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| March 2, 2005 | ||||||||
Try It! Vajra Yoga |
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From Ruff Yoga to Yo-Chi, yoga has more twists and combinations out there than an advanced step class. So why should you take note of the one we’re about to put on blast? Because this new blend of the ancient art promises to do more than just mix your two favorite fitness classes. It wants to help you become indestructible. In Tibetan, Vajra means diamond-like or indestructible. “Our true nature, the essence of human beings, is something that never ends,” says Vajra Yoga creator Jill Satterfield, who has taught yoga for nearly two decades. The class she developed combines traditional Hatha (exercises that help to increase flexibility, better posture and toned muscles) asanas (that’s yoga speak for poses) with Buddhist meditation and tantra (or philosophy). That means that before you extend into Warrior II, you’ll probably have to silently relax in a seated pose to check the flow of energy from your head to your toes. And after you’re done practicing deep breathing in hero pose, you’ll check in again to see if energy has shifted. The asanas offer the benefits of Hatha, while the meditation and tantra help you find places that you’re holding tension in your body and encourage you to discover why it’s there. “It’s not just about exercise. It’s about becoming more in tune with your mind so you can understand your body and your life,” says Satterfield. Sound a little out there? Experts say that it shouldn’t. “By being in touch with your body, you’re able to prevent some of the negative effects of chronic stress and more. You’ll notice the tension in your shoulders, for example, and you can stop and take a few deep breaths to release that,” explains Tracy W. Gaudet, M.D., director of the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine and author of “Consciously Female: How to Listen to Your Body and Your Soul for a Lifetime of Healthier Living”(Random House). |
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“Our bodies are speaking to us all the time. First your body speaks in whispers. If you don’t listen to the whispers, it’ll start to scream,” explains Dr. Gaudet. “And it’s far better to listen to the whispers—like a mild headache -- than to wait for the scream — like a migraine.” “Vajra Yoga is a completely out-of-the-box practice,” says Sara Stover of New Canaan, Conn., who has taken the class three times. “It awakened me to further exploring the presence of my mind in my body and my body in my mind.” So how do you get started with Vajra Yoga? One move you can try at home is called the anti-anxiety pose. It’ll help you shift energy from your head (where it may be making you feel anxious or scatterbrained) down to your pelvis, or center, where it belongs. Try it before you go to bed, when you wake up in the morning or at another time you usually meditate. First, set a gentle alarm clock or kitchen timer for 10 minutes. Next, grab a stiff cushion or roll up a few blankets -- you’ll need to stack them about a foot to 15 inches high. Now lie on the floor with the bolster or blankets underneath your hips, and place your calves up on a chair so your legs are on an incline. Stay in the pose for 10 minutes taking slow, deep breaths or simply just being aware of your breath. Focus your mind on how your body feels — are you cold? Hot? Is there a part of you in pain? Keep thinking about your body as much as you can. After you’re done, be sure to lie on your back for a few minutes and be aware of how your body feels. Then slowly come up. At the end of the pose, you should feel more settled, relaxed, awake and calm
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