Yoga Diversity, freediving to new limits...

On the Yoga Sports Science (TM) course we are on the look out for trends in the use of Yoga in sport. For example, Yoga is credited with transforming the sport of freediving and has been key in the performances of world record holders in this discipline; not only does it allow them to hold their breath for longer periods but the whole meditative focus and physical discipline of Yoga have become integral to their lives and sporting goal achievement.
Yoga Journal did a feature on Francisco "Pipin" Ferreras, world freediving champion and yoga enthusiast..... "Ferreras, breaker of 50 world records for freediving, routinely plunges to depths of more than 100 meters and slows his heart to 10 beats a minute. Sitting still, he can hold his breath for an astonishing eight minutes."  Ferreras himself became switched onto Yoga when his first teacher held his breath for fourteen minutes when he decided to try it ! Sara Campbell came to freediving as a Kundalini Yoga teacher and within a year of starting broke world records in this discipline and is now a renowned teacher weaving in her Yogic knowledge to dive specific techniques. A similar story emerges of the Sivananda Yoga Acharya Brittany Trubridge giving the freediving coaching edge to husband William, a 15 times world record holder in different freediving disciplines.
Just to sound a note of caution though, the Yoga techniques used by top freedivers  are very advanced  and should not be undertaken without the guidance of a qualified Yoga teacher to ensure they are practised safely.   


More can be found on the freediving personalities quoted above at :
http://www.sarafreediver.com/
http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/320

http://www.brittanytrubridge.com






      














    

A balanced Yoga diet?

New Years resolutions abound ! Campaigns offering to let you drop two dress sizes compete with discount gym membership to lure you in ... Yoga itself doesn't offer anything quickly but can reveal amazing gifts with perseverance. Bringing the mind , body and spirit into a unified balance is one of the goals of Yoga, in a more general sense it's good to reflect at this time of year what it means for you. There are no "musts" and "got tos" with this but what is our current Yoga practice like?  If you like backbends, as I do, do they dominate your practice? Do you add in breathing practices regularly? What might you change to develop a more rounded Yoga practice in you life? Well, the mat beckons and along with the "wedge/bridge and coil" sequence I'll temper it with some forward bends.... easy does it though!          

Yoga Mat..ernity, why pregnancy and Yoga are so suited...!

Yes, this is much on my mind ! I am starting a new Pregnancy Yoga class in Swansea in February. I have had a number of Yoga students who were pregnant in my normal classes in the past but I want to offer them a specialised class with more individual attention now. The potential benefits are so worthwhile, Yoga in pregnancy can tone, stretch, offer breathing techniques and relaxation at a time when they are very welcome ( I am told !) . The holistic approach of Yoga to maternity fits in with Ayurvedic principles developed over the ages; this is in stark contrast to Western medicine which took a contrary view until fairly recently - pregnant women were patients to be processed by the medical system. Thankfully this Western view has changed and mothers to be are rightly at the heart of the decision making process for their  own pregnancy and Yoga is routinely recommended as a positive option. As always though, every case is individual and it is essential, in my opinion, to get the approval of a GP or midwife before starting Yoga or other specific antenatal exercise, particularly if you are new to Yoga.          

Lever-arched-folders... Yoga students , not stationery !

The Yoga Sports Science (TM) course I'm following is covering , amongst other things the correct neutral positions for standing, stitting and lying down and very good stuff it is too ! I always found bio-mechanics fascinating in the context of Yoga practice, teaching and in the wider field of sport. It brings to mind , one of my favourite safety concepts in Yoga which links to levers in physics. In one respect the body is like  a wheelbarrow; in the case of the wheelbarrow, it is a 2nd class lever, the effort is applied by lifting the handles, the load is contained in the hopper and and the pivot is provided by the axle of the wheel. The longer the handles, the more force that is applied through the 'barrow. So , in theory, like the old adage, you could lift the world if your 'barrow handles were long enough!
So how does this apply to the human body? If you imagine someone coming up from a standing forward bend , their hips are like the 'barrow axle , the back muscles provide the effort and the torso is the load. If the arms are extended in front they act like long handles and greatly increase the load on the back muscles. The lower back is vulnerable anyway and this invites trouble ! I would advise sweeping the arms sideways (in line with the chest , or behind it) when coming up; also, bending the legs a little at the knees to share the effort of lifting with the thighs...it's so much easier. "Non- harming" (Ahimsa) is an underlying Yoga principle, be kind to yourself.. you deserve it .        

Clerical error ? Why Yoga can be compatible with all religions ....

This is a classic question! Gabriele Amorth , the Vatican's exorcist has come out with the provocative statement that Yoga is evil as it leads to the worship of Hinduism. I believe he is fundamentally wrong - Yoga can be described as a discipline aimed at uniting the mind, the body and the spirit, which is compatible with all the world's major religions and philosophies. True, it started out in the Vedic culture of India about 4000 years ago and was adopted by the early Hindu faith, then became integral to Buddhism, then Taoism . Aspects of Yogic thinking entered, or were reflected in Sufism and strands of mystic Judaism and Christianity. Hardly exclusive to Hinduism then? Yoga can also be described as a path to your own enlightenment , or to fulfil your potential in any way meaningful to you . It does prescribe what you must think. Some Yoga classes involve chanting , some of these chants link to deities from the Vedic period which were adopted by the Hindus, it does not fit in with my religious views and I would not join in with them, which as a principle applies to us all and generally applies to all Yogic practice. Yoga has brought stress relief and comfort to millions of people in its history and reinforced positive life patterns which have been hugely beneficial. To describe this as "Satanic" or "evil" is preposterous in my view.

What do you think? Post any responses you wish , either side of the debate!    

Namaste     

"Goldilocks and the 3 yogis ?"

The idea of the the Goldilocks perfect mean, "not too hot, not too cold , just right..." applies to many aspects of life. "Sthirum, sukham, asanum" in Yoga, the "middle way" in Buddhism and the search for a perfect planet for us to colonise in the future, in the realm of Astronomy. In Yoga the "Sthirum" refers to steadiness, "Sukham" ease and "asanum" posture (originally Patanjali's idea) . How do we combine them to find the optimum mix of these opposites, avoiding "weary warriors "( too much Sukham) and "solid soldiers "(too much Sthirum) ? I think it is a feeling , a rightness, an energy flowing  through the body and then the Yoga posture looks graceful and correct. The YogaSportsScience (TM) course I am following has triggered thoughts of sporting heroes who have found this polished perfection. For example,  Jesse Owens powering fluently to a gold in the 100m in the Berlin Olympics, you probably have some favourites of your own . So , like the "search boys" of surfing , looking for the "perfect wave, on the perfect day on the perfect beach..." we keep striving in our Yoga practice to achieve graceful precision - let's hope our Yogi friends bear with us while we are doing it !

Yoga unlocks the buried chest....

We did a lovely Yoga class on Friday night in Hazel Court, centred on the heart chakra , backbends and practices to open up the heart space /chest area. I am lucky to have a local Yoga teacher , Carol, who comes to most of my sessions; with typical wisdom she reminded me that the ability to open up the heart space was vital in Autumn/ Winter as we tend to physically fold in on ourselves in reaction to the shorter days and cold weather of these seasons.

Running on the beach today into a stiff breeze I was panting for breath. Those words came back to me and I used the Yogic three-part breath to open the chest and felt refreshed again , with a better posture too ! If you bring Yoga into your everyday life it can  reward you in so many unexpected ways

Namaste