Right Side, Left Side
/Dear Yogis!
Last Friday I listened to a Q&A with Sharath Jois. He was asked why Lotus Pose has to always start with the right leg. Good question! Sharath’s answer was that the right leg equals positive energy and the left leg neutralises negative energy! He went on to say that Alternate Nostril Breathing has to start with inhaling to the left nostril to neutralise negative energy first. Supta Kurmasana - that neck-breaking, hip popping, arm-crunching, shoulder-squashing, feet-crossed-behind-the-head tortoise pose, should have the right leg on top. (You’ll need all the positive energy you can get for that posture!)
How to make sense of this? Ancient yogis devised various systems to understand the body and the energy: the chakras, the astral body, the doshas, the Koshas and… the Nadis. ‘Nadi’ means channel or little river which conducts energy. Wikipedia says: “The three principal nadis run from the base of the spine to the head, and are the ida on the left, the sushumna in the centre, and the pingala on the right”. The left channel represents coolness, calmness and creativity. It’s the moon channel. The right channel represents the sun, heat and brightness and the positivity Sharath was talking about.
Here’s the skinny: the left brain hemisphere is connected to the right side of the body and the right nostril. That’s the analytical brain, the decisive, confident side which can also lead to overstimulation, egotism and destructive qualities. So, Sharath said the right leg equals positive energy… but it needs a neutralising opposite.
The right side of the brain is connected to the left nostril and the left side of the body and is responsible for processing our emotions and influences our creativity. This is your cool, calm side but can also lead to over shyness, nervousness and inhibition.
Ancient yogis were clever and perceptive and found ways of describing how to lead a balanced life. They created theories that were about the entirety of our lives: the Yin and Yang, the strengthening and the humbling, the smoothing of extremes, the oscillation between the opposites and their interdependence. As with everything in yoga, you find where the imbalance is, and you work towards balancing it!
Zoom Classes
As I write this, two people are booked for today’s class! Join us!!! For all classes and especially today, you can book here.
Yoga in the news
The Hindustan Times has: The Indian yoga guru behind Chelsea's wellness, success. ‘Menon’s entry into Chelsea was entirely accidental. A client in Dubai asked him if he would be willing to travel to London to teach yoga and relaxation techniques to his daughter and her husband. Menon agreed and met the couple in their London home where they then invited him to attend a football match with them. It’s only when Menon entered the owner’s box at Stamford Bridge that he learnt the fact that his new clients were Roman Abramovich and his wife.’
Wales 247 has: Yoga classes aim to ease symptoms and keep wait times flowing. ‘A group of GP surgeries in Swansea is now offering yoga classes in a bid to improve patients’ symptoms. Cydnie Hunter, Llwchwr Cluster Project and Development Manager, said: “We thought because there are people waiting for treatment in secondary care due to the backlogs caused by the pandemic that we could do something to ease symptoms and help patients so they might not need that kind of intervention in the future.
Oncology Nursing News has: Yoga Encourages Antitumor Response, Boosts Quality of Life in Patients with Prostate Cancer. ‘Yoga has a direct effect on the vagus nerve, which can shape how a person thinks, remembers, and feels. And patients with prostate cancer have a 20% to 30% incidence and prevalence of depression and anxiety. In previous studies, yoga has demonstrated an improved quality of life for patients with cancer, as well as lower inflammation. Additionally, newer, emerging data has demonstrated that mindfulness exercises, such as yoga, can cause the frontal and limbic parts of the brain to structurally change.’
The Telegraph has: 17 things you need to do now to be healthy in later life. ‘It's ok. I get it. Yoga isn't for everyone, and no-one feels like they have half an hour to spare every day anyway. However, that doesn't mean to say you're beyond hope. A short daily mobility drill only takes five minutes and is an excellent way to start the day, allowing you to wake up the body after a night's sleep. It will also give you cash in the bank ahead of the desk sitting, helping to stall issues with poor posture, neck and lower back.’
