Yoga for spring

                   

Why yoga for spring?

Why, indeed? I feel the need for a change, coming on, with the yoga practice that I do. And, I feel this way, because it's spring, and my physical needs are different in spring, to what they are in winter.

Different needs for different seasons

In spring we definitely feel lighter, and we are less likely to go the "cozy" route. The "cozy" route actually is not me, but I have had friends who do nurturing, cozy yoga in winter. I'm not even sure that I know what cozy yoga is.

Maybe, for me, spring is about waking up the body, after a sort of hibernating in winter.

I am feeling the need to do more stretching, and yes, I do know that yoga is not stretch, but perhaps I could say instead that I'm feeling the need to extend my body a bit more.

And being me, I shan't be holding poses for longer than 5 breaths. If that.

I am not feeling the need to do so many flexibilities. I do more of them, and it's actually not many, in winter. Because then my body is stiffer, and needs some loosening, of the sort that postures do not usually give. And those flexibilities warm me up, too.

What I am doing, instead, is:

• a standing dynamic, loosening twist
• hip circles

I always do these two anyway, as they help prevent back problems

I also changed surya namaskara, sun salute, so that there is more light movement:

• from standing, then stepping or lunging a leg back
• go to plank, mountain, and/or all fours
• then to child
• slink forwards to cobra
• up to mountain/down dog
• lunge, or step forwards, to standing.

There is another way to come forwards after mountain, for those who have problems stepping or lunging a leg forwards: go back to child, lift up your torso and step forwards to come into standing.

If you like a stronger sun salute, such as the Mysore or vinyasa type, because it gives good body tone, you will find that going from:

child > cobra > mountain, still gives an arm workout.

I find that this change of sun salute produces a type of lightness and fluidity which marries well with spring.

What else can we do to produce lightness?

• inversions. If you can only do 1/2 shoulderstand, and need a wall to do it, then that's ok too.
• arm balances
• easy movement. Never underestimate this, whilst teaching. It helps students get supple and stronger, faster. 

How do we make the yoga easier?

It's all in the way that the yoga is taught, and/or, practised. This is the key.

And it has to do with lightness. Our body remembers this feeling of lightness, this sensation, and when we tap into it, we are able to move more, and hold poses easier.

                         "recall the sensation of lightness"
                                 "let your body feel light "

Tone down the strong poses. Again, it has to do, 100%, with the way that you teach. I'm not saying don't do hard poses, because a lot of people like them. And some people are always going to stretch and strain. But for the others, you can give this lightness option, if it appeals to you.

Teacher tip: 

hasta (hand) mudras (gestures) within poses, or between them, can instantly induce lightness

Change of pranayama (breathing)

It was a hard winter this year, in terms of the viruses going around. I managed to hold them at bay, with a small morning practice and specific pranayama (breathing techniques) to build up my immunity to viruses. However, I did end up getting a major bug. Luckily, I was able to recover well, and I do think that this was because I had built up my life-force, my prana reserves. With pranayama practices.

But, for spring, I have changed what I am doing. I'm now doing an unknown kapalabhati (breath of glow/little sneezes) which uses body motion, and is done lying down. I learnt it, decades ago, from my first teacher, and I have never, ever, encountered it elsewhere. Strangely, it also induces lightness, but I'm doing it because:

• I like the effect
• it's helping with reducing hayfever by building up a big bubble of prana around most of my face, and this is like a wall which protects against incoming pollen
• it reduces body inflammation

But kaplabhati (sneezing breath), any version, is good.

And I'm still doing nadi shodan (alternate nostril breath) each morning, starting with inhaling into the right nostril. I have found that this increases vitality. It doesn't impede morning meditation, but it does stop me being a bit drowsy after.

And, that drowsiness after a morning class, is not really beneficial.