Living In the Moment With Hatha Yoga

One of the things I have noticed about the Iyengar system, is that it trains it's teachers, to scan their classes, and to choose a theme based on the common habit. So if a teacher observes that the majority of the class has a tendency to under utilize a certain area of the body, then the class could possibly be focussed on the actions required to strengthen that area.

This is often delivered by allowing the student to experience the correct actions in a seemingly less complicated pose (often Tadasana/ Mountain Pose) and then allowing them to experience the very same actions in the remaining asanas of the class.

What this means is that the more senior the teacher, the more his/her classes are organized around a central and identifiable theme. It is identifiable mainly by a mantra, or oft repeated phrase.

The mantra I found myself repeating in class this week was 'Take the diamond of the abdomen back and take the tail bone to the floor'.

Now first some definitions:

The Diamond of the Abdomen - this is the entire wall of abdominal muscles, that begins underneath the lower ribs and continues to the top of the pelvis. It is nicknamed as such because of the shape of the bones that define the region. Instructing a student to take that area back, is more efficient an than instruction than 'Take the abdomen back', as the abdomen is often perceived as a small area surrounding the navel. The diamond of the abdomen, when clearly identified, helps the student perceive the whole abdominal wall of muscles, regardless of the pose/configuration they are in.

The Tail Bone - This is at the very tip of the spine. In many individuals, especially those with lower back issues, the tail bone points back and up, rather than back and down. This is due to the lordosis or concavity that occurs in the lumbar region. The purpose of taking the tail bone down, is therefore to create extension in the back lumbar region.

These two action correct many things in one, but overall they create awareness in the back body. I will illustrate with Tadasana.

In Tadasana, often in an effort to open the chest, the part of the abdominal wall near the floating ribs is thrown forward, the hips go forward of the heels, the top front rim of the pelvis tilts forward, and the majority of the feet's weight goes in the toes.

When the whole diamond of the abdomen is taken back and the tailbone is brought down, the lower ribs can line up with the hip bones, the pelvis is realigned and the weight on the feet goes back towards the heels.

These are seemingly simply actions that have profound consequences:

Physically,
1) they realign the pelvis. (This is especially important in women who have borne a child.)
2) they relieve lower back issues, as the lower back is encouraged away from a state of lordosis.
3) they bring tone to the entire abdominal wall

Mentally, they can do a lot as well. Many of us live mentally in the future. We are often think of what we have to do when we get out of practice, or when we reach the supermarket etc., rather than live in the moment. This physically manifests itself by a heavy inclination towards the front body. Protruding foreheads, protruding lower ribs, bulging abdomens, are all a physical manifestation of that mental tendency.

This whole idea then, of bringing as much awareness to the back body as to the front, is a physical manifestation of yoga bringing you back to the present. It can initially be experienced in Tadasana and then in all the other straight-spine postures as well.