Australian Yoga Journal (February 2020)

LIFE IN BALANCE













REST & HARNESS THE
POWER OF



RESET QI






Restorative


& Yin Yoga Yoga and the


MODERN


Beautiful MAN



Balasana



CHINA




Shoulder YOGA’S NEW
GROWTH

Stand Serenity HOTSPOT?

























ISSN 1837-2406
10








9 771837 24000 6
ISSUE 81
A$9.50 NZ$9.50 inc. gst

HOW TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO LIVE BETTER LIVES…




Are you someone who wants to make a di erence? Are you passionate about helping people
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Yours in yoga,


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Founders of InYoga







inyoga











Live. Know. Love. A Life InYoga



www.inyoga.com.au



CONTENTS













February/March 2o20



the reset issue



24 24 The Qi in Yin

Understanding Qi and how to apply it to

your practice

36 36 Just Breathe

The power of Ujjayi

42 42 Modern Masculinity

Male yogis explore how yoga has helped them
to understand and accept their masculinity

56 56 Find Refuge in Restoration

How embracing restoration can guide you
towards true acceptance

61 61 The Art of Rest
When Savasana doesn’t come naturally, turn to

restorative guru Judith Hanson Lasaterr

64 64 From Rush to Rest
Why yogis are jumping on board the
restorative bandwagon

72 72 Check out China

China is becoming a yoga hot spot. We’ve
scoped out the best places for your practice















y ogajournal.c om.au












f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 38 42 PHOTOS: DAVID PHELPS; CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY










4

Tamara’s Talks






Inspiration wherever you are:

enjoy a super wonderful day


with the wisdom of Yogiraj


Tamara Graham at


your fingertips.




































































Subscribe now. New content added weekly.


https://tamarayoga.com/tamarastalks/

C ONTENT S



February/March 2o20


24





















56







72






61














change





18 LIFE LESSONS FOR MINDFUL
MOVERS
78-year-old dancer and author
shares secrets of the good life

20 YOGA TRANSFORMATION:
HEALING FROM CHRONIC ILLNES
How one yoga teacher’s journey
helped transform a community
38 SERENE SPACE PHOTO: GARETH CHRISTIAN, SIMON MIGAJ/UNSPLASH,IURII/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM, DAVID MARTINEZ, CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY
y ogajournal.c om.au practice ON THE COVER



Create your very own Zen dream







BEAUTIFUL BALASANA
22
Perfect the art of ultimate self-care in every issue


f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 32 SHOULDERSTAND SERENITY 8 WHAT’S ON
through child’s posee


Find success in this powerful pose

with the use of props


Discover both softness and
6 52 SOFTEN INTO STRENGTH 12 IN THE NOW Cover image: Dane Wetton/Unsplash

69

SUBSCRIBE

strength with this sequence

PO WER LIVING A USTRALIA




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Medicine (TCM) theory, yin yoga and its accompanying • Learn to create multiple sequences following
philosophies, this course will directly impact your myofascial meridians that transfor bodies and lifelong
personal practice and the lives of the students you injuries creating supple, rejuvenated tissue
teach. In this training you will: • Daily meditation, pranayama, dynamic yin flows and
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in the body






For more info and booking please email programs@powerliving.com.au or jump online at powerliving.com.au


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conscious yoga athletica

upfront











ISSUE NO 81. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020

AUSTRALIAN YOGA JOURNAL
Contact Media PTY LIMITED
ABN 20 097 242 807
PO Box 582 Robina Town Centre Qld 4220
www.yogajournal.com.au
SUBSCRIPTIONS
W: yogajournal.com.au/subscribe

E: subs@yogajournal.com.au
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Todd Cole
todd@yogajournal.com.au
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jessica Humphries
jess@yogajournal.com.au
ART DIRECTOR
Angela Reeves
ang@yogajournal.com.au
ADVERTISING MANAGER/PUBLISHER
Alison Cole 0411 623 425
alisoncole@yogajournal.com.au
CONTRIBUTORS

Be a rainmaker Tara Fitzgibbon, Truth Robinson
Jenny Smith, Melanie Schoor,

PRINTER

Printed by Webstar Print

IF YOU FEEL THE WORLD has There is an antidote: look inward,
gone a little crazy, you’re not relax, rejuvenate. Take time for Australian Yoga Journal is published and distributed
alone. Last year was insane; out of you; slow down. Rest. There is eight times a year by Contact Media Pty Limited, under
control. Fires ravaged our nation much in this issue about how to license from Active Interest Media, 2520 55th Street, Suite
as a consequence of climate do exactly that. 210, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States of America.
change while our leader holidayed And if you think this translates Copyright © 2019 Active Interest Media. The trademark
on a beach and drafted laws to avoiding the big issues we face YOGA JOURNAL is a registered trademark of Active
about religious discrimination. A as a species and nation, you’d be Interest Media. All rights reserved. Subject to national and
narcissist with no filter or humility mistaken. I read an essay years international intellectual property laws and treaties. This
governed the world’s largest ago, possibly apocryphal, about publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without
nuclear power like a capricious how native American Indian the written permission of the publisher. Copyright of all
six-year-old on a sugar high. It rainmakers made rain. When images and text sent to Australian Yoga Journal (whether
was hard to distinguish #fakenews called to a tribe to bring rain they solicited or not) is assigned to Contact Media upon receipt.
from real reporting. would enter a teepee and sit for Articles express the opinions of the authors and are not

To me, it feels as if humanity days on end. Eventually when the necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor or Contact Media
y ogajournal.c om.au blind to the very nature of what When asked how they did it; how EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT & CFO Brian Sellstrom

Pty Limited. Distributed by Ovato. ISSN 1837 2406.
has become self-deluded and
rain came, they would emerge.

ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA


the truth is; as if we’re all in a car

they made it rain, they would

CHAIRMAN & CEO Efram Zimbalist III
arguing while hurtling towards a

explain that they didn’t make it


PRESIDENT & COO Andrew W. Clurman
canyon with no brakes.

Indeed at times like this it’s


made themselves whole, complete
DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING

easy to feel powerless but at the rain; they said they sat until they EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox
and right. When that happened, the

f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 frantic energy. Put simply, Todd F. Cole The exercise instructions and advice in this magazine

Eric Baum

rain came of its own accord.
same time overwhelmed with a


@ CRUZ BAY PUBLISHING, INC.
anxious.

are designed for people who are in good health and


physically fit. They are not intended to substitute for
medical counselling. The creators, producers, participants

Both the paper manufacturer and our printer meet the international standard ISO 14001


liability for loss or injury in connection with the exercises
Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification scheme (PEFC). Please recycle this

shown or instruction and advice expressed herein.


8 for environmental management. The paper comes from sources certified under the and distributors of Australian Yoga Journal disclaim any
magazine – or give it to a friend.



nn t
EVENTS
What’s On








FEBRUAR Y March








14



















13






East Forest Ceremony - Power Living Women’s Camp Australia

Bondi, Manly, Neutral Bay 14th, 15th 16th February Tyalgum NSW
In a Power Living first, take a seated sonic journey through space and time. East Forest 13th – 15th March
is a unique bird in the Wild West aviaries of electronic music and the field of wellness. The annual women’s camp is being held at Tyalbum NSW in
Let East Forest guide you through sound, sense and emotion into the expansiveness March 2020. Learn the revitalising practice of the ancient wisdom
his soundscape creates. powerliving.com.au of Kundaliniyoga and meditation. The two-day retreat focuses
on a once-secret technology to tap into and change energy
Leslie Kaminoff fields to attract prosperity and abundance.

Perth 14- 16th February http://womenscamp.com.au/our-2020-program-2/
Join Leslie Kaminoff, co-author of Yoga
Anatomy and founder of The Breathing
Project, for a two-day immersion focused on
his teacher T.K.V. Desikachar’s uniquely
practical teaching philosophy. Leslie will
bring his anatomically-informed, inquiry-
based perspective to his revolutionary
teacher’s work discussing breath, asana and
practical teachings from the yoga sutras.
www.nedlandsyoga.com.au





Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
y ogajournal.c om.au 15 Zama Yoga, Toowong Brisbane
with Marian Cavanagh



18th – 19th July

Zama Institute’s 20hr Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with
Marian Cavanagh teaches students restorative yoga asanas and

sequencing, touch adjustments and prop usage and includes
teaching about Pranayama as well as yoga for ailments and the

f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 Breathe Together: How Healing Yourself Heals the Planet Send your event details with an image to


fascinating physiology of relaxation. Early bird pricing available.
Carolyn Myss Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane 15 - 19th February

Head to www.zamayoga.com.au

Join world renowned speaker and author Carolyn Myss on her Australian tour. In this

Got an event on?


powerful event, Carolyn discusses a radical new view of health and healing that
recognises the truth that not only does “all life breathe together”, we also “co-create

alisoncole@yogajournal.com.au


collective psychic – and physical – health as well as the health of the planet. For tickets

10 together”. And those acts of co-creation include the health and well-being of our along with a high-resolution image.

head to Eventbrite.com

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th l t t
IN THE NOW






BML in Byron






Need another reason to holiday in Byron Bay? We’ve
got a good one for you – Sydney’s Body Mind Life is
heading north to open yet another inviting space in
Australia’s fastest growing yoga mecca. Set to open its
doors in early 2020, the new studio is just a skip and a
jump from central Byron and its beautiful beaches.
They plan to run yoga, reformer Pilates, teacher
trainings, events and wellness treatments. Sign up to their
newsletter to stay in the loop at www.bodymindlife.com.
We’re a little bit excited about this!






















































Byron Yoga Centre



Restorative
y ogajournal.c om.au LOVES











20 20 Further your experience of Restorative Yoga with a stay at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre. Choose to join the 4-Day Restorative

Yoga Course to immerse yourself in the practice and learn to teach the key poses or book into any of the retreats and enjoy
f ebruary/mar ch the afternoon Restorative Yoga classes. This incredibly powerful practice is especially beneficial when incorporated into a


wellness retreat program where participants can reap maximum benefits.The next 4 Day Restorative Yoga Training is in March
and while it is aimed at yoga teachers, it is also open to practitioners. You will learn how to correctly prop the key Restorative


12 poses and how to sequence a Restorative practice. Explore the background of the practice plus the many physiological benefits

of activating the parasympathetic nervous system. More information www.byronyoga.com 



th l t t
IN THE NOW



YOGA MATS

WITH YOUR


HAPPY SNAPS



US company Mailpix has just released

personalised yoga mats. That’s right.

You can now practice yoga whilst looking
down at your favourite travel snap or your

child’s face (in case you don’t get enough

of them outside of the studio).
THE YOGA PRESCRIPTION You choose your favourite photo, send it


More and more psychiatrists are recommending yoga for its ability off along with just $100US + shipping and

to treat symptoms of depression. A recent study, published in the voila! It’s only available in the US for now,

Journal of Psychiatric Practice, found that Iyengar yoga combined but we’re sure it won’t be long until the
with coherent breathing improved mood, sleep and anxiety in trend travels to our shores.

people with major depressive disorder over the course of 12 weeks.
The report said, “Improvement in psychological symptoms correlated

with cumulative yoga practice…Interventions reduced symptoms
of depression and anxiety and increased feelings of positivity.”

Of the two yoga groups, one was assigned three 90-minute yoga
sessions and the second was assigned two sessions only. At the end

of the study, both groups demonstrated similar improvements to
overall wellness, including better quality sleep, less day-to-day

anxiety and greater levels of happiness. To see the full study, go to

www.journals.lww.com/practicalpsychiatry and look for
Psychological Function, Iyengar Yoga, and Coherent Breathing:

A Randomized Controlled Dosing Study.



SLOTH YOGA?



We’ve stumbled upon a lot of yoga hybrids, but this one really takes
the cake. I mean, is there anything more yogic than a sloth? Move

aside, Doga, Sloth Yoga is here to steal the limelight. Forget about the
animal welfare experts that are advising against it. If you find yourself
y ogajournal.c om.au in Florida and don’t mind a little animal insensitivity, you can get



stretchy with the sloths at John’s Pass in Tampa Bay. While the

smiling sloth (that’s its natural face structure) hangs from a bar in the
corner, the teacher guides students through an hour-long class that

sets them back $40. After class, yogis can take a post-savasana
f ebruary/mar ch 20 20

“slothie”. Hmmm.









14

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WHY MEANING MATTERS



A recent study has found that more established relationships

meaning in life is of fundamental [etc.]. The search decreases and
importance when it comes to the meaning in life increases.”
health and wellbeing. Undertaken However, after age 60, things
by researchers at the University of generally shift. “People…start
California San Diego School of searching for the meaning in
Medicine, the results, published life again because the meaning

in the Journal of Clinical they once had has changed.”
Psychiatry, showed that meaning The study concluded that
and purpose in life is not just a the “presence and search
philosophical matter, but also one for meaning in life are
that impacts our health, important for health and
wellbeing and possibly even wellbeing, though the
longevity. After examining data relationships differ in adults
from 1042 adults from 21 to over younger and older than 60.”
100, the researchers discovered Head to www.psychiatrist.com

that the presence of meaning for more details of the study
peaks at age 60. They said, “When titled ‘Meaning in Life and
you are young…you are unsure Its Relationship With Physical,
about your career, a life partner Mental, and Cognitive
and who you are as a person… Functioning: A Study of 1,042
As you get into your thirties, Community-Dwelling Adults
forties and fifties, you have Across the Lifespan.’



DITCH THE DYE








Women who use permanent hair dye have a 9% higher risk of developing

breast cancer, according to a recent study published in the International

Journal of Cancer. The study looked at over 46,000 women and
discovered that the likelihood of developing breast cancer

is greater in those who dye or chemically straighten

their hair. A good reason good reason to ditch

the dye and go au naturel.

THE SECRET TO


YOUTH LIES IN



YOUR THIGHS



According to a study recently were much lower in the young and

published in the Journal of Applied older exercisers compared to their
Physiology, lifelong exercisers in less active peers. This indicates that
their 70s may give active 25-year- long-term exercise helps to avoid
olds a run for their money. chronic inflammation that can
Researchers looked at 21 exercisers contribute to poor health later in life.

in their 70s, 10 healthy non- Although the study looked at people
exercisers of the same age and 10 who had been active their whole
runners and cyclists in their mid-20s. lives, the researchers stressed that
Measuring their thighs for muscle it’s never too late! See the full study,

mass and taking blood and muscle titled ‘Effects of Aging and Lifelong
biopsies, what they discovered is Aerobic Exercise on Basal and
that the inflammatory markers from Exercise-Induced Inflammation’
both blood and muscle samples at www.physiology.org


PLANT-BASED FOR



YOUR BRAIN



With the number of Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers on the rise, it’s

becoming more important to identify the risk factors. And so researchers at
the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public
Health and the Duke-NUS Medical School have been delving into the
nutritional contributors in an attempt to lower the risk of cognitive decline in
later life – an important study for an ageing population. According to their

research, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in
animal products, can lower the risk of cognitive regression. The study
examined data from over 60,000 people between the ages of 45 and 74 who
provided information on their diet and lifestyle. They discovered that those
who had highly plant-based diets had up to a 33% lower risk of cognitive

impairment. The head researcher, Professor Koh Woon Puay, concluded that
preventing cognitive deterioration “is not about the restriction of a single food
item but the composition of an overall pattern that recommends cutting
back on red meats, especially if they are processed, and including lots of

plant-based foods (vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, whole grains) and fish.” For
more details of the study, see ‘Dietary pattern in midlife and cognitive
impairment in late life: a prospective study in Chinese adults’ at
www.academic.oup.com

th l t t
IN THE NOW




Meditation and mistakes





Forgetful yogis rejoice! The latest studies show

meditation might help you to become less error
prone. Published in the journal Brain Sciences,
the study looked at how meditation that focuses on
awareness of feelings, thoughts and sensations alters
brain activity in a way that suggests increased

recognition of errors. Just one guided session was
able to change the brain activity of non-meditators,
although more practice is necessary to actually impact
behaviour. See the study titled ‘On Variation in

Mindfulness Training: A Multimodal Study of Brief
Open Monitoring Meditation on Error Monitoring’ at
www.mdpi.com.








Are yogis more likely to


find a date online?


Well, according to Tinder’s annual report, if
you’re a wellness warrior who likes kombucha

then yes. Apparently, there’s been a huge spike

in terms like ‘almond milk’, ‘vegan’, ‘keto’,

‘kombucha’ and ‘avo toast’ in bios in the past

year. No need for us yogis to update our profiles!



BUT CAN VEGANISM REALLY



HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?



Although a plant-based diet may be a great idea for your body, it
turns out that it may not, in fact, be the best solution for the
environment – at least according to scientists from the

y ogajournal.c om.au University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College.

The experts argued that meat is being demonised in

the current climate, but is actually critical for the
health of both humans and the environment. Professor

Geoff Simm, Director of Global Academy Agriculture and

Food Security said, “Meat has massive social benefits.

20 20 It’s an important source of dietary protein, energy [and]

highly bioavailable micronutrients…” Professor
f ebruary/mar ch Mike Coffey added, “If everybody went vegan it
would be devastating for the UK environment.

Animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.”


18 The debate continues…

Healing from



head to heart






It turns out meditation’s not just good for your brain, but may impact
heart health too. A study that looked specifically at Transcendental
Meditation (TM) found that the practice increases blood flow to the
heart in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, reversing the effects of
the disease. They’re not exactly sure how it works yet, but it may be
that reduced stress hormones leads to improved function of the cells
that line the coronary arteries. The full study can be found at the
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology via www.link.springer.com. Look for
‘Effects of cardiac rehabilitation with and without meditation on
myocardial blood flow using quantitative positron emission
tomography: A pilot study’
the latest
DOCUMENTARY: MEDIA



Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator



If you’re not already aware of just what
a mean yogi Bikram is, Netflix’s new
documentary will open your eyes.
Charting the rise and fall of Bikram Yoga
founder and one of the world’s most well
known ‘Gurus’, you’ll delight in finally
hearing some real inside scope in this
enticing story that will keep you on the
edge of your Netflix meditation cushion.




BOOK:



The book of blessings


and rituals



A perfect read for the New Year, Athena
Perrakis’s beautifully designed book is filled
with rich rituals that inspire you to bring
sacredness and ceremony into every day.
Drawing from traditions from around the
world, she outlines DIY ceremonies involving
medicine bundles, altars, crystals and more
to deepen your experience of the sacred and
bring the power of invocation and blessings
into different aspects of your life.
$27.00 Murdoch Books

in nearby cities, and online classes in
the tiny living room of my trailer. My
fi rst Sun Salutation was with Jane
Fonda, who had released Yoga
Exercise Workout on VHS in the early
’90s. I had no idea that would be the
beginning of a lifesaving spiritual
practice. And I never envisioned
sharing it with people in my
hometown.
It wasn’t until I was pregnant with
my second daughter, in 2007, that I
tried a live yoga class at a nearby
studio. And I stuck with it despite an
unfortunate experience. I was sick, but
my illnesses were neither properly
diagnosed nor medicated. I appeared
swollen, and many thought that at fi ve
months I was ready to give birth any
day. As I rested in Child’s Pose, the
instructor came by to adjust me. As
she tried to coax my sitting bones
toward my heels, she whispered,
“Your thighs are bigger, so you’ll
probably never be able to come into
the full pose.” For the fi rst time since I
had started practicing, I felt that my
YOGA TRANSFORMED ME AFTER body was not a “yoga body.” After
Chronic Illness with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Once my

giving birth, I was offi cially diagnosed


thyroid medications were at the right
dosages, I began to feel better. We had

public library asked me to lead free

Kelli Hansel Haywood didn’t know moved back to Whitesburg, and the
community yoga classes, using part of

she was struggling with multiple their outreach budget to pay me.

Everyone was served.
It was both my illness and that fi rst

autoimmune disorders. Here, how studio experience that made me want

to share yoga with others who needed
her yogic journey helped her heal healing. Yoga is a gift, especially to
communities like mine. Our region’s

and inspired her community. economy is rebuilding. Coal, once one

of our largest industries, is no longer
king. We face some deeply rooted
STANDING ON THE cold concrete fl oors of depression, anxiety, and chronic struggles that generational poverty
brings—high rates of opioid addiction,


an old department store turned library,

illnesses, including Hashimoto’s
y ogajournal.c om.au my hometown, I look out over a yoga polyarthritis. Symptoms such as births, and exposure to early trauma
thyroiditis, dysautonomia, and

obesity, hunger, diabetes, preterm

tucked into the timeless emerald hills of


constant fatigue, brain fog, and

class of 10 or so students. With a
through adverse childhood events.

Here, at the library, one of my


migraines have, at times, created such a
population of less than 2,500,

students, a 64-year-old Navy veteran


disconnect that I’ve often felt like an
Whitesburg is in the far south-eastern



central Appalachian Mountains.
says coming to yoga helped him
20 20 part of the state—in the coalfi elds of the alien in my own body. Yet, here I am. and farmer of heritage-breed livestock,
A JOURNEY TO


reduce his blood-pressure medication,
The faces of my yoga students are


THE WHOLE
gain strength, and become more

familiar. Some are former co-workers;

f ebruary/mar ch one was my fourth-grade teacher. Most When I discovered yoga in 1999, I was a productive on his farm. Another PHOTO: TESSA COLLEY
student attended class after spinal

coal miner’s daughter putting myself
have never done yoga before, and they


through college. There weren’t any


are trusting me to guide them. And I’m

surgery and is slowly regaining her

through videos, occasional workshops
life, I’ve battled a long list of issues—
It is humbling.


20 not your typical teacher. Throughout my studios around. Instead, I practiced mobility and sensation.



Balasana















Child’s Pose is the quintessential self-care pose.



Learn how to modify for your body by fi nding comfort,


ease, contentment, and maximum restoration at


any moment during your practice or day.






STEP BY STEP



A Begin kneeling, with your D Reach your arms forward. H Press down firmly with J On your exhalations,
buttocks resting on your E Place your hands every knuckle and every release your tailbone
heels at the back of your mat. fingertip. Give particular toward your heels to
shoulder-width apart attention to rooting down anchor the pose.

B Touch your big toes with your fingers gently with the base of each
together and keep your fanning open. index finger. K Hold for anywhere
knees about as wide as F Straighten your elbows from a few breaths to
your shoulders. and keep your arms alert I Crawl your fingertips a few minutes, then
and active. forward any amount on release.
C Fold at your hips so that your inhalations and
your torso rests on your G Rest your forehead on lengthen your spine

thighs. your mat. and sides. — Natasha Rizopoulos






KEEP YOUR BE MINDFUL OF MOVE YOUR TAILBONE
ARMS ACTIVE YOUR KNEES TOWARD YOUR HEELS
This will lengthen your If you feel any pain or And lengthen
spine. If your shoulders strain, try an adaptation. your lower back.
are tense, try an
adaptation resting your

arms by your sides.
y ogajournal.c om.au PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY; PROPS: JADE YOGA AND HUGGER MUGGER











f ebruary/mar ch 20 20











22

botannix


Balasana Adaptations yoga studio



200 Hour

BY ANN SWANSON
SWEET SURRENDER Yoga Alliance

The first pose I teach is Balasana. For many of us, this asana possesses a deep Teacher

physical and psychological memory of our time as infants. The shape of the
pose is useful for many reasons, but in particular, it forces you to confront your Training
attitudes and patterns of breathing, the health of your organs, and your level of
awareness in moving from the abdomen. It is a very simple pose to begin Course
with physically, yet it requires patience and the ability to surrender to gravity and a
state of nondoing. — Peter Sterios Feb - May 2020






Botannix Yoga teacher training
has been created by senior
teacher Katie Rose who is the

author of several best-selling
yoga books as well as an
CHILD’S POSE WITH A BOLSTER ayurveda master teacher.

For a more restorative version, begin on your hands and knees. Place the bolster

vertically between your inner thighs and slowly release down onto it for support. The training covers robust detail
A rolled blanket or pillow placed between the backside of your thighs and calves on alignment and sequencing
may provide further support for your knees. Bring your forehead or cheek to the which are the foundation blocks
bolster. If resting a cheek on the bolster, be sure to flip to the opposite cheek to of delivering great yoga classes.
maintain an even stretch across both sides of the neck. If you have a longer torso, We also dive into theming

you may need to utilize a block under your forehead or cheek to ensure your neck compelling content in your
is in line with the rest of your spine. Remain in the pose as long as you like.
classes, philosophy, anatomy
and physiology and how to build
a career as a yoga teacher.



These teaching skills are
balanced with a personal growth

journey that will support your
own practice and development,
guided by a teacher training
CHILD’S POSE WITH A BLOCK faculty of facilitators who are the

If Child’s Pose is not restful for you, stay lifted. Begin on your forearms and knees. best in their field.

Rest your forehead on a block for support. Your toes can tuck under or release
down to the floor. Remain in the pose as long as you like.
FREE Yoga Class & Info

Sessions with lead teacher

Katie Rose (Manitsas):


Saturday 1st February
1pm - 2:30pm


$3,600 Full Price - Paid in full by
CHILD’S POSE WITH MULTIPLE PROPS Feb 21st 2020


This variation can be more supportive if you have knee pain, hip pain, or limited
flexibility. Begin on your hands and knees. Place a rolled blanket, pillow, or bolster
between the backsides of your thighs and calves. Come to your forearms and
consider resting your head on blocks. Remain in the pose as long as you like.

botannixyogastudio.com

LIVING THE














LIFE












UNLEASHING THE


ENERGY OF QI





By Truth Robinson


PHOTOS BY GARETH CHRISTIAN



























y ogajournal.c om.au












f ebruary/mar ch 20 20











24

QI IS QUITE OFTEN DESCRIBED as At the centre of this process is the experience stabilising rest. This provides
something invisible and nebulous. It Earth element which is the stomach and the basis of the energetic expression we
implies Qi is only observable to an pancreas (but confusingly in TCM we embark upon the next day in whatever
altered state of perception which can refer to it as the Spleen). The Earth has way we choose.
only be seen by someone who has spent the energetic representation of the time When we experience the energy of
thousands of hours in quiet meditation. of harvest. Traditionally it is the autumn (Metal, Lung and Large
Unfortunately this is what’s called a moment summer reaches its zenith, so Intestine), we are contracting and
Chinese whisper. Examining the it is known as Late Summer. Traditional discarding what we do not need. In
traditional character for Qi (氣), which Chinese Medicine theory was developed winter time (Water, Kidney and
of course is a pictographic script, we see by observing our bodies and then Bladder), we are in our seed-like
that it is representing a cooking pot of drawing similarities to what they potential which is given movement and
rice with vapour rising from it. Today if noticed in the world around them, expression by spring (Wood, Liver and
we would ask a Mandarin speaker what seeing the microcosm in the Gallbladder) as we expand. At the
the simplified character of Qi (气) macrocosm. Just like the time of height of expansion we reach our fully
means, they would say air or vapour. harvest, it is the moment the cycles expanded state of summer (Fire, Heart
So where do we get the idea that Qi pause to reap the benefits of all the and Small Intestine) from which we
means energy? This can be traced back return back to the autumn energy. This
to Georges Soulie De Morant who “If we were to think of cycle is all fuelled by the harvest (Earth,
introduced Chinese medicine to the Spleen and Stomach) which provide the
West, which is also where we inherited the Earth element as a fuel for each and every energetic
the French word ‘meridian’ from. In person, it would have the expression. Abraham Lincoln
hindsight, De Morant did admit in his quality of the mother.” summarised this perfectly when he said,
later life that he translated Qi as energy “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to
but “for lack of a better word”. But is my angel mother.”
this translation actually wrong? Does Qi other energetic efforts of the body. The most common dysfunction that
mean energy? The western term The Stomach and Spleen provide the arises in the Earth is dampness. Just like
‘energy’ means “capacity to do work”. energetic support for all the organs to when we cultivate crops, they require a
Just like when Einstein’s equation carry out their function. They assimilate balanced amount of fluid or dampness
converts mass into energy, are there the food into the building blocks that to flourish. Foods alter the fluid levels in
known examples in our physiology make up our flesh and the vital the body and impact upon digestive
when matter is converted into energy? substances that fuel our whole system. dampness through unbalanced amounts
The foundational text in Traditional Just as the fertile earth provides the of sugar, salt, or foods that are drying
Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the basis for all things to exist, the Stomach (e.g. fried foods). Dampness can also be
2500-year-old text called the Huang Di and Spleen, when harmonious, have a caused by any foods that disrupt the
Neijing. In this text we are taught that nourishing quality that allows every flow of the digestive fluids like spicy,
the Qi of the Lungs is known as Da Qi organ system to flourish. cold or excessive amounts of raw foods
(大气) which is translated as “Great Qi” If we were to think of the Earth and especially anything that is toxic.
or breath. We then learn that this is element as a person, it would have the What we physically consume will
then combined with the Gu Qi (谷气) quality of the mother. She creates a cause a stagnation in the digestion but
from the Stomach and the Spleen and place to come home to, just as each day also what we think will affect it too.
this is translated as the “essence of food we come home to rest and refuel. The TCM understands the intimate
and grain Qi”. After a series of pause between our energetic cycles will connection between our thoughts,
transformations, we learn that it create a moment to ground and feelings and our physical being, or
becomes the Zhen Qi (真气) or the stabilise. Our mothers are the central what western medicine calls the
“True Qi” or “Qi of the channels/ energetic point that gives us so much life psycho-somatic interaction.
vessels”. This is the Qi flowing around and nourishment to provide stability The Earth element is the only organ
the body which amongst other and ‘groundedness’ in our lives. system that is impacted by thoughts
components contains the air we breathe In this way, we see that the Earth whereas the nature of the other organs
and the food we eat, which ultimately (ST/SP) forms such a fundamental role are emotional. The way to think about
fuels the whole body. which goes beyond limiting it to just the this is; our emotions will give colour to y ogajournal.c om.au
In Ted Kaptchuk‘s book “The Web last part of one season. This is quite our thoughts as the seasons bring colour
That Has No Weaver”, he writes, Qi is often misunderstood but elaborated in to the earth. We can think (Earth,
not some... immutable material, nor is the Huang De Neijing; the Earth harvest) about anger (Wood, spring),
it a vital energy… We might think of it element can also be thought of as the joy/fright (Fire, summer), fear (Water, 20 20
as somewhere in between, a kind of last 18 days of each and every season. As winter) and grief (Metal, autumn).
matter on the verge of becoming energy, one energetic expression comes to an Just as the Earth keeps us physically
or energy at the point of materializing. end, we return back to the earth before grounded so too does it create the
We all get to experience Qi the moment expressing ourselves in a new energetic anchor that keeps our spirit (Shen, 神) f ebruary/mar ch
our body begins the wondrous process way. Each day we experience this. As attached to our body. Earth then is the
of transforming food and air into the our day draws to an end, we head to our harmonising or balancing nature
fuel that powers our body. mothering nourishing environment to between the body and mind. The spirit 25

is seen as our heavenly aspect which is state of rumination around whatever sweep the floor. Simply by bringing
brought into an embodied form by the you are currently unable to process some physical movement to the
anchoring nature of thinking. The emotionally. moment it could be enough to allow
moment we stop thinking we return to Treating the Earth will require a the thoughts to flow again, allowing
our heavenly state and attain an out of holistic approach which of course will the flow of our digestion and so Qi to
body experience. contain an Earth element Yin yoga be free to find its natural state of
TCM says, when we have an sequence. Our diet needs to have balance. Living with a harmonious
emotional experience, it will colour our minimal foods that create an imbalance Earth element liberates us from
thoughts and those thoughts will then in the fluid levels of the digestion. Aim overthinking, instead we get to live
change the course of the body’s physical to eat foods that nourish the Earth in a state of abundant Qi, freshly
Qi creating disharmony and, ultimately, element like root vegetables and avoid harvested by the Stomach and Spleen
disease. This imbalance of the Earth foods that are literally cold and (pancreas). We can experience a
element is created by worry, ruminating figuratively cold like raw foods, which real life expression of Einstein’s
or overthinking. This will cause the Qi taxes the warm environment of the theory that mass and energy can equal
to knot and bind. This is similar to the digestion. each under the right conditions.
feeling of butterflies in the digestion Creating a routine in our life helps us Perhaps our body is not as efficient as
although that will also contain an to not only avoid a fluctuation in the a nuclear chain reaction but, like an
emotional “colouring”. This excessive body’s natural rhythms, but also to avoid alchemist, the Earth element morphs
thinking causes the flow of the body’s Qi overeating, giving the digestion time to something worthless into something
to deviate from its natural course, rest between meals. This routine also undoubtedly precious. We get to
causing the flow of the digestion to helps us move on to the next thing experience this as we dance, laugh,
become disharmonious. This is mentally as well. When I was younger I play and cry and witness it each time
mirrored in the mind as disruption in spent time in a Thai monastery and we look into the eyes of another and
the flow of thoughts causes the whenever I was stuck in thought my bask in the golden light of life shining
emotions to go undigested, creating a teacher would tell me to get up and back at us.

Acupressure points










You may want to consider adding acupressure points to your practice to heighten the beneficial effects of
your Yin yoga practice. These work in a similar way to acupuncture points except instead of needles you

apply a deep pressure for 30-60 seconds to the appropriate point.







SANYINJIAO - INTERSECTION

OF THE THREE YIN (SP6)


LOCATION: On the inside (medial and posterior side) of
the shin (tibia) bone. It is one of your hand widths
above the inner ankle (malleolus) bone. Feel for a
y ogajournal.c om.au INDICATIONS: Many digestive issues but in particular
hollow on or around a slightly more tender spot.




any issue that will involve the absorbing of nutrients.

Nourishes Yin and Blood, gynecological & menstrual




20 20 issues, male sexual issues, insomnia, palpitations,
dizziness, hypertension and anxiety.
f ebruary/mar ch labour. The meridian is still safe to work with in yin

CONTRAINDICATIONS: This point is used to induce

yoga, just avoid applying acupressure to this point.



26

ZUSANLI - THREE MILE

LEG (ST36)

LOCATION: On the front (anterior) border of

the shin bone (tibialis anterior) muscle. One
hand-width down (distal) from the lower border
of the knee cap (patella). Feel for a hollow on or

around a slightly more tender spot.

INDICATIONS: Any type of digestive complaint,
nourishes Qi and Blood, harmonises the Spleen

and Stomach.






























1.SEIZA

(TOES UNTUCKED)


SETUP: Come onto all fours with the toes
untucked. Slowly sit back onto your heels.
As you sit up, feel your spine and diaphragm

relaxed. Place your hands on your thighs facing
up or down. To make it stronger, place a

cushion/blanket/bolster under your knees to
increase the plantar flexion of the ankle.

HOLD: 3-5 minutes.

MYOFASCIAL TARGET: Tibialis Anterior Muscle,

Extensor Digitorum & Hallucis Longus & Brevis
Tendons y ogajournal.c om.au


MERIDIAN: Stomach

PROPPING: For ankle discomfort, place a rolled
up towel/blanket/mat under the front of where 20 20

the foot meets the lower leg. For knee
discomfort, place a block/bolster under the f ebruary/mar ch

bum to reduce the amount of knee flexion.


27

2.SQUAT


SQUAT SETUP: From a standing position, separate the feet and turn
them out to a comfortable position. Sit down into your squat. Keep the

knees separated by placing your elbows on the inside of the knee and
hands together in a comfortable position. Try and maintain a natural
curve (lordosis) in the lumbar spine. Keep placing props under your

bum until your lumbar spine finds a lordosis.

HOLD: 3-5 minutes.

MYOFASCIAL TARGET: Adductors, Quadriceps


MERIDIAN: Spleen & Stomach

PROPPING: If your heels lift off the ground place a rolled up mat/
towels underneath them. If your lumbar spine is rounded (kyphosis)

then place props underneath you until your lumbar spine is in a natural
curve (lordosis). If you have knee discomfort place rolled up towels

behind the knee (popliteal crease).














3.DRAGON LUNGE

WITH TAIL

SETUP (RIGHT SIDE ONLY: Place a cushion/
towel/blanket next to a wall. Stand facing away

from the wall and extend your right leg back,
placing the top of the foot against the wall with

your knee landing on the cushion/towel/blanket.
Hands will most likely be on the ground, use this
new found stability to work your knee back

closer to the wall. Left foot is in front of you for
stability and begin to sit upright into a lunge with

your right knee closest to the wall. To deepen
take your bum back to the wall/heel.

3 HOLD: 2-5 minutes.
y ogajournal.c om.au Anterior Muscle, Extensor Digitorum & Hallucis

MYOFASCIAL TARGET: Quadriceps, Tibialis

Longus & Brevis Tendons


MERIDIAN: Stomach

PROPPING: For knee discomfort, place more
f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 bum back as much. If you are having trouble
cushioning under the knee or don’t press your



finding your balance, use a few blocks to place
the hands uponon them for comfort. (lordosis). If



behind the knee (popliteal crease).

28 you have knee discomfort place rolled up towels

4.TADPOLE

SETUP: Come into a seated kneeling position with

the toes untucked (insert). Seperate your knees as
wide as you comfortably can. Be sure to do this
otherwise it becomes a child’s pose. Place a bolster

and maybe a few blocks under your chest until
your spine is parallel to the ground. Hands can rest

in any comfortable position.

HOLD: 3-5 minutes.

MYOFASCIAL TARGET: Adductors, Quadriceps


MERIDIAN: Spleen, Stomach & Liver

PROPPING: For ankle discomfort, place a rolled up

towel/blanket/mat under the front of the ankle
where the foot meets the lower leg. For knee
discomfort, place more blocks/bolsters/blankets

under the torso to reduce the amount of knee
flexion. Alternatively, for knee discomfort place

rolled up towels behind the knee (popliteal crease).









































5. HALF SADDLE


SETUP (FOR RIGHT SIDE): Come onto all fours and step your MYOFASCIAL TARGET: Quadriceps, Tibialis Anterior Muscle,
left foot forward come into a lunge. Sit back on to your right Extensor Digitorum & Hallucis Longus & Brevis Tendons, y ogajournal.c om.au
heel, placing a block/blanket/bolster under the right buttocks if Hipflexors & Rectus Abdominis (in a reclined position)

the hips are uneven. Keep your left knee bent until you find MERIDIAN: Stomach, Spleen & Kidney
your final pose and do so with comfort. Walk your hands back 20 20
behind you to possibly come into a reclining position. This step PROPPING: For ankle discomfort, place a rolled up towel/

should be done only if you can maintain a position that is free blanket/mat under the front of the ankle, where the foot meets
of discomfort in the lower back. Arms can be raised above the the lower leg. For knee discomfort, place extra blocks/bolsters/ f ebruary/mar ch

head, rested directly out to the side or beside your body. blankets under the buttocks to reduce the amount of knee
flexion. Alternatively, for knee discomfort place a rolled up
HOLD: 3-5 minutes. towel behind the knee (popliteal crease). 29

6. FISH

SETUP: Sit upright with legs extended. Place a bolster perpendicular to your spine. Lay back over
y ogajournal.c om.au the soles of the feet together and drop the knees out to the side, bringing them into a butterfly
bolster and position in such a way that the heart feels like its opening. Legs can be extended or place


position. Arms, ideally, are extended up and over the head to increase the release in the fascial tissue


across the chest or an easier option is placing them out laterally to side making a letter T. Ensure the

head is on something; the ground, a bolster, a blanket or a block.
f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 HOLD: 3-5 minutes.



MYOFASCIAL TARGET: Rectus abdominis, adductors

MERIDIAN: Stomach and Spleen



30 PROPPING: For discomfort in the outer hip when the legs are in butterfly place blocks/blankets/

cushions under the knees.



Setting Up for Success











Practicing Shoulderstand



with a chair protects your



cervical spine and allows



for the security you need



to turn within.





BY JUDITH HANSON LASATER, PHD



SARVANGASANA (SHOULDERSTAND) is a classic yoga asana.
But it wasn’t one I enjoyed during my first two years of
practice. Physically, I felt like I was choking, and
mentally, I was restless whenever I tried it. Fortunately,
within a few years I learned to use blankets to elevate my
shoulders. That definitely improved my experience. But
when I started using a chair, I was in heaven. I also was
able to stay in the pose much longer—an important
point: The positions our bodies take change the
biochemistry and neurology of our brains. Think about
sleeping; we instinctively know it’s best to lie down. And
when we lie down, a cascade of events is set in motion in
our bodies that facilitates the state of sleep. Inversions
held several minutes or longer not only affect brain states,
they change the hemodynamics (blood flow) of our
bodies, stimulate our abdominal organs, help drain
lymph from our legs, and calm our minds. They also shift
our perspectives.






ANATOMICAL REALITY (This also keeps the pose true to its name.) Plus, the rest of
your spine is free, and your lungs, heart, and abdominal
You must understand the anatomy of your neck in order
to do Shoulderstand safely. The cervical spine flexes (when organs aren’t compressed. Not only does this feel better,
y ogajournal.c om.au you practice the posture directly on the floor, you force your therefore better breathing. When you practice Shoulderstand

but it allows for a freer excursion of your diaphragm and
your chin moves toward your chest) up to only 55 degrees. If


with a chair, things get even better for your cervical spine.
cervical spine beyond that range of motion—and pile your


Instead of your head and neck, your pelvis—which is
body’s weight onto it. You also stress your upper thoracic

spine. When you prop up your shoulders, you protect your

when you stand and sit—now carries your body’s load.

neck, because your shoulders bear most of your weight. designed to bear the weight of your head, arms, and trunk PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY; ILLUSTRATION: MICHELE GRAHAM
20 20
f ebruary/mar ch





32

ENERGETIC ENTERING THE POSE
Yoga asana are not just physical exercises. A Arrange your chair, mat, and

Each posture affects your subtle energy blankets as pictured. Sit on the
differently. Shoulderstand represents the A seat facing the back of the chair
energies of the Mother archetype — with your legs wide.
compassionate, nurturing, benevolent—and

focuses your gaze on yourself, as compared B Next, place your legs over the
with Sirsasana (Headstand), for example, upper back rim while holding
which has you face outward. Shoulderstand the sides of the chair back.
lets you be introspective. This is especially
true for propped versions; the chair frees you

from effort and striving. Accepting support C Slowly let yourself down. The
allows you to give up your ambition in the B powerful muscles that bend
pose and take deep rest physically, your knees, your hamstrings,
mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. keep you on the chair; your
legs, not your arms and hands,
give you a sense of security as
you descend. Breathe softly. If a
SHOULDERSTAND PREP
teacher is assisting you, let them
1. Enlist assistance. gently support your shoulders.

Get a qualified yoga teacher to guide you As you descend, your legs will
at first, no matter your experience level, in naturally straighten over the
order to enter the pose safely; using the chair back of the chair.
is a little tricky. This pose is not appropriate

for beginning students. Contraindications for D When you are almost down,
practicing any form of Shoulderstand are issues C reach with one hand, then
with the cervical spine, such as a pinched the other, between the chair’s
nerve; nerve pain in one or both arms; legs to grab the outer part of

diagnosed disk disease; whiplash; or chronic the chair’s back legs. As soon
neck pain or dysfunction. Also, don’t practice as your shoulders rest on the
this pose if you have hypertension; blankets, make sure your hands
gastroesophageal reflux; a sinus infection are in line with or higher than
or stuffy cold; diagnosed spondylolysis or the upper edge of the blankets;
spondylolisthesis; or are pregnant, if you try to reach farther down,

menstruating, less than three months you could strain your elbow
postpartum, or under the age of 14.
joints by hyperextending them.
Rest in this position for a few
2. Assemble your props. breaths while you tuck each

• Backless yoga chair: It won’t have front shoulder joint under you a time
rungs or a backrest, but its legs will create or two.
a wide base for stability.

• At least three blankets: You can pad the E Don’t rush to raise your legs.
seat with a blanket for comfort, but it can Make sure your pelvis is well y ogajournal.c om.au
make the pose more difficult to execute; be supported. Bend one knee
sure it doesn’t compromise your alignment. toward your chest, then the

Place enough blankets under your neck to other; don’t bend both knees
ensure it flexes 55 degrees, no more or less, toward your chest at once or 20 20
and that your weight is borne mostly by you could strain your lower
your pelvis, moderately by your shoulders, back. Next, raise one leg, then

and not at all by your cervical spine. E the other, straight up from f ebruary/mar ch
• Sticky mat: It keeps the chair in place. Also, your hips.
make sure the chair has rubber footings so

it doesn’t puncture or tear your mat. 33

EXPERIENCING THE POSE

Concentrate on pressing your tailbone into the chair’s seat in order to arch your back. Don’t tuck

your tailbone. The more you maintain an arch in your lower back, the more your upper back
will lift. Remember, your pelvis, including your sacrum, should bear most of your weight. Your
legs should be exactly vertical, which makes it easier to hold them up because your femurs
(thighbones) are maximally congruent in your hip sockets. Also, your knee joints will be in a

neutral position, and you can rest the bones of your knees against each other, requiring less
effort to keep your legs straight. Drop your eyes into your lower eyelids, and soften your face.
Now that you are steady and present, take your attention to the exact centre of your brain.

Withdraw into this place, into the sensations of the moment. Take refuge in your own silence and
stillness. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutra (II.46), defines asana as stirham sukham asanam:
abiding in ease is asana. This is truly possible in Chair Shoulderstand.

Keep your breath steady and easy. Gradually work up to staying in the pose
for 5 minutes. For me, this version of Shoulderstand with variations (not
shown) can be nearly a complete yoga practice.























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RESONANCE

To come out of the posture, bend your If this version feels awkward, don’t
knees one by one, and place your feet
on the upper back rim of the chair. abandon it. Do it three times before
Then straighten your knees over that

same part of the chair. Release your deciding it’s not for you. The fi rst
grip. Slide down until your pelvis rests
on the blankets; you will probably time my students try it, they
enjoy holding onto the bottom front sometimes don’t like it. But the
chair legs as you do this. Drop your

arms to your sides. Rest your lower second time, they usually do, and
legs on the seat. You now get to reap
the sweetness of this version. Close the third time, they smile and refuse
your eyes and drink in the residue of

the pose. Remember, the asana is not to come out of the pose. Give your
the yoga; yoga is the residue the asana
leaves in your nervous system. body time to adjust. I believe Chair
To finish, slide your pelvis off the

blankets and onto the floor. Turn to Shoulderstand can be practiced safely
your side for a few breaths, and then by experienced students, even during
sit up slowly. A 20-minute Savasana
is a perfect final pose after Chair their senior years.

Shoulderstand.


























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MASTER THE BREATH,






Master Your Body








Ujjayi Pranayama is known as the victorious breath,


the full yogic breath and the ocean-sounding

breath. It’s the most simple of all yoga’s breathing

practices and very effective. By Tara Fitzgibbon





UJJAYI PRANAYAMA is effective at purifi cation. it is a way of making your
slowing down your nervous system, body less dense. Simultaneously, your
your heart rate and your racing mind, mind and emotions are cleared of the
especially if you have anxiety, stress, density as well.
aches, injuries or illness. In Yin or The word ‘prana’ is a Sanksrit word
Restorative yoga we learn to breathe the which means life force. It is also called
Ujjayi breath. That is, slow, steady and chi, mana and oxygen. Pranayama
soft. There is effort, but it is minimal. means you are moving this force
The breath is the opposite to a loud, through you. A body with high levels of
forceful, Darth Vader breath. Slow, prana is vibrant and doesn’t succumb to
steady and soft takes time and practice. sickness. Any disease will be improved
Once you master the Ujjayi breath by increasing your levels of prana. The
yourself you can go on to teach it to level of prana moving through your
others and help them empower body determines your health, vitality
themselves. This is why I teach it at the and glow.
beginning of every restorative yoga or An effective restorative or Yin yoga
Yin yoga class. The key to Ujjayi is the practice will include Ujjayi Pranayama
sound. for 5-8 minutes at the beginning of
As you slow down your breath and every class in Shavasana. It is merely an
smooth out the fl ow, the sound introduction to the ancient Tantric
becomes consistent and steady while Ujjayi practice of 20 minutes
becoming quieter. It is the internal everyday. But 5-8 minutes is enough to
sound that is so divine. It is this internal get you started on your journey to
sound that heals our wounds and wellness and it will help you go deeper
replenishes our cells. This breath will when you practice the yoga poses which
help detox your body and clear your follow.
mind. It is a mystery how this simple
The slow pace of the breath allows breath can weave magic into your life,


but if you remember to breathe an
y ogajournal.c om.au cells with each inhale, improving the Ujjayi breath or ten everyday,
time for oxygen to be absorbed into the
I guarantee it will change your life for


effi ciency of your cellular function. Did
the better.


you know that you have 50 trillion cells
Remember to Breathe…


inside of you? If your cells are receiving
oxygen effi ciently this wll improve your
metabolism, which in turn affects how TARA (pronounced ‘Terra’) has been teaching



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Float on


























A rundown pool house gets a transformative facelift


to make room for deep reflection and relaxation.



By Lindsay Tucker








































y ogajournal.c om.au












f ebruary/mar ch 20 20











38 PHOTO: DAVID PHELPS

ROOM MIST


Made with essential oils,

reiki blessed and healing

crystals amethyst, clear

quartz and white

howlite. Made to
clear cleanse


heal and
revive


































EASY TRANQUILLITY AND ethereal minimalism aren’t exactly what
come to mind when we think of bustling Parisian streets and flea
markets, yet that’s exactly where Rozalynn Woods says she and
co-designer Michaela Scherrer found the inspiration for this
Zen-heavy, poolside Pasadena cabana. “We noticed there was a
confluence of things happening in Europe with grey concrete
floors, whimsical window coverings, and white plaster walls,”
Woods says. “Earthy elements were coming into play, whether
we were window-shopping or discovering the marvellous old
architecture or walking in the famous Parisian gardens with all
their wonderful foliage.”
The idea was to convert the dilapidated, 120-square-metre
space into a serene hideaway for quiet reflection by the water.
Think grass cloth rugs, bamboo accents, and plenty of live
elements such as an indoor-outdoor weeping willow tree and
vibrant water lilies. Providing a bit of respite without detracting
from the view of vegetation, translucent panels filter sunlight.
The designers, yoga and meditation practitioners, also called on
their practices to help inform the design. Meditation cushions
rather than traditional seating adorn the patio, and a coffee table
acts as a vessel for soothing white sand: Play with it or sink your
drink into it—whatever helps calm the nerves. LEARN MORE at
infusedcrystals.com

COPY THEIR STYLE





ILLUMINATE FEEL LIVEN
Light is a big part of feeling good Places should provoke a reaction, Bring nature into your space—

in your space,” says Woods, and “whether it’s love, peace, or visually or physically, Woods says.
to achieve the bright, breezy vibe freshness,” says Scherrer. This “If you are lucky enough that your

in the cabana, she and Scherrer happens when you stock your room overlooks a beautiful yard or
focused on the use of materials, space with objects you feel patio, then orient your furniture in
textures, and negative space— connected to. She and Woods that direction so the exterior can

creating the illusion of the interior used custom, wheeled, mobile be part of your indoor experi-
merging with the outdoors. Paler coffee tables to imply flexibility— ence,” she says. If that’s not an

surfaces allow for more light or freedom—and fabric panels to option, fret not: There are beautiful
reflection, Scherrer says, while evoke a feeling of sensuality. But houseplants for every color
translucent textiles soften sunlight be selective, Woods warns: “If you thumb, and caring for them is

without blocking it. overload the room with too many good for the soul, Woods says.
pieces, you won’t see anything.”
































y ogajournal.c om.au












f ebruary/mar ch 20 20











40 PHOTO: DAVID PHELPS



y ogajournal.c om.au












f ebruary/mar ch 20 20











42

male in the









noun \mal\






















Beginning in boyhood, Australian


men are socialised to a narrow


definition of masculinity—one

that pushes extreme notions of


being tough, self-reliant and stoic.

The cost: a culture that stymies


healthy expression and engenders

high rates of depression, anxiety,


and substance abuse among our

fathers, uncles, brothers, sons,


and friends.


How can yoga help us move from

“Man up” to Work it out on the


mat? Here, we hear from three y ogajournal.c om.au

yoga teachers on how the practice


has created space for them to


access and embrace previously

hidden aspects of themselves. f ebruary/mar ch 20 20


Plus, a sequence for finding power

in pliability. 43

finding


























It’s a myth that men

don’t struggle with body


image. Yoga teacher

Matthew Lyons shares his


battle with anxiety—and


how yoga is helping him

find self-acceptance.











I HAVE STOOD MORE THAN 180CM tall and sorts of social situations, I often contend I’ve come in contact with, it’s a much
have weighed more than 90kg since with a maddening inner dialogue that different scene. Plenty of guys joke
primary school—when my friends and drowns out any chance of being present about dropping their beer guts or
family called me Chub and Fat Matt. and carefree. I constantly question how bulking up, but body-image sensitivity
They made comments about my “husky” I’m being viewed by others: do they see a isn’t a very common—or comfortable—
pants and how it looked like I’d nurturing, caring, silly-hearted topic, despite research suggesting that
swallowed a bowling ball. It may have individual—or simply my large frame? many men also deal with immense
been intended as a good-natured The paradox of my struggle is that I pressure to achieve a lean and muscular
ribbing, but I felt hurt, ashamed, and want to be seen but not noticed. figure. There are still a lot of us who feel

Appreciated and not judged.

too embarrassed to discuss our anguish

y ogajournal.c om.au sucking in my round belly so it was a objectified and subjected to unattainable in relation to our bodies. Until I found
unattractive. In fifth grade, I started
Of course, women have been

less-obvious target for ridicule—a habit
yoga, I certainly hid my angst.



ideals of beauty for centuries, to

Five years ago, I was looking for a
that still endures four decades later. As a



new exercise routine when a friend


catastrophic effect. Airbrushed
teenager, my body shape didn’t fit into
popular clothing such as Levi’s jeans,

and the other guys teased me for magazines and, more recently, filtered invited me to a Bikram Yoga class. I’m


Instagram photos have only
not fond of hot, humid conditions, so
20 20 wearing oversized, generic brands that compounded the pressure they practicing yoga in a 39-degree room

with 40 percent humidity was the

still ran too tight. As a result, even now,

experience to look a certain way. Since
f ebruary/mar ch grounded and at ease in my life, I still movements around body positivity and environment for me. Nevertheless, my

in my 50s, despite being way more
antithesis of an ideal workout
the 1960s, women have spearheaded



fat acceptance to tear down impossible


struggle with insecurity related to my
friend offered persistent but kind
body.
standards and empower people to share


encouragement, so I gave it a try.


I had fears about contorting my body

Over the years, poor self-image has
44 caused me a great deal of anxiety. In all their experiences and feel comfortable into unfamiliar postures in a sweaty

in their own skin. In men’s circles that

room. But that trepidation seemed mild yoga teacher trainings in two years Last year, after soul-searching
once I arrived at the studio and saw six while I was working full time as an and lengthy conversations with my
or seven men, well toned and without attorney. By September 2017, I was wife, I walked away from a 26-year
shirts, casually sitting on their mats. I leading several classes a week. career as an attorney to teach yoga
immediately began comparing myself to Even with all my personal growth, it full time. Today I am far more
them. My self-loathing inner critic didn’t take much to trigger old patterns comfortable talking to people,
quickly raised his voice. The thought of of negative self-talk. One afternoon later particularly men, about my challenges
exposing my soft upper body terrified that year, I casually mentioned my new with body image. Often it clears a path
me. I imagined the others shaking their hobby to a colleague. “That’s for them to share their own cloistered
heads, sneering in disgust. Plagued by interesting,” she said. “I never would pain about desirability and lack of
shame, I wore a compression shirt to have thought you taught yoga.” And just confidence in social settings. I want
each class, convincing myself that it like that, my self-confidence came to create safe spaces for students to
masked the body moving around crashing down. I didn’t ask her what she embrace, love, and care for themselves,
beneath it. meant. I just assumed that she was just as they are. Of course, this starts
One day, after I’d been practicing for incredulous that someone who looked with me.
about three months, a teacher like me could be a yoga teacher.
complimented my Triangle Pose. As I may always experience pangs of Matthew Lyons is a yoga teacher in
others took a peek at my form, my heart insecurity or self-judgment, but I’ve the USA. Learn more at
soared. In that moment of affirmation, I learned to lean on spiritual poet Mark matthewdlyons.com.
realised that no one in class was paying Nepo’s concept that life is a practice of
any attention to my stomach. I started return. When we face setbacks or lose
focusing less on how I looked and more our way, the challenge is to return to
on my movements—particularly in what has heart and meaning. For me, it
poses that naturally brought awareness is a daily practice of yoga and
to my belly, such as Half Moon Pose. meditation, which has opened me to the
Slowly, I began moving without self- possibility of self-confidence and an
judgment. I became more forgiving of enduring self-love. When I practice or
my body, which translated into trusting teach, I find sanctuary, a space in time
myself in challenging asana such as in which I can move beyond the surface
Warrior III and Standing Head-of-the- friction of my thoughts and connect
Knee Pose. with the idea of wholeness. Yoga has
In 2016, I’d been practicing hot yoga revealed that there is room for
five days a week for two years, and I felt me—in the community and in
increasingly confident on the mat. I the world—just as I am.
wanted to take a break from the heat
and try something new. An inversion
workshop led me to a new studio where
I started regularly practicing vinyasa
flow, Yin Yoga, and Restorative Yoga. I
felt so good about expanding my
practice and discovering the other limbs
of yoga that I completed three of four






I became



more y ogajournal.c om.au



forgiving of

f ebruary/mar ch 20 20
my body.










45

the








long








journey
























Yoga teacher Benny James


hid his true personality

in order to avoid ridicule


and the threat of violence.

Here’s how he learned to


stand in his truth.






I AM A GAY MAN who has known my I started building up the courage to tell quickening into anger. For years, my
sexual orientation since I was 10 years my parents and my older brother. I parents forced me to take part in sports
old. Back then, I befriended the popular believed my family would offer the same and activities that they considered
guys at school because I had crushes on support. masculine, such as baseball, basketball,
them. I loved adorning my mum’s It happened by accident: My parents and karate, even though I was truly only
purple chiffon sundress. I was a ballet caught me kissing my boyfriend in the interested in ballet. While everyone was
dancer. Watching the girls who driveway—we were teenagers, after all. required to watch my brother’s
practiced in the class before mine, I That night, my dad drove my boyfriend wrestling matches, only my mother
looked up to their power and femininity. home and told him he would never see (begrudgingly, I felt) attended my
But I didn’t dare tell anyone my secret, me again; my mum cried and told me recitals—my father made it clear that
for fear of rejection by my family and how much I’d disappointed her. I was he wasn’t interested. It was devastating
community. Growing up in the country, grounded for a year, and they started to know my dad deemed me a lesser

chastising me for smiling, laughing, or

male, so much so that he largely
y ogajournal.c om.au horrific things like, “I’ll kill a faggot if talking in my naturally effeminate way. removed himself from my life.
where I’d overheard plenty of men say



Since I had flamboyant mannerisms,

they ever try to touch me.”
Furious that I had to take on an
alternate personality just to avoid


my sexual orientation didn’t seem to be
Despite all that, at 16, I decided it was

much of a secret. Strangers made fun of
altercations with men who felt



time to start the coming-out process. I
remember seeing my two best friends,
deep, manic depression. I was mixing

restaurants so as to not be near me.


both female, cuddled up on the couch me. Families moved tables at uncomfortable around me, I fell into a
20 20 with their boyfriends and yearning for a Sometimes, if I glanced at a man in sleeping pills, mood stabilizers, and
over-the-counter cold medications I had



fulfilling romantic relationship of my
passing, he’d puff up and say something
f ebruary/mar ch were absolutely elated for me. Within you to a pulp.” I was huffing any solvent-based
like, “Keep looking at me, and I’ll beat

own. I came out to them first, and they


found in my parents’ medicine cabinets.

two months, they fixed me up with a

I started wearing baggy jeans and
chemical I found tossed in the garage. I


cute guy who became my first boyfriend.

hoodies—anything that I could hide
obsessed over the idea of ending my own


46 Next I decided to tell my co-workers. behind. I tried to deepen my voice and life. (Gay, lesbian, and bisexual high

school students are more than four

quit smiling. My resentment was
They, too, made me feel so accepted that

times as likely to attempt suicide and working. But it provided me with a their true selves, where they have
nearly three times as likely to make a cover to recuperate my social life: I’d tell always been whole. Through this
plan to die by suicide than their my parents I was at work when I was work, I realised I had to come to terms
heterosexual peers, according to the out with my friends and my boyfriend. with the fact that in my hometown I
Centres for Disease Control and The professional dance world—in was still boxed into an identity that
Prevention.) which no one is ever good enough—was hadn’t evolved since I’d left. To step
When I turned 17, an opportunity a refuge in some sense, but it also into my full brilliance, I had to flee
came along that changed my life. An created even more mental dysfunction. I once again—and cut ties with my
artistic director saw me perform at a danced in front of a mirror all day parents. It was difficult but
dance convention and recruited me to observing my body, which only empowering, because I yearned for a
dance in her professional ballet reinforced the idea that I needed to be joyful, authentic life.
company. (Years later, she’d tell me that something other than myself: skinnier, Today, my partner and I are
she fell in love with the way I’d poured stronger, better at high jumps. exploring what it means to be free in a
my anguish and fury into my artistry.) I After several months of dancing, I new city. We’ve both taken a step back
decided to finish high school online so I started attending hot power flows at a from our work healing others to allow
could explore dance full time. Because I local yoga studio as a way to cross-train ourselves the time and space to fully
was still grounded, I had to be at home and prevent injuries. One day, after I’d recover from past traumas. Enjoying a
when I wasn’t at the dance studio been practicing five times a week for slow-paced lifestyle near the beach,
about a year, my male yoga teacher we paint, sculpt, draw, write, cook,
guided us into Child’s Pose and asked, dance, and do whatever else bubbles
“When are you going to stop running up in our hearts. Together, we are able
away from yourself and begin the long to lift each other up to our highest
journey home?” And just like that, I purpose.
started sobbing. I’d run so far away from More recently, there have been a lot
my identity that I didn’t even know how of men in my life who are ready to do
to start looking for myself again. I the work necessary to create a new
looked to my yoga teacher: With his paradigm for living consciously, free
eloquent philosophy and his confidence from damaging expectations and
in who he was—long hair, flowing stereotypes. They listen to the
clothing, and gentle mannerisms—he conversations that call out their toxic
started to show me that men could be behaviour and hold themselves and
vulnerable and accepted. He was a others accountable. My days of
metaphor for possibilities beyond my enduring bullying or aggressive
struggle. comments are behind me—or
After high school, I danced on cruise perhaps I don’t notice them anymore.
ships, traveling to Europe, New I’ve developed a deep love and
England, the Caribbean, and Alaska. I compassion for all men, because I
also went to India to visit ashrams and understand how trying to live up to
completed teacher trainings in yogic societal expectations leads them
studies in traditional Hatha Yoga. On astray, to a place where they cannot
the ship, I’d gather people and lead yoga freely express emotion or live their
classes, which helped me sort through highest truths.
my life. If I noticed I was feeling When I consider where I started
depressed, I’d use yoga to help unpack from and where I stand now, I am
it. This allowed me to ask myself: “What changed. Today I have the freedom to
does unfettered Benny look like?” be, to express, to be seen, to show up,
Fifteen years later, I returned home and to stand strong in who I am.
hoping to create a life teaching yoga Yoga never gave me the answers—it
while training to be a massage therapist. encouraged me to explore and find y ogajournal.c om.au
After finding success around the world, them within myself.
I thought I’d get a second chance at
experiencing unconditional love and
acceptance from my family. My yoga Benny James is a yoga teacher, massage
classes were gaining traction, and I’d therapist, and inspirational speaker in St.
met a man—an energy healer—who Petersburg, Florida and founder of the
would become my fiancé. But my alternative wellness company Maha f ebruary/mar ch 20 20
parents were unwilling to speak with Mountain. His mission is to help others
me about our painful past. As a yoga find inner strength to uncover a life
teacher, I had followed in the footsteps that they love. Learn more at
of my first teacher, who guided others to mahamountain.com. 47

everybody wants


























Yoga teacher


Shane Roberts

acted tough in


order to fit in

as a high school


basketball

player—until


an injury led

him to the mat


to discover who


he truly was.

























y ogajournal.c om.au AS A KID, the first thing anyone ever wanted to know about me was if I was going to








play basketball. I knew I was skilled, and Lord knows I dreamed about fame and
fortune, but more than anything, I was tall. By the time I was 13, at 190cm, my body

f ebruary/mar ch 20 20 the way to the NBA. I often overheard my mother talk about me as if she were

looked like the ticket to material success. It was always assumed it would take me all

waiting for her boat to come in. But now, 20 years later, I know that wasn’t the real
reason I went to high school basketball tryouts. I went to find a tribe.


I was still traumatised from middle school. Adolescent boys proved how tough
idolised heroes who died fighting. Fear of getting beat up consumed my thoughts

48 they were by using their fists. Watching Rambo and playing Mortal Kombat, we

because battles erupted often, seemingly from out of nowhere, and I believed