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Yoga Teachers' Monthly offers inspiration and information to yoga teachers who want to improve their ability to help their students grow and shine.
From Aadil Palkhivala, world-renowned yoga master, yoga therapist, author, federally registered Doctor of Naturopathy, Ayurvedic Health Science Practitioner, certified Shiatsu and Swedish massage therapist, with degrees in law, physics, and mathematics.
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| Anatomy and Pathology |
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The Psoas, Iliacus, and Emotional Healing The iliacus is a fan-shaped muscle that originates on the inner wall of the ilium, and inserts on the lesser trochanter. When the iliacus and psoas are tight, the lumbar spine is pulled forward, and the ilium also is pulled forward and downward. SI issues are almost always iliacus issues because they directly affect the position of the ilium. If the psoas is too loose, there may be no lumbar curve! Because we are sitting all day, the iliacus does not have the ability to pull the femur into external rotation, so the iliacus pulls on the ilium instead.
Tightness in the iliacus and psoas is directly related to your subconscious thoughts, judgments, and emotions. Work on your subconscious thoughts and judgments by offering them to Light. You can do this without even knowing what the specific thought or judgment is. If it is manifesting in the physical, it means that the thought or judgment or emotion is deeply rooted. Healing only the body does not change the mind, and sometimes changing the mind is not enough to work out the habits the body has developed. So address the body and the mind so that you heal on both levels. |
| Teacher's Questions & Answers |
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Padmasana
Q: What are the ways to prepare the body for Padmasana? What are the problems in performing Padmasana for stiffer people?  A: To prepare the body for Padmasana, work on opening the hips. The hips should be opened using the Hip Series (particularly internal and external rotation - Supta Janu Padasthilasana), Baddha Konasana, and seated Janu Padasthilasana. Additionally, focus on the legs in the following poses: Gomukhasana, Garudasana, and Ardha Baddha Padmasana. If the hips are not open, performing Padmasana can injure the knees by over stretching ligaments. When this pose is attempted forcefully, this can cause spasms in the deep lateral rotators of the hips. |
| For Your Inspiration |
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The Joyful Exploration
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." -John A. Shedd
This quote constantly inspires me to remember the true aim in life-which is not to stay in the same comfortable place day after day. A ship is built to explore. Can you recognize the sadness that a beautiful well-built ship  would feel if it never went out to sea? The joy of life awaits when we are willing to move beyond the safety of what is comfortable and begin to explore all that we have been given.
How do we do this? We start like an athlete and slowly build the muscles we need for action. What muscle is this? It is called sensitivity. You build sensitivity by cultivating your awareness of all parts of your self: what am I thinking, what am I feeling, what am I saying to myself and others, and what am I doing to myself and others. And from sensitivity and awareness comes self trust. From self trust, you have the ability to create self reliance and make decisions that support your highest good. A lack of sensitivity leads to doubt, and you rely on others to tell you what to do. Every great exploration begins with the awareness of where the ship is going. Cultivating that awareness within yourself keeps your ship sailing on a course towards beauty and joy. |
| Eastern Essence Foods |
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| Quick & Easy Organic Meals
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| Teaching Sensitivity in Your Asana Class |
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Excerpt from Fire of Love 
During class, frequently remind your students to pause and feel what they are doing, both while they are performing a pose and immediately after. While they are doing their poses, ask your students to feel the weight of their body dropping in their heels, or feel the pressure of their fingertips pressing into the ground. The mind automatically enters a reflective state when asked to observe what is going on inside the body. As your students pause after each pose or after each flowing series, encourage them to bring awareness into their bodies and create equanimity in their minds before proceeding. Closing the eyes creates calmness because the body responds by shifting the nervous system from its active, sympathetic state to its quiet, parasympathetic state. Opening the eyes reverses this. For example, when students have finished Balasana after Shirshasana, I ask them to come out of Balasana with their eyes open, sit on their heels in Vajrasana, and then close their eyes. I ask them to tune in and feel whether Shirshasana has left behind a remnant of agitation or an aura of peace. If they feel agitation, I ask them to internally resolve: "Next time, I will do this pose with a heightened awareness to create more peace. More peace." Then I ask them to open their eyes and move into the next pose. Fire of Love is available through Yoga Centers or AmazonJoin Aadil and Mirra on their new blog: www.aadilandmirra.com | |
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