January pose of the month

It’s a new year and with it brings new intentions, resolutions, goals, desires. Perhaps your New Year goals or intentions include trying something new, like yoga. Take a minute to think about the last time you tried something new. Maybe you can recall the first time you practiced yoga or the last time you tried a challenging yoga pose. How did it feel? Did it feel like it took a lot of effort in the beginning? Chances are it didn’t come easy at first and took some extra effort. You probably felt your muscles shaking, your jaw clenching, your breath becoming shallow and uneasy, your gaze and/or other parts of your body hardening. I am personally a creature of habit, but in order to grow both in life and our practice, we need to step outside of our comfort zone.

In Sanskrit the word abhyasa means effort or practice. It refers to a practice that is done regularly and constantly over a long period of time. Most significantly, it refers to a practice that aims at achieving a tranquil state of mind. This for many is found in the practice of yoga. You show up for your practice, get on your mat, and begin each practice with a mindset that no matter how long you’ve been practicing there is always something new to be learned and effort to be made. So right from the start, with this mindset you’re letting go a little… letting go of the ego or expectations.

In sutra 1.12 of his Yoga Sutra, Patanjali says…

“Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam tan-nirodhah”

This translated means that in order to stop the whirlings of our mind, the fluctuations, we have to adopt a 2-step method. This 2-step method is abhyasa and vairagya.

Vairagya is translated as non-attachment or letting go. Whether it’s for yoga or anything in life that we do, we show up and put in our best effort (abhyasa) while also letting go (vairagya). So what do we let go of exactly you may be wondering? Vairagya means being content with what is, letting go of attachment to a result, end goal, or the fruits of ones’ labor. So while the two- abhyasa and vairagya- may sound contradictory, it is possible to practice both. We put diligent, consistent effort into something without expecting anything in return.

When we can “sit” with anything that causes whirlings in our mind (good and bad), when we don’t run from those whirlings or resort to blaming (and if we do we recognize it), when we practice detachment from it all… little by little it becomes easier to “sit” with… little by little the “chatter” that is no longer serving us will fall away and we will be able to see and identify with our true self and what’s truly meant for us.

Our January pose of the month is Warrior II pose, Virabhadrasana. In Sanskrit, Vira means hero and badhra stands for friends. So together Vira+bhadra essentially means distinguished hero. Asana means pose. Virabhadrasana is named after the fierce warrior, Virabhadra.

The story or myth behind Virabhadra is dark and one of rage, revenge, and compassion. The warrior series of poses- warrior I, warrior II, warrior III, humble and peaceful warrior- all give us the opportunity to experience the sensations and feelings of being a strong and fierce, yet also compassionate and peaceful warrior. This may sound just as impossible and contradictory as the concepts of abhyasa and vairagya in practice together.

Next time you’re practicing Warrior II try to put the 2-step method of abhyasa and vairagya to practice. Do this first by letting go of any thoughts and trying as best as you can to connect to the present moment. When thoughts come to mind, as they will at some point or maybe even several times in your practice, try not to “sit” with them for too long. Just acknowledge them and let them go as quickly as possible. Now this is a practice in and of itself, so be patient and just keep trying to let go of the chatter to find peace and ease mentally.

Additionally, try to find physical peace and ease while still remaining alert and strong. Try to connect to a balance… what is just enough effort and physical strength needed to hold the pose, and where can you relax and soften more. When you’re present in the deep lunge and open arms of the pose, there is a challenging intensity that probably doesn’t naturally make you feel relaxed. It takes effort and practice to get there. As you gaze over your front arm, is your gaze soft? Is your jaw clenched? Are your shoulders shrugged up tightly by your ears? Can you surrender the will to force a particular outcome in the pose?

Think about how much more strength it takes a warrior to be calm and at peace during times of madness. It may feel like it takes a lot more work to embody the essence of Virabhadra- to be a strong, fierce, compassionate, and peaceful warrior. That is why it’s called yoga practice. It’s a practice and the beauty is that there is no end goal or “destination” to reach in your yoga practice, so let go of the need to get there quickly and just practice.

To practice Virabhadrasana II follow the steps below (we’ll start with the right foot forward):

• Stand facing the long edge of the mat

• Raise arms to shoulder height and step feet as wide as hands.

• Step your left foot towards the back of your mat and pivot on the ball mound until the pinky side of your left foot is parallel to the back short end of your mat.

• Check your right toes and make sure that they’re pointing forward towards the front short end of your mat and check to see if your right heel and left arch match up.

• Bend the right knee to stack the knee over the ankle.

• Make sure you are grounding through the toe pads, ball mounds and heels of both feet.

• Squeeze both quads (think pulling the muscles and bones together) to engage the outer thigh to keep the center of the knee tracking toward the second toe on each foot.

• Engage the glutes and feel the left seat pull towards the top right corner of the mat.

• Turn the gaze to look over the right finger tips.

• Create space between the shoulders and the ears.

• Repeat on the left side.

Benefits:

• Strengthens and stretches your legs, ankles and feet

• Stretches your hips, groins and shoulders

• Opens your chest and lungs

• Builds stamina and concentration

• Energizes tired limbs

• Stimulates your abdominal organs

• Helps relieve backaches

• Develops balance and stability

• Improves circulation and respiration

• Therapeutic for flat fleet, sciatica, osteoporosis, and carpal tunnel.

Here’s to stepping into the New Year with pure thoughts, strong intentions, and humble actions.

Namaste,

Cathy