Deconstructing the Form and Constructing the Soul, Marcia Monroe

Iyengar Yoga—Deconstructing the Form and Constructing the Soul

YOGA’S PROFOUND IMPACT ON MY HISTORY WITH SCOLIOSIS

BY MARCIA MONROE

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”

—B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life

Unlike trying to fix a spine with mechanical exercises, yoga addresses the mind, body, and consciousness. These are not treated as detached entities but as a network for selfstudy in the pursuit of self-realization and freedom.

Inner expansion is possible through practice.

Patanjali’s Ashtanga yoga lays the foundation for understanding the mind, the obstacles that prevent self-evolution, and a methodology for dealing with these obstacles. The evolutionary master and beloved teacher B.K.S. Iyengar emphasized the important role asanas play as the main channel for experiencing the physical plane and higher levels of evolution. He further developed a living language and a map with specific directions used worldwide as an intelligent reference for casual and experienced practitioners. Guruji delineated the existence of the front, back, middle, and sides of the body and made refined differentiations of the spine, limbs, ribs, pelvis, shoulders, and the senses. Guruji further differentiated the inner spine from the outer spine, the inner edges of the upper and lower limbs and ribs from the outer edges, and inner layer and outer layers of the senses and organs of perception (tanmatra).

Guruji emphasized that scoliosis is a muscular-skeletal disease—a disease of the annamaya kosha, the physical body. When addressing structural scoliosis, Guruji used to call the convexities the mountains and the concavities the valleys. He called the mountain side the aggressive, and the concave side the timid. Both sides need opposing actions and teach each other. A yoga practice is imperative for the practitioner’s self-study to permeate the subtle layers of the body.

Guruji stated that in scoliosis the bones must be pliable, soft and act like muscles. The skin has to have its proper currenting to guide the flesh, and the flesh has to be differentiated from the bones. He used to say the flesh hugs the bones but in a state of action. In the thoracic convex side, the skin moves toward the flesh and the flesh hugs the outer layers of the ribs. On the convex side, the skin of the side and back of the armpit, chest, and outer ribs has to move toward the inner layers of the bones. On the concave side, the inner layers of the ribs have to spread to touch the flesh, and the flesh has to expand toward the skin. In thoracic scoliosis and asymmetry, he distinguished thick ribs on the convex side and thin ribs on the concave side.

I often hear comments from students, teachers, and professionals about yoga not being conducive for scoliosis. Some of their preconceived ideas come from articles and old photos of asanas extracted from websites. Most of these criticisms come from professionals who are not acquainted with Iyengar Yoga or with Guruji’s specialized use of props, such as ropes, bricks, belts, walls, tables, chairs, and whatever else will enhance the alignment in specific poses for the student with scoliosis.

EXTENSION IN YOGA

What is often called ‘forward flexion’ by others is, in Guruji’s system, a forward extension. It places an emphasis on length, elongation, and subjective inner expansion and space. In forward extension, we do not compress the

When addressing structural scoliosis, Guruji used to call the convexities the mountains and the concavities the valleys.

heart, diaphragm, or organs. People with a conventional understanding or who have not experienced Iyengar Yoga sometimes believe yoga is just a contortion practice. They are not aware that implementing the yamas and niyamas to asana, pranayama, and pratyahara makes the yoga practice a subjective and personal experience of self-growth. We feel from inside out the potential seeds of vitality, health, inner length, space, and expansion.

It is a consensus that asanas are to be modified according to one’s personal history of scoliosis and age. We omit mainly the group of asanas that trigger the mechanics of flat back and rotations that induce progression. Instead, the practice needs to support and maintain the integrity of the spinal curves without compressions.

My learning from Guruji is that there is no fixed or held position that will prevent the sense of direction, stability, and energy of the asana and create compression in the spine and organs. The subjective potential freedom offered by a modified practice cannot be accessed in x-rays or theories.

THE SPINAL MUSCLES

The muscles of the spine attach to the spinous and lateral processes of the vertebrae. Their function is to extend and rotate the spine. When we bend forward, they prevent the spine from collapsing under the pull of gravity. The erector spinae muscles are the superficial layer and fan outward from the pelvis to the ribs, and up to the neck and skull. In thoracic asymmetry and scoliosis, these muscles will be affected and activated asymmetrically. They will resemble a folding hand fan that is only half-opened. The fan will be overstretched and overworked on the convex side, closed and underworked on the concave side. The side that spreads the muscles is not activated to stabilize the ribs. The sense of direction for the convex side is that the skin moves toward the flesh and the flesh to the bone in a concentric contraction toward the center line. The side that retracts and closes the inner ribs has to expand toward the outer ribs, flesh, and skin. The muscle activation will require an eccentric contraction, an activation toward elongation, the opposing action. In the lumbar the same direction happens with the skin, flesh and underlying tissues.

For the stability of the spine and trunk, it is important to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, the inner layers of the abdominal muscles, and the short rotator muscles of the spine. These deeper layers of muscles are responsible for long-term alignment. In the case of trunk asymmetry, these muscles will be short on one side and lock the spine in a rotational pattern. In upper thoracic asymmetry and scoliosis, the main things to address are the muscles in the neck and shoulders, and the alignment of the head and senses.

STANDING ASANAS

I experienced the relevant role of the standing asanas when I first learned Tadasana. It acts like a light switch for the sensory nerves and proprioception. Tadasana teaches the correct foot loading to improve position of pelvis to help realign scoliosis.

Tadasana teaches us all how to stand on both feet and how to correct foot loading to address pelvic and lumbar asymmetry. The standing asanas are a very useful resource for discerning the differences between the sides and for engaging the legs and arms, the organs of action. Combined with other groups of asanas, standing asanas offer a great sense of empowerment and inner strength, and vitality.

Guruji taught the use of props, such as the wall, trestles, stools, chairs, or bricks, as choices for modifying and supporting the practitioner as they experience the asana in self-study. All the modifications in the program are individualized according to age, experience, and scoliosis history. Once you know how the sides have to move in a simple pose, you can make adjustments in all poses.

The muscles of the spine attach to the spinous and lateral processes of the vertebrae. Their function is to extend and rotate the spine.

Kurmasana

The following are a couple of examples of sequences of Seated Forward Extensions given to me by Guruji:

Janu Sirsasana, Eka Pada Paschimottanasana, Paschimottanasana, Kurmasana I, Marichyasana I

The main principle I learned from Guruji in all the forward extension seated asanas was to have support for the concavities to prevent the collapses. Initiation is from the hip and sides of the diaphragm to extend the sides of the trunk, front and back body. The back skin currents down and the armpits, chest, and collar bones broaden. The neck elongates and the back of the skull and crown of the head release. Guruji said the breast had to touch the opposite leg (tri-dimensional) to remove the convex rib cage while both sides of the trunk extend forward. The back convex ribs are to be absorbed in and de-rotated from the front and diagonally away from the convexity. The concave ribs broaden and rotate back.

Geetaji emphasized an even pelvis when bearing weight while sitting and increasing the lift to support the lumbar spine. The fulcrum being both sitting bones and the compacting of the outer hips. For additional support, Halasana benches, blocks, and the windows were often used to maintain a neutral spine in the concave phase of the asana. Support helped align the head with the spine and elongate the trunk. She would also say to pack in the ribs on the convexities. And offer shoulder blades and ribs a strap jacket to firm the loose shoulder blade in and to provide the proper action for the outer ribs.

PRINCIPLES FOR BACK EXTENSION ASANAS

All the asanas are modified depending on the curves, and age with the support of walls, bolsters, pads, wooden planks, ropes, chairs, stools, windows, bricks, proper asymmetric lift for the limbs. The alignment and stabilization of the limbs and joints are imperative for back extension with the additional individual support. From the feet, to the pelvis and the hands to shoulder blades, alignment for thoracic curves. The feet and hands with additional lifts to remove the weakness and collapse and to connect the limbs to the spine. The areas that drop lift and the areas that are compressed have to broaden and expand from the breath from the cycles of inhalations and exhalations. The shoulder blade straps offered stability to the ribs, and sensitivity for the chest and breath. The benches, chairs, windows, bricks, ropes, stools, and the proper asymmetric lift for the limbs are examples of modifications with support for back extension asanas.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana as taught to me by Guruji

Place a lift (Guruji used a small donut) under the right hand and the prolapsed shoulder of the convex side. Use a pad under the top of the right foot and the metatarsals. Press the ball of the feet down. Lift the arms and sides of the trunk up.

PRINCIPLES FOR INVERSIONS

In most of the students with scoliosis the inversions are supported. And even in strong practitioners with structural scoliosis, it was suggested to not hold an independent Salamba Sirsasana position for long.

Rope Sirsasana is useful to create space in the trunk, but the shoulders have to be stabilized. It is not a dead weight. In rope Sirsasana the shoulders need to be stabilized and move away from the gravitational pull.

Salamba Sarvangasana with the chair, trestle, Simhasana boxes for the neck, and supported Ardha Halasana with additional asymmetric supports may be used.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can be done on horizontal bolsters, or a small wooden trestle to balance the pelvic asymmetry with additional support for the shoulders, like a Viparita Dandasana bench.

PRINCIPLES FOR PRANAYAMA

The nerves will be receptive from the asana practice. In supported Savasana, the belly has to be soft like a feather.

In the asymmetric rib cage, the breath flows where there is space and less resistance. This means that in the upper thoracic and thoraco-lumbar curve, the breath spreads on the convex ribs, and is shallow on the concave ribs. Therefore, for pranayama, the unconventional breathing is utilized for the expansion of the retracted and locked areas as it spreads on the convex ribs, and is shallow on the concave ribs. In supported Savasana, and supine postures the belly has to be soft like a feather (a metaphor used by Guruji), as the diaphragm releases. For seated pranayama, the chair and a wall are used to increase the pelvic and trunk stability, elongation of spine, and expansion of the chest. Both sides of the neck should be aligned. The brain, nerves, and diaphragm are passive. The shoulder blade

and thoracic straps can be used to inform the volume and flow of the breath on both sides.

PRINCIPLES FROM PRASHANTIJI

Prashantiji’s classes have been, and still are, a healing space to explore and embody the tridimensional aspects of scoliosis from the breath excavations. Like a river, the breath becomes a channel to further develop the inner awareness of elongation, expansion, volume, and space within the compressed areas as well as to decrease the pressure from the overdeveloped or convex side. The postures and breath can be used as a medicine to improve pulmonary function as well as Sarvangasana on Setu Bandha bench with ropes create the tri-dimensional awareness and correction. I have been practicing for many years, learning at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, and presenting at medical conferences. The benefits of yoga and Iyengar Yoga programs for bringing union to both sides of the body and the mind would not be possible without the underlying embodied philosophy. Guruji’s methodology is a door of insights and hope for many students with asymmetry and its layers.

Swastikasana with belts

Like a river, the breath becomes a channel to further develop the inner awareness of elongation, expansion, volume, and space within.

Marcia Monroe (CIYT, Level 3) lives and teaches in New York. Over the years she has studied many times at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. Her direct experience with B.K.S. Iyengar has guided her journey with her own scoliosis. Marcia’s book, Yoga and Scoliosis: A journey to Health and Healing includes a foreword written by Guruji. She has led workshops on scoliosis in the United States and internationally.