The Magic
Four
June July 2005
By
Svaroopa® Yoga is a technique for
opening your body (roopa) to find your Self (sva). It has a radically different approach than most modern
styles of yoga and can give you a new way to think about asana practice. The
practice creates a core opening by releasing the tensions in the deepest layers
of your body. Dissolving these tensions allows you to live with ease, both in
your body and in your deeper self. That ease is your birthright. This all
happens without sweat or strain because Svaroopa Yoga is not exercise but a
scientific maximization of the body’s natural capacities. When practicing
Svaroopa Yoga, we delve into our body as if opening a precious gift carefully
wrapped in many layers.
This powerfully transformative practice can be experienced with just four
asanas, called the Magic Four. They’re simple and
amazingly effective. They begin by releasing the muscles connected to your
tailbone—the pivot point of your body. With enough release in your tailbone,
your whole body will realign from the inside outward. The changes will
automatically extend down your legs through your hips, knees, ankles, and feet.
Simultaneously, a domino effect of release will climb your spine through your
sacrum, waist area (lumbar vertebrae), rib cage, shoulders, neck, and skull.
This spinal release opens more space
for the intervertebral discs and delicate nerve roots
that coordinate every muscle, bone, artery, organ, and gland in your body. This
opening also lifts mechanical compression off the internal organs, improving
their functioning immediately. With less tension throughout the body, your vital
systems find their natural balance. Your breathing also opens up easily and
immediately with the first pose.
The Magic Four will enhance your
vitality and physical stamina while improving your state of mind and helping
your emotions to rest in joy and compassion. The most important aspect of
working with your body in Svaroopa Yoga is discovering the deeper dimensions of
your being. This is the culmination of yoga’s promise: you truly are more than
you think you are.
The inner spaciousness opened by the
Magic Four is a genuine physical reality, but it is more than that. In the full
sequence of Svaroopa Yoga, the inner opening goes much deeper as your life
energy (prana) starts moving through the central
channel of your spine unimpeded. The poses prepare your physical and subtle body
for the more powerful opening that yoga promises. You gradually learn to
surrender into a grace that is ever present, though the tendency is to hold
yourself tight and resist that flow. The outer practice of these asanas leads you to recognize that the source of grace is
deep within your own being.
This approach to the body is based in
the tantra of Kashmir Shaivism. The Pratyabhijnahridayam
describes the goal of Svaroopa Yoga in sutra 17: madhyavikasac cidananda labhaha, “the bliss of consciousness is acquired by the
expansion of the central energy channel.” The author, Kshemaraja, explains that this means the spine must be
opened in order for you to experience the truth of your own being as
Consciousness itself. He refers specifically to sushumna nadi and the chakras in the subtle body to indicate that releasing your
spine opens all levels of your being simultaneously.
The Magic Four can be done in as little
as 20 minutes or can be extended to a full hour to facilitate deeper opening.
These four poses include all five directions of movement (for-ward bend,
backward bend, side bend, inversion, and twist), are suitable for all ages, and
are accessible to everyone from newcomers to experienced practitioners. Careful
attention to alignment and simple props (a firm chair and two yoga blocks) are
used to pinpoint and gently release the tensions deep within your body.
As a sequence, the Magic Four opens the
entire length of your spine, beginning with the muscles around your tailbone.
The second pose extends the release that was started in the base of your spine
through the muscles of your sacrum. The third carries these changes through the
waist area, and the fourth extends them through the rib cage, shoulders, neck,
and head. The sequence should always be done in the same order without skipping
any pose.
#1 Slow-Motion
Dive
Scoot all the way back in a chair,
knees wide. Turn your toes slightly inward. Move your feet closer together until
your heels are directly under your knees and the shinbones are vertical and
parallel to each other. Make sure your toes are still turned inward, with the
outer edges of your feet parallel or turned inward farther.
Stage 1: Tip your torso forward, elbows on your
knees, with your hands hanging softly between your knees. Let your head hang
forward so the back of your neck lengthens
. Soften
through your shoulders so the vertebrae between your shoulder blades soften and
sink inward gently. Stay in Stage 1 for a minimum of 45 seconds or up to 3
minutes, breathing easily.
You might feel a softening or tingling
in the base of your pelvis as the tension in the seven coccygeus muscles begins to unravel. Or you may feel
nothing. Those layers of muscle have been tight for a long time and may be
completely numb. This pose engenders a deep opening whether you can feel it or
not.
Remain in Stage 1 if you have high
blood pressure (even if it is controlled by medication), hiatal hernia, glaucoma, or a history of detached retina, or
if Stage 2 is uncomfortable for any reason.
This vertical alignment of the shins is
one of the hardest things for new students to find, and hard to see from the
angle your head is at, so you may want to do this in front of a mirror. Make
sure your toes are turned inward.
Stage 2: Slide your arms down in the space
between your knees and allow your torso to sink slowly forward. Your back will
round as you let your head and arms hang. Your arms may end up pushing your
knees wider, but keep your big toes firmly on the floor with your toes still
turned inward . Stay in Stage 2 for a minimum of 45
seconds or up to 3 minutes. Continue with easy breathing.
To come out of the pose, place your
elbows on your knees and use your arms to prop yourself up in Stage 1, with your
head still hanging forward. Remain here for 2 to 3 breaths. Then
place your hands on your knees and push your torso upward. Bring your head up
last.
Sit quietly for a few breaths, allowing
the effects of the pose to be absorbed. You may be able to identify the release
in the tailbone muscles (which span the base of your pelvis), as well as feel
the increased length of your whole spine from your tailbone through your neck
and skull. The release at the tailbone relieves anxiety and calms your mind,
opening up what yoga calls the “natural state”—a feeling of peace and joy.
#2 Crook’t Knee Pose
Bring your legs and feet together.
Slide your feet forward 1–2 inches. Place your left ankle on your right knee and
pause there for a breath or two. Keeping your anklebone on your thighbone, slide
your ankle toward your hip. If you allow your ankle to slip down onto your inner
thigh or to hang out over the edge of your thigh, you’ll miss out on the
benefits of the pose. Keep your anklebone on your thighbone.
Stage 1: Lean into the back of the chair. Keep
your shoulders softly back, while you lower your chin toward your chest. Soften
into the pose and remain
for at least 45 seconds or up to 3 minutes
These angles reach through your hip
joint to release the sacrum muscles, especially the piriformis. You may feel this release as an internal
movement behind your intestines because this muscle is connected to the front
face of your sacrum. If you feel it in the outside of your hip or thigh, it is
still working. If you feel a pulling sensation in your crook’t knee, place a thin pillow under that thigh. This
will release tension in your spinal muscles, which will take the pressure off
your knee.
If you needed to stay in Stage 1 in the
previous pose, or if you had difficulty getting your legs into this position, do
not go into Stage 2.
If this ankle placement causes
uncomfortable pressure on your thigh, you can pad it with a folded sock.
Stage 2: Inhale as you lift your lowest front
ribs upward, and exhale as you lead with those ribs to move your chest forward.
Allow your back to round and your head and arms to hang. Your arms can hang in
front of your legs or out along the sides. If you feel a pull in your left knee,
return to Stage 1.
If your right
knee drifts out toward the right, use your left hand to pull it back into line
with your hip and foot. Precise alignment will help you get a release in the
tight places in your spine. Soften into the pose and continue with easy
breathing for 1–2 minutes.
To come out, place your hands on your
right knee, and push slowly with your hands and arms to tip your torso upward,
leaving your back muscles soft. Bring your head up last. Lower your bent leg and
sit with both feet on the floor for a few breaths. Repeat on the other side.
#3 Lunge
Kneel on the floor with your hands on
yoga blocks. Move your left foot forward through the space between your hands,
placing it ahead of your hands so that your left leg is almost straight. If you
find you are lifting your hands (even a little) in order to do this, make the
blocks under your hands taller.
Lean solidly into your right hand with
your palm flat on the block. Place your left hand on the left side of your
belly, below your waist, and push your fingers slowly and deeply into your
belly, toward your spine. Use your hand to move your belly and spine sideways
onto your thigh. Now slide your left hand upward to your lowest ribs, and use
your hand to move these ribs forward toward your knee. This lengthens and aligns
your spine. Place both hands on the floor (continue to use the blocks only if
needed). Lower your head alongside your front knee.
Your hand must be solidly placed on
your palm or fist. With your palm flat, you will get the release in your spine
that is intended in this pose.
Leave your back knee in place on the
floor as you move slowly forward, as far as possible without pushing or
straining. Reposition your left foot by sliding it forward or back in order to
get your heel directly under your knee, so your shinbone is vertical. Your belly
must stay on (or directly above) your thigh—if it slips off, back out and begin
again. You can feel the lengthening of your back leg, especially in the front of
your thigh, and that lengthening provides traction to your spine through the
waist area. While you may also be aware of tension in your front leg, it is the
back leg that provides the most reliable access to your spine.
Distribute your weight evenly on both
hands (palms or fists). Allow your head to hang and tuck your chin in a little.
Continue with easy breathing and remain in this pose for at least 45 seconds or
up to 3 minutes.
To come out, bend your elbows slightly
and push on the floor with your hands to start your movement back and out of the
pose. Leave your head hanging as you back up. Repeat on the other side.
#4 Reclining Spinal
Twist
Lying on your back, bring both knees
toward your chest. Your knees are touching. Use your hands to hold your knees
and let your legs relax. Rest here for a few preparatory breaths.
Extend your arms out to your sides
along the floor, with your palms facing up. Roll your legs and hips to your
right and lay your bent legs and feet on the floor. Allow your left shoulder
blade to come up off the floor if needed, so you can get your right leg and foot
fully on the floor. If your top knee does not land on your lower knee, place a
small pillow in the space between them.
Slide your legs toward your right arm
and move your arm toward your legs until the kneecap of your right leg touches
your right wristbone. This will decompress your spine
through your waist and farther down. Slide your left arm down into a similar
angle, so your arms form an A-frame with your palms facing the ceiling. If your
left elbow does not reach the floor, bend your elbow and lay your palm on the
side of your waist, while allowing your elbow and shoulder to lean toward the
floor.
Move your feet outward to get a
90-degree angle at your knees, and rest your top foot on your lower foot. Turn
your neck and head toward your knees for a lengthening through the left side of
your neck and into your jaw, as well as through the front of your left shoulder
and across your collarbone. This neck-and-head position concentrates the twist
in the vertebrae behind your heart, which need extra help in getting the deep
release. Allow your whole body to soften while you rest in this pose and stay
here for a minimum of 45 seconds or up to 5 minutes.
When you’re ready to come out, roll
your legs back to the center and hold your knees, with your knees touching.
Notice the difference in the two sides of your back against the floor. Pause
here, holding both knees for a few breaths, before repeating the twist to the
other side.
When you are ready to get moving, rest
on your side for a few breaths so you can take the inner openness with
you. This is called
vyutthana, savoring the inner experience and allowing
it to permeate your mind as you expand your awareness into the external world
again. You do not have to lose the inner openness and depth that your practice
has provided as you move into the world. Instead, allow your awareness to expand
from the inside outward, to base yourself in the deeper inner essence that yoga
calls Self, while you engage with the world in a state of openness and ease.•