“When you know who you are and what you stand for, you stand in wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey
Weekly Focus: Niyamas (personal observances)
There are five Niyamas within the 8-limb path. The Niyamas are personal observances and practices that we keep. These include Saucha (cleanliness), Samtosha (contentment), Tapas (purification), Svadhyaya (self-study), and Isvara Pranidhana (surrender).
Similar to the Yamas, the Niyamas are guiding personal values that any yogi should hold. We can think of these personal values as guidelines for how we interact with ourselves.
Different from our guiding ethics, how we interact with the world around us, the Niyamas call to mind a more internal experience. These are the values for our internal landscape: how we manage our intake, the peace we choose to feel within us, removing our shadows, self-reflecting, and looking beyond the daily toil of our lives.
Choosing what we feel is personally valuable to ourselves is a big step in self acceptance. Our personal values give us permission to cleanse our internal experience of toxic narratives, and to invite in that which makes us feel harmonious. This is also the space from where we choose to grow, to adapt, and to become the best version of ourselves.
What values do you hold personally, for yourself? How do you engage with your internal experience? Is that in itself a value to you?
Passive Pose of the Week: Upavishta Savasana (seated corpse pose or reclined staff pose)
Upavistha Savasana is a more alert position of rest, than traditional Savasana. Metaphorically our hearts are vulnerable and open in this pose, “revealing” what is dear to us. Physically, this more alert resting space allows for comfortable meditation and reflection.
- Begin sitting on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you.
- Build yourself a “ramp” with props you have available. You can use a block and a bolster to build a ramp, but if you are at home, you may also use a stack of thick books in place of a block and a firm couch cushion, or even a thick stack of bath towels.
- Lean back and recline onto your ramp. Let your arms fall wide.
- Set yourself a timer and rest for three, five or even ten minutes.
Upavishta Savasana is a gentle and supported backbend, making this resting posture a little more alert than some other positions, such as a forward fold or a completely reclined Savasana. Try using this position as a place to rest midday, when you need to allow the body, mind and breath time to settle, but you don’t want to fall into heavy relaxation. It’s amazing the difference you can feel resting in a position such as this for even just 5 – 10 minutes!
Active Pose of the Week: Phalakasana (plank pose)
Phalakasana is a strong position, a place we think of as a building block for strength and stability. Our personal values help us to feel strong within ourselves just as phalakasana helps us to feel strong in our physical body.
- Begin in a tabletop position on hands and knees.
- Step your right foot back behind you straightening the leg and tucking your toes, followed by the left.
- Let both legs be strong and straight.
- Avoid piking your hips high, and try to maintain one line of energey from you shoulders, to your hips, to your heels.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and lower down for rest.
Phalakasana is a common position both in yoga and other areas of fitness. This could be a confusing position, because depending on which movement modality you are practicing this position in, you may get different cue on how to arrange your body. What is important (at least in the context of yoga), is that you feel your most strong, confident and comfortable in the position. Pull the shoulders back, or push into the ground? Legs together, or legs separated? Hips and shoulders in one line, or the body angle from shoulders to hips to heels? Try the variations and see what works best for you!
Join us in class this week to practice engaging with the Niyamas. See the full schedule HERE.
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