Yoga Your RSP
If money burns a hole in your pocket like it does mine, or if you would like to become more mindful of your spending, you may feel like I do and wonder: how can I control my urge to spend spend spend?
If our practice on the mat mirrors our life off the mat, is the fluctuation between two extremes of restraint and overindulgence gradually going to lessen? Do we need to rebalance ourselves off the mat or is this simply another fact of yoga?
Asteya is the third of five yamas. The yamas are the first limb of the eightfold path of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, (from the Yoga Sutras, 200 BC). Asteya literally means non-stealing yet it has many deeper meanings, from not taking what isn’t yours, and taking no more than you need, to letting go of cravings and becoming more self-sufficient.
Asana, the postures that we practice in our yoga classes, is the third limb of Ashtanga yoga. By doing the postures regularly and mindfully, we can also learn about the other limbs. For instance, in doing our asana practice, we can practice the first yama-ahimsa (non-violence) by being careful with our bodies and not forcing ourselves into the positions where we feel pain.
We can practice the second yama-satya (truthfulness) by being honest with ourselves about where we are in our practice. This means that we must recognize where we are so as not to overwork and risk injury. Other ways of practicing satya in our yoga practice are: not using excuses for not practicing, not just doing the easy poses and avoiding the more challenging ones, not hiding in a back corner and simply by not doing the pose differently when the teacher is at the other end of the room, compared to if the teacher is right beside you watching your pose. We can also practice satya (truth) by using a prop (block or strap) if we know we need one and by not just focusing on our more flexible, stronger postures and not giving in too easily when challenged in our weaker poses.
We can practice the third yama, asteya (non-stealing), in our yoga practice, by not comparing ourselves to others in the class. It is common to look outside of ourselves and want another person’s flexibility, someone else’s body; we want to be able to do a pose like someone else and may imitate how someone else is doing the pose. Instead of comparing, imitating and using other's poses, we can change our attitude.
Instead of thinking about what we can get, let’s consider what we can give. This will bring us closer to finding fulfillment in each step of our journey in life. Yoga teaches us to follow our own path. We are all uniquely different with different abilities; others can inspire us, but we need to find our own path and this happens by focusing within ourselves.
We may also steal from ourselves without even being aware of it. We do this when we neglect ourselves; perhaps we rush too much or don’t take the time to eat properly, or maybe we rob ourselves of our potential or even take for granted the benefits we would receive just by committing ourselves to a yoga class once or twice a week. We steal the present from ourselves when look to the past too much or try to rush to the future. By practicing yoga, we learn to be more present and notice the moment.
As we go about our busy lives, you may feel like I do. I feel like I am constantly dealing with change, constantly organizing and reorganizing, whether it is work, life in general, my closets, finances, even my wallet. In days like these, when it is so easy to spend money in small and larger amounts, with the latte factor and lunches and dinners out, big ticket items like furniture, clothes, cars, maybe children’s educations, vacations. With EBAY, Internet and home shopping, the list is endless.
When it comes to acquiring stuff-more make-up, more clothes, another bag, those cute shoes, books, accessories, more boots and sunglasses, how much more stuff do we really need?
I find myself carting home many bags weekly, especially living and working a block away from the Eaton Centre. Maybe it’s a new nail polish, another candle, more shoes, another Lululemon item, earrings, books, gadgetry, cd’s and gifts. I have no more room for this new stuff in my small downtown loft.
I have decided that I am going to reverse the direction of the carting of the bags. Instead of bringing them home daily/weekly, I will take bags out daily and weekly. Bags to the food bank and food drive at my grocery store, clothes to the support centres and drop-off bins in my area, dog food also to food banks. Undergarments and toiletry packages are needed at local shelters. Shelters also are in need of unused cutlery, appliances, even gifts certificates, cd’s, videos and dvd’s.
A lot of us are very fortunate and I know there is always more we can do to help others. Next time you are making that impulse purchase or treating yourself to another latte, think not of what you want at that moment but of what you can do, for someone less fortunate than yourself and also how you can invest in your own future.
RSP season is here. If you have plenty of room left in your maximum contribution amount for the year, perhaps you want to consider maximizing your contribution. It is never to late to start putting money away. A good experiment for the month of February 2006 is to put the amount you were going to spend into a jar or your savings account. Once you see the money accumulating, that will be incentive alone, not to spend it. Another experiment I am working on myself is trying to give more to others, even if it is just buying a coffee for someone I see regularly, who lives on the street. And always remember, start small, whether it is beginning your home yoga practice, or changing your spending habits. This way, we have a better chance of lasting success. Best wishes in practicing asteya and not stealing from your future financial well-being and yourselves. If you find yourself struggling, like I do, just keep at it each day. Try your best with each new day, in yoga and in life.

Yoga Our Way Through the Holidays
An interesting point I read recently (and sorry I cannot remember in which publication) is that if we make our yoga routine as necessary as brushing our teeth, we will have an easier time to stick with it during these busy times, like the Christmas season. Each of us must figure out a way to do this for ourselves, even though I am sure we all have those times when even brushing our teeth is a stretch, pardon the pun!
Our task on the spiritual path is to find a vision of our own practice that can bring us mental clarity,a sense of purpose, imagination and motivation. We need to make this as attainable as possible for ourselves or else, if you are like me, it will become easy to pracrastinate. Procrastination is more apt to happen when we make our tasks too big. Start small with your daily dose of yoga and let it grow from there, as the months and years progress. Then, it becomes built into your lifestyle and has a stable and sustainable foundation.
"Pracrastination is the thief of time", said by a wise man, my grandfather, Cyril White. I remember Grandad telling me this and writing on little articles for me, for as long as I can remember back in time. It is still a constant struggle for me, not to procrastinate. Fortunately, for all of us, there are concrete, time-tested examples we can use to help each of us balance our priorities and not get lost in the holiday shuffle and our busy lives in general. When we need the help of these examples, we can refer to and use the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. The full list is available on my Yoga Blog. www.asyoga.blogspot.com
Specifically related to our character and self dicipline, we can follow the yogic yamas and niyamas.Yamas are the moral principles for the yogi. The five yamas are:
Ahimsa: nonviolence
Satya: truthfulness
Asteya: nonstealing
Brahmacharya: continence
Aparigraha: noncovetousness.
Niyama is self-discipline. The five niyamas are:
Saucha: cleanliness
Samtosa: contentment
Tapas: heat; spiritual austerities
Svadhyaya: study of the sacred scriptures
Isvara pranidhana: surrender to God.
We can also follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Another interesting way to live a happy and fulfilling life is to use some of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings. Yoga came to Tibet from India more than one thousand years ago and the principles became intertwined with the Buddhist teachings. For instance, ask yourself if you protected life today. Maybe you held the door for someone or bought someone, cold and living on the street, a hot coffee or tea. Or maybe you rushed along only thinking of your own tasks and stressors. Also, try practicing not taking what is not freely given, not directly or indirectly lying, abstaining from harmful sexual behavior, and not abusing any intoxicants.
Easier said then done? One way we can observe our own behaviour is by putting little notes in a journal throughout each day or week on how we act by the 5 yamas or how we don't. This will help us become more mindful of the little things we do daily. It is important we don't become judgemental of ourselves while doing this; it is a way for us to notice how we live and to be more mindful.
This technique really works well in the "Six Times a Day Book" that we create and write in ourselves. It can be a scribbler or small notepad or a journal, or whatever you find convenient. This idea is based on a teaching by Geshe Michael Roach. Geshe Roach is a fully ordained American Buddhist Monk. You can find out more about him and the book at http://www.world-view.org/aci/online/thebook.pdf.
Geshe Roach visited Toronto in the spring and spoke at Jivamukti Yoga, across from the Eaton Centre. If I hear that he is coming back soon, I will note it on my blog.
Try the book! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Best of tidings to you all.

Yoga During Pregnancy
Yoga can be very beneficial during pregnancy; it helps you breathe and relax, which in turn can help you adjust to the physical demands of labour, birth, and motherhood. There are many schools of thought and opposing opinions that can cause a great deal of confusion about practicing yoga during this time. It is my belief that you will need to take certain general precautions (rather than avoid specific poses).
Some women, who have had a strong yoga practice before pregnancy, have continued along with their regular practice well into the later months. The main thing to consider as you do your yoga practice is to really listen to how you feel and let your own body be your guide. It is also important to not hold your breath or even take short pauses in the breath during the postures. I would caution you to be sure to get the go-ahead from your doctor as well, before you begin your prenatal yoga program.
Prenatal classes are recommended because the instructors are trained specifically for this type of yoga and can teach you the proper modifications as you progress along in your pregnancy. There are postures and breathing techniques in prenatal sessions that will help you during contractions and you will probably not learn these if you attend regular Hatha classes. There are also bonding techniques and ways of getting in tune with the baby inside you, that you may find very enjoyable. If there are no classes in your area or that would fit in to your schedule, there are also many good books available for practicing at home.
Here is a general list of precautions to follow:

1. Do not perform fast and jerking movements, especially early on in your pregnancy. If you are used to hopping forward and back during the sun salutations, for instance, chose to walk back instead. Be a bit gentler with your body as the new life inside you is still getting attached to your uterus.
2. Stop the Chatarungas and lying on your front when you begin to show. During pregnancy it is still important to tone the abdominal muscles gently. Plank pose and hand and knee pose arching and rounding the back, are good, as are the Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. Kegels are extremely important postnatal and if you don’t do them you may have urinary incontinence when you cough or sneeze. Keep lifting the pelvic floor!
3. Don't perform any poses on your back after the first trimester as that can cut blood flow to the uterus.
4. Avoid poses that stretch the muscles too much, particularly the abdominal muscles. Remember, the hormone of pregnancy, relaxin, will cause you to be “stretchier” than normal, so there is risk that you will over-stretch and tear your muscle fibres.
5. Perform standing poses with your heel to the wall or use a chair for support to avoid losing your balance and risk falling.
6. When bending forward, maintain as much distance as possible between the breastbone and the pubic bone to make breathing easier. Think more of lengthening the spine rather than folding forward.
7. Keep the pelvis upright when stretching the chest and the front of the thighs.
8. If you need to bend forward while in a sitting position, place a towel around your feet and hold both ends. Sitting up tall, bend from the hips and lift the chest to avoid compressing your abdomen.
9. When practicing twisting poses, twist more from the shoulders to avoid putting pressure on your abdomen.
10. Listen carefully to your body. If you feel any discomfort, STOP!

It is also imperative that if you have any spotting, you go to your doctor immediately or contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000

Mula Bandha
Mula Bandha is a yoga phenomenon. If you have attended a yoga class, you most likely have heard the teacher say, "apply mula bandha" or "apply the locks" or “lift the pelvic floor”. Do you ever wonder what this means or how to do it? Often a teacher mentions mula bandha but never really elaborates. Some teachers avoid explaining mula bandha in detail because they find talking about the pelvic floor anatomy may embarrass the class or themselves.
Any embarrassment we may feel as teachers or may cause to you, as students will surely be worth it in the long run, due to the importance of applying this technique. It will also become easier to talk about and listen about mula bandha, for all of us, as the weeks and months progress. Talking about mula bandha can even add a few laughs to our busy day, as we transform ourselves through the practice and teach ourselves not to take things so seriously all the time.
Simply put, mula bandha is the energetic root lock, which allows a yogi to perform challenging tasks with grace and ease. Lock refers to a muscle contraction that is held. In Sanskrit, "mula" means root and "bandha" means a lock. Physically, as well as subtly, mula bandha is a technique for containing and channelling the energy associated with the muladhara (root) chakra.
The muladhara (root) chakra is located at the base of the spine. Its landmarks are the tailbone in the back and the symphysis pubis (pubic bone) in the front. This chakra is the base of the chakra system and relates to our contact with the earth and our ability to be grounded. It represents the stage of our consciousness where basic survival needs are met. These include eating, drinking, sleeping, and our health, making a living and feeling safe and secure.
"Mula" also refers to the root of all actions and at the root of any action there is a thought. As we begin to refine our thoughts, our actions themselves become refined. Mula bandha is said to cut through brahma granthi, the energetic knot of our resistance to change, which also lies in mula-dhara (root) chakra.
On the physical level, practicing mula bandha creates a physical awareness at the base of the spine. This is where the supportive musculature of the pelvis is housed. This increased awareness increases the stability of the pelvis and therefore, creates a more stable spinal structure for our bodies. Thus, mula bandha creates a safe base of support for movements of the whole spine and the whole body.
Practicing mula bandha strengthens and teaches the importance of creating a solid foundation to support any and all movements, whether in a yoga class or with day-to-day activities and even for rest and repose. It helps with our neutral alignment, posture and general wellness. It will help us if we suffer from any back discomfort by helping to unload the strain from our overworked backs if we are not using enough abdominal action. Mula Bandha is majic for the back!
Mula bandha also lifts and compresses the intestines and lower abdominal region. This creates a solid foundation for the lungs to help make it possible to increase or decrease the pressure inside the torso. This will help with ease of movement. Mula bandha can create light and fluid movements of the body, when it is knowingly applied. The body can move more mobile and free. Over time, as we work on applying mula bandha in our practice, it can become less muscular and more subtle and energetic.
More technically, mula bandha is contraction of the musculature of the pelvic floor. Primarily, the pelvis is a bony structure supported with ligaments that bind the bones together. The pelvis contains muscle fibers and fascia (connective tissue), as well. These tissues intersect and overlap in complex ways. This is necessary physically, to support our organs and holds them up inside the body. Otherwise, prolapse (falling down) can occur. Some teachers describe the pelvic floor musculature like a triangular tent that lifts or holds everything up in place.
Stage 1
The first and most superficial physical level of mula bandha relates to the contraction of the anal sphincter. The proper movement at this level is to contract the anal sphincter up and into the body. This isolation of the anal sphincter contraction is not mula bandha; it is called ashvini (dawn horse) mudra. Contracting the anal sphincter helps us understand the deeper layers of mula bandha. Ligaments from the tip of the spine connect to the anal sphincter muscle; when you contract it, you draw mula-dhara chakra upward, as in mula bandha. Eventually, with mula bandha applied correctly, the anus will soften and lift into the body. At first, you'll probably unconsciously contract other muscles of the pelvic floor along with the anal sphincter.
Stage 2
The second step in the refinement of your mula bandha is to sort out some of these other unconscious contractions and make them conscious. The second physical level of mula bandha involves isolating the contraction of the perineum (the region between the anus and the genitals) and perineal body (which extends inward from the perineum and is the insertion point for eight muscles of the pelvic floor)—without contracting the anal sphincter. In order to feel the perineum, press the space between the anus and genitals. Or, better yet, sit for a few minutes with a tennis ball or the heel of your foot placed in the space between the anus and genitals. Alternate between anal and perineal contractions until you can feel the difference. Janusirsasana C is a great posture to practice this with. A lot of times, this postures is left out of classes due to the embarrassment factor!
With some experience, you will find that you can refine your experience of mula bandha by moving deeper into the pelvis through the isolation of the perineum. This refinement carries the contraction of the bandha inward and upward, giving you a physical experience of the yogic process of moving from external to internal awareness.
Stage 3
The contraction of mula bandha on the third physical level, the deepest, is similar to the Kegel exercises that women practice after pregnancy in order to correct urinary incontinence and strengthen the vaginal walls. These exercises are taught by using the “Elevator Analogy”, a feeling of lifting and lowering the elevator within the lower abdominal cavity. To find this level of mula bandha, practice beginning to urinate and then using your muscles to stop the flow. The isolated contraction of the muscles that control the flow of urine is actually vajroli or sahajoli mudra. For full mula bandha, you must also lift the pelvic diaphragm, mostly by contracting the muscles called the levator ani. This diaphragm is the innermost layer of the pelvic floor, a sling of muscles that extends from the symphysis pubis to the tailbone and supports the upper half of the vagina, the uterus, the bladder, the prostate, and the rectum. Besides supporting all these organs, the pelvic diaphragm also helps regulate the bowel.
As you learn to apply mula bandha and engage this deep internal contraction, you will feel the lift under the bladder, vagina and uterus (or prostate), and rectum. Relax the surface muscles and feel this contraction deep inside, at the base of the abdomen. Don't use any extra muscles to isolate this contraction of the pelvic diaphragm. With practice, you will discover that it is possible to lift the floor of the pelvis deep inside without contracting either the anus or the exterior layers of the perineum.
As you progress with your practice of mula bandha, it begins to bring the body and mind together in a heightened awareness and state of higher consciousness. It will become a natural part of your everyday life. It is one example why yoga is not just an exercise but also a way of life.Good luck with your practice. Even if you don’t feel like anything is happening at first, keep at it. Remember mula bandha. One day, it will be yours.