Doing All the Little Things Right

The Downward Dog pose is one of the very first poses you will learn when entering the world of yoga. Downward Dog is easy to explain, and the pose is "easy" to learn and perform.  Unfortunately, it is easy for us to get in a bad habit of resting, not using the right form, or "checking out" due to the how we can perceive the basic poses as being "easy."

Wow, that last sentence was a mouthful of words! Whew!

This all leads me to what I want to talk about today, which seems like a no-brainer, but is still extremely important: Don't cut corners and really try to focus on your technique while performing the basic poses.

The danger of not focusing on basic poses, like Downward Dog, is that we can fall into bad habits while we progress in practice. If left unchecked, these bad habits will turn into bad form. Plus, we have to miss out on how truly awesome basic poses can be!

Simple Movements, Correct Form

Lately, I have been paying much more attention to the simple movements within each pose and transition. I'm fortunate enough to have a great teacher who reminded me of my not-so-good-habits (wink wink) during my Chaturanga and Upper Facing Dog.

In Chaturanga, I have a tendency to dip too low with my chest, and I lose the engagement of my neck when I am performing the Upper Dog. While I am aware that I'm making mistakes, it is hard to correct my bad habits as they have become part of my daily flow.

Trust me, trying to break a bad habit is much harder than taking the extra mile when learning.

Remember: The extra mile is rarely crowded :)

So, let's look at correctly performing the Downward Dog, shall we?

Here I am performing our favorite yogi puppy move (well, mine!), Downward Facing Dog:

• Let's begin at your hands. Your hands need to be open and positioned at about shoulder-width. Make sure to have enough space between your shoulders and ears, don't press your ears!
• Activate your fingers, allowing your index fingers to point ahead of you.
• While you are activating your forearms as you make the V-shape, keep only your palms on the mat. Do not let your wrists touch the mat just yet.
• Your forearms will wake up and say "Hello" to you. Hi!
• Now, slowly let your wrists come down, but be careful not to put too much weight on them.
• Make sure your elbows are not hyper-extended this whole time. Keep soft bends in your elbows.
• Roll your shoulders away from your ears, and feel the extensions of your arms from your ribs.
• Keep your back long, straight, and focused. Raise your tailbone up high.
• Engage your lat muscles, triceps and pull your ribs in towards your center.
• Let your bandhas be fully engaged , especially your Uddiyana Bandha, which is located in your lower stomach area.
• Try to keep your heels touching the mat, but if it is too difficult then do not force it. You will be able to open up over time ;)

Alright, I'm sure I forgot something... Let me know if I did :D

Some typical bad habits are rounding your back (your hamstrings are too tight) and sinking your chest too deep. It is OK to have your heels off the ground and to bend your knees if you are having trouble!

Again, focus on lifting your heels and bending your knees when adjusting your pose. Do not bend your back, keep it straight!

Everything takes time, patience, and practice, so don't worry if you can't nail a pose in your first try! It all will come!

<3

Reiko

Dear lovely Ashtanga newbies.

I want to take the time to talk to those who took my Ashtanga
Yoga Workshop, and the people who may be considering an Ashtanga Yoga
practice.

I want to tell everyone how Ashtanga Yoga came into my life.

My journey into yoga only began a few years ago. I had just moved to
Austin after taking a new job there. I was driving home from my new
job one day when I happened to see a yoga studio.

“Yoga… Yoga sounds like it could be interesting,” I thought to myself,
“I’ve got a little free time, so I’ll check out this yoga studio.”

I walked into the YogaYoga studio on Anderson Lane and took an
Ashtanga Yoga class.

Yes, my first yoga class was the primary series of Ashtanga Yoga. I
had no experience with yoga, so I didn’t realize I was about to get my
butt kicked (though I’m happy I did)!

My first teacher is still my teacher today. She’s a lovely lady named
Eriko. Eriko has been such an amazing teacher. She’s cute, friendly,
and funny, however, Eriko knows how to push you during practice. Eriko
took me, a total beginner, under her wing and has help guide me to
where I am today.

That was nearly four years ago and I’m still taking her classes today.
I love the connection I have with such an amazing Ashtanga Yoga
teacher. Also, I believe staying with the same teacher is important.
Your teacher begins to know you not only as a person, but also where
you are in your practice. Your teacher will understand your strengths,
weaknesses, and they will help your grow. I’m extremely thankful to
have such a good teacher continue to help me every week.

Today, I was in Eriko’s shoes. I met people who are new to Ashtanga
Yoga. Some had some background knowledge of Ashtanga
Yoga, but most of them came in without any knowledge on Ashtanga Yoga (like
I did years ago). I can only hope that I am fortunate enough to have
such a great relationship with my students as Eriko has with me.

Thank you for allowing me to guide you through the Ashtanga Yoga Workshop.

I want everyone to know that there is a lot going on with Ashtanga
Yoga. Ashtanga Yoga has body locks, specific breathing techniques, set
sequences, challenging transitions, and many, many nuances. Also,
Ashtanga Yoga has no “finishing line.” Ashtanga Yoga is a lifelong
journey which few people ever “master.”

All of the finer points and details will come in time, so don’t stress
over anything. I will continue to talk about many yoga related
subjects on this blog, which will include Ashtanga!

When starting your journey into Ashtanga Yoga, simply give your best
effort during practice.

As you continue your practice, learning and understanding the various
facets of Ashtanga Yoga will come. You will find yourself learning
constantly while you are perfecting your first sequence. Reading
helps, but practice and experience will bring the best understanding
of Ashtanga Yoga. So, continue practicing :) !

I want everyone to know this: I am here for you and I look forward to
teaching (helping) you along the way. Ashtanga has been rewarding for
me in so many ways, and I want to share everything I have learned with
all of you.

Thank you for coming today and I hope to see you all soon.

Reiko

Ashtanga Basics: Bandhas


Bandhas are used in Ashtanga Yoga to contain energy in your body. Bandhas lock and regulate the energy inside of your body. There are three energy locks, or bandhas, within Ashtanga Yoga: The Mula Bandha (Root lock), the Uddiyana Bandha (lower belly lock), asnd Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock).

The Mula Bandhas is often called the root lock because it is centered around the bottom part of your spine. Think of the area between the genitals and anus. The area is located in different areas between females and males, but you should try engaging this muscle.

I'm waiting...

Did you feel the "squeeze?" Good!

Next, The Uddiyana Bandha is often called the lower belly lock. The Uddiyana Bandha is located a few fingers below your belly button. You must focus on your breathing in order to engage the Uddiyana Bandha. Unfortunately, we cannot fully engage the Uddiyana Bandha for the entire duration of our practice. It would inhibit our breathing too much. You want to keep the Uddiyana Bandha locked, but not all the way. You want a happy center of muscle engagement for this lower belly lock.

Last, the Jalandhara Bandha! Simply put, this is a throat lock, or chin lock. The method to doing the Jalandra Bandha is to stick out your neck as if you are trying to touch the floor with your face, but you are sitting completely upright. Next, draw your chin down and place your chin between your clavicle bones on your chest. Lightly lock your chin down, don't try to dig your chin into your chest!

Now that you've learned the basics of the bandhas in Ashtanga Yoga... Try them all at once to create the "great lock." You want to inhale, the engage all of your bandhas, thereby containing the energy! It is difficult at first, but with enough practice you will "get it!"

<3
Reiko

Ashtanga Yoga Basics: Ujjayi Breath


Hey guys! I want to discuss one of the fundamentals of Ashtanga in this blog post: Ujjayi Breath.

Ujjayai is a breathing technique which is used in Ashtanga, but is also found in Power Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga. Ujjayai is performed by focusing on your breathing. The end.

I'm joking! Let me get serious now!

Ujjayai is performed by focusing on breathing through your nose and making the air twist and turn in your throat. Focus on the air spinning in your throat before it reaches you lungs. After it reaches your lungs, expand your diaphragm, and the exhale through your nose. While you are inhaling and exhaling, make sure to keep a count. The idea is to have the same number of counts for your inhale and exhale.

Oh, before I forget:


Make sure you have great posture while doing this as well! 

Ujjayi also involves you making a slight sound as the air passes through you.

 So what exactly is the sound you create suppose to sound like?

Well, everyone describes the sound of the ujjayai breathing technique differently. Ujjayai can sound like a ocean, the inside of a shell, a gust of wind, a "Hhaa" sound, or as David Swanson writes in his Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual, "...for the less poetic, Darth Vader from Star Wars."

Yeah, that's it! Sound like Darth Vader when you are practicing Ashtanga. Here is a video of Darth Vader breathing for ten hours, so hopefully you might get the idea ;)


Your breathing technique is very important. Yoga is just as much about controlling your mind and breathing as it is about controlling your body. Ujjayai is a fundamental building block for many different yoga practices, so remember to focus on your ujjayai breathing!



<3
Reiko

Yoga in the Morning


First, I would like to thank my Tuesday 6AM yoga class for being absolutely amazing (as always!). I am honored that you all continue to practice yoga in the morning on every Tuesday. I enjoy every moment and look forward to our morning yoga class every single week. Thank you!


My morning yoga class inspired me to make a new yoga video.Practicing yoga in the morning is so rewarding, so I decided to share the experience by making the video.

The yoga video is a 20 minute morning flow that is for all levels, but it is a good yoga video for beginners. Practicing yoga in the morning is great for your health, I feel. You awaken your body, mind, and metabolism at the beginning of your day. This new yoga video has some deep twists (to wake up those muscles!), stretches to loosen you up, and it doesn't take much time to complete. I also decided to match my yoga clothes with my yoga mat... Okay, maybe that was an accident ;)

I hope to upload some more yoga videos later in the week, so stay tuned! Also, I am also working on how-to posts for my yoga blog. For instance, I will have a "How to do [Insert X pose]." So stay... double tuned!

<3

Reiko

Welcome to Reiko's Yoga Blog!

Hello everyone and welcome to my new blog!


玲子です... Wait, wrong language! Let me try this again.


My name is Reiko! I'm originally from Japan, but these days I live in Austin, Texas, where I live with my awesome husband and teach yoga at Black Swan Yoga. I decided to start a blog so I could share with the world one of my life's biggest passions: Yoga! 


Every few of days I hope to share something which is connected to yoga. I may talk about the health benefits you receive from practicing yoga, the new yoga mat I just bought, instructions on how to do poses, an awesome experience I had while practicing, a yoga class or workshop I'm teaching (Oh yeah, I have one coming up soon!), or anything else that I can relate to yoga! I can be a bit all over the place sometimes, but that is exactly what my blog is for ;D


I was going to only have an introduction today with my blog, but I forgot about a cool workshop I'm teaching next weekend. Well, I remembered about it about two sentences ago while typing, lol. So here's the workshop:


Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Workshop

I'll be holding the introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Workshop at the Black Swan Yoga's South Studio from 3-5pm on Saturday, June 23rd. 


What exactly is Ashtanga Yoga? Is it like Power Yoga?


Well, Ashtanga Yoga is sort of like Power Yoga in a sense... Ashtanga Yoga focuses on strength building, flexibility, toning, and cleansing like Power Yoga does, but Ashtanga Yoga is much more traditional than Power Yoga. 


What do you mean by "more traditional?"


In the very most basic terms, Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient system of yoga with fixed sequences, or fixed order of poses, and everyone all over the planet does the same sequences in Ashtanga Yoga. Pretty cool, huh? 


If you learn the sequences in Ashtanga Yoga in Austin, you can follow right along in an Ashtanga class in Germany, India, or Japan (though you might not understand everything that's being said!).


Ashtanga Yoga was introduced in an ancient text called Yoga Korunta before in 1900s.  The traditional sequences have been practiced since then.  Power Yoga is a modern version of Ashtanga Yoga, but Power Yoga gives the instructor a lot more freedom in how they teach. There are no concrete sequences in Power Yoga.




Anyway, I will get into a lot more in my workshop. you should come check out the traditional Ashtanga style of yoga on June 23rd. The Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Workshop will be great if you are looking for something different to your yoga practice, want a challenge, or simply have two hours of free time :)


<3
Reiko


PS: Follow me on Twitter and FB for updates on my blog and yoga classes!