Is Yoga Really Therapeutic?
What is Yoga and who says it’s therapeutic? We hear that yoga is a set of daily exercises and breathing practices that are supposed to be really good for us, but people who are stiff or injured see pictures of yogis in deep back bends or twisted like a pretzel and think, “That does not look therapeutic.” Unfortunately, the media’s focus on extreme postures scares away the people who could most benefit from yoga. Now it also matters a great deal who the teacher is and what they are teaching. If a teacher is aware only of the outer form of the pose and not the bio mechanics of the body he will not be able to offer a therapeutic practice. This is why I have such deep respect and gratitude for my teacher John Friend; founder of Anusara Yoga. John has been studying yoga for over 40 years. He has also studied Rolfing, Physical Therapy and Chiropractic. He developed this system of yoga as a therapeutic system that can help people of all ages, sizes and abilities, find relief from pain and greater freedom in their bodies.
Anusara Yoga looks carefully at the natural architecture of the body and the bio mechanics of its movement. We recognize that moving in alignment with the body’s natural design is what will heal us from pain and allow us greater strength and freedom. Each student is encouraged to take full responsibility for understanding how the body works. Teachers are trained to explain bio mechanics and alignments in a playful yet precise manner that is easily understood and applied. Each student applies the information in a way that best serves their current condition. This may mean that one person is doing the pose lying on his back while others are standing. The idea is that no one is left out. The universal alignment principles can be applied to everybody and we celebrate the diverse and varied ways we apply them.
Anusara Yoga also looks at the common habits of our daily life to see how we pull ourselves out of alignment and cause our suffering. With a light heart and creative mind we address these by building new habits that bring the body back into its natural design. Let me give you an example. Most of us spend the majority of our time working at a desk or driving. Our head is stretched forward and our shoulders slump forward and down. We do this everyday for several hours and don’t realize we are pulling ourselves further out of alignment. With the head straining forward, the muscles in the back of the neck get weak and over-stretched and the top of the shoulders harden. With the shoulders drooping forward, the chest muscles contract and get tight while the upper back muscles over-stretch and get weak. To reverse this, we ask students to lie on their backs with their knees up and arms alongside their body. Pressing the back of the head into the floor and stretching the chin up slightly, the muscles in the back of the neck engage and recreate the natural cervical curve (try it). Then we ask students to bend their elbows and press them into the earth as they reach their chest to the sky. This will float the shoulders. With the shoulders floating, students slide their shoulder blades towards the spine which helps lift the upper back and draw it deeper into the body. As the heart and chin stretch up, the shoulders and head press down. The upper spine is drawn into the body and the natural curve of the low back is emphasized. This is extremely therapeutic. This counteracts all the tendencies of our daily desk sitting and driving. Try it for 10 breathes then sit up and feel the difference in your posture. You should feel your chest more open and lifted, you spine longer and your shoulders softer.
Basic prep poses like the one described above not only offer an accessible and therapeutic form of yoga, they also prepare students to do the more advanced poses in optimal alignment. Many yoga students do the cobra and upward facing dog poses with little awareness of the proper alignment of the shoulder girdle; their shoulders are rolled forward, the back of their neck compressed, and the low back is pinched. Over time, the unconscious habits of their practice will cause them suffering. With the simple exercise described above, students understand and train themselves to activate proper shoulder alignment and therapeutic action in the neck and head. Then they can move into the more challenging poses with that awareness.
The intention of Anusara Yoga is to look closely at the natural design of the body and to find creative ways to train ourselves to move in alignment with that intelligent design. Rather than following outer form, we’re looking for what feels good and supports us in the long run. In the end, it’s never about the pose. The intention is to find freedom and betterment through education and intelligent training. When we discover that through our consistent focused attention and devoted practice we created healing in our own bodies, our whole life changes. We stop feeling like victims and feel empowered to make positive change in other aspects of our lives. This is the deeper transformative power of yoga and it is very therapeutic.
Intention makes all the difference. You can invite someone for a meal and offer them a left-over tuna sandwich. Or you can find out what they love to eat, prepare it artfully and set the table with flowers. Both are meals but the experiences are very different. So when we ask, “Is yoga really therapeutic?” The answer is, “It depends.” With Anusara Yoga, John Friend and his teachers hope to offer that personalized gourmet meal that will leave you feeling loved and satisfied.
For more information about Anusara Yoga and to find a Anusara Yoga teacher near you, visit www.anusara.com.
Jennifer Lynn, Maui Hawaii
Yoga Classes, Yoga Teacher Trainings, Yoga Alliance School
www.YogawithJenniferLynn.com
Copyright 2007 © Yoga with Jennifer Lynn
