Therapeutic Yoga, Yoga Therapy and ShivaShakti Synthesis

Therapeutic Yoga, Yoga Therapy and ShivaShakti Synthesis

We describe the level 1 program of ShivaShakti Synthesis as therapeutic yoga and the level 2 as yoga therapy.  But what does that really mean? I have not had an easy time in articulating it and I suspect I am not alone.  At the national level, a group of experienced folks have been meeting together for a few years trying to develop a working definition of yoga therapy.  Definitions have ranged from “all yoga is therapy” to the concept that yoga therapy is a new and western invention that has no basis in ancient texts. Which is true?

I don’t think it is accurate to say all yoga is therapy. Originally, yoga was the practice for the seeker on spiritual path, while ayurveda offered the path to health and wellness. Yet many of the practices in ayurveda have their basis in yoga.  The common root for yoga and ayurveda is samkhya philosophy, which to me says there is an ancient basis for yoga as therapy. This is why ShivaShakti Synthesis integrates the teachings of yoga and ayurveda.

I am working on writing up a section for the manual on our philosophy on therapeutic yoga and yoga therapy, so figured this was a perfect place to share some thoughts and get your feedback.

Here are my working definitions for ShivaShakti Synthesis:

Therapeutic yoga: Teaching a therapeutic style of yoga means that there is the ability to modify the practices, whether they are asana, pranayama, relaxation and imagery, yoga nidra and meditation to be accessible to any student.

Yoga therapy: Yoga therapy implies specifically addressing the areas of disconnect that separate someone from the truth and essence of their Being.

This is a teaser to get us started. What do you think?

Summer Solstice-Honoring the Light

Summer Solstice – Honoring the Light

As the summer solstice nears there seems to be subtle, but strong anticipation about this day. What is the solstice? The word consists of two roots, sol, which means sun, and stice, to stand still. Yet the solstice seems to be anything but that. It tells us that the earth is in its most extreme phase of its dance between light and dark, and from there it will begin to change toward the balance of the equinox.

  In the days of the sundial clock, the dials seemed not to move during the solstices. It was as if time stood still or was in stasis during the long period of sunlight of the summer solstice and the shortest period of the winter solstice. This may be why there are so many spiritual rituals and celebrations around these two times. It is said that the winter solstice rituals were developed because of the fear the sun would not return, and the hope that if enough light was created. In other words people were afraid that the darkness would become the stasis. Perhaps then celebrating summer is a hope that the fruits of summer and of light will stick around for a long time, that it will become the stasis.

  The summer solstice may be a temporary stasis, a gateway where we are invited to pause, stand still and receive the light before moving onto the next step, as there is always a next step. Stasis means a suspension of growth and therefore is only a temporary state. But it is good to periodically stop and take a break before going into the next growth spurt. Although we cannot make summer stay we can use this period to soak up the outer light to recharge our inner fire.

So what makes your light shine? What will you be doing on the solstice? I’ll be chanting the Gayatri Mantra and doing a few rounds of Surya Namaskar, then attempting to surrender to the stillness of the solstice and sit in the light. Feel free to join me. Our circle is always there. We can invoke it at anytime. 

Partner Yoga and the Dance of Interdependence

Partner Yoga and the Dance of Interdependence

When I was growing up, I received praise for being independent, which, I suspect, was true for many of you. Over time, I came to believe that independence was good and dependence, not so good.  Our culture tends to reward independence and harbor a negative attitude toward dependence, and for the longest time, I assumed these were the only two options. Then I got into a long-term relationship and discovered things weren’t quite so black and white.

Lo and behold, I discovered there was a third option – interdependence. My interest tweaked, I looked up the definition in the dictionary. Part of the definition of independence is quite appealing, to be free of. The other part, however, involves not having needs, which really hit me; who doesn’t have needs? Dependence means to depend upon while interdependence implies a reciprocal relationship where needs are allowed and mutually met. It seems pretty clear that while interdependence might be more challenging, it is the better course because it is the one that really can lead to a fulfilling life.

This interdependence is one of the reasons I love partner yoga. The dance of interdependence gets to play out there because in partner yoga, I am able to go deeper into a pose than I ever could have achieved on my own. However, it is not because someone else is doing it for me. Rather, it is because of the trust, connection and reciprocal relationship that I find within myself, my true strength, and just as amazing, the same thing happens for my partner.  

Have you stretched your armpits today?

Have you stretched your armpits today?

Just recently, another incredible class of yoginis and yogis (well, there was one man in this year’s class) finished the level 1 training. Typically, when I teach side stretch at the wall, I say that someday I want a t-shirt that says “have you stretched your armpits today?” This class took the quip seriously and had t-shirts made for the training staff that say just that on the front, with our ShivaShakti Synthesis logo on the back. What a gift.

This led to the present blog topic.

Why stretch your armpits?

The technical term for armpit is axilla (see, I just learned something new). It has a floor, a ceiling and four walls. The muscles involved are some we often hear about in yoga because they tend to be tight and imbalanced, i.e., the pectoralis (major and minor), subclavius, serratus anterior, subscapularis, teres major, latissimus dorsi and the long head of the biceps. These muscles create strength and balance in the shoulders and upper torso; some assist with respiration as well.

Due to poor posture and/or the stresses and strains of daily life (carrying the world on one’s shoulders) this area becomes imbalanced, affecting not just the physical body but the breath and emotions as well. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerve fibers running from the upper spinal cord (at cervical vertebrae 5-7 and thoracic vertebra 1) via the axilla, or armpit, through the wrists.  When compressed, it can create shoulder, elbow and/or wrist pain. When the muscles of the axilla borders are chronically contracted, which we might call "tight armpits," it is a wake up call to deepen the breath and broaden the collarbones.  This allows us to find our strong center and then let the power, love and energy flow from that center.  So, have you stretched your armpits today?

Feed & Weed

Yes, it is time for blog #2. Thank you for the input and support. You are also encouraged to respond to the blog with your thoughts; our line of inquiry will only deepen with the exchange. Please let us know of any topics you would like to see explored.

Something that struck me when I was in Florida doing Panchakarma was the topic of detoxification and nourishment. Spring calls for us to detoxify. We clean out the flowerbeds of the sludge of winter. But why do we do this? We do this so the plants awakening beneath the surface can receive nourishment and grow.  We, too, need to clean out the sludge of winter. So the panchakarma program begins before you arrive at the center with a gentle detoxification that starts at home. Then when you get to Florida you receive a detoxification program that suits your issues and dosha. After the program you are given directions about diet, herbs, lifestyle, etc. to nourish and revitalize you tissues once you are home.

Some people are better at purging, which is the extreme of detoxification, and some are better at stuffing or hoarding, the extreme of nourishment. But detoxification and nourishment need to be a dance that balances letting go of what doesn’t serve us and taking in what does. Gardeners know that the plants in the flowerbed need the debris cleared away, but that they will also do well with a layer of good mulch. And gardeners know plants need food, but will get sick or even die if they receive too much or too little light and water. We are our own gardeners. How do we know what we need to take in or let go? By listening. Not with our ears, but with our intuition. When we listen to what our bodies need and are of service to the self, it allows us to be of service to the whole Self of the universe. But that is hard part – the listening. What helps you to listen to what you need so you will flourish where you are planted?

Paying Attention to Intention

In an attempt to stay better connecting to the ShivaShakti family we are starting a weekly blog. I, Janice, am starting it out with a thought that Lori Candon has been pondering – intention and attention. 

     

     What does it really mean to set an intention, how does attention fit into that?

The definition of attention, from the psychological point of view sounds as if it could have been written by the ancient yogic sages. It is:

• concentration of the mind on a single object or thought, especially one preferentially selected from a complex, with a view to limiting or clarifying receptivity by narrowing the range of stimuli,
• a state of consciousness characterized by such concentration,
• a capacity to maintain selective or sustained concentration.

Intention on the other hand is:

• what one intends to do or bring about,
• the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered.

It seems to me that setting an intention, while not easy as it requires decision making, is much easier than paying attention to it. Attention here would imply staying awake and aware to where the energy is going. It is said that attention follows intention and the more the attention follows, the more potent the intention becomes. Richard Miller Ph.D. says that the intention is the anchor that aids in creating focus. Often, however, we drift about on the surface, looking everywhere for an answer without stopping to figure out what we are seeking. We set the intention, we anchor ourselves and then the mind gets distracted by the surface waves — “is that what I seek over there or perhaps it is in the opposite direction? Perhaps I need to anchor somewhere else”. But when we stay anchored, like in meditation, something deeper may be revealed. When the attention stays focused we may find ourselves diving underneath the surface where there the waters are calmer and clearer. Then a deeper meaning of our intention may arise. Every intention is a desire to find our way back home to the true Self. By setting the anchor via the intention and then staying awake to it, we awaken to the Self.

We would love to hear your thoughts, insights, questions and experiences about this. And if you have any questions you would like to have explored please send them to us.

Shanti, Janice