Practice Fall 2015

FA L L 2 0 1 5

The Magazine of the Kripalu Yoga and Ayurveda Association Volume 24 Issue 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE L etter from the Director Ayurveda for Easing into Autumn Exploring the Deeper Practices of Yoga How Ayurveda and Self-Awareness Bring Us Back into Balance Home Vedic Home: Ancient Teachings for Harmonizing Your Home Rest, Relax, Renew: A Q&A on Restorative Yoga with Sudha Carolyn Lundeen Tools for the Radiant Teacher: A Glimpse at Kripalu’s 24th Annual Yoga Teachers Conference The Implications of Yoga Research for Health Care Sankhya: The Interaction of Purusha and Prakriti

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Letter from the Director

Yoga Teacher Specialist Training Restorative Yoga Teacher Training JANUARY 8–17, 2016

Dear friends, The title of this publication is Practice. We chose that title consciously. Yoga and Ayurveda each offer a vast set of skills that require great practice to master over time. Teachers inspire us through their delivery of knowledge, but it is the application of that knowledge, through consistent practice, that leads to lasting growth and empowerment. Much like a rocket carries a satellite to orbit and then falls away, a teacher’s role is to help their students master certain skills, at which point the teacher is no longer needed. That is empowerment.

As teachers and consultants, our role is to teach the practices of yoga and Ayurveda, allowing those practices to unlock the potential inside our students. It’s also important to remember that we need to keep up the practice ourselves, for we are inspired by the discoveries we make as we continue our own journey into these profound disciplines.

To support you in your ongoing journey of practice, the Kripalu School of Yoga is thrilled to announce the launch in 2016 of our Yoga Teacher Specialist Training.

Each of our three 9-day trainings is designed to offer in-depth knowledge in specialized areas of study, so you can continue to advance your study and empower your students by guiding them in developing mastery of critical yoga skills. Each training is unique and has different prerequisites.

They include • Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, with Sudha Carolyn Lundeen • Yoga in the Schools Teacher Training (extended to nine days), with Janna Delgado and Iona M. Smith • Chakras, Granthis, and Nadis, with Yoganand Michael Carroll And, if you’re looking for fellowship, inspiration, and tools to bolster your practice of self-care and spark your radiance, please join us for Kripalu’s Kripalu’s 24th Annual Yoga Teachers Conference: Tools for the Radiant Teacher, October 6–9.

Here’s to you and the light you shine.

In Yoga,

Micah Mortali Director, Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda g o to page 1 Letter from Micah

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Restorative yoga is a powerful antidote to the daily toll that stress and anxiety can take on the body, mind, and heart. This comprehensive training offers the skills, knowledge, and experience you need to lead your students through the healing journey of restorative yoga, including pranayama, meditation, and affirmations to deepen states of relaxed awareness, as well as sequencing, use of props, scripts, and safe physical adjustments.

Kripalu Yoga in the Schools Teacher Training JULY 1–10, 2016

Bolster your skills and gain tools that can enhance the lives of adolescents in this program for educators and yoga teachers. This training provides a scientifically validated yoga curriculum with developmentally appropriate lesson plans and opportunities to practice teaching in a simulated classroom environment.

Chakras, Granthis, and Nadis: The Inner Structures of Hatha Yoga OCTOBER 14–23, 2016

Explore how understanding and accessing the energetic pathways established by ancient yogis can enrich your practice and teaching. You learn kriya, asana, pranayama, bandha, and mudra practices along with teachings from the Kripalu tradition to make your classes more powerful and meaningful. Additional prerequisites apply; please see the Kripalu website for more information.

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Practice FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 2

Ayurveda for Easing into Autumn

by Erin Casperson and Larissa Hall Carlson

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utumn is upon us! As the days shorten and the temperatures drop, we begin to notice the cool, dry qualities of the coming season. In addition to the beautiful foliage, early fall provides perceptible relief from excess heat and dampness that might have accumulated in our bodies during the hot, humid summer months. As the season progresses and the coolness and dryness increase in our environment, those qualities can accumulate in our bodies as well. For a smooth seasonal transition, Ayurveda recommends adjusting self-care practices to be more warming (e.g., switching from coconut oil to sesame oil for daily massage), while altering the diet to favor the nourishing, grounding foods of the fall harvest, such as squash and pumpkin. Here are a few practices for an easy transition into the new season.

Oil Massage To maintain moist, soft skin during the dry, rough fall season, try a daily self-massage (abhyanga) with warm organic oil.

Abhyanga helps to hydrate the skin, support healthy circulation, and soothe the nervous system, which can be ruffled by the cold, windy days of autumn. Sesame oil is generally considered to be best this time of year, as its warm, grounding qualities help balance the cool, light, dry qualities of late fall.

Early in the season, if you’re still feeling excess heat from the summer, use half sesame and half coconut oil, which will create a neutral-temperature oil (sesame oil is warming and coconut oil is cooling). Avoid oil massage if suffering from fever, cold, or flu.

Sit comfortably on a towel and apply a thin layer of oil all over the body, as if you were applying moisturizer or sunscreen.

Massage in circular motions around the joints, linear strokes up and down the long bones, and sweeping circles on the belly and low back. Take five to 20 minutes to gently and caringly massage your skin, and allow the oil to absorb for a little while.

Follow with a warm shower, allowing the warmth of the water to encourage the oil to penetrate deeper into the skin. Soap only the hairy portions of your body, and pat dry with a towel.

Nasal Rinse If your seasonal allergies are flaring up, try using a neti pot.

This warm saltwater nasal rinse helps clean out allergens that can aggravate the nasal passages. Make sure to keep your neti

pot sterilized to avoid bacteria, and use only purified water and neti salt (found at your local health food store; Himalayan salt is great, too). Avoid neti if suffering from a sinus infection. For more guidance, review the instructions that come with your neti pot. Follow by massaging one or two drops of sesame oil into each nostril to mildly lubricate passageways.

Seasonal Eating Fall is a bounty of squash, pumpkins, root vegetables, and apples. To eat in harmony with the fall season, favor cooked, seasonal foods—moist and warm—while reducing your intake of the raw foods we gravitate to in summer, which have cold, dry, rough qualities.

In early fall, take advantage of the local harvest to feast on apples, which are excellent for draining excess heat and inflammation in the digestive tract that might have built up over the summer. Sprinkle cinnamon on raw, sliced apples; cook them on the stovetop in a small amount of water flavored with cinnamon and ginger; or try our recipe for Chopped Baked Apples (see sidebar).

As the weather gets cooler, warm up with blended soups made with roasted winter squash, or steam or sauté leafy green vegetables like kale and collard greens, and top with a teaspoon of ghee or olive oil. continued on page 3

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Ayurveda for Easing into Autumn

Seasonal Recipes

continued from page 2

Yoga Practice for Fall With all of summer’s outdoor activities, you might not have visited the yoga studio much over the last couple of months.

The fall is an excellent time to recommit to the practice you love.

Ayurveda offers a framework to skillfully adjust yoga practice to meet the needs of the individual and the season. In early fall, the coolness and dryness feel like a relief after the hot, humid days of summer. As the season progresses, those cool, light, dry qualities begin to accumulate in our bodies—calling for a grounding, nourishing, and relaxing yoga practice.

In early fall, explore a slow flow of Moon Salutations, which are more grounding and soothing than Sun Salutations. Incorporate wide-leg postures, forward bends, and seated twists to assist in flushing out the accumulated heat and inflammation of summer. Keep the breath smooth and rhythmic throughout the practice, and finish with a few rounds of Sheetali/Sitkari breath or Nadi Shodhana.

As autumn progresses, shift to a more grounding yoga practice, favoring a rhythmic slow flow to bring warmth to the body during the cold, dry days. Finish the flow with restorative, soothing postures like Child’s pose, supine twists, and gentle supported backbends. Maintain a smooth, even Dirgha breath (adding Ujjayi if you wish) throughout the practice, and finish with several rounds of Nadi Shodhana. n

CHOPPED BAKED APPLES 2 large apples, chopped (skins left on) ¼ cup raisins ¼ cup currants 1 inch minced ginger 1 ½ cups water 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons of ghee, Udi’s oil, or flax oil (optional) 1 orange slice with rind A handful of almonds, soaked to remove skins and finely chopped (optional) Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Put all ingredients in a loaf pan and mix well. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Add more water if needed to reach desired consistency.

Serve warm. If you wish, sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

COCONUT-COVERED DATE LOGS 20 to 30 Medjool dates, pitted Enough water to submerge dates in a pot 1 ½ cups organic, unsweetened shredded coconut Add dates and water to saucepan, and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for another 12 minutes. Drain water.

Add cooled dates to food processor and process for a minute or two, until they are a dough-like consistency. If they are very soggy, add a bit of coconut flour to the mixture.

Remove date mixture, and form into logs two or three inches long. Roll date logs in shredded coconut. For variation, try adding almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla powder, and/or candied ginger to the date mixture.

SPICED MILK This is a great evening tonic to encourage restful, nourishing sleep.

1 cup milk (or almond or rice milk) 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of saffron Place all ingredients except saffron in a saucepan.

Bring to a low boil and cook for four minutes. Pour into a mug and add a pinch of saffron.

Supine Twist, a soothing posture for fall

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Practice FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 4

Exploring the Deeper Practices of Yoga

by Yoganand Michael Carroll

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oga has been called the antidote to urban living— and to modern life in general. These days, we think of yoga primarily as a contemplative practice that leads to greater contentment, calm, and well-being.

But yoga originated as a lifelong spiritual path, a path of mastery in which a student progressed from beginner work to deeper practices, choosing (or being assigned by a teacher) specific techniques with very specific intentions.

“The underlying concept, regardless of the conflicting details, is that the advanced practitioner can target various areas and aspects of the energy body using particular yoga, pranayama, and meditation techniques.”

While many of these deeper practices of pranayama, postures, and meditation are not suitable for contemporary practitioners, having a better understanding of the full picture of yoga will inform your teaching at every level, for every population. This includes an understanding of the inner anatomy of the body—the road map of chakras and nadis (energy channels) that is profoundly impacted by the practices of yoga.

The ancient texts vary widely in their depiction of this inner anatomy. Some teach that the seven chakras are like doorways, which correspond to seven mythical places around the world where the veil between planes of existence grows thin and we are able to pass between them.

Other texts describe a network of hundreds of thousands of energy channels branching off from each other. The underlying concept, regardless of the conflicting details, is that the advanced practitioner can target various areas and aspects of the energy body using particular yoga, pranayama, and meditation techniques.

What’s here that’s valuable for us as practitioners and teachers today? By gaining a clearer understanding of how and why ancient yogis used these tools, we access knowledge about their potential for enhancing our lives and the lives of our students. When we are familiar with the original intention behind using particular techniques, and how those techniques impact the internal energy system, we can be more incisive in what we offer our students and clients. For example, some pranayamas, such as Kapalabhati or Bhastrika, will generate disturbed continued on page 5

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Exploring the Deeper Practices of Yoga continued from page 4

300-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training

energy; many students avoid them because they experience their effects as contrary to their expectation of what yoga practice should feel like. These pranayamas were intended to challenge and strengthen the witness consciousness, so that the practitioner eventually grows into a deeper peace.

On a broader scale, having a strong grasp of the full spectrum of yoga affects every aspect of your teaching.

For example, I rarely lead Bhastrika pranayama in class, but the fact that I practice Bhastrika changes something in me, and that, in turn, changes the way I teach Dirgha, Ujjayi, or Kapalabhati. Though you might not ever pass on these deeper practices, your intellectual understanding and personal experience of how they work will change the kind of teacher you are. n Yoganand Michael Carroll, E-RYT 500, is Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga and founder of the Pranakriya™ School of Yoga Healing Arts. Through many years of intensive study and practice, he has gained a profound ability to distill and interpret esoteric yoga texts and techniques. pranakriya.com

Teaching Pranayama and Advanced Asana: Essential Practices for Yoga Teachers Larissa Hall Carlson, Yoganand Michael Carroll, and Kripalu School of Yoga faculty NOVEMBER 13–22, 2015

The practice of breathwork awakens the life force and opens the door to profound meditation. Deepen your knowledge of pranayama, gain mastery in teaching asana, and explore the philosophy that gave birth to these techniques in a training designed to revitalize your physical and energetic bodies. This module includes • Ayurvedic, yogic, and contemporary perspectives on prana and the physiology of subtle energy • Guided experiences that reveal how pranayama can be used to soothe and steady the mind • Practical anatomy and alignment principles for advanced asana • Contraindications and teaching tools to work safely with students • Opportunities to develop your skills and build confidence through one- on-one sessions and evaluated practice-teaches • A unique Kripalu teaching methodology that integrates modifications, variations, and hands-on assists.

For more information, contact the Kripalu School of Yoga at ksya@kripalu.org or 800.848.8702.

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Practice FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 6

CONFERENCE PRESENTER

How Ayurveda and Self-Awareness Bring Us Back into Balance

by John Douillard

Kripalu School of Ayurveda faculty member John Douillard discusses the causes of stress according to Ayurveda, and the connections between stress and disease that Western science is also uncovering.

John is the keynote speaker for Kripalu’s 24th Annual Yoga Teachers Conference, October 6–9.

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oga and Ayurveda both stem from the Vedic tradition— from “veda,” meaning “truth” or “pure knowledge”—and these sister sciences offer benefits for the entire being.

Since they are primarily tools for awareness, they are designed to enhance clarity, prevent disease, and ultimately help individuals reach their full potential.

According to yoga and Ayurveda, all disease stems from a lack of self-awareness known as “the mistake of the intellect,” or pragnya aparadha (“pragnya” means “intellect” and “aparadha” means “crime”). This is when the intellect is mistakenly drawn to seek satisfaction in life’s material experiences, and begins to forget its true nature as pure consciousness.

Vedantic literature describes three common mistakes of the intellect: attachment or addiction, desire or lack of willpower, and ego or self-promotion. All of these originate at an early age from the need to be loved, appreciated, or approved of, and are then carried into adulthood. These mental and emotional behavior patterns force the mind to look outside itself for satisfaction. At a young age, the sattvic (pure and loving) nature of a child is replaced by the rajasic (stimulating) nature of the mind, as it seeks approval from outside sources.

The mental and emotional strain caused by this subtle overstimulation of the mind is perceived by the body as stress, which creates tension, compromises circulation, and eventually results in disease. Stress—which can also be caused by an unbalanced lifestyle and an unclean diet—causes the body to become physically dense, mentally foggy, and emotionally dull. The pervasive impact of subtle yet profound stress, long understood in yoga and Ayurveda, is now being acknowledged by Western medicine as well. For example, stress is now believed to be linked to a vast majority of diseases, according to medical experts.

What Western science is only just beginning to understand is that the things we see, feel, and experience have a profound impact on our health, well-being, and longevity. Science is discovering that g o to page 1 Letter from Micah

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even the most subtle emotional stressors will have an epigenetic effect on the body and an impact on our microbiology, which regulates most of the physiological processes of the body. Yoga and Ayurveda help bring the body back into balance, creating a heightened state that can serve as a platform to transform old emotional patterns. As these transformational actions are taken, the new neural pathways are laid down in the brain. In time, the defensive armor comes off; the old reactive patterns are replaced with new, empowering ones; and we experience the fulfillment, joy, and wellness that are our true nature. n John Douillard, DC, CAP, is a globally recognized leader in the fields of natural health, Ayurveda, and sports medicine. He is the creator of LifeSpa.com, an Ayurvedic health and wellness resource that is evolving the way Ayurveda is understood throughout the world, with more than 500 articles and videos proving ancient wisdom with modern science. lifespa.com Conference Keynote with John Douillard: How Contemporary Science Supports Ancient Wisdom The subtlest aspects of Ayurveda might in fact be the most powerful—and, increasingly, their efficacy is being confirmed by contemporary research. Join John Douillard, a Kripalu School of Ayurveda faculty member and director of the LifeSpa Ayurvedic Health Center in Boulder, Colorado, for an illuminating look at the ways Ayurveda can address modern ills, including • How emotionally charged food can cause disease • How abhyanga (oil massage) can help treat addiction • How a sattvic lifestyle can heal 90 percent of the cells in your body and lengthen your telomeres (sections of DNA at the end of chromosomes).

From an Ayurvedic perspective, we are, at our core, healthy, whole, and happy by nature. Come learn how these ancient practices can uncover your vibrant wellness.

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Home Vedic Home ANCIENT TEACHINGS FOR HARMONIZING YOUR HABITAT

by Jonathan Lipman CONFERENCE PRESENTER

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ur homes should nourish and harmonize with our physiology—after all, they’re an extension of it. The Vedic tradition of architecture teaches us how to do this, and modern science is beginning to give us a glimpse into why it works.

Our physiology is controlled by our brain, and, believe it or not, our brains are affected by the direction we face. Several biomedical studies done with animals have found that the neurons of the thalamus, deep in the brain, communicate differently based on the direction the head is facing. The thalamus is a critical part of the mind-body connection, as it’s an intermediary between the prefrontal cortex and the body, as well as the controller of our limbic system, which regulates growth, aging, and responses to stress.

The Vedic tradition teaches that there is a best direction to face for key activities, such as yoga, work, and sleep. Regardless of where you are on the planet, the best direction is always

east, the direction of the rising sun, the direction the surface of the earth is travelling, the direction from which the cosmos approaches us every day. Published research reveals that the direction in which people sleep correlates with the incidence of depression and anxiety, in just the way that the Vedic literature predicts.

Because our home is an extension of our body, the orientation of our dwelling affects our mind and body as well. Here, too, east is best; the Vedic texts say that south is the worst building orientation, as it is associated with problems and suffering. Studies validate that those who live in south-facing homes have worse mental health, are more likely to be under the care of a cardiologist, and are less prosperous. We want the physiology of our homes to resonate with the physiology of planet Earth in order to avoid these damaging influences. According to Vastu, even east light in our homes—from east-facing windows—improves our health. continued on page 8

The Vedic tradition teaches that there is a best direction to face for key activities, such as yoga, work, and sleep.

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Home Vedic Home: Ancient Teachings for Harmonizing Your Home continued from page 7

Since the sun generates different energies at different times of day, Vedic texts teach that we should locate rooms so that the different energies of the sun enhance the functions of each room.

Just as there is a right place for each organ in our bodies, there is an optimal place in a house for different activities—for instance, cooking is best done in the southeast part of the house, where, according to the Vedic texts, the transformative power of digestive fire (agni) is greatest. Likewise, Vastu teaches that we benefit from doing yoga and meditating in the northeast part of the home, where an influence of transcendence deepens our practice.

When we live in such a home, we dwell in harmony with the deepest structural level of nature. The ancient texts tell us that this nourishes our physical health, happiness, relationships, professional success, and growth toward enlightenment.

I’m an architect who has practiced yoga and meditation daily for most of my life, so it was inevitable that I would search for the connection between building design and the inner peace that yoga cultivates. I discovered the connection when I learned that the Indian sage Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had introduced to the United States the ancient system of Vedic architecture, which we now refer to as Maharishi Vastu architecture (Vastu is a Sanskrit term referring to the qualities of balance and coherence that are maintained in the structures of nature). I’ve been studying and practicing this system for 18 years, and I’ve found that the Vedas give us guidance to create powerful yoga for our homes.

parents and me, the very day that the family opened a new east door into their home and stopped using the west door, the two girls became best friends.

Nonetheless, a few years later I stopped working with clients to modify existing dwellings, because I found that people were experiencing the full effects only in Vastu houses designed from the ground up. The owner of one of these ideal homes told me, “My experience is that my home is a totally safe, secure refuge, a sanctuary of purity and stillness and happiness. I feel that my house protects me, not only when I am in it, but even when I am away from it.”

It’s the complete, holistic approach of Vedic architecture that harmonizes all of the inner and outer energies. These homes offer their inhabitants increased peace, health, happiness, and enlightenment. n Jonathan Lipman, AIA, is the director of Maharishi Vastu Architecture.

One of the nation’s foremost authorities on Vedic architecture, he has collated medical research that documents the effects of these harmonizing principles, and has presented his work for venues such as Harvard University and Oprah’s Next Chapter. maharishivastu.org

We’ve had hundreds of clients now, and they are reporting exactly the changes in their lives that the Vedic literature predicts.

A couple in Sweden wrote to me, “Since we moved into our Vedic house, we have experienced more fulfillment in most areas of life—more energy, better health, more of the quality of inner peace and bliss, as well as more strength. And, the different activities in the house have been more successful now that they are conducted in the right place, e.g., our sleep is sounder.”

The comment I hear from almost every family that live in Maharishi Vastu homes is that they feel more at home than they’ve ever felt in a home before. While some of these homes are large, others are tiny, and the effect of living in either seems to be the same. I believe that what underlies this experience is that a Vastu home is an expression of the same deep levels of natural law that organize our own physiology—Vastu really is yoga for the home.

A couple in the Midwest once asked me to consult on their west-facing home. Their adolescent daughters had quarreled with each other nearly their entire lives. To the amazement of the

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I’m often asked what can be done to integrate the effects of Vedic architecture into an existing home or apartment.

As long as a house faces one of the cardinal directions, you can take a few simple but powerful steps: • Use only east or north doors to enter the building • Do yoga and meditation in the northeast part of the house or apartment • Sit facing east or north for work or study • Sleep with your head to the east or south.

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Rest, Relax, Renew A Q&A ON RESTORATIVE YOGA WITH SUDHA CAROLYN LUNDEEN CONFERENCE PRESENTER

Sudha Carolyn Lundeen teaches Restorative Yoga Teacher Training at Kripalu in January, the first program in our new Yoga Teacher Specialist Training.

Sudha teaches Restorative Yoga to Preserve Ojas at Kripalu’s 24th Annual Yoga Teachers Conference, October 6–9.

What does a Specialist-level training offer yoga teachers?

If you want to start broadening and diversifying the populations you work with and the venues you teach in, then further training is important. To offer yoga in a therapeutic way, it’s essential to have a full understanding of the clients’ needs in order to safely and skillfully guide them, whether you’re teaching all-levels, drop-in classes or working with specific populations such as the elderly, those with limited mobility, pregnant women, or those recovering from injury or surgery. That’s why the Kripalu Approach to restorative yoga, which emphasizes mindfulness, nonjudgment, and compassion, is so beautiful. It provides a foundation and principles that you can take into any situation and adjust accordingly. I want to quickly point out the misconception that restorative yoga is just for the infirm, weak, or limited. Not true!

It is wonderful, perhaps even more important, for the Type A, go-go-go, “more is better” orientations. Restorative yoga is the perfect antidote to the fast-paced, stress-inducing world we live in. Even adding one restorative pose, such as Legs Up the Wall, at the end of a busy day, can reboot the nervous system.

How is this training helpful to yoga teachers who work in health care?

Any caregiver can benefit from knowing how to position a patient more comfortably, as well as working with the breath for stress management. As an RN, I think back to my days working in rehab and the recovery room, and I wish I knew then what I know now about the benefits of breath, good alignment, and positioning using props, to help patients be more comfortable and, as a result, less anxious. I’m hoping nurses will come to the training and take some of these tools into the medical arena.

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Sudha Carolyn Lundeen JANUARY 8–17, 2016

For 200- and 500-hour–certified teachers of any Yoga Alliance-registered school. CE credits available.

Restorative yoga is a powerful antidote to the daily toll that stress and anxiety can take on the body, mind, and heart. This comprehensive professional training offers the skills, knowledge, and experience you need to lead your students through the healing journey of restorative yoga, including • Expert instruction in restorative postures • How relaxation affects the nervous system in

positive ways and triggers the healing process • The use of pranayama, meditation, visualization, and affirmations to deepen states of relaxed

awareness for healing • Sequencing, use of props, scripts, and safe physical adjustments • Ways to integrate applied anatomy and Ayurvedic principles and philosophy.

For more information, contact the Kripalu School of Yoga at ksya@kripalu.org or 800.848.8702.

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Rest, Relax, Renew: A Q&A with Sudha continued from page 9

What are the physiological reactions that occur as a result of practicing restorative yoga?

The key here is support, via skillful placement of blankets, bolsters, cushions, straps, the wall, and even chairs, enabling the body to hold various yoga positions for longer times than we typically would hold active poses. For example, holding Balancing Half Moon pose for even five breaths without support can be challenging. But, practiced as a restorative pose, lying on your side with your ribs over a bolster, totally supported, you will be able to stay in the pose longer—which is what it takes to get to another level of relaxation, of quieting the body, mind, and breath. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated, cortisol decreases, insulin uptake changes, and there are positive effects on the immune system.

What are some of the areas in which teachers grow in a restorative yoga training?

Definitely in the areas of language, tone of voice, pacing, and, as we take it deeper, assisting and the ability to look at someone and get an energetic, intuitive understanding of what’s needed. Teachers increase their skills in customizing poses for students; making even tiny shifts in body alignment or the position of a prop can make a big difference in the student’s experience.

It becomes an art, and that takes practice, coaching, and feedback, which you get in the training. You also learn how to be creative with the props you have. You won’t always have access to six blankets, bolsters, straps—but if you’ve got a wall and a sticky mat, maybe two, there are still many poses to offer. You can easily lead a 40-minute restorative class just using the wall.

What are some other ways to integrate restorative yoga into your teaching?

A lot of studios are finding that, when they schedule a Friday restorative class after work, people come in droves. It’s also great for private sessions—you can bring one or more restorative poses into a session and teach students how to practice on their own, using particular postures to create balance or relieve stress. I notice that teachers are offering “restorative plus,”—restorative plus Reiki, restorative plus healing touch, restorative plus gonging. It’s an amazing skill set to have in your toolbox. n Sudha Carolyn Lundeen, RN, E-RYT 500, a faculty member for the Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda, has won three prestigious awards for her Kripalu Gentle Yoga DVD. Her personal experience with breast cancer, combined with 12 years in clinical nursing, lends a sensitivity and broad knowledge base to her teaching style. sudhalundeen.com

Contact Information Kripalu Yoga and Ayurveda Association (KYAA) tel: 413.448.3202 website: kripalu.org/kyaa e-mail: kyaa@kripalu.org Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda (KSYA) tel: 800.848.8702 website: kripalu.org/ksya mail: ksya@kripalu.org

Teaching for Diversity Sarah Carpenter tel: 413.448.3284 e-mail: tfd@kripalu.org

Outreach and Membership Coordinator Leah Jacobson-Hardy tel: 413.448.3461 e-mail: kyaa@kripalu.org

Editorial Manager Tresca Weinstein tel: 413.448.3332 e-mail: trescaw@kripalu.org

Registration 800.741.7353 is published by Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, PO Box 309, Stockbridge, MA 01262. ©2015 All rights reserved.

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to empower people and communities to realize their full potential through the transformative wisdom and practice of yoga.

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Tools for the Radiant Teacher

A GLIMPSE AT KRIPALU’S 24TH ANNUAL YOGA TEACHERS CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 6–9 This year’s conference focuses on tools and techniques to build your inner radiance (tejas) and vital energy (ojas).

Here’s a look at eight workshops designed around this theme and led by some of our most popular presenters.

The other eight workshops on tap at the conference were highlighted in the summer issue of Practice.

Check them out, and then register for the conference.

An Ojas-Boosting Self-Care Experience

Activating Sound to Awaken Ojas and Tejas

What you’ll experience: A juicy, full-body practice of asana, pranayama, abhyanga, and yoga nidra, designed to boost ojas and balance vata dosha What you’ll take home: Yoga and Ayurveda selfcare tips for rejuvenation and energy

Kimberly Larson and Terrel Broussard

Jurian Hughes

Larissa Hall Carlson

Who she is: Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda

Thai Massage and Ayurveda for Teachers

Who she is: A teacher trainer at Kripalu and a voice coach, and theatre performer

Who they are: Co-owners of Lakshmi’s Garden, an Ayurvedic retreat center in western Massachusetts

What you’ll experience: How mantras and affirmations can amplify our experience and expand our sphere of awareness

What you’ll experience: A hands-on practice blending energy work, physical manipulation, and metta (loving-kindness)

What you’ll take home: Techniques for using sound to rewire the brain, replacing negative habits with self-empowering ones

What you’ll take home: Methods for using Thai massage, yoga, and Ayurveda to nourish vital energy

Pranayama, Kriya, and Asana to Activate the Core Stephen Masullo

Who he is: A Kripalu Yoga teacher and certified Thai Yoga practitioner What you’ll experience: A sequence that awakens prana and agni, igniting inner strength and creating lightness in advanced asana and arm balances What you’ll take home: A deeper understanding of the practices of Uddiyana Bandha, Agni Sara, Kapalabhati, and Kumbhaka

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Tools for the Radiant Teacher: A Glimpse at Kripalu’s 24th Annual Yoga Teachers Conference, October 6–9 continued from page 11

Restorative Yoga to Preserve Ojas S udha Carolyn Lundeen

Nurturing Ojas and Tejas Through Nature Connection Randal Williams

Who he is: Curriculum Manager for the Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda

What you’ll experience: A look at ojas-preserving practices, including restorative yoga and pranayama, through lecture and practice

What you’ll experience: Discussion, meditation, and a silent walk in nature

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What you’ll take home: Self-care resources to support you in deepening your practice and expanding your teaching

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Ojas, Tejas, and Tapas: The Foundation and Pinnacle of Yoga

Brendan Feeley

Who she is: Faculty member for the Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda

What you’ll take home: Tools for reclaiming your vitality and strength and building your stresshardiness

Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology

Yoganand Michael Carroll

Who he is: Faculty member for the Council of Vedic Astrology and National Ayurvedic Medical Association member What you’ll experience: An exploration of how Ayurveda and Vedic astrology can reveal potent information about doshic imbalances and the manifestation of disease What you’ll take home: Insight into how to access clues to your constitution and health in Vedic astrology

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Who he is: Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga What you’ll experience: A look at the yogic models of foundation and pinnacle, from the Vedic fire altar to the nadis What you’ll take home: An understanding of how Ayurvedic teachings can strengthen the deeper yoga practices n

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

The Implications of Yoga Research for Health Care CONFERENCE PRESENTER

AN INCREASING NUMBER OF STUDIES POINTS TO YOGA’S EFFICACY FOR A WIDE RANGE OF CONDITIONS. by Sat Bir S. Khalsa

Y

oga is found on every continent—in urban and rural areas, in health clubs, retirement homes, military bases, high school gymnasiums, corporate boardrooms, and the wards of major teaching hospitals. In the United States, 9.5 percent of adults (21 million people) practice yoga, a 50 percent increase from 2007, according to a study by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Examples of yoga’s cultural influence include the United Nations’ adoption in 2014 of an annual International Yoga Day on June 21, with more than 17,000 people participating in New York City’s Times Square this year; the appearance of yoga practice rooms in major airports; and the widespread use of yoga images by the advertising industry. There are more than 400,000 photos tagged #yogi on Instagram, enough to warrant a New York Times trend piece. Arguably, yoga has become an integral part of society, with no signs of diminishing popularity.

Yoga therapy, the application of yoga for therapeutic and preventive purposes, is also on the rise, both in communities and within conventional medical systems. There has been a proliferation of yoga therapists, yoga therapy training programs, and professional yoga therapy associations, such as the International Association of Yoga Therapists, the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists, and the Japanese Association of Yoga Therapists. This growth is linked with and contributes to the expansion of integrative medicine practices, clinics, and centers, most visible through the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. Nearly 14 million Americans (6.1 percent of the population) say that a doctor or therapist has recommended yoga to them for their health condition.

Research is showing us that yoga practice leads to changes at a molecular level, in the very cells of our body.

be boiled down to one word: stress. Our study published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine showed that people’s primary reasons for starting yoga practice included general wellness (81 percent), physical exercise (80 percent), and stress management (73 percent). Our society has few mechanisms for coping effectively with the increasing stress levels felt by people This popularity of yoga and yoga therapy has coincided with, of all ages; stress-management technologies are not consistently and is likely linked to, an increase in both biomedical research on offered in schools, the health-care system, or workplaces. yoga practice and clinical trials on yoga therapy. Our recently published analysis of yoga therapy research revealed a total Stress and health/wellness are intimately connected. As stress is of 486 yoga therapy research trial publications, almost a three- pervasive and affects both body and mind, it is one of the major fold increase from the 169 publications reported in 2003. risk factors for disease. One of the consequences of the chronic stress present in our society is an epidemic of noncommunicable The reason for the increases in all three of these areas—yoga disease—illnesses that are activated in large part by poor lifepractice, yoga therapy, and yoga research—might in large part style choices, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet. Now continued on page 14 g o to page 1 Letter from Micah

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Practice SUMMER 2015 Volume 24 Issue 2 14

The Implications of Yoga Research for Health Care continued from page 13

that infectious disease is to under control in most parts of the world, the looming threat is this type of lifestyle disease.

The well-known efficacy of yoga as a stress management skill, as well as its utility in addressing other lifestyle disease risk factors, makes it an ideal preventive medicine practice for dealing with the burden of noncommunicable lifestyle diseases. Yoga therapy research has shown some efficacy for improving symptoms in multiple disorders including psychiatric, respiratory, and cardiac conditions, as well as cancer. This research is also addressing the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms of yoga’s therapeutic efficacy and is incorporating state of the art research methodologies including brain imaging, molecular biology, and even genomic expression. Recent studies are revealing that yoga practices can actually work at the genetic level—not just reduce symptoms but change gene activity itself.

This kind of research is showing us that yoga practice leads to

YES TALK

YOGA | EDUCATION | SERVICE at Kripalu’s 24th Annual Yoga Teachers Conference THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 | 4:30–5:45 PM

Yoga Research: Past, Present, and Future Sat Bir S. Khalsa, PhD An overview of yoga research, as well as highlights of groundbreaking studies conducted by the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living.

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changes at a molecular level, in the very cells of our body. That opens the door for an understanding of how yoga might affect conditions as wide-ranging as diabetes and schizophrenia, as well as the effects of aging.

In the United States, we spend more per capita and more total dollars on health care than any other country in the world— by 2024, national health expenditures are forecast to be $5.43 trillion annually—and, in a 2013 study, we ranked 26th among world nations in terms of general health measures, such as longevity and infant mortality. The current technologicallydominant, symptom-treatment-focused, reductionistic approach of our health-care system is apparently not an effective paradigm for dealing with lifestyle disease.

There should be more emphasis on preventive medicine, which is well-known to be more cost-effective and for which yoga is ideal. It comes down to simple economics. You can spend $1,000 to put an adolescent through a yoga training program that will lead to a transformation of their behavior, a reduction in their stress levels, and an improvement in their mind/body awareness. These changes, in turn, allow them to make better lifestyle choices; they are not driven to dysfunctional behavior due to unmanaged stress, and they gravitate toward healthy behaviors. Perhaps, for the first time in their lives, because of yoga, they are becoming aware of how they feel, and learning to engage in behaviors that make them feel better. Alternatively, in our current system, the unabated lifestyle risk factors will cost you $100,000 on a quadruple bypass 20 years later.

That’s why bringing yoga to kids has such huge benefits; when you give children and adolescents the means to cope with stress and increase mind-body awareness, you’re providing them with life-long skills that will ultimately affect not only their health, but also their quality of life, potentially for the rest of their lives. As research continues to validate the positive impact of yoga practices, we will hopefully begin to see yoga implemented within our educational and health-care systems, which will lead to a global transformation in our society’s health and functionality. n Sat Bir S. Khalsa, PhD, Research Director for the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He has conducted research on yoga for insomnia, anxiety disorders, chronic stress, and mental health in public schools. He actively works with the International Association of Yoga Therapists to promote research on yoga therapy and is author of the Harvard Medical School e-book Your Brain on Yoga.

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FALL 2015 Volume 24 Issue 3 Practice

Sankhya THE INTERACTION OF PURUSHA AND PRAKRITI

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nderstanding the historical development of yogic wisdom that brought Kripalu Yoga into the world deepens our knowledge of the tradition and informs its modern expression. Part One of this series, which is excerpted from the philosophy section of Kripalu’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training manual, identifies yoga as a systematic quest for truth, wherein the earliest philosophy of Vedanta establishes the concept that all of existence is connected and interdependent.

In Part Two, we take a look at the next major phase, known as Sankhya, which introduces a very practical layer of dualism between purusha and prakriti. This polarity creates a space to contain a more sophisticated set of graduated measures, to help practitioners navigate their experience of reality, including charting the subtle workings of the mind and the process of sensing the five elements. Sankhya as a detailed mapping of human experience might make it the world’s oldest neuroscience, and provides a critical set of guiding principles in developing the healing systems of yoga and Ayurveda.

— Randal Williams, Curriculum Manager, Kripalu Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda Sankhya is one of the oldest of India’s spiritual philosophies. Like Vedanta, it arose from the Upanishadic sages’ search for truth.

Sankhya is especially important for yoga teachers to understand

Sankhya darshan has been accepted as an integral part of yoga philosophy. Sankhya views the entire universe as born from two primary elements: purusha and prakriti. Purusha is the eternal and unchanging source.

Prakriti is nature, which is constantly changing because of the activity of the three gunas. When pleasure and attraction or pain and aversion arise in the mind of a Sankhya yogi, he believes with a strong conviction,“I am the inactive and liberated purusha. The actions of this body and mind are not my actions, they are owned by nature. I am merely the witness of these actions.”

By overcoming mental disturbances in this way, the Sankhya yogi activates discriminative intelligence (buddhi) and attains steadiness of mind. Without such steadiness, depth yoga practice is impossible.

—Swami Kripalu

because it provides the philosophical framework for both yoga and Ayurveda. Sankhya philosophy is founded on the idea that the universe comes into form through an orderly set of quantum steps that descend from causal layers to subtle layers to gross layers. This idea complements the view of contemporary science, which sees energy and matter as interchangeable and existing on a vast vibratory spectrum.

“Sankhya” means “list,” and its view enumerates the 25 tattvas, or fundamental categories of existence. Two tattvas are considered primary: purusha and prakriti. Purusha is the pure consciousness of spirit expressing as countless individual souls. Prakriti is the primordial matter from which the other 23 tattvas unfold in an orderly hierarchy of downward steps to form the manifest universe. In sharp contrast to Vedanta, Sankhya is dualistic and sees both spirit and matter as ultimate reality. This is in accord with the philosophical principle of dvanda (pair or couple), which states that everything comes into form in pairs of opposites.

Sankhya’s dualistic structure enables it to provide a succinct explanation of how an individual soul becomes bound in the material world. Purusha is pure consciousness and entirely immaterial. At its highest level of expression, prakriti exists in a state of perfect balance and its material properties are unmanifest. When purusha and prakriti interact, the equipoise of prakriti is disturbed and the process of manifestation and continued on page 16

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Sankhya: The Interaction of Purusha and Prakriti continued from page 15

embodiment begins. As prakriti descends into material form, the three gunas (strands)—sattva, rajas, and tamas—emerge. Like the subatomic neutron-protonelectron of contemporary science, Sankhya describes the three gunas as the substrate of all matter. As the three gunas take form, the soul is encased by the causal body, then the subtle body, and finally the gross body. Once physically embodied, the constant barrage of stimulation from the senses leads the soul to forget its true identity as purusha/spirit and mistakenly identify itself with the body and mind.

Sankhya likens the gunas to the three strands forming a single rope used for binding. In its macrocosmic form, prakriti is the vast, multidimensional, and dynamic structure of nature created by the interplay of the three gunas. Sattva is pure, luminous, and serene. Rajas is passionate, opaque, and restless. Tamas is impure, dull, and dark. The three-stranded rope of prakriti binds the material universe together, keeping the macrocosmic forces in a state of dynamic homeostasis.

The three-stranded rope of the gunas, a set of primary forces, is further ascribed the power of binding the microcosm of an individual. When sattva is dominant, an individual is inclined toward peace, harmony, and balance. Sattva binds one to happiness and knowledge. When rajas is dominant, an individual is inclined toward energetic actions and activities that satisfy and reinforce cravings. Rajas binds one to passion and activity. When tamas is dominant, an individual is inclined toward inertia and unconscious actions that further increase tamas. Tamas binds one to indolence and illusion. The gunas exist in a constant interplay of alternating forces that cause everyone and everything to cycle through sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic phases.

Practitioners of Ayurveda cultivate sattva by performing self-care techniques to purge excess tamas and rajas. Sattva gives rise to vibrant health and outstanding character traits that foster success in all areas of life. Even after sattva is dominant, Ayurveda is useful to keep the gunas in a state of balance. Yoga practitioners cultivate sattva to activate buddhi, strengthen their power of discrimination, and elevate their consciousness. The ultimate goal of both yoga and Ayurveda is to draw on the power of sattva to realize purusha as the true self.

Some ancient yoga schools found the Sankhya chart too complex to work with in practice. They simplified it into two different models. The first model is the five koshas (sheaths).The outermost sheath is annamaya kosha, the gross sheath of food that forms the physical body. Next is pranamaya kosha, the sheath of life energy that corresponds to the nervous system. Manomaya kosha is the sheath of the thinking mind. Inside that is vijnamaya kosha, the sheath of the higher mind and witness. Closest to purusha is anandamaya kosha, the sheath of bliss.

An even simpler model describes three shariras, or bodies: the sthula sharira, or gross body; sukshma sharira, or subtle body; and karana sharira, or causal body. Both models are consistent with the Sankhya chart. Their purpose is to help practitioners shift their awareness from the outer to the inner layers and eventually transcend the layers to experience purusha directly. Indian lore says that the Sankhya system was founded as early as 1000 BCE by the sage Kapila, who is credited with writing the Sankhya Karika. The accuracy of this claim is impossible to verify because the original text was lost. While a version of the Sankhya Karika does exist, scholars know it was written at a much later date, around 500 BCE. n g o to page 1 Letter from Micah

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The Hierarchy of the Tattvas According to Sankhya, everything in the universe comes into form through the hierarchy of the 25 tattvas: Purusha: spirit as the conscious principle of existence and true self of every individual Prakriti: insentient nature expressed as primordial matter, which comes into form through the activity of the three gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas Mahat/Buddhi: the pure, discriminative intelligence that underlies the intellect Ahankara: the “I-maker” or ego, which gives rise to the sense of self Manas: the thinking mind The five jnanendriyas, or organs of perception: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch The five karmendriyas, or faculties of action: hands/grasping, feet/ moving, tongue/speaking, genitals/ reproduction, and anus/elimination The five tanmatras, or subtle elements, including sound, touch, color, flavor, and odor The five mahabutas, or great elements that form our bodies and everything in the physical universe: ether, air, fire, water, and earth.

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