Basic Techniques in Sarvanga Yoga

So we've touched on some of the basics already.  Breath-Body Synchronization, Weight even across foundation, Ullolas and their ability to invite more sensitivity.  Another biggy is Minimum Necessary Muscular Effort (MNME).  Now the commonly used cue is effortless effort.  This would be fine but for the fact that its very unclear.  It leaves the practitioner guessing.  MNME states what is really required.  It means that when applying muscular actions in yoga we have to apply enough effort as necessary and not a scintilla more.  Some effort does need to be applied.  The amount of effort required will very greatly for practitioners depending upon a myriad of qualities that differ between individuals.  For example a practitioner who is new to yoga may need to apply much more effort to achieve a certain goal as compared to a more experienced practitioner who may be more flexible and stronger.  Though this is the case, it is still true that yoga may be accessed any time by any person.  Still it is good to know how MNME works and that it is something that will change as you practice.  In other words, each individual's body is different.  One may be stronger the other more flexible.  One may be sick and another more healthy.  Regardless, as each learns to apply MNME they find that the practice is easier and more accessible.  Using enough effort enables us to have the stability that we need and enables us to move towards the necessary alignment.  Using too much effort will result in a tightening of the body.  A simple way to get an idea of this is to hold out one of your hands in front of you.  Open your hand with a lot of force.  The palm may even round a bit as the finger tips curl back.  Notice how tight the back of the hand is.  This is not yoga.  Then relax the hand.  The fingers go limp & the back of the hand rounds.  This is not yoga either.  Then activate the hand and engage the muscles so that the hand is open with the fingers and thumbs spreading apart but in a way that causes no strain in the bones and tissues of the hands.  This is MNME.  Once learned in the hand, it can be applied through the rest of the body.  Learning to apply this in the rest of the body requires feeling for this neutral quality throughout the body.  When the leg is straightened, it is done so that there is no tension in the ankle, knee or hip.  When the muscles of the arms are being used, they are activated without strain in the wrists, elbows or shoulders.  After a few weeks of becoming familiar with this quality throughout the body the practitioner can use it to guide her or him through yoga poses and movement.  Once applied in the whole body simultaneously the state of yoga is invited.  With this qualiity of MNME present throughout the body it will be easier to feel the ramifacations of actions throughout the whole system.  One misleading tendency in modern yoga is to habitually associate specific action with localized results.  Really, every action affects the whole body.  We want to keep joints as open as possible when in poses.  However, there is a point at which opening one joint will start to close another.  So we must open all joints to the degree possible and this means sensing how the joints relate to each other when applying actions.  If we think of poses in terms of opening specific parts of the body we move away from yoga.  A major aspect of this cultivating MNME relates to accessing spirals in the body.  Spirals can be applied in the arms and legs.  The spiral dynamic is expressed in the hands, feet and torso when the Bandhas are applied.  In our next post we'll get into the bandhas and how they relate to practice and the experience of yoga.  For now, enjoy your time on the mat and everywhere else.