Meridian - Upper / Lower Body!

Upper / Lower Body

Using the yin/yang diagram, you can see that the muscles of the legs and arms can be represented schematically as circles when viewed from above. Note there are eight meridian muscle groups in your lower body and eight meridian muscle groups in your upper body. Each group encompasses a 45-degree arch, housing specific muscles within each circle and also sharing some muscles with the neighboring circles of meridian muscle groups.

Upper BodyLower Body

just breathe.....

JANU SIRSANA + joints

Yoga asanas for Back Pain!

style of yoga?

What s style of yoga?

With the worldwide spread of yoga there has been some understandable jostling amongst the different gurus and teachers with respect to lineages and yoga styles. 

While the jostling is understandable this is not welcome for two reasons. One is that the very basis of yoga is to encourage movement away from the ego. Ancient sages and saints were reluctant to even identify themselves as authors of the texts that they wrote for this reason.

The other reason that this jostling for space within the yoga community is not welcome is that yoga has ways to go. Why fight amongst ourselves when there is so much to be done? An earlier post pointed out that upwards 98% of the world population is not doing yoga. With these kinds of numbers what sense it makes to fight over claims on the 2% of people that do practice yoga? That is like fighting over a small pool of water while the entire ocean lies unclaimed before you.

The question of style comes up because of the modern yogamovement. Iyengar, Ashtanga, Viniyoga, Sai, and many other different yoga styles. The purpose of this post is not to create controversy by taking a stand on what yoga style was. The intention is in fact the opposite. The idea of this post is to show that the question of style may be irrelevant. The reason this is so is that yoga is taught in no fixed style itself, adopt the style based on the student’s need. To Pattabhi Jois who was young and strong he taught a vigorous form of yoga with challenging postures. ToIndra Devi, who was sick when she arrived, he taught an extremely gentle form of yoga.

“I studied in a small group made up of the members of my family gathered in a large room in our house. Krishnamacharya came to our house in the morning almost daily to teach. He taught different asanas to different members of our family, depending upon the age and condition of each individual. There was my eight-year-old kid sister, energetic and supple. I was about sixteen. My brother was around twenty and, at that time, in need of particular attention. Krishnamacharya gave him special assistance. Then there were my thirty-five-year-old mother and my forty-five-year-old father to complete the group. While there were some asanas and movements that all of us practiced, there were many that were different—particular and appropriate to each individual. Krishnamacharya had great skills of observation. He had a booming voice and a certain firmness and authority in his instructions. It was always fascinating to see him teach so many people differently at the same time, a feat in itself.”

The real question is not about style but of substance. The principles that Krishnamacharya taught never changed. He showed that these principles could be expressed differently based on the needs of his students. Human society is constantly evolving and with it the needs of humans keeps on changing. Krishnamacharya has given us the tools to go out and provide creative solutions to these changing needs based on the principles he has taught us. The question we should be asking is not “Is my style of yoga better than yours?” The question should be “Is the yoga I am teaching meeting the needs of my students?” If we answer this question in the affirmative and we stick to the principles he taught then we will be one with Krishnamacharya in spirit even if our styles may differ.

who s my guru?

yoga s not...

upside down - headstand!

no feeling s final......

locust!

yoga n me...

Lungs!

Why are the lungs important?
Oxygen, a basic gas, is needed by every cell in your body in order to live. The air that comes into the body through the lungs contains oxygen and other gases. In the lungs, the oxygen is moved into the bloodstream and carried through the body. At each cell in the body, the oxygen cells are exchanged for waste gas called carbon dioxide. The bloodstream then carries this waste gas back to the lungs where the waste gas is removed from the blood stream and then exhaled from the body. This vital process, called gas exchange, is performed automatically by the lungs and respiratory system.

In addition to gas exchange, the respiratory system performs other roles important to breathing. These include:

Bringing air to the proper body temperature.
Moisturizing the inhaled air to the right humidity.
Protecting the body from harmful substances. This is done by coughing, sneezing, filtering, or swallowing them.
The sense of smell.
The Parts of the Respiratory System and How They Work

AIRWAYS
The SINUSES are hollow spaces in the bones of the head. Small openings connect them to the nose. The functions they serve include helping to regulate the temperature and humidity of air breathed in.

The NOSE is the preferred entrance for outside air into the respiratory system. The hairs that line the wall are part of the air-cleaning system.

Air also enters through the MOUTH, especially in people who have a mouth-breathing habit or whose nasal passages may be temporarily obstructed, as by a cold or during heavy exercise.

The THROAT collects incoming air from the nose and mouth and passes it downward to the windpipe (trachea).

The WINDPIPE (trachea) is the passage leading from the throat to the lungs.

The windpipe divides into the two main BRONCHIAL TUBES, one for each lung, which subdivide into each lobe of the lungs. These, in turn, subdivide further.

Lungs and Blood Vessels
The right lung is divided into three LOBES, or sections. Each lobe is like a balloon filled with sponge-like tissue. Air moves in and out through one opening -- a branch of the bronchial tube.

The left lung is divided into two LOBES.

The PLEURA are the two membranes, actually one continuous one folded on itself, that surround each lobe of the lungs and separate the lungs from the chest wall.

The bronchial tubes are lined with CILIA (like very small hairs) that have a wave-like motion. This motion carries MUCUS (sticky phlegm or liquid) upward and out into the throat, where it is either coughed up or swallowed. The mucus catches and holds much of the dust, germs, and other unwanted matter that has invaded the lungs. You get rid of this matter when you cough, sneeze, clear your throat or swallow.

The smallest subdivisions of the bronchial tubes are called BRONCHIOLES, at the end of which are the air sacs or alveoli.

The ALVEOLI are the very small air sacs that are the destination of air breathed in.

The CAPILLARIES are blood vessels that are imbedded in the walls of the alveoli. Blood passes through the capillaries, brought to them by the PULMONARY ARTERY and taken away by the PULMONARY VEIN. While in the capillaries the blood gives off carbon dioxide through the capillary wall into the alveoli and takes up oxygen from the air in the alveoli.

Muscles and Bones
The DIAPHRAGM is the strong wall of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. By moving downward, it creates suction in the chest to draw in air and expand the lungs.

The RIBS are bones supporting and protecting the chest cavity. They move to a limited degree, helping the lungs to expand and contract.

src: American Lung Association

yoga warrior!

beauty!

Is Yoga Safe?

Is Yoga Safe?

With more of us leading increasingly sedentary and stressful lifestyles, yoga is becoming a key ingredient in maintaining good health. This may be one reason behind the surging numbers of those practicing yoga regularly. But hidden behind these rising number of yoga practitioners is another number: the rising number of yoga related injuries.

Till now yoga has been considered as very safe and the relatively small numbers of yoga related injuries has borne this out. Unfortunately though there is an increasing trend towards “aggressive” forms of yoga with the corresponding increase in yoga related injuries. A recent article in NY times talks about yoga injuries, and though the article relies heavily on anecdotal stories and may sound alarmist at times, it does help bring up the discussion on yoga safety.

The fact is that as we age our joints are going to get stiff. As joints stiffen injuries will occur even in normal day-to-day activity. So the question before us is to undertake some form of physical exercise that increases our flexibility and reduce our risks from injuries in our daily activities. It is expected that any physical exercise itself will have with it some associated risk of injury. So the question becomes how do we do the exercise without injury. For yoga the question becomes: Can yoga be done safely? And for yoga teachers and students the question is: What can you do to minimize injuries?

Yoga teachers can considerably increase safety of the class by providing warnings where injuries are likely to take place and provide step-by-step instructions on how to safely get in and out of a pose. Limiting class size can also improve safety. In smaller classes yoga teachers can monitor students and see if they are following instructions or need special attention.

What can we do as a yoga student to avoid injuries? The first step is to understand that yoga is not a competitive sport. Neither is it a method to burn calories. There are tremendous health benefits from yoga. But these benefits will not be realized if we continue to bring inside the yoga class the same mind-set and attitude that we have outside. On the yoga mat it is just about our internal journey. We are not there to get to the next level of yoga or reach some weight goal we may have. The fact is that most of the yoga injuries are reported by yoga-teachers themselves striving for some sought after goal of attaining some advanced postures. As a yoga practitioner there is no need for that. All we have do is focus on the instruction, focus on the breathing, and do the postures without allowing our mind to wander or lose control of the breath. The magic of yoga unfolds on its own. There is no need to push ourself. These are ego-driven impulses that we want to get away from, at least when we are on the mat. We must also learn to accept the aging process and turn to gentler and easier forms of yoga styles as we age. Krishnamacharya himself changed the yoga style he taught based on the age and flexibility of his student. He also emphasized increasing use of Pranayama as we age.

The safest form of yoga is the yoga that incorporates breathing along with the movement in and out of postures. A good yoga teacher will make sure that the body is warmed up properly before difficult postures are attempted. A good teacher will prepare a sequence in which each postures prepares the ground for the following posture. The order in which the postures are done greatly increases the safety of each posture. An experienced teacher will always suggest variations for people who have difficulty in doing a posture. Never try to go into a posture by forcing yourself into it. Risk of injury is highest when you push yourself. Every posture should flow naturally, if not use the variation.

When we do yoga within our limits with a non-competitive attitude, we greatly limit the risk of injuries. At the same time all the benefits of yoga flow straight to us. Let us resolve to keep it that way!

Extended Hand to Big Toe

yo fire!!!

I tend to learn more the resilience of the self. Rely on the self, work out the self, conduct the self … and ye shall get the best results .. others may come in to assist, to manage, to control … but done in the self carries better result. That satisfaction is beyond all else …

lee!

dog vs human!

random pic!

camel pose!

well said Mr.Buddha!!

yoga asanas!

Pincha Mayurasana

Half Moon I (standing).

om!

Matsyasana Anatomy!

yo yo yoga!

X-tasy!

well said!

Tree

random pic...