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January Thought of the Month
Looney Tunes and Iyengar Yoga
I recently had the opportunity to watch a bunch of Looney Tunes cartoons. They were a staple of my childhood. Watching them again as an adult,
I realized I learned most of what I know about classical music and jazz from these sophisticated stories.
The other thing I learned from Looney Tunes is how things move, or basic mechanical engineering. Oddly enough, it helps me as an Iyengar yoga
teacher. What? Yes, that's right, yoga and cartoons.
Take the Road Runner and Coyote for example. You know how Wile E. Coyote (Super Genius), is always trying to catch the Road Runner. He gets all
this stuff from Acme products (aka yoga props) and builds these crazy contraptions. I learned how this fits into that, and move that piece and it
ends up here… well, maybe it's a stretch (ok, pun intended), but I really think it has an impact on how I learn about using yoga props. It comes
pretty easy to me. I can see a set up, and it usually makes sense to me right away. Lucky me!
I never thought I'd say this, but thanks Warner Brothers, and all the Looney Tunes characters… Bugs, Pepe Le Pew, Daffy Duck, Forghorn Leghorn,
Sylverster, Tweetie, the Tasmanian Devil, and Ppppporkey Pig…
... that's all folks!
Love and Light, JoAnn.
January Pose of the Month:
Setu Bandha - Bridge Pose
Bridge pose, or Setu Bandha, is an interesting balance of chest opener and back bend. Have you ever noticed if you turn it 45 degrees it's Camel pose?
The only difference is the orientation and the chin is at the chest (place this photo so she's on her shins… get it?) For me, the key to setu bandha
is to not overdo my lower back. The upper body is turning out and the lower body is turning in. To help me do that I start working with my feet
elevated, on bricks usually. You can also try placing your feet on the seat of a chair. If the neck is the problem, place a folded blanket (or
sometimes a firm bolster is needed) under the shoulders to relieve the bend in the neck. If grabbing the ankles is not available, place a belt in
front of the ankles with the belt ends coming toward the hands. If the knees bother you, try placing a block between the knees or belting the knees
so they can't go wider than hip width apart AND roll your thighs inward (very important). Always relax the jaw and breathe. Raise the sternum
toward the chin, lengthening the tail bone toward the knees. This pose will help with Sarvangasana, Shoulder Stand. Done with our without props,
this is a great pose and worth adding to the list.
See you on the mat soon. Contact me at
joann@wholebodyyoga.com if you have any questions or comments.
Namaste,
JoAnn
Bookmark the page: http://www.wholebodyyoga.com/stuff.htm
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Last modified:
1/25/09
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