Posts In: Sanskrit

Do you know about the incredible practice of mudras? Better yet, do you know how mudras can lift your energy and deepen your yoga practice?

At one point or another you’ve probably heard a yoga teacher say during class, “now bring your hands to a prayer position.” You were doing Anjali Mudra and you might not have even known it! ?

This beautiful mudra means “to salute” or “to offer” in Sanskrit and is often associated with gratitude, humility, and a reunification of the right and left sides of the body. Whether you practice Anjali Mudra in front of your heart or try it behind your back (like this awesome picture of Olivia!) we hope it adds a grounding element to your flow ???

??To practice: Bring both hands to touch so your fingers are pressed against each other and your fingertips are pointed up to the sky. Try not to press too hard into your palms so that you can allow a little space between your lower knuckles. Think of it as a flower getting ready to bloom.

Do you know about the incredible practice of mudras? Better yet, do you know how mudras can lift your energy and deepen your yoga practice?

Mudra means “seal” or “closure” in Sanskrit, and each mudra requires a specific shape of your hands – like asana for your fingers! The precise position of each mudra is deeply connected to energetic qualities, different natural elements, acupressure points, and more. Incorporating mudras into your practice can elevate the mental, emotional, and physical benefits of your practice ??????

Today we’re sharing Lotus Mudra, which is often associated as a heart-opening gesture. The image of the lotus brings to mind a beautiful, pure flower growing toward the light out of dark, murky waters ? Experiment with holding this mudra at your core, your heart space, and your third eye to notice any shifts in your energy or mood. 

??To practice: Bring the heels of your palms to touch as you press your thumbs and pinkies together, using the leverage of this motion to expand your center three fingers out into the shape of a blossoming flower. 

by Olivia Cecchettini

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Translation and Commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda

Summary: Sutra in Sanskrit means “thread.” Each verse of the sutras is a thread in the tapestry of Raja Yoga, a yogic path of meditation and concentration. The Sutras of Pantanjali are at least 1,700 years old and contain ancient wisdom in yoga ethics, meditation, and physical postures. This compilation by Sri Swami Satchidananda not only includes the original Sanskrit alongside the translation, but also personal stories and advice shared from his own spiritual journey.

Why I Love It: Timing is everything. I picked up this book in the past and felt overwhelmed. My intuition knew that it wasn’t the right time yet, so I put it back on the shelf until some months later I began to read it one sutra at a time. I gave each one time to marinate in my thoughts. I really believe the quote, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali uses metaphors and examples that are easy to understand and applicable to a modern lifestyle. I love that the full depth of knowledge contained in each sutra is so accessible because knowledge is power. When we become as curious about our internal landscape as we are about the external world, we are limitless. This book offered me the tools to live a life of introspection, fulfillment, happiness, and peace. It raised and continues to raise my vibration.

Recommended For: Those seeking emotional intelligence, who want to find balance between mind, body and spirit. Understanding The Sutras may come easily, but applying the book’s teaching in your everyday life might be a much harder task. The spiritual methods may be simple, but there could be a lot of work that goes into embodying each step forward.

I’ve found that it’s not by reading that I actually grasp new teachings or new ways of being in the world; it is through experimenting. Practicing, failing, having devotion and patience, and fully participating in my own life is where the learning happens. Being alive and feeling alive can be two very different experiences. My hope is for all to experience the fullness of life.

Ciao,
Olivia

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

by Monique Minahan

I sit on the Earth herself and hold a smooth rock in the palm of each hand. I dug them up when we moved into our house and I use them when I need extra grounding, like today.

Mooladhara chakra is rooted in survival and threatened by fear. It’s located at the literal “root” of our bodies; the Sanskrit word moola meaning “root” or “foundation.” Its location differs for men and women. For me, I visualize it deep in the cervix. 

“Lammmmmmm. Lammmmmm.”

I start with the beeja mantra Lam because sound has always calmed and focused me on a deep level very quickly. The mantra lets me start low. From there I travel within. Deeper than I want to go. 

I allow my thoughts to keep running, and for the moment I descend into the breath. It changes from a natural breath to ujjayi pranayam, and I focus on it like my life depends on it. Because in so many ways it does. 

Once I feel grounded here, the rocks heavy in my hands and my breath steady and full, I feel safe to explore. 

Now I can dance with fear. Now I can speak with fear directly. Now I can feel my fear without being swept away. I’ve been running from her ever since she showed her face during a recent illness.

Sitting with my fear is uncomfortable. It is sticky. It is all mud and no lotus. I want to run but I stay put. I stay present. I keep breathing, I keep observing, I keep listening.

Eventually I open my eyes for nasikagra drishti, nose-tip gazing. This is one of the traditional meditations for mooladhara and inviting my attention to hover just above the skin anchors my vision, which helps steady my mind.

Before emerging, I come back into my breath.

I visualize each successive exhale traveling down through the root of my body, into the ground beneath me, winding its way through layers of earth and liquid until it reaches the intensely hot inner core of our planet.

Then I imagine my inhale drawing all that earth energy back up, through layers of earth and liquid, up through the ground beneath me and into my root chakra.

Nothing outside me has changed, but something inside has shifted. Like the rocks I dug from the earth, I sense my fear has been unearthed, acknowledged and respected. In the pause before I move, I savor this moment of feeling both connected and free, grounded and lightened, human and being.

Part 2 of a 7 part series. You can find Part 1 here: Ajna, The Third Eye.

Monique Minahan
Contributing Writer

Mo is a writer and yoga teacher who believes in peace over happiness and love over fear. She likes to set her sights high and then take small steps to get there. You’ll find her walking the dirt path behind her house with her little fluffy dog, practicing walking her talk by keeping her head high and her heart open. Contact: moniqueminahan.com

by Laura McCorry

As a new yoga teacher, I was in love with everything yoga. I wanted to soak it all in and learn as much as I possibly could so that when my training was over, I could go out into the world and help people move and feel better in their bodies.

I diligently memorized all the Sanskrit names and their English translations. I practiced saying both names whenever I taught a class (and I’m a bit embarrassed to think how many Sanskrit names I’ve now forgotten). But there was one pose, one name, for which I always used the Sanskrit: savasana.

After yoga and namaste, it’s probably the most-recognized Sanskrit word, so you can get away with not saying its translation. I’ve used “final relaxation” to explain savasana in many classes. But here are the words I’ve avoided saying for so many years:

Corpse Pose.

I was reminded of the proper translation this week. I had just finished leading a restorative yoga class and everyone in the room was lying down on their mats, not moving. This is the most relaxing part of yoga, the culmination of the previous hour and the time when the body receives the greatest benefit from the practice.

And I remembered that savasana meant corpse pose and I felt a chill go up my spine to see a room full of people, essentially “practicing” death. In that moment, I realized how much easier it was for me to be the teacher, to sit on my mat and stay “awake” so I could guide them out of savasana when the time was right.

My level of comfort with death ranges from “not very” to “nope, this is not even a little bit okay.” And I know I’m not alone. Our culture pushes death outside the realm of public discourse. We cover it up in medical jargon and leave death in the hands of hospice and the funeral home – anything to create some distance between us, the living, and the-thing-we-fear-above-all- fears.

So there’s something profoundly radical about the practice of yoga ending each session with the practice of death.

It flies in the face of popular culture which would rather pay attention to the youngest, newest, brightest thing under the sun. Which helps explain why savasana at some of the trendier, more corporate-feeling yoga studios can be so short – sometimes no more than two minutes.

How long savasana should last is a matter of debate in the yoga world, but the goal is long enough for you (your essence/spirit/soul) to surrender you (the body/mind). To truly practice corpse pose, you must recognize your Self as separate from your body. This acknowledgement can take years to manifest because we are very attached to our bodies in both a literal and psychological sense.

One of yoga’s primary tenets is the yama of non-attachment, aparigraha. It is natural for us to cling to things, to hold on tight to the people we love and the experiences of our body. But yoga teaches that You are not your body. In order to be free, to experience samadhi, or union with the divine, you must let go. Surrender. And yes, even practice death.

I believe that fear and discomfort can only ever hold us back from the fullness of life. We are meant to be alive. We are meant to fully enjoy this beautiful world and to live abundantly. I hope that over time, this practice of yoga continues to mold me, body, mind and spirit until I can one day acknowledge death without fear. Until the practices of living and dying can peacefully coexist that I might move with greater ease through this experience of life. And I wish the same for you.

**This post was partly inspired by Contributing Writer, Monique Minahan’s piece When I’m Gone Please Don’t Have a Funeral on Huffington Post. Thank you Monique for always writing from your heart!

Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

This month we’re showcasing Kimberly Mackesy who leads an all levels Iyengar practice Saturdays at 9am. Kimberly brings a deep understanding of alignment principles to both her practice and teaching. Her conscientious instruction is clear and effective, expertly distilling the essence of each asana (pose). See our full schedule here.

photo credit: Simpatika

What is your favorite style of yoga?

Iyengar Yoga. It gives me everything I need. There’s a Sanskrit word, ?raddh?, that means “trust which comes from revelation.” (Sutra I.20.) As its benefits have revealed themselves over the years, my trust in the Iyengar method has deepened. I’ve committed to teaching within the lineage. That said, I also know that every person’s yoga journey is unique. Yoga in the modern day comes in so many forms that I truly believe there is yoga for everyone. As B.K.S. Iyengar himself repeatedly expressed, “yoga is one.”

What first attracted you to yoga when you began your practice?

I was a stressed out college student. I was searching for answers to life’s big questions, and frankly I was depressed at what I was finding so far. Meanwhile, my dad convinced me to try yoga because he thought it would benefit me physically. I had no idea then that the physical health benefits are just one (albeit important) piece of the puzzle.

I started out with a 10-week gentle Hatha Yoga course at UCLA. The teacher was this radiant elder lady who brought her own tape deck. She taught the same poses to the same tape week after week…and I loved it. Simple, simple poses. Like clockwork, the yoga gave me a break from my stress. It gave me peace, breathing room, if only for an hour. I was hooked right away.

About a year after my first yoga class, I enrolled in the interdisciplinary teacher training program at the Center for Yoga in Los Angeles (co-taught Diana Beardsley, who now co-leads Teacher Trainings at Yoga One). I found my first Iyengar Yoga teacher, the beginnings of my own teaching voice, even the seeds of my career during that first teacher training.

What is your favorite yoga pose right now?

Padmasana, lotus pose. I find it deeply soothing structurally, organically and spiritually (that’s after lots of practice, of course). I love working with my students on the poses that prepare padmasana. With practice and sequential preparation, padmasana comes when the student is ready just like its namesake, the lotus flower, blooms in its own time. Mr. Iyengar actually compared the 8 limbs of yoga to the petals of a lotus flower: they all unfold at once to reveal the brilliance within.

What pose is still the most challenging?

Savasana, or corpse pose. The urge comes to adjust, to move, to try to balance the body. The mind wants to wander too because that’s its nature. It’s a tremendous challenge to surrender and be still, but that is exactly what savasana asks us to do. Paradoxically, that’s one of the reasons it’s so effective.

If you were an animal, you would be: a dragon! It’s my birth year in the Chinese Zodiac. And I’m a redhead, so it suits me.

Describe what yoga means in your life using just 6 words: Profound healing on all levels. AUM.

What might your students be surprised to learn about you?

That I’m looking for a husband! I don’t date my students, but I do take referrals. 😉

Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for new students?

You’ll feel something from the very first class, but the subtle benefits of a yoga practice take time to accrue. Consistency is key. Come to class twice a week or more and practice at home whenever you can, even for a few minutes a day. Yoga’s benefits show up in proportion to your efforts. Yoga can bring you more than you ever imagined, but only if you stick with it.

Looking for your next set of yoga tunes? Check out the newest musical offering from Jennifer Tipton, I Have Finally Seen the Light, available on iTunes, at the Yoga One studio, as well as in our online store.

Running just over an hour in length, I Have Finally Seen the Light is a yoga-inspired collection of songs and beautiful Sanskrit chanting. The tracks combine to provide an enhancing complement to your yoga practice. The last song is even appropriately titled “Savasana.”

The relaxing nature of the tracks is also ideal for grooving and lounging around the house.

I Have Finally Seen the Light would be a great stocking stuffer for the yogi in your life. Get started early on your holiday shopping and support local San Diego artist and yoga teacher, Jennifer Tipton. Order a few copies today!

and practicing yoga is an essential part of her training! Yoga One regular and running fanatic Laurie Adam shares her inspirational story.

Laurie in traditional Indian clothing

Which came first, running marathons or practicing yoga? 

Marathons! And I was over 50 when I started running. I had lost weight and was having trouble keeping it off. I was a hiker, and thought I would up the intensity of my exercise to help keep the weight off. Well, I fell in love with running!

The Carlsbad Marathon (then called the San Diego Marathon) was my first. I got blisters so bad I had to walk the last ten miles and my first run after the marathon felt like I had never run before. But I loved it. That was in 2002. Since then I have run a total of 32 marathons in 26 states. My goal is to run a full marathon (26.2 miles or 42K) in each of the 50 states.

We moved downtown last year and I checked out yoga studios. I had a vague idea that yoga would be a good complement to running. I was told I have osteoarthritis in my right knee and the doctor advised me to stop running. That wasn’t going to happen! So I thought yoga would help strengthen the muscles supporting my knee.

What benefits do you feel from yoga in your daily life?

I walk to Yoga One several times a week – sometimes twice a day! I especially enjoy the early morning classes. Yoga has strengthened my upper body and core, areas running doesn’t touch. But upper body and core strength are essential for long-distance running. My knee doesn’t trouble me as much as it used to; the muscles are stronger, but I still try to be mindful of it. Yoga has helped me find calm and focus. These tools are important for running as well as for life.

Tell us about your recent trip to India and the yoga you practiced there:

My husband and I spent the entire month of June in India! We spent a week in New Delhi sightseeing and three weeks at a wellness retreat at a resort on Om Beach, on the southwest coast of India. The resort offered daily yoga in an upstairs Yoga Shala of a two story building. It has windows on all four sides, which opened. We practiced each morning with the sounds of nature all around us.

It was fascinating that the yoga in India was the same, and different from yoga in San Diego. We had three masters level instructors in the three weeks. All started and ended each class with chanting and a prayer (in Sanskrit). One instructed us to perform all the poses with “eyes closed.” Another spent a lot of time on breathing exercises – kriya yoga as well as pranayama.  Since it was a wellness retreat, the instructors often told us which illness, condition or body parts would benefit from each pose.

It was nice that the poses were all familiar to me. My favorite yoga pose is shoulder stand. It was a part of the routine and I got a good sense of being on my shoulders, rather than my neck and head. I also noticed that the pose we call “cat-cow” they call “cat.” Cows are sacred there. (And they are everywhere! In fact, our driver was surprised when we told him that cows don’t run free in the US!)

“What do you want to experience in your body today?”

Mara Harris opened her class on Wednesday afternoon with this simple, direct question that was both engaging and unexpected. Many instructors will ask their students if there’s a specific pose or a part of the body they want to focus on and practice that day. While there’s definitely a place for those questions, personally, I always feel overwhelmed by all the possible answers. This is usually what happens in my head when an instructor asks for requests:

How do I feel right now? Fine. But wait, I felt something yesterday, I was sore somewhere, I think it was my lower back. Oh! my glutes are sore… what did I do to my glutes? There was this one pose I learned last week that was really cool, what was it called? I think the instructor only said the Sanskrit name, something -asana, my feet were in some funky position but it felt so good in my hips and thighs…

By this time, a more decisive student will definitely have called out that they’d like to work on shoulders and I do my best to shut down my spiraling self-investigation. But Mara’s question managed to bypass that quagmire of reflecting on past experiences and brought my focus into the present: how I felt that moment and what I wanted to feel in the next moment.

Freedom. Freedom from pain and stiffness. Ease.

That was all that passed through my mind and even though I didn’t voice my thoughts to the rest of the room, they remained within me during my practice. True to the vinyasa style, Mara’s class flowed. It was dynamic. She led us through familiar poses in an unfamiliar way, moving and breathing within and between them. In low lunge we shifted from stretching down the heel of the back leg to coming onto the toes, back and forth, back and forth. Inhale, exhale.

It was like doing yoga in a river, it pushed you along. Even though I knew I could swim outside the current and rest in child’s pose, I let myself be borne away downstream, trusting that she would guide us over the falls and into slower, deeper waters when the time was right. And she did. At the end of class, we had all arrived, floating on the surface of the smooth lake of Savasana. Peaceful and at ease. I wish the same to all of you.

namaste,
Laura