The Yoga Blog

One Pose at a Time: Salabasana

Salabasana, or locust pose, prepares the body for deeper backbends, increasing the strength and flexibility of the muscles on either side of the spine. 

Many people don’t realize that these muscles of the back, like the abdominals, are part of the ‘core’ that protects the spinal column. 

Practicing salabasana starts out as rather thankless work. It takes a while to build strength among the lattice of muscles along the vertebrae. Even for an experienced practitioner, salabasana is a subtle pose, a shallow backbend with more length than curve to it. It a good way to practice distributing the curve of a backbend evenly along the spine. Mastering locust translates into better backbends all around.

Join boundless this Sunday, October 18, to explore salabasana.

Salabasana by Emily Sloat Shaw

Where the stories live

Last night, at Tara Brach’s Insight Meditation group, we meditated and then listened to Tara talk about hearing the stories that we tell ourselves, over and over — the stories about our lives that feel “normal,” but that keep us unhappy and restricted. She pointed out early on in her talk that when the mind is constricted, so is the body. This means that we tighten ourselves when experiencing (thinking) stress, and we escape or fight the stress by developing coping strategies that eventually settle in as constriction and repression in the body. This happens from childhood. We can only unearth these repressions if we sit with ourselves and create space for awareness to enter the body.

Tara concluded her talk by emphasizing how essential it is to catch ourselves in a story — “I’m so depressed,” “I’m weak when it comes to…,” “I never meet the right guy…,” — and feel where that story lives in the body. Where do we feel constricted or held back?

In the context of a yoga class, the question can often be answered simply. Forget the story! It’s my hamstrings! My upper back! My abdomen!

And yet, combining the physical learning we do in a yoga class with mindful meditation is powerful. Whereas Tara suggested that we listen to our bodies when we catch ourselves telling a “typical” story about ourselves, we can also feel what’s in the body first — and then notice our thoughts.

So in  yoga, you can say, OMG I’m in savasana (corpse pose) or trikonasana (triangle pose) or this friggin’ backbend and can’t relax my shoulders! What kinds of thoughts are you having right then? What are they about, and do they sound familiar? From there, sit in meditation — later that night at the end of class or after class, or the next morning before work — and observe the shoulders. And then notice the thoughts again. And then go back to yoga class in a few days and see what turns up.

This is the work of opening to consciousness. It comes in from every angle, whether you want it to or not. It comes flooding in when you give it more than one door.

This Sunday: Chaturanga Dandasana with Kristen Krash

Chaturanga Dandasana by Emily Sloat Shaw

If you’re like me, Chaturanga is your nemesis.

It appears deceptively simple—body extended, arms tucked in at the sides, weight balanced between hands and feet. But finding the combination of strength and length to push your prone body off the ground is surprisingly difficult. When it’s done well, a body in chaturanga appears weightless, contained front to back and lengthened head to toes, simultaneously.

Join Kristen this Sunday October 11, for an exploration chaturanga dandasana, one of the most challenging asanas in the yoga canon.

ooh i’m so tired!

This is one of the things I hear during the Fall a lot. More so than Winter, even though during those colder months there is less light to go around.

This makes me think of yoga. I can say without a doubt that at 37, I feel younger and more alive than I did at 23 — then I was busy working on Wall Street, running to the gym, and then running home to go out, or to go home and hang out in front of the TV. I felt exhausted all the time, and even training for a marathon didn’t seem to help.

Over time, I’ve learned that my body needs certain shapes, and certain relaxation tools, to keep it running smoothly, energetically, and happily. These shapes and relaxation tools come directly from yoga: They have aligned my skeleton, muscles, and nervous system (i.e., how I think and feel) in such a way that I conserve energy when it feels good and makes sense, and I expend it when it feels good and makes sense.

Running a small business at 9 months pregnant, I still work as many hours as I ever clocked at JPMorgan or Merrill Lynch, but the difference is that my skeleton and nervous system aren’t working as hard to hold me up, move me from place to place, and let go as they settle me down to sleep at night. Even 40 lbs heavier than I was in January, the only thing bothering me occasionally are my knees, and that’s because they are still adjusting to the weight they are temporarily bearing from above.

During the Fall, when it becomes obvious that your body is going into hibernation, it’s a very good idea to stick with a yoga practice in order to observe how your body is holding you up. Learn how to conserve energy, learn how it moves through your body — be interested in where you are efficient and where you aren’t, and explore your body from there. These are essential “wellness” tools for any body wanting to feel more alive, and less encumbered.

Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Boundless

Boundless is a contestant in Express Night Out Best of DC 2009 for best yoga studio. Vote for us here! (We’re under Sports & RecreationàYoga Studio.) Here’s why I think Boundless deserves your vote.

1. The Teachers: I love the variety of teachers and the depth of their knowledge no matter what their tradition or background.
2. The Students: Never snobby or cliquish, the students at Boundless are welcoming, friendly, and fun.
3. The Neighborhood: Two blocks from the U Street metro, around the corner from Bus Boys & Poets, and across the street from the Love Café, Boundless gets an A+ for location.
4. The Website: The new website design is simple, elegant, and user-friendly. I love the pictures of real students and real teachers.
5. The Yoga Blog: Veteran and new teachers alike share their insights and creative talents on the studio’s blog. Have you seen Emily Sloat Shaw’s asana drawings?

I leave it to you to add reasons 6-10. What do you like most about Boundless? What keeps you coming back for more?