Posts In: Yoga practice

As children every experience is new and exciting. A day lasts forever, and a year lasts an eternity. As we grow older if we are not careful, familiarity with a broader range of experiences slide into an auto-pilot routine. The days fly by and the years become a blur. How do we slow down time and take note of what we are experiencing? Purposely varying our approach and actively seeking novelty flags experiences with bookmarks in our memories. Then when we flick back through the pages of the memory-book of our lives, time seems longer in review. Life stops flying by, and we can experience more in the moment. Maybe it is as simple as trying new recipes, attending a play, listening to different music. Or you might go bigger and expand your comfort zone- holidaying somewhere remote, taking up a new pastime, making new friends! Add in freshness and novelty and truly experience life anew.

Seeking different ways of approaching our yoga practice has a similar impact. Zen buddhism refers to ‘shoshin’, beginner’s mind. We are invited to view studies, habits and exercises with eagerness and open-mindedness. Instead of going through the motions on auto-pilot, we can keep our yoga practice fresh. Even if you have ‘go-to’ poses that you incorporate daily, view them anew. Experiment with variations to your Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog); take more distance between the hands and feet, take less distance, bring the hands closer together, turn the hands out, turn the fingers slightly in, hands on bricks, feet on bricks, hands and feet on bricks! The combinations are endless. Engage the intelligence (buddhi) as you practice. Iyengar yoga offers a plethora of variations of every pose with props. Be playful with your use of props! Your variation with props may or may not work, but you will certainly have fun along the way.

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Yoga’s origins can be traced back over 5000 years to northern India. The word ‘yoga’ was first mentioned in ancient Vedic texts, collectively called the Rig Veda. Fast forward to the modern world in 2022 and yoga is all the rage!! It has surpassed pilates and aerobics in popularity in Australia and is now a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide. Yoga is trending hard and over 9.9 million Instagram posts are tagged #yogaeverywhere. Influencers, celebrities (Sting, Madonna), teenagers, middle-aged people, senior citizens, sportspeople and even prime ministers (Justin Trudeau) alike all espouse the benefits of yoga. But what is yoga? Have we drifted away from the original intentions of yoga with all the offshoots like goat yoga, tantrum yoga, horse yoga?

Yoga was originally a contemplative practice that took many different forms- Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion), Jnana Yoga (yoga of knowledge and philosophy), Karma Yoga (yoga of action) and Raja Yoga (the royal path). The seminal text, ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ informs the style of yoga we practice at Unfold Yoga+Wellbeing, Iyengar yoga. The second sutra (1.2) tells us that the aim of yoga is to still the fluctuations of the mind, Yoga Citta Vrtti Nirodah. If that occurs, the next sutra (1.3) tells us we can then know and abide in our true blissful nature, Tada Drastuh Svarupe Vasthanam. But how do we even still the fluctuations of the mind in the first place in our 24/7 always stimulated, busy world full of distractions and disturbances??? The Sutras tell us to embrace the eight limbs or disciplines of yoga. The first seven limbs or disciplines make the eighth limb possible: bliss and enlightenment (Samadhi). The first seven limbs are Yama (five moral disciplines and restraints), Niyama (five ethical observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathing techniques), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (focused concentration) and Dhyana (meditative absorption).

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The group of Iyengar yoga teachers and students who gathered at Unfold to soak up the inspiring teachings of Senior Iyengar teacher, Lulu Bull did not even notice the wind and rain pounding the windows. Lulu’s joy for the practice and the precision of her teaching both warmed and focused those attending. It was fantastic to welcome yoga students and teachers from the Hills and Plains sharing the love of yoga and practising in community.

Lulu expertly guided teachers and experienced practitioners during the Friday late afternoon session through a series of standing postures that opened the hips in preparation for the floor work. Lulu supported students to experience more depth in asanas than they may have otherwise felt, including deep work in Hanumanasana, Tittibhasana and Kurmasana. The joy of yoga was palpable in the room and the abiding peace of that final Savasana was felt by all.

On Saturday morning a larger group of students explored the grounding and stabilising nature of the standing poses, focusing on the strength of the legs to lengthen the spine. Lulu guided students to focus on the downward release of the ‘skin body’ and the energetically upward lift of the ‘skeletal body’. With Lulu’s clear communication, students could deeply engage with the subtleties of the Iyengar lineage of teaching. A deeply restorative afternoon class balanced the more dynamic morning asana class. Students experienced the ‘three gems’ (see below) which open the body whilst simultaneously quietening the nervous system. The steady focus on the breath in supine and seated Pranayama settled the mind. Students could understand more deeply the yoga sutra, Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha, yoga calms the fluctuations of the mind. The weekend culminated on Sunday morning with an uplifting backbends practice which opened both hearts and minds.

We are so grateful for Lulu taking time away from her Blue Mountains Iyengar yoga community to generously share her deep knowledge and understanding of yoga. Her teachings and love of yoga will continue to resonate in our local yoga community for some time.

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