Yoga Journal - November 2013 USA

JOURNAL

HOW TO

UNWIND AT NIGHT & WAKE UP

REFRESHED

8 POSES FOR A HAPPY, HEALTHY

PREGNANCY

plus

A BETTER WAY TO

STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS

HOW YOGA HELPS IN A CRISIS

YOGAJOURNAL.COM

Nov 2013 / Display until Nov 26, 2013

REVITALIZE YOUR PRACTICE (AND YOUR LIFE)

BUILD POWER IN YOUR CORE

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features

68 | DAY & NIGHT

India’s ancient system of medicine offers

simple practices you can do to balance

your energy and boost your health.

by Shannon Sexton

74 | BABY LOVE

Prenatal yoga can prepare your mind,

body, and spirit for motherhood.

by Jessica Berger Gross

cover credits

model: Jennifer Lane; stylist: Lyn Heineken;

hair/makeup: Erin Lee Smith/Aubri Balk Inc;

top: Prana; capris: Elisabetta Rogiani;

photography: David Martinez

contentsNOVEMBER 2013

on the cover

65 | Revitalize your practice

(and your life)

56 | Build power in your core

68 | How to unwind at night

& wake up refreshed

44 | A better way to stretch

your hamstrings

53 | How yoga helps in a crisis

74 | 8 poses for a happy,

healthy pregnancy

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contents November 2013

practice44 | BASICS

Head-of-the-knee pose Learn

to extend your spine while stretching

your back body in Janu Sirsasana.

by Nikki Costello

56 | MASTER CLASS

Shape shifter Let the ebb and flow

of your breath help you find your way

into this challenging forward bend.

by Annie Carpenter

65 | HOME PRACTICE

WITH CLAIRE MISSINGHAM

Free flow Shake things up with a

practice that lets you see your habits

in a whole new light.

inspiration53 | LIVING YOGA

Ultimate practice Yoga promises to free us

from suffering—even the kind that comes from

life’s most difficult experiences.

by Kate Holcombe

100 | YOGA SCENE

Grand stand A reader puts down roots on the

rim of the Grand Canyon. by Shannon Costello

in every issue

10 | EDITOR’S LETTER

12 | CONTRIBUTORS

14 | LETTERS

94 | YOGA PAGES

98 | LIVING WELL

99 | CLASSIFIEDS

yoga lifestyle17 | OM

Bringing your practice to life

Practice courage on your mat; ease

com muting stiffness; interview with

Michael Franti; naturally sweet cranberry

sauce recipe, and more.

28 | BEAUTY

Squeaky clean Outfit a luxurious soak

in the tub with eco-friendly materials.

35 | EATING WISELY

Fearless feast Even for confident

cooks, Thanksgiving dinner can be the

most anxiety-provoking meal of the

year. Yoga can help. by Chrissy Carter

82 | REVIEWS

New books, CDs, and DVDs, featuring

an interview with yogi and kirtan artist

Krishna Das; plus a guide to finding yoga

wisdom to live by at work, Rodney Yee’s

new DVD, and mantra music by The

Hanumen and Wah!.

44

65

35

24

4 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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JOIN US ONLINE

Q: What are

your kids’

favorite poses?

A: My child loves poses we can do

together like double Down Dog and

Lizard on a Rock. He also loves any

inversion, and Warrior because he

feels like a Jedi!

Robbie Michelle Short

A: My kids love the asana, but

their best bit is Savasana and relax-

ation at the end, to my surprise!

Pia Mydear

A: All three of my kids do excel-

lent Wheel Poses, much better than

their old man. Michael Kennedy

A: My 3-year-old does yoga with

me almost daily. She loves Tree

Pose and is getting better every

day. Her little sister even tries, too.

Good stuff! Catherine Schmidt

the family that practices together

Kids take to yoga like ducks to water. Want to introduce the

practice to your brood? Learn how at yogajournal.com/family

ASKED ON FACEBOOK

ON A ROLL

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more, follow YJ’s Tumblr!

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6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

FOLLOW US

BACKSTAGE PASSCheck out the action behind the scenes as we put together this

issue of the magazine. instagram.com/yogajournal

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CHAIRMAN & CEO Efrem Zimbalist III

PRESIDENT & COO Andrew W. Clurman

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & CFO Brian Sellstrom

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox

VICE PRESIDENT, CONTROLLER Joseph Cohen

VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH Kristy Kaus

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EDITORIAL

managing editor Jennifer Rodrigue

senior editors Philip Armour, Andrea Ferretti,

Lauren Ladoceour, Carmel Wroth

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copy editors Christopher Dare,

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proofreader Lesley Bruynesteyn

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contributing editors

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ART

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PRODUCTION & TABLET EDITIONS

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DIGITAL

director, web operations Ken Coffelt

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editor’s letter

Kelle Walsh

IT’S A BIT OF A PARADOX:

Yoga is an individual practice

whose ultimate goal is inti-

macy with the Self. And yet,

many of us are drawn to seek

the company of others who

share our passion for the

practice. The feeling we get

from being part of a commu-

nity, or kula, is an important

part of why many of us em -

brace yoga.

Events like Solstice

Times Square, a day of yoga attended by more than 8,000 people this year, bear

this out. So does the growth of yoga lifestyle clothing company Lolë’s series of

practice-for-peace events called White Yoga, in which participants come together

to do yoga, wearing white as a symbol of their intention to cultivate peace within

and carry it out into the world. I witnessed this fi rsthand when I attended the fi nal

event of 2013 this September in Paris. The event, held at the Grand Palais des

Champs-Elysées, drew 4,000 Parisians—young and old, men and women, entire

families even—who came out for a practice led by Colleen Saidman Yee along with

well-known Canadian and French yoga instructors. Accompanied by the Opéra

de Paris string players, it was a beautiful and moving experience. As we chanted our

fi nal “Oms,” goosebumps climbing up my arms, I had no doubt that the sense of

peace that fi lled the hall would indeed go with each of us when we left.

And when I asked my neighbors, in fragmented French, why they had come, the

answer was immediate: “Pour faire du yoga dans ce lieu avec tous ces gens bien sur!”

To do yoga here, with all of these people, of course.

As Sally Kempton once wrote in Yoga Journal ’s Wisdom column, “I suspect that

we may be experiencing a time when the kind of deep satsang the sages referred

to—the wise company that we have historically associated only with enlightened

teachers—may be available in any group of practitioners who are willing to be true

to their intention to grow toward a truly awake, Self-less, or God-centered state.”

Community doesn’t get much better than that. ✤

crowd-sharingPracticing in a community can multiply

the joy—and benefits—of yoga.

Let us know where you fi nd strength

in numbers at [email protected].

French yogis celebrate community in a practice for peace.

1 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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1 2 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

contributors

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I have an identical twin sister

who is a great yoga teacher!

When I’m feeling uninspired,

I just visit my sister Ann. Some-

times we practice in her home

studio. Sometimes I attend

one of her classes. Every time

I need a little yoga boost, she

gives me what I need.

JANE AUSTIN, the founder of Mama

Tree Prenatal Yoga School in San Francisco,

created the prenatal sequence on page 74.

We try to discover what we

feel passionate about and let

that guide us. We don’t limit

ourselves to only shooting

one thing; we love shooting a

range of subjects. Following

our passion this way keeps

us from getting stuck.

San Francisco Bay Area photographers

TRINETTE REED AND

CHRIS GRAMLY photographed

“Ayurveda Day and Night” (page 68).

I look for ways to change

or challenge my perspective;

taking a new route to work,

trying a new yoga class, or

cooking something I’ve never

made before. Inversions help

too. They literally turn my

world upside-down.

New York City-based yoga teacher

CHRISSY CARTER wrote “Fearless

Feast” (page 35).

How do you shake things up when you’re in a rut?

8 7 7 - 4 4 0 - 7 7 7 8 www.rancholapuerta.com

Enjoy the Ranchʼs 3,000-acre sanctuary for life-enhancing health, superb cuisine, an

array of classes from our fi tness professionals (including 15 weekly

yoga classes), as well as top visiting yoga teachers:

NOVEMBER 9-16

Veera Sanjana, M.S., M.S.W | Gentle Yoga

DECEMBER 21-28

Phyllis Pilgrim and Irene BorgerYoga and Writing

DECEMBER 24-JANUARY 4

Leslie KaminoffAn Introduction to Breath-Centered Yoga

JANUARY 4-11, 2014

Stacy McCarthy |Yoga

JANUARY 18-25, 2014

Phyllis Pilgrim and Elana RosenbaumYoga and Everyday Mindfulness

MARCH 1-8, 2014

Larry PaynePrime of Life Yoga

Renew your mind, body, & spirit on a journey to true wellness.

VOTED “WORLD’S BEST DESTINATION SPA”

(Travel+Leisure magazine ReadersÕ Polls 2010, 2011 & 2013)

1 4 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

talk to us

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20

13

What do you think about hot yoga?

Warm is hot enough for me!

CANDI BARBAGALLO DAVIS, V IA

FACEBOOK

Love it! Practice at least twice a

week in a hot yoga class. SHERRY

RICHMOND PEEKS, V IA FACEBOOK

I sweat enough in a regular yoga

class. CLARISSA BANDA, V IA

FACEBOOK

I really enjoy hot yoga. I just make

sure I drink water before, during,

and after. I like to sweat because I

think it helps detox. I think the heat

loosens up my body too. STEVE

SHARPE, V IA FACEBOOK

It’s bull. In a real yoga class, you

warm-up your own body through

asana. BENJAMIN BEELER, V IA

FACEBOOK

The exercise instructions and advice presented in this magazine are designed for people who are in good health and physically fit. They are not intended to substitute for medical counseling. The creators, pro-ducers, participants, and distributors of Yoga Journal

disclaim any liability for loss or injury in connection with the exercises shown or the instruction and advice expressed herein. F

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Thank you so much for welcoming me home with

“Passage to India” (August ’13). I had just come

back from my fi rst trip to India and retrieved two

months of piled-up mail when I found the latest

copy of Yoga Journal. In the article, you point out

the importance of setting an intention for your

trip, but I say go without any intention or

ex pectation, especially if you are planning your

fi rst pilgrimage there. Embrace every moment

and encounter with an open mind, and drop

any thoughts like, “It should be….” Thank you

for the inspiration and beautiful photos!

SACHI A IDA, CANMORE, ALBERTA

twitter.com/yoga_journal

facebook.com/yogajournal

[email protected]

ALL STEAMED UP

inspired eatingWhen I read “Movable Feast” ( June ’13),

I fell in love with the idea of practicing

yoga at a local farm and then eating fresh

food, but couldn’t fi nd anything similar

near my Midwest home. So I contacted

my favorite outdoor yoga

in structor and a colleague’s

family who owns a straw-

berry farm, and we created

Yoga & Brunch at Berry-

ville Farm on June 23. I pre-

pared a light, nutritious

meal for everyone to enjoy

after their hour of healing

yoga. The participants fell

in love with the concept as

much as I had, so we are planning another

event at an apple orchard for the fall.

Thank you for the inspiration!

MARIE CRYSTAL KUENY,

RACINE, WISCONSIN

gender balanceI’ve been reading your magazine for years

and love it for its insights and wisdom. I

have found lately that the magazine has

become more feminine in look and con-

tent, and as a male yoga practitioner I feel

left out. Where have the male and gender-

neutral stories gone?

MICHAEL MACLOCHLAINN

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

I am writing to thank you for including

male representation in your photos. I

teach yoga to kindergarteners. In June my

students created posters with pictures of

themselves in their favorite yoga poses.

They also included pictures of adult men

and women that I had cut

out from past issues of

Yoga Journal. It was excit-

ing to hear the children

exclaim, “I’m going to do

this pose when I grow up!”

I think it’s important

that boys see pictures of

strong, healthy men doing

yoga, since yoga is per-

ceived by some as a wom-

en’s activity. Thank you for helping me

show young children that yoga will help

them become healthy adults.

LEEANN ESPOSTO, HAMILTON, ONTARIO

adjective alertI love Yoga Journal and have been read-

ing it for many years. However, I was very

disappointed in your review of Kino Mac-

Gregor’s new book, where the reviewer

describes her as “short and compact” as

opposed to “long, lean yoga goddesses.”

Short and compact? Perhaps “petite and

strong” would have been more apt. I

expect more from you!

EMMA LINDAHL, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

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bringing your practice to lifeom

In the choice to let go of your known way of being, the whole world is revealed to your new eyes.”Danna Faulds I From the poem “Allow,” published

in Go In and In: Poems from the Heart of Yoga

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 1 7

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Our bravest moments are

often the times we feel terri-

fied, painfully vulnerable, and

unsure of what might happen

next—and yet we act. There

is nothing particularly brave

about doing something

you’re not afraid of or that

has a known outcome. It’s

when you’re scared that you

need courage. It takes cour-

age to allow yourself to be

vulnerable and exposed to

the unknown, to risk failure,

criticism, and rejection.

Why go through that?

Because all that really mat-

ters in life requires courage.

Falling in love. Saying you are

sorry. Being with a grieving

friend. Sharing your art. Tell-

ing the truth.

There is no guaranteed

safe road to creativity or to

intimacy, no risk-free route to

integrity or to love. The only

way to get there is by the ex -

posed path along the edge of

the cliff—where there is

always a risk of falling or fail-

ing, and where it is difficult

to defend yourself from

attack. The only way to take

that path is with courage.

And courage is not just the

purview of a lucky few (the

big, the strong, the rich, or

the young). It’s innate in all

of us. We are born vulnerable

and with the courage to re -

main so. But life teaches us

to protect ourselves from the

unknown, to avoid rejection

and failure. And so we forget

how to be brave.

Fortunately, yoga can help

you remember. My practice

shows me where I’m tense

and then how to see past the

tension to the fear that often

lies behind it; yoga teaches

me to trust my breath and

my body enough to let go

of that protective tension.

Yoga reminds me how to

take risks, and to honestly

answer questions such as

“What am I really feeling?”

Yoga teaches me to stay

where I am, to draw strength

and courage from my breath,

my body, the ground beneath

my feet, and the people with

whom I practice. These are

the same tools we all need

to hold steady when life gets

scary. When I step up to

speak at a conference, for

example, I know that I have

tools—like breathing and

grounding through my feet—

that will help me speak hon-

estly despite my fear.

The willingness to practice

at all is a form of bravery.

Practice courage in these

small ways on the mat and it

will be there for you when

you need it most.

New Zealand yoga teacher and

human rights activist Marianne

Elliott is the author of Zen

Under Fire, a memoir about her

life working as a United Nations

peacekeeper in Afghanistan.

Practice courage on your mat, the better to face risks in your life.

PLUNGE

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Yogi and musician Michael Franti is

championing a new cause: a founda-

tion using the power of music to

uplift the terminally ill. He’s getting

the word out while on tour promoting

the eighth studio album from Michael

Franti and Spearhead, All People.

YOGA JOURNAL Tell us about your new

foundation.

MICHAEL FRANTI It’s called Do It for the

Love (doitforthelove.org). It’s like a Make-a-

Wish Foundation for music, where people

with serious and life-threatening illnesses

can write to us and ask to come to shows

by their favorite bands, anyone from Jack

Johnson to Metallica to—Michael Franti. We

work to get these music lovers to shows to

experience the real healing power of music.

YJ What’s the connection between music

and doing good in the world?

MF The first time I performed in a prison,

I learned that those guys didn’t want to

hear songs about oppression. They wanted

music about missing their girlfriends; they

wanted to laugh and dance and clap. I had

the same experience in Iraq: People wanted

music to help them transcend the pain of

war. There’s a healing power in music that’s

greater than arguments for social change.

YJ Was music the birth of your social

consciousness?

MF When I first started making music, I

loved reggae. It’s music you can dance to

STAYING HUMAN

that also talks about the human struggle.

Our school [the University of San Fran-

cisco] had investments in South Africa,

and a group of us wanted them to divest.

I started to write poems about that. Then

some friends and I started playing found

objects—junk in abandoned lots, metal, and

whatever was lying around—and reciting

poetry. As I grew, I learned of the power

of melody and how it can move emotions

across languages.

YJ Did yoga influence your new album,

All People?

MF Since I started my yoga practice in

2001, it’s influenced every aspect of my life,

especially my music. This record is a cele-

bration of diversity. One of the things I’ve

learned through my yoga practice is to

quiet my judgmental mind and be open to

new experiences and people from different

cultures and different walks of life. All the

music on this record was listened to as I

was doing my morning yoga practice. Once

I would record a song, I would listen to it

as I practiced. I wanted to write songs that

were inspiring about life, and these songs

have been, I guess I could say, tried and

tested on my own yoga mat.

YJ What else has your yoga practice

taught you?

MF One of my favorite teachers is Sharon

Gannon from Jivamukti. In one of the first

classes I ever took, she asked, “How can

you tell how deep your yoga practice has

become?” People gave all kinds of answers,

suggesting really hard poses and being

able to hold them for a long time. But she

said, “No. The way you can tell is if you say

what you mean, and you mean what you

say.” That really hit me. And that’s what I

am trying to do—find the words and the

courage to say them. At the end of the day,

yoga is the teacher. If you do the practice,

you learn about yourself. PHIL IP ARMOUR

Michael Franti, 47,

has been practicing

yoga since 2001.

2 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS SOLUTIONS TODAY

G N C — B E S T P R O D U C T. B E S T

E X PE R I E N C E . B E S T R E S U LT S.

Created by yoga teacher Laura Guc-

cione, the Spinal Support cushion by

Yogawrap affixes to any car seat or

office chair. It subtly supports the spine,

giving you a gentle reminder to sit up

straight. “It’s designed to stimulate and

train the core muscles into proper align-

ment,” says Guccione, whose teaching

is influenced by Iyengar Yoga. $35,

yogawrap.com

THAT’S A WRAP

ALTERNATING LEG EXTENSIONS Lie on

your back, inhale, and hug the right knee to

the chest while extending the left leg on the

floor, curling the toes toward you. Exhale and

switch legs. Slowly alternate leg positions in

conjunction with the breath.

SHOULDER CIRCLES Smoothly bring both

shoulders up toward the ears and then roll

them forward, down, and back. Inhale as you

roll shoulders up, and exhale as you roll them

down and back; then reverse direction.

SUPINE PELVIC TILTS Lie on your back,

knees bent and feet on your mat. Inhaling

slowly, tilt the hip points away from the ribs,

creating space between the low back and

floor. Exhale while tilting hip points toward

ribs, pressing your low back into the mat.

WRIST CIRCLES With a straight spine,

extend arms in front of you. Flex the wrists

to alternately point fingers up and down.

Then slowly rotate the wrists first clockwise,

then counterclockwise.

Taxi Yoga teacher Klee Walsh offers these simple moves to relieve driver’s-seat stiffness.

UNWIND YOUR COMMUTE

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Long hours in the driver’s seat take a toll,

whether you’re commuting to work or driv-

ing a taxi all day. That’s why Andrew Vollo

and Klee Walsh, a pair of New York City cab-

bies and yoga teachers, offer yoga classes for

taxi drivers. “Cab drivers sit all day and are

under so much stress,” explains Walsh, who

completed his 200-hour teacher training in

vinyasa yoga in 2010. “As part of my teaching training, I was encouraged

to donate yoga to a group that needed it. As a driver, I knew firsthand

how much cabbies could benefit.”

Walsh and Vollo teach a gentle flowing practice in their weekly, pre-

dominantly male, 60-minute Taxi Yoga class at LaGuardia Community

College. They eschew chanting and spirituality in favor of breathing and

stretching. “These guys are used to putting on a direction signal and

having something happen, so we emphasize results,” says Vollo. “Once

they try it, they can’t believe how much better they feel.”

To survive his own 12-hour shifts, Walsh practices Sama Vritti (equal

breath pranayama) in his taxi, which he

says is the antidote to road rage. “It

becomes a sitting meditation that keeps

me relaxed, aware, and rational,” he

says. JOE KITA

road warriors

NEWS & TRENDS

Yoga classes keep New York City cab drivers from getting bent out of shape.

2 2 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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WELLNESS

acid testIf you’ve ever had butterflies

in your stomach before a big

presentation or important

test, you know what stress

can do to the digestive sys-

tem. In fact, scientists in the

emerging field of neurogas-

troenterology—which studies

the connections between brain and gut—call the network

of neurons lining the gut the “second brain.” This helps

explain why restorative yoga postures, which relieve anxi-

ety and calm body and mind, can be particularly helpful for

taming the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease,

also known as GERD.

GERD happens when the sphincter at the bottom of the

esophagus doesn’t work as it should, allowing stomach

contents to leak up into the esophagus, causing irritation.

Yoga may help relieve the symptoms, which include the

burning sensation in the chest or throat known as heart-

burn or acid indigestion.

If you have heartburn, it’s a good idea to wait at least

two hours after a meal before practicing. Vigorous exer-

cise and “crunching” actions can sometimes trigger symp-

toms in susceptible people; let yoga’s focus on balancing

relaxation with effort be your guide. If inversions aggra-

vate your symptoms, substitute a restorative posture like

Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose). And if lying flat

on the floor causes discomfort, elevating your head and

shoulders with folded blankets can help. CAROL KRUCOFF

Try these postures to help ease heartburn.

EXTENDED EXHALATIONS

Sit tall, relax, and turn your

attention to your breath.

Mentally count the length of

your inhalations and exhala-

tions, and try to make them

equal length. Next, make the

exhalation one or two counts

longer than the inhalation, or

up to twice as long.

LEFT-SIDE-LYING

RELAXATION POSE

Lying on the right side has

been shown to aggravate

heartburn, while Ayurveda

holds that lying on the left

side helps digestion. Lie

on your left side with knees

comfortably bent. Place

support under your head.

Breathe for 5–10 minutes.

SUPPORTED BOUND

ANGLE POSE

Use a block to prop a bolster

at a 45-degree angle. Sit in

front of the bolster and

recline back. Bring soles of

feet together and open knees

out to the sides. Support

thighs and knees. Relax arms

at your sides. Breathe com-

fortably for 5–10 minutes.

SUPPORTED CHILD’S POSE

Stack two or three blankets

on a bolster. Kneel in front of

the bolster and open knees

about hip-width apart. Ease

the upper body down onto

the bolster, turning your

head to one side and relaxing

your arms. Breathe comfort-

ably for 5–10 minutes; then

turn your head the other way.

If you suffer

from heart-

burn, adjusting

your yoga

practice can

bring relief.

2 4 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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FOOD

SUPER BERRYPut healthy cranberries on your holiday menu, without added sugar.

PACKED WITH NEARLY 15 MILLIGRAMS of vitamin C

per cup, cranberries’ role in heart and urinary tract

health is well documented: New research suggests that

their juice may be as effective as probiotics for main-

taining good digestive health. Another recent study

shows that the tannins in cranberries may slow the

absorption of carbohydrates, helping to regulate blood

sugar. But the tart berries are often paired with a large

helping of refined sugar to temper their bite, making

them something less than a health food.

Sonnet Lauberth, a Seattle, Washington-based holis-

tic health coach and the creator of the seasonal food

blog In Sonnet’s Kitchen (insonnetskitchen.com), turns

to fall’s naturally sweet fruits and vegetables to balance

the tartness of cranberries in holiday dishes. “My cook-

ing philosophy is to use whole, fresh, seasonal foods,

prepared without a lot of ingredients,” she says. “So I

might sprinkle fresh cranberries over yams or delicata

squash and bake them. Or combine them in a sauce with

apples, pears, or dates, which add sweetness.”

Lauberth’s date-sweetened cranberry sauce, above,

has just the right balance of sweet and tart, with ginger

and orange zest for added flavor. Be sure to use an

organic orange, Lauberth says, since you’re consuming

the peel. If you can’t find one, you can omit the zest

from the recipe. CHARITY FERREIRA

1 organic orange

1 cup water

12 ounces fresh

cranberries

5 Medjool dates,

pitted and diced

2 teaspoons fresh

minced ginger

1 Zest about half the orange

and reserve the zest. Cut

the ends off the orange, then

cut away the peel and outer

membrane of fruit in wide

strips. Holding the orange

over a bowl to catch the juice,

cut between the inner mem-

branes and fruit to release

the segments into the bowl.

2 In a medium saucepan,

bring the water to a boil.

Add the orange segments

(including any juice), cranber-

ries, dates, and ginger. Reduce

the heat and simmer 10 min-

utes, stirring frequently, until

sauce is thick. Stir in the

orange zest, and refrigerate

until ready to serve.

spiced orange cranberry sauceMakes 6 servings

2 6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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DINNER

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WEEK 2

ALMASED SHAKE

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fearless feast Even for confident cooks,

Thanksgiving dinner can be the most anxiety-

provoking meal of the year. Yoga can help.

IN MY DREAM, I’m sitting on my mat

awaiting instructions from a panel

of my yoga teachers. I’m at an Iyen-

gar Yoga assessment, for which I’m

completely unprepared, and I am ter-

rified. After what seems an eternity,

they deliver my task. I’m to carve

a Thanksgiving turkey right there

on my mat using the props in front

of me: a plastic fork and knife. You

might say I carry some anxiety about

cooking Thanksgiving dinner. »

eating wiselyby Chrissy Carter

maple-roastedbrussels sprouts M A K ES 6 TO 8 S E RV I N G S

2 pounds Brussels sprouts1∕4 cup balsamic vinegar1∕4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt1∕2 teaspoon pepper

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim the ends

of the Brussels sprouts, and remove

any bruised outer leaves. Cut in half

lengthwise.

2 Place on a baking sheet, and mix well

with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple

syrup, salt, and pepper.

3 Spread out into a single layer, and

roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once

or twice, until soft and caramelized.

I can still smell my mother’s kitchen

on Thanksgiving morning. The fragrance

of her homemade pies mixed with the

aroma of the turkey roasting in the oven

created an air of anticipation that could

be felt throughout the house. My sister

and I would watch the Thanksgiving Day

parade on TV in our pajamas and would

periodically be called into the kitchen to

help my mother stir a pot or lick a bowl.

The whole day was spent waiting for the

moment we were called to the table. By

the time dinner was ready, we were prac-

tically giddy as we loaded our plates with

my mother’s delicious food in the most

anticipated meal of the year.

Now that the torch of cooking the fam-

ily’s holiday dinner has passed to me, my

anticipation has morphed into a recurring

anxiety about living up to my memory of

all those Thanksgivings past. Last year,

the turkey wasn’t fully cooked, the side

dishes were cold, and I sat down at the

table feeling totally defeated. The pres-

sure to replicate the magic of my child-

hood memories, combined with the fear

of failing, turns out to be the perfect

recipe for a really bad time.

FEAR OF FAILURE

Whether in the kitchen or on the mat,

fear is like a big bucket of ice dumped

on the spark of adventure. Fear leaves

us either too much in our own heads to

access our inherent creativity and intu-

ition—or so paralyzed that we convince

ourselves we’re not even capable of try-

ing. Fear seduces us into a place of com-

placency, inviting us to avoid what scares

us in favor of dwelling in the comfort of

our familiar beliefs. Fear prevents us from

making mistakes and gaining the kind of

wisdom that arises from taking risks.

Patanjali’s classic text, the Yoga Sutra,

of fers several accessible tools to manage

our fears. Foremost among them are prac-

tice and detachment. Practice, as outlined

in Sutra 1.14, includes three aspects: We

must practice for a long time, without

break, and in all earnestness. This last one

means we have to believe what we’re prac-

ticing is actually possible.

Sutras 1.15 and 1.16 describe detach-

ment, which essentially means that

we understand that our identity is not

dependent on our success or failure. This

knowledge leads to freedom and a very

real connection to the present moment.

Which brings me back to Thanksgiv-

ing dinner. Once I came to grips with

the fact that the truth of who I am does

not depend on my producing a flawless

meal, my anxiety lifted. Practicing—

continuously showing up in the face of

real or potential failure—is trusting that

the process is the goal. Ultimately, it’s the

intention behind my cooking, the effort

I’ve devoted to the meal, and the heart

I’ve poured into each dish that will make

the meal a success.

I’ve come to think that a botched at -

tempt at cooking Thanksgiving dinner

may actually be another opportunity to

continued on page 42; recipes on next page

3 6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

eating wisely

1 Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1∕2-inch cubes.

2 Juice 1 to 3 tablespoons of fresh

ginger (you can use a juicer, a grater,

or a garlic press). Set aside.

3 Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil

over medium heat until translucent,

about 10 minutes. Add sweet pota-

toes and cook, stirring frequently, for

another 10 to 15 minutes.

4 Add broth and water, and bring to a

boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer

for 30 minutes or until sweet pota-

toes are soft.

5 Purée with an immersion blender,

or transfer in small batches to a

blender and purée until smooth.

6 Add salt and pepper. Stir in 1 table-

spoon ginger juice and taste. Add

more as desired.

sweet potato–ginger soupM A K ES 6 TO 8 S E RV I N G S

3 large sweet potatoes or

yams (about 4 pounds)

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups vegetable broth

1 1∕2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt1∕2 teaspoon pepper

3 8 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M

eating wisely

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When youÕre serious about your health... ItÕs Solgar.

© 2

013

Solg

ar V

itam

in and H

erb

INTRODUCING COMFORT ZONE FROM SOLGAR.

Flour your work area and rolling pin.

6 Roll out one portion of dough, turn-

ing it as you go, until you have a circle 11

inches in diameter and 1∕4 inch thick. For

easy transfer into the pie dish, roll the

dough over the rolling pin, then unroll it

into the pie plate, fi tting it gently. Roll out

the second portion into an 11-inch circle

and place onto baking sheet. Refrigerate

both while you make the apple fi lling.

7 Preheat oven to 425°F. Place apples in

a bowl. Add fl our, sugar, cinnamon, nut-

meg, and salt. Toss until the apples are

well coated.

8 Pour the apple mixture into the pie

dish. Scatter the butter over the apples.

Lay the circle of dough over the top, and

trim off any excess. Crimp the dough

together with your fi ngers so the pie

is tightly sealed. You can decorate the

edges using the prongs of a fork. Cut

4 slits in the top so steam can escape.

9 In a small bowl, beat egg and milk

together with a fork. Brush the top crust

evenly with the egg mixture, and place

the pie dish on a baking sheet to catch

any overfl owing juices.

10 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce

oven temperature to 375°F and bake for

another 30 to 35 minutes. The pie will be

golden brown. If the crust starts to burn,

you can lay a piece of foil over the top.

Remove from oven and place on a wire

rack to cool before serving.

All recipes courtesy of Chrissy Carter.

homemade apple pieMaking pie crust is a great way to explore

the yogic concepts of practice and de tach-

ment. The dough needs to be just the right

temperature in order to be rolled out: When

it’s too cold it won’t budge; when it’s too

warm it gets sticky; when it’s been handled

too much it will contract slightly as you

roll. I like to have store-bought dough in

my refrigerator as a backup. Then I feel

invincible—just the attitude you need to

make a pie from scratch.

M A K ES 8 TO 1 0 S E RV I N G S

FOR PIE CRUST

2 1∕2 cups all-purpose fl our

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted cold butter,

cut in small cubes 1∕4–1∕2 cup ice water

FOR APPLE FILLING

8 Gala or Golden Delicious apples,

peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose fl our2∕3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon1∕2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter,

cut into small cubes

FOR EGG WASH

1 egg

Splash of milk

1 Place fl our, salt, and sugar in a food

processor. Pulse until combined.

2 Add the butter to the food processor,

and pulse until the butter is the size of

peas. Do not overpulse.

3 With food processor running, add 1∕4 to 1∕2 cup ice-cold water. Stop the processor

when the dough starts to pull together

but still appears fl oury. Do not overmix.

4 Divide the dough in half. Form each

half into a ball, then fl atten out into a

disc with the palm of your hand. Wrap

each disc with plastic wrap. Refrigerate

for 20 minutes.

5 Butter the inside of a 9-inch pie dish,

and line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

4 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

eating wisely

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live your yoga. Some of the best memories

are born of the times when nothing goes

according to plan—when you’re forced

to surrender. It’s often in those moments

that you get to know your own resilience

and experience a true connection to the

moment. One year my apple pie fell apart,

and I had no backup plan and a table full

of guests awaiting dessert. I decided to

scoop out the apple filling and spoon it

over some vanilla ice cream. No one knew

the difference; in fact, it was a huge hit!

It’s often when things fall apart that you

realize just how much you limit yourself

with your own expectations. Opening

yourself up to life often results in experi-

encing something greater than you could

have imagined.

SAFETY NET

Taking risks in the kitchen is about lis-

tening to the motivations that drive your

efforts. If I’m considering a challenging

recipe, such as an apple pie with pastry

made from scratch, and I can feel myself

getting excited about the process, I

go for it. I know that no matter how

it turns out, it will have been worth

it because it was my commitment

to the adventure, not the result,

that inspired me to be daring in the

first place. If, on the other hand, I

stare at the recipe with a sense of

dread or expectation, or if I’m hop-

ing that the finished product will prove

something to myself or to others, then

I know that no matter how it turns out,

I will not enjoy the fruits of my efforts.

Practice your yoga in the kitchen by

tuning into how you feel as you create

your Thanksgiving menu. Anxiety, doubt,

and fear can all be felt in the body and are

signs that you need to reevaluate your

approach. Focus your attention on the

process of executing what you can man-

age to the best of your abilities.

In yoga class, when you can’t get into a

challenging pose, the practice is to focus

on what you can do and then to do it well.

Flailing toward an end result will get you

nowhere, and if somehow you arrive in

the pose by luck, you will have missed the

point because there was no connection to

the approach. It’s the process of getting

into the pose, rather than the pose itself,

that reveals the nature of the asana. Cook-

ing is the same: True appreciation of a dish

comes from a connection to the process

that made it.

Learn to let go of your expectation that

you need to whip up elaborate food just

because it’s Thanksgiving and this can

free you from the pitfalls of self-inflicted

suffering. It’s perfectly okay to opt out of

a challenging recipe if it doesn’t feel right.

I’ve learned over the years to ease up on

myself by swapping out difficult, time-

consuming recipes for simple, foolproof

ones, such as incredible, crispy roasted

Brussels sprouts with maple syrup and

balsamic vinegar (see page 36), which take

about five minutes to prepare before you

pop them in the oven.

Cooking, like yoga, is about connect-

ing to yourself in the moment. Asana

instructions such as “stand equally on all

four corners of your feet” become useful

only when you can feel them in your own

body. Similarly, a recipe is only a guide-

line. Great cooking happens when you

listen to your gut, trust your instincts, and

make the recipe your own. Use the Sweet

Potato-Ginger Soup (see page 38) as a safe

place to experiment and decide for your-

self how much spice to add.

This year, I’m not nervous. I know that

no matter how the meal turns out, the

people who matter most in my life will

celebrate the love and effort I put into our

shared experience. I know that what I’ll

remember most is the attitude I choose to

bring to the kitchen and the wisdom I’ll

gain from opening up and letting go. ✤

Chrissy Carter is a yoga teacher and writer

based in New York City. Learn more at

chrissycarter.com.

continued from page 36

It’s often when things fall

apart that you realize just

how much you limit yourself

with your own expectations.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

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“I’M SO INFLEXIBLE I can barely touch my toes.” As a yoga teacher,

I hear this again and again. I’ve even seen people spontaneously

bend over to reach for their feet to demonstrate their tightness.

I try to explain that you don’t have to be fl exible when you start

practicing yoga: The act of doing yoga helps you build the fl exibility

and strength you need. Even if you can easily get your hands to your

toes in forward-bending poses, that’s not necessarily a good measure

of your overall fl exibility. What really matters are the actions you

take to get them there.

If you focus on going deeply into a forward bend, such as the

seated forward bend Janu Sirsasana (Head-of-the-Knee Pose), and

your hamstrings and glutes are tight, you’ll bend from the spine: The

tailbone will tuck under, the upper back will round, and the backs of

the knees will pop off the fl oor. In this case, even though you might

still be able to reach your toes, you’d be missing the true benefi t of

the pose. The goal of a forward bend is not, in fact, to “bend” but

instead to fully extend and lengthen your spine while stretching the

back of your body —your hamstrings, gluteal muscles, and spinal

basics head-of-the-knee pose janu sirsasana | janu = knee; sirsa = head; asana = posture

Fine-tune your practice of

Janu Sirsasana with an

online video. Find it at

yogajournal.com/livemag.

▼ watch

by Nikki Costel lo

a deeper stretchAfter practicing Janu Sirsasana, a

one-legged forward bend, you’ll be

better prepared for a full, two-legged

stretch. Practice the pose several

times on each side, and then stretch

both legs out and join them in Dan-

dasana (Staff Pose). Reach for both

feet and see if you are able to bend

forward more easily in Paschimotta-

nasana (Seated Forward Bend).

• For detailed instructions on more

poses, go to yogajournal.com/poses.

4 4 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

LENGTHEN

YOUR SPINE

BEND YOUR

ELBOWSFLEX

YOUR

FOOT

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 4 5

SET IT UP

❉ Resting your hips on a blanket, sit

upright, and extend both legs forward.

❉ Bend the right knee, pressing the

heel into the inner right thigh, with

the toes touching the inner left thigh.

❉ Keep the left leg straight, resting

on the center of the calf with the toes

pointing up.

REFINE As you inhale, extend the

arms up. Bring the arms toward the

back of the ears, and then take a

deeper, fuller breath to extend the

arms completely and lift the torso.

STEP 1

muscles—to the extent that’s appropri-

ate for you. Although you don’t want to

bend your spine in Janu Sirsasana, there

are three joints you do want to bend in

the pose: the hips, the knee of the bent

leg, and the elbows. Learning to bend in

all the right places allows you to create

length and extension in the spine.

Bending at the hip joints is crucial in

any forward bend. It allows the torso to

extend forward while the spinal muscles

stay relaxed. If your hamstrings and glutes

are tight and you feel your tailbone tuck-

ing under, sit up on a folded blanket or

two. Feel as though you are sitting directly

on top of your sitting bones and that your

pelvis is tilting forward.

Having one knee bent in Janu Sirsasana

makes it different from other seated for-

ward bends. The action of bending one

leg helps alleviate the pull of tight ham-

strings and gluteal muscles on that side of

your body. The added mobility allows you

to extend the abdomen farther forward.

The final bend in the pose is at the el -

bows. When you clasp your foot (or a

strap) and bend your elbows, the pull of

the arms helps lift the chest upward,

which lengthens the upper spine. And

gently pulling the shoulders back helps

maintain this extension.

Practicing the variations taught here

will help you find extension in your spine.

In the first variation (see Step 1), focus on

balancing your weight evenly on both sit-

ting bones and on stretching your arms

upward. Lengthen the sides of the waist

equally to lift the spine and tone the abdo-

men. In the second variation (see Step 2),

focus on bending at the hips as you lean

forward and hold your foot. Firm your

arms to lift your chest and extend it for-

ward as you press the back of your legs to

the floor. In the final variation (see Final

Pose), lengthen your spine completely

from the bottom to the top. Bending your

elbows out to the sides allows the chest to

further expand and frees the upper spine

to move inward toward the heart.

Reach your arms tall and press down through your sitting bones.

Extending the spine and stretching the

back body in a seated forward bend can

have a calming effect. Practicing these

poses can improve digestion and soothe

the nervous system. You experience these

benefits by practicing a progressive series

of actions: stretching and releasing ten-

sion in the back of the body, bending at

the joints with skill and attention, and PH

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stretch the sides and lift the spine

Keep both sides of the pelvis in line

and distribute your weight evenly on

both sitting bones.

FINISH Lift the bent-leg side of the

torso with a little more effort and

attention to ensure that the torso

lengthens evenly and that your spine

is lifted. Create space in the abdomen

by pressing the thighs down as you

stretch the arms up. Move your shoul-

der blades in toward the spine and

your abdomen back and up under the

ribs. Maintain this position for a few

breaths to energize your spine.

lengthening the spine before folding for-

ward. When you practice Janu Sirsasana

this way, not only will touching your toes

become easier, but you’ll be getting the

benefits of fully extending your spine and

expanding your chest.

Nikki Costello is a certified Iyengar Yoga

teacher living in New York City.

4 6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

basics

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Keep lengthening, not

rounding, the spine.

STEP 2

In hatha yoga asanas, the back of the body is referred to as the west

(paschim in Sanskrit) and the front of the body as the east (purva).

Both sides are given equal importance and reflect balance and har-

mony in the body. The sun rises in the east, energizing our bodies

for the activity of the day, and sets in the west to prepare our bodies

for rest and sleep. When you practice forward-bending poses and

stretch the back of your body, you will discover that they can help

you relax, become quiet, and even sleep better.

elements of practice

SET IT UP

❉ Resting your hips on a blan-

ket, sit upright and extend

both legs forward.

❉ Bend the right knee, press-

ing the heel into the inner right

thigh, and letting the toes

touch the inner left thigh.

❉ Keep the left leg straight,

resting on the center of the

calf with the toes pointing up.

❉ Inhale and extend the arms

upward. Exhale, and reach

forward to hold the left foot

with both hands, or loop a

strap around the foot.

REFINE Pull strongly on the

foot, as you press it into your

hands or the strap to lift your

torso up. Straighten and fully

extend both your arms. Press

the entire back of your left

leg to the floor, from the upper

thigh to the back of the heel,

while also pressing the right

leg downward.

FINISH Lift from the waist

to the armpits to create equal

length on the sides of your

body. Move the back ribs in

toward the chest and lift the

chest even higher. Continue

pressing the outer right thigh

and knee down and turn from

the right side of the waist until

your entire torso is facing for-

ward. Hold this variation for

several breaths to lengthen

the front of the spine and

make the back more concave.

extend forward to reach the foot

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

basics

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Explore these modifications of Janu Sirsasana.optimize your pose

To open your

hips Move the

thigh and knee

of your bent leg

farther out to

the side, while

still keeping the

outer knee down.

To relieve knee

pain Place a

rolled-up sock

or a strap behind

the back of your

bent knee to

make more space

for the joint.

To lengthen your

spine If you can

reach your toes

with your hands,

reach beyond

the foot and clasp

one wrist with

the opposite hand.

To quiet the mind

Place a blanket

or bolster across

your shin and rest

your head on it.

Relax here with

even breathing

for 2 minutes.

chest. Maintain the steady effort

of the legs and arms as you ex -

hale and stay in the pose. Inhale

again and extend the front of your

body forward until the hips fold

more deeply. On your exhalation,

bend your elbows directly to the

sides and broaden the collarbones

and chest. Keep the elbows lifted

and wide apart.

FINISH With each breath

lengthen the front of the spine

and move the back muscles into

the body. Now the knee, hips,

shoulders, elbows, and wrists are

all bending to support your spine

to extend. ✤

SET IT UP

❉ Sit upright and extend both

legs forward.

❉ Bend the right knee, pressing

the heel into the inner right thigh,

and letting the toes touch the

inner left thigh.

❉ Keep the left leg straight, rest-

ing it on the center of the calf

with the toes pointing up.

❉ Inhale and extend the arms up.

❉ Exhale and reach forward to

hold the left foot with both hands

or loop a strap around the foot.

REFINE Press both legs down

as you lift the waist toward the

armpit. Use your inhalation to

draw the abdomen back and

up while you spread and lift the

FINAL POSE

janu sirsasana

Fully extend your spine as you fold forward.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

basics

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living yogaby Kate Holcombe

WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME why I became a

yoga teacher, I tell them it’s because I was

lucky enough to have been hit by a motor-

cycle while studying social work in south-

ern India 22 years ago. But that is only part

of the story.

It is also true that after the accident, my

teacher, friend, and mentor, Mary Louise

Skelton, a longtime student of yoga master

T. Krishnamacharya, took me to see his

son, T. K.V. Desikachar, to help me get bet-

ter. Not only did I recover from my injuries,

but my chronic insomnia and headaches

also disappeared.

But what really inspired me to teach

yoga to those who are sick and suffering

and make yoga’s tools accessible to others

through my work at Healing Yoga Founda-

tion was spending the last three weeks of

Mary Louise’s life with her a few years later.

It was then, sitting with her each day as she

was dying from metastatic breast cancer,

that I really “got it.” I had understood how

yoga helped me heal after my acci dent

and how it could help others with physi-

cal issues. I knew that yoga could help one

become stronger and more flexible, sleep

better, and feel more relaxed. But what

astounded me as I sat with Mary Lou each

day was how yoga was such a positive sup-

port for her, even in the process of dying.

Here was a woman in her early sixties who

had a loving husband and family, grand-

children, devoted students, and much she

still wanted to see and do. She certainly did

not want to die. She was also in consider-

able pain. And yet, knowing her death was

imminent, she was not suffering.

We had many talks those days—about

life, yoga, and how delicious butterscotch

was, all the important stuff. In these con -

ultimate practice Yoga promises to free us from suffering—even the kind that comes from life’s most difficult experiences.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 5 3

versations, she was so clear, so calm, so

present. It was evident to me how much

her yoga practice was supporting her in

the dying process, and that this was the

result of her years of dedicated practice.

BEYOND THE BODY

Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam

As a result of yoga or sustained, fo -

cused attention, the Self or Seer is

firmly established in its own form,

and we act from a place from our own

true, authentic Self. YOGA SUTRA I.3

How is it that yoga can be such a power-

ful support, even when the body is not

able to do asana practice or even to sit

to do certain breathing practices? First

and foremost, yoga is for the mind, not

the body. (Though asana and other prac-

tices involving the body can be a useful

way to influence and refine the mind,

and the body can certainly benefit.) Yoga

Sutra 1.3 says that as a result of yoga or

sustained, focused attention, the Self or

Seer (drastuh) is established (avasthanam)

in its own form (svarupe). In other words,

by focusing and refining the mind through

yoga, you gain clearer perception and

learn to distinguish the mind, body, and

emotions from your true essence or Self.

You come to know that Self and act from

that place of the Self, thus reducing your

experience of suffering.

Tatah pratyakcetanadhigamah api antarayabhavasca

Then, the inner conscious is

revealed, we come to know the

true Self, and our obstacles are

reduced. YOGA SUTRA I.29

In Sutra 1.29, Patanjali tells us that as a

result of yoga practice (tatah), and spe-

cifically the surrender to a higher power

(isvara pranidhana), our inner conscious

(pratyakcetana) is revealed (adhigamah),

and we experience a reduction (abhava)

in the obstacles (antaraya) we may face.

Patanjali lists nine potential obstacles

in the next sutra, beginning with illness

or disease (vyadhi), but tells us that they

need be obstacles for us only if the mind

is disturbed. If we can connect with the

Self, we are less likely to be disturbed and

will therefore suffer less.

If it sounds simple, it isn’t. It’s one

thing to understand Patanjali’s logic and

promise of kaivalyam, or independence

from suffering. It’s entirely another to

practice consistently enough to actually

experience it. But this is why we practice.

The tools Patanjali offers throughout

the Yoga Sutra are designed to help quiet

all the distractions of the mind, including

patterns and ways of thinking that may be

dragging you down. As you go through

this process, you begin to know the differ-

ence between your fluctuating and imper-

manent mind, body, and emotions, and

something else deep within you. When

you recognize the impermanent parts of

you as distinct and separate from that

steady, quiet, knowing place of your true

Self (which Patanjali describes as pure,

unchanging, and permanent), you begin

to cultivate a greater connection with that

authentic Self. From this place of connec-

tion, you can observe your emotions and

reactions and recognize them as separate

from your true nature, valid and painful

though they may be. This is the promise

of yoga. And while the process of getting

there may not be simple, the end result is

easy to understand: We feel better.

YOGA IN ACTION

For the last several years, I have taught

yoga as part of the Commonweal Cancer

Help Program in Bolinas, California. I

work with many people with cancer on

these retreats, and I work one-on-one

with people with cancer and other life-

threatening illness almost every day in my

work at Healing Yoga Foundation.

At the start of each retreat, I sit with

the participants to give them an orienta-

tion to yoga and what we will be practic-

ing together. It is always a diverse group

in terms of gender, ages, types of cancers,

and stages of disease. Many have done

some form of yoga, and all have some idea

of what yoga is. Some are concerned they

will not be able to “do” the postures. Many

are dealing with pain, anxiety, fear, and

side effects from treatment. Often their

bodies have changed drastically, assaulted

by disease, surgery, and treatment, and

they cannot do what they used to. “How

can I do yoga when I am in pain?” “What

is the point?” and many other questions

along these lines arise.

What I tell them is that while I am

trained to adapt the practice we do as a

group to each of their individual needs,

and will make sure they are safe and com-

fortable; and while I surely hope to help

increase their comfort and reduce their

pain and other physical, mental, and

emotional symptoms, the real point of

what we are doing together is something

very different. My real goal, I tell them,

is to help empower them with tools and

practices they can do anywhere, in any

circumstance—waiting in the doctor’s

office, getting a scan, receiving a chemo

infusion, riding the bus.

These practices can quiet the distrac-

tions of the mind and help each person

connect to that still, deep place within,

that resource of wisdom and inner know-

ing, great resilience and strength, deep

joy and peace, and the shining light of

one’s own, true authentic Self. Yes, I tell

them, the many practices of yoga, includ-

ing stretching, movement, deep breath-

ing, and meditation can be wonderful in

and of themselves, but each is just one of

many tools offered by Patanjali to help us

reach the real goal of yoga: to distinguish

between the mind and the Self, to connect

with and act from that place of the Self,

and, as a result, to suffer less.

I also tell them the story of sitting with

Mary Lou each day—about her incred-

ible grace, clarity, and calm, and of seeing

yoga work in a way that changed my life

forever. No matter what your physical

challenges or your time of life, yoga’s tools

can help you connect with the Self and

face even the most difficult challenges

with peace and equanimity. As my teacher,

T. K.V. Desikachar, used to tell me that his

father, T. Krishnamacharya, would say, “As

long as there is breath, we can do yoga.” ✤

Kate Holcombe is the founder and executive

director of the Healing Yoga Foundation in San

Francisco. Learn more at healingyoga.org.

5 4 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

l iving yoga

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master class

with Annie Carpenter

shape shifter Let the ebb and flow of your breath help you find your way into this challenging forward bend.

THE FINAL PHASE of Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended

Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) is a doozy. After fi ve breaths of balancing

on one leg with the other leg lifted off the fl oor at 90 degrees, you

forward bend over the lifted leg, bringing your shin toward your

nose and nose toward your shin. Is it really possible to do this with

a sense of ease and grace? you ask. With practice, it is.

It begins, like so many things in yoga, with the breath. The pose

requires open hamstrings, strong core muscles, and balance, for

sure, but also a palpable understanding of the breath and how it

supports transitions into and out of the poses. Practicing this pose

with awareness can teach you how using your breath can lead to

depth and ease.

Try this: Sit tall on a cushion or blanket, and bring attention to

your breath. Begin Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath) with your

inhalations and exhalations balanced in length and volume. Then

begin to add a short pause after your exhalations. Gradually you’ll

notice that as you inhale, the breath moves down, and the front

body—from the pubic bone up to the top of your sternum—subtly

expands, moving your spine in the direction of a backbend.

As you exhale, the spine tends to round as your breath moves up

and out. If you continue to breathe like this, you’ll fi nd that the base

of your pubic bone moves back at the top of the inhalations and your

tailbone gently curls under at the end of your exhalations. If you can

comfortably pause after your exhalations, you’ll experience a natural

hollowing in your belly and a lift from the base of your pelvis. This

natural pattern of breathing is the reason that we exhale when we

come into forward bends and inhale as we come out of them.

Next, try it on all fours, in Cat-Cow Pose. As you inhale, gaze up,

creating a slight backbend. Exhale, and round your spine, drawing

your head down and curling your tailbone under. Continue this

pattern, and again, try pausing briefl y after the exhalations. You’ll

observe a natural lift in your belly and a deepening into the round

shape without any more effort. »

Set up a strong foundation before you move

into the forward-bending phase of the pose.

Warm-up your hamstrings and hips while

you hollow and lift the belly.

Learn to create an internal lift of the pelvic

floor without overworking the abdominals.

1

4

Build power in your core as you simultane-

ously warm up your spine and legs.

3

2

Do yoga with Annie Carpenter at

the San Francisco Yoga Journal

Conference, January 16–20, 2014!

Learn more at yjevents.com.

5 6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Ride the wave of your

breath in this version

of Utthita Hasta

Padangusthasana.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 5 7

You’ll use your breath in a similar way

to sup port you in the last phase of Utthita

Hasta Padangusthasana. As you inhale,

you’ll focus on lengthening your spine; as

you exhale, you’ll feel the breath initiate

the movement of curling your tailbone

under until your spine naturally folds

over your leg. As you work dynamically

with the breath and pose, you’ll also find

your breath capacity increasing. You’ll be

able to take a fuller inhalation and really

get all the breath out as you exhale. Over

time your capacity to pause and retain

the breath after both the inhalation and

the exhalation will begin to grow as well.

Explore inhaling fully and then pause. As

you retain the breath, you might sense

your pose expand with no more effort.

In the pause after the exhalation you’ll

feel your belly hollow and, subsequently,

a sense of lightness and ease in your body.

You might even find yourself naturally

moving more deeply into the pose.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you do the sequence below, try the

breathwork exploration described above.

Then come to Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

and warm up with a few simple rounds of

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). Be sure

to sync the breath with each movement.

UDDIYANA BANDHA

Upward Abdominal Lock

Tap into the natural core lift

that a complete exhalation

brings. Uddiyana is translated

as “flying up.” In this posture,

you’ll create an internal lift of

your pelvic floor and abdomi-

nal muscles, which you will

sustain by holding the breath. At first

you’ll feel as though you are working the

abdominal muscles, but you’ll find that

as you become more aware of how to use

your breath, less physical effort is needed

to maintain the lift.

Stand with your feet wider than your

hips and with your legs and feet slightly

ro tated open. Inhale, and lift your arms;

ex hale, bend your knees, and place your

hands high on your thighs. Keep pressing

your breath out and straighten your arms,

grounding your thighs and stabilizing your

torso. When you are completely empty of

air, draw your pelvic floor together and up,

pull your belly back and up, and hold here

for as long as you comfortably can. Then

release all of the lifting actions, inhale,

and slowly stand. Take a recovery breath

and repeat twice more.

Over time, you will be able to hold

your exhalation longer and feel a greater

internal lift. The feeling is deep and

exhilarating, as though you were inter-

nally reversing the pull of gravity. It is

easy to overwork in this bandha; you’ll

know you’re getting it right when there’s

no hardening or gripping, but rather an

updraft of breath and subtle energy.

Note: This is a strong, advanced prac-

tice and should be practiced on an empty

stomach. It is contraindicated if you are

pregnant or are on your menstrual cycle.

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Create deep flexion

in your hips while you

release the back of

your legs. Stand with

your legs about one

leg’s distance apart with your feet parallel

to each other. Place your hands on your

hips. Press your feet down, and lift your

arches, firming your legs. Inhale, lift your

chest, and gaze up. Exhale, and fold for-

ward and down from your hips. Place your

hands on the floor shoulder-width apart.

Press through your palms, and keep-

ing your arms straight, inhale to lengthen

your spine forward. (If your hips or ham-

strings are tight, come to your finger-

tips.) Exhale, and fold all the way down,

placing the crown of your head on the

mat (or allow it to hang straight down).

Repeat this three more times, dynami-

cally: Inhale, straighten your arms, and

lengthen forward; exhale, and fold from

your hips, head down. Try a brief pause

after your exhalations and observe how

your inner body lifts from the base of your

pelvic floor toward your crown. Then,

keep your head down and hold the pose

for five breaths.

Keep lifting the arches of your feet

and hugging in the tops of your thighs.

Sense the elongation of your spine on the

inhalations; deepen the fold on the exha-

lations. Continue to pause briefly after

the exhalations and sense a residual inter-

nal lift from Uddiyana Bandha.

To release the pose, inhale, straighten

your arms, and lengthen your spine. Ex -

hale, bring your hands to your hips, and

gently lift your belly. Inhale to stand.

ARDHA NAVASANA

Half Boat Pose, variation

Build power in your core. Lie on your

back, legs straight, with your feet at a wall.

Scoot yourself in toward the wall, walk-

ing your feet up the wall about a foot or

two. Press the balls of your feet into the

wall and firm your legs vigorously. Acti-

vate your whole body as though you were

doing Tadasana on your back, with your

arms reaching toward the wall.

Inhale; then as you exhale, press your

navel down, rounding your lower back.

Curl your tailbone gently up and into your

body to help you lift your upper body off

the floor. Reach your arms forward and

press the balls of your feet into the wall.

Inhaling as slowly as you can, roll back

down to the mat, keeping your legs firm.

Repeat for four cycles: Exhale, and round

your spine, lifting up; pause, inhale slowly,

and return back to the floor. Keep driving

your feet into the wall and rooting the top

of your thighbones back into their respec-

tive hamstrings on the inhalations.

See that you’re lifting from your belly,

not your neck. Maintain a long neck by

pressing your head back in space. If your

neck is tender, you can interlace your

hands behind your head and press the

head gently into your hands as you come

up. On your exhalations hollow the belly

back and draw the tailbone in. Then, on

your fifth exhalation remain in the pose,

breathing as deeply as you can. Try to

pause briefly after each exhalation to

cultivate the natural internal lift of your

pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. It will

give you both more depth and ease in the

pose. When you’re ready, inhale, slowly

release down, and rest. »

5 8 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

master class

UTTHITA HASTA

PADANGUSTHASANA

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe

Pose, preparation

Test your balance in this

intense hamstring stretch.

Begin in Tadasana with

your hands on your hips.

Take a big inhalation and

shift your weight onto your

left foot. Exhaling, bring

your right leg up, hooking your big toe

with the first two fingers and thumb of

your right hand. (You may use a strap if

you cannot keep your legs straight.)

Bring your attention to your left leg:

Press down steadily through your foot,

and lift the kneecap. Press the top of your

thigh back to keep your pelvis upright,

not tucked.

Now, bring your attention to your right

leg: Press through the ball of your big toe,

and spread the toes. Draw the kneecap up

to straighten the leg. Press the top of the

thigh down to keep your pelvis and lower

back level. Draw your right arm back into

its shoulder socket to square your shoul-

ders and chest to the front. Then move

your shoulder blades forward to lift and

open your chest and to help you elon-

gate up through the crown of your head.

Steady your gaze at the tips of your lifted

toes and breathe smoothly and steadily

for five cycles.

Observe the subtle movements that

the breath creates, even as you hold steady

in the pose. Release the toe and slowly

lower your leg. Repeat on the second side.

UTTHITA HASTA

PADANGUSTHASANA

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Unite breath and movement

to create ease and depth in

this powerful forward bend-

ing pose. Begin in Tadasana.

Inhale deeply, then exhale,

and lift your right leg up for

Utthita Hasta Padangust-

hasana; hook the toe. Take a

full inhalation to establish yourself in the

pose. Then as you exhale, lift your right

leg a little higher as you fold your torso

over it. »

6 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E B M E R 2 0 1 3

master class

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Expand your horizons

Stay for four cycles of breath. On your

inhalations, ground your left foot and root

the top of your thigh back as you expand

your chest. On your exhalations, lift your

right leg and gently round over the leg. Try

to pause briefl y after the exhalations and

sense the hollowing of your belly.

On your fi fth exhalation remain in the

forward bend, breathing as fully as you

can. If possible, hold your right wrist with

your left hand. Bring your awareness to

the subtle shape changes that your breath

creates. You should feel a bit more spa-

cious and grounded on the inhalations

and experience a lightness and deepening

of the pose on the exhalations. If your leg

isn’t very high, allow yourself to fold and

round more deeply in an effort to bring

the nose to the knee. If your leg is higher,

the spine will be longer and straighter—

either way, let the exhalations bring you in

deeper. Try to let go of tension and expe-

rience the effortlessness of your internal

lift. To come out, inhale, stand tall with

your chest opening fully, and exhale as you

slowly lower your straight leg to Tadasana.

Repeat on your second side.

After completing this sequence, move

through one final Sun Salutation. First

take Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-

Facing Dog Pose) for a few breaths before

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-

Facing Dog Pose). Then lie on your back.

Take an easy reclined twist on both sides

and rest in Savasana (Corpse Pose). Fin-

ish in a simple seated pose, observing the

calm inner focus you’ve created.

Working intimately with your breath

has many rewards. It hones your atten-

tion, allowing you to witness constant

change as the breath comes and goes.

You’ll sense how each pose affects your

breath, and devote yourself to the subtle

effects breath has on each pose. You’ll fi nd

a lightness in your practice as you replace

muscular effort with breath support. And

you may fi nd yourself playing with a pose

that you thought was beyond your reach,

gracefully making your way, riding on the

wave of your breath. ✤

Annie Carpenter teaches SmartFlow Yoga classes

and teacher trainings at Exhale Center for Sacred

Movement in Venice, California.

6 2 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E B M E R 2 0 1 3

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free flow Shake things up with a practice

that lets you see your habits in a whole new light.

the practiceThis vinyasa sequence opens

the hips and freshens your

perspective by asking you to

rethink actions that may be

second nature to you in

asana practice. For example,

you might always clasp your

hands with the same fi ngers

on top or do poses on your

right side fi rst. The poses in

this sequence offer small

var iations to draw your atten-

tion to your habits—and how

it feels to change them.

mind-body benefi ts

When you consciously

change a habitual action, it’s

natural to feel a moment of

discomfort or uncertainty.

Be patient with yourself as

you move through the poses,

and observe any discomfort.

Remind yourself that bring-

ing awareness to your habits

can open you up to new ways

of doing things, on and off

your mat.

home practicewith Claire Missingham

key focal points

When the teachers at Krish-

namacharya Yoga Mandiram

in India want to stimulate

ida nadi (the left energy

channel along the chakras),

they begin standing poses

with the left foot forward.

If you usually start on your

right side, do the opposite,

and enjoy the focused, med-

itative quality ida nadi can

bring to practice.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 6 5

14 VIKASITAKAMALASANA

BLOSSOMING LOTUS POSE

Come to sit with the soles of your feet to -

gether. Root your sitting bones down.

Raise your feet, thread your forearms under

your knees, and join thumbs and forefi ngers

together. Exit and come back to sitting.

13 REVOLVED PIGEON POSE

Bring your right elbow to the outside

of your left knee, palms together in prayer

po sition, and twist to the left from deep

in your belly. Come out of the twist, and

re peat poses 11 to 13 on the other side.

12 PIGEON POSE

Bring your left shin close to parallel to the

front edge of the mat. Press your pelvis

to the fl oor or to stacked blankets under

your left thigh. Square your hips, and lift

your belly. Press your fi ngertips into the

fl oor fi rmly to expand your chest up.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Take 2 to 4 rounds of Surya Namas-

kars (Sun Salutations) to warm-up,

and end in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

Take 5 breaths in each of the following

poses, unless otherwise noted.

1 SIDDHASANA

ADEPT’S POSE, VARIATION

Sit cross-legged with an open chest and tall

spine. Interlace your hands. (Remember

which leg is in front and which fi ngers are

on top for later.) Stretch your arms over-

head, and turn your palms up.

2 UTTANASANA

STANDING FORWARD BEND

Stand up with your feet hip-distance apart.

Interlace your fi ngers (with the atypical

fi ngers on top) behind you. Relax your neck,

fold over your legs, and bring your hands

over. To exit, slowly roll up to standing.

8 VATAYANASANA WITH GARUDASANA

ARMS HORSE POSE WITH ARMS IN

EAGLE POSE

Slowly roll up, turn your feet out, and sit

low. Raise your arms in front, elbows bent.

Cross your right elbow on top of your left,

and wrap your forearms and hands. Gently

sway your body 6 times. Then switch arms.

7 PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA

WIDE-LEGGED STANDING FORWARD BEND

Come up to standing, and take a big step

out to the side. Interlace your fi ngers the

irregular way behind you. Hinge at your

hips to fold forward, and bring your clasped

hands over toward the fl oor.

6 VASISTHASANA

SIDE PLANK POSE, VARIATION

Roll onto the outside of your left foot. Stack

your hips, and reach your tailbone toward

your heels. Raise your right arm, and gaze

at your top middle fi nger. To exit, roll down

onto your toes, and return the upper hand

to mat. Repeat poses 3 to 6 on other side.

home practicewith Claire Missingham

REPEAT POSES 3

THROUGH 6 ON

OTHER SIDE

REPEAT POSES 11

THROUGH 13 ON

OTHER SIDE

6 6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

16 SIDDHASANA

ADEPT’S POSE, VARIATION

Sit cross-legged with clasped hands as you

did in pose 1, this time with the opposite leg

in front and fi ngers on top. Raise your arms

overhead. Breathe, and notice any differ-

ence from the beginning of your practice.

TO FINISH

Lie down on your back, and enjoy Savasana

(Corpse Pose) for at least 5 minutes. Feel

the belly open and spacious, and aim to

relax the shoulders, arms, and legs.

15 PASCHIMOTTANASANA

SEATED FORWARD BEND

Extend your legs forward on the mat, and

fl ex your feet. Take your fi rst two fi ngers

around your big toes. Inhale; lift your

heart. Exhale, lengthen your spine, and

fold over your legs for 10 breaths.

11 THREE-LEGGED DOWNWARD-FACING

DOG POSE

Release your ankles, and come down to the

mat. Place your palms by your shoulders,

and press back into Downward-Facing Dog.

Raise your left leg, keeping your hips paral-

lel. Imagine a line from your raised third toe,

and press it back as you spread your toes.

10 DHANURASANA BOW POSE

Lie on your stomach and reach back to hold

onto your inner ankles. Press your belly,

thighs, and groin into the mat. Feel your

spine move forward, and contract your ham-

strings and glutes. Keep your neck long with

the gaze gently forward, your thighs fi rm,

and tailbone tucked under.

9 ARDHA USTRASANA

HALF CAMEL POSE

Come to kneeling. Draw up and in through

your navel. Raise your left arm back, and

place your right hand on the sole of your

right foot. Focus on the length in your

sides without twisting your hips. Inhale to

come up. Then repeat on the other side.

3 VIRABHADRASANA I

WARRIOR POSE I

On an inhalation, step your right foot

back into a lunge. With control, turn your

right heel down and your toes out 45

degrees. Reach your arms overhead while

you lift your chest.

4 PARIVRTTA PARSVAKONASANA

REVOLVED SIDE ANGLE POSE, VARIATION

Exhale, and bring your hands to prayer

position at your chest. Hook your right

elbow outside your left knee to come into

a twist. Gaze up over your left shoulder.

5 PLANK POSE

Release the twist. Place your palms fl at on

the mat on either side of your front foot,

and step back into Plank Pose. Draw your

belly in and lengthen through your spine,

reaching your head forward and extending

your heels back.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 6 7

IF WAKING UP IS A STRUGGLE, midday finds you crashing, and you’re restless

and alert at bedtime, it may be time to reset your clock. According to Ayurveda,

yoga’s 5,000-year-old sister science, one of the keys to good health and feeling

great all day long is living in tune with nature’s cycles. Literally and energeti-

cally, that means rising and setting with the sun. To help you align your system

more closely with the cycles of nature, Ayurvedic tradition recommends a

routine of morning and nighttime practices collectively known as dinacharya.

These rituals are designed to give you calm, focused, sustainable energy to

support meditation, yoga, and everything you do throughout the day.

to balance your energy

and boost your health.

“When I do my dinacharya,

there’s a sense that I’m taking

really good care of me,” says

Kathryn Templeton, founder of

the Himalayan Institute’s Ayur-

vedic yoga specialist training

pro gram and an Ayurvedic prac-

titioner in New Haven, Connec-

ticut. “My ability to meditate,

teach, parent, and practice feels

steadier and easier. And I experi-

ence more peace of mind.”

To get back in sync, make over

your daily routine with the simple

Ayurvedic practices on the follow-

ing pages. The morning practices

are cleansing and energizing;

they’ll infuse you with a calm

sense of presence. The evening

ones will help you wind down for

a restful sleep. Movement, such

as yoga asana, and meditation

are also essential to dinacharya.

Consider incorporating asana

before breakfast and meditation

in the morning and evening.

Choose one or two of these

practices to start, and after a

week, take note of your energy

level and mood. Then add a few

more and repeat the observation

process. Over time, these prac-

tices may become as routine as

brushing your teeth.

by Shannon Sextonphotography by Trinette Reed & Chris Gramly

India’s ancient system of medicine

offers simple practices you can do

Rise According to Ayurveda, the predawn

hours are dominated by vata dosha,

a subtle energy that actually makes it easier

to get out of bed. Waking before sunrise fills you

with vibrant energy for the rest of the day. On

the other hand, if you wake up after sunrise, a

time dominated by kapha’s heavy, earthy energy,

you’re likely to feel sluggish. Predawn is also

considered an auspicious time of day because

its atmosphere is still and quiet, making it easier

to turn inward and meditate, says Templeton.

Rinse To flush out any germs, pollen,

dust, or congestion that have ac -

cumulated overnight, try jala neti, a nasal cleans-

ing technique that rinses the sinuses with warm

saline with the aid of a teapot-like vessel called

a neti pot. Jala neti is a nice prelude to a morning

pranayama or meditation practice. According

to yoga tradition, it equalizes the flow of breath

between the nostrils and balances the ida and

pingala nadis—two energy channels that pave the

way for inner exploration.

Pour a cup of warm water (sterilized or dis-

tilled) into a neti pot. Add 1∕4 teaspoon of non-

iodized salt (kosher or sea salt), stirring until it

dissolves. Insert the spout into your left nostril,

lean over the sink, and tilt your head slightly to

the right so the water flows through the sinus

passages and out of the right nostril. Gently blow

your nose and repeat on the other side. (Watch

a demonstration at yogajournal.com/video/195.)

When you’re finished, lie on your back, tilt your

head back, and put a few drops of warm sesame

oil or ghee (clarified butter) in your nostrils.

Cleanse Ayurveda recommends a prac-

tice called tongue scraping to

remove the coating that appears overnight,

which contains ama, or toxins, said to eventually

cause illness. Using a tongue scraper, gently

comb your tongue from back to front several

times. Rinse the scraper between sessions. Doing

this before you brush your teeth is thought to

stimulate the digestive response and get your

body thinking about its first meal.

Sip Before you brush your teeth, eat, or

drink coffee, mix the juice of half a

lemon in a cup of warm water (with an optional

pinch of rock salt and 1∕2 teaspoon of honey),

and drink up. According to Valencia Porter, MD,

director of integrative medicine at the Chopra

Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California, this

drink flushes the kidneys and gastrointestinal

tract and stimulates your agni (digestive fire) so

you’re ready to metabolize breakfast.

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7 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Massage According to

Ayurveda, mas-

saging your body with warm, pure oils

promotes detoxification and moistur-

izes skin—especially in the drier fall and

winter months. It also stimulates circu-

lation and quiets the nervous system.

Treat yourself to a 10-minute abhyanga,

traditionally performed in the morning.

Porter suggests standing on a towel

in your bathroom with warmed, organic,

cold-pressed sesame oil at the ready.

Using circular strokes, begin with your

scalp, followed by your face and neck.

Apply oil to your palms as needed,

and work your way down one shoulder,

arm, wrist, and hand, using long, up-

and-down strokes along your limbs and

circular strokes on your joints. Repeat

on the other side.

Massage your chest and back, and

then gently massage your abdomen

in a clockwise direction. Rub your hips

in a circular motion, and massage one

leg at a time, using long strokes on your

leg bones and circular strokes on the

joints. If you have time, relax and let the

oil soak in for 10 to 20 minutes. Then,

standing on a wet towel in the shower

to prevent slipping, scrub off with a

mild cleanser. (Don’t want to put oil on

your scalp or face? You can use your

dry fingertips instead.)

Dim As the

sun goes

down, lower the lights

in your home to signal

to body and mind that

the frenetic pace of the

day’s activities is com-

ing to an end—and that

it’s time to stop being

“on.” According to mod-

ern Ayurvedic experts

like Porter, that means

minimizing screen time

on your electronic de -

vices for at least an

hour before bed, too.

Wind down by reading

something uplifting

or spending time with

your family or friends.

Infuse As night falls, light a

stick of incense or a

sandalwood and vanilla candle. Or

add a few drops of these aromas, in

the form of essential oils, to a warm

bath. From an Ayurvedic perspective,

says Porter, these scents have a

calming, balancing, grounding effect.

“When we consistently associate

these aromas with a particular state

of being, such as relaxation, we cre-

ate a memory in the brain,” she says.

“The next time we breathe in these

aromas, our neurophysiology remem-

bers that state of relaxation.”

Soothe “There are several

marma points, or

Ayurvedic pressure points, on the

foot that correspond to the entire

body,” says Hilary Garivaltis, dean of

the Kripalu School of Ayurveda in

Stockbridge, Massachusetts. “Doing

a foot massage, you can relax the

entire body in just a few minutes.”

Wash and dry your feet. Apply

warmed, organic, cold-pressed ses-

ame oil to one foot at a time, using

your palms to rub the sole from heel

to toe in small circular motions. Re -

peat on the top of the foot. Massage

the ankle, followed by the sides of the

foot. Interlace your fingers between

your toes, gently push the foot to

flex and point, and make clockwise

and counterclockwise circles. Begin-

ning with the little toe, rub each toe

gently, and apply a little pressure

in the webbing. Finally, pull each toe

slightly, and put on clean cotton

socks to sleep in.

Savor Before bed, heat a

cup of organic whole

milk until it boils. Add a pinch of

ground cardamom, nutmeg (spices

that, in Ayurveda, are said to pro-

mote sleep), and cinnamon (to aid

digestion). Let it cool a bit and add

honey to taste. Warm whole milk

is used in Ayurveda as an insomnia

remedy. Don’t drink milk? Sip chamo-

mile, valerian, or lemon balm tea.

7 2 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Breathe To calm yourself

for sleep, or

before you sit for evening medita-

tion, spend a few minutes doing Nadi

Shodhana (also known as alternate

nostril breathing). This cleansing

breath practice calms the nervous

system and, on a more subtle level,

opens and balances the sushumna

nadi, an energy channel that quiets

and steadies the mind.

Place your right thumb over your

right nostril to close the airway. In -

hale through the left nostril, and

then use your ring finger to close

off the left nostril. Lift your thumb,

and exhale out of the right nostril.

Breath ing in through the right nostril

and putting your thumb over your

right nostril again, exhale out of your

left nostril. This completes a single

round; try to do 5 to 10 rounds per

sitting. “This practice helps you tran-

sition from activity to stillness,” re -

laxing the body and mind, Porter

says. (Watch a demonstration of Nadi

Shodhana at yogajournal.com/

nadishodhanademo.) ✤

Shannon Sexton is a regular contrib-

utor to Yoga Journal. Her poems and

creative nonfiction have been an -

thologized in five books including the

series Stories from Where We Live.

BE

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: C

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HI;

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: G

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: C

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N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 7 5

Prenatal yoga can prepare your

mind, body, and spirit for motherhood.

LOVE

baby

by Jessica

Berger Gross

photography by David Martinez

When I became pregnant with

my son, I couldn’t wait to try

prenatal yoga. My pregnancy

had been a long time coming, and for years,

while struggling with infertility, I’d imag-

ined myself in yoga class with other mamas-

to-be, stretched out over a bolster, a hand

placed gently on my growing belly. I fi nally

walked into my fi rst prenatal class when I

was 12 weeks pregnant, elated but also tired,

nauseated, and headachy. Little did

I realize that the skills I’d learn

there would not only ease the

discomforts of pregnancy, but

they’d also prepare me for the

birth of my son.

PRENATAL YOGA 101

Beyond my image of a yoga studio fi lled with

pregnant women, I expected prenatal yoga

to be similar to a gentle or restorative class.

Prenatal yoga isn’t simply gentle yoga but

rather a practice—at times an active, ener-

getic one—uniquely designed for pregnancy,

says Britt Fohrman, a prenatal yoga teacher

and doula (trained labor assistant) in the San

Francisco Bay Area. Restorative poses are an

important part of prenatal practice,

but most classes include a range of

poses that are specifi cally tailored

to pregnant bodies. Classes are

often physically challenging and

also emotionally supportive. »

The inspiration for this

practice comes from the

tiniest yogis. You try to

create the breathing of a

content and happy infant:

full, deep, and easy. This

type of breathing calms

the nervous system and in -

creases the fl ow of oxygen

to the uterus, supporting

both mom and baby. Many

women fi nd it helpful to

do happy baby breathing

during labor and birth, too.

Come onto hands and

knees and place a folded

Strong and softPractice this sequence throughout pregnancy to create

strength and suppleness both physically and emotionally.

This balance will create more ease throughout your preg-

nancy and can be helpful during childbirth, too. If you’re

short on time, you can do the sequence in 20 minutes.

But if you can, give yourself more time to settle in to each

pose, to fully work your muscles, and to deeply relax.

(Pregnancy is different for everyone: Be sure to get your

health-care provider’s OK before you try yoga.)

Mothering requires many

hours of baby-holding.

This simple pose will

stretch and strengthen

your upper back, shoul-

ders, and arms to help

prepare you.

Inhale and reach your

arms out, bending the

elbows slightly with your

palms facing up. Start by

holding this position for

1 or 2 minutes, and work

up to holding it for 4 to

5 minutes. The hold is

harder than it looks and

requires strong mental

focus. When you are feel-

ing challenged, it may be

helpful to re member that

this posture prepares you

to hold your sweet baby—

they start small, but they

grow. Close your eyes and

direct your awareness

inward. Deepen the breath

and visualize your baby

fl oating inside of you. Use

happy baby breathing to

support you.

When you’re ready, re -

lease your arms, hold on

to opposite shoulders, and

give yourself a massage

to relieve tension.

VIRASANA

hero pose with goddess arms

VIRASANA

hero pose with happy baby breathing

blanket, small pillow, or

block between your ankles,

then sit back onto your

prop. Bring your hands to

your belly, and close your

eyes. Allow your focus to

move inward as you deepen

your breath. Root down

through your sitting bones

as you lengthen your spine

and reach the crown of your

head up. This will maximize

the space inside for your

breath and your baby. With

each inhalation, feel a sense

of fullness as the belly ex -

pands. As you exhale, sink

your belly gently back to -

ward the spine as though

you are giving your baby a

hug. Practice for 3 to 5 min-

utes or longer, if you can.

7 6 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

» Having a community and using

tools like meditation, visualization,

and breathwork help you cope with the

myriad physical and emotional changes

that pregnancy can bring. And all of

the work you do on the mat—building

endurance, learning to relax through

intense sensations, and coping effec-

tively with stress—serves as powerful

preparation for giving birth, too.

Many prenatal classes begin with a

brief check-in where students have

the opportunity to share experiences

and challenges from the previous week.

From there, classes might move into

a centering and breathing exercise,

a restorative or body-softening pose,

and then through a series of active

standing and squatting asanas before

ending with restoratives and a period

of deep relaxation with props.

For many women, prenatal yoga is

the fi rst time they’ve stepped on a yoga

mat, but the classes are benefi cial for

experienced students, too. Although a

knowledgeable yoga teacher can modify

poses to fi t anyone’s needs, you won’t

derive the same benefi ts from a general

class. In all likelihood, a hatha yoga

teacher without prenatal training won’t

have poses like Polar Bear (an alterna-

tive to Child ’s Pose, see page 78) in their

back pocket, they won’t be knowledge-

able about aches and pains common to

pregnancy, and they won’t have the time

to prop you in those delicious restor-

ative poses. “A prenatal yoga class will

meet the woman where she is,” says

childbirth educator and prenatal yoga

teacher Jane Austin. For example, in -

stead of doing a low lunge with arms

overhead, which can stress your joints

during pregnancy, you might be encour-

aged to do a lunge with your legs wider

apart and forearms resting on the fl oor

or on blocks. If you’re pregnant and fi nd

yourself needing to modify more than

half the poses in your regular yoga class,

it’s a good time to make the switch to

a prenatal class, says Austin.

LEARNING TO BREATHE

The foundation beneath all of the

poses in a prenatal class is the breath.

Prenatal yoga, says Fohrman, gives you

“the opportunity to feel your body and

Puppy Pose is a close cousin

of Adho Mukha Svanasana

(Downward-Facing Dog

Pose). It’s a good alternative

if Down Dog is too strenuous.

Start on hands and knees.

If you need to, separate your

knees slightly wider than your

hips. Ground your shins down,

and walk your hands forward

until you can rest your fore-

head on the fl oor. Press your

palms fi rmly into the fl oor,

keeping your arm bones

lifted. Once you’ve found a

comfortable pose, draw your

ribs in toward your spine, and

drop your tailbone slightly.

These actions will help you

fi nd length in your spine. It is

important to not allow your

belly to drop toward the fl oor.

Stay for 5 deep breaths.

WA

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PUPPY POSE

»

sequence by

Jane Austin

Experience Jane

Austin’s teaching

at the San Fran-

cisco Yoga Jour-

nal Conference,

January 16–20,

2014! Learn more

at yjevents.com.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 7 7

This is a comfortable alter-

native to the traditional

Child’s Pose: The hips are

lifted, making more room

for your pregnant belly.

The pose’s inverted shape

helps take pressure off

both the pelvic fl oor and

your spine.

Polar Bear is calming

and soothing, allowing you

to go deep inside yourself.

You can do it during labor

as a refueling time or dur-

ing your yoga practice as

a time to connect to your

baby and yourself.

From hands and knees,

bring your forearms down

to the fl oor, knees hip dis-

tance apart or slightly

wider to make room for

your baby. Press your

forearms into the fl oor,

and release your head

down. Visualize your baby

resting in your belly, which

is like a hammock. Stay

for at least 5 breaths.

POLAR BEAR

ONE-SIDED SQUATS

7 8 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Some women fi nd a full squat diffi cult

to do during pregnancy, yet squatting

is a terrifi c way to gently open the

hips. If you experience any hip discom-

fort at night, try this pose before going

to bed. It may also be helpful to do

during labor and birth.

Start on hands and knees. Gently

draw your belly back to your spine, and

step your right foot forward to the out-

side of your right hand. As you walk

your hands to the left, pivot on your left

knee, and move your left foot under-

neath the buttock. Widen your sitting

bones, and lower your hips. As you

lower your hips, do not tuck your pelvis.

Go only as far down as you can while

you keep your sitting bones wide.

By doing so, you’ll open your hips.

With your legs in place, press your

fi ngertips into the fl oor. If you want

to go deeper into the pose, bring your

forearms down to the fl oor.

Hold the pose for 1 to 3 minutes,

breathing deeply. If you experience

compression in your hip joint or feel

discomfort in your pubic bone, keep

your hips lifted and don’t go as deep

into the posture.

To come out of the pose, lift your

hips, and come back to hands and

knees. Repeat on the other side.

With tongue firmly planted

in cheek, I like to call this

pose “Mama Protector

Don’t Mess with My Baby

Pose.” There are many

times when you’ll be called

to protect even your tini-

est baby from other peo-

ple’s opinions and advice.

This pose can help you cul-

tivate the quiet strength

you’ll need.

Stand tall, reach

your arms out to the

sides, and step your

feet wide with ankles

di rectly under the

wrists. Turn your right

foot out and your left toes

in. Inhale, lengthen your

spine. Exhale, bend your

right knee, gazing over

your right hand.

Rotate your palms up,

and lift your right hand

3 to 4 inches. Bend your

left elbow; pull it back and

down. Release your shoul-

ders away from your ears,

and soften all the muscles

of your face. This is a pow-

erful pose. A mama protect-

ing her young is fierce and

strong but also soft.

After 5 deep breaths,

come up and do on the

other side.

VIRABHADRASANA II

warrior pose II, variation

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 7 9

» your breath. And your breath is

your greatest ally while giving birth.”

A deep but gentle belly breath that’s

more a rhythmic pulsation than a

strong or hard engaging of the abdomi-

nals encourages softness and supple-

ness during class and throughout

pregnancy. Austin asks her students

to visualize oxygen and energy fl owing

to the baby as they inhale and to imag-

ine softening the muscles around the

pelvic fl oor as they exhale. Working

with the breath this way quells stress

hormones and stimulates relaxation.

Breath is fundamental to a prenatal

practice, and so is asana. Standing

poses practiced with supportive props

can help strengthen the legs, ease

backaches, build stamina, and instill

a sense of confi dence for birth and

be yond. Prasarita Padottanasana

(Wide-Legged Standing Forward

Bend) with support under the head can

soften and release the muscles around

the pelvic fl oor with the intention

of making space for the baby to come

through. “In prenatal yoga,” says Aus-

tin, “we practice postures specially

designed to create suppleness in a

woman’s body so she can open when

the time comes to birth her baby.”

One-sided squats (see page 78) can

increase fl exibility in the pelvis prior

to labor. Baddha Konasana (Bound

Angle Pose) also promotes the quality

of release needed during birth.

Restorative poses such as Side-Lying

Savasana (Corpse Pose) and Supta

Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound

Angle Pose) over bolsters are particu-

larly helpful. These poses are gener-

ously propped to give you the chance

to get truly comfortable.

Judith Hanson Lasater, yoga teacher,

physical therapist, and author of Yoga

for Pregnancy and the classic restor-

ative manual Relax and Renew, calls

Side-Lying Savasana (see facing page)

“the magic elixir” for alleviating the

Step your feet wide apart.

Inhale, lengthen your spine,

exhale, and bend your knees.

See that your knees are di -

rect ly over your ankles and

are not rolling inward but

tracking toward the pinkie toe

side of the foot. Lift your arms

out to the sides with palms fac-

ing up, and bend your elbows.

Preserve the natural curves

of your spine: Draw your front

ribs toward your spine to avoid

overarching your low back.

Don’t tuck your pelvis either,

which can fl atten your lower

back. Aim for a soft, gentle

curve in the lower spine.

Hold the pose for 1 to 4 min-

utes. See your baby inside of

you, and deepen your breath.

If your back starts to strain,

straighten your legs and rest.

With practice, your back and

legs will get stronger. Listen to

your body and take a break

when you need it.

HORSE POSE with goddess arms

8 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

general fatigue that comes along with

pregnancy. Lasater suggests pregnant

women practice this variation of Sava-

sana every day. She also recommends

Cat-Cow stretch for reducing lower

back pain. Shoulder openers like Garu-

dasana (Eagle Pose) and arm strength-

eners like Goddess Pose arms can help

prepare mothers for carrying and nurs-

ing their child. Bobby Clennell, a senior

teacher at the Iyengar Yoga Institute

of New York and author of The Woman’s

Yoga Book, adds that practicing Supta

Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose) with

bolster support can help relieve consti-

pation, assist digestion, and reduce

morning sickness.

SAFETY FIRST

In prenatal yoga classes, you shouldn’t

encounter poses that are potentially

dangerous during pregnancy, such as

twists, deep forward or backbends, and

poses done on the belly (think Salab-

hasana or Dhanurasana). There is some

disagreement in the yoga community

about inversions. Lasater says that we

don’t know enough about the effects of

going upside down during pregnancy to

recommend it. Other teachers, includ-

ing Clennell and Austin, believe that an

experienced yoga student with a long-

standing Sirsasana (Headstand) or Sar-

vangasana (Shoulderstand) practice may

safely continue inversions, with proper

guidance, during pregnancy. If you’re

an experienced student with a longtime

inversion practice, the aforementioned

poses are thought to help keep your

endocrine system running well and may

simply feel right for you. The most com-

fortable and symptom-relieving pose

for me midway through pregnancy was

a 10-minute variation of Shoulderstand

with a chair. (Because your body changes

You’re pregnant and

want to try prenatal

yoga. When do you

begin? And how do

you fi nd a teacher?

Some women in

their fi rst trimester discover that

a mostly restorative practice helps

with fatigue and morning sickness.

But most women, particularly those

with a history of miscarriage or in -

fertility, choose to wait until the

end of their fi rst trimester to start

or return to yoga and try their fi rst

prenatal class.

Look for an experienced teacher

with specialized training in yoga

for pregnancy. Some prenatal teach-

ers have worked not only as yoga

instructors but also as doulas, mid-

wives, or childbirth educators. A

knowledgeable, seasoned teacher

with a passion for pregnancy will

help you get the most out of your

prenatal practice. She’ll also make

sure you avoid twists, backbends,

or forward bends that are too deep,

overly warm rooms, and generally

overdoing your practice.

Lie on whichever side feels

more comfortable to you with

a folded blanket or a pillow

underneath your head. Place

a bolster or a large, fi rm pillow

beside your right leg. Then

bend your left knee, and place

your left leg on the bolster.

Keep the knee and the ankle

as high as your left hip with

your hips square. Close your

eyes. Allow your breath to

wash over you and feel your-

self letting go of tension. Stay

for 7 to 10 minutes, imagining

your baby resting with you.

continued on page 89

GETTING

started

CORPSE POSE side-lying savasana

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 8 1

reviewsB O O K S I M U S I C I V I D E O

JE

RE

MY

FR

IND

EL

Q YOGA JOURNAL In the film, you

shared your story candidly. Was it hard

to be so vulnerable on camera?

A KRISHNA DAS No, I really don’t have

much to offer anybody except my own

experiences—how chanting, my guru in

India, and the whole path have changed

my life and how it works for me. I feel it’s

useful, because people really don’t have

any concept of what spiritual work is or

why you might want to do it or how it

manifests in daily life.

Q YJ You struggled with depression and

drug addiction after your guru’s death in

1973. What brought you back to your

practice, and to health?

A KD I had an epiphany one day in 1994

when I was standing in my apartment.

All of a sudden, I knew without a doubt

that if I did not chant with people, I

would never be able to clean out the dark

corners of my own heart. I just went down

to Jivamukti [Yoga School in New York]

and I sang with, like, 10 people. And then

I went back the next week, and the next.

I’m still doing it.

Q YJ Why do you chant kirtan—and

why should we?

A KD My guru showed me what love is—

real love, unconditional love, love that

lasts 24 hours a day. It’s who we are—it’s

our true nature. I want to live in that love,

and the way I can do that is to chant. I

think that the reason people come around

song of loveWhen his resonant baritone began filling yoga studios with songs of divine love in New York in the mid-1990s, kirtan artist Krishna Das opened ears and hearts to what was then a fringe musical phenomenon. Now, with 15 albums and a Grammy nomination to his credit, Das draws audiences of thousands and stands among a handful of artists who have brought Indian devotional music into American yoga culture. Das’s personal journey of meeting his guru, Neem Karoli Baba (a.k.a. Maharajji) in India, losing his way in addiction, and finding his path as a singer is the compelling subject of the documentary, One Track Heart, from director Jeremy Frindel, which is now out on DVD.

One Track Heart:

The Story of

Krishna Das

Jeremy Frindel

Zeitgeist Films/

Substratum Films

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 8 2

stockbridge, massachusetts mission driven, donor supported

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At Kripalu, we invite you to breathe—to intentionally

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To learn more: 800.741.7353 or kripalu.org

Written by business consultants and long-

time students of yoga Maren and Jamie

Showkeir, the book breaks down yoga’s

core principles into accessible teachings

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The duo draw on their study of yoga

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With its emphasis on developing insight

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refresh yourselfYoga for Energy & Stress Relief

Rodney Yee

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With more than 26 years

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video in struction: no dis-

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program of three 20-minute practices and

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The opening Awaken & Energize seg-

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segments offer calming restorative poses.

The slow, gentle Soothe & Stretch prac-

tice is ideal for sore, overworked muscles.

is because they feel that love. Chanting

reminds us what that love feels like.

Q YJ As kirtan becomes more popular,

are you concerned that it’s getting away

from its roots?

A KD Some people think they can fi nd

some melodies and put some mantras to

them, and now they’re chanting. But they

may not understand that this is spiritual

practice. This is not entertainment. These

chants have power. They have the ability

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EXPERIENCE YOGA JOURNAL

IN THE CITY!

drastically during pregnancy, it’s best

to practice these poses at a wall or with

props, and to ask your teacher for help

the fi rst few times. And be sure to talk to

your doctor or midwife before deciding

to practice inversions during pregnancy.)

RELAX, RELEASE, ACCEPT

According to Lasater, the biggest benefi t

of prenatal yoga is learning to relax. Going

through pregnancy and its myriad physi-

cal and hormonal changes can be exhaust-

ing. Natural worries may emerge about

your baby’s health, and the imminent

transition to parenting can be stressful.

A great prenatal yoga class will help you

fi nd complete comfort and release, which

encourages what’s known as the relax-

ation response. This healing state creates

physiological changes: Your heart rate

slows, your blood pressure drops, your

breathing becomes deep and rhythmic,

and stress hormones such as adrenaline

and cortisol dissipate. Once you experi-

ence it, you can use yoga techniques to

encourage the relaxation response any-

time. “Learning to relax deeply is a life

Take some time

to connect with

both your hopes

and your fears.

Sit in a comfort-

able position on

the fl oor or in a chair. Breathe deeply

for a few minutes, sending your breath

to the baby that’s growing inside you.

Take a few minutes to think about

your hopes and dreams about birth—

and about your subsequent journey

together as mother and child. Imagine

yourself feeling empowered, loved,

safe, and being an active participant

in your birth. See yourself as a loving

parent who knows how to care for

your precious child. Notice any posi-

tive sensations that arise, and sit with

them for a few moments.

Then bring to mind fears or worries

you have about birth and parenting.

Welcome them into your mind’s fi eld.

Acknowledge their presence, and then

visualize yourself letting go of them.

continued from page 81

PREGNANT

pause

continued on page 91

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 8 9

baby love

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Sutra, and both Lasater and Austin em -

phasize it in their classes. “Birthing a baby

requires both great effort and the ability

to totally let go. We cultivate this on the

yoga mat so that we can take it off the mat

and into labor and birth,” says Austin.

During pregnancy, you might invoke sur-

render when facing diffi cult thoughts or

emotions: Perhaps you’re fearful about

childbirth, worried about your baby’s

health, or even disappointed that your

pregnancy isn’t as easy or blissful as you’d

imagined. During labor, surrender trans-

lates to releasing into rather than resisting

physical sensations. It means balancing

your breathwork, relaxation skills, and

concentrated effort with an attitude of

surrendering to the outcome.

The quality of surrender can also help

you manage diffi cult emotions that can

come if your birth doesn’t go exactly as

planned. A recent client of Fohrman’s was

an experienced yoga and meditation stu-

dent who hoped for a drug-free birth at -

tended by midwives. She ended up having

a four-day labor resulting in a cesarean

skill that could not be more important for

a pregnant woman,” says Lasater.

When you’re relaxed, you not only feel

less stress but you’re also able to more

easily cope with stressors that do arise.

This is key during both pregnancy and

labor. When you’re faced with the fl ood

of stress hormones that labor generates,

the ability to stay calm and relaxed can

help you contend with the intensity of

the sensations and the decisions that

may crop up from moment to moment.

Rachel Yellin, a prenatal yoga teacher and

childbirth educator, told me that study-

ing prenatal yoga can guide a woman to

“recognize when and where she is tense

and then consciously let that tension go.”

By training your awareness to consciously

release tension in class, you can do the

same during labor and birth.

Along with cultivating relaxation

comes the willingness to surrender to the

experience of pregnancy and birth. Ish-

vara pranidhana, or surrender to a higher

source, is a key teaching in Patanjali’s Yo ga

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 9 1

baby love

continued from page 89

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room on a different floor of the hospital

and told to rest. After a few hours in my

room, I insisted on being wheeled to the

NICU to see and nurse my baby.

Perhaps it was the prenatal yoga prac-

tice that gave me the fortitude, clear-

headedness, and determination to get

myself there. The Warrior poses helped

build my strength; the chair Shoulder-

stands kept my hormones balanced; the

restorative postures such as Reclining

Bound Angle Pose and Reclining Hero

Pose infused me with a quiet clarity. As

dawn broke, I held my baby in my arms,

nursed him for the first time, and sang

to him. Looking back at that moment,

thinking of the two of us nestled together

in a hospital chair, I’m reminded of Yoga

Sutra 1.1, Atha yoga anushasanam: Now

the teachings of yoga. ✤

Jessica Berger Gross is the editor of About

What Was Lost: 20 Writers on Miscar-

riage, Healing, and Hope. She lives

with her husband and their five-year-old

son in Brooklyn.

birth—and a healthy baby. “She embodied

a perfect balance of effort and surrender,”

Fohrman says. “She put forth committed

effort and practice before the birth and

during her labor. We tried everything dur-

ing those four days, and yet it didn’t go

how the parents wanted. But she can look

back and know she showed up for that

experience. She put in her best effort, and

then she surrendered to what is greater, to

what she couldn’t understand. She did

that so gracefully and stayed in her power.

She did everything she could do.”

I didn’t end up with the birth I’d

planned either. After many hours of labor,

I had to have an emergency cesarean

birth. My son was immediately taken to

the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU),

and I was left alone in a recovery room.

I was overflowing with emotion. Al -

though overjoyed to have given birth,

I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in

how my birth story had played out, and I

was devastated not to have my son in my

arms yet. While my husband stayed with

our son, I was taken in a wheelchair to my

YOGA JOURNAL Issue 260 (ISSN 0191-0965),

established in 1975, is published nine times a year

(February, March, May, June, August, September,

October, November, December) by Cruz Bay

Publishing, Inc., 475 Sansome Street, Suite 850, San

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9 2 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

baby love

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BALI YOGA RETREATS Ongoing yoga/meditation retreats and discovery vacations since 2004 for begin-ners and intermediate. Feel the energy. Visit oneworldretreats.com.

PERU’S SACRED VALLEY AND MACHU PICCHU May 16–25, 2014. Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers, Vickie and Jerry Aldridge, who strongly believe it’s Your Vaca-tion. Vickie @boiseyogacenter.com.

RAW FOOD~YOGA~RAINFOREST Retreat and reconnect with nature at Casa Verde. Personalized Instruction, Cleansing Cuisine, charming accommoda-tions, spectacular locations. Visit wendygreenyoga.com.

YOGA, CROSSFIT, ADVENTURE RETREAT WITH MARINES! Focus on play, performance, recovery, mobility, and de-stress in Costa Rica this January. Sempersarah.com/retreat

SOUTH AFRICA YOGA-MEDITATION RETREATSafari, beach, hike, meditation, wine, Pitaiyo, volunteer, yoga, shop. All inclusive. Pitaiyo.com/travel.

ASHEVILLE YOGA CENTER TEACHER Training Cer-tifications, YA: 200, 500, or 1000 YA hours; 9 weekends; 5 days; 21 days; 31 days. Therapeutics, vinyasa, prenatal, Yin, childrens, Ashtanga, more. Beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Visit youryoga.com.

CHILDLIGHT YOGA® KIDS’ YOGA TRAINING Weekend certification intensives in NH, MA, ME, VT, NC, MD, OH, KY, PA, VA, AZ, CA, DC. Also training in Yoga 4 Classrooms®, teens, special needs, prenatal, mom & baby. Call (603) 343-4116, or visit childlightyoga.com and yoga4classrooms.com.

YOGA ALLIANCE HOT YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 200, 500 hr and Advanced programs with Mary Grace, Voted Best Yoga Teacher on Maui 2010. Swim with dol-phins and whales. Live on pure Maui fruits, vegetables, air & water. Yoga vacations and weight loss programs available. Trainings in New York & Maui, Hawaii. Visit mauihotyoga.com & hotyogatrainings.com.

YANDARA YA 200-HR YOGA TEACHER TRAIN-ING INTENSIVES Oceanfront, Baja, Bali & Hawaii from $2,630; includes tuition, meals & accommodations. Open to all levels. Visit Yandara.com, call (877) 490-9883, or email yoga @yandara.com.

TEACH CHILDREN YOGA Deepen your practice while sharing the benefits of Yoga with children. Get all the tools and resources you need: therapeutic Yoga for children and 95-hour specialty training, eCourses, home study program, books, CDs and more (312) 324-3119, globalfamilyyoga.com.

PLUS-SIZES, HEALTH-CHALLENGED, & NE-GLECTED BODIES Specialty Yoga Training & Retreats with Lanita Varshell, ERYT500. A Gentle Way Yoga, San Diego, CA. Agentleway.com, (619) 698-1170.

RECHARGE & TRANSFORM! Be an inspiring yoga teacher with a faculty of experts in yoga and transfor-mation that guide you on this life-changing experience. International YTT programs 200/500hr. Visit recharge-retreats.com/ytt.

ANGELA FARMER, YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO No-vember 1. “A Day for Women.” Contact Patricia Schnei-der: patricia @brainfingers.com, visit yellowspringsyoga.com.

ANGELA FARMER AND VICTOR VANKOOTEN Yel-low Springs, Ohio. Nov. 2–6 (weekend option November 2–November 3). “An Inner Body Immersion.” Contact Patricia Schneider: patricia @brainfingers.com, visit yellowspringsyoga.com.

INTEGRATED HEALTH YOGA THERAPY Yoga Therapist Certification—Bali or Canada. Leaders in the field of yoga therapy. Contact info @ihyt.org or +1 (905) 664-9099. Visit ihyt.org.

ADVANCED YOGA TEACHER TRAINING RESI-DENTIAL INTENSIVES (300 additional hours for 500 hour registration). Excellent faculty. Two modules in India: “Sutra” 150 hours, Rishikesh, November 9–23. “Gita” 150 hours, Goa, December 2-16. Both modules of-fered annually. Take one or both in 2013. Call (413) 776-4188, visit FrogLotusYogaInternational.com.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M 9 9

Submit your favorite yoga photo

to [email protected].

be part of the yoga scene

KE

VIN

MA

CK

While hiking around the southern

rim, I rooted down, moved with

the breeze, and used the canyon

as my focal point. It made me

realize how small I am and how

wondrous nature is.

SHANNON COSTELLO, pictured at

the Grand Canyon

grand stand

1 0 0 Y O G A J O U R N A L . C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

yoga scene

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