Namaste Katie,
In a recent class my teacher was going through the Yamas and the Niyamas. I love learning these foundational aspects of yoga and was wondering if you could tell me your take on truthfulness. My partner was reflecting that it means to never tell a lie, and that was not what I gathered from the practice.
With light,
Darren, Ann Arbor
Namaste Darren,
I also adore leading, or more often being led by, these foundational elements of yoga. This is That: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras Padas 1 and 2 by Anand Mehrotra, gets right to the heart of your question when he writes “… it is very dangerous to translate it merely as “Thou shall speak the truth and only the truth.”” He goes on to explain that all of our truths are subjective, based our own experiences, and not based on any universal or unbiased truth. He extrapolates that if we are in conflict, our truth is filtered through the lens of that conflict.
With that perspective, and a reminder that all truths while in this human experience are perceived uniquely by each of us, how do we handle your question of speaking our truth? The reflections within the Yoga Sutras ask us to reflect on whether a truth is unchanging before we consider it to be one of these universal truths that we try our best not to modify. Much of what yoga describes in truthfulness is wrapped up in the concept of absoluteness.
While this conversation does get quite philosophical, it ties into the yogic belief that we all share a universal essence that is unchanging. Nothing can alter the truth of this connection that we all share.
Dear Katie,
Ages ago I took a Marma class, and I am curious to get a bite-sized understanding from you. I enjoy pressure to relieve anxiety in my day-to-day. Do you think some more targeted work would be a useful addition to my practice?
Karson, Ypsilanti
Namaste Karson,
Marma, which translates to vulnerable or mortal, with the plural being marmani, is a practice that predates the Yoga Sutras! These vital energy points represent areas on the body where nerve and blood vessels come together. Pressure on these points releases neurotransmitters such as endorphins, which is one of the reasons why certain pressure points may assist in relieving anxiety.
One that you may be familiar with in a traditional public class is having foreheads on the mat, or a prop, in a Child’s Pose. While in Balasana, with our foreheads on the mat we usually have pressure on our Ajna Marma point. This point is named for that same space between the eyebrows which also acts as a Chakra. If Balasana is a restful pose for us, we can relax into this pressure point to allow us to notice the stilling effects of that pressure.
There are 117 Marma in the body, and in each of us some are obvious, as they are tender, and others are harder to locate. If this is something that intrigues you, and that you find supportive, find deeper instruction in this practice with an instructor.
Namaste Katie,
I am in need of a posture that can work, or start to work, on my adductors. The combination of activities over the summer has caused them to be extremely tight. I have tried a few stretches I have seen in a book I have, and it is not doing the trick.
Aimee, Dexter
Dear Aimee,
So relatable. Lately I have noticed some tightness and strains and have not been able to trace the origin. Some of that I attribute to moving through life a smidge too quickly, and away from some of the mindfulness we discuss. Also, as you mentioned, having varied activities is wonderful for the body in terms of activating different muscles and keeping us sharp, but it can also overtax the body, if we are not taking time to allow muscles the opportunity to release and soften.
A classic posture to target the adductors is Baddha Konasana or Bound Angle. We will also hear this called Cobblers Pose and Butterfly Pose. The Baddha Konasana we are depicting is seated, there is also a supine version that is taught in many restorative classes.
To come into Baddha Konasana, we can be elevated on a blanket or bolster if that assists the elongation of the spine. Extending the legs out in front of the body, we can externally rotate the legs, so the inside of the thighs are moving skyward. We start to move the soles of the feet together. In the images above, my feet are touching. They do not have to touch. There are times when I leave a few inches between the soles of the feet. In two of the images, I am using blankets under the thighs to allow a softer release through the hips. If blocks or bolsters are a more comfortable height, use those! In one image, I am also adding in a forward fold, without blankets. All of these are choices and are based on the moment. If adding something feels good, add it and breathe into the space. If taking away a prop feels good, take it away and breathe into that space. The beauty of Baddha Konasana is that we can sit for a few minutes while watching TV or take a break from the computer for a few minutes and sit in the pose. Take a minute to allow a bit of ease into the day and into the body.
