core

My student Mary came to me nearly in tears one day after class. She’d been working for years to get into a headstand, yet continually watched newer students lift up with ease before her. She asked, “What am I doing wrong?”

Since Mary had come into my yoga classes only the week before, I asked her if she was using her bandhas to help her attain headstand. “What’s a bandha?” she asked, looking puzzled.

Nothing can stop a perfectly good yoga practice (or day, for that matter) in its tracks like a hurting back. And sometimes, the poses you might think would help your aching body could actually be making it worse.

Yes, yoga is known for its healing powers and ability to transform your body and mind into a lean — yet much less mean — you.

A strong core has been “in” for years. But the biomechanic awareness that has trickled into yoga and fitness studios has been affected by loads of misinformation and the “quick-build” mentality. Unfortunately, this can often do the body more harm than good.

A brief unauthorized biography of the core

In more than a decade as a yoga instructor, I’ve noticed that yogis are often super strong in the arms and legs, but the core? Not so much.

They are FINALLY over! Don’t worry if you consumed too many calories this season. Holiday weight gain doesn’t stand a chance against my turbo-boosted Sun Salutations.

Adding core-toning work in the transitions between poses in the classic Sun Salutation series amps up the benefits of all the poses. I call these Core Salutations. When you follow this sequence, you’re doing twice the yoga in the same amount of time. It’s a calm centering practice that will burn off those sugar cookies and eggnog, fast.

What are your resolutions this year? If you’re like many people, you’ve got a goal in mind: lose weight, make a change in your job or relationships, treat yourself better, or otherwise embark on an Operation: Transformation!

The Core is an essential part of your physical strength and stability. It can at the same time be translated into being the essence of the inner YOU, where you build inner strength and create the energy you use. The muscles involved are the ones which support the back, and access and contract the deeper abdominals, instead of just the “six-pack.” A basketball player who has good core control can both jump higher, shoot further and run faster. The same goes for any other sport. In real life the core is what keeps our back healthy and supported and  our shoulder and hip girdle working in symphony! If you have good core control, it can save you from injuries you might be prone to. In essence, good core control means good posture, strength, flexibility and most of all stability. In the same way you can use the core as an analogy for building inner strength and energy for life.