In the previous lesson, I shared the importance of regularly relaxing the mind and body and about how relaxation techniques bring about the removal of physical and mental tension. Today I'd like to share a new shavasana/savasana practice with you :) I hope it will help you relax and leave you feeling refreshed. ❤
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Today, I've included the following bits of yoga information:

• A Youtube Video | This video is from the playlist I made called "A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya." Why Youtube? Sometimes I have felt the need to verbally share some of the experiences I am having as a result of my yoga practice. Sometimes I demonstrate how to do an asana or a pranayama practice (though I am not an expert admittedly). Sometimes I have found that what I am studying provides so much incredible information that it would be a shame to summarize it or keep it to myself, so I share that too. I hope what I am doing with my life and my studies is beneficial to someone out there. So, this is only me expressing love... my love for yoga, for myself and family, for life and for everyone out there. Namaste. ❤
• Photos | I am sharing the pages from the book regarding naukasana and shavasana (part 1) practice. I realize I failed to really demonstrate those two practices, and for that, I apologize. Here they are. I'm also sharing the pages from this lesson :) 
• Links | to previous blog posts which complement this lesson. For example, I first described savasana (part 1) and provided photos of it --> HERE. 
• The Book's Descriptions | Swami Satyananda's description of the shavasana (part 2) technique, its benefits, instructions, summary, etc. 
• A Recording | In case you want to listen to the lesson being read directly from the book and would, therefore, like to practice savasana while being verbally guided ... then you're lucky because I've included myself reading the pages and "teaching" the savasana. :) I've been listening to myself teach the lesson sometimes when I really need a little help relaxing. Savasana (Part 2) starts at the 10-minute mark. The previous 10 minutes include a guided journey through savasana part 1, as well as other news.

SHAVASANA - PART 2
The two parts of shavasana comprise a whole, and as such, the second part should be practiced immediately after the first part, without a break. 

Sleep
The biggest problem is sleep unless of course, you practice shavasana specifically to remove insomnia. It is the habit of most of us to sleep whenever we achieve a reasonable degree of relaxation. We seem to associate relaxation with sleep and tension with wakefulness. Yet the aim of shavasana is to gain a high state of relaxation while being fully awake. 

If we fall asleep halfway through shavasana, we lose much of the benefits, because, during sleep, the mind again manifests its usual patterns of worry. By remaining awake and directing awareness to the different parts of the body and the breath in the way described, our awareness is coaxed away from its entanglement with obsessive mental anxieties. So, try to stay awake, even though it is very easy to just drop off to sleep. 

Awareness
Throughout the practice, one should try to be aware of all the processes which we have described in shavasana. However, it is very easy to think of other thoughts and become distracted from the practice at hand. You should not suppress thoughts if they arise. Let them occur, be aware of them but simultaneously continue on with shavasana. 

Instructions
During yoga classes, the teacher gives all the necessary instructions and the practitioner merely listens and carries them out. It is far easier to gain benefits under these circumstances. However, when you practice by yourself you should develop the idea that you are the instructor. Instead of the instructor being in the form of another person, he is now in your head. Mentally repeat the instructions to yourself and then enact them. In this way, you are more likely to maintain awareness throughout the practice. 

Summary of the Steps of Shavasana
Shavasana is a systematic technique which progressively relaxes the body and mind. Therefore, the order of practice is important so that you become more and more relaxed as you work through the technique. The following is a list of the basic steps to possibly metally repeat to yourself throughout the practice:

1. Adjustment of body position on the floor
2. Experience of contact of body with the floor
3. Feeling of heaviness and limpness of different parts of the body
4. Feeling of sinking in the space in front of the closed eyes
5. Breath awareness. If you change the details of this technique to suit personal circumstances and preferences, try to maintain this basic order of steps.

The codes that Swami Satyananda Saraswati formulated are not intended to be moralistic. They are a means to an end. To reiterate, they are suggestions by which you can start to consciously alter your attitude towards life's situations. They are intended to relax you sufficiently, so that you can eventually delve into your mind through meditation practices and thereby root out the deeper negative aspects of your mental nature. 

These codes are not supposed to change your lifestyle, and we don't advise you to force them on yourself at all times. only remember them as you go about your daily routine and their presence will help you from within, from your subconsious 'attitude centres'. (61)

Within us, there are various forms of energy that permeate and surround our bodies. These are closely connected with our health, the way we think, and how we react to the external world. Some of these energies are well known: nervous energy, chemical energy, and so on. Yet there are some which are not normally perceived in everyday life of most people. It is these subtle forms, as well as the grosser forms of energy that the practices of pranayama seek to harmonize and manipulate (57).

​This subject of prana and pranayama will be fully discussed in the next lesson, but in this topic, I will describe one of the most straightforward practices of pranayama called samaveta pranayama as I've understood it based on the amazing book we have been exploring now since March 16, 2020.

This is an excellent practice in preparing the lungs for more advanced practices of pranayama. At the time of retention, the amount of oxygen taken up by the blood and the amount of carbon dioxide that is discharged by the blood into the lungs is increased. When people breathe quickly and shallowly, the exchange between the circulating blood and the lungs is very small. The increased exchange during samaveta pranayama helps to revitalize the body and improve one’s health (57).

Some of the things that come up for me while attempting to practice samaveta pranayama are the following:

• Apparently, I have a monkey mind that doesn't want to stop running to the past and future
• I also found it difficult to get started, to begin, and to sit still
• I was oftentimes interrupted

However, I made a few changes to my life and to my practice... more like, a few commitments. And, as a result, I've been successfully practicing samaveta pranayama for the last three days out of seven total. I'd like to share those with you now :) 

Yesterday, A student of yoga who happened across my Youtube Channel asked me via whatsapp the following question: 

This is a wonderful and intelligent question. Luckily for us, the answer to this question is provided by Swami Satayananda Saraswati on page 36 of the full, unabridged textbook, "A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya". He says:

In the previous lessons, Swami Satyananda described eight exercises to loosen up the body, particularly the legs, in preparation for meditative asanas and other types of asanas. In this topic, we will explain two of the simplest sitting positions, which can be used for various meditation, pranayama, and kriya yoga practices.
 
The following two asanas are very useful in the early stages of practice. However, the best sitting positions are the classical meditative asanas. These are padmasana (lotus pose), siddhasana (accomplished posed for men), and swastikasana (auspicious pose for women). Your aim should be eventually to sit in one of these classical asanas. Therefore, the exercises previously given for loosening up the legs should be continued so that the more advanced meditative asanas can be mastered in the future. 

This is the easiest of the meditative asanas, and everyone should be able to sit in it. Although it may be used for meditation practices, it has one basic drawback: most of the weight of the body is supported by the small area of contact between the floor and the buttocks. After a period of time, this area soon becomes a little painful. However, this can be overcome to a degree by using a cushion under the buttocks. The other meditative asanas have a larger area of contact between the floor and the body - the weight of the body is supported partly by the buttocks and also by the legs, which reduces aches and pains from developing.

•  Place a folded blanket or run on the floor
• Sit with the legs facing forwards in front of the body
• Fold the left leg under the right thigh
• Then place the right foot under the left thigh
• Hold your head, neck and spine upright in a comfortable position
• Place your hands either on your knees or in your lap
• Close your eyes
• Relax your whole body
• The arms should be relaxed and not held straight
• the back should be upright and firm, but without tension

​Note: As soon as one is able to comfortably perform any other meditative asana, sukhasana should be discontinued.

Many people find this asana a little uncomfortable at first because it is a sitting position that few people ever use. At first, the ankles and knees tend to ache, but with practice, this asana will become most comfortable and almost a joy to sit in. Besides being an excellent meditative asana used by Muslims and Japanese Buddhists, it is the starting pose for a large number of other asanas. 
 
The Sanskrit word vajra means 'thunderbolt.' The psychic vajra nadi, which is greatly affected by this pose, is an important energy pathway which carries nervous impulses of the genito-urinary system from the brain. It is the same word that has given the name Vajrayana to a form of Tantric Buddhism, which uses sexual union as part of its spiritual sadhana (practice). The term has various other meanings, all connected with the same subject. As such, vajrasana is said to enable the practitioner to gain control over the sexual functions and direct the energy towards expanding consciousness. 

ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS

Beginners may find it difficult to sit on their feet without the support of the arms. A good method for loosening up the legs is to support your body weight with your arms and then slowly lower your buttocks towards the feet. Bear the discomfort for a second or so and then take support of your arms again to release the tension. Then again, lower your buttocks and repeat the procedure. With practice, you will find that the tension disappears, and eventually, you will be able to sit on the feet for longer periods without the slightest difficulty. Remember, the loosening up exercises will also help you very much to make your legs more supple and allow you to sit in vajrasana. 
 
Beginners who find that their legs and feet ache after a very short time in this position should return to the kneeling position and then sit on the floor with the legs outstretched. Bend one leg, hold the ankle, and vigorously shake the foot until all signs of stiffness have disappeared. Repeat with the other leg. Then again, sit in vajrasana.

SINGULARITY
by Marie Howe
          (after Stephen Hawking)
Do you sometimes want to wake up to the singularity
we once were?
so compact nobody
needed a bed, or food or money --
nobody hiding in the school bathroom
or home alone
pulling open the drawer
where the pills are kept.
For every atom belonging to me as good
Belongs to you.   Remember?
There was no   Nature.    No
 them.   No tests
to determine if the elephant
grieves her calf    or if
the coral reef feels pain.    Trashed
oceans don’t speak English or Farsi or French;
would that we could wake up   to what we were
— when we were ocean    and before that
to when sky was earth, and animal was energy, and rock was
liquid and stars were space and space was not
at all — nothing
before we came to believe humans were so important
before this awful loneliness.
Can molecules recall it?
what once was?    before anything happened?
No I, no We, no one. No was
No verb      no noun
only a tiny tiny dot brimming with
is is is is is
All   everything   home

Complement with an ink-and-watercolor animation of Mojave American poet Natalie Diaz’s gorgeous poem of brokenness and belonging and an animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s feminist revision of the history of science.

Watch a cat closely and you will see that it periodically stretches its spine upwards and downwards. Marjariasana imitates this action, and though it is very simple, it is useful in ensuring the best possible health of the practitioner. It is also very beneficial for the whole body, particularly the back and abdomen. The nerves in the spinal cord, as well as the internal organs of digestion, are stretched, massaged, and revitalized. 

In the following blog post, you will find:

• A Youtube video of me showing how the asana is done correctly, as well as some extra tips and benefits not mentioned in our textbook, "A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya".
• Written directions about this asana, its techniques, as well as its many benefits (photo included)
• Photos of this lesson's Daily Practice Program options

If you're reading this in your email box, then as always when there are videos, I highly recommend you view this post on your browser instead :) ~ Ashley

Breathing should be as described, making sure that the abdomen is contracted as much as possible at the end of exhalation and expanded as much as possible at the end of the inhalation. 

Try to perform the movement and breathing as slowly as possible, with full awareness. Aim to make the downward and upward movements have a duration of at least five seconds each. 

This asana can be done for as long as you have time available. Ten full rounds is reasonable for general purposes. If you have any particular ailment, longer is prescribed. 

This asana supplements the previous asana (saithalyasana) in that it loosens up the spine. Those people with rigid spines and chronic back or neck ache are especially advised to do marjariasana regularly. 

The pelvic and abdominal regions are well massaged, with a beneficial influence on the internal organs. The organs of digestion, reproduction and elimination are innervated by nerves in and around the spine. Marjariasana gently stretches and stimulates these spinal nerves. This has a supplementary influence, which improves the function of the internal organs.

​Many women suffer from ailments of their sexual organs. This asana has been found to be very useful in improving the health of these organs and helping to eliminate reproductive disorders. Women suffering from menstrual irregularities and leucorrhoea have achieved enormous benefits from regular practice of this asana. At the time of menstruation, this asana can help give relief from menstrual cramps. 

This is an excellent asana for post-pregnancy cases as it tightens the abdominal muscles and encourages the abdomen to resume its normal shape. It's also useful in releasing pressure off of the bladder whilst pregnant.

If you have been following along lately, we are gratefully and enthusiastically working our way through our textbook, A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya!  We have completed Lesson 1, which has prepared our bodies for meditation, but the work continues! Now, as we move forward through lesson 2, we are about to add two more asanas to our daily practice program. 

The following asana, although reasonably simple, is very beneficial for the whole body, particularly the back and abdomen. The nerves in the spinal cord (the vital link between the body and the brain), as well as the internal organs of digestion are stretched, massaged, and revitalized. 

In the following blog post, you will find:

• A video of myself explaining how to practice this asana
• Written directions about this asana and its benefits
• Photos of this lesson's options for a Daily Practice Program

If you're reading this in your email box, as always when there are videos, I highly recommend you view this post on your browser instead :)

LOVE TO YOU ALL
​~ Ashley

​BREATHING, AWARENESS AND DURATION
The breathing should be as described in the technique, full and deep, slow, ensuring that it is also synchronized with the body movements.

When you are fully familiar with the asana, then close your eyes and become aware of the movement of the body and breath. In the final pose, you should be aware of deep and slow breathing.
The duration in the final position should only be for as long as you are comfortable. With practice, try to maintain the final pose for a minute or so on each side of the body, providing this does not cause any excessive discomfort.
 
BENEFITS
This is a good asana to loosen up the legs and prepare them for meditative asanas.

Most people have very stiff spines, so stiff in fact that it is difficult to believe the spinal column is composed of thirty-one separate bones which allow suppleness in the back and neck. This asana helps to loosen up the spine and return it to its correct condition. In the final position, the abdomen is compressed, which gives a valuable massage to the internal organs, especially those concerned with digestion. This massage squeezes out stagnant, impure blood and encourages it to flow back to the heart and lungs for oxygenation.

​The deep breathing is most important for it accentuates the massage imparted to the abdominal organs.

In the next blog post and Youtube video, I'll show you how to correctly perform the yoga pose, Marjariasana! We will also learn about its benefits like how it is actually an excellent asana for post-pregnancy as it tightens the abdominal muscles and encourages the abdomen to resume its normal shape. Just saying, this pose is awesome. 

As I begin writing this, it is Sunday, and this morning I realized that I have formed a healthy habit! :)  I have been placing my yoga mat in the same place every day, and I have been practicing on it, around the same time, every single day. How did this happen?

Before I read Lesson 2 from the book we are working with, “A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya,” and of which I am about to share with you, I used to place my yoga mat in the living room of my home. I would practice on it throughout the week, but not daily. Now, I find myself drawn to my mat, and I believe the reason is that I followed the directions from the book, and mindfully created a place of practice that is special to me. I created it with intention. And I've been practicing slowly, taking my time, never feeling rushed or forced. 
 
Let me tell you about my teeny-tiny yoga space. The space I have created is cozy and receives a lot of sunlight, which is so important to me here in London. I didn't want to clutter the space, so I selected only a few yoga items, displayed pleasantly. My Tibetan singing bowl. A plant. A few yoga blocks of various sizes. An eye pillow filled with lavender. A strap. A small bag with a few also intentionally chosen essential oils in it: lavender, rosemary, jasmine flower. And that’s it.
 
My yoga space is welcoming. It calls to me now, whereas before, the place I had initially been practicing in, the living room, hardly caught my attention at all.
 
And so, as a result of consciously preparing a yoga space for myself, I have been practicing more often. Lately, I begin my practice with the yoga asanas that we learned in the last chapter (I save naukasana (boat pose), savasana (corpse pose), and pranayama for the end of my entire practice). Then I move into something different. Lately, I have been practicing ashtanga yoga, but only Surya Namaskara A and Surya Namaskara B. This usually takes me about 15-20 minutes to complete, in addition to the 10 minutes I spend on the kriya asanas we’ve learned. Sometimes after ashtanga, I do more of my own personal flows, following my intuition and my body’s signals. Sometimes I continue with more ashtanga. Sometimes I rest and practice pranayama and then rest in savasana. And sometimes, I only get through five rounds of Surya Namaskara A, and then I relax and put my mat away. It all depends. The point, though, is that I am practicing every day. Sometimes more than once a day.
 
I feel so much healthier. My mood is lighter. I have more energy. I feel grounded. So, I’d like to share what I’ve been learning with you now with the hope that it will also help you find the same sense of groundedness and peace that I saw as a result of following a few rules and preparation tips I discovered in the Kriya Yoga book. I wish you all the best as you prepare your yoga and meditation space with love and intention.  ❤ ~ Ashley

In this blog you will find:

1. A video of Isabella and I practicing yoga in our teeny-tiny (but successful) yoga space
2. A video lecture regarding Lesson 2, Topic 3 --> Asanas: Rules and Preparations 
3. Links to previous posts about ashtanga yoga
4. Links to videos of how to practice Surya Namaskara A & Surya Namaskara B
5. Photos of some of the upcoming lessons and topics aka “content page”
6. Photos of the Lesson 2 asana program options and images of upcoming asanas

MAINTENANCE OF FINAL STATIC POSES
The final position is the most important part of the asana practice. During this time, specific parts of the body are influenced. The body is held in such a way that certain muscles are stretched to the limit of present flexibility, and certain organs are given the best possible squeeze or massage and extra blood is directed to or removed from particular regions. This period of immobility is the time when profound and beneficial changes are occurring in the body. With some asanas, it is also a time when deep states of concentration can be reached if the final position is held for extended periods of time.   

Correct, relaxed respiration is essential in the final static position in order to accentuate the influence of the asana on the body by increasing the massage of the internal organs ad by stimulating the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide through the blood.

AWARENESS
What facet of the practice should one be aware of during the performance of an asana?
 
This will be explained as we cover each asana. However, the following is a rough guide to the possibilities.

While learning the asana, your attention should be on correct performance. You can also be aware of relaxing as many muscles as possible to make the asana easier to perform and more effective. You can be aware of the physical movement, or of the breath while assuming the final pose. In the final position, you can be aware of your breath, mantra, or the parts of the body that the asana particularly influences.  
 
RELAXATION AFTER COMPLETION OF ASANAS
This is nearly as important as the asana itself. When one completely relaxes, the organs and muscles return to their normal shape. As such, they are flooded with an influx of purified blood to replace the blood that has been squeezed out in the performance of the asana. During this resting state, the circulatory and respiratory systems also return to normal. This is necessary before one starts the next asana.

​During this practice of relaxation, one should try to relax the body and mind completely maintain awareness of the body and the breath.

Here's a quick look at what we are about to explore! (If you're viewing from your email, consider viewing the blog on your browser instead so you can see the slideshow.) I look forward to this journey with you as always. Please let me know how you're doing and if you have any questions! ~ Ashley