutual interests in Zen and Hatha Yoga could potentially support each other.

Dona began the first afternoon session with a loooooong headstand. When none of us had fallen out of headstand after 30 minutes, she authoritatively informed us that we weren't really practicing yoga. Only when we are actively searching for our limits are we becoming yogis; and if nobody was falling out of such a long headstand, then we were all playing it "too safe" she said. Having suitably humbled us, Dona cut the afternoon session short in favor of a walk in the forest.

Each day slid into a rhythm, with progressively more challenging material. We first learned to drop back from standing into a backbend. The next day we learned to stand back up again. When the class had largely mastered this, Dona suggested we perform 108 of these dropbacks...synchronized with the breathing. (For those who could keep up, this practice took only slightly more than 10 minutes.)

It was a marvelous week, and it changed the trajectory of my yoga practice. Through Dona's teaching I came to view gravity as an ally, rather than the enemy. Under Dona's guidance I reclaimed my meditation practice. Sitting under the stars and sharing a pint of ice cream, Dona gave me permission to drop the pretense of "eating like a yogi" and to simply enjoy the fruits of this lovely, green Earth.

From Shoshoni Ranch I continued my travels to Tucson, Arizona, where I spent the next year continuing to explore who I was as a practitioner, teacher and young man. While the answers didn't reveal themselves immediately, it was a period of intense practice and growth in all regards. It was clear my misgivings about the term Guruji were less about the concept, and more about the specific relationship. Despite my love of Ashtanga Yoga, my Pita constitution and such a stimulatory practice were the makings of spontaneous human combustion. While I craved a clear-cut and intact path to travel, that one week with Dona Holleman made it clear that external paths were not necessarily the only sorts of paths there were.

Nearly 20 years later, I still consider Dona Holleman one of the single greatest influences on my practice and teaching. I've studied with her whenever I can, and continue to recommend her books to all whom inquire. When I heard her most recent book, Dancing the Flame of Life wasn't going to be sold in the United States, I immediately contacted to Dona to find out how Alignment Yoga could import this title.

After nearly one year of planning, Dancing the Flame of Life is now offered for sale in the United States through Alignment Yoga. We're pleased to be trusted with the sole North American distribution rights to this book, and are confident many practitioners will benefit from Dona's wealth of experience and insight. Dancing the Flame of Life continues the tradition Dona started with Centering Down. Difficult concepts are broken down into manageable bits, and Dona's 40+ years of teaching experience come shining through. Whether you're new to the practice, or among yoga's most seasoned teachers, you'll find insights and inspiration within reach.

This weekend - March 27-28, 2010 - marks the debut appearance of Alignment Yoga at the Toronto Yoga Pilates Conference and Show. We're pleased that Alignment Yoga teachers Rick Gunderson and Greg Grube have made the trek to Canada, and look forward to sharing Dona's newest book with conference attendees.

For Dona's book and several other recommended titles, please visit our online store:

https://www.alignmentyoga.com/ubercart

Does Generosity Preclude Abundance?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:19:11 PDT

The job of a teacher is to break a certain subject matter down into manageable bits. While the pantheon of yoga can indeed seem overwhelming, a good teacher introduces new information bit-by-bit as the student is ready. Over a few years, much progress is made in both externally observable criteria such as flexibility, and more subjective internal progress such as patience, generosity and compassion. Once in a great while, however, the good teacher pushes the student well outside their comfort zone in the path to understanding.

Over the years, I've worked on developing my capacity for generosity. As a young man, I was convinced that donating/giving was the province of the wealthy. If I'm rich someday, I'll donate a pile of money to _____________. That someday lasted a number of years, and it wasn't until a conversation with my friend and spiritual mentor Morari Bapu that I began to truly understand generosity. Bapu made it very clear that giving/generosity was not based on abundance; rather abundance is based on the capacity to be generous.

I worked for several years on building the Blue Mounds Dharma Center, and in the process, bounced a few checks. The project was undercapitalized, to say the least; though it came together with the help of many friends. Once I got a handle on the operation of this long-term dream, I began to think about the next step in its evolution. Imagine my surprise when Bapu looked me right in the eye, and without hesitating said that the next step in developing this facility and community was in service. It was this advice that opened some doors deep inside of me, and was ultimately the origin of Spectrum Yoga Therapy, an Alignment Yoga program that offers low-cost yoga to those on the Autism Spectrum.

Whew! Lesson learned. I could now check service and giving off the list, right? As it turned out, not so fast. As with so many life lessons we consider learned, another layer of understanding was required in order to keep moving forward.

Upon hearing about the terrible earthquake in Haiti, it seemed essential to share the resources of the Mound Street Yoga Center community with those in need. Within a few days, we'd mobilized our plan to donate 100% of the proceeds from individual classes to the relief efforts of the American Red Cross. Even better, Mound Street Yoga Center would match all contributions in full! We were enthusiastic, and figured we'd raise $1,000 or so to send off to Haiti. Imagine our surprise when the first 1-1/2 hour class raised over $600!

This pattern continued throughout the week of fundraising until the Mound Street Yoga Center community had raised well over $2,000. This meant MSYC had also committed to contributing $2,000! When all was said and done, the total contribution came to $4,170! To the Haitian people, I'm sure this will seem like a small fortune. To the members of our community, the donations will not likely impact our pocketbooks in the least.

As the Director of Mound Street Yoga Center, I'm humbled to admit the degree to which this commitment made me squirm. We'd only budgeted half that much! What are we going to do without that extra money? What if this happens? Or that happens? If the economy does this? Or that? Blah, blah, blah...

It was the old tapes playing again - the idea that abundance is the prerequisite for generosity; or more accurately, the difficulty in accepting the abundance that's already present! Once again, I was pushed beyond my comfort zone and thereby experienced this important life lesson much more deeply this time.

I'm incredibly grateful to the Mound Street Yoga Center community for stepping up to the plate in such a meaningful way. I'm also grateful for the reminder that giving is an essential part of the human experience, and we don't have the luxury of waiting until we have a surplus to practice generosity.

May the people of Haiti benefit from our community's generosity, and we remain thankful for the abundance we often take for granted.

Namaste,
Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

Pelvic Floor - Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:02:33 PDT

Sumo Pose

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:02:00 PDT

Body & Emotion

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:31:38 PST

One of the joys of teaching is the exchange of knowledge. While my work relates to the ostensible outflow of yoga knowledge, it's the rare yoga session where I don't come away with something, too. Perhaps I refine my teaching methods by noting a pattern in someone's body/mind, sometimes I'll learn what not to do from hard experience, and sometimes I get to see yoga through the lens of another subject area.

I've been fortunate to work with many experts. Working with acupuncturists invariably demonstrates the relationship between yogasana (postures) and the nadis (or meridians, as the Chinese call them). Teaching surgeons often yields insights into the internal workings of the body. While working with a veterinarian a few years back, we observed that the musculature of the human pelvic floor is remarkably similar to the pelvic floor musculature of dogs and cats.

For humans, the pelvic floor muscles juggle the responsibilities of supporting upright posture, supporting the organs, and regulating reproduction and elimination. For the four-legged animals, the pelvic floor muscles are primarily associated with elimination, reproduction and communication. The functions of postural and organ support are a moot point when the spine exists in the horizontal plane (as in the case of four-legged animals).

While our furry friends don't use words to describe their mental state, they do use their tails to communicate. We can ascertain the mindstate of a dog by observing its tail. A tail lifted high suggests an enthusiasm and zest for life (it's time to play!) The tail tucked between the legs communicates fear and submissiveness. If you've lived with quadrupeds for long, you're likely familiar with the nuances communicate by the tail such as annoyance, apprehension, fear, exuberance, etc. The muscles of the pelvic floor support the expressive tail, and are a vital aspect of the quadrupeds' communication of its inner state to the outside world.

Since the quadruped pelvic-floor musculature is so similar to the biped pelvic floor, I've long contemplated the relationship between our human pelvic floors and our minds. Subjectively, I think the parallels are compelling. When I see a person holding their tailbone tucked in a yoga pose, their eyes communicate distress. You can literally see the effort involved to "hold it all together." This is not a pleasant way to navigate the world, and most certainly is not continent with the aims and philosophy of yoga. While the tension involved with "tuck the tailbone" is readily visible, it remains a common yoga instruction. This is unfortunate, as a toned pelvic floor (leading to mula bandha) is very important for good posture, while a tailbone that's rigidly tucked suggests that the sky is soon to fall. Surely there's a middle way.

Just last week I was working with noted animal behaviorist, Patricia McConnell. Patricia (http://www.patriciamcconnell.com) is a joy to work with, as her infectious curiosity is a perfect fit with Alignment Yoga. During our last session, our conversation drifted into the realm of pedagogy.

Patricia related the dilemma when well-intentioned dog owners try to teach their furry friends the end-result. In their enthusiasm for the result, they often neglect the intermediate steps required to get from here to there. We both had a good laugh, as I find the very same thing in yoga teachers/students.

In education, it's important to know your starting point - where here is. Once you've defined your starting point, define where it is you'd like to go - where there is. Once you have identified here and there, identify the steps that lead sequentially from the starting point to the goal.

A toned pelvic floor is imperative for the health of the reproductive system, urinary tract, bowel, and good posture. Unfortunately, many people have disconnected their minds from their pelvic floor, and the musculature has defaulted into a state of chronically contracted weakness. Suggesting that students tuck their tailbone in a yoga pose teaches that good health and vitality is not their natural state. While tensing the pelvic floor may be a starting point to bring awareness to an unfamiliar region, to suggest moving through the day in this alignment suggests that we bipeds don't have a secure place in this gravitational field. In Alignment Yoga, we use progressive techniques to guide students back to a comfortable relationship with being in their body. Good health and vitality is our natural state, as a dog's natural state is the very definition of joie de vivre.

A healthy pelvic floor results from taking appropriate steps to get from here to there. Next week I'll be posting a video blog that describes a reliable technique to reconnect with the pelvic floor, and concrete steps to develop more functional strength and flexibility in this often misunderstood part of the body.

Namaste,
Scott Anderson
www.alignmentyoga.com

Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:01:08 PST

Solitude can be a powerful ally in the inward journey; though just as readily, solitude can be the province of self-deception. Perhaps you've experienced moments of great clarity, only to have your repose shattered by the intrusions of your wife/husband/child/pet. How many of us daydream about the potential for enlightenment, if only we could only escape from the distractions all around us?

Relationship becomes the true test of our inward journey. If we are as kind, open-hearted and generous when surrounded by the most difficult people, then our practice has really borne fruit.

Within our own bodies, relationship is every bit as important. I encounter many yoga students who have studied individual muscles at great length, yet have neglected to consider how the muscles are to glide across each other in healthy movement. The body is a collection of layers. Atop the bones are the deepest muscles, and atop those muscles are more layers of muscles. The capacity of muscles to glide fluidly one across the other predicts optimal health far more reliably than the condition of any specific muscle. In other words, the relationships among the muscles are more important than solitary muscle-enlightenment.

The individual muscle fibers are wrapped in a sheathing called fascia. Fascia is a form of connective tissue made of the same stuff as ligaments and tendons. It's very tough, and helps define the shape of each muscle, and in turn, the body. The thin sheathing of fascia not only contains each muscle, it also acts as a sort of lubricant in that healthy fascia glides smoothly against adjacent sheaths of fascia. In optimal health, the fascia is very slippery, and adjacent tissues can glide freely without dragging or getting stuck on its neighbors.

For many of us, however, our tissues don't glide very smoothly. Regardless of the health of any individual muscle, if it cannot glide smoothly across adjacent tissues, this drag on the system will cause stresses to be transmitted to the joints. In teaching therapeutic yoga, I often find these sorts of adhesions underlying the common pains of the neck, shoulders, back and knees.

There are many causes of fascial adhesions. One of the most common is a previous injury. When a muscle is strained or torn, the body logically adheres the injured tissues to adjacent muscles. This forms a sort of splint that allows the injured tissues to heal. Once the healing is complete, however, the adhesions usually remain frozen in the body-matrix. I've worked with many students whose current pains are related to adhesions resulting from injuries or surgeries two or more decades previous! One of the benefits of a regular, intelligent practice of yoga is to restore the fluid relationships among neighboring tissues.

Another common cause of fascial adhesions is stress. When under prolonged stress, the body naturally tries to create its own armor. When adjacent tissues are glued together, the body becomes nearly impenetrable. While this may buffer the short-term stress, the body becomes progressively stiffer and less resilient. When a sudden movement is required, such as catching one's balance or reacting to an unforeseen situation, the brittle tissues are more likely to over-stretch or tear. A practice of yoga that includes a committed focus on breathing can be a powerful antidote to stress, which yields long-term benefits for body and mind.

Along with prior injury and stress, another common cause of fascial adhesions is poor hydration and/or diet. Dehydration literally dries out the body's tissues, and the fascial layers inevitably glue together into a desiccated mass. Drinking at minimum a half-gallon of water each day is a good starting point, and many people may thrive with much more than that. A healthy diet that includes a balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and protein also contributes to healthy connective tissue. Over-processed, salty or sugary foods have a dehydrating effect on the connective tissue, which contributes to sticky muscle relationships.

Our bodies are engineered for tremendous vitality and longevity. By avoiding interactions that carry the potential of causing us pain or injury, we often barricade ourselves from the real potential for growth. When we fully commit to the risks of a well-lived life we may get hurt. Rather than recoiling from the possibility of sticky relationships, a dedication to the practices of meditation and yogasana are profound lubricants for both body and mind, and allow us to live in the possibility of achieving optimal health. Through the harmony of body and mind, the doors to spirit are thrown open.

Best wishes during this holiday season!
~ Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

BMDC Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:02:37 PST

Alignment Yoga is indigenous to the Driftless Region of Wisconsin. The seasons keep us honest, and days like this invite a longer-than-usual practice.

After a few hours of snow removal and a hot cup of tea, an afternoon inversion practice seemed like just the thing.

Seasons Greetings!
~ Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

Micromanaging and Moksha

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:38:34 PST

Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot was not known as a yoga teacher, though his scientific work has great application for those of us interested in Moksha (yogic liberation).

Carnot was a French physicist who laid the theoretical groundwork that led to the development of the internal combustion engine. Whether you loathe or love this particular technology, Carnot's work was the start of a long line of innovation that led to harnessing the Motive Power of Fire. Having developed the thermodynamic principles (now known as the Carnot Cycle) that made internal combustion engines possible, Carnot also described what is now known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Understanding the conceptual framework of the Second Law of Thermodynamics can be liberating for students of yoga.

There are many ways we can express the 2nd law, as its wisdom has proven useful across many branches of science. In essence, the 2nd law tells us that an ordered system is very difficult to maintain. As time goes on, it takes progressively more energy to maintain a high level of order. Put another way, the natural state of things is to decay into less orderly arrangements. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics refers to the tendency of highly ordered systems to relax into stable equilibrium, which is sometimes called entropy.

The houses we inhabit demonstrate the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Without regular applications of energy (time and money) a house inevitably decays. The older the house, the more energy required to maintain its order.

The human body is a great example of entropy prevailing! Our bodies are highly organized and structured when we're young, and with the passage of time the body becomes less and less orderly. By investing time and energy into our health, we may slow down the aging process. Inevitably, however, the passage of time will see disorder creep into the system.

The laws of thermodynamics apply to yoga poses, too. The effort to align the body in a yogasana takes a good deal of energy, both psychic and physical. Maintaining a high degree of order for any length of time takes progressively more and more energy. While this effort harnesses the mind and builds strength, at a certain point it becomes futile. The 2nd Law describes the workings of the natural world: the pursuit of orderliness takes more and more energy, and at a certain point the disorder will inevitably prevail.

At first this may sound a bit discouraging, though within entropy is yogic liberation. In the yogasana, attention to alignment can be an effective means to still the mind and rebalance the body. Perfect alignment, however, flies against the laws of nature. Striving to hold onto a notion of perfection in the poses not only defies the laws of physics, it's one of the root causes of suffering that was first identified by the Buddha - the idea of attachment.

When practicing yoga postures, an awareness of alignment can develop both body and mind. Too much focus on alignment, however, can take us farther afield from the state of Yoga. The perfection of the pose is the depth of knowing its transitory nature. The effort to perfectly sculpt the body into a static form is the mind-trap from which many of us seek liberation. When practicing, keep in mind the irony of focusing on alignment: too little, and we remain stuck...too much, and we swim against the currents of the natural world.

This just right amount of alignment awareness? We get to experience firsthand the Motive Power of Fire that Carnot described over two-hundred years ago.

Namaste,
Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

Triangle Pose and your SI joints

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:28:54 PST

The other day I was reading an article about yoga injuries. When you're a full-time yoga teacher, the subject of yoga-injuries is a pretty disheartening matter. I imagine an auto mechanic feels similarly when a wheel falls off during a test-drive (ahem, not that I know anything about that particular example!).

The article, titled Understanding and Preventing Yoga Injuries, appeared in the 2009 International Journal of Yoga Therapy. While yoga remains a safe and effective path, the article underscored the need for yoga teachers to better understand the mechanics of the body.

I was watching a colleague teaching Utthita Trikonasana, commonly known as Triangle Pose. It is virtually ubiquitous in most yoga classes; and while it has the potential to open the hips and free up the spine, it also has the potential to strain the sacroiliac (SI) joints. Given how many millions of Triangle poses are likely taught each day, a deeper understanding of pelvic anatomy could help many people live happier in their body, rather than contributing to the statistics cited by Dr. Fishman and his colleagues in the article.

Each joint has its healthy range of movement, just like the hinges of a door. Within that healthy range of motion, practicing yoga creates a healthier, stronger and more flexible body. Moving beyond that healthy range of motion places stress on the joints; and persistent stress on a joint is likely to be injurious. Perhaps you've had a door yanked out of your hand by a gust of wind? Most of the time it's no problem, though occasionally the hinges are bent and the door no longer closes properly. Triangle Pose, if done correctly, exercises the hip joints and surrounding musculature. Done incorrectly, this pose torques on the SI joints, which may cause sufficient strain , and subsequently, injury. Door hinges can be replaced - SI joints take a long time to heal.

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. Like any joint, there's a balance of stability and mobility. Because the hip joint bears so much of the body's weight, its design favors stability over mobility. The hip joint has huge range of motion in flexion (folding forward) and significantly less mobility in abduction (movement to the side).

When a yoga teacher suggests that the pelvis face straight forward in Triangle Pose (perhaps you've heard the instruction: "like your pelvis is between two panes of glass") they are insisting that moving into Triangle Pose comes primarily from abduction. Because the hip socket has less range of motion in abduction, bringing the hand to the floor or onto a block takes the hip joint to the limits of its range of motion, and beyond. Unfortunately, it's often the sacroiliac (SI) joints that pay the price. I've seen many yoga students injure their SI joints in Triangle Pose.

In Triangle Pose, the hips should not face straight ahead. Yes, many practitioners can do that; though in the process they're often putting the hip socket into a bone-on-bone situation, or they're asking their SI joints to torque in an unhealthy way. When practicing Triangle Pose, be sure to let your hips turn slightly to the floor as you enter the pose. Once you're sure that both sides of the waist are lengthening evenly, then experiment with turning the hips forward. Since your body-weight is already shifted into position, the turning of the hips is less likely to strain the hip socket or the SI joints.

Caveat Emptor
The benefits of yoga come through regular practice. It's through regular practice that yoga passes from a theoretical pursuit, to a highly practical and life-affirming endeavor. It's also through practice that you get to test the instructions that got you on the road to a home practice. If these cues yield more vitality, you're on the right track. If you feel drained or injured after a particular pose or sequence, then you know there's something amiss.

Most yoga teachers are repeating the instructions they heard from their teacher. Their teacher is most likely repeating the instructions they heard from their teacher, and so on. The vast majority of instructions are insightful, beneficial and most assuredly safe. Some of these instructions, however, are taken out of context. Some of these instructions were misunderstood (remember playing Telephone when you were a kid?). Some of these instructions were flat-out inaccurate/incorrect years ago when they were first spoken, and have survived largely because the originating teacher spoke them with such confidence.

Many yoga injuries can be prevented. Be sure your yoga teacher is well-versed in anatomy and physiology. Also be sure they’re thinking independently, and not simply repeating what they’ve heard without having tested it in their own practice. If you feel pain, discomfort or feel drained in a particular position, inquire whether you’re moving in harmony with the body’s mechanics, or in opposition to the body’s brilliant design. Let’s see yoga injuries become a footnote in the history of this great path!

Namaste,
Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

Autumn at the BMDC

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:07:15 PST

The equinox marked the official start of autumn, and our recent spate of cool weather underscores this astronomical observation. We've had our fair share of frost-on-the-pumpkin days, and what wasn't harvested already is next season's compost-able material.

After a string of cool and rainy days, a sunny day in the 50's is shorts and T-shirt weather. It's also the time to get the windows washed and the screens put away. Such are the rituals of the Midwest.

Have a great fall, and for those living in Northern climates, don't forget to drain your outdoor spigots, put away the screens and make sure there's no debris around to clog the inlet of the snow-blower.

From all of us here at the Blue Mounds Dharma Center,

Happy autumn!
~ Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com

Balance and the Senses

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Anderson) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:14:45 PST

While the majority of creatures occupy a more horizontal place in this world, we human beings occupy a uniquely vertical niche. We exist within a tiny operating window in the vertical plane, which requires both functional hardware and operable software.

In practicing yoga, we often focus on the hardware - are the muscles sufficiently toned? are the muscles flexible? do the joints have full mobility within the healthy range of the musculature? While functional hardware is essential to optimal health, it’s only a portion of the equation. Without coherent software, our motions are disjointed and inefficient.

The software of the human being is the interface of body and mind - clearly within the jurisdiction of a healthy yoga practice. It’s not sufficient to ask whether or not we can make any particular movement, optimal efficiency asks how we make the movement; and for each one there are generally several ways to accomplish the desired movement. There’s the most efficient way, and then there are all the other ways. Optimal health is moving with utmost efficiency regardless of the task at hand.

I often broach the subject of optimal efficiency via the sense of balance. There’s a lot of redundancy built into our perception of vertical. We utilize vision to determine where we are in space. We utilize our proprioceptive sense to determine where we are in space via the perception of weight distribution in the joints and muscles. We also gather information on our relationship to gravity via the feedback from the semicircular canals (vestibular sense) in the inner ear. The healthiest sense of balance uses information from all three senses to inform the mind where we are in space.

As people age, I generally find the visual sense becomes the dominant source of body-position information. As a result of this visual-sense dominance, the connection to proprioceptive and vestibular senses tends to wither. This may not pose a problem for a relatively young person with good vision and relatively elastic muscles; though for an elderly person with declining vision and slower reflexes, this over-reliance on visual feedback may well portend a nasty fall.

A balanced and healthy yoga practice asks us to exercise proprioceptive, vestibular and visual senses. This not only benefits the sense of balance, but may also keep the mind more elastic. Within the yogic tradition we have many tools that can provide this benefit, though we often find these techniques are thwarted by our lack of understanding.

I’ve heard many yoga teachers suggest students gaze at a specific point to steady their balance. While this assuredly helps many students stay upright in balancing postures such as Tree (Vrksasana), it directly feeds into our over-reliance on the visual sense. To reconnect with the dormant vestibular and proprioceptive senses, it’s important to be aware of your overuse of the visual sense.

In a healthy practice that includes a balanced routine of movement (sun salutations), inversions, front bends, backbends, twists and breathing exercises, the head is placed in every possible relationship to the vertical. Varying the head position exercises the vestibular system, and if we practice the correct gaze points we can keep the visual system in its proper place. Balance is a team effort, and the visual sense tends to be the proverbial ball-hog!

Another effective means to strengthen the vestibular and proprioceptive senses is by practicing yoga blindfolded every now and then. The blindfold removes the facial tension that often accompanies closed eyes, and removes the subliminal visual information that sneaks through the squinting eyes.

On Tuesday mornings I teach an Advanced Class at our Madison WI location - Mound Street Yoga Center, and we periodically run through a sequence of postures wearing a Mindfold Mask. Students are often surprised at how relaxed they are after this routine, and often comment at how quickly their balance improves as a result.

I wish I could claim I invented something this clever, though I must defer to BKS Iyengar for this particular inspiration. It was eye-opening (pun intended) when I first experienced Iyengar’s eye-wrap over twenty years ago, and remains effective to this day. Our technology has improved, though the insight remains the same. A balanced practice includes both hardware and software.

Namaste,
Scott
www.alignmentyoga.com