1. Complete Yogic Breath (Calming)
Sit comfortably. Place your left hand on your belly. Breathe normally and feel your belly rise and fall .
Now, still your belly and continue breathing from your chest only . Close your eyes. Imagine your lungs are two balloons hanging upside down. Inhale by slowly filling the bottom of your lungs, then the middle and finally the top part of your lungs. Imagine the balloons expanding and the rubber walls expanding as your fill it with air.
Exhale by slowly deflating the balloons from the top , then the middle, then the bottom.
2. Angel Breathing (Expands breathing capacity)
Clasp your hands under your chin. Elbows together. Inhale and slowly separate your elbows and push them upwards.
Slowly exhale pushing back your head to extend your throat and your bringing down your elbows.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Balancing your nervous system)
Fold right middle and index fingers into your palm.
Let your thumb rest on your right nostril and your ring and baby fingers rest on your left nostril.
Close your right nostril with thumb and inhale slowly through left nostril.
Release right nostril and close left nostril and exhale.
Inhale through right nostril . Exhale through left nostril.
Repeat for a few more rounds
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Posture
Most postural problems stem from weak abdominal and back muscles as well as tight hamstring and hip muscles. These come about as a result of prolonged sitting and slouching over paperwork or the computer. Lack of awareness of the core muscles will further result in its deteriorating effectiveness. You will find that many young working people nowadays suffer from lower back pain, neck ache, tense upper back and tension headaches.
Simply paying attention to your body and your posture will do wonders. Doing yoga (any type at all) will over the long term strengthen the weak muscles and stretch shortened muscles.
For strengthening abdominals muscles, simple awareness exercises are:-
• Gentle and continous contraction of the perineal muscles (in yoga , this is called the “mula bandha”) . Alternatively, doing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.
• Subtle contraction of the lower belly muscle (located about 3 inches below the navel) (or “uddiyana bandha”)
Yoga postures to improve abdominal and back muscles are:-
• Boat pose (Navasana) whereby you are seated on a mat with your legs extended infront of you. Gently lean back and lift your legs off the floor at the same time (the knees can be bent or straight, depending on your level). Then lift your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height. Don’t collapse your bodyFrom the side view, you will form the letter V with a bar across – thus looking like a boat. Hold for 5 breathing cycles and release legs and arms down. Repeat 5 times.
• Cobra pose – lie on your belly on the mat with legs together. Place hands on the mat by your shoulders. Keeping your elbows close to your ribs, inhale and slowly raise your upper body off the floor emphasizing the lift through your lower back and your triceps. Keep your belly button on the floor. Hold for 5 breathing cycles and release. Repeat as 4 times.
• Half Bridge pose – lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your buttocks. Make sure your feet are about shoulder width apart .Grab hold of your ankles with your hands. Inhale and lift your abdominal muscles off the floor, but do not clench your buttocks. Push your chest forward. Stay for 5 breathing cycles and release
Yoga postures to stretch hamstring and open hip area:-
• Forward bends I– Stand with feet shoulder width apart. With an inhale lift arms overhead stretching them . With an exhale, slowly fold your body forwards at your hips . Allow your body to unhinge at the hips. Drop you head and relax your neck. Allow your hands to hang down. Try to keep legs straight. Loosen the skin on your buttocks and hamstring. Stay for 5 breathing cycles.
• Forward bends II- From Forward Bend I, just fold your arms and grab your elbows with opposite hands. Try to reach the floor with your elbows. Hold for 5 breathing cycles
• Forward bends III – From Forward Bend II, release your folded arms. Bring your hands behind your back and clasp them. Then slowly bring your arms overhead behind your back, thus pushing your body even further downwards towards the floor. At all times be conscious of gently stretching your hamstrings. Hold for 5 breathing cycles.
• Cobblers pose – Sitting on the floor, bring the soles of your feet together at your groin. Sit upright on your sitting bones (ischium), hold your feet with your hands. Pretend your feet is a book and open it up with your hands. Tuck your elbows in by your side and on an inhale, slowly bend forwards and dropping your head to the floor whilst gently pushing your knees down to the floor.
There are many postures, and most yoga teachers will set these postures in a sequence to slowly work , stretch , strengthen and open your body. We would suggest that you find an experienced yoga teacher before you embark on a yoga program.
Simply paying attention to your body and your posture will do wonders. Doing yoga (any type at all) will over the long term strengthen the weak muscles and stretch shortened muscles.
For strengthening abdominals muscles, simple awareness exercises are:-
• Gentle and continous contraction of the perineal muscles (in yoga , this is called the “mula bandha”) . Alternatively, doing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.
• Subtle contraction of the lower belly muscle (located about 3 inches below the navel) (or “uddiyana bandha”)
Yoga postures to improve abdominal and back muscles are:-
• Boat pose (Navasana) whereby you are seated on a mat with your legs extended infront of you. Gently lean back and lift your legs off the floor at the same time (the knees can be bent or straight, depending on your level). Then lift your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height. Don’t collapse your bodyFrom the side view, you will form the letter V with a bar across – thus looking like a boat. Hold for 5 breathing cycles and release legs and arms down. Repeat 5 times.
• Cobra pose – lie on your belly on the mat with legs together. Place hands on the mat by your shoulders. Keeping your elbows close to your ribs, inhale and slowly raise your upper body off the floor emphasizing the lift through your lower back and your triceps. Keep your belly button on the floor. Hold for 5 breathing cycles and release. Repeat as 4 times.
• Half Bridge pose – lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your buttocks. Make sure your feet are about shoulder width apart .Grab hold of your ankles with your hands. Inhale and lift your abdominal muscles off the floor, but do not clench your buttocks. Push your chest forward. Stay for 5 breathing cycles and release
Yoga postures to stretch hamstring and open hip area:-
• Forward bends I– Stand with feet shoulder width apart. With an inhale lift arms overhead stretching them . With an exhale, slowly fold your body forwards at your hips . Allow your body to unhinge at the hips. Drop you head and relax your neck. Allow your hands to hang down. Try to keep legs straight. Loosen the skin on your buttocks and hamstring. Stay for 5 breathing cycles.
• Forward bends II- From Forward Bend I, just fold your arms and grab your elbows with opposite hands. Try to reach the floor with your elbows. Hold for 5 breathing cycles
• Forward bends III – From Forward Bend II, release your folded arms. Bring your hands behind your back and clasp them. Then slowly bring your arms overhead behind your back, thus pushing your body even further downwards towards the floor. At all times be conscious of gently stretching your hamstrings. Hold for 5 breathing cycles.
• Cobblers pose – Sitting on the floor, bring the soles of your feet together at your groin. Sit upright on your sitting bones (ischium), hold your feet with your hands. Pretend your feet is a book and open it up with your hands. Tuck your elbows in by your side and on an inhale, slowly bend forwards and dropping your head to the floor whilst gently pushing your knees down to the floor.
There are many postures, and most yoga teachers will set these postures in a sequence to slowly work , stretch , strengthen and open your body. We would suggest that you find an experienced yoga teacher before you embark on a yoga program.
Breath and Relaxation
Between the time of our first intake of breath upon emerging from our mother’s womb to the last breath we will all eventually take, much of our breathing is done on an involuntary basis. Our breathing is such an essential part of ourselves and that which enables us to live, yet we give it less thought than we would brushing our teeth in the mornings.
Let’s think about this for a while. We are all human beings – manifested as our gross bodies, the body we see with our eyes, but we consist of more than just this physical body. As a being, we are a mind and a soul. Body, mind and soul interconnected by the string of the breath. Without the breath, we are non-existent.
Our breath is an indicator or barometer of our internal state. Think how often when we are anxious or worried , our breathing becomes shallow and quick. Our mouths become dry, our bodies feel cold, our thoughts racing. Emotionally we would be depressed or stressed. On the other hand, we take a huge sigh at the end of a long tiring day as we sink into our beds to rest. We relax, our breathing settles down to a regular rhythm, our hearts beating steadily. We mentally release the cares of the day.
If you are unwell, your breath will smell stale and hot. If you are relaxed, your breath will feel cool.
All this is very interesting, but did you know that your breath is not only just a measure of your body-mind state. You can use breathing to actually induce a desired state of body and mind. You can use different breathing techniques to relax , to energize or just to balance yourself. You can use your breathing to control your response to pain, to clear your sinuses and assist you in respiratory problems. In yoga, you would call the exercises which you do to control your breath “pranayama”.
In his book “The Yoga of Breath – A step by step guide to Pranayama”, Richard Rosen the deputy director of the Yoga Research & Education Center in Santa Rosa California says “Yoga breathing will not change everything. You will still be you, and feel anger, joy, misery and despair, just like you always do. What it can do, however is to give you the power to control your responses to huge events, to rein in powerful emotions and work out what to do with them , rather than let them wreak havoc.”
Before we talk about breathing exercises, let’s see how most people breathe and compare that to how proper breathing looks like.
Most people are not aware of their own breathing. We are inclined, especially if we live in the cities and are involved in stressful activities, to breathe too shallowly, mostly high in the chest, and too fast. Most often, we would breathe through our mouth and under extreme stress, we would tend to hold our breath. This just results in reducing carbon dioxide in the body (our bodies need to maintain a balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in order to function properly) which constricts blood vessels and slows the circulation of blood and oxygen to the body and the brain. This will then excite the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and the flight-or-fight response. It is easy to feel anxious at this point and become forgetful or irritable.
Proper breathing involves what in yoga is called “three-part” breathing. If we imagine our torso as an empty vase, we would begin inhaling by “pouring” air into this vase as if we are pouring water into it , filling it up from the bottom. So you would pull in the air by allowing your diaphragm (your main breathing muscle supporting your lungs) to contract and move downwards into your stomach, thus resulting in your abdomen expanding. Then you would continue filling up the middle portion of your lungs by expanding your rib-cage sideways drawing the air into your armpits. At this point imagine your vase is 2/3rds full. Finally, fill up the vase by sliding your chest and collarbones up towards your chin and filling the top part of your lungs with air right up to the back of your neck where the bony part of your spine protrudes.
On your exhale, you would also empty your imaginary vase-lungs from the bottom (not from the top!) by squeezing your lower abdominal muscles, then your stomach muscles and then deflating your rib-cage and sliding your chest down.
There is scientific research to show that if you breathe in a slow and complete manner as explained before this, through your nose, this will give enough time for your lungs to extract the maximum amount of oxygen and energy from each breath. With the correct proportion of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body, the blood vessels will be properly dilated. Blood and oxygen circulates smoothly and easily through your body.
The part of your body that requires the most oxygen to function is the brain. Deep within the folds of the brain lie three glands – the hypothalamus, the pineal and the pituitary glands - which form the control panel for your body. The Pituitary gland regulates your thyroid (affecting growth) the adrenals (ie adrenaline ) and most of the endocrine glands. The Pineal gland produces melatonin which influences cyclical levels of sex hormones and regulates sleep. Yogic teaching believes that one of the major functions of the pineal is to vibrate and control the nucleus projections of every cell of the body. The Hypothalamus acts as the intermediary between the central nervous system and the glandular system. In other words, these three glands controls your mind-body connections. Studies have shown that you can trigger off these glands and the para-sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system if you are able to bring down your breathing to below 6 cycles (inhale-exhale) per minute. In other words, if you can slow down your breathing you will be able to produce the relaxation response in your body.
Therefore, an efficient breather would constantly be able to affect this relaxation response – this person is constantly calm and clear headed.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
A Muslim woman practices yoga
I sent this to the Star Online in late December 2008 in response to the Fatwa issued by the MAIWP.
The Editor,
Star Online.
Dear Editor,
I am a devout Muslim woman and have been practising yoga for 7 years now. I practice 4 to 5 times a week, in the mornings after my Fajr prayers and doa.
I was attracted to yoga for very much the same reason millions of people in the world are. In 1999, I had been a court going lawyer for 12 years and was suffering tremendous amounts of stress and anxiety. My immune system was very low and I was constantly ill. My sinuses were infected and I had already undergone 2 minor surgeries for sinus related problems. Migraines were a daily occurence. Briefly, I was miserable and angry. I fought with loved ones around me, and when I started fighting with strangers in the street, I realised I needed help.
A visit to a psychiatrist resulted in a Zoloft prescription, which I hated after 1 pill and I promptly abandoned it. I started going to the gym and was a regular for 3 years. However, the gym started to appeal to younger and younger people and I no longer felt comfortable. Then, came Madonna and the Ashtanga Yoga craze. She was beautiful, and I wanted her body.
A Malaysian born Astanga yoga instructor was back in KL for a holiday and was willing to teach a short 3 week introductory course. I fell in love with the system from the first lesson.
There was no mantra, no meditation, no chanting going on. It was sheer breathing and movement and sweat. I did not know it then, but yoga brought tremendous changes in my life subsequently. I have done a lot of research on yoga as I was concerned with its system and impact on my faith and beliefs as a Muslim.
Let me share a little of what I have learnt, and how I have applied it to my life and how it has helped me in my religious faith. First, we must understand that yoga is not a religion. It is a scientific system designed five thousand years ago. Its wisdom is tremendous. But for simplicity's sake, it is enough to state that there are eight limbs to yoga, and they are -
1. Yamas - thou shalt not injunctions (non violence,speaking truth, non stealing, non grasping, self control)
2. Niyamas - thou shalts (purity, contentment, disciplined use of energy, self study and remembering God)
3. Pranayama - the science of breathing - how one's breath affects one's physiological and psychological responses
4. Asana - the physical poses - which makes bodies flexible, lubricate joints, strengthen muscle , cleans out the organs and flushes the toxins
5. Prathyahara - science of withdrawing your senses - ie looking inwards into yourself as a discipline for concentration
6. Dharana - concentration, by way of many different methods such as concentrating on an object such as a small ball, or a lighted candle and some people use mantra repetition (ie concentrating on fixed phrases), or just counting 1,2 3.
7. Dhyana - Meditation - the science of remembering God
8. Samadhi - unification of mind, body and soul . Classically, in the yoga texts it indicates going back to God.
I have often been asked, how as a Muslim, I can bring congruency of the 8 limbs to my own Islamic beliefs. My answer is simple. In Islam, the rules regarding worship (ibadah) is "what is not permitted is prohibited" , and not to be confused with the rules regarding human relations (mua'amalat) which is "what is not prohibited is permissible". Therefore, in Islam, there are only certain prescribed ways of worship of Allah, and nothing else will amount to worship. Any other so called form of worshipping is "shirk" or disbelief. And everything a man does in his life, his conduct, his words, his thoughts are governed by intention (niyat). Anything that I am doubtful of, I will avoid.
Therefore, where the Yamas are concerned I see no contradiction to Islam. Where Niyamas are concerned, the self study and remembering of God I take it as study of the Quran, the Hadith and many numerous scholarly Islamic books. Rememberance of God I practice as dhikr and tassawuf. Pranayama, Asana, Prathyahara and Dharana for me is combined in the Ashtanga teaching system, which is a breath - movement - counting system. One and half hours of this system 5 days a week result in a tough sweaty work out for my body, mind and soul. I am calm by the end of the practice, and have recharged my internal resources to take on the challenge of the day. As for Dhyana or Meditation, contrary to some views, does not result in an "empty mind" for Satan or other sorts of evil to enter. In meditation, I only remember Allah, and Allah alone. There is no place for anything else.
Finally, Samadhi . This I have never experienced, but having read many Sufi books, I believe this is similar to the concept of "Fana'a" or anhilation of one's ego. Since I cannot speak from personal experience, I will only state what I have read. In the holy al-Quran, it is stated that we all come from a place of pre-eternity from whence we made a primordial covenant with God to worship Him and Him alone. When our souls were sent forth into this world, we have forgotten, and our minds, bodies and soul were split into different Ego selves. Fana'a indicates an anhilation of this Ego, and a remembrance of the place of pre-eternity.
As for Mantra? I do not use mantra repetition.
I am a Muslim and am devoted. Yoga has not only allowed me a cheap and efficient method of maintaining my physical and mental wellbeing, it has also deepened my faith, to the point that I have decided that Islam must now pervade my commercial and professional dealings. Towards this end, I am now studying for my doctorate in Islamic Finance. So strong are my beliefs in my religion, arising from the discipline and discoveries that I gained from yoga, that nobody who knows me will dispute or deny my determination and loyalty to Allah and the religion of Islam. I am indebted to yoga, both for my health, my mental state and my deepening love for Islam. In the past few years, I have been to holy Makkah 4 times on Umrah, and Insyallah will proceed for my Hajj soon.
Is it possible for some people to be misled and misguided by yoga? Yes, if they are not mindful or careful enough or do not have sufficient knowledge of Islam. But ask the numerous religious and devout Muslims I know who practice yoga, whether they have ever been confused or misled - they will answer with a laugh. You will never be able to levy a charge against them that their yoga practice has reduced their faith in Islam or that they are shirk. Count amongst these people so many educated Muslims, including my 70 year old mother, who has continued to practice yoga regularly, in order to aid her flexibility so that she can perform her Solat. Further, yoga is so very suitable for a Muslim woman, as she can practice this in the privacy of her home, without financial cost to her.
The Holy Quran states in Verse al-Isra':84-
"Say: Everyone acts according to his own disposition, but your Lord knows best who it is who is best guided on the Way."
I quote al-Ghazali from "The Alchemy of Happiness" -
"Although these matters [referring to earlier discussion] are comparative novelties in Islam and have not been received from the first followers of the Prophet (PBUH), we must remember that all novelties are not forbidden, but only those which directly contravene the Law. For instance, the Tarawih, or night-prayer during the fasting month, was first instituted by the Caliph 'Umar. The Prophet said, "Live with each man according to his habits and disposition," therefore , it is right to fall in with usages that please people,when non-conformity would vex them."(emphasis is mine)
Perhaps, on the basis of "maslahah" (or public good) the authorities that be should do further research into yoga, and perhaps refine their concerns regarding certain aspects which they feel may affect the Aqidah. However, to issue a blanket ban or label of "haram" on a system that is so beneficial to the health and wellbeing of so many Muslims, and a system which is now in use as therapy in cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke in hospitals all over the world (eg the John Hopkins Hospital) , is very careless and negligent of Allah's gift of knowledge to humankind.
As for me, without yoga my health and mental well being will deteriorate. If I stop, it will be a great oppression on my human right to preserve this body and mind that Allah has given me. I will continue to practice yoga until I am no longer able to move.
Wallahualam.
Tunku Alina Alias
PhD Student in Islamic Finance
Advocate and Solicitor
21-6, Block B, The Boulevard,
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 012-2380520
The Editor,
Star Online.
Dear Editor,
I am a devout Muslim woman and have been practising yoga for 7 years now. I practice 4 to 5 times a week, in the mornings after my Fajr prayers and doa.
I was attracted to yoga for very much the same reason millions of people in the world are. In 1999, I had been a court going lawyer for 12 years and was suffering tremendous amounts of stress and anxiety. My immune system was very low and I was constantly ill. My sinuses were infected and I had already undergone 2 minor surgeries for sinus related problems. Migraines were a daily occurence. Briefly, I was miserable and angry. I fought with loved ones around me, and when I started fighting with strangers in the street, I realised I needed help.
A visit to a psychiatrist resulted in a Zoloft prescription, which I hated after 1 pill and I promptly abandoned it. I started going to the gym and was a regular for 3 years. However, the gym started to appeal to younger and younger people and I no longer felt comfortable. Then, came Madonna and the Ashtanga Yoga craze. She was beautiful, and I wanted her body.
A Malaysian born Astanga yoga instructor was back in KL for a holiday and was willing to teach a short 3 week introductory course. I fell in love with the system from the first lesson.
There was no mantra, no meditation, no chanting going on. It was sheer breathing and movement and sweat. I did not know it then, but yoga brought tremendous changes in my life subsequently. I have done a lot of research on yoga as I was concerned with its system and impact on my faith and beliefs as a Muslim.
Let me share a little of what I have learnt, and how I have applied it to my life and how it has helped me in my religious faith. First, we must understand that yoga is not a religion. It is a scientific system designed five thousand years ago. Its wisdom is tremendous. But for simplicity's sake, it is enough to state that there are eight limbs to yoga, and they are -
1. Yamas - thou shalt not injunctions (non violence,speaking truth, non stealing, non grasping, self control)
2. Niyamas - thou shalts (purity, contentment, disciplined use of energy, self study and remembering God)
3. Pranayama - the science of breathing - how one's breath affects one's physiological and psychological responses
4. Asana - the physical poses - which makes bodies flexible, lubricate joints, strengthen muscle , cleans out the organs and flushes the toxins
5. Prathyahara - science of withdrawing your senses - ie looking inwards into yourself as a discipline for concentration
6. Dharana - concentration, by way of many different methods such as concentrating on an object such as a small ball, or a lighted candle and some people use mantra repetition (ie concentrating on fixed phrases), or just counting 1,2 3.
7. Dhyana - Meditation - the science of remembering God
8. Samadhi - unification of mind, body and soul . Classically, in the yoga texts it indicates going back to God.
I have often been asked, how as a Muslim, I can bring congruency of the 8 limbs to my own Islamic beliefs. My answer is simple. In Islam, the rules regarding worship (ibadah) is "what is not permitted is prohibited" , and not to be confused with the rules regarding human relations (mua'amalat) which is "what is not prohibited is permissible". Therefore, in Islam, there are only certain prescribed ways of worship of Allah, and nothing else will amount to worship. Any other so called form of worshipping is "shirk" or disbelief. And everything a man does in his life, his conduct, his words, his thoughts are governed by intention (niyat). Anything that I am doubtful of, I will avoid.
Therefore, where the Yamas are concerned I see no contradiction to Islam. Where Niyamas are concerned, the self study and remembering of God I take it as study of the Quran, the Hadith and many numerous scholarly Islamic books. Rememberance of God I practice as dhikr and tassawuf. Pranayama, Asana, Prathyahara and Dharana for me is combined in the Ashtanga teaching system, which is a breath - movement - counting system. One and half hours of this system 5 days a week result in a tough sweaty work out for my body, mind and soul. I am calm by the end of the practice, and have recharged my internal resources to take on the challenge of the day. As for Dhyana or Meditation, contrary to some views, does not result in an "empty mind" for Satan or other sorts of evil to enter. In meditation, I only remember Allah, and Allah alone. There is no place for anything else.
Finally, Samadhi . This I have never experienced, but having read many Sufi books, I believe this is similar to the concept of "Fana'a" or anhilation of one's ego. Since I cannot speak from personal experience, I will only state what I have read. In the holy al-Quran, it is stated that we all come from a place of pre-eternity from whence we made a primordial covenant with God to worship Him and Him alone. When our souls were sent forth into this world, we have forgotten, and our minds, bodies and soul were split into different Ego selves. Fana'a indicates an anhilation of this Ego, and a remembrance of the place of pre-eternity.
As for Mantra? I do not use mantra repetition.
I am a Muslim and am devoted. Yoga has not only allowed me a cheap and efficient method of maintaining my physical and mental wellbeing, it has also deepened my faith, to the point that I have decided that Islam must now pervade my commercial and professional dealings. Towards this end, I am now studying for my doctorate in Islamic Finance. So strong are my beliefs in my religion, arising from the discipline and discoveries that I gained from yoga, that nobody who knows me will dispute or deny my determination and loyalty to Allah and the religion of Islam. I am indebted to yoga, both for my health, my mental state and my deepening love for Islam. In the past few years, I have been to holy Makkah 4 times on Umrah, and Insyallah will proceed for my Hajj soon.
Is it possible for some people to be misled and misguided by yoga? Yes, if they are not mindful or careful enough or do not have sufficient knowledge of Islam. But ask the numerous religious and devout Muslims I know who practice yoga, whether they have ever been confused or misled - they will answer with a laugh. You will never be able to levy a charge against them that their yoga practice has reduced their faith in Islam or that they are shirk. Count amongst these people so many educated Muslims, including my 70 year old mother, who has continued to practice yoga regularly, in order to aid her flexibility so that she can perform her Solat. Further, yoga is so very suitable for a Muslim woman, as she can practice this in the privacy of her home, without financial cost to her.
The Holy Quran states in Verse al-Isra':84-
"Say: Everyone acts according to his own disposition, but your Lord knows best who it is who is best guided on the Way."
I quote al-Ghazali from "The Alchemy of Happiness" -
"Although these matters [referring to earlier discussion] are comparative novelties in Islam and have not been received from the first followers of the Prophet (PBUH), we must remember that all novelties are not forbidden, but only those which directly contravene the Law. For instance, the Tarawih, or night-prayer during the fasting month, was first instituted by the Caliph 'Umar. The Prophet said, "Live with each man according to his habits and disposition," therefore , it is right to fall in with usages that please people,when non-conformity would vex them."(emphasis is mine)
Perhaps, on the basis of "maslahah" (or public good) the authorities that be should do further research into yoga, and perhaps refine their concerns regarding certain aspects which they feel may affect the Aqidah. However, to issue a blanket ban or label of "haram" on a system that is so beneficial to the health and wellbeing of so many Muslims, and a system which is now in use as therapy in cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke in hospitals all over the world (eg the John Hopkins Hospital) , is very careless and negligent of Allah's gift of knowledge to humankind.
As for me, without yoga my health and mental well being will deteriorate. If I stop, it will be a great oppression on my human right to preserve this body and mind that Allah has given me. I will continue to practice yoga until I am no longer able to move.
Wallahualam.
Tunku Alina Alias
PhD Student in Islamic Finance
Advocate and Solicitor
21-6, Block B, The Boulevard,
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 012-2380520
Differences in Men and Women in Asana work
Generally speaking, there are 3 differences between men and women in the context of asana work, and these are:-
1. Physical –
a. Men have more upper body strength due to larger shoulder and chest muscles
b. Men also tend to have larger hamstrings and quads, resulting in closed hips
c. Women’s wider hips sometimes cause maltracking or knock knees
2. Mental –
a. Women are generally “softer” and approach asana from an emotional platform – joy, fear, apprehension,
b. Men tend to be confrontational, aggressive, goal oriented
3. Hormonal-
a. Women are affected by the hormonal changes occurring during the course of the month, such as ovulation, menstruation
These differences are mostly evident in beginners, but as the practitioner advances in his / her practices, the differences would balance out.
However, whenever presented with a new asana, you would want to keep the differences in mind.
Illustrations:
1. Lotus - Lotus position requires a flexion and a good lateral rotation of the femur so that there is no stress on the knees. The tendency to injury during lotus usually occurs where there is inadequate lateral rotation, and the folded leg is yanked into a folded position, thus placing stress on the knee joint. In many men ( and some women), you will find that a tight or closed hip joint (or surrounding muscles) is usually the case and you will have to encourage an opening of the hips with progressive poses such as janu sirsasana, pigeon, baddha konasana before progressing to a half lotus.
There is also a mental aspect to this pose – whereby a “spacious” mindset should be encouraged – visualization of space and air in the hipjoints. Related to this is a “release” or flattening of the psoas, which encourages the muscles surrounding the hip joint to relax and open.
2. Standing poses – knee bending – warrior, chair
3. Standing balances - uttita hasta padangustasana
4. Standing poses – twists
5. Seated poses - Forward bends
6. Seated poses – Twists
7. Leg behind head poses
8. Arms balances – bakasana, pincha mayurasana
9. Back bends or Chest expansion – prasarita padotanasana C or salabasana
10. – upward dog, urdva dhanurasana
11. Inversions
1. Physical –
a. Men have more upper body strength due to larger shoulder and chest muscles
b. Men also tend to have larger hamstrings and quads, resulting in closed hips
c. Women’s wider hips sometimes cause maltracking or knock knees
2. Mental –
a. Women are generally “softer” and approach asana from an emotional platform – joy, fear, apprehension,
b. Men tend to be confrontational, aggressive, goal oriented
3. Hormonal-
a. Women are affected by the hormonal changes occurring during the course of the month, such as ovulation, menstruation
These differences are mostly evident in beginners, but as the practitioner advances in his / her practices, the differences would balance out.
However, whenever presented with a new asana, you would want to keep the differences in mind.
Illustrations:
1. Lotus - Lotus position requires a flexion and a good lateral rotation of the femur so that there is no stress on the knees. The tendency to injury during lotus usually occurs where there is inadequate lateral rotation, and the folded leg is yanked into a folded position, thus placing stress on the knee joint. In many men ( and some women), you will find that a tight or closed hip joint (or surrounding muscles) is usually the case and you will have to encourage an opening of the hips with progressive poses such as janu sirsasana, pigeon, baddha konasana before progressing to a half lotus.
There is also a mental aspect to this pose – whereby a “spacious” mindset should be encouraged – visualization of space and air in the hipjoints. Related to this is a “release” or flattening of the psoas, which encourages the muscles surrounding the hip joint to relax and open.
2. Standing poses – knee bending – warrior, chair
3. Standing balances - uttita hasta padangustasana
4. Standing poses – twists
5. Seated poses - Forward bends
6. Seated poses – Twists
7. Leg behind head poses
8. Arms balances – bakasana, pincha mayurasana
9. Back bends or Chest expansion – prasarita padotanasana C or salabasana
10. – upward dog, urdva dhanurasana
11. Inversions
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