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Ripple...
"...Ripples turn into waves and get larger and larger as they work to the edges of your being..."--Source unknown
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SHOULD WE DO YOGA, AN IMPORTANT READ
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January 7, 2011
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HOW YOGA CAN RECK YOUR BODY
 It is not often that I send out two Ripple eletters in less than a week. However, this Sunday's New York Times magazine features an article not about the benefits of yoga but about how yoga can wreck your body. In fact, a very credible teacher, Glen Black says within the article that "he has come to believe that the vast majority of people should give up yoga all together. It's simply too likely to cause harm." The article was sent to me by a number of students and friends yesterday when it came out on line and I felt compelled to offer my "two cents" from my 15 year yoga journey.
GET RID OF THE EGO
 The article talks about ego a bit and the bottom line is that one needs to pay attention to their own body and know their body well enough to know when to stop. When the ego comes into play, injury often occurs. I remember practicing ashtanga yoga years ago and being in a led class and watching all these amazing yogis and yoginis contort themselves into various poses. My ego was in high drive. I was in great shape and felt I should be able to do them too. My ego led me to trouble and a long healing hamstring injury. I babied the injured side of my body and then overused the other side of my body, causing even more havoc with myself.
Yoga teaches you to let go of ego and then, only then will one experience the incredible benefits. Also, when I practiced ashtanga, I shifted to mysore so that I wasn't moving into new asanas/poses until my body was ready with permission from the very experienced teacher. My first mysore practice with Eddie Stern, humbled me. I had been practicing the entire first series at another yoga venue, tick tocks and all (handstand to back bend and back). He stopped me after 20 poses and said "that's all." Incredible as he watched my practice and knew just when to introduce a new pose to me. When he did, my body was ready and the pose was not a strain.
INTELLIGENT SEQUENCING  I remember going to an anusara class in NYC 10 years ago and the first pose we did was headstand. I wasn't used to that because I wasn't warmed up. My core hadn't been cored, etc. I did it but struggled and wondered as a student if that was normal. When I took my first teacher training with Shiva Rea in 2003, she said some things that continue to resonate with me today. She said she believed in "intelligent" vinyasa and that meant, not doing a tremendous amount of poses on one side of the body (she limits it to three as a guide) and importantly getting one's body ready for poses. It was great to let the poses be in service and preparation for what was to come later. For example, before going into a backbend, we made sure that one's shoulders were opened up, starting with our opening movement meditation. Intelligent also meant to keep hip opening poses together and hip closed poses together. How many times have we gone to a yoga class and seen the cool choreography of Triangle to half moon balancing pose and then the instructor has the student shift hands and move into revolved half moon? As Shiva said in that original training years ago, think of the weight-baring pressure on the hip joint of the standing leg when making the shift. I agree and only practice and teach with intelligence, vastly limiting the number of injuries.
YOGA STYLES  There are so many forms of yoga. The article mentions Bikram. In Bikram because the room is warm, the body warms up like molten metal and then can move in ways that maybe, in my opinion, it isn't quite ready to move. I think yoga transforms so I would rather people practice a style of yoga, even if it isn't my preferred style than no yoga. For me, I can warm my body up without the external heat. With that said, I've experienced a number of styles over the years including Bikram and the ever popular hot yoga. Teachers like Ana Forrest like a warm room. There is a difference of course between warm and hot. I will say that my only other mishap in yoga occurred in a hot yoga class seven years ago. The room was probably way too hot. We were doing inversions--which didn't sound like a good idea to me. I had hydrated and felt good until all of a sudden, I got super dizzy. Turns out after a doctor visit, I had Temporary Positional Vertigo and had to do certain exercises to get rid of it over the next four days. Bottom line, is hot doesn't work for me but it does work for a lot of other people, hence the popularity. If the practitioner listens to their body, they should stay safe.
DOING YOGA VERSUS BEING YOGA.  This is another shift I first heard from Shiva Rea and something I think the article misses. What happened to consciously breathing and when did yoga just become the asana/pose? The article focuses on asana. Bottom line to me is if one is consciously breathing, they are practicing yoga. I haven't heard of someone getting injured from breathing yet. I used to do yoga too and that meant I needed to be on a yoga mat every day practicing poses. For the last few years, I've lived yoga so even if I don't get on my yoga mat each day, I find the time to consciously breathe and feel the connection.
Those of you receiving this eletter today are teachers, practitioners or are involved in the world of yoga through being my friend. After you read the article, I'd enjoy hearing what you think. Many of the teachers I know don't often have injuries in their classes. They are mindful as are their students. We've taught thousands of students and staff members the marvelous gifts of yoga at Newark Yoga Movement and haven't heard of any injuries. Being mindful is key. Being connected to yourself is key. Throwing out the ego is key. Yoga is thousands of years old and filled with so many incredible rich benefits. Just yesterday a yoga teacher friend came over and was talking about her students, how some have lost weight, all are more relaxed, one has lowered her blood pressure, all are more energetic. For me, I am sticking with yoga. What about you?
Meanwhile, there are a couple of other workshops that I am planning to attend in January and February listed below. Please feel free to join me.
 1. Jillian Pransky Restorative and Therapeutics Training. Jillian is a friend and a fantastic teacher. These trainings are Jan 21-22 and 28-29th at YogaWorks in Union Square. She is also doing a Minimal Prop training on Jan. 27 at Yoga Works Soho which I plan on attending. For all information, see Jillian's website or click on YogaWorks.
 2. Reconnective Yoga Workshop with Marije Paternotte February 18th I have never experienced reconnective yoga but Marije is one of 9 trained in this yoga in the world. She's a dear friend and has been raving about it. I plan to attend this workshop at Inlet Yoga on the 18th. Note time hasn't yet been determined. Reconnective yoga unites yoga with reconnective healing (where you feel healing frequencies). For more on Marije and reconnective yoga, see her site.
See you on or off the mat of life.
Please enjoy living your yoga.
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| | Photo: L. Rutten |
Love, Debby |
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DEBBY'S SCHEDULE
YOU are all invited to play some prana flow yoga with me on Thursday mornings 9:30-10:45am at The Karuna Shala in Glen Ridge.
Stay tune for some Winter workshops at local yoga studios and classes in private home studios.
If you have any interest in volunteering or teaching for
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