Module One Self-Study

Transform! Week One Self-Study Journaling Exercises: 1. Keeping in mind your tally on your dosa quiz for deciphering your ratio of Vata (Air), Pitta (Fire) and Kapha (Earth/Water), and looking at the handout on the dosas: • What do you think is your Prakrti (original blueprint)?

• What do you think is/are your primary dosa imbalance(s), or your Vikrti?

• What symptoms do you see showing up in your life physically, energetically, and emotionally?

*Keep in mind that we all exhibit characteristics of each of the dosas, but that generally people will have one or two primary imbalances. It is the ratio of elements that create our unique constitution.

2. Looking over the handouts on the chakras: • Which chakras do you feel might be out of alignment for you? How do you see this manifesting in your life physically, energetically, and emotionally?

• What chakras do you feel are aligned for you? How does this show up in your life physically, energetically, and emotionally?

3. Are you able to see any overlap between your Ayurvedic dosa imbalance(s) and your chakra imbalance(s)?

4. What questions do you have about dosas and chakras? Bring them to our next session!

Breathwork: Practice 2 types of breathwork practices during the week, noticing how they affect your body and mind. You can try setting a timer to work with each breath for three minutes at a time. Try practicing with them at different points throughout the day: morning, afternoon, and evening.

Ujjayi Breathing: Come into the ujjayi breath by creating a slight constriction at the back of your throat. You can think of it sounding like the ocean, or imagine the act of fogging up a mirror. Ujjayi breathwork is often easier to begin with an open mouth, moving into close mouth. This is a full diaphragmatic breath. As you breathe imagine the breath moving through you like a wave.

When to Use: Ujjayi (oo-jay-ee) breath is thought to conquer fear and illness and to steady the mind. The purpose of the ujjayi breath is to bring your awareness to each breath. It aids in opening the throat chakra and opening yourself to a practice of allowing.

Belly to Chest Breathing: Come into a comfortable seat and place one hand on the belly and one hand on the heart. On your next inhale, breathe deeply from the belly up to the chest, with a slight constriction at the back of the throat, holding here until your body wants to release, and slowly exhale from the chest down to the belly, taking a slightly longer exhale (open or closed mouth).

Inhale to the count of 3 from the belly to the chest and “hold” in the chest, then exhale from the chest down to the belly to the count of 4, releasing all the breath in the belly. Take a few rounds here and then as you are ready begin to add on time: 3/4; 4/5; 5/6.

When to Use: The deep breathing and slightly longer exhales work to calm the body down by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system.

This is a staple breathwork practice to use whenever you are experiencing

anxiety, nervousness, ungroundness, or feeling scattered. Works to bring Vata and Pitta into balance.

Alternate Nostril Breathing: Come into a comfortable seat and find your dominant hand. Bring your ring and middle finger to the spot between your eyebrows (third eye) and pinky and thumb to either nostril. Begin by pinching the left nostril closed and breathing through the right. Hold the breath between the eyebrows then slowly release the left nostril and exhale, keeping right nostril closed. Inhale through the left nostril, hold breath between the eyebrows with both nostrils closed, slowly breathe out through the right. Repeat.

When to Use: Alternate Nostril Breathing is a versatile practice that can be used to calm or energize the body depending on how quickly or slowly you practice it. Slow alternate nostril breathing calms and grounds the body, which is good for balancing Vata and Pitta. Fast alternate nostril breathing energizes the body by stoking fire, and is good for balancing Kapha. At either speed it enhances clarity and focus.

Kapalabhati Breathing (Breath of Fire): Come into a comfortable seat and bring both hands to the lower belly. On the exhale, contract your lower abdominal muscles to force the out breath through the nostrils, followed by a passive inhale. If you have trouble isolating this muscle group you can make two fists with the hands to press against the lower abdomen as you exhale. If you are familiar with the Mula Bandha (root lock located at the perineum) you can work on constricting this muscle as you practice kapalabhati breathing.

Beginners will want to start out slowly, gradually increasing speed. The inhale is an automatic “rebound” response to the active exhale. Try taking a round of 25, coming back into a regular breath, and then taking another round of 25. You can increase the speed and number of rounds as you become more familiar with the practice.

When to use: Kapalabhati breathing, or “skull-shining breath” works to energize the body and cleanse the body of toxins. It can be helpful to visualize a clearing out of the skull with each exhale. It increases energy, focus, and stamina. Kapalabhati breathwork can be a very powerful way to start the morning. It is an important practice for balancing Kapha and bringing the energy upward in the body. Pittas will want to be careful not to overdo, and Vatas can find themselves overwhelmed and dizzy by the amount of upward energy it creates in the body.

Chakra Balancing Asanas: This week, after considering which chakra imbalances you might be experiencing, choose one or two asanas from the list below and try holding the pose for 3 minutes at the beginning, middle, or end of your day, experimenting with holding the same pose at different times during the day.

1st Root Chakra (Muladhara): Standing Mountain Pose Child’s Pose Reclined Butterfly Pose Sphinx Pose Knees to Chest 2nd Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana): Reclined Butterfly Happy Baby Open Leg Seated Forward Fold Pigeon Pose Goddess Skandasana Squat

3rd Solar Plexus (Manipura): Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lock) Planks: Full, Forearm, Side Warrior Poses I, II, III Triangle Boat Pose Bow Pose Locust Reverse Table Downward Dog Sways

4th Heart Chakra (Anahata): Cat/Cow Thread the Needle Cobra Pose Puppy Pose Forward Fold with Bind Fish Pose Gate Pose with Backbend Camel Pose Wheel Pose 5th Throat Chakra (Visuddha): Chin lock Bridge Rabbit Pose Plow Pose Shoulderstand

6th Third Eye (Ajña): Warrior III Tree Pose Eagle Pose Dolphin Pose Handstand 7th Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) Seated Meditation Pose Rabbit Pose Dancer Pose Wheel Headstand Handstand

Further Resources:

Ayurveda Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing, Vasant Lad The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies, Vasant Lad

Yoga Chakra Yoga, Anodea Judith Yoga for Wellness, Gary Kraftsow

Chakras Wheels of Life: The Classic Guide to the Chakra System, Anodea Judith Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self, Anodea Judith