CHAPTER 7 Selected āsanas for integrating the aims and principles

Combinations and sequencing of āsanas 221

Introduction

The basic exercises teach us mindfulness, awareness, precision of movement, and postures of the different areas of the body. They give many details on how to position and move in a healthy way. Each basic exercise helps to achieve one or more intended aims. This approach is also essential for performing the āsanas. The classical āsanas are very useful to integrate these basic details and aims into more complex, functional tasks. Performing the āsanas also goes deeper into mindful exercising and all stages of yoga. The other principles – variety, economical practice, precision, finetuning – are also followed during their practice. First the gross outer movements are learned, and then with increasing practice the inner, conscious movements are further refined.

As we saw in Chapter 1, a dedicated practice of āsanas can include all other stages of yoga, such as yama, niyama, āsana, prāāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraā, dhyāna, and samādhi. The ultimate aim of yoga is the union of the human with the divine, the individual soul with the universal soul. Health is a byproduct of practice, and a very important one (Iyengar 2002a). As described in Chapter 1, pratyāhāra, the fifth stage of the eightfold yoga path, is essential to prepare for the depth of practice of the āsanas. To achieve the inner movements during āsana practice, distractions of the senses, the organs of perception, must lessen and finally stop. The concentration and calmness needed to achieve this can be learned through breathing and listening (see Chapter 2) or the experience of subtle breathing (see Chapter 5). B K S Iyengar recommends cognitive action (Iyengar 2002a). This means that, while you are performing an āsana, the organs of perception – the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin– are feeling what is happening in the body. This refined awareness must be integrated with willpower, intellectual and mental effort to move into the āsanas and to perform the instructions. When acting and awareness merge together the precision of the performance of the āsanas can be refined further: all layers of the body are penetrated, and body, mind, and soul become one. Learning the āsanas is a long and sometimes difficult process. There is a balance of activity and passivity, of strength and relaxation. Even if the body is fully stretched, there is relaxation at the same time.

With increasing practice hard work is transformed into inner strength, inner life, sensitivity. Each cell of the body is like an eye. What was effortful in the beginning becomes effortless (Iyengar 2005).

Practical steps to achieve calmness and relaxation are to let the throat, tongue, and back of the head become relaxed while practicing āsanas. Further a minimal distance can be created between the lower and upper teeth. Also with open eyes the relaxation of the eyes can be practiced, letting them sink towards the back of the head. This calms the mind, which improves the ability to learn. All this can be practiced in everyday situations as well.

As a demonstration of what can be achieved through practice, we show the āsanas in their final position. Not everyone can reach this final stage; however, we can all grasp the essence of the āsana, the finetuning of the body, and understand how to modify the āsanas appropriately.

The essence of each āsana can be divided into a frame and inner movements, learning which parts are stable, which parts are moving, and understanding healthy postures and movements. For therapeutic work the variations where props are used are particularly relevant. Using props also helps to achieve relaxation during effort. The props are simple objects or items of furniture found in most homes. In addition we recommend that you acquire a sticky mat, belt, and cork or foam brick. There is one example for each method, which can then be applied to many other āsanas. The possibilities for using props and modifying āsanas are countless. Careful observation, refined awareness, mindfulness, and the desire to experiment and continue learning will help you to make the right decisions about how to use props and modify the āsanas. There are many ways of adjusting each method. The support can be made shorter or taller, harder or softer, and shifted to other areas of the body until it feels right. Precision is important when using props. They must be positioned correctly, and blankets must be carefully folded without creases. The floor should not be too hard or cold.

The description of each āsana has different sections:

• Meaning of the āsana and its name

• Getting into the posture

• Being in the posture. This section is divided into basic work and refined work. The basic work concerns the frame and the correct alignment of the āsana, physiological posture, and movement. The refined work leads to the inner work and awareness. Various suggestions are given; they are not meant to be included all at once. Choose an option depending on what you wish to emphasize, and gradually integrate the learned steps. Although the yoga postures may look static, there is a lot of inner movement and life.

• Finishing the posture. Getting out of the posture is as important as getting into the posture and the work in the posture. Good alignment and precision of movement when getting out of the posture contribute to the overall quality of the practice.

• Suggestions for modifications using props: refer to this if the patient cannot perform the āsana or there is instability. The props open up possibilities for modifications. Even when there are no restrictions, using props may make the basic and refined work more precise and help to understand the essence of the āsana. In the triangle poses, such as Utthita Triko

āsana and Pariv

tta Triko

āsana, putting the hand on the floor creates a wrong basic alignment for many people, and so fine adjustments are not possible. First of all the lower hand should get enough support, for example on a brick, and then the alignment can be corrected precisely.

• For some āsanas we have given variations as an alternative or to help get deeper into the āsana.

The descriptions of the asymmetrical āsanas start with the right side; for the left side reverse the instructions for left and right. In individual practice it helps to start with the easier side. Practical performance of the instructions is very individual and depends on experience and awareness. It is like a faceted crystal. When the crystal is turned in the sun, it shines differently depending on the angle, but stays the same crystal. An instruction is not a dogma. Recommendations for how long to hold the āsanas are average times, but may vary according to individual needs. Particularly for beginners it is helpful to hold for a shorter time and perform the āsanas twice to improve understanding.

While working in an āsana basic stability must be maintained; this relates to the calmness described above. In Yoga-Suātra II.46 it is described as follows: “sthira sukham āsanam – āsana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit” (Iyengar 2002b, p. 157). As an example of basic stability, we used the neutral lumbopelvic position extensively in Chapter 6. This position is important and helps to protect the spine in many lifting, bending, and twisting actions in the āsanas. Depending on the posture it needs to be adjusted differently. Where there is lumbar lordosis, it is important to tilt the pelvis backwards and lengthen the back of the pelvis. Where there is a flatter lower back it may be necessary to tilt forward. Both cases also need countermovements to achieve the optimal balance. For different āsanas different areas are relevant for this basic stability; for example, the feet, hips, shoulder blades, or cervical spine. There are no āsanas for isolated work on a special area, for example the pelvic floor, although the pelvic floor is strengthened through the correct performance of each āsana. As there are so many āsanas and variations, this work integrates the pelvic floor in many different ways.

From all these considerations we can see that the following points are essential for yoga as therapeutic exercise:

• Selecting the program for practice according to the aims that need to be improved: mobility, strength, stamina, relaxation, balance, coordination, synchronization, and breathing.

• The quality of practice can be improved and adjusted in many individual conditions by applying the principles of mindfulness, variety of exercise approaches, economical practice, precision, and finetuning.

• Mindfulness particularly supports the therapeutic effects, as it allows patients to practice in an appropriate way.

• Certain exercises for certain pathologies are not prescribed in this approach.

• Programs are selected in order to achieve certain aims, keeping in mind the diagnosis and contraindications.

• The selected program not only improves the condition, but also helps patients to understand why their health problems have occurred and learn how to avoid these causes in the future. For example, common low-back pains may be relieved through exercises relaxing the area and building up a balanced activity of the trunk muscles. Mindful practice, improving awareness, leads to understanding and therefore avoiding the causes of the low-back pain.

In general the introductory āsanas or introductory versions have been selected from among all the āsanas. Abilities learned from the basic exercises are integrated into more complex tasks when practicing āsanas. A further criterion for selection is variety:

• to cover all positions: standing, sitting, lying, inverted, balanced

• to include activity and relaxation

• to cover firmness in a centered position, movements of bending forwards, backwards, side-bending, and rotation.

At the end of this chapter, after all the āsana descriptions, hints will be given on how to combine basic exercises and āsanas and how to sequence āsanas. The basic exercises 1.4, 1.11, 1.13, 1.15, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.6, 4.11 and 8.5 (see Chapter 6) are preparations or easier versions of classical āsanas not explained in this book. For the full āsana, see Iyengar (2001) and Mehta et al (1990).

When learning the āsanas we strongly recommend that you work under the guidance of a qualified yoga teacher. Personal learning from a teacher is the traditional approach. The oldest yoga textbooks, the Upaniads, were first learned by heart from a personal teacher (see Chapter 1). This book is for your own additional practice. Regular practice in addition to learning from a teacher is essential to improve ability. To practice the āsanas with this book, a good method is to work in small groups. One person reads the instructions, while the other practices. If there are three of you, the third can observe. Interchanging the roles is a very good learning process.

Selected āsanas

1 Tāāsana (Figures 7.1 and 7.2)

Meaning of the āsana and its name

Tāāsana is the mountain pose; it means being firm like a mountain, standing upright, concentrated, and still. You grow taller as a result of being firmly grounded. Tāāsana is one of the simplest and at the same time the most complex āsanas. It develops a good habit of standing; activity and calmness merge together.

Figure 7.1

Figure 7.2

Figure 7.3

Being in the posture: refined work

1. Keeping the right big toe and the ball of the foot firmly in contact with the left thigh, press the outer edge of the right foot more into the left thigh.

2. The inner right thigh moves away from the groin slightly.

3. Move the upper outer right thigh towards the right hip joint.

4. Keeping the hips at the same level, slightly move the lower abdomen inwards and upwards; feel the effect of this action on the lifting of the spine.

5. Lift the side ribs.

6. Suck the shoulder blades into the thorax; feel how this helps to raise your front upper ribs.

7. Move the upper thoracic vertebrae inwards; feel how this connects to the lifting of the upper sternum.

8. Move the arms slightly more backwards.

9. Slightly turn your upper arms outwards to create more freedom for the neck without losing height.

10. Relax your face.

11. Breathe naturally.

Finishing the posture

Stay in the posture for 5–10 breaths, then release according to one of the following methods:

1. Bring your right foot and your arms down as you exhale to come back to Tā

āsana.

2. Lower your right foot as you exhale; with a further exhalation lower your folded hands to the sternum; hold them in front of the sternum for 2 breaths; with another exhalation release your hands to stand in Tā

āsana.

Repeat “getting into the posture” and “being in the posture” for the left leg.

Suggestions for modifications using props

• Stand with your back close to a wall; let your hips rest against the wall, the thumbs slightly touching the wall when the arms are elevated.

• Practice in front of a mirror to check your alignment.

Variations (Figure 7.4)

• If there is less mobility of the bent knee or you cannot balance, adjust the height of the foot starting with the toes on the floor; gradually move the foot higher.

• If you cannot stretch your elbows with the palms together, keep the hands apart at shoulder width.

Figure 7.4