Child's Pose Isn't A Resting Pose

Extended child's pose isn't a resting pose.

Notice how I straight away said 'Extended'?

That's because I'm not willin' to stick my neck out with the full Child's pose. Yet! Stay tuned.

Anyway, extended child's pose is a shoulder opener. I know! You're saying you knew that!

Well it's a shoulder opener, in that it's getting your actual armpits on the floor.

...your ...actual ...armpits on the floor.

To do this, you need to rotate your ampits 90 degrees, from sideways to front ways. Oh! You say. I know, right?

Anyway, next time you're in extended child's pose, try turning you armpits forward and get them to suction to the floor.

Ewwwww! says you.

I know, J!

How To Find Yoga

Modern yoga is distorted. It's twisted and gnarled. Sour and bitter.

Old yogis...I'm talking 'old', shake their dreadlocked heads.

Consumerism, capitalism and commercialization have hijacked the practice.

Young yogis really don't know what yoga is.

They mechanically follow instruction.

I asked a studio owner where the advanced yogis are? Dunno, but everyone likes the easy stuff, was the answer.

You need to push on.

Keep at it.

Don't stop at any cost.

The truth is out there. But you gotta stick with it.

Push through the expensive lycra.

Practice through the hype.

Move. Breath. Expand.

Learn.

Be.

J.

Can You Be A Yogi And Be An Asshole?

Great question. The answer's got to do with power. Energy.

...and the type of energy yoga generates.

...and the type of energy it takes to be an asshole. Read on.

Yogic energy is calm and centered. It's very introspective.

Asshole energy is tense and self-centered. It's in other people's faces.

About now, you are saying to yourself that you know yogi's who are assholes. And you are right.

The difference of opinion we are experiencing, is around the definition of a yogi.

If we agreed that a yogi is someone who practices a couple of hours per day (that's self practice). Well that would certainly narrow the field down a LOT.

Consider also, that someone practicing a couple of hours per day will have strong yoga.

Their yoga will be powerful.

They will be very calm and very centered.

They are firmly rooted in their power.

They just aren't gonna go from being zen chilled, to being an asshole in the blink of an eye. It just doesn't happen.

But yeah, there are people who pretend to be all yogic. And because they aren't firmly rooted in yogic power (they're pretending) ...yeah, they can be assholes.

But then again they're not real yogis.

CU in class, J.

How To Breathe In Yoga

Stupid post. Everybody knows how to breathe in yoga.

It's ALL the teacher bangs on about the whole class. Nothing new here. Move on. Not ...so ...fast ...speedy.

Let me describe it, and we'll see if anything new comes up.

On an inhale, your body fills with oxygen. You literally, physically expand. The muscles that you are lengthening, they expand.

At the top of the breathe. When you've expanded the most. You momentarily hold your breathe.

But, during that moment, you turn on all muscles that it's going to take to maintain, the skeletal position, of your body in the expanded position.

So then you exhale, and keep all the muscles contracted that are maintaining the expanded position.

Next, you inhale and your body expands beyond the previous expansion...And the cycle repeats.

That momentary hold and conscious turning on of muscles required to hold the pose, in the maximum position, while you exhale, is you learning bodily awareness.

It's also how you take the pose to the next level. By not losing the gains you've made so far in the pose.

Your yoga will be stronger and your poses will be deeper.

CU in class being strong and moving deep, J.

How To Get In The Yoga Zone

There's no way this post isn't gonna sound trippy. So cue some Doors and let's get psychedelic.

So, there's advanced yoga by performing advanced asana while meditating.

There's also advanced yoga by performing advanced meditation without intricate poses.

There's also advanced yoga by performing easy asana with a certain breathe quality.

And to be advanced yoga, in easy poses, the 'certain' breathe quality is a must. Or it's just easy yoga. Onward!

In this post I'm gonna have a crack at describing that 'certain' breathe quality. Here goes...

I'll mechanically describe it and emotionally describe it.

Advanced yoga is when you are mechanically and emotionally performing the breathe.

The breathe is long, deep, loud, steady, rhythmic and continuous.

Emotionally: You can hear the breathe via your ears, but more importantly, it's in your head. In fact, it's all you'll hear.

Other noises are just background noise. You aren't focussed on the breathe, as in you don't need to force your focus. But you will be focussed on it anyway. In fact, it's all you'll hear.

It's slow. About a nice easy 5 count. Although to do it correctly you wouldn't be counting.

It's one breathe per movement. There's certain poses where you'll take an extra breathe. But one breathe is long enough to get the benefits of the pose.  Like I said, it's long and deep.

Ooo before I forget, it's most decidedly ujjayi breathing. But there's ujjayi and then there's ujjayi.

Now, an important aside about the level of fitness required to perform this type of breathe-movement orchestration. You need to be pretty fit. Yoga fit.

You may not be able to keep it going for long stretches. But it is possible with LOTSA practice.

We all think we practice in the zone. But, you'll really know you are in the zone when you are doing this properly. More importantly, it'll be the new bar you set your standard to.

More emotional stuff... you are fully conscious ... fully aware ... but your yoga will be all consuming.

Your yoga will also be strong. Freaky strong. Not flashy. Strong.

You may not be able to perform this yoga for long periods. In fact, you probably won't be able to sustain the practice.

So it's important to rest and centre between flows. Oh!...it is most certainly suited to flow. In fact, it's easier to do this using flow. Harder if you are just hitting unrelated poses without graceful transitions.

Now, you are all gonna be saying to yourselves that you've experienced this type of practice. Trust me, you haven't.

It took me over 15 years of a couple of hours per day to catch a glimpse of this type of practice. And I still can't get it back every time I hit the matt. But it's worth pursuing.

Anyway, now you know what to look out for.

Happy practicing, J.

Why You Shouldn't Become A Yogalebrity

You shouldn't become a yogalebrity, because of the ego.

There's no way that those yogis haven't got ego.

They will be doing the best poses (because they're advanced, because they have plenty of time, because they charge more per class - see prev post). Also.

Every class is a winner, because the people want to be there. Sales 101.

If you can make people want something, it's more powerful than people having to have something. Think about it!

Every class is a winner. Everyone fawns over you. You are the best yogi. Ego. Ego. Ego.

Anyway, just thought you should have all the facts before proceeding.

Put that camera away, J.

Why You Should Become A Yogalebrity

Maintaining an advanced practice, takes time.

If you see yogis doing really advanced asana, they're putting in hours. Serious hours.

I have a theory that most full time yoga teachers don't have an advanced practice, because they don't get the time to maintain such a practice.

They are busy teaching yoga. And teaching yoga is a physical job. They are knackered afterwards.

The best career path for a full time teacher, is to become a yogalebrity. You know, yogis on insta and tumblr with 100K followers. Here's why.

You see, yoga teachers need just one thing, in order to consistently have the time needed for advanced practice... ... Money. Yep.

If they become yogalebrities, they can charge more per class. Thus they can take less classes. Hence freeing up time and energy for advanced practice. Here's how it's done...

Become a yogalebrity by posting pics of yourself. Now, how pretty you are is inversely proportional to the level of yoga you need to perform ...to become a yogalebrity.

If you're pretty you can get way with semi advanced poses, in a nice setting.

If you're not pretty then you need to be advanced. Setting doesn't matter.

Ok, so you're now a yogalebrity, with 100K followers.

You start to count where the followers are from .e.g. 10K from Australia. Ha! Says you.

You notice that there's 5K in Sydney, and 5K in Melbourne. Too easy.

So now you develop a workshop and let everyone in Oz, know that you'll be in Sydney and Melb, on such and such dates. At $75 per pop, you pocket $750K. Pretty good money.

Airfares, accommodation, venue hire (and meals?) is ALL tax deductible. Perfect.

You're jetting around the world. Following the sun. AND you've got enough time to practice advanced asana. Not only that.

But it becomes a self-reinforcing loop. The better you get, and the more pretty the location. The more followers. So now you've got even MORE time to maintain an advanced practice.

What are you waitin' for, start takin' pics, J.

How Yogis Become Gods And Why They Fail

Yoga is crazy powerful.

You probably don't realize it. It takes someone new looking in.

Their eyes widen. Their mouths open. They tell you you're un-freakin'-believable.

You shrug it off. It's just yoga.

It's not just the physical strength. People notice the calmness. They notice you're always smiling.

Your conversation is always on track. Your views are always the right ones to have.

Here's something you won't hear from the average yoga teacher.

Yoga is making you into a god. Now.

All you christians, don't go gettin' freaked out. Lemme explain.

There's four types of yoga. Each one takes you closer to god.

For the sake of this post, we'll call god any supernatural being that is wise, calm, strong and right (as in, correct in his/her views).

Jnana yogis study god. They try to understand god through knowledge. Their knowledge of god makes them like god, in that they understand the wisdom of god.

Jehovah's witnesses are Jnana yogis. They study the bible (although they'd be upset at being called yogis).

Karma yogis are caring and perform works of goodness. They don't require, nor do they ask for, anything in return.

Think mother Teresa and Ghandi.

Bhakti yogis cultivate love and devotion. Love is arguably god's greatest attribute. Bhaktis cultivate divine love. Think Hare Krishnas.

Raja yogis. That's us. Our bodies become strong. Our minds calm. Physically and mentally we are becoming as close to god, as our human body will take us.

This is yoga's goal. And it's not a bad one.

Gettin' back to the start of this post...

When people notice our yoga. And they will when your yoga is strong. Then immediately you have a problem. Ego asserts itself. This is our undoing.

If you can control your ego, when your yoga is strong. Then you will experience a physical and mental closeness (as close as the human body can take you), to being divine.

Watch that ego, J.

Maximum Power Yoga

Other sports use ujjayi breathing. Martial arts is an easy one.

You know, when they practice kata. Well, they also practice ujjayi.

Here's the best one though:

Imagine a pro cycler, cycling up a hill, in the world championship. He's out in front.

He's feeling really strong. He's sucking in the oxygen, in a controlled manner. To get the most he can.

He's blowing it out, in a controlled manner.

He's controlling his energy.

Bingo. J.

If you are going to do maximum power yoga - and I'm talking power here, not trying hard and gettin' puffed out. Anyway,

To do maximum power yoga, you must be controlling your breathe. Or you ain't doing max power yoga.

Power And Is Yoga

Let's face it. You don't come here for the easy stuff. There's 'other' blog sites for that.

Yoga's a box of chocolates blogs, run by Skye or her eternal celestial sister Harmony.

Nope, just the raw rub, real deal, here. Onward!...

Two legged standing warriors.

That'd be 1 and 2 (warriors, of course).

The energy in the pose is the back leg forcing everything forward. The front leg is a wedge. A block of rock.

That back leg energy, is trying to force that block forward. The front leg block doesn't push backwards. It doesn't push at all. It just is, and will remain.

That's the pose. Any upperbody arm action is just a bonus. Icing.

The upperbody action is established after the back leg is pushing forward, and the front leg just is.

You won't hear WI and WII described like that, in many blogs. If you do hear it, follow that blog too.

Power and is, J.

As Long As You Are Practicing Yoga, You May As Well Self-Realize

Yoga's a journey of/to self-realization. Better amend that...

Yoga can be a journey to self-realization, if you choose to make it that way. And let's face it.

If you are going to the trouble of doing the practice, you may as well maximize your returns.

The physical practice of yoga (asana) is a great vehicle to attain self-realization.

It produces the range of emotions and feelings that need to be analyzed and processed, on the way to self-realization.

Here's a couple of examples, to get you thinking correctly about this...

Asana is tough physically.

This means that you need motivation, dedication and persistence to progress.

Asana can reward you physically.

Practicing asana can make you thin, healthy and strong. This is a huge ego boost. Unfortunately, ego must be dealt with, in order to self-realize.

This is a major milestone on the path to self-realization.

Asana can punish you physically.

Having to deal with injuries and setbacks is just plain character building.

Asana is a mental challenge.

Hanging around in an uncomfortable position is counter-intuitive.

This is great if you can make the connection between an uncomfortable pose, and situations in life that are uncomfortable, but which you deal with, by facing and not running.

Mental fortitude is one of yoga's greatest gifts.


Nearly everything you need to self-realize is present in the physical practice of yoga. Not only that, it's easy to do. Here's how...

Move, hold, breathe, focus, lengthen, soften.

CU in class self-realizing, J.

Yoga's Better When You Don't Care About It

During class today, we came into eka pada vasisthasana.

The teacher asked one of the students to demo the move again.

Talk about deer in the headlights.

 The student was a little reluctant. Probably, due to the fact that they couldn't get into the pose. 

I think the teacher was trying to demo that trying counts. Anyway. Back to the deer in the headlights.

Now, it's understandable how getting asked to demo a move in class, can be a big thing. Especially, if you can't do the pose.

Unfortunately, there wasn't an opportunity to speak to the student after class. If there was, the lesson is simply...

...don't attach to anything in a yoga class.

If the teacher asks you to do something, give it a go. 

If you fall on your ass. Get up and give it another shot.

This isn't about confidence. It's about practicing non-attachment. 

There's absolutely nothing in a yoga class for you to attach to. Know this. Live this.

CU in class, not attaching, J.