Muscular Energy 101

Last month’s blog began our series on the 5 Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara yoga. I am now adding the element that relates to each principle as well as the benefits.

Muscular Energy 101:

Benefits- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual: strength, steadiness, empowerment, confidence

Element: Earth (prittivi)

“When you create muscular energy after Opening to Grace, the outer body-skin, muscles and bones- happily draw in against an expanded and radiant inner body. The outer body is magnetically drawn in to the inner body’s radiance, harmoniously integrating the inner and outer bodies together. This sets the stage for a powerful and balanced expression to occur through the asana.”

-John Friend, Anusara Yoga Teacher Training Manual

One of the most powerfully positive differences I experienced when I was first learning Anusara yoga was the philosophy, epitomized even by the technical language of the alignment principles. Everything was said in a way that was affirming- of life, of one’s inner worthiness, of the divinity of the body. The deeply uplifting and empowering tantric philosophy teaches us not only that we are all part of the divine, but that our bodies too are a manifestation of that divine consciousness. We begin our practice by softening and opening to that great light inside and around us, setting our foundation both physically and spiritually (see the last blog, opening to grace 101). Following this softening and opening is the next Universal Principle of Alignment: muscular energy.

Anusara yoga weaves tantric philosophy into every fiber of its’ expression, including the most subtle to the most physical levels. One of the primary tenets of this philosophy is that our true nature is free, whole and perfect in its essence. This innate wholeness is a gift of grace; yet its’ unfolding, cultivation and blossoming is entirely up to us.

Because we are free, in this world of relativity we are always given the choice to align or misalign with our true nature, and to cultivate and uncover who we really are, or… not. Thus the fulfillment of our greatest potential is largely up to us, and how much we want to grow, awaken and serve a higher consciousness. This kind of alignment takes effort, sometimes tremendous effort. Muscular energy also takes effort, but that effort is one that comes not from a need to prove ourselves strong or to dominate our bodies, but rather as an expression of love for who we are and a desire to strengthen our connection to ourselves. Muscular energy is a loving boundary that perfectly complements the openness of opening to grace. After opening to the highest, muscular energy is like a seal that affirms and protects our worthiness as we hug in to our very core.

There are three aspects, physically, to muscular energy:

1.”Hug” the muscles to the bones, from the outer periphery of the skin to the innermost core of the bones

2. Draw the legs and arms into the midline of the body

3. Draw muscular energy from the periphery, such as the feet, through the legs and into the focal point (such as the core of the pelvis in standing poses)- also draw from the hands through the arms down the spine into the focal point.

Muscular energy begins with intention, and intention arises from desire. Thus we recognize that after softening to feel that we are part of something bigger (opening to grace), out of a desire to align with that bigger presence, we engage our own will and effort in order to align.

What are the benefits of muscular energy?

On every level, physically and spiritually: Stability, strength, steadfastness

Mentally and emotionally: confidence and empowerment

To be Anusara- to truly flow with the currents of grace- means to accept both our innate potential and inner goodness, as well as to cultivate and co-create with the divine. In this sophisticated philosophy, we are neither subject to some higher divine presence with no will of our own, nor are we solely in charge of the bigger picture. By practicing opening to grace and muscular energy in our lives on and off the mat, we learn to co-create with the divine- to surf the waves of consciousness. We are not victim of the waves because we have choice and can make efforts to paddle and to find the sweetest currents around us. We also cannot dominate or control this ocean we are in and so we find our way into the optimal flow by balancing effort and surrender, opening to something greater while using our own innate skills and talents to guide us where we want to go. Easier said than done, I know. But in my experience, the result of applying these principles on and off the mat is greater freedom and empowerment, and a constantly improving ability to enjoy and expand with every changing and challenging wave of life rather than to feel either victimized or in need of controlling it all.

How do you apply effort in your life?

Do you feel you are able to balance your efforts with softening and yielding to what you are not in control of?

Are you naturally more strong-willed, even physically strong, or naturally softer, and more yielding? These are both beautiful qualities in balance, yet out of balance, yielding becomes a lack of empowerment while being overly strong can lead to control issues.

Written by Sara Rose

The Back-To School Blog: Opening to Grace 101

After a steamy hot summer these cool, dry and gentle fall days are dreamy… the crisp, flowing air stirs our creativity and wakes us up for a season of focus, learning, and the comforts of a steady routine.

In honor of back-to-school season I am beginning a 5-Blog segment on the 5 Universal Principles of Alignment that are the foundation of Anusara yoga. We will begin, of course, with the first and most important principle: “Opening to Grace”

What are the 5 Principles?

1.Open to Grace

2. Muscular Energy

3. Inner spiral

4. Outer Spiral

5. Organic Energy

The First Principle, Opening to Grace, represents not just the beginning moment of yoga practice but also the underlying foundation and essence of Anusara yoga. This principle asks us to begin yoga practice by softening, becoming more sensitive, feeling and connecting to our breath, body and the world around us with awareness and openness.

We begin our practice just as every new and returning student should as they turn back to school and a new year of learning: humble, open, willing and hopefully excited! Anusara classes begin with an invocation, to set the tone that our practice is the expression of our intention to align with our innermost essence and the divine flow of the universe. Om Namah Shivaya Gurave… we bow to the divine essence of goodness and worthiness within ourselves, that highest light (shiva) which is the true teacher (gurave) inside us all.

If only school began with such an intention, and taught our children from the very beginning that they have all the wisdom and worthiness they need inside of themselves (some schools in fact do like my daughter’s- though not the ones I attended as a child!). This way, learning is more about unfolding, cultivating, drawing out and deepening the gifts that are already inside us- not acquiring something we are not, but becoming more of who we really are!

Opening to grace for me is a lot about trust. To trust that there is a benevolent force in the universe that wants me to be happy and fulfilled has required me to confront many long held beliefs from my childhood. If people- especially those who have not connected to their divine nature- let us down, betray us, hurt us, especially during our formative childhood years- why would we trust the universe has anything good to offer us? Or why would we trust that we are protected or loved?

So I understand when students may feel resistant to either the language or concept of Opening to Grace. For some the word grace meant something not empowering in their religious upbringing. So, substitute a word that works for you- open to Spirit, open to your breath, open to your own divine essence. For others if the feeling of grace in the form of love and nourishment has been absent in their life, it is easy to feel that our personal universe, devoid of love and nourishment, is all that exists- that it’s just the way it is out there.

If you are willing to face the source of any limiting beliefs; if your desire to feel free and happy are strong, you will find that Opening to Grace is the most healing and essential of all the principles. Tantric Philosophy Scholar Paul Muller-Ortega defines grace as the movement of consciousness inside- that voice, that essence in each of us that moves us to make positive changes in our life, to disrobe the limitations that bind us in our longing for freedom. Grace, this movement of consciousness, is not at all lofty or unusual but as close as your own breath, your own desire to heal your suffering and reclaim joy.

It is easy to see grace in my daughter. That bubbling light of a three year old whose joy has been nurtured and celebrated by her parents, friends and family is overflowing constantly as she dances, sings and plays. That innate joy, even her feisty willful moments of wanting to do things “her way”, are grace herself, asserting her wild, true and colorful nature.

So take a deep breath, soften and open up…grace is the very desire that lead you to read this blog and to take that deep breath! She is always with you- grace IS you at your very essence. So listen, trust who you are… grace is always with you.

What does opening to Grace mean to you?

Written by Sara Rose

Yoga, Social Justice & Activism

Last week, during the lunch break at a workshop with John Friend (founder of Anusara™) in Cambridge, a few of us started talking about yoga, social justice, and activism. And I have been thinking about the conversation and topic since. Just like the balanced action of muscular and organic energy (physically hugging in and stabilizing our muscles and our bones and then expanding and reaching outward), so, too, do we need the balanced action of inner work and engagement in the world. Our practice on the mat nourishes us and prepares us for our life off of the mat. We turn inward, care for ourselves, connect to our core, and then keeping that connection, we can go out into the world and offer our hearts, and our energy to bring healing, expansion, and freedom to others.

In yoga classes, we learn to bring our bodies into alignment, and with this we bring ourselves into greater and greater integrity. With practice, we refine our awareness and become ever more conscious. For me, this consciousness makes me see the injustices and suffering in the world all the more clearly. And I see working for social justice (access to healthy food, equal access to education, life free from suffering and violence for all, environmental protection, and much more) as a natural extension of my yoga. As I develop my own internal strength and sense of self-worth, as I see my own interconnectedness and place in the web of things, I find an increasing desire to engage with my local community.

As yogis and yoginis, we cultivate inner and outer strength on our mats, develop our sense of self-worth, and nurture a sense of hope and optimism, all of which are necessary for engaging in social activism. And I believe, too, that personal growth and development becomes that much more meaningful, that much richer, when it is paired with a turning and offering outward. Sometimes this is a simple act, such as voting for a candidate who is committed to issues you care about or taking the time to tell a service worker how much you appreciate what he or she does, and sometimes it involves a commitment of much more time and energy. We are all manifestations of cit (consciousness) – individual in nature but so much more than just ourselves. Applying the principle of balanced action, we turn in and nourish ourselves, hug into our core, and then we turn out and offer our hearts to others. I invite you to contemplate what social activism means to you and to engage, in whatever way moves you, to make our community and world safer, healthier, and more just for all.

For further contemplation:

• What does social activism mean to you? What is social justice?
• What small, manageable things can you do on a daily basis that are acts of activism and social justice?
• What do you see as the connections between yoga, social justice, and social activism?
• What causes are you drawn to? (Environmental protection, gender equality, racial justice, gay rights, food justice, education, alternative energy, violence prevention, teen pregnancy, homelessness, etc.)
• In what way can you get involved with an issue you care about?

Written by Kendra Hodgson

Amrita Shiva Guru

I recently had the great blessing of a couple days of study with Tantric philosophy scholar Paul Muller-Ortega. Of the many, many jewels of his teachings, here is one I loved:

Amrita Shiva Guru

Amrita means nectar. It is the emanational expression of your own consciousness. It is our essence, and includes the qualities of astonishment, sweetness and joy. Paul asked us, do you remember a time when you felt unreasonably happy? We taste this happiness, this "nectarian consciousness", throughout our lives. Something happens that pierces and opens our heart, and the amrita, the natural happiness and sweetness of our own consciousness awakens. Though it may seem that this sweetness comes from an outside experience- such as watching an exquisite sunset or dancing into a state of bliss- amrita does not come from the outside. We don't have to go anywhere to procure this nectar- it is who we are, not just within us, but our very own essence. This feeling happens naturally when we are able to instinctively touch the sacred.

For all of us though, there remains the reality that we do not live in this nectarian consciousness all- or even most- of the time (although my three year old daughter seems to drink from the nectar of her own consciousness most of the time. She usually experiences a near constant state of delight in life and wonder at everything! Except for the usual human meltdowns and tantrums, of course).

How do we live from this state of being more of the time? This is where yoga comes in. Through practice, we begin to remove the obstacles to this state of being. It takes Abhyasa Kramena. Abhyasa meaning practice, kramena meaning a particular sequence... by means of a particular combination of elements, we learn to refine our state of consciousness.

A- Mrita means not dead! You are not dead. Our choice is to align with the higher reality of our lives.

Shiva means auspicious.

Auspiciousness is often meant to refer to something well begun, that which bodes well. In Tantric philosophy, Shiva is the auspiciousness of your own nature- divine, whole, perfect.

Guru means "the sacred intensity of that guiding consciousness inside of you". Guru means the heavy, weighty- the most weighty, or valuable, experiences and energies. That which guides and teaches us, sometimes in the form of an external teacher, but always a guiding consciousness that emanates from the inside.

With all things in life, may the Amrita Shiva Guru - the sacred intensity of that divine, nectarian consciousness that compels us forward on our path be our guiding light.

Though doubts and fears will arise- this is all part of the divine's pulsating dance of limitation and freedom- may we take the highest path, the path of the heart.

Written by Sara Rose

The Nature of the Universe

As we begin the final month of summer, we find ourselves completely surrounded by the beauty and heat of the natural world. What a wonderful time to contemplate the Nature of the Universe. On those balmy summer nights as we gaze up into the beauty of the night sky, we become aware of how small we are in the midst of the awesomeness before us. We begin to sense the oneness. Looking beyond our mats we find the many teachings of Anusara yoga to explore and reflect upon.

From the tantric point of view everything in the Universe is Supreme Consciousness. The Universe is comprised of both absolute and relative worlds of existence. Levels of existence are referred to as tattvas. There are 5 tattvas of the absolute world, 6 tattvas of the physical world and 25 tattvas of the relative world.

One of my favorite tattvas of absolute reality is Ananda which means bliss in sanskrit. It is supreme creative power. Ananda is associated with Shakti, the personification of the female principle. On the other hand Shiva is the embodiment of the male principle. The figure of Shiva and Shakti entwined in the yub-yum (mother-father) position is the symbolic representation of Oneness, the realisation that both are an aspect of the Singularity, the Total Consciousness, The Absolute ONE without beginning or end.

In the remaining weeks of summer take a moment to invite Ananda in. Let the beauty of nature be your guide. Simply bathe in the Summer sun or moonlight and breathe in the bliss.

Written by Susan Elena Esquivel

Guru Purnima

Sunday, July 25th was Guru Purnima. We hope you had a chance to enjoy the splendor of the full moon on this special summer night. If you missed it and have some curiosity about the origin of this celebration here is a brief history.

It is said that thousands of years ago the tradition of Guru Purnima began. A Guru is the one who dispels the darkness, or the one who brings to light that which is hidden from awareness. In Tantra the root words that are in Guru are GU= remover and RU= darkness. In simple language Guru is frequently translated as teacher. Purnima means full and it refers in this case to the Full Moon of the Guru. In yogic symbolism the moon represents the mind and the sun represents the light of God or the Self. The Guru is the one whose mind is full with the light of God.

A great and most revered sage named Vyasa is said to have been responsible for editing the four Vedas, writing the eighteen Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. In honor of this tremendous gift to humanity a tradition began of honoring Vyasa on the full moon that falls in the mid summer months. This time was the beginning of the rainy season in India and spiritual aspirants would all gather together to spend the next four months in one location where they would intensively practice their discipline. To sanctify their pursuit they would first pay respectful oblations to Vyasa and their own spiritual preceptor, or Guru. [1]

This day is also of deep significance to the farmers, for it heralds the setting in of the much-needed rains, as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in the fields. It is a good time to begin your spiritual lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual 'sadhana' (practice) from this day forward.

Guru Purnima is a wonderful time for all of us to bask in the warmth of the moonlight and give thanks to all of our teachers past, present and future.


[1] Hindu Fasts & Festivals, Swami Sivananda, p. 28-36

Co-creation: Become an Artist of Life

When I was a teenager I came across "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz and it changed my life. Ruiz was so clear, so simple, so honest in his articulation of the Truth, it helped me through a very difficult time, and I have carried his teachings with me ever since.

Lately I've been contemplating what Ruiz calls "the victim & the judge". The victim and the judge are like two characters that the ego likes to identify itself with, two archetypes, if you will, that often unconsciously dominate our experience. The "victim" perceives life as happening to her, rather than with her, she feels small, stuck, trapped on the hamster wheel of samsara (the wheel of suffering). The "judge"is exactly what it sounds like: harsh, critical, rigid, perfectionistic, perpetually trying to control the world by judging it; no matter what happens, it's insufficient & unworthy to the judge, no one and nothing are ever good enough. Sound familiar? Clearly, this tendency of the ego to misidentify itself does not serve to enhance our life, rather it increases the feeling of limitation and powerlessness. So how do we get out of this victim/judge cycle?

We do yoga. And we learn how to become artists of life, using every experience as an opportunity to unfold our self and create the life that we want for ourselves, the planet and all of its creatures.

Yoga is the place of the middle, between the victim and the judge, between the helpless and the overbearing. Yoga literally means "to engage yourself", to engage your body, to engage your mind & heart, and as a result, to engage your life as the empowered co-creator of reality. We are neither the victim of our experience, nor so arrogant as to believe that we are in complete control of it. Instead we are actively receptive, empowered to receive whatever life is offering us (even when we don't like it) and empowered to use that experience to create the life that we want. Co-creation inherently means that we don't get to choose everything that happens to us in our life, but we do get to choose how we engage with whatever life is offering, in this way we become artists instead of judges. Furthermore, we do get to choose what it is that we want for our life, for ourselves, for the planet, and future generations. By knowing what we want, we become deeply empowered and deeply responsible, no longer the victim.

A beautiful practice that you can use on or off the mat is asking yourself the 3 questions of Yoga:

What do you want?
Why do you want it?
What are you going to do about it?

As soon as you engage these 3 questions, you are no longer the victim or the judge, but the empowered artist skillfully weaving the desires of your heart into the fabric of the universe.

Written by Amy Reed