Term
| General Guidelines for coordination breath with movement |
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Definition
Inhale during expansions; exhale during contractions.
What is to be gained from doing this?
Expansions become greater when the lungs are filled; contractions are deeper when the lungs are emptied. Prana comes into harmony and balance.
p11 |
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Term
| Should you focus on the inhalations or the exhalations in backward bends? |
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Definition
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Term
| Should you focus on the inhalations or exhalations in forward bends? |
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Definition
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Term
| Should you focus on the inhalations or exhalations in twists? |
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Definition
| Both. The inhalations are just as important as the exhalations in twists and lateral stretches because they keep the body from collapsing, whereas the exhalations help to deepen the stretches and twists. |
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Term
What postures and pranayama techniques are contraindicated for menstruating women?
What alternative postures can menstruating women practice? |
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Definition
Shoulder stands and inverted poses.
Alternate nostril Kapalabati.
Hara breathing
Kapalabati breathing
Abdominal pumping,
as these types of breathing are prana, or upward moving, and menstruating women need pana, or downward moving breath, which facilitates the natural process.
On inverted poses, they should keep their pelvis grounded.
Alternate nostril kapalabati breathing should only be done for a short time.
pp214 & 155 |
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Term
What three parts of the body are most vulnerable to injury in hatha yoga?
Why?
What specific movements or misalignments compromise these areas? |
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Definition
The shoulder, lumbar vertebrae, and knees. The shoulder is vulnerable in supporting poses if the muscles aren't sufficiently strong. The lumbar vertebrae is vulnerable in forward bending poses when the spine is rounded, because it bears the weight of the entire torso. The knees are vulnerable in twisting poses because they are hinge joints and do not rotate. They are vulnerable in bent knee poses because they must support the weight of the body.
In forward bending poses, lengthen and avoid rounding the spine to keep the weight evenly distributed. In Virabhadrasana poses and lunges, make sure the bending leg is perpendicular with knee over ankle. In Trikonasana, don't try to square the hips forward because this causes strain on the knee opposite the side being stretched, as it could cause it to rotate. In lotus, or easy pose, don't force the knees down; instead work the flexibility of the hip sockets. |
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Term
| What is the difference between tendons and ligaments? |
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Definition
| Tendons attach muscle to bone. Ligaments attach bone to bone. |
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Term
| What muscles are involved in the mechanics of breathing? |
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Definition
Your diaphragm and muscles around your chest cavity are involved in the mechanics of breathing. This includes:
the rhomboids between the shoulder blades,
the pectoralis minor, and
the quadratus lumborum.
I.e:
upper chest muscles,
external and internal intercostal muscles,
and abdominal muscles.
p208 |
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Term
| Why does your abdomen expand when you inhale? |
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Definition
Your abdomen expands during inhalation because your diaphragm lowers, making less room for your stomach, which pushes it outward.
p208 |
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Term
| How can you increase your lung capacity? |
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Definition
By practicing dirgha pranayama to expand the
ribcage,
upper chest muscles,
external and internal intercostal muscles, and
abdominal muscles.
p208 |
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Term
| What is the difference between arteries and veins? |
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Definition
Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins carry blood to the heart.
p209 |
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Term
What are the dangers of high blood pressure?
Low blood pressure?
Should students with either of these conditions ever have their heads below their hearts?
Why? |
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Definition
High blood pressure can cause a blood vessel to rupture - stroke.
Low blood pressure causes low circulation, which can cause fainting and even death.
It is generally ok to have the head below the heart for those with low blood pressure, but not okay for high, as this causes blood to flow too rapidly toward the head, which can cause stroke.
p209 |
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Term
If there is no heart to pump lymph through the lymphatic system, what causes it to circulate throughout the body?
How does hatha yoga support the process? |
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Definition
Contractions in the lymph vessel walls move the lymph through a series of valve systems. As one valve area fills up, the valve opens and the lymph continues to the next valve area.
Hatha yoga keeps the lymph vessels healthy and flexible. The inversions especially help.
p210 |
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Term
| Why is the pituitary gland referred to as the master gland? |
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Definition
Because it produces a hormone that stimulates other glands; insulin in the pancreas, breast milk production, growth hormone, water retention in the kidneys.
p212 |
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Term
What is stress response?
How does yoga help control it? |
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Definition
Fight or flight responses are reactions inside the body to help deal with a threat. Adrenalin and cortisol rush into the body, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure increase. Blood goes away from the internal organs to the muscles to prepare for fight or flight. p217
Yoga reduces the levels of cortisol. By mimicking the stress response through the holding of difficult postures, yoga teaches us to remain calm in stressful situations, and to be aware of physical and mental states, esp the breathing. Yogic breathing practices help us to relax the body and calm the mind. pp 149 and 151. Meditation allows our minds to release remembered stresses that normally trigger new stresses. p217 |
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Term
Describe the functions of the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
What yoga practice helps balance the functioning of the two sides? |
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Definition
The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and is involved with rational, linear thinking, and reading, writing, and speech.
The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and relates to creativity, art, music, emotions, and intuition.
Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, creates whole brain functioning by balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. |
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Term
What pranayama technique is best known for quickly bringing a fresh supply of blood to the brain?
What are some of the effects one can expect from this practice? |
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Definition
Kapalabhati, or the skull shining breath, which involves passive inhalations and dynamic abdominal exhalations.
Energizing and a great pick-me-up. Mental clarity. Strengthens the diaphragm.
p155 |
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Term
What are nadis?
Describe the location and significance of the three major nadis. |
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Definition
Nadis are subtle energy currents.
(1) Sushamna is the central channel of kundalini.
(2) Pingala is the male current, which corresponds to the left brain, logical thinking, reading writing, speech, and is active, heat, solar.
(3) Ida is the female current, which corresponds to the right brain, creativity, art, music, emotions, and is passive, intuitive, cool, and lunar.
p18 |
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Term
What are chakras?
Explain the qualities of each of the seven chakras. |
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Definition
Chakras are energy vortices that yoga helps to balance, allowing energy to flow freely. They are:
(1)MULADHARA (Root) safety, security, survival, groundedness, elimination. It is red and its mantra is "LAM."
(2)SVADHISHGNA (Sacral) pleasure, sensuality, sexuality, taste. It is orange and its mantra is "VAM."
(3)MANIPURA (Solar Plexis) self-esteem, power, ego, digistive system. It is yellow and its mantra is "RAM."
(4)ANAJATA (Heart) love, compassion, wholeness, respiration. It is GREEN and its mantra is "YAM."
(5)VISHUDDHA, (Throat) expression, communication, balance of giving and receiving, hearing, speech. It is blue and its mantra is "HAM."
(6)AJNA (Third Eye) perception, intuition, and insight. It is INDIGO or PURPLE and its mantra is "OM."
(7)SHASRARA (Crown)knowing, being, and enlightenment. It is white and it is BEYOND SOUND. pp22-23 |
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Term
| What is the meaning of the word, yoga? |
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Definition
Union or yolking; returning to wholeness by uniting the finite self with the infinite being.
p3 |
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Term
| What is the meaning of Patanjali's sutra 1.2, Yogas chitta vittri nirodha? |
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Definition
| Yoga occurs when the mind chatter stops. |
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Term
| Explain Patanjali's sutra 2.46, Sthira sukham asanam. |
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Definition
The posture is steady and comfortable, firm and soft, challenging and easy at the same time. This is balance between tension and relaxation.
p6 |
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Term
| Explain each of the eight limbs of yoga (Ashtanga). |
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Definition
(1)Yama are social ethics: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aprigraha.
(2)Niyama are personal practices: saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya, ishvarapranidhana
(3)Asana are physical postures.
(4)Pranayama are breathing practices to increase and master the life force.
(5)Pratyhara is the internalizing of sensual perception, which occurs at the same time as dharana. 2.54 Pratyhara occurs when the mind is focused and the senses disregard external distractions and follow the direction of the mind.
(6)Dharana is concentration.
(7)Dyana is meditation or absorption.
(8)Samadhi is union with the divine.
pp7-13 |
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Term
| Explain each of the yamas. |
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Definition
(1)Ahimsa is non-violence and the root of all the other yamas. Sutra 2.35: In the presence of one established in ahimsa, all hostility stops.
(2)Satya is non-deception/truthfulness. 2.36:For the person established in satya, the result fits the action.
(3)Asteya is non-stealing/honesty/generosity. 2.37: The person established in asteya lives in abundance.
(4)Brahmacharya is sensual moderation or conscious sexuality. 2.38 One established in brahmacharya has abundant energy.
(5) Aparigraha is non-greed. 2.39: One established in aparigraha understands the meaning of life. |
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Term
| Explain in detail one of the chakras. |
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Definition
The MULADHARA, or root chakra is associated with physical identity and grounding. It governs security and survival.
Color: RED
Sound: "LAM."
Location: base of spine
Element: earth
Emotions: passions
Gland: sexual and adrenals
Sense: smell
demon: fear
It is connected to the earth and serves as a resting place of the divine energy (Kundalini Shakti) in the human body.
Blockage in this area can cause us to feel anxious and worried.
When we have a decision to make, we can listen to the signals of the root chakra: Uncomfortable sensations are a message to be alert and reconsider, while pleasant feelings indicate that a given course of action is likely to meet our needs of safety and nourishment. |
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Term
| Explain in detail one of the eight limbs of yoga. |
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Definition
Pranayama is the fourth limb of yoga.
"Prana" means life energy, which is the heeling force that carries out all of the life-giving involuntary functions of the body.
"Ayama" means to expand and increase.
"Pranayama," therefore, means to expand and increase the life force.
Breathing is the most powerful tool for accessing and balancing prana. Prana mimicks the mind and emotions. When the mind is disturbed, prana is disturbed.
Conversely, we can use the breath to help calm us by consciously slowing it down when in stressful situations.
The conscious practice of pranayama during the postures coordinates breath with movement, so that the pranic effects of the postures are activated and enhanced. |
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Term
| Explain in detail one of the yamas. |
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Definition
Ahimsa is the practice of non-violence/compassion. It is the root of all of the other yamas, which are different aspects of non-violence, or non-harm to others and our environment.
It means to behave in kindness, friendliness, compassion, and thoughtful consideration of all beings and things, as well as yourself.
Patanjali's sutra 2.35: In the presence of one established in ahimsa, all hostility stops. |
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