ACCEPTANCE, ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, AND "THE BHAGAVAD GITA"

by Nina

Since Brad started off by mentioning the combination of acceptance and active engagement as the best approach to healthy aging, and Baxter followed with his take on the subject, I thought I’d tell those of you who don’t already know a little something about the yoga philosophy to which they were both referring.

When I teach beginning yoga philosophy I often like to start by mentioning that most people don’t realize that the most famous yogi of the 20^th century was Mohandas K. Gandhi. And what made him a great yogi wasn’t the number of sun salutations he did (not very many, if any at all), but his practice of yoga in action, as inspired by the seminal yoga scripture, The Bhagavad Gita, which he referred to as his “mother.”

The Bhagavad Gita is one section of a much longer work, The Mahabharata, written approximately in 500 to 400 BCE. It tells the story of Arjuna, the most distinguished warrior in the Pandava army, as he stops and surveys his adversaries in the Kavara army. The Kavaras are power-hungry corrupt rulers, who had usurped the throne. The peace-leaving Pandavas, on the other hand, have the welfare to the people at heart. So this is considered a moral war.

But Arjuna sees among the opposing forces many with whom the Pandavas have no quarrel, including highly esteemed teachers and elders. He tells Krishna, his charioteer and great friend, he is determined not to fight. His scruples center on the imagined personal consequences of his fighting: his guilt for the decimation of his people. Krishna speaks with him about yoga—the Gita is their dialogue—until he is once more resolved to fight.

Paris in Motion by Brad Gibson

The main message of the Gita, which is repeated throughout the text, concerns the benefits of acceptance along with the need for action. Here is how Krishna puts it:

 Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.

Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work.

Do thy work in the peace of Yoga and, free from selfish desires, be not moved in success or failure.

Yoga is evenness of mind—a peace that is ever the same. — trans. by Juan Mascaro

Krishna tells Arjuna that work is a necessary part of human existence, so the only way to attain equanimity is to do your work without any thoughts of results, remaining open to success or failure. And that this approach—this letting of all results, whether good or bad, and focusing on the action alone—is the essence of yoga. For Gandhi work meant fighting for the independence of India and the rights of the oppressed through non-violent action. And he describes the importance of doing work without focusing on the results this way:

“He who is always brooding over results often loses nerve in the performance of his duty. He becomes impatient and then gives vent to anger and begins to do unworthy thing; he jumps from action to action, never remaining faithful to any. He who broods over results is like a man given to objects of the senses: he is always distracted, he says good-bye to all scruples, everything is right in his estimation, and therefore he resorts to means fair and foul to attain his end.“ —M.K. Gandhi

But how does this yogic attitude help us ordinary mortals? This week both Baxter and Richard Rosen recommended regular, steady practice as the best approach for both osteoporosis and Parkinson’s disease. But daily yoga practice is no quick fix, and results are never guaranteed, because this is real life, people. So for your peace of mind, at the same time that you work toward staying healthy you can let go of all thoughts of success or failure and simply focus on your practice. Then no matter what happens, you’ll be prepared to handle it. And outside the yoga room, this yogic approach allows you to cultivate equanimity in your daily lives. For no matter what work we have to do, whether it is raising children, going to a 9 to 5 job, being politically active, or helping a dying family member, practicing acceptance along with active engagement allows us to do what we need to do and be at peace with the results:

 In this wisdom, a man goes beyond what is well done and what is not well done.

Go thou therefore to wisdom:
Yoga is wisdom in work. —trans. by Juan Mascaro

(It took me a long time to learn this particular lesson, and a lot of practice to learn not to fall back into my old patterns of stressing out about the future, but personally I’ve found this yogic attitude to be as helpful as any of the other anti-stress yoga practices, such as inverted poses and yogic breathing, that I practice on a regular basis. Maybe even more so.)

ACTIVE ENAGAGEMENT: YOGA AND OSTEOPOROSIS

by Baxter

Earlier this summer, some good news was reported in the New York Times about recent study on the benefits of yoga asana for osteoporosis. Physiatrist Loren Fishman, MD (a physiatrist is an MD who works mostly with helping to rehabilitate those with chronic illnesses and injuries without the use of surgery) released the results of a study on the potential benefits of yoga on the progression, or course, of osteoporosis. Originally enlisting over 180 subjects, the study had participants attend a series of classes to learn a short 10-minute home yoga practice that they were then asked to do daily for two years. Knowing human nature, it is perhaps not surprising that only 11 participants were able to complete the study as required. But those who did had some very encouraging results: an increase in the bone density of hips and spine, while the seven controls with osteoporosis continued to lose bone mass. That’s right, the bones of the yoga practitioners actually got stronger. The downside to this result, of course, is the small number of folks who stuck to it, which means that additional larger studies will be required to confirm these initial encouraging results.

Roots and Water by Brad Gibson

 Sadly, we live in a culture that often is looking for the quick fix, the one-pill solution, or the single visit to the doc for the cure. The yoga tradition is pretty clear on how positive change occurs, and how goals are met through regular practice done over the long haul. And this ongoing active engagement concept seems supported by the results from this study. Got 10 minutes a day?

For more about this study and what it might mean for you, check out the New York Times article here. You can get complete information on the study (and see the poses included in the osteoporosis yoga practice) here.

Next week, my Rx for osteoporosis in your home practice. If you can’t wait till then, know that all of your yoga poses are “weight bearing,” so keep on doing some poses you love for now, and I will add in my favorite picks next time!

And remember to ask us questions for our Friday Q&A. Leave questions in a comment or email us at the address under "Contact Us" to the right. 

ACCEPTING RECLINED LEG STRETCH

by Nina

An excellent time to combine acceptance with active engagement (as Baxter discussed in his post yesterday) is when you are doing yoga poses. By far, the healthiest and most effective way to do yoga poses is to cultivate an awareness of your body’s current state while at the same time actively working toward making changes to it, such as stretching or strengthening. This is one of the best ways to protect yourself from injury. And it also helps you reap the most benefits from your poses.

When I was trying to think of a pose that epitomized this need for both acceptance and active engagement, Reclined Leg Stretch pose (Supta Padangusthasana) sprang to mind. To be honest, that’s because every time I've taught the pose, I’ve seen people “cheat” (yes, I’m talking about you with the bent leg over there), a sure sign that the “acceptance” side of the equation is lacking.

Reclined Leg Stretch (Supta Padangusthasana) is a very beneficial pose because it revitalizes your legs while it eases tension in your lower back. It stretches your hamstring muscles and your hip joints, which is important for maintaining physical health if you sit at a desk or walk a lot. It is also helpful for lower back pain and maintaining a healthy back. And it’s a great way to begin a yoga practice or even to do as a “single pose practice.” Plus, you get to do it lying down!

  

Baxter prescribes it for:

• leg fatigue or weakness
• lower back conditions
• arthritis
• knee pain
• swelling of feet and ankles
• maintaining flexibility of the legs and hip joints as you age

However, most people are too tight in their hamstrings to do the pose like their teachers or the pictures they’ve seen, so some (not naming any names here) cheat by bending the knee of their top leg or by lifting their pelvis off the floor in order to bring their toe closer to their head.

,Can you do it like this? (From "Moving Toward Balance," Rodney Yee with Nina Zolotow)

But while cheating may make you feel more flexible, bending your top knee means that you won’t be getting the full hamstring stretch that’s so beneficial. So the next time you do this pose (and it’s a great one to practice at home), use a strap or belt around the arch your foot and hold the right side of the strap in your right hand, the left in your left hand. Now be honest with yourself. Is your upper leg truly straight? And is your pelvis resting evenly on the ground? If not, let your leg go until your knee is straight, your pelvis is even, and your leg reaches its natural angle (90 degrees or less, even much less). 

Using a strap. (From "Moving Toward Balance," Rodney Yee with Nina Zolotow)

That’s the acceptance part. The active engagement part is to stay in the pose for 45 to 90 seconds and to practice regularly. Although we can’t promise it, there’s a very good chance that over time this pose will increase your flexibility, making many other poses more comfortable and enhancing your physical health.

Some helpful variations:

1. If your head and shoulders aren’t resting comfortably on the floor, use a folded blanket under your head.
2. If you are so tight that it’s hard to hold your leg with a strap, do the pose with the bottom leg extending through a doorway and your top foot resting on the wall next to the doorway.
3. If you want to strengthen your bottom leg as your stretch the top one, you can practice with your bottom foot pressing against a wall.

Cautions: If you have lower back issues, you may need to keep your bottom leg bent. If you have wrist issues, you may need to change the way you hold the strap.

WHAT WE NEED TO PRACTICE

by Baxter

As I was enjoying Brad’s post from last week (he really cracks me up—smart and funny!), one statement jumped off the computer screen as I read it. Regarding confronting the inevitable course of aging, Brad stated, “We probably need to practice both acceptance and active engagement as we confront our own aging....”

Cathedral in Process by Brad Gibson

As I thought about the acceptance part of that equation, it reminded me of an experience a friend of mine had while living for a while at an ashram in Northern California. In addition to the center’s own spiritual leader, there were often visiting teachers and gurus, and one visiting guru had a seemingly straightforward message that went something like this: “Everything is already okay!” Well, this message really seemed to resonate with the staff at the center, especially with the kitchen staff, who took it to heart, so much so that the dirty dishes started to pile up. After all, everything is already okay! Finally, the ashram’s main teacher had to remind everyone that, even though this idea was certainly true, especially as a concept found in many yoga lineages, we also have work to do in this lifetime.

Men Working on La Sagrada Familia by Brad Gibson

Yoga posits an intriguing paradox that we each have a perfect, eternal quality already within us, sometimes referred to as the purusha or atman, and at the same time, we have a personal dharma or path to follow that requires active engagement in this lifetime. As a way of supporting the notion of healthy aging, I am able to “actively engage” in my life’s work as well as beneficial practices, such as yoga asana (poses) and pranayama (yogic breathing), that support the overall health and well being of my mind and body. And at the same time, I can access other yoga practices, such as mindful meditation and yoga nidra, where I am more involved in accessing the state of “being” as opposed to the state of “doing.” In these practices, I am able to tap into the acceptance part of the challenge of aging, and also this alluring concept that everything is already okay. We have come to discover through observation and research that this second set of practices (the acceptance practices), has very tangible benefits as well, including, to name a few, quieting the nervous system, lowering blood pressure, and supporting healthy digestion and immune function. For those of you not familiar with these practices, I would recommend the following books as an introduction:

Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., for information about mindful meditation.

Yoga Nidra, by Richard Miller, Ph.D., for information about yoga nidra (an audio CD with practice for you is included)

More on active engagement next time!