Namaste, Katie: Our Spring 2023 Yoga Column

Namaste Katie,

I am joining the long line of people who have developed neck issues with increased time on my computer and hovering over my phone in the last few years. I have been incorporating more stretch breaks during the day, though am curious if there is something more specific I can do. Thank you. 

Marti, Ann Arbor

Dear Marti,

Such a common experience (as I sit on my laptop, on my couch). So many of us have changed the orientation of our work, our school, and the patterns of our lives over the last few years. These changes invariably impact how we hold and move our bodies. The more time we spend in any particular posture, the more our bodies adapt to that space, even if those adaptations are not suited to the rest of our movements. Thomas Myers in Anatomy Trains discusses Upper Crossed Syndrome, where we lead with the chin, placing extra stress on the neck and upper back to support the weight of the head. The more time we spend hovering over phones and devices, the more we rely on these smaller muscles to take on roles they were never intended to take over. 

A posture that beautifully opens up the throat and allows the muscles along the backside of the neck, including the levator scapula and the trapezius, to relax is Matsyasana or Fish Pose. To come into Fish Pose start by laying down on your mat, or a surface where we feel solid. Gently roll from side to side to allow the arms to slide lightly under the torso, with the hands under the glutes. Engage the muscles of the core to lift through the abdomen and bend through the arms—we are creating something akin to a beach chair with the body. Once we feel supported and lifted off the shoulders, we have the option to lovingly dip the head back. The head can rest lightly on the mat, on a prop, or hover in a space that feels safe. When you feel secure take a few breaths and allow for that traction to create space in the neck. After a few breaths, engage the abdominals once again and lift our way out of Matsyasana. Finish by taking a nice Forward Fold Pose (Paschimottanasana), if that feels appropriate for your body. 

Namaste Katie,

I am a regular practitioner of yoga and am curious about the uses of Ujjayi Breath. I took a more restorative class the other evening that used Ujjayi and it was a first for me, and I liked it.

Beca, Ypsilanti Township

Namaste Beca,

What a delightful question! Ujjayi Breath, the breath of victory, is one of the foundational Pranayama practices in yoga. Ujjayi Breath utilizes a restriction/constriction in the back of the throat that slows down the inhale and the exhale. Studies have shown that this change in breath pattern activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which contains many of the soothing mechanisms of our response network. From this sense this breath practice is calming and regulating. With this impact it can be ideal for a restorative practice. 

Ujjayi breath is typically used for more invigorating classes and practices, as it takes additional focus and can create heat throughout the body. That said, once we are comfortable with the practice, it is at times utilized for restorative practices. 

For those of us less familiar, Ujjayi breath can be eased into by taking a comfortable inhale, and on the exhale making the HA sound, as though you were trying to fog up a mirror. See if you can stretch out the exhale as much as feels safe for your body. Try that a few more times with the mouth open, seeing if you notice the body relaxing as you elongate the breath. See if you notice any release as you soften the breath. Next, try a few rounds where halfway through the exhale we close the lips, continue the same sound, the same constriction through the exhale. Once you feel at ease with that restriction on the exhale, we have the opportunity to try that same feel and sound through the throat on the inhale as well. I have heard this described as drawing air through a straw, which feels accurate, this beautiful long draw of breath. The more we are able to allow this process, and maintain our focus on these longer inhales and exhales, the more restorative the breaths become. 

Namaste Katie,

My sister is a yoga regular and is always talking about the cooling and the warming sides of the body. She will then talk about how she wants to start on different sides for different postures. Can you enlighten me on this practice?

Drake, Ann Arbor

Namaste Drake,

The nadis are a wonderful thing to explore within a practice, should you choose. I was initially training in Hath –which translates as Sun, Moon. Hatha is a practice which explores the light and the dark, the heat and the cool, the inhale and the exhale. Within these balancing practices that make up Hatha Yoga are the nadis, energy channels within the body. There are three main nadis: Ida, Pingala, and Susumna. 

Ida is described as the cooling side, originating from the base of the spine, crisscrossing through the chakras and ending in the left nostril or the left side of the third eye (descriptions vary). We describe the Ida as representing the moon, the releasing and grounding parts of the practice. Pingala is the fiery side, crisscrossing the body in opposition to Ida and ending on the right side of the nostrils or third eye. We think of Pingala as the energizing side of the practice, full of motion and lift. Lastly Susumna runs up the spinal column and out through the crown of the head. Susumna carries all our purified energy through the chakras and helps connect us with our higher, true selves. 

There are many schools of yoga that use nadis to inform movement, pranayama practices, and much more. I was taught in a manner similar to your sister. I start my warm-ups and cool-downs with the left side of the body, and more invigorating poses with the right. It is something that I learned from my teachers and have found makes sense for me and my practice. If these energetic connections make sense to you, absolutely enjoy them!

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