CUHlCHl5

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OD t6COv6l
70 , Sun Salutation tune-up: 6
trouble spots & how to fix them
05 , 16 poses for unwinding
at the end of a hectic day
z0 4 moves to ease neck pain
84 | How to open your hips
for Lotus Pose
40 A powerful pose for leg
strength
55 , Tips for maintaining your
practice away from home
lOOlUIO8
55 | TRAVEL EASY
When the road beckons, try these tips
from traveling yoga teachers to stay
healthy and happy along the way.
by Lavinia Spalding
08 PASSAGE TO INDIA
Getting lost in the captivating places
of India, the birthplace of yoga, can
lead you to find new parts of yourself.
by Meera Subramanian
70 , GO WITH THE FLOW
With a little fine-tuning. you can sail
through your Sun Salutations with grace
and ease. by Jason Crandell
cuve^cr0Of8
model: Stacie Overby; stylist: Micah
Bishop/Artist Untied: hair/makeup: Cassie
Chapman/Artist Untied; top: Athleta;
leggings: Elisabetta Ragiani; photography:
David Martinez.
2 YOGA J O U R N A L. COM
cotets Aug ust 1
46
yOQOIlO8lyO
19 , OM
Bringing your practice to life
Tuning in lakeside in Guatemala; readers'
photos from around the globe; hotels
catering to yogis; smart advice for pain
free neck and shoulders; yoga boot
camps and cross-training for yogis.
u , STYLE
Grab and go Stylish, practical totes
carry all you need for a whole day of
summer fun.
7 , EATING WISELY
Bold flavor fast With a few simple
shortcuts, you can enjoy the vibrant
flavors of Indian cuisine-even on busy
weeknights. by Lauren Ladoceour
01 | REVIEWS
New books, CDs, and DVDs, featuring an
interview with author and human rights
advocate Marianne Ell iott; plus reviews,
including a documentary on the Jois
sha/a in Mysore and the yogis who visit.
~ XM1TMMWT1.W
QIOClICO
40 , BASICS
Half Moon Pose Develop balance,
strong legs, and open hips with Ardha
Chandrasana. by Nikki Costello
05 , HOME PRACTICE WITH
DEBORAH BURKMAN
Down to earth Release tension and
find stillness at the end of a busy day
with poses that stretch the back, hips,
and hamstrings.
84 , MASTER CLASS
WITH ANNIE CARPENTER
22
Seated in the self Look within and listen to
your body's cues to find your path to Lotus Pose.
IH8QIIOlIOH
1u4 , YOGA SCENE
On the road A clear view to a distant horizon
on a road trip to Marfa. Texas, inspired this yogi
to pause i n the present moment.
+ 4
m VIy l88U
8 LETTERS 99 , YOGA PAGES
14 EOITOR"S LETTER 102 , LIVING WELL
16 CONTRI8UTORS 102 , CLASSIFIEOS
AUGUST 2 01 3
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Go deeper into
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and enjoy all the
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yoga guides your
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NEW VIDEO
Follow along with featured
practices from this issue.
BALANCE BETTER
Learn how to simultaneously
root down and expand out in
Half Moon Pose.
RELIEVE TENSION
Relax at the end of the day
with a calming forward
bending sequence from
Deborah Burkman.
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AUGUST 2 01 3
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teacher training
Ready to take your yoga teaching
to the next level?
un new skills for guiding groups
and offering private sessions
tailored to your clients' needs.
L0utn how to balance individual
constitutions using doshic principles.
$C0v0tAyurvedic techniques for
teaching according to the seasons.
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mission driven, donor supported
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5uCC655 5!Oiy I Bring a yogic attitude to your work
and find satisfaction in your job, no matter what it is.
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"Success Story" by Sally Kempton (May
'13) came at just the right time for me.
In my work as a physical therapist, using
asana comes easily, but applying the other
aspects of my yoga practice can be more
difficult. The advice that spoke most to
me was to surrender the outcome. In my
feld, it is easy to let one's sense of self
worth, self-esteem, and job satisfaction
rest on the outcome of a patient's condi
tion. But there are manyvariables that we
cannot control.
am convinced that this new insight may
change my idea about work forever. I am
going to work in an hour at my college
dining hall, and I will be going in with a
brand-new attitude. Thank you.
Liz Purcell, Shorewood, I l l inoi s
pai n-free practice
Thank you for the article " Practice
Awareness" (Feb. '13), about the possibil
ity of injury from yoga practice. There is
potential for injury in any athletic disci
pline if one is not properly trained. Prac
ticingyoga is not just about executing the
postures but also about understanding the
obstacles that might prevent one from
doing certain poses. It's also important
to remember that yoga is not a competi
tion but rather an internal and external
practice that one develops over time, with
consistency and effort.
Thank you so much for bringing this to
the forefront of my mind and heart. Every
time my Yga Journal arrives, I am thank
ful for the little tidbits that help me live
my yoga and not just improve my as ana.
Sara Sl ack, Albany, Oregon
I just received my frst issue of Yga Jour
nal, and "Success Story" completely blew
my mind. I do not think I have ever read
an article in a magazine that hit home
with me the way that one did. I have
jumped from job to job because the work
was never satisfing to me. However, I
Exercising with awareness and chal
lenging oneself, but not overextending, is
the best way to avoid injuries in any ath
letic endeavor.
Laurie Jordan, Woodbridge, New Jersey
The exercise instructions and advice presented in this magazine are designed for people who are in good health
and physically fit. They are not intended to sUbstitute for medical counseling. The creators, producers. partiCi
pants. and distributors of Yoga Joural disclaim any liability for loss or injury in connection with the exercises
shown or the instruction and advice expressed herein.
AUGUST 2 01 3
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no offense
I would like to comment on the letter
from Alisa Schwe11 in the May 20T3 issue
of Yoga Journal about "Devoted to You"
(ec. '12). I have an altar in my home and
am a practicing Buddhist. Yoga is avail
able to people of all backgrounds and
religions and is a wonderful way to not
only improve your health but also connect
with whatever belief system is dear to you.
Melinda Warner, Kansas City, Missouri
In response to the reader who was of
fended by the photos of meditation atars:
The altars displayed Hindu and Buddhist
statues because those are the very origins
of yoga and meditation. Why not choose
not to be offended, acknowledge and
be grateful for the ancestry of yoga, and
then make your own version of an altar
that pleases you? Anyone is welcome to
interpret yoga in ways that bring them joy
and peace. J appreciate reminders of the
ancient roots of yoga and am delighted to
see photos depicting its authentic source.
Juli e Murphy, Gulf Stream, Florida
power of the pl ate
I'm writing to ask you to consider incor
porating more vegan recipes in your food
articles. I know there is a lot of debate in
the yoga community about what ahimsa
(nonharming means relative to our diets,
but I think Yoga Journal could be a great
resource for yogis who are trying to take
that step in their life practice.
Lisa Cavian
CORRECTION In the June issue, we incor
rectly credited the clothing pictured on the
cover Gillian Gibree is wearingAthleta shorts
and a Clima \ear top.
SEND FEEDBACK TO Letters, Yoga)ourna|,
475 Sansome Street, Suite 850, San Francisco,
CA 94111; email: letters@ogajournal.com;
fax: (415) 591-0733. Tnclude your name, city,
state, and phone number Letters and emails
may be edited for length and clarity.
AHIMSA, one of the five yomosoutlined i n Patanjali's Yoga Sutra
(11.30), is often defined as nonviolence. The result of on|mso,as
explained in Yoga Sutra 11.35, according to Nicolai Bachman: "In the
presence of one practicing nonviolence, hostility cannot exist."
What does ahimsa mean to you?
Quietness inside.
Magali Fradet Carim Medel l
Ahimsa, to me, represents being gentle
with yourself, whether i n asana or i n
everyday life; speaking your truth with
love; and practicing gentleness and kind
ness i n your interactions with others.
Charissa Bowman
Kindness. Gentleness. Love. Raja Khan
Nonharming i n words, thoughts, actions
to all li ving beings, incl uding oneself.
Lisa Emerson
It means if I practice l ovi ng me, I can love
you. Robin Conover
I have a hard time believing it has
anything to do with what I eat...Ahimsa
for me is about fi ndi ng balance i n my
thoughts, actions, and expressions
through love and nonjudgment.
Kandy Naylor
Don' t eat ani mal s or thei r byproducts!
Rachael
Ahimsa i s best summed up by one of my
favorite quotes: "Be kind, for everyone
you meet is fighting a difficult battle."
Jennifer Davis
Become a fan at facebook.com
/yoqajouraJ. Find our yoga blogs
at bJogs.yogajournaJ.com.
AUGUST 2 01 3
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YJ
1 2 VOGA J O U R N A l. C OM
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AUGUST 2013
BIRKENSTO(K
M in Germany. Tradition s;nc 177.
0| k08l00K088.00m
14 YOG A J O U R N AL . COt
edtor's letter
Charity Ferreira
far and wide Practicinc in
a new place-or just in an unexpected
way-can tune in your whole beinc to
the vastness of the present.
ONE Of MY FAVORITE ways ofinteractingwith
readers is through photo submissions, especially
travel and vacation photos-pictures afyou,
glowing in poses on the beach, in cities with
iconic landmarks, or just surrounded by nature
(we've printed a few of them in this issue on page
::).Seeing these photos reminds me of how prac
ticing away from the usual venues opens you up
to a completely different experience, not only of
Tree Pose or Handstand but also of your relation
ship to your surroundings.
Taking ourselves out of the context of our
usual habits and routines in order to shift our
perspectives-this is the reason many of us travel. J admit to being something of
a homebody Butwhen I'm traveling there's always a moment, whether it's stand
ing in the presence of majestic California redwoods or beholding the grandeur
of centuries-old places of worship like St. Paul's Cathedral in London, when the
everyday things shrink into insignificance and what's left is a feeling of wide
open exansiveness.
It is in this spirit that we bring you "Passage to India" (page 68), in which
Meera Subramanian describes fve sublime destinations in India that are of spe
cial interest to yoga practitioners, whether you're planning an upcoming trip or
just taking a journey from your armchair. To bring a taste of India home, you
might try adding some unexpected spice to your cooking ,vith the recipes in
"Bold Flavor Fast" (page 37) & .aster Class teacher Annie Carpenter teaches how
sequencing to Lotus Pose ("Seated in the Selj'page 84) can become a pilgrimage
all its own, driving home the important point that, when it comes to "advanced"
poses, the journey is more important than the destination. And travel writer
Lavinia Spalding spoke with traveling yoga teachers, who spend much of their
lives on the road, to get their secrets for surviving summer travel with grace and
aplomb ("Travel Easy, '. page y).
Let us know what you found inspiring in this issue at letters@yjmag.com, and
foUowus on Instagram {@yogajournal) tosee readers' favorite travel photos. +
AUGUST 2 01 3
cotrbutors
Wat do you look forward to most when you travel?
I love going places I haven't been and get
ting to know the people through food. My
frst stop is always the local market
it's a window into where I am. I'm always
excited to eat or cook new things with
people from wherever I'm traveling.
Photographer ERIC WOLFINGER shot and styled
the food in "Bold Flavor Fast" on page 37.
16 YOGAJ O U R N A L . COM
I love being on a bike and exploring new
areas, especially when I stumble upon a
great restaurant off the beaten path that
gives me a real sense of the culture.
San Francisco yoga teacher DEBORAH BURKMAN
crafted the Home Practice sequence "Down to Earth"
found on page 65.
Instead of consulting my iPhone for direc
tions, I love to ask locals because half of
the time they end up just walking me there.
1lot of times that can turn into a friend
ship or at least a memorable encounter, and
sometimes it turns into a story
Travel writer LAVINIA SPALDING interviewed travel
ing yoga teachers for the story "Travel Easy" on page 55.
AUGUST 2 01 3
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AUGUST 2013

bri n i ce to life
VOG AJ OU R N A l. COM 19
H N
In a Mayan village i n
Guatemala, yoga is
part of everyday life.
BY JOYCE MAYNARD
Once or twice a year, I put away my
to-do list. I leave my life in the so-called
real world in Northern California and
head (by plane, car, and fnally boat) to
the place of my heart: a little village in
Guatemala on the shores of Lake Atit
!.There I have no car, no television,
no radio, no ringing telephone, no wire
less Internet, no busy social calendar.
(o calendar at all, in fact. Also no
watch.) In this place, life slows down.
And yoga becomes not simply a sched
uled segment to check off my list but
a part of the rhythm of my life.
My house sits on the shore of the lake,
an eight-minute walk to the indigenous
Mayan community of San Marcos La
Laguna, populated by farmers, carpen
ters, weavers, artisans, and foreigners. In
this place of staggering natural beauty
and tranquility-where the first sight of
the day is the sun coming up over the
volcano and the last one is the night sky
filled with stars and frefies-a person
can turn inward. I write and I read. I
s'vim and kayak and work in my garden.
And once a day I walk into the village
and go to yoga, taught under an open
air thatched-roof palapa.
Most days, gringo regulars like
me gather 'vith backpackers passing
through. A few bring yoga mats, but
most of us are content to practice on
2 0 YOG A J O U R N Al . COM
the rough, aromatic petate mats, made
from reeds woven by hand.
From the frst stretches to Sun Saluta
tions to Headstand and Plow, I am both
in the world and out of it. Someone's
dog, asleep in the corner of the palapa,
ficks his tail at a fy A rooster crows.
Wind rustles the thatch. I hear children
playing and a bachata beat on a radio not
far away. The world is aU around me
there are no walls separating our yoga
space from everything else. At home in
California, there is yoga class and then
the rest oflife. But at the lake, the two
combine as searessly as my body
merges with the water.
After Savasana, I pay my 40 quetzals
(roughly $;) and retrieve my shopping
basket. On the walk home, I flit with
fresh eggs and lettuce, avocados and
tomatoes, papaya and coffee grown on
the hillsides. And one just-cut coconut.
Coming down the dirt road back to
my house, I notice how my lungs seem
to have expanded. IfI were back in the
United States, I\be checking my watch
now and frowning. In this place, I only
smile. I feel the sun on my face and the
wind coming off the deep blue water.
The voice of one bird in particular rises
over the rest.
Nothing to cross off my list here.
There is one item only. Live.
Joyce Maynard 13th book, AfterHerL0HL
out next month. The filmadaptation ofher
novel Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet, will
be released this fall.
AUGUST 2 01 3
.om
READER PHOTOS
on location
Readers share thei r favorite pose
photos from travels around the world.
nereseve
in Mysore, India.
2 2 YOG A J O U R N AL . COM
Ju|leHen|onin
Dubrovnik, Croatia.
AUGUST 2 01 3
.om
NEWS AND TRENDS
bed, breakfast,
and yoga
"
YOU DON'T HAVE TO leave behind your home practice when you leave home: Hotels
around the country are increasingly catering to traveling yoga practitioners. Some
hotels simply have yoga mats in the gym, while others, like those in the Hyatt and
Sheraton chains, will deliver a mat to your room on request. Guests at Kimpton hotels
can access dedicated yoga channels or instructional DVDs and request a complimen
tary "roll-out" service, which includes having a mat in the room, along with extra
towels, housemade flavored water, and fresh fruit.
Other hotels offer guests free yoga classes. "We came up with the idea of offering
yoga at a downtown business hotel a dozen years ago based upon personal experience/'
says yoga practitioner Chjp Thomas, owner of theJoie de Vivre hotel chain. " It's frus
trating as a business traveler to have to
hop in a cab carlyon a weekday morning,
ENVIRONMENT
m m m
|IQR! lBD
Offset your carbon footprint
by investing i n cleaner air.
rush back after a yoga class, shower and
change, and make it to your business
meeting. Practicing yoga shouldn't be so
stressfl on the road."TheJoie de Vivre
chain offers daily classes to guests of San
Francisco's HotelVitale, while WHotels
include complimentary classes in several
locations, includingScottsdale,Arizona,
where you can enjoy "doga" -poolside
yoga with your dog-on the frst Tues
day of every month. LAVINIA SPALDING
The true cost of air travel is higher than the fare: A lengthy round-trip international
24 VOGA J O U R N A L . COM
flight emits two to three tons of greenhouse gases per passenger-nearly equal to the
emissions from an average year of driving. Though it's not a clear-cut solution to the
damage of these emissions, you can strike a balance by purchasing carbon offsets.
For each flight, you pay the estimated equivalent of your emissions (an average of S!2
per ton), which goes toward a project designed to reduce or prevent future emissions.
There are hundreds of projects to choose from. With TerraPass (terrapass.com), you can
help fund wind power or capture and destroy methane. Through Carbonfund.org, invest
i n reforestation i n Mississippi or protect rainforests i n Brazil. Or choose NativeEnergy
(nativeenergy.com), which funds many projects, including filters that cut CO2 emissions
and make drinking water safe for families i n Kenya. L.S.
AUGUST 2 01 3
.om
WELLNESS
TENSION
TAMER
Strengthen and release
IO ease neck pain.
IF YOU HAVE TIGHTNESS or tension i n
your neck, certain poses can be difficult.
and practicing them out of alignment
could lead to injury. Yoga teacher Desi
n?e Rumbaugh, creator of the DVD Yoga
to the Rescue for Neck and Shoulders,
says the best way to ease tightness or
pain i n the neck i s to address i t at its
roots i n the upper back and shoulders.
Many daily activities have us hunching
over and rounding forward. The result is
a collapsed chest and tight shoulders,
which pull on the neck. Yoga can help by
strengthening the upper back to main
tain the spine's natural curves and by
stretching the chest and front of the
shoulders to release the neck.
To let go of tension i n the neck, shoul
ders, and upper back, hold each of the
poses below for five breaths, says Rum
baugh. Adjust i f you feel strain i n your
neck or shoulders. KAREN MACKLIN
T E N S I O N - R EL E A S I N G P O S E S
Child's Pose
Place your arms and forehead
on a bolster, allowing your neck
to rest i n a neutral position.
Wide-Legged Standing
Forward Bend
Hold a belt if your shoulders are
tight. Reach your arms forward.
2 6 YOGA J O U R N A l . COM
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Rest your forehead on a block
to release the neck. Keep
arms active and chest open.
Supine Twist
Expand your chest and let
your inner shoulders gen
tly stretch.
heads up
Smarter device
use can keep your
neck pain-free.
Text neck. It's a term coined by
Dean Fishman, a chiropractor
in Florida, to describe a particu
larly modern form of neck pain
caused by bowing your head over
your latest texts. Smartphones aren't the only culprits
looking down at a tablet or anything else in your hands for
an extended period can put pressure on your neck and
lead to stiffness and discomfort.
Harvard ergonomics professor Jack Dennerlein,
author of a study on the ergonomics of tablet use, sug
gests using a stand, especially for extended use. Choose
one that allows you to go hands-free and puts your device
in a position that doesn't require you to bend your neck to
look down. For shorter sessions, change positions often.
And try not to get so immersed that you ignore the
twinges that teUyou it's time to lookup. ALICE WALTON
A U G U S T 2 01 3
.om
FITNESS
JUMP-START
Cross-training for yoga? Yoga boot camps
incorporate circuit training to build
strength and give your practice a boost.
SUPPORTI NG YOUR YOGA with more-vigorous exercises in a ftness
boot-camp setting can be a powerful way to condition your body and
take your practice to new heights, says vinyasa teacher Kim Manfredi
of Charm City Yoga in Baltimore. Manfredi, who teaches yoga along
side a trainer in a three-week-long yoga boot camp, began adding a few
days of circuit training to her yoga practice two years ago. As a result,
she says, she found new power in poses that had previously eluded her,
such as twists and arm balances. "It's helped me not only in achieving
deeper expressions of the poses but also in bringingsukha (ease) and
sthira (steadiness) to my practice," says Manfredi.
Yoga boot camps that take place at gyms and yoga studios typically
run for two to six weeks, with hourlong sessions Monday through Sat
urday. Most include vinyasa practice in conjunction with high-intensity
exercises, free-weight work to target muscles used in specific poses, and
strong abdominal moves, as well as cardio intervals of running in place.
(Some boot camps also include nutrition classes, goal-setting sessions,
and meditation.) The daily workouts can be challenging and sweat in
ducing, but that's the point, says Manfredi. She ends each week of
her boot camp with a Friday eveningyoga nidra to give the body a rest
and a head start on recovery LAUREN LADOCEOUR
28 YOG A J O U R N Al . C OM
sound off
Join the ranks at a yoga boot camp.
CALI FORNI A In San Francisco, Yoga Mayu boot camp
combines yoga, Pilates, and endurance training Mon
day through Friday. Saturday workshops offer more
advanced sequences. yogamayu.com
F LORIDA A Navy SEAL-trained yoga instructor at
Yoga Energy Studio i n st. Petersburg balances stand
ing poses and endurance exercises with elements
of Yin Yoga i n a six-week program. yogaenergy.com
MARYLAND In Baltimore, Charm City Yoga's boot
camp includes thrice-weekly circuit training and
unl imited yoga classes. charmcityyoga.com
NEW YORK At Pure East i n Manhattan, Power Yoga
classes are combined with cardia intervals and core
work. pureyoga.com
WISCONSIN Midwest Power Yoga in Sheboygan Falls
teaches boot campers to use Ujjayi breath to train
better. Class begins with vinyasa and moves to weight
stations. wildabundantlife.com/midwestpoweryoga
NATIONWIDE CorePower BootCamp students meet
four to six days a week for a one-hour yoga-inspired
workout; unlimited yoga classes are part of these two
to three-week camps. corepoweryoga.com. L.L.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
eati n g wi s el y ' s p i c e
RUTA KAHATE was in the middle of
teaching her popular weekend cooking
class and was going over the dozens of
spices, steps, and long soaking and cook
ing times characteristic of traditional
Indian recipes when a student piped
up: ':re you kidding me? I want to cook
Indian food, but there is no way I have
time for all that. I have a job and kids!"
Kahate, a longtime Bay Area chef who
divides her time between leading culinary
tours to India, running a restaurant in
Goa, and writing cookbooks, knew all too
well where the student was coming from.
H00"N00
Have flavorful mixtures on hand to
jumpstart your weeknight cooking.
GA RLI C PA STE Blend 3 or 4 heads
of peeled garlic with 1 tablespoon of
canDia oil and 2 tablespoons of water.
Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator
for up to 2 weeks.
GINGE R PASTE Blend several inches
of raw peeled ginger (about 1 Y4 cup)
with 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 3
tablespoons of water. Store in a glass
jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
B ROWN ON ION S In a large saute
pan, cook 2 thinly sliced medium-size
yellow onions in l/Z cup of canola oil
over medium heat until they turn
dark brown and crisp. Drain on paper
towels, and store in a glass jar i n the
fridge for up to a month.
Life gets hectic for Kahate, too. Her
schedule rarely allows her time to make
the elaborate regional dishes of India for
her family which tend to rely on a long list
of spices and be labor-intensive.
"My family loves the complex flavors,"
says the vinyasa practitioner and mother
of six- and nine-year-old daughters. "But
it's hard to do it all in one evening." So
Kahate found herself adapting the tra
ditional recipes she learned in India,
streamlining ingredient lists and work
ing in some simple shortcuts and make
ahead steps. The result? Dishes packed
38 VOG AJ OU R N AL . COM
LJLUWH1 !1
This meatless version of a one-pot dish
cuts prep time but not flavor. (If you
can't find Indian bay leaf, skip it; Amer
ican bay leaf won't taste right.)
SERVES 4
y, cup chana dahl
4 tablespoons ghee or butter
2-inch ci nnamon stick
Indian bay leaf
y, cup minced red onion
y, teaspoon ground turmeric
y, teaspoon cayenne
cup cracked wheat
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt to taste
2 cups crispy browned onions
y, cup minced fresh mint leaves
Lemon wedges
1 Rinse the chana dahl and leave it soak
ing in hot water whi l e you prep the other
ingredients.
2 Heat the ghee i n a large stock pot over
high heat. Add the cinnamon stick and
bay leaf. When the cinnamon browns
sl i ghtl y (about 5 seconds), add the red
onion. Stir until the onion i s lightl y
browned. Then add the turmeric and
cayenne, and stir again.
3 Drain the chana dahl, add it to the
stockpot al ong with the cracked wheal.
and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add
the stock and salt to taste, and bring
to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover,
and cook until done (about 20 minutes).
4 Garnish with the browned onions
and serve hot. passing around the mint
and lemon wedges.
All recipes reprinted from Quick Fix Indian by Ruta Kahate, copyright 2012,
with permission of the publisher, Andrews McMee/ Publishing.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
eati n g wi s el y ' s p i c e
J!L\11\J8U8D
Baby zucchini and other summer
squashes al so work well in thi s qui ck
and easy saute.
SERVES 4
1 pound pattypan squash
2 large cloves garlic
4 tablespoons canDia or untoasted
sesame oil
y, teaspoon mustard seeds
teaspoon ground turmeric
y, teaspoon cayenne
large tomato, cut i n eighths
Salt
Pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons minced fresh ci lantro
4 0 VOG AJ OU R N A l. COM
1 Cut the pattypan squash into quarters.
2 Peel the garl ic, then smash it with the
si de of your knife to release i ts flavor.
3 Heat the oil in a wok over hi gh heat
until it just begins to smoke. Working
qui ckly, add the mustard seeds and
cover. When the seeds stop popping,
add the turmeric. cayenne, and tomato.
Stir until the tomato breaks up just a lit
tle; then add the squash, sal t, and sugar.
Toss l i ghtl y with a wooden spoon, cover,
and steam for a couple of minutes.
4 Turn down the heat to medium. toss
i n the smashed garl ic, cover, and cook
until the squash i s crisp but tender. Stir
i n the minced ci lantro; serve hot.
t0 l0D0S
Mix dry and wet spice blends ahead
of time for curries, sauteed veqqies,
or any other food you want to add
more pep to, suggests Kahate.
There's no "correct" ratio of spices,
so play around with the amounts.
DRY GARAM MASALA In a dry skillet
over medium heat, stir 1/2 to 2 table
spoons each of cardamom seeds,
cumin seeds, coriander, black pepper
corns, cloves, and fennel seeds with
a cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt
until fragrant. Blend in a spice grinder.
Store at room temperature.
WE T RED MASALA Grind 112 teaspoon
to 1 tablespoon each of cumin seeds,
cloves, and black peppercorns, along
with a cinnamon stick. Add 12 tea
spoon to 2 tablespoons each of cay
enne, paprika, turmeric, ginger paste,
garlic paste, apple cider vinegar, and
sugar. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
with flavor that come together quickly.
"My cooking is about simplicity about
being able to cook for my family and make
something that tastes great," she says.
1L1hL blLL kU1L
It's no wonder Indian food is so favorfl:
The number of dried spices it uses runs
into the hundreds, few of which you'll
fnd in the typical supermarket. A single
garam masala mix that goes into a curry,
for example, might be made up of dozens
of dried chilies (ntroduced to India in the
r6th century by European spice traders),
cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek, and so on.
Those dried spices sometimes play in the
background of the dish; at other times,
they dominate. Together, they give food
big, bold, yet nuanced flavor as well as
deep color. In the warm climes of India,
spices are also used to keep food from
spoiling and are valued for their thera
peutic properties, says Kahate.
Scientists are starting to explore the
health benefits of Indian spices, says
Wendy Bazilian, a registered dietitian
and the author of The SuperfoodsRx Diet.
She notes that spices contain vitamins,
A U G U S T 2 01 3
eati n g wi s el y ' s p i c e
minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxi
dants. "The traditional Indian diet has
6 to 1 times morc spices, both fresh and
dried, than the standard American diet,"
she says. "Some of the early science shows
that areas of India with the highest con
sumption per capita of yellow curries also
had some of the lowest rates of memory
disorders, such as dementia and Alzheim
er's. In a world where we're often asked to
reduce things, it's nice to get to add some
thing. Spices' day job is adding favor, but
they also offer health-promoting proper
ties," (For a list ofthe essential spices and
their beneficial properties, see "Spice lrld"
on page 44.)
Kahate adapted her recipes using only
the Indian spices most commonly found
in American grocery stores, including
cayenne, coriander, cumin, turmeric, mus
tard seeds, cinnamon, fennel seeds, fen
ugreek, cardamom, and cloves. Combine
them into dry or wet masalas (see "Great
Blends" on page 40) and store them in your
pantry or refrigerator so you'll always be
one step ahead.
Cooking with the most healthful
Indian spices will add exotic flavor to
whatever you're making, says Kahate, but
if you can't track down something that a
recipe calls for (like curry leaves), that's
perfectly OK. 'Just don't try to replace
it with something else," she says. "Fenu
greek is an amazing spice. I adore it, but
there is no substitute. So if I don't have
it on hand, I'll still make the dish. It just
won't have the same dimension. But it'll
still be delicious."
LL kL1*ML
In addition to dry spices, Indian cuisine
also relies on fresh herbs and aromatics
for its flavor. Every Sunday, Kahate takes a
few minutes to blend fresh ginger or garlic
with a little canola oil and water to make
pastes that she can use in her cooking
throughout the week-say, to saute with
tomatoes, beU peppers, and paneer (recipe
at right. "It makes preparing a complex
dish faster because you don't have to peel
and grind the garlic," says Kahate. "It's
amazing how much time having a few
things premixed in your fridge will save."
42 YO G AJ OU R N A l . COM
J6|\dJ66|W1H 06!! 66|8
Fresh paneer cheese can be found
at grocery stores such as Whol e Foods.
You can al so make it at home if you
have a recipe you like.
SERVES 4
3 tablespoons melted ghee or butter
large bell pepper, seeded and cut into
l-inch squares
teaspoon garlic paste
Y2 teaspoon crushed red chi l i
2 tablespoons ground coriander
Y4 cup finely chopped red onion
Y4 cup minced fresh ginger
1 small green serrano chi l i , minced
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
Salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Y2 pound paneer, cut into one-inch cubes
1 Heat half of the ghee i n a wok placed
over hi gh heat and qui ckl y stir-fry the
pepper squares. Toss them around until
they bl ister. Drain and set aside.
2 Turn the heat down to medium and
add the garl i c paste and the rest of the
ghee. When the garl i c is browned, add
crushed red chi l i and coriander; stir-fry
for a mi nute. You may start sneezing
at thi s stage; if so. step back from the
stove and hold your breath a moment.
3 Add the onion. gi nger. and serrano
chi l i . and saute for 5 minutes. Toss i n the
tomatoes and saute, using a spatula to
break them up. Cook unti l the tomatoes
are saucy. Stir in the salt and ci l antro.
Add the bel l pepper. Toss gentl y unti l
wel l coated with the sauce (about 4 mi n
utes) and then add the paneer.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
eati n g wi s el y ' s p i c e
Browning onions days ahead of time is
another key shortcut to complex-tasting
recipes. Classic, long-simmering curries
have a homogenous qualjty to them, with
onions that tend to dissolve into the back
ground of the sauce while adding a dis
tinct umami (savory) favor that's hard to
fe-create in 30 minutes.
You can get a jump-start by thinly s\jc
ing and browning onions in canola oil
for about :ominutes until they're crisp.
Stored in a glass container in the fridge,
the brown, crunchy onions are good to
go whenever the occasion strikes-for
example, to top a cinnamony wheat pilaf
dotted with chana dahl (split chickpeas)
and fresh mint leaves (recpe Npage 38),
Having flavorful made-ahead staples
on hand encourages Kahate to cook be
yond strictly Indian dishes. She might
spread ginger paste over potatoes before
roasting them or stir a little garlic paste
into scrambled eggs in the morning. "It
will inspire you to make or maybe create
your own dish because you have a few
items already made-up, and you can just
Cayenne A teaspoon of Cumin This smoky spice vides 7 percent of your
cayenne contains 15 per- has antibacterial proper- daily iron requirements.
cent of your daily quota of ties and is a source of iron Mustard These tiny seeds
vitamin A. and flavonoids. Some re- contain compounds called
Cinnamon This spice has search suggests it may glucosinolates, which have
insul in-like qualities that ease respiratory problems anticancer properties.
help your body move sugar and rheumatoid arthritis. Turmeric The active
out of the bloodstream. Fennel This seed contains ingredient i n this spice,
And since it's slightly anti-inflammatory and curcumin, may promote
sweet, you might find that antioxidant compounds cognitive health as we age
it cuts the need to add that may help digestion. as well as reduce the risk
sugar to dishes. Fenugreek A teaspoon of of cancer.
this umami-rich spice pro-
44 VOG A J O U R N AL . COM
start imagining how the flavors will go
together," she says. "Sometimes I'll slice
eggplant, smear on red masala, and bake it
instead of making a typical curry eggplant
dish. It inspires creativity in the kitchen."
N1UkLL1 b1
Not all Indian dishes demand hours of
cooking. The southern and western states,
says Kahate, are known for quick sautes
of fresh seasonal vegetables ,ith a few key
spices. In the summer, for example, pat
typan squash needs just minutes in a hot
wok wi th oil and spices to create a fresh
tasting vegetable accompaniment to len
tils and raita (recpe Npage 40).
And while traditional recipes for veg
etarian stews usually call for soaking the
beans and legumes overnight, Kahate
sa those instructions are relics of a time
when dried beans were perhaps older and
stored in a hotter climate. Just a quick
soak-bringing beans to a boil and let
ting them sit for 30 minutes to an hour
is enough to soften most varieties. This
works especially well if you're dreaming
of making an easy, creamy chana dahl,
sweetened as is the custom in the state of
West Bengal.
You are likely to fnd chana dahl in In
dian grocery stores, online, and in most
health food shops. Depending on the age
of the legumes and humidity in your area,
some chana dahl needs only :ominutes in
boiling water to cook.
Otherwise, you can simply cover 1 cup
of the bright-yellow legumes in 3 cups of
hot water for 30 minutes. That gives you
plenty of time to set a beautiful table and
prepare everything else-like warming a
hot, spicy oil cooked with cumin, corian
der, fennel, mustard seeds, and turmeric
in a small saucepot for 5 to 1L seconds.
Bring the legumes to a boil and sim
mer for 10 minutes. You' ll have a soft
dahl that's ready to be topped with the
oil and garnished with toasted coconut
and golden raisins for a quick dinner that's
sweet, spicy, and just right. +
Lauren Ladoceour is a senior editor
at YogaJournal. COIICct with her at
laurenladoceour.com.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
ADVERTI SEMENT
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YOUR I NNER FOOT

hal f moon pose

ardhachaodrasaoa ardha hal f; chandra moon; asana pose
NAMED AFTER THE MOON, the standing balance Ardha Chandrasana
(Half Moon Pose) invites you to tap into both the calm, balancing
energy of the moon and the fery force of the sun. In this pose, you
discover how the coming together of two opposing energies generates
a power that is greater than its separate parts.
In Half Moon Pose, two opposing move
ments are happening at once: You are root
ing down into the earth with your standing
leg while simultaneously lifting and extend
ing your raised leg into space. The meeting of
these two forces-rooting down and extend
ing out-gives you the power to balance and
suspend your spine and torso in midair. The
pose teaches coordination and can help you
understand the interdependence of the actions
in your body. It can train you to stay focused
and balanced during challenging moments of
tuncinto
thcmoon
The soothing energy of
the moon is as necessary
in our lives as the sun's heat
and light. When you need
drive and determination, you
tap into sun energy. At other
times, calming lunar energy is
a more balanced response to
ci rcumstances. The practice is
learning when to employ each:
when to cool down ambition,
transition in asana practice.
and when to turn up the heat.
Half Moon Pose can also help you develop
strong legs and open hips. Many people have one leg that's dominant
and one that's weaker, which can lead to postural imbalances. By
learning to stand on one leg at a time in HalfMoon Pose, you begin
to strengthen both legs evenly. The standing leg is strengthened as it
bears the weight of the body with the outer thigh muscles engaging
ee. . eeee . ee.. ee.e..
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Optimi ze your practice of Hal f Moon Pose with an onl i ne
video. Find |tatyoqaJourna|.com/|lvemaq.
ba s i c s
strongly. Meanwhile, the raised leg must
work to stay suspended and parallel to
the foor, requiring you to engage and lift
from the inner thigh muscles and extend
through the heel. Each leg gets toned as
it does its individual task.
The key to lifting up into Half Moon
Pose is to bring the individual work of
both your legs into simultaneous action.
The movement originates with the weight
shift (see Step :),which takes the weight of
the torso forward over the standing leg
and front arm and helps to develop more
steadiness when you lift into the pose.
Start by bending your standing leg
without lifting the back leg off the Roor.
Use your whole arm for balance as well,
moving the weight of your body forward
so it is directly over your front hand and
foot. Stay there for a few breaths, allow
ing the intensity to build in the standing
leg until you start to feel solid and stable.
Then, press down through the ball and
heel of the foot as you direct the center
of your kneecap toward the toes. Be sure
to turn and open the outer thigh enough
to maintain that direction of the knee;
otherwise, you may start to waver and lose
your balance. Lastly, keep your leg steady
as you revolve the shoulders, chest, and
abdomen upward.
Half Moon Pose calls for openness in
the pelvis and chest. Using the wall for
support (see Step ;)will give you a chance
to explore this expansion more com
pletely and experience a full opening.
While still actively engaging the stand
ing leg, you are able to use less effort to
raise the lifted leg higher because the wall
is there to hold you. Extend and stretch
both legs and arms, and then turn your
abdomen and chest upward. Don't fall
back or collapse onto the wall, but use it
to sense how much you can open. You may
onJy need to have the back of the raised
heel against the wall.
In Half Moon Pose, you are bringing
together opposing energies. To do this
48 V O G A J O U R N A L. C OM
Get grounded for
liftoff by shifting
your weight forward.
half moon pose, preparation
SET IT UP
* Stand with your feet together.
* Jump your legs wide apart. and
extend your arms to a T position.
* Turn your left foot slightly inward
and your right foot and leg outward.
* Exhale. and bend your torso to the
side. bringing your right hand to your
shin and your left hand to your hip.
* Begin to bend your right knee and
shift your right hand forward. placing
it a little to the outside of your foot.
REFI NE Bend the front leg a little
deeper and let your left foot glide
along the floor behind you. Continue
to move forward until your armpit
and shoulder are directly over your
requires coordination. As you raise the
lifted leg, straighten the standing Iegat the
same speed. Practice rising and descend
ing simultaneously Work strongly in both
directions: Press down as you lift up and
reach out. Keep pressing down and keep
reaching out. Stay with it and you may
come to a moment when you feel you are
wrist. Keep the right hand cupped
and the elbow fully extended to
strengthen the fingers. wrists. and
arms. Keep your right leg bent and
your kneecap pointed toward the
toes. with your left foot just barely
touching the floor.
FI NI SH To establish steadiness,
press down through the right foot
and fingertips. Maintain a strong
base and turn the chest upward until
the left shoulder is directly over the
right one. Explore this turning motion
without letting the standing leg or
arm waver from the grounding action.
chest and turn the trunk open without
losing your stability
As you practice HalfMoon Pose, hold
the image of the moon rising with grace
and ease from the horizon. Allow the
coolness of its rays to suffuse your mind
in a cool, calm, and steady balance.
suspended in the air, balancing with ease. Nikki Costelo is a certified lyengar Yoga
Explore how much you are able to free the teacher living il New York City.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
Presented By
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half moon pose, supported variation
SET IT UP
* Stand with your back against a wall and
set yourself up as you did in Step 1.
* Place a block on the floor in front of
your right foot.
:: Exhale. and bend to the right side,
reaching your right hand to the block as
you lift your left leg up.
:: Extend your left arm upward. Allow your
left foot and hip and your head to rest
against the wall.
REFINE Keep the right foot firmly planted,
pressing through the heel and the big-toe
mound. Firm the right leg, lifting the knee
elements of prctice
and pulling up the thigh. Press the left heel
to the wall, and keep lifting the inner left
leg from the upper thigh to the inner heel.
FINISH To widen the pelvis, lift the left
side of your pelvis and revolve your abdo
men and chest. Reach your left arm up
along the wall, and widen your chest and
collarbones. Extend your torso horizon
tally: lengthen the front of the body from
your pubic bone toward the head and
reach back with the inner left leg. Recog
nize the freedom and openness that
come with support. Breathe smoothly
and evenly.
How do you connect your yoga practice to what you do in your daily life? Your
daily activities appear to stop and start with a clear beginning and end, giving
you a compartmentalized experience of life. However, your awareness can be
continuous. When you stay connected and present as you move from one thing
to the next, you are practicing yoga in action. If you lose your balance and fall in
a pose like HalfMoon Pose, it calls your attention to refocusing and reconnect
ing with your breath. It's the same way in daily life: When you get distracted,
come back to your breath and to the present moment.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
ba si c s
F I NAL POSE
half moonosc
Set yourself up as you di d i n Step 1.
Exhale, and bend your torso to the
right. bringing your right hand to the
floor. Reach your left arm upward.
Bending your right knee, move your
right arm and left leg to shift your
weight forward.
Simultaneously lift the left leg as you
straighten the right one.
Press down into the foot of the
standing leg, especially the inner foot.
Lift the outer thigh from the knee
to the hip. Keep moving the outer hip
deeper toward the midline of your body
as you firm and lift the inner thigh of
the raised leg. Keep lifting this leg until
the raised side of the pelvis is directly
over the underside. Extend the raised
leg from the pelvis to the heel. With
the elbow still bent, roll the shoulder
back until the chest begins to turn
upward as well.
Continue to turn the abdomen,
and then extend the arm fully. Spread
the collarbones and expand the chest.
Breathe evenly and find balance. +
optimize your pose Explore these modifications of Half Moon Pose.
Challenge your Strengthen your Ease your lower Stabilize your
balance Turn the legs In the final back While using shoulders Extend
abdomen and pose, repeat the the wall for sup- the top arm along
trunk upward, and coordinated leg port, rest the the torso as you
then slowly turn action several raised foot on a roll both shoulders
your head to look times by lifting up table. Extend the back and broaden
at the raised hand. into the pose and top arm alongside your collarbones.
lowering down. the raised leg.
A U G U S T 201 3
"
trui t&Protei n

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exCe||enSOurCeO!
YOGAJ OURN A L . COM 53
a\ihia
bading
YOG AJ OU R N AL , COM 55
TRAVEL EASY
cttisca
*jet lag
To adjust to a new ti me zone,
says MacGregor, don't stop to
unpack when you arrive, "I f
there's some nature nearby,
some grass or a beach:' she
says, "get out and explore i t
as soon as you can. Spendi ng
ti me i n the sunl i ght hel ps reset
your I nternal rhythm. "
etc|ecd
ot|e
If there's one travel tip that
bears repeating, it's this:
hydrate. "I drink plenty of
water before, during. and after
a flight," says Rumbaugh.
"Flying is dehydrating." That
helps explain why it can bring
on headaches and insomnia.
It's also a good idea to avoid
alcoholic beverages, Rum
baugh says, especially before
flying. But do give yourself
permission to think outside
the bottle: Another way to
hydrate, says Ana Forrest.
founder of Forrest Yoga, is by
packing travel snacks with a
high water content. l ike grapes
and celery.
PACK
To simplify packing, vinyasa yoga teacher
Janet Stone brings the same smal l suitcase
on every trip, and she i s uncompromising
when it comes to making room for her yoga mat and props. "I wi l l
go without cute clothes any day so I can fit these i n my luggage,"
she says. Judith Hanson Lasatera yoga teacher, physical thera
pist, and the author of eight books on yogapacks her travel mat
at the very top of her suitcase. "That reminds me, first thing, to
request more blankets from the hotel," she says, "that way I can
really enjoy my practice away from home."
Even when your body is speeding
through the air, your mind can be
still, says yoga and meditation teacher
Darren Main. "Sitting in the aisle to
meditate isn't an option," he says, "but
you can watch your breath or repeat a
mantra right in your seat." Earplugs or
noise-canceling headphones and an eye
mask help block jet-engine noise and
foster a more meditative experience.
And seek out some space to practice dur
ing layovers. "The San Francisco airport
started the trend of providing a yoga
room for travelers," Main says. Look up
your airport on Google, he suggests, to
fnd out if it has a space where you can let
your mind come in for a landing.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
kr|pa|uhea|my||v|ng pmgramS
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Kr|a|u
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1h|s summer,!akea hoI|st|capproach
to improving your health at a Kr|paIu
HeaIthyL|v|ngprogram. By blending
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At Kri palu, you learn how to create a
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into one. Program topics include weight
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Stay connected: kripalu.org/blog/thrive

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Stockbridge, Massachusets
mission driven, donor supported
TRAVEL EASY
oscgccd
scents
"Oils are a godsend while travel
ing," says Kathryn Budig, a vin
Vasa teacher and the author of
The Women's Health Big Book of
Yoga. I use an orange, clove, pep
permint, birch, and cinnamon oil
mix on planes because of its anti
viral properties." To avoid colds
and stay calm and relaxed, Budig
dots the blend of essential oils
on her wrists, neck, and chest and
then wraps a scarf around her
neck so she can breathe i n the
fragrance during the flight. "I t
makes me feel like I have a protec
tive bubble around me," she says.
C1Y
HETHY
Bri ng your wel l ness ntual s with
you. adVi ses Janet Stone. who
practices the Ayurvedic morni ng
routi ne of dri nki ng warm l emon
water and spl ashi ng col d water
on her face six times. Stone al so
travels wi th sesame oi l for rel axi ng
ni ghtti me foot massages. and. de'
pendi ng on the season. she brings
a neti pot to help avoid colds. Be
sides keeping you healthy. says
Stone. routines like these can be
comforti ngl y fami l i ar. "Havi ng
a crossover from home keeps me
grounded i n a new hotel. retreat
center. or town. " she says.
Findingyour center on the move
can be tricll' Dana Flynn, the co
founder of Laughing Lotus Yoga
Center, packs a traveling altar
so she can transform any hotel
room into a sacred space. It in
cludes images of deities, teachers,
and loved ones, from Krishna
to Picasso toJanisJoplin, as well
as Flynn's own mother. "This
small, soulful altar is jam-packed
with power," she says. "It's amurti,
or the living vibration of althat
inspires me-music, poetry, dance,
art. It connects me deeply to my
own creative source."
A U G U S T 2 01 3
TRAVEL EASY
sta,
* limber
Long rides, whether in a plane, car, bus, or
rickshaw, can take a toll on your body.
While you're en route, try gently moving
and twisting your body in the seat. To help
with stiffness, do asanas before, during,
and after travel, suggests Forrest: "Carve out
5 to 10 minutes of yoga before leaving your
home or the hotel." Lasater advises doing
10 to 15 minutes of restorative poses at your
destination, to help drain the fuid from
your legs and quiet your brain.
"It could be as simple as lying on the foor
with your legs resting on a chair and your
knees bent, or on your bed with your legs up
the wall," Lasater says.
ROLL
w:t|t|e
|O|LmLC
To alleviate back pain from
spending long hours in an
airplane seat, says vinyasa
teacher Stephanie Snyder,
try fastening a yoga strap
tightly around your upper
thighs. close to the pelvis.
so your upper legs are held
together while you relax.
"This will create internal
rotation of the thighbones,"
she explains, "which will
widen and rest the low back.
Then place one or two air
plane pillows behind your
low back at the sacrum."
Hatha yoga teacher David
Moreno suggests bringing a
tennis ball to roll against
your back while sitting.
"You can also roll it under
your feet to help with circu
lation." he says.
"Attitude is everything when you're on the road," says vinyasa
yoga teacher Amy Ippoliti. Your trip might incl ude delays, illness,
extreme weather, or theft. And while it's crucial to have a plan B
(such as copies of your passport and credit cards, travel i nsurance,
and a stash of herbal remedies or medications), she says, "the key
is to be able to let go of expectations and receive what the world
is offering you instead of letting i t get you down. When you do [let
go], a world of unimaginable possibility opens."
A U G U S T 201 3
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YOG AJ OU RN Al . C Ot 61
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6 2 Y O G A J O U R N A L. C OM
TRAVEL EASY
---
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|AL1| LL
LLALLY
Wherever you are, drop into a class at a local
yoga studio, suggests hatha yoga teacher Anne
O'Brien-even if you don't speak the language.
A language barrier, she says, will turn what
might typically be a practice of listening into
a practice of intuition and observation: "It's a
broadening experience to be taken out of my
comfort zone and still be able to tune in to my
breath, into the communal practice of yoga that
transcends language."
|cc

,cot
* bely happy
To prevent stomach upset. says Ji vamukti
Yoga teacher Gi sell e Mari , probiotics that
don't require refrigeration are a must. "I
usuall y take them at ni ght before I go to
bed," she says. Another secret for good
di gesti on when traveling, says eyndi Lee,
founder of the OM Yoga style, is to eat flax
seeds, whi ch help stave off constipation-
a common side effect of dietary changes. "I
l ove the Fl ax Pax that you can get at Whole
Foods," she says. "I mi x hal f of one into an
al mond yogurt or smoothie or oatmeal."
With a little planning, you
can enjoy the same optimum
nutrition on the road that
you do at home. Noah Maze,
whose teaching reflects
a blend of several styles of
yoga, including Ashtanga,
Anusara, and Iyengar, travels
with superfood powders,
coconut-water powder,
seeds, nuts, and dried fruit.
"I make smoothies on the
road for breakfast and
lunch," Maze says. "I bring
a travel blender and pick
up fresh fruits and veggies
wherever I am." +

Lavinia Spalding is the editor
of the 2011-2013 editions
of The Best Women's Travel
Writing. Learn more at
laviniaspa/ding.com.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
homeroctce
wi t h De bora h Bu r k man
down to eart h Rel ease tensi on a nd
f i nd st i l l ness at t he end of a busy day wi th poses
that st retch t he back, hi ps, and hamstri ngs.
A U G U S T 201 3
the practice
This tension-relieving se
quence al lows you to slow
down and ease discomfort
after a hectic day on the
go. Whi l e you work out any
kinks i n your neck and upper
back, you'l l counter com
pression from sitting and
al so move prana (l ife force)
downward to help bring you
back home to your body
once again.
mind-body
benefts
Forward-folding poses are
grounding and calming to
the nervous system, espe
ci al l y after a day of per
petual motion. Take long,
slow breaths throughout
the practice to move prana
downward to further re
store yourself energetical l y.
breath
matters
On your inhalations, fil l
your l ungs to near capacity
a "middl e ground" breath
that's not too long (which
can create tension) and not
too short (which may not
sustain your energy). Let
the breath create a sense of
spaciousness and opening
i n your chest, and try taking
long, grounding exhalations.
VOG AJ OU R N A l. COM 65
BEFORE YOU BEGIN ! SI DDHASANA
Gather your props: a mat. bolster, and ADEPT'S POSE, VARIATION
roiled-up blanket. Warm-up with a few Sit cross-legged with your right leg in front.
moments i n Balasana (Child's Pose), Hinge at your hips as you walk the hands
followed by several rounds of Cat-Cow forward. Pul l your shoulder blades down the
Pose. Hold each pose for 35breaths, back, and extend your sternum forward.
unless otherwise noted. Come up, switch legs, and repeat.
6 PARIGHASANA 7 ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
GATE POSE, VARIATION DOWNWARD-FACI NG DOG POSE
Exhale, place your left hand on your left Come to your hands and knees. On an
thigh, and bring your right arm up and over exhalation, lift your hips up to the sky.
your right ear. Press down through your Try to evenly distribute weight between
right shin as you lift up through the spine. your arms and legs. Press your arms for-
Repeat poses 5and 6 on the second side. ward as you pull your thighbones back.
!2 JANU SIRSASANA A !3 MARICHYASANA I I I
HEAD-OF-THE-KNEE POSE I nhal e to come up. Exhale, place your right
Sit with your l egs extended. Press your right foot on the ground. I nhale, rest your right
foot into your left inner thigh. Inhale, sit tall. hand behind your hip and raise your left
Exhale, and fold the torso over your left leg, arm. Exhale, twist to the right, and hook
holding onto your foot or a yoga strap. Keep your left arm across the right leg. Release,
your shoulders square to the ground. and repeat poses !2and !3on second side.
66 VOG AJ OU R N AL . COM
2 SI DDHASANA, GARUDASANA ARMS
ADEPT'S POSE, EAGLE POSE ARMS
Sit cross-legged, right l eg i n front. Raise your
arms i n front of you, elbows at right angles.
Cross left elbow on top of right, wrap the
forearms, and press palms and forearms
together. Repeat on the second side.
8 PIGEON POSE
Bring your right leg forward near your right
hand, the shin at a slight angle. Lower the
hips, and extend your left leg behind. Rest
your torso over your right leg, keeping your
hips level. After a few breaths, step back
into Down Dog, then do the other side.
!4 PASCHIMOTTANASANA
SEATED FORWARD BEND
Sit with your legs extended, inner legs and
feet touching. Inhale, reach forward, and
grab your feet with both hands. Exhale, and
fol d over your legs. Be sure to extend from
your hips, and keep your torso elongated.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
3 BALASANA
CHI LD' S POSE
Come to your hands and knees, big toes
pointed and touching, knees hip-width
apart. Sit back on the heels as you reach
your arms forward, palms down. Rest
your forehead on the ground.
9 ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
From Pigeon, tuck the toes under and
step back into Downward Dog. Take long,
deep breaths, focusing on the exhalation
and lengthening your spine.
15 SETU BANDHA SARVANGASANA
BRI DGE POSE
Lift your hips into Bridge Pose, with your
feet hip-width apart and knees stacked
over your ankles. Interlace your fingers
behind your back, and extend your arms
toward your feet. Exhale to release.
A U G U S T 201 3
w
u
z
W
:
L
V
Z

:
w
V
o
"
l
Z
I
V
Z
;
4 CAT-COW POSE
Come back to your hands and knees. I nhal e,
extend your spine forward, and draw your
head up and back. Exhale, round your spine,
and drop your head, like a cat arching its
back. Repeat Cat-Cow 510 times, and then
come upright to a kneeling position.
10 ANJANEYASANA
LOW LUNGE
Step your right foot forward between your
hands. Drop your left knee to the ground.
I nhal e, and reach your arms up. Exhale,
reach your tailbone down. Step back into
Downward Dog, then switch sides.
16 SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA
RECLI NI NG BOUND ANGLE POSE
Place a bolster lengthwise behind you.
Bring the soles of your feet together.
Place a roiled-up blanket over your feet,
ends tucked under shins. Lie back and
relax before Savasana (Corpse Pose).
homeroctce
wi t h Debor ah B u r k ma n
5 VASISTHASANA
SIDE PLANK POSE, VARIATION
Extend your left leg to the side as the right
hand comes to the floor on your right.
Extend your left arm up and over your left
ear. Make sure your body moves sideways,
not forward or back. I nhal e to (ore upright.
11 BALASANA
From Downward Dog, bring your knees
to the ground, hip-width apart. Take your
hips to your heels, with your toes pointed.
Reach your arms forward, and rest your
forehead on the ground.
_
watch )
..++ ..+ .++ +++*

A vi deo of thi s Home Practi ce

sequence can be found onl i ne
atyoqa]outoa|.com/livemaq.
YOGAJOURN A L . COM 67
TO TRAVEL TO I NDI A, the land of yoga's
origins, is to enter a country that is in
constant transformation, yet somehow
timeless. It is a land with a temple or
shrine around every corner, where the
sacred is revered in every river and
mountain, where the search for enlight
enment is in the air. For many yoga
students in the West, a trip to India goes
beyond sightseeing. It can be a sacred
journey and a deepening of one's yoga
practice, as well as pure adventure.
"Hyau're looking for devotional
or meditative inspiration, India is the
source," says Darren Main, a yoga
7 0 VOG AJ OU R N A l. COM
teacher who leads retreats on the sub
continent. Indeed, in India you can
intimately experience the culture that
gave birth to yoga, tapping into both
its ancient roots and its living tradition.
Some travelers to India start their
trip by setting an intention for personal
exploration, with hearts dedicated to
transformation, like the pilgrims of
old. "J felt this pull to go there that I
couldn't explain," says Jenay Martin, a
yoga teacher and photographer who has
traveled to India four times. "Each time
I go, I set an intention for my journey,
and it ends up changing me powerfully."
"I longed to make my frst pilgrimage
to India because I knew it would be like
coming home," says Dana Flynn, the
founder of Laughing Lotus Yoga, who
took a solo trip to India. "I had heard
many claims about the life-changing
powers of India. I wanted to see for
myself. It melted my malaise and taught
me the true meaning of compassion."
Should you feel called to a similar
journey of the heart, where should you
direct your path in the magical, mythi
ca1, and sometimes maddening place
that is India? The answer is as infinite as
India is diverse. You can seek out the
A U G U S T 2 01 3


E

Clockwise from left: Pilgrims

bathe in the Ganges River at
sunrise i n Varanasi; a ruined
temple overlooks the Gan
ges near Ri shi kesh; priests
worship at sunset i n Vara
nasi; a coracle provides a
way across the Tungabhadra
River in Hampi.
locations of the mythic escapades of the
gods and goddesses, mortals and mon
keys ofIndia's epic stories. You can gaze
upon awe-inspiring cultural sites, includ
ing ancient Hindu temples, the birth
places of Buddhism, and the jewels of
Islamic architecture. The journey can be
an exploration of sacred rivers or hal
lowed mountains. Or it can be a pilgrim
age to the study centers of modern
yoga's founders-T Krishnamacharya,
K. PattabhiJois, B. K.S. Iyengar, Swami
Vivekananda-the names alone evoking
a legacy that has linked East and West
for more than a century.
A U G U S T 201 3
While it may be tempting to visit
every corner of the country, exploring a
handful of places deeply can be most
rewarding. We have chosen to introduce
you here to fve special sites that have
been spiritual and cultural hubs for mil
lennia. Each offers an encounter with
the living history of yoga -an up-close
look at the elaborately woven tapestry
of myth, history, and contemporary life
that is India. These five destinations
refect India's reverence for the tran
scendent in nature-the sea, the holy
river, the mountains, caves, and rocks.
And each invites you to linger, become
absorbed, and perhaps learn something
about your own inner landscape, as well.
"Each of India's holy places echoes
with a pulse, a whisper of those who also
stood in our shoes: seekers, dreamers,
thinkers, practitioners," says Kate Hol
combe, the director and founder of San
Francisco's Healing Yoga Foundation
and a contributing editor at Yga Jour
nal. "Visiting these ancient sites, where
hundreds of thousands have walked,
prayed, loved, struggled, hoped before
us, is a way of honoring the lineage
of the great souls from whom we have
received the teaching of yoga."
Wherever you go in India. plan on
surrender. For all that it has to offer,
travel here can be daunting. The heat.
the crowds, the unpredictable train
schedules can overwhelm. But the
obstacles may also offer great lessons.
"India witt teach you to surrender to the
cycles of tife," says Eric Shaw, founder of
Prasana Yoga. "In India, one goal of yoga
is firmly in place: relying on the rhythms
of the universe. This is so strong here.
It will erode your ego more powerfully
than any stateside yoga practice can."
Indeed, India is best approached with
a grand openness. Let go of your expec
tations and be open to the world. Think
of these five destinations as thresholds,
or tirthas, to cross over into regions rich
with myth, devotion, and friends you
haven't yet met.
YOGA J O U R N A l. COM 1 1
8 8 8
Let yourself be pulled into the
chaotic pulse of Varanasi. Wander
the city's labyrinthine streets, and
you may stumble upon unexpected
discoveries, like a partially sub
merged shrine dedicated to Shiva.
Or, take an early morning boat ride
to view the city's watery edge from
a different perspective.
Lose vourself i n
the citV of prover
Varanasi I Uttar Pradesh
The ever-present clanging of puja bells
echoing from innumerable temples and
shrines and the fickering of ghee lamps
illuminating the Ganges River at night
bring to life the words of cultural geog
rapher Rana P B. Singh: "Varanasi,"
he writes, "is the city that is a prayer."
7 2 VOGAJ O U R N A L. C OM
One of the oldest inhabited cities on
Earth and one of India's holiest, the
essence ofVaranasi is faith. The very
stones of this teeming city are said to be
imbued with the presence of Shiv a, who
myths say appeared here as an endless
column of light at the beginning of time.
Pilgrims come from all over India to
honor Shiva and Ganga, the river that's
seen as a living goddess. A visit here,
they believe, can be a step toward libera
tion from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
The daily rhythms and rituals of the
city foUow the rising and setting of the
sun. Walk the ghats, sets of steps leading
into the water, that line the western
bank of the Ganges River, and you'll see
pilgrims bathing at sunrise or reaching
their palms to the fames of aarti, ghee
lamp offerings, each evening.
Witnessing these moments can give
insight into the deeper meaning of
familiar practices, says David Moreno,
a yoga teacher who leads tours in India.
"Everything comes to life for me at sun
rise in Varanasi," he says. "When you
see people lined up in adoration to the
coming light, you understand that Sun
Salutations are a prostration to the giver
of life," he says. "It puts my practice in
a timeless context. It lets me feel like
I'm part of a continuum."
WHERE BUDDHA PREACHED In nearby Sar
nath, fnd the serene ruins of Deer Park,
where Buddha gave his first sermon. A
fve-hour train ride will take you to Bodh
Gaya, where he reached nirvana.
seek voo
o.t the source
Rishikesh I Uttarakhand
Some 500 miles upriver from Varanasi,
nestled deep in a forested gorge where
A U G U S T 2 01 3
the holy Ganges descends from the
Himalayas, lies the [own ofRishikesh,
PILGRIM PARTY g
a place to practice yoga in the footsteps
of the ancicnt yogis. Long an out-of-the-
Some 20 miles to the
way refge from the world, Rishikesh
south of Rishikesh,
today is a Jjvely hub for yoga students following the Ganges
.
and international travelers. The ash-
downstream, lies the

g
rams, temples, and shops clustered along
popular pilgrimage
C
the banks of the Ganges hum ,lith activ-
town of Haridwar.

Every 12 years, it hosts

ity from dawn to dusk. Shopkeepers bar- L

the Kumbha Mela (pic-

C
gain with backpackers; chai wallahs sell
tured at left), the larg-
<
hot, milky tea; saffron-cladsadhus seek est mass pilgrimage

alms. But peace is always within reach at

on Earth, where tens 2
i
,
the river shore, where white sand shim-
of millions of pilgrims

swarm the city for an

"
mers with sunlight diffused in mist.
auspicious dip in the
<
The region (including the nearby
I
waters of the Ganges.
O
L
town ofHaridwar) is considered a tdPoh- <
3
r
hUlIli, a place of retreat and meditation.
g
The forests around Rishikesh attracted
"
<
m
fervent yoga practitioners throughout
C

history such as the Sage Vasistha (name-

>
C
E sake of the pose Vasisthasana and one of
-

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I
-

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~
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,
I t
A U G U S T 201 3
YOG A J O U R N AL . COM 7 3
SEEK AN ELEP HANT'S
BLESSING
At the heart of Hampi Bazaar,
the bustling and living Virupaksha
Temple towers over the tightly
packed village. Here you can watch
Lakshmi, the temple elephant,
get her morning bath by the river
qnotsor take part in the evening
pu]o, bending her legs in supplica
tion. Offer her a coin, and let her
gently bless you with her trunk.
74 Y O G A J O U R N A l. C OM
the authors of the Vedas), The town's
many ashrams and retreat centers keep
these traditions alive, offering serious
students of yoga a chance to study, prac
tice, and commune ,vith others on the
same journey. Popular spots include the
Parmath NiketanAshram, which hosts
annual yoga festival each March,
and the headquarters of the Divine Life
Society, where Swami Sivananda resided
for years. (His student, Swami Vishnu
devananda was one of the frst to teach
hatha yoga in the West in the 1960s.)
The Ganges River is relatively dean
here, and its sparkling white-sand beach
is a serene place for a soul-purifing
plunge. "Normally you go on pilgrimage
to see a deity, but here it is a deity that
is coming to you," says Raghunath, a
US-based yoga teacher who teaches
Hindu devotional traditions and leads
trips to India. "It flows down from the
Himalayas, coming from the celestial
plane and breaking through the material
universe, giving you its benediction. It
heals you and cleanses the heart."
Practicing yoga in a place where gen
erations of yogis have bent their bodies
in supplication is like tapping into a
deep spiritual spring, says Pandit Vama
deva Shastri, director of the American
Institute of Vedic Studies, who leads
annual retreats here: "Afew days here
can sustain one's practice for the rest of
the year, if not for years to come."
follow the
path of Ie <end
Hampi I Karnataka
Walk amid ruins of palaces and temples
and the bewitching, boulder-strewn
landscape of Ham pi, and it's easy to
A U G U S T 2 01 3
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imagine yourself surrounded by the

royal city that once thrived here or
even by mythical characters from the
Ramayana, the Hindu epic. This area is
the legendary Kishkinda, realm of the
monkey gods. Here Rama, on his quest
to rescue his kidnapped wife Sita, is said
to have met the monkey god Hanuman.
The remains of more than 500 stone
monuments are scattered over the
16-square-mile area of this UNESCO
World Heritage site, which is the former
capital of the Vijayanagar empire (in
power from the 14th to 16th centuries).
Amid the gracious ruins of medieval
Indian culture, you'll also fnd humbler
shrines expressing the local villagers'
heartfelt devotion to Rama, Sita, and
Hanuman. Across the Tungabhadra
River from Hampi is the tinyviUage
of Anegundi, which you can reach by
a coracle ferry (a large, round foating
basket). Here you'll fnd the Shabari
Ashram, where Rama's footprint is
preserved, and Hanuman's birthplace,
Anjanadri Hill. Climb its ;70 steps to
view the Hanuman Temple and a sweep-
ing vista. Catch out for Hanuman's
earthly brethren, the playful wild mon-
keys that live among the rocks.)
In Hampi, says Marla Apt, an Iyengar
Yoga teacher who goes to India annualy,
you'll see pilgrims worshipping at intact
shrines among the ruins, infsing them
with a )jving presence. "What makes
places feel dead or alive is how the peo-
pie there behave," says Apt. In Hampi,
she says, as in much ofTndia, past and
present are interwoven into a fne cloth.
"When you're there, you appreciate the
ancientness oflndia and feel yoursclfin
that time and place. It's really magical."
continued on page 96
A U G U S T 2 01 3
Clockwise from left: A
ruined temple perches on
the rocks in Hampi; a daring
visitor climbs at Hemakuta
Hi l l i n Hampi; Mamal l a
puram's Shore Templ e is
visible from the beach;
Indian women i n Mamalla
puram pass Arjuna's Pen
ance, a bas-relief scul pture.

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When Sun Salutations feel good,
they feel very, very good. The
fuid, rhythmic postures awaken
the whole body, focus the mind,
and enliven the breath. But the
same continuous, dynamic movement that
makes this sequence (traditionally called
Surya Namaskar) so exhilarating is also what
makes it diffcult to home in on its individual
parts and refine them. And so there is likely
onc part or another that doesn't feel so good
to you. Perhaps you consistently stub your
toe as you step forward to a lunge, or you
feel pain in your lower back when you jump
back into Plank Pose. Maybe your breath
feels uneven or rushed during certain parts
of the sequence, or you're confsed by how
to make the deep breathing sounds that
everyone around you is making.
These little trouble spots are more than
just annoying-they prevent you from get-
ting the full range of benefts from Sun Salu
tations. So, it's a good idea to pay attention
to them and either work on refnements or
learn modifcations that best suit your body.
When you take the time to do this, your
breath will deepen, your body will get stron
ger, and you'lJ have a better overa experi
ence of this essential series of poses.
This guide looks at some of the most com
mon problems that crop up in Sun Saluta
tions and offers step-by-step solutions to
help you refne the poses and make the tran
sitions work for your body. Wth a little time
and attention, you'll be able to fow smoothly
and safely through your next vinyasa class
with even greater lightness and ease.

watch )
You can see a vi deo of a ful l Sun Sal utati on on our
websi te at yoqajournal.com/sunsal ute
. .......... .

BY JASON CRANDELL PHOTOS BY MICHAEL WINOKUR

"
TROUBLE SPOT
liftin
g
halfay up
It's a small movement, lifting up from
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) into
Ardha Dttanasana (IalfStanding For
ward Bend). Because it's tiny you might
skim over it, barely lifting your spine.
But if you give this transitional pose short
shrift, you'll skimp on your breath and
potentially strain your neck. You'll aso
miss the main benefits: strengthening
and decompressing the spine.
THE TUNE-UP ~
The key to skillflly executing Ardha
Uttanasana is to lift the front ofyollr chest
high enough to engage your paraspina
muscles, the long muscles that extend your
spine. This usually means that you're lift
ing your shoulders as high as (or slightly
higher than) your hips. If you have incredi
bly flexible hamstrings, you may be able to
keep your fingertips on the floor while
you lengthen your spine, but most students
need to place their hands on their shins.
TROUBLE SPOT
stayin
g
steady in
plank pose
HOW TO Come into Plank
Pose, with your shoulders
above your wrists. Move your
feet back another 2 to 3 inches
so that your hands are just
slightly i n front of your shoul
ders. Root down through the
7 8 YOGAJ OU RN Al . COM
base of your fingers, broaden
your shoulder blades, and draw
your shoulders away from your
ears. Feel how these actions
enliven your arms and upper
back. To awaken your core, gen
tly draw your front ribs and the
bottom of your sternum away
HOW TO From Uttanasana, place your hands on the middle of your shins
(if you are more restricted, place your hands at the top of the shins). Lightly
press your hands against your shins, and lift your torso until your shoulders
are level with your hips. Press the top of your thighs back, lengthen your
spine forward, and broaden your chest. Feel your spinal muscles engage,
and complete your inhalation before releasing into Uttanasana.
When your Plank Pose is unsteady,
you can overwork your wrists and
overload your lower back. A tweak
in your alignment will help you ade
quately engage your core and stabi
lize your shoulder blades so that the
effort of Plank Pose is distributed
evenly throughout the whole body.
When Plank Pose is stable, it comes
to life-it feels easier, lighter, and
more dynamic.
THE TUNE-UP
Plank Pose is usually taught "vith the
arms and shoulders stacked directly
over the wrists. Whle this is one cor
rect way of doing the posture, plac
ing the hands a couple of inches in
from the floor. This subtle
action fires the upper fibers of
your abdomen. Complement
these actions by slightly tuck
ing your tailbone and pulling
your hip points away from the
tops of your thighs.
front of the shoulders makes it easier
to engage the muscles on the outer
borders of the shoulder blades and to
pull your shoulders away from your
ears, which keeps your neck long and
tension-free. You'll aso work your
core more intensely.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
HOW TO From Downward-Facing Dog,
take a slow, deep inhalation. As you be
gin your exhalation, bring both of your
knees to the floor so that you are on al l
fours. As you finish your exhalation, lean
slightly to your left, hold on to your right
ankle with your right hand. and use the
hand to bring your foot all the way for
ward. Bring your right fingertips back
to the floor next to your right foot. Then
inhale. straighten your back knee, and
come into your lunge or Warrior Pose.
A U G U S T 201 3
TROUBLE SPOT
steppin
g
one foot between
y
our hands
It can be a struggle to get your foot all
the way beteen your hands when you
transition from Adho Mukha Svanasana
(Downward-Facing Dog Pose) to a lunge
or a Warrior Pose. If you can't get your
foot forward far enough, you'll end up
in a pose that fexes the knee too deeply,
prevents the hip fexors from getting
stretched, and makes it more difficult
to step the second foot into Uttanasana.
By adding just a slight modifcation to
this transition, you'll fnd a perfectly
aligned stride, which will prevent stress
on your knee and provide a stretch in
your back hip fexor.
THE TUNE-UP --
If you can't bring your foot between
your hands from Downward-Facing
Dog, bring your knees onto the Aoor
for a moment frst. This may feel cum
bersome, but itwiU help you align the
front foot. With practice, you'Ll be
able to bring your knees down ,ith-
out missing a breath or falling behind.
Y O G AJ OU R N AL . COM 7 9
TROUBLE SPOT
overeffortin
g
as
you jump forward
Jumping forward from Downward-Facing Dog to a
pristine Standing Forward Bend with your feet per
fectly placed between your hands is a beautiful thing.
But it's not a necessary thing. Most people can't jump
althe way to their hands. (If you can easily press your
chest against your legs in a standing or seated forward
bend, you're a candidate.) If you try to jump farther
forward than your body can accommodate, you put
unnecessary tension on your upper back and neck.
THE TUNE-UP-
If you can smoothly jump between your hands from
Downward-Facing Dog, there's no need to stop!
But if your jump lands short of your hands, there's
no reason to think that something is wrong-or
that there's a bigger beneft to landing between the
hands. Your landing zone depends on the fexibility
of your hamstrings. If your hamstrings are not so
accommodating, you need to allow yourself to land
shy of your hands, or else you are likely to overwork
your shoulders and neck.
8 0 YOGAJO URN AL . COM
HOW TO Bend your knees, and bring
your gaze forward in preparation for
your transition. Keep your eyes steadily
focused on where you want to land. Wait
until your exhalation is nearly complete
before you take flight. If you jump dur
ing your inhalation or at the beginning
of your exhalation, your midsection will
be more inflated from breath, which
makes it more difficult to travel forward.
Jump only as far forward as is reason
able for your body, and let go of the no
tion that you have to land in any one
particular spot.
A U G U S T 2 0 1 3
A U G U S T 201 3
TROUBLE SPOT
jumpin
g
back to chaturan
g
a dandasana
The phrase "jumping back" is an apt description
of moving from Uttanasana to Chaturanga Dan
dasana (our-Limbed Staff Pose), but when you
take these words too literally it creates problems.
If you throw all your body weight back, you'll arrive
in Chaturanga with your hands too far forward.
This misaligns the upper body overloads the shoul
ders, and compresses the lower back.
THE TUNE-UP Toland in a well-aligned
Chaturanga, the force of your legs moving back
needs to be balanced by your chest moving for
ward. This requires not only abdominal strength
but also body awareness, which you'll build over
time as you practice. Once you're able to master it,
the transition will feel lighter, smoother, and morc
graceful-even though it requires more strength.
HOW TO From Uttanasana, bend
your knees, place your palms on the
floor, and lean slightly forward. Gaze
forward so that your attention is
focused on the floor in front of you.
Now bend your elbows more deeply,
and shoot your chest forward as you
jump back. As you shoot your chest
forward and take flight, engage your
abdominal muscles, and hug your
elbows toward the sides of your ribs
as you bend your arms. Be sure to
jump on the exhalation so that it's
easier to engage your abdominals.
It may take a few repetitions to get
the hang of it, so try it a few times.
YOG A J O U R N AL . C O M 81
TROUBLE SPOT
not enou
g
h stren
g
th for
chaturan
g
a dandasana
Chaturanga's complex alignment
makes it onc of the most difficult
poses in the yoga canon. If you don't
have enough strength, it's difficult to
properly align the posture, which can
lead to shoulder, wrist, and lower-back
injuries. Paradoxically if you don't have
enough strength to do Chaturanga
accurately, the posture loses its
strength-generating ability.
HOW TO For Cobra
Pose, place your palms on
the floor, with your finger
tips in line with the middle
of your chest. Press down
through your hands, hug
your elbows in, and lift
your chest. Extend your
spine a moderate amount,
but be sure to keep your
elbows bent and squeezed
in toward the sides of your
body. Keep your shoulder
blades firm against the
back of your ribs.
Jason Craldelllives in
Sai Francisco and teaches
alignment-based vilyasa
yoga workshops around the
world Fild out more at
jasonyoga.com.
8 2 YOGAJO URN AL . COM
THE TUNE-UP .
There are many ways to modif
Chaturanga Dandasana. One solu-
tion thatwiU help you build strength
while staying in the fow is to bring
your knees to the floor and take either
Salabhasana (Locust Pose), above, or
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), belmv.
These short-term alternatives can
bring a well-aligned Chaturanga within
reach. Salabhasana ,ith palms facing
HOW TO For Locust
Pose, come onto your
belly. Stretch your arms
back and turn your palms
toward the floor. Gently
press down through the
tops of your feet and
pubic bone. (You'll keep
your feet on the floor in
this version.) Lift your
head, chest, shoulders,
and arms off the floor as
high as you can. Pull your
shoulders away from your
ears, and feel your upper
back and arms engage.
Exhale, lower back to the
floor, and continue your
Sun Salutation.
the Aoor strengthens the external
rotators of the arms and the upper
back. Bhujangasana strengthens part
of the rotator cuff and the shoulders,
arms, and chest. These postures are
valuable because they are accessible
yet demanding. While your neighbors
hover in Chaturanga, you can take one
of these postures. Alternate between
them to build balanced strength. +
'
A U G U S T 2 01 3
moster closs
wi t h A n n i e Ca r pen t er
seated in the sel f Look
wi t hi n a nd l i sten to your body's cues
to f i nd your pat h to Lotus Pose.
PADMASANA (LOTUS POSE) i s onc of the most widely rec
ognized poses in yoga, perhaps because it is thought to be the
ultimate pose for long periods of seated meditation. One of the
reasons that Lotus became such a venerated pose for meditation
may surprise you: If you drift off to sleep while meditating, you
won't fall over.
And so, even though Lotus is an incredibly grounding and
stabilizing pose that is worthy of your efforts, you should know
before you read a further that you don't have to be able to do
this posture in order to meditate or do yoga. In fact, Lotus is an
advanced pose, one that puts such an extreme demand on your
joints that it's not for everyone.
Toachieve hLotus, both thighs must rotate externally in the
hip sockets and fex to 90 degrees. You must also be able to deeply
fex your knees while activating your ankles and feet to stabilize
them. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint with a circular range of
motion that varies greatly from person to person. So some people
wbe able to do Lotus, and some won't.
Whether Lotus Pose is in your fture or not, making a pilgrim
age toward it can be deeply fulflling. A pilgrimage is a journey
to a sacred site for heaing, giving thanks, or divine connection.
Demanding the same clarity of intention and steady devotion,
the journey toward Padmasana is a metaphorical one that offers
the deep satisfaction of connecting to the intuitive self within.
As you travel on this path, it's important that you become
aware of the sensations in all of the preparatory poses. If you
feel gentle stretching in your hips, take that as a good sign. If
you feel pulling or burning sensations in your knees or ankles,
take heed. Move step by step toward Padmasana consciously. In
the sequence that foUows, you can choose between two distinct
paths-one that ends with the full Lotus Pose and another that
offers slightly less demanding poses to ensure that you open your
hips slowly and keep your knees safe.
Making the pilgrimage toward Padmasana regularly over time
will open your hips, even if you never arrive at the fnal pose. You
will also knowyourself more intimately and fnd that committing
to a goal, no matter how distant, is a worthy endeavor.
84 YOG A J OU R N A l. C OM
!
Keep your spine long and fold forward from
your hips to get the maximum opening.

Rotate your legs out and engage your inner

thigh muscles to prepare for Lotus.
O
Continue to open your hips and inner groins
whil e you keep your spine long.

Come into a version of Half Lotus; feel the

rotation from your hips, not your knees.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
I N A L HUbL
A U G U S T 201 3
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und0eulh' ngdee| y.
YOG A J O U RN A L . C O M 8 5
ma st er c l a ss
BEFORE YOU BEGI N
Stand taJl in Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
and establish yourself in your breath.
Move through a few rounds of Surya
Namaskar (Sun Salutation) then practice
Virabhadrasana II (arrior Pose II) and
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle
Pose). Fold forward for a long Prasari ta
Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Standing
Forward Bend), then return to Tadasana.
Your journey continues with Thread the
Needle (described below), which will give
you a good indication as to which path to
choose for raday's practice.
THREAD THE NEEDLE
Consider this pose
which stretches your
outer hip muscles
to be the frst step on
your journey toward
Padmasana. You may
fnd as you hold it for a couple of minutes
that you are able to fold more deeply Or, if
you're having a day where you cannot fold
forward very far, or if there's discomfort
in your knee, choose the alternative route
of moving toward Sukhasana instead.
Stand with your back to a wall, and
step your feet forward about the length
of your thigh. Lean your bottom against
the wall, and place your outer right ankle
just above your left knee. Flex your right
foot. Begin to slide down the wall, bend
ing your left knee until your knee stacks
overyour heel and your thigh is parallel to
the foor. Begin to fold your torso forward
over your thighs, moving from your hip
sockets rather than rounding your spine,
until you feel a nice stretch in your right
outer hip. Place your fingertips on the
floor or on blocks for balance.
Breathe slowly and deeply here, going
as deep as your hips allow for now; Look
under your right shin (toward the waU) to
see whether one of your hips has dipped
lower than the other and adjust them so
they are even-it will intensif the stretch
and keep your lower back happy. Push
your two sitting bones into the wall and
elongate from there through the crown
of your head. Keep your right foot flexed
fully. Hold for 8 to 10 breaths, and repeat
on the second side.
8 6 YO G AJ OU R N A l . COM
UTTANASANA
Standing Forward Bend, variation
Continue to stretch your
outer hips as you release
your hamstrings. Stand in
Tadasana with your feet
hip-width apart and your
hands on your hips. Shift
your weight onto your right
heel and turn your whole leg outward
from the hip about 45 degrees, then place
your foot down. See that your middle toe
lines up with the center of your ankle and
knee. Repeat with your left leg.
Resist the urge to turn out your feet
too far. Inhale, elongate up from your
hips through your chest, and gaze upward.
Exhale and fold forward, keeping your
spine long. Come onto your fngertips and
lengthen your spine as you inhale. Then
exhale and fold forward. If it's appropri
ate for your body, bend your elbows and
bring your hands to the foor. If your back
rounds, stay on your fngertips or place
your hands on blocks.
Press evenly through the mounds of all
your toes and your inner and outer heels.
Lift the arches of your feet and zip your
inner leg muscles all the way up. Keep
ing your kneecaps lifted, roll your outer
thighs back and toward each other behind
you. Hug your inner thighs in toward each
other, moving your sitting bones closer
together. Breathe here for 8 to 1L cycles,
then inhale, lengthen your spine. Exhale,
placing hands to hips, and inhale to rise.
BADDHA KONASANA
Bound Angl e Pose
Open your inner
thighs while acti
vating your exter
nal rotators. Bend
your knees, and press the soles of your
feet together into Baddha Konasana.
Draw your feet as close to your groin as
you can. (If you're unable to sit upright,
sit on a folded blanket.) Feel free to stay
here and breathe if you have knee issues
or tight hips. Otherwise, slide your hands
under your feet and open the soles up to
the sky, keeping the outer edges pressing
together. Inhae and elongate your spine.
Exhale and fold forward from your hips.
Keep pressing your feet together as
you roll your outer thighs under you and
toward the ground. Keep your spine long
instead of rounded: Send your pubic bone
back and your top sternum forward.
Take 8 to 10 breaths. Inhale, lengthen
your spine further forward, and bring
your torso upright. Use your hands to
bring your knees together, then release
your legs straight onto the foor.
ARDHA BADDHA PADMOTTANASANA
Bound Half-Lotus Forward Bend
Slowly and mind
fully approach Half
Lotus. Begin in Dan
dasana. Bring your
right knee in toward
your chest, then rotate your thigh out
ward from the hip, bringing your shin
across your body. Hold your ankle from
underneath, fexing your foot to stabilize
your knee. Bring your heel toward your
navel, then down and across to your inner
left groin.
Use your left hand to roll the muscle
on the top of your left thigh oun.vard to
make a little space for your foot. Place
your foot there, feeling how the external
rotation originates from your right hip
socket-not your knee. Finally rolJ your
left thigh back in until your left knee and
toes face straight up.
If your hips or knee won't allow this
yet, trysittingon a blanket or placing the
sole of your right foot against the inner
left thigh in Janu Sirsasana (ead-of
the-Knee Pose). (For more instruction
onJanu Sirsasana, visit the pose index at
yogajouralcom.)
If you're in Half Lotus, reach your right
hand around your back and hold on to
your right big toe. Ground your thigh
bones, inhale as you lengthen your spine,
and exhale as you fold forward, holding
your left foot with your left hand. Try to
keep your torso long and even: Roll your
left waist up and lift your right shoulder
blade onto your back. Draw both shoul
ders down your back. Inhale, pulling your
chest forward, and exha1e as you nestle
your chin out along your shin. Take five
breaths, lengthen to come up, and change
to your second side.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
YOGA FORScol iosis
LNL AND BOOKLET
w
L| |SC U|Ow|| |_ | | | C|
Do you have an interest i n becoming certified as a uYoga for Scoliosis Trainer"?
Or would you like to learn more about IYoga for Scoliosis"?
Join us on one of our many workshops and retreats, led by Elise Miller.
www.yogaforscoliosis.com
650.493.1254
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model: Donica Shouse /www.poddlehowoll.com / photo by: Abro Shouse
8 8 YOGAJ OU RNAl . COM
ma st er c l a ss
PADMASANA
Lotus Pose
Step careflly into the
temple of full Lotus
Pose. You've arrived at
the temple steps. Con
tinue slowly and rever
ently, honoring your
body and the journey
you've made thus far. Bend your right
knee, then rotate it outward from the hip.
Roll your left thigh open and, while sup
porting your right ankle with your hands,
begin to draw your right ankJe into your
groin. Keep your left leg rotated open and
bend your left knee, bringing your heel
in toward your navel. Slide your hands
under your left ankle and lift the ankle
just high enough so you can slide it up and
over your right leg, and snuggle the heel in
tight. Press both heels into your belly and
create the action of bringing your knees
closer to each other. Press the outer edges
of your feet down onto your thighs, lifting
the outer ankles and eliminating pressure
between the shins.
Sit tall, placing your hands into Jnana
Mudra (Wisdom Seal). Straighten your
arms with the backs of your hands on your
knees, join the index finger and thumb
on each hand, and extend the other fn
gers, keeping them together. This mudra
invites calm, knowledge, and expansive
ness. Pause here for a few breaths, then
slowly and mindfully do the other side.
If you feel yourself straining or forcing
at any point, take it as a sign that fll Lotus
is not a wise choice foryou today Instead,
cross your right shin in front of your left,
come into Sukhasana (Easy Pose), and
place your hands inJnana Mudra. Know
that your journey, too, has been steady,
deep, and complete.
Whether your pilgrimage ends in Pad
masana today or ever is not really the
point of this practice. Yoga practice is a
pilgrimage. Show up each day with a clear
intention, reverently moving forward,
honestly and patiently accepting your
own path, just as it is-just as you are. +
Annie Carpenter teaches SmartFLO W Yga at
Exhale Center forSacred Movement in Vnice,
Caliornia, and around the worl
A U G U S T 2 01 3
"This IS an amazing book,
kind ofltke If Eat, Pmy, Love
had happened in Afghamst. m and
the stakes were life and death "
the good fghter
Yoga had l ong supported the work
of h u man r i ght s advocat e and
l awyer Mari anne El l i ott. but when
Zen Under Fire:
How I Found Peace
in the Midst of War
Marianne El l iott
Source books
she l anded i n confl i ct-torn Afghani stan on a Uni ted
Nati ons Assi stance Mi ssi on i n ...c her commi t
ment to yoga was put to t he test. She c hroni cl es
thi s story wi th honesty and grace i n zc|U|Cc||||c.
/Jw||Ju|C|ccCc|| ||c||CS|J|/c/To be effec-
ti ve i n her posi ti on as a peacekeeper, El l i ott l earned
to use her yoga practi ce to stay open-to her own
pai n and to that of others. Now back i n her nat i ve
New Zeal and, El l i ott conti nues her work by teach
i ng yoga and coachi ng humani tari an ai d workers
and ot hers deal i ng wi th hi gh-stress si tuati ons.
A U G U S T 201 3

reVte's
C . . ^ L ' M L L | L ' V ' L L .
YOGA JOURNAL What did you learn in
Afghanistan about working through trauma?
MARI ANNE ELLIOTT If you're working on the
front lines of human rights, you will face trauma.
It might be directly, such as a bomb hitting near
your compound. Or it might be in listening to
stories, which could have very real effects on my
body even though I didn't go through the original
trauma-it took me a while to understand that.
What I found that really helped, through a Siva
nanda Yoga teacher in Herat, is Nadi Shodhana,
alternate-nostril breathing, which really settles
my body down.
YJ Your book is in part an attempt to make
sure the stories of the women of Mghanistan are
heard. Why is storytelling so important?
QME I spent a lot of time in Afghanistan feeling
like I had to "f" people's problems. At a certain
point, I realized it was useful just to help people
to tell their stories. The listening itself can be
healing. It's a big shif, going from the Western
view of fng to the role of active listening. But it
is agift to others if you are able to be present and
bear witness to their stories.
YJ How did you stay centered in the face of
so much suffering?
ME I find that mof the tools of meditation
and yoga are helpful when you are feeling over
whelmed by a situation. It is easy to start to feel
unmoored by large-scale suffering, especially if
you start thinking of it on a global scale. But you
can use your breath or your body to help bring
you physically back into the present moment,
which is where you have the capacity to act. And
sometimes that act is simply being vulnerable
or willing to bear witness.
YJ Why is it so difficult to allowyourself
to experience vulnerability?
ME We live in a time when people spend a lot
of time projecting a carefully curated image of
themselves, through Facebook, Instagram, or
Twitter-a curated and controlled version of who
they are. So when you are struggling, it's easy
to feel alone. What I have to offer people is my
YOGAJ O U R N A l . COM 9'
IICitYof Hope.
yoga
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SPONSORS:
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Fl u o
9 2 YOGA J O U R N A l . COM
r evi ews ' books, v i d eo, mu s i c
absolute honesty about what I have strug
gled with, so that they don't have to feel
so alone. I remind them that everyone has
difficulties, and that it's OK to connect.
YJ Howdoyouhelp others handle the
stresses of human rights work?
QME The frstthing is to help people see
that their responses to traumatic experi
ences are normal. I think it's also impor
tant to recognize that indirect exposure to
trauma can affect us. For me, that came
from listening to the stories of women
who had been subjected to terrible vio
lence. For many people today, it will come
in the form of media exposure to large
scaJe traumas like the bombing in Boston.
Once we understand that we are experi
encing the effects of trauma and our reac
tions are normal, then we can fnd ways to
process them. I also think it's really im
portant to remember that trauma doesn't
have only negative effects on us. There is
research emerging in the area of "post
traumatic growth," and in my own life I
can certainly say that my experiences of
trauma-because I've had support and
tools to process them-have led to a more
meaningful life today. H I L L ARI DOWDLE
yoga playtime
Creative Yoga for Children
Adrienne Rawl i nson
North Atlantic Books
With Creative Yga for
Children, Montessori
teacher Adrienne Raw
linson offers a practi
cal manual brimming
MMWWWW
with inspired ideas for
wwmw
bringing yoga into the
classroom. Detailed lesson plans for
(o ready-made yoga classes are broken
down by age range (4 to 6 year olds; 7 to
9 year olds; Ioto 1Z year olds) and theme
(everything from colors and the circus
for the youngest, to fractions, reducing
homework stress, and healthful food
choices for the older children). Incor
porating dynamic movement and play
ful yoga poses with child-appropriate
with aguided meditation and moment of
gratitude. A helpful appendix includes an
asana guide with yoga poses arranged by
kid-friendy categories like sea creatures,
birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles,
insects, and minerals. Classroom educa
tors, children's yoga teachers, and parents
alike will be grateful for this useful cur
riculumresource. JESSI CA BERGER GROSS
up to the challenge
The Power of Ashtanga Yoga
Ki no MacGregor
Shambhal a
The cofounder of a cel
ebrated studio in Miami,
Florida, and the producer
of six Ashtanga practice
DVDs as well as a popular
YouTube channel, Kino
.acGregor has become one of Ashtanga
Yoga's most efective evangelists, intro
ducing the rigorous practice to a new
generation. Her latest work, The Power of
Ashtanga Yga, is an accessible beginner's
manual for the Ashtanga primary series
and another move from MacGregor to
open the formerly exclusive doors of the
Ashtanga club, known for its rigid con
ventions and Sanskrit-only instruction.
MacGregor writes in a refreshingly
technical-jargon-free style that breaks
down the subtle details of Ash tang a align
ment with easy-to-follow instruction.
The teaching is illustrated with engaging
photos of MacGregor, whose real-world
figure (she's short and compact, unlike
many of the long, lean yoga goddesses
who've popularized yoga) and friendly
demeanor do much to make the practice
seem attainable.
This book is an invitation from Mac
Gregor to a practice she promises will be
life-changing. It includes practical life
style advice often missing from similar
manuals, like how to get started in your
practice and what to eat. She shares her
own personal story explaining how the
deeper path of yoga can become a method
for fnding balance and working past per-
breathing exercises, sensory exploration, sona] challenges. And she invites readers
community-building activities, story to do the same-and to discover their
time, and arts and crafts, each class ends own strength and power. PEG MULQUEEN
A U G U S T 201 3
soul soothers
A Deeper Light I Oeva Premal & Mi ten wi th
Manose (speci al guest Maneesh de Moor)
White Swan Records
A Deeper Light, a mel
low new mantra album
from Deva Pre mal &
Miteo, is imbued with
sensual grooves and
spacious melodies. The devotional duo
joined forces with producer Joby Baker,
keyboardist Maneesh de Moor, and Nep
alese bansuri maestro Manose to create
a recording that blends moving mantras
with stunning New Age soundscapes.
The hypnotic, slow-tempo rhythms on
the first nvo tracks are seasoned with a
subtle reggae favor, while PremaJ's sooth
ing, surround-sound vocals envelop the
listener in a musical embrace. Next, "Om
Kama Mantrafeeper (Tantra Mantra)
,
'
blends Mireo's bluesy English lyrics with
Premal's sultry vocal improvisation and a
background of mantras to create a kalei
doscope of sound. "OmApadamapa Man
tra (Healing)" features Premal's exalting
rendition of a Sanskrit healing mantra.
These sacred chants can transform
your mood or melt away stress after a long
day They're the perfect backdrop for a
massage session, a meditative fow class,
or bedtime yoga practice. A Deeper Light
will soothe yoursoul. SHANNON SEXTON
backstage pass
Mysore Magic: Yoga at the Source
R. Alexander Medin
Upward Spiral Fi l ms
Every year, thousands of
dedicated yoga students
fock to the city of Mysore.
India, home of the late K.
Pattabhi Jois, founder of
Ashtanga Yoga. Believing
that the Jois shala (the practice room)
and the city itself convey an indefinable
energy, filmmaker R. AJexander Medin
set out to documentwhat draws practitio
ners back to Mysore year after year. The
flm features heartfelt testimonials from
dedicated teachers and students explain
inghow Ashtanga Yoga has changed their
A U G U S T 201 3
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YOGAJ O U R N A L. COM 93
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94 YOGAJOURN A L. COM
r evi ews ' v i d e o
ijvcs, and it includes interviews withJois's
grandson, R. SharathJois (who now leads
the sha/a), and daughter, Saraswathi lois.
There's also rare video footage from in
side the practice room itself
"It's impossible to taste the sweetness
of sugar without putting it in your mouth,"
says onc Mysore student on camera. Yet,
watching Medin's inspiring film tribute, it
is possible to imagine the mystique of
Mysore-even if you never get to experi
ence it frsthand. Download the flm at
mysoremagicfilm.com. PEG MULQU EEN
let your light shine
Yoga for Real Beauty
'
Maya Fl ennes
Gai am
Macedonian-born yoga
teacher Maya Fiennes is
known in Europe and in
the US for her spirited and
accessible teaching style,
which puts an up-to-date
spin on the ancient teachings ofKundal
ini Yoga. In Yga for Real Beauty, Hennes
The ,'l YogaNira traningM fhe on,
had Hsarhingf. lbrNghl me home
1 quy1 l and oened pl "Ihin
hngfrolt. cant Ihanl Rchard and
his taenoNgh.
-2012 TPcpt
offers insights and practices to address a
contemporary concern: self-image. Com
bining affrmations with a series of kriyas
(Kundalini Yoga sequences that include
asana, pranayama, mudras, and mantras),
she encourages students to examine their
ideas of beauty.
Yoga for Real Beauty offers a combi
nation of energizing kriyas and calming,
meditative movement intended to bal
ance the nervous system. Some practices
are specific to appearance (one includes
gently smoothing the forehead to soften
habitual facial expressions and calm the
mind), while others focus on nurturing
a loving relationship with oneself, chal
lenging students to "see yourself through
the eyes of your heart" and to realize that
beauty is inherent in us all.
With its refreshingly minimalist style,
there are no distractions on this 6o-min
ute DVD. There is only Fiennes, dressed
in the familiar radiant whites ofKundalini
Yoga, demonstrating powerful practices
that will help you begin to embrace your
own beauty KATHERI NE RAE +
Under
kchardMiIIe
and cninr
Bngon nl "Ih Richar is :ou/
rfHn_ nnrnoumureanding
and d! healng.
Interative
Restoration
Institute
-2012 R tAtde
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Ol ZDschedule, please visi|: w .rest.us
A U G U S T 2 01 3
pa s s a ge t o i n d i a
continued fom page 75
see the divine
in the human
Mamallapuram I Tamil Nadu
Along the white-sand shores of the Bay
of Bengal, just south of Chennai, lies
the village of Mamallapuram (formerly
called Mahabalipuram), a place to mar
vel at the sacred art and stories of India.
Some 1,400 years ago, under Pallava rule,
Mamallapuram was a thriving port, where
hundreds of craftsmen labored to create
some of the most noteworthy shrines and
sculptures of India. Today it is a dreamy
jasmine-scented beach town, where you 'II
wake to the rhythmic clinking of artisans'
chisels crafting new artwork and keeping
the ancient tradition alive, and fall asleep
to the sound of the waves washing ovec
legendary ruins buried at the shore.
Here you can explore the mytholo
gies of India. Step into shrines sculpted
as chariots of the gods, led by their
96 Y O G AJ OU R N AL . COM
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS
In nearby Chennai, study yoga in the
tradition of 20th-century yoga master
T. Krishnamacharya. If you write in
advance, you can take workshops or
private classes at the Krishnamacha
rya Yoga Mandiram, founded by T. K. V.
Desikachar, Krishnamacharya's son,
as well as at Svastha Yoga & Ayurveda,
run by senior students of Krishnama
charya, Indra and A.G. Mohan.
larger-than-life mounts, including Nandi
(the bull ridden by Lord Shiva) and
Lord Indra's giant elephant. Gaze upon
an image ofDurga, victorious over the
slain demon Mahisha, or enter the cool
shade of a man-made cave where artisans
carved the legend of Krishna lifting up a
mountain to protect a village from Indra's
wrath. Here, Kate Holcombe explains,
you can absorb the Indian concept of
darshan, beholding the Divine. "These
images, and the stories they teU, serve as
a mirror for us. When we can see our own
human qualities in the gods or goddesses,
we can also see the Divine in the human,
in ourselves," she says.
You can also discover here one of the
oldest known images of an asana: a carv
ing of a yogi (perhaps the epic warrior
Arjuna) holding Tree Pose, part of one of
the world's largest bas reliefs, carved into
a wall of stone a hundred feet across.
Climb the hill that dominates the town
forviews of the sunset and the stone spires
of the Shore Temple. Perhaps, looking out
to the sea as a wave retreats, you can imag
ine the six other temples that legend says
once stood beside the Shore Temple. The
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami swept away
sand, revealing submerged structures,
hinting that the myth may just be true.
CITY Of TEMPLES While the arts flourished
in Mamallapuram, monastic and temple
culture thrived in nearby Kanchipuram,
the capital of the Pallava Empire. Visit
majestic temples that have been active
for close to 1,400 years, enjoy the town's
bustling silk markets, and watch weavers
make the ricWypatterned saris the region
is known for.
A U G U S T 2 01 3
connect with the
etefnal in natufe
Mount Arunachala I Tamil Nadu
Drive southwest across the Deccan Pla
teau from Chennai, through emerald
green rice paddies scattered with coconut
trees, and yourviewwiU be dominated bya
single, majestic form: Mount ArunachaJa.
Seen as a sacred manifestation of the god
Shiva, the mountain has attracted devo
tees for millennia and today draws travel
ers seeking a quiet place to contemplate
the transcendent in nature.
India scholar Diana Eck writes that
Mount Arunachaa is said to have "erupted
from the earth at the dawn of creation," a
mountain of flame transformed into rock.
As though still drawn to the light, pilgrims
come by the thousands during the full
moon to circumambulate the mountain.
Each year during an autumn festival, a
great beacon fre, using more than 7,000
pounds of ghee for fuel and a I,ooo-foot
wick, is lit atop the mountain.
In Tiruvannamalai, a town at the foot
of the mountain, the Arunachaleswara
Temple reverberates with the chant Om
Iamah sivaya each morning. But silence
prevails outside of town at the Sri Ramana
Maharshi Ashram. Here, the modern
Indian gr lived from 1922 to 1950, teach
ing a yoga of reflection and self-inquiry,
often through his silent presence alone.
Today travelers can spend time in retreat
at the ashram (write in advance), start
ing the day chanting with young monks
from an adjoining school for the Vedas
and enjoying vegetarian meals prepared
with dairy from resident cows.
Down a dappled path into the woods
are the cave hermitages where the guru
meditated from 1899 to 1922. Here you
can sit undisturbed in the cool of a small
white-washed room, meditating in the
grounding energy of the cave's embrac
ing space. Or take a stroll higher up the
mountain to breathe in the expansive
views of the valley, seeing how the tem
ples in the town be10wdwindle before the
soaring grandeur of nature's monument.
`flonng5olubon
A U G U S T 201 3
fortheFent
Yoga5tudo
1lLL & KOLL
LLLN
SAVOR THE JOURNEY Somewhere along
your journey in South India, be sure to
stop on the side of the road to sip young
coconut water. Let the vendor cleave the
coconut with a machete, and scoop out
the tender fesh with a spoon. Resting in
the shade, watch life pass by and marvel at
all that is India. Remember the intention
you set and the exhilaration and perhaps
exasperation that the country inspires,
and know that when you return home,
you will be indelibly changed. +
Journalst Meera Subramanian is writing a
book about environmental issues in lndia.
YOGA JOURNAL I ssue 257 (l SSN 0191'0965),
established in 1975, is published nine times a year
(February, March, May, June, August, September,
October, November, December) by Cruz Bay
Publ ishing, Inc., 475 Sansome Street, Suite 850, San
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before starling any new exercise regimen.
YOG AJ OU R N Al . COM 97
og
COMEEMEMCE

t
uIt
L0 0l00
Sept 22-29, 2013
FEATURI NG 3-DAY
BAPTISTE I MMERSI ON
& CONCERT WI TH
KRI SHNA DAS
0l 0
Oct 31-Nov 3, 2013
KEYNOTE BY
MARI ANNE WI LLI AMSON
bB lBC SC0
Un 16-20, 2014
N6W Y0lK
Ppf24-28, 2014
9 8 YOG AJ OU R N AL . C OM
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@
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[ Submit your favorite yoga photo
to backpaqe@yogajoural.com.
1 0 4 YOG A J OU R N A L . COt
I was on the way to
Marfa, Texas, on a six
week road trip, with
visibility for miles in
either direction. I don't
think it would ever
occur to me to do Handstand in the
mi ddl e of Pittsburgh, where I live.
But there is no routine when you're
traveling from place to place-just
the present moment.
RI CHARD GARTNER
pictured on Highway 1 7 in Texas
A U G U S T 2 01 3