If you've ever eaten too much in one day and feel as though your body is planning a revolution, this week's practice is for you! (And trust me, I say this from personal experience!) They say that confession is good for the soul, so I admit that this past week I succumbed to the peer pressure of dear friends who wanted to break our past record of a six-hour, trip-planning lunch. No excuses offered here. It felt hedonistic on oh-so-many levels! We actually stayed in one local restaurant for thirteen consecutive hours and thirteen minutes (coincidental on the numbers) to break a previous record! Now clearly, we were not eating constantly from 10:00 a.m. until 11:13 p.m., but that grand finale order of tapas at 9:00 p.m. put my body into rejection mode! You're sending down stuffed mushrooms after dessert? Really? Yummy going down, but....
While it's not recommended to practice inversions after diarrhea, this "Bended Knee Belly Roll Variation" called Jathara Parivartanasana is safe if you're not pregnant, and they can truly relieve the discomfort of gastritis. According to yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar, regular practice of "belly rolls" also strengthen and tone the intestinal tract, as well as the liver, spleen and pancreas while helping to reduce excess fat in the abdominal region. (Yippee!) Because this involves two should-not's for prenatal students---a twisting action while lying on the back---please wait 4-6 weeks after delivery or until your OB-GYN releases you for yoga practice. This week we'll begin the "Belly Rolls" with a bended knee variation before attempting the more challenging "poker stiff legs" as Iyengar refers to them. The full extended leg version requires a great deal more abdominal and back strength to perform safely, so be kind to your body and prepare it slowly. These "Bended Knee Belly Rolls" should be practiced only after a minimum of four hours after a meal or two hours after a light snack. (Clearly, I had to wait until the following morning after my restaurant marathon!)
- Physically---Begin by lying flat on your back on a firm and level surface, and inhaling to extend your arms (palms facing upward) and feet (flexed) in opposite directions. While exhaling push through your heels and draw up the muscles in your pelvic floor and abdomen (your locks or bandhas) as you press your sacrum flat onto the floor with the waist slightly lifted. (Yes, it's the same one I'm constantly referring to---that flat, triangular-shaped bone just above your tail bone.) Remain in this flat and stretched out position for several deep and smooth "Bellows Breaths" (described in last week's blog). Practice a smooth rhythm of breathing with a brief pause at the top of each inhalation (breath retention called antara kumbhaka) that was explained in the recent January 10, 2011 blog.
- Start the "Belly Roll" bended knee variation by pausing briefly at the top of an inhalation (antara kumbhaka) with the arms extended out to the sides in line with the shoulders to form a cross. Then draw up the locks (bandhas) before exhaling slowly as you bend both knees and draw them tightly in toward your chest to help squeeze out the toxic air called apana. When your breathing becomes deep, smooth and rhythmic (with the pause) you can begin to add the breath-synchronized movement (called vinyasa) by rolling both bended knees very slowly from side to side, coordinating the lifting of the locks (abdominal and pelvic floor muscles) with the breath retention at the top of each inhalation.
- In slow motion, after a deep breath in with the arms extended out to the sides, pull in the abdominals and pelvic floor muscles back toward the spine, and then during the pause at the top of that inhalation, slowly bring the knees up over the hips, but keep the arms opened wide. During the exhalation, the locks are already engaged so the knees can be safely lowered first to the left side, keeping both inner knees and ankles aligned, as the head rolls to the right, looking away from the knees. This action massages the spine as well as the large, ascending right colon. Remain in this twist to the left with the gaze (drishti) to the right thumb for several smooth breaths, allowing the right shoulder blade to release slowly down to the floor. To switch and roll the belly to the right side, first inhale deeply and then draw up the locks during the breath retention before moving both knees back to center over the hips. Then lower both knees aligned closely together to the right side as the gaze shifts to the left thumb. Remain in this twist with both legs turned to the right, and notice how the thighs compress the left side of the abdomen where the large colon descends down and out. Then inhale, engage the locks to protect your lower back and return back to center with the knees aligned over the hips. After several rounds of "Bended Knee Belly Rolls" rest in "Corpse Pose" for at least five minutes before continuing your yoking practice.
- Mentally---Since it's essential for the timing of the locks (engaged during antara kumbhaka) to be closely in sync with the breath in order to protect the lumbar spine, the attention must remain focused in the present moment. This means not only with each present cycle of breath, but also with each segment of each breath---inhalation, pause, and then exhalation. Therefore I usually do not attempt to teach this flow to beginning yoga students, and I recommend a mindful practice to coordinate the segments of each breath with the lifting of the locks before adding the leg movements. Practice, practice, practice, and pay attention to your breath!
- Spiritually---With the arms outstretched like a cross, to me it's almost sledgehammer symbolism for any Christian who is practicing yoga! How can we ever forget what Jesus Christ did for each one of us to enable us to yoke with Him in the first place?
Enough said. Namaste. plf
