Bhramari Pranayama - Theory Assessment

The word Pranayama, consists of two roots: Prana, which means ‘vital energy’ or ‘life force’ and Yama which means ‘control’, or more specifically, the word Ayama, which means ‘extension’ or ‘expansion’. Pranayama provides the techniques where prana, or life force can be activated and regulated. More specifically, to induce the flow of prana in the nadis, or energy channels. There are four components of pranayama that utilized during breathing: (i) Pooraka, or inhalation, (ii) Rechaka, or exhalation, (iii) Antara kumbhaka, or inhale breath retention, and, (iv) Bahir kumbhaka, or exhale breath retention.

“The breath is the most vital process of the body. Human beings’ breath about 15 times per minute and 21,600 times per day. Respiration fuels the burning of oxygen and glucose, producing energy to power every muscular contraction, glandular secretion and mental process. The breath is intimately linked to all aspects of the human experience.” [1]

Pranayama can be incorporated after shatkarma and asanas practices, but before meditation. It is important to first prepare the body by stabilizing and strengthening the physical body for breathing. This can include lateral stretches, chest expansion, loosening the joints and hips. The use of movements to form a connection with the breath can be performed during asanas; by bringing awareness to the breath. Pranayama techniques such as Ujjayi breathing can be used to create breath awareness, or as a technique to warm the body up before a yoga class. Similarly, Sheetali, or cooling breath can be used at the end of a

yoga class to cool the body to restore a normal temperature. Pranayama can be incorporated at the end of an asana sequence to activate calmness and restore focus. One such technique is known as Bhramari Pranayama.

 

Bhramari is the word for the Indian Black Bumble Bee, the name Bhramari also refers to the Hindu Goddess, an incarnation of the Goddess Parvati. Her name, Bhramari refers to the ‘Goddess of Bees’ or the ‘Goddess of Black bees’ and is commonly associated with all-things bees, hornets and wasps. The technique of Bhramari Pranayama is more affectionately known as the ‘Black Bee Humming”, or the “Female honey bee'' pranayama. The Bhramari Pranayama breathing technique refers to the sound that is created during the exhalation of this technique; the sound most resembles the humming, or the buzzing noise of a bee.

 

The noise of the Bhramari humming can be a useful tool for removing the constant chatter and inner activity that can often enslave our thoughts and mind. In addition, the gentle vibrations created by the Bhramari buzzing can also help relax and stabilize the physical body. Like most pranayama techniques, Bhramari stimulates the Autonomous Nervous System and directly activates the parasympathetic nervous system which has a natural

calming effect on the body, and mind. The technique is easy-to-learn and time-efficient making it useful for those who find meditation challenging or have the excuse of being “too busy” to create time for themselves. The simplicity of Bhramari pranayama allows practitioners to employ this technique as a quick and effective method for the reduction of anxiety or for the reduction of stress with only a few breaths.

To perform the technique of Bhramari, first find a comfortable seated position - Regardless of being seated on the floor or in a chair, ensure that you are evenly seated on your sit-bones; Your pelvis should be neutral (exhibiting neither an anterior, nor a posterior tilt). If seated in a chair, ensure that both your feet are equally planted on the ground. 

 

Next, close your eyes and take a deep inhalation – the inhale and exhale breath should be through the nose, but may be adjusted if there are blockages of the nose or sinus. Create a seal of your ear canals using (i) the index finger of each hand. Taking your right index finger press against the right-hand side cartilage at the opening of your right ear blocking sound to

the right-hand side, then taking the left index finger press against the left-hand side cartilage at the opening of your left ear block sound to the left-hand side. 

 

Note, do not press too hard. Your fingers should not be directly in the ear canals. Alternatively, if you have difficulty creating a seal with your index fingers, you can (ii) gently press the entire palm of your hand against your ear to create the seal with your hand. Again, do not press too hard.

 

Simultaneously while blocking your ears, breath out through your nose and generate a humming noise through pursed lips. To create the humming noise, the lips should be closed without tension, ensuring that the teeth are not touching, with the jaws relaxed. The sound should be high-pitched, even, and continuous for the duration of the exhalation. The sound will be soft and gentle creating a soft vibration through the head, the skull, the teeth, the sinus, and the tongue. Continue to keep your eyes closed, if you like, you may focus on the third eye chakra, Anja. Repeat the inhale and exhale process for 5-10 rounds. For the last two rounds, you can practice using a silent Bhramari, where no sound is made on the exhale, the practice here is to be able to sense the reverberations on each exhale, in silence.

 

One variation for Bhramari is to perform the pranayama technique using Shanmukhi Mudra, or the ‘closing of the seven gates’ mudra. The Shanmukhi Mudra requires blocking off the sensory inputs by closing the seven sensory outlets: sight, the two eyes; sound, the two ears; smell, the two nostrils; and taste, the mouth. To perform Shanmukhi Mudra, raise the arms up beside your head so that the elbows are pointing out towards the side. Next, close the ears with the thumbs, close the eyes with the index fingers, close the nostrils with the middle fingers. To close the mouth, use the ring fingers above the lips and the little fingers below the lips. Again, do not press too hard. Perform Bhramari pranayama with Shanmukhi Mudra using the same inhale and exhale patterns.

 

For more advanced practitioners the incorporation of Kumbhaka, or Bandhas can be included with the practice of Bhramari.  Kumbhaka, or breath retention pranayama techniques are useful for stimulating oxygen and carbon dioxide production which promotes more efficient cycling of oxygen throughout the body. Antara Kumbhaka, or inhale retention and Bahir Kumbhaka, or exhale retention can be added to Bhramari at the end of each inhale and exhale. Add Kumbhaka by performing retention, or holding the breath for 3-5 seconds on each side of the inhale and the exhale.

 

When breath retention is comfortable, the practitioner can take this one step further with the use of a Bandha, or lock. The Sanskrit word bandha means to ‘hold’, ‘tighten’ or ‘lock’. The bandhas aim to lock the pranas in particular areas and redirect their flow into sushumna nadi for spiritual awakening [1]. A bandha can be incorporated during the retention period. The inclusion of Jalandhara Bandha, or throat lock invigorates the Vishuddha, or the Throat

Chakra. The inclusion of the Mula Bandha, or the root lock invigorates the Muladhara, or the root chakra. Both Jalandhara and Mula Bandha can be applied during the retention period of Bhramari.

 

Finally, the practise of Bhramari Pranayama should be performed in the morning and preferably on an empty stomach.

 

References

[1] S Saraswati (1969)

Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha

 

Meditation for the treatment of depression: Theory Assessment

Meditation and mindfulness have garnered in popularity in recent times - Amidst our busy and stressful lives, individuals are plagued with societal expectations and stresses, the ability to find some quiet and some space has become a valuable tool in the 21st century. The simplicity and effectiveness of medication is part of the appeal, in addition, the non-invasive administration compared to other medications and traditional therapies. The application of meditation as a tool for the treatment of depression has gained popularity amongst practitioners and professionals who deal with patients suffering from psychiatric alignments. Two research papers that look at the efficacy of meditation techniques are examined below.

The first research paper titled “Mindfulness Based Interventions in psychiatry” [1] investigates the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBI) for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. 

The research primarily looks at Mindfulness Based Interventions, or MBI in the form of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). MBCT programs are designed to be 120-150 minutes per week, for the duration of 8 weeks. MBCT focuses on two main components: (i) formal meditation practices which includes seated meditation sessions, mindful movement (example: walking, yoga) and the body scan method, a technique used to bring attention to bodily sensations starting at the feet and progressively moving up towards the head and neck. (ii) informal meditation practices whose objective is to incorporate mindful awareness in everyday activities such as mindful eating, or mindful brushing of the teeth.

The application of MBCT has been shown to reduce the risk of depression relapse via cognitive, psychological, and neural mechanisms. Stressful life events or other triggers in everyday life can lead to recurrent negative thought patterns such as depressive rumination, judgment and anxiety which may lead to depressive relapse or other psychiatric symptoms. Mindfulness places emphasis on identifying these thinking patterns as they arise and viewing as temporary thoughts that are not facts or realities to be identified with or reacted to. The ability to accept without judgment and adopt a non-reactive attitude is one of the key mechanisms for the reduction of negative thinking patterns.

The paper provides evidence supporting the use of MBCT for the reduction of depressive relapse and includes a meta-analysis that cites four randomized controlled trials of patients with at least three depressive episodes. The evidence found that MBCT reduces the risk of relapse compared with ‘Treatment as usual’ (TAU) or placebo control groups. The MBCT+TAU patient group showed a 32% relapse rate, compared to the TAU, control group of 60%. There is strong evidence to suggest that MBCT is effective as a maintenance antidepressant medication in prevention of major depressive relapse.  One caveat of the research shows that MBCT studies that include active-control groups result in mixed findings, as MBCT may not be the most effective tool for preventing relapse, especially compared to other active psychosocial interventions.

Following MBCT treatment, participants self-reported improvements in mindfulness, reduced rumination, reduced worry, improved meta-awareness, increased self-compassion and reduced emotional reactivity. MBI also helps train the individual to develop a different relationship with their thoughts by developing the skills to notice one’s thoughts, separating the perspective of the self, and creating self-awareness.

Finally, the mechanism for enhancing emotion regulation strategies, through repeated meditation, allows participants to develop body awareness through self-regulation and emotion regulation. In addition, cultivating the nonjudgmental state increases the participants ability to respond and manage stressful events.

In summary: “Despite this relative short history, MBIs have garnered considerable support for their efficacy to treat psychiatric disorders. Numerous research investigations have shown that MBIs are efficacious for reducing depression relapse and treating depression symptoms.

In addition, these interventions reduce symptoms across psychiatric disorders with mounting support for anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.” [1]

The second research paper titled “Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis” [2] investigates the effectiveness of meditation programs for improving stress-related outcomes. This piece of research aggregates the results from studies dating up until June 2013 with Meditation as the primary tool. 

The research looks at studies with the following criteria: Adult population (18

years or older) exhibiting medical (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and HIV) or psychiatric (anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia) condition, ignoring healthy individuals.

Various types of meditation techniques are cited, including: (i) Mindfulness-based (MBSR, MBCT, Vipassana, Zen, other), (ii) Mantra-based (eg: Transcendental Meditation, other) and (ii) other forms of meditation. A total of 18,753 unique citations including 47 trails with 3,320 participants met the above criteria.

In addition to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) the other techniques mentioned include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) an eight-week course developed 40 years ago is similar to MBCT but instead of addressing a specific conditions or vulnerabilities provides techniques for “managing negative thoughts”. MBSR can be perceived as a generic technique for combating stress arising from a variety of life events, or a more generalist approach.

Vipassana, the oldest Buddhist meditation practice, is a slightly different form of meditation that focuses the command of non-reaction and freedom from the ego. The practice of Vipassana is used to develop the awareness of the interconnection between what happens in our minds in reaction to what happens to our bodies. Whether an individual experiences boredom, anger, pain or anxiety, training the mind to disconnect and be more patient is at the essence of Vipassana. 

Zen meditation, sometimes known as Zazen, is a deliberate effort to focus on the ‘now’. The focus of the mediation can be on the breath, or on the sensations of sitting, or external sensory input (eg: sounds, tastes, touches, smells) – Zen meditation is to acknowledge the experience without judgement. Example “the purpose of eating dinner, is to eat dinner”.

Another form of meditation discussed is Transcendental Meditation (TM), or mantra-based meditations. TM is a silent, mantra-based form of meditation, where practitioners repeat a manta in the mind and come back to the mantra when thoughts arise. The idea is to force the mantra to transcend the process of thought.

The findings of this research paper are measured by effects on the following categories: Anxiety, depression, stress, overall affect, quality of life, attention, sleep, substance use, pain and weight. Overall, it was shown that the adoption of a mindfulness meditation program demonstrated moderate evidence to improve depression, with an Effect Size (ES) of 0.3 with 95 percent confidence intervals.

In summary: “Mindfulness meditation programs, in particular, show small improvements in anxiety, depression, and pain with moderate evidence, and small improvements in stress/distress and the mental health component of health-related quality of life with low evidence when compared to nonspecific active controls. Mantra meditation programs did not improve any of the outcomes examined, but the strength of this evidence varied from low to insufficient.” [2]

Both studies illustrate the efficacy of a Mindfulness and Meditation practice for the treatment of depression. The ability to disconnect from one’s thoughts and be less reactive to external and internal stimulus can have a positive impact. Due to the wide-ranging benefits and the variety of meditation methods, studies suggest that meditation and mindfulness is a non-invasive and easily administered tool for the improvement of general

well-being and mental health.

References

[1] B. Shapero, J. Greenberg, P. Pedrelli, M. de Jong and G. Desbordes (2018)

Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Psychiatry

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5870875/

[2] JAMA Intern Medical - M. Goyal, S Singh, E Subinga, N Gould, et al (2014)

Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4142584/

Pranayama and Meditation

The Anahata Pranayama and Meditation course is held twice a year. The pace is noticeably slower compared to the foundational course that I attended earlier this year. The emphasis less on Asanas (poses) and (not surprisingly) more on Pranayama (breathing) and Meditation. There are 16 students enrolled in the December class which suggests that there is less interest in the topic compared to the Asanas, or potentially the effect of Covid. The start of the course coincided with the fourth wave in Hong Kong, and aside from two classes that were held in the studio, all the classwork was done online.

There is some overlap with the chakras, kriyas and bandhas but majority of the content was new. I particularly enjoyed the breath work content. Once again, there is a practical component, which requires the student to walk the class through a meditation technique as well as a pranayama technique. Three teachers, Anurag, Dhiraj as well as Yogananth guiding us through the practise. 

15,500 HKD (~2,000 USD) - lucked out as work paid for the course

Bujangasana - Practical Assessment

Final assessment for the Yoga Teacher's Training course. Practical assessment. Originally, the idea was to form groups of 5-6 students and collectively put together a sequence where each student explains and demonstrates a pose. That was the plan pre-covid, unfortunately since fitness studios and yoga studios have been forced to close in Hong Kong, everything has been moved online with the option to complete the course online. The change in format meant that each student had 5-10 mins to present their selected pose for assessment. My pose was Cobra, or Bujangasana (sequence below).

Anatomically Cobra is a backward bend posture moving against gravity. Good for relieving back pain and promoting good posture. With most backward bend poses the Physical benefits include:  

• Expansion of the pectoral muscles and the chest

• Strengthening the back muscles around the erector spinae

• Improving mobility in the spine, specifically extension in the cervical and lumbar

• Stability in the shoulders and arms

• Massage the abdomen and the pelvic organs

 

Contraindications include: People with back problems, slipped discs, lower back/lumbar lordosis, or those heavily pregnant women should avoid Cobra pose.

 

Provide demonstration - how to do, how not to do.

 

Looks easy but can be taxing on the back and shoulders. Warm-up sequence:

• Cat-cow - loosen up the back - inhale = look up, exhale = look down, relax abs - focus on moving through each vertebrae (3x rounds)

• Sphinx - cat and cow - more focus on shoulders and upper back (3x rounds)

• Sphinx - stretch hips and shoulders

 

Let’s do Cobra; Step-by-step approach:

• Begin in a prone position - hands on either side of your ribs.

• Explanation of leg position: together = harder, wider = easier

• Explanation of hand position: closer to pelvis = harder

• Exhale, as you inhale:

1. Push feet into ground and use your back muscles to lift up your chest.

2. Press gently through your hands and lift up ensuring your pelvis is still on the ground.

3. Keep elbows in.

4. Exhale. Pull the chest forward as you keep shoulders back and down - expand collar bones.

5. Keep the abdomen and glutes relaxed, no tension in the lower back - you might feel some tension in your arms. 

6. Slowly look up, extend your neck to lengthen the cervical spine. Breathe normally - 5 seconds, lower back down.

7. Inhale, back up. Here the back is firing! Explanation of back focus: Extension through the lumbar and strength in the lats, rhomboid and trapezius.

8. Variation: Look over your left shoulder, look over your right shoulder - feel stretch in the neck. Breath normally - 10 secs, lower back down.

 

Neutralising movements and a counterpose:

• Roll over onto your back - Rock and roll over the whole spine (3x); sit up.

• Seated fold - hunch the back, breathe into the back (3 deep breaths).

• Seated twist - Exhale and twist, focus on shoulders and twisting through thoracic, extending through lumbar and cervical spine (3 deep breaths either side).

Feedback: Don't use words like "Basic" or "simple" as it may discourage practitioners. Important to adequately warm up hip flexors for backwards bends. Good explanation of anatomy and pose.

Trikonasana - Theory Assessment

Trikonasana

Introduction

Trikonasana, Tri meaning ‘three’, kona meaning ‘angle’, is also known as the ‘Triangle Pose’. Trikonasan is a standing pose and has two primary forms: (i) Uttihita meaning ‘extended’, or (ii) Parivrtta meaning ‘revolved’.

Physical benefits 

As a standing pose, lifting up from gravity, Trikonasana can be classified as both a strengthening and a stretching asana. When practised, this asana strengthens the legs, the posterior chain and the core. In addition, it provides lengthening of the spine and facilitates stability in the shoulders, the ankles and the knees. Trikonasana also promotes flexibility in the legs, hips, groin and neck. Depending on the instructions the pose can be performed as a lateral bend, a forward bend, or even a twisted posture. This posture is great for stimulating the nervous system as well as activating the digestive and sexual organs. The primary chakras activated during Trikonasana are: Anahata Chakra (Heart), Manipura Chakra (Solar Plexus), Swadisthana Chakra (Sacral) and Muladhara Chakra (Root) 

Contraindications

Due to the regions of the body that are engaged whilst performing this pose the following contraindications should be highlighted, those with spine issues (example: bulging, or slipped discs) should avoid this pose. Special care should be taken for those with: scoliosis or neck, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle injuries. Excluding physical limitations, those with high blood pressure, vertigo, heart conditions, headaches or diarrhea will require a more cautious approach. Finally, pregnant women too, should take and make use of the modifications where available.

Warmup

Adequate warm up is required as Trikonasana recruits multiple areas of the body. Cat and Cow poses are useful for relaxing the posterior chain. Malasana is good for waking up the adductors, the hips and the glutes. In Malasana focus on pressing the elbows into the knees, and the knees into the elbows as you extend the chest. To open up the sides, the obliques, and the chest, perform some standing lateral stretches. Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Breathe in, raise your right hand above your head, next to your ear, as you breath out gently reach over to your left hand side. Inhale as you raise up, repeat on the opposite site. With your feet still hip distance apart, breathe in as you raise your arms up to shoulder height. As you breathe out, twist dynamically to your right hand side, opening up your chest and shoulder, breathe in as your twist to face your left hand side. Finally, find a prop, sturdy enough to support your weight, a wall or a chair. Wall swings are good for loosening the hips. Rest your right hand against the prop, with your body perpendicular to the prop. Keeping your legs straight, raise your right left up creating flexion in the hip, then swing your right leg back, creating extension in the hip. Do this for ten count to warm up the hips, glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps.

Approach

The foundation of this asana, as with all standing asanas starts with the position of the feet. The feet dictate the alignment and will provide the strength to support the pose. Generally speaking, the wider the feet apart, the more challenging the pose as it requires more balance, requires more flexibility through the hamstrings and the adductors, but also requires more strength through the quadriceps and the calves. 

To enter Trikonasana, start in Tadasana, separate your legs and raise your arms up to shoulder height; your left and right hands should make a straight line. Your face and entire body will be facing in one direction. Now is the opportunity to adjust the distance of your feet, the feet should be more than shoulder distance apart. A good measure is somewhere between your feet being directly underneath your out-stretched elbows to having your feet directly underneath your wrists; as seen with the traditional alignment of Trikonasana. The distance should be adjusted to your level, where you can still feel even pressure on both feet. This is the starting position for Trikonasana.

Trikonasana Starting Position

Starting with the right side, turn the right foot to face 90 degrees outward such that the foot is pointing in the same direction as your extended right hand. Again, this is a chance to adjust the position of your feet. If possible, line up the heels of both feet, pointing in perpendicular directions. This alignment is more demanding from a balance perspective and students are encouraged to line up the heel of the right foot with the mid-point of the left foot. In this position you are already activating the calves, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, hips, knees and ankles. Engage the quadriceps, as not to put too much pressure on the knees, evenly apply pressure through the feet and make sure not one leg is working harder than the other. Here we can observe any immediate weaknesses. Points to pay attention to are strain on the joints, such as the knee, the hips or the ankles, or any muscular strain, either through the hamstrings, calves or quadriceps. People exhibiting any of the above symptoms, or with acute hyperextension in the knee are encouraged to slightly bend the leading (right) knee.

Uttihita Trikonasana

Time to focus on the upper body component. Here is the approach for Uttihita Trikonasana. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, engage the legs, extend your body to the right hand side in the direction of your out-stretched arm and fold down so that you can place your right palm on the floor outside of your right leg. At this point in time, your body should be in one plane. Legs, hips, chest, shoulders, arms all in one plane of direction. Your arms are still in one straight line, now perpendicular to the floor, with a gentle stretch of the chest and pectoral muscles as well as a slight squeeze in the upper back. A modification to assist with plane alignment would be to perform this pose against a wall, paying attention at keeping the hips, the back and the shoulders all touching the wall in one plane.

Again, the flexibility of your trunk and legs will determine the placement of your right hand. Hips should be level, or “square”. Hips and chest should be facing in the same direction of the rear (left) foot. Your legs should be active, engaging both quadriceps, imagine gently pulling each foot towards the midline as you engage your glutes. You might feel stretching in the right hamstring, external rotation in the right leg, adduction in the left leg and a gentle pull in the left iliotibial (IT) band. Your spine should be at ninety degrees to your waist, or parallel to the floor. Your right palm should be there for support, not taking all of your body’s weight. Extend and lengthen the spine, with your head moving in the direction of your right foot. 

You should feel a stretch in the trunk. Specifically, contraction on the right hand side, lengthening on the left hand side. Keep the core engaged. If your spine is not straight, or if your chest is not facing up towards the side modify the pose by raising the hand. Your arms should be lined up in one straight line. You can raise the hand by placing it on your foot, on your shin, or place a block near to your foot to support your right hand. Raising the right hand up from the ground alleviates the weight and the intensity of the stretch through the hamstrings and the trunk. Continue to keep your legs active. Finally, turn your head up to look at the thumb of your left hand. Note, those with neck injuries or problems, continue to look straight ahead. Uttihita Trikonasana. 

To come out of the pose, turn your head down to your right leg, keep the legs and glutes engaged. Inhale, raise the body up, turn your right foot and head to face forward and return to the starting position with arms and legs apart. Join your legs, lower your arms and return to Tadasana. The counterpose for Uttihita Trikonasana, is to perform the same movement on the opposite side, or to do Parivrtta Trikonasana.

Parivrtta Trikonasana

Parivrtta Trikonasana or Revolved Triangle pose, requires the same lower body foundation, however we add a twist that recruits more from the core, the hips, the glutes and the IT band. As with before, find your way into the starting position with arms and legs apart. Use the same spatial constructs described above. Starting with the right side, turn the right foot to face 90 degrees outward such that the foot is pointing to the right hand side. Place your right hand on your right hip, turn your torso so that it’s facing in the direction of your right foot. Breathe in, raise your left arm up, next to your ear. Breathe out as you extend and bend forward facing towards your right foot. Use your core to slowly twist to the right, moving your chest so that it is facing to the right. Place your left palm just outside, to the right of your right foot. Again, adjust the height and position of your left hand, either by bringing it up to your shin, to the left of your right foot, or by placing it on a block. 

Extend both arms so that they are in one straight line, you will feel engagement in the middle to upper back, and in the core. Concentrate on turning and broadening the chest towards the right hand side, this requires rotation in the thoracic and activation of the core and obliques. On this side, the revolved triangle pose is more demanding on the lower back, the right glute and the right hamstring as it is more difficult to balance in a twisted position. There is a natural tendency to collapse the left hip. Try to keep your hips level and focus on bringing the right hip down and back, and your left hip up and forward. The twisted position will make breathing more challenging with the breath feeling shallower. Breathe and focus your attention to the Manipura Chakra. Again, extend your spine towards your right foot, keep your hamstrings and your quadriceps active. Finally, if this all feels comfortable, look up at the thumb on your right hand. Parivrtta Trikonasana. 

To come out of the pose, turn your head down to your right leg, with your legs and glutes still engaged, lower your right hand down to your right hip. Inhale, as you release the twist and raise the body up, turn your right foot and head back to face forward and return to the starting position with arms and legs apart. Join your legs together, lower your arms and return to Tadasana.The counterpose for Parivrtta Trikonasana, is to perform the same movement on the opposite side, or to do Uttihita Trikonasana.

Neutralising Movements

Trikonasana can be demanding on the hips, the knees, the ankles, the lower back, the chest and the neck. Depending on where you feel stress you should loosen the areas that exhibit exertion. For the hips and adductors, seated hip rotations. Sit on the floor with legs wider than shoulder width apart and knees bent at ninety degrees, slowly breathe out as you drop your knees to the right hand side creating a gentle external rotation in the right leg, and gentle internal rotation in the left left. Breathe in as you bring the legs up, knees pointing back up at ninety degrees. Breathe out, repeat on the other side, as you drop your knees to the left hand side. Repeat for a handful of repetitions. 

For the hamstrings and calves, sit on the floor with feet extended directly in front of you, place the palms of your hands inline and next to your hips or just slightly behind your hips. Keep the core engaged and shake your legs up and down, providing release to the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles. For the hips, groin and legs, sit in Virasana with your hips resting on your heels. Slowly place your hands on your knees, as you exhale squeeze your back muscles and raise and extend the chest up to loosen the chest and upper back. For the lower back, sit in a cross-legged position, inhale, exhale as you twist to the right. Look at, or past your right shoulder, lengthen the lumbar, as you twist through the thoracic. Hold for a few breaths, inhale as you release the twist. Repeat on the other side.

Finally, to release any tension experienced in the neck, it is recommended you perform some neck stretches or rotations. Lateral neck stretch, exhale as you drop your right ear to your right shoulder, hold for a few breaths, inhale as you raise your head up. Repeat on the other side. Neck rotations, exhale as you turn your head to look to your right shoulder, inhale as you return your head to centre. Again, repeat on the other side.

Note, the Trikonasana described above, is the lateral bend variation, there is also a forward fold variation, which is less focused on having the upper body in a flat plane.

Fitness centres

Finally, fitness centres and gyms have re-opened and we're back in the studio for Teacher's Training. So much better doing this in person vs online.

Currently reading: "Light on Yoga"

Yoga Teacher's Training

Signed up for my Yoga Teacher's Training back in January; 200 hours of yoga training. At the time, I had decided to start the course in April, as it was scheduled to be immediately after my Singapore, Sydney and US trips in April. Since then, those three trips have been canceled and it's the first time I've had no trips lined up. I do remember saying I wanted to spend more time in Hong Kong, so I definitely got that request. So here we are, end of April and the course is going ahead, all online, all on zoom.

I'm slightly concerned because since this whole pandemic broke out and yoga studios closed their doors back in March, I've done one yoga class online, there really isn't the same level of interest in yoga at home. Some suspect this has to do with the dearth of Lululemon clad women in my apartment compared to the yoga studios (by dearth, I mean none).

In any case, let's see how this all goes. To my surprised the class is very full, with over 30 plus students still enrolled for the virtual certification.

Makeshift yoga studio - Fingers crossed this isn't for the entire 200 hour journey.

Breakdown of course 200 hours at $25,000 HKD (~3,200 USD)

• 25 classes x 3hr Theory/Practical = 75 hours
• 40 classes x 1hr Yoga Studio Practice = 40 hours
• 30 classes x 2hr Andiappan Yoga Practice = 60 hours
• Assignment/Self Study = 20 hours
• YTT Group practice class = 5 hours