This week, our class had the pleasure of being introduced to Sivananda Yoga by instructor Jenn Kretzer. Jenn (as she prefers to be called), made it a point to call out instructions rather than practice with us, demonstrating only when need be before observing through Zoom. It was a strange experience, because a lot of the asanas and movements called for closed eyes or a focused gaze, both difficult things to produce when one feels that they are being watched ever so closely. Nonetheless, Jenn did not make it weird; instead, she accommodated all the students, and made sure each of us had something to do at all times, even when the asanas were a bit advanced.
And advanced, they were. Writing this only a day after the practice, I can attest to the soreness that is woven throughout my body right now. Sivananda Yoga has proven to be the most intense physical practice I have engaged in thus far. It is not due to the pace, but rather the intensity of muscle usage paired with controlled, thoughtful breathing. My knees, lower back, abdomen and arms feel the most impact, as they are stretched and utilized in a capacity that even weekly yoga practice has not accustomed them to.
Before discussing the most impactful asanas and moments of practice, I would like to acknowledge the history of Sivananda Yoga as Jenn described it, as well as Jenn’s experiences as an instructor.
Sivananda Yoga is named after Vishnudevananda, a man from India who was a Doctor, and came up with this style/form of yoga. It is the same practice every time; though level, length, and variations may differ, every element stays pretty much the same, no matter what country one is practicing in. Sivananda had many disciples, one who notably was a woman from Germany known as Sivananda Radha Saraswati, whose life was memorable, heartbreaking, and inspiring. Her story deserves an entire blog post to itself, which I will certainly provide in a couple of weeks. It is also important to note that in Sivananda Yoga, asana practice is not the main focus. Rather, it is 1 of the 5 points of yoga, which are:
· Asana (Proper Exercise)
· Pranayama (Proper Breathing)
· Savasana (Proper Relaxation in the Corpse Pose)
· Vegetarian Diet (Proper Diet)
· Vedanta & Dhyana (Positive Thinking & Meditation)
These five points are essential to a healthy, positive life. In order to increase Vedanta, or Positive Thinking, one must consume positive food, movies, books, and other material, as well as surround oneself with positive people. It is all part of the process that creates a yoga-centric, healthy lifestyle. Pranayama is extremely important to Sivananda Yoga as well, in practice and theory.
As for Jenn herself, she has been teaching yoga for 18 years and was in fact taught by our very own Dr. Greene who, as Jenn says, “is a master of alignment.” Jenn is a wonderful instructor herself and her kind words and praise went a long way in making us beginners feel at home. Besides Sivananda, Jenn practices Mantra-based Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Yoga Nidra. In terms of teaching, Jenn says that the most challenging aspect of the job is verbal; making sure that she says the right words and cues because there are “different ways to teach different learners.”
Despite this challenge, Jenn does an excellent job of meeting everyone at their level. No matter where we were in the class, Jenn made sure we all had something to do, whether it was a visualization or variation of a more difficult asana (looking at you, Bakasana) or a different asana altogether. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to focus on the two pranayama asanas we did at the beginning of the practice, Salamba Sarvangasana (the same asana done in Ashtanga Yoga but with more context), Halasana, Dolphin Dive, Seated Spinal Twist, and Raja Bhujangasana
(also known as King Cobra).
The first pranayama exercise required me to sit on my mat, legs crossed and arms at my sides. Once in this position, I took my left hand and formed a symbol akin to “okay,” then set my hand aside on my left knee. Subsequently, I took my right hand and made a peace sign before lowering the two fingers that stay up before lifting the rest of them, bringing my hand up to my nose. Once there, my right thumb rested against the right side of my nose while my right ring finger rested against the left. Breathing into my right nostril, I covered it with my thumb and then, after a few counts, exhaled through my left one. I then inhaled through my left nostril, and covering it with right ring finger, exhaled through my right one. This process repeated several times as I concentrated on the rhythm, listening to the counts and feeling the difference in my breathing as my inhalation and exhalation switched back and forth. The sensation felt surreal, my nose becoming a battleground that was at once separate and whole.
The second pranayama exercise took on a form that almost reminded me of Kundalini Yoga, but slower — a feeling that was verified by Jenn when I inquired about it. Taking a deep inhale, I waited for Jenn’s count and then exhaled five times. She would say “ex, ex, ex, ex, ex” at a moderate, steady pace, and each time I would release a deep exhale straight from my abdomen, the crunch of my stomach matching the intensity of every breath. Once this was done, I was instructed to inhale and fill my lungs about three quarters of the way, holding in my breath for about 30 seconds. While holding my breath, I felt the contraction of my body against the stillness of my being, both fighting with my conscious mind while waiting for the moment air could enter my nostrils once more. When it was over, my exhale was long and relieved, a calm wind after a storm.
Now, we move to the asanas that, while still heavily involving pranayama, are more varied in their nature. Salamba Sarvangasana, which I have done previously, was the kickoff for this. Though typically Salamba Sirsasana is the starting point, it is recommended that beginners do not do headstands, specifically because of the placement of one’s neck and knowing how to place it in such a way that no injury occurs. With this in mind, I chose to do Salamba Sarvangasana, and starting flat on my back, placed my hands on my lower back, beneath my clothing so as to secure a tight grip. I then lifted up and kept my legs as straight as possible, my elbows on the floor and my arms supporting my back as my neck lay securely on the ground, no pressure reaching it.
From this asana, I entered Halasana, pushing my legs over my head as I kept my back straight, the tips of my toes hovering just above the ground as I could not get them all the way down. My arms lay straight out by my sides, and I soaked in the moment, enjoying the deep stretch in my back and the release of tension from my upper body.
Though not the next asana in the sequence, Dolphin Dive left a lasting impression on me. It was a replacement for a tougher asana, the name of which escapes me, but it allowed us to build a bit on the muscle and discipline that would be necessary for future challenges. Laying down, I moved so that I was in a low plank, using my arms to grasp each other in a tight hug. Then, I laid them down flat, and on an exhale moved back, my tailbone going up as my head went down and my shoulders and hips squared back towards my feet. Inhaling, I then moved forward so that I was almost in my starting position, my shoulders in line with my wrists as I exhaled, my chin just grazing the floor. I did this for 10 breaths, focusing on the inhale drawing me in, the exhale pushing me out. I then rested for a minute in Savasana — a frequent occurrence in Sivananda Yoga, as Relaxation is one of the five key points — and then repeated the asana again for an additional 10 breaths.
Seated Spinal Twist gave me the flexibility and movement in both my spine and stomach to release the tension that was being held there after previous asanas. Sitting straight with my legs in front of me, I bent my left knee and crossed my left leg over my right leg, placing my foot beside my right thigh. Then, bending my right knee inwards, I kept my right ankle by my side, my right foot planted firmly on the floor. Squaring my hips, I reached my left arm behind me and placed my fingertips on the floor, twisting my body to the left. I raised my right arm upward, and then wrapped it around my left knee, which was still bent, keeping the right hand stationed in an upright position. Inhaling, I soaked in the moment before exhaling and twisting even further to the left, continuing the process until I went as far as I could go. Gently releasing myself, I switched sides and focused on the pranayama and its movement in time with each twist, feeling the rise and fall of my chest with every significant postural change.
Finally, we came to an asana I had not yet done or heard of before this practice: Raja Bhujangasana. Laying down, I stretched up and extended my arms straight out in front of me, pushing back as I bent my knees and lifted my feet towards my head, which was leaning back to meet them in turn. I also lifted my thighs off the ground, feeling the strain of my muscles as they fought not to give into gravity, feeling both grateful for the release and resentful for the challenge. Though simple, Raja Bhujangasana is surprisingly difficult to sustain, and truly worked out my abdominal muscles, as well as my upper and lower back ones. I had to do it slowly in order to keep my breath even, which allowed the stretches to be longer and more powerful — a huge pro for me!
That said, this has been my favorite in-class practice so far, and I am looking forward to the challenges the next one is sure to bring!
Until the Next Reflection,
Moujnir
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