Yoga nidra is a unique practice also called yogic sleep or psychic sleep. It is a guided meditation where one can experience the koshas or energy layers of the body and our existence.

These layers are referred to as "bodies" and include the physical, energetic, mental, intellectual, and bliss bodies. Yoga nidra provides a framework to experience these layers individually and allow the practitioner to rest in conscious awareness.

The goal of yoga nidra, like all other yoga practices, is samadhi—blissful awareness and enlightenment. However, on the journey toward samadhi during yoga nidra, there are many ways your everyday life can benefit. Some of these include:

• Decreased stress.
• Better sleep.
• Increased imagination.
• Higher levels of self-awareness and understanding.
• More focus.

Interested in how yoga nidra works? Lets break down exactly how the stages of yoga nidra correspond with each kosha. It is also related to the stages of meditation as described by the sage Patanjali.

These stages are asana (poses), pranayama (breathing exercises), pratyahara, (exclusion of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi.

Read: The 5 Koshas: The Veils of Atman

Understanding the koshas is an important aspect of the yogic energetic body that takes some time to demystify. It is not something that can just be thought of theoretically; it is something that needs to be experienced.

The koshas take us on a journey from the outside in, as most yogic practices do. What they teach us is that the physical, manifested world is in a relationship with the unmanifested world and that actually there is no duality between them, as we typically tend to perceive it.

Annaymaya Kosha, The Physical Body

The physical body is correlated with the annamaya kosha and is directly linked to the third limb of yoga, asana. As humans, we first and foremost experience the world through our physical bodies. This is why it is one of the first limbs of yoga. It is the starting point.

During yoga nidra, there is only one posture used: savasana (corpse pose). You can use props to support yourself as you will lie there for anywhere from 20-45 minutes in a typical yoga nidra session.

How to perform savasana:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bring your feet wide and your hands a few inches away from your body, palms facing up and fingers relaxed.
3. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
4. Breathe while holding the pose.

If you have trouble relaxing or being still, try performing a few rounds of more intense asana such as navasana (boat pose) or plank pose to tire the body out for complete relaxation.

Read: Don't Skip Savasana: The Importance of Corpse Pose

Pranamaya Kosha, The Energetic Body

Here is where we begin our relationship to our life force energy, or prana, as well as emotional body. The energetic body is aligned with the pranamaya kosha and is linked to the fourth limb of yoga, pranayama. Pranayama is often described as breathing practice; however, it is also defined as the control and expansion of life force energy.

Yoga nidra includes not only conscious breath awareness but also various breathing practices designed to relax the nervous system. This also slows the brain waves from their waking beta-state to the meditative states of alpha and theta and finally to the deep sleep stage of delta by the end of the practice.

It is common at first to just witness the breath without changing anything. From there, various practices can then be utilized, such as:

• Sama vritti (equalized breath at 4 or 5 counts).
• 4 count inhale/8 count exhale ratio.
• Anuloma viloma (alternate nostril breathing).
• Counting the breath backward from any number. Multiple of 9’s are common, such as 27 or 54.

Manomaya Kosha, The Mental Body

This level encompasses the next 2 stages of meditation, pratyahara, and dharana, which directly correlate to the mind. This is called the manomaya kosha.

During pratyahara, you withdraw your chitta, or consciousness, away from the five sense organs. This is done in the practice of yoga nidra through the process called the rotation of consciousness. This is essentially a body scan where you move quickly from body part to body part with awareness and nonattachment. This prepares the mind for the next phase, which is to focus the mind.

Dharana, which means concentration, can only be achieved once the body, breath, and consciousness find stillness through the other practices. Now, the mind can focus on the next stage of yoga nidra, which presents various feelings, emotions, and visual imagery. This improves a sense of harmony without being attached to whatever is being felt or seen on the inside so the practitioner is prepared for deeper levels of awareness.

Vijnanamaya Kosha, The Intellectual Body

At this stage is where true meditation begins to occur. It is called dhyana by Patanjali and is known as the vijnanamaya kosha. At this stage, duality begins to dissolve so that the barrier between subject and object disappear. It is here that deeper understanding takes place as a result of concentrated focus.

Read: Trataka: How to Practice Candle Gazing

Anandamaya Kosha, The Bliss Body

As you continue to climb the ladder up toward realization, you finally reach samadhi. This stage is correlated with the anandamaya kosha, also known as the bliss body. At the core of every being is this innate bliss. It is absolute ecstasy and also completely indescribable. At this moment, you are merged with the source and feel completely at one with everything. This is the merging of the Atman and Brahman.

In order for this to occur in yoga nidra, the practitioner must remain awake. This is the tricky part because the brain is used to sleeping when in the delta wave state! It takes dedicated and consistent practice to train your consciousness in this way. But just like with all yoga practice, it takes effort to see results. This will improve with each practice.

During a yoga nidra session, time and space are given at the end of the session to experience the anandamaya kosha. This is done through a period of silence, anywhere to a few minutes, or up to ten. This allows the entire process to completely unfold until the practitioner is drawn back out to their physical body lying on the floor in savasana.

Final Thoughts

For those looking to explore different states of consciousness, yoga nidra makes an excellent practice.

The framework it gives through the lens of the koshas and their relationship to the stages of meditation can add a multidimensional experience to any yogi’s journey for greater understanding on the path toward samadhi.

The post Experience the 5 Koshas Through Yoga Nidra appeared first on Yogapedia.

If you look at the sequence as a whole, Ashtanga vinyasa is broken down into the categories of:

• Surya Namaskar.
• Standing Poses.
• Primary Series.
• Finishing Sequence.

Two of the poses we will look at come from the Standing Poses and Finishing Sequence, while the other two come from the Primary Series itself. The key postures of the Ashtanga Primary Series are Utthita Hasta Padangustasana (Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose), Marichyasana D (Marichi's Pose D or Sage Twist D), Supta Kurmasana (Sleeping Tortoise Pose), and Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow, also known as Wheel Pose).

The Importance of the Sequence

The Primary Series is known as Yoga Chikitsa, which translates to "yoga therapy" from Sanskrit. It is the sequence that helps the physical body and rids the body of disease. Following in line with much of yogic philosophy, the way in also begins with dealing with the external form first. You must understand your physical body first.

Many diseases in contemporary life are derived from the diet. Therefore, the postures in the primary series emphasize forward folds in order to compress the digestive organs and stretch the back of the spine.

Read: Ayurvedic General Principles of Diet and Digestion

Additionally, the primary series has an emphasis on the alignment of the primary curve of the spine, the thoracic spine. This is performed by keeping the rib cage tucked in while performing the various forward folding postures during the sequence. This is opposed to the stronger emphasis on the secondary curves of the cervical and lumbar in the intermediate series. It only makes sense to emphasize correct alignment of the primary curve first, since this is the first developed part of the spine we are born with.

Utthita Hasta Padangustasana

Standing postures are performed after surya namaskar) in order to stretch the legs. Utthita hasta padangustasana is a great example of this as a challenging balance posture. The sequence calls for 15 breaths throughout the duration of this short sequence, not including any transitions.

To perform the pose:

• Balance on one leg and catch the opposite big toe in your hand with the leg extended.
• Bow forward and touch your nose to the knee of the lifted leg.
• Hold for 5 breaths, then lift back up and open the leg out to the side.
• Look away from the foot and hold another 5 breaths.
• Then, bring the leg back to the center and fold over one more time as you exhale.
• Come up immediately on the next inhale and release the big toe while the leg stays lifted in the air.
• Continue to hold the leg up for 5 more breaths before releasing to samasthiti (tadasana or mountain pose) on an exhale.
• Repeat on the other side.

It is a pivotal pose, and rightly so. First, one must be able to hold the balance for an extended period of time. This displays not only the strength of the body but also the mind. With the leg completely extended, adequate hamstring flexibility is achieved.

It is also important to maintain and engage the bandhas, drishti, and ujjayi breath during this sequence, otherwise, all the benefits will be lost.

Read: Tristhana: The Three Elements of Ashtanga Yoga

Marichyasana D

Things start to get a little more complex with Marichyasana D, the culmination of a series of binds and twisting postures. The seated postures of the primary series focus on the spine. Marichyasana D is a very deep twist with one leg in ardha padmasana(half-lotus pose) and the other is internally rotated in a half-squat position. You then twist in toward the leg in the half-squat and bind your arms around the leg.

To perform the pose:

• Begin with the legs outstretched.
• Bend the right leg and place it in half lotus.
• Bend the left leg and place the foot flat on the floor near the left buttocks.
• Exhale and twist to the left. Wrap the right arm around and behind the left leg. Reach the left arm behind and grab hold of the wrist.
• Gaze to the left.
• Breathe while holding the pose.
• Inhale and untwist. Change sides.

This pose can be quite complicated and is best to ease into it under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Those with knee injuries may need to take caution or modify completely. However, it is important to master this posture if you wish to proceed into the second series. The reason for this is because the second series begins with pasasana, a crouched position where you twist and bind around both legs.

Marichyasana D prepares you for the more difficult pasasana by bringing one leg into half-lotus. What this does is create a sort of blockage that you must work your way around, (or twist around rather) because when you move onto the second series, the space to twist will be even greater.

Twisting is obviously an important component of Ashtanga vinyasa in general and it’s said that twisting to the right stimulates the descending colon of elimination. Additionally, with the feet in the half-lotus position, their positioning stimulates the liver and spleen respectively for an additional cleansing effect.

Read: Why We Twist in Yoga: The Benefits of This Simple Action

Supta Kurmasana

For some, this posture may take many years to master. Supta Kurmasana is performed by folding forward with the legs over the head and the hands bound behind the back. This is the pinnacle of the primary series in which the hip opening and twisting of the previous postures in sequential order have prepared the body.

To perform this pose:

• Start by sitting on the floor with the knees bent.
• One leg is lifted and the elbow on that side reaches through.
• The lifted leg is then hoisted over the shoulder.
• The head is tucked under the foot while nudging the shoulder deeper into the knee crease.
• These steps are repeated with the other leg and the ankles are hooked on top of one another behind the head.
• The body bends forward until the head is resting on the floor.
• Arms reach around and back so that the hands clasp together.

This pose is important because it is most practitioner’s introduction to leg-behind-the-head poses. During second series, there are three such poses that are progressively more challenging. Being able to maneuver into supta kurmasana, with or without the help of your teacher, is a good indication that the hips and spine are ready for the intermediate series.

Urdhva Dhanurasana

Finally, we get to the backbending to finish the Ashtanga sequence. Backbending is essential at the end, no matter what sequence you perform. Even though the majority of primary series is forward folds, the final pose is setu bandhasana (bridge pose), which prepares the body for backbending and gives a tease of what to come in second series.

To perform this pose:

• Lie on your back and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor near your bottom.
• Inhale and reach your arms up. Bend your elbows and place your hands on either side of your head.
• Push into your hands, lift your hips, and gently rest on the top of your head with an inhale.
• Straighten your arms and lift your navel toward the sky with an exhale.
• Breathe while holding the pose.

Backbending is unique in that it is both extension of the spine combined with an inversion at the same time. It activates the primary curve in the opposite direction, so it helps to balance all of the forward bends. It is important to master urdhva dhanurasana in order to know how to engage the back muscles properly and avoid injuries.

Read: Yoga Can't Cure Back Pain!

In the beginning, most people will practice wheel pose from the ground. However, eventually, you can begin to practice what’s called “dropbacks”, where you go from standing to wheel pose and then back up. This is another stepping stone in order to know one is ready for the more advanced backbending in the second series, such as laghu vajrasana and kapotasana.

Tying It All Together

The way the Ashtanga sequence works is that each pose and also the section of postures need to be mastered before moving onto the next. This allows the next pose to be more easeful rather than so challenging. Without meeting necessary requirements, you may find yourself up against a wall in your practice, which can present frustration when trying to progress in your practice.

Even regular Ashtanga practitioners are advised to go back to the basics of the primary series when something more advanced is not coming. Sometimes it may seem like a step backward, but it will only help you move forward in the end.

The post The Key Poses of the Ashtanga Primary Series appeared first on Yogapedia.

However, it’s also safe to say that some of these techniques have evolved with the times as well, perhaps making them only slightly more comfortable and even simple.

The shatkarmas, also known as shat kriya, are six cleansing techniques or actions, that were first described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Swatmarama in the 15th Century. Today we would probably call most of these cleansing techniques part of a detoxification process.

Some of them have even been turned into expanded detoxification methods where people go to centers for long wellness retreats to return to a state of good health.

Read: Panchakarma: How to Prepare for Ayurveda's Most Complete Cleansing and Detox System

According to yogic philosophy and science however, if these techniques are performed regularly good health will be constantly maintained, without the need to take an extended detox holiday.

The word shat means six and karma means action. The six actions can be thought of as purifications for the physical body, which needs to be cleansed on the path toward enlightenment.

Physical purification is just as necessary as purifying the mind and also often a necessary precursor because everything is interrelated. This also mirrors the eightfold path of Ashtanga.

The path (or Eight Limbs of Yoga) is laid out by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras which dictates the way toward samadhi, or enlightenment, from the external world (bahiranga yoga) to the internal (antaranga yoga).

So, what are these cleansing techniques known as the shatkarma exactly? Some of them you are probably already familiar with! They are outlined as follows:

1. Neti– nasal rinse
2. Dhauti– digestive cleansing
3. Nauli– abdominal massage
4. Basti– colon cleansing
5. Kapalabhati– frontal lobe cleansing
6. Trataka– candle gazing (or single spot gazing)

Although there are six categories of cleansing actions, within each one are specialized variations that range from basic to advanced.

Neti

The most common or popular form of these techniques is jala neti, which is a form of nasal irrigation where the user mixes warm, sterile water with non-iodized salt in a small neti pot and pours it through one nostril so that it drains out the other side. They are commercially sold as kits worldwide in the West at big-name supermarkets.

Jala neti is particularly useful for allergies, sinus congestion, minor colds, and other similar maladies. It is important to ensure all of the water exits the nose afterward via sharp, percussive breathing. Kapalabhati is often recommended for this.

Read: Better Than Coffee: Drink in the Benefits of This Yogic Brain-Boosting Cleansing Technique

A less common form of neti is called sutra neti. The word sutra means thread and, in this case, the practitioner passes a thread-like catheter down from one side of the nasal passage and out the throat, through the mouth. Then you gently rub the thread back and forth in a flossing motion, so it can also be called nasal flossing.

It’s often looked at with some raised eyebrows but it is also helpful for removing excess mucus from the nasal passages and is beneficial for those with a deviated septum. It is said to be able to remove nasal polyps.

Sutra neti is commonly taught on yoga teacher training courses in India and is best learned under supervision.

Dhauti

Dhauti is cleansing of the digestive tract. The practice of agnisara dhauti is commonly taught on Hatha yoga teacher training programs and is one of the safer versions to try or practice unsupervised. It is performed by quickly flapping the abdomen in and out to create heat in the digestive system with rhythmic, often panting breath.

Perhaps you are familiar with the image of a yogi swallowing a piece of fabric. This is called Vastra dhauti and is said to be cleansing for the entire stomach region. It is not as commonly practiced and should be learned under supervision for the risk of choking.

A more common practice is vamana dhauti, also known as kunjal kriya, which is performed by drinking several cups of warm salty water and then subsequently vomiting it out. This is to rid the body of bile and other impurities that lead to disease.

Nauli

The practice of nauli is a bit more simplified in the sense you do not need to expel anything out of the body, although some people may look at it the first time and think it’s impossible.

It actually may even be mistaken to look like a form of belly dancing, except you may be watching a male Indian yoga teacher perform it, not a belly dancer.

Nauli is an abdominal massage and is performed by churning the abdomen, or rolling it, to massage and lift all of the organs of the abdomen. It is subdivided into the right, left, and central columns of the abdomen, which can be performed and mastered individually before performing the full roll between all three columns going clockwise and counterclockwise. Prior to performing nauli, one will usually practice Uddiyana bandha pose.

Read: Finding Center: An Exploration of the Bandhas

Basti

You can think of basti as the ancient version of an enema which evolved into what we would call colonic irrigation today in the 21st century.

While dhauti cleanses the upper abdomen, which is the digestive tract, basti cleanses the lower tract of the stomach, which is the elimination tract. It is said to relieve diseases of the colon, as well as symptoms of constipation and gas.

Traditionally, basti was performed by sucking water into the anus and letting it fill the large intestine. The water is then held for some time while full and then expelled completely until the bowels are cleansed.

The process is repeated several times until the practitioner is finished. The practices of ashvini mudra, mula bandha, Uddiyana bandha, and nauli kriya all greatly help this process.

Obviously, this method should be learned under a trained instructor and one can only imagine yogis in ancient times perhaps performing this in the rivers of India that were once cleaner and less populated than they are now. However, now in the 21st century, we’ve made the process of basti kriya much easier.

Today, you can use a tube to insert the water into the rectum. This is called an enema. A popular method for cleansing is a coffee enema. Cleansing the colon is important because toxins can build up along the walls of the intestine if not excreted properly.

It is particularly useful for people who are fasting as they will not have regular bowel movements and the toxins will remain stuck. The enema or colonic irrigation will help eliminate these impurities.

Colonic irrigation is a fancier system set up in medical and health detox centers. With this system, a supervisor will assist in the process with a machine that inserts the water into your anus and then subsequently sucks it out several times.

This is usually accompanied by abdominal massage clockwise in the direction of the colon until the colon is cleansed completely. It is popular at juice fasting retreats in countries like Thailand and Mexico.

Kapalabhati

Both a shatkarma and pranayama (breathing technique), kapalabhati translates to "skull shining". Not only does it cleanse the sinuses through its rapid, percussive exhales through the nose, it also cleanses the brain cells and stimulates the digestive system.

Along with the quick, rhythmic breathing through the nose, kapalabhati is accompanied by simultaneously pulling the abdomen back toward the spine which each exhale.

Additionally, with the eyes closed, the internal drishti, or gaze point, is at the third eye in the center of the eyebrows. This helps to raise the kundalini energy upward.

Trataka

The word trataka means gaze point or to look. It is the deepest shatkarma on the journey inward of purification from the external world. Trataka is traditionally performed by staring at a candle and is thus known as candle gazing.

One can also practice trataka by staring at a single point, such as a black dot, the moon, or a photo of their guru. The point is to look at one thing in order to stop the processes of the mind.

The practice of trataka helps promote the concept of eka grata, or the single-pointed focus. In the state of eka grata, no thoughts will arise and thus yoga can be achieved. This lines up with Patanjali’s famous sutra yogash chitti vritti nirodah, which translates to "yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind."

Read: How to Practice Trataka, the Practice of Candle Gazing

Conclusion

In the end, there are many paths to achieve this stillness, and the journey to reach it is unique to each individual. Yoga outlines many ways to get there and the shatkarmas are just one step along the way.

They are useful to know whether you are a serious seasoned yogi or simply a health advocate desiring your best life. The evolution of the shatkarma from the 15th century to the 21st century can apply to anyone as a system for health, wellness, mindfulness, and spiritual evolution.

The post The Practice of Shatkarma in the 21st Century appeared first on Yogapedia.

First mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika in the 15th Century, savasana is translated as corpse pose in Sanskrit. It is often said to be the most difficult posture, even the great B.K.S. Iyengar is quoted as saying this.

Some will also say it’s the most important posture. Whether you like it or not, it comes with its own challenges but also many benefits. It’s for these reasons that savasana should never, ever be skipped at the end of an asana practice.

However, savasana can also be used at the beginning, middle, or even an entire yoga practice such as yoga nidra.

How to Practice Savasana (corpse pose)

The Benefits of Savasana

• Decrease stress.
• Clear the mind.
• Relax.
• Lower cortisol, the stress hormone.
• Activate rest and digest system.
• Slower respiration.
• Improved digestion.
• Less muscular tension.

Some days it may seem so easy to slip into a blissful, quiet, and serene savasana and other days a struggle to lie still at all. Even at the end of a practice, you may find your mind wanders still, full of chatter, or concerned about the day to come (or what happened yesterday.)

Read: 5 Restful Asana for the Weary Yogi

Savasana Symbolism

The beauty of a powerful savasana lies in the ability to be perfectly still. Savasana contains the power to transform the practitioner. Similar to the death card in the tarot, one can think of the symbolic meaning of death as one of change. When you step off the mat, you have the chance to step forward on a new foot.

A vinyasa practice, in particular, can be quite symbolic in regards to the structure of the class related to the cycle of life. You wake up and greet the sun with Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) and you then sleep in savasana where you symbolically die a little death or shed an old part of yourself.

When you again awake from your savasana you are reborn as a new being in the cycle of samsara, or reincarnation. Each time you are reborn you are given a new opportunity to move closer to samadhi.

The Virtues of Savasana

The challenge of lying still without thoughts in savasana is a practice in non-attachment and patience. These virtues have much to teach along the way toward achieving them. The requirement at times seems like a Catch-22 in the sense that you must remain completely conscious and aware of the present moment and yet completely detach from it.

So, while some people may avoid savasana because of the chatter in their minds, others may linger too long in savasana, in which case it could become a nap if it becomes quite extended!

The theory behind savasana according to Hatha yoga is that for every 30 minutes of yoga asana, savasana should be performed for 5 minutes. In some traditional Hatha classes, savasana is actually performed in the class at every half-hour mark. However, in other styles, it may mean that for 60 minutes of asana, 10 minutes is in savasana.

Read: End Your Practice (and Your Week) in Savasana

Stress and Savasana

One of the main purposes of savasana is to bring balance to the nervous system. The main benefit here is that it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the rest and digestive system where the body activates its natural healing state.

In the fast-paced modern world, stress is the silent killer, activating the hormone cortisol in addition to other destructive effects. The sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the "fight or flight" response, stimulates this particular hormone. It also causes the heart rate to accelerate and diverts energy from "non-essential" body functions like digestion so that if you were in a dangerous circumstance, you could run for survival.

The problems occur when it is secreted in excess, for a sustained amount of time and in unnecessary situations (like when there is no actual, physical danger present.) Your body's stress response serves a purpose, however, if it is an everyday occurrence and you’re not really living in danger, the body will actually begin to shut down and no longer function optimally.

Read: Yoga and Relaxation: 3 Practices to Reset and Restore

The Gift of Savasana

The true gift and beauty of the pose is the meditative state of savasana. In this state of savasana, you may experience the closest thing you can call samadhi. Or perhaps you may experience the closest semblance of your anandamaya kosha, or innermost bliss body.

It is these moments, if you remember them, that you can bring off the mat and into the rest of your life. You can remember the moments of joy and peace you have experienced inside, even in the darkest of times.

The post Don’t Skip Savasana: The Importance of Corpse Pose appeared first on Yogapedia.

One reason is that it is the eight limbs in motion. When you look at specific elements, in particular the tristhana method, you begin to understand that Ashtanga is the 8-limbed path manifested in the physical world as a ladder toward samadhi, or enlightenment.

Ashtanga vinyasa as we know it today was codified by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in the small Indian city of Mysore. This royal city was once the capital of India and is now known as the hub of Ashtanga vinyasa worldwide. He learned directly from his teacher, the esteemed father of modern postural yoga as we practice it now, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Now, Ashtanga is taught by many teachers around the globe. Sometimes there are slight variations in the technique, but one thing remains the same: the embodiment of the tristhana.

Read: The Myesore Experience: The Heart of Ashtanga Yoga

Understanding Tristhana

The tristhana is made of three specific elements that are incorporated into every posture of every Ashtanga series (there are six series, each one becoming progressively more difficult.)

Tri means three in Sanskrit and sthana means place. In particular, they are actions that are taken in specific areas that provide control over the body and mind. While they are three separate elements, they are performed together as one action.

Independently, the three elements are known as:

• Ujjayi breath.
• Asana and bandhas (poses & energy locks.)
• Drishti (gaze point.)

These main entities help to purify the physical body, irrigate the nadis (energetic body), stimulate the nervous system and steady the mind.

Additionally, the series of postures laid out by Ashtanga vinyasa also follow this same concept (the primary series cleanses the body, the second series focuses on the nadis and nervous system, the third series for the mind, and so on.)

Thus, the tristhana is integral not only just for the poses themselves but also for the aspect of vinyasa—the systematic linking of movement with the breath.

When you begin to dive deeper into this, you can link each element of the tristhana method to a specific limb of yoga, beginning after asana itself.

Read: Not All Asana: The 8 Limbs of Yoga and What They Mean for Your Practice

1. Ujjayi Breath

The next limb is pranayama, which is activated through the use of ujjayi breath, or the victorious breath. Ujjayi breath is an audible sound as well as a heating breath for the body.

Pranayama means the control and expansion of life force energy, which is performed with ujjayi breath throughout the practice.

This begins the journey of moving deeper inside from the manifested, physical world of the body to the internal, unmanifested state of being.

2. Bandhas

This then brings us to the fifth limb of yoga, pratyahara. This limb of yoga refers to withdrawing the mind away from the five senses. The filtering of the senses through the citta (consciousness) is the source of much attachment and suffering.

Read: The Gateway of Pratyahara

In order to “starve” the citta, it must be given “alternative food”, which is one translation for pratyahara. This comes in the form of the bandhas or energy locks.

Although the bandhas are not used to 100% capacity during every posture, they are still subtly engaged in order to redirect pranic energy through the central channel of the spine (sushumna nadi.)

Mula bandha, the root lock, is of utmost importance, because it turns apana, the downward current of energy, in the opposite direction—upward. This is performed by a gentle lifting and squeezing action of the pelvic floor upward.

The redirection of energy upward is further emphasized by the abdominal cavity gently sucked back and up. This is the navel lock, uddiyana bandha, activated to a smaller degree. This also helps massage and lift all of the abdominal organs as well as protects the spine.

Finally, jalandhara bandha, the throat lock, is activated by gently drawing the chin back toward the throat so the neck is completely aligned with the rest of the spine. While not a full chin lock, it is important to prevent poor posture and misalignments in the neck and shoulder area.

This way the pranic energy continues to flow through the filter of the neck toward the third eye (anja) and crown chakra area.

3. Dristhi

The final piece of the tristhana puzzle is the use of drishti, or gaze point, which is linked to the 6th limb of yoga, dharana also known as concentration. Within Ashtanga vinyasa, there are 9 key drishti:

• Nasagra (nose)
• Ajna (eyebrow center)
• Nabi chakra (navel)
• Angusthamadhye(thumb)
• Hastagrahe (hands)
• Padayoragre (toes)
• Antara (up)
• Parsva (right or left)

The most common drishti employed during Ashtanga practice are the nose and eyebrow center, followed by the navel center. They are used exclusively in the surya namaskar, or Sun Salutation, practice which emphasizes extension and flexion of the body.

The middle part of surya namaskar (which consists of chaturanga, upward dog, and downward dog as a sequence that links the poses of each series together) uses these three gaze points.

The navel center is essentially an extension of the nose point in downward dog. It is said that if you follow these gazing points, your body will align naturally over time to the posture because it influences your spinal position. When you control the eyes, all of your senses will follow.

The purpose of the tristhana method is to still and quiet the mind toward a single point which eventually leads to meditation (dhyana) and samadhi (concentration).

The eyes align the spine, the bandhas hold your energy and the breath controls. It teaches us to use the breath to control the spine and the spine to control the mind. This further helps us understand our true nature.

Read: The 9 Drishti of Yoga

In the end, the Ashtanga vinyasa system is an energetic circuit comprised of asana, pranayama, pratyahara, and dharana so that the final two stages of yoga can arise, dhyana and samadhi.

Thank you to my teacher Kushal Ram N for his guidance in helping me understand these concepts.

The post Tristhana: The Three Elements of Ashtanga Vinyasa appeared first on Yogapedia.

If there is a blockage in the heart chakra, it can impede your ability to move forward not only in your life, but also in your spiritual growth.

The quality of love is a vibration and not necessarily an emotional feeling. We may think that we love someone or something, but when they do something we feel is wrong, we are hurt and withdraw what we call “love”. In this sense, it is not unconditional love, a love that permeates all action, no matter the consequence.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional love is not as easy as it sounds. The foundation to move through the high vibrational qualities of the heart chakra begins down the road of forgiveness. Each time you are given an opportunity to forgive someone who has wronged you, you are also given the chance to forgive yourself.

At the root, all of life—people and circumstances—are reflections of yourself; your thoughts and how you treat yourself. There are many lessons to learn along the way, and they always lead back to your own self.

Often, we search for love outside of ourselves, but the greatest act of love is to love ourselves unconditionally. The lesson of the heart chakra is learning how to make loving yourself the highest priority.

Read: Yoga for Self Love: Tapping into Your Heart Chakra

When we hold grudges against other people or ourselves, we quite literally block ourselves from the receptive qualities the heart chakra offers: compassion, empathy, gratitude, joy, and peace.

Life will feel like you are a turbulent tumbleweed being tossed around a desert highway because you are giving your power away to that person or draft of vengeance. You may feel like you are looking for answers in all the wrong places to cover it up, but the truth is, you must let it go.

Let It Go

A key part of forgiveness is the ability to release and surrender what has hurt you. When you forgive, you are able to let go of low vibration emotional frequencies such as anger, guilt, shame, and resentment. When you let these go, you are able to up-level and move on.

However, forgiveness requires an actual shift in your mental and emotional attitude for it to be effective. This is why working with the energetic qualities of the heart chakra is so effective. You can begin to open the heart chakra for forgiveness.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re going through a breakup or a stranger spilled their drink on you at the coffeeshop—what matters is that you forgive and move on, instead of dwelling on the situation or the past.

Some situations may take longer than others and that’s okay. As you work on opening the heart chakra for forgiveness, your capacity to respond out of love instead of fear or anger to difficult situations and mistakes will expand.

Read: A Heart-Opening Visualization Meditation

How to Open the Heart Chakra

One of the easiest ways to connect to your heart chakra is to simply sit or lie down and place your hands over your heart, in the center of your chest. You can begin to feel the gentle rhythm of your heartbeat as you take long, slow, deep breaths in and out.

As you do this, feel as if you are pouring love into your body. There is no right or wrong way to feel this, as everyone’s experience of love is unique and individual.

Very slowly, you can begin to lift your hands away from your chest as you expand the loving vibrations of your heart space. Here you begin to feel the energetic space of your heart chakra.

You can visualize either color of the heart chakra, which are green and pink. Green is the color when you are giving love outside yourself and pink is when you are giving love to yourself.

You can also work with positive affirmations that reinforce the qualities of the heart chakra. For example:

• I love myself deeply.
• I forgive myself and I forgive others.
• Giving and receiving love brings me great joy.
• I am open to my heart’s desires.

You can also create your own!

Read: Ong So Hung: A Heart-Opening Mantra

Once you feel your heart chakra begins to open, forgiveness will become a more natural and regular occurrence. However, if you are still unsure where to begin, try the following exercise.

A Heart-Opening Exercise

First, consider the circumstance and person you wish to forgive. It may even be yourself. If you made a mistake at work that’s really holding you back, that’s a great place to start. There’s no right or wrong. It could even be something from your childhood you’ve never let go of!

Write down what happened and remember how you felt. Close your eyes and let yourself experience those emotions one last time.

Now, write down “I forgive….” and fill in the blank for the person or situation. Repeat it out loud as many times as you need until you begin to feel a shift in your energy.

Begin to send your loving energy toward that person. Fill yourself with gratitude for the challenging situation and the lessons it taught you. Let it go and surrender it so that you get a fresh slate to start over again.

Afterward, notice how you feel. Observe any sensations in your body. Where there were once denser energies, you can now fill those voids with your unconditional, radiant love.

Read: Understanding the 7 Chakras

Living Forgiveness

With time and practice, your heart chakra will become more unblocked so that you can be guided into the deepest expression of yourself via the throat chakra and use your loving energy to channel your intuition via the ajna, or third eye chakra.

Additionally, when the heart chakra is balanced and open, your ability to manifest will increase, as it has a positive effect on the lower chakras as well which govern willpower, creativity, and stability.

Read: How to Know Which Chakra Is Out of Balance

There may also be moments in your life where you will be on the other side of the coin and need to ask for forgiveness if you have wronged someone. It takes courage to do this, but you can use the same exercise to open your heart and know that by doing so, you take a step in the right direction for the betterment of all.

The post How to Open the Heart Chakra for Forgiveness appeared first on Yogapedia.

It can definitely be intimidating as a man to walk into a yoga class, often full of women performing graceful poses. A man may not feel immediately excited by "just" holding some stretches while breathing.

In the beginning, men may be more drawn to dynamic styles of yoga such as power flow, vinyasa, or Ashtanga. However, yoga encourages non-judgment, so it doesn’t matter how stiff or awkward anyone is, what matters is you show up!

If you’re a man, dad, granddad, husband, or boyfriend looking for some reasons to get into yoga, here are five below!

1. Increase Your Lung Capacity

It’s no secret that deep breathing is a key component of a yoga class. Because humans don't have a user manual, most people don’t know how to breathe properly. Instead, many take shallow breaths up high in the chest. This restricts oxygen to the brain, muscles, and entire body.

Practicing yoga teaches you how to use your diaphragm, which is your breathing muscle. This, in turn, helps you to oxygenate your body. Breathing is a cleansing process, so deeper, slower breaths lead to increased immunity and longer life span.

Read: Breathe Easy With These 5 Yogic Breathing Exercises

2. Become More Flexible

Let’s face it: men are commonly perceived as being less flexible than women. Why not do something about it? Grab your buddy and head to your next yoga class to get a deep stretch on.

Target areas for men generally include tight shoulders and tight hamstrings. When you stretch regularly through yoga postures combined with deep breathing (to bring in more oxygen), this helps to prevent injury and increase a safe range of motion within the joints.

This is particularly helpful for men who are athletic or into sports. It can also help to improve posture, especially if you sit at a desk all day.

Read: Bend Without Breaking: 10 Yoga Poses to Increase Flexibility in Body, Mind and Spirit

3. Expand Your Mind

For men who feel stuck in a rut with their workout regimen or perhaps just hitting a wall in any area of life, it can be time to try something new.

Perhaps you are dealing with stress or anxiety and deep down desire an all-natural alternative to help yourself. Social conditioning may tell men that being vulnerable or emotional is a weakness. In this case, emotions may become repressed.

Yoga is a healthy outlet that can expand your mind, encouraging you to try new things while preventing harm to yourself and others.

Read: The Power to Transform Stress & Anxiety into Resilience

4. Put Your Muscles to Use

You may have muscles, but can you use them? Because men produce more testosterone, they tend to build muscle quickly and easily. However, our bodies were made to move and not just be defined as lumps of muscle. Can those core muscles hold you in crow pose? Can the strong shoulders help your headstand?

Beyond just the look of developed muscles that is the goal in other workouts, yoga challenges the body to move in a variety of ways, some of which are outside the normal range. This helps develop smaller stabilizer muscles so there is more harmony. Yoga helps you learn to test the boundaries of your body and develop body consciousness.

5. Challenge Yourself

When was the last you relaxed? Can you sit still for 10 minutes? It may sound boring but there is an entire world to explore on the inside. The practice of yoga not only strengthens your body through physical poses but also the mind through meditation.

Yoga also teaches you to calm down and lose the competitive edge. It’s not about how much weight you can lift at the gym, how long you can hold a chaturanga or even how long you can hold your breath (kumbhaka). Invite yourself to surrender, accept yourself, and release old patterns.

Read: The Practice of Surrender

5 Yoga Poses for Men’s Target Areas

1. Cow Face Pose (gomukhasana) for the Shoulders and Hips

• Cross one knee tightly on top of the other or simply cross the legs.
• Keep the sitting bones even in the floor or elevate the hips on a cushion.
• Reach one arm up and bend it down as the other arms reaches back.
• Clasp the hands behind your back or use a strap if unable to reach.

2. Bound Angle Pose (baddha konasana) for the Hips

• Bend the legs and bring the soles of the feet together.
• Open the knees so legs make the shape of a diamond.
• Take the feet further away from your hips if the knees are elevated.
• Remain here or play with folding forward.
• Feel free to use the support of blocks under the hips, knees, or head.

3. Sphinx Pose (salamba bhujangasana) for the Chest and Spine

• Lay on the belly and bring the elbows under the shoulders, forearms parallel.
• Press the arms down to lift the chest up.
• Lift the belly muscles inward and gaze forward.

4. Warrior Two (virabhadrasana B) for the Inner Thighs

• Take one leg forward and step the other back with the foot facing the side.
• Bend the front knee to 90 degrees over the ankle (not past it) so the thigh drops parallel to the floor.
• Sink the hips down and ensure the torso faces the side of the mat.
• Open the arms wide to a T and gaze over the front hand.
• Feel expansion through the thighs and chest.

5. Dragonfly Pose (parsva bhuja dandasana) for the Inner Thighs

• Take a seat and open the legs wide.
• Use a cushion to elevate the hips if the legs are tight.
• Use props to support as you fold forward on an exhale.
• Hold yin-style for up 5 minutes to get deep into the fascia, the connective tissue of your body.

Yoga Is for Everyone

While it may be true that yoga has been incredibly empowering for women in the 21st century, one of the philosophical principles of yoga is the balance of masculine and feminine energy.

Read: Shiva and Shakti: The Divine Energies Within Us All

It can also help any practitioner, man or woman, dive deeper into what exactly their masculine and feminine energy is for them- is there excess or deficiency anywhere? These are the types of questions men who practice yoga can begin to ask from an objective point of view.

The post 5 Reasons Why Men Should Practice Yoga appeared first on Yogapedia.

However, the journey does not stop there. Even as a yoga teacher, you will continue to seek guidance from your teachers and even seek out new teachers to continually expand your knowledge and, therefore, teachings with your students. You are always a student, even when you are a teacher.

Read: The 5 Virtues of a Good Yoga Teacher

Many people complete their initial yoga teacher training (YTT) as a way to test the waters and give them the basic skills necessary to teach their yogic field of interest. There are many 200-hour yoga teacher training programs that offer multi-style courses, providing an array of different yoga styles that can serve as an introduction.

After this, the student/teacher may decide they wish to focus on just one particular style to teach or practice in the future more in-depth to build upon the foundation of their knowledge base.

Read: Why Yoga Teacher Trainings Aren't Just for Teachers

After teaching for some time, most teachers look for a way to advance their knowledge and add more to their teaching repertoire. It is recommended to wait at least one year before heading back to yoga school to seek out more official training. This helps ensure that you are creating income in your yoga career and seeing progress in your own practice.

Teaching often takes time away from our own personal practice. It is vital to spend quality time dedicated to advancing your practice and understanding of yoga on a regular basis. Yogic knowledge can be imparted by teachers but it is also an experiential practice.

It is completely up to the needs of the practitioner to discover how they choose their advanced yoga teacher training course. Here are some tips to consider when you set out to progress your yoga career.

Read: 'Holding Space': What it Means for Yoga Teachers and You

Upping Your Credentials

One of the first questions to ask yourself is, “Do I need a Yoga Alliance certification?” The answer to this question may depend on your employer or professional goals. Yoga Alliance is certainly the international standard when it comes to yoga credentials. While many courses will be Yoga Alliance approved, there are also many that are not.

If you wish to just study with a certain teacher, that is perfectly fine. If you are looking to start your own Yoga Alliance school or Continuing Education program, you should complete a Yoga Alliance 300-Hour Registered Yoga School (RYS) teacher training or shorter continuing education program by a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP).

It will become necessary by 2022 to be a certified Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) at the 500-hour training level to have your own RYS.

If you decide to go to the Yoga Alliance route, check to ensure that your teacher is at least an E-RYT, which means they have completed over 1000 hours of teaching. These teachers are then allowed to register as a YACEP and offer shorter programs, such as 50-Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings.

Read: What to Expect From a Reputable Yoga Teacher Training

Duration of Course

Do you want to spend a weekend away on a short course or are you looking for an immersion experience? Perhaps you want to take something online while you are at home to supplement your own teaching without even leaving your house.

This will help you decide if you want to take a continuing education course or a full 300-hour course. Think about your lifestyle and interests to guide this decision.

Read: How 500 Hours of Yoga Teacher Training Changed Me

Specialty Style

Consider what you are interested in learning. Yoga is a broad umbrella under which many subcategories, topics, and styles fall under. As yogis, our practice changes with time, age, injuries, and interest.

Perhaps you wish to deepen your knowledge with an expansive yoga therapy program or maybe you just want to take a short foundational aerial yoga program one weekend.

Look at the needs of your students, studios, and at-home setup, as well as to what you have access to or are willing to invest in (like more props, which require more training). Remember, your education is an investment of a lifetime. You can get specific and ask for the syllabus in advance! Make sure what you want to learn is included.

Read: The Mysore Experience: The Heart of Ashtanga Yoga

Read the Reviews

If you are continuing your studies with a trusted teacher, you can skip this one. If you’re diving in for a new journey with a new teacher or school, then ask for recommendations and make sure you read the reviews!

This way you can get a feel for how long the school has been around and their results have been. You want to make sure the teaching is high quality and that the students who complete the courses are thriving as teachers.

Quality Control

What does "advanced" mean to you? It does not have to mean learning how to do all of the arm balances from the Ashtanga third series. It may mean how to guide a soulful yin yoga class gracefully with a theme from start to finish. It may mean diving deeper into anatomy, philosophy, or anything else beyond asana.

When you go to an advanced teacher training, typically it should also include components to advance your teaching skills, not just your personal practice. So, look for the various components, such as theory, methodology, teaching practice, sequencing, and the like when you are checking out the course curriculum and ensure it will improve your teaching. Receiving feedback on your work as a teacher is incredibly valuable and one of the best things you can do to have well-received classes after the fact.

Read: How Practicing Yoga With an Injury Has Made Me a Better Teacher

When it’s time to get out there and do your research, grab your notebook and brainstorm your requirements. Ask for recommendations, search the internet, and start email conversations to find the perfect advanced yoga teacher training for you. Get out there and never stop learning, so you can rise up to your potential as the best yoga teacher you are truly capable of being.

The post Advanced Yoga Teacher Training: How to Choose the Right One for You appeared first on Yogapedia.

Headstand is, of course, an essential introductory step on the journey to handstand and it’s here that many will begin to overcome the regular fears that come along with learning inversions.

In Sanskrit, the handstand is called adho mukha vrksasana, which translates to downward-facing tree pose. This references turning the roots of your feet upside down, toward the sky!

Why We Think the Handstand Is So Incredible

1. It’s a display of strength and balance.
2. It shows mastery over the body and mind, being in the present moment. This reflects the word yoga, which means "to join."
3. It opens up a new range of postures in an inverted shape that requires more skill & balance (such as backbends or splits)
4. They just plain look cool and let’s face it, as humans, we are attracted to things that simply look amazing.

Ask yourself why you want to learn a handstand and what benefit it will add to your practice. Allow it to be a form of svadhyaya or self-inquiry. It is definitely an advanced posture, not to be taken lightly. However, there are ways to make it more accessible to a range of practitioners.

Remember, learning to do a handstand or having a handstand practice is certainly not essential to any yoga practice. Sometimes it may even be shamed by the explosion in the popularity of yoga photos on Instagram that one may think it’s too over-the-top.

Read: How Instagram is Changing the Way We View Yoga

It’s true— wherever you are at in your practice, you never need to push yourself, and going to extremes is not the answer, whether it’s doing a handstand or a backbend. It’s about the choice— is this a natural progression for your practice and are you ready for the challenge?

Handstands Can Teach You More than Simply Balancing on Your Hands

One of my handstand teachers once said,

“Handstands are not for people who don’t like failure.”

I can attest that this holds true. You will try, fail, and try again to experience those precious moments of balance upside-down on your hands.

Learning how to handstand teaches you to look at the pose each time you fail and analyze what went wrong so the next time you can improve it. This may be looking at your alignment, conditioning your body for more strength, or working on your flexibility.

Yes, flexibility is also important for handstands— it’s not just a strength pose— it requires body awareness, basic strength and range of motion, as well as the two keys: balance and alignment.

You may look at handstands and think “that requires so much strength!” Yes, that is true, a basic level of strength is certainly required. However, if you want to learn how to perform handstands, the best practice is actually to do handstands and exercises that support them— not pumping iron at the gym.

Are You Ready for Handstands?

Here’s a checklist to see if you are ready to balance on your hands:

• You can perform chaturanga with proper alignment & endurance

• You are comfortable in salamba sirsasana, supported headstand, for around one minute or 25 breaths

• You practice kakasana (crow pose) regularly

• You can perform mukta hasta sirsasana (free hand headstand, otherwise known as tripod headstand) with ease

• You can perform or are working on pincha mayurasana (feathered peacock pose, also known as forearm stand)

• You practice jump backs or jump throughs in surya namaskar or ashtanga vinyasa
• You are ready to welcome a new challenge into your practice
• You are free of wrist and shoulder pain or injury

Read: 7 Ways to Prevent Wrist Injury in Yoga

The Best Handstand Practices

Don’t wear yourself out beforehand. Yes, give yourself a warm-up, but if you do a million pushups (or chaturangas!) you may find your muscles more tired for your practice.

Do warm up your wrists! Your hands are a small part of the body with small surface area, full of tiny little delicate bones. You are asking a lot of them to carry the weight of your body when you handstand! So, shake ‘em out, roll them, and give them a good stretch before weight-bearing!

Do learn how to fall out of a handstand properly. Cartwheel to the side with one leg rather than falling into a backbend (ie. wheel pose).

Do use the wall. The wall is your friend! Make peace with is. Even the most advanced handstand practitioners will still use the wall for drills. Start there and learn to incorporate it into different aspects of your practice.

Pros & Cons of Handstand

Handstands may be a great option to learn inversions for those who may have neck issues and cannot perform a headstand. However, the engagement of the hands and shoulders is quite different, so it can lead to wrist or shoulder issues if not managed properly. Generally, it is much safer to fall out of a handstand than a headstand because there is no weight on the head, so the neck is not compromised.

Read: 10 Benefits of Inversions

Alignment Tips

Let’s review the fundamentals of how to perform a straight-line handstand. This technique is essential to learn before moving onto other variations.

In the beginning, some people find it easier to balance in a counterbalance position, where the legs are split. While this is a valid option, learning the straight line will make it easier to transition and is more relevant to a vinyasa flow practice that you can incorporate into surya namaskar.

Two of the most important tips for handstands are to elevate the shoulder blades UP toward the ears and to tuck the pelvis under into what is known as a posterior pelvic tilt.

When you look at human anatomy, when the arms raise above the ears, the scapula, or shoulder blades, naturally rise up to the ears. You want to emphasize this movement with a pushing action through the arms whenever you do a handstand.

Additionally, the posterior pelvic tilt is the opposite of anterior pelvic tilt. While in a straight-line handstand, you want to tuck the tailbone under and draw the pubic toward the navel. This contracts the lower abdomen for strong core engagement.

In the beginning, most people look like a banana in the handstand position because they are in an anterior pelvic tilt. In this position, the tailbone is pointed back, which arches the lower back and releases the abs, so there is little core engagement.

A great exercise to work on your posterior pelvic tilt is called the hollow body. To perform this, lay down on your back and imprint the lower back into the floor by tucking the tailbone.

Glue your legs together and lift them off the mat. Extend the arms alongside the ears and lift the arms and head off the floor. Keep the legs as low to the floor as you can with your lower back and rib cage glued to the mat.

Read: How to Prep for Inversions

Some other important pointers include:

• Place the hands directly under the shoulders. Make sure they are not too wide.
• Spread the fingers out.
• Lock the elbows! Arms must be straight.
• Look down at your thumbs.
• Keep the legs straight and glued completely together with pointed toes. Lock the knees. This is another overlooked aspect of handstands. If the legs and feet are not engaged, they will literally weigh you down, gravity will take over, and you may fall over.

How to Start Out Practicing Handstands

1. Practice Down Dog Hops

These are super fun to incorporate into any practice, including a vinyasa flow! Start in downward dog, bend the knees, and look forward.

Hop by springing off your back legs so the hips stack over the head. No need to straighten the legs, keep them in a tucked position. Land back in your downward dog with the knees bent to soften the landing. Repeat!

2. Kick Up to the Wall

Now, you are ready to try the wall! Position your hands slightly away from the wall and decide which leg you want to kick up with. You may need to try a few times to see which leg you prefer.

The legs are set up similar to a standing split position, with one leg forward and one leg up in the air. While the leg in the air does not need to be lifted high like in a standing split, some hamstring and hip flexor flexibility is required for this position.

It’s also important to keep the leg in the air straight with the toe pointed right from the start. Set yourself up for success! Then, to kick up, simply bend the standing the leg and use momentum to spring up. The wall will catch you!

From there, you can try to find your balance and use the wall as feedback. It’s great to film yourself when practicing so you can check your alignment, see what’s working and what’s not working.

3. The L-Shape Handstand (Half Handstand)

If the kick up doesn’t work, there is an option for you, too, don’t worry! Simply sit with your back against the wall and legs extended out like in dandasana (staff pose). Fold forward and place your hands next to your ankles. Keep your hands there as a placeholder, fold your knees and walk your feet halfway up the wall until the hips stack over the head. Keep the body in an L-shape, so the feet only go in line with your hips.

From here, you can experiment with taking one leg off at a time to find your line and balance.

To Advance Your Handstand

There are so many options and ways to advance your handstand practice!

• Practice in the center of the room.
• Walk your hands all the back to the wall from the L-shape handstand for a belly against the wall handstand.
• Time yourself- see how long you go, or aim for 30 seconds or a full minute at the wall.
• Eventually, you can work towards press handstands where you effortlessly glide the legs up from a straddle or pike position without jumping.

Read: 5 Gorgeous Yoga Poses and What You Can Learn From Them

Just as anything in life, learning to handstand is a great life lesson you can apply anywhere, any time. Failure is a great teacher.

Handstands can teach you to look at any situation or mistake in your life under a new lens, a new perspective. You can make note of what worked and what you did wrong so that you can try again and do it even better next time.

While the handstand will not make you any more enlightened, the journey to get there can shed light on different aspects of yourself in a new way. In the end, it’s about the process and not the pose itself.

Let the journey be a reflection of who you are and remember not to be attached to the results!

The post The Many Lessons of Learning How to Handstand appeared first on Yogapedia.

The yamas themselves exist beyond time and space as universal applications practiced by everyone, no matter the gender, race, or religion. They promote living as a way of peace rather than suffering.

The word restraint may sound unpleasant as it indicates a sense of control to live a humane life and at times, we resist control. However, without structure in our ethical life, there will be no form not only for our personal lives but also in society. This can help not only our relationship with ourselves, but also our relationships with others while defining our moral character.

The concept of the yamas was expounded upon by the sage Patanjali in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras, which outlines the system of ashtanga, or the eight steps to reach samadhi (enlightenment).

This first step of yama comes before the practice of asana, or physical postures, which means the practice of yoga begins with an inward-directed focus of control. This gives a certain depth and breadth to life beyond just the mundane, externally manifested world. It allows each person to have an inner experience of their interaction with the world around them.

The yamas of Patanjali are further broken down into 5 rules:

1. Ahimsa – Nonviolence
2. Satya – Truthfulness
3. Asteya – Non-stealing
4. Brahmacharya – Conscious Energy
5. Aparigraha – Non-greed

Ahimsa

Ahimsa is the root from which the yamas originate. Its meaning touches all aspects of morality- that is the quality of nonviolence. It means “to not hurt” and when enforced, the quality of compassion arises in one’s life.

When you live by ahimsa, you agree not to harm yourself or others. This means in all ways– physically, by speech, and also by thought.

You can view your actions, words and even your own self-talk through the lens of ahimsa to develop compassion. For some, they may choose to eat a vegetarian diet, while others will fight for the rights of people who may be suffering.

The act of nonviolence was made famous by Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian political activist who helped gain India’s independence. However, as it is a universal quality, you can also see its use in history by other activists, like Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks.

Read: Ahimsa: The Number One Yama of the First Limb of Yoga

Satya

The concept of truthfulness is embodied in the second yama, satya. It further expands upon the concept of doing no harm, because not telling the truth would be harmful. The word itself bears a similarity to the guna, sattva, which means harmony. Being truthful means living in harmony.

Yoga Sutra 2.36 says:

“When one is firmly established in speaking truth, the fruits of action become subservient to him.”

This quote in particular is tied to the law of karma, which means to act for the sake of acting, not for the expectation of a reward. When you live in your truth, by your deeds, words, and pure thoughts, you are not attached to any results but simply in the fairness of the universe.

There may be situations that arise where it is unclear whether to speak the truth for the sake of hurting another. In this case, it is best to refrain from harming unless specifically asked.

Read: The 5 Yamas According to Patanjali

Asteya

Asteya is the concept of not stealing. It refers to taking something from another that is not a part of yourself. Not only is this referring to the physical realm, but also to stealing another’s drafts, material, or information, such as is the case of plagiarism.

When someone steals from another, it can arise from a lack of compassion not only for the other but also for themselves. Without kindness in the heart, one may feel they are missing something and begin to envy or crave what another has so they can fill that gap in themselves. Unfortunately, this only leads to more suffering.

Stealing inhibits your own ability to grow intellectually or attain realization on how you may gain what you want yourself instead of by taking away from another. The Yoga Sutras indicate that asteya has its roots in the qualities of greed, anger, and material delusion, which causes a misappropriation of resources.

Read: The First Step of Yoga: Yama

Brahmacharya

The topic of brahmacharya can be a difficult one to navigate for many yogis and will require some personal exploration. When you break down the Sanskrit word itself, it means “walking with brahman”. The brahman can be thought of as the universal reality or divine, depending on your perspective.

Some have directed its meaning to complete Godliness, therefore requiring a strict path of celibacy. Others, still in association with its divine connotation, associate it with how one may direct their life force energy so that it is not wasted or depleted. This may be in how much sleep you get, how much activity you practice, or your relationship to sex. Brahmacharya asks you, how do you spend your energy in daily life?

Read: Yama and Niyama: The Yogi's Moral Guiding Lights

Aparigraha

The final yama, aparigraha, denotes the non-receival of gifts from others and living a non-possessive life. For example, if you receive something from someone, you may be obligated to repay them in the future, and you may not be in a position to return the favor, therefore suffering will arise.

Beyond this, aparigraha also refers to not accumulating excess materials in the physical world, because this will cause attachment. Its root is also in greed, which distracts you from your true nature of performing compassionate acts in the world.

“With constancy of aparigraha, a spiritual illumination of the how and why of motives and birth emerges.”

— Patanjali, Yoga Sutra 2.39

When you live in a state of aparigraha, you know the truth of yourself, how to remain unattached, and learn how to let go of what does not serve your highest good.

Read: Practicing Aparigraha (Non-Attachment)

Applying the Yamas to the Mat

When you step onto your yoga mat to practice asana, the mind does not stop. Even as you move, breathe, and hold different postures, the mind can help you focus, it can distract you, or worse, cause more suffering.

1. Practice ahimsa by being compassionate with yourself and your body. Do not push yourself past your limits to the point of injury.
2. Practice satya by being honest with yourself. Do you need an advanced variation or is your body begging for a child’s pose today?
3. Practice asteya by not robbing yourself of time to actually step onto your mat, practice yoga, and increase peace in your life.
4. Practice brahmacharya by directing your energy consciously toward your own evolution instead of activities that drain you.
5. Practice aparigraha by congratulating those who may perform a difficult posture you are working on instead of wanting it for yourself. Turn your jealousy into excitement.

When you begin to consciously use the yamas Patanjali laid out for ethical living, you can awaken your own foundation for daily growth.

Each yama is like a different seed planted in fertile soil and you water them daily with your thoughts, words, and actions for the rest of the eight-limbed path to unfold toward more enlightened living.

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