Do the commonly published photos of superhuman yoga postures—like suspensions on one arm or leg and awkward body contortions—inspire you to find the very next class to attend? Do you identify with the person demonstrating their yoga prowess? Do you feel confident you can master those poses in a few weeks or months? Do you look forward to trying?

Neither do I.

The pursuit of spiritual knowledge and experience is a magnet for an assorted set of physical bodies. Some are not lean, strong and flexible. A few of us are more stout—the kind of comfy children love to nestle in. It may be that our stamina has been temporarily depleted: we’re feeling more defeated than determined. Possibly, our strength lies more in the emotional than physical realm. Perhaps we underachieve at balancing or we perform below par in twisting and bending. It could be that our bodies and flexibility have been challenged by surgeries or other events. Are we destined not to experience the benefits of yoga classes? Are we to be left out of this increasingly popular evolution of the American lifestyle?

I used to think that indeed this was true for me.

Of course, I was aware that yoga postures could be performed in a chair, and, although I’ve actually led chair yoga sessions at conferences, it always seemed to be valid only for business clothing situations: those situations where mats weren’t an option—not the real thing. I am also a student of the other limbs of yoga. Asanas (postures) are only one of the eight yoga practices, the depths of which move us toward unity of the physical, subtle and causal bodies and toward increased awareness and higher levels of consciousness. As a Chopra Center Meditation Instructor for several years, I was and am comfortable with Vedic concepts and philosophy; yoga asanas, however, eluded me for quite some time.

The thought and sight of the postures annoyed me (of course because I was not lean, flexible, strong or balanced). Occasionally at a Chopra seminar, one of the kind yoga instructors would cajole me into joining an end-of-day, enthusiastically populated yoga class. My attempts, certainly courageous, made me feel a bit of a cow though, and not a sacred one. Truth be told, I was not the least bit comfortable and resented being in the same room as those much more accomplished. Not exactly the kind, compassionate, calm and centered perspective of a meditation instructor.
Quite by accident and certainly against my will, after participating in more classes, I found myself coming to terms with yoga rather quickly and actually somewhat enjoying the process. I most certainly enjoyed the benefits. A few friends (one of whom I raised my voice to when she first brought up the possibility) and Claire Diab, director of Chopra Center yoga teacher certification, convinced me to sign up for a yoga program. Having just completed a six day meditation intensive seminar, I was unbelievably susceptible to their “we really need teachers like you” and “of course you can do it, no problem at all” comments. And so I did.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY:

• An hour-plus session of beneficial yoga, designed to work the full length of the spine, can be performed entirely while sitting or laying on the mat: no standing, balancing, pretzel postures or (heaven forbid) headstands involved.
• Mastering breathing techniques will bring you a long way toward experiencing the benefits of yoga. I was surprised by my tendency to hold my breath. Learning to breathe correctly is essential. Pranayama seems to me to be the secret ingredient to success—first the fundamental breathing and then the exciting more advanced yogi techniques.
• Participating in yoga sessions is a great way to learn more about our unique bodies, to accept our strengths and forgive that which we perceive to be a weakness. It didn’t take long for me to realize that for many years I had lived almost totally detached from my body. What you perceive as a lack of flexibility could be due to your body’s particular bone structure and alignment. Thousands of hours of yoga will not (and certainly should not attempt to) overcome a bone-meeting-bone range of motion limitation. Your skeletal anatomy will significantly affect your asana practice. For more information, see Paul Grilley’s work Anatomy for Yoga. Although I typically only share this while joking with friends, I consider the additional bulk of my middle body to be a similar constraint—a type of flesh-on-flesh anatomical limitation.
• Seek out a restorative or gentle yoga class; they are becoming plentiful. Talk to the instructor before committing. Keep searching until you find a class where you are comfortable, or at least not severely distressed. Hiding in the back in those first few sessions worked well for me. Most of my limitations turned out to be in my mind; for others, I found ways to work around them. Stick to it, and the changes you see will surprise and inspire. It’s a journey of the heart and soul and an opening of the body’s energy channels to receive all the gifts of life.
• Yoga really is for everyone.

BREATHING TECHNIQUE
Breathing practices are the yogi’s way of making the respiratory system more regular, creating a soothing effect on the entire nervous system and a balancing of the left and right sides of the brain. Alternate nostril breathing is an exercise with a valuable settling effect. This technique is very useful for quieting the chatter of your mind prior to a meditation session or as an antidote to insomnia.

Although there are different styles, all regulate the flow of air through your nasal passages.

• Sit upright in a chair with both feet on the floor. Use your right hand to control the breath through your nostrils. Position your thumb over the right nostril and your third and fourth fingers over the left nostril. Close off the alternate nostril at the end of each deep inhalation. Inhale, then close off the right nostril with your thumb; exhale through the left. Smoothly inhale through the left nostril; at the crest, close off your left nostril with the third and fourth fingers of your right hand. Then, release the thumb, smoothly exhaling through the right nostril. After you’ve exhaled fully, inhale through the right nostril, again closing it off with your thumb at the peak of inhalation. Release the fingers and exhale out of the left nostril.
• Continue the repetitions: inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right; inhale through the right, then exhale through the left. Your breathing should be effortless, your mind gently observing the exercise. The effect is very relaxing and centering and can help you achieve a state of inner awareness. If you start to feel dizzy or not normal, gently stop and rest before restarting the process. For more details and illustrations, see Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health.
  

Barbara Kumara, managing principal of Kumara Education, provides wellness and life balance workshops to individuals and organizations. Barbara is certified as a Primordial Sound Meditation instructor by the Chopra Center for Well Being and is also a certified instructor for the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program; www.kumaraeducation.com or 404-233-5667.

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