The Road to Hana: Finding Joy in the Journey (not the destination)

One of the swimming holes along the "Road to Hana"

My wife Frances and I went to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon (in 2001).  One of the most amazing adventures we had (and there were many) was the day that we drove to Hana, which is on the north shore of Maui.  Fortunately we had been informed that there really isn't anything all that special about Hana... it's just a small town with a couple of diners and shops, and there's not really all that much to do there except have lunch or dinner.  However, the "road" to Hana winds through incredibly beautiful tropical rainforests which occasionally open up to reveal some of the most spectacular scenery found anywhere in the Hawaiian islands.

With over 600 curves (and many of them right on the edges of cliffs) and 54 bridges, the road isn't for the squeamish.  Driving is slow, and if you don't stop at all it takes about 2-3 hours to get to Hana.  But stopping is the whole point!  There are often cars pulled over at various places along the road, and if you pull over to see why you might discover a hidden trail that leads deep into the rain forest.  If you follow the trail it might take you to a scenic vista, or a swimming hole, or a water fall, or a waterfall that spills into a swimming hole.   My wife and I found one big swimming hole where people were jumping off of the cliffs (see pic above).  We had a blast, and even got up the nerve to jump into the water with everyone else.   We spent almost the entire day on the road to Hana, and didn't actually get to Hana until around dinner time.  The drive back that night was a bit scary -- those hair pin turns at night, without street lighting, made even this long-time yogi forget to breathe on several occasions!  But we made it home to our little bungalo safe and sound, and slept very well that night.

The Road to Hana is the perfect spiritual metaphor, giving real-world truth to the expression: "true happiness is in the journey, not the destination."  It is all too easy to feel that we'll be happy when we accomplish some goal that we've created for ourselves, or when certain conditions are met.  In my own life, I can remember a string of conditions and goals that I have at one time felt would bring me infinite happiness:

1. aging -- turning 16 so I could drive, turning 18 so that I was a legal adult, turning 21 so I could legally drink alcohol...
2. acquiring -- getting a bicycle, getting a car, getting a girlfriend, getting a computer, getting my first apartment, "owning" my first apartment...
3. accomplishing --  getting an "A," graduating from high school, graduating from college, getting a job, quitting a job, getting the next job, getting cast in a play, becoming a yoga teacher, getting married, having children...
4. practicing yoga -- touching my toes, getting up in crow pose, headstand, forearm stand, handstand, lotus, dropping back into wheel...

Not one single thing from the above list has actually brought me lasting happiness.  Much like the experience of actually getting to Hana, once I got there it didn't take long for the excitement that preceded getting there to dissipate and eventually dissolve altogether.  It is of course true that there was a feeling of accomplishment that came with "getting there," but it just didn't last.  And then what?  I'm off on the pursuit of the next goal, because I'm still seeking happiness and the accomplishment of the previous goal or condition just didn't quite bring me the happiness that I thought it would.

I know that I'm not alone in this -- it is really a human thing.  But it doesn't have to be this way.  We can learn how to enjoy life one moment at a time.  We can set goals and move toward them, but we don't have to put all of our hope and energy into the accomplishment of our goals.  Instead, we can learn how to pull over and enjoy all of the amazing moments along the way.  And then ultimately, whether we "get" where we are going or not doesn't really matter... because we are right here, right now, where our lives are actually happening.  Yesterday is already gone, tomorrow may never arrive, but today is right here and right now and is the only moment that actually exists.

We can practice this "moment-to-moment" enjoyment of life during our yoga asana practice.  In Zenyasa yoga, there is a big emphasis on constructing a yoga posture one moment at a time, and placing an equal amount of importance on each moment -- so that ultimately the "final posture" is no more important than every step that led up to it.  Are you up for an experiment?

Revolved Triangle Pose: One Step at a Time
Read through these instructions a few times first, and then try them on your own.  Even better would be to read them out loud on a recorder, and then play the recorder as you do the steps.  Take your time in each moment, letting go of any desire to "get" to the next moment of the final posture.  Try not to think ahead of time about where you are going... just be in the moment and enjoy it.

1. Stand in Mountain pose with a yoga block between your feet, and your hands on your hips
2. Turn your left foot out 45 degrees, bend your knees a little, and then step your left foot back about one leg's length (or a little more if you like)
3. Keeping your front knee slightly bent, place your awareness in your back foot -- make sure that it is still angled in at least 45 degrees, and that your heel is grounded (if you can't ground it, turn it out a little more or step it forward a bit)
4. Place your right thumb in your right hip crease, and raise your left hand toward the ceiling
5. Reach out with your left arm as your hinge forward at your right hip, deepening the fold that your thumb is pressing into
6. Place your left hand on the block, and then your right palm on your sacrum (at the center of your pelvis); at this point your front knee is still bent... no hamstring stretch
7. Pressing your hand into the block, lift your chest as if you were doing little cobra (engaging your back muscles to extend your spine)  -- be here for a moment -- don't rush this part
8. Up til now your front knee has been bent -- now, keeping that "little cobra" pose feeling in your back, begin to lengthen your front leg until you feel a moderate and relatively pleasurable stretch in your hamstrings
9. If your leg easily straightens AND you are able to maintain that cobra pose feeling, then lower the height of the block (or even get rid of it and place your hand on the floor if you are quite flexible); if you are less flexible, you don't have to straighten your leg all the way, and you should keep the block!
10. Now hold on to what you have created... keep your back heel heavy on the floor, your back knee straight, that cobra-pose feeling in your spine, and your head, neck and spine directly over the midline of your mat... and then begin to revolve to the right, turning your chest toward the side wall
11. As you revolve, let your pelvis go with your trunk a little bit... it doesn't have to stay level, and you'll get more out of the posture if you let the left side drop a bit
12. Draw your right shoulder back, encouraging your right shoulder blade toward your spine
13. Be here for awhile, enjoy it... don't be in a hurry to take your hand up... this is another great stopping point
14. Now finally, go ahead and reach your right hand up toward the ceiling and take your gaze up -- you've arrived in Revolved Triangle pose, you're in Hana

Did you enjoy the journey? 

Anatomy for Yoga: The Piriformis Muscle

The Piriformis Muscle

OVERVIEW

Location:
Posterior aspect of pelvis, deep to Gluteus Maximus and just inferior to Gluteus Medius

Word Origin:
Piriformis is Latin, meaning “pear-shaped”

Attachments:
Axial (origin): anterolateral sacrum
Appendicular (insertion): greater trochanter of the femur

Actions:
With thigh flexed less than 60 degrees...
* Lateral (external) rotation of the thigh at the hip joint 

With thigh flexed more than 60 degrees...
* Medial (internal) rotation of the thigh at the hip joint
* Horizontal abduction of the thigh at the hip joint

NOTES:

• The position of the thigh will determine whether the piriformis is a lateral or medial rotator of the thigh at the hip joint, as well as what actions must be created to stretch it (the thigh must be flexed to at least 60 degrees for the piriformis to become a medial rotator of the thigh) 
• If someone has a tight piriformis, when they sit cross-legged their knees will be really high (which is a reflection of the femurs not being able to laterally (externally) rotate to drop the knees toward the floor); they should avoid pigeon pose and anything lotus-related until they get a little more flexibility in the hips, as these postures can compress the medial meniscus if the femur doesn't laterally rotate enough (there would be a pain on the inner knee)
• The following yoga postures can safely stretch the piriformis (in all of them the thigh is flexed more than 60 degrees):  

1. Thread the Needle pose
2. Flying Crow prep pose
3. Cross-Legged pose (folding forward) 
4. Lizard pose (with the knee dropping out to the side) 

• The piriformis can protectively tighten when the sacroiliac joint is sprained or in distress 
• Piriformis syndrome is when a tight or inflamed piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve (which exits nearby) and can mimic sciatica (traveling pain down the lateral buttocks and posterior thigh/leg) 

I'll be posting pics of the above postures on the Zenyasa and ASFYT facebook pages soon ;-)

Finding Balance... Even When You Fall

During class...

When we practice tree or other balancing postures in class, there is a very real possibility that we will lose our balance and fall over.  Even those of us with great balance occasionally fall over.  If you are a regular in class, you have probably heard me say:

“If you fall over, just fall over.  Try not to add anything extra to it.  Just smile, breathe and then start again.” 

What I mean by this is that if you lose your balance, just allow yourself to fall over without adding anything extra like anger, frustration, impatience, etc.  It is all too easy when we fall over to mentally berate ourselves, or even express our frustration outwardly with a few choice expletives (believe it or not I’ve heard a fair share of these over the years).

Smiling when you fall over can immediately help you generate some goodwill and compassion toward yourself, and breathing will help you maintain equanimity.  Let the falling over be a part of the process... not something that isn’t supposed to happen.  Take your time, be in the moment, get grounded, and then start again.   In this way you can maintain balance in your mind, even if you temporarily lose it in your body.

Outside of class...

Sometimes we “fall over” in life.  Perhaps we lose our temper and say something in anger to someone that we care about, which hurts their feelings.  Or we eat too much for lunch or dinner, and then feel lousy afterwards.  In both of the above scenarios, it’s quite possible that we were feeling happy and balanced in our mental outlook until some unforeseen circumstance came along and caused us to fall out of balance... out of mental, spiritual and physical harmony.

In these moments it can be helpful to just stop for a moment and recognize what has happened... that we have fallen from a state of feeling balance and harmony.  We can take a few deep breaths, as many as it takes, inwardly smile toward ourselves with mindfulness and compassion, and then begin again.  We can get grounded and take a fresh start. 

Example: Speaking Out in Anger
If you have spoken to someone in anger, perhaps ask the person if you can both just sit down and breath together for a little while, or walk together in silence, while you come back to your breath and regain your balance.  During this time, don’t berate yourself or cultivate negative feelings toward yourself for speaking out in anger.  Don’t add anything extra.  Just mindfully observe your breath, and perhaps contemplate the real cause of your anger.  After some time, you can apologize and tell the person you are with that you care about them, and want to begin anew. 

Example: Eating Too Much at Lunch or Dinner
Suppose that you put too much food on your plate, and then eat everything on it.  Afterwards your stomach feels too full, and your body feels uncomfortable.  In these moments, it doesn’t help to beat yourself up with negative self-talk.  Instead, you can sit down, focus on your breathing, and simply acknowledge that you are feeling too full in the present moment.  However, you can also note that this feeling is temporary and will pass, and that you’ll have another opportunity to be more skillful at the next mealtime.  You can cultivate peace within yourself by focusing on what is wonderful and good in the present moment.  

When you lose your balance, on or off the mat... smile, breathe, and then begin again.  Let these moments be opportunities for you to cultivate compassion and goodwill towards yourself and the people that you are with.

Om Shanti, Om Peace

Meditation Technique: Counting Backward from 50

Counting backwards is one of my favorite (and most often employed) meditation techniques.  I first learned this practice from Erich Schiffman, who is one of my first teachers in the yoga tradition.  Below are Erich’s instructions for the practice, straight from his excellent book:

“Yoga - The Spirit & Practice of Moving into Stillness.”  

You can read the full chapter online at his website if you like.

Counting Backward Meditation
“In this exercise you will be counting backward from fifty to zero, synchronizing the counting with your breathing. You'll count the even numbers as you exhale and the odd numbers as you inhale.

Sit with your back straight and your eyes closed. If you can sit comfortably on the floor, do so. Otherwise, use a chair. Be comfortable.

Begin by breathing in gently, fully. As yell exhale, mentally say "fifty." As you breathe in again, mentally say "forty-nine," exhale "forty-eight," inhale "forty-seven," exhale "forty-six" ... and so on.

Count backward on both the in-breath and the out-breath until you reach "twenty," then count only on exhales. Silently count "twenty" as you exhale. Then, instead of counting "nineteen" on the in-breath, do nothing, just inhale. With the next exhalation count "nineteen" ... and so on until you reach zero.

When you reach zero, stop counting, but stay aware of the natural flow of breath in exactly the same way as when you were counting. Watch the breath as though you were going to count, but don't count. As you do this, practice sitting absolutely still. But don't hold yourself still. Simply be so relaxed that no movement occurs.

Be very aware of how you feel as you do this--how peaceful, energized, calm. Notice how pleasantly alert you are, how serene, fearless, at ease. Familiarize yourself with this feeling, with the feeling-tone of being centered and at peace, and rest here another two or three minutes. Absorb the stillness. Then prepare yourself, open your eyes, and return. This will take six or seven minutes.

As you do this exercise, breathe normally. Do not do deep breathing or control the breath in any way. This is important. You are learning not to be in control. You are learning to get out of the way. Therefore, rather than controlling the breath, allow it to flow freely in and out at its own natural pace. Yet, stay aware of the breath. Keep track of the numbers. As the breath comes in, count. As the breath goes out, count. And when you reach zero, stay aware of the breath nonverbally. There should be no strain in your breathing as you do this. Keep it soft and easy.

As you count backward, you may be more aware than usual of your mind darting rapidly from one object of attention to another. You may be unusually aware of sounds, physical sensations, or thoughts. You may lose count altogether. None of this matters. All of these things are evidence that the technique is working. You're becoming more aware.
The value of this technique lies in its ability to help you notice where your attention is from moment to moment, what's in your mind, and the contents of your consciousness. The counting is not only a centering device and a way of developing concentration, of training your mind to focus, it also acts as a backdrop on which your thoughts become very apparent.

For now, however, do not do anything with the various thoughts or sensations that arise. Simply be aware of them and continue counting. Gradually become more aware, more quiet within yourself, and increasingly dynamically still. As you immerse yourself in your stillness--and this is something that improves with each attempt--you will experience an unexpected and immensely satisfying sense of contentment and ease. Feel the peace.”