October Pose of The Month
Have you packed for Autumn yet? I’m not going to lie, I’m still working on it. While I love the Fall I’ve had a difficult time transitioning, because I’m holding onto the warmer temperatures that I prefer to cold weather. So the transition from Summer to Fall makes me think about winter coming next, which makes it harder for me to live in the Fall and enjoy the beauty of the in between. This is something that I’m actively working on. Like the lovely yellow, orange, and red leaves that the trees are letting go of all around us, I am too trying to let go… to surrender to live fully in this beautiful season of hope.
How has your transition been going? As you’ve been making your transition, what have you chosen to hold onto and pack for your trip into the remaining months of the year?
The 8 limbs of yoga are essentially a “plan” for living that originated from the very well known text ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’, and they describe the different aspects of yoga practice. B.K.S. Iyengar describes the Yamas (and Niyamas) as the “golden keys to unlock the spiritual gates, as they transform each action into one that originates from a deeper and more ‘connected’ place within ourselves.” Even if you don’t consider yourself a spiritual person and/or you don’t practice yoga, these ‘golden keys’ are the ways in which we can create a better world for ourself and the world around us.
The first and most significant limb are the Yamas. The Yamas are often seen as ‘moral codes’ or ways of ‘right living’. The 5th and final Yama is Aparigraha- non-attachment, non-possessiveness and non-hoarding. In a nutshell, Aparigraha is about knowing when to let go. What are you wasting your energy on and attached to that is burdening you and keeping you from living life fully? This could be attachments to our own thoughts, political ideology, to relationships, to our most cherished pain-producing beliefs, or to stuff/material objects.
Aparigraha shows up on our yoga mats when we lose sight of the real true reason we came to our yoga mat to begin with- our intention to perhaps relax, to be present, to find peace, etc. We are all guilty of comparing ourselves to other yoga practitioners at some point of time in our yoga journey. We let those negative, toxic thoughts creep into our mind that we aren’t strong enough or flexible enough to do a yoga pose that someone else can do with what looks like little effort. We compare our practice to others and become competitive. This takes us away from the reason we came to practice in the first place and the purpose of yoga- to connect to and celebrate you just as you are… your wholeness. Instead, our mind becomes greedy and clings to thoughts about what makes us feel anything but complete.
Aparigraha shows up off our yoga mat when we lose sight of what really makes us happy and attach happiness to material possessions. We don’t realize that the more material possessions we hoard, the more we weigh ourselves down with not only physical, but also energetic baggage. We trick ourselves into believing that the key to happiness lies in those possessions, and thus become attached to them and greedy for more in fear of losing that joy that we associate with them.
Aparigraha also takes over our minds when we attach ourselves to positive feelings and experiences so much, that we don’t let ourselves fully have or live in that positive experience. Instead we cling to those positive experiences and feelings and try to control them, because we become worried and preoccupied thinking about what life would look like if we weren’t experiencing happiness and peace all the time. We try to avoid experiencing the other half of what life has to offer. We forget that life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, no one said it was supposed to be, and it will be OK. Sometimes we try to avoid those experiences that bring on those uncomfortable, negative feelings. We think that if we push them away, they will go away and we can go back to feeling happy. However, in order to experience life fully and live in the moment we must face the dark just as we embrace the light. We have to let things come and go, accept the dark experiences and feelings for what they are, and have faith that they will pass.
I have recently started reflecting more on Aparigraha in my life, asking myself- What baggage am I carrying that is no longer serving me? What really brings me joy? Separating the two isn’t always easy and can be quite scary, depending on how attached you are to that “baggage”. However, the sense of relief and peace that comes with this process of surrender, like the ease in which the trees around us are surrendering their leaves, is well worth it to me. What are your beliefs around ‘letting go’/’surrendering’? Some may cling to the belief that letting go is a sign of weakness or means that we are giving up. On the flip side, some may hold tight to the belief that letting go is a sign of strength and courage. Either way, is it possible to detach yourself from your belief, to practice aparigraha, and just give it a try? Afterall, this is the season of letting go.
The energy of Autumn and nature around us is slowing down and asking us to do so as well. While it might be challenging to do so, nature is giving us permission to slow down which is an incredible gift that we don’t even give ourselves enough. This is the time to slow down so that we can fully listen to those quiet places of our inner stillness and rest in those places as long as we need to. This is the time of year to let go, to make space, and to just enjoy a relaxed state of surrender.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel like I’ve personally started this process of slowing down months ago, which I feel like has been a silver lining to the pandemic. This slowing down time has allowed me to be more present for the little things that bring me joy that I may have overlooked in the past. There is so much joy right in front of us… in the present… in the living…yet we get caught up in all the “stuff” that we think we need to buy and/or attain to bring us joy. Furthermore, we may also get caught up in what we believe are, or what others dictate to us are, the socially acceptable ways of “right living” to find joy. We attach ourselves to ideologies, beliefs, and material things and sadly sometimes we do it for others, thinking it will make us happy because we will be accepted in the social world we seek acceptance from. We prioritize social acceptance before authenticity, and we chase a false perception of joy that we will never find on that path.
The gift that mother nature is giving us right now, with no strings attached, is time to slow down to assess the “baggage” in our lives, to unpack what’s not serving us, and pack lighter for our journey ahead. This is the time to make space in your suitcase to live.
Pārśvottānāsana/Intense side stretch pose
(parsh-voh-tahn-AHS-anna)
parsva = side, flank
ut = intense
tan = to stretch or extend
“When you look at someone folding into a pose like Pārśvottānāsana, the main things you see are the surrender and the depth of the fold. What's harder to notice is what's happening behind the scenes. In order to experience that depth, that sense of complete freedom in Pārśvottānāsana, you first have to create boundaries through alignment.
~ Marla Apt
The 8 limbs of yoga prescribed by Patanjali are the boundaries that we set for our life off the yoga mat. They help to guide our behaviors and thoughts on our journey on the path toward freedom. When we have clearly established boundaries and we are living them in all that we do, then we have surrendered those “attachments” that are holding us back and weighing us down. It is then that we have reached the final stage on the path of yoga- Samadhi. Samadhi is the final 8th limb of yoga and means “integration” or “absorption.” It is the practice of the entire program (the other 7 limbs) and thought to be the ultimate experience of yogic freedom.
Our pose of the month, Pārśvottānāsana, is our opportunity to practice Aparigraha on our mat. It is a physical expression of surrender and freedom.
Pārśvottānāsana invites us to open the vulnerable places of our mind, body and spirit, as we physically bow and surrender to ourselves. It teaches us to trust our foundation and have faith that it has everything it needs to help us surrender peacefully with ease. We are whole just as we are and our lives are whole just as it is.
Pārśvottānāsana challenges you physically to find a balance between freedom and stability. You start by connecting to a stable foundation or base (feet) and the strength of your legs. Then as you extend your spine and open your shoulders, you start to feel the quality of inner spaciousness that brings freedom to your upper body. This freedom helps you access the deep fold, to surrender, with ease. When you take the variation of this pose with your hands tucked behind you (i.e. reverse prayer or hands to elbows), the surrender to the fold may seem a bit scarier and challenges your balance more than the variation with hands on the floor/blocks. In this variation, you have to use your sense of proprioception, which is our internal feeling of where we are in space, to fold forward and stay balanced. You have to trust your boundaries and foundation more here.
Follow the directions below to practice Pārśvottānāsana on your own at-home.
Alignment
Feet are in a Warrior 1 stance, with 3 -4 feet between
Feet should be hip distance apart, or as if you are standing on railroad tracks rather than a tightrope.
Slight internal rotation of thighs.
Knees are extended, but CAN remain slightly bent.
Start upright with hands in reverse prayer pose, or holding opposite elbows.
Extend spine before folding forward.
Fold forward with an extended spine, reaching the heart toward the big toe of the front foot.
Keep pelvis square by drawing up and back through the front leg hip.
Weight should be balanced evenly between front foot and back foot.
Benefits
Calms the brain
Stretches the spine, shoulders and wrists (in the full pose), hips, and hamstrings
Strengthens the legs
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Improves posture and sense of balance
Improves digestion