Five Points Yoga

Barrett's Blog

Archive for September, 2009

The 5 Prana Vayus – A Guest Post

Posted September 29th, 2009 | 2 Comments » | Bookmark and Share

Boston-area yoga teacher Erica Magliaro is writing in with a guest post!

She went down to Costa Rica awhile back at my suggestion to study with our teachers, Don and Amba Stapleton, and she came back a fabulous yoga teacher!

She’s offering classes in Brookline, and also Pranassage, which is yummy yoga massage. Check out her website for details.

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Ever find yourself in pigeon pose, jaw clenched, shoulders tense, unable to relax?
What about lying in savasana, trying to focus but instead mulling over your last conversation with your boss or your significant other?

My teacher has always said, ‘Where the mind goes, Prana flows’, but what happens when we get stuck?  Sometimes we find ourselves unable to release physically and/or mentally.    Even as a yoga teacher, I can be as guilty of this as the next person….so when I get stuck, I like to remind myself of Prana at work:

Prana is our life force, the energy that flows through our bodies.  It is broken down into five forces, called the Prana Vayus:

1)  Apana is the downward moving energy in our bodies, grounding us.  Gravity is a simple example of apana.

2)  The next force of Prana is prana (lower-case ‘p’), which is the upward moving energy, or buoyancy, that counter-acts apana.  For me, I can really feel apana and prana at work in Tree Pose…being grounded in the feet, roots growing through the earth…but the buoyancy and lift of the body skywards.

3)  Samana is the third force of Prana, spiraling at our belly center.  It represents the energy of absorption, the fire of digestion, either physical and emotional.  This could be undigested lunch, or a difficult conversation you can’t get out of your head!

4)  Udana is the next force of Prana, representing the energy of sound and communication, giving us the ability to express our experience.

5)  Last but not least is vyana.  Vyana corresponds to the energy pathways in our body, connecting us to ourselves and to others.

I’ve been fortunate enough to fully experience Prana through the giving and receiving of Pranassage, an amazing blend of assisted yoga and massage.  The whole idea is that through touch, pressure, and postures, Prana is made easier to feel, allowing us to truly let go into deep relaxation with awareness of our experience.

So the next time you find yourself clenching in a pose or being distracted, try to remind yourself that it’s okay to let go and focus on the present moment…..allowing Prana to flow.

Namaste,

Erica

The 5 Prana Vayus

The 5 Prana Vayus

Posted under Guest Poster, Local Interest, Personal Experiences, Yoga, Yoga Philosophy

Yoga Outside!

Posted September 22nd, 2009 | 4 Comments » | Bookmark and Share

Yesterday, I taught a free yoga class outside in Copley Square, sponsored by Healthworks.   It was really fun!  It was really hot!   I was impressed by the yogis who stuck with me as the noontime sun came up over the churches and high rises all around us.

I did a practice focused on balancing, given that we’re in a seasonal change and making a transition always requires a rebalance in our systems.   I also talked a bit about how amidst the hubbub all around us, we learn through yoga practice how to tune into ourselves, and tune out the other chatter.

No where might this be more evident than lunchtime in Copley Square!   As we were practicing, there were hundreds of people milling about, noises from the streets around us (why are buses so incredibly loud in this town??), and of course, the breeze and the trees and the charms of being outside.   We noticed all these things, but didn’t let it distract us from our postures, especially our balance postures!

Here’s a pic of us in action – looking up to the sun:

copley square yoga

After the class, I was speaking to a few of the yogis.   One woman mentioned that she really noticed that her practice has helped her focus in.  She was surprised by how undistracted she was!   It was a good experience for her to “test” out her concentration abilities outside of the bubble of the yoga studio.

Of course, we need that quiet safe haven of the studio, but isn’t it nice to know that with practice, we can be in the whirlwind all around us and still manage to find a deep, slow breath?

Namaste!

Barrett

Posted under Local Interest, Personal Experiences, Yoga

Two Special Events in Boston

Posted September 18th, 2009 | Leave a comment » | Bookmark and Share

I wanted to tell you about two special events happening soon here in Boston and Cambridge.

1) I’m teaching a FREE, outdoor yoga class at NOON this coming Monday, September 21.   Healthworks is hosting a Celebration of Fall with 3 free yoga classes that day.   Check out details – please note that it’s best if you bring your own mat.   I hope you’ll come by – the weather forecast is very promising!

2) Dave at Black Lotus Yoga is going to do an amazing workshop on the Mountain Pose, our foundation pose for standing!  It’s on Saturday, September 26, 2-4pm – go to the Black Lotus website for more information.   

Both these events should be terrific – I hope to see you there!

Barrett

Posted under Yoga

Warming Up

Posted September 15th, 2009 | Leave a comment » | Bookmark and Share

When I want to move and get things going in my yoga practice, my go-to series of asanas is the Sun Salutations.   You can be really creative with the sun salutes, so they’re never really boring.

However, they can be repetitive, and for some people, they can lead to injuries if done over and over the wrong way.  So, I’ve been thinking about ways to warm up without doing a sun salute.  I’ve been loving Chair Pose (Utkatasana) and any other postures that use the big muscles of the legs and buttocks (Hello, Warriors and Bridge!).   I also love to get upside down – inversions can really heat you up – and to practice other arm balances, like Crow pose (Bakasana).  I’ve also been trying to use my core, and often warming up with Boat pose (Navasana). 

I’m thinking about making a podcast of warm ups without Sun Salute.  Anyone interested?  

Just yesterday, I saw this amazing video.   It definitely looks like a warm up! This dance is based on the sun salutations, but includes much of what I mentioned above – arm balances, inversions, tons of core strength, and an amazing amount of variation with the two dancers interacting. 

 Variations on Surya Namaskara

I’m inspired to go practice now!

Barrett

Posted under Personal Experiences, Yoga

Thankful Thursday: A First

Posted September 10th, 2009 | Leave a comment » | Bookmark and Share

I’m trying to keep the gratitude going, so I thought I’d inaugurate a new set of posts here.  Thankful Thursday – what I’m appreciative of a nd what I’m loving in the world. 

1. Citron green tea from Teazone — my first purchase from this Somerville-based company.   Their citron green is really good, and it’s helping me through a few days of sore throat.

2. Beautiful weather (finally!) in Boston – I’m soaking it up!   It’s rapidly becoming very brisk out at night, so I’m trying to let the autumn approach without kicking and screaming. 

3. New class at Black Lotus on Thursday nights – it was our first class tonight and it was lovely.   I’m going to like this time slot 🙂

4. The new fall line from Prana – my absolute favorite yoga clothes.  Love them, but unfortunately they last forever.   There’s no room in my dresser for new tops – I’m donating some of my old ones to make room for the new 🙂

Any gratitude out there that you want to share?

Peace,

Barrett

Posted under Yoga

I’ll Try Anything Once

Posted September 8th, 2009 | 5 Comments » | Bookmark and Share

I have never tried a Bikram class.   I’ve looked at the 26 poses a few times, but I’ve never gone to a class.  I have a bit of an aversion to Bikram for some reason, but I think I’m ready to give it the good ole college try.

Recently, I’ve seen two articles about different styles of yoga.  I get asked almost every week about the different styles of yoga, so here’s a great in-depth review from Yoga Journal of some of the major styles of yoga.  If you are an experienced practitioner, but you’re ready to shake it up a bit, think about trying out a new kind of class. 

Rebecca over at Om Gal also recently posted about the different schools of yoga, and has a great writing style, so you might enjoy her take on yoga.  

As I’m preparing for the Yoga Odyssey, I’m thinking about how I’ll use the 28 days of daily practice in a new and interesting way.   I think I’d like to try out several new classes around the Boston area in the month of October.   Though I’ve been practicing and teaching for awhile, there is so much I don’t know!  This could be a great way for me to do something a little different for myself as a yoga student.

I’m curious to know, dear readers, what you’ve wanted to try recently.   There is constant innovation in the yoga world, so some of you have doubtless heard of something I haven’t!   I’d love to know.

Enjoy your yoga adventures,

Barrett

Posted under Local Interest, Personal Experiences, Yoga, Yoga Articles

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