Namaste, Katie...Fall 2020

Whether you're a seasoned yogi or getting ready to roll out your mat for the first time, 

here you'll find a variety of useful tips from local yoga instructor, Katie Hoener.

Namaste Katie,

I love Camel Posture, and always try to make room for it in my practice, as I find the heart opening so warming and supportive. I recently tweaked a hip muscle and am unsure how to best modify the posture to keep the benefits flowing! Any advice would be welcome. 

Thanks,

Reggie, Ann Arbor

Dear Reggie,

Camel Pose, or Ustrasana, is a beautiful way to open the heart, as you say! It is a tremendous opener for the entire front side of the body, but can be a bit much on certain muscle groups if they are feeling discomfort or have experienced an injury. Luckily for all of us, there are ways to gather in those warm benefits of a Ustrasana in a supportive way that will hopefully allow you to open through the heart and ease your way back into the posture as your body is ready. 

Depending on the degree of injury there are a number of variations to explore. To start, come into a kneeling posture, and lift up, so that you are resting on the shins. Inhale with the arms out front, relaxed through the shoulders, and then allow the arms to flow open to a T. This may offer you the opener through the heart that feels good, allows for control over the amount of backbend, and release through the hip flexors. Ask that the abdominals engage during this process to offer support and protection to the muscles of both the lower back and the hips. 

If this feels safe, we may wish to progress. We can take the hands to the low back, just above the iliac crests of the pelvis. Drawing the elbows toward one another and lifting through the heart (we want to keep the spine long and lifted here). We have the option here to keep the chin toward the sternum, or can tilt the head back, again with length along the neck. Taking these steps as a starter is a nice way to see if the body is prepared for more. 

Namaste Katie,

A few months ago, I was shopping and saw a magazine with a headline that said something about Pratyahara being the unsung limb of yoga. I meant to go back, and I forgot, so here I am! Can you tell us a little more about Pratyahara?

Jane, Chelsea

Dear Jane,

Of course, we can talk about Pratyahara! I, personally, am a fan of all the limbs of yoga, and I do understand that some of them get far more attention than others. Pratyahara is the fifth limb of yoga, follows asana, and precedes Dharna. Pratyahara means the withdrawl of the senses, and it is suggested that before we move on to Dharna, Dhyana, and Samadhi (concentration, meditation, and bliss respectively), that we gain control over the senses and the world around us first. These stimuli can distract and overwhelm the mind, making the next steps, or limbs, all the more challenging. 

There are many ways that we can practice Pratyahara, and work on limiting that sensory input. All of this with the intention of quieting the mind. One way recommended in the Yoga Sutras is to choose a specific object of meditation and draw our focus to that one particular point of intention. This can be external, such as a candle flame, or a favored object that has a spiritual meaning to you. These can also be internal, the Yoga Sutras suggest drawing the attention to the third eye point, internally. 

A lovely practice is to concentrate on one of the five senses (a practice that can take one minute, or five, or more, whatever suits your needs). Find yourself a comfortable seated position. You may have an idea of your focus ahead of time, or as you settle in, you may find yourself drawn in a particular direction. Whether it is sound, taste, sight, touch, or smell, allow yourself to draw your intention and focus to that particular sense, asking the others to fall away as much as possible. See if you can bring yourself into almost a superhero-like engagement with that particular sense. When your time has concluded, take a few moments to see how that connection with the sense brought you toward clarity of mind, as well as improved your concentration, the next limb of yoga!

Namaste Katie,

This winter our family has been passing colds back and forth and back again. I’ve heard in classes that there are yoga postures that can help. Can you explain? Is there a pose we can do as a family that is not too demanding?

Janissa, Ann Arbor

Dear Janissa,

This winter it did feel like things were continuously being gifted back and forth. There is a correlation to the more time we spend indoors (circulating and breathing the same air), to the more we pass around germs and viruses. And, as you have observed, yoga can support immune function and healing. Our lymph system is entirely dependent on movement for circulation, so maintaining some movement, even in our states of illness, is important to our healing and overall well-being. 

A phenomenal series of postures that aid in the movement of lymphatics are twists. There are large collections of lymph glands under the arms, in the gut, and in the groin area, so twists engage more than one of these areas, with the breath enhancing the benefits. To fulfill your second request, a reclined twist is a way to gently get all the benefits of a twist no matter our energy level. 

From our backs, we want to plant our feet on the floor, lift up the pelvis, and shift the hips ever so slightly to the right, then we allow the knees to move over to the left. If we are looking for a lower twist, the feet stay on or toward the floor. If we are looking for a higher twist (or the low back is tender) we can pull our knees in toward the torso prior to moving over toward the left. Do not be afraid to use props, as seen in the picture. We want to get cozy and comfortable, so that we can focus on the breath, and on healing!

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