The past year has been full for many with change, movement and growth prevailing, and we enter 2009 with many challenges and opportunities before us. The "work of the world" can only be accomplished through the strength and dedication of our communities and leaders to make this world a better place by empowering individuals from all colors and creeds.

When I taught in Naramata for SOYA my focus of the talk was on "Energy Anatomy” and the power of Prana. I had at that time been exploring the profound insights available through the regular practices of Hatha/Tantra kriyas and pranayam and we as a group had discussed the concept that, the purpose of yoga practice is ultimately to get more and more of this energy into the spine. To this day I am continually awed and humbled by the brilliance of the Hatha/Tantra yogis & teachings to have revealed, and laid out, and articulated so explicitly the techniques and science of evolving consciousness and interplay of the physical with the Life force.

It is these more energetic techniques that have the power to shift your energy from anxious to calm or to open your nadis in your regular asana practice, or perhaps to change a destructive habit. It is my view that if we all were to "manage our own energy" to the point that we eliminated our distractions and disruptions from negative thinking and self depreciation as well as judgment and attachment, we would be well on our way to creating the New Age of Aquarius where we can meet each other in love as a global community.

The climate of our community and our collective at this time is not yet resonant entirely with love, but more perhaps fear and hopefulness. It is from that perspective then, that I advise very grounding and centering practices and those pranayams and kriyas that bring prana down the spine and ground the life fore. The following Dragon/Tiger practice does that and along with the "Energetic Pranayam” – Nadi shodan or psychic alternate nostril breathing that we did together in Naramata, will provide good grounding. Try these 2 practices regularly and notice the results. As you lead yourself you show others the way and we become the change we need to see in the world. If you have any questions or would like to contact Mary-Jo please find her at www.mary-jo.com Have faith in these changing times, and keep on practicing your yoga.

THE DRAGON AND THE TIGER PRACTICE – excerpted from Para Yoga Master Training – Rod Stryker

The practice – Dragon and the Tiger – a kriya practice that combines evolution and involution. The Dragon breathing fire, is the upward movement. The spine is the governing vessel; this channel moves upward. The tiger is the controlling vessel, it moves downward. The tiger prowls the earth. Before energy starts to move we need to balance involution and evolution.
From Chinese medicine, the two meridians meet at the roof of the mouth and the root chakra.
AWORHAN – THE CHANNEL THAT MOVES UPWARD
AHAROWAN – THE CHANNEL THAT MOVES DOWNWARD

In this kriya, we direct consciousness upward through one channel and down through another. The two channels are the spine and the meridian that flows in front of the spine. Prana can be directed up or down through either channel. For a more grounding effect, the spine is the downward channel and the front body meridian is the upward channel. Moving the opposite way is integrative, but more expansive. By activating the downward flow we become a "spiritual tiger", strengthening our capacities in the world by channeling our life force into the lower chakras.

The chakras in the spine spiral upward. The chakras in the front meridian spiral outward. Moodlahara and Bindu chakras are just spinal. Swadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Vissudhi and Ajna are both involution and evolution. (front & back).

To begin, Center and begin ujjai breathing, deepening the breath as you draw your awareness inward. Depending on which direction you have chosen, the Dragon breath moves up the spine to Bindu, then loops toward the Ajna chakra and downward.

The Tiger begins at the root on the inhale moves forward to the front chakra meridian passing through all the chakras to cross at vissudhi at the throat to loop at the Bindu forward to Ajna where it loops back downward at the throat to the spinal column on the exhale.

Practice with an erect and upright spine, or lying down similarly. Add an OM on the exhale of the tiger practice when you reach the bindu as you move toward Ajna – 3rd eye.

Nadi Shodan or psychic Alternate Nostril.

There are many practices in the Hatha and Tantra text's that utilize our power of visualization to access subtle energies. This is one where you visualize the breath moving in a particular direction, or to or through nadis, chakras and channels.

To begin: center and rotate the pelvis so you are sitting erect and over you spine. Or similarly lying down, be sure the spine is aligned and the knees are bent.

Next, initiate ujjai breath and cycle fifteen rounds as a way of deepening and relaxing. Then beginning on the left nostril and the left side imagine and breathe at the same time, drawing the breath in the left side through the nostril over the skull down the left Ida channel all the way to the base of the spine at mooladhara chakra. Hold the breath there as long as it is comfortable and there is no strain. As you exhale visualize and breathe at the same time the breath moving up and out the right side of the spine in the Pingala channel up and over the right side of the brain and out the right nostril completing the exhale. Draw the next breath in the right, repeating the same pattern, up and over the right side of the skull and down the right spine to again visualize the breath and the energy at the root chakra as you hold the breath before exhaling up the left spine, over the left skull and out the left nostril. Repeat this procedure in increments of eight rounds with one round being one complete side to another and back to the opposite starting spot. If you have any questions or need further clarifications please don't hesitate to contact me.

Mary Jo Fetterly C-RB; E-RYT-500 TRINITY YOGA