The Body and its Limitations

One of the key differences of Swásthya Yôga is that we hold the physical positions for long periods of time, in order to maximise the benefits of the practice. However, when we start practising we often experience discomfort and this often stops us from getting the most of the techniques. It is easy to mistake this discomfort with the impression of having reached our physical limit.

Paulo Pacifici executing samakônásana

The limitations of the body: that is always in my mind when I am teaching and when I practise. How far can I push myself, or encourage my students to push themselves, without risking injury?

In simple terms an injury will only occur when we pass an individual, natural limitation; but how do we identify our REAL limitations?

Everyone, at least once in their life, has seen, or heard of, someone being hypnotized during a TV show and, under hypnosis, suddenly being able to do unbelievable things. Hypnosis works on the subconscious (the repository of the emotions), where usually our real limitations lie. Essentially, the hypnotized person achieves, or endures, things that they would never have thought possible if they were in their normal state of consciousness. So, we can conclude that, often, our limitations, as experienced in waking consciousness, are based on our state of mind and on our emotions, instead of on our real physical limitations.

I believe that to understand our limits we must work simultaneously to increase our body consciousness and to manage our emotions and mindset during the practice. In the Swásthya Yôga, this is achieved with the positions and the breathing exercises.

I am certain that we rarely ‘touch’ our real limits, but we can increase our reach by practising regularly, simply because you are working on your overall structure and expanding your consciousness.

Next time you practise and have a ‘strong feeling’, do not relate it immediately with pain but with the sensation that you’re developing your body. Injury will be caused if you go over your limits but those are a long way away!

Changing your mindset regarding the physical sensations that you have during the practice will help your physical and emotional development. Personally, when I hold a position for long time I try to keep in my mind that the sensation comes from something beneficial; this makes my subconscious accept it, and I can really enjoy what I am doing.

However, Swásthya Yôga has a General Rule of Safety which must always be observed when we practise:

“Push yourself without forcing. Any discomfort, pain, cardiac acceleration or excessive perspiration are signs from our body that you should be more moderate.” Prof. DeRose

 

Mentalization and localization of consciousness.

Today’s topic is mentalization, visualization and localization of consciousness.

Paulo Pacifici 2003

This subject often generates resistance in more skeptical people, who have reservations in accepting or using these tools, misunderstanding them as something of the mystical realm. On the other hand, those who keep an open mind about it have improved not only their practices, but their lives.

To the doubters, we can assure them that this is not a matter of belief, since these elements are based on observable facts that science can prove to exist and indeed to be powerful.

As soon as practitioners begin to better manage their breathing, to feel less anxious during the positions, and to develop stronger musculature to hold the body for longer, the next step to improve the practice is to use localization of consciousness, and later introduce mentalization techniques.

Sri Sivananda, the famous Hindu Master, said that “where there is consciousness, there is life”. It suffices to simply settle your mind on a specific part of your body in order to expressively increase the flow of blood into that area, consequently the energy and temperature.

Make this test yourself and see how it works.

Place your hands over a table. For 5 minutes place all your attention on your right hand and visualize it surrounded by a red colour (red is stimulating). Forget and completely ignore your left hand, so your attention and intention are only on your right hand.

When the 5 minutes are up, compare your hands. You will see that the veins on your right hand are much more dilated than those on the left, and the temperature of your right hand is also higher.

This experiment shows that we can direct our mind to a specific part of our body and have some influence on it, consequently improving the vitality in that area.

When you next practise ásana, localize your attention on the area of your body that calls your attention. This action suffices to optimize the effect of the positions.

But you can do more. You can visualize colours surrounding those areas. Light blue has a sedative effect, orange stimulates and increases the energy in the area, green improves the general health.

The most important thing is the intention that accompanies every visualization.

If you don’t visualize anything but have a strong intention, for example to get stronger, your body will respond.

Always remember that your body follows your mind. Whatever you say, or think, is very likely to take place. Therefore, always be positive during your practice, and you’ll get the best result of every exercise you do.

Victoria’s Secret model practising DeRose Method

Tatiana Kovylina

Tatiana Kovylina executing a variation of kakasana

Tatiana executing Kapôdásana

Tatiana executing Natarajásana

Tatiana executing vrishikásana

A simple Swásthya Yôga class for you to practise at your home!

I wrote this class, which is one of many that is going to be used for a special DVD. I am sharing this one with you. I hope you enjoy it!

With your legs crossed and your back straight, rest your hands on your knees and let’s do some breathing exercises.

First we will teach you the fundamentals of breathing correctly according to our method. Throughout the exercises inhale and exhale only through your nostrils without making noise.

When you inhale expand your abdomen outward and when you exhale contract your abdomen inward. Remember this rule; when the air enters your abdomen will move outward and when the air leaves your abdomen will move inward.

With this rule memorized, inhale in four seconds and exhale in eight seconds. Repeat this a few times, for more or less 4 minutes, allowing you to absorb this simple rule which will be very useful during your practice. Consequently you are maximising your lungs capacity and oxygenating your entire body, increasing your vitality and improving disposition.

The best way to execute this exercise effectively is to simply pay attention to your breath, experimenting with it and trying not to disperse your concentration. It will give you an amazing sense of well being afterwards.

Remember that we can survive for weeks without food and days without water, but no more than a few minutes without breathing. Oxygen and prana, bio-energy, is the most effective and important way to feed our body.

Let’s move on to the next part of our practice, physical techniques. Please stand up without the aid of your hands and bring your feet together.

Firstly memorize this general rule; when you move any part of your body upwards you inhale, and any part of your body downwards you exhale.

Inhale raising your right knee against your chest. Hold your knee and fix your gaze on a point on the front of you. This will help you to improve your sense of balance.

Now, compensate to the other side, for the same time and with the same intensity. That is another general rule. Whatever position we execute to one side we must do to the other side, in exactly the same way.

Bring your feet together again and inhale, extending your arms above your head, stretching your back. Exhale and move laterally, bending to your right side, resting your right arm on your thigh. Hold the position for a moment while your body benefits from this strong internal massage which vital for your organs. Inhale returning and compensate to the other side, firstly with your arms above your head and then exhale bending to your left side. This position stimulates your adrenal glands, improving their function, which plays an important role in managing stress.

Inhale returning only after you have held the same amount of time to this side.

Now bend your knees preparing to sit. Before touching your hips on the ground hold for a while to gain strength and flexibility in your legs joints.

Sit on the floor and extend your legs forward, as gently and quietly as possible.

With your legs straight and feet together, inhale, raising your arms above your head, stretching your back with your lungs full and then exhale, moving your torso forward. Try to keep your arms beside your ears while you move your back. When you have achieved your maximum, release your arms, holding your ankles or feet and relax for while letting your body absorb the effects of the position. Don’t give your maximum movement forward yet. Take some long and deep breaths while you hold this position. Use your breath to relax and release tension.  I recommend that you inhale in one time and exhale in twice the time that you inhale, for example if you breathe in in 4 seconds, breathe out  in 8 seconds. That is a very effective rhythm to improve your flexibility in this position.

Before  you return, give your maximum effort with no air in your lungs. When you need to inhale again, return completely.

Now lean back forty five degrees, keeping your spine completely straight and raise your legs, trying to bring your feet in the same line of your chest. Hold this position with your lungs completely full, by doing so you are giving more strength to your muscles. Be careful not to curve your back, your body should be in a shape of the letter V.

Rest your legs and place your hands behind your hips with your fingers pointing outward, keeping a fair distance between your hips and hands. Inhale deeply and raise your hips as high as you can. Try to touch your toes on the ground without bending your knees and with your feet together. Hold this position as long as you can improving your general strength and increasing your lungs capacity.

Returning bring your legs bent underneath your hips to sit over your heels.

Hold your heels firmly and without releasing your feet, inhale, raise your hips and tilt your head back, forcing your hips forward. This position doesn’t require a long permanence so when you need to exhale, return, sitting over your heels again.

From there pass your legs forward again and lay on your back, you are now going to pass to an inverted position. With your hands firmly on the ground you are going to raise your hips moving your legs towards the ceiling. As soon as you bring your hips up, place your hands on your back to help your balance. Hold this position for as long as you can, the longer the better.

This position will bring the energy that you stimulated during the practice with bigger intensity to your head, benefiting your brain and circulatory system.

 

To return, place your hands on the floor again and lower your hips without raising your head, as slow as you can.

After this inverted position you must compensate it. Inhale, raising your chest and bring the top of your head on the floor. Lift your chest as high as you can almost touching your forehead on the floor putting the weight of your body on your head, never on your arms which should be resting beside your body, not under it.

 

Now, resting completely on the floor, try to assimilate what you have achieved with your body. You may feel your back now but if it bothers you, hold your legs bent strongly against your chest to reduce this feeling.

Here we can finish our class for today…

This class is based on the knowledge of Prof DeRose ans his book, specially Tratado de Yôga (Treatise of Yôga) the most complete book of Yôga ever written!

Ásana, the physical part of Yôga

Physical Yôga, positions, ásanas…

This a subject that captivates almost everyone. Me too, I love ásanas! I do, I love them! They make your body strong, supple and definitely healthier. But when I started studying Yôga, eleven years ago, I was always intrigued why most of the Masters and scholars of this practical philosophy that I admire slightly reject this anga (part) of Yôga and don’t even consider methods that teach only pránáyáma and ásana to be Yôga. For example, Sri Aurobindo didn’t consider Hatha Yôga (pránáyáma and ásana)  “necessary” and Pátañjali, the great Master, in his renowned work, spoke mainly about meditation and samadhi, dedicating only three sutras to ásana, and only then as a means to achieving these objectives.
II – 46 The physical position must be steady and comfortable. (So, systems that use ásana with repetition probably lost the connection with the origin)
II – 47 It’s dominated through elimination of tension and meditation on the infinite.
II – 48 As a consequence, the duality is ceased.

So is practising only ásana practising Yôga? Ásana itself doesn’t fit the technical definition of Yôga. Do you remember the definition that Proffessor DeRose gave us? “Yôga is any methodology strictly practical that conduces to samádhi.” I cannot see a practitioner that only practises asana achieving samadhi, so, it’s not Yôga only in itself.
The point that I want to make is, why Yôga practitioners in general don’t start to give more value and pay more attention to more important angas, such as mudrá, pújá, mantra, pránáyáma, yôganidrá and samyama.

Despite all this..as we are all passionate about yôga physical techniques, I will let you admire this beautiful choreography of ásanas.

*Remember that Sanskrit is not English and accents must be respected.

Tatiana Kovylina – DeRose Method practitioner

My student, Tatiana Kovylina, made this photo session practising ásana (ancient physical technique). I found it so beautiful that I am sharing it with you!