Come fly with me .......

In my last blogg I mentioned the bandhas and how they are described as energy awarenesses with physical locations in the body. We discussed Mula Bandha the root energy awareness. And from our root we are able to grow......... This is where Mula's sister/brother Bandha comes in - Uddiyana Bandha. Uddiyana translates as "upward flying".

When we apply Uddiyana bandha, physically we feel internal strength and energetically we experience lightness (or a feeling of lift within).

The light feeling of flight was a mystery to me when I first began Ashtanga yoga as I was practising without the awareness of bandhas so rather than flying and feeling light, my practice had a heavy feeling (rather like an elephant). Not to say that I don't still have my heavy elephant moments.

I have them all the time and in fact they are good and help us to become more body aware!

As we practice with the use of the bandhas our internal strength develops and our moments of lightness or flight become more frequent.

So how do we apply Uddiyana bandha in our practice?

It is the feeling of gently drawing the lower abdominal muscles a little in and up. I liken this to trying on a pair of tight jeans and the action of drawing in and up to do the zip up.

Uddiyana is most easy to experience towards the end of an outbreath. With practice, once we can feel this drawing in and up on the outbreath we can then begin to practice and apply the bandha during an in breath also. A feeling of keeping the lower abdomen still as we breath freely.
Uddiyana bandha works closely with Mula bandha. Mula providing our root and grounding energy and Uddiyana our lifting, expanding, flying, reaching energy. Working as opposites to provide a balance.

I used to think that putting 'locks' on in the body sounded a bit harsh but in fact when we find this internal strength within we are actually unlocking the body to be stronger, more open and to allow energy to flow freely.

So Uddiyana and Mula bandha are the key to the lightness and internal strength we see in the practice.

The following pictures taken on my recent teacher training course with John and Lucy Scott show me practising Uddiyana Bandha and Mula Bandha whilst moving from a seated forward bend into handstand and back to a seated forward bend ...... with some nurting help from John Scott.

And now check out John Scott flying with strength and grace (blindfolded) during a demonstration in Oslo.

The clip is about 8 minutes and is beautiful to watch. Best to view without sound as the sound quality on this clip is a little distorted and out of sync.

As with Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha can be practised any time of the day and will help develop strength within and provide protection for our lower back. Pattaboi Jois is famous for saying 99% practice, 1% theory, so let's gently practice the bandhas when our awareness allows.

Next time ...... lifting our beautiful hearts

Come and visit my Wednesday evening led Ashtanga class - Wednesday evenings, 8.00 to 9.30 p.m. St Mark's Church Hall, Westmoreland Rd, BR2 and my Self practice class Sunday mornings 9.00 to 10.30 a.m. at The Yoga Barn, Keston. deenalmann@aol.com for more details

Goin back to my roots

I haven't been as regular a blogger as I would have liked. I guess life stuff getting in the way. But now feels a good time to begin again.

As a yoga teacher, I've found it really important to have a home practice to teach from a place of experience and understanding. This is constantly changing and evolving.

Over the last few years my home pratice has been drawn towards the path of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, a dynamic flowing sequential practice of yoga.

There are many teachers of Ashtanga and so many interpretations of the sequence and how it is taught. I was keen to learn the traditional method as first taught by Shri K Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) in Mysore India. This desire led me to New Zealand and a teacher training course with John and Lucy Scott. They have dedicated the last 20 years to practising and teaching this wonderful science.


Both John and Lucy Scott are amazing practitioners and teachers of yoga. And I hope as I practice and digest what I've learnt, I can pass on this traditional method in my classes.


New Zealand is a beautiful place and arriving I was instantly at home. It felt very special to do yoga in a fabulous setting with a group of people who share a love of the practice.

Each morning we would do the Primary Series of Ashtanga called Yoga Chitkitsa or body therapy. Helping to strengthen and release the body and encourage optimum skeletal alignment. At the same time focusing the mind.

The Ashtanga sequence remains the same on a daily basis so we can observe how we transform with respect to this constant. We are able to become more body aware and notice how the mind becomes more one pointed.

The key focus areas of the practice are:

• posture awareness (bandha)
• free breathing (ujjayi)
• looking place (dhristi)
• movement breathing system (vinyasa) with counted method (Sankrit count)

So we'll look at each one in turn over coming bloggs.

I'll begin now with posture awareness or simply bandha. In order to be aware of the body we need to be fully present in the body. In Ashtanga yoga we have a strong awareness of the bandhas throughout the practice.

What are the bandhas?

The bandhas can be described as energy awareness or energy locks in the body with physical body locations. The first one being Mula bandha known as root lock. We'll begin here goin back to our roots ......

Our root is our connection with the earth (like the roots of a tree), giving us energy and a feeling of being grounded. Mula Bandha can be physically felt by drawing our pelvic floor muscles in and up - the muscles we use if we were to stop ourselves from peeing mid flow. If this is less than easy to feel then drawing the anus in and up will also connect with Mula Bandha. It is easiest to feel at the end of an exhalation and eventually we apply it for the in breath and the outbreath. (If you are interested in a more detailed description, David Coulter in Anatomy of Hatha Yoga has 4 pages with diagrams dedicated to Mula Bandha).

Mula Bandha is key to the practice. When the mind wanders, we connect back to Mula Bandha. When the body feels less than stable, we connect back to Mula Bandha. We apply the bandha to feel our foundation in a posture so we are able to expand, find space in the body, breath freely and allow energy to flow.

Patanjali in the yoga Sutras talks of posture as Stira, a steady firm foundation and Sukkha, being comfortable. When we have Mula Bandha applied we can straight away connect to our steady firm foundation and then find the freedom or comfort in the posture. John Scott describes this as "having our internal structure strong so we can relax our external scaffolding".

Connecting to Mula Bandha is very beneficial not only in our yoga practice but for everyday life:

• when our internal structure is strong, the breath is able to open up
• being strong internally keeps our organs safe - helping to prevent a prolapse
  
• for men - it is known that keeping the pelvic floor muscles active helps the prostrate gland to stay healthy
  
• for ladies - keeping these muscles strong, particularly after child birth, means we are able to jump on a trampoline without any fear!
  
• when we have a strong core, our lower backs are protected
  
• by applying Mula Bandha we are not only present in the body but also in our mind so we are able to be aware of our thoughts and speech. John Scott says that Guruji would often say "no Mula Bandha - bad speak, Mula Bandha - good speak".

As with all yoga it takes practice to become aware of Mula Bandha and to keep this awareness during a yoga class. Know that it is totally o.k to keep coming back, be patient with the body and it will respond. Before you know it, you'll be practising Mula Bandha all times of the day - at the bus stop, at a meeting .... go on no one will ever know!


Coming soon ....... come fly with me - Uddiyana Bandha

If you are interested in Ashtanga yoga, come to my new and improved Wed eve class, 8.00 to 9.30 p.m. St Mark's Church Hall, Westmoreland Rd, BR2 and my Self Practice class Sunday mornings 9.00 to 10.30 a.m. at The Yoga Barn, Keston deenalmann@aol.com for more details

Let's get physical

Often a common misconception about yoga is that it makes people purely bendy or you have to be bendy to do it. The physical yoga postures, when practiced in a balanced way, not only allow us to become more flexible but also strong and in balance.

We can begin from any point and any age but we have to physically practice for the allowing and changes to happen. When the body is flexible, strong and in balance, this has a positive effect on the non-physical. We become freer in the way we think, perceive and create. We transform the physical and at the same time transform the non-physical – our minds. It works vice a versa too. If we change the way we think the physical also transforms. They are one of the same!

I attended a day workshop recently with Prem and Heather (advanced practitioners of Ashtanga yoga) at The Yoga Sessions. Prem was saying that the ‘secret’ behind asana (postures) is that they show us how to go beyond the physical but we have to begin there. “Continual presence with our physical yoga practice allows the mind to be on one thing rather than always looking for something new to chew on”.

I find that my posture practice paths the way for the day and days ahead. Being physically aware allows us to be more mindful in the way we think, what we say and how we interact.

So let’s get physical!

On my quest for the freestanding handstand, the posture incorporates all three physical key components of yoga. Flexibility of the wrists (we’ve looked at in recent weeks), balance to stay there and strength of the arms, shoulders, lower bandhas (abdomen and pelvic floor). The stronger we feel, the lighter and more balanced we become.

Two things we’ve been doing this week and to practice over Easter:


1. Physical to non physical
a. Come to down dog facing away from a wall, i.e heels close to the wall and lift one leg up behind until your toes touch the wall, press into your toes and lift the leg off the floor. Let the leg swing from side to side and feel the strength in your arms. Repeat with other leg.
b. take both legs from the floor and feel strength in your arms.
c. come a little close to the wall and repeat (a + b)
d. come to a seated position with your but up against the wall and legs out straight in front. Place a book up against your heels. Keep the book there as you take your feet away and place your finger tips touching the edge of the book. Bring your feet to the wall so body is making a right angle. Much stronger. Also feel how strong the bandhas are (abdomen and pelvic floor drawing in and up - particularly on the out breath).
e. lift one leg away from wall with foot towards ceiling. Repeat with other leg.



These exercises have come from my teacher, Zoe Knott. We regularly do them in class and if you practice them at home, you’ll be amazed at how your body strengthens and your confidence grows.




2. Non physical transforming the physical
When practising balance, focus on the positive moments, i.e. the moments of balance and not on the toppling, wobbling. If we concentrate our minds on the positive glimpses of balance, the glimpses become moments and then the space between the moments become less until we’re balancing – it really works!

“The physical body is not something separate from our mind. The practice of yoga teaches us to live fully – physically and spiritually. There is no progress towards freedom without transformation and this is the key in our lives”. B.K.S Iyengar, Light on Life

P.S Enjoy your Easter chocolate, with love, Deena x

Luca Skywalker at Play

It’s been over two weeks since my last blog. Sounds like a confession but half term got in the way of blog writing.

A lovely week though, making time to have fun with my son Luca. Whilst on one of our days out, in the large sandpit at Godstone Farm, some children were playing handstands.

No fear, hopping up, coming down, sometimes falling down and laughing. Completely absorbed and in the moment.

Have you been in a yoga class where everything seems to flow for you, a kind of brief magical state where you feel strong, flexible, light and flowing at the same time? Perhaps you’ve had a glimpse.

It’s similar for martial artists, dancers, musicians, athletes – where their personal best flows naturally. Researchers call this state “the zone”, children call it play.

As adults, we sometimes have resistance to this flow but becoming a Jedi
Master may be easier than we think, we are the force so lets use it!

This week in yoga I’ve been encouraging students to connect with the child-like qualities we all have.

We’ve been in Adho Muka Svanasana (down dog) and walking up and down the mat, i.e. back and forwards. Try it … as well as looking hilarious, it gives you a sense of freedom around the shoulders and hips which in turn will help to give you freedom in the handstand.

Then bring your mat to the wall. Face the wall in down dog. Bend one leg and come onto the toes. Lift the opposite leg straight up behind pointing the toes. Begin little hops on the standing leg and feel as if the straight leg is floating up into handstand – and it will when you allow it. Eventually, and with practice, the straight leg will float up without the mini hop.

It is not the activity but our relationship to the activity that really counts. The most dynamic energy in the world is love. If you love what you are doing and have fun you'll be in the zone and your personal best will flow.

“There remains a certain childlike quality in all great creative people. It is a return to this quality which brings about the conversion, the Eureka moments, the illumination”, Michael Mendizza

Welcome to my blog

I've decided to write a regular yoga blog so I can share my teaching and practice thoughts, and to help me to reflect and look at ways of keeping my teaching fresh. I hope you find some of it useful.

For each blog entry, I plan to mention something to ponder, something to practice that I've taught in my weekly classes and a little about my own practice. I promise not to go on, be too wordy or self righteous.

If I do, you can let me know …….

So ….. this weekend, I attended a great workshop with Liz Lark. I recommend getting to one of her sessions. She is a precise, positive and thoughtful teacher as well as an inspiring practitioner.

During our session she mentioned "Beginners Mind". Looking at postures with fresh eyes, ears and minds.

She's right, how often do we attend a yoga class and the teacher says we're moving into a posture, say Trikonasana and auto pilot switches on, right foot out left foot in, reach down, reach up an we're there. We might be thinking of the feet active, the muscles drawing up above the knee, and so on but are we really listening with an open mind to the body and being totally present? And if the teacher is approaching it a different way than we're used to, are we being open and receptive or secretly thinking "my way is best", or "my body won't do that", "I'm not strong enough", "my hamstrings are too tight"? There are numerous ways for our mind to get stuck in one way of thinking. I've thought all of the above at some time. If we're able to 'empty the bowl' as they say in Zen or empty the mind to 'allow', look with a beginners' mind, new things do become possible.

Which leads me onto my journey into freestanding handstand (Adho Muka Vrksasana). I say my, only because it's a posture I'm practicing every day and teach regularly. All the tips and stages of teaching I use in my classes I credit to my teachers, particularly Zoe Knott and Tim Steel.

I find it an exhilarating posture that gives an instant charge of energy like a natural cappuccino.

There are many ways to approach handstand, with different stages to suit all. I'm going to share some of the different ways over the coming weeks and keep you posted on my own personal practice.

This week we've been rocking weight forwards into the wrists and hands from Adho Muka Svanasana (dog). This helps to improve upper body strength and increase wrist flexibility and strength.

During the rocking forwards I encourage keeping shoulders down away from the ears (space between shoulders and ears) and aware of lower bandhas being engaged (abs and pelvic floor drawing in and up, particularly on the out breath). Then for those that want to take it further, walking the feet in a little and repeating. Until in Uttanasana (standing forward bend) and doing the same until feet start to lift.

In my personal practice, I've started 'allowing' a very slight lift off with the feet from the floor. At first it felt like I was literally glued to the floor. I've found looking with a beginners' mind really helps.

As you practice the rocking motion forwards into the wrists and hands see what comes up in the mind, then empty your bowl and look with a beginners' mind and have another go. Join me in lift off!

Oops, I think I've broken my promise already.




"Only our ideas block us from realising our true Self and fulfilling our potential as human beings". Dennis Genpo Merzel