In This Chapter

V A self-test for the yoga-challenged

V Understanding how your body works

V Using yoga to learn to trust your body

You know the types who are comfortable in their bodies. You've seen them gliding through life looking ready for anything. They don't slouch or slump or hunch over. They don't have flawless bodies. (Nobody does.) But they don't seem to mind! They look like they feel great in their own skin, no matter what shape or size they happen to be.

Are you comfortable in your body? Are standing, sitting, and lying down easy, or do you feel your clothes binding, your stomach sagging, your back aching, and your knees cracking? Can you spring up from a sitting position on the floor like a child, or is hoisting yourself to a stand always accompanied by grunts, long sighs, and various strange popping noises from assorted joints?

The truth of the matter is that most of us aren't comfortable in our bodies. Why? Two reasons: We don't maintain them as well as we might, and we are convinced, for any number of reasons, that we should look and feel different than we do. Fitness expert Jack LaLanne once said that if more people treated their bodies with the same care and upkeep they give to their most precious possessions (their houses and their cars), everyone would be fitter and healthier. Isn't a little maintenance worth the effort?

And what about maintenance on your body image? That could probably use a little ratcheting, too.

A Self-Test for the Yoga-Challenged

Are you yoga-challenged? In other words, are you so far out of touch with your body that yoga seems like an impossibility? Take this test to find out how in tune you are with your body. Choose the one best answer for each question.

1. The longest amount of time I can sit on the floor without feeling some sort of pain and discomfort is ...

a. Thirty minutes or longer.

b. Fifteen minutes, max.

c. Maybe two minutes.

d. Why the heck would I want to sit on the floor? That's why they invented the couch.

2. My back ...

a. Never hurts.

b. Hurts 24 hours a day.

c. Hurts after I've been sitting for too long.

d. Hurts when I don't exercise regularly.

3. My coccyx is ...

a. The vertebrae at the base of my neck.

b. My kneecap.

c. A small, triangular bone at the base of my spine.

d. I'm quite sure I don't have a coccyx!

4. I get sick (cold, flu, gastroenteritis, etc.) or injured (sprained ankle, twisted knee, back goes out, etc.) at least ...

a. Once a year.

b. Once every few months.

c. Once every few weeks.

d. I hardly ever get sick or injured.

5. My vision is ...

a. Excellent (20/20 or better).

b. Pretty good. I have glasses or contacts, but my prescription isn't a very strong one.

c. Terrible. I can't see well at all without my glasses or contacts.

d. I'm sorry, I couldn't quite make out the question. It's too blurry.

6. Whenever I feel a cold coming on, the first thing I do is ...

a. Push fluids, get more sleep, go in late to work, and drag myself through the day.

b. Try to talk myself out of it or ignore it. I don't have time to get sick!

c. Go to work, but whine and complain that I'm getting sick while sneezing and coughing all over my co-workers.

d. Rest, bundle up on the couch with some herbal tea with lemon and honey, increase my vitamin C intake, and stay home so I can get better.

7. The difference between tendons and ligaments is ...

a. Tendons connect muscles to bones, while ligaments connect bones to bones or hold organs in place.

b. Tendons connect bones to bones or hold organs in place, while ligaments connect muscles to bones.

c. Tendons and ligaments are those things I'm always pulling and tearing, after which my doctor says, "There's nothing I can do."

d. Huh?

8. The way I feel about my body can best be described as follows ...

a. I dislike certain parts of my body, but other parts are pleasing. I'm good at disguising my faults with my clothing.

b. My body is okay, but I don't pay much attention to it.

c. I love my body. I think it's beautiful, and it feels good to be in it. I take good care of it so it will stay that way.

d. I practically have a heart attack every time I look in the mirror, so I just don't look in the mirror.

9. I can ...

a. Bend down and touch my toes easily.

b. Bend down and touch my knees easily.

c. Fold completely in half, bending forward, hugging my calves with my arms, and resting my head and entire upper body against my legs.

d. Look down and almost see my feet.

10. My muscles are visible ...

a. In a lot of places if I flex. I can see the line of my calf muscle if I stand on my toes, and I can see my biceps and triceps if I flex my arm.

b. All the time. I can see my thigh muscles, calf muscles, biceps, triceps, deltoids, and abdominal muscles, even without flexing them. I am truly buff!

c. Possibly on an x-ray—that is, if x-rays showed muscles.

d. Every now and then. Especially when I'm at a lower weight, I can see something that looks a little bit like muscle, but mostly I just see smooth, rounded surfaces with some bumpy cellulite here and there.

Now score your test by giving yourself the correct number of points, as indicated below, for each answer. For example, for each question you answered with an a, give yourself three points. For each b, you get two points. Add up your points, and then check the following section to see what your score means.

a. 3

b. 2

c. 1

d. 0

Your score:_

What Your Body Is Telling You, and Whether It's Good News

So, how'd you do on the quiz?

If you scored 25 to 30 points: Are you already a yogi and just reading this book for fun? You have a wonderful awareness of your body. If you aren't doing yoga, you'll probably love it.

If you scored 16 to 24 points: There are a few things you don't like about your body, but at least you pay attention to it. As you work through yoga's exercises and meditations, your bad habits will eventually disappear on their own. You won't need willpower, because treating your body well will feel so good!

If you scored 8 to 15 points: Yoga can help you become more aware of your body and improve your self-image. You'll discover feelings, muscles, positions, and energy you never imagined you had. If you don't pay attention to your body, it will break down faster, and you don't want that!

If you scored 0 to 7 points: Talk about somebody who needs yoga! You're barely aware of your body at all, either because you ignore it or because you dislike it so much that you want nothing to do with it. Yoga can gently coax you into a new relationship with your body—one based on respect and appreciation.

Most of us have many illusions about our bodies. Unfortunately, these illusions affect not only our feelings about our physical appearance, but also our self-esteem and our

relations with others. Be aware that the following italicized statements about your body are not true:

>- Your body is without consciousness, and your mind is separate from your body. Not so. Many of your organs and tissues have properties similar to your brain, sending out messages, receiving information, reacting accordingly, and letting you know when you're being abusive or kind to your body. Your entire body is awake, alive, and aware.

>- You can't change your body. Of course you can! Not only can you change your body profoundly through your actions and thoughts, but your body continuously changes itself: All your cells are replaced every five years. Your body is supremely mutable.

>- Your body is solid. It only looks that way. Actually, at the atomic level, your body consists of vibrating atoms with lots of space in between. You are more energy than matter!

>- Bodies are a curse. Not at all! Bodies are an opportunity and a tool through which the inner soul can be discovered.

>- I am a victim of genetics. You don't have to be a victim. Genetics only reveal the make and model of your body. What you do with that body and that mind and how you care for them can be as powerful as your genes.

>- People judge you by your body, first and foremost. No they don't, even when they think they do. Your self-concept is a powerful force that emanates from you and influences others more than you might think.

The Shape You Are In

To know your body is to love your body, with all its unique characteristics. Whether you tend to be muscular, curvy, slim, or some combination, look around and you'll see others with many of the same qualities—and different physical characteristics of all kinds, too.

But knowing your body type can do more than make you feel satisfied that there are plenty of other people who have a similar shape. Your body type can give you clues to what types of yoga poses will come more easily to you, and what types of poses might be more challenging and balancing for your body type.

(Keep in mind as you read the descriptions for each of the body types that any body type can belong to either men or women.)

The Slim Ectomorph

The ectomorph body type tends to be tall and slender with narrow shoulders and hips, long limbs, relatively low body fat, and underdeveloped muscles. Although the stereotypical ectomorph is slender because of a tendency to have a lower muscle mass, ectomorphs can develop a high fat-to-muscle ratio if they don't get enough exercise.

Luckily, exercise is easy for ectomorphs, who tend to be highly energetic and who, when in shape, can bounce effortlessly through a high-impact aerobics class followed by a three-mile run. Good luck keeping up with an ectomorph's pace. Unless you are also an ectomorph, it won't be easy.

Aerobic activity, however, while healthy in moderation, isn't as important for ectomorphs as developing those muscles. Everyone needs cardiovascular exercise, but ectomorphs may tend to overdo this type of activity because it comes so easily. Not so easy for ectomorphs is weight training.

Yoga is great for ectomorphs because it can help to slow that frantic pace they tend to maintain. Yoga is also a weight-bearing activity, so it is the perfect, gentle way to introduce ectomorphs to their own muscles. Because many yoga poses lift, hold, and/or

The endomorph is the classic Rubenesque figure: all curves and rounded surfaces. Endomorphs aren't automatically overweight, but they do tend to have a higher fat-to-muscle ratio than the other body types, accumulating fat on the abdomen, buttocks, hips, and thighs.

They tend to be pear-shaped, with narrower shoulders and wider hips than ecto-morphs.

Endomorphs have slower metabolisms and may seem more languid or serene than the energetic and active ectomorph. This natural tendency, when not countered with regular activity, may result in a sedentary lifestyle, something that isn't healthy for anyone. Endomorphs burn fat more slowly, and it takes more steady, low-intensity aerobic exercise for them to burn fat than it would for an ectomorph, making exercise crucial to maintaining a healthy weight.

Yoga is perfect for endomorphs, too. Many yoga exercises are low-intensity aerobic exercises that burn fat. Endomorphs might want to pay particular attention to vinyasa, such as the sun salutation (see Chapter 16, "A Continuous Flow"), groups of yoga poses strung together with coordinated breathing patterns. These pose series are just what the endomorph needs to burn off any extra fat that develops and impart the energy some endo-morphs have difficulty generating.

Endomorphs also tend to have a naturally strong lower body, but the endomorph's upper body often needs development. Many yoga exercises involve lifting and holding body weight with the upper body. These poses will help the endomorph to develop a more balanced body.

balance the body's own weight, yoga provides ectomorphs with the muscle-developing and strength-building exercise their body type requires to maintain a physical fitness equilibrium.

Your ectomorph summary:

>- Narrow shoulders and hips >- Long limbs

>- Low body-fat to muscle-mass ratio >- High energy

>- Benefits from yoga poses that are calming and poses that develop muscle strength

The Curvaceous Endomorph

Your endomorph summary:

>- Narrow shoulders and wide hips >- High body-fat to muscle-mass ratio >- Strong lower body

>- A relaxed disposition, sometimes bordering on inactive

>- Benefits from an aerobic series of yoga poses like the sun salutation, and poses that build upper body strength

The Muscular Mesomorph

Your mesomorph summary:

>- Muscular upper and lower body >- High muscle-mass-to-body-fat ratio >- Accumulates fat around the middle >- An easily motivated disposition

>- Benefits from moderately aerobic yoga poses and poses that lengthen and increase the flexibility of muscles

The mesomorph develops muscle mass easily and has a high muscle-mass-to-body-fat ratio. Mesomorphs tend to accumulate fat around the waist, triceps, and back, but

mesomorphs who get physical activity have well-developed muscles. It doesn't take much for a meso-morph to sport washboard abs, cut triceps, or an impressively muscled back.

Strength is the mesomorph's forte, so the weight-bearing aspect of yoga makes the mesomorph feel right at home. Too much weight-bearing exercise can actually bulk up a mesomorph too much.

Mesomorphs tend to be more easily motivated than endomorphas, and may feel right at home with the weight-bearing yoga poses, but stretching is another matter. Those tight mesomorph muscles don't tend to be particularly flexible.

Yoga to the rescue! Yoga is perhaps the best exercise for developing long, strong, flexible muscles. The aerobic aspect of yoga is also helpful for mesomorphs, since their tendency to develop fat around the middle may put them at greater risk for heart disease.

Your Body and Yoga 101

Yoga can help you optimize the particular physical body you've been given, but your physical makeup isn't the whole picture. You are also animated by energy. Your cultural background determines the way you may see or understand your body in all its layers and complexities, and your own personal level of confidence and trust in your own body can teach you even more about the complex package otherwise known

No matter how in touch or out of touch you are with your body, everyone has energy cycles. You know, even without consciously knowing, when your energy levels fluctuate. Sometimes your energy peaks, sometimes it lags. Sometimes you wake up ready to go-go-go, and sometimes you can barely pull yourself out of bed. Energy cycles can be affected by increased activity, over- or undereating, or too little sleep. Your monthly cycles, the weather, lunar cycles, and your health, diet, and regular level of exercise can all have an effect, too.

Just as people have different body types, they have different energy patterns. Maybe you tend to wake up ready to take on the world, but by nighttime, you can't wait to crawl into bed. Or maybe you don't want to see another human face before 10 a.m., but at midnight, you are ready to rock. While individual energy fluctuations can be a matter of habit (you can accustom yourself to working the night shift, for example), working with your natural energy flow will make yoga easier and more enjoyable, and a regular yoga practice will smooth out your natural energy flow.

Are you a night owl or a lark? Night owls typically enjoy energy peaks about two hours later in the day than larks, who are the classic "morning people." Typical larks enjoy the morning and a good breakfast and feel most alert and creative early in the day, preferring to retire early. Night owls often dislike eating breakfast and enjoy their peak later in the day, preferring to stay up late and sleep in.

When energy shoots up or plummets too suddenly, we are left feeling exhausted, out of balance, even confused. That sudden five-story drop on the roller coaster may be

as you.

Your Personal Energy Cycle

A Yoga Minute

thrilling for a few seconds, but those nice, smooth hills and valleys are a lot less jarring on your system. Yoga helps your energy cycles flow smoothly. Instead of super highs and abysmal lows, you can enjoy a steady stream of energy, like an exhalation of air you control by the size of the opening of your lips and the force of your exhalation.

With the regular practice of yoga, energy lows blend into energy highs, and the highs flow easily into the lows. Yoga helps you get in touch with and pay closer attention to these cycles as it softens the transitions between them, making you feel more even and balanced all day and all night.

The Muscle and Bone Connection

If we go skin deeper, we get to your bones and muscles. Yoga postures make more sense if you know a little bit about how your body works. Your particular physical challenges will also become more specific to you if you understand your anatomy.

Your skeleton is your frame. It supports your fat, muscles, and organs. It contains 206 bones. Connecting the muscles to the bones are tendons. Muscles help you bend your joints and perform all sorts of tasks. Strong muscles go a long way toward supporting your frame, making it easier to achieve good posture. Think about how effortlessly infants curl up and raise their toes to their mouth. Your back and spine are completely loose before you learn to walk. Once walking begins, the spine tightens and flexibility diminishes and diminishes and ... Yoga is the caretaker of the spine, lengthening and extending it to release the energy that runs through this neural superhighway.

Eastern Body, Western Body

Is your body different than the body of someone from a different part of the world? Of course not, but different cultures have different theories about the body. The concept that the body and the mind are one is an easy concept for the Easterner. The physical body is merely one of several "bodies." It's a temple to house the spirit but should be well-tended and rigorously cared for because of the importance of what it holds. The astral body is the vehicle of the spirit and is maintained through breathing, meditation, and concentration. The causal body is the place where the spirit works. The ego is absent from the causal body, and the spirit can know its true potential here. Ideally, the spirit transcends all bodies and becomes pure consciousness, an individual expression of the divine. To the traditional Easterner, the mind/body is sacred, not to be abused, but to be used as a vehicle for the spirit's expression, which results, finally, in enlightenment.

On the other side of the spectrum is the Westerner. Traditionally, the Westerner sees one part of the self at a time. The body is the body. Healthy food keeps it running, and exercise keeps it strong. End of story. Then there is the mind. The mind is the source of intelligence and thought. Activities that stimulate the mind, from philosophical conversations to crossword puzzles, keep the mind active. End of story. Then there is the spirit. The spirit might be nurtured and maintained by going to church or by a personal philosophy or spirituality. In many, the spirit is ignored. End of story.

Westerners have certainly survived—and thrived. So why should we change a system that works? Because it keeps us off balance. Westerners are movers and shakers, yet many of us exist on the edge of health and sanity, surviving on caffeine, nicotine, and sugar, wracked by stress and saddled with materialism, ego, desire, and greed. We need something to even us out, calm us down, and get us in touch with ourselves again. Don't believe that this will slow you down or make you less effective. Integrating mind, body, and spirit can only make you a better and more effective, productive person—Westerner or Easterner.

Do You Trust Your Body?

Maybe you've never thought of your body in terms of something you should or shouldn't trust, but you have an intimate relationship with your body. It's your vehicle for communicating with the world. Do you trust your body? How many of the following statements do you agree with?

V "When I get a craving, I can't control my eating. I'll eat an entire quart of ice cream, a huge steak, a pound of chocolate, candy, a whole pizza, and a pie. I can't stop myself."

V "I'm accident-prone, especially when I play sports or exercise. I always twist an ankle, jam a thumb, or injure myself in some other way."

V "I always get sick just when an important event is about to happen. My body betrays me when I need it most!"

V "I don't know what to think about myself, because what I see in the mirror is totally different than how other people describe me."

V "I'm uncomfortable in most of my clothes."

If you agreed with any of these statements, you have problems trusting your body. Your body is not your enemy, and it's not a stranger. While you may need professional help to cure an eating disorder, chronic illness, or negative self-image (you'll want to enlist the aid of a licensed healthcare professional as well as a yoga instructor!), the wonderful thing about yoga is that it reacquaints you with your physical self. You'll get to know your body like never before, and you'll even learn to make peace with your body, enjoy your body, like your body.

Your body will begin to respond the way you intend. You'll know what your body is going to do. You'll be paying attention. You'll have more control over your physical being and mental state, so you'll be injured less, be more sure about what you think, be in better control of what you do, and be more self-confident.

The Least You Need to Know

V Yoga helps you feel better in your body.

V Body awareness is an important part of practicing yoga.

V The ectomorph body type tends to be tall, thin, and energetic; the endo-morph body type tends to be curvy with wide hips and a more relaxed temperament; the mesomorph body type tends to be strong with well-developed muscles and an even temperament.

V The more you pay attention to and learn your own personal anatomy, energy cycles, and body image issues, the more you will integrate your mind and body for greater confidence and self-control.

V Yoga can help you learn to trust your body.