Upside-Down Yoga, Habit-Forming
I went to Sallie's Intemediate Yoga class Saturday morning with a back ache. Specifically, I had sacro-iliac pain on my left side. If you've experienced this, you know it's not fun.
At some point in class we practiced a pose most people call "headstand on chairs."
It's a strange looking pose. But one of it's great advantages is that you can stay in this pose for a long time.
I did. It felt great.
If you're new to yoga, you may not know yet that one of the regular practices of yoga is turning upside down in various postures like shoulder stand, head stand, hand stand, legs-up-the-wall pose, and even dog pose.
These inverted postures, once you get comfortable with them, offer some tremendous benefits to yogis.
When I came out of the pose I noticed that my S-I pain was gone.
Sometimes I think that when I'm standing or walking or sitting, doing my normal routine, I'm not "acting naturally." Rather, I'm maintaining a habitual pattern in my body, for no reason other than...habit.
What's cool about being upside down is this: I don't have many habits. So instead of replaying a pattern that I've ingrained into my body, I let go of them.
When I let go of habitual alignments, tensions, or contractions my body naturally aligns with gravity.
I think that's what happened.
I love yoga. When I practice, when I do the pose that's right here in front of me now, I am always surprised by the newness of the moment. My anticipation of the pose, what I think is going to happen, often does not.
I didn't expect back pain to leave me when I went upside-down. But it did.
Who knows what might happen in your next yoga class?
I'll see you in yoga class,
Kevin Perry
mo_yoga@yahoo.com
p.s., If you'd like to read a Daily Yoga Tip I wrote about letting go of habitual body patterns while in a topsy-turvy position, see "Inversion Confusion" here.
p.p.s., I teach a Basics yoga class each Monday night at 5:30. I'm looking forward to seeing you there.
Remember, all of our classes are by donation only. You pick the price, the teacher, the schedule, and the frequency of your classes. There's no reason not to come to yoga classes.
p.p.p.s., Would you like to experience private yoga instruction?
In a one-on-one setting, you get individual feedback, meant just for you. You get instructions tailored to address the issues you want to work on. I'll meet with you privately. Email me at mo_yoga@yahoo.com. By donation only. You pick the price...or no price at all. I'll work with as many of you as I can, as my schedule permits.
p.p.p.p.s., If you've read this far, you get the big amusement pay-off. You'll notice above that I said most people call the pose "headstand on chairs." Some people, tongue in cheek, call it the "head in the toilet pose."
p.p.p.p.p.s., If you see me or Sallie this week at Show Me Yoga Center, be sure to ask us about our up-coming yoga vacation in Yelapa, Mexico. It's not too soon to be preparing for this February, 2007 week-long yoga adventure. This will be our third year to return to the beautiful Hotel Lagunita.
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
At some point in class we practiced a pose most people call "headstand on chairs."It's a strange looking pose. But one of it's great advantages is that you can stay in this pose for a long time.
I did. It felt great.
If you're new to yoga, you may not know yet that one of the regular practices of yoga is turning upside down in various postures like shoulder stand, head stand, hand stand, legs-up-the-wall pose, and even dog pose.
These inverted postures, once you get comfortable with them, offer some tremendous benefits to yogis.
When I came out of the pose I noticed that my S-I pain was gone.
Sometimes I think that when I'm standing or walking or sitting, doing my normal routine, I'm not "acting naturally." Rather, I'm maintaining a habitual pattern in my body, for no reason other than...habit.
What's cool about being upside down is this: I don't have many habits. So instead of replaying a pattern that I've ingrained into my body, I let go of them.
When I let go of habitual alignments, tensions, or contractions my body naturally aligns with gravity.
I think that's what happened.
I love yoga. When I practice, when I do the pose that's right here in front of me now, I am always surprised by the newness of the moment. My anticipation of the pose, what I think is going to happen, often does not.
I didn't expect back pain to leave me when I went upside-down. But it did.
Who knows what might happen in your next yoga class?
I'll see you in yoga class,
Kevin Perry
mo_yoga@yahoo.com
p.s., If you'd like to read a Daily Yoga Tip I wrote about letting go of habitual body patterns while in a topsy-turvy position, see "Inversion Confusion" here.
p.p.s., I teach a Basics yoga class each Monday night at 5:30. I'm looking forward to seeing you there.
Remember, all of our classes are by donation only. You pick the price, the teacher, the schedule, and the frequency of your classes. There's no reason not to come to yoga classes.
p.p.p.s., Would you like to experience private yoga instruction?
In a one-on-one setting, you get individual feedback, meant just for you. You get instructions tailored to address the issues you want to work on. I'll meet with you privately. Email me at mo_yoga@yahoo.com. By donation only. You pick the price...or no price at all. I'll work with as many of you as I can, as my schedule permits.
p.p.p.p.s., If you've read this far, you get the big amusement pay-off. You'll notice above that I said most people call the pose "headstand on chairs." Some people, tongue in cheek, call it the "head in the toilet pose."p.p.p.p.p.s., If you see me or Sallie this week at Show Me Yoga Center, be sure to ask us about our up-coming yoga vacation in Yelapa, Mexico. It's not too soon to be preparing for this February, 2007 week-long yoga adventure. This will be our third year to return to the beautiful Hotel Lagunita.
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
posted by Kevin at 4:15 AM
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