At the end of the last 21-day yoga challenge program, as per our tradition, all the participants got together over a potluck breakfast. These breakfast get-togethers provide a great opportunity for everyone to socialize and meet each other in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Moreover, we all get to sample some of the most delicious veggie dishes that everyone shares. Here are the recipes for three of the many delicious dishes that we enjoyed that day.I would like to express my gratitude to Tim, Claudia and Kristen for sharing these recipes.
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So far I have written about balancing poses which are done in a standing position – for example the Tree Pose or the Dancer Pose. Today’s post is about the Tiptoe balancing pose ( – Padangushthasana – पादाङ्गुष्ठासन ), a balancing pose done from a squatting position. This is an intermediate level pose and it improves strength and flexibility in the toes, ankles, knees, hips and thighs. When I first saw a picture of this pose on the cover of a yoga magazine, it looked like a deceptively simple pose. However, when I started practicing the pose, I realized that in addition to physical and mental balance, the pose requires strong toes and ankles as well as flexibility in the knees and hips. Like any other balancing pose, depending upon your physical and mental state at the time of practice, you may find it easier to balance on a given day as compared to other days. The Ardha-chandrasana (अर्धचन्द्रासन)
In my own practice, I try to include Ardha-chandrasana in my routine about once or twice a week. When I started working with the pose, I started with the variation where I took the support of the elbow against the wall (described below). It was only after practicing against the wall for a couple of years that I developed the stability and balance to start practicing on the mat. Even today, I feel a little more stable and comfortable when I am balancing on my left leg than on the other side. When I practice on my right leg, I find it a little harder to bring my body into a single vertical plane. I am sure you have observed similar imbalances in your own practice. It is only with constant practice that we can bring our body and mind into good balance. Until I went for my yoga teacher training at the Swami Satchidananda Ashram in Yogaville, VA in 1996, I had never heard of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Before that my yoga practice consisted of about a 40 minute session of a few asanas which I practiced, on an average, 3-4 times a week. The only other "yoga" training that I had prior to that was introduction to Transcendental Meditation ™ for which I had gone to the Mahesh Yogi ashram in Rishikesh in late sixties. In the beginning I practiced meditation twice a day for 20 minutes each, as guided by the TM teacher. Unfortunately, gradually my meditation practice became irregular and I started skipping days or even weeks at a time. During my TT course at Yogaville, in addition to the asanas we were introduced to different types of pranayama (breathing) practices and meditation. After this training my own individual practice became much more well-rounded and integrated and now includes asana, pranayama, meditation and study of scriptures. Hanumanasana (हनुमानासन) is named after Lord Hanumana, friend and a devoted servant of Lord Rama in the epic story Ramayana. For those who are not familiar with the story, here is a very brief recap :
At the time when Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshamana were in exile as hermits in the Dandaka forest, Ravana, the demon king of Lanka (Ceylon, now Srilanka), came to their hermitage in the guise of a monk and captured Sita, taking her to Lanka. In their search for Sita, the brothers asked Sugriva, the king of the monkeys, for help. Hanuman, the chief of the army of monkeys, was sent in search of Sita. Hanuman, leaping over the straits, crossed the Indian Ocean between the Southern tip of India and Lanka, and found Sita in Ravana’s palace garden. He brought the news to Rama, who built a causeway of stones across the sea to Lanka and after a gruesome battle killed Ravana and rescued Sita. During the battle, Lakshamana had been struck by an arrow and was almost fatally wounded. It was said that the only cure was to administer the juice of a specific herb which grew in the Himalayas. Hanuman, with his great abilities, was assigned the task of getting the herb. With a grand leap Hanuman crossed the sea and reached the Himalayas to bring back the herb. However, unable to recognize the herb, he decided to uproot the entire mountain which he then carried on his hands while leaping over the ocean to reach Lanka. The herb, called Sanjivani (that which can bring life to a dead being) saved the life of Lakshamana. Hanumanasana is thus named after Hanuman in recognition of his great leap.
For most people practicing "yoga", the word yoga is synonymous with the physical aspect involving asana (yoga postures) practice. In most yoga classes taught in gyms or fitness centers, the entire duration of the class is usually spent in an intense practice of asanas. Many of these classes follow the yoga styles such as Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, or Flow Yoga etc,. Toward the end of the class there is a brief (about five minutes) period devoted to "shavasana" or relaxation. The main objective of these classes is to achieve physical fitness. Asana, however, is only one of the eight limbs of yoga as per the system of yoga (Yoga Sutras) given to us by Sage Patanjali several thousand years ago. The eight limbs are – yamas, niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Due to the overwhelming response for the 21-day challenge that is currently going on (June 13-July 3, 2011), I decided to offer another one in July. The next 21-day challenge is scheduled for July 11-July 31, 2011. Once again, I’ve had a very positive response and all the spots for this program are now filled. If there is enough interest, I plan to offer the same program again in August. Please let me know if you would like to participate in the 21-day program in August. Here are the particulars for the July session:
You may like to visit the testimonials page on my website to see what some of the previous participants have to say about this program. Please contact me if you would like to participate.
The word "trikona" is composed of two words – "tri" meaning ‘three’ and "kona" meaning ‘angle’. So Trikonasana – त्रिकोणासन ( (click on the blue arrow to the left to hear the name in Sanskrit) is normally translated as "Triangle Pose". Trikonasana is one of the basic standing poses and has benefits for the legs, hips and the spine. This is also practiced as a warm up for some of the backward and forward bending as well as spine twisting poses. A more advanced version, called "Parivritta Trikonasana" (Revolving Triangle) is also commonly practiced (to be discussed in a subsequent post). Yes, we are all set for the next 21-day yoga challenge. Are you ready for this exciting and one of the most memorable yoga experiences of your life? Take the challenge and be transformed! Here are the particulars:
You may like to visit the testimonials page on my website to see what some of the previous participants have to say about this program. Please contact me if you would like to participate.
"I had a lovely experience. I especially liked the time spent on yoga philosophy. Subhash presented the information in a way that encouraged conversation rather than it feeling like a lecture. The conversation was dynamic and had room for all questions at every level of understanding." "What a wonderful experience! If the stress of daily living has become overwhelming or you simply want to reconnect to what is important, this is the perfect opportunity! The entire experience is nourishing to the body, mind and soul. The experience was truly a gift to my spirit! " The above sums up the experience as expressed by a few of the participants of the recent Yoga Retreat that we had. This was my first experience at hosting my own yoga retreat. The retreat was held at the Health and Yoga Retreat Center, a new facility in Mebane, NC. This is a small Ashram established about a year ago by Swami Satyanand of the Lakulish organization in India. The facility is located literally "in the middle of nowhere" as even most of the wireless phone services were not available there. This, however, came in as a blessing as we had no distraction from telephones, TV, newspaper etc and were able to fully devote the time to the activities of the retreat and on self-reflection. Here is a brief summary of the highlights of the retreat. |
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