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Ashtanga Yoga Poses, The Standing Series 

The general sequence of ashtanga yoga poses is

• Sun Salutation A (3-5 times)
• Sun Salutation B (3-5 times)
• Standing Poses,
• Seated Poses (mostly Forward Bending in Nature,) followed by the
• Finishing Series which includes back bends general cooling down poses and headstand.

After sun salutes, finish in mountain pose at the front of your mat, feet together, knees straight, spine long, arms by your side.

Big Toe and Hands Under Feet Ashtanga Yoga Poses

The first two ashtanga yoga poses after the sun salutations are both forward bends. In both of these forward bends the feet are hip width apart. In the first one you grab on to your big toes with palms inwards (padangusthasana). In the second ashtanga yoga standing forward bend you slide your hands under your feet with palms upwards and fingers pointing towards your heels (padahastasana.)

If you can't reach your toes, you can either bend your knees, or keep your knees straight and place your hands on your shins (or thighs.)

Make your legs feel long and your spine. You can lengthen each inhale and relax each exhale making both actions slow and smooth.

Forward bends tend to be cooling, providing a good chance to rest and recover after sun salutations. They are also a chance to lengthen the hamstrings.

Vinyasa

To enter the "big toe" pose forward bend, start in mountain pose, jump your feet hip width apart as you inhale.

• Exhale and bend forward and grab your toes.
• Inhale and lengthen your spine and neck.
• Then bend forwards.

To move into "hands under feet" pose

• inhale and reach forwards, arms straight, slide hands under feet,
• then exhale and fold again.

Hold each pose for five breaths.

To exit "hands under feet" pose,

• inhale reach forwards and straighten arms.
• Exhale grab your waist.
• Inhale stand and then exhale feet together.

Side Triangle Pose and Twisting Triangle Ashtanga Yoga Poses

In the next two ashtanga yoga poses the feet are about a leg's length apart with both knees straight. In the first two poses the feet where about hip width apart. Now they are wider.

Big Toe Pose versus Triangle Yoga Pose.

Side Triangle

For side triangle you step your right foot back and turn your pelvis to face the long edge of your mat. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot slightly inwards.

When reaching to the side in this pose I like to drop the hip. Reaching to the right push the right side of your pelvis down. You can rest your bottom hand on your shin or to do the full pose grab the big toe with your first two fingers and thumb. If you can't reach the toe then focus on letting your ribcage sink down. If you can grab the toe then make your toe strong and pull your ribcage away from your foot.

Vinyasa

To enter triangle

• Inhale and step or jump the feet apart. (Turn to the side if you need to.) Turn right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in slightly.
• Exhale and drop your right hip and reach your right hand down your leg. Reach your left hand up. Look up to your left hand.
• After five breaths, inhale and stand up and then repeat to the other side.

You always do the right side of an asymmetrical ashtanga yoga pose first.

Twisting Triangle

In Revolving Triangle or "twisting triangle" the feet are still hip width apart. The knees are straight. In regular triangle pose your pelvis faces the long edge of your mat. In twisting triangle square your pelvis to the short edge of your mat. Your front foot faces forwards (relative to your pelvis) and your back foot is turned outwards slightly.

Remember that the twisting triangle follows the "side bending" triangle.

Usually I like to bend forwards with my hands either on my front shin or on the floor, and then after holding for a few breaths then I enter the twist. You twist towards your front leg side. If your right leg is forwards then twist to the right.

Ideally your left hand is on the floor but if you can't reach the floor then place your hand on your shin, or try to hold the pose with your hand lifted or your forearm pressing on the outside of your shin.

Keep your neck long and make your legs feel long also.

Twisting Triangle Vinyasa

After doing triangle to the left, stand up with an inhale and turn and face the back of your mat to get ready for twisting triangle. Exhale and bend forwards touching your left hand to the floor or placing it on your shin. Inhale and reach your right hand out to the side and then twist your ribcage so that your right hand reaches up. If you are extra flexible try to place your hand to the floor outside your foot, or work towards this position as you hold the pose.

After five breaths inhale and stand up and face the front of your mat. Now do the left side. Afterwards stand and then with an exhale return to mountain pose or samisthitthi.

Side Angle Yoga Pose

For the next set of ashtanga yoga poses, the feet are even wider apart.

In the first two forward bends the feet were hip width. In the triangle set of ashtanga yoga poses the feet where a legs length apart. In this set to poses they are slightly wider, however one knee is bent while the other is straight.

When bending the knee keep the front of your shin vertical or nearly so. The knee can be a little bit forwards. Try to position your feet so that you can make your shin vertical and your thigh level.

• Triangle Pose and Side Angle pose.

As with triangle you do the non twisting side angle pose (uthitta parsvokonasana) on both sides first and then the twisting version (parivrtta parsvokonasana).

Side Angle Pose

In side angle pose, I'd suggest that like your first drop the hip of the turned out foot. Then bend the knee. Work at keeping the side tilt of the pelvis as you go deeper into the pose.

You can rest your bottom arm on your thigh, or touch fingers or palm to the floor.

Roll the top side of your pelvis and ribcage open. Roll the upper arm outwards so that the biceps moves up towards the ceiling. (Think of your body and upper arm "rolling" in opposite directions.)

Vinyasa

To get into side angle pose, step your right foot back and turn to face the long edge of your mat. Turn your right foot out and your left foot slightly inwards. Do this all on an inhale. As you exhale drop your right hip, bend your right knee and place your hand on the floor outside your foot. Reach your left hand over your head to the right and form a straight line from right foot to right hand.

Twisting Side Angle Pose

In the twisting version you can have your hands in prayer with one elbow resting on the thigh or you can try touching your bottom hand to the floor with your arm crossing the outside of the thigh.

Some teachers also suggest students placing their back knee on the floor for this ashtanga yoga pose.

Another option is to have the bottom hand to the inside of the front foot. You can then focus on stretching the front of the hip as well as twisting the ribcage and stretching the abdominal muscles.

Vinyasa

Vinyasa for the side angle poses is almost exactly the same as for the triangle series. The only difference is the poses themselves. In side angle the feet are wider and one knee is bent.

Four Wide Leg Forward Bends

The next set of ashtanga yoga postures is a series of four wide leg forward bends (prassaritta padottanasana).

These postures again stretch the hamstrings, but with the feet wider that in the first forward bends. These postures are all symmetrical The left and right sides of the body do the same thing.

In the fist and last posture of this set the hands are on the floor.

• In the 1st pose the hands are shoulder width apart with the hands positioned on the floor so that the fingers point forwards. The elbows are bent.
• In the 4th pose you grab your big toes and again and bend your elbows. (You can use your arms in these postures to help support your upper body weight.)

In the second and third they are not.

• In the 2nd ashtanga yoga pose of this set the hands are on the waist,
• while in the 3rd they are grabbing each other behind the back.

In wide leg forward bend 1 the hands are on the floor shoulder width apart with elbows bent. You can use your hands to help pull your chest between your legs. An option is to place your crown on the floor and lift up into tripod headstand.

In the second pose the hands are on the waist. To help prepare for the next pose focus on drawing your shoulder blades towards each other.

In the third pose clasp hands behind back, make your arms long and then lift them. You could also open your palms and turn them outwards. Experiment with using your pectoralis minormuscles to pull the top of your shoulder blades forwards and down. Keep your neck long.

In the fourth pose, grab your big toes. Bend your elbows. Make legs and spine feel long.

In order the hand positions are:

• hands on the floor shoulder width apart,
• hands on the waist
• hands grabbed behind the back
• grabbing the big toes

Vinyasa

Jump your feet apart, turn to the side if you need to. Feet parallel. Inhale.

• Exhale bend forwards hands on the floor.
• Inhale lengthen spine and straighten arms.
• Exhale fold.

• Inhale hands to waist, exhale.
• Inhale and stand.
• Exhale and inhale and then exhale forwards to the second position.

• Inhale and stand.
• Clasp hands, lengthen arms and inhale.
• Exhale fold.

• Inhale and stand.
• Hands on waist. Inhale. Exhale and fold and grab onto toes.
• Inhale lengthen. Exhale fold.

• Inhale reach forward. Exhale.
• Inhale stand.
• Exhale to mountain pose.

Hold each pose 5 breaths.

Praying Behind Your Back

The next Ashtanga Yoga Pose is prayer forward fold (Utthitta Purvottanasana).

Your hands are in prayer behind the back with legs in the same position as in twisting triangle. You then bend forwards.

If you can't do prayer you can make both hands into fists and put them together, or fist one hand. Or have the backs of your hands together.

To make it eaiser to get your arms into this pose you can roll your arms inwards and again focus on using pectoralis minor.

Vinyassa

Enter this pose by stepping your right leg back and then turning 180 degrees to the right so that your right leg is in front and your left leg behind. Do this on an inhale.

Exhale and fold.

Inhale to stand and turn to face your left leg. Exhale fold.

Inhale up and face the side, reaching your arms out to the side as you do so.

Exhale to mountain pose.

Hold each side for 5 breaths.

One possible aid for remembering how this pose follows the last four is that in the wide leg forward bends the legs are symetrical and straight forming a pyramid shape. In this pose, the hands are together and form a pyramid shape.

Standing Balance Ashtanga Yoga Poses

After parsvotanasana (Prayer Behind the Back), the next two ashtanga yoga poses in the standing series are balance poses.

Big Toe Pose

In hand to big toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana) you balance on one leg while holding on to the big toe of your lifted leg.

• In the first variation your lifted leg is to the front.
• In the next variation your move it to the side.
• Then finally you move it to the front and let go of your toe.

You could use a strap or belt to lasso your foot. Or you can bend the knee and grab it If you have trouble gripping you could also grab the side of the foot.

Vinyassa

• Shift onto your left leg, grab your right big toe.
• Exhale and straighten your leg to the front.
• After five breaths inhale, and then reach the leg to the side. Look in the opposite direction.
• Inhale and then exhale foot to center.
• Lift the leg higher and kiss your knee, then let go and hold for five more breaths.

Inhale and then exhale to mountain. Repeat on the other side.

Half Bound Lotus Pose

In Half Bound Lotus (Ardha Baddha Padmasana) you bend forwards while one leg is in lotus. The bind happens when you grab your big toe from behind your back.

If you are uncomfortable in lotus you can fold your shin to the outside of the thigh. You can then practice balancing even though you aren't in half lotus. Another option is flying pigeon, standing with your standing knee bend and the "lotus" foot resting on the standing leg knee like in pigeon pose.

To help remember the order, think straight leg balancing on one leg first, then bent knee. Or think upright with leg straight and then fold the lift leg and the body as you bend forward.

For lotus, bring the right leg into lotus and reach the same side arm behind the back. Bend forward. Take your time in this.

• Inhale lengthen forwards.
• Exhale bend your elbows and fold. Note that hand is beside the foot.
• Inhale look forwards. Exhale.
• Inhale and stand.

Exhale to mountain pose. Repeat on the other side.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana 1

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasna 2

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasna 3

Ardha Badda Padmasana

Chair and Two Warriors

The final three standing ashtanga yoga poses are chair or utkatasana, warrior 1 on both sides, then warrior 2on both sides.

These three postures are possibly placed at the end of the standing sequence as a way of boosting heat prior to beginning the seated sequence of postures.

You could also think of them as a way to practice stabilizing the legs or strengthening them.

This sequence of yoga poses is a little bit like a modifiedsun salutation B.

Chair Pose

In chair pose, utkatasana, you can bend your spine backwards or keep it straiht. It can feel really nice if you make your lower back feel full.

When you bend your knees sink your hips back. Lean your chest forwards for balance.

Neck long, reach your arms up.

Warrior 1

For warrior 1, the hips are square to the front. Sink your pelvis and reach your spin and arms up out of your pelvis. Vary between sinking down low and keeping your pelvis square to the front.

Warrior 2

In warrior 2 the pelvis is turned to the side. Use your side thigh muscles to pull the bent knee back so that the knee is over the foot viewed from the front and from the side. Look at your front arm in this asthanga yoga pose but stay aware of your back arm. Neck long!

Vinyassa

From mountain pose, inhale lift the arms. Exhale fold. Inhale reach forwards, exhale to chaturanga dandasana. Inhale up dog, exhale down dog, inhale into utkatasana.

Hold for five then do a sun salute to downward dog. Inhale right foot forward warrior 1.

Inhale stand and turn and exhale into the left side.

Inhale and turn and exhale into left side warrrior 2. Then inhale and exhale to right side.

Hold each of these poses for 5 breaths.

After the final warrior 2 do a sun salutation and finish in downward dog. From there jump forward to seated to begin the seated set of ashtanga yoga poses.

  

• The Hip Control Guide,
  Learn to Feel and Control Your Hip Muscles
• Balance Basics,
  Master balance by developing sensitivity and control.
• I Used to Hate Sun Salutes,
  Practice Balance while doing Sun Salutations.

Return to Sensational Yoga Poses Home Page

Return to Ashtanga Yoga Poses

Return to Top of Page

Ashtanga
• SUN SALUTE A
• SUN SALUTATION B
• Chaturanga 1
• Chaturanga 2
• Upward Dog
• Downward Dog
• Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
• Big Toe Pose
• Half Bound Lotus
• Chair Pose
• Warrior 1 and Warrior 2

Stretch - the process

Important as it is, stretching is easy to misunderstand or overdo.—learn the basics behind this crucial element of yoga.

By Julie Gudmestad

Stretching. We spend a lot of time doing it in yoga, but do you really understand what's going on in the process? What's the most effective way to go about it? And how can you tell the difference between safe, effective stretching and stretching that causes injury?

There are many different approaches to improving your flexibility, and some are more effective than others. For example, contract-relax techniques, which are part of PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, a system used by physical therapists and others to retrain and facilitate movement patterns) and other systems, can be very helpful but don't fit well into the yoga class format or tradition. Meanwhile, ballistic (bouncing) stretching just isn't a good idea on any level.

Know Your Soft Tissues

Before discussing stretch techniques that are successful and useful in yoga practice, let's take a look at the soft-tissue structures affected by stretching. Looking at the musculoskeletal system, soft tissues of various sizes, shapes and flexibilities—including muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia—hold the bones together to form joints. Muscles are formed by contractile cells, which move and position bones by their ability to lengthen and shorten. Connective tissue (CT) is noncontractile, tough, fibrous tissue, and it may or may not be flexible, depending on its function and its ratio of elastic to nonelastic fibers. Ligaments, which join bone to bone, and tendons, which join muscle to bone, are comprised primarily of nonelastic fibers.

On the other hand, fascia (another type of CT) can be quite flexible, as it contains more elastic fibers. It's found throughout the body and can vary in size from microscopic, as in the tiny fibers that help hold the skin onto underlying bones and muscles, to large sheets, such as the iliotibial band that runs from the side pelvis to the outer lower leg and helps stabilize the torso over the leg while standing. Basically, fascia holds all of the layers of the body together, including binding the muscle cells into bundles and bundles into distinct muscles that we know by name. It's been said that if all other types of cells were somehow dissolved, leaving only fascia, a clearly recognizable body would remain.

Consider the Need

When your students are stretching, you'll need to consider all of the different types of soft tissues and how (or whether) to increase their flexibility, as each has different needs and requirements. Help your students to train the muscle fibers themselves to relax into the stretch, so they're not contracting and trying to shorten instead of lengthening. If your student pushes a stretch into pain, the muscle will contract to guard itself against tearing. If your student suddenly puts a muscle into an intense stretch, she will likely elicit the stretch reflex, which also causes the muscle to contract. Instead, instruct students to ease gradually into the stretch sensation and find their "edge," where they start to feel some resistance, maybe even a little discomfort—but not pain. Request that they breathe and relax into the stretch, visualizing the muscle lengthening and letting go of its contraction: The body takes literally what the mind is picturing. Over time—not instantly—their bodies will build more length into the muscle structure.

Because ligaments and most tendons attach to bones very near to the joint itself and are relatively inflexible, they help to hold the bones in place and thereby stabilize the joint. Most physical therapists discourage the stretching of tendons and ligaments, due to the risk of hypermobility (too much movement, or movement beyond the normal range) at the joint. Hypermobility can cause or contribute to a number of joint problems, including arthritis, dislocations, and torn tendons and ligaments. Therefore, students should avoid feeling stretch or pain in or directly around a joint, unless they are working with a healthcare provider or very experienced teacher who has determined that a specific tendon or ligament is lacking its normal flexibility (often as a result of injury or scar tissue) and is supervising careful work with the problem structure.

You'll certainly need to consider the fascia, too, as it is so deeply entwined in the muscle structure at every level. Physical therapy research has shown that in order to change the structure of fascia, you would need to hold a pull on it for 90–120 seconds. This information also supports the idea of holding a longer, gentler stretch, since who wants to sit through two minutes of pain? I've noticed that if a stretch is intensely painful, most of us want to get it over with quickly and will avoid practicing it regularly. Our minds want to "escape" and go elsewhere, which is opposite of the yogic goal of being present and conscious in our actions. Not only that, but the pain probably indicates that some tearing of tissue is taking place. Microscopic tearing is probably acceptable, even necessary, to prompt the body to rebuild and remodel the tissue according to the new, more flexible blueprint. However, bigger tears, which can leave the muscle sore for several days or more, are repaired with scar tissue, which is never as flexible as normal tissue and is therefore to be avoided.

The bottom line? Instead of quick, intense, painful stretching, set your students up in a relatively comfortable position to stretch the desired muscle(s). They should be able to linger for about two minutes while breathing and relaxing into the stretch with a soft, meditative focus. Ideally, lead them in practice warming poses before they stretch deeply, as warm muscles relax and stretch much more readily than cold muscles. Because this approach feels good, they will be more likely to practice the stretching more often. If your students can practice long, gentle stretches of their chosen area four to six times each week, they’ll be pleased with their progress in flexibility, as they become a more conscious, compassionate practitioner.

Julie Gudmestad is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and licensed physical therapist who runs a combined yoga studio and physical therapy practice in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys integrating her Western medical knowledge with the healing powers of yoga to help make the wisdom of yoga accessible to all.

Stretch

Help even your stiffest students get the most from sidebends.

By Julie Gudmestad

Photo by Christian Fagerlund

Sitting in a narrow, confined space, such as a plane seat, car seat, or office cubicle, can leave you feeling like you've been wearing a straitjacket or full-body cast. You may long for some twists and sidebends to loosen up your spine and torso. But while sitting sidebend stretches may feel great to experienced yoga practitioners and teachers, beginners and stiffer students may struggle to find any enjoyment in them—and they may in fact strain or injure their low backs in the attempt. As a teacher, your understanding of these poses and their benefits can help you motivate students to work appropriately on these asanas, avoid injury, and appreciate their benefits.

Sidebending poses include Parighasana (Gate Pose) and seated forward bends such asParivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose) and Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana (Revolved Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend). In these positions, the torso bends sideways, which is also called lateral flexion. For example, in lateral flexion to the right (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana to the right), the left side of the torso stretches and lengthens, while the right side of the ribs and waist shorten. Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose) and Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose) aren't true side-stretching poses 

because you're working in them to keep length in both sides of the waist and ribs.

Side-stretching poses lengthen the muscles between the ribs and pelvis, including parts of the low back, and open the sides of the rib cage, improving rib cage mobility and the expansiveness of the lungs, which makes breathing easier in all situations, including aerobic activities and pPranayama. In sidebends where an arm stretches overhead to reach for the foot, the latissimus dorsi muscle, which extends from the back waist to the armpit, will also stretch.

The All-Important QL

One of the most important muscles stretched during a sidebend is the quadratus lumborum (QL). It sits deep in the back of the waist, attaching to the top of the back pelvis and running up to the lowest rib in the back. When it contracts, it pulls the bottom rib and the pelvis closer together. In standing, the left QL hikes the left pelvis and leg up away from the floor. When you do Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) to the right, it is the strength of the left QL contracting to support the weight of your torso (pulling the left ribs and pelvis toward each other, minimizing sidebending to the right and keeping length in the right waist). The QL can become short and stiff if you regularly spend long hours sitting in chairs, and it can become tight and painful, and 

even go into spasm, with lower-back and sacroiliac injuries.

In theory, it's a good idea to regularly practice sidebends to keep the QL, latissimus dorsi, and rib cage supple and flexible. However, tight hamstrings and adductors (inner thigh muscles that pull the thighs together) can throw a wrench into this theory. That's because these leg muscles attach to the sitting bone (ischial tuberosities) and pubic bone, and when they're tight, they limit 

the ability of the pelvis to move, which "freezes" the pelvis in an upright position.

Ideally in Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana to the right side, flexible adductors and hamstrings on the right allow the pelvis to tip to the right, so when the torso bends over the right thigh, it lengthens out over the right thigh, with the right ribs approaching the right thigh. If the tight hams and adductors have "frozen" the pelvis upright, the right torso compresses down into itself during sidebending, which can cause painful pinching in the low back and may contribute to arthritis in the lumbar spine.

Help for Stiffness in Legs and Low Backs

For a student with a tight low back and hamstrings, especially one who has a history of lower-back pain or injury, it's probably best to work first on sidebends while leaving the legs out of the equation. One relaxing way to do this is by sidebending over a bolster or stack of blankets. Ask the student to sit on the right buttock on the floor, with legs folded to the left beside her. Pull the long side of a bolster (flat on the floor) in beside the right hip, and have her lie sideways over the bolster so the right side, between the waist and armpit, will be supported by the bolster. (It's important to support the weight of the torso so the side muscles are relaxing, not contracting.) Bend the bottom arm (which supports the head) and leg while stretching the top arm and leg out in line with the torso, as though the back of the body, top leg, and arm were lined up against a wall. In this position, the pelvis naturally tips to the right and the left waist and ribs are gently lengthening. This gentle stretch is an excellent one to teach to your stiff or injured students.

As your students work toward increasing their side-body flexibility, have them continue practicing poses to improve their adductor and hamstring flexibility. They can accomplish this without risking lower-back strain or injury in poses such as Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose) and Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose), with their top foot supported on a chair or ledge.

How will you know when they're ready to combine the two for Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana? When their flexibility has improved, have them sit on the floor as they would for Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana to the right. Can the pelvis tip a bit to the right? Sitting them up on a folded blanket under the sitting bones will help their chances. If the pelvis will tip a little, they're ready to start working on the pose. I recommend placing a folding chair, with the seat facing the torso, over the right leg. This way, they can reach for the back of the chair with the left hand, which helps lengthen the torso horizontally rather than compressing down. The chair seat can support the head, which will help them relax. With a little preparation and support, you can set the stage for your students to enjoy the benefits of side-stretching sitting poses.

Julie Gudmestad is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and licensed physical therapist who runs a combined yoga studio and physical therapy practice in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys integrating her Western medical knowledge with the healing powers of yoga to help make the wisdom of yoga accessible to all.

Namaste

What does "Namaste" mean? My yoga teacher says it every week after our practice and I've always wanted to know.

—Rita Geno

Aadil Palkhivala's reply:

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore,namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation.

For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom.

Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

Aadil Palkhivala began studying yoga at the age of seven with B.K.S. Iyengar and was introduced to Sri Aurobindo's yoga three years later. He received the Advanced Yoga Teacher's Certificate at the age of 22 and is the founder-director of the Alive and Shine Center in Bellevue, Washington and The College of Purna Yoga. Aadil is also a Naturopath, a certified Ayurvedic Health Science Practitioner, a clinical hypnotherapist, a certified Shiatsu and Swedish bodywork therapist, a lawyer, and an internationally sponsored public speaker on the mind-body-energy connection.

Poping Joints

The popping, cracking joints you hear while practicing yoga may be problematic or not, depending on the cause.

Cracking and popping noises can be attributed to a few different phenomena. One explanation is that when a joint is pushed into or out of its normal position (which could be done during a yoga pose) gases, primarily nitrogen, are displaced and escape from the synovial fluidinside the joint, causing a popping sound.

Another reason for the noise, according to frequent Yoga Journal contributor and international yoga teacher Judith Lasater, comes from a tendon moving across a joint or from arthritic changes that have already occurred in the joint. She believes that if this popping occurs naturally during yoga practice, or in daily life, for that matter, there is not a problem.

However, it is unadvisable to continually try to pop one's joints (i.e., cracking the knuckles). This practice tends to create hypermobility and can lead to instability in the joint. This instability can cause the surrounding musculature to tighten up a bit to support the joint and thus the urge to pop will arise again, says Lasater.

If the popping is from a tendon moving across a joint or from arthritis, continue to pay attention to the area, and if the symptoms change, or if there is pain associated with a popping or cracking noise, seek the counsel of a qualified health professional.

Shaking Muscles

It's normal for your muscles to shake when you're just beginning yoga, but too much quivering may be a sign that you're overworking.

By Richard Rosen

Muscles are made up of many fibers. When a muscle is used, not all the fibers contract at the same time. Some rest while the others work, and then they trade places. When the muscles are really challenged, the changeovers can get a little ragged.

Beginning yogis often shake quite a lot. As muscles get stronger from regular practice, the fibers learn to trade off between firing and resting with smoother coordination. Eventually quivering often subsides (though there will always be teachers who turn students into yoga jelly, independent of their strength).

To calm the body, try to hug the quivering (contracting) muscle against its underlying bone and press the bone into the muscle being stretched.

Quivering is not necessarily bad, but it may be a sign that the body is overworked. Several years ago, when slugger Mark McGwire was mired in a terrible slump, a sportscaster asked Mac's hitting coach what the problem was. The coach opined that McGwire was trying too hard, and needed to "try easier."

Tune into the brain, the eyes, the root of the tongue, and, most of all, the breath. If any of these areas feel hard or constricted, take the coach's advice: Try easier.

Listen to your body

Accepting our physical sensations—whether pleasant or not—is one of the most challenging and liberating of practices.

By Tara Brach

We experience our lives through our bodies, whether we are aware of it or not. Yet we are usually so mesmerized by our ideas about the world that we miss out on much of our direct sensory experience. Even when we are aware of feeling a strong breeze, the sound of rain on the roof, a fragrance in the air, we rarely remain with the experience long enough to inhabit it fully. In most moments, an overlay of inner dialogue comments on what is happening and plans what we might do next. We might greet a friend with a hug, but our moments of physical contact become blurred by our computations about how long to embrace or what we're going to say when we're done. We rush through the hug, not fully present.

Many people are so accustomed to being out of touch with the body that they live entirely in a mental world. The fact that the body and mind are interconnected might even be hard for them to believe. Unless feelings are painfully intrusive or, as with sex, extremely pleasant or intense, physical sensations can seem elusive and be difficult to recognize. Often we are in a trance—only partially present to our experience of the moment.

Over the Waterfall

The buddha called our persistent emotional and mental reactivity "the waterfall," because we are so easily carried away from the experience of the present moment by its compelling force. Both Buddhist and Western psychologies tell us how this happens: The mind instantly and unconsciously assesses whatever we experience as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. When pleasant sensations arise, our reflex is to grasp after them and try to hold on to them. We often do this through planning, and with the emotional energies of excitement and yearning. When we experience unpleasant sensations, we contract, trying to avoid them. Again, the process is the same--we worry and strategize; we feel fear, irritation. Neutral is our signal to disengage and turn our attention elsewhere, which usually means to an experience that is more intense or stimulating.

All of these reactions—to people, to situations, to thoughts in our minds—are actually reactions to the kinds of sensations that are arising in the body. When we become riveted on someone's ineptness and are bursting with impatience, we are reacting to our own unpleasant sensations; when we are attracted to someone and filled with longing and fantasy, we are reacting to pleasant sensations. Our entire swirl of reactive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors springs from this ground of sensations. When these sensations are unrecognized, our lives are lost in the waterfall of reactivity—we disconnect from living presence, from full awareness, from our hearts.

In order to awaken from this trance, the Buddha recommended "mindfulness centered on the body." In fact, he called physical sensations the first foundation of mindfulness, because they are intrinsic to feelings and thoughts and are the base of the very process of consciousness. Because our pleasant or unpleasant sensations so quickly trigger a chain reaction of emotions and mental stories, a central part of our training is to recognize the arising of thoughts and return over and over to our immediate sensory experience. We might feel discomfort in the lower back and hear a worried inner voice saying, "How long will this last? How can I make it go away?" Or we might feel a pleasant tingling, a relaxed openness in the chest, and eagerly wonder, "What did I do to arrive in this state? I hope I can do that again."

The basic meditation instructions given by the Buddha were to be mindful of the changing stream of sensations without trying to hold on to them, change them, or resist them. The Buddha made it clear that being mindful of sensations does not mean standing apart and observing like a distant witness. Rather, we directly experience what is happening in our bodies. For instance, instead of seeing our hands as external objects, we carefully feel into the energy that is our hands at any particular moment.

Instead of directly experiencing sensations, we might have the notion that there is "pain in my back." Maybe we have a mental map of the body and a certain area we call "back." But what is "back"? What happens when we let go of our picture and directly enter into that part of the body with awareness? What happens to pain when we don't label it as such?

Radical Impermanence

With mindful attention, we can investigate and discover what our moment-to-moment experience of pain actually is. Perhaps we feel pressure and an ache that seems localized in a small area. As we pay deeper attention, we might notice heat or tightness. Perhaps the sensations are no longer pinpointed in one place but begin to spread and loosen. As we continue to pay attention, we might become aware of flowing sensations arising, becoming distinctive, blending into one another, vanishing, appearing elsewhere.

Seeing this fluidity in our experience is one of the most profound and distinctive realizations that arise when we become mindful of sensations. We recognize that there is absolutely nothing solid or static about our experience. Rather, the realm of sensations is endlessly changing--sensations appear and vanish, shifting in intensity, texture, location. As we pay close attention to our physical experience, we see that it does not hold still for even a moment.

Each time we let go of our story, we realize there is no ground to stand on, no position that orients us, no way to hide or avoid what is arising. One student at a meditation retreat told me, "When I am mindful of sensations for more than just a few seconds, I start getting anxious. I feel like I should be watching out, looking over my shoulder. It feels like there are important things I am overlooking and ought to be thinking about." It's easy to feel that something bad will happen if we do not maintain our habitual vigilance by thinking, judging, planning. Yet this is the very habit that keeps us trapped in resisting life. Only when we realize we can't hold on to anything can we relax our efforts to control our experience.

Sensations are always changing and moving. If we habitually interrupt and constrict their natural process of transformation by resisting them or trying to hold on to them, by tightening against them in our body or telling ourselves stories, it's like damming up or diverting the course of a river. It's easy to let the river flow when sensations are pleasant. But when they're not, when we are in emotional or physical pain, we tend to contract and pull away. Seeing this and learning how to meet pain with radical acceptance is one of the most challenging and liberating of practices.

Mindful Body Scan

To invite this kind of acceptance and embodied presence into your life, you can try practicing a mindful body scan. Start this exercise by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and taking several long, deep breaths. Then rest in the natural flow of your breath and allow your body and mind to begin to settle.

Place your attention at the top of your head and without looking for anything in particular, feel the sensations there. Then, letting your attention move down, feel the sensations on the back of your head, on either side of your head, in your ears, your forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, and jaw. Be as slow and thorough as you like.

As you continue the scan, be careful not to use your eyes to direct your attention. This will only create tension. Rather, connect directly with sensations by feeling the body from within the body. In certain parts of the body, it is common to feel numbness or for there to be no noticeable sensations. Let your attention remain in those areas for a few moments in a relaxed and easy way. You may find that as your attention deepens, you become increasingly aware of sensations. Images or thoughts will naturally arise. Notice them passing through and gently return your attention to the sensations. Let your intention be to release all ideas and experience your physical aliveness exactly as it is.

With a relaxed, open awareness, begin a gradual and thorough scan of the rest of your body. Place your attention on the area of your neck and throat, noticing without judgment whatever sensations you feel. Then let your attention move to your shoulders and slowly down your arms, feeling the sensations and aliveness there, and to your hands. Feel each finger from the inside, the palms, the backs of the hands—noticing tingling, pulsing, pressure, warmth, or cold.

Slowly move on to explore the sensations in your chest, then allow your awareness to move into your upper back and shoulder blades, then down into the middle and lower back and the abdomen. Continuing to let awareness sweep down the body, feel the sensations that arise in the hips, buttocks, genitals. Move slowly down through the legs, feeling them from within, then through the feet and toes. Feel the sensations of contact, pressure, and temperature in the places where your body touches the chair, cushion, or floor.

Now expand your attention to include your entire body in a comprehensive way. Be aware of the body as a field of changing sensations. Can you sense the subtle energy field that gives life to every cell, every organ in your body? Is there anything in your experience that is solid, unmoving? Is there any center or boundary to the field of sensation? Is there any solid self you can locate that possesses these sensations? What or who is aware of the experience?

As you rest in awareness of your whole body, if particular sensations call your attention, bring a soft and allowing attention to them. Don't try to manage or manipulate your experience; don't grasp or push anything away. Simply open to the dance of sensations, feeling your life from the inside out.

After you've spent some time feeling these sensations, open your eyes and return your attention to the outside world. Then, as you move through the various circumstances of your day, continue to notice what kinds of sensations arise in your body. What happens when you feel angry? When you are stressed and racing against time? When you feel criticized or insulted by someone? When you feel excited or happy?

Pay particular attention to the difference between being inside thoughts and reawakening to the immediate experience of sensations. The body scan can be repeated during a single meditation sitting, or throughout your daily life, to help you return to the experience of your body and rest in the awareness of your living being.

From Relax and Renew Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach, Ph.D. Published by arrangement with Bantam Books, an imprint of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc