Engaging the core
A passing comment one of my teachers made in one of my first few lessons, in reference to the Dandasana/Staff pose, is that it is not a relaxing posture. It looks as if you merely have to sit up with straightened legs, but in order to achieve the right alignment for the pose, you’d have to flex your feet, straighten the legs and back and roll shoulders backwards. Essentially this stretches and engages all the muscles in the legs, back and abdomen. Similarly in downward facing dog- grounding your feet into the mat and tilting the sit bones upwards gives the glutes and legs a full stretch while softening the elbows and gazing towards the naval ensures that the spine is lengthened. When done properly, the entire body gets a good stretch. Since learning about muscle and joint movements, we have come to understand that in yoga, every posture is actually very physically engaging- if done correctly. If you were to hold almost any pose for an extended period of time in proper alignment, you’d find that yoga is actually not a light activity, but you will definitely reap the benefits of stretching and strengthening. The core muscles in our body is comprised of the back, upper thighs, pelvis, hips, abdomen and obliques. These muscles are all work in harmony to give the body its balance and stability. This is why “engage the core” is a phrase that often comes up in every class. The intention of most poses is to work and stretch several parts of the body at one time and is hardly ever an isolated movement. Stephanie Heng 200h Hatha Vinyasa YTTC June weekday 2015
yoga from a teaching perspective
Now that I am halfway into my yoga teacher training course, I realise that I have just dipped my toes in the water, yet I have already gained a completely different perspective on leading a class as opposed to just showing up as a student. Here are some things that I didn’t put much thought into before I began this journey. Responsibility- Just like a doctor bears responsibilities for the care of his patients and a pilot’s priority is the safety of his passengers, a yoga teacher also has to ensure that they are aware of their student’s medical history, to give clear instructions on how to come in and out of a pose safely so as to avoid injury and to be attentive to the limitations of a person’s body when helping with alignment. Ability to teach- A misconception that I held for many years is that teachers have to be able to demonstrate and perfectly execute many asanas before they can teach. The truth is that teachers are just like all of us and experience inflexibility or lack of strength in certain areas. The ability to instruct far outweighs the importance of being able to demonstrate a pose. While it may be easier to give a visual demonstration, a good teacher would be able to help students into a pose simply by giving articulate instructions and assisting with proper alignment. On the flip side, a person who can perfectly execute his or her asanas may not necessarily have the qualities of a good teacher. Hard work- It’s tough work to be performing asanas for an hour but as a instructor, you’ll also have to bear the tremendous multi tasking job of speaking, demonstrating, remembering the sequence and helping to align student’s postures. Sometimes a student may have a special condition such as a back injury and you will need to remember that throughout and try to modify poses for them or help them into a variation of the asanas. Being a yoga instructor actually requires just as much mental work as it does physical! Stephanie Heng 200h Hatha Vinyasa YTTC June weekday 2015
3 Gunas From Da
Hi..I’m Da Today in the morning ,I practiced Sun Salutation 12 poses,Meditation and Om .then all the students did warm up for yoga. Today teacher let us practice Sun Salatation poses by closing the eyes. I think this way it reduces the distraction and help me being more meditation.then I practiced more advance of Vinyasa poses .it stronger and harder .Teacher taught us the techniques of head stand and arm stand poses, also taught us how to prevent the injury Afrternoon ,I have learnt about 3 Gunas and Beyond. As we know that alcohol cause major health problem,dehydration and racing heart.So alcohol should be forbidden,also having large dinner makes you feel sleepy because it forces your body to use a lot of energy to digest.Being healthy to be able to practice Yoga is very important.So Yoga has classified 3 categories of food 1. STTVIC : Dairy food such as milk,egg, butter,vegetable and nuts,These food provide you energy and keep you in good health 2. RAYASIC : Protein food such as fish as egg and onion Also sault and spices ,These food made you awake and active . 3. TAMASIC :food makes a person dull, inert and lazy I also have learnt about CHAKRA (7 energy system) 1. MULADHARA CHAKRA : at the base of the spine(RED) 2. SWADHISHTHANA: In the sexual organ.(ORANGE) 3. MANIRURA CHAKRA : In the navel ,corresponds to the solar plexus .(YELLOW) 4. ANAMATA CHAKRA : In the heart region(GREEN) 5. VISHUDDA CHAKRA : In the middle of the throat.(BLUE) 6. AJNA CHAKRA : In the center of forehead.(PURPLE,WHITE) 7. SAHASRARA CHAKRA : At the top of head.(INDIGO) Best Regard DA 200 Hour YTTC June Weekday 2015 (10/06/15)
Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga/Raja Yoga from Da
Hi..I’m DA Today in the morning class I learnt about Proper Breathing Techniques,Meditation,yoga poses and how to answering the question from student. Afternoon,I have learnt about 8 Percepts. 1. YAMA :Disappearance of all suppressions, I must believe in myself that I can do it. 1.1 Ahimsa :non violence. 1.2 satya : truthfulness,non-telling of lies living truth 1.3 Asteya: non-stealing, 1.4 Barhmacharya: livening like a God/Brahma 1.5 Aparigraha : non-possession of nothing that give suffering for someone, 2. NIYAMA : freedom from all observances 2.1 Saucha : purity of thoughts,lead to purity of the body. 2.2 Sentosha: contentment, being not happy or sad Enjoying every moment of being in consciousness 2.3 Tapas : Auster transform impurities 2.4 Swadhyaya : union of the divine comes through self – study 2.5 Ishwara-parnidha : surrender 3. ASANA: Steady and comfortable pose,Physical Fitness and balancing. 4. PRANAYAMA : Expansion of vital energy,prana 5. PRATYAHARA : being able to control your emotional,passion, desires and positive thinking 6. DHARANA: mind fit for concentration(focus) 7. DHYANA : meditation 8. SAMADHI : Higher states of Conscious After I finished the class today ,I discovered that if I can breathe properly then my body will relax then I can do the poses correctly, when I’m being aware of meditation then I will not forget how to poses correctly .Also it gives me energy to do advance poses as well .So the 8Precepts is very important to people who want to do yoga Best Regard DA .
yoga benefits from Bebe Sampson
10 Benefit from YOGA 1. Yoga is make me Happy 2. Weight loss. What many want! Yoga benefits here too. Sun Salutations and Kapal Bhati pranayama are some ways to help lose weight with yoga. Moreover, with regular practice of yoga, we tend to become more sensitive to the kind of food our body asks for and when. This can also help keep a check on weight. 3. Stress relief. A few minutes of yoga during the day can be a great way to get rid of stress that accumulates daily – in both the body and mind. Yoga postures, pranayama and meditation are effective techniques to release stress. You can also experience how yoga helps de-tox the body and de-stress the mind 4. Inner peace. We all love to visit peaceful, serene spots, rich in natural beauty. Little do we realize that peace can be found right within us and we can take a mini-vacation to experience this any time of the day! Benefit from a small holiday every day with yoga and meditation. Yoga is also one of the best ways to calm a disturbed mind. 5. Improved immunity. Our system is a seamless blend of the body, mind and spirit. An irregularity in the body affects the mind and similarly unpleasantness or restlessness in the mind can manifest as an ailment in the body. Yoga poses massage organs and stregthen muscles; breathing techniques and meditation release stress and improve immunity. 6. Living with greater awareness. The mind is constantly involved in activity – swinging from the past to the future – but never staying in the present. By simply being aware of this tendency of the mind, we can actually save ourselves from getting stressed or worked up and relax the mind. Yoga and pranayama help create that awareness and bring the mind back to the present moment, where it can stay happy and focused. 7. Better relationships. Yoga can even help improve your relationship with your spouse, parents, friends or loved ones! A mind that is relaxed, happy and contented is better able to deal with sensitive relationship matters. Yoga and meditation work on keeping the mind happy and peaceful; benefit from the strengthened special bond you share with people close to you. 8. Increased energy. Do you feel completely drained out by the end of the day? Shuttling between multiple tasks through the day can sometimes be quite exhausting. A few minutes of yoga everyday provides the secret to feeling fresh and energetic even after a long day. A 10-minute online guided meditation benefits you immensely, leaving you refreshed and recharged in the middle of a hectic day. 9. Better flexibility & posture. You only need to include yoga in your daily routine to benefit from a body that is strong, supple and flexible. Regular yoga practice stretches and tones the body muscles and also makes them strong. It also helps improve your body posture when you stand, sit, sleep or walk. This would, in turn, help relieve you of body pain due to incorrect posture. 10. Better intuition. Yoga and meditation have the power to improve your intuitive ability so that you effortlessly realize what needs to be done, when and how, to yield positive results. It works. You only need to experience it yourself. Bebe Sampson 200 Hour YTTC June Weekday 2015
#3: Understanding proper alignments
Since day 1, our trainers have been aligning us out of our wrong postures. Giving us tips on how to properly align ourselves before aligning others. We started learning how to give proper alignments during the second week of class. Before I sign up for the yoga teacher training course, I’ve gone to many classes at Real Yoga and have seen and experienced improper alignment by the teachers. Most of the time, because classes in these centres are rather big, the teachers do not really concentrate on adjusting us, they would only give us tips as to how to adjust ourselves. However, it is very difficult to get out of a wrong posture because we are not aware of how we look like. Most of the students do not actually understand the importance of body awareness and proper asana alignments, which will usually end of with aches at the wrong areas of our body, or getting unnecessary injuries. I used to get injuries due to improper alignment, for instance, Uttitha Trikoasana. During the stretch, students will be asked to place their palm on the foot or on the floor, ignoring the fact that the alignment was already wrong. After entering this course, I’ve learnt that alignments are extremely important. Before we start to align others, as future yoga teachers, we should be able to align ourselves first. Getting basic alignments right will maximize benefits of the asanas for yoga practitioners. It helps to strengthen our body, as well as increasing our flexibility with proper alignments. In class, we have seen classmates performing the same pose, but not everyone can reach the ground like he/she does during poses. Teachers should be fully aware that the body of every student works differently, and should not force students into the poses that they want them to be in, just to obtain the final pose. Giving improper alignments will increase the risk of injuries at unnecessary areas, because we are putting stress on joints. Getting into the correct alignments will also help the body be aware of how it looks like, even without a mirror. It balances the body, which aids in balancing the energy in the body well, as well as improving blood circulation in our body. Proper alignment, energy, and body awareness are not mutually exclusive; everything only flows together when we combine all three principles. With that, I’ll end my blog post with a quote from B.K.S. Iyengar, from the Light of Life. “It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” [Estee Ng, June’15 Weekday Hatha Vinyasa YTTC]
#2: The 3 Gunas & Acidity and Alkalinity
In yoga philosophy, we learn that the three basic qualities or attitudes found in Prakriti (nature) includes Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Through the understanding of our theory lessons, Sattvic is defined as a state of harmony, where positive energy is exuded, and where liberation is possible. As explained in class, Sattvic timings are usually referred to from 4am – 8pm. This is where most yoga masters in India wakes up, as they believe that the purest time to be awake is before sunrise, and the right time to sleep is after sun sets. Rajasic is defined as the power of energy, and the state of movement. If one is rajasic, he/she can be very active, or could also mean that the person is frustrated. We tend to relate Rajasic to fire. Tamasic is the state of darkness, and people who belong in this category tend to be lazy and inactive, and can sometimes be described as being negative. Apart from understanding the meanings of the 3 gunas, we are also able to relate them to the food that we eat daily. Nicole had us coming up with meal plans that belong to the acidic or alkaline categories, as well as compare them to the 3 gunas as mentioned above. How do we relate the acidity and alkalinity with the 3 Gunas? Alkaline food are usually the greens, and a wide variety of fruits, whereas we usually relate acidic food to meat, fish and sometimes even beans. Sattvic food are pure food which are food found in the alkalinity category, while some of the rajasic and most of the tamasic food are usually more acidic. In conclusion, its recommended in the yoga philosophy to consume more alkaline food, because the category of food are alkaline. Apart from them being pure and because they usually are fresh and come from healthy origins, they also belong to Sattvic, which will help develop calmness in the mind and soul. Also, we might be able to develop the state of harmony. However, it is also important to consume tamasic (acidic) food because this group gives us proteins and strength to help build our muscles. Food in the tamasic group allow us to strengthen the body, and food in the rajasic (also acidic) group provides us with energy to keep us active for the day. [Estee Ng, YTTC June 2015 Weekday Batch]
SATTVIC FOODS from Bebe
Sattivic food Dairy products such as butter and cheese Dried peas, beans and lentils Fresh vegetables and fruit Grains Herbal teas Honey Legumes Milk Ghee (clarified butter) Nuts Nuts and seeds Organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables Pure fruit juices Seeds Sprouted seeds Whole meal bread
The yogic diet
Through the years I have evolved from being slightly chubby to a cardio bunny, then to a state of limbo between those two. I am at the leanest but strongest point in my life now and while I can attribute it to my exercise regime (which is 80% yoga), I really owe the biggest contributing factor to diet. In my late teens, the Atkins diet was a big thing. My diet saw a lot of breadless burgers. Then I joined a gym and started clocking 10-15 kilometers a week, sustaining my energy with bananas, peanut butter and hummus, while still veering towards the Atkins diet. Subsequently for the 4 years where I had a desk bound job, most meals and snacks came from wherever was convenient- restaurants and cafes. Now that I am home most of the time, I hardly eat out and everything that is prepared at home is fresh and balanced. Most herbs and sprouts are even grown outside my kitchen. While I am generally more active than I have ever been in my life (keeping up with a toddler) I am also eating less but feeling more alive. I hadn’t realized this till I learned it earlier this week but what the way I have been eating coincides with the Sattvic diet, or what most people refer today as “eating clean”. The yogic belief is that food nourishes not only the body but also the mind and spirit. The three gunas (qualities) broadly speaking, are: Sattvic- light Foods that are grown with energy from the sun, such as fruits, veg, nuts and seeds. A Sattvic diet is associated with peace, balance and purity/cleansing. Rajasic- energy Foods such as caffeine, spice, even stimulants like tobaccos. A rajasic diet feeds the body more than the mind thus resulting in an imbalance. Tamasic- darkness Foods that are processed, fermented and stale. A tamasic diet is devoid of nourishment for both mind and body. This isn’t to say that we need to adhere strictly to a Sattvic diet. Everything should be consumed in moderation with a larger intake of fresh produce. We don’t have to eat less, but eat more of the right foods- those that nourish the mind, and energy to the body will follow. Stephanie 200h Hatha Vinyasa YTTC June weekday 2015
what yoga means to me
Finally, at the grand old age of 29, I’ve begun to pursue my passion for yoga. I hope to TEACH and inspire others to pave their own journey and reap the multitude of benefits yoga has to offer, the way it has for me and in just one week of yoga teacher training, my breadth and depth of understanding what yoga means has really expanded. You might have heard people describe yoga as a journey. It sounds abstract but what it really means is that there is no end goal or race day, it’s always a work in progress. In any one class, everyone’s practice will be different. You can always push yourself when you’re ready to take on a challenge or you can dial down the intensity on an “off” day. It is never a competition, not even for yourself because the very same sequence can seem harder or easier at any different day. Some days I just can’t find my balance in my “lord of the dance” pose and some days it takes a lot of strength to muster my firefly, but there are also days that I can sail through an entire practice effortlessly…but the journey will always remain one to consistently work towards improvement and a better practice. A journey that you will undertake despite trials and tribulations (i.e. bruises and scrapes or sacrificing time and energy) because of your commitment to the practice. Yoga= a state of mind Asanas = the poses that we perform So my interpretation of yoga means a consciousness to push and challenge yourself, each practice is as much of a mental effort as much as it is a physical one. There are so many asanas and variations to our asanas we can do to push our own limits, but it all begins with the willingness to try, and then try again when we fall. Stephanie 200H Hatha Vinyasa YTTC June weekday 2015
