Kundalini Yoga Yogi

10 THINGS TO DO

1. Be by yourself: We should make some time for time alone.  One should try to just be alone without stimulation. Be quiet and be awake. Listen to the breath. Listen to the quiet. Listen to the noise. Listen to all that is part of your world. Do not criticize or judge or even identify, just listen. This is essential.

2. Be outdoors, in nature: Connect with the physical world. Smell the air, feel the earth. See the animals. Listen to the rustle of the leaves. We are of the material world and so we should fully grasp it’s beauty.

3. Daily Meditation: Most important! (See #’s1, & 7)   If you master meditation, you master yourself. Your mind becomes your servant and your soul becomes your master. Wake Up!
   Meditate! Do not sleep.
   Meditate! Do not dream.
   Meditate. Do not worry.
   Meditate!

4. Daily, Account for yourself: What did you do today?  Reflect back on your day before you sleep, from the time you woke up to bedtime.  See how you acted, what have you said, how have you said it, what effect have you had on others, what are your thoughts, honestly.  Reflect on the challenges and your emotional reactions.  Did you respond too quickly, did you really listen, were you honest in response?  It will balance your life; prevent emotions from invading your subconscious mind and disturbing your sleep.

5. Do Something Hard: Go outside your comfort zone.  Take a deep breath and risk an act that is difficult, nearly impossible for you. Have the courage to do those things that you know you need to do, but have been able to avoid.  Call the person you have not spoken to in years. Clean up a disgusting mess left by a stranger. Relate to the crazy person who is alone in their madness.

6. Do what needs to be done: Don’t delay.  Now, this moment is a challenge to you! Meet it and life begins, expands, blooms, BEGINS.  If you hesitate, it blocks you, and stops you from moving on.  Listen to the inner voice that prompts you, it is your intuition and if you are doing a daily sadhana it is always right, always.

7. Get up EARLY: the amrit vehla, the hours before dawn, are the best if not the only time for a daily sadhana e.g. meditation, yoga or other spiritual practice.

8. Laugh: This, along with #10 is essential to a happy life. Relax and enjoy yourself daily.  Endlessly pursuing pleasure is exhausting and pointless.  You must really be able to laugh and be happy. Be content and grateful, this is happiness. Be full of joy and humor but do not go overboard. Spend time in healthy entertainment everyday. It is important.

9. Serve Someone: Everyday do something good for someone else.  Serve the humblest person you know. Put yourself at their feet and do something that will make them feel better. They are the first consideration. You are the last. Do something good that no one knows about, no one.

10. Sweat Everyday:  Get some form of exercise that forces you to exert yourself –it will keep the body in good shape.  Yopu are not your body, but your body is the vehicle through which you live, so treat it like a temple, take care of it.

Yoga for Cyclists

Yoga builds strength and endurance and will introduce flexibility and lengthen tight muscles.

As a bicyclist pedals he or she stresses some muscles and barely uses others. Look  at  a  cyclist coming directly at you, and you will note the distortions of the body movement. The pitching back and forth, side to side reveals that one hip is compensating for the other's weakness or inflexibility—it is not a balanced, empathetic movement. Our hips are at the core of a rider's movement. They provide the foundation of the pedaling motion. If that is weak, then the arms and the lungs have to make up the difference leading to spine and lower back problems like stress and strain.

   If, for example a thigh or knee shoots out from the bicycle's center line it reveals a  weakness or tightness on that side of the body which results in an imbalance-- doing less work than the other. Our hips, thighs, knees, and ankles should all be aligned to the center and directed straight ahead. If they are off center, we are in danger of wearing out ligaments and tendons, and leading to off balance muscle groups. Also, the quadriceps are usually over sized and this usually means the hamstrings are shortened, tight, and as a result weak.

The position of a cyclist  astride a bike contributes to muscular tension and a certain imbalance: The spine is constantly state of arched, hunched over the handlebars. To achieve and maintain flexibility and to balance the muscle groups, a biker should  engage in balancing, counter movements. Backbends stretch and elongate the hip flexors and quadriceps so the cyclist's natural movements on the bike are balanced and thus neutralize any over stretching or exertion involved in riding. The spine must be kept limber and never allowed to “set” in a posture. Flexing the spine is important to compensate for the arched posture astride a bike. Practicing Yoga  can help restore and maintain balance, first by aligning the over stressed, or overdeveloped or over stretched body. Secondly, yoga will transform how you sit on your bike. Yoga will contribute to a sense of balance and endurance within the body, and an overall awareness of one's center. (All of this advice of course is aside from your usual pre-ride stretching, twisting and breath expansion.)

There is a clear link between  yoga and seat of the pants bicycling. Yoga gives one a comfort level with, and knowledge of their physical body and what is going on with it. Sitting astride a bike bent over with the head up surveying the passing road is not a normal human position. For this reason, a rider's success and comfort level depend on how well they are fitted to the bicycle. Professional help would not be out of line here, depending of course on how “serious” the rider is. As one progresses (by choice) up the scale from casual rider to money and carbon saving commuter to summer long serious tourist or teeth grinding competitor, the need for a more exact fit will increase as well. While an expert, right there with you is the best authority, here are some general guidelines and suggestions for possible yogic solutions.

Hands & Arms. Arms should be at right angles to the upper body and  lined up with the shoulders. The elbows should have some flex to absorb and isolate bumps in the road and not transfer them to the rest of the body. Wrists line up with the shoulders or just slightly wider to distribute upper body weight equally. Too wide and you can strain the shoulders and possibly the lower back which has to compensate. Too narrow a grip collapses in on the chest restricting the breath. Racers on a  downhill, where breathing can be more relaxed and recuperative, may want to narrow the grip for better control and streamlining. 

Cobra Pose – On the stomach with the hands flat on the floor, inhale deeply and arch the upper body off the floor, eyes on the ceiling, if possible, arms straight, lower back relaxed and feet together if possible using either long deep breathing or Breath of Fire. An alternate version would  be to support the body on the elbows. 

Triangle Pose – Palms flat on the floor, feet flat on the floor, both the legs and the upper body should be straight, butt uppermost forming the point of a “triangle”. Breathe long and deep.

Torso. The spine should be in neither a forward arch nor a hunched position. The chest is open  and expandable so you can lean forward. A basically straight spine allows the lungs and ribcage to expand and open facilitating oxygen absorption. Tight hamstrings will limit how far the back will bend before forcing the chest to close.

     Front Stretch – Sit on the floor, legs out front and straight, no bend at the knees. Inhale deeply and raise the arms up pointing towards the ceiling. Exhale and swing them towards the toes, reaching for the feet.. Hold and breath deeply for a minute, then begin inhaling up and exhaling down without letting go of the toes. Do at least 26 repetitions or for 3 minutes.

     Standing Front Stretch (spine parallel to floor – see “A” and “C” in the section  “Bicycle Seat.”)

Hips & Pelvis. The angle between the torso and the hips should not be hard or sharp—there should be adequate space for the hips to move freely. Archer Pose can give you a sense of this open connection between the torso and the hips. The Bicycle seat  flat or tilted only very slightly. This will keep the pressure off the hands, arms legs and feet. Just as the proper angle of your pelvis in Triangle Pose (See above.) allows you to distribute your weight evenly through your hands, arms, legs, and feet, a seat tilted too far forward tips the pelvis and adds undue pressure to the hands and wrists.

 Archer Pose – Standing, bring one foot forward and bend the knees so you cannot see the foot underneath the bent knee. (This will almost be a 90 degree angle.) The rear leg is stretched straight behind with the toes perpendicular to the toes of the front foot.  Stretch the arm (left arm if the left foot is forward) parallel to the ground, hand in a fist with the thumb extended. Bring the other hand in a fist as if drawing a bowstring (with tension) so it is at about the same level as the other hand. Hold it there and feel the tension of the bow across the chest. Eyes are gazing at the extended thumb.

     Adjusting the Hips – Lying on the stomach, bring the left heel up and touching the right hip. (The leg is across the body as if in a Lotus posture.) The right leg is straight, the upper body is arched slightly to accommodate the left leg and the arms are extended straight out along the floor coming together in a prayer position. Breathe is long and deep. Do the other side as well, for at least three minutes (or as long as you can maintain it, eventually building up to three minutes.)

Relax - Your body should be relaxed on the bike. You need a loose upper body.  Tension diverts the energy needed for pedaling   Be aware of all the areas of tension-- neck, jaw and shoulders. If you are tight, the bike will move in jerks and twitches. Keep a light-but-secure hold on the handlebars, do not be inflexible. If the hands are tight the arms and shoulders will be too. A  death grip on the  handlebars is counter productive. Arms should be loose from the shoulders to the fingertips.. Relax before you get on your bike, take some deep breaths and then remember that feeling as you ride.  Enjoy your ride, its the only way to relax. Awareness of tension is the first step towards releasing it. Of course, don't disregard any dangers as you ride but stay within yourself aware of tension and possible roadside hazards.

Posture-your body should be properly aligned on or off the bike. If your elbows are waving in the wind, knees shooting out to the side, and your head is discordantly moving about  this takes energy and gets you nowhere. You can better use this energy propelling yourself down the road! Be aware of the shoulders, do not hunch them, its a sign of tension, let them relax.

Flow. At the bottom of your pedal stroke, your knee should be straight and your foot parallel to the ground. Strive for the smooth strokes of professional cyclists, who are able to apply power throughout the entire circle of the rotation instead of pedaling in squares, abruptly thrusting pedals up and down. Before your daily ride, try warming up with Sun Salutation to introduce the smoothness you're trying to achieve in your pedal stroke. This flowing series allows you to work out kinks in your movements, which over time translate to fluid transitions from one pose to another, the kind of continuous, flowing action you want in your pedal stroke. Stay ahead of your bike, be aware of what is further up the road so you don't have to react wildly to avoid a problem, whatever it is.

Bike Seat-- raise your seat until you have to reach from side to side to hold contact with the pedals, then lower it until you don't anymore. Extension is important and there are a number of yoga poses. Forward bends are effective  as you stretch from the pelvis.

   Try this standing position: (A) heels together, bend forward from the hips (do not roll the spine over, keep it straight) until the straight spine is parallel to the floor (arms can be out front, to the sides or at the sides, whichever is more comfortable in maintaining it). From this posture you can bring the upper body towards the knees (B) and hold comfortably, folding the arms behind the knees is ideal though not absolutely necessary in gaining benefits. A third posture (C) would be to steady your balance and then raise one leg straight out forming the body into a “T” shape from the first standing position. One or both arms (if one arm is required, make it the one opposite the leg being raised) may need to be extended parallel to the floor.

Breath. You are never ever without your breath. During intense effort you should not succumb to a gasping and inefficient  breathing rhythm. Instead, become connected to your pedal strokes  with the lungs as you breathe powerfully even through the mouth. Ideally of course, you want to use the nose but do not ever lose control of the conscious breath, deep and effective. As you attain and maintain different yoga asanas,  the controlled and disciplined inhale/exhale  is crucial if you are to replenish the oxygen  supply to hard working muscles. Do not forget that the diaphragm is the working area not the upper chest, when you are exerting yourself up to and perhaps beyond normal limits. On relatively easy rides connect the breath to the stroke and then carry the rhythm up hills and along high speed stretches even when competing either in a friendly or serious manner. I find that repeating a mantra (even silently) in rhythm with the breath/pedal stroke gets me farther along a hill than desperately pushing, trying to reach the top.

Bicycling is a sport quite similar to running, hiking, and swimming. The balancing benefits of yoga help us to do it  efficiently. It will aid in elongating and strengthening overtaxed muscles if we apply  yogic alignments which will can establish a new balance on the bike, comfortable and easy to maintain.

GET RID OF YOUR SHOVELS!

As of today, Thursday, May 22, 2008, oil is $133 a barrel (and rising).

According to Congressional testimony Wednesday by an energy expert Gal Luft, when oil reaches $200 a barrel, OPEC could potentially buy Bank of America with one month’s worth of production, Apple computers with a week’s revenues and General Motors with just three days’ sales.

Given the above, the US is in a number of holes. There’s a hole named Iraq. There’s a hole named “oil addiction.” And there’s a hole named the world. By that I mean the world is being increasingly leveled out at the economic and educational level. Levels we attained long ago. Were we have before taken our leadership for granted; we now have company and competition.

Competition is a good thing; it makes one sharper, more aware and more amenable to change. Or does it? All the US has done is to keep digging.

A way out of Iraq would seem to be obvious; instead the Bush Administration (if one can call it that) seems oblivious.

Oil addiction? Instead the US car manufacturers sell (and we buy) bigger cars and thirstier SUVs! The biggest source of oil available to us is through conservation through higher and tougher emission or CAFÉ standards, fuel taxes, and carbon taxes (Most cars emit approximately one pound of carbon for every mile of city driving.). It is also well known that 55 mph is the most economic speed limit; instead we have 70 and 75 mph limits all over this country.

As for the hole I identified, as “the world” well, there’s really no way out of that one, is there? We have to accept that we are no longer Numero Uno on the planet. This planet belongs to everyone who lives here. The sooner we ALL learn that we have to take care of it the sooner there will be peace upon it.

We just may have to talk and negotiate with people who are very much unlike us, people who perhaps do not like us very much. There’s an old saying, “To a person with a hammer, everything’s a nail.” The “hammer” of our military superiority does not work in all situations as we have found in Iraq. It is, in fact,  promoting the development of new and even more angry, desperate terrorists.

I for one cannot wait for a new face to be presented to the world by the United States. Whether that face is of an old and wizened warrior, a smart and tough woman or a young and hopeful black man, I just pray it is not too late. We have to put down our shovels and hammers and extend the hand of peace, negotiation, change and humility.