March
News & Events
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Article-
Welcoming Spring
As we mark the end
of winter by shedding hats and gloves let us welcome spring by honoring the
liberation of the mind and body.
All too often we
place limitations or unreasonable expectations on our selves- the yin and
yang of being human. We have the reasoning and cognitive ability to know fear
and zealous, failure and triumph. We have the sensitivity and frailty to know
pain and exhilaration, panic and jubilation. So we allow these experiences of
the mind and body to alter our perceptions of ourselves. We begin to believe
and adhere to these attachments, allowing them to control our every thought
and movement.
So how do we loose
these attachments and liberate our mind and body? Pause, take a deep breath
and then reread the previous paragraph.
…, “experiences of
the mind and body”. Hmm, what is missing?
Yoga is translated
as “union”. The mind, body and spirit are brought together with equal weight
and mass. When the balance is off we tend to lean to one side- either the yin
side of our personality or the yang side. Too much yin causes us to be more
passive and reserved while too much yang causes us to be more active and
aggressive.
The Taiji symbol
diagram above represents the interaction between yin and yang. The dark area
is symbolic of yin and the light of yang. The small dots suggest that there
is yin within yang and yang within yin. The two fish chasing each other
denotes constant change. The dividing line symbolizes a state of harmony and
balance within the ever-changing circle of life.
It is my belief
that this dividing line or taiji line is representative of the spirit (the
missing link above). It’s the spirit of the human being that keeps us
balanced, just as the taiji line keeps the fish balanced. The more developed
and flexible our spirit becomes the more developed and flexible our body and
mind become. We can accept are failures and successes with the same amount of
energy, without shame or pride. We can be exactly who we are at any given
moment without attachment to the moment before or the moment after.
So as we shed the
attachments of Winter and welcome in Spring I encourage you to put more
“yoga” into your asana (pose) practice- liberate your spirit, your breath,
your energy, your true self. Allow the mind and body to change and ungulate
around the spirit and enjoy the circle of life.
Salamba Sirsasana or Head Stand
– This pose strengthens and tones the abdominal
muscles, shoulders and neck. Strengthens and tones the thyroid gland and aids
in development of flexibility and strength of the abdominals and shoulders.
Circulation of oxygen and blood is increased. Therapeutic for constipation,
indigestion, asthma, headaches, congestion and sore throat. Also decreases
swelling and relieves pressure of the legs and feet. Avoid this pose
if you have any neck injuries unless under careful supervision. Avoid this
pose entirely if you have thyroid disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma or
detached retina. If a beginner please wait and try this with an instructor
before attempting on your own.
Bring your mat to
a wall (an inside corner is the best location) Begin on all fours (head
toward wall or corner), wrists directly underneath the shoulders, rest the
forearms down on the mat with the elbows in the same location as the palms of
the hands (no wider than the shoulders).
Adjust the distance from the wall as needed. A blanket may
be used under the forearms if needed. Clasp the fingers tightly and open up
palms to form a cup shape. The crown of the head is placed on the mat or
blanket resting inside the cup of the hands (keep the weight to the front of
the crown or slightly to middle, never on the forehead or toward the back of
the head). Ground through the forearms and wrists try not to place too much
weight into the hands or fingers. Raise the knees and walk the feet up as
close as possible toward the head. Exhale as you push off with the feet
keeping knees bent. Feet can rest on the wall until feel secure then let the
feet move toward the hips with knees still bent and reaching up toward the
ceiling (there are several leg variations and ways to raise the legs). Stay
up as long as you feel comfortable, softening and breathing into the pose. When
ready ease your legs back down to the floor resting the hips back onto the
heels into a child’s pose or balasana.
Variations of the legs will be added to the pose directory
on our website at afterthemasters.org
AfterTheMasters.org
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