The Yoga book starter library

Whenever I get into something new that I really like I tend to buy a lot of books on that subject. Naturally, when I started yoga my book buying habit transferred over into my new obsession/practice and my yoga library began to grow exponentially.  Chances are you've already had plenty of recommendations as to what is "THE BOOK" to buy but if you're like me then you can never really have too many books.  The following is my list for anyone who is just beginning to build their own personal yoga library.  My list is by no means exhaustive nor does it really represent my whole library.  The following list is intended as a starter for those just beginning to grow their own yoga book collection.  I'm sure that I have missed more than a few good books that are near and dear to someone's heart.  If that is the case then I invite you to send me the title and maybe I will include it in a subsequent blog entry.  Also, I have done my best to include both practical manuals and more philosophical works as well.  I'm sure many of you are familiar with Pattabhi Jois' dictum that "Yoga is 90% practice and 10% theory" I have done my best to list works that represent that 10%. Without further ado here is my recommended yoga book starter collection.

Seated Sage's Yoga book starter collection:

1. The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, ed. and trans. by Edwin F Bryant  
2. The Bhagavad Gita, ed. and trans. by Georg Feurstein
3. Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar
4. Light on Pranayama 
5. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali*
6. Core of the Yoga Sutras* 
7. The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga Yoga by H. David Coulter
8. Yoga for the Three Stages of Life by Srivatsa Ramaswami
9. The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga 
10. Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual by David Swenson

As I mentioned above this list is a solid core for anyone wanting to get deeper into yoga. It is not exhaustive and it definitely is not authoritative.  It is simply a suggested list of books that include asana, breathing, and a little bit of history and religion.  Again, I welcome any and all suggestions as I may post another entry down the road at some point in time. Happy reading and safe practicing!  

*These two works overlap in many respects but the first is a translation and explanation of the sutras, while the second is a more thematic analysis of the sutras and the underlying yoga theory behind them.  

The proper "energy" level for each practice....sthira and sukha.

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Have you ever gone to a yoga class that was a bit more difficult than your skill/energy level could handle for that day? You knew that you could do the class but something that day just wasn’t clicking. What did you do? Did you kick yourself into overdrive in order to keep up with the rest of the class? Panting and striving to keep up with the class, would you finally stand up in Virabhadrasana 1 while everyone was already on the way down into Chaturanga Dandasana?  Maybe you even took child’s pose to give yourself some rest and catch your breath while the class moved on? Or did you give up and stealthily pack your things up and silently slink out of the class?  I have done both of these things and I consider the latter course of action to be the better choice. It is always better to leave the class than to risk injury.  
In our home practice, though, we are the instructor and practitioner.  It is up to the individual to determine the correct amount of energy or effort to apply to any given pose.  This is a big responsibility, as applying too much effort risks injury while not applying enough effort will give you a dull practice.  So how much energy or effort should we apply to our practice?  In the Yoga Sutras (II, 46) Patanjali says, "Sthiram-sukham asanam," which roughly translates to “There should be comfort and stability in each pose.” In each and every pose we should put as much energy as it takes to maintain steadiness and ease.  Memorize these words and repeat them to yourself during your next practice.  Ask yourself “Am I at ease in this pose? Am I steady in this pose?”  There should be a regular interrogation of your body by your mind while practicing.  For example, if you are in Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold), determine how much effort you need in order to practice that posture. Forget about the practice where you almost touched your nose to your knee.  Equally, forget about the practice where your hamstrings were so tight that you could barely reach your toes.  Stay in the moment. Stay in the now. Stay aware of what is going on inside.  This way you will always know how much effort is needed and you will know what it takes to maintain “steadiness and ease” in any pose.
I would urge my readers to play with the poses. That is, while you are in a pose practice first with very little effort.  Relax your mind and your body will relax. Be mentally lazy with the pose.  Then try the same pose with lots of effort.  Maintain a watchful eye on your alignment, your breathing, the positions of your hands and feet, etc. Energetically pour yourself into every corner of your body.  The differences between the two methods should be noticeable.  The key is to find the place of medium effort where you use only the effort needed to hold the pose with sthira and sukha (steadiness and ease).  This is always being determined because the body is always in a state of flux. I can only urge all my readers to be mindful during every practice.  Injuries may happen but as you progress you will hopefully come to know how to gauge your energy level, how to apply medium effort into your practice.

Be mindful. Be safe. Happy exploring!  

 

10 Tips for beginning your own home yoga practice

Have you ever had that feeling in class that the teacher isn't quite teaching to you? Or that the poses seem easy or somehow routine? If that is the case the problem may not be the teacher or the poses.  The problem or issue may just be that you are not being challenged enough or are being allowed to engage in the practice in a somewhat perfunctory fashion.  If this is the case then it may be time to start a home yoga practice.  Its time to take what you know and have experienced in the studio and practice at home or in the park (a personal favorite of mine).  Maybe you've already considered it but haven't quite gotten around to it. Maybe you don't know exactly how or where to begin.  Here are ten tips that have helped me develop my home practice.

10 Tips for beginning a home practice

1.     Set aside a time and place to practice and (if possible) use it only for practice. Make sure your phone, alarm clocks, and computer are off (or set to silent/sleep). Some people may like to play some music and that is fine but I would urge you to not play anything while starting out.  Limit your external stimuli and your mind will naturally turn inward.

2.     The use of a mirror may be beneficial when starting out.  Over time, though, it may just keep you from progressing.  Rather,  use your senses as you would a mirror. Drawing them inward and deeper than the reflection in the mirror, you will learn how poses FEEL rather than how they merely look.

3.     Keep your yoga gear (mat, strap, block(s), bolster) in plain sight and in the space/area you practice in. Doing this serves as a reminder to practice and will call out to you if you're being lazy.

4.     Create a set of habits or actions that you perform before or after your practice. This gives your brain a cue and will help you initiate your practice and have other activities associated with your practice.

5.     When starting out....keep your practice simple and a little playful.  My yoga teacher always reminds his students to keep a "beginner's/child's mind" while practicing.' In the mind of the beginner there are many options. A child is explorative, not overly self conscious, and almost always playful. Be the same way while beginning your home practice. Always remember that this is YOUR practice, YOUR space, and YOUR time. You know that pose that you've wanted to try but were too fearful or embarrassed to attempt? With a home practice you get to fall, slap the floor with your body, let out emotions, etc. until you can finally get it. When you do finally get it you can let out a loud victory yell or simply move to the next pose.

6.     It may be useful to divide your practice time between something you can do every practice and something that is new for you. For example, you can open with some Surya Namaskaras I&II followed by standing forward folds moving towards seated poses (practiced Vinyasa/Ashtanga style). After working through a predetermined set of poses you then move on to more "experimental" poses perhaps like Sirsasana (Head stand) or Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Hand stand). This way you can drill in the basics, while acquiring new skills.  Practice what you know and what your body likes.  There is no reason why your home practice should be a struggle.  Explore with deeper variations of the poses you know well.

7.    As with studio classes, remember to set an intention for your practice. Even if it is only for fun it is important to acknowledge why you are practicing. In any/every yoga practice the poses are WHAT you are doing, but the intention is there to remind you why.

8.    Also, finish each asana practice with savasana/corpse pose.  It's a simple pose but with a deceptive amount of complexity to master.  For the whole time that you've practiced you've built up steam in your body, accessed deep layers of tissue and applied the power of your breathing to those deeper layers. Corpse pose is there to seal in that heat and give rest to the body. It is very easy to get into the pose but the hard part is staying with the stillness and not allowing your mind to distract you. I always tell myself and students that the work is done and it is time to rest. Disengage the body. Disengage the mind. Rest.

9.      Development of a home practice will ween you off dependence on a studio or teacher. When you are able to take control of your practice then you become accountable to yourself alone. If questions arise, write them down and ask a trusted teacher or consult a book like Light On Yoga. Remember,  classes are for learning. When you feel like you have learned all you can from a teacher then the time may be right to move on to another or challenge yourself by becoming your own teacher.

10.  After savasana the stillness you feel might allow for some meditation.  Sit in a comfortable seated posture like Padmasana (Lotus pose) with an erect spine and your chin slightly tucked toward your chest. Lengthen your breathing slowly. Imagine you are pouring water from one cup into another. In the same way, your breath fills your lungs on the inhale and empties the lungs on the exhale. Let the sound of your breathing take you deeper into a place of serenity. Your mind may begin to interject with stray thoughts. That is okay. Take what your mind is showing you, recognize it for what is and leave it aside. Doing this might take up the time you've allotted to meditate but over time it will become easier to stay in that place of stillness.  After your meditation is over you may want to do another savasana (Corpse pose). If not, then get up slowly and quietly.

B.K.S. Iyengar (1918-2014)

It was with a heavy heart that I learned of BKS Iyengar's recent passing ....

  

I remember buying a copy of his Light On Yoga and seeing all the pictured poses with the detailed instructions interspersed. I thought I would never achieve any of them with the poise and near effortless grace he showed in them.  I have yet to achieve even half of what Iyengar had achieved in his lifetime, however I am thankful for his dedication, skill and precision that he brought to the practice of yoga.  I have had many teachers since I began to practice yoga but he was the first to open my eyes to what yoga can really do for the mind and body.  I consider him the "Guru I never met," my first yoga teacher, and counselor.  When I teach a class or am writing a sequence of poses I make sure to keep his Light On Yoga nearby as a reference (and thankfully no injuries reported).  I am so very thankful for his guidance, instruction, and the time he spent with us during his life. Rest in peace Iyengarji.

Hello and thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

First, a little bit about me…I’m a yoga enthusiast living in the city of Chicago who has been practicing and studying yoga for 10 years. This blog is based on my experiences of beginning yoga at a small class in a gym, practicing yoga with established teachers in the Chicago-land area, attending workshops held by internationally known yogis, and teaching yoga.  I know that there may be some who read things on this blog and will desire to correct me. I welcome all comments and would like this to be a forum where yoga can be discussed in a calm, civil, and….yogic way.      

This blog is my attempt to begin a discussion of the path of yoga with other practitioners.  My desire is to cover a fairly wide array of issues from the technical/bio-mechanical to the more esoteric (ex. meditation).  It has been my experience that there are many classes for beginners and more advanced practitioners, but the intermediate students have little to go on but workshops and teacher trainings.  After the thrill of learning the basics is gone it can be quite daunting to continue in an open-ended practice.  I would like to discuss how people stay with their practice and what habits they have to get them to class.

***DISCLAIMER***

I do not hold myself up as an absolute authority.  Thus, any and all recommendations, opinions and/or judgments discussed on this blog are solely for the sake of discussion. I am not liable for any harm/injury suffered by those attempting things discussed on this blog.  Anyone attempting the exercises/practices discussed here does so at their own risk.