The Joy of Discovery

I have heard before that there are two main reasons to practice Hatha Yoga:

1. To celebrate life
2. To create spaciousness and open hearted awareness

Knowing this then allows for all of us to be free from anything else that detracts from the intent of the practice. It is not about sticking our leg behind our head (unless trying that makes you smile and brings about a celebratory experience), or accomplishing a set of poses. At the end of the day we are not a good yogi because we can stand on our hands or heads—but because we live from the heart and extend the joy of our “heart fire” into the world.

A yoga practice revolved around seeking perfection, and that weaves together nuances just for the sake of nuance, doesn’t serve the experience of life celebration. The attainment of a pose is just that, a pose. However, if we can use alignment to remind us to connect to something larger than ourselves, and use the poses as opportunities to claim space and live life—then that takes us closer to being participants in the big party. The first way stifles life, the later uplifts it. The way in which we move our body and line up is in respect for the experience of nature, and in honor of the craftsmanship and architecture of the vessel we inhabit.

I like the idea of principles to work from so that we do not connect to our practice time as a time to put ourselves into poses---but rather to create poses as acts of celebration and artistry of praise. If you work with principles you are co-creator, if you work with rules designed to get you into a pose—you are just following orders.

Poses are unique just like snow flakes and you have to align yourself with the principles of nature to find your way into the moments. What each pose asks of us is how do we adapt, change, evolve, and grow to meet what this pose/challenge is asking of us. The following principles give a map—and it’s just that a map—not rules or regulations. The beauty of this method is that you decide how much of each principle you need in every moment and that determines the outcome for the experience of the pose and the practice.

Align and Refine

The following alignment principles are my understanding of the Universal Principles of Anusara Yoga. It is not a comprehensive explanation, nor is it “by the book”. I am not an Anusara teacher—I just happen to use this method in my own practice and have laid out my evolutionary understanding of some of the principles. While giving my best to honor the tradition, I also have including elements I have found to be true in the execution of them. There are many rich nuances that can be revealed under the direct study of an Anusara teacher (or any skilled teacher) These principles are laid out here for you to work with in the your ritual of practice and are helpful reminders at how powerfully you can check in and use the body as a gateway to being in the moment.

Open to Grace-

“Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry

moving through and be silent.”

This principle allows for space—before setting up the pose or rushing in it’s an opportunity to soak in what is and with reverence and allowing be with what is. It’s the spender of recognition of the life force within in you and giving time to connect to that energy as the source of power for movement within the practice.

The following two energies can be worked with on their own as you are learning the principles, yet, as you grow in the practice the order that creates space for grace to blossom is muscle energy, inner spiral, outer spiral, and organic energy. First learn the synergy of balanced action within ME and OE

Muscle Energy- A contracting energy that moves from outside to in beginning from periphery to core. You can describe the sensation like that of hugging the muscles to the bone, or drawing up from the earth deep into your center. This action creates stability and strength. The idea is that you have to be strong in order to be soft.

Organic Energy- An expanding energy that moves from inside out-- beginning from the core and expands out evenly in all directions through the periphery. This action is finding depth from which to move from. In this energy you find freedom from the deep and powerful stability of ME. You cannot expand without first hugging in. You cannot be free until you are stable. You must root to rise.

A way to play with this to “get it” is to come to a lunge and rise up onto your finer tips. Lift and spread you front toes (that is muscle energy) and draw your legs towards the midline (squeeze them together like your hugging a wall between your legs) focus on pooling energy from earth into your pelvic floor—simultaneously bow into your heart and feel your spine round and belly tone. From this place of deep muscle energy consciously from your centermost experience radiate energy out pressing from the center through your front shin and back heel and lifting the heart while pressing the hips back (elongating the spine in both directions). Do that a few times—inhale ME and exhale OE.

The idea is that in every pose you reach in and touch something deep, something strong, and from that place of inner recognition of profound power--expand out and find freedom.

This concept is really helpful in poses like down dog in which we could check out in several ways. As we check out the shoulder may collapse, or we may roll out onto the outer edges of the hands and the wrists could hurt. Essentially we could be in the pose and not really be in the pose. Another thing that happens is when the legs check out and the heels roll into each other. It is important to note that none of these things make you bad, and doing the opposite doesn't make you good or right. What can happen though is that by seeking something powerful within yourself and touching it, tasting it, and so thoroughly understanding it---you become that very power. Then from the penetrative power of that understanding you have so much depth to come from that when you do expand out, when you do "stretch" it is a satisfying, illuminating, and touching experience.

In down dog to have that deep remembrance take a block between your legs. Be soft for a moment and know what it is to be soft and feel the sweet hum in all your muscles. Feel the anticipation building, the desire of freedom budding in every cell of you body. Then starting with your hands let the muscles in your hands accept the strength of muscle hugging to the bone squeezing arms towards each other isometrically and then press it back down to the earth sending the heart to the thighs. Keep that and then work your legs--spreading toes and feeling the shins hug in while you firm your thighs up and press the thighs back. When you connect to this work, your tail bone presses down to the heels--strength and steadiness, grace and fullness.

Pulse with this a few times--Hug arms and legs to the midline simultaneously and then press out from the heart to hands and from hips to heels. You can also try it another way, by engaging the dynamic play of opposites in back and front bodies. Inhale come onto the toes lifting heels and round the spine like cat pose, then take that strength and press it out through the hands and down through the heels. Pulse with the breath and discover how deep you can dig in and how dedicated you can be--to touch something inside yourself that you never knew was there. You will discover gems. You just have to be willing to shine them!

Play with this dance and reach in and find your power--extend it out playfully, joyfully, and completely.

Another way to understand this is through the concept “root to rise”. Come on to your belly in Cobra pose and place your hands on the ground spreading fingers out right by your chest and arm pit—bring the head of your arm bones up and back so that your chest is slightly lifting. Spread your toes and press them down, feel the knees lift up and the thighs firm— hugging muscles to bone—then from that deep strength and rootedness, pull the hands towards you (like your dragging yourself forward lengthening out of the rootedness and rise—lift your heart—but only lift while you are strongly and equally rooting the legs down and back.

The following two actions also work complimentary with each other and specifically work within the legs and hips to create balanced action in the body.

Inner Spiral- Begins down at the earth with the feet creating a spiral of energy that widens the thighs back and apart (sits bones spread) which create space in the sacrum and low back. This action provides a lumbar curve and helps to press the head of the thigh bones deep into the hip socket. This action is healing and therapeutic to the low back and hips.


Outer Spiral- Begins with the tailbone pressing into the space that you created with inner spiral and sends energy all the way into the earth through the heels. The inner spiral creates space and the outer spiral fills that space with strength. Outer spiral firms the top of the thigh muscles and tones the belly muscles. It also creates a sense of lift into the kidney region of the body.


A way to make these actions real within your body is to take a block between the legs and come into down dog. Begin with the knees bent and squeeze the block and try to slide the block back like a reverse “pedz” dispenser-- do this till you feel your thigh bones press back into the hip sockets and the sits bones spread. It may take a few breathes. Then when you feel you have created some space press the tail bone down just a little and feel energy move all the way to your heels. Pulse with this a few times without the block too—inhale widen the thighs back and apart and exhale press the tailbone down and heels towards the earth.

Side Bodies Long—Creating space and length all through the torso. From the waistline all the way to the arm pits getting long and spacious. The shoulders (head of arm bones) lift up to the neckline and there is a buoyancy under the arm pits like your holding something under them that you don’t want to crush yet don’t want to drop.

Shoulder Loop—Begins in the upper palate. Press back and slightly up through the skull (think almost giving yourself a double chin while someone is pulling your ears up and back) as you also bring the shoulders back (from the neck line) and the shoulder blades down the back as the tips of the shoulder blades curl into the heart. This action evenly opens the spine and creates space for the heart to shine.

Open to something bigger—Bow into the source of being. The back of the body is the symbol of the universal and the front is how it connects to the world through us. Every chance we get in practice we remember the source of where we come from and where we return to. This action softens us and creates room for breath to fill the sides and lungs and back body (think how easy it is to catch your breath after a long run when you place your hands on your thighs and “bow in”. This action also lifts your kidneys up, makes yours sides long, and tones the belly (brings low ribs into the body). This is a perfect step before backbends.

Play with these principles and observe the flow of grace as it blossoms open new territory for you to explore!