# 36 - Super Brain Yoga

The West has clearly articulated and successfully disseminated many glorious eastern concepts. Super-brain yoga, the sub-continent equivalent of the western "Give me five" (military) penalty instruction for push-ups, is one of them. When I was eight, I watched my father make my brother do 20 squats for not washing his hands before a meal. (Take the right hand and place thumb and forefinger on your left earlobe, then take the left hand and place thumb and forefinger on the right earlobe; now lower your hip into a squat, knees together, exhaling loudly each time). Squats have always been considered a punishment; until it was recently hailed by the western world as a "fast, simple, drug-free method of sharpening the brain". According to guardians of this age-old form of punishment/ repentance (“thopikaranam” in Tamil), besides being an excellent strategy to prevent arthritis of the knees, this simple action revives acupuncture points on the earlobes - pinching the left lobe activates the right side of the brain, and vice versa. Wish I was naughtier when I was young; at least I would be smarter...

# 35 - Yoga Has Evolved Exponentially

Yoga helps us make the most of what we have, and come to terms with what we don't. Although our body has an innate capacity to heal itself, our mind has greater control over what the body is or is not permitted to do at any given time, place, and age. Since 1975, yoga has evolved exponentially, despite being bastardized by the world. Different "kinds" of yoga emerged, and soon compartmentalization took place. People began to ask each other "What kind of yoga do you practice?" But, regardless of the name given to each “type” of yoga, the kind that limbers the body, de-clutters the mind, aligns our emotions, and enhances our spiritual path, is the one we all wish to pursue. In short, internal stretching (of mind and body) makes us feel good, and offers a natural solution to help bring simplicity and joy in all that we do. Most of us seek, and usually find when we look hard enough, the sweet serenity of self acceptance.

# 34 - A Pint of Wellness

Although it is not critical for yoga practitioners to survive on aloe vera juice and cactus pies, it might be prudent to be aware of any harm that some meats, alcohol, and junk foods may do to our bodies. I find it amusing that we sometimes advocate yogic values for over an hour; and then go out and treat ourselves to “a pint of wellness” at the nearest pub. Obviously, yoga is not working for some of us, or we would not need to seek out external modes of stimulation. Especially during seasonal vacations, we need to be all the more aware of this; unless of course it is regarded sincerely as a seasonal social activity that offers sporadic highs.

# 33 - Preventive Healthcare = 48 plus

The 48 plus ailment specific sequence is a simple low impact formula for preventive healthcare – it factors in knee bending stretches for arthritis (of the knees); chest openers for asthma prevention; lower abdominal massage for constipation; stimulating pancreatic function in upper abdominal area to help delay diabetes; moving into stillness that stops erratic rush of blood-to-brain to avoid hypertension; strengthening lower back muscles through spinal flexions to help prevent lumbago; postures that involve anal sphincter control to avoid piles; and stretches that soothe the back of the thighs to help prevent sciatic pain.

# 32 - Props Are Like Training Wheels

Props are to yoga what training wheels are to bicycles – a temporary solution. Props and variations, while not recommended for practitioners who are already “broken in”, are helpful for beginners who may have difficulty reaching their optimum potential without external assistance. Occasionally, yoga schools are lured into purchasing a whole range of props, so instructors have no choice but to suggest that students use as many of the props as possible – in order to milk the investment, so to speak. It is up to us as students of this discipline, to try and make maximum progress with minimum props, so that we do not subject ourselves to the all-motion-and-no-movement virus. Props must be our aide, not our crutch.

# 31 - Every Body is Different

Stretch only as far as your body allows – one day at a time and one inch per stretch. If the intensity of a particular stretch does not feel simply delicious, your body is probably not ready for this stretch just yet. Instead, try to hold postures longer for greater effect. Training a willing body to hold stretches for longer periods of time in symphony with your breath is a more accurate indication of progress than enabling an agitated body to twist itself into knots, or doing arm balances while holding your breath.

# 30 - Names DO Matter

Much as classroom yoga is intended to improve listening skills as we keep our eyes shut in an attempt to internalize our practice, until we are familiar with the instructor’s “mistakes”, it is a good idea to keep our eyes open and watch the demo (I believe this is called "visual capture"). This is an age where the word yoga has taken a ubiquitous entity of its own (referring to pranam asana as tadasana, or tuladandasana as virabhadra III…). John Jacob Jr. or George the V, I understand; virabhadra I, II, III, or surya namaskara A, B, C I do not. Imaginative as the names sound, let us choose to research various postures before going to class, so that when the instructor mentions one name but demonstrates another, at least we would have tried to keep up.