The Dance of Shiva: Transformation

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Shiva is one of the primary Hindu deities. In many ways, Shiva is the quintessential Yogi. He is often depicted with a trident staff in his right hand and a crescent moon behind his head. The energy around Shiva scintillates with an electric blue hue, the color of deep meditation. To engage with Shiva’s energy through song, mantra repetition or worship, is to invoke the energy of transformation. Shiva is known in Hinduism and in the Yogic scriptures as the great transformer. He is said to have the ability to illuminate that, which holds back a seeker, both on the material plane and on the spiritual level of existence. 

To engage in the process of transformation, it is first necessary to clarify what you would like to transformation. You may a certain level of dissatisfaction or unease with certain aspects of your life. Or you may long to fulfill longstanding dreams or goals that have yet to be accomplished. In order to transformation the external circumstances of your life, it is necessary to excavate the underlying beliefs that are holding you back. It is also often necessary to come to terms with any number of painful or otherwise unresolved emotional experiences, which are preventing you from moving forward in your life. 

In business organizational terms, the health of a business can be defined as an organization’s ability to truly align itself with its highest aspirations and to implement the steps necessary to achieving those goals. In the same way, you are the leader of a micro- corporation, your own life! The first step to restructuring the business of your own life is to clarify what needs to be transformed. Although there is a great deal of emphasis on being in a constant state of “doing” in our culture today, sometimes it is necessary to slow down in order to drop into the fertile, creative void within; the place where inspiration naturally arises. 

During the flowing series of Yoga postures that comprise a balanced Yoga class, you will most likely move from a series of Sun Salutations to standing postures, balancing poses, backbends, inversions, and seated forward folds. In many vigorous forms of Yoga, the emphasis is frequently placed on the strengthening standing asanas and core exercises, instead of the more internal seated forward bends. However, invoking the transformative energy of Shiva is also quite powerful in the practice of the more internally focused, seated Yoga postures, such as Tortoise Pose. 

* Tortoise Pose or Kurmasana

Kurmasana is also known as Tortoise Pose because it resembles the position of a tortoise when it contracts into its shell. In the same way, by allowing yourself to withdraw your senses from external stimuli during your practice of Tortoise Pose, you will enable yourself a few moments to drop into the creative void within your own heart. From this place, you are afforded the opportunity to witness a spontaneous welling up of inspiration and wisdom from the depths of your own being. 

The physical benefits of Tortoise Pose include profoundly stretching out the shoulders, upper back, neck and groin muscles, in addition to gently stimulating the processes of digestion. Tortoise Pose may also relieve some headaches, as it facilitates the flow of fresh blood and oxygen through the brain. Kurmasana, or Tortoise Pose, is usually practiced towards the end of a Yoga class and prior to Shavasana. As a counter-pose to Kurmasana, it is advisable to practice a back bending Yoga posture, such as Fish Pose, either prior to or just after your practice of Tortoise Pose. When you are ready to practice Kurmasana, come to a comfortable seated position on your Yoga mat. 

If your hips are tight, place a folded blanket underneath you for support. Place your legs in a diamond position with the soles of your feet gently touching. With an inhale; raise your hands over your head in Prayer Position. With your next exhale, bend forward and place your lower arms underneath your calves with the palms of your hands flat on your Yoga mat. If this is not possible today, simply place your hands flat on your mat on the outside of your knees or calves. If you have the flexibility to bind in this pose, clasp your hands behind your back. Hold Kurmasana for three to five complete, full breaths. When you have completed your practice of Tortoise Pose, release the posture and come back to a comfortable seated position on your Yoga mat. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com. 

Improving Yoga Student Safety: Modified Pigeon Pose

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

Many Yoga teachers often strive to balance offering their students a challenging and creative series of Yoga postures and breathing exercises, while still maintaining a high degree of student safety in their classes. For some Yoga teachers, this quandary may prove to be quite difficult. This balance can be especially challenging to establish if you are a new teacher. However, with the graceful and strategic use of modified Yoga poses and supportive props, you will be able to lead your students through a challenging series of asanas and pranayama exercises, without risking their safety. 

The artful use of modified Yoga poses and props, such as chairs, bolsters, blankets, and straps, can immeasurably increase the variety of Yoga postures that you can offer to your students during class. The intelligent use of props and modified postures develops with time and teaching experience. Using props and suggesting appropriate modified postures will support your ability as a teacher to lead your students through a comprehensive, challenging and exhilarating practice of Yoga postures, without sacrificing your students’ safety or well-being. 

This is particularly important when you are teaching a multi-level class with intermediate and beginning students all mixed together. In many Yoga studios, health clubs and community centers, the students who are attending Yoga classes are often at various levels of aptitude and physical fitness. In order to keep the more advanced students challenged and the beginning students “up to speed” with your class, while not risking injury, spotting students who would benefit from modifying a pose or two and using strategically placed props, is quintessential part of the art of teaching Yoga well.  

* Modified Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Pigeon Pose is a wonderful Yoga posture for deeply opening the hips and alleviating sciatic pain and lower back stiffness. This hip-opening posture also improves the overall alignment of the spine and helps to release feeling of anxiety, trauma and stress that is so often energetically lodged in the hip area. Pigeon Pose is quite simple to modify, if you are teaching some students who are quite tight throughout the hips, groins and knees. By placing a blanket underneath the folded leg in Pigeon Pose, many students, who would otherwise find the pose to be too uncomfortable to perform, will be able to benefit from the practice of Pigeon Pose with a minimal amount of discomfort and stress to the knee joint.  

For those Yoga students who find that entering into Pigeon Pose without the support of a folded blanket or bolster is too intense or puts too much pressure on the knee, the use of props in Modified Pigeon Pose will help these students to practice the posture in a much safer fashion. Pigeon Pose is usually practiced after a series of Sun Salutations and standing asanas and prior to backbends, inversions and seated forward folds. Before leading your students through the practice of Modified Pigeon Pose, make sure that the students who wish to practice the modified version have a folded blanket or bolster nearby to place underneath the hip of their folded leg. 

When you are ready to lead your Yoga students through the practice of Modified Pigeon Pose, have them begin to flow through the beginning postures of the Sun Salutation until them come to Downward Facing Dog. From Downward Facing Dog, guide your students to place their right lower leg parallel to the front of their Yoga mat or as close to parallel as possible. For those students who need some extra support, have them place a bolster or folded blanket underneath their right hip, so that their hip bones are parallel to the front of the room and there is minimal pressure on the knee joint. Ask your students to hold Pigeon Pose for three to five breaths, and then remove the blanket or bolster if they are using one, and slowly move back into Downward Facing Dog. Repeat Modified Pigeon Pose on the left hand side when your students are ready. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.