“If we keep everything in balance, then we are in harmony with ourselves and are at peace.” – Frank Fools Crow
Weekly Focus: The Three Nadis: Ida, Pingala, Sushumna
Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the three primary nadis or energy pathways of the 72,000 that exist within our body! Ida and Pingala represent the duality of our existence and Sushumna is the connection and balance of all energetic channels, where we find equilibrium and center.
Ida represents our more feminine natures and Pingala represents our more masculine natures. These are not related to our sex, but rather to the quality of traits within us. We all contain both Ida and Pingala energies, and at times, may dominate more one than the other. While Ida correlates to softness, nourishment, empathy, and nurturing capacities, Pingala correlates to strength, confidence, courage, vitality and decisiveness.
Yoga helps us to find a balance of these qualities. If we steep to heavily in Ida, we may find ourselves wistful, airy, and untethered while if we steep too heavily in Pingala we may find ourselves to dominant or commandeering. It is important to know that their is no perfect recipe for what this balance looks like. Each of us is unique in our makeup, and may naturally sway more towards one set of qualities than the other. What is essential is knowing ourselves well enough to feel the imbalance start to shift. When we notice ourselves feeling out of balance, the practice of Yoga provides tools to help us recenter and find ourselves settled again.
Here is a simple breathing practice in creating balance:
- Notice your breath — come to a space where have time to notice your breath. Close your eyes and begin by observing. Do you feel the breathe in one lung more strongly than the other? Is one side of your body more alert as you breathe? Does the breathe feel rapid or smooth?
- Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) — bring your right hand to your face. Take the right ring finger and place it near the left nostril, and bring the thumb near the right nostril. Seal the right nostril with your thumn and inhale through the left nostril. Seal the left nostril with your ring finger, release the thumb, and exhale through the right nostril. Inhale through the right, seal the right, release the left, and exhale through the left. Repeat for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Notice your energy — after a few minutes, allow your natural breathing to return. Notice how the energy feels in your body. Do you feel more alert? More relaxed? Is ther a sense of neutrality or balance? What has shifted?
Passive Pose of the Week: Side Lying Stretch Pose
Side lying stretch is helpful in the summer time to cool the body and bring restoration and relaxation amidst the heat. Balance in our physical body is equally as important as balance in our subtle bodies.
- Begin sitting on the floor resting on your right hip. Allow the legs to swing to your left, stacked or staggered with bent knees.
- Place a bolster in front of your right hip, about 6 – 8 inches away.
- Stretch out over the bolster lying on your side. Let the bolster rest under the low ribs as the upper body drapes towards the floor.
- Stack your legs or perhaps bend the left leg, letting it drape towards the ground.
- Rest your head either on you right arm or a pillow. The left arm may reach over head or rest comfortably near the face.
- Hold the post for 7 to 10 breaths. Use your arms to gently lift yourself up and switch sides.
You may not have a bolster at home, but there are many other creative props you can use to get this side stretch. For a more softer side bend, take a thick bath towel, and fold it once letting the short ends meet. Starting at the short end, roll the towel up into a small bolster. To create a bigger side bend, stack multiple folded bath towels together for more height. Fold and stack the towels until you have a stack about 7 – 8 inches tall. Bath towels work well as they are stiffer, firmer, and more supportive when stacked than standard blankets or pillows.
Active Pose of the Week: Parivrtta Parsvokonasana / Anjali Mudra (prayer twist lunge)
Parivrtta Parsvokonasana is a big asymmetrical pose. Asymmetrical poses can help us notice similarities and differences in the sides of our bodies, and to pay attention to the differing needs of each side. This allows us to bring balance based not on the look of the pose but on deeper sensations found in the pose.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot back about 3 – 4 feet like Crescent Warrior. The back heel will be lifted high.
- With your arms overhead, inhale and stretch long through the fingers and the sides of the body. Begin to lean out over your front thigh.
- Exhale and draw your hands to hearts center, pressing the palms together as the elbows go wide.Rotate your chest towards your right thigh.
- Continue to rotate and lean forward as your left elbow taps the top or outside of the right thigh.
- Press out through your back heel and reach the crown of the head forward feeling yourself elongate from center.
- Hold and breath for 3 – 5 breathes before untwisting, stepping forward, and switching sides.
If keeping the back thigh lifted takes too much focus off of the twist, try dropping your back knee, as picture above. This will allow you to bring more awareness to the rotation of your spine and provide a deeper hip stretch. With the back knee supporting the position, you can sink more deeply into the front thigh, also lengthening the back thigh.
Join us in class this week to practice seeking your personal balance. See the full schedule HERE.
