Namaste, Katie... Our Yoga Column, Fall 2021

Namaste Katie,

I have made a lot of modifications to my at home work space to be more body friendly. At the end of nearly every day I am finding my upper back tight. Is there something that I can do to alleviate that part of the body as I work on changing up my remote space?

Doug, Ann Arbor

Dear Doug,

You are hitting on something that many are experiencing. These ongoing adjustments to changing work, family, and home environments are leaving our bodies feeling tight for many reasons. Whether that tight sensation is in the rhomboids, the trapezius, or deeper in the muscles of the spine, a nice posture to support the remote work environment is a Sphinx or a Cobra posture. This posture may be a bit more challenging at a work location, as it does traditionally involve the body being on the floor. 

Begin on the floor, resting the face to one side. For Sphinx Pose, slide the hands forward until the elbows are under the shoulders, or in front of the shoulders, this will vary on the height that feels right for your body. On an inhale press through the palms and forearms lifting through the heart. Gaze can be forward or toward the floor, whichever feels better for the neck. 

For Cobra Pose, Bhjuangasana, the hands remain under the shoulders, or thereabouts, based on the comfort of your body. On the inhale in this posture, the pressure through the hands is light, and the lift comes more from the glutes and the low back. We continue to lift through the heart, creating space and opening through the upper back. In both postures hold as long as feel safe and comfortable. Lower down and switch rest sides in between. If a counter pose is needed a Child’s Pose, Balasana, is a great space in between. Take that break for yourself. 

Namaste Katie,

One of my online yoga teachers is consistently talking about “lines of energy” and I think I get the concept, though I would like to hear a little more about that, and how it fits in more than just feeling a certain direction of movement, if that makes sense. 

Kerry, Ypsilanti

Hi Kerry,

What a great observation and inquiry. Yoga is a philosophy deeply connected with energy bodies. When we discuss the chakras, those are energy centers in the body. Nadis are energy points in the body, and three of those lines are central in our study of yoga throughout its history, the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadi are energy lines that crisscross at the chakras, creating powerful places to tap into. 

When your teacher states “lines of energy” there may be a reference to these pivotal lines of energy in the body. However, there may be another direction they are taking with this. Erich Schiffmann in his book, Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness describes lines of energy as having three distinct elements in terms of an asana practice. The characteristics he describes are 1) “relaxed as possible” finding a way to soften the body and the breath together. 2) We want to find “desired intensity”—that place within the posture where we are utilizing the amount of energy that is needed for the pose, no more, no less. 3) Schiffmann outlines “alternating current,” where we expand the pose with the inhale, and soften and relax with the exhale, using the breath to align ourselves within the posture. 

If your online class allows it, it may help to ask your teacher where they are going in conversation with “lines of energy” as the options truly are endless in yoga. This is a beautiful and constant exploration. 

Namaste Katie,

I am finding myself so scattered with my new schedule. My partner is telling me, and I do not think they are far off, that I need something grounding. I am finding that the breath practices that I am accustomed to are not holding my attention as I move from place to place. Do you have anything that is really stabilizing?

Thanks,

Greg, Ann Arbor

Hi Greg,

The transition spaces this last year and a half have been so challenging. Grounding exercises are a lovely way to come back into our own body and feel a little more settled. As you mentioned though, some days they work quickly and other days they take more time. Those exercises that are familiar to you may take more time and patience, which I get is a struggle in this rapidly shifting environment. 

If time is not what you have, a great technique that you may not have tried yet is Mountain Breath. This breath practice gets us right into that solid grounded space, while also offering the opportunity to feel expansive and vibrant. We sit where we are comfortable, a chair with our feet on the floor, or on the ground if that works for our body and for the space we are in. Take a few moments for a few rounds of Ujjayi breath, or a few deep inhales and exhales with sound. On an inhale, raise arms overhead, interlacing the fingers, with the index fingers pointing toward the sky. Engaging the pelvic floor, hold the inhale as long as you feel comfortable. Exhale, and let the arms slowly drift back to the floor. Take a few rounds of this Mountain Breath and see if you can move the breath deeper into the body. 

Another way to develop that present moment awareness in this posture is to pay close attention to the pauses. Allow ourselves to notice how we feel. Can we take the time to settle into the space that we are in? Into the here and now? For that truly grounded space this breath work is practiced seated. That said, Mountain Breath can be practiced standing for a change of pace. See what helps you feel less scattered and stick with it. 

Katie Hoener is an RYT 500, receiving her 200 and 500 hour trainings. She is also a Licensed Master Social Worker and a partner at Verapose Yoga in Dexter (veraposeyoga.com). Please send your own yoga questions to katie@verposeyoga.com.

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