How a getaway to Rhode Island reminded one fabulous City chick how to live her yoga all the way;
Yoga, an ancient Indian practice that dates back to 1500 B.C.E. in a time known as the Vedic Period, becomes increasingly popular in the U.S. with each passing year. Many of us walk into our first yoga class to develop or enhance our physical strength. Soon enough, however, we may access the tools necessary to invoke our innate wisdom.
The original yogis of Vedic times revered the body to be a microcosm of the entire universe; rivers and streams, mountains and prairies, the stars and planets, and the sun and the moon up above were all seen as being reflected in our own being. For instance, most yoga poses are named after animals or other parts of the natural world. Yoga was often practiced out in nature–Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) was an intensely spiritual ritual, practiced outside while facing east as the sun journeyed upward into the sky.
In the West we often practice yoga poses in non-traditional settings, further separating our bodies and minds from their inherent meanings. I am no exception, as I often rush into a crowded, mid-day class in between my own teaching responsibilities. In the midst of a busy day, we are fortunate to make it to class at all, but during the small amount of time we have on our mat, our mind finally has the chance to wander towards things that it had no time for when we were at work. As I complete my rounds of Surya Namaskar A and B, I receive a rush of energy, but am I totally cognizant of what my gestures represent, or am I thinking about the quick lunch that I have to grab on the way to my next class instead? Can I envision myself in India, in a field, exercising this ritual practice as a way towards communion with the universe which sustains me? And why do we as teachers give Surya Namaskar (traditionally practiced at dawn as a way to invoke the outward sun while bowing to our inward sun) during the middle of the day or even as late as 9 ‘o clock at night?
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to get away. I went to a holistic center called All That Matters in Wakefield, Rhode Island to begin study towards my advanced teaching certification. Allowing my mind to be that of a student again and letting my body follow was exactly what I needed. Sunday morning Yoga on the Beach marked the height of my experience. There was no rigorous physical practice–it wasn’t necessary. Feeling the imprints of my feet sculpted into the sand beneath me as I lifted my arms into the air and gazed up at the clear sky, I felt so connected to the earth, to my body, and to the traditions of this beautiful practice. The harmonious rhythm of nature set the pace for the class and Final Relaxation Pose, also called Corpse pose, was accompanied by an orchestral finale of ocean waves hitting the sandy shore.
How can we, as yoga practitioners and teachers, uphold our inheritance of this beautiful gift that is yoga? Reading and writing about the teachings help in addition to the physical practice, but I also suggest venturing into the great outdoors–feeling our feet sink into the dirt and gazing into the cosmos– so that we do not forget.
And don’t get me wrong; I don’t think that the practice of saluting the sun–Surya Namaskar– should be 86’d from yoga class sequencing at all. Yoga is a practice of mindfulness, and if we are mindful of the reasons why we do something (why we offer this salutation) this only helps to deepen our connection to our practice. Some teachers, the renowned Shiva Rea for example, have created alternative Salutations, such as Chandra Namaskar. Chandra means moon in Sanskrit, and this salutation is the perfect compliment to a late evening practice–keeping us mindful of the way that our bodies fit into the grid of the universe.
HOW TO COMPLETE A ROUND OF CLASSICAL SURYA NAMASKAR:
1) Start standing in Mountain Pose with your big toes together and your heels slightly apart. Let your arms rest long by your sides, your chin parallel to the ground.
2) Inhale and lift your arms up above your head bringing your hands to touch in a high prayer position.
3) Exhale and fold forward dragging your prayer position down past your heart and finally separating your hands to rest alongside your feet on the earth (ground). You are now in a Standing Forward Bend –bend your knees if you need to, in order to flatten your palms onto the floor beside your feet.
4) Inhale and lift your fingertips to the floor, look forward, and step your right leg back to a Lunge
5) Exhale and take your left leg back to Downward Facing .
6) Inhale and come forward to High Plank Pose .
7) Exhale and bend your elbows straight back and lower through Low Plank Pose or lower your body all the way to the floor if you are working on upper-body strength.
8) Inhale and lift your chest to Upward Facing Dog (you should be on the tops of your feet–press the tops of your feet into the earth so that when you straighten your legs, your knees and thighs are lifted away from ground).
9) Exhale and return to Downward Facing Dog .
10) Inhale and step your right foot in between your hands so that you are now in a Lunge .
11) Exhale and step your left big toe up to your right big toe so that you are back in a Standing Forward Bend .
12) Inhale and reach your arms wide to either side of the room and come back up to stand with your palms together above your head .
13) Exhale and draw your palms back to the center of your Heart.
We bring our hands back to our heart to invoke our inner sun to shine from the heart as we honor the outward sun.
14) Repeat now stepping the left foot back in step 4 and left foot forward in step 10.
Namaste.
Guest Blogger Nityda Coleman resides and teaches yoga in the New York City metropolitan area. She is a registered Vinyasa Yoga teacher, certified through Yoga Alliance. At the moment, Nityda is joyfully dancing through her advanced yoga teaching certification in Prana Flow Yoga, with Shiva Rea. For help locating Yoga in the Park and Yoga on the Beach classes in your area contact Nityda at [email protected]. To learn more about Nityda visit her at Bliss Body Wellness.
**Photos courtesy of Yoga Journal and Yoga Cards.