Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FOUNDATIONS
With Founder
Sadie Nardini
SADIES STYLE:
CORE STRENGTH VINYASA (CSV) YOGA
Each pose multitasks the student so they get more stretch and
strength work done within, and between each posture.
The poses are designed to release tension from the outer superficial
body, and re-activate the inner body muscles to support the spine
and joints from the inside out, instead of pressurizing them from the
outside in. This Deep Core Line activation makes the poses stronger,
yet lighter, since we are not gripping the poses with the outer body,
which makes the poses too heavy, and weights the joints and spine.
IN CSV YOGA
In any yoga posture, we are not only working the body. There are multiple
areas to be aware of:
Physical: Body, Breath, Muscles, Bones, Drishti, etc.
Energetic: Aligning for optimal energy flow of the central nervous system
and energetic body as you see it to be.
Emotional: Putting your heart into the poses, dedicating, offering, learning
how to deal with reactions, using the Asanas to clear and open your heart.
Mental: Focusing within your mental chatter to hear your inner teacher,
turning thoughts to constructive, not destructive, releasing mental
negativity.
Spiritual: Your Intention, your Spiritual Philosophy embodied.
Personal: This is lacking in many classes: How to translate the lessons
you have learned on the mat into your real-life experience. Students get to
know themselves, their patterns and their relationship to the world through
their poses.
In order to be the change we wish to see in the world, we first have to
know what we want to see changed...and then cultivate the strength to BE
it, through all our actions, words and agreements. In order to do this...we
have to turn inside and nourish/transform ourselves as much as we offer
out.
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Spinal Core:
In ANY yoga pose, after the foundation is properly set, the first priority is to
keep the spine in its natural alignment, and not compress it, twist it or
pressurize it in any unhealthy way. The spine is the source of our life
energy - the spinal cord - and it is the central stabilizer for the entire body,
along with the pelvis. We do not, I repeat, NOT want to jeopardize this
crucial area, in order to look more advanced in a yoga pose.
In CSV Yoga, the limbs serve the spine, and we do not move deeper into
stretches or poses that compromise the spinal integrity.
CSV Yoga designates the entire spinal column, from its base at the pelvic
floor to the crown of the head, and supporting muscles as one of the main
cores of each asana. When teaching, make sure this area is aligned,
stable and supple, as a first priority.
In anatomy, the core refers, in its most general of definitions, to the body
minus the legs and arms. Functional movements are highly dependent on
the core, and lack of core development can result in a predisposition to
injury.
The major muscles of the core reside in the area of the belly and the mid
and lower back (not the shoulders), and peripherally include the hips, the
shoulders and the neck.
Major muscles included are: the Pelvic Floor Muscles, Transversus
Abdominis, Multifidus, Internal and External Obliques, Rectus Abdominis,
Erector Spinae (Sacrospinalis) especially the Longissimus Thoracis, and
the Diaphragm. Minor Core Muscles include the Latissimus Dorsi, Gluteus
Maximus, and Trapezius.
The Core is traditionally assumed to originate most full-body functional
movement, including most sports. In addition, the core determines to a
large part a person's posture.
In all, the human anatomy is built to take force upon the bones and direct
autonomic force, through various joints, in the desired direction. The Core
muscles align the Spine, Ribs, and Pelvis of a person to resist a specific
force, whether static or dynamic.
Importantly for our poses, it is the foundation for deep breathing, and all
the body and mind benefits from what proper breathing brings. It also
activates the Lower Abdominals, providing even more stability for the
sacrum, and the Lower Spine in the practice.
It also is the action yogis call Mula Bandha, or the root support, the
beginning of a chain of physical and energetic awakenings that move
stability and energy up the spine. Without the pelvic Diaphragm activation,
your energy will move downward, and so will your organs and blood
pressure, causing loss of energy, fatigue, and poor breath control.
The Pelvic Floor should be engaged to about 25% and diaphragm as fully
as possible, on the EXHALES during your active poses when you need
spinal support. You can work with, or release these actions more when you
are supine on the floor, and then release completely when you are in Final
Resting Pose.
Lifting the Pelvic DIaphragm muscles supports the internal organs, helps
maintain continence for life and improves sexual sensation. The Pelvic
Floor is like an LA freeway of muscles that connect the sitting bones,
Tailbone and Pubic Bone, with openings for the genitals and anus. The
Pelvic Diaphragm is a bowl of muscles higher up, inside your Pelvic
Bones. It supports and contains the Uterus, and Abdominal/Pelvic organs.
Abdominal Core
Within the larger Deep Core Line of the whole body, we specify a central
area, including the abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, low back, low waist
and pelvic bowl as a focal point of root energy that must be sparked, lit,
and stoked throughout the practice in order to maintain optimal alignment
and energy flow.
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You can think of the more major, yet still superficial torso muscles as:
Abs:
Rectus Abdominis
Transverse Abdomens
Ribs:
Also: Internal and External Intercostals, which are in the ribcage, but are a
continuation of Internal and External Obliques.
Back:
Latissimus Dorsi
Trapezius
Rhomboids
Serratus muscles
Going Deeper - The New Core: This Myofascial (muscular and facial) line
(or meridian), runs from your feet through your whole body to your tongue.
The muscles are interconnected and intercommunicate; if one area is tight,
it causes tension along the whole line or in spots.
The photo shown below is called the Deep Front Line or Deep Core Line
and also branches out through the arms. It is the source of deepest power
and allows the more overused outer body muscles (Superficial Front and
Back Lines, Spiral Line) to become too tight and strain the spine & joints.
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Inner Thighs.
Psoas Major.
Psoas Minor.
Iliacus.
Quadratus Lumborum.
3 Diaphragms:
o Pelvic (At base of Pelvis inside Bones).
o Thoracic (Breathing Diaphragm--in Ribcage).
o Vocal (In Throat).
Deep Core Lines (front & back) run through arms into chest and shoulder
girdle, meeting up with the core line from legs, pelvis & abdominal area.
To teach the Deep Core Activation, do the following in every pose and
transition! :
Set the Foundation to allow Deep Core Lines to spring from arches
of hands and feet, Mula Bandha, or crown of head, depending on
what is meeting the earth.
Intercostals.
Linking Bandhas/Breath/Movement:
1) Use Golden Flame Breath Technique.
ALSO: When you breathe, note the following pelvis-to-ribs relationships:
On the inhale, let the ribcage lift and expand away from the pelvis
which drops lower away from the ribs.
The pelvis mirrors the expansion and contraction of the ribs when
breathing.
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At times in the practice when students are working hard, and need
oxygen, its fine to breathe through the mouth. Just return to the nose
breathing as soon as possible. (Sinuses are filters for more moist, detoxed
breathing, and we lose intra-abdominal support for the spine when the
vocal diaphragm resistance is let go). Or, rest in Childs Pose if the practice
is getting to be overwhelming.
When resting in Savasana, the vocal diaphragm should be relaxed
completely, allowing the student to meditate without trying to control or
direct the breath at all. Let the breath be organic.
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The order of teaching ANY pose in CSV Yoga is done in 3 parts, and
always in this order, for the most effective outcomes and benefits, and to
move the student up their Deep Core Line. Once youve moved through
these 3 parts, you will circle back again to the beginning, either within the
pose or at the beginning of the next transition, and the beginning of the
next pose too! At any point, you can return to Foundation and refine the
alignment.
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Foundation:
Ground the bony points of whatever is in contact with the floor. For
example:
Feet: Three points of the foot: ball under big toe, ball under pinky
toe, center of heel.
Hands: Outer ring of palm where all fingers join palm, fingertips.
Second knuckles can lift.
Sit Bones: Two points of sitting bones left and right, but also move
pubic bone and tailbone toward floor.
Crown: Outer ring of crown. (Make sure you are supporting weight
on head with arms or hands, as in headstand.)
Core:
In this case, Core means the pelvis and lumbar spine area. Let the
foundation grounding cause an uprising through the Deep Core muscles
until they meet the pelvis. Align the pelvis using the following:
Trinity Muscles: This 3-part activation (each counterbalances the other)
creates a pelvis that, for whatever pose you are in, is not over-stretching,
or constricting the Gateways of the hip joints, nor compressing the sacrum
or lumbar curve.
Then WAVE the SPINE LONG from root to crown, and align the Abdominal
Muscles and Bandhas with breath, to keep the energy flowing.
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This is a key teaching of CSV Yoga for use both on and off the mat,
because with a proper foundation, you will be more likely to build proper
core alignment and then move the pose towards expression to gain the
most benefits for each student.
Expression:
Many teachers and students make the mistake of trying to make
Expression happen (as in hopping forward in Crow before setting the
foundation, or activating the inner thighs and core. It is as ridiculous as
sitting on the ground and saying Now! Fly into a handstand! The final
outcome, or lightness, or Expression of any pose is only an organic result
of the work you are doing underneath it at the Foundation and Core. If you
can work this Earth-To-Core duality (Foundation Down, Core Muscle
Lines Upward) enough, the outcome will be a transformation and growth
within the pose. Remembering this is the key to the most effective
teaching.
Once the core energy is drawn into and ignited, and rising, as you wave up
the spine it will infuse the limbs, which can then move into full expression.
The key of CSV Yoga is that we know that Expression cannot be forced, or
gripped into, but is an almost effortless outcome of supreme effort in the
foundation/core duality.
We hold the Foundation/Core connections firmly even as we move into
Expression: lengthening the ribs, limbs, head. We do not try to rush into
poses [example, TRIANGLE: straightening leg first from Warrior 2], to
straighten arms and legs or move into more advanced variations to the
point that they override the core alignments or inner movement of energy.
In this way, something like lifting the arms in Mountain Pose can be done
in one of two ways:
1) In Parts: (from the already overused shoulder, neck and back muscles).
2) As a Whole: (from the foundation pressing, wave up through deep core
line, energy hits heart, arms lift).
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NOTE: See the Core Pose Sheet for more on how to instruct the main
poses from earth-core-expression.
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When this happens, the whole front of the spine, and with it, the ribcage,
will actually move BACK into the body, and UP toward the center of the
chest and skull as the long neck and head slide BACK and UP as well,
creating one holistic line of movement and supported freedom.
Over the first two Bandhas (pelvic diaphragm (Mula Bandha), and
breathing diaphragm (Uddiyana Bandha), rests the heart. We want to
expand and lift from the heart without undoing the core connection
underneath.
To See This Action In Action:
Maintain your thighs and pelvis at the wall, and instead of jutting the
ribs toward the wall and up, fire your front spine and abs so your ribs
move AWAY from the wall, and UP toward the center of your head
through the core of your inner body.
Breathe here in a new Camel, and notice that you may be able to take your
hands to your heels, and/or backbend more expressively with less low
back compression. Take that front-spinal muscular Psoas action into your
other backbends, and revolutionize them too.
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THE TRINITY
Trinity Alignment:
There are three steps to bring the pelvis into optimal alignment for each
pose, so the hip joints, sacral joints and low back spine all stay healthy
and open at all times. Major Deep Core Line muscles to focus upon are:
1. Psoas: Stabilizes Front/Sides of low back Spine.
2. Quadratus Lumborum: Mirror of Psoas in the back - Stabilizes
This action is done on the exhale to hold the length of the spine in place as
the exhale occurs and the upper body - neck, shoulders and chest relaxes
downward.
IN ADDITION to this motion that happens with each breath, the pelvis as a
whole in each pose must be properly aligned so as not to compress the
hip joints or spine.
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The directions I give when aligning the pelvis in any pose using the three
actions of the Trinity (front, back, base) include:
1. Low Back In and Up:
Psoas hugs front lumbar spine into the body and up towards the
inner ribcage. This decreases lumbar curve and lengthens
tailbone as pubic bone draws up. This action protects low back
spine from over-curving in the BACK and compression. It opens
the hip joints/hip crease area in the front so they dont become
compressive.
Done too much, it can cause compression at the front of the spine
as lumbar curve decreases unhealthily, and also cause joint
compression at the back of the hip joints as the pelvis tilts too far
backward.
3. Base Of Spine In And Up: Or pelvic diaphragm In and Up.
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Instantly lights Agni, heats the student from the inside out and fires
up the metabolism.
Tones the pelvic floor diaphragm, which can prevent loss of bladder
control, uterine prolapse and other pelvic issues.
How To. This is how I would language to the student: Come to sit on the
floor or in a chair. Place your hands on your knees.
Sit up tall, and begin to breathe more slowly and a little more deeply
through the nose. You dont need a ton of oxygen here, so dont pump the
breath too hard. Keep it slow and easy.
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4. Aligns the foundation and core (pelvis and lumbar spine) before
You can do the wave, small or more obvious, as you come into any pose,
whether its coming up from the floor into a standing pose, a foot stepping
forward from dog pose, or kicking up into a handstand, CSV Yoga has a
transition for it.
Generally, the transitions are characterized by a specific EARTH-COREEXPRESSION movement, each part of which, when done in order and
linked together smoothly, creates a wave.
These transitional waves help students to hit many alignment points within
one breath or so, without you as the teacher having to explain them all in
order, which would take more time than sometimes we want to spend
within a flow.
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Once you understand the waves components, you can simplify the
instruction to something like Ground down into the (feet, hands,
whatever), draw the front pelvis and spine in and up and wave (or roll) up
into the pose.
One important thing to note is although these transitions are activated
physically through the muscles, they also serve to move the inner body
energy, as the pelvic floor [Mula Bandha], low ribs [Uddiyana Bandha] and
skull [Jalandhara Bandha] pull in, and help energy rise through the central
spinal channel.
The Parts of a Transitional Wave: (ex: From Down Dog into Plank or from
Low Lunge to High Lunge).
Draw energy up from earth thru limbs into the Pelvis & Low Back.
Draw the front Low Back Spine In and Up: Or draw the front and
back of your lumbar spine in and up evenly. Usually the front spine
must activate more as the low back curve is a weak point that tends
to take too much pressure in the poses. The front spine activating
more will help to shore it up.
Round your back/Integrate the Low Ribs: Often rounding the back at
first as you pull in the ribs & abs, but being sensitive not to strain the
low back curve. This can open the mid & upper back that tends to
take over every pose, build tension in the back and shoulders.
Offer your Spine and Head long: This opens and lengthens the body
so it is supported and long, not still rounded.
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GRANTHIS
Three Resistances, or Three Suns... It Depends!
Something I refer to in classes once in a while are the Granthis.
There are 3 points of energetic alignment to consider beyond the HARA.
The Granthis [grun-thees] are classically known as "energy knots", or
aspects of one's consciousness that are not yet aware of one's true
nature, and thus remain blocked with fear, and ignorance.
The 3 Granthis reside in:
1. Pelvis (Brahma Granthi, or belly knot).
2. Heart (Vishnu Granthi).
3. Head (Rudra Granthi).
We light the Granthis, moving them from darkness to light, from dark sun
to fiery suns, from knots of tension to release.
With practice looking honestly at their resistance to living in the light, and
being all they can be, the student can begin to see things clearly, and
dissolve the fear, insecurity and ignorance that the 3 Granthis represent.
Where there is fear around an aspect of Self, muscular tension can appear,
until the root cause of the tension is discovered and dissolved.
To unwind the Granthis, or blockage, we use the mind, the intention, the
yoga poses, the Bandhas, all the tools at our disposal to catch ourselves
when we are allowing fear to rule us, and not move forward.
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To break the cycle of darkness in practice and in life, in the Asana practice,
the Granthis must be released in order, from the root to the heart to the
head, for optimal energy flow. It is as if one sun catches on fire, and since
fire rises, the next granthi will light more easily from the fire below.
Are the Granthis actually knots, like little shoelaces tied inside of us?
Maybe, if you consider the anatomy of the nerves, and also think of
muscle tension. regardless, they are a great symbolic way to reveal
aspects of our personalities and perspectives.
When we can work with them, embrace our shadows and move beyond
them into the light, a whole lot more life force and health is available to us.
This is true on the physical level when we remove tensions and tightness
around these areas, and we can free ourselves on the mental, emotional
and spiritual levels, too.
Anatomy Of Granthis:
When we line up the body properly in our yoga poses, we will align the 3
Suns (formerly the 3 Knots) directly over one another. The pelvis, ribcage
and head all center over one another in one fluid line of communication.
Now the energy can flow from one Sun to the next!
You can teach an entire class inviting your students to imagine these 3
Suns, moving in a stacked line within all your yoga poses. It is a powerful,
beautiful way to bring them into inner-body awareness.
The Granthis correlate to the nerve plexuses of the body that dot the
length of the whole spine, from pelvic floor to head, so when you teach
from the Granthi awareness, you're also optimally balancing the central
nervous system.
In this more physical view, tension in the muscles can create a
constriction, a stuck place or a knot that keeps the nervous system from
running energy properly.
A nerve plexus or plexuses (plural) is a network of intersecting nerves that
interestingly, look like a big knot, like a bunch of shoelaces that have
gotten tangled in a box!
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They are formed from groups of spinal nerves that serve the same area of
the body into one region. There are several plexuses in the body:
1. Cervical Plexus: Serves the head, neck and shoulders Brachial
and calves.
The 3 Suns are a way to describe the Granthis once the student sheds the
light of awareness on them and activates them through physical
movement (Bandhas, breath, Asanas).
Are the Granthis, and the Chakras, for that matter, just another way of
perceiving how our bodies, minds and hearts work? My guess is yes.
Once the student is working on dissolving their 3 Resistances, they can
use the limbs to express that internal alignment and focus. The limbs also
light up, and act as rays, or final expressions of the 3 Suns.
Conclusion: Granthis are another teaching tool to help the student to
become aligned, aware and moving physically in a wave from the root to
the heart to the crown, applying Bandhas and balanced muscular actions/
expression along the way. This will also encourage them to look at
themselves to see where they might have limitations on other levels that
they can set about transforming.
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In CSV Yoga, we often move within the postures themselves from a set,
stable Foundation, into Pranic and Physical waves along the spine. This
opens tight muscles and unlocks old, stored energy, as well as creates an
incredible amount of heat and transformation for the student.
Qualities of a CSV Yoga Pose:
1. Stable, Super Grounded and Aligned Foundation.
2. Active Holistic Core Muscle Meridians (Deep Core Line): The more
superficial muscle meridians support core line, not take over for it.
expression as we circle though wavelike transitions, creative crosstraining moves and other variations within poses.
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Core Dedication.
Core Transitions.
Savasana.
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Note that the Bandhas should be lightly activated (25% of maximum effort)
during the ENTIRE practice, and only released during Savasana, final rest.
They will help contain the prana within the body, stimulate the central
nervous system to communicate more fully with the muscles and organs
(always a good thing!), and stabilize the spine. They are also instrumental
to supporting the breath.
Build The Breath After Supporting It:
Begin instruction on Ujjayi breathing, AFTER instruction on the core
support underneath. The pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, as well as
an optimal lower body spinal alignment, will optimize the breath so much
more.
Inhale slowly through the nose, expanding from the heart and lower ribs.
Exhale into the pit of the belly, contracting the first two Bandhas a little
more to tone the belly and solar plexus areas.
Students should know that in order to expand and express more fully, they
must do it from their deep inner connection [both in yoga and in life!].
Seated Core Warm-Up May Include:
Any Other Core Pose except Full Navasana or other Low BackLoaders [too early for them].
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Core Transitions:
A slow teaching on the spinal waves between poses, which are done in
this order:
1. Ground Foundation and Lengthen Tailbone.
2. Access Core by pulling in Pelvic Floor, Navel and Low Ribs to stack
over Hips and Ribs.
3. Lift and Express through Spine, Heart, Head and Limbs without losing
Core Connection.
2. Now with Navel active and Hips Aligned, Exhale and Reverse that:
Lengthen through spine, head, arms, legs from the core connection at the
navel. Repeat this movement 3 - 5x before moving to the rest of the series.
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Exhale, use arms and core to transition back to Dog Pose in a backprotecting wave.
Inhale, right leg lifts into down dog splits. Square toes, leg, hip to
the floor. Activate navel, stretch longer through the bones from there.
Inhale, Down Dog splits [repeat with Core Plank times 3, on third
one, hover and hold, lift them higher, use navel strength and space
beneath the lifted torso to step right foot forward lightly to the right
thumb. [Not "step to center" or "between the hands", as this takes
the foot and leg off alignment with the hip joint and causes knee
strain and instability in the pose].
Next exhale, wave up: lift into navel as Tailbone curls, and Low Ribs.
The inhale unfurls the Heart, Head and Arms up into a more wellaligned High Lunge.
Inhale into chest, reach higher, exhale, Fists of Fire Lunge, slowly
draw fists to outside of Hip Bones as if through molasses. The
exhale tones the Navel back and Tailbone down, stretching
Abdominals, Iliopsoas and Quads. (Note: you can bend the back
knee on each exhale to get more Pelvic movement or keep it straight
for more Iliopsoas stretch...or both).
Breathe here.
Exhale, Chaturanga.
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Inhale, Up Dog.
Repeat on left leg from Core Planks into Fists of Fire Lunges.
Exhale, hands to Namaste and then (this is the core sealing Mudra):
bring your fists into the low belly, draw it in, and up (or fold again).
Other focal points that move the student to and from the Core:
engaging the Bandhas.
Focus on Breath. (Inhales lighten, and fill the pose, plus expand the
heart. Exhales deepen, ground and express the pose, contracting
the Belly/Core strength).
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That the intensity of the poses, and all the work they do on the mat,
is serving to strengthen them and make them more resilient to life's
challenges outside of the studio as well.
Setting the Drishti (gaze) on a natural point during each pose so they
can also turn their attention inward.
Give them added value by going a bit past their edge, while still
maintaining the discipline and containment of the energy of
remaining core - connected, integrated, and in alignment. Encourage
them to try something more from their newfound inner strength.
There are many other Core Strength Vinyasa Signature Poses you
might want to add to your class. Refer to the Core Strength Vinyasa
Yoga Core Poses sheet for more detail and more poses.
Four-part core strength kicks leg lifts and lowers, hands under seat.
Low Navasana with arms, head, legs lifted, hands make fists, hold,
breathe....inhale through the nose...and exhale through the mouth,
releasing everything with a sigh!
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Hips on a yoga block, feet as wide as mat, knees knock inward, legs
bent. Two minutes here for lumbar traction and sacral release.
Knees hug in, roll knees in circles to release Sacrum and Low Back.
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Sadie
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Namaste.