Follow The Darkness: A Winter Solstice Reflection

If we are being honest, then we can each say that we have bad days. Days where it feels like the darkness is swallowing us whole or days when the weight of the the worlds sadness is resting upon our brow. In many yoga circles we are taught to make these dark thoughts and feelings go away. We are told to "plug in a mantra", "twist it out", "send light to these sad thoughts" or to meditate." But what if we are averting one of the most powerful forces that exists within our psyche? The power of darkness.

Darkness is the space of germination it is the womb and the chrysalis. Darkness is the cave we enter to rest, to sleep, and to dream. These powerful dark forces pull us into their grip to show us what is dying and give us a peek at what we've been missing or glossing over. Darkness is real and if we let ourselves be enveloped by dark nights of the soul there is tremendous potential for deeper insight. Many of our mythic heroes and heroines must go into the dark earth or black waters in order to realize a critical piece of their journey.

Nature has within its intelligent design specific periods where the darkness reigns over the light. During the months leading to the winter solstice (Dec 21st) the darkness trumps and the portal to sadness, grief, anger, and deep inner processing opens. Each new moon period is also a time when the dark night skies remind us of our smallness. If we honor these natural periods of darkness we give the soul a chance to suffer. The word suffer comes from the Latin "sufferre", sub- ‘from below’ + ferre ‘to bear', or to "bear what is below."

As yoga teachers and students we can do a great service to our community by allowing ourselves to feel and express our suffering. We can let go of guilt and shame for feeling "depressed" and see it as a period of "deep rest". The darkness is here and we can fight it or we can curl up under its night skies and hear the stories it has to share and maybe, just maybe, we will awaken changed.

(from Teaching Tip Tuesdays, posted each Tuesday on Facebook by Sky House owner, Ashley Litecky Elenbaas)

Movement, Health, and Community

Last weekend I attended an herbal conference in Georgia. It was a wonderful four days of herbal study, plant walks, and fellowship. Each morning I would wake up, go for a run, do a little yoga, and then get ready for classes. One morning I decided to sleep in. We had been up late and my body needed the extra sleep. The entire next day I was uncomfortable, tight, and irritable. Why had I skipped the one thing that makes me a better student, listener, and all around nicer person?

It was ironic that on this day I would sit through a few lectures on circulation, detoxification, and mood disorders. As I listened to the teachers I found myself fidgeting and shifting in my chair. I was uncomfortable, anxious, and found myself drinking caffeine to stay awake despite the interesting information that was being presented.

In one lecture I learned about the circulatory system. Our circulatory system is our life blood. Literally. Every system in our body depends on the movement of oxygenated blood and nutrients to our tissues, and the removal of wastes. While our heart does a wonderful job at moving blood around the body, it is the lymphatic system that is responsible for the removal of dead cells, toxins, and metabolic wastes. The lymphatic system doesn't contain a pump of its own so it depends on us to move, bend, and twist to keep lymph circulation going. In the old times, people knew that movement was critical to health and if a person was still for too long their body systems began to fail and their mood would likely become melancholy and depressed.

The importance of regular movement is often overlooked. It plays a critical role in our physical, mental, and emotional well-being as it moves blood, supports detoxification, and facilitates the release of endorphins (feel good chemicals),and increases confidence. Simple movements like sun salutations are a wonderful way we can move our body fluids and keep the body healthy. In one study of 40 participants, researchers found that after 10 days of practicing yoga the baseline levels of cortisol (our stress hormone) decreased, inflammation markers decreased, and in another study of schizophrenics, one yoga class decreased anxiety and increased feelings of well-being. (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2011.0265)
(http://informahealthcare.com/…/abs/10.…/09638288.2010.509458)

The yoga world also contains a built in community. This weekend herbalist James Snow spoke of the biopsychosocial model of health and how important it is to have a strong social network. He explained the relationship between inflammation, mood disorders, and anti-social behaviors and the negative feedback loop this creates. It made me think about the amazing trifecta of benefts that yoga provides. Yoga is a place where we move the body (detoxify & reduce inflammation), increase our mood (endorphins), and connect with a social network (reduce inflammation & increase endorphins). Pretty cool stuff!

So, if you thought all you were doing was exercising your body during your weekly yoga class, think again! Your yoga is creating a positive feedback loop between your mind, body, and your community! How cool is that!

Yoga on the Bridge : A short yoga practice inspired by flowing water, rustling leaves, Garuda the eagle, and the imagination.

Recipe for a Handstand: How A Handstand is Like Baking A Cake

Recipe for a Handstand. Attempting a handstand is like baking a multi-layered cake. We can think about the individual layers of cake, the frosting, atmospheric conditions, construction, and finally, the unique decoration of your masterpiece. Like baking your first cake, your first handstand may fall short of your expectations. They may be uneven, taste a bit starchy, and perhaps look like something a three year old constructed out of play dough.

For many people, the handstand is something that terrifies, eludes, and challenges even the most dedicated of yogis. Why? Because it takes everything you've learned in yoga, everything you've practiced on your mat and during meditation, and puts it to the test by, turning it upside down.

The first ingredient of the handstand recipe is Tadasana, good ole mountain pose. In mountain pose we study our bodies an anatomically neutral position and look for the weak links in our posture. Does our lower back sway causing our abdominal muscles to disengage? Does our body weight tend to shift toward the balls of our feet? We study each piece to feel the nuances of our bodies and practice holding a strong and supported standing position while remaining soft enough to relax and breathe.

Once we have studied Tadasana we add in Urdhva Hastasana, upward lifted hand pose, the second posture of the Sun Salutation series. When we move our arms overhead we look to see how the rest of our bodies respond. Do the ribs poke forward? Does the abdominal wall disengage? What is needed to maintain the lessons of tadasana while we add this second layer?

When this has been rectified we are ready to add the third ingredient, the sweet layers of frosting.This is made from tapas and amritas, the disciplined mind and the ambrosia of the gods. This tasty layer is also one of the trickiest to apply. If the consistency is too sticky or tacky, it will peel off the top layer of the cake. If it is too thin it won't do its job of holding the layers together. The perfect thickness can be achieved through a careful combination of self-discipline, determination, and method with surrender, playfulness, and listening.

Now that we have the three basic components of a handstand we can begin to practice:
1) Stand about 3 feet from a wall and practice the transition from Tadasana to Urdhva Hastasana while maintaining core integration.
 
2) Reach your hands to the floor and come into downward dog with your fingers 3 inches from the wall.

3) Re-establish urdva hastasana from your hands to your hips.

4) Walk you feet toward your hands and shift your shoulders over your wrists while looking between your hands.

5) Fire up your tapas while connecting to the soft flow of amrita.

6) Lift one leg toward the ceiling and use your lower leg as a spring. Practice keeping your core engaged while floating your lifted leg toward the sky.

7) Smile.

8) Keep practicing. Think about stacking your hips over your shoulders, over your wrists, like a multi-tiered cake.

9). Enjoy. Embellish your handstand with sound-effects, leg variations, and laughter!

10) Remember that some days will be more conducive to practicing handstands than others. The atmospheric conditions and the accessibility of the gods may be more generous on certain days. So, don't be discouraged. Just like baking a cake, be firm, know the quality of your ingredients, leave room for magic and whimsy, and when your practice is over, take a big ole bite and savor this delicious experience 

xoxo!
~Ashley Litecky Elenbaas