“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller
Weekly Focus: Asmita (egoism)
Asmita is one of the kleshas (causes of suffering) and translates as egoism.
Egoism is the belief that who we are is directly related to the positions we hold in life, the jobs we work, the possessions we obtain, and the responsibilities that we have. Through the practice of yoga, we are reminded that all of these earthly possessions are temporary, and therefore an unreliable source of peace.
Yoga challenges us to see that the most authentic and truest version of ourself lies beyond this material world, in the more subtle space of the Self or spirit. By coming to peace with who we are at our core, we find more peace from within.
Of course, we are not hermits, living in an ancient world, which makes it challenging to let go of the material life. To some degree, our modern life requires a job, a house, a phone, etc, etc. So rather than letting everything go, this week, we are challenged to balance our attachment to what we have tangibly, so that we might see more clearly what we hold within ourselves.
How do we moderate our attachment to the ego and recognize that our self-worth comes from the inside out?
Here is a simple practice in moderating your attachments:
- Spring Cleaning! — Summer is a great time for a big Spring (or Summer) cleaning. Go through your house and lighten up. This routine act can be therapeutic and ritual when done with care.
- Take a cue from Marie Kondo — as you go through your items, be honest with yourself, does this item bring you joy? If you can’t answer that question easily, or if it feels burdensome, let it go.
- Clear out the dust — after letting go of items that don’t feel aligned, give your house a deep clean. Scrub the corners, the hidden spaces. After, take some time to sit in the freshness and clarity of a lighter space. Journal about how you feel.
Passive Pose of the Week: Virasana (Hero’s Pose)
Virasana can be quite challenging to sit still in for an extended amount of time. Working with props can help us stay here longer, providing a good space for Self reflection, moving focus from the outer world to the inner world.
- Begin sitting on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you.
- Come to a kneeling seat on the floor.
- Keeping the knees together, separate your feet so that you can sit your butt back to the floor between the ankles.
- Stay upright and rest the hands on the thighs or any comfortable space.
- Stay for 7 – 10 breaths before slowly releasing.
To add props to your Virasana, try these options:
1. Stiff Ankles: roll a small towel into a long roll and rest the tops of the feet / ankles on it as you kneel. This will reduce to bend of the ankle and provide padding and support for the foot.
2. Stiff Knees: roll a blanket into a long roll and set it behind the backs of the knees between the thighs and the calves. This will create more space in the knee bend. It will also provide some good deep tissue release for the calves.
3. Tight Quads and Stiff Knees: sit up on either one block or two blocks stacked, on the wider and lower settings. This will reduce the flexion of the knee and releave some stretch for tight quads.
4. Aid in Knee Rotation: to help get the feet outside of the thighs, try sitting up on a bolster and straddling the bolster with your legs. Even if you have the ability to sit your butt between the legs on the floor, this variation is quite supportive and nice to hold for an extended amount of time!
Active Pose of the Week: Utthita Parsvokonasana (Extended Side Angle)
Here is another pose that can be greatly enhanced with the use of props. Props allow us to bring more awareness to the feeling and engagement of the pose, rather than striving for the shape or look of the pose. By taking the focus off the shape and more into the sensation, we move away from the ego and into the subtle layers.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot back about 3 – 4 feet like Warrior II pose.
- Bend and lunge into your right leg, stacking the knee over the ankle approximately.
- Take an inhale and extend your torso out over the front thigh.
- Drop your left elbow to the right thigh to support your, press the elbow into the thigh to lift the ribs away from the leg.
- Reach your right arm to the ceiling or overhead, with your arm alongside the ear.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
To add props to your Utthita Parsvokonasana, try these options:
1. Adding Strength: take this pose near a wall. Stand so that the back extended leg pushes into the wall from the outer edge. As you lunge into the front leg, actively push your back foot into the wall. If you feel strong here, reach both arms overhead and hover your torso off the thigh.
2. Increasing Length: use a block underneath of the bottom arm. Rather than propping onto the elbow, or reaching for the ground, press your bottom arm into a block on the tallest setting. Push into the the block and reach up with the top arm to the ceiling. Actively move the ribs away from the hips.
3. Deepen the Stretch: place your front foot onto a block and then bend into the lunge. This extra range of motion will allow space to lean in and intensify the stretch for the front inner thigh. As you lean into, actively press your foot into the block to activate the stretch further.
4. Increase the Rotation: loop a long strap or resistance band around the front foot. Use the top arm to grab hold of the edges of the strap. Push and reach the strap overhead, with the arm alongside the ear. Use this push and reach to rotate the shoulder back and turn the chest up adding more rotation in the torso.
Join us in class this week to practice your moderation of asmita. See the full schedule HERE.
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