Coffee & Yoga: A Good Blend?

Coffee is the most popular beverage consumed by adults in the United States, and the second-most popular beverage in the world, second only to tea.  The average adult in the U.S. consumes nearly two cups of coffee per day, and a significant proportion of the population drink considerably more -- I am one of them.  I love my morning coffee, and my afternoon coffee, and sometimes, if the work is far from done, my evening coffee.  I love the taste, I love the smell, and I love the extra juice it gives me.  But I'm finding it harder and harder to enjoy coffee with the carefree attitude I once held as I have come to recognize the caffeine addiction my love of coffee has left me with.  And I cannot help but wonder how all this java is affecting both my practice and overall health.

The litany of health benefits and risks associated with coffee consumption range from the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes, and heart failure to the inhibition of nutrient absorption, interference with body-fat reduction, and leeching of calcium from the bones.  Several studies suggest coffee enhances brain function, reduces pain during and after intense physical exertion, and greatly improves athletic endurance.  Others indicate that the caffeine in coffee exaggerates chemical stress reactions in the body and disrupts the functioning of the endocrine system.  The antioxidants in coffee may reduce one's chances of developing some types of cancer, but 19 of the chemical compounds found in coffee are known carcinogens to rodents. With all of these possible effects to consider, what's a yogini to conclude?

Well, it seems that, for most of us, the potential health benefits outweigh the minimal risks.  As with most things in life, I believe moderation is the answer.  If one enjoys coffee in the morning or finds that a cup in the afternoon can help them make it through the day, then by all means, partake.  The coffee loving yogis among us are likely already aware that the great contemporary gurus BKS Iyengar and the late Pattabhi Jois have both endorsed coffee as personal fans of the fully leaded version.  Iyengar in Light on Yoga suggests that, while the asanas should be practiced on an empty stomach, "a cup of tea or coffee, cocoa or milk may be taken before" if one is uncomfortably hungry or tired.  I remember reading this as a green yogini first thumbing through my crisp new copy and feeling enormous relief that I was not obligated by the practice to give up my favorite productivity beverage. 

However, in the pattern of my personal coffee consumption, the line between moderation and excess was crossed long ago.  I drink less than I used to, but still more than I need.  My dependency is well established.  I am not myself without it, so I believe it may be time to curtail the coffee drinking once again.  But I'm not quite ready to call it quits.  Based on the evidence, I'm not sure that I should.

Articles Referenced:

• "Is Drinking Coffee a Health Enhancing Ritual or Detrimental Addiction?"
• "Coffee with Yoga:  Inspiration and Pain Relief is There"
• "Coffee Better than Ibuprofen at Relieving Workout Pain"
• "Health Effects of Coffee"

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First Drop Backs

It's been an interesting day.  I had to work an extra shift last night because of the holiday weekend, so I was at the restaurant all night and woke up later than I would have liked this afternoon.  After the obligatory coffee and blog reading, I had about an hour for my practice before jumping in the shower and heading off to teach my Sunday class at Love Yoga.  As I am wont to do when pressed for time, I defaulted to my favorite essential practice:  20 minutes of pranayama, 10 minutes of meditation, 5 Surya As, 5 Surya Bs, 5 minutes in headstand, and Savasana.  It was just right.

I arrived at Love Yoga energized and ready to teach.  I set up my mat, turned on the heat (78 degrees, people.  Not 100), and waited for the students to arrive.  And I waited.  And waited.  And waited.

Nothing.  Nobody.  Not one student showed up.  This has happened before, unfortunately, but I've handled it well.  I knew from the beginning that empty classes can be part of the job, especially when first starting out.  In the past, I've used the time to play with the props, working on floating, restorative postures, and other such fun.  But this time it got to me.  In the quiet, candlelit room, I realized that this was the first time I've wanted to pray in any way, shape, or form in a very long time.

I laid on my mat for a while, feeling sorry for myself.  Then I picked myself up, dragged the Manduka to the middle of the room, and grabbed a cushion.  I sat in meditation.  I listened to sound of the breath.  I felt it as an expression of my desire to serve in this place.  Then I felt it grow, expand, and begin to move beyond myself.  I honed the tone and sent the breath to every inch and corner of the room, filling it with my offering.  Then I locked up and went home.

I had homework to do, so naturally I managed to procrastinate in a variety of ways.  I made a sandwich, ran to the store, checked the blog stats, and tidied the kitchen.  Then I happened upon this helpful post by David Garrigues, who offers up some mighty fine instruction on his blog from time to time, with a couple of brief video tutorials on drop backs.  He talked about the effects of various arm positions, and the actions of lifting the chest, pushing the hips forward, and pressing the thighs back.  Then I thought, I had a light practice today.  Why not?  I've been working with hang backs in Ustrasana for the past couple of months, which feels amazing.  And sometimes in Urdhva Dhanurasana when walking my hands in I feel the weight shift into my feet and my upper body becomes light, so I guess I've been preparing for it in my own way.  I rolled out my mat by the wall and, after plenty of warming up, practiced my first drop backs.  I was pleased with the practice, even though I have no frame of reference, which is kind of nice.  This way, I can just allow things to progress without expectation.

I laid a couple of floor pillows down flush with the wall in case of a crash landing since I wasn't sure what to expect, then I set up, "stamped" through the inner edges of the feet, as Garrigues puts it, lifted the chest and began to curl back.  I tried dropping back and standing up about ten times.  My hands made it to the wall about a foot and a half from the floor, then I'd walk them down a little ways toward the cushions, looking for the edge of sensation, then rock once and stand up.  A couple of times I made it all the way up without using the wall, but most of the time needed a second push to come up to standing.  The only thing I found really confusing about the experience was when to begin bending the knees more.  It felt like the point at which I bent the knees was the same moment that I literally "dropped" that last little bit to the wall.  If I prolong bending the knees, will I be able to drop back further?  Or should I bend the knees sooner to create more of a bow shape before letting the hands fall?  Either way, I'm sure I need to spend some more time opening the shoulders if I want to take this further.

And now I can't sleep.  So it's true what they say about post-backbend insomnia...  It's nearly 4 AM.  That's a couple of hours past my bedtime, and I'm still buzzed from the backbends.  Oops.

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Asana of the Week: Parivrtta Trikonasana

Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose) is a standing twist which stretches the muscles of the outer hip and lengthens the hamstrings while toning the legs, back, and sides.  It is an awkward pose, to be sure, and it's a little bit harder than it looks.

The challenge here for most practitioners, myself included, is balancing the pelvis.  The front hip must be continually tucking back, and the rear hip moving forward to bring the pelvis into balance.  If the hip abductors or rotators are weak, the gluteus maximus will engage to compensate which causes the pelvis to tilt posteriorly and collapses the low back.  This throws the hips out of alignment and makes it difficult to ground into the back foot, which anchors the pose, resulting in a battle of the opposing rotations of the pelvis versus the torso and a teetering, misaligned pose.

It is helpful to begin in Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Posture) to prepare the hips and hamstrings for Revolved Triangle since the pelvis is already squared and level in this position.  When moving into Parivrtta Trikonasana from Parsvottanasana, the legs and hips remain the same, both legs active and grounding, as you "lengthen the spine in a spiraling motion from the sacrum through the top of the head" (Swenson, Ashtanga Yoga:  The Practice Manual).  Traditionally, the bottom hand is placed to the outer edge of the foot; however, this placement can make balance and breathing especially difficult if the outer hips are not open enough to allow for free rotation of the torso.  If this is the case, the hand may be placed to the inside of the foot, on top of the the foot, or on the shin.  Another option is to use a block.  This is one of the few poses for which I like to offer a block in my classes.  I don't often use props because I dislike the distraction, but a block is especially helpful here in making space for the breath in the twist while keeping the pelvis squared.

I practice Parivrtta Trikonasana with the palm on the floor to the inside of the foot, as pictured, so that I can focus on really grounding through that back heel, which never wants to stay down.  It's difficult to tell from the photo, but my left heel is not quite on the floor, which is an accurate representation of how this pose generally plays out in my practice.  Tight hip abductors and short achilles tendons have made progress in this pose slow going.  It has been one of the least comfortable postures for me since the beginning.  The yoga teacher in me says that this means I should practice it every day, but I don't.  I was for a while, and made significant headway, but these days, not so much.  Let's change that, shall we?

For the next week, I will practice Parivrtta Trikonasana every day with mindfulness and honest effort.  I will observe myself in the pose and attempt to discern a path in the direction I wish to move, toward space and groundedness.  I will report back on my findings.

I gather that Parivrtta Trikonasana is an awkward and uncomfortable position for many practitioners.  Readers: what's your experience with this pose?  How do you prepare the body?  Which variations do you prefer to practice?

And, as always, a flow...

Parivrtta Trikonasana Sequence:  Use standing twists as an effective way to warm and open the hips.

1.  Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
2.  Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
3.  Parivrtta Utkatasana  (Revolved Chair Pose) - Bring hands to heart center.  Twist to the right.
4.  Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle Pose) - Step the left foot back to lunge variation.
5.  Parsvottansana (Intense Side Stretch Posture)
6.  Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose)
7.  Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half-Moon Pose)
8.  Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (Standing Splits)
9.  Uttanasana (Intense Stretch/Standing Forward Fold)
10.  Repeat steps 1-9 on the opposite side.

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Asana of the Week: Ardha Chandra Chapasana

This week's asana is Ardha Chandra Chapasana, a challenging standing balancing posture with an asymmetrical backbend thrown in for good measure.  This pose deeply opens the inner thigh and groin of the standing leg while giving a good stretch to the hip flexor and quadriceps of the bound leg.  Ardha Chandra Chapasana effectively expands the rib cage, broadens the chest, and brings an active stretch to the abdominal muscles as the front body is gently pulled open by the pressure of the foot into the hand.

This pose is an obvious extension of Ardha Chandrasana (Half-moon Pose), and is sometimes offered as an advanced variation in mixed-level classes.  To come into Ardha Chandra Chapasana, begin in Ardha Chandrasana.  With an exhalation, bend the knee of the floating leg and reach back with the top hand to grab the outer edge of the foot.  As you inhale, begin to gently press the foot into the hand and revolve the chest up while you relax the shoulders back.  Turn the gaze up if you feel steady.

Ardha Chandra Chapasana has been manifesting quite a lot in my home practice this week.  I like to practice this pose early in the standing sequence as a preparation for deeper asymmetrical backbends, ala Eka Pada Rajakapotasana variations or Hanumanasana.  It's a great opener early in the practice, as it gives my always-tight quadriceps and psoas a much-needed stretch and leaves me with a deep sense of space and expansion.

Ardha Chandra Chapasana Balancing Sequence:  This standing sequence will test your balance and strengthen the standing leg as it opens the hips and lengthens the hamstrings.

1.  Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
2.  Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A  (Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose A)
3.  Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B  (Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose B)
4.  Parivritta Hasta Padangusthasana  (Revolved Hand-to-Foot Pose)
5.  Ardha Chandrasana  (Half-moon Pose)
6.  Ardha Chandra Chapasana  (Sugar Cane Pose)
7.  Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana  (Standing Splits)
8.  Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Posture/Standing Forward Fold)
9.  Repeat steps 1-8, standing on the left leg

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Asana of the Week: Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana

Twists, twists, and more twists!

It's another twist this week.  My practice has been full of them lately, I must be in need of a good cleanse.  Been feeling a little thick around the middle the past couple of weeks, probably eating too much protein (read: peanut butter, tons of it).  I'll have to cut down on that, but in the meantime, twists are helping me along.

Parivrtta Hasta Padugusthasana (Revolved Hand-to-Foot Pose) is a standing balance with a strong twist.  In this pose, the notoriously tight IT band receives a deep stretch, and the glutes and hamstrings are lengthened.  The core and standing leg are worked strongly to keep the body stable, while the twist improves mobility in the spine and massages the abdominal organs, contributing to healthy digestion.

Use your bandhas to remain grounded and steady.  Point the tailbone down.  Keep a micro-bend in the knee of the standing leg and draw up through the arch of the foot. Lift the chest and lengthen the spine in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose) before switching the hands to initiate the twist.  Stabilize the hips as you revolve from the waist to turn your gaze back over your shoulder.

Driste, the gaze point, is especially important in balancing postures.  Choose a gazing point that is comfortable for your neck and stick with it.  Fix your eyes on a spot that is not moving to keep your mind focused on the task at hand, eventually bringing the gaze all the way around to the thumb of the extended hand as you deepen the twist.  Breathe deeply.

Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana Sequence

1.  Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A (Extended Hand-to-Foot Pose) - Stand on your right leg.  Bend your left knee and grab your big toe with the first two fingers and thumb of your left hand (yogi toe lock), bring your right and to your hip.  Extend your left leg straight out in front of you, OR if the hamstrings are tight, bend the left knee and hold the knee.
2.  Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana B - Inhale your left foot out the side and turn the gaze over your right shoulder.
3.  Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana (Revolved Hand-to-Foot Pose) - Inhale your left foot back to center, grab the outer edge of the foot with the right hand, bring your left hand to your hip, and exhale as you twist to gaze back over your left shoulder.  If you feel steady, extend the left hand.
4.  Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) - On an exhale, release your hold on the left foot and remain in Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana with the leg floating for one inhalation.  Exhale with control as you unwind the body and float your right hand to the mat 6-10 inches in front of the right foot.  Reach your left hand to the sky and gaze to the left thumb.
5.  Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) - Exhale as you bend the right knee and float the left foot down to the mat.  Reach the right arm forward and the left arm back in Warrior II.
6.  Vinyasa to standing.

7.  Repeat 1-6, standing on the left leg.

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Variations on Surya Namaskara

Is it dance?  Is it yoga?  Is there a difference?

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Asana of the Week: Ardha Matsyendrasana

"Once, Lord Siva went to a lonely island and explained to his consort Parvati the mysteries of Yoga.  A fish near the shore heard everything with concentration and remained motionless while listening.  Siva, realizing that the fish had learnt Yoga, sprinkled water upon it, and immediately the fish gained divine form and became Matsyendra... and thereafter spread the knowledge of yoga (BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga)."  

Ardha Matsyendrasana, Half Lord of the Fishes pose, is dedicated to Matsyendra, teacher of Yoga and Lord of the Fishes.  This seated twist is a favorite of mine because the position of the legs stabilizes the pelvis in opposition to the rotation of the spine, encouraging more mobility in the mid and upper back.  The secure leg position also lengthens the gluteal muscles of the top leg, making for some nice opening sensations along the outer hip and buttocks as the spinal twist deepens with the breath.

The pressure of the top thigh against the abdomen massages the abdominal organs, encouraging healthy digestion.  The muscles of the back and sides are lengthened on one side as they are contracted on the other.  When practiced on both sides, as all asymmetrical asanas should be, this pose brings symmetry to the spine.

The breath can be tricky in Ardha Matsyendrasana.  Directing the breath into the chest, which is free to expand if the shoulders are kept from collapsing, is the most efficient breath in this pose.  Deep ujjayi pranayama, firming and lifting the lower abdomen, ensures that the spine stays long, the low back is supported, and makes space for a deeper twist by lifting the abdomen away from the thigh. 

There are a variety of bound arm positions one may incorporate in Ardha Matsyendrasana.  However, "it is frequently a more intense twist when the arms are placed in a simple, non-bound position."  If binding the pose, be sure to rotate the spine first.  I like to spend a few breaths in the non-bound position pictured at the top before moving into a bound variation (right) to ensure that the spine is not stressed by the leverage of the arms.  "Overuse of the arms can direct too much force into vulnerable parts of the spine -- particularly T11-T12,"  where the mid back and lower back meet and the curve of the spine is reversed.  Use very gentle pressure with the arms creating a "deepening, stabilizing (not mobilizing) action (Kaminoff, Yoga Anatomy)."

Ardha Matsyendrasana Sequence

1. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
2. Janu sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
3. Marichyasana A (Sage Twist A)
   
4. Marichyasana C (Sage Twist C)
5. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)
6. Agnistambhasana (Firelog Pose)
7. Parivrtta Agnistambhasana (Revolved Firelog Pose)
8. Vinyasa
9. Repeat steps 1-7, twisting in the opposite direction.

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