April 2003
In this issue of YOGASTUDIO PRANA we focus on Yin Yoga,
a practice quite fitting for this time of much upheaval where softness and a deep internal focus can be profoundly calming.
We are fortunate to have Paul Grilley, the true Master of this practice, coming to YOGASTUDIO for a weekend workshop May 9-11.
Paul is brilliant, funny and as flexible as gumby -- you'll delight in his presence.
As he details the Yin practice and delves deeply into the anatomy of our bodies, there's plenty to learn from him!
You can also read more about Yin Yoga in REFLECTIONS from our YOGASTUDIO expert,
Erin Perry. Erin, who became inspired by the practice after studying with Paul,
has developed a full Yin program for us - 4 nights/week classes, soon to be 5 in May!
For those of you wanting to get a true introduction and understanding of the practice,
Erin will be conducting a Yin Yoga workshop on May 18th.
It's a transformative experience for both the novice and the yin practitioner to study and focus deeply for over 3 hours,
all the while learning about the benefits of Yin.
Having studied with Sarah Powers and Paul, Erin and Clare Buckley teach our Yin program in addition to a number of other classes.
Several of our teachers now incorporate a taste of the Yin practice into their classes. In the TEACHER INTERVIEW with Clare,
she describes beautifully how she blends the Yin with the Yang into her teachings.
Don't forgot to stop by the studio and pick up some great CD's for 10% off
throughout April. Stay calm and practice more. We'll continue to serve you...
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Philip Novak
YOGASTUDIO Mill Valley student since 1995
Avid readers of Prana were left in the dark
In connection with last month's Andy Berman remark
(Made in verse, no less, did you notice that?)
About someone named Novak and his alleged lack of fat.
No doubt they muttered while scratching their brain,
"Who the heck's he?" "What's his claim to fame?"
I'm Andy's yoga buddy since one nine nine five
(And I know why we love it: we feel alive.)
The mythologist Campbell once famously said
He believed in life before, not after, we're dead,
To that noble goal I know of no better route
Than the awareness that asanas help to recruit.
So Andy and I when striking our poses,
Even while sweat streams fast down our noses,
Give praise to our teachers - a magnificent crew!
May you all come to love them the way that we do.
As to my physique, well, that's Andy's projection
The truth of his claims eludes all detection.
Interested in sharing your story? Please send submittals as a separate MS Word document to info@yogastudiomillvalley.com,
150 words or less, please include name, phone, email, and digital photo (if possible).
We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for your practice.
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RELECTIONS on YIN YOGA
by Erin Peary, YOGASTUDIO Teacher since 2000
I believe that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but
rather we are spiritual beings having a human experience. So my intention
is to experience and feel everything I can. Yin Yoga, a relatively new
style, creates a container of stillness that helps me do just that. The
practice, which brings passive balance to the more familiar and
traditionally active (Yang) style of yoga, slows me down enough to hear what
my body has to say, fine-tuning my ability to deeply listen and respond
intelligently.
I came to Yin Yoga several years ago through Sarah Powers, my primary
teacher. She and Yin Yoga master and lineage holder Paul Grilley have
outlined some basic tenets that define the practice:
*Remaining muscularly passive, as the body yields
to gravity and stillness
*Holding poses for time, typically between 3 and
5 minutes
*Finding appropriate pressure within the pose
*Resting the attention on the breath
*Directing the breath mindfully into intensity
The practice moves deeply into the most tenderly protected areas in the
body, typically those closest to the core--the spine, hips and lower back
(those areas in which we tend to store deep-seated, long-ignored emotions
such as tension, fear, anger and grief). As a result, holding the poses for
3 to 5 minutes can turn up the volume on the body's sensations. In my first
Yin class, each pose confronted and challenged areas of my body I hadn't
previously explored. Translation: every pose was excruciating! Certainly
the physical intensity I felt in the connective tissue and ligaments in and
around my joints was profound, but surprisingly, that wasn't my deepest
edge. Instead, my edge was remaining physically passive AND mentally
connected to what I was feeling inside and out.
Within those still moments, I got busy! Leaving my uninhabited body behind
on my mat, my desperately-seeking-something-mind craved ANYTHING more
entertaining than staying still! I went into that state of turbo-distraction
one of my students calls "CNN Mind." With endless ticker-tape commentary,
the barrage of flashing images and multiple inner critics all speaking at
once, I struggled to anchor my attention to my breathing. Slowly, my breath
conquered the restlessness my body fought. In time I learned how to direct
my breathing, to energetically lessen the intensity I felt and soften the
brittle body that has held me glued together for so long. By applying
infinite patience and compassion, I found I could coax my mind back to the
present-moment experience. Like WD-40, that ancient Irish secret my
grandfather sprayed on everything, my breath lubricated (and soothed) the
tissues that felt stuck, thick, dull and achy. But I had to stay present
enough to be with what I was feeling...yes, the beauty and horror (the Yin
and the Yang) of all of it!
The body may lead us to a Yin Yoga class, but the spirit will keep us there.
We may come to Yoga initially focused on the physical, which is important.
After all, we want to cultivate a deeper connection to our bodies. Yet we
yearn for a relationship with something greater than our hamstrings or our
hips. Yin Yoga gives us that. As it teaches us how to mobilize energy
through the pose and allows us to focus on how we feel rather than how we
look, Yin Yoga reminds us that the body is just a gateway to the mind and
the spirit. Once our practice becomes more seasoned, the breath integrated
and the mind anchored, we discover the delight of spaciousness in body, mind
and breath.
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Interview with Clare Buckley
YOGASTUDIO Teacher since 2001
How do you incorporate Yin yoga into your practice and teaching?
When I first come to the mat - it is a time for me to settle in - a time to
notice and be mindful, a place of welcome, challenge and always discovery.
After seated meditation I begin my Yin practice. I like to devote at least
one third of my practice time to various long held Yin poses, and then I
open into the Yang aspect of my practice with creative flowing vinyasa
followed by meditation. Some days--and particularly when practicing in the
evening--Yin is my entire focus.
I experience Yin as a continuation of and preparation for meditation. It
feels very intuitive and natural to open in this way into the various layers
of my practice. After meditation, the transition into Yin poses feels rooted, connected, graceful. I am able to move with a sense of space. I
can feel the physical sensations of the pose, noticing what is arising, the
sound of my breathing. I get inside my breath smoothing it out, recognizing
its familiar sound. I have space to observe what is often unexpected. In
relaxing and becoming passive - so as to affect the connective tissue around
my body's joints - my mind becomes more calm and
relaxed. Initial frustrations and challenges give way to pockets of
surrender. In the stillness of each Yin shape I learn to release, let go
of gripping and be patient. The effect is very grounding, with slow and
deep openings, nourishing my connection with body, heart, mind, and breath.
I come into the Yin poses with the knowledge that I am reaching into the
connective tissues of my body - a place that requires a slow patient
opening. This dense, fibrous tissue becomes longer and stronger, renewing the body structure and integrity wtih actual physical growth.
After my Yin practice I will rest a moment in Sivasana. It is a heightened
time of transition for me. I can feel the energy moving around my body.
Yin stimulates different energy pathways through the body & in these moments
I can really detect the movement of prana. I often feel a sense of
lightness.
As I begin to transition towards my flowing vinyasa practice, I deepen my
breathing. I have recently been working with various pranayama breathing
techniques for transition from Yin to Yang, a seated kapalabhati breath or
deepening my ujjayi into flowing vinyasa. Poses feel alive as I begin to
move in my Yang practice: integrated, grounded, filled with space. I can
feel energy moving around my body. I feel balance and poise. I will focus
in on various back bends, inversions, balancing poses etc. The exploration
of these Yang movements feels enriched by the preceding Yin preparation.
Many students have talked of a deepened awareness in their practice - deeper
openings in their bodies and ability to find some calm in places of
difficulty on and off the mat. Others have talked of a sense of balance and
being grounded. Others that Yin has created the comfort for them to come
more readily to their seated meditation practice. Some students have
experienced deep emotional openings - surprised that such strong emotions
have emerged for them as they dropped deeper into the history of their
bodies and experience.
One of the main benefits I feel of the Yin practice is having time to open
and finding a place of harmony within body, mind and breath. Having the
space to center rather than rushing on to the next thing. I have seen
profound changes in my own practice and that of others. The physical
openings have deepened for me over time. I can sit comfortably
in meditation after my Yin practice for long periods and I see this freedom
and mobility in body and mind for others. I drop more readily into
observing change and renewing my being present each time I come to the mat
and during my day. Life can be busy, can be stressful and difficult - the
mind, body, breath absorb this experience and we need to take time to renew
and nourish. Creating freed energy flow around our bodies can create space for
lightness and fun. Keeping space in places that become blocked and stuck
over time and balancing this with a vibrant flow of yang energy can create a
very rounded and fulfilling practice.
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By Josh Michaell, YOGASTUDIO Media Purveyor
Books:
Practical Gods - Carl Dennis
Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer prize for poetry! This is a fantastic book that
will appeal to fans of the nature-filled works of Mary Oliver and James
Wright. One to be read over and over!
10 Poems to Open Your Heart - Roger Housden
The follow-up to the wildly successful 10 Poems to Change Your Life. A
glorious selection of timeless poetry geared to touch the tender places
within the human heart, awakening love, dignity and compassion. A beautiful
book!
Music:
April is Reggae Month at YOGASTUDIO. Here is a small selection of essential
reggae:
1) Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance - Midnite
The best reggae CD I have heard in the last several years! Amazing vocals
and super-grooving rhythms. Essential!
2) Mellow Moods - Bob Marley
Bob Marley's legendary Jamaican recordings! Many consider this to be his
finest work. Every track is outstanding. Utterly essential reggae listening!
3) Darker Than Blue- Soul From Jamdown - Various Artists
Oh my...SO GOOD! Take American soul music and transplant it into the fertile
soil of Jamaica and what you get is some of the finest, most soulful music
ever recorded. This CD puts the "fun' in funky!
4) Roots with Quality - Various Artists
A GREAT reggae sampler! Classic and unknown hits from the golden age of
reggae.
5) Burning Spear - Rocking Time
One of the finest reggae CDs ever recorded by one of the finest reggae
artists of all time.
6) Blackheart Man - Bunny Wailer
A reggae masterpiece. One of the 5 greatest reggae CDs ever recorded.
Featuring Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Astounding and totally essential.
– Books and CDs available at both studios.
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CD EXTRAVAGANZA!
Mention PRANA and Save 10% on all new music selections (reggae reviews in this issue ) as well as "YOGASTUDIO Standards".
There's no limit on the number of CDs you may buy, but hurry, this special ends April 30th.
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HURRY! HURRY!
YIN YOGA
with Paul Grilley
– Friday, May 9 (5-7pm)
– Saturday, May 10 (12-5pm)
– Sunday, May 11 (12-5pm)
– $250 Full Weekend
Learn how to treat the connective tissues of the body differently through a Taoist perspective, and passive Yin poses. This practice is new to most practitioners, and provides a wonderful balance to the active muscular Yang asana practice. Paul has a wonderfully scientific mind and great sense of humor, as he presents the framework for this philosophy.
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YIN MEETS YANG YOGA RETREAT
with Erin Peary and Nikki Estrada
– September 10-14, 2003
– Laurel Springs Ranch,
Santa Barbara
– For information call
Erin at (415) 433-9333
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