Outer Spiral

Some years ago I added a little adventure to my ordinary life and took a Whitewater Rafting trip down the New River in West Virginia. It was a beautiful day and the river was at just the right water level, low enough not to be dangerous, but high enough that we could have some fun. The New River is one of the oldest in this area (maybe even the world) and is known for some wonderful whitewater rapids around the New River Gorge. (Google the gorge for images, it's amazing)

The thing about Whitewater rafting is, you have to let go of some of the control. Actually, you have to let go of a lot of control and allow yourself to be drawn along by the total current of wildness that is the river underneath your boat. Letting go into wildness is not exactly my strong point. So that felt scary, and feels even scarier now if I think about doing it again.

Enter, THE RAFT GUIDE. Ah, huge sigh of relief. Here is the person who's got the job to drive this little raft through all the wildness that is the river. Just by deftly placing a paddle into the water and directing our paddling energy this guide will both keep us safe and assure us of having the optimal time on the water. Which is exactly what happened (even when our guide was bumped from the boat momentarily, yikes!)

This is the way I like to think of Outer Spiral (or Contracting Spiral). I think of it as the expert that comes into a situation that has the potential to get out of hand, takes it and directs the energy in just the right way to make something Awesome. It's someone like the raft guide, or a midwife, or a sherpa on Everest, maybe for some even an accountant. Outer Spiral keeps things reined in JUST enough for some safety and a whole lot of fun to be unleashed.

Physically Outer Spiral goes like this... And for simplicity's sake, let's just keep it in the legs for now shall we? Sweet. So, Outer Spiral is your the counter part to Inner Spiral. That means, Outer Spiral brings the upper inner thighs together, moves them forward, and turns them out like a ballet dancer moving to 1st position. The low back gets lengthened as the tailbone heads for the floor. Put it together with the wildness of Inner spiral and you get pure magic in your low back, and legs. And if you're really nerdy (like me) and want to know, these actions create Mulabandha. (topic for later discussion). Creating Outer Spiral after Inner Spiral but before Organic Energy really does direct some serious power into the legs and can supercharge the Organic Extension. And then the pose is not only safe, but wildly rocking all at once. The practice gets to be kind of like my boat down the New; Wild but totally steadied by our guide... a fun time for all.

Inner Spiral

Tonight was week 4 of the Fundamentals of Anusara-Inspired series. Since we dedicated week 3 to Organic Energy (the 5th principle) this week we went back to pick up the 3rd principle, Inner Spiral.

Inner Spiral, and it's complement Outer Spiral, are refinements of the major principles of Muscular and Organic Energy. Inner Spiral lets you play around in the pose a little bit, find just the right alignment, before really turning on the juice with Organic Energy.

My example tonight was about parenting. When my daughter was old enough we finally implemented a schedule in our lives. The schedule was the best thing ever! It made every part of our life move much smoother and we were no longer going on the whims of a tiny being and her stressed out mom. Hooray! At first with the schedule I was very set in my ways. I did not venture out of the scheduled routine and it made me pretty rigid and anxious. I missed out on a lot of opportunities for fun and I was always stressed about the next step in our day. No Fun!

As my daughter got older I realized I could adjust the schedule day to day. I could make small adjustments to lunchtime and naptime and bedtime. Move the routine around just enough to make space for the reality of our day as long as I held to the basic structure. This let me get really flexible and fluid in my mind and in our life. Things opened up and I felt better and I'm sure my daughter and husband do too.

In this example the rigid schedule is Muscular Energy. We have to have Muscular energy to hold the body together and hold the pose together. BUT if we only hold, we'll miss out on creating a lot more space and fluidity in the body. The principle that creates that space and fluidity is Inner Spiral (or Expanding spiral). The looser schedule. The schedule isn't totally thrown away, but it is played around with a little bit.

Inner Spiral has three main components (and we'll stick to the legs for this one). It is a spiraling tornado-shaped action that moves from the inner edges of the feet up the legs to the upper thighs and all the way to the back of the waistline (oops! left out the waistline tonight, sorry ladies!) It moves the thighs IN, BACK, and WIDE apart. IN. BACK. WIDE. That's inner spiral.

The effects of Inner spiral are WONDERFUL. Your low back gets a deep curve and it feels SO good. The legs move into Optimal Alignment with the head of the thighbone in the socket and the hamstrings get tracked into place. It can be very healing and curative for many back problems. All of those put together make people feel better. And when we feel better we're happier. I'm not saying Inner Spiral can totally bring on world peace... but it just might! It certainly brings greater freedom into my body, heart and spirit. Ah!

Continuing the Series

This evening will be week 3 of my Fundamentals of Anusara-Inspired series. If you've been reading along or are actually taking the series you know we've been working through the 5 Universal Principles of Alignment one by one. The first week was Set the Foundation/Open to Grace, Second Muscular Energy and now we're on to week 3.
Week 3 is a bit of a conundrum. Principle 3 is Inner Spiral (to be explained at a later date). So it would make sense to go with IS next. BUT Inner Spiral is a refinement of the two main pulsating principles of Muscular Energy and it's complementary contrasting principle Organic Energy. Organic Energy is actually principle 5. And now we're to the halfway point of the series and I have to wonder if anyone is getting any of these principle things anyway. Maybe they'd all just like to do some yoga and have me keep quiet so they can get their zen on. ... Well, I do think they're actually interested, so i'm going to keep teaching... besides this is what they signed up for and are paying me for, right? Right.
ANYHOO... at this point in the series and in blogging about the series we're going to SKIP principles 3 and 4 and jump headlong into principle 5, Organic Energy. I hope you can follow me. I promise next week we'll return to a more linear model of exploring the UPAs.
Until then, I've added 2 videos and an article in the three posts below this one that can maybe help to explain the 5 UPAs in yet another way. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy

The masters of this yoga always seem to be able to distill it down to the simple essence. Here's an article from the Kripalu program guide of Q&A with Todd. He is describing the 5 Principles of Anusara. Why I'm bothering to put it in my blog in post after post when he describes them so well in one line or less is beyond me. Enjoy!

Muscular Energy

Week 2 of my Series was dedicated to Muscular Energy. The second Universal Principle of Alignment (TM) in Anusara and Anusara-Inspired yoga.

Here's my explanation...

This weekend my husband and I are giving a party for Babe's 2nd birthday. We haven't entertained in any large way since before she was born so we figured it was time. The idea of the party is really exciting to me. I want to see my friends, I want to treat them, I want to be together with people and celebrate our child (and also that our house is turning 100, and our marriage is turning 5). The Idea is wonderful. The reality is I'M THROWING A PARTY ON SUNDAY.... I have a LOT to do. Beginning this morning I have to clean house, shop for food, shop for paper goods, decorate, bake and frost about 1,000 cupcakes, monitor the guest list, clear up the yard and deck, put together an iPod mix, and in many other ways bring everything together for the moment of magic that will be this party!

THAT is Muscular Energy! One idea bringing everything together. Once everything is together you can proceed through the rest of the principles and have a party of a practice, but without Muscular Energy-- your party is a dud, and your practice is not safe or fun.

I think the main point for me about Muscular Energy, and the part I tend to skip and forget is that it starts on the Inner Body. It starts with the idea, or the remembrance of who we are... Supreme Consciousness. THEN from the outside everything comes IN to that.

Muscular Energy moves from skin to muscle to bone, moves from the outer edges to the midline, and from the periphery of the body to the core. It creates power and empowerment. It also creates safety and stability. And, let's face it, in some ways it is the easiest principle to master.. at least, the easiest to feel and create.

Going back to the party metaphor, you really want all of your cells to come to the party, but you have to invite them. You have to purposefully engage every cell, every muscle, ligament, joint, every part into the collective whole. Then the party will be a total success.

With that I'm off to the store to get my own party preparations underway!

Grace

My Fundamentals Series started last night. Six very sweet souls showed up and I know I have another signed up for the remaining 5 weeks. Lucky Number 7.

Last night being the first night we started at the beginning. Set the Foundation and Open to Grace. I say it is the beginning, but in reality it is the holding principle for all others and all of life. Set the Foundation. Open to Grace. I could just type that in the blog each day and that would be enough.

Recently I made a mind-blowing break through in my thoughts about Grace. I had had a wishy-washy understanding of what Grace actually is. And I had an even more difficult time explaining it to others. Then one night I was re-reading the immersion manual and I read that Grace is the power of revelation. Something clicked. Grace IS the POWER. Grace doesn't have the power or use the power, no, Grace is the actual power.

So when we Open to Grace we're opening to have a power work on us. As I prepared yesterday I was reminded that power is required to create change. Nothing happens without a power source. Grace is the power that enables us to remember our true nature of absolute auspiciousness and goodness. Grace is the power that lifts the veils we've created and allows us to know who we really really are deep inside.

I have a deep longing to live in that space where I always know myself as Source, and so I have a great love for Grace. A great heart space for her to enter when I remember to open wide. I think I have a long way to go in bringing students to truly Open to Grace. All I can do is lead by example and Open to Grace in the fullest, hoping that bit by bit we'll all learn to be most skillful at this principle on and off the mat.

Contemplation: What does Open to Grace mean to me?