Sthira sukham asanam – this aphorism, which can be found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, tells us that a yoga posture is intended to be an expression of the balance between effort and ease. In fact, some translations of this sutra state that unless this balance exists in the posture, it isn’t yoga.

Sthira means stable, strong and resolute. Working with this quality hones our ability to be present – to be attentive to our physical, mental and emotional experience of each asana. The stability this creates in the mind and the body brings a sense of confidence.

Sukham refers to a feeling of ease or comfort, which can be experienced as spaciousness on a mental or physical level. In fact the last part of the word sukham (kham) means space. Su-kham means more space. The opposite of sukham is dukham, which means a lack of space, and is often described as difficulty, or suffering. As we work with the quality of ease, we encourage self-acceptance and non-violence.

Asana means seat, posture, or situation. It is sometimes used to describe a series of postures that prepare us for seated meditation. It is said that the root of the word asana (as) means being present in one’s body – existing, inhabiting and living fully in it.

The principals of Sthira Sukham Asanam can be taken off the mat as well. The Yoga Sutra defines asanam to also mean ‘situation’- how we relate to our surroundings. Sthira-sukham offers ideas for how to be attentive in all situations. Sthira helps steady and clear the mind giving us the courage to face people we need to confront, stay true to ourselves even when our beliefs are not the popular opinion or when experiencing new things. Sukham allows us to go with the flow, have an open mind and remain calm in uncomfortable moments. When we allow ourselves to soften we release the ego and exaggerated feelings of self-importance. Sukham grants us an open heart to release control when appropriate and ultimately, to be compassionate. ~ Yoga teacher Carrie Godesky.

So how do we begin to apply this wisdom in practice? In reflecting on the evolution of my own yoga practice over the past 17 years, it has become clear to me that the application of this wisdom looks very different according to where we are in any given moment. In his book The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar says that it is only possible to find the qualities that are essential to asana if we recognise our own starting point and learn to accept it. This means starting each practice by checking in, really listening to ourselves, and being very honest about what we find.

When I first began to practice yoga on a regular basis, my practice had a strong physical focus. I was a thirty-one year old mother with two small children, and I was recovering from knee surgery. There was much to do in the way of strengthening my body, and the discipline to commit to a regular asana practice also took some time to develop. The emphasis on sthira was therefore justified, and the confidence I gained from practicing strong physical postures, such as deep backbends and exhilarating arm balances, stood me in good stead in all aspects of my life.

More recently I have found myself gravitating towards a practice that emphasises sukham. This makes perfect sense too, since I am at a very different stage in my life. I am now forty-eight years old. Some days my body requires a less challenging practice. Earlier this year, both of my children left home. Adapting to their absence has been emotionally and energetically challenging. As I look to my practice to nourish and support me, I find balance in other ways. That doesn’t mean that I no longer have a strong asana practice. In fact, some days I find that arm balances and backbends are exactly what I need. But there are also days on which I find meditation and pranayama are enough. The key to sthira sukham asanam is to be attentive to the way things change from day to day.

What about applying this wisdom in a yoga class, when someone else decides what happens? If you attend classes regularly, you will know that sometimes the focus of the class will be exactly what you need at the time. It is as if the teacher read your mind, and your body, and designed the class just for you. But what if the opposite is true? How do you find balance in a class when you feel the tempo is too fast, or the practice is heating when you think you need to chill? You can still explore the concept of sthira sukham asanam, and benefit from attending the session by honouring your needs.

Interestingly, in a group situation it can require sthira to practice sukham, because choosing to pause when the rest of the class is moving requires a different kind of strength. On the other hand, you might discover that a strong physical practice can actually help you burn away the lethargy that is clouding your mind. So by going with the flow of the class you might find energy and inspiration that would not otherwise have been available to you. Again, the key is to be attentive to the way you are responding from moment to moment. Your breath is your greatest ally in this process, because it will show you if the practice is serving you. The breath, like the posture, should be steady and comfortable.

Yoga meets us where we are. If we understand that the point of the practice is not to achieve certain postures, but to allow the postures to help us find our wisdom, then it can truly help us create steadiness and ease, no matter what life (or the yoga teacher) throws at us.

Namaste.

Article by Lynda Miers-Henneveld.

Fire is an amazing thing. We human beings are fascinated by its beauty and energy. When a fire is burning well, we can contentedly stare into the flames for hours on end. More often than not though, a fire needs constant tending to keep it from dying out or raging out of control. Our personal internal fire is no different.

Manipura chakra is the energy centre that governs the manifestation of our personal power. It is located at the level of the solar plexus, between the navel and the sternum and is thought to rule our will and autonomy, as well as our metabolism. The element associated with this chakra is fire and many of the practices we do to boost the energy at this centre are heating. Conversely, when our internal fires are a little too hot and this energy centre needs pacification, cooling practices are more appropriate.

As Anodea Judith states:

“When healthy, [Manipura] chakra brings us energy, effectiveness, spontaneity, and non-dominating power”.

When it’s excessive, we can become overbearing and aggressive. When this chakra is deficient, we can lack confidence. Maintaining a steady flame requires consistent care and attention. It is well worth the effort though, because a fully functional Manipura Chakra is a useful thing to have at your disposal when you’re pursuing a goal and trying to maintain good, solid relationships at the same time!

As an ambitious, driven sort of individual, I’ve never suffered from deficient energy at Manipura Chakra for any length of time. Oh sure, every now and then I fizzle out and need a confidence boost but generally speaking, my Manipura chakra blazes with all of the fire it’s meant to. And yes, sometimes the fire burns hotter than is sustainable…my apologies to anyone whose eyebrows have been singed.

Given that my predisposition is towards fire, I’ve spent a lifetime either consciously or unconsciously cultivating tools for maintaining some sort of equilibrium at Manipura chakra. I’m an expert at “Fire Practices” and can help anyone fan a lacklustre Manipura into a blazing flame. Many yoga practices that are encountered in every class are excellent ways to build strength and energy at this centre.

Unfortunately, I’m also pretty good at literally “burning myself out”. For a long time pacifying Manipura had been a huge challenge for me. One key discovery changed all that: the back of the body has a big role to play in maintaining the balance in this chakra.

In tantric philosophy as taught in Anusara yoga, the back body is associated with the Universal while the front body is associated with the individual. So often when we are out of balance at the level of Manipura chakra, our bodies tell the story. If we are excessive and our ego leads the way, our posture can be characterised by a forward thrust of the solar plexus area. Conversely, when we are deficient and lack confidence, we tend to shrink backwards, allowing the spine to round forward in a gesture of self-protection.

Interestingly enough, when we are straining towards a goal and embodying the physical characteristics of an excessive Manipura chakra, we tend to close off the back body and the area around our kidneys and adrenal glands gets squeezed. At a physiological level, we may be stressing ourselves out even more by compressing the area around the adrenal glands which kick out more adrenaline thereby making us feel more internal tension. It can become a vicious circle. On the other hand, if our self confidence is low and we curl forward, we end up stretching that area in an unconscious effort to soothe ourselves and create space around the adrenals.

In a yoga practice, when we over focus on strengthening the front body at the level of Manipura or when we thrust our solar plexus forward, we can be inadvertently saying that we can do it all alone, that we don’t need support or help. Conversely, when we curl into ourselves or resist cultivating strength in the abdominals, we can be unconsciously communicating our desire for support from the rest of the world perhaps because we need a little extra nurturing or because we feel like we lack the ability to support ourselves.

Balancing an acknowledgement and a trust that the universe has got your back with putting in good honest, personal effort is the ultimate expression of a well functioning Manipura Chakra. One practice that I have found tremendously helpful at cultivating that sense of trust is quite simple. Before beginning any practice or posture, I take a few deeps breaths into the back of my body. By inflating the area around my kidneys and lower back, there is an immediate sense of ease that comes into my body and my mind. As my friend and Anusara teacher Katie Lane encouraged me:

“Remember your connection to something greater, soften your sense of individual/separate self. As you draw the sides of your waistline back and release your front ribs down, invite your back body to shine with the buoyancy of the breath. Breathe here awhile. When you create that fullness in the midback, you’ll tap into a deep feeling of support”

It’s so true! I started consciously encorporating this bit of advice into my practice a couple of months back and the effect has been incredible and immensely healing. By opening into a sense of trust and dispersing my awareness away from my front body to include the back as well, my physical practice has gotten stronger and the level of my everyday sense of tension has eased. My internal fires burn much more steadily now and with far fewer destructive raging bonfires. And by maintaining that steadiness, more power is available to me more consistently.

As all of us know, our personal fire centres need constant tending, just like any other flame. Consider remembering the universal support that is available to help you tend yours. You may discover that you are far stronger and more resilient with less apparent effort than when you try to go it all alone!

~article by Kelly Fisher

Kelly Fisher is offering a workshop for students of all levels. On Sunday, September 12, come along to ask all of the questions you’ve been wondering about certain asanas. Check out the event listing  for more details!

Shankh mudra

Make yourself comfortable in a seated posture. Ensure that your pelvis is level and your spine feels elongated so that your breath can move freely. Rest your hands on your thighs with your palms facing up and take a few deep breaths. Now, wrap the four fingers of your right hand around your left thumb, hiding the thumb inside the curled fingers. Then extend the left fingers and the right thumb upwards, and touch their tips together, closing your hands. Bring your hands in front of your heart, close your eyes, and allow your breath to find a steady rhythm. Stay here for at least 10 breaths, then open your eyes and relax your hands back onto your thighs. Notice how you feel.

You have just practiced Shankh mudra. Shankh means shell, and you may have noticed that the mudra looked somewhat like a conch shell. The word mudra has various meanings. It can refer to a gesture, a symbol, a lock or a seal. There are mudras involving body and/or eye positions, but we often think of mudras as hand gestures, which can be practiced on their own, or in combination with yoga and meditation practices.

Many years ago, I discovered a wonderful book at my local library called ‘Mudras – Yoga in Your Hands’, by Gertud Hirschi. I thought the mudras looked fascinating and decided to experiment with them in my practice. Over time I developed some firm favourites and these have become an important part of my practice. Some mudras can help to focus a wondering mind, others can help to direct and regulate your breathing, and there are those which can strengthen your resolve or bring steadiness when you feel physically or mentally out of balance.

Did you notice when you practiced Shankh mudra that there was a shift in your awareness. Was it a little easier to access your breath and focus on the subtle sensations in your body? In this mudra the left thumb represents your higher self. As you encircle the thumb and place your hands in front of your heart space, you create a gesture of connection, comfort and security. The overall effect can be one of quiet confidence, and a sense of inner peace.

According to kundalini expert Lothar-Rudiger Lutge:

“…Kundalini yoga assumes that every area of the hand forms a reflex zone for an associated part of the body and brain. In this way, we can consider the hands to be a mirror for our body and our mind.”

Reflexology assumes that this is true for the hands as well as the feet, and that pressure points on the hands and feet can be used to great effect in healing all kinds of ailments. Gertud Hirschi adds that flexibility in the hands has a direct relationship to flexibility in the entire body. If we are tense in a certain place in the body, this tension will be expressed at a corresponding area in the hands. In practicing mudras, we use a gentle touch, keeping the pressure of the fingers light and fine, and the hands relaxed, so that energy can flow freely throughout the hands and to the rest of the body.

As another yogic tool for creating awareness and understanding of our human nature, the mudras can also help us to explore the koshas, which define the various aspects of our being from the gross to the subtle. As we bring the hands into the prescribed position we first of all experience the physical sensations of our hands touching in a particular way, and then we may feel the movement of energy within the hands, and the circulation of energy from the hands to the rest of the body. There is often also a perceptible change in the breath. As we take in all of these effects, we expand our awareness and our ability to focus our attention is improved.

Anjali mudra

Come back into your comfortable seat and now bring your hands together in front of your heart. Allow your thumbs to touch your body, to make a connection between your hands and your heart. Apply just enough pressure between your hands to be able to feel not just the touch of your skin, but also the energy flowing beneath the skin. Close your eyes, or relax your gaze at your fingertips. Visualise energy flowing from your hands, through your arms and shoulders, towards your heart. At the same time, begin to gently expand your heart space with your inhalations, inviting healing energy into your heart. Let your shoulders relax with your exhalations, and visualise the release of anything that you’d like to let go of. Continue for at least ten breaths. When you are finished, notice how you feel.

As I leave you with this experience of Anjali mudra, I invite you to explore these lovely gestures in your own practice. There are many resources available to help you find the ones that work for you. Gertud’s book is still available at the library, and since I now own a copy, you are more likely to find it on the shelf! Come into the studio and experience the mudras in asana practice, or check out the articles on the yoga journal website.

Namaste.

Article by Lynda Miers-Henneveld.

We are all born with fantastic intuition. As we grow older and more trained by the world, we become increasingly rational and logical. This transformation from soft, intuitive beings to solid, analytical ones is highly adaptive for the world in which we live. In order to achieve our society’s measure of success, there seems to be a collective agreement that we must deny some aspects of our natural, instinctive selves. Yet when we cultivate only the intellect and repeatedly deny or dishonour our deepest feelings, a sense of low level anxiety and dissatisfaction develops. Something within us knows we have taken a wrong turn.

Luckily, all is not lost. Just as we can strengthen a muscle that has atrophied, it is possible to dust off the cobwebs from our intuitive selves. The practice of yoga is tremendously helpful for reconnecting with the innate wisdom we all possess and also for realising our connection with the collective wisdom that is available just beyond the rational mind. Through the practice of yoga, we learn to go inside, to become sensitive to what our bodies are doing and along the way, we regain a sense of ourselves that is lost when we live largely in our heads. We begin to wake up and start living from a whole new paradigm.

Here’s a caveat though – we can’t “make” this happen. We can’t muscle our way into it, we can’t will it to happen, we can’t buy it. We can however, cultivate the conditions that allow our natural intuition to shine forth. The regular practice of yoga impacts our entire being – from the gross physical body, to our breath and our mind, all the way to the subtlest levels of intuition and spirit. By showing up for ourselves on the mat, by breathing and paying attention to our experience we start to clear the channels of debris that has clouded our ability to receive the messages being given to us by our intuition.

I am extremely fortunate. For the vast majority of my early life, having a finely tuned intuitive awareness was as adaptive for my life situation as having a sharp intellect is for most people. I lived in an environment where there was constant emotional upheaval. Because that was the case from the time I was very young, my innate intuition was still fully functional when I really needed it. Without realising I was doing anything unusual, I learned to read people and situations with exquisite precision in the blink of an eye, quite often with little concrete evidence as to why I knew what I knew. This skill meant I had advance warning for when I needed to find safety from the storm that was brewing…or to ready my defences if I had to.

Once I left home after University, I no longer needed to be as sensitive to my internal cues as I had been throughout my childhood. In addition, I joined the corporate world where sensitivity can be more detrimental than advantageous. Over time, I became indoctrinated into our culture more fully and my intuition took a backseat. As the years went by though, I felt increasingly disillusioned and disconnected. It took getting on a yoga mat to help me find my way back to my natural intuition and to begin to heal my relationship to it.

When I started practicing yoga, gradually, over time, I found I was able to soften and become receptive again. I re-developed the capacity to pick up on increasingly subtle cues from my intuition. As my intuition strengthened, I found it was important to trust it in order for my sensitivity to increase. By honouring my instincts I began to develop a self reliance that allows me to stay soft and receptive to the world, which in turns helps my instincts to remain sharp.

These days, I find when my practice is suffering, so too will my intuition. When I don’t take the time to allow the subtle channels of my being to be cleansed and refreshed on the mat, it becomes easier to dishonour my gut feelings. This disregard for my instincts has led me to make some remarkably bad choices. Ironically enough, the outcome of being deadened to my intuition creates situations where I feel the need to create a self-protective shell, which in turn makes it harder to be receptive to my intuition’s subtle whispers. So then I start over again, re-honouring myself by practicing and listening. Lo and behold, my innate abilities re-emerge, grateful for the opportunity to shine forth again.

Yoga helps us reconnect with our innate intuitive abilities by clearing us out energetically and by making us more receptive. In order to keep our intuition running strong though, we must honour it. The next time your intuition speaks softly to you, I encourage you to listen to it. Over time, you will begin to develop a trust in yourself and your intuition will no longer whisper – it will speak very clearly and often. And to keep that skill sharp, get on your mat at home or come to a class with us!

~article by Kelly Fisher