|
Practice Yoga in Colorado!
8th Annual Yoga Journal Convention
September 22 - 28, 2003
Estes Park, Colorado
Deepen and grow your practice.
Connect with others who share an interest in yoga.
All levels of students, from beginners to experienced practitioners, can study with 36 master yoga teachers from all major traditions.
Yoga teachers can attend a special Continuing Education for Teachers conference.
Don't wait until it sells out: Register Now!
800-561-9398
www.yjevents.com
|
Get a Free trial issue of Yoga Journal magazine.
Subscribe Now
Featuring:
Yoga:
A Yoga Journal Book
The definitive photography book on yoga.
Witness breathtaking beauty of hundreds of asanas and celebrate the artistry of yoga....
Buy Now
Visit Shop YJ
Buy Yoga Journal videos, books, and back issues, plus all the best yoga educational tools.
|
|
 |
My Yoga Journal June 10, 2003 -- Issue 53
Your weekly dose of yoga tips, information, and advice.
|
Building a Strong Foundation for Backbends
Have you ever come into a backbend--whether it's Upward-Facing Dog, Camel, or Full Wheel--and felt it in your lower back?
When I practiced mysore style Asthanga, I quietly endured
sensations--ranging from a dull ache to the occasional
attention-grabbing twinge--each time my teacher dropped me
from standing into a backbend. Why didn't I speak up? In part
I thought that the pain was just a normal part of doing such
an intense backbend. But there was also a part that was
ego-driven--the part of me that wanted that backbend so badly
that I would suffer to try to get it. I paid for my ignorance
and striving with pain and instability in my sacroiliac joint
that still plagues me today.
I have since learned to pull back from my backbends--to focus
my effort not on the final goal but on building the foundation
for a healthier backbend. I've also learned to speak to my teacher
when I feel like she is leading me into something potentially
dangerous or unhealthy. Finally, I heed the words that yoga teacher
Aadil Palkhivala said in a class recently, "Backbends should make the spine longer, not shorter."
This week we highlight stories that will help you set the foundation
for better backbends. Also, check out the May/June issue of the
magazine for our story about the incidence of yoga injuries, and
what you can do to prevent them.
Namaste,
Andrea Ferretti
|
In this Issue:
Featured Pose: New! Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana
Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana is a deep backbend that puffs the chest,
making the yogi resemble a pigeon.
The Gripping Truth
Here's how to avoid tightening the buttocks in backbends, which
can lead to compression and pain in the lower back.
When Less is More
By trying too hard, you may be adding tension to your poses...and
your life.
Positioning the Heels in Backbend
Iyengar teacher and research scientist Roger Cole answers a reader's
question about the placement of the feet in backbend.
Counterposes for Backbends
Cyndi Lee offers safe counterposes to reset the spine.
Talk to Us
Have you ever sustained an injury because of yoga practice?
What did you learn? Why do you think the injury ocurred? Let
us know by writing to talk@yogajournal.com
Weekly Poll
What's your favorite backbend? Vote on our homepage.
Last week's tally:
What type of hatha yoga do you practice?
Iyengar 16%
Kundalini 2%
Bikram 5%
Ashtanga 17%
Integral 2%
Anusara 3%
Vinyasa/Flow/Power 12%
Kripalu 20%
A blend of several types 20%
Other 4%
2612 votes cast
SANSKRIT TRIVIA: DVESHA--In classical yoga, one of the five causes of
affliction; defined in the Yoga Sutra as one's dwelling upon what
is painful.
Source: The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga (Shambhala
Publications, Inc., 1997)
Newsletter Archives
Accidentally deleted a past issue of My Yoga Journal? Never fear.
Now you can browse our archives of past newsletters online.
CURRENT ISSUE: June 2003
Better With Age
Six renowned yoga teachers on how their practice has changed over
the years--and what they've learned about themselves along the way.
by Marisa Guthrie
Standing on Your Own Two Hands
If you just can't seem to get upside down in Handstand, help is
on the way. An expert takes you through the sometimes anxiety-
provoking pose, step by step.
by Linda Sparrowe
Full Recovery
Yoga can help us heal after a traumatic event such as a major
surgery by teaching us to learn from limitations, listen to the
wisdom of the body, and connect with the breath.
by Kathy Wyer
Insight From Injury
Like any physical practice, hatha yoga carries with it the risk
of getting hurt. But are yoga-related injuries getting out of
control--and what can we learn from them?
By Carol Krucoff
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
SIGN UP FOR MY YOGA JOURNAL
Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Sign up for your own free e-mail
newsletter by visiting http://www.yogajournal.com/newsletter.cfm or
sending a blank e-mail message to:
join-yoga-journal-newsletter@yogajournal.lyris.net
FEEDBACK
Please send comments about newsletter content or
suggestions for how to improve My Yoga Journal to your newsletter editor, Andrea Ferretti, at
suggestions@yogajournal.com.
TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEWSLETTER
Send a blank message to
leave-yoga-journal-newsletter@yogajournal.lyris.net
PRIVACY POLICY
http://www.yogajournal.com/privacy.cfm
(c) Copyright 2003. Yoga Journal. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
