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. 

Yoga for the Winter Blues: Garland Pose

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

In the Northern Hemisphere, it is quite common for Yoga practitioners to experience a downward turn in their mood as the days continue to grow shorter and shorter. With the brief amount of sunlight available to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere during the heart of the winter, a drop in mood is quite common as serotonin levels begin to diminish in the brain. Serotonin is one of the "feel good" neurotransmitters in the brain that helps to keep your mood bright and optimistic. 

If your serotonin levels drop in the winter due to a lack of sunlight, you may feel much less motivated to accomplish your goals and your mood may be much more pessimistic than usual. Chronically high levels of stress and anxiety can also substantially drop serotonin levels in the brain. This can be especially true during the holiday season. If you are overwhelmed, stressed, do not get enough exercise or sunlight; you may experience a substantial drop in your mood over the next couple of months.  

If you choose to practice Yoga several times a week, or even on a daily basis, you will improve you are strength, flexibility and peace of mind. You will also improve your cardiovascular fitness if the intensity level of your practice is in a moderate aerobic range. Many aerobic forms of Yoga, such as Power Yoga, will raise your heart rate substantially and help you to improve your strength and cardiovascular fitness. 

However, if anxiety and stress are exacerbating symptoms of depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder, incorporating Yin poses into your regular Yoga practice will help to balance your nervous system, allow your body and mind to release stress and tension and restore your vital life force energy. The practice of Yin Yoga poses is substantially different than the practice of vigorous Power Yoga sequences. Yin Yoga can be considered a softer, more passive and receptive form of Yoga. 

The practice of Yin Yoga utilizes the natural process of release and unfolding through the gravitational pull on the body. Many Yin poses are practiced in a restorative fashion with bolsters, blankets and blocks. These props help the body to unwind and release stress and tension without strain. By incorporating Yin poses into your regular Yoga practice, you will allow yourself to rest and unwind in a gentle fashion, which will help to mitigate the effects of anxiety and stress on your body and mind. 

* Malasana or Garland Pose 

Malasana, or Garland Pose, is very effective for increasing a sense of spaciousness in the front upper torso, elongating in the Achilles' tendons and for stretching out the shoulders, neck and lower back. If you are currently healing from a knee injury or a lower back injury, please practice Garland Pose carefully. If practicing Garland Pose causes you pain, please practice Cat-Cow or Extended Child's Pose instead. Both of these poses will also stretch out the front of your torso, neck, shoulders, and lower back. Garland Pose is usually practiced after a series of Sun or Moon Salutations and standing asanas. 

When you're ready to practice Garland Pose, lower yourself into a squatting position on your Yoga mat. Keep your knees hips' distance apart. Place your hands in Prayer Position and apply slight pressure to the inside of your thighs. At the same time, apply slight pressure to the outside of your elbows with your knees - If your Achilles tendons are very tight today, place of rolled blanket underneath your heels for support. In order to practice Malasana or Garland Pose in a Yin Yoga style, clasp your hands together and place them at the base of your skull. 

Gaze down at a point on your Yoga mat just in front of your feet and keep your elbows pointing down. Breathe deeply and fully, remembering to inhale and exhale smoothly and completely. Do not actively pull on the back of your head, simply allow the weight of gravity to release stress and tension throughout your neck, shoulders and lower back. Hold this Yin-style Garland Pose for three to five breaths. With your next inhale, release your hands and place them back into Prayer Position. With your next exhale, release the pose and move gently into Extended Child's Pose before continuing on with the rest of your Yoga practice.

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 Yoga and health-related freelance writer and academic support specialist. 

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The Importance Of Yoga Instructor Ethics

By Faye Martins

Yoga teachers work in close physical and emotional proximity with their students, and this makes it imperative that they have the highest ethical standards. There are too many compromising situations that can occur if a student is taught by a teacher with poor or no ethics. Therefore, it is important that everyone in the community work together to hold teachers to a high ethical standard. Here is a look at some of the yoga instructor ethics that are the most important.

High Level of Training

Yoga teachers must have a high level of training if they are to successfully teach others how to practice yoga. Instructors must always be working to both maintain and expand their knowledge of the practice. Teachers should ask other yoga professionals to attend their classes on a regular basis to ensure that their teaching methods are working effectively.

Daily Practice for Effective Teaching

No matter what kind of knowledge a teacher is trying to impart, they will do a poor job if they don't really believe what they are teaching. This is especially true in yoga. This practice is something that is very deep and moving, and this means instructors must live and breathe it if they are going to be effective teachers. Yoga instructors should practice it themselves on a daily basis if they wish to be good teachers.

Leaving Personal Problems Outside the Studio

As with any profession, yoga professionals must leave their personal problems outside the studio if they are going to be effective at their jobs. Instructors who are thinking about their cheating boyfriends or messy roommates while they are supposed to be monitoring their students' poses are highly unprofessional.

Sober Teaching

It is highly unethical to come into a class and teach under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Even teaching after just a drink or two is very bad. Yoga teachers must make sure that they are 100 percent sober every time they stand in front of a class.

Exploitation of the Teacher-Student Relationship

One of the most common ethical problems that occurs is when a teacher becomes attracted to a student. As with any other form of teaching, it is totally unethical for a yoga teacher to date a student. If there is an attraction between the teacher and the student that both parties wish to pursue, the teacher should recommend a different instructor who the student can begin studying with. Only after the student-teacher relationship has been terminated can a romantic relationship be pursued.

Sexual Harassment

Something that is even worse than dating a student is sexually harassing a student. Luckily, this does not happen often, but it does occur on rare occasions with unethical teachers. Anyone in the yoga world who encounters sexual harassment in a class should report the teacher immediately.

Discrimination

It is unethical to deny instruction to a student based on race, sex, creed, socioeconomic status, physical disability, culture, age or national identity. Ethical teachers will be welcoming of all students who wish to learn no matter what their backgrounds are.

These are the general guidelines that ethical yoga teachers will follow. Every instructor must be held to a high ethical standard because of the intimate nature of yoga teaching. All members of the community must work together to enforce yoga instructor ethics.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. 

What Is The Need For Yoga Therapy?

By Faye Martins

While yoga may seem strange to outsiders, it can provide practitioners with a variety of benefits. Those who practice yoga may have better mental clarity and focus and may also benefit physically as well. On a more basic level, it can be a great way to meet people outside of work or outside of your close social circle. Therefore, the need for yoga therapy may be more important than most realize.

Keep Calm After a Long Day 

The pressures of everyday life can take its toll on even the mentally strong. The demands of a boss, the prospect of raising a child or simply making it home from work in heavy traffic can all be mentally draining. Therefore, it may be beneficial to engage in an activity that focuses on replenishing the mental energy that has been lost during the day. By taking the time to recharge mentally, it can help anyone get more done and deal with life's challenges with a better attitude.

Mental Health Leads to Better Physical Health

If you find yourself constantly stressed, you may find that you are also at risk for several health issues. During the winter, it may be easier to catch a cold as stress weakens our immune system. Stress can also lead to overeating and excess weight gain. Your teeth could also become fragile as you may grind your teeth while sleeping and not even know it. Taking the time to relax and deal with your stress may make it easier to stay healthy and be more productive at home and at work. 

Get Into Better Shape

Many yoga poses require that the person performing the pose be in good physical shape. While you don't have to be a bodybuilder to enjoy yoga, you will need good core strength to get the most out of many poses. Over time, you may find that your body is getting stronger simply by practicing yoga with a class or on your own. As you start to see your body getting into better shape, you may then find the motivation to start doing yoga full-time or start getting into other activities that you have long neglected due to being out of shape.

Meet New People 

You don't need to be a yoga expert to find a class to take part in. In fact, most people who are in your class are going to be new just like you. This gives you a chance to bond with your classmates and forge new relationships that can boost your personal and your professional life. At worst, it will shake up your routine and give you something new to look forward to once or twice a week.

Taking part in yoga can help you mentally as well as physically. For those who are looking for a new hobby to explore or just need something to do, yoga can be an effective way to get out of the house and help you improve your life. Classes are offered in many locations and you may find a class near you through online search.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.

All About Teaching Yoga Sessions

By Faye Martins

Teaching yoga can be both rewarding and relaxing. The important part is to prepare yourself before your first lesson. Learning about teaching yoga sessions is something that should begin within your own practice.

More than Asanas

Yoga is a holistic practice that encompasses much more than just the physical movements. Even if you never incorporate the other aspects of yoga into your personal classes you should be aware of them. There are eight limbs to yoga. The positions are just a single aspect.

The first limb is Yama, or the universal mortality. The second limb is Niyama, your personal observances. The third limb is Asanas. This is the physical part of yoga that most know. The fourth limb is Pranayama, the breath of life. These are also practiced in many yoga classes as breathing exercises. The fifth limb is Pratyahara, the control of your senses. The sixth limb is Dharana, the cultivation of your inner awareness. The seventh limb is Dhyana, one's meditation on the Divine forces. The eight and last limb is Samadhi, your individual connection with the Divine.

Read a little on the other limbs of the practice. Be knowledgeable about the historical and cultural important of the practice. It won't seem to be knowledge that is useful in day-to-day teaching. This is not the case. You will have students ask questions about the practice. You will also find the deeper understanding helps you in your own teaching.

The Eternal Student

Understand that the more you learn about teaching yoga sessions the more you will know that yoga is a lifelong learning experience. Your students expect you to live the truths that you are teaching them. Those who practice yoga are often held to a higher standard than their merely mortal students. Try to live your ideals while being yourself. In other words, don't pretend a persona that is not your own. If you eat GMO foods every day or enjoy meat, then be that while you are teaching. Your students will respect you for it.

Select the Right School For You

There are many different types of yoga practiced today. From traditional schools to the most modern forms of hot yoga, there will be a right one for you. While you may have found a school of yoga that you are comfortable practicing it will still benefit you to try out other types of yoga. Take a few classes in a number of schools of yoga. Incorporate elements that you enjoy into your own practice. A fully developed personal practice will help make you a more well-rounded teacher.

Be an Individual

In the beginning of your teaching practice you will probably mirror that of your own instructors. You will probably take those parts that you admire most in your teachers and use them to run your own classes. This is perfectly natural. As your confidence increases you will find that you naturally move towards those practices and actions that feel most natural. Teaching yoga will be as much of a learning experience for you as it is for your students.

Starting off on your teaching journey will be a rewarding and positive experience. It will lead you to discover things about yourself that you would have never dreamed of. Enjoy every minute of it.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. 

Yoga, Happiness and Buddhism: Right Intention

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

There is a growing awareness and interest in the Yoga community about how to use the tools and techniques of Yoga to increase happiness. One of the ways to increase a sense of happiness, ease and well-being through a balanced Yoga practice is to incorporate the wisdom of The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism into your practice or Yoga classes. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Fourth Noble Truth of the Buddha. It is literally a road map of how to live a life filled with a sense of purpose, happiness, nobility, and ease. Ultimately, following the Eightfold Path is intended to lead a saduka or spiritual seeker to a state of enlightened absorption in the Divine.    

By implementing the Noble Eightfold Path into your Yoga practice or class, you will find that your practice is integrated into your own life and the lives of your students in a deeper, more meaningful way. A dharma wheel with eight spokes frequently represents the Noble Eightfold Path. Each spoke is a different aspect or step on the path. The goal of these eight steps is to relieve suffering and nurture a realistic and accurate understanding of the universe and our place in the universe. Following the Eightfold Path is also intended to relieve the mental suffering and strife that often arises from a sense of hopelessness about our own lives, as well as the despondency that many of us feel about the problematic state of the world. 

One of the eight steps on the Dharma Wheel is “right intention.” In this context, the term “right” is used to denote a sense of wisdom, skill and wholesome living. If you are a Yoga student, setting an intention that aligns your purpose for practicing Yoga with a “noble” cause, your practice will take on a deeper meaning. This noble cause could be anything that uplifts you or the environment around you. In other words, if your intention for practicing Yoga today is to relieve your lower back pain or release pent up tension in your shoulders after a challenging work week, this is an admirable intention that will uplift you, which will in turn uplift those around you. 

As a Yoga instructor, if you formally take the time at the beginning of your class to allow your students to set an intention for their practice, you will quietly create the space and time for them to pause and reflect on their aspirations for practicing Yoga today. Aligning your own intention for leading a Yoga class will help to frame your instruction in a meaningful way. When you set an intention for teaching a particular class, it is advisable to keep in mind the individual students who comprise your Yoga class today.

* Setting an Intention with Lotus Mudra

Setting an intention with Lotus Mudra is a beautiful and heart-opening way to begin a Yoga practice or class. A mudra is a hand gesture that has the power to subtly shift your state of being and focus subtle energy in a profound way. Many Yoga traditions called the art of incorporating mudras into a Yoga class “sealing” the energetic qualities of the pose. Different mudras also generate various emotional tones and qualities. In terms of setting an intention for your practice or class, Lotus Mudra is a simple and referent way of tapping into the energy and wisdom of the heart chakra. 

To practice Lotus Mudra, place your palms together in a prayer position in front of your heart. Bow your head and pause for a moment to allow a heart-filled intention to arise from within you. When you are clear on the intention you would like to set for your practice, as you inhale, raise your head and gently open your fingers up to the sky in the form of a lotus flower by keeping your thumbs, little fingers and the lower part of your palms touching, while your middle fingers move out in the form of a budding flower. Hold Lotus Mudra for three complete breaths. After your third breath, bring your fingers together and bow your head to your heart as you seal your intention for your practice today. 

© Copyright 2014 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division