REALTOR® YOGA

If you only do one pose...

2008-02-13T11:41:00.000-06:00

Well, it would be quite difficult for me to answer the question, "If you could only do one yoga asana (pose), which one would it be?" solely on the basis of preference--there are so many I wouldn't want to live without. However, if the question was, "If you could only teach one asana to a beginning student to help him/her relieve stress, which would it be?" I could answer in a heartbeat: viparita karani, or legs-up-the-wall pose, also called waterfall pose. This is the one cure-all I most rely on: it's an inversion, so it allows you to see the world from a different perspective, it's a restorative, very restful pose, but it's also invigorating, a good pose to open up and stretch the backs of the legs. Please follow this link to learn more about this wonderful, gentle, healing asana. Do it in the morning when you don't feel like facing your day, do it in mid-afternoon instead of taking a nap, do it for ten minutes when you get home from work (your spouse and children will thank you--you'll be so much more relaxed and pleasant!), do it before bedtime to wind down. Anytime is a good time for viparita karani!

YOGA HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

2008-02-10T13:13:00.001-06:00

A very brief overview:

The Sanskrit word yoga means to yoke, to unite.

The Yoga Sutras, the root text of yoga, is thought to have been written by Patanjali about 2000 years ago in India. The Sutras, or threads, consist of 195 terse aphorisms, packed with meaning, which are meant to be deciphered with the help of a teacher.

The Sutras outline the Eight Limbs of Hatha Yoga (from the Sanskrit ha, which means sun, and tha, which means moon), which consist of: the yamas (ethical standards) and niyamas (personal observances); asana (physical postures); pranayama (breathing exercices); pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses); dhyana (concentration); dharana (meditation); and samadhi (union with the Divine).

The yamas and niyamas are like the Ten Commandments of yoga. They consist of:

Yamas (ethical behaviors)
Satya (truth)
Asteya (non-stealing)
Aparigraha (non-grasping)
Ahimsa (non-violence)
Bramacharya (abstinence)

Niyamas (personal observances)
Saucha (purity)
Santosa (contentment)
Tapas (zeal in practice)
Svadhyaya (self-study)
Isvara pranidhana (surrender to God)

Typically, in the West, when we think of yoga, we think of asana (which means seat) or physical postures, the third limb of yoga. These were developed to their current form by Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), whose three disciples, Patthabi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar and T.K.V Desikachar have brought their guru’s teachings to the West in the forms of Ashtanga, Iyengar and Viniyoga, respectively.

Please refer to the following articles for more in-depth information:
On Hatha Yoga
On the legacy of Krishnamacharya
On Patanjali
On the Eight Limbs of Hatha Yoga
On the different styles of Hatha Yoga

Recommended reading:
*Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit, by Donna Farhi. Holt Paperbacks, 2000, 288pgs.
The Heart of Yoga, by T.K.V. Desikachar. Inner Traditions, 1999, 244pgs.
Yoga the Iyengar Way, by Silva Mehta, Knopf, 1990, 192 pgs.

Why yoga?

2008-02-09T12:39:00.000-06:00

You've certainly heard by now that practicing yoga boasts many benefits, the chief one of which being reduced stress. But how does yoga really affect your body's response to stress? Check out the excellent articles linked in the sidebar for answers: This is your body on stress goes into details explaining what exactly happens in your body when in a stressful situation, Ways yoga keeps you fit outlines the many specific health benefits enjoyed by regular yoga practitioners, while Yoga works! reports findings from the scientific community about yoga's proven track record in this area. Skeptics beware! Yoga has the power to change you & your life... for the better.