Those wonderful glorious feet, unfortunately kept in containers (shoes) most of the day. Poor things have quite a responsibility in both our everyday walking/living life and particularly in our yoga practice. The feet are our foundation in both. As a therapist the feet are one of the first things I look at as it's important to see what someone is standing on all day. As a yoga teacher I've learned to look at foundation first which is feet in standing postures.

The foot itself is made up of 26 bones all inter-relating and articulating against one another in a complex bone structure. Why so many bones in such a small area? Don't you find it helpful that our foot is able to adapt to a myriad of surfaces and terrains such as rocky roads, a forest walk including sticks, twigs and holes in the ground? Our foot is able to mold to the ground because of the interaction of these 26 bones and then transfer the force from below up through the ankle joints and to the rest of our body in such a way that we stay balanced.

The foot is foundation because it is meeting with the ground which generally doesn't change, particularly in our yoga practice. I don't know about you but I haven't practiced on a particularly uneven surface in years. So we build our foundation on the ground and if the foundation isn't right everything above has the potential to go awry. We find a similar principle with the foundation of a house. If you lay the foundation and it settles unevenly or one side drops significantly more than the other, will the windows upstairs close properly? Will the front door close properly?

Our foot foundation is built on three arches, yup, you read correctly, certainly we're almost all familiar with the one on the inside (medial side) of the foot which teachers are constantly telling us to engage but there are also two others. One of these is found on the outside of the foot although not quite as prominent. The third arch runs across the base of the toes, ever notice that your foot gets wider when you stand on it? This is the reason you measure your foot when standing, because your foot gets slightly longer along the lines of the first two arches mentioned and wider along the third.

Essentially we're standing on a triangle with one point at the base of the big toe, one at the base of the little toe and one at our heel. Connect these three points together and you get a triangle. Now take these three points and connect them to the top of the ankle joint and now we've created a pyramid and that my friends is a very stable structure to be standing on.

The arches have 3 elements, the bone shape, the ligamentous and fascial connections, and third is the musculature in the front, back and sides of the calf. All of these together maintain the arches. A problem with any one of these structures and the arches may fall and the windows (i.e. shoulders, hips, ribs etc) don't function as well.

There are two rather important muscles surrounding the foot that are intimately tied into the arch on the medial side. They wrap around the foot like the stirrup you would get into on a horse. In fact they're referred to as the "anatomical stirrup". The two muscles are the Tibialis Anterior and the Peroneus Longus. The first of these two is the same muscle associated with shin splints and can be palpated quite easily. Find your shin bone (Tibia) and move your finger over to the outside (lateral side) of the bone. Now, lift your foot from the ankle joint and you'll feel the muscle beneath your fingers and you can also follow the muscle down and find a very thick tendon heading to the inside of your foot, right to the medial arch.

The second muscle is harder to find so I'll just describe it. It runs down the outside of your calf behind the bump on the outside (lateral) of your ankle then under your foot from the lateral side and heads across the bottom of your foot to meet up with Tibialis Anterior on the medial arch. These two muscles together become balancers of the foot and the way your arch is either drawn up or falling down in standing. There are a myriad of muscles assisting in the arches but let's just play with these for today.

Enough talk let's take it into practice. Stand in Tadasana and become aware of where your weight is over your feet. Perhaps the weight is more on the heels or more on the toes, no need to judge where it is, just create some awareness. There are a number of ways to engage the arches, one way is to simply lift your toes. Another way that I like is to focus on pressing the base of the big toe into the ground while also pushing down with the outer back heel, the sensation is almost like your foot is getting shorter between the base of your toes and your heel. While doing this draw the awareness up the inside of the leg all the way up to the inside of your thighs and if you read last issues article, draw it up through the psoas.

Let's look at warrior I for a moment. There are two feet on the ground, therefore two arches to be aware of. In the front foot we're always told to have the knee over the ankle (great idea) but let's play for a moment with this instruction, take your knee in slightly and carefully notice what happens to the arch in your front foot. Did you notice the arch collapsing? The back foot is a common place to find yourself with half a foot on the floor and it's not the outside half. Play with the same instruction above for engaging the arch here. Press into the ball of the foot and the outer heel and watch your arches grow.

Playing with engaging the arches in this way utilizes the interaction between the muscles discussed above. Take these simple instructions and apply them to your standing postures, develop a strong foundation and the pose will be much stronger and functional above it.

You can read about it, hear about it, and watch other people do it, but until you experience it first hand, yourself, you don't really get it. So what's the excitement all about? Why is yoga showing up everywhere from auto ads to executive meetings? Why are airlines presenting it to their passengers and why is it featured on Oprah? Kids are doing it in schools; buff athletes are doing it, even pregnant women and the wheelchair-bound. There must be something very seductive about yoga!

If you do yoga, you know that it's seductive. That delicious feeling of stretching from the inside out; that soothing sensation like warm honey flowing through energized limbs; and the "big payoff" at the end of a practice: floating away into the infinite. You can't access this in pictures, and yoga isn't a spectator sport. The real experience is only available to you if you actually do yoga.

Yoga is not just about the beautiful bodies of die hard yogis and yoginis, although fitness is definitely one of the major payoffs, yoga is a path to that illusive center we are all seeking...it's a path to inner peace. We're being drawn to yoga by the thousands because we need it; we crave what yoga offers and deeply need the body-mind-spirit connection we experience when we practice the 5000 year old art of yoga.

Increased strength and flexibility, relief from headaches, back problems, sleep troubles, and stress related issues; deep relaxation, feeling energized, powerful, peaceful and centered... Sounds good? These are only a few of the myriad benefits of a yoga practice. Life is so much easier when we feel comfortable in our bodies, relaxed in spirit and come from a peaceful place of power within. Our days become more enjoyable and more relaxed. Our relationships become deeper and more sensitive. The world seems to be more manageable and, rather than reactive, we become positively proactive.

Many people first come to yoga for physical reasons. They want to find relief from back pain or they want to lose weight. They see the external benefits of a yoga practice, but like sex, the internal experience is what keeps them coming back for more.

"This all sounds good," you say, "but I haven't bent forward and touched the floor since I was 12. Sure, seems like a good thing to try, but I haven't exercised since high school! I'd be embarrassed to be seen in those tight yoga clothes... or worse, in a yoga class. I'd make a fool out of myself!" I've heard it all... and there's always a way. Don't allow your chattering mind or your fragile ego to keep you from discovering the treasures you'll find through yoga. Yoga is accessible to everybody. All you need to do is make a decision to go for it.

Regardless of your physical ability, yoga can be adapted to be accessible to you. If you are physically challenged, you can do yoga seated in a chair. Even those who are bedridden can do yoga and we can all benefit greatly from "pranayama," the yoga of the breath.

Too busy? Weave it into your day with seated stretches at your computer, in the airplane, or while standing in line at the bank. Yoga can be subtle, internal and powerful. As you might suspect, I never take "No" for an answer. There's always a way to do yoga.

Here are a few tips to ease your entry into the world of yoga

The first step is commitment. My first yoga class was a rude wake-up call. Every injury I'd ever had was talking to me. I thought I was in pretty good shape at 44, but my body's ability to do those poses was beyond discouraging... I hated it. There was voice inside my head that screamed, "Get me outta here!" But there was a more persistent little voice inside of me that said, "You don't have to like this, just do it." I knew, on some level, that I'd be really sorry if I quit so I made a deal with myself to keep going back to yoga class twice a week for a month. No judgments, no analyzing, no deciding "like it or not." So I pre-paid the classes and took my body to yoga class. After that month, I was hooked. I highly recommend this approach... It changed my life.

Once you get yourself into yoga class, the next biggest challenge is self-acceptance. A yoga teacher of mine once said, "Begin where you are and stay there." Wise words, and a big relief! After all, there's no other place to start than by accepting ourselves right where we are and realizing that we'll never be exactly there again. Every yoga practice is different because we are different, day-to-day, and minute-to-minute. One of the basic lessons we learn from a yoga practice is not to judge ourselves. For most of us, that's a hard one. Our culture trains us to be competitive. We want to compare ourselves with each other, with the teacher, and especially with our image of what we think we should be able to do. If you want to enjoy your yoga practice, judge not! Watch yourself from the inside; explore the sensations and the new feelings. Experience yourself from the inside out.

Another big hurdle is overcoming the goal-oriented, "Type A" personality approach to yoga; the attitude that the body must conform to perfection and each pose must be the textbook ideal. Give it up! Not a good idea for a number of reasons. First, no body does perfect poses. Not even the teacher, even though you may think so initially. There is no perfect pose. Yoga is a process, not a goal. The perfect pose for your body is different from the perfect pose for my body, or for any other body. The pose that is most integrated and balanced, that give you the best stretch and honors your body's limits... that is your perfect pose.

Secondly, yoga is a process of unfolding. The symbol of yoga is the Thousand Petaled Lotus that keeps opening its petals deeper and deeper toward its center. Every time you do a pose, it will be a bit different, you'll do it at a different level and from a different place within yourself. Allow for those changes and patiently let yoga bring you to deeper levels of each pose as time goes on. After a while you'll discover that the real yoga isn't about the external form of the poses, it's about how you move the energy in your body to create them from the inside out.

And third, honor your body. It's not about pushing to your limit in every pose. You'll really regret that the next day! Yoga shouldn't hurt, and it's an inside job as to whether or not you'll experience pleasure or pain. You are in control here. The teacher talks, you do the yoga with your body. Just as we resist psychologically when we get pushed too far too fast (Oh yeah? Just try to make me!), our bodies resist as well. So honor your body's limits, don't push; allow, breathe and soften into the poses.

Keep in mind that there are as many different forms of Hatha Yoga (the physical path of yoga) as there are yoga teachers. Every teacher has a unique teaching style, approach and attitude, even if they have been trained in the same yoga lineage. It's important to shop around for a teacher who is well trained and one who inspires you. Find the teacher that suits your style and don't be afraid to go to different classes and change teachers as you develop your yoga practice.

Yoga is an amazing journey of self-discovery. The way you approach your yoga practice is a microcosm of the way you approach your life. It's a truthful mirror, a deep learning and exploration into the depths of the soul. I wish you blessings on your yoga path and light in your journey back to your most beautiful, authentic self.

Susan Winter Ward, internationally recognized yoga instructor, author, and video producer, is the creator of Yoga for the Young at Heart™.

HOW I LEARNED TO FLY, Richard Baimbridge (Li Cha De) on What it Takes to Become an AcroYoga

AcroYoga was created by two young Americans – Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein. Jason was an Olympic-level gymnast who discovered yoga, and then discovered Jenny – a girl from New York who had moved to the San Francisco area in search of the kind of hippy idealism and personal enlightenment that has prospered there since the 1960s. The two have worked together for the past six years, quietly perfecting a practice that draws from influences ranging from Native American spiritual ceremonies to Dharma Mittra yoga classes, combined with a dash of the Burning Man festival.

On my first day at the Teacher Training, located high in a mountain retreat above Santa Barabara, I sat in a circle (AcroYoga classes always begin with a circle ceremony) and looked out at the people around me. My first thought was: “I feel nothing in common with these people.” My second thought was: “I feel completely isolated and alone.” But I reminded myself that that’s why I was here to begin with – to overcome this sense of isolation and be able to reach out to others -- to learn to love. When I saw the photos on the AcroYoga website of smiling people, holding hands in a big circle, I thought “That’s not me. I could never be like that.” And yet, as a yoga teacher (and as a person), I knew that’s exactly what I needed to do.

The training was extremely difficult, both physically and emotionally, pushing nearly everyone to the breaking point – and one by one, most of us did break. Days began at 6am with silent meditation and pushed on for a solid 14 hours of practice, from acrobatics to vinyasa yoga to teaching methods. We were strongly encouraged to share our inner-most feelings, which could get quite intense as we were forced to work in teams, sometimes intentionally put with people we didn’t get along with.

What surprised me, though, was how wrong I’d been about nearly everyone around me. I had imagined that I was the only one in the group who felt detached, who was a loner, uncomfortable in groups, unable to make connections or to trust. But soon, as the masks began to come off, I realized I wasn’t alone at all.

As time went on, others followed. Some were unable to finish the training. For me personally, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, and there were times when I very nearly ran away.

The level of trust and openness required in AcroYoga is extreme. When you put yourself in your partner’s hands, you are literally trusting them with your life at times, as a fall could result in very serious injury. Similarly, as we shared our inner-most fears and vulnerabilities together, holding hands silently watching the sunset, then forming a circle to sing a song to Mother Earth, I felt a surge of emotion unlike anything I have ever experienced.

For hundreds of thousands of years, humans have lived mostly in small communities or tribes. They sat around the fire together at night and danced and sang the songs that united them as a culture, honoring the earth, the sun and the moon and their ancestors. They were a part of something real and tangible -- not just an abstract idea of belonging to a modern society that is increasingly disparate and detached. Though we may not consciously realize it, in all but the few last remaining tribal cultures that we’re now reducing to impotent tourist attractions, there is a huge void in our civilization. It is the loss of a sense of belonging…

After more than two weeks of training, I looked back upon the faces in my circle – those who I had at first so underestimated and misjudged -- and I saw them now as my brothers and sisters, as people who I would love for the rest of my life. A global “kula” (Sanskrit for “school” or “community”) that I could count on, no matter what. That’s the real power of AcroYoga. Not doing pretty poses up in the air. The poses are just the icing on the cake.

Though I didn’t know it at the time I applied and was accepted into the program, it’s not been uncommon for people to finish an AcroYoga training and completely alter the course of their lives.

Some have moved to Africa to work with the poor and war-ravaged, some become wanderers, moving from country to country, spreading the healing philosophy of AcroYoga. I explained to one of my fellow students after the training was over that I had no idea whatsoever what I had signed on for when I applied. I just thought it looked cool. She laughed and said, “Yes, you sign up to become an AcroYoga teacher and then they tell you, ‘by the way, we’re starting a revolution.’”

The revolution encompasses everything from spreading a message of universal peace, love and healing, to extreme environmentalism. The core followers of AcroYoga took a vow last year to carry any trash they generated with them wherever they went for an entire year. From America to Europe to Asia, they carried any plastic bag, bottle, used napkin, chopsticks or empty toothpaste container they used in a separate backpack. They even refused meals and blankets on airplanes, lest they have to carry the trash with them afterward. The goal was to learn to live and create zero waste. And by the end, they had nearly perfected it. Before I left China, I tried saving my trash at home for a week, and it was soon overflowing my kitchen.

With my certification proudly in hand, I returned to Shanghai and set up free weekly Acro classes at Huashan Park. We’d often draw big crowds of on-lookers. Their faces said, “What are these crazy adults doing jumping around in the grass like kids?” … which just made us smile and play even harder.

I see people light up when they come into contact with another person through the beauty of AcroYoga, and through the bonds of trust and healing touch that it shares. They call it “flying” and for the time that you’re up there, it really does feel just like that – like you’ve sprung wings and are suddenly free to laugh and soar.

I think back on watching the sun slowly disappear behind the mountains in California at my teacher training, as we all stood and watched, arm in arm, to honor another day on this earth. And I realize this is exactly what’s been missing in my life and what’s missing in much of the yoga that’s being practiced today.

- Henry David Thoreau

Quinoa Salad

1 cup dried Quinoa cooked according to package (Arrowhead Mills Organic Quinoa can be purchased at City Supermarket)

¼ cup red onion, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 cup carrot, shredded

½ of red pepper, chopped

½ of yellow pepper, chopped

5 cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. old-style brown mustard

½ tsp. honey (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Allow cooked quinoa to cool.  Next, in a large bowl mix the quinoa with the chopped vegetables.  In a small bowl whisk the salad dressing ingredients and then toss with the quinoa and vegetables.  Chill prior to serving.

As yoga continues to gain popularity so too are more and more new yoga teachers coming onto the market offering a variety of classes. For students this often brings confusion when choosing a suitable teacher to guide the journey.

For thousands of years Yoga was passed from teacher to student on a one-to-one basis, group classes are a relatively recent teaching format. The relationship between student and teacher is still taken seriously by both parties and, as a result, time should be taken to search for teachers who are able to assist you grow your practice in a safe, intelligent and supported way.

Certification alone is seldom a good enough reason to study with a teacher. The yamas and niyamas (ethical guidelines in yoga), were laid out by Patanjali thousands of years ago to guide and protect students as their yoga practice developed.

The 5-Yamas in Yoga (behavioral restraints)

1. Non-violence
2. Truthfulness
3. Non-stealing
4. Moderation and integrity in sexual conduct
5. Non-attachment

Characteristics and values to look for in a yoga teacher
From the Yamas come the following core values and characteristics that yoga teachers should be developing in themselves:

• Integrity
• Initiative
• Honesty
• Has a regular yoga practice and teacher of his/her own
• Responsibility and consistency
• Competence (constantly improving and developing as a teacher)
• Confidentiality
• Mindfulness and compassion
• Ability to separate yoga from religion (yoga is not and never has been a religion)
• Project an image of health and cleanliness
  

Tips

• Like any other meaningful relationship in your life, the relationship you have with your yoga teacher develops over time. As a student of Yoga you are also required to display equally clear values and characteristics to your Yoga teacher in order to build a relationship that will have lasting value.
• Learning Yoga is a two-way exchange; teacher-to-student and student-to-teacher.

Learn some Yoga Terms

shanti = peace
asteya = non-stealing
ahimsa = non-violence

In yoga, as in life, peeling off layers of the onion is the process of revealing our true nature, of growing.

A regular yoga practice asks much more of us than learning how to twist, stretch or balance, we are encouraged to observe ourselves closely in order to expand our boundaries, to grow.

Next time you take a yoga class try observe your actions and reactions to different challenges that arise. For example, some asanas (postures) may trigger feelings of frustration, euphoria, anger or even vulnerability. If this happens to you, yoga asks that you acknowledge what you are feeling, deal with it and release it so that you do not get locked into the same emotions every time.

There may also be some postures that you simply do not like doing. If this is true for you, ask yourself why, what is it that you do not like? Is your ego in the way? Is it painful? Is it a pre-conceived idea of what the postures should be? Observe yourself closer.

Growth and transformation in yoga slowly moves you to balance your extremes, including extreme likes and dislikes, so that you are free, not restricted by your mind. You may hear your yoga teacher tell you not to expect a particular result or to breathe through the difficulties instead of being consumed by your emotion. In this way you start to break through your own limitations, peeling off another layer of the onion.

Some say that if you observe yourself properly, there is nothing left over.

A fundamental part of learning yoga is learning the art of listening – listening to your body and listening to your breath.

In most yoga classes emphasis is placed on bringing awareness to the breath (the fact that you are breathing), and on how to control your breath (pranayama).

What’s the difference between regular breathing and pranayama?
Regular breathing is largely an unconscious action, neither trying to control or change the rhythm, you simply inhale and exhale without thinking about it. Pranayama is a conscious action of controlling the inhalations, exhalations and the gaps between each.

Some benefits of practicing pranayama regularly

• Improved digestion, circulation and metabolism
• Improved concentration (keeps you present)
• Increased energy
• Calms the mind

Tip
It is more beneficial to make your inhalations longer than your exhalations when practicing yoga postures. Inhalations are considered to be heating for the body and exhalations cooling. You should generally enter a posture on an inhale and surrender deeper into it with an exhale.

Breathing in I calm my body. Breathing out I smile.
- Thich Nat Hanh

One of the many gifts that unfold with a regular yoga practice is a heightened sensitivity; sensitivity towards yourself, towards others and generally to who you are in the world. Without prana (breath, energy, life force), you would be

unable to enjoy these gifts. No breath, no life.

When learning the practice of pranayama (breath control), students learn to become more aware of the spaces between breaths, the short pauses at the end of an inhalation or exhalation. Gradually this awareness develops into control of the rhythm, depth and duration of each breath and each pause. In this way the practice develops.

Benefits
As your awareness of breath develops so too does your physical ability to breathe; your lung capacity increases, your posture improves (to support the increased volume of air), your mind quietens, your energy levels increase and moods start to balance out.

Tips

• Try not to breathe to more than 75% of your maximum capacity.
• If you continue to inhale longer than you exhale your body will tense up and exhaling will become difficult. Try the other way around, make your exhales longer than your inhales.

Caution
Pranayama is a slow practice that takes time to develop, be sure to learn with an experienced teacher.
Holding your breath is considered to be heating for the body. People with heart conditions or high blood pressure are advised not to practice these exercises.
Women who are menstruating are also advised not to practice pranayama.

In the asanas every cell of the body becomes full of life. This makes the body vibrant. Each part, from the toes to the fingers is active and each has its own job to do... If one part is not sensitive, the posture is not complete. "
- BKS Iyengar

Everything you do will always leave a mark.

You can always correct the mistakes you make.

In life you will undergo painful sharpenings, which will make you a better person.

To realize your full potential you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.