Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate Nostril Breathing, or, Anuloma Viloma Pranayama, is part of the Sivananda Basic Hatha Yoga class.  I have taught this exercise thousands of times and find it to be calming, centering and a great tool for expanding awareness of your own inner workings.

This breathing can be done before your yoga asanas to center you and gather your energy at the beginning of your practice.  In the Sivananda Series we practice Pranayama at the beginning of class beginning with Khapalabhati Pranayama followed by Anuloma Viloma.  It can be done at the end of your asana practice to settle and calm you before final relaxation.  Or it can be done as a stand alone exercise at most anytime and in any place.  I was told once a story of a powerful attorney who would always practice for  few minutes before appearing in court.

If you are deeply congested the exercise will be impossible.  If you are pregnant or are experiencing headache or other tension, it is best not to hold the breath.  Instead, alternate the breathing but with a continuous breath and without retentions.


Let's begin:

Typically we sit on the floor in sukhasana, a cross legged position.  You can sit on a blanket or cushion to be more comfortable.  The exercise could be done sitting in a chair, laying in bed, or even standing if necessary. As you follow these instructions, keep you body and face relaxed.  Do the best you can pacing your breath, but if it is difficult, adjust the exercise so it works for you.  It is best to sit and practice deep conscious breathing for a few minutes before beginning this exercise.

Practice slow deep breathing for a few minutes at both the beginning and end of this exercise.

With the right hand you will form the Vishnu Mudra and use the fingers to regulate the flow of breath through the right or left side, I'll explain this more in a moment.  With your left hand form the Gyan Mudra by touching your thumb to the tip of your index finger to form a circle while extending your outer three fingers open.  Place your left hand on your leg or knee and let it rest there throughout the exercise.

Place your left hand on your knee in Gyan Mudra throughout the exercise.

With your right hand form the Vishnu Mudra by folding your first two fingers to the base of your thumb while extending the thumb, ring and pinky finger.  After a calm breath in, seal the right nostril with the thumb and exhale slowly through the left side to a slow count of eight.  Next inhale on the same left side for a shorter count of four.

Exhale from the left nostril to a count of 8 then inhale on the left for a count of 4.

Gently seal both nostrils and retain the breath for about 16 seconds.  Focus internally at your third eye point at the center of your forehead.

Cover the nostrils and retain the breath for 16 seconds.

Uncover the right nostril by lifting the thumb and exhale for 8 seconds then inhale for 4 seconds.  You repeat this pattern exhaling for 8, inhaling for 4, retaining for 16, other side exhale 8, inhale 4, retain 16.  It is considered a "round" when you complete both sides.  As a beginner you might start with four rounds and gradually increase over time.  Another way to make the exercise more advanced is to lengthen the pace, exhaling for 10, inhaling for 5 and retaining for 20.  It's a ratio inhale:1 exhale:2 retention:4.

Exhale on the right side for 8 and inhale for 4.

After you have completed the exercise it is most important to drop your right hand back down to your knee and to sit and meditate for a few minutes.  During this time become aware of the sensations in your body, your breath, and your mind.

Yoga in the City

I just returned from an amazing week in Manhattan.  I loved NYC and met so many amazing people working hard at their dreams.  It totally motivated me to work harder at my own dreams, but I think that might be material for a separate post.  Today I want to tell you about my experiences with Yoga. This trip was a business trip for my husband, so that left me free to explore the yoga scene while he went to his own New York power meetings.  I went to three studios, Jivamukti, Dharma Yoga and my lineage, Sivananda Vedanta Center.

I had asked for suggestions on Facebook as to where I should go, and the overwhelming response was Jivamukti.  Now honestly I spent a week in Costa Rica a year and a half ago with the founders of Jivamukti, Sharon and David, and I didn't connect with them, so I was sure I wouldn't go to Jivamukti.  But something happened, maybe it was all the recommendations from friends, that found me walking to the studio.  Like most yoga studios in New York Jivamukti is located on an upper floor and has a small bronze sign at the street level entrance, sharing the entrance with a Bikram's studio located on another floor.  Jivamukti has the whole floor and consists of several classrooms, a beautiful boutique and a fabulous vegan cafe.  I took class at noon from Jules Febre who was also part of my Costa Rica retreat.  He grew up in New York and is a soulful young yogi full of wisdom.  He themed is class on omnidirectional expansion, one of my favorite aspects of yoga thanks to my time with local teacher, Bradlee Frierott.  Standing in Tadasana he gave us a powerful visualization.  First we imagined a mirror reflection of ourselves beginning at the soles of our feet and descending downwards into the earth.  Then we added a mirror reflection at our crown moving up into the heavens and folding outwards from our sides in horizontal space.  Our mirror reflections began to blend with those of our neighbors!  And in our postures we would again bring to mind these reflections of ourselves touching at key points and replicating into infinity (Jules must have known I'd be standing alone in a room of mirrors a few days later at the Whitney Museum installation Fireflies On The Water).  I loved this visualization, and must remember to use it often in my practice.  When the class was over, he left us in Savasana and encouraged us to stay awhile, the next class wasn't for half an hour.  As usual at this opportunity, I found myself alone in the room and practiced japa meditation until I heard the students beginning to arrive for the next class.  I took a shower (a luxury I'm mentioning because not all studios provide such facilities) and found Jules eating some amazing quinoa dish in the cafe where I was able to buy a delicious Kombucha. We talked awhile about Costa Rica, the East Village and other yoga topics.  All in all it was an amazing experience, I'd give it five gold stars!  And by the way, the class was free since it was my first time there (even though I was from out of town) and the use of a mat was free as well!

Feeling radiant and joyful after yoga with Jules

The next day I was again free at mid-day and I travelled to the Flatiron district for the Master Class with the founder of Dharma Yoga Center, Dharma Mittra.  Again taking up a large space in an upper floor of a big building.  They didn't give me a tour and I observed one large classroom, offices and a computer lounge, a small boutique and the changing area curtained off in the reception area.  I arrived about ten minutes early and was doing some basic stretches (a little sore from my 90 minute class the day before and many miles of walking) while other students also arrived and warmed up.  I began to witness some extreme feats of yoga from the front-row and throughout the room, balance, strength, control and flexibility...and I'm sitting there thinking, why do such strenuous poses before class? what, the two-hour master class won't be enough for you? don't you want to hold a little back for later?  Finally the master arrived, stern, direct, and with a voice that is not so easy to understand...he had his dog, a small, white dog who moved about the room as he saw fit.  We did some chanting with Dharma on the harmonium, Om and then chant to Sita Ram.  He practices on a small platform in the front of the room, beginning with a few Classical Sun Salutations like we practice in the Sivanada series, but with funny little bounces like 1950s calisthenics.  After only a few salutations he began walking us from pose to pose, and they were immediately very difficult and strenuous.  The room wasn't very warm and I could begin to understand why people had been moving through such dramatic poses in there warm-ups, I should have taken a gentler hour class beforehand to be prepared for these poses.  I breathed and focused my way through the asanas, achieving them in my own way while observing around me feats of mastery with the body, the skill level in e room was amazing.  Dharma Mittra reminded me of my father as he led us through the poses demonstrating each with his 75 year old body.  Verbal instruction was minimal, no breath, no inspiration or philosophy, just where to put your hand, your foot, your head and do it then break do another then break do another.  At one point his instruction of a pose was to demonstrate with his body and say "Do this, and if you can't, go to Jivamukti."  At the end for Savasana, final relaxation, his practice was like Sivananda style with the teacher guiding you through an incremental relaxing of the self.  When class was over I asked a fellow student to take a photo for me and then I walked up to the teacher and introduced myself.  He responded as dryly as possible, but stood by me for my photo.  I changed into my city clothes and descended to a street filled with police carrying machin guns.  President Obama, in town for the debate, had just arrived at the building next to me!  The next day I as very sore, especially in my lower rib age for deep twisting and strong arm binds.  The class cost $20 and the mat rental was $2, but they gave me a orange rubber bracelet with Om Namah Shivaya on it and a stick of sandalwood incense. I'd give the experience four silver stars.

I made it to the end of Master Class with Dharma Mittra!

There were many other yoga studions I wanted to attend such as Integral Yoga, Ishta Yoga,  Bikram Yoga and Yoga to the People.  But I was pretty tired and sore from my week in New York and the class with Dharma so for my final class I went where I knew exactly how the yoga would be and it was mostly the facilities that I was curious about.  I went to the Sivananda Vedanta Center for a 4:30 class, getting there by walking across Central Park from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I had been looking at Andy Warhol, Egyptian artifacts and Degas balerinas. The Sivananda Center was located on a more residential street and had a low street entrance to an old narrow building.  The ground floor had a small boutique of mostly books, a small dining area and in the rear a kitchen, up a old crooked staircase the second floor had a tiny changing room with curtained of toilet.  There were two small classrooms on that floor.  The third floor had the main classroom talking up most of the floor with a long skinny room with windows to the street and windows to the garden in back.  I assume upper floors contained apartments for staff and residents.  The class was as I expected and the experience had its quirky Sivananda stamp that comes from a non-profit organization of volunteers and renunciates.  I'd give it three bronze stars.

The Sivananda Yoga Center is a community with residents, kitchen and classrooms.

I had a dream-like trip to New York, meeting wonderful people, experiencing great weather and filling my mind with inspiration.  I love my beachy world in California, but if the stars lined up to bring me to New York, I know I could've happy there if for no other reason than the plenitude of amazing yoga teachers and facilities.  I can't wait to return to these studios and try those I couldn't make.  Please post a comment of your experiences with yoga in New York.

Yoga on Your Own

This summer I've had a number of my yoga students asking me for recommendations to keep their yoga practices going while on vacation.  I've handed out a few photocopies from my favorite books and manuals, and am expanding and sharing with you some advice for practicing yoga without a teacher.  These recommendations are not for people who have never practiced yoga before, but are meant for those who have listened to the teacher's instructions enough to be generally familiar with the exercises and poses.  This is some help to organize your practice and remember what to do.

My training as a yoga teacher is in the Sivananda style of Hatha Yoga.  So here is a run down for the basic Sivananda class, which I very often use (but not always) as the foundation for the group yoga classes I teach.  The class can be divided into a few main parts.

1.  Centering yourself at the beginning of class, this can be done seated in sukhasana (sitting with legs crossed) with simple breathe focus.  If you have the time, begin with deep relaxation lying in savasana.

2.  Pranayama, or breathing exercises such as Kapalabhati or breath of fire and Anuloma Viloma or alternate nostril breathing (also know as nadi shodhana).  I won't explain how to do these breathing exercises here, but you can read the links to learn more.  Suggested cycles though are three cycles of kapalabhati with 30, 40 and 50 pumps and 10, 20 and 30 second breath retentions at the end of each round.  You should feel stimulated but not uncomfortable.  For Anuloma Viloma 10 rounds will bring a lot of focus and relaxation.  I use the breath ratio of 4 second inhale, 16 second retention and 8 second exhale.  The breathing can be done at the beginning to focus the mind and prepare the body for the deep steady breathing you will manitain for the rest of class.  If it is too hard to sit still at the beginning of class, start with sun salutations and do your breathing instead at the end of class before your final relaxation.  If you do a full pranayama sequence, rest in Savasana for a few minutes before continuing on.

3.  Suya Namaskar or Sun Salutations is our warm up.  Again, this is just a reminder of what to do, not instruction.  If the body is very cold and stiff, do some simple stretching on the floor, like pulling your kness into your chest, before you begin.  Sun Salutations are a complete practice in and of themselves.  If you do nothing more than Sun Salutations, you will work the whole body.  Do between 2 and 12 repetitions, trying to break a sweat on your upper lip.  After your Sun Salutations, rest in savasana for a few minutes. 

4.  Strengthening Exercises are now practiced, first leg lifts for the hips and torso and then dolphin push-ups for the shoulder girdle.

5.  Asanas or steady poses are now held for 5-15 breathes each with 3-10 breathes of savasana in between each pose.  There are 12 basic asanas that stimulate our bodies from head to feet, they are:

Headstand Sirshasana

Shoulderstand Sarvangasanan

Plough Halasana

Bridge (it's not one of the 12 basic, but I teach it here in the sequence
Setu Bandhasana)
Fish Matsyasana

Forward Bend Paschimothanasana

Cobra Bhujangasana

Locust Shalabhasana

Bow Dhanurasana

Half Spinal Twist ArdhaMatsyendrasana

Crow Kakasana 

Standing Forward Bend Pada Hasthasana

Triangle Trikonasana

6.  Relaxation at the end of class is the great joy of yoga, so don't skip it. It's great to set a timer and not get up for at least 5 minutes, take 10 minutes if you can and you will feel rejuvenated for the rest of the day.  Lay on your back in savasana and begin auto suggestion.  You begin with your feet, think about them and repeat mentally (silently) "I am relaxing me feet, I am relaxing my feet, My feet are completely relaxed."  Continue in this way working your way up your body to your face.  Relax also your mind, your heart and your energy until you are very relaxed all over.

7.  Closing by sitting up a focussing on your breathe and your present state of being and awareness for a few moments is encouraged.  It takes discipline and sacrifice to practice yoga and it is nice to recognize your own efforts.  You can also offer up some gratitude to the lineage of teachers that has brought this practice to you, making you the final link in an unbroken chain.  Namaste and good luck!

Surya Namaskar : Salutations to the Sun

Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutations, is a flowing series of movements done in coordination with the breathe.  There are twelve total positions, each alternately flexing the spine.  Sun Salutations warm up the body for deeper yoga practices.  They help to expand the capacity of the lungs and massge the internal organs.  Sun Salutations eliminate excess fat and give you sustained energy throughout the day.  The practice originated as a form of worshiop to the Sun.  Surya means Sun and Namaskar means to bow down to and make offerings.  Surya Namaskar is traditionally practiced facing the rising of the Sun.  Offerings of rice, flowers and water are made and different Mantras representing different names of the Sun are recited, either in synch with each posture or at the beginning of each new series of postures.

Here are the Mantras
Om Sri Savitra Surya Narayanaaya Namah
Om Mitraaye Namah

Om Ravaye Namah
Om Suryaya Namah
Om Bhaanave Namah
Om Khagaaya Namah
Om Pushne Namah
Om Hiranya Garbhaaya Namah
Om Mareechaye Namah
Om Aadityaaya Namah
Om Savitre Namah
Om Arkaaya Namah
Om Bhaaskaraya Namah