spine – Karmuka Yoga

Yoga Foundations: Spirals, Arches and Yoga Asana

Posted on 18 September 202119 September 2021 by admin

Foundations of Yoga Asana “While you are disturbed by your body, your nerves will become disturbed and you cannot concentrate the mind” (Vivekananda Patanjali Sutras, 2: 46-48) Yoga Asana is one part of the 8 limbs of Yoga. It is often interpreted as Yoga posture. These Yoga postures are built upon spiral and arch forms. Learning how to maintain the integrity of these spirals and arches of the muscular and skeletal structure within Yoga postures (asana) is fundamental for Yoga beginners and advanced practitioners alike. This somatic knowledge is what makes Yoga therapy and Yoga for beginners and recovery effective while ensuring all levels of Yoga practitioners avoid injury. On a psychological level, during the practice of Yoga Asana, the body becomes a doorway to the present, a tool for focusing and releasing past impressions (Samskaras) stored in the mind and body (Patanjali Yoga Sutras 4:26). As students focus upon the minute details of each pose the Vrittri (activity) of the mind quiets, the nervous system begins to relax, physical pain starts to dissipate while the past and future disappear into the the here and now of internal observation (Pratyhara) of each pose. Asana is often interpreted as posture though it literally means ´stable seat´. The practice of Yoga postures ie. Asana should be focused upon stability NOT complete external execution of a pose. In the practice of Yoga Asana and Pranayama, even the most minute adjustments can help a student more fully enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of Yoga. Pain and discomfort should be communicated and modified. Remember, the very name ASANA means stable seat NOT nose to toes. The purpose of Asana is to prepare the body for Pranayama and the experience of Dharana, Dhyana and Samahdi. At first there might be great resistance as the mind and body are forced to create new neuronal pathways and clean up past tension and pain stored in the body. Nonetheless, as a student perseveres in their practice, stability in the body will increase and consequently greater stability in breath (Pranayama) and mind (Dhyana, Dharana, Samahdi) will manifest. How is the stability of Yoga Asana achieved? The strongest and most stable form found both in nature and architecture is the arch, hence the name, Karmuka Yoga. Karmuka means Arch in Sanskrit. The geometric form of the arch achieves strength and STABILITY by creating a perfect balance between two forces in opposition. In all her great engineering wisdom, nature created the human body with 6 main arches that sit one on top of another and support each other through opposing (isometric) action. Foot Arches Pelvic Arch Inferior Thoracic Cage Arch Superior Thoracic Cage Arch Arch of the Occipital/Pallette Cranium In observing the human skeleton the 6 arches are placed in a way to create more space through the central channel of the torso where the internal organs of digestion and assimilation, breath and the nerve channels of the spinal column and vagus nerve complete their functions. When one of these 6 arches becomes misaligned or flattened as a result of accidents, traumas, stress, genetics or postural habits, the consequence is a lack of space which results in various forms of discomfort and pain and an over all reduced functioning of the organism. These 6 arches of the skeletal system are supported by the spiraling internal isometric action of the muscular system and begin in the feet. The stability in the feet will create stability in the pelvis, the fulcrum of our movement and balance. Stability in the inferior arches of the feet and pelvis will then translate into fluid and stable movement further up the channel of connection in the superior arches of the thoracic spine, occipital lobe and the cranium. The strength of these arches is achieved through internal spiral movement, creating a perfect balance between two opposing tensions. Spirals: The building blocks of nature “There is no such thing as motion in a straight line” (Vivekananda Patanjali Sutras) Spirals form the basis of stable movement and is a pattern that is repeated throughout all of nature from the golden ratio found in flowers and shells to our very DNA. Prana moves up along the shushuma (spine energy channel) in spirals along the negatively charged energy channels of the ida and positively charged pingala. The serpent of Kundalini sits spiraled up at the base of the spine, waiting to unwind via the practice of Yoga. For example in Uttita (EXTENDED) Trikonasana (Three angles) spiraling tripod action of the feet press down and out in opposing directions lift the arch of the foot and then bring the energy up into the arch of the pelvis. This opening of the pelvis opens the sacrum (the seat of vital energy) to allow the student to then lengthen up along the spine through the arches of the ribcage then into arch of the skull. It is this lengthening of the spine and the opening of the ribcage into 360 degrees of internal space that removes tension, improves breath and creates clarity in the mind. In Yoga Asana the concept of opposing tensions to create both flexibility and stability is found in all poses (asana). The main goal of each Asana is to create more length and extension along the spine and width through the arches of the thoracic spine. The purpose of this daily practice of extension and width in the physical form of the body allows for deeper fuller breaths, a more relaxed nervous system as well as a more stable and flexible physical structure. The end result is an overall better functioning of the entire mind/body complex. This improvement in the physical and pranic (breath) structure enables the practitioner to sit for meditation without distraction and translate this practice of focus relaxed attention into their every day lives. Internal Action vs. External Exposition Thanks to social media and a pop cultural obsession with the beauty of external physical forms, the real transformative power and therapeutic benefits of Yoga are often lost as students are quickly guided between one

THE GREAT PIGEON CHALLENGE

Posted on 18 March 202018 March 2020 by Michelle Goodrick

🐦THE GREAT PIGEON CHALLENGE🐦 With all the time that we are going to spend isolated and sitting during the quarentine of COVID 19, the Pigeon against the wall Yoga pose (also known as the Screaming Pigeon) is very importante to practice. At a physical level this postura stretches the anterior part of the body, freeing up the lumbar area, relaxing internal organs as well as working directly with the ilia-psoas, the muscle of the soul. The ilia psoas is directly connected with the head of the femur bone. Due to its connection with the leg, it is the first muscle that is activated in the survival instinct of FIGHT and FLIGHT. For this reason, when there is stress and fear, this muscle tenses up automatically causing problems in the lumbar region, digestion as well as kidney problems. In fact, in Chinese medicine, pain located in the lumbar region is associated with the functioning of the kidneys which is connected with the emotion of fear. Therefore, with everything that is occurring with COVID 19 at a health, social and economic level, I am sure that everyone has a bit of stress and fear that they need to leg go of! To release and prevent problems at both a physical and psychological level, I invite everyone to practice this pose EVERY DAY, integrating it into your daily practice. PRACTICE STEPS: 👉Do this pose with a lot of COMPASSION. With AHIMSA -WITHOUT VIOLENCE. It can be very intense at first. 👉👉 Make sure that you have the back knee stuck to the wall so you do not put pressure over the knee cap. ALWAYS keep the coccyx moving forward, lengthening the sacrum, dropping down the sit bone to free up the front groin and keep the sacrum aligned. Make sure that the neck, jaw and shoulders are relaxed. Following these directions you should experiment NO pain in the lumbar region. Use a mirror to help you observer bone alignment. 👉👉👉 Star with you hands on the ground and bit by bit start to come up, bringing the sacrum closer to the wall, NOT YOUR HEAD. The base of the spine needs to lead the pose, not the skull. ALWAYS respect the instructions given above. ( You can see a great example of the process above…thank you the Karmuka Yoga students Jorge y Maria Del Mar for the photo!) 👉👉👉👉Try and maintain the pose one minute each side. Entering bit by bit, playing with, never forcing, the stretch…and you will see, one day your sacrum will touch the wall! When we return to having classes in person, I will see who accepted the challenge and who did not because… 🌀THE BODY NEVER LIES! 🌀 If you would like to have access to the weekly new videos and community of Karmuka Yoga where you can practice according to your schedule, share your ideas and receive answers to all of your questions during the COVID 19 querentine, contact us here to join up with the Karmuka Yoga Sangha!

June 2020: 5th Annual Karmuka Yoga Workshop Series Integrated Techniques

Posted on 18 February 202025 May 2020 by Michelle Goodrick

The fifth annual workshop series of Karmuka Yoga and Integrated Techniques in Seville, Spain: June 2020. Three different workshops that combine the precise practice of Karmuka Yoga with the transformative power of Yamuna Body Rolling and Body Logic. After months of isolation and the resulting stress in mind and body, don´t miss this great opportunity that to release, re-align and learn from Michelle Goodrick . After finishing various trainings during the quarentine in Yamuna and Iyengar techniques, Michelle will guide students in the transformative techniques of Yamuna Body Rolling and cementing the work with the precise practice and instruction of Karmuka Yoga. Working from the bone, both will teach how to align the entire skeletal structure, release tension and pain while increasing mobility in just one session. What is Yamuna Body Rolling? Yamuna Body Rolling is a transformative and pleasurable activity that consists of using the pressure of specialized balls and routines designed to activate, strengthen, release and align all the different layers of both the physical (bone, muscle, fascia) and energetic body. Staring from the bone, the YBR routines follow the structural and energetic logic of the body so that in one session the student experiences greater skeletal alignment, more flexibility and less muscular tension, a relaxed nervous system and more active endocrine system. What is Karmuka Yoga? The Karmuka Yoga method is adapted to all levels and is a progressively educative way of teaching that helps students to achieve the most from their Yoga practice, independent of age or physical limitations. Students are taught how to optimize the skeleton’s arch foundations. These foundations support the spiraling internal motions of movement and breath throughout the body. The precise and personalized instruction of Karmuka Yoga integrates the psychological concepts of embodied cognition by applying mindful attention to alignment, traction and the internal action of Iyengar Yoga, Yamuna Body Logic, Body Rolling and Critical Alignment. In every class, course, workshop and training of Karmuka Yoga the student learns from the inside out how to improve their overall posture and breath as well as increase their flexibility, strength and state of wellbeing. What is Body Logic? Body Logic is the foundation work from which Yamuna Body Rolling was created. While the client lays over cushions, the practitioner uses her elbow to apply pressure to bones, going through the entire skeletal system. The practitioner addresses areas of pain, injury, or discomfort in a very personal way, using pressure and traction to realign affecting the more superficial layers of fascia and muscle into the deeper layers of bone and nervous system. From the sacrum to the feet, from the sacrum to the skull, working from the anterior to the posterior part of the body, in just one session the student will experience a great change in mobility and nervous system functioning. You can see availability for these sessions here. Norma Goodrick in Tulum, Mexico with Body Logic founder Yamuna Zake ————— In the photo the right one can easily see the difference between one leg and the other after treating one leg with Yamuna Body Logic with Norma Goodrick. The leg is longer, the foot more open and all the bones more aligned. Click here to listen to what others have to say about the the work of Yamuna Body Logic with Norma Goodrick. ——————————- Karmuka Yoga Integrated Techniques 2020 Three Part Series SPECIAL: Get free access for three months to the Karmuka Yamuna Body Rolling Instructional Videos with your reservation Series 1 13 of March: The pelvic floor, abnominals and your breath: Move from your core. The center of our body affects each part of our health: weakness and tension in this area can cause problems of the spine as well as issues connected with internal organ funcion. Opening and strengthening your core can relieve and correct problems associated with scoliosis, lumbalgia as well as discomfort associated with menstruation and menopause. It is also great for improving digestion, incontinence and fertility. As well as reducing levels of anxiety and stress. Working around the diagphram both releases emotional tension often held in this area as well as increasing lung capacity. Learn how to use the pressure and traction of Yamuna Body Rolling combined with postures and practices of Hatha Yoga to heal and strengthen yourself from the inside out. 11:00 – 14.30. 30€ early bird special 38€ at the door Series 2 27 of June: Feet to Pelvis: Our base of mobility depends on how the feet and pelvis function. The pelvis is the point of support and fulcrum of movement for the entire body. From the there the spine lengthens upwards and the legs extend downward. If there is misalignement or tightness in this area the rest of the body structure will also suffer. Furthermore, misalignment in the feet will translate upwards into misalignment around the ankles, knees and into the pelvis. In this series of workshops Good Yoga and Core Focus will teach how to release tensions around the pelvis, the legs, sitbones and the iliapoas as well as basic foot care and alignment that will translate along the chain of movement thoughout the whole body, aligning misalignment so that you can feel again the joy of movement. 11:00 – 14.30. 30€ early bird special 38€ at the door Series 3 27 of June: Shoulders, neck and skull: The majority of neck tension and pain begins with its connection to the shoulders and their connection to the thoracic spine. A lack of space and alignment in this area often results in a weak or collapsed sternum and rounded shoulders. Due to this closed structure, those who hold this often experience shallow, quick breathing instead of a full complete breath. A full breath is not only important for levels of vitality and energy, it also works to massage and support the entire thoracic spine in 360 degrees from the inside out. Learn how to release tension of the neck, increase shoulder flexibility while improving overall lung capacity, energy levels and posture via the the guided

The fountain of youth: Your pelvis & spine

Posted on 28 December 20192 January 2020 by Michelle Goodrick

´To stay young, keep your legs open ´-Yamuna Zake These were the words repeated by Yamuna Zake during one of the many training sessions in New York. Everyone laughed of course but despite the obvious double entourage insinuated in this phrase, from a mechanical and energetic standpoint behind this tongue and check comment resides an insightful and wise observation. You are only as old as your spine As one ages, thanks to gravity and bad posture habits, our pelvis begins to close in on itself which results in a curved spine. You see our pelvis is not just one big block of un-moving bone. It is actually composed of two different parts that come together in various points, namely at the pubic bone and the sacrum. The pubic bone is often an ignored piece of anatomy. When I get clients to figure out where it is and place a bit of pressure on it with a Yamuna ball, there is usually a shocked look of ´what the hell is that?!¨ and ´ooooooh that is weird!!´. These are of course normal reactions when dealing with an ignored body part. The body, like any good friend or lover, wants to be acknowledged and taken care of in all of her glory. Unfortunately, often only certain parts are paid attention to, and in relation to our bodies, these are usually the belly, in an effort to get abs of steel, the chest to get those bulging pecs (or breasts) and/or of course the perfect beach bum. This pigeon holed focus on the appearance of body parts creates a great imbalance in the overall functioning of the body and our levels of mobility and vitality. Imbalances in the body create difficulties in movement and energy flow. This eventually manifests as chronic fatigue and chronic pain found in the neck, hip, back, knees…etc. This is why Yoga is so healing. It focuses on WHOLE body movement and not just pieces or parts and essentially the fulcrum of that movement and awareness that makes life so enjoyable rests on, in and around the pelvis. This is why the majority of Yoga poses focus on movement around the pelvis. The seat of kundalini energy (life force energy) resides here, resting at the base of the spine around the coccyx and sacrum at the back of the pelvis. Furthermore,the Liver, Gall Bladder, Kidney, Urinary Bladder, Spleen, and Stomach meridians run right along and through the pubic bone, iliac crest and sit bone down to the down to the big toe. Then there is the famous ilias psoas which runs right through the cup of the pelvis and connects the femur and lumbar spine. This is often called the muscle of soul and when a threat is perceived and a flight reaction instigated, this is one of the first muscles to activate. This is also one reason why runners and other athletes can suffer from lower backpain as well as stressed out office workers (due to stress and long hours of sitting poorly). In addition to posterior and anterior parts of the pelvis there are also the internal (abductors/pubic to knee) and external connections (IT band/hip to knee) of the pelvis which if blocked up can create hip, feet and knee issues as well as energetically being connected with issues of digestion, gynecological problems, anxiety and fear. The Pelvis and your Breath There is also a direct connection with hip mobility and shoulder mobility. I remember a few years back when I was working around the hip with a swimmer who was having chronic neck and shoulder issues. We got in with a ball and started to work with a few Yoga poses to open up the space around the internal and external insertion points of the femur head. After we were done, he sat up and just looked at me shocked and couldn´t believe that the pain in his left shoulder had totally disappeared without me touching it. An open pelvis with moveable connecting parts is not only essential for freedom of movement, but also for freedom of breath. It is yet another reason that 60-70% of all Yoga poses center around opening and aligning the pelvis. Obviously hip flexibility is important to sit in any cross legged meditative pose, but there is so much more involved than just achieving a comfortable sitting position. When the pelvis is open and the sit bones correctly aligned and firmly sitting on the ground (not tucked forward or put off to one side or the other) than the spine automatically straightens and lengthens up through the top of the skull which then has the effect of lifting and opening the rib cage, which then of course, creates more space for the breath and allows for all the benefits that deep breathing provides such as – slower heart rate, balanced blood pressure, relaxed nervous system and consequently the ability to think and act with the pre-frontal cortex in charge rather than with instinctive fear reactions. Fountain of Youth: From the inside out The mechanics of Yoga is not about getting you the perfect body, it is about getting you INTO your body. This of course takes more than just standing on one´s head while watching the daily news. Without awareness, breath and time, Yoga becomes nothing more than a simple practice in gymnastics and can often lead to injury. This is why in Karmuka Yoga every pose is done with awareness, time and silence. Staying in a supported pose for an extended period of time, especially around the pelvic zone, not only allows one to get into the deep connective tissue and fascia surrounding various joints (eg. the hip joint) and muscle groups, but it also gives the practitioner the chance to observe whatever other things, be it physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual blocks that might bubble up to the surface while in the pose. Taking time to get to know and breathe into all the many points connected to and through the