“Yoga, the poetry of the body” by Rodney Yee
Massage therapists, acupuncturists and other energy workers share in the consensus that certain emotions get trapped in always the same areas of the body. For example, working with the lower parts of the body often brings up memories of stressful moments associated with the release of adrenaline and cortisol, of freezing up physically and emotionally. These need not be actual physical threats that trigger the fight or flight reaction but can also be an imagined threat or even chronic anxiety. Our modern lives are full of stressful situations that we deal with by simply burying them inside. We take calming medications to prevent the heart from going into overdrive. We resort to alcohol or drugs to relieve the stress. We go about our business in a mechanical manner skipping from one distraction to the next. What we rarely do though is pay attention to the initially less obvious symptoms, dismissing sensations of discomfort in the body as normal day to day occurrences.
Fear is the principal emotion that creates areas of tightness, chronic contraction and ultimately pain in the feet, legs, hips and lower back. Years of holding when it is no longer acceptable to run or to fight in most scary situations, become painful joints, rigid tissues, weak and sore muscles. This is how the body ‘ages’. While this is usually a lifetime accumulation of layers upon layers of unresolved situations that establish themselves as sensations in the body, it is something that can be reversed. Removing these layers takes dedication, perseverance and a lot of patience. The reward however, is a body that can experience the fullness of life at any age, a healthy heart and a peaceful mind.
Quieting the mind and bringing attention to the body enables you to connect with the higher wisdom within while you contemplate these uncomfortable sensations. Painful and tight lower muscles often reflect lack of flexibility in life and difficulty in accepting change. Lower back pain may be a sign of a situation awaiting a resolution but being ignored. Tension in the fasciae of the feet is a physical manifestation of the desire to run away from something. Injuries to ankles or knees are frequently related to resistance to progress. Whatever the sensation, it is important to recognize it as a vital messenger in your life and to address it.
The physical aspect of yoga brings awareness to different areas of the body. These areas are often ones that we usually avoid precisely because they don’t feel good. But it is only when we let go of resistance and face the discomfort, that we take the first step in controlling our health. Moving into specific poses exacerbates certain sensations bringing awareness to them. This is called the edge. Here we work with whatever toxic emotion or persistent mental pattern is manifesting as this sensation, in a non mental way, helping to release it and allow energy to flow freely.
One of the most complete poses for working with the lower parts of the body, governed by the first chakra, is the Warrior sequence. The feet, legs and lower back provide the foundation of the body. When this foundation is strong and balanced, everything else becomes easier.
Warrior is a complex pose that is all about alignment. It challenges us to bring strength, focus, confidence and beauty into our stance. It tones the legs, ankles and feet while elongating the spine and strengthening the core.
One of the most important cues for alignment in this pose is to keep length in the lower back. This involves lifting the sternum while energetically pointing the tailbone towards the ground.
Start always in Mountain pose. Feel the strength of your legs as your soles root into the ground and your spine rises up. Push down through your feet and up through the crown of the head. On the inhale broaden your back body as you lift your upper chest, expanding your collarbones into the wings of your arms. Feel your crown reaching upwards toward the sky. On the exhale settle into the pose and “see” the natural curves of your backbone – length, width and depth without rigidity and in perfect alignment. Breathe…
When moving into Warrior 1, step back with one leg bending the front leg towards a 90° angle while maintaining a sense of grounding and balance through both feet. Root down through the ball of your back foot or angle it slightly and ground the outside edge while keeping the front knee aligned with the ankle. Square your hips and feel the solidity of your stance. As Rodney Yee so eloquently explains in his “Yoga, the Poetry of the Body” – “Feel your spine emerging from your back leg into a graceful arch. Lengthen your lower back by moving your sit bones and tailbone down towards the ground as your back lower ribs broaden and rise up.” Crown of the head moves up. As you reach for the sky move your arms slightly back from the shoulders while keeping them in line with your ears and opening your heart. Breathe and observe….
Working with Warrior 2, step out of Mountain into a wide stance, angling the front foot to a 90° angle and back foot in slightly, while keeping both hips facing forward. Arms reach out to the sides. Look over the front extended arm and find your center. Push the outside edge of your back foot into the ground and from that grounding bend your front knee while keeping it aligned with the ankle. Eventually your front thigh will be parallel to the ground. Don’t force it. Just allow it to happen in its own time, settling into the pose a little bit more with each exhalation. “Pump the energy up your legs from the arches of your feet, and let this upward force surge through your hips and the unfurling of your spine. Allow the strong reach of your back arm to draw your upper torso over your back leg”. Feel your center and your balance as you keep your breath smooth and easy. Relax into that strong yet peaceful stance…
Warrior 3 moves you into a split side balance. While one side of the lower body is reaching back, the other is rooting into the ground, upper body and arms extended, crown reaching forward. Here it is that clear inner sense of the physical self in relation to center that keeps you steady and grounded. And so it is with Warrior variations such as Exalted or Humble Warrior where one part of the body is moving while the other is actively engaged in holding the foundation. A strong, well established foundation, creates the conditions for a balanced and healthy body, mind and soul.
Hatha Yoga is a combination of will and surrender. Moving into any pose requires focused attention to detail. Holding the pose is all about letting go. It is here that healing happens.