Day 8 : Hatha Hatha Hatha


Date : October 8th, Tuesday
Day : 8

When I went for Hatha yesterday at Orchard, I really was in two minds to go all the way to Raffles Place to make it to Daphne's Flow class. I love her monday flow classes. But then Raffles Place is just so far and going all that way will mean getting stuck in the office going 8 am crowd on my way back home and I wanted to try and make it back home asap! So I choose to go for Anton's hatha instead. Not complaining at all. Anton is terrific. But what I didn't realise is that I would be doing 3 Hatha classes back to back. Since both the 7 am and 6 pm class on Tuesdays in Raffles is Hatha. Anyway, no worries gives me a chance to improve on some of the poses. 

So today was my Hatha day with June in the morning and Monica (yes the taskmaster Monica) in the evening. I like both those ladies and it's a pleasure to be in their classes. I did improve the dandayamana dhanuasana a bit, which I am proud of! I can now lift my leg without stretching forward too much and my balance is SO much better because i am stretching and kicking simultaneously.

The good part about Hatha is that it is a fixed sequence so you know you are nearing the end when the going gets really tough! But the other really nice aspect of the hot hatha class is the pranayama or breathing exercises, at the beginning and the end of the class. The pranayama we do at the end of the class is one of my father's favorites : kapalbhati and is a yogic cleansing technique. Kapalbhati broken down is two words : Kapal meaning skull or head and Bhati meaning Shining.  So the word literally means "shining of the skull"

Kapalbhati is usually performed sitting in padmasan (cross-legged position)

                                                     

or even vajrasan (kneeling position)

                                                

The focus is on exhaling, while inhaling occurs automatically. When you exhale you have to contract the  muscles in your stomach. Very similar to blowing your nose. It's important to keep the rest of your body as relaxed as possible Here's a brief how-to (thanks to Shilpa Shetty's YT yoga videos!) :

  • Sit straight with your spine erect in padmasan or Vajrasan
  • Take in a deep breath and exhale quickly and suddenly making a puffing sound while you do it. Focus on exhaling forcefully and not on inhalation.
  • When you exhale, draw you abdominal muscles inward simultaneously. Your abdomen should rise when you inhale and fold when you exhale.
  • Continue for 10 breaths and then take a break. Perform two more similar sets.
As the name suggests, regular practice of kapalbhati makes one glow. It is of course brilliant to purify & detoxify your body and mind and also improves concentration.

I think it's the perfect end to the hatha class. And somehow makes your Savasana  even more beautiful.

Thankfully, my Hatha run will be broken by Michelle's flow class tomorrow morning :) 

Namaste

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swara Yoga - II

Image
After writing the previous post , I started to track my swara through the day to see how it affects my mood and states of being. My results so far have been consistent with the theory of swara yoga. My tracker is a table as below:  I start tracking at 6 am in the morning - ideally i should begin at 4:30 am or an hour and a half before sunrise. The exact time changes according to the seasons so it's easier to look up sunrise times in the newspapers and then subtract 1.5 hours from it to arrive at this time period we call Brahma Muhurta or the "Creator's Hour" since Brahma is credited as being the creator of the universe in Hindu Mythology. It is said the mind during this time is at it's stillest best and hence best for spritiual practices like meditation.  Do i wake up at 4:30 am which is 1.5 hours before my sunrise here in India - no. I am up at best at 6 am. I want to get into the 4:30 am rhythm and i know that it is a matter of time before I decide
Read more

Green Tara ~ Om tāre tuttāre ture sohā

Image
                                              The 21  Taras  painted by Salga according to the Nyingma terma tradition  When people ask me where do you feel at home the most, which part of the country, my mind first goes to the mountains in northern India and then eastwards to the lands of buddhism. It was during my trip to Nepal, that buddhism resonated in me, more Vajrayana buddhism that it's Mahayana sister. I felt a connection to imagery and the buddhist texts of Tantra - the same buddhism that is found in the Tibetan valley. I glanced at the sculptures and pictures of the Boddhisatvas and Taras and felt an immediate connection. Of course it helped immensely that my teacher with whom I was travelling in Nepal,  was a deep believer herself and I used her energy to guide me to this ancient mystical world.  Since then, a mantra that settled deep within my body is a mantra dedicated to the Green Tara - Om Tare Tutare Ture Soha, here's a gorgeous version by Deva Premal . In Ti
Read more

Day 18 : It's Friday , Friday!

Image
Date : October 18th, Friday Day : 18 Keeping with the Restorative theme of the week, I gave my body a break from two classes yesterday and I am glad I did. I got home early and cooked a nice meal, tried a new recipe and feel very well rested today. When I woke up this morning, i wasn't groggy and sleepy, but up and bright. Of course, Friday's always make me happy :) I did two classes today both with Daphne : Hatha in the morning and Flow in the evening. Well, to be honest, I wanted to go for an easier class in the evening.  I was planning to catch June's Hom at 500pm. But something came up at work and I got delayed. So flow it was for me. Evening flow classes are always tough. I've said this before. After a full day's work, it is really tiring to go into vinyasas and asanas you don't know. As with everything in life, it is always easy to stick to what you already know. :) My morning class was usual, no big surprises with the body. The final savasana how
Read more