Lauren Peterson: still practising at 52

Another amazing fifty-something Ashtangi (just like my teacher E). Lauren Peterson turned 52 last month and made this video of some fourth series poses to celebrate her yoga practise which she began at the ripe "old" age of 30. Lauren practises Ashtanga Vinyasa and Iyengar yoga, just like E. So beautiful, so inspriring. Om.

Extinguished

As a young girl, meeting my dad as he came home from work and trips out of town.

In my twenties, travelling through Europe with a broken heart but with all my expenses paid.

Having the fruits of my creativity and hard work rewarded with job offers.

Seeing other people, after having ended a long-term relationship and then being in love again.

Purchasing my first car with my own blood, sweat and tears.

The birth of Pippa, the birth of my son and the birth of my youngest.

Watching my daughter twirl around like a little ballerina. Watching my son get dusty, dirty and drenched in sweat while playing football.

Discovering yoga, then practising and learning Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with some of the most beauty-full people on this earth.

Exchanging a few words with John Scott and listening to his wonderful messages.

I am thankful for these, my happiest memories, which I will cling to and conjure up every time I feel trapped in my current situation. To be asked, even ordered, to stop practising yoga and instead devote more time to my children is not unreasonable. It is but only my responsibility as a mother to raise my kids. So all in good time, as Art says. It's not like the sad, dark and painful period of my life when my first born died or when I got into a highway accident. It is tantamount to taking away a child's favourite toy or telling a teenager to stop listening to rock or whatever music is mainstream or popular. But I am not a child nor teenager and I have to accept life's lessons.

What I do regret is having discovered yoga so late in life. It would have been different for sure had I gone on this journey earlier. But as I have said, my life has been blessed and I am ever grateful for that.

Yoga on and off the mat. Can there ever be one without the other?  Long, long, long exhale.

Rain dance

Had a rejuvenating practice at hOMe. It wasn't clammy hot for a change and by the time we reached closing a cold wind had blown in and the smell of rain cooled our bodies in Savasana much faster than would normally take.

Unlike practice at other shalas where the atmosphere can get way too serious and the energy heavy, here at hOMe there's still so much to learn in spite of many, many, many, many  light moments. hOMe is truly the only place where practitioners can have a silly discussion while binding in Marichyasana A, B, C or D (take your pick). Conversation is free-flowing but respectful. And there is much acceptance and patience for character differences. So you could say we're mature at being immature. Sometimes it's also like having a satsang while practising yoga--with E always making sure to bring us back to zero after.

Last night I soaked up plenty of theory from E, even if Pattabhi has said that yoga should be 1% theory. She stopped practice after 3 Sury As and before Sury B to emphasise the importance of a strong back leg in Virabhadrasana, Trikonasana and Parsvokanasana. The back leg must be strong, straight and pressing down on the heel. The foot pigeon-toed to achieve an inward rotation on the thigh which also aids in squaring the hips in Warrior II. Get this right and you should be stable, steadfast and ideally in equilibrium with the front leg and with the arms being pulled in opposing but equal force. Take this to heart during practice and perhaps, just maybe you will experience Sthira Sukha Asanam.

Another memorable point for me--one that is anti-theory--is how E has been training my body to remember how to move when dropping back. "Like we're dancing," as she always put it. After three backbends I do the preparation for dropping back that Becky taught me way back in 2008 when she subbed for a Yoga Manila Led class. We've been working on this for some time already that E pointed out that my legs have been internally rotating, my quads are kept engaged and I am standing up from the backbend with her help and in wave-like fashion without her telling me how to do it. "Feel, don't think." That's all E will ever say when dropping me back, "Because the body is smart and learns quickly."

Thirdly, E taught me how to engage mula bandha in poses like Sirsasana and how it helps to try keep it locked 24/7 not just during yoga but off the mat as well. To illustrate, she had Art tread quietly around the shala during practice some time ago, with mula bandha activated and mindful of the other practitioners.

For a theoretical framework on the mula bandha read this article by Dr. Ruth Jones of Stanford University who calls mula bandha the pelvic floor muscle. According to Dr. Jones mula bandha is activated this way:

•Imagine your PFM as a sling that attaches from your tail bone at the back (sacrum and coccyx) to your pubic bone at the front.

•Now take a breath in, and as you breathe out, gently squeeze the muscles around your back passage, as if you were trying to prevent wind (gas/flatulence) escaping.

•Bring this feeling forward (remembering the muscular sling) towards your pubic bone as if you were trying to stop yourself from urinating (having a pee).

•Keep holding this contraction as you imagine that you are on the ground floor of an elevator, you want to lift your PFM as if you were going to the 1st, then 2nd 3rd etc floor.

•Keep breathing as normally as you can, whilst holding onto your PFM. Aim to hold for 10 seconds, before releasing your PFM.

•Repeat up to 10 times, breathing normally.

•Remember to release all the way back to the ground floor, as holding on too much may be as much of a problem as not being able to hold onto them at all.

Also, you may have noticed that your abdominal muscles were also engaged as you pulled in your PFM. This is perfectly normal as long as you do not tilt your pelvis or hold your breath as you do so. In yoga the abdominal muscles activating is part of the Uddiyana Bandha (the abdominal lock), and the Mula Bandha is almost always activated at the same time as that lock.

This can be a little too much to digest. I guess that's why Pattabhi and E insist on doing and feeling rather than thinking. Om.