Timings...for a Change
I went to a very long meeting today. I knew before I got there it would be long and mostly boring. So I decided to stand at the back of the room instead of sitting, just for some variety.
After about an hour, I started to hurt. Low back pain.
So, I squatted. Sweet relief. My back immediately felt great!
In the squatting position (malasana, or for those of you who like to squat with a twist, pasasana) it's easy to tuck your tailbone, lengthen your low back, and draw your navel back. Just what I needed to relieve the pain.
malasana
Why did I have pain from simply standing? Because my sacrum was lifting up, my low back vertebrae were compressed, and my pelvis tipped forward so that my abdomen was spilling out in front of me.
pasasana, with a little support from the Coke machine
But here's the deeper question: Why didn't I know those things were happening?
I'm not sure I know the answer. But I'm guessing that I simply wasn't aware. I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't tuned in.
Hold it!
That's it. Hold it.
If you want to reveal weaknesses in your poses, hold them longer.
They're called timings.
I wasn't aware of my hurtful posture until I held the position for a long time. Then it was revealed. Back pain greeted me.
I experimented a while until I could figure out what would make the pain go away. Now I can apply more diligently what I learned in mountain pose, to other poses, and to my daily life off the yoga mat.
Try timings for a change.
Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!
Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org
p.s., Sallie and I have received so many emails asking if we would sell the orange I DO YOGA wristbands as a fund raiser to provide relief aid for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Of course we will. We have been so overwhelmed by the generous response of the yoga community to provide assistance to the victims of the Asian Tsunami. It's just incredible.We know the response will be a generous one. If you'd like to help out, click here http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-13837176072520/idoyowrforhu.html . Every I DO YOGA wristband sold generates a $1 donation that goes to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief.
The orange silicone I DO YOGA wristband for Katrina Relief.
We know from experience that many of you find the idea of buying something to generate proceeds for a charitable cause to be objectionable. I hope you'll go directly to the American Red Cross site and make a donation that is appropriate https://give.redcross.org/?hurricanemasthead.
p.p.s., "Mala" is Sanskrit for garland. "Pasa" is Sanskrit for noose. So the poses mentioned above are garland pose (malasana) and noose pose (pasasana). Both of these poses begin in a squatting position, which I affectionately call "squatasana." You can have this kind of pose naming fun with us at the Experience Sanskrit workshop. Our next one is in Columbia, MO at alleyCat yoga center. You can register for this workshop, and our others in Dallas, Annapolis, and Jefferson City, MO at http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-13837176072520/ .
After about an hour, I started to hurt. Low back pain.
So, I squatted. Sweet relief. My back immediately felt great!
In the squatting position (malasana, or for those of you who like to squat with a twist, pasasana) it's easy to tuck your tailbone, lengthen your low back, and draw your navel back. Just what I needed to relieve the pain.
malasana
Why did I have pain from simply standing? Because my sacrum was lifting up, my low back vertebrae were compressed, and my pelvis tipped forward so that my abdomen was spilling out in front of me.
pasasana, with a little support from the Coke machine
But here's the deeper question: Why didn't I know those things were happening?
I'm not sure I know the answer. But I'm guessing that I simply wasn't aware. I wasn't paying attention. I wasn't tuned in.
Hold it!
That's it. Hold it.
If you want to reveal weaknesses in your poses, hold them longer.
They're called timings.
I wasn't aware of my hurtful posture until I held the position for a long time. Then it was revealed. Back pain greeted me.
I experimented a while until I could figure out what would make the pain go away. Now I can apply more diligently what I learned in mountain pose, to other poses, and to my daily life off the yoga mat.
Try timings for a change.
Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!
Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org
p.s., Sallie and I have received so many emails asking if we would sell the orange I DO YOGA wristbands as a fund raiser to provide relief aid for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Of course we will. We have been so overwhelmed by the generous response of the yoga community to provide assistance to the victims of the Asian Tsunami. It's just incredible.We know the response will be a generous one. If you'd like to help out, click here http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-13837176072520/idoyowrforhu.html . Every I DO YOGA wristband sold generates a $1 donation that goes to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief.
The orange silicone I DO YOGA wristband for Katrina Relief.
We know from experience that many of you find the idea of buying something to generate proceeds for a charitable cause to be objectionable. I hope you'll go directly to the American Red Cross site and make a donation that is appropriate https://give.redcross.org/?hurricanemasthead.
p.p.s., "Mala" is Sanskrit for garland. "Pasa" is Sanskrit for noose. So the poses mentioned above are garland pose (malasana) and noose pose (pasasana). Both of these poses begin in a squatting position, which I affectionately call "squatasana." You can have this kind of pose naming fun with us at the Experience Sanskrit workshop. Our next one is in Columbia, MO at alleyCat yoga center. You can register for this workshop, and our others in Dallas, Annapolis, and Jefferson City, MO at http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-13837176072520/ .
posted by Kevin at 5:57 PM
1 Comments:
Yoga is a way of life". A good way of life. It gives you mental balance, the stamina to face the day-to-day challenges of life, with ease.
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